![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
OOC INFORMATION
Name: RJ
Contact: Paranoidpatriot@plurk
Age: 32
Other Characters: Dr. Flugslys
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Razputin Aquato
Age: 10
Canon: Psychonauts
Canon Point: Post Psychonauts 2
Character Information: https://psychonauts.fandom.com/wiki/Razputin_Aquato (Warning, there be SPOILERS! If you would like a Spoiler-free history blurb, I would be happy to write one for you. This was a wonderful game, and I would hate to ruin it for anyone interested in playing it. Please let me know!)
Personality: The question often asked by anyone meeting Razputin Aquato is a very reasonable 'hey, what's this kid doing here?' After all, a ten year old acrobat really has no business in the headquarters of an international psychic spy agency or inside the darkest recesses of a troubled person's mind. Thanks to the unique qualities of this empathetic overachiever, however, Razputin is oddly well equipped to deal with both.
As someone so young, Raz is often dismissed if not outright disliked by many of the people he encounters. When you interact with the campers in the first game, they are all rather rude to him, likewise in the sequel, his new peers, the interns at the Motherlobe, trick him into a hazing ritual and steal his clothes the moment we meet them. Likely in part to being the middle child in a family of entertainers, however, Raz never takes this stuff to heart. Apart from an odd complaint the moment it happens, he sucks it up and gets right to fixing the problem. It almost seems as though Raz thrives at the chance to prove people wrong and why shouldn't he, when he very often succeeds because of this mentality? When Hollis denies him entry into the Motherlobe and its clear his explanation won't suffice, Raz doesn't go sulking or whining for help; instead he quickly accepts her proposition of joining the intern program, knowing it still is the best way he can reach his current goal. Even in a crucial moment later in the game that negatively impacts Raz very personally, all it takes is someone reminding him 'Mad later, Mission first' to be able to set his feelings aside and focus on how to help.
Despite this ability to bounce back from negativity, one cannot say Raz is cold or unfeeling. Rather it's the opposite. Raz is able to keep a cool head in times of stress because he understands how to deal with mental problems in a healthy way. In the first game, Razputin idolizes the Psychonauts for the badass tricks they are able to do, rather than the good they bring to those they help. In the sequel, however, it seems Raz has began maturing enough to understand the latter is more important. Razputin now asks permission before entering someone's mind, unless it is an emergency. He also appears to know actual therapy terms and the coping strategies that come with them, such as reassuring Compton they can take a break between game show rounds to make sure he is relaxed, or talking the Psi King through all of his sensory overloads. Most importantly, Raz apologizes to Hollis Forscythe multiple times for the damage he caused earlier in the game, even when there is no reward or benefit for doing so. A clear difference to his goal-oriented way of doing things in the first game.
Raz is a performer, born and raised. He knows how to please a crowd, do impressive stunts and improvise when things are unexpected. While this doesn't guarantee popularity, it is perhaps one of the greatest reasons he excels as a Psychonaut. As the game developers strongly stress with their level design, no two minds are even remotely alike; but Raz's ability to adapt to complex situations and purely insane scenarios allow him to navigate and ultimately succeed at finding a way to solve them. In Compton's cook off, Raz automatically follows up Compton's nervous explanations for their dish with his own assurances that all mistakes are intentional 'for flavor.' This ends up working not because any explanation he has given is 'correct' but because Raz says it with such conviction that the mind he is in has to agree it must be and thusly the rest of the dream scenario goes along with it. This is hardly an outlier, Raz adapts to any mental scenario with surprising ease; sort the mail by riding flying letters? Okay. Play a literal board-game with a depiction of Napoleon? No problem. Jump inside someone's eye to learn how to slow time? Sure thing!
It's no surprise Raz relies on words to solve problems. Witty banter is a staple of the dialogue in Psychonauts and Raz is a primary user of it himself. The zany nature of the world is full of puns and jokes we are encouraged to engage in, as a result Razputin will unabashedly walk up to anyone and bluntly ask just about anything. In the first game he attempts to join a crafting club with two girls, Frankie and Kitty, who openly insult him to his face. He also never backs down from talking to someone in a mental world; even when it is clear they are the “enemy” of that particular scenario. The game is so assured that Raz will actually talk to anyone and everything that it has at least 5 different responses for bugging the same person (or animals!) in the area.
In addition to his overall chatty behavior, Razputin is an avid enthusiast for learning in general. As someone growing up in a traveling caravan, it appears Raz has never quite got to go to a proper school, all of his knowledge on mental health practices and psychics appear to come from the True Psychic Tales comics: 'real stories' of the Psychonaut's published missions. As a result, Raz can rattle off trivia from nearly every issue about every agent in the Psychonauts and often will; right to their faces. In fact, Raz often shows interest in learning just about anything; such as when he asked the figments of Milla's mind if they would teach him to dance. It's safe to say that if there hadn't been a mission and more exciting things going on with the mole that Raz felt he was missing out on, he would have been happy to attend Hollis class. When he (breaks in to) attend Whispering Rock Summer camp, Razputin appears to be the only child actually excited to be there.
Hero Worship comes with its faults, however, and Raz is hardly perfect himself. In a world where nearly every adult says things like "I'd teach you how to use [item], but that would only increase my legal liability" Raz has learned to the bend the rules to reach many of his goals, in the sequel it leads to some pretty severe consequences. In a drastic bid to win the interns over, Raz is easily goaded into doing something that completely violates the ethics of what it means to be a Psychonaut, a decision he greatly regrets later. As a ten year old boy, Raz is no stranger to usual child-like destructive urges either. He often expresses glee when breaking things and when Lizzie asks if Raz has ever Psi-blasted a squirrel (something we are quite capable of doing as the player) Raz is unable to refute the statement, implying anything we can do is essentially canon. Fortunately, a vital message of the game is that facing our mistakes is part of the road of recovery. In 'Bob's Bottles', for example we can't help Bob feel better until we force the boss to appear ourselves. Had we not made the mistakes we did, its arguable that the game could even be won. Ultimately it's thanks to using mistakes to get to the root of all problems that wins the day and why Raz is able to crack the mystery where other experienced adults struggled.
Apart from his childlike perspective or any advantages he has as an acrobat, the strongest of all of Raz's skills are his 'mental defenses'. In the opening cutscene, we see two experienced Psychonauts struggle to telekinetically grab a hold of Razputin and one fail to read his mind to get his name. His father also spends the majority of 'Meat Circus' trying to reach him and jokingly says his son's 'skull was as thick to penetrate as ever.' More than this being a combative ability, however, it speaks for secure Raz is in himself to not be disturbed by the things he witnesses. Psychonauts may be a fun romp of creative level design for the player, but it doesn't change the fact that inside a person's mind things are exaggerated to their worst. Raz deals with issues such as child loss, alcoholism, regret, murder and so many others. The memory vaults, a collectable item that often reveals the origin of what has caused this person's current mental state, in particular, contain some truly morbid things. Had he been any more fragile, an average ten year old might not be able to cope.
In the end, Psychonauts isn't just a story about crime fighting mental super spies or a kid's ultimate wish fulfillment scenario. Razputin may be lucky to work alongside and earn the respect of his family and the people he grew up idolizing but it's the impact he has on those he meets that truly define his worth as a character. Ultimately, beyond it's quirky packaging and unique visuals, Psychonauts is a story about healing and learning and that inside of us, we all have our own mental demons but they aren't beyond our control; sometimes we just need a little help. Thanks to 'agents' like Raz, we have a chance of getting it.
5-10 Key Character Traits: empathetic, determined, snarky, adaptive, enthusiastic, imperfect, hero worshipping, secure
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, EITHER, or opt for 100% RANDOMIZATION? Fits
Opt-Outs: (already play an arachne) minotaur, Kelpie, Naga, Faerie, slime, simulacrum
Roleplay Sample: General Prompts
One on one log post
Name: RJ
Contact: Paranoidpatriot@plurk
Age: 32
Other Characters: Dr. Flugslys
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Razputin Aquato
Age: 10
Canon: Psychonauts
Canon Point: Post Psychonauts 2
Character Information: https://psychonauts.fandom.com/wiki/Razputin_Aquato (Warning, there be SPOILERS! If you would like a Spoiler-free history blurb, I would be happy to write one for you. This was a wonderful game, and I would hate to ruin it for anyone interested in playing it. Please let me know!)
Personality: The question often asked by anyone meeting Razputin Aquato is a very reasonable 'hey, what's this kid doing here?' After all, a ten year old acrobat really has no business in the headquarters of an international psychic spy agency or inside the darkest recesses of a troubled person's mind. Thanks to the unique qualities of this empathetic overachiever, however, Razputin is oddly well equipped to deal with both.
As someone so young, Raz is often dismissed if not outright disliked by many of the people he encounters. When you interact with the campers in the first game, they are all rather rude to him, likewise in the sequel, his new peers, the interns at the Motherlobe, trick him into a hazing ritual and steal his clothes the moment we meet them. Likely in part to being the middle child in a family of entertainers, however, Raz never takes this stuff to heart. Apart from an odd complaint the moment it happens, he sucks it up and gets right to fixing the problem. It almost seems as though Raz thrives at the chance to prove people wrong and why shouldn't he, when he very often succeeds because of this mentality? When Hollis denies him entry into the Motherlobe and its clear his explanation won't suffice, Raz doesn't go sulking or whining for help; instead he quickly accepts her proposition of joining the intern program, knowing it still is the best way he can reach his current goal. Even in a crucial moment later in the game that negatively impacts Raz very personally, all it takes is someone reminding him 'Mad later, Mission first' to be able to set his feelings aside and focus on how to help.
Despite this ability to bounce back from negativity, one cannot say Raz is cold or unfeeling. Rather it's the opposite. Raz is able to keep a cool head in times of stress because he understands how to deal with mental problems in a healthy way. In the first game, Razputin idolizes the Psychonauts for the badass tricks they are able to do, rather than the good they bring to those they help. In the sequel, however, it seems Raz has began maturing enough to understand the latter is more important. Razputin now asks permission before entering someone's mind, unless it is an emergency. He also appears to know actual therapy terms and the coping strategies that come with them, such as reassuring Compton they can take a break between game show rounds to make sure he is relaxed, or talking the Psi King through all of his sensory overloads. Most importantly, Raz apologizes to Hollis Forscythe multiple times for the damage he caused earlier in the game, even when there is no reward or benefit for doing so. A clear difference to his goal-oriented way of doing things in the first game.
Raz is a performer, born and raised. He knows how to please a crowd, do impressive stunts and improvise when things are unexpected. While this doesn't guarantee popularity, it is perhaps one of the greatest reasons he excels as a Psychonaut. As the game developers strongly stress with their level design, no two minds are even remotely alike; but Raz's ability to adapt to complex situations and purely insane scenarios allow him to navigate and ultimately succeed at finding a way to solve them. In Compton's cook off, Raz automatically follows up Compton's nervous explanations for their dish with his own assurances that all mistakes are intentional 'for flavor.' This ends up working not because any explanation he has given is 'correct' but because Raz says it with such conviction that the mind he is in has to agree it must be and thusly the rest of the dream scenario goes along with it. This is hardly an outlier, Raz adapts to any mental scenario with surprising ease; sort the mail by riding flying letters? Okay. Play a literal board-game with a depiction of Napoleon? No problem. Jump inside someone's eye to learn how to slow time? Sure thing!
It's no surprise Raz relies on words to solve problems. Witty banter is a staple of the dialogue in Psychonauts and Raz is a primary user of it himself. The zany nature of the world is full of puns and jokes we are encouraged to engage in, as a result Razputin will unabashedly walk up to anyone and bluntly ask just about anything. In the first game he attempts to join a crafting club with two girls, Frankie and Kitty, who openly insult him to his face. He also never backs down from talking to someone in a mental world; even when it is clear they are the “enemy” of that particular scenario. The game is so assured that Raz will actually talk to anyone and everything that it has at least 5 different responses for bugging the same person (or animals!) in the area.
In addition to his overall chatty behavior, Razputin is an avid enthusiast for learning in general. As someone growing up in a traveling caravan, it appears Raz has never quite got to go to a proper school, all of his knowledge on mental health practices and psychics appear to come from the True Psychic Tales comics: 'real stories' of the Psychonaut's published missions. As a result, Raz can rattle off trivia from nearly every issue about every agent in the Psychonauts and often will; right to their faces. In fact, Raz often shows interest in learning just about anything; such as when he asked the figments of Milla's mind if they would teach him to dance. It's safe to say that if there hadn't been a mission and more exciting things going on with the mole that Raz felt he was missing out on, he would have been happy to attend Hollis class. When he (breaks in to) attend Whispering Rock Summer camp, Razputin appears to be the only child actually excited to be there.
Hero Worship comes with its faults, however, and Raz is hardly perfect himself. In a world where nearly every adult says things like "I'd teach you how to use [item], but that would only increase my legal liability" Raz has learned to the bend the rules to reach many of his goals, in the sequel it leads to some pretty severe consequences. In a drastic bid to win the interns over, Raz is easily goaded into doing something that completely violates the ethics of what it means to be a Psychonaut, a decision he greatly regrets later. As a ten year old boy, Raz is no stranger to usual child-like destructive urges either. He often expresses glee when breaking things and when Lizzie asks if Raz has ever Psi-blasted a squirrel (something we are quite capable of doing as the player) Raz is unable to refute the statement, implying anything we can do is essentially canon. Fortunately, a vital message of the game is that facing our mistakes is part of the road of recovery. In 'Bob's Bottles', for example we can't help Bob feel better until we force the boss to appear ourselves. Had we not made the mistakes we did, its arguable that the game could even be won. Ultimately it's thanks to using mistakes to get to the root of all problems that wins the day and why Raz is able to crack the mystery where other experienced adults struggled.
Apart from his childlike perspective or any advantages he has as an acrobat, the strongest of all of Raz's skills are his 'mental defenses'. In the opening cutscene, we see two experienced Psychonauts struggle to telekinetically grab a hold of Razputin and one fail to read his mind to get his name. His father also spends the majority of 'Meat Circus' trying to reach him and jokingly says his son's 'skull was as thick to penetrate as ever.' More than this being a combative ability, however, it speaks for secure Raz is in himself to not be disturbed by the things he witnesses. Psychonauts may be a fun romp of creative level design for the player, but it doesn't change the fact that inside a person's mind things are exaggerated to their worst. Raz deals with issues such as child loss, alcoholism, regret, murder and so many others. The memory vaults, a collectable item that often reveals the origin of what has caused this person's current mental state, in particular, contain some truly morbid things. Had he been any more fragile, an average ten year old might not be able to cope.
In the end, Psychonauts isn't just a story about crime fighting mental super spies or a kid's ultimate wish fulfillment scenario. Razputin may be lucky to work alongside and earn the respect of his family and the people he grew up idolizing but it's the impact he has on those he meets that truly define his worth as a character. Ultimately, beyond it's quirky packaging and unique visuals, Psychonauts is a story about healing and learning and that inside of us, we all have our own mental demons but they aren't beyond our control; sometimes we just need a little help. Thanks to 'agents' like Raz, we have a chance of getting it.
5-10 Key Character Traits: empathetic, determined, snarky, adaptive, enthusiastic, imperfect, hero worshipping, secure
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, EITHER, or opt for 100% RANDOMIZATION? Fits
Opt-Outs: (already play an arachne) minotaur, Kelpie, Naga, Faerie, slime, simulacrum
Roleplay Sample: General Prompts
One on one log post
