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Ohhh, this was pre-bun ears! I always get so thrown off when I see the truly old images from before I could afford those ears.

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Will I ever get tired of taking Celestial Intersection shots?

Probably not.

☆ﾟ.*(◕ヮ◕♥)

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So... I now realize this is a two-seater mount, and the question is about my WoLship, specifically, but... in the wake of talking about her chaos-relationship with Cid, Tataru, and Alisaie, I cannot unpicture Cid driving, Tataru in the sideseat, and Alisaie hanging off the back when they come rolling up to Aeryn, Mean Girls style, to say, "Get in, loser, we're going adventuring."

(Don't at me. I know not a single one of those people would ever call the WoL "loser," but the image in my mind was too funny not to share.)

7/24/23

In your wolship, who would sit where?

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Oh, 100% Tataru. I think Aeryn would always end up tagging along for whatever nonsensical adventure that woman set out on next. I would like to say also Alisaie, but Aeryn miiiiiight manage to talk Alisaie out of some of her more chaotic schemes and thereby avoid getting involved. Mind, she would only gently convince Alisaie against any exceptionally silly or fruitless schemes. My daughter stands in full support of her daughter's morally driven quests, however dangerous. Nevertheless, Alisaie is so impulsive that I suspect she does end up pulling Aeryn into chaos almost as often as Tatatru.

And because she has such a comfortable relationship with Cid, I think he rolls up from time to time (whenever he wants a break from his grueling duties with the Ironworks) with a mind to go adventuring. Can't be helped if those adventures just happen to tend toward going a little haywire.

(Rereading all that, I've realized... I gave Aeryn a crazy aunt, an impetuous adopted daughter, and a cool uncle to just... consistently get her involved in shenanigans.)

I don't think Aeryn has much of a mischievous streak of her own, but as far as wandering into situations that will likely lead to chaos, most of those impulses happen when she's alone. She's a more passive character overall whenever in company of others. I equate it to being the sort of person who drives very carefully when passengers are along for the ride but has no problem taking risks when she's the only one who might come to harm.

There are probably a few characters that would say she drags them into trouble (Estinien and Thancred both seem the type to feign that kind of attitude), but I think it's more that Aeryn herself gets roped into situations she can't really say no to, and then others tag along with her.

Who does your WoL allow to get them into trouble? Or is your WoL the mischief making dragging others into their chaos?

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Reminiscing.

I've been using this WHM glam for so long, now.

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Very in-progress, but I felt like drawing again for the first time in ages last night.

(The fact that I've had no internet at home for the last two days probably helped with that a little...)

(╥‸╥)

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For some reason, the notion of this meeting makes me feel weepy. Aeryn actually can't meet herself from before ARR, so from the perspective of post-EW Aeryn meeting early ARR Aeryn:

She wouldn't move too close, let alone try to touch her. Younger Aeryn would still be overcome with apprehension around being tactile with others. But I think Aeryn would offer her younger self a warm, sad smile. She likely wouldn't speak—they both know she would only fumble it up, anyway.

But she might write something.

She might pull out her sketchbook and find a page with nothing yet written, or maybe a page full of sketches and notes: the twins while they nap; Thancred laughing; a small map of Coerthas; a dancing pixie; the messily scribbled notes on the stars that Urianger taught her make up the ewer. She might rip the page from her book, hesitate for just a moment, then add:

"You don't need to know, really… who you are, or where you came from. You'll find yourself without those things. You'll find it, soon—your own path forward."

I have a WoL/OC ask for you all

What would your character say/do to comfort their younger selves?

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Asadljfladsjflkjsadflkjdsaf these both turned out so adorable and lovely!!!! The Urianger minions' little faces are everything to me. ♡⸜(^ ᵕ ^☆｡)

By the lovely @neunian! Please go put heaps of hearts on all their work! ♥♥♥

Commission! 🫧🌻✨️ Thank you!!! (^-^)/

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Another old one of Aeryn just resting in her room.

I love her little smile so much. (ꈍᴗꈍ)♡

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Aeryn doesn't necessarily like reading, but she loves learning new things, so she loves receiving books and even the notion of having quiet time to read. In practice, however, she has a hard time maintaining focus when it comes to hobbies that don't involve working with her hands. Her mind wanders, and then she grows restless to the point that she can't sit still. Finishing books is rare for her. Often she'll read a few pages here and there, maybe a chapter, then get distracted and move on to other things. It's not uncommon for her to have multiple books sitting around, open and forgotten, wherever she's been staying. Often she puts them away unfinished, only to pull them out again some months (or years) later to revisit the topic.

Her favorite things to read are non-fiction, usually educational in nature, since the world and its workings are all brand new to her. She's naturally curious and fascinated by any new information she can find, and being surrounded by highly knowledgeable and intelligent individuals makes it easy to hear of and become excited about new topics. Whether or not the topic interests her or will be of any benefit to her is of little consequence—if it's something she doesn't know about, she will pick it up and begin to read, given the opportunity.

Fiction is much less interesting to her. As someone who began her life with no memory of the world or her place in it, I think she's just naturally more focused on grounding herself in reality—but I do think it runs a bit deeper than that. Aeryn might struggle with the notion of imagination. Her frequent experiences with Echo visions (being shoved directly into others' thoughts and memories) means she has the capacity to be highly empathetic without comprehending what it means to actually imagine being in any situation outside herself. She also never remembers her dreams/nightmares—just awakens with the vague and often unsettling notion of a feeling they've evoked. I think that heavily influences her ability, or lack thereof, to conceptualize something other that the reality right in front of her or the factual knowledge of it.

That said, she loves hearing stories. Aeryn happens to be an audio learner, so she gets a great deal of joy from listening to other people and hearing the emotion in their voices as they share stories/information. She finds it easier to focus and retain what's being shared when listening to someone else speak of it. It's one of many reasons why she develops such a soft spot for individuals who perhaps have a lot to say without expecting her to say anything in return (*coughs* Urianger *coughs*).

And finally, as with so many things, she doesn't know who taught her to read! But she did awaken in Eorzea fully able to read and comprehend the written word. She likely chalks it up to the Echo—but she was in fact taught to read, in her past life, and simply retained that knowledge in her new one.

WOLQOTD - Reading!

Does your OC/Muse/WoL enjoy reading novels or do they prefer more visual things like comics? Maybe they don't want books around?

Who taught them to read? Are they self taught?

More questions here if you want!

(Next questions are scheduled for 12:00 UTC + 1 throughout the week.)

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This is an oldie from back when I first picked up paladin and made a cute pirate glam to help it be more bearable for me to play a class so highly out of character for Aeryn.

(Decided to queue a bunch of old drafts since I've been apprehensive about sharing, lately. Now hopefully the anxiety monster won't stop me from posting!) \o/

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Not at first, no! I'm not even sure she awakens on the Source with any accessories to speak of—the ring she gets from Bremondt is probably the only jewelry she wears for a little while, canon be darned. But over time, as she acquires more, I think she would come to wear a variety of rings and bracelets (when her gear warrants wearing wrist adornments), so she always has something to fidget with. Bit of a callback to her past life, when she would have worn lots of trinkets found and gifted to her by members of the crew of her ship.

As for stories, Aeryn does eventually come to possess a few more notable accessories. Late StB and ShB spoilers below, along with a hint of a HW spoiler!

After The Vault, Aeryn takes to wearing a certain house crest around her neck. It's her little way of taking that person with her on all her adventures, and she does so for some time. One day, she just... forgets to put it on. She very nearly has an anxiety attack over it, sparked by the notion that she has somehow forgotten that person by neglecting a piece of jewelry. But Alphinaud unwittingly circumvents her panic by noting that he approves of the change—and he thinks the very person she wore the accessory for would agree.

While practicing alchemy, she learns how to preserve certain types of plants as charms or for future use in potions. She practices on wildflowers she finds on the Limsan hills and throughout the Shroud. At some point, she picks a tiny yellow blossom and preserves it in a small bead she wears around her neck—and later realizes, after she's seen his face for the first time, that it reminds her of Urianger's eyes. She leaves it in the infirmary with the Scions when she departs to explore the findings below the Crystal Tower, then starts wearing it again upon her return, until some point in Endwalker, when she gives it to Urianger.

Even though I have no way of showing it in-game, Aeryn acquires a new bracelet in ShB—she fidgets with Urianger's rings and bangles so much that one day he takes one of them and slides it around her wrist. It doesn't fit properly, of course, but I imagine she either has it sized or wears it as a cuff around her upper arm.

In my silly little maybe-headcanon about elezen courtship braids, Aeryn eventually comes to wear a little bead forged of aether that Urianger braids into her hair. Yes, it's sappy as blazes... but I love it. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

7/30/24

Does your wol(oc) wear any jewelry? Does any of it have a story?

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One day I'll figure out crimes to make WHM Aeryn look like her star.

Or just start another alt... (ᵕ•_•)

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⋆｡°✩  "Cherish the stars      and the light they bring you                 in the dark...

                      for you are a traveler,                                              are you not?"  ✩ °｡⋆

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W E A V E R: Her main canon crafting class. Aeryn doesn't necessarily excel in it, but she is committed, and she loves the satisfaction of completing something that will bring someone else comfort or joy. She does occasionally sew or mend her own clothing, but I do focus more on the weaving element of this for her (she both knits and crochets).

A L C H E M I S T: Stupid Severian and his stupid quests that I love and that make me cry every time. Aeryn's inability to use magic means she relies heavily on potions for energy, healing, and other buffs, and so she seeks a means of crafting them herself. She takes to it fairly well and doesn't struggle to keep recipes in her head with alchemy the way she does with cooking.

G O L D S M I T H ?: I go back and forth on this one. I think Aeryn would express an interest in embellishing some of her weaving, and Redolent Rose might point her Serendipity's direction, where she could learn to weave bracelets and chokers. She'd be good at it, but she'd be more of a hobbyist and would never fully dip her fingers into metal- or gem-crafting.

Honorable Mention

B O T A N I S T: Starting in Gridania, Aeryn does befriend Fufucha and help the botanists' guild by scouting for supplies while out on her adventures. She is useless at growing things on her own except a select few extremely resilient specimen of plants, but she's quite good at finding things when needed.

What gathering and/or crafting jobs does your WoL excel in?

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Bad At

F I S H E R: Haurchefant teaches her to fish as a means of distracting her from her grief during their time at Camp Dragonhead prior to HW. It gives her a temporary purpose, something to focus on, and becomes something they enjoy together when she needs an escape. She does briefly give it up following the battle at the Vault, but I could see her perhaps taking it up again on occasion after she's had some time to process. She isn't very good at it, though; she tends to get lost in thought while the fish eat all her bait. But she does find some peace in it from time to time.

C A R P E N T E R: Much as I love the ARR carpenter quests, Aeryn would just not be good at this. She might still befriend Beatin in efforts to learn how to repair and care for her early gear (bow and and spear), and she'd probably help with gathering supplies for the guild, at least.

B L A C K S M I T H: I love Brithael a stupid lot, so I imagine Aeryn somehow befriends him and might help Baderon keep an eye on him whenever he's drunk at the Wench. She helps out around the guild sometimes—but not as a member. She'd pick up supplies and deliver goods to and from the guild; and she'd help bring in custom (because if the Warrior of Light gets tools/gear there, it must be the place to go). But she is definitely not into metalwork.

C U L I N A R I A N: Aeryn is pretty useless here, bless her. She can feed herself with the very basics if needed: scrambled eggs, sandwiches, etc. She's competent enough with coffee, too—but that's the extent of it. She lacks the focus to properly bake and likewise gets too distracted to follow measurements and recipes; and her inability to remember simple rules paired with the inconsistent results even when she does follow the rules would quickly frustrate her into giving up. That said, as with so many things, she enjoys watching others cook/bake. I like to think she helps out with very simple tasks in the kitchen at the Sands and Stones, the way a young child would: mix this, wash that, etc. Pity none of it sticks for her.

Wouldn't Even Try

M I N E R: Aeryn might briefly visit the guild after hearing about Minfilia's ventures in mining, but she'd find the negative and excessively competitive attitude within the guild immediately off-putting and would decide not to pursue it further.

A R M O R E R: See above—the competitive nature of certain prominent members of the guild would put her right off. She would Not Be Great at this even if she tried; and since she doesn't wear much armor, she has no reason to.

L E A T H E R W O R K E R: She'd likely be a customer of the guild for her gear, and she would agree to let Geva know about any slain animals she encounters (or kills herself in self-defense), but that's the extent of her involvement with leatherwork.

What gathering/crafting jobs does your WoL very much NOT excel in, and is actually very bad at?

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I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm honestly enjoying watching this place evolve and grow and get so excited when I happen to be online for one of the new phases (like today).

(｡˃ ᵕ ˂)⸝*☆