#as someone kerra potentially could have helped

[kerra-and-company]

Whaaaat's nisha's opinion on Logan? Kerra's opinion of Rama?

Ooh, very good picks, tyty :D

Nisha didn't really get to know Logan at all during the personal story; he was someone xe knew of and knew through other people. Xe knew he was in Destiny's Edge, of course, and the bare bones of that backstory, but I think the first time they were ever face to face was when Logan flew in on the Glory of Tyria during the battle against Zhaitan. Xe gets to see a bit more of him during LWS1 and LWS2, but not a lot--they're mostly just kinda on the same page for a bit. Later into LWS3 was the first time they really interacted, once they started talking about Logan potentially taking the Pact Marshal spot at some point. Nisha stepped into that role when needed and did it well but didn't want to hold it permanently, and Logan needed something away from Jennah (and did legitimately have the skills to succeed in the position as well). The two of them were very very awkward around each other to start with, both because they honestly would have been awkward no matter what and because they both knew a Decent Amount about each other by that point but had never really talked much. They eventually found plenty of common ground, and Logan reminded Nisha a bit of how xe was in xyr early days staying at the Priory. These days, they're good friends, and Nisha would readily fight alongside him any time. Xe's also going to be one of the first people in line to (affectionately) tease him about any- and everything, though.

Kerra respects Rama pretty much right off the bat. He had a bunch of strangers from halfway across the world crash on the beach in his jurisdiction and is doing his best. It helps that her kid Rhi likes him too, for sure, but Kerra would have liked Rama without that; he tries as best he can to do the right thing and is willing to go rogue to do so. In short, they're friends at this point for sure. (Other vaguely relevant info here: Kerra's supreme discomfort on that elevator ride with Minister Li and co. as someone who not only would have definitely picked up on the weird vibes but could sense the emotions of everyone there cannot be understated. If she'd been alone she absolutely would have pulled a Captain America, but she was with Rama and Rhi and thus had to pretend everything was cool. After that, she teaches Rama the hand signals she uses with Dragon's Watch to signal subtly that something's up in situations where it'd be dangerous to say so out loud.)

[aalinaaaaaa]

WTW March Madness

Day #1

Challenge #3

Tiaren Niokelerit; A Study

Let me preface this by saying that this will likely come with detailed spoilers for Midsummer's Ashes. If you wish to avoid them, here's a readmore for your convenience.

Otherwise, the post is below the cut:

Tiaren is a man of many things. A talented wizard, a reputable family member, a seductive charmer. Yet his desire for a love of his own is something permeated by love and fear. His genuine capacity to share his love and gain trust is only motivated by a fear buried deep in his heart.

His initial advances on Charise are a prime example of this. While Charise is a bit too head over heels for him to notice anything suspicious, Parsi picks up on his demeanour rather quickly.

She, like some of the others, finds him suspicious. While the likes of Charise's father would attribute it to "potential political goals", seeing he moved from Kerras just shortly before the war between Vaer, Serrantine and Helinda, others would simply believe he was going too fast with her.

And because of his unusual demeanour, when Parsi finds out that there's a fairy living with him, she mistakenly believes the fairy is there by force, not because she wants to. Parsi's animosity with him is a prime example of how he has unintentionally blinded people to the reason why he acts like this.

Unbeknownst to almost everyone, he had a lover in the past, back when he was still in Seldaika. "Dark, rich and fair, her lustrous air a wick'd delight." However, he didn't quite get to have a life with her. Rather, he had competition for her in the form of what can only be described as an "intangible." A man who fell foul of something strange and had his form changed into something monstrous. This 'intangible' mix of creature and man decided that it wanted the girl who Tiaren loved like nothing else.

Both the intangible and Tiaren knew that she was among the best equipped to stop the threat of rebels impacting their community. Yet that didn't matter for the intangible. He sent down threats of violence, loss and bloodshed if the girl did not go up to him.

And Tiaren, absolutely gutted at this point, intended to challenge this tainted man to a duel. However, his family stopped him, urging him not to pick this battle. This lead to her going up to the intangible, leaving him doused in regret for not doing more.

This regret has warped him in many ways. For one, it is why he doesn't quite have the heart to expel the fairy that wants to stay with him, even though she's making Charise and Parsi suspicious. Olodgh, though the scheming type, actually enjoys Tiaren's company and is willing to do whatever for the sake of his happiness.

And this is the part when Tiaren steps up his efforts, for Olodgh found out that Charise is talking to the giant boy that got assigned to helping rebuild the Yvenaires' home. He cannot help but be reminded of the intangible situation, thus his need to prevent it.

For a start, he carves a Seldaikan love rune onto her, so that them both are "officially" marked as a couple. What Charise doesn't know, though, is that this is actually a mark of marriage, thus technically rendering her chances of being with Arane null and void.

However, he finds out that Charise is still sneaking out at night to meet with Arane, and this is a great insult to him. He fears that Charise may choose the giant over him, though not only for his sake, but for his family's sake as well.

Olodgh's rumours have driven his family into a feud with Arane's family, the Tharschels. It pains him that he has to fight with someone who also cherishes his lover, but his downfall is that he is overcome by his fear of losing Charise to someone else.

Thus, one could say he chose fear in his pursuit of love, and it is this tragic decision that lead to him dueling against Arane himself, which in turn lead to further tragedy in the form of Arane's death.

[uselessidiotsquad]

in anticipation of the potential ask storm, have a (mini?) ask storm in return :D feel free to pick and choose as you'd like, and here you go: 3 and 22 for Riag, 62 and 72 for Ruby, and 43 and 58 for Dion! -kerra-and-company

A small ask thundercloud! :D Thank you, Kai! @kerra-and-company

Answers for the Cabbage Patch!

Riag

003. Does your character like coffee better, or tea?

Riag likes coffee better. Tea is good but tends to be more on the delicate flavor side of things and he likes strong flavors. He doesn't drink it often as caffeine doesn't help his already dismal sleeping patterns, but he enjoys it when he does. (Ruby is appalled by the fact that he usually drinks it black, since she drowns it in so much milk and sugar that it just becomes coffee flavored milk)

022. What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen?

Oh tricky question. The one would be the most most is the first morning post-Zhaitan when the sun came up over Fort Trinity. A pervading sense of optimism, the pink and orange sky swirling with the little wisps of clouds and reflected in the harbor? Something he still thinks about often.

(Slightly unrelated, but I had this very vivid mental scene of Ruby, Riag and Trahearne all vibing together and him getting asked that question. And Riag being ridiculously cheesy and saying something along the lines of "A certain Firstborn comes to mind" with Ruby booing him out of the room and throwing things and Trahearne just giving a long suffering sigh like why are both of you like this)

Ruby

062. What sort of legacy does your character wish to leave behind?

She wants to leave a legacy that inspires people to be kind. A world where people want to be like her - not for her achievements or deeds - but because she made others existence better. To her, if more people are happy from having known her or being helped by her then she has spent her time in life well. Having been to the Mists and seen her impact made her go "I may have helped save the world but what does it matter if the people there aren't happy?"

072. In a Dungeons & Dragons game, which class would your character be? (wizard, fighter, bard, priest, ranger, etc.)

While my first inclination would be to say Ranger (har har) I think that should would opt for being a druid instead. Closer to nature and as close as she could come to being a soulbeast. Also imagining her as a really, really bad wizard made me laugh. She's not the most elemental or arcane magic savvy lady in the world and would 100% set herself on fire regularly.

Dion

043. What will they stand up for?

Now that is a good question. He would let himself get pushed around pretty easily since he tries to avoid conflict - but I think if he saw someone get treated absolutely awfully/cruelly (ie: someone being held captive or tortured by the NC) he would try to help. But not in anyway dramatic like barging in to save them. More along the lines of creating a small diversion and hoping they'll figure it out for themselves before retreating. So short answer: blatant cruelty. It would have to be pretty severe before he would act though.

058. What is your character’s idea of a perfect day?

He is a down to earth, simple guy. A day where no one barges into his bog, he checks on the wildlife that share the area with him and they are all well (bonus if they have had babies!) and then he finds his cantaloupes are ripe? Maybe has time to doodle/write/journal? Bliss.

[kerra-and-company]

Heya, I got a question for you 👀 In the light of the new episode, what does Kerra think of Scarlet? What has she heard, has Scarlet proven her wrong/right, etc that sort of thing

Ooh, okay okay!! Excellent question, and one I've been thinking about A Lot, so let's go! :D

Prior to LWS1, the most that Kerra's heard of Scarlet is off-hand. Kerra's friends with Cio, and Cio was working on getting through college during the same time period Scarlet (then Ceara) was in Rata Sum.

Cio and Ceara weren't ever super close, but they did run in the same circles, so to speak--they both were studying Synergetics at the same time, neither was particularly accepted there (Ceara for being sylvari, Cio for her whole Primordus magic thing), and they both really wanted to learn. So Cio definitely knew about Ceara, and they kinda had a dynamic of "we're both focused on our own things, but you're here and a little like me, and that's neat to know".

Kerra's heard some of that from Cio, but she doesn't immediately connect Scarlet Briar, the sylvari attacking the Queen's Jubilee, to Ceara, Cio's kinda-acquaintance-vaguely-friend from college that she mentioned once. Until Vorpp speaks up, that is. (Kerra does connect Scarlet pretty quick with the "B" and "Scar" mentioned in notes she's run into, though.)

(It should be noted that at this point, Kerra has zero clue what Vorpp did to the Secondborn. She still doesn't like the guy very much. He's very confident in his own knowledge to the point of arrogance--which, to be fair, isn't the weirdest thing in the world for an asura. But he's also very set on Scarlet clearly not being as smart as an asura, at the same time that she's doing things he doesn't fully understand. And that he's very willing to talk down sylvari to Kerra's face right before asking her to help him acquire parts for his portal machine. Not a stellar first impression. If there was a diplomatic way for Kerra to work with Cio instead of him on this project, she would have. And she does pull Cio in as a "consultant" later on.)

But anyways, to answer the main question you asked me, Kerra isn't certain what to think of Scarlet right now. And that's actually super frustrating for her!

Kerra's very good at getting a read on people, both thanks to her empathy powers and just because she's good at People (TM) in general. She can't figure out why Scarlet's doing what she's doing--not even in a "plan" sense, in a "this is my driving emotion" sense. There's been too much there to sort through. (In part, that's because she's only been in the presence of the *actual* Scarlet like...twice, maybe, at this point. She can't read the emotions of a Watchknight or a hologram.)

But even ignoring that, the pattern doesn't track for her. Scarlet's a danger, most certainly, but why? Why the bombs? Why take the hostages? What did she plan to bargain for, if anything? The Watchknights are clearly formidable tools, but what does she mean to do with them? Why try to get Mai Trin on the Captain's Council? And was there a point where she changed from being a student to whatever her goal is now, or was there no change at all?

Kerra's not a detective like Jory, but she's also not comfortable with pieces that don't fit. And she's definitely not comfortable with writing Scarlet off as "insane", like Faren does. Scarlet doesn't feel like she's lashing out on a whim, in Kerra's opinion.

And probably what's unsettled Kerra the most out of everything is that...Scarlet's not being blackmailed or forced into any of this, from the information they've found. Scarlet's the leader, Scarlet organized the Molten Alliance, Scarlet's helped direct the Aetherblades (along with Mai), Scarlet's been confident and has taunted them and has meant plenty of the things she's said. As far as Kerra's been able to tell, at least.

So why is Scarlet scared?

[kerra-and-company]

Nisha's thoughts on El or Nyra, if you'd like a repeat ask! Or alternatively, Rel on Liv B)

I said repeat asks were okay (and they are great, in fact!) and then took a few days to answer this; my apologies asl;djfadf. But thanks very much for the ask, and let's go! :D Nisha on El: "I..." [Xe looks away, just for a moment.] "Part of me is afraid. For him, of him...both, I suppose. But he is one of the Commanders in his universe, and the Knight of the Thorn. I believe Lin said something about holding a thorn in your heart that can pierce all doubt? If anger helps him do that, and he is still a capable soldier, it's neither my place nor my job to criticize." Nisha would have a very hard time understanding El, and I'm not at all certain they'd get along if they met. Their main collision course would be that El chooses to hide himself by showing off bits of himself or things that draw attention away from his true self (you said this better in an ask a bit ago, but I'm paraphrasing), and Nisha, when xe chooses to hide xyrself, shows nothing at all. That's where the fear both of and for him comes in. Xe would feel like he was waving around a shield with a huge hole in the center--and that it was a shield with sharp corners. Xe isn't opposed to the feeling of anger, but xe is very careful of how xe wields it, and xe would probably form a first impression that El just isn't at all careful (even if it's a bit more complicated than that). If xe could get past first impressions, they'd probably be able to work together, but I think they'd have a hard time being close. Nisha on Nyra: "This is the person who has Lin's...spot, so to speak, in another universe? I can't help but find that strange, but that is not her fault, and she seems to be doing an excellent job." [Xe smiles--it's small, as is typical for xem, but no less sincere for it--before xyr gaze turns thoughtful.] "It seems guilt is something that most Commanders share. I understand the feeling, especially after having served as Marshal. Commander Ainsaph, not everything is your fault, and I hope your loved ones remind you of that often." Something that these asks made me notice about Nisha is how much emphasis xe puts on doing a job well. If you're at least doing that, xe will probably at least tolerate you. In Nyra's case, the fact that she, as far as Nisha can tell, has been a good Commander goes a long way towards Nisha getting past any universe weirdness. Outside of that, Nisha has no reason to dislike Nyra whatsoever (and many reasons to like her, because Nyra is Nyra), and I could see them getting along very well, especially since Nyra's core motivations would remind Nisha a lot of Kerra. Rel on Liv: "An engineer and an elementalist? That's new, but not by any means bad. I could see several potential applications, if he's ever considered--oh!" [He suddenly smiles, broad but restrained so it's not overly wide.] "I heard that he works for the Priory--how much does he know about Orr? Or Ascalon? I'd love to discuss history with someone new!" [His gaze switches to one of remembrance. He coughs, and his smile dims slightly, turning warmer.] "Additionally, I could use someone to bounce a new song off of, if he's up for it. Pass on a standing invitation to drop by if he's ever in Caledon." Rel is quite excited here, asdjfasdf. Liv is someone who he would get along with almost instantly, and the idea of having someone new to discuss both history and his profession with is very appealing. Rel's also not saying this, but though their situations were very different, he understands on some level the concept of growing up in one system and then having to and/or choosing to leave it, and he knows how hard that is. He also would very much force Liv to rest if Liv ever tried to muscle through sickness with Rel around.

[kerra-and-company]

The Ask Storm has arrived! As always, if you feel like skipping some of these questions or if they don't apply you're always welcome to. And you're welcome to use this (🌟) as a free pass for the questions you do feel like talking about instead!

For Cio: 5 and 12

For Kerra: 26 and 35

For Nisha: 39 and 46

For Tanza: 71 and 76

For Ari: 80 and 99

:D Also no rush to answer them at any great speed

(@uselessidiotsquad)

Ah, tis ask storm time!! Thanks a bunch Ann @uselessidiotsquad :D Some Icebrood Saga spoilers in Tanza's answers, just fyi.

Cio:

5. Are they in good health?

Generally speaking, yep! Fun fact about that, though: Cio has a higher-than-average body temperature, which has accidentally tricked quite a few healers into thinking she had a fever when she didn't.

12. What makes your character embarrassed?

Cio doesn't get embarrassed very often, but getting a crucial fact wrong either during an important presentation of some kind or during literally any conversation with the Arcane Council would definitely do it.

Putting the cut here since there's a lot of these! :)

Kerra:

26. What do they consider ugly in others personality-wise?

Being too self-absorbed/arrogant, enjoying the suffering of others and/or actively trying to cause it, and being unable to even consider anyone else's opinion or that you could potentially be wrong.

35. What is the most important rule your character lives by?

I can't think of a way to phrase this in one of those snappy rules-to-live-by ways, but something that's kind of a combination of the sentiments of "do no harm, but take no shit" and "see the light in people". Kerra most definitely "does harm"--she's a warrior and the Commander, and she's killed before--but she does her best not to hurt anyone unless she has to. And she sees the good in people, almost always, but she also doesn't bank on it. So, kinda "look for the best in people and try for peace whenever possible, but if for example there's an immortal lich king who's, to put it mildly, fucked with a nation for generations, it's completely fine and in fact encouraged to kick his ass." Maybe slightly more complicated than this question was asking for alsjdfadf but there you go! (And there might be a really straightforward way to say this; I might just be tired, who knows.)

Nisha:

39. What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person?

Xe could probably think of several convoluted and horrible things that are worse than this, but something that xe deeply fears is being trapped. Imprisonment is not what xe would say is the worst thing to happen to a person in general, but it is something that xe in particular really would dislike. Xe and Canach share similar hats on this topic.

46. How do they handle getting sick?

For most of xyr life, xe basically just tried very hard to pretend xe wasn't sick and hoped it would go away. This did not work very well. Now, xe goes and hides in a tent and comms xyr brother/friends/partners to help while insisting (in a very tired voice) that xe'll definitely be fine in about five minutes if someone just brings xem some tea really quick. Eventually, xe will in fact actually rest (took xem a while to learn how, but xe did), but it takes a bit.

Tanza:

71. How kind is your character?

I'd say pretty darn! She's eager to befriend people but respects boundaries, will (like Kerra) go out of her way to help a bug that somehow ended up inside her house, and is more likely than not to reach out a hand to someone who needs it.

76. How do they express anger?

Tanza usually finds a very out-of-the-way place where they're probably not going to bug anyone and screams very loudly. Though that's more how they let out anger, it is a way to express it, too. Person-to-person-wise, she doesn't really do passive-aggressiveness, so if she's mad at you, she'll definitely tell you. They understand the necessity of subterfuge and lies sometimes for diplomatic or mission reasons, but if it's possible to actually have a conversation and hash out why they're angry, they'd much rather do that. Or, in the very specific case of her anger with Ryland and Jormag for her mothers being Frozen, she does everything possible to take them down.

Ari:

80. How easy is it for others to read your character’s emotions?

I read this wrong at first and thought it was asking how well Ari could read others' emotions, which also is an interesting question, so you get an answer to both! For question 80: At first, Ari's difficult to read, but for people who spend a lot of time with her (and understand that her snapping doesn't always mean she's actually angry), she's pretty easy to read. (Cio tops this list.) For the question I accidentally read: She's actually pretty good at it when she wants to be and when she doesn't have a preexisting idea that overrules her perceptions of the situation (see: her thinking her 'bandmates were still angry, her not realizing Cio loved her and had for a while).

99. Do they talk to inanimate objects?

She didn't have stuffed animals/other soft toys as a cub, but she would have loved them if she had. She got used to talking to the stars instead, and though she feels silly and a bit over-dramatic whenever she does it, she still talks to them. As a small cub, she imagined she was talking to a friend or a sibling. As a teenager, she imagined she was talking to her ancestors--parents, grandparents, etc. She'd never met any of them and never would, but she hoped they'd be proud of her. As a young adult, she imagined she was talking to her missing 'bandmates, or apologizing, or both. Now, it varies, but sometimes she imagines talking to her younger self and thinks about how long it's been since she was a cub. (It hasn't really been all that long, she's like 30, but it feels to her like it's been a lot longer.)