Miqo'te RP: How do you do bodylanguage etc?

[Maril]

Okay so.. I was reading through the other thread that's up about Miqo'te RP, but I didn't want to derail it with more bodylanguage stuff. I also can't remember if we've had a thread about this before, but here goes: 

 

I'm looking for people's experiences with their Miqo'te characters and how they have (or haven't?) portrayed their bodylanguage when it comes to tail/ears, and how you generally regard their senses + how you RP out these senses / other miqo'te specific traits. 

Why? Well, it's always interesting for me to know how people do things, it helps me understand why some may react in certain ways out there on the stage. 

 

I have a Miqo'te alt myself, and have sort of figured out a way to do things that I like, without making it feel too repetitive/redundant. Usually when I emote for his bodylanguage, I only mention tail/ears/etc when it enhances the point or reveals something about my Miqo'tes mood. Of course there are those with complete control over their bodylanguage in some situations, but for my Miqo'te, if he for example gets angry he'll be focusing a lot more on the anger, and wouldn't be trying to unfluff his tail and keep it from swishing about 

When I started playing him, I actually decided to sit down and read about cat body-language and senses. I remember stumbling over things like this site: http://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/cat-body-language 

To me it just always seemed like the right place to start - rather than haphazardly guessing. Obviously, some things aren't really so easy to implement all the time, where as others has. 

When it comes to the senses: 

Sight: Better nightvision for keepers, though not the point where it gets really easy. 

Hearing: What I tend to assume is that Miqo'te have a better detail hearing, rather than longer range like you might find with an Elezen. Also, because the ears are so flexible to move, they'd be able to have the luxury of not turning their heads to hear what is going on around them. 

Smell: Enhances sense of smell, however I never force a smell upon someone, rather I would /tell and ask if or not my Miqo'te would smell something like say another persons scent on their mate. 

Balance: Tails make things easier, I'd imagine. 

 

And finally, when it comes to purring, I believe that when and why a Miqo'te purrs is culturally determined based on how they were raised and what is the social norm. So for example if the norm has been to idly purr to signalize "I am feeling happy/content" to your fellow miqo'tes, it may be something that a miqo'te would do even around non-miqo'te. 

Or, if a Miqo'te has never been exposed to the concept of purring, they may not know how to pronounce the sound let alone when to produce it, and find it somewhat of an alien concept. 

I do believe that Miqo'te can purr, because even a real life human can train themselves to purr, so if Hyur and Humans are comparable in that sense, it should be possible. 

 

So anyways that's how I've managed to put it all together. Now it's your turn!

[Alothia]

I've always mentioned Aly's ears and tail as if she were a cat, having done some of the same research as you. I know that her tail fluffs up if she's scared, her ears fold back and tail lashes if she's angry. Her fangs sometimes hang on her lip if she's feeling cheeky. I've never left her tongue sticking out like my cat does though...although I'm sure that that would lead to an interesting conversation with fellow characters.

 

I know RPers who really work well with the other senses. Tessa Jalloh, for instance, is very good at incorporating scent into RP. Tessa keeps tabs on everyone's scent, asking fellow RPers what they think their character would smell like, and then keeps mental notes of that in case she encounters someone or whatnot. I've always looked at people who are able to do that in RP and be awed by it. It's such a cool quirk to have, and to be able to do it well is admirable.

[Gegenji]

I don't have a Miqo'te, but I've RPed with a fair few.

 

The most notable and numerous Miqo'te-centric emotes I tend to see is with their ears. Perking up when interested, laying flat when distressed, or even just twitching towards where a conversation is taking place. I've even seen a couple instances of discomfort or embarrassment where one lies flat to be scratched at while the other remains alert.

 

Beyond that, there's also cases involving tails. Lashing them when irate, settling them in their lap and petting them as a calming gesture. I've even seen one or two cases where some Miqo'te seem to have even greater control of their tail - wrapping it around their waist or moving it where they will and twitching it about. Which... kinda gets me to wondering how much control a Miqo'te has over their own tail.

 

Fangs, usually, only get mentioned in smiles - whether benign or not.

[C'kayah Polaali]

Good topic!

 

C'kayah's a silver tongued crime lord. Charisma was not his dump stat. His mannerisms have been practiced and polished in an attempt to let him more easily influence people.

 

He is also a Coeurl. According to Fates' wonderful guide, Coeurls have a particular focus on dance and body language.

 

I think the one certainly follows the other. Once he got into a position where he could influence people, the bodily self-control that he got from his Coeurl upbringing helped him to develop the techniques that would work for him.

 

Consequently, he doesn't do a lot of unconscious things with his body language. At least not around people he's not fully comfortable with. Every swivel of his ears, every lash of his tail, every time he grins and exposes the fangs that are the inheritance from his Moonkeeper grandmother, it's intentional.

 

But I do try to bring those things into my RP. I tend to play them down, since a lot of his body language is based on reading the people he's talking to and trying to have his body language be comfortable (read: "familiar"; "not noteworthy"). All the same, those parts are there and I use them.

[FreelanceWizard]

When it's expository in the narrative, I'll emote L'yhta's ears and tail. They perk up when she's focused on something and wiggle when she's very interested, for instance. Her tail swishes back and forth when she's angry, pokes up in greeting or when she's intrigued, and hides between her legs when she's ashamed. As a matter of fact, this thread is a good resource for tail motions. I could probably do a better job at this, but I also don't want these sorts of emotes to dominate what's going on and get repetitive.

 

I generally don't RP anything sensory that's positive for L'yhta; a trait of hers is being imperceptive. By miqo'te standards, she's especially so. The one negative I do take is that she has relatively poor night vision.

 

As for physical characteristics, I RP her as being average for an adventurer, which in terms of balance and agility is probably below average for a miqo'te adventurer. She's wiry and quick, but that's mostly a function of the life; the musculature will come with all the walking and running around in the field, and if you're not fast, you're dead.

[Kage]

((To be honest, I'm not sure why this is a separate thread because the other thread was made separately, at least in part, with specifics towards the whole bodylanguage issues with Miqo'te being roleplayed as "just a guy with feline ears and tail" in mind. From... another thread. >.>; That is just my opinion though.))

 

When I did RP, and RP'd Kage as a miqo'te there were lots of issues. One of them was the fact that the character had to get used to being BIG TALL AND A TAIL. (I mean, going from like 3' to 5' is a difference.)

 

One thing that Kage found issues with (other than physical attributes) were sense. The sense of smell. So there would be emotes about it. There'd be other emotes also about ear movement and tail movement. The very occasional teeth. Lots of purring because at the time he was... well really happy even though it -really sucked to be him or his friends-.

 

But to be honest, like was brought up in the previous thread, most of those are placed in the way side or forgotten about when dealing with dialogue and story. The mindset was very much more about getting the story out then to describe every single detail and a lot of times those just weren't as important.

[Kinono]

Oof. This seems like too nice a topic to designate to just miqo'te... But I digress.

 

One of my favorite miqo'te RPers is very tribal and expressive with it and I tend to like that. He bristles when meeting other males, is restless when sitting still, flicks his ears/tail/body parts around, will emote when he smells anything unfamiliar (and is careful to avoid godmodding it). I like it because it's unique to my experience, and conveys very well the quintessential lonely male Keeper experience.

 

That's all I got I think.

[Maril]

((To be honest, I'm not sure why this is a separate thread because the other thread was made separately, at least in part, with specifics towards the whole bodylanguage issues with Miqo'te being roleplayed as "just a guy with feline ears and tail" in mind. From... another thread. >.>; That is just my opinion though.))

 

 

The other thread is a bit more about doing it wrong, like, is not mentioning it wrong or not - I didn't want to derail the thread by asking in there how other people do their bodylanguage stuff with their Miqo's, even though it is related. 

[K'nahli]

I emote things like that when they seem relevant, like K'nahli's ears pinning down closer to her head when she is uncomfortable or unhappy like how you see in many animals, but I admit that I don't give these things a whole lot of thought. If it feels worth mentioning then okay, I'll go for it, otherwise it may just be an excessive detail. In the case of the ear example then it's obvious body language that can convey a message to those around her, so it serves a purpose.

 

I neglect to remember the heightened sense of smell at times and as for a tail and balance? Well, that's something that I imagine one would take for granted and not notice(as a miqo'te) so unless you're that person who RP'd turning from a miqo'te into something else then I don't see the point in mentioning it.

 

 

 

(Also I cannot take anyone who "purrs" as a miqo'te seriously. Someone did that recently in the Quicksand and I looked around for them hoping that it was just a manner of speaking and not an actual purr, nor a miqo'te using a pun of sorts, haha.... and it wasn't!)

[C'kayah Polaali]

(Also I cannot take anyone who "purrs" as a miqo'te seriously. Someone did that recently in the Quicksand and I looked around for them hoping that it was just a manner of speaking and not an actual purr, nor a miqo'te using a pun of sorts, haha.... and it wasn't!)

 

That's exactly how I do it when C'kayah purrs.

 

purr pər/

 

speak in a low soft voice, especially when expressing contentment or acting seductively.

"“Would you like coffee?” she purred"

[Kinono]

(Also I cannot take anyone who "purrs" as a miqo'te seriously. Someone did that recently in the Quicksand and I looked around for them hoping that it was just a manner of speaking and not an actual purr, nor a miqo'te using a pun of sorts, haha.... and it wasn't!)

 

The rolling of the r's that you see in some miqo'te portrayals and accents could be mistakenly identified as purring, it could be argued. Though... I guess that would be assuming your character verbally goes "rrrrrrrr" when pleased. Also, unless coeurl mannerisms are common knowledge wouldn't the entire concept of "purrs" be unfamiliar territory?

 

( All that said, and not to be too judgy but I've seen like, three too many miqo'te emote as having scratchy tongues. Not that I have any quote to dispute the biology, but it is probably a detail I need not know thank you ;_; )

 

 

EDIT:

purr pər/

 

speak in a low soft voice, especially when expressing contentment or acting seductively.

"“Would you like coffee?” she purred"

 

 

 

Oh snap, I actually did not know this definition. Disregard my post.

[Gegenji]

( All that said, and not to be too judgy but I've seen like, three too many miqo'te emote as having scratchy tongues. Not that I have any quote to dispute the biology, but it is probably a detail I need not know thank you ;_; )

 

But how are you supposed to know that when they lick your head that your hair is supposed to stick up and be all goofy!? :surprise:

 

Also quietly seconding the idea of having a more generic body language thread. I wouldn't mind seeing how other Popotos play to their own unique traits, as well as Roes. Is there something that Roes often do based on their culture? I'm curious.

[Delilah Scythewood]

My characters purr pretty much in the quote C'kayah just gave. Even my Hyur!

 

As for body language and other things, I tend to follow the kitty tropes since they fit best. I also try to adjust based off the situations, especially with their ears. More often then not I default to the shifting back of the ears for when they're anxious or stressed.

 

I also love playing around with tails. Xelra loves to entwine her tail with her mate's when they're standing close to one another. She also does it with her sister on occasion, and for her it's a sign of affection and trust. Her tail is overtly sensitive otherwise so letting anyone touch it or come near it is a big deal for her.

[Kinono]

But how are you supposed to know that when they lick your head that your hair is supposed to stick up and be all goofy!? :surprise:

 

...Now I'm actually really surprised and sad and confused that I've never had a miqo'te lick Kino's hair like she's a little mewling kitten.

[Gegenji]

But how are you supposed to know that when they lick your head that your hair is supposed to stick up and be all goofy!? :surprise:

 

...Now I'm actually really surprised and sad and confused that I've never had a miqo'te lick Kino's hair like she's a little mewling kitten.

 

I usually just get pet. Or loomed over creepily by someone who looks like they're cross-eyed.

 

 

"POH POH TOH." 83

[Idristan Agache]

I’ve actually been trying to do more with Adeya’s ears and tail lately, though mostly I’ve focused on her ears. Since she normally tries to appear somewhat cool and unflappable (admittedly, with varying degrees of success), having her flatten them when she's angry or perk up when interested can serve as nice, somewhat subtle clues to how she really feels about something. Honestly I’ve found including her tail to be a bit harder, partly due to not being sure how much to do with it when she’s sitting and partly because at the time I didn’t think about it. I’m trying to work on that last bit.

 

When it comes to senses, she does have good night vision being a Keeper and all, but that hasn’t really come up much since most of her friends and colleagues are hyur, elezen, and Seekers, and as such she’s stuck running around in daytime more than she’d honestly like. I know I’ve definitely forgotten about the smell thing a few times, but since Adeya isn’t particularly perceptive by miqo’te standards I don’t feel too bad about it.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever had her actually purr and probably won’t, as it seems like the kind of thing she’d see as uncouth at best.

[K'nahli]

Haha, maybe I should give people more credit then. When I see miqo'te do it I can't help but think they mean a genuine purring noise and for me it's just like...

"N-No... don't do that!"

[Gegenji]

"N-No... don't do that!"

 

Alternately:

 

[Blue]

Personally I just mimic cats' body language when it comes to tail and ears (and strictly those. I'm not a fan of RPing cat behavior as a humanoid, like purring, hissing and stuff). So my tail will swing when I'm irritated or conflicted, my ears will tilt in direction of sounds, or when I'm afraid. That general stuff.

 

I notice some people emote using the tail to grab things, but personally I don't do that. As far as I'm aware, only primates have some degree of voluntary muscles in their tails (ie, they can decide what to do with their tails). Felines have only unvoluntary tail muscles, so their tails only move to adjust their balance, or affected by their emotions. In both cases, it's not movements the voluntary part of our brain would control. Feline humanoid with monkey tail sounds too much for me

[Kinono]

Haha, maybe I should give people more credit then. When I see miqo'te do it I can't help but think they mean a genuine purring noise and for me it's just like...

"N-No... don't do that!"

 

It's totally natural to be defensive of your main race, especially if you feel others in particular are contributing to some sort of bad stereotype. I get really weirdly irked when I see people use lalafell to play children of other races. I know it's a common thing across MMOs (gnomes were used for the same thing in WoW) and that there really aren't many other options, but still...

 

 

In short: It's okay to find things silly/annoying so long as you're willing to not completely write people off and admit that maybe you're the one being silly sometimes!

[SessionZero]

My Miqo'te's mannerisms are more linked to her thought processes than anything. She's a relatively emotionally stable Miqo'te under normal circumstances, her most oft-used facial expression is deadpan, so when ears or her tail are brought into the mix, those who RP with her often know something is up. Most often, it'll be her ear twitching when she's thinking really hard. Other than that, the rare times when she does have emotional outbursts are accompanied by thrashing tails, shifting ear positions, the typical Miqo norm.

My Elezen, conversely, is very animated with his body language. Being an Ishgardian and having a flair for the dramatic, his flowery speech is often accompanied by twirling hand gestures, head dips, extreme facial expressions, etc. Animated body language need not be relegated solely to our cat-friends!

[Du'lance Fiourtune]

I have to admit, being new to role-play, Final Fantasy and Miqo'te all together, I never really put 2 and 2 together when it would come to ears/tails/claws etc.

 

Opens up new avenue to role-play properly, so I assume I will be doing that more often.

 

Just not to the point where its like "OMG okay we get it, you have a tail....."

[Baja]

I try to focus on the body language I feel would happen naturally with Lyrik since she wasn't raised around other Miqo'te. Certain learned signals like hissing or purring are not something she would have learned. More so, small motor movements like ear rotation, tail twitching or fur standing up that are reflexes are included in her emotes.

 

I chose to play a Miqo'te because I work with animals and have a very clear understanding of cat body language. It's fun for me to bring that knowledge to a character that is not very in touch with her "feline" side.

[Mikha]

Snipped from my post in the other thread:

 

Ears: I do not emote my ears at all times. Sometimes I forget, others times I feel it isn't required. We have hominid features which are expressive enough on their own. Ears do however add extra flavour and so I always use them when an emotion is particularly strong. Often an ear will flicker or tick when his name or something interesting sounds within earshot.

 

Tail: Mikh'a is careful of his tail when sitting. He uses it more when he is physically engaged (leaping, sparring etc, they are part of the balance thing for the race, or so I believe). Again with strong emotions it might bristle or fall still rather than maintain an absent swish.

 

Both together: When entirely at ease, these things happen more frequently. Another thing I try to remember is that everyone has a tell. Minor body movements or ticks that others who know them would spot, and so there times when Mikh'a will appear outwardly calm for example, though his tail will fall flat or bristle ever so slightly.

 

To elaborate more in this thread however-

 

Mikh'a has sensitive ears. He will go berserk if people try to touch them, unless the person is special enough. They are most reflective of his emotions when he is at ease. He is less sensitive regarding his tail, though takes precautions (sweeping it aside when he sits etc) and again, this is more active when he's at ease.

 

When I, as a player, are comfortable enough with the people I'm roleplaying with to experiment a little more, I sometimes emote them as vile betrayers that seem to have a life of their own and giving him away when he's trying to hide things. This however is very occasional since I imagine Miqo'te would have natural control (minus the tells I mentioned).

 

I was also once involved in a debate regarding purring. Simply put .. humans have the ability to purr, even if it is simply a mimic of a true purr, and so Mikh'a has (and may well do so again) purred when very content.

 

For the most part however, my miqo'te does body language much like we would expect a human to do, with the rest behaving as accents or flavour.

 

I have had the great fortune (or perhaps misfortune?) of never having experienced cat-like races until FFXIV, and so I looked at felines for inspiration and only as a way to add a little diversity.

 

"Mikh'a frowns then, tail faltering to a still as his arms fold across his chest."

 

"The male laughed, ears flapping gleefully along with the sound."

[Zhavi]

Unless it is an unusual reaction, or I am illustrating something she is doing (rather than 'Zhi turned her attention to the couple talking behind her' I might write 'Zhi's ears swiveled towards the couple behind her as she casually rolled the dice between her fingers' -- it's a little more subtle (show, not tell) while still indicating what she's doing), I tend to just go with one thing at a time. She might scrunch her nose, narrow her eyes, grimace, shift, slump, look at her nails, roll her eyes, or any number of other things. At most I'll go with two, and depending on what I feel is the most relevant, I'll use ears/tail/baring fangs or I won't.

 

As Mikh'a said, miqo'te have primarily hominid features, and those are just as expressive as ears and tail.

 

That said, I tend to use ears and tail as a cat would, but have used her tail before as if she has fairly fine control over it. However, after a discussion with Enteris about cat biology and whether or not that would be possible, I've toned that down a fair bit (though I still have her wrapping her tail around her hips and tucking it under a sash when she wants to play at being a small hyur boy for those not looking closely).

 

I believe less is more, so I use ears/tail/fangs as embellishment rather than including them frequently. THAT SAID, sometimes I am a bad rper and forget about them during intense scenes or when I am excited about the rp. Zhavi is my first time rping as an anthropomorphic anything, so that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!