The Ecstatic Pain Of Style Over Substance - A Ramble
I am a kit whore.
This fact is not up for debate.
I do not consider this to be a bad thing.
The problem is that I'm a PRETTY kit whore.
Now, your average kit whore has a lot of kit. That goes without saying. Swords seem to multiply in the corners of their rooms; chainmail falls on them out of tall cupboards and they have enough leather products to make a reasonable herd of cows.
Of course, being a general kit-whore has it's problems (falling chainmail concussion being a big factor). Kit is expensive, space consuming and can be difficult to clean. Being a pretty kit whore, though, is a far more dangerous thing.
The pretty kit whore can be identified in a few ways:
* Rather than buy the basics, they will spend (sometimes a considerable amount more) on getting kit that is detailed or decorated in some way
* They have a tendancy to buy or make large amounts of kit that will only suit one character
* They will wear impractical clothes to larp in (furs in summer; thin cotton in winter etc.) because they're pretty or (as they sneakily put it to themselves) "character appropriate".
* When making a new character, one of the major thoughts is what they will do for kit.
* They will buy brand new kit for every new character
* When it comes to monstering, they are often stuck for what to wear and have to borrow stuff
* They own an unnecessary amount of kit for each character and if they go to weekend or longer events they will take FAR too much with them or leave practical things behind in order to make room for pretty items.
* They devote large portions of their time to kit buying/kit making/kit research
* They tend to go over the top and buy large amounts of kit for one-off things.
To give an example from my own wardrobe and past, I own:
* 5 jingly backless bellydancing tops but no winter larpshirt
* 4 jingly belts in various stages of disintegration but no proper larp belt
* Enough bangles to supply an entire harem but no bracers
* Weapons with pointy edges, or in bronze, or with flowers on, but only one (drop) scabbard which most of my swords won't fit in anyway
* A tiny replica derringer gun for a system I'm not sure will ever run again (it was bought AFTER the rumours that the system wouldn't run again)
If I need any more proof that I'm a pretty kit whore, the last time I went out SPECFICALLY to get a "Generic Sword For Monstering" I came back with a .... well, see for yourself:
I mean, it's nice, I love it, but it's not exactly "generic" now is it?
So, from now on, I'm going to try to turn over a new leaf. I will be a good girl. I will have PRACTICAL KIT. Kit that can be used for more than one character, more than one monster.
I will buy:
* A heavy duty winter larp shirt (black, so it doesn't stain quite as easily)
* Bracers (plain)
* Greaves (plain)
* Black leather armour (plain)
* A belt with scabbard (you guessed it)
Of course, a LITTLE decoration....
This fact is not up for debate.
I do not consider this to be a bad thing.
The problem is that I'm a PRETTY kit whore.
Now, your average kit whore has a lot of kit. That goes without saying. Swords seem to multiply in the corners of their rooms; chainmail falls on them out of tall cupboards and they have enough leather products to make a reasonable herd of cows.
Of course, being a general kit-whore has it's problems (falling chainmail concussion being a big factor). Kit is expensive, space consuming and can be difficult to clean. Being a pretty kit whore, though, is a far more dangerous thing.
The pretty kit whore can be identified in a few ways:
* Rather than buy the basics, they will spend (sometimes a considerable amount more) on getting kit that is detailed or decorated in some way
* They have a tendancy to buy or make large amounts of kit that will only suit one character
* They will wear impractical clothes to larp in (furs in summer; thin cotton in winter etc.) because they're pretty or (as they sneakily put it to themselves) "character appropriate".
* When making a new character, one of the major thoughts is what they will do for kit.
* They will buy brand new kit for every new character
* When it comes to monstering, they are often stuck for what to wear and have to borrow stuff
* They own an unnecessary amount of kit for each character and if they go to weekend or longer events they will take FAR too much with them or leave practical things behind in order to make room for pretty items.
* They devote large portions of their time to kit buying/kit making/kit research
* They tend to go over the top and buy large amounts of kit for one-off things.
To give an example from my own wardrobe and past, I own:
* 5 jingly backless bellydancing tops but no winter larpshirt
* 4 jingly belts in various stages of disintegration but no proper larp belt
* Enough bangles to supply an entire harem but no bracers
* Weapons with pointy edges, or in bronze, or with flowers on, but only one (drop) scabbard which most of my swords won't fit in anyway
* A tiny replica derringer gun for a system I'm not sure will ever run again (it was bought AFTER the rumours that the system wouldn't run again)
If I need any more proof that I'm a pretty kit whore, the last time I went out SPECFICALLY to get a "Generic Sword For Monstering" I came back with a .... well, see for yourself:
I mean, it's nice, I love it, but it's not exactly "generic" now is it?
So, from now on, I'm going to try to turn over a new leaf. I will be a good girl. I will have PRACTICAL KIT. Kit that can be used for more than one character, more than one monster.
I will buy:
* A heavy duty winter larp shirt (black, so it doesn't stain quite as easily)
* Bracers (plain)
* Greaves (plain)
* Black leather armour (plain)
* A belt with scabbard (you guessed it)
Of course, a LITTLE decoration....