If you know me you’ll know I like masks, gasmasks, helmets; don’t ask me to explain the attraction.
Wearing a mask has some implications when it comes to emoting, though. You see part of the point of wearing a mask is that there are fewer telltales as to your emotions etc. That’s not accident, that’s design.
I’ve been spending a bit of time in Latexia and something I come across frequently is this:
smiles behind her mask
Uhh, okay. How the hell am I supposed to know that? I’ve developed x-ray vision or something? Now this may seem petty but let’s remember what emoting its supposed to facilitate; it’s supposed to enhance your actions and speech. It’s not supposed to dictate the observations and experiences of others.
Okay, so life behind a mask must be pretty dull, eh? Well no, not really. You see what you need to do is work with what you’ve got. If you can still speak then why not emote how your speech is?
chuckles warmly, her head nodding
See? That’s perfectly possible with a mask on.
Shuggi's Blog 
Indeed, skillful emoting does not necessarily mean “elaborate, long and literary emoting”. So many people seem not to understand emote is about body language – which should dissuade anyone from emoting stuff as that smile that was hidden behind the mask in your example.
I personally can’t stand “thought” emotes such as “/me thinks she is in deep trouble” or “/me feels herself more and more helpless”. And yet on some level I can relate to some sub’s desire to express somehow their appreciation for what you are doing to them, at times.
Also, although I am a bit like you in this respect – meaning, having strong ideas on certain subjects – at times I have learnt to accept some rulebreaking.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I don’t pull people up on it. Well, most people 😉
There is one answer to that “/me thinks that Mistress is wrong”, and this is “/me cannot read thoughts… and consequently ignores them”
But you should not be too harsh regarding “bad role play”, such as smiling under masks or even doing other impossible things (e.g. stealing keys from others with hands cuffed to the belt or something) – not everyone is given the same gift of mental abstraction regarding to what they can do in SL and what they can not do in RP in SL.
Some can do better, especially those LARP or Pen&Paper RPers in RL, some can not.
Some are more “immersed” in their play and their role, some are just having a “ride on the surface” and do not care as much about the setting and the “reality in play”, and if they can talk through emotes, they will do without remorse. Or wear a blindfold without that hud, so they can see something and act as they did not wear one…
Oh dear, is it showing I still play pencil and paper RPGs?
It is 🙂
Those who only know computer games rpg usually do not think about such details.
At least not those I met in SL, and usually there is a “yes, i do play pen&paper once a week with some friends..” if you ask them.
in the case of shuggi its very important to wear a gas mask as she is an old fart. so its not a kink but a necessity.
It’s more to filter out the stench of pond life like yourself, but whatever helps you sleep at night.
I’m an emote freak. I emote most of my actions and if no one is rp’ing, I’ll begin to direct the flow into more rp or at least conversation. It’s easy for me to be creative with my emotes, and I generally try to assume people are stupid, so I help them out by acting like I’m a character in a play. And as a harem slave, I actually will emote myself straight into the doghouse just to keep things alive. ((some of this may seem irrelevant, but I’m a teenager and it’s 5 am))