A TENDER DESCENT.

                           PINNED POST / GENERAL INFORMATION. 

An independent roleplay blog for the original character Sophia Ivers, primarily based in the gothic realm of horror and romance, inspired by the Death & the Maiden trope. Features verses for Vampire: the Masquerade and Dead By Daylight. Please be aware that potential triggers and mature themes will be present, hence why this blog is rated 18+. 

                             GUIDE. ABOUT. BIOGRAPHY. VERSES.

on an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

A black and red Nokia, spearmint chewing gum, lipstick (either a muted brown, dark red or black), hair grips and a hair tie, and a CD Walkman with headphones - the CD changing day by day... the newest addition being Curve’s ‘Gift’.

does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

When does she not have recurring dreams. Sometimes, there are just repetitive visuals... endless stairways that disappear into darkness, graveyards that go on forever, people she’s never met but knows are long since gone ... they progressively become more coherent though, less like a random barrage of images and more like a Lady Gaga music video... abstract but containing an interpreted narrative. Her dreams are also the only place she is able to Communicate with Death, especially if she’s extremely tired, but any prolonged conversation runs the risk of her being completely non-responsive to her roomates’ efforts of waking her up.            On rare occassion, she dreams ‘outside of herself’, wherein she lives a life entirely different than her own (any century, country, etc.) . These can be vivid and visceral, to the point where she completely forgets her own identity, and unbeknown to her - they are the past lives of those that have passed on... 

does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

To some, her dreams could be nightmares, but she doesn’t see them as particularly terrifying. The only one that has cropped up more than once is her waking up in her room, finding her house is completely void of any life apart from herself, or that she is the last person left alive on Earth.

what was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Unfortunately Sophia was a child well before Monster High or Living Dead Dolls were on the scene... so any Barbies she had were frequently ‘customised’. She had a few bisque dolls but had a habit of pawing over pretty things that were Very Breakable, so they were displayed at the top of a book shelf out of her reach. When she was very young, she used to carry around a plush of Marvin the Martian but lost it on a train. 

what is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

The most obvious is the whole ‘betrothed to Death’ thing. It’s a... grey area for her, leading to a lot of relationships ‘fizzling out’, despite the intensity of appreciation and affection Sophia freely gives - maintaining that connection with her becomes difficult. With friends, this is less of an issue but with romantic entanglements... she labours under the fear she is betraying her partner’s trust - at the same time hypocritically making little effort to communicate how complicated her ‘It’s Complicated’ status with Death is. Due to this, she can be secretive and withdrawn at times. Even to those close to her there is a sense that she’s a little out of reach. And it takes a lot for her to actually talk about an issue that is clearly plaguing her mind - even if she wears her emotions easily.

how does your character behave around people they dislike?

has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? if so, does anyone else know?

If anything has changed her, she would only be able to realise the transformative aspect of the experience in retrospect... and the subsequent change in her character from that experience would be more gradual and unnoticeable. She used to just dismiss a lot of Weird Goings On as normal, occurences subtle enough that she could rationalise them; blaming a whispering voice when she was going to sleep on her subconscious, ignoring a murder of crows perched on the same telegraph pole when she opened and closed her curtains, thinking ‘nice’ when the image of a skull is burned into her toast...           There are times where even she admits her life has changed though, the most notable being Aggstein Castle, but that was more a case of unlocking something she always felt was dormant... like Carrie unleashing the full potential of her telekinetic magicks after pig’s blood has been poured on her - just nowhere near as traumatic. After which, it was a case of aforementioned moments of ‘unreality’ suddenly becoming noteworthy and sensical. She becomes a lot more perceptive, sensitive to Certain Vibes (a hallway feeling a couple of steps longer, a sudden growth of hawthorn in her garden, the compulsion to cry when passing roadkill). She's fairly vocal about noticing these happenstances, and this habit is just seen as a quirk by her family, but the  actual experience that resulted in her +5 Perception is kept under lock and key...             Otherwise, she marks visiting her aunt in London as somewhat life-changing - when she realised she wanted to pursue desairology and mortuary work, thanks to her aunt being a taxidermist (of animals - not people). That and her first experience of personal loss, the death of her Gran. The grief opened her eyes to how harrowing it feels to lose a loved one, but ultimately heightened her sense of empathy with those who are suffering the same.

in what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

Dolores saying there’s someone in her house then suddenly hanging up... Funnily, out of everything Sophia has been through, she could have never expected a serial killer targeting her friend... 

what does your character like in other people?

Confidence, compassion and a sense of humour. She’s easily swayed by people who seem knowledgeable and experienced - and who are passionate about their respective interests, but is easily put off by preaching, or feeling like she is being talked at rather than talking with. Naturally, she is drawn in by mystery - if she’s partial to someone she can be interrogative, even invasive. To be honest though she’s interested in everyone she meets, and while she knows what she likes - she’s always open to being surprised! 

what does your character dislike in other people?

Unwarranted confrontation, people who feel the need to establish some sense of superiority over others - trying to control a conversation. 

what does your character find repulsive or disgusting?