#Ruby Aenn

[i-mybrunettelady]

Ooo would love to know Sanne's thoughts on Ruby!

(@uselessidiotsquad)

Ranger beloveds <3

"The little red Commander is so, very, very small. Don't get me wrong, she's admirable, worthy of a legend and all that, but if I was to write a legend for her, I'd have to try very hard to not call her Ruby the Small. For contrast, you know. You hear Ruby the Small and don't think she can kick your ass and suddenly you're in the Mists because she and her army of animals ended your existence. Tactical mistake, my friend. Never fuck with the little red Commander."

Sanne would respect Ruby in the same way she respects Nyra. She'd tease Ruby a little for being smol tho, not in a mean-spirited way (she's used to most people being shorter than her, cause norn) but I do see them as being good friends and people who you call when you're feeling down so they show up with everything that could cheer a person up on the front door together. Also, rangers for lyfe man <3

[uselessidiotsquad]

It was Ruby's in-game 8th birthday (not her canon birthday) a few days ago! My eldest salad child and the one who started it all. Here she is in all her radiant, cheerful glory.

Happy Birthday, my dear! Here's to many more.

[all art credit goes to @dark-winged who does awesome work, go check her out :)]

[uselessidiotsquad]

Was in dire need of some happy, so here’s the Ruby bean relaxing on her beach day with Arura.

[uselessidiotsquad]

OC Interview: Ruby Aenn

INTRODUCTION:

1. Can you introduce yourself?

- You bet! I’m Ruby Aenn, Commander of the Pact, Champion of Aurene.

2.  What is your gender identity, orientation and relationship status?

- (She sighs) You know I’ve had people ask me about this ‘gender’ thing before but truth is I don’t really know. No attraction here otherwise, save for wanting to be friends.

3. Where and when were you born?

- Here in the Grove! I’m a Thirdborn (she puffs her chest out slightly in pride). Around 1311 AE. Duskbloom! Though I don’t remember much of it, still too much Pod Fog.

4. What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?

- I like a lot of weapons but it’s hard to beat a greatsword. I also like my longbow, if Aditi is with me, she’s my jacaranda and likes to zap things.

5. Lastly, are you happy?

- I am, for the most part!

FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

1. What’s your family like? What is your relationship with them?

- Oh I love my family. It’s sort of an - um - eclectic hodgepodge of people but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I consider Dragon’s Watch to be family, along with the First and Secondborn. And Sigilis. And Riag. And my pets. And - well, I think I should stop there. You get the idea! 

2. Have you ever ran away from home?

- Nope!

3. Would you consider marriage or having children?

- Marriage? I don’t think so. I have Aurene, who is my daughter, in a manner of speaking. And my pets! Quite happy with those, thank you.

4. Do you secretly hate one of your friends?

- I don’t always see eye to eye with some of them, but hate is a strong word.

5. Which friend knows everything about you?  

- (She hums in thought) I... don’t know. Aurene, probably?

ASKED BY FANS:

1.  Are you literate? Have you been to school?

- The Dream gifted me with a good starting bit of knowledge, like reading, writing, and so on. Most of the other bits I’ve picked up along the way. No school, in that sense.

2.  The eeriest prediction you made that later came true?

- It wasn’t really my prediction but seeing the vision of losing Aurene... yeah.

3. What is something you were embarrassingly late to realize?

- Not everyone appreciates animals as much as I do. Just because they don’t think saurians are cute doesn’t mean they aren’t.

4. Do you have mental health or physical issues?

- (She pauses for a minute before shaking her head)

5. What is your current main goal?

- Spend some time with friends and family, try to have fun (she mumbles under her breath) Until the next apocalypse comes. Oh! And get that stubborn stump of a necromancer out of his house for once.

CHOICES:

1. Drink or food?

- Food! (she said it with such enthusiasm she nearly falls off of her stool)

2. Cats or dogs?

- Both!

3. Early bird or night owl?

- Early Bird.

4. Optimist or pessimist?

- Optimist! Or at least I try very hard to be.

5. Sassy or sarcastic?

- Sassy, probably.

HAVE YOU EVER:

1.  Been caught sneaking out

- Not really?

2.  Broke a bone

- I think I broke a finger once, trying to see if I could stop a rolling devil from running into me but that’s about it. Fun fact! Do not try to grab them, they are named that for a reason.

3. Received flowers

- Riag gifted me some for my Awakening day! It was a lovely cluster of sunflowers.

4.  Ghosted someone

- I’m not sure what you mean by that, entirely? I have been a ghost. (she chuckles but it’s not as lighthearted as expected) Can’t say I recommend it.

5. Pretended to laugh at a joke you didn’t get

- I have, yeah. Not often though, I usually just pretend I didn’t hear them to be honest.

[uselessidiotsquad]

I made memes of the Idiot Squad, thanks for the inspo @guild-wars-girl​ 😁

Under the cut for sake of your dash

[uselessidiotsquad]

Ruby’s fall vibes are complete :D

(for now, until they add something else vaguely autumnal).

[uselessidiotsquad]

Idle rambling about my salads

One of my favorite things with my plants is this idea of thwarted destiny. Which runs in all of their storylines, but to different degrees. Playing with this idea of "should of - but didn't"

Dion, for instance, was originally supposed to turn Mordrem. He was going to be this absolute vile menace, with a sadistic side like you would not believe. But it didn't happen because he simply plopped out of his pod just barely too late for it. Instead, he's out and trying to find his own way. Feeling like an outsider and trying to figure out his place. So should have been a menace - but ended up being mild and kind (and awkward, good lord he's awkward).

Ruby was never meant to be Commander. She was supposed to tend to animals and saplings as a sort of substitute mentor (especially for those looking to follow the Ranger path) when she was needed. But instead, she is trying very hard to fill a role that wasn't made for her. She's doing a good job though, all things considered! So while it wasn't her ideal, it worked out more smoothly than Dion's feeling of displacement.

Last, but not least, we have our ex-Commander Riaghael. He was supposed to be Commander. To hunt dragons and save the world. That was his destiny. But injury, trauma, and mental health issues happened which made it no longer possible. He's gotten displaced the most from this thwarting of destiny, and it's the hardest for him.

Dion doesn't know that he was supposed to be a monster. He's just trying to vibe and survive.

Ruby sort of wonders what would have happened if she'd been a mentor for saplings. But doesn't dwell on it over long.

But Riag is acutely aware that he was supposed to be this world saving figurehead yet is physically and emotionally unable to.

Anyway the whole "This is your destiny- wait woops NVM" theme is fun and makes for some interesting things.

[uselessidiotsquad]

Correspondences for some of the beebs

Plants/ Herbs:

Riag - Primrose / Dandelion

Ruby - Dwarf Sunflower / Ginger

Dei - Purple Hyacinth / Black Bryony

Dion - Cattails / Horehound

Crystals:

Riag - Red Tigerseye/ Mookaite Jasper

Ruby - R U B Y :D / Pink Calcite

Dei - Lepidolite / Lithium Quartz

Dion - Petrified Wood / Kambaba Jasper

Tarot:

Riag - Judgement/ 5 of Cups

Ruby - The Sun / 6 of Pentacles

Dei - The Tower / 8 of Swords

Dion - The Hermit / 4 of Pentacles

Astrological:

Riag - Aries Sun/ Cancer Moon/ Capricorn Rising

Ruby - Taurus Sun/ Gemini Moon/ Virgo Rising

Dei - Scorpio Sun/ Pisces Moon/ Libra Rising

Dion - Cancer Sun/ Virgo Moon/ Aquarius Rising

[uselessidiotsquad]

Thanks for the tag, @i-mybrunettelady​ After a bit of pondering I went with Ruby since I mainly yell about Riag and Dei, hah!

Rules: bold what applies, italicize for sometimes, and strike for never

SUN — egotistical • melted wax wings and fingers • stretching sunburnt skin • the most generous soul • blood in the fruit • halos • anger on fire • high vitality • thunderous laughter • is pride really a sin? • halogenic aura

MERCURY — • expansion of the mind • silver-tongued • an everlasting wanderer • polyglot • high dexterity • handwritten letters • innately critical • en vogue • eyes in the trees • hidden libraries • there’s always room for improvement

VENUS — • in love with strangers • iridescent waters • love potions for your mirror • selfless devotion • shattering crystal • seafoam upon sand • the golden ratio • drowning in your own passion • material value & high principles • luring • plush lips

EARTH — • fresh springs • tree hugger • we can start again tomorrow • a blazing rainforest • respects survival of the fittest • nature’s adversity • lazy bones • constantly evolving • flowers sprouting from wounds • a granite altar • fossilized remains

MOON — illusory • silver shimmer off the ocean • secrets and gossip • cycles of reincarnation • a crybaby • physically ethereal • shared glances with a stranger • cat eyes • mistrusting their intuition • fear is a prison • ornate magic wands

MARS — • healthy competition • attraction and repulsion • magma and rubies • a blade being forged • wrath wrath wrath • malefic • intense eye contact • cannon fodder & fireworks • blood floods • copper taste on your tongue

JUPITER — • red robes and a suit of armor • beacon of stability • leader by birth • thunderbolts and lightning • guilty but can’t stop • secret rich kid • golden touch golden tears • innate optimist • failure isn’t an option • constantly reaching for more • unfinished symphonies

SATURN — • traditional • overbearing energy • a sculptor of reality • this existence is a karmic one • has a heart it’s just. way down deep • law, order & justice • avoid all necessary risk • the sound of shackles clanging • sisyphus’ struggle • grappling with the reality of time • self-governing

URANUS — • psychedelic funk music • overflowing cups • a rebellion with skin • looking good in photo id • oblivious but caring • middle fingers in the air • double rainbows • icy diamond exterior • holographic • afraid of their own mediocrity • pearlescent smoke

NEPTUNE — • an elegy for the lost • dissolving boundaries • white horses • the burden of mystical conditions • deceptive • escapism is their reality • a polarizing entity • artists soul • paranoia • searching for the unseen • a siren’s swan song

PLUTO — • angel statues over graves • power • the cycle of necrosis • transformative • unfathomable depths • an ivory tower toppling over • screaming at the sky • violets and irises • eclipsed darkness • speaks with their shadow • sex, death, rebirth

Tagging:

@space-plume​

@the-shiniest-plant​

@vampiricsheep​

@thoseofuswhoblossom​

@commander-coppercogg​

And anyone else who wants to do it :3

[uselessidiotsquad]

As close of ace colors as I could get for my autumn girl - my word, she looks odd in clothes other than Sylvari attire!

[uselessidiotsquad]

I got tagged by @moonlit-grove and @i-mybrunettelady for this picrew of some of my kiddos! Have a very Daffodildo, a Ruby, and a Sigilis!

Tagging anyone who wants to (I am nervous to tag peeps and most of the folks I know have already been tagged!)

[uselessidiotsquad]

Sometimes I find it's good for character study to turn a critical eye to the things I love about my beebs. And then realize how yikes a lot of it is.

Ruby's compassion! Love her outgoing, kind self.

🔎

At its root it's based on fear and selfishness. She wants people to like her because she doesn't want to be alone. So she's compassionate to encourage others to stay. Instead of being controlling (COUGH COUGH MAD OR DIAM) she chose niceness. You draw more flies with honey than vinegar sort of thing.

Riag's loyalty. One of the many things about him I adore.

🔎

It has always been skirting the edge of being unhealthy. While I wish he would trust others a little more I'm also really freaking glad he doesn't. It would be so easy for someone with ill intent to use it to cruel ends. You could try to kill him in cold blood and he still wouldn't cut you out. He would put up with hell and abuse if it was from someone he let into his life and not say a word.

Sigilis' brass! Her ballsy attitude is a delight.

🔎

She, when left to her own devices and without reproductions, is absolutely a bully. What started as self defense when she was a cub has turned into a reliance on being aggressive and brutal. She's unwilling to change and it would be really easy for her to be a mean person.

Dei's passivity and accepting nature. Not all character traits have to be so outgoing.

🔎

Relying on your sole form of validation being external and from others is not a good thing. Yes, it's easier, but it's always sort of walking a fine line between encouragement and dependency. When it falls through there is no safety net. And what happens when the 'others' in question find out? Well it's not great.

[uselessidiotsquad]

🗡 for ruby!

@mystery-salad

Ty for the ask! Sorry for delay, brain went fuzzy on me mid-day yesterday.

Ruby

Raw Power: ⭐⭐⭐

Formal Training: ⭐⭐

Willingness to Kill: ⭐⭐

Previous Victims: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Notes on the above:

- Ruby's got excellent leg strength and has developed more upper body from wielding her greatsword all the time but even so - there's only so much strong you can fit into barely five foot of plant. Though, to his absolute dismay Ruby CAN pick Riag up for short periods of time.

- She wasn't Vigil, so there wasn't the strict focus on military strategies and formal combat. Ruby was Whispers - sort of by accident. Aeren (her fernhound) caught scent of something and ended up leading her to the entrance of their headquarters. Then she had to explain 'haha - sorry my dog got distracted nice cave you have'. To which the answer was 'no you don't understand you should not have been able to find us what the hell is going on'. And she just... kinda joined by proxy because it was easier to have her be a member than risk giving away info.

- Ruby does not like killing and will do everything else she can before resulting to it. Even if it means making a compromise that benefits no one, she would sooner talk it out or meet in the middle than kill. She knows that it's unavoidable but will try all the same to explore other options before it results in killing.

- She's the current Commander, and technically speaking, has more experience under her belt now than Riag did. Being the Commander stacks up bodies.

[uselessidiotsquad]

GW2 Creator Content Week: July 12th - Food.

For this one I did a drabble, expanding on an idea I had mentioned something about earlier.

“Knock-knock.” She said, given the fact that there was no door, yet still wanting to announce her presence. The figure occupying the leaf hammock gave so signs of hearing it. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “May I come in?”

Again nothing. Now concerned she took a step into the oval doorway, waving to get his attention. A sharp spike of panic rose though her as he didn’t acknowledge that either and she made her way into the room. Said spike was soothed almost instantly by noticing upon getting closer that he was, in fact, breathing. Oh Mother’s Boughs, he didn’t have to be that quiet all the time.

“...Hey.” Ruby hesitated, walking up to the hammock. “Am I bothering you? I can come back later.”

Riaghael doesn’t answer, he’s just staring up at his ceiling vacantly. He doesn’t seem to blink very often. Frowning, Ruby wonders if he has even realized that she is there. That thought in and of itself causes the air to feel heavier. When she lightly lays a hand on his forearm to direct his attention back to the present, he reacts a little. He turns his head to the side a fraction, away from her and pulls his arm closer to him.

The autumnal Sylvari sighs, unsure if that was a good or bad reaction. Well, at least he knows there’s someone else in the room now.

“The Menders are missing you, you had a session today.”

No response.

“They think you’ve made great progress with your hands so far, I think so too.”

At this point silence has become the norm between them. Ruby looks over to the small mushroom table occupying the corner of the room. Sitting on it was the food she had brought yesterday, left in the same place and untouched. Such as it was the day before. She had learned along the way that any dish requiring Riaghael to use utensils was a wasted effort. It was challenging if not impossible to eat with and reminded him when he couldn’t hold them, that he was still healing. But even food that didn’t have those stipulations often went ignored, it seemed that the Necromancer’s appetite was nonexistent.

“Does anything sound good for lunch?” She changed the topic, trying to get back the practical, the positive. “I can make whatever you’d like.”

Ruby doesn’t expect a reply this time and isn’t surprised that she doesn’t receive one. Already running through a mental checklist of what she could make with her supplies, she decided on an unlikely one.

Pancakes. Yes, usually, they are eaten with a fork but there’s no rule demanding it. They are soft and easier to eat, not too strongly flavored in case of nausea, and if nothing else they store well for later. The rest of the typical breakfast foods she had planned on only making a small amount of as she’s likely going to be the only one eating those.

“I’m going to go fix us something to eat. Riag, I know you’re not hungry but you need to eat. I’m not leaving next time until you’ve at least had something.”

If the drive to stave off mortal conditions such as hunger didn’t motivate him, she was sure that the threat of prolonged company would. Ruby gathered the abandoned food from yesterday, a tad disappointed that it had gone to waste. At least the local wildlife would appreciate the leftovers. She beamed over her shoulder at him as she walked out - though doubted if he noticed.

Ruby returns, nearly an hour later, carrying a stack of pancakes in a tray constructed from cured and dried leaves. A smaller container contains the rest of the breakfast accoutrements. Not bothering to announce herself this time, she peers over the top of the precarious mound of pancakes as she enters the room. She is pleased to see that Riag has at least moved to some degree, no longer reclining in the hammock but sitting upright in it with his legs hanging over the side, resting his feet on the floor. The yellow-green Necromancer appears to be a little more coherent if not any lighter of mood. 

“I brought food!” She says brightly, setting the food down on the table and handing him few pancakes in a napkin. At the motion of being handed something he does lift his eyes to see what it is that he is being offered. He eyes it tiredly not making as though to take it. Ruby sets it in his hands and goes back to rummaging through the other container.

Taking a closer look at the food, he notices that there are blueberries studding it. Not only that but they seem to be making some shape. It was... a face. A frowning face. The pancake behind it has a different one, making a surprised expression. And the last one behind it was smiling. Riaghael let his focus return to his friend who was trying and failing not to be excited for his reaction. The short red Sylvari aimlessly sorting through a container that obviously does not have that much in it, peering out of the sides of her eyes to see what he made of the pancakes.

Ridiculous.

If he had had more energy he might have even been annoyed that she was treating him like a sapling at times. But despite that, it was the effort. She had tried. The attempt was endearing. He gave the suggestion of a smile. Forced and minuscule it might be. Though he didn’t have much of a stomach for it, he managed to pick apart and eat one of the three pancakes.

It was the one that had been smiling.

[uselessidiotsquad]

OC Interview pt2 - With a Twist

Rather than the standard interview, I went with the characters to character one for introducing Toraedh!

Ruby: Hello!

???: Hello.

Ruby: So I'm to be interviewing you I think. I'm Ruby! I'm Commander of the Pact.

???: Yes, I am aware.

Ruby: Let's see then, introduce yourself please!

???: I mean I can but I'm not sure that it's really a good idea for either of us?

Ruby: In some deep brambles I take it?

???: Good observation but yes.

Ruby: Can I have an initial then or something to call you by that won't get you in trouble?

T: Just "T" would work, and thanks.

Ruby: You got it! That's gonna make this a strange interview. I don't usually recommend people lie about things but for this one if you need to go ahead.

T: (laughs) Okay, thanks for the permission, Ruby. What all can I say. I am sort of in a precarious place between projects. My calling requires me to be in the company of less than sterling individuals. I wanted to be a Mender before my current career path chose me.

Ruby: Why didn't go you for being a Mender?

T: I wasn't seen fondly by many of the mentors at the time of my Saplinghood. Any ideas I had were quickly dismissed and side-eyed.

Ruby: Did they tell you to be something else or did you get stuck with it? It was like that with me, I was supposed to be an instructor for fledgling Rangers but got stuck with Pact babysitting. Not complaining! Just you know - it's not teaching saplings.

T: Eh, not exactly. They took one look at my Dream and suddenly everyone got jittery around me. I've sort of had Dreamers against me for a while now. Most of them anyway. And you mean working to keep the single largest organized military force going isn't akin to telling a sapling the pointy end of the arrow goes away from them? Color me shocked.

Ruby: Well if it's any consolation, I'm not against you.

T: Thanks, Commander.

Ruby: No - it's Ruby! You're not in the Pact, none of this Commander business. What's your favorite food?

T: Oh that's a hard one. Chips and salsa are hard to beat.

Ruby: Good choice, good choice. I like to put mangos in my salsa but Riag fusses about it. Hot or mild?

T: Always spicy.

Ruby: Let's see what other questions do we have (she looks at a sticky note) ah here we are - if you can answer; what is an average day like for you?

T: That is a good question. It varies a lot, honestly. If I'm working on a project, it usually means gathering information on the Court I'm going to be infiltrating and trying to blend in as much as possible. On days where I'm not - it's sleep and be lazy as much as Sho will let me get away.

Ruby: Can I ask who Sho is?

T: You certainly can. She's my beloved and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. At times I think she's too kind - but that's just me, I'm a bit of a cynic. We share a Dream, for the most part, which hasn't earned favor for either of us. Her end of it was less detailed mine was very cut and dry for what it meant for me. ...I'm not sure where all I'd be without her at times. Ah, well, actually, I do know where I'd be but it's not for discussion among polite company.

Ruby: I wanted to ask about your Dream but am I right to gather it's a bit touchy?

T: You could say that.

Ruby: Fair enough! Is there anything else you'd like to share before I go back to trying to get a batch of muffins done?

T: Not that I can think of without potentially getting myself into a bind. Thank you for having me, it's been a treat, I don't usually manage to get more than a few words out before someone's prickly with me.

Ruby: Thanks for stopping by for a moment! You're welcome to drop by for a muffin or two whenever you have a moment.

[uselessidiotsquad]

Ruby boss fight!!!

Ruby hours! I don't know what you'd have to do to make her fight you as her first response is to always try to talk it out. But! She would have 4 phases.

Phase one: Merged with Akka her bear.

-Defense and stun heavy, better have a lot of CC on hand.

-Has a stun that makes the fight take way longer than it should be, it can technically be dodged but because her area of cleave is so big it's tricky.

-She is using her Greatsword for this!

-You can movement impair her some, but it's got reduce duration as she does the GS 3 bird leap thing.

-Fairly easy though, nothing that's over complicated.

-Ends at 75% health.

Phase two: Merged with Aditi her jacaranda.

-Did you bring boon removal and stun break? I sure hope so.

-Regen, Protection, and Swiftness perma on her, you can't really do damage until you boon remove.

-Short window of her being stunned if you do, where you can do max DPS.

-She's using her longbow here at range and does a lot of immob and cripples.

-Probably everyone's least favorite part just because getting immob and knocked back from Longbow abilities.

-Ends at 50%.

Phase three: Merged with Eldri, her smokescale.

-Did you want to relive your Maguuma horror days of fighting smokescales? Well here you go!

-Stealth segment, everything is smoky and misty with her leaping out of it and then retreating. You'll get one of those countdown circles around you that you have to dodge out of.

-Fun fact not really related to the part of the fight but Eldri is a fucker, like her pets are mostly good but then there's Eldri. Who never really took to being a pet and is straight cruel and mean. Ruby's personality and appearance shifts to more closely resemble the smokescale, she gets more angled and pointy looking.

-Expect a LOT of bleeds, Eldri likes playing with his food.

-She does the shadow leaping 5 times before the fog clears a little bit and you can actually attack her. If you manage to get her in one burst, you don't have to worry about it but otherwise this pattern will continue until you get her to 20%. 5 shadow leaps, small window for attack, 5 shadow leaps.

-Shadowstepping around and lots of blindness.

-Hardest section just because she hits like a bus and blindness is a wanker.

-Ends at 20%

Final Phase: Strength of the Pack

-Oh hello 3 pets and a Ranger. All of which have the Strength of the Pack buff on them.

-She's no longer soulmerged with any of her pets but you have to deal with all 3 of them at once.

-There is an order to which you have to kill, it goes Jacaranda, Smokescale, Bear. Because otherwise Aditi will heal the other two and you can't move much from immob. It's marked by one of the pets with a green circle under them for which to kill first. Then the next and so on.

-Ruby herself doesn't do much damage here it's just getting to her that's a problem.

After defeating her, she's more worried about her pets than herself. Might even guilt trip you a little for hurting them. Also deus ex machina from Aurene because that's her mom/best friend/champion thanks, and you will not be killing her.

Fight ends when you have to talk to Aurene instead.