Incog's Skrell App

[incognitojesus]

BYOND Key: incognitojesus
Character Names: Senri Ishikawa; Jameson Suhl; Jiahao Li; Harrmalik Mrrazhughran; Thad Parker
Species you are applying to play: Skrell
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Pale blue
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes

Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question.

Why do you wish to play this specific race:
I'd like to play Skrell because they seem to be one of the races that has been given the most depth lore-wise, at least with the lore for cultures. I also enjoy just how different they are from humans without being too different or unrelatable. The fact that Skrell have been associated with some of the biggest IC technological breakthroughs and their emphasis on purpose and work ethic allows for subversive character elements which are nice. Before I stopped playing, I wanted to apply for a Skrell whitelist, but the lack of other Skrell characters was disparaging. Now that I'm back, I've seen a lot of frogs other Skrell which has definitely gotten me interested in playing one again. 

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:
As mentioned before, Skrell are similar to humans in their emphasis on pop culture, however, this takes on a bit of a sinister twist as the Federation is a looming force that basically permeates every Skrell's life in some way. It's an interesting dynamic borne from a culture of fear after ye olde Glorsh. Speaking of Glorsh, the one thing that unites all Skrell is the Glorsh incident and the genophage which affects all Skrell. This gives everyone something in common, whereas most humans on station are not from the same faction or have that shared history. Also, the role of telepathy in their society is interesting, particularly the dream sharing. 

Character Name: Qyul'lakk Alimalic
Please provide a short backstory for this character

Hatched in 2351 on the frozen planet of Aliose, Qyul'lakk grew up as many did in Fedas, with a deep appreciation for the Federation. As he would rest at night, sharing dreams with his classmates of one day being able to serve the Federation as an officer in the Specialist Forces, the young Skrell would join a feeder program for the Jargon Federation Security Forces. Qyul'lakk wanted to traverse the stars, protecting his home just as his heroes had during the chaos of the recovery from the Glorsh Rebellion. This plan would not come to fruition, as the young Skrell would discover he simply wasn't physically able to keep up with his classmates, and was soon dropped from the program. Facing being ostracized by his former friends and fellow students, Qyul'lakk instead looked to another career path: genetic research. 

Although Qyul'lakk's body was not as strong as his friends', his mind was able to save him from ending up as a common laborer. Qyul'lakk shifted his emphasis to research, garnering an advanced degree in genetics and pursuing one in human biology. If he could not serve the Federation through his might, he would try to serve it with his mind. When the offer to work as a research assistant for Zeng-hu Pharmaceuticals came to him in 2410, Qyul'lakk was overjoyed with the prospect of working towards a potential breakthrough in cloning technology in Tau Ceti. Qyul'lakk would spend the next five years working on helping his Director overcome challenges with whole genome sequencing in humans. During this event, however, the Skrell was accused of falsifying data by the Director of the program at the time, seeking to find a reason for the delays in their research by blaming Qyul'lakk. This accusation led to his academic disgrace, having to resign his position from Zeng-hu and being ostracized by the scientific community. When the breakthrough in clone technology came the next year, Qyul'lakk's small role in the venture was all but forgotten. 

Seeking some way of employment, Qyul'lakk moved from Phoenixport to Mendell City. Not wanting to re-enter the field of research due to his own shame, Qyul'lakk resigned himself to the life of a common laborer in Tau Ceti, working as a gardener among other odd jobs. During a binge of human film, Qyul'lakk realized that the key to restoring his credibility lay all around him: humanity. Although alone physically, Qyul'lakk found company in the form of human pop culture which served as a replacement for his previous consumption of Skrellian films and culture. Determined to find some aspect of human culture he could study and write about, Qyul'lakk took a position as an assistant aboard the Nanotrasen research station, the NSS Aurora. On this station, he would study a microcosm of the worst human culture had to offer. 

What do you like about this character?
As I was writing his backstory up, I realized that I hadn't heard enough character backgrounds that involved academic failure. Most characters I've encountered don't really acknowledge their education, or the struggles of getting through it. I wanted to put a particular emphasis on the consequences of failure in a society that places a lot of value on what you contribute to it. Did Qyul'lakk actually falsify the data to save his own ass? It's possible, but it's also possible that he was screwed over by an eager opportunist. Rather than breeding resentment, it actually shames him greatly, and the drive to restore his own credibility in academia is what gets him up in the morning. 

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

I don't really know how to write a paragraph about this, but I'd like to think I'm a decent roleplayer. I try to put more of an emphasis on character development, and being able to develop a character over time and events is one of my favorite parts of all this. 

Notes:

wrbl

Spoiler

 

[Zundy]

I'd hit it.

[Zundy]

I like the idea of a fall from grace to rags to riches gonna make it story. It's got a good back story whilst allowing for a sort of "blank slate" character development by having him be at rock bottom. I actually don't have any real questions that aren't just bio-info which is just a case of finding out ICly. +1 

 

What do you think of the "new" skrell "emotional poses" that have been developed? Different from your previously played species as it's much more "limb" emotive compared to the facial emotes of the others. No more *smiles.

 

 

[incognitojesus]

6 hours ago, Zundy said:

 

What do you think of the "new" skrell "emotional poses" that have been developed? Different from your previously played species as it's much more "limb" emotive compared to the facial emotes of the others. No more *smiles.

 

 

Honestly it's a nice addition that really separates Skrell from other species. I'm glad it's addressed in lore that peeking into the heads of non-Skrell is frowned upon, though. It creates more of a semblance of community among Skrell players, in my opinion, and adds a more alien feel to a species that once upon a time was a lot closer to "humans, but with headtails". 

edit: it's also dope seeing lore represented with game mechanics 

Edited December 17, 2019 by incognitojesus

[Snakebittenn]

It's nice that this character is a loser, a double loser at that. Most people don't go for that kind of thing. I can really feel this character (right next to my ear, asking me what these Madonna lyrics mean.) It's cool that we're his springboard.
+1

[Snakebittenn]

Approved, apparently.