Judging by Mirabelle's answer, there was more to this young woman than her outward appearance led Archie to believe. Despite the storm undoubtedly swirling in her own mind, she appeared to be very observant. Mirabelle was clear and detailed with the reasons behind her conclusion (something that a truly distracted individual would fail to take notice of). Additionally, she displayed, for a brief moment, courtesy when she had said: “People like that.” Being a story-teller wasn’t just a matter of self, but an eagerness to enchant and please an audience; thinking on it further, it was not unlike being the steward to his mistress’ household, where perfection and order earned him praise. Lastly, the young woman felt convicted to include why she didn’t choose her own introduction--or Mr. Gazzy’s, for that matter. Could it be possible that she considered honesty and fairness to be of great importance? Well, whatever the case may be and regardless of what the rest of the class thought, Archie was right.
The majordomo issued a small nod in Mirabelle’s direction, then turned his eyes front, where Mr. Gazzy stood, and waited for their next assignment. What else did the instructor have in store for them? While he still didn’t care too much for the course, a small measure of curiosity would do well in distracting him from the chaos happening atop Mirabelle’s desk; a second longer of looking at it would cause the muscle beneath his left eye to spasm, and he would feel compelled to put things right in order to calm the twitching.
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:30 am
The teacher waited patiently for all to explain their opinions and reasons before writing some things down on his notebook that was labeled 'PSY 101' on the font cover. Once the whole class had finished with their views, the instructor spoke again, sitting down at his desk in the front of the class room and looking out at the small class. "I suppose you want to hear my opinion, yes?
"Well, first, to address Ms. Mirabelle, I purposely did not give a big introduction for myself. However, I do wish to thank you for explaining why you didn't pick mine, or even yours. Valid reasoning is what I like to hear, but I disagree with your statement about your introduction being vague. In a game, a lot of time actions speak louder than words. Your smallest habits and talking patterns can just as easily introduce you than saying a whole monologue about yourself. This is very vital, whether you learn it here or at any class here at the academy. When you introduced yourself, I paid more attention to your actions than your words, which spoke to me a lot more about who you are. I believe that some of your classmates can agree.
"Mister Bryan, your introduction was actually quite good. You stated lots of information about your relationships and background, which are two important aspects that we will learn in this class. Very impressed!
"Since we are all picking the ones that our 'best' in our opinions, I do agree that Mister Archibald's was very well rounded. Kinda like Bryan's, he hit the background information that I was looking for in the introductions. I did not share that information with you all, however, because it gives me an assessment on what I need to teach. So you have all got through your first two class assignments!"
Mr. Gazzy gout out of his seat and walked over to the chalk board labeled 'assignments.' "This is where you can keep up with your assignments. I will write it here when you have an assignment, after I tell you of course, and then check off after each person has completed the assignment.
"Also, please be aware that this class is still enrolling, so we may have new students walk through the door any time. They will just send their late assignments to my email." Gazzy walked to the other board and wrote on the board: 'Character Creation.' He looked out at the class. "Can any of you tell me what you already know about character creation? Don't be shy, I love when my classes give me feedback!"
Mirabelle secretly had to admit that she was pleased, and allowed herself a tiny smile. Praise from a teacher was a great commodity and she loved every bit she got- and if she tried, she sometimes got a lot. It made going to school worthwhile, even when nobody else wanted to talk to her. Especially fun, of course, when the teachers asked about something she knew and was certain of: not quite as fun when it was all about making up your own, subjective answers. Those could be pretty hard, she'd found.
Among all the whizzing thoughts, she only barely caught the nod that Archie sent her way, which turned her face a tinge of red again, because one of the boys in class had noticed her. And given her a nod! That was like, like-... she didn't even know the words. Fortunately, she didn't have to dwell on the idea of boys and them liking her very long, because the teacher started actually lecturing them, which of course led to very careful note-taking. Mirabelle had finally managed to calm herself down enough that she could do it seriously and collectedly, which improved both the quality of the notes and the quality of her handwriting. She smiled with satisfaction.
The smile didn't wane from her face at the next task, either. Character creation! This one was fun, and she knew she knew some things about it. A few things, at least! Emboldened by her previous success, Mirabelle's hand shot up into the air. "I think I know some! You have to, um," she blinked, "Make sure they have weaknesses and strengths! And try to make them match so your character isn't too strong or too weak. Because if it's too strong, then you could ruin the fun for everybody else and if it's too weak, you might not have fun playing it. And it should have a personality. Big, defining traits that give you an overarching idea of what the character is like!" A deep breath. "So maybe they're really mean and hate everyone, or they're really nice, or they just don't like chickens. Having quirks in the character's personality can be very fun and interesting if you do it right. And it often helps if you find an image of what you want the character to look like, because it might help you find out some other things about them."
Mirabelle was on a roll- she loved inventing characters, even if it was just strange fancies of people who could never exist, or even should never exist except as main storyline villains or heroes. "And you should decide if your character is supposed to be good or evil, even though those terms are technically inaccurate, because that will also help you to find out more about them, what they might like to do or what they don't like to do. It's important to keep the setting in mind, though, and what end result you're trying to achieve."
Now she was rambling, and started to realize it as well, but she kept on valiantly for just a little while more- sometimes, she could talk about things that she loved without feeling awkward at all! "Most important though, in my opinion, is that you like the character that you end up with. Because it's not cool at all to try to play a character that you don't like, and no fun either."
TheGazSpaz
Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:20 pm
TheGazSpaz
Archie listened to Mirabelle’s list of ingredients to creating great characters, but his thoughts strayed to his mistress. As his fellow student prattled on, Archie recalled the afternoons he would deliver tea to the study, where he found Lady Genmark behind a fort of reference texts and notes--poring over psychology volumes until her eyes went bloodshot; studying personality quizzes until she requested for pain medication; creating character skeletons until her fingers were smudged with black and blue ink. More often than not, she would neglect the tea and biscuits; the very thought of food waste caused the muscle beneath Archie’s eye to twitch. That aside, Lady Genmark seemed more interested in the characters’ behavioral and personality traits.
The majordomo rose to his feet once more.
“I agree with Ms. Mirabelle that a balance between physical strengths and weaknesses are important, but I feel this is a small factor to character creation. Instead, I’d like to add on to her portion about personality traits. Plugging in character traits should not just be about what could be fun and interesting, but what should be believable. This can be achieved by studying people around us; after all, how we interact with others is what leaves a lasting impression. Personality traits can be strengths and weaknesses. For example: a driven, committed, honest person can be, by the same token, critical, stubborn, and single-minded. Also, a person's speech pattern speaks volumes about their character, as well: where they're from, their level of education, their station in society, etc. That, of course, is optional.
“As to her suggestion on finding an image to draw inspiration from, I’m afraid I find myself on the fence. One on hand, it can serve as a helpful aid, but on the other it can be detrimental to--what my mistress calls--the creative process. In her earlier role-playing years, my mistress often used images to represent her characters, but rarely did she ever describe them in her writing; later, she made it a point to use real-life images and exercised the habit to describe that person, whomever they may be. I, myself, am a product of the latter. However, this still inhibits her potential to create original characters based on her own imagination. While this particular matter neither good nor bad, this method only happens on a case by case basis--depending the requirements laid out for the character profiles. If it were up to me, I'd omit the option to provide an image and have author--or role-player, in this case--utilize the written word to its extent and describe their characters. Adding on to this, physical flaws, I feel, is a must. There isn't single person in this world without a physical flaw. To not include said flaws, unfortunately, is a reflection of the creator’s vanity."
Now that he thought about it, Lady Genmark made frequent trips to the library and brought home towers of books pertaining to almost every topic under the sun. He often wondered what could possibly spur on this thirst for knowledge; for everything she learned was almost immediately forgotten. It became very clear then.
"Going further on the subject of character creation, this includes a backstory--similar to Bryan's detailed introduction. Everyone has a backstory: where they were raised, where went to school or worked, every milestone and failure. Everything is recorded into our own personal history books and influences our behavior. However, that, too, must be carefully thought out; a character's history must be tailored so that it fits in with the specifics of the role-play. Like personality traits it must be balanced and believable."
Archie took his seat. Without warning, a shiver went up his spine; somehow, he knew his mistress was reading on from somewhere beyond the classroom. He could almost hear her as she whispered through that smug grin of hers: “See? I'm not some crackpot writer, am I?”
The teacher looked impressed by the two students that had offered what they already knew. "I am very impressed with what you two already know!" He said, beaming at them. He addressed the other quiet students as well. "It's okay, there's still lots of stuff for us to learn!"
He walked over to the white board and under character creation, he wrote 'strengths and weaknesses.' He turned back to the class. "As Ms. Mirabelle stated, it is very importation that a character have clear strengths and weaknesses. And indeed, most of the time, the weakness may outweigh the strengths. A character with a lot of strengths and barely any weaknesses is... well, you know... pretty boring. It is imperative that you know your strengths and weaknesses."
The teacher picked a stack of papers up off of his desk. "When I pass these out, I would like for all of you to write your strengths and weaknesses on this paper. If you need help, please ask me and I will come and help you." He continued to pass the papers out until every student had a sheet.
"After you are finished, you may stand up and say at least one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. Once you do that, please hand in (PM!) the sheet to me." He said with a smile, sitting down at his desk. He got out his PSY notepad and took some more notes on his class.
Roll Call:
Thornwick
Haine2525
ABSENT
muse_4_music
ABSENT
QueenArasene
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:37 am
Mirabelle beamed. Just a little, of course, but she beamed nevertheless. Despite Archie's slightly down-putting comments, she'd received just what she had hoped for, which was praise from the teacher. Mirabelle loved being praised by teachers. And, of course, there was the promise of further learning soon to come, which she looked forward to. Similar to the way she now looked forward to the teacher, though in an entirely different meaning.
For now, she had a paper in front of her and a task to complete. It wasn't a very easy one, either- which in itself didn't worry her all that much. Challenges made you grow, unless you died. And since that didn't seem likely to happen right here, right now, Mirabelle chewed on her pencil and considered. Strengths and weaknesses were all very fine if you put them in characters, but when you had to find your own? That was a fair shot harder.
After a while, she tenuously began to put down her first shortcomings. That was usually a good place to start- at least, so she thought for characters. If you put the weaknesses down first, you wouldn't get as obsessed with keeping your strengths as powerful as you'd wanted. Well, perhaps that was wrong, but it was a place to start. After chewing a little more on her pencil, she continued quietly. The writing was somehow serenely calm, a relaxed state of mind you wish you could stay in forever.
All too soon, the quiet moment. Mirabelle had her paper filled, and no particular wish to share what stood on it. Perhaps there had been enough crazy trust exercises for her on that day- she certainly wasn't used to it. That was on her list, too. So, instead of making a fuss, the quiet brunette raised her hand for the teacher to come and collect her paper.
From the inside pocket of his jacket, Archie produced a pen and set to work. This assignment was not unlike the others, he assumed. Strengths based on success and experience came as easily as one would expect, and the butler already had written several paragraphs on the matter in a few, scant minutes. Soon, he found himself turning the sheet over for the blank space.
It wasn’t until he came upon the subject of weaknesses the words ceased flowing from his pen. He blinked. Just what were his shortcomings? Could he even see his flaws? The pentip left the paper’s surface as he considered them. It suddenly occurred to him that though he couldn’t see his own weaknesses, there was someone who seemed very knowledgeable on the matter. He touched the pen to the sheet again, and the words appeared, much to his satisfaction.
After dotting the last period of the last sentence, Archie set his pen down and stood. He took up the cane, which had been resting against the back of his seat, and leaned on it for support as he limped between the row of desks toward the front of the class. The butler gently placed the sheet onto Mr. Gazzy’s desk, then made the steady walk back to his spot in the class, the cane making a rhythmic thump in between step he took.
He settled into his desk again, resting the cane back into its previous position, and set his sights forward for the next assignment.
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 10:20 am
The teacher waited as both of the students turned in their work. He scanned over the sheets while the whole class was quiet. "I have read your strengths and weaknesses, and this assignment shows that you are well aware of these aspects of character creation. I believe that we can now move on."
He stood up, taking another stack of papers on his desk. "With this next topic comes an extra credit opportunity. This is completely optional and you do not have to complete this assignment. I'm assuming you remember your introductions? This is the background portion. For extra credit, you may write a very little piece of background and hand it in to me. This does not have to be extremely detailed, but if you feel urged to give detail, then you may do so." He pushed his glasses up on his nose as he gave each student the paper.
"Since most of you already know a lot about character creation, I am assuming that you know some about background and how vital it is to character traits. This also ties in to strengths and weaknesses. Did your past cause your strengths and weaknesses? A character without a background... well... isn't a character!
"Time is up on your extra credit assignments. I hope that you can listen and write. Please turn them in to me now. Then, please share your thoughts with the class on background. Do you believe that it's vital to character? If not, then what is? I will be taking notes on your responses. Questions like this may be on your final exam." He took out his notepad, waiting for the students to turn in the extra credit and share their thoughts.
Somehow, there was an awful lot of silence in the classroom. Mirabelle looked around at the other students and noticed, again, that two of them seemed to have fallen asleep or were just generally away again. Only Archie seemed to be around, really, and of course the teacher. He was always there, but then that was his job. Teachers sort of became a fixture in classrooms if they weren't careful, and you only really realized they'd been there when they were gone. Strange, that.
No matter what you thought about the other students or the teacher, however, it was awfully quiet. Mirabelle didn't like classrooms that were completely silent: a classroom should have a certain buzz of activity filling it, and two students were simply far too few to provide that sort of ambiance. It ground on her nerves in a particularly unpleasant way, because she felt like she should contribute to filling that silence, while at the same time shying away from drawing any kind of attention to herself. As a result, she fidgeted. A bad habit, perhaps, but it was one that kept her occupied in situations such as these. When she caught the teacher looking at her, though, she stopped at once and blushed a little. Going unnoticed was so much easier in a classroom full of people!
Grinding her teeth together in annoyance, she folded her paper up neatly- of course she'd done the extra assignment (they'd had time to do it, and she liked being busy)- and stood up. With the air of someone who really did not want to stand up and walk up to the teacher's desk, she did just that and put down her paper on it, before retreating swiftly to the safety of her own chair again. From here, she threw a furtive glance towards Archie, to see if he had anything to say or if he was going to speak first (which she really hoped he would). Because if he did, she wouldn't have to stick out her neck again. Even though there were only two other people around, which meant that her neck stuck out anyway, no matter what she did. Mirabelle sighed quietly and directed her eyes back to the doodle on her paper. It was a bear.
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 5:49 pm
TheGazSpaz
Archie allowed the invitation for extra credit to come and go, as his submission for the previous assignment was lengthy enough to cover the additional requirements. There was no sense in producing a variation of the previous assignment for the sake of a few measly points. Repetition was key to an extent and not at the expense of valuable effort.
The butler sighed. For all the school’s reputation and prestige, the student body left much to be desired with the exception of Mirabelle, who seemed to be desperate to distract herself from the lack of student-teacher interaction. He couldn’t blame her; he much rather be somewhere else, preferably back at the manor, where he would (around this particular hour of the day) make spot checks with a pristine white glove. His hand reached up to still the spasming muscle beneath his eye. The thought of the possibility that his staff could be handling things with subpar expertise soured his mood further. How much longer was he expected to endure this torture?
Archie’s hand left his face and reached into the air. “Excuse me, Mr. Gazzy…” Sitting idle for so long laced his voice with a gruff edge. “How much longer until the end of this course?”
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