#or a godmod with no weaknesses and no emotion who can do whatever the hell he wants without consequence

[rpedia]

The character I want to play has the ability to read minds/sense emotions, how should I go about this without falling into meta information/godmodding territory?

Oh, I love characters like this! Despite the intricate little dance you have to do to stay cool-beans with everyone, they can be immensely satisfying to play with/against/or at all. A lot of it comes down to checking in OOCly and creating a sense of trust between you and other players. You can't just jump in willy-nilly, but you've already shown that you recognize that! So...

First things first, you need to build a rapport with others. This can only be built through time, roleplay, and the trust that comes with seeing how you use your powers. Any person on the street walking up to you and just misusing your inner thoughts is going to get a realistic reaction from both player and character: disgust, annoyance, and generally thinking you're a prick they want nothing to do with. Do not jump any player character with anything you'd be weirded out with IRL without accepting there will be negative consequences. In this case, they might just reject all RP with you—

So you're going to have to prove yourself.

Start out by pointing out their abilities to people. Then, in narration (that's the story bit the player is writing), maybe reference a reaction to it. Keep a light hand, make it a thing that exists, but don't misuse it. It's flavoring, and if you don't use it to be an absolute twat right off the bat, you can get people to trust you with more details, or information.

Communication is key here, and in this case OOC communication is downright needed. You can contact someone, and set-up rules and comfort zones. You can ask them details, that you can expound on to give the writing more oomf. The trick is, this is cooperative writing, you're both working together to make something that's fun to write, fun to read, and has an impact when put together nicely. That means they want you to succeed as much as you want to succeed. Let them.

Having limits on it that allow people to 'block' your character, or temporarily distract them can help a ton. It gives other users a sense of control/power over your powers, so they feel like they're on an equal playing field. Maybe how far away they are effects how clearly they can hear those thoughts. Maybe they're preoccupied, so they can't focus on them. Maybe tinfoil hats, for once, work. Whatever your reasons, giving yourself human weaknesses can be a delightful way to work off the power.

I, for one, enjoy exploring how although a character may be able to read minds, minds may not always be so clear cut. Are you reading their jumbled thoughts? Can you just collect the general gist of their uppermost thoughts, and are deeper thoughts something you need to push to get to? What if they're a type of mind that can't imagine images because of aphantasia, or what if they think in internal narration? Some folks don't have an internal narrator. Some have a million voices that seem to be thinking at once. You might not even understand what the symbolism of their thoughts mean. This person feels yellow: what the hell does that mean to you?

Misunderstandings also humanize your character, which means failure is an option, and plot can be safely worked around. It's another failsafe that keeps you from overdoing it, or being a godmodding jerk. You can simply 'oopsie' around any thought you shouldn't be able to pick up because it would ruin the RP by simply... not looking at that moment. Or being in someone else's head at the time. A lot of using this power is going to be down to balances like this, where you as a player hold your character's hand and gently nudge them down a staircase if they're doing too much and hurting other people's enjoyment.

Once you find partners who feel safe, pushing the boundaries with them can be more fun because they know what to expect so you're not some stranger weirdo. You're someone who is communicating, and they can trust you to catch them when they narratively freefall into your arms. They know you'll use the power to further the story, not cut the legs out from under it.

It's important in these situations to have a major idea of what you are to everyone else. Attention seeking, godmodding, forcing yourself into situations you don't belong, whiteknighting because you can sense other people's distress and ruining their distressing-on-purpose-RP. These bad habits and more can come up in RP, and when you have the power to "see beyond the 4th wall" so to speak, it becomes even easier to fall prey to them. You need to understand how you exist in this space, and be conscious of stepping on toes.

Check in, check in, check in. If you have any doubts, run the idea past your partner, and then do as they feel comfy. Check in for this, or that. Clarification. Give them a spoiler for your upcoming post and go 'Hey, can I use your PC's thoughts to jump start this plot advancement' and 100% let them direct you. If they say no, sorry bud, you gotta respect that whether or not your character should be able to do it. The more you ask, the better you'll get a feel for the tone of others, and what they're cool with, and the more you can do without asking knowing both of you will love the outcome.

It just takes working with your partners, and developing that trust. I know it takes a while, but you can do it. I believe in you!

[jojotier]

Hey so like.... When is the fandom at large going to stop taking Kakyoin's subtle streaks and taking them 20 steps too far?

Like kakyoin is righteous and ruthless towards evildoers- you know, literal murderers and people who try to do criminal acts that are morally wrong- but he isn't an outright sadist just because he punishes people in proportion to their crimes, no matter how cruel those punishments may seem to an outsider.

Kakyoin is quirky and weird and a lil creepy at times, but that doesn't make him outright freakish or perverted. He's a prankster and a joker and has a weird sense of humor but that isn't out of line with his politeness or his curiosity or his interest in learning about things

Hes polite and mild mannered to people, especially if he doesn't know them, but that doesn't make him a completely goody two shoes quiet submissive pushover. You can be an honor student and still punch someone's lights out. Trust me, I've been there

He doesn't like to submit to evildoers and is a stubborn jackass with a hard head but that doesnt mean hes unyielding and uncompromising with those he loves, especially if he trusts them. He has diplomatic solutions as well as violent ones- like in the Wheel of Fortune episode where he's trying to make sure his friends don't beat the shit out of some innocent bystanders

It's like- you can have a pocket knife for protection and not be a delinquent. Normal people have little means of protection for themselves all the time! That's the best metaphor I have for this because man, even one single action or line gets taken a thousand steps too far. You can exhibit certain traits or behaviors and have those not be the things that define you god dammit