#interesting question bc I’m using various definitions of the term classical here

[fiddles-ifs]

What classical paintings would you assign the ROs?

PANDORAS BOX PANDORAS BOX PANDORAS BOX. Being really normal about this ask thank u

Bautista: Pietá by William-Adolphe Bougureau (1876)

Nazeri: The Leopard Hunt — Paul de Vos

Devin: Judith Slaying Holofernes — Artemesia Gentileschi (c. 1612-1613)

Trace: The Last Judgement (middle triptych) — Hieronemous Bosch

[t--o--f--u-blog]

☼☼☼☼☼ also think tank a white lecturer using the n-word when quoting literature in a lecture? I think she used it once outside of quotation as well certainly not meant in a disrespectful way, just seems unnecessary

☐☐☐☐☐ better have a justification at least but if you just use it out of the blue it always seems like some attempt at provocation 'i can say this because my interests are purely academic'

☼☼☼☼☼ mmmmm we're reading uncle tom's cabin, so it's hard to avoid

☐☐☐☐☐ should only be quoted verbatim if absolutely necessary, if there's no alternative I think

☼☼☼☼☼ yeah seems like she could have avoided it pretty easily

☐☐☐☐☐ if she's making no acknowledgement of the word's relationship to her privilege, that's rly not good

☼☼☼☼☼ yeah she's older so there might just be an outdated perspective there 'I'm just quoting the text, it was anti-slavery so I'm fine' sort of mentality maybe?

☐☐☐☐☐ still she would know about the contemporary attitude to the word and she should at least mention that! ugh like it doesn't sound malicious or super super racist, but eh

☼☼☼☼☼ Yeah I feel iffffy about it

☐☐☐☐☐ should mention it!

☼☼☼☼☼ Trying to work out if I should send email and if so how to word it

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ be interesting to actually properly discuss it

☐☐☐☐☐ yep

☍☍☍☍☍ heck I’d be interested to know more of a history of the word basically teach properly why its offensive

☼☼☼☼☼ Yeah, I might bring it up in the tutorial different teacher, but maybe good discussion

☐☐☐☐☐ mm that seems appropriate i'd love to hear how that goes

☍☍☍☍☍ uhhh there was someone who used it at Bar Oussou  the host reallllly should’ve said something and I normally would but just too tired for confrontation

☼☼☼☼☼ Yeah ☐☐☐☐☐ was telling me Sounded very cringe

☐☐☐☐☐ v unfortunate most disappointed in yhe host tbh

☐☐☐☐☐ he maybe had a old-worldy attitude to it and didn't mind or was too cowardly lol which do u think?

☍☍☍☍☍ I think he thought it was in the context of the poem she didn’t use it to degrade someone directly, but the word itself is degrading

☐☐☐☐☐ ugh but the poem is in the context of fuckin oussou yep ppl need to have a think before using words

☍☍☍☍☍ I just think its great to have a stage to do emotional work, but it can cross a line into normalising shitty white behaviour

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ I went to a coloured school so I can’t b racist wah wah wah

☐☐☐☐☐ and you have to consider your audience if your rant is dehumanising or brushes aside/causes suffering u gotta reconsider felt pretty ashamed on behalf of bartender/various black audience members not saying that dumb white shit would be acceptable with a different audience, but her obliviousness was kinda astounding

☼☼☼☼☼ wow yeah cringefest

☍☍☍☍☍ lol spoken word scene as a whole can b so lame haha rings true to why I/we left

☐☐☐☐☐ mm so macho! that's what I liked about talkbox some sensitivity there, gentleness

☍☍☍☍☍ still, I just wish people read more lok *lol

☐☐☐☐☐ yep I wish I read more

☍☍☍☍☍ like the stylistic range is generally pretty lame

☐☐☐☐☐ I guess that's why anyone reads mmm

☍☍☍☍☍ I wish I read more too

☐☐☐☐☐ hahahaha

☼☼☼☼☼ :')

☍☍☍☍☍ don’t mean to shit on everyon, I just think the scene as a whole and the conception of poetry is lacklustre - it doesn’t seem like the time for poetry, sometimes

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ ppl too distracted by netflix uwu sounds like phones but too much

☐☐☐☐☐ doesn't seem like the time for art, sometimes! hahhh

☍☍☍☍☍ its definitely a time for music

☼☼☼☼☼ I think there's a place for poetry It's just raps and memes

☍☍☍☍☍ yeh but I play dat long game there might not b a place now but I’mma fkn make one whether you like it or not lol

☼☼☼☼☼ Oh yeah fair go 4 it

☐☐☐☐☐ loll

☍☍☍☍☍ I just mean that I think 'poetry' has evolved into other forms, and now the traditional form is struggling to find a place I mean does anyone pay attention to Victorian satirical cartoons? I don’t I think it’s also tho that the low brow is more apparent in the moment, the high brow more apparent from a distance the shit sinks, basically

☼☼☼☼☼ elaborate?

☍☍☍☍☍ time brings forward higher brow material while a lot of lower brow stuff falls back or like there’s an art for getting through your days, and there’s an art for elaborate long form spiritual liberation

☼☼☼☼☼ so u don't mind about a lack of audience now if your work has staying power?

☍☍☍☍☍ different works have different digestion time and yes that is what I’m saying

☼☼☼☼☼ hmmmmmmm

☍☍☍☍☍ hmmmmmmmm?

☐☐☐☐☐ personally I don't know whether I'm prioritising the reception of my work or its value to me right now i feel poetry/art in general are useful tools for thinking about the world useful philosophical tools i guess and idk whether i'm learning for the sake of my own knowledge/making 'better' art or learning so what I put out into the world is better received I suppose the two aren't mutually exclusive but yeah - feeling fairly indifferent to the idea of creating work that will persist right now part of me feels more comfortable with being lost forever lol or at least that I should become comfortable with that, bc that is what will happen inevitably

☍☍☍☍☍ I just think in this atmosphere of complete denial of the arts as an important component of society, as well as the stigmatisation of ritual and other mystical practices that used to house what we now might describe as an artist, its important that we follow our intuition rather than give in to a system that routinely prevents us having access to basic resources like I want to be there for whoever is there when this period comes to end and those peoples are looking for anything to rudder them, whether or not I’m alive

☐☐☐☐☐ you want to add to the cultural record?

☍☍☍☍☍ I want provide a map for future generations is how I would put it

☐☐☐☐☐ mm how do you feel one can ensure the persistence of their own work? or are you just hoping it'll be around for others I suppose whether or not anything lasts is out of ur control past a certain point

☍☍☍☍☍ for one I make an effort to give away a lot of work

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ I also store it all and make sure that that stockpile is kept w care but I also think there’s something to be said that I try and operate within many pre-existing canons I also it’s important to use the more meme-y, short stay work to bring attention to the slower works yeah, re: canons, like tanka and before that wakka as poetic forms stem back as far as a thousand years - perhaps more by putting myself in conversation with the ancients... idk it feels a bit like entering a cultural refrigerator haha

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ sometimes I find it better to see my individual works as modules that make up a whole more prescient than its parts (Morton lolz) soo... maybe my work won’t carry the same weight until I finish, so to speak who knowsss but this how I think about it lol

☐☐☐☐☐ best to try and contribute something I spose rather than do nothing w ur resources

☍☍☍☍☍ I’m weird with this shit u don’t have to be

☐☐☐☐☐ mm it seems fairly simple to me and not that weird

☍☍☍☍☍ not everyone should spend their life tending their gravestone it’s a job for a particular type of person, and I am it

☐☐☐☐☐ but in a sense everyone does anyway everyone does things with the future in mind or without it in mind I suppose

☐☐☐☐☐ and i guess that influences what you leave when you die eheh, whether you do it consciously or unconsciously

☍☍☍☍☍ I just am particularly stubborn that I have something to offer - I think its partially a result of being denied that a lot in school, I found other ways to have social bonds that were more... non linear bonds with past peoples, and inadvertently bonds with future people

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ I find it frustrating that its seen as arrogant to suggest your work should be read after you die - if anything its remarkably humble as I'm acknowledging that I will never properly see the fruits of my labour it's a ridiculously isolating position to find oneself in, where your best friends - books, music, content - have no form of human intimacy with you and completely defy all survivalistic, lizard-brain humanity plus you're just on a total different dimension from most people you meet

☐☐☐☐☐ mm you're in a very specific position here

☍☍☍☍☍ lol goodluck catching up ☼☼☼☼☼

☼☼☼☼☼ unrelated btw

(☼☼☼☼☼ posts a meme in chat)

☍☍☍☍☍ see y'all @ da rally (in reference to the meme)

☐☐☐☐☐ where and when is this? oh oops thought you meant a real one

☼☼☼☼☼ hahaha

☍☍☍☍☍ xD

☼☼☼☼☼ structurally is the meme ok ? took the photo the other day, and just added the text.

☍☍☍☍☍ yes are u going to weigh in on the conversation tho lol

☼☼☼☼☼ nah not really

☍☍☍☍☍ meme fine

☼☼☼☼☼ I have so little to add

☍☍☍☍☍ well hm why make memes? why not write novel? do memes have staying power?

☐☐☐☐☐ it's a question of what timescale is important to you at any given time maybe

☍☍☍☍☍ oh absolutely - not trying to infer a hierarchy here, I just think there are different approaches for different problems

☐☐☐☐☐ sometimes I'll say something to someone so they'll remember it for tomorrow, sometimes I'll say something to someone and hope they'll remember forever lol mm I don't think I care about staying power that much

☐☐☐☐☐ memes have such a short lifetime, they're like cultural mayflies haha

☼☼☼☼☼ Yeah defs

☍☍☍☍☍ why tho lol

☼☼☼☼☼ Because the art itself can date while still inspiring change

☍☍☍☍☍ yeah so using it pragmatically like a single use tissue

☼☼☼☼☼ If you create something short lived, it (with the help of other artists producing similar work) is able to push art and society in a specific direction The butterfly effect I guess

☍☍☍☍☍ it's true that you have more effect in the current conversation

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ but that conversation draws intensively on a language formed by the ancients so the two are dependent on each other, a back and forth

☐☐☐☐☐ and that's dependent on their work's longevity?

☍☍☍☍☍ not following ur question

☐☐☐☐☐ not following your point haha hmm

☼☼☼☼☼ so you're suggesting a works longevity is crucial in that it helps reinforce and update the ancient language in which short term work of the future will be influenced by?

☐☐☐☐☐ mm also - what if of all the work you make, it's only a meme that survives the passage of time?

☍☍☍☍☍ basically... like you're just reiterating points that have been made more in depth in 'higher' brow culture - that's definitely how I feel when writing raps

☐☐☐☐☐ like Roman graffiti surviving on the walls or whatever

☍☍☍☍☍ did you a hear copy of the I Ching, the Chinese numerology classic more than a thousand years old, was found in the 70s and had a heap more sections and a different order? effectively completely changing the understanding of the I Ching gotta get those nice lead storage chambers ayyyyy ahahaha it was found buried in a coffin, obvs haha

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ a lot of Chinese philosophers only exist in so much as someone else described them

☼☼☼☼☼ But what does that changing of contexts of that piece actually mean for us? Is updated Ching from the coffin helping us in any way?

☍☍☍☍☍ I think for me finding the I Ching and looking over it is like a person in a thousand years finding a functional iPhone it gives great insight into human impulses regardless of time and offers a way of writing the past a new, which in turn presents a new future (thinking of the cowboy article you sent me) reconceptualizing the past IS the future look at 'Make America Great Again' or calls to restore the caliphate both are founded on histories that have more to do with our current state than the actual happenings of the past

☼☼☼☼☼ I do see where you're coming from I like the idea that it's important to preserve our work for understand the past better And I hope that someone in the future will have a clearer understanding of our time through your well preserved works But what fucking future is it

☍☍☍☍☍ haha but like looking back we see people been asking that for a veeery long time I get it seems on a new scale but we're on a new scale too

☼☼☼☼☼ It does seem that yes Also if we do survive and keep on teching on

☍☍☍☍☍ I'm for an integration of the human/natural binary where we properly acknowledge our mutual codependency, the earth and humanity that is

☼☼☼☼☼ Are we even going to be translatable? Is the functioning iPhone found by the future person going to even be able to be translated? Or will it be meaningless because everyone is already part of the grid

☍☍☍☍☍ where artificially effecting the climate for the benefit of 'nature' isn't seen as strange but completely akin to Aboriginal burn back practices

☐☐☐☐☐ i guess it's productive to hope that it will be translatable

☍☍☍☍☍ we've always interfered in the running of nature

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ ehhh idk we translated fucking hieroglyphics

☼☼☼☼☼ Or future tech can look into the past and someone is watching our lives as we type this now, constantly being understood through our context in a way we can't comprehend through our recording processes shrugs

☍☍☍☍☍ I mean yeah, imagine if the internet was even vaguely archived

☼☼☼☼☼ You probably have a better understanding of how the future will pan out than I do tho

☍☍☍☍☍ even if 0.1 % was kept, it would be a massive resource

☼☼☼☼☼ No sass intended there, I'm sincere

☍☍☍☍☍ lol idk I just try to see a bigger picture and it keeps me calm remember me old saying? we survived the plague and nukes lol

☼☼☼☼☼ I just don't see the issue with creating short term work, especially if it is preserved

☍☍☍☍☍ oh neither do I

☼☼☼☼☼ Like a meme may have more impact than a novel rn

☐☐☐☐☐ well it could be argued that we're yet to survive nukes but I see your point impact on various timescales

☼☼☼☼☼ I've heard the plague make be thinking of making a comeback too haha

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☍☍☍☍☍ oh duh peasantry is fully hip rn

☐☐☐☐☐ but like

☍☍☍☍☍ bring back the boils, they look great with my Balenciaga sneakers

☐☐☐☐☐ lol bubonic chic

☼☼☼☼☼ Pretty close to heroin chic tbh haha

☍☍☍☍☍ not jking that was tb

☐☐☐☐☐ but like, I don't find a huge amount of solace in the fact that we survived the plague

☍☍☍☍☍ "The Victorians romanticized the disease and the effects it caused in the gradual build to death. For decades, many beauty standards emulated or highlighted these effects. And as scientists gained greater understanding of the disease and how it was spread, the disease continued to keep its hold on fashion. and the severity of the corsets was known to harm the lungs in such a way that would increase the likelihood of transmission LOOOL

☐☐☐☐☐ mm Balenciaga look out idk it's a question of what capacity we survive in

☼☼☼☼☼ lollllll

☐☐☐☐☐ quite depressing to think about

☍☍☍☍☍ eating disorders have a pretense

☐☐☐☐☐ what if ecocide leaves a few insular eco fascist regimes who gradually diminish over centuries always engaged in pointless wars of attrition with one another lol

☍☍☍☍☍ I mean you could probably say the same thing of colonial regimes now

☐☐☐☐☐ just because we can survive, doesn't mean my outlook should b at all rosy :((

☍☍☍☍☍ point is its a big ol' world that has plenty of room for pain AND love any future pain you think is imminent probably already is happening, and nonetheless breakfast tasted good this morning

☼☼☼☼☼ 'The hipster middle class would dress with raggedy beards and large jackets and refuse to use deodorant, perhaps to reflect the look of people suffering from homelessness at the time. It is suspected that this made them less likely to be hired, and therefore more likely to become homeless themselves.'  ☍☍☍☍☍ ahahaha

☐☐☐☐☐ mm that's true hahhh

☼☼☼☼☼ Planning on making this into a full essay. Might not be popular now, but I think it has staying power? Soz for shitposting haha

☍☍☍☍☍ I was talking with ☲☲☲☲☲ a while back, and something struck me - she said, "I never thought this age would have its own fleet of particular medical conditions." (or something like that lol, translated via my nerd brain)

☼☼☼☼☼ Yeah that didn't quite sound like her But that sentiment is great

☍☍☍☍☍ 'fleet'

☼☼☼☼☼ In that ofc there is, but also wow yeah ofc!

☐☐☐☐☐ mmm hahh these conversations should be recorded so we can all think about em without scrolling up endlessly

☼☼☼☼☼ I do like the idea of people reading these works in the future tho

☐☐☐☐☐ and also so that they can be preserved for 10,000+ years of course

☼☼☼☼☼ In the same way we read the letters sent between dead artists now

☐☐☐☐☐ mm very true

☍☍☍☍☍ mmm

☐☐☐☐☐ messenger is not a particularly stable storage medium and also is more vulnerable to third party scrutiny although the fact we're reading artists letters now means that medium is also pretty fucking vulnerable to scrutiny lol

☍☍☍☍☍ I fucking found the word! (sorry was searching for it so hard) Neurasthenia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurasthenia

☼☼☼☼☼ Americanitis lol

☍☍☍☍☍ uhh the page doesn't rly talk about this, but its like a condition of over-working effectively, and people would try and get prescribed the pills to treat it as a way of signalling they were a dedicated worker its total hokey

☐☐☐☐☐ wow yeah you mentioned this a while back

☼☼☼☼☼ oh I've heard a similar thing in Japan were workers will pretend to fall asleep at their desks to show how hard they're working No idea the trust behind it tho

☍☍☍☍☍ to this day, "In Japan, shinkei-suijaku is treated with Morita therapy involving mandatory rest and isolation, followed by progressively more difficult work, and a resumption of a previous social role. The diagnosis is sometimes used as a disguise for serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and mood disorders." a dignified mental illness uwu none of that lower class shit I'm a classy fuck with money, I don't get the same mental conditions as the poor lolol reminds me of now: I don't have shitty parents, I just have adhd (not to deligitimise all uses of adhd, just over diagnosed)

☼☼☼☼☼ mmmmm i feel u yes this has been a wild ride

☍☍☍☍☍ yes I’m leaving to get late lunch uwu have a good day in this cosmic spider web lololol

☼☼☼☼☼ :')

☍☍☍☍☍ Like the burning of this charcoal fire, our years too will soon expire Kobayashi Issa listening to Krista Tippet talk with Maria Popova, this particular phrase resonated with our conversation: we live in a world where disruption over-fetishised; we need cultural stewardship to help along new waves of disruption

☼☼☼☼☼ How would u define cultural stewardship in a practical sense?

☍☍☍☍☍ caring for the legacy of those past as a means of refreshing their insight for a new age a very straightforward example would b the importance of new translations, in this regard - as our understanding and depth of connection to Japanese society has deepened, so too have our translations dusting off the books so to speak in some sense I see that in our music too or reappropriating to a new context

☼☼☼☼☼ Well remasters are a time terry literal example Fuck

☍☍☍☍☍ time terry

☼☼☼☼☼ Pretty* not time terry lol

☼☼☼☼☼ lime berry yeah exactly

☼☼☼☼☼ Slime Jerry

☍☍☍☍☍ I mean rereleasing is an obvs example mhm but more abstract examples are how I’ve exported into both your brains Bridle/Steyerl/Haraway via conversation and art lolol I’m helping it move from one place to another same w Zappa lol

☐☐☐☐☐ also - looking after artist friends being generous I feel these are acts of pre-emptive cultural stewardship

☍☍☍☍☍ haha yeah definitely different time scales it could function on

☐☐☐☐☐ looking after and maintain communities

☍☍☍☍☍ hosting open mics lol helping teach ppl poetry lollll

☐☐☐☐☐ not allowing hate speech to creep into open mics lol

☼☼☼☼☼ Truuuuu Or anywhere for that matter

☐☐☐☐☐ not becoming so dusty that you actually have a detrimental impact on cultural progression

☍☍☍☍☍ I think religions only exist in so far as they have active practitioners

☐☐☐☐☐ mm

☼☼☼☼☼ Tru

☍☍☍☍☍ I think my sense is, in religion, this same argument plays out with orthodoxy versus mysticism Maintenance of buildings is in there too for religion People being assigned paid positions as the keepers and givers of religious knowledge oh yeah thinking a lot here of Shanzai, ☐☐☐☐☐, and the idea of an object as a lived practice

☐☐☐☐☐ when home I'm gonna do my best to archive this conversation mmm

☍☍☍☍☍ you’re going to steward our conversation bout stewardship ...

☐☐☐☐☐ this is all going in

☍☍☍☍☍ ...the tv where I am says “The comedian getting behind ‘Know Thy Nuts’” and there are big walnuts on the screen

☐☐☐☐☐ ???????

☍☍☍☍☍ “I didn’t realise chemotherapy would be such great comedic material!”

☐☐☐☐☐ ¿¿¿¿¿¿

☼☼☼☼☼ Huhhhh

☍☍☍☍☍ lol highly recommend https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/on-being-with-krista-tippett/id150892556?mt=2&i=1000429408054https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/on-being-with-krista-tippett/id150892556?mt=2&i=1000429408054

[urdnotgrunt]

asa “ace” ryder // biotic // pathfinder

under the read more is the me:a 30 day countdown ryder meme that i meant to do over the actual days oops, just to introduce you to my new child and some of her family!! not all of the prompts are answered, i’ll gradually be answering them eventually.

30 Days: Will you play SisRyder or BroRyder first? Why? How does your Ryder define their gender?

sisryder bc i most always play feminine characters. i’ve taken that opportunity every chance i’ve gotten since pokemon crystal back when i was a kid. ace identifies as feminine.

29 Days: What is your Ryder’s name? Why did you pick this name - is there a meaning or origin story behind it? Do they go by any nicknames? What would you name their sibling, father and mother if you were able to choose?

asa “ace” ryder. i really liked the of “ace ryder,” so from there i just had to figure out a name that could actually have that nickname (opposed to just being called that bc of some reason or another). i happened upon asa and loved it. her one and only nickname is ace.

28 Days: Are you going to use the default appearance or create a custom Ryder? If custom, describe your Ryder’s physical appearance (hair color, eye color, skin color, height, weight, facial features, any scars or tattoos, racial origin, etc). If you have art and/or a face-claim, feel free to add them here.

definitely custom, i always go custom when it comes to appearances. ace’s face has dark green eyes and is full of freckles. she’s about 5′10″ with a plump, pear shaped figure. her most notable feature is her dark brown curls, which she leaves them be, as they tend to behave better that way. as for the tattoos, she has the constellation of the phoenix under her right breast. her face claim is lauren johnson.

27 Days: Are you going to use the default appearance for Ryder’s sibling or customize them? Describe your ideas for their sibling’s and father’s physical appearance.

i’m definitely going to be changing them (ace’s fam ain’t white lmao). her brother is very much a military guy, with close cropped black hair and a generally stern face. he has freckles sporadically peppered on his face, but not nearly as many as his sister. he has dark hazel eyes, loooooong eyelashes, and is the same skin color as ace. his form, while possessing some muscles from military training, is rather lanky. his fc is evan ross. their father looks strangely unlike them, as both of the ryder siblings take after their mother. he is bald (by his own volition, he swears) with light brown eyes and darker brown skin than his children.

26 Days: Do you have a specific class profile or mix of class profiles in mind for Ryder?

ace is a biotic, so she’s going to be mostly an adept with a few soldier skills.

25 Days: Describe Ryder’s favorite combat style. Bioware call Peebee a “gunslinger” and describe Liam as a “close-range fighter” - how would you describe Ryder’s combat role/strengths? What are some of their favorite biotic/tech/other abilities?

ace’s fighting style could be termed “going-with-the-flow” as she tends to fill any of the pockets that her squad mates lack. long-range? singularity. mid-range? shockwave. close up? biotic charge. basically, ace has thought of ways in which to use her biotics at any position, and in this way, she’s very much a support fighter and quite well-rounded. her absolute favorite ability is shockwave.

24 Days: Which squadmates do you think will best compliment Ryder’s combat style? Alternatively, who do you plan to take out most in the field?

with asa, since she has biotics handled, she’ll be aking more tech and soldier based squad mates out. this’ll probably include drack, jaal, liam, and vetra (bc vetra).

23 Days: Which weapons or category of weapons will Ryder prefer? Describe their favorite loadout.

anything relatively easy to wield and load quickly is good to ace. that being said, an assault rifle or pistol will be the two she gravitates toward.

22 Days: Will Ryder craft? What are you most excited about crafting? Do you have any names in mind already for weapons?

so ace isn’t particularly savvy when it comes to tech stuff (that’s more of her brother’s thing), but she’d love to learn how to craft things!! she’s gonna be asking liam so many questions, i feel bad for him lmao

21 Days: What are Ryder’s personality traits? Describe 5 strengths and 5 flaws.

strengths:

optimistic

friendly

compassionate

sociable

friendly

flaws:

intense

dramatic

disorganized

absentminded

erratic

20 Days: What first impressions does Ryder tend to give people? Do they have any ‘odd’ or specific mannerisms, habits or other quirks? How do they present and carry themselves?

asa is a very optimistic and joyous person. she prefers to try to think of the positives rather than get bogged down by negative feelings. she also displays her emotions quite...loudly. her brother calls her a drama queen, but she prefers the term “emotionally adept.” she’s no good at stealth missions due to her face being a canvas of emotions, but she tries (oh how she tries). also, asa (suffering from adhd) tends to skip over things in conversation. and by skip over things, i mean she thinks she’s said them already, because she’s gone over them in her head, but hasn’t said them aloud. her mind is a fast moving place and her mouth can rarely keep up.

19 Days: Where would Ryder fall in the classic Paragon/Renegade morality system? What would their D&D alignment be? If you know their personality type in any personality typing systems (such as MBTI and Enneagram - you can find various type descriptions and tests using Google), feel free to add and discuss them here.

ace is definitely more paragon, but as she lets her emotions define her, she can have her renegade moments as well. her alignment would lean toward neutral good.

18 Days: What qualities does Ryder like and dislike in other people? Are there any things they particularly appreciate or can’t stand?

ace tends to gravitate toward people in general; she will talk to anyone. but the people she most enjoys interacting with and those who eventually become her good friends are often interesting and don’t mind a bit of fun. but honestly, asa has friends who are outrageously different. it doesn’t much matter to her as long as they’re not actively mean to others, haughty, or have a “better than thou” attitude.

17 Days: List some of Ryder’s favorite things - colors, food, music, etc. Is there anything of this nature that they hate? Do they have any hobbies or skills outside of combat?

asa isn’t pick about food whatsoever, she’ll pretty much eat anything. but she LOVES baked goods, especially cupcakes.

16 Days: How would Ryder define their sexuality?

ace’s a lesbian bc girls. no but seriously, she’s never been attracted to guys in a romantic or sexual way. she’s been in one realtionship with a guy, and it turned out that they were both totally not into each other’s genders. they ended the relationship as friends, and were still in contact with each other when ace left for the andromeda mission.

15 Days: Delve into the Ryder family background - how is/was their relationship with their father, sibling and mother? Do they get along, hero worship, close twin connection, sibling rivalry, was it strained, was it distant, etc.

14 Days: Describe some important or formative events in Ryder’s history. How did these impact and shape them?

13 Days: Why did Ryder join the Alliance military? Later on, what were Ryder’s reasons for signing up to the Andromeda Initiative? Were they seeking adventure (or glory, or a challenge), wanting a new start, running from something, following their family, trying to secure a future for humanity, did they simply feel railroaded into it, etc.

12 Days: How will Ryder feel upon waking up from cryo? Relieved, excited, scared, impatient to get going, lost, etc.

11 Days: Once in Andromeda, what are Ryder’s goals? What drives them?

10 Days: Will Ryder ever miss the Milky Way? What things and places will they miss most?

9 Days: Did Ryder have any notable friends or connections in the Milky Way? How about past relationships? Which friendship or relationship was the most significant to them?

8 Days: How does Ryder feel about aliens? Are they uncomfortable, wary, intrigued, curious, intimidated, not bothered, etc? In the Milky Way, where did they stand on humanity’s place in galactic society - Earth first, Terra Firma, human superiority, peaceful cooperation, pro-galactic integration & unity, etc? How will they feel upon discovering that there are sentient alien races in Andromeda?

7 Days: Ryder’s father gave the twins informal N7 training in the past. How did Ryder feel about this (pressured, resentful, grateful, motivated, overworked, excited, etc)? What are their feelings on “N7” as a symbol? How do they relate to it, if at all?

6 Days: Does your Ryder know your Shepard? What do they think of Shepard? Would they get along? What would Shepard think of Ryder?

5 Days: Out of the squadmates, Tempest crewmembers and other characters shown so far, who do you think Ryder will get along well with? Who do you think they will get along best with? Why?

4 Days: Out of the squadmates, Tempest crewmembers and other characters shown so far, is there anyone you think Ryder won’t gel so greatly with, dislike or otherwise come into conflict with? Why?

3 Days: Do you plan on romancing anyone with Ryder? If so, who? Why? What qualities would Ryder find attractive in a partner (if applicable)?

2 Days: Provide a “famous quote” from Ryder that sums them up as a character (like the ones for the squadmates in their official character profiles).

1 Day: Which song/songs would be “theme songs” for Ryder? Are there any symbols you associate with Ryder? If you’ve created a moodboard for them, share it here. If not, what sorts of things would be on their moodboard? Describe their aesthetic. What Hogwarts house would they be sorted into? If you’ve written fanfic involving Ryder already, share it here. [you don’t need to do all of these, they’re merely intended as creative exercises]

[tickle-bugs]

give us that good npc content 👀

Anon I got this sometime in the afternoon, then spent hours looking at it, so overcome with emotion that I just...could not answer the ask until now.

After a long career of being only occasionally squirmy, I have discovered that apparently being invited to talk about by NPCs is what it takes to get me flustered. I hate it here /j

For the sake of anonymity, I’m referring to my characters by the names I originally gave them before settling on the final versions? My campaign is unique enough where people who know me would recognize my NPCs by name and....no.......<3

If I ever answer an ask like “who?” If you ask about an NPC I’m so sorry just aggressively gesture to this post ahsbfifhfbf

Also my campaign is pirate-themed!

Headcanons under the cut! This is...very long. Oops.

Capt. Oliver Blackwood

Human Warlock/Rogue multiclass! The only thing is that no one really knows about the Warlock part, and he pretends he doesn’t know about magic/tries to be subtle about it.

OLLIE MY BELOVED SPECIAL BOY <3

He’s my favorite 🥺

He’s incredibly touch starved. He’s got a pretty standard tragic past. His development is very much the ‘charismatic character hides their pain with jokes’ + ‘secretive character talks in circles around backstory bc trust issues’ tropes but then! He acquires a found family and learns to love again

But hello touch-starved 👀

One of my players kissed him on the cheek and he made the internet dial-up sound (plus she knows he’s ticklish now, everyone say thank you insight)

Ollie’s like a 8 in sensitivity y’know? A lil over average. Not really hypersensitive. So he claims. 

My god he giggles. He has this sort of orchestrated ‘I’m in public, this is what laughs are supposed to sound like’ laugh that he’s perfected over years of pretending, but he is. So giggly when he’s drunk, lets his guard down, or when he’s tickled (metaphorically and physically). He’s so so embarrassed about it because it doesn’t fit this collected, charismatic persona he’s made.

His captain’s hat has a feather in it and both his ex (they’re on good terms) and his bf (well if my players don’t date him, which they want to, but I set up that he ends up with a bf if they don’t get with him) both bully him by dragging it across his ears and neck.

His ribs, stomach, and hips are SO bad. He’s one of those people who folds over when you get a bad spot? His bf loves to sneak up behind him and ever-so-gently curl fingers into bad spots just to hear him wheeze out giggles.

Ollie’s useless when it comes to hiding laughter or not laughing. He scrunches his nose and puffs his cheeks and then the fight is lost.

He’s got a lot of scars and gentle tickles over them have him in BITS (bf’s fav activity, obviously)

He kicks!!! And squirms!!!!

As a ler he’s super mischievous and SPEEDY (he can walk without audible footsteps so. Ideal for shenanigans)

Doesn’t really know how to vocalize it but he loves the warmth and affection of being tossed around, wrestled down, and tickled by someone he loves.

MY BELOVED DARLING <3

Roman

It’s him! My boy! Ollie’s bf and all around himbo. 

Half-orc half-aasimar oath of the open sea paladin!

He’s built like a brick shithouse. I take no criticism. Beefy with a squishy tummy. 7 and a half feet tall. Rockin tits. Optimal bf construction.

Pure of heart dumb of ass! Not a single light on upstairs! The wii shop music is playing in his head at all times. 

Affectionately called Ro or Roro by everyone who knows him (I mean....Roman is not his Real Name anymore but he does have a cute nickname for his real name too)

He’s pretty ticklish, probs like a 7, but he’s so beefy that taking him down is very much a group/magic effort. Extremely sensitive to squeezes and gentle tickles (rough tickles don’t get to him and it gives him the chance to get the upper hand)

His stomach, biceps, thighs, and sides? He will die. He has super ticklish ears too! Ollie thinks it’s incredibly endearing :)

Ro has wings! They’re golden and downy and (partially) incorporeal? They pass through things like his clothes and doors and such but it’s possible to feel around the edges of them/rest your hands on them if you don’t think too intently about it

That being said, Ollie knows this and makes excellent use of this knowledge. It’s an incapacitating spot for Ro, he gets so desperate, and Ollie loves the way his laugh gets a little musical and reflects his heritage :)

Ro is thee ler to rule them all. Bear hugs? check. Throwing lees over his shoulder/carrying them under his arms with ease? Check. Chasing down a lee and tackling them? Mhm. He can do it all!

Super playful and casually teasy! He’s way wiser than most people expect and is...mildly intrigued by analyzing what makes his friends tick. Meaning he has the potential to be thee most ruthless teaser but he usually reins it in so he doesn’t make anyone uncomfy yknow?

Likes making his friends happy :)

Kiernan 

WIFEYYYYYYYYYY

Ro’s cousin! Half-orc half-aasimar path of wild magic barbarian!

Stronk like mountain and so delightfully earnest and awkward. Just a big lady who’s here for a good time.

7′4″ and forever bitter that Ro grew to be taller than her, but she lovingly bullies him to make up for it <3

Also like an 8 in ticklishness BUT only ticklish in very specific spots. She doesn’t react at all otherwise. The spots in question: her booty, backs of her thighs, palms of her hands, her spine/shoulderblades, and upper ribs. She’s never been able to resist there. 

She has such contagious laughter!! So open and free and she yelps a lot. 

Gets super blushy and curls up when she’s tickled like “nooooooooooo” she’s so CUTE

Other half of Ro’s tag team. They are insufferable together. CEOs of scooping up their friends and working together to destroy them, including pointing out spots that the other is missing, having normal conversations over a screeching lee and having the audacity to shush them, and teasing one another about who’s the better ler and making their lee decide (and there is no right answer <3)

Top ten women who deserve a kiss. All ten are Kiernan. 

Falls for a lot of tickle traps, including the classic “Don’t!” “Don’t what?” “Tickle me! NO WAIT--”

Fun fact pinching her bicep anywhere close to her shoulder will have her in shambles. Secret spot she doesn’t know about. Very good spot. 

Quinn Tissaia

WIFEYYYYYYYYYY 2: electric boogaloo

Half-elf Circle of the Moon Druid!

Mom friend. Responsible one that begs everyone not to set things on fire but she’s chuckling on the sidelines when the others get wrecked, casually pointing out spots and using shape water to be a bully.

She’s got some ~lore~ about her connection to water and the sea that I won’t get into, but she does have a lot of water spells, and I’m just saying...feathers made of snow...Quills used by watery hands...WATERY HANDS...

She’s like a 5! Definitely could be made to laugh and surrender but chances are she’s wrecking you before you can think about it

So rude. So MEAN. Makes little noises of interest at every funny sound and chases it, catalogues reactions for later, and various devious uses of magic while she’ll sit off to the side, filing her nails and listening to her lee cackle. Mean. Wife <3

Despite that, usually the first person to suggest that Ro or Kiernan should let their lee go. HYPOCRITE 

Her ears are deathly ticklish and it’s a secret she protects with her life. 

She wears a lot of loose, flowy clothing which makes it very enticing for anyone to attempt tickling her, but they only get in one side squeeze before she whirls on them and takes them down.

Puts on an outward appearance of being stern and responsible but she’s a baby sister. She used to be such a little fiend and she STILL IS, she just hides it behind boring things like diplomacy and civility. 

Can easily take on Ro and Kiernan and win. Wife <3

Thank you for indulging me, anon! I’m sending you a personalized forehead kiss. Mwah <3