Scents and Sensibility

[vdansk]

The vast majority of my friends on LJ are writers, or LARPers, or both. So I thought I'd throw out a question...do you ever use scents as part of a character concept, to evoke a mood, or to help put yourself into character?

Scent is the most primitive of our senses, by-passing the rational fore-brain and going straight to our inner lizard. A smell can transport us instantly to another time or place.

I began a few years ago using scents in LARPing. Tlena is honeysuckle. Alethia is a scent from the Disney Cruise Line called H20 which is a subtle blend of sage and sea. My next Prophecy character, Avery, is White Tea and Ginger.

In writing, I use Avon's Haiku to evoke Garafille and her repressed hope, and I've tried Ananya for Taveera, although I'm not sure that one will stick. Occassionally I use cinnamon for kid's stories. Sometimes I choose the shampoo I use based on what I'm going to write after my shower.

So...is it just me? Is this another example of my own endearing weirdness, or have any of you tried this, too?

Comments

[callenghast.livejournal.com]

In ancient days, before Prophecy, I had tried to create a LARP. It was...not very good, but that's all right. The principle nemesis was a Lich named Jamon Rel, who was hands-on in his evilness.

One of the things I had planned to keep the players guessing was to have Jamon Rel be a shapeshifter. Tricky, in a LARP, for obvious reasons. I thought I'd circumvent that by giving Jamon Rel a unique odor, perhaps the spice concoction used in the spell that turned him into a Lich.

So Jamon would wear an air freshener (or something) under his clothes, and would go into town to cause trouble. This way, several different people could be Jamon Rel, because the continuity linking them would be the air freshener smell.

I wouldn't make a big deal about it, but I was interested to see if the players got disturbed when someone they knew came up smelling obviously different. Or if they smelled that familiar smell wafting up the path.

[vdansk]

That is extremely cool. I'm disappointed you shared it, as that makes it unlikely you'll use it in P3!

[callenghast.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I got plenty other tricks up my sleeve. :D

[xanath.livejournal.com]

I've done it with one character--it worked so well I'm going to have to try it again to get out of my current funk. :)

[vdansk]

Anything that makes/helps you write is good! Even better if it's for SR!

[warriorbard63.livejournal.com]

Avery?

[vdansk]

Same name as Shane's P2 character, different gender and century. Avery Jade, widowed grandmother, granddaughter of Tlena, a very vigorous 50 so I can look young for my "age". ;) If you want to know about her character and background, let me know.