mari-0s-blog

[kerra-and-company]

2, 9, 12, 14, 19 and 30 fooor Mineille from gw2 asks? :3c

That's so many questions!! :D :D Thank you!! Minei time!

2. What's their class/elite spec? Weapon of choice? Did they purposely train for it or did it just sort of happen?

Minei's a reaper, and despite being tiny, she very much uses a greatsword! She definitely trained with regards to being able to wield the weapon she uses, and can thank Logan and the Seraph for a lot of the original training (and the Vigil for the rest of it), but as far as being a necromancer/reaper goes...no, it kinda just happened. Necromantic magic came more easily to her even before she was blessed by Grenth. And afterwards, she never really considered doing anything else.

The reaper spec, in particular, is appropriate both because a) the mechanics are golden for Minei (from the wiki--harbinger of death, specifically melee, "natural damage dealer") and b) she Very Loosely takes on the role of a Reaper, capital R, after Hall of Chains. She's the closest thing Desmina has to an equal/a second, despite not remaining in the Underworld full-time yet. (They don't always get along, either, which is also fun.)

9. What do they THINK their biggest strength and weakness is?

Minei's magic has been too much a part of her life for her to pick anything but that as her biggest strength. There is some validity to it; she's certainly a very powerful necromancer. As for her biggest weakness, she'd say it's the fact that she can't be happy staying at home with Petra and finding a way to support her sister there. She thinks she should be able to be happy as long as her sister is, and it frustrates her that that's not the case, even though Petra really doesn't mind at all.

12. What's something they could talk about for hours at length?

Historical figures. Minei knows a good deal about various other parts of history, too, but she finds the specific people who made the changes/fought the wars/caused problems/were heroes (etc.) the most interesting, and she'll happily talk about them at length if you really seem like you're interested!

14. Are they actually good at fighting? Do they enjoy it?

Absolutely. You do not want to face Minei in a battle where she's going all-out. Unless you're a dragon champion, you'd almost certainly die--and even then, you're not coming out uninjured. Does she enjoy fighting? Sometimes. It depends on the situation in which she's fighting. She doesn't really enjoy fighting for the sake of it all that much, though sparring can be fun.

19. Do they have a love interest?

Nope! Aroace kiddo over here :)

30. In what way/s do they differ from an average member of their species?

Her magical abilities are the biggest thing--otherwise, physically, she looks pretty typical for a human! Except, of course, for the fact that she is Pretty Short--"mini", some might say xD She can pass for 5' flat if no one has a measuring implement.

[fatliberation]

Here Are Some Fat Positive Activists, Educators, Therapists, and Artists to Know!

First and foremost, the pioneer of organized fat activism:

• Bill Fabrey (he/him)

Bill Fabrey, a self-proclaimed fat admirer, founded NAAFA (the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance) in 1969 after gaining an understanding of the day-to-day oppression and discrimination faced by his wife, Joyce. Fabrey founded the organization in hopes to raise awareness of weight stigma, criticize biased studies, and increase overall acceptance and accessibility to fat Americans. He is considered one of the pioneers of the fat liberation movement, and is heavily involved to this day.

• Judy Freespirit, Sara Fishman, Lynn McAfee, Ariana Manow, & Gudrun Fonfa (she/her for each)

(Members of The Fat Underground, 1979)

Fat, radical, feminist members of NAAFA! Their agenda was much more aggressive than NAAFA’s, and eventually they broke off and formed their own group called The Fat Underground, which acted as a catalyst in the creation and mobilization of the fat liberation movement. Based in LA in the 1970s, the Fat Underground did not fight to change discriminatory laws but rather discriminatory thoughts and practices in different aspects of society, which included those of doctors and other health professionals who perpetuated the unhealthy habits encouraged by diet culture. In 1973, Judy Freespirit and Alderbaran published the “Fat Liberation Manifesto” which establishes that fat people are entitled to what they were denied on a daily basis: “human respect and recognition.” The other objectives then outline the commercial exploitation of fat bodies by both corporations and scientific institutions. (x) I will go into more detail about the Fat Underground in my next post, “The History of Fat Activism!”

• Dr. Lindo Bacon (they/them), PhD

(no photo)

Creator of the concept of HAES (Health At Every Size).

Dr. Bacon is best known for their paradigm-shifting research and advocacy upending the weight discourse. They have mined their deep academic proficiency, wide-ranging clinical expertise and own personal experience to write two best-selling books, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, and the co-authored Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight. Both are credited with transforming the weight discourse and inspiring a hopeful new course for the fat liberation movement. Dr. Bacon holds their PhD in physiology, as well as graduate degrees in psychology and exercise metabolism. Dr. Bacon formerly taught at City College of San Francisco, in the Health Education, Psychology, Women’s Studies, and Biology Departments. A professor and researcher, for almost two decades Dr. Bacon has taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition; they have also conducted federally funded studies on health and weight and published in top scientific journals. Their research has been supported by grants from the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health. A truly great pioneer in medical health research! 

https://lindobacon.com/ | HAES | IG

• Aubrey Gordon, a.k.a. Your Fat Friend (she/her)

(no photo)

Aubrey Gordon writes about the social realities of life as a very fat person, previously publishing anonymously as Your Fat Friend. She is the author of What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Lit Hub, Vox, Gay Mag, and has been covered in outlets around the world. She also hosts the podcast Maintenance Phase, in which she and cohost Michael Hobbes debunk and decode wellness and weight loss trends. Her articles are incredibly heartfelt and enlightening. You can read all of them at www.yourfatfriend.com !!

@ yrfatfriend on IG & Twitter

• Sabrina Strings (she/her), PhD

Sabrina Strings is an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine and the author of Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, which exposes fatphobia’s roots in anti-blackness. Strings contributed an opinion story to The New York Times titled “It’s Not Obesity. It’s Slavery.” With Lindo Bacon (creator of HAES), she coauthored “The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity,” published in Scientific American. Strings has a BA in psychology and an MA and PHd in sociology. This book is #1 on my to-read list!!

https://www.sabrinastrings.com

• Hannah Fuhlendorf (she/her), MA LPCC NCC

Hannah is a highly educated and experienced counselor whose work focuses on self acceptance, eliminating the effects of internalized oppression, and practicing through a HAES lens. She is a fat liberationist who puts out educational videos daily. Hannah is also married to a healthcare professional, and the two of them are working toward making the medical field more accessible to fat people in their local community, and offering education on how to be fat allies. I really admire Hannah and the work that she does!

@ hannahtalksbodies on IG and TikTok

• Tracy Cox (she/her)

Tracy is an award-winning performer and artist, who co-created the web series “Angry Fat People” with Matthew Anchel, which takes a pop culture approach on serious issues faced by fat performers. She has been interviewed by the New York Times on fat politics and accessibility, and currently has a huge following on IG where she unpacks fat performance, fashion, and politics. You may know her as the creator of the ‘fat vanity’ trend on TikTok!

@ sparklejams on IG & TikTok

• Da’Shaun L. Harrison (they/them) 

Da’Shaun is a non-binary abolitionist, community organizer, and writer. They are currently a managing editor and columnist at Wear Your Voice Magazine. They travel throughout the United States and abroad to speak at conferences, colleges, and lead workshops focused on Blackness, queerness, gender, class, religion, (dis)abilities, fatness, and the intersection at which they all meet. Da’Shaun is the author of the book Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness, which is expected to be published in July 2021. They have an incredibly enlightening social media presence as well!!

@ dashaunlh on IG and Twitter

• Lauren Buchness (she/her)

Lauren Buchness is one of my favorite artists. She’s a contemporary artist and fat activist based in Tucson, Arizona. By combining painting & performance, she aims to question Western standards of beauty and create conversations that alter preconceived notions about the fat body. Go check out her gorgeous work!!

@ ladybuchness on IG and TikTok

If you’re interested in learning about diet culture and intuitive eating, check out

Shana Minei Spence (she/her), MS RDN CDN

Shana is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who opposes food restriction and encourages intuitive eating! She spreads food positive daily messages on her platform. She used to work in fashion, but she left after being dissatisfied with the industry and went back to school to become involved in food policy and public health. She offers counseling on a HAES approach. I have much respect for Shana!

@ thenutritiontea on IG

And right here on tumblr (who was my personal introduction to fat lib) -

@ bigfatscience !!!

An anonymous fat liberationist. They share so many great resources, diving head-first into the scientific research of weight and health, they’ve found that the relation between the two is extremely complex. They tackle the biases of  research in a system that profits off of fatphobia, and they offer a fat positive perspective based on scientific studies. Their blog serves as an easily accessible resource for fat folx and fat activists who want to learn about fat positive science to support their own personal interests/activism. Thank you for your work, bigfatscience!! (if you have questions for them, you will have a greater chance of getting a response with anon off!) 

• Sonalee Rashatwar (she/they), LCSW MEd

Sonalee is an award-winning clinical social worker, sex therapist, and grassroots organizer. They’re a superfat queer bisexual non-binary therapist and co-owner of Radical Therapy Center. Sonalee is specialized in treating sexual trauma, internalized fatphobia, immigrant kid guilt, and South Asian family systems, while offering fat positive sexual healthcare. Go, Sonalee!!

@ thefatsextherapist on IG

• Fat Rose (org)

Fat Rose organizes fat people, building a more radical fat liberation movement in strong relationship with other social movements, such as anti-fascism, anti-ableism, and anti-racism. Check them out on Facebook!

fatrose.org

Honorable IG mentions: (Some anti diet culture specific blogs in here, as well)

@fatangryblackgirl  @msgigggles @thefatphobiaslayer @bodyimagewithbri @saucyewest @fatpositivetherapy @fatlippodcast @chairbreaker 

BOOKS

And here’s an amazing list of fat-positive book recommendations from HannahTalksBodies!

Science & Health:

Health at Every Size by Lindo Bacon PhD

Body Respect by Lindo Bacon PhD and Lucy Aphramor PhD, RD

Secrets from the Eating Lab by Traci Mann PhD

Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison MPH, RD

Fat Liberation:

Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings PhD

Fat Activism by Dr. Charlotte Cooper

Fat Politics by J. Eric Oliver

The Fat Studies Reader by Esther Rothblum (Editor) and Sondra Solovay (Editor)

Fat Shame by Amy Erdman Farrell

Self Acceptance:

The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Things No One will Tell Fat Girls by Jes Baker

Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnson PhD

Happy Fat by Sofie Hagan

You have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to share this list of resources!

Image descriptions below.

1. [ID: A black and white photo of Bill Fabrey, a straight-sized, balding white man with thick black glasses wearing a suit and tie, standing at a poduim in front of a sign that reads, “NAAFA”. Beside the image is another photo of Fabrey, from his left side.]

2. [ID: A black and white photo of seven fat, female and gender non-conforming members of The Fat Underground, performing a recital.]

3. [ID: The cover of Sabrina Strings’ book, Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. On the cover is an illustration of four upper-class white people in fancy colonial period clothing showing shock and disgust at a Black woman’s exposed body. Beside the book cover is a photo of Sabrina Strings, a straight-sized Black woman with dark brown curly hair wearing a blouse.]

4. [ID: Hannah Fulhendorf, a fat, white woman with straight hair dyed blue, wearing a black tank top and holding her shoulder while smiling brightly and looking into the camera.]

5. [ID: An artistic picture of Tracy Cox, a fat, white woman with long, straight brown hair, laying topless on a bed of flowers. There are flower petals placed strategically in her hair on her skin, and along her lower eyelid. Beside that image, is an image of the album cover for Angry Fat People, picturing two angry faces made out of white paper against a grey background. In the top left corner, black, bolded text that reads “AFP” and “FAT LIBERATION”.]

6. [ID: Da’Shaun L. Harrison, a fat, non-binary Black person with a beard, glasses, and long dreadlocks, wearing a shirt that reads, “TO BE VISIBLY QUEER IS TO CHOOSE YOUR HAPPINESS OVER YOUR SAFETY. -DA’SHAUN HARRISON” against a natural backdrop of autumn leaves.]

7. [ID: A watercolor painting by Lauren Buchness of a white and tattooed fat body, hands caressing abstract rolls of fat with wild blueberries and grapefruit between folds. Beside it is another Buchness watercolor painting of Black hands with long sharp nails, caressing the midsection of a fat Black body, with purple crystals growing out of the skin.]

8. [ID: Shana Minei Spence, a straight-sized, Black woman smiling with bright pink lipstick and her long wavy hair pulled back, wearing a floral pattern shirt and jean shorts. She is holding small marquee that reads, “BE CAREFUL OF WELLNESS COMPANIES THAT SAY THEY’RE PROMOTING HEALTH YET ARE STILL ONLY TRYING TO GET YOUR BODY SMALLER” and a heart symbol.]

9. [ID: Sonalee Rashatwar, a superfat, South Asian non-binary person with short black hair, wearing a long floral dress, standing in front of large glowing text that reads, “BIG GIRL ENERGY” against a coarse-textured wall.]

10. [ID: A circular logo with a red fist in the center, with text surrounding it that reads, “FATTIES AGAINST FASCISM” with roses separating the word “RESIST”. Beside it is another image, of eleven fat and superfat activists, standing and sitting on mobility scooters, holding fists and middle fingers in the air, wearing T-shirts and holding banners that both read, “FATTIES AGAINST FASCISM”. In front of the group is a large cardboard sign that spells the acronym “F.A.B.” which stands for “Fat Antifascist Brigade”.]

[kerra-and-company]

Touching 20. For the prompts!

Heya @salamanderapocalypse and thanks so much for the prompt!! :) Sorry this took a couple days, but here you go! See under the cut for the rest of the fic. 

Warnings: Icebrood Saga spoilers, vague discussion of frostbite

Bjora Marches was cold and creepy and utterly unpleasant, and since Minei knew basic first aid, she was on medic duty.

Specifically, she was in charge of trying to keep soldiers from wandering off into the forest, chasing voices. And of trying to keep them alive.

That was usually difficult (if not impossible) and painful. Today, it was just annoying. No one was dying, but a squad of Vigil soldiers had stayed outside too long. She was in charge of treating their lieutenant, a very tall norn who looked utterly exhausted—probably from carrying two of their squad back to Jora’s Keep singlehandedly—and who had the oddest case of frostbite she’d ever seen.

“What did you do, stick your right hand and only your right hand into a snowdrift?” she muttered, dunking the lieutenant’s hand in a bowl of warm water. They snorted.

“No. I made the grave mistake of grabbing an Icebrood Svanir by the arm to stop him from cutting my head off,” they said. “And I didn’t have gloves on.”

“Why on Tyria did you not have gloves on?” Minei reached across the table to grab bandages, setting them next to her so they’d be ready when the injured tissue was warmer.

They shrugged. “I’ve never had trouble with the cold.”

Minei sighed, leaning back in her chair. “We’re going to have to sit here for a while. I’m Minei. She/her. What about you, Lieutenant?”

“Tanza’s fine. She/they.”

“You a fan of snow, Tanza?”

“Not in particular. But I do think it’s beautiful.”

It was Minei’s turn to snort. “That sounds like a fan to me.”

The corner of Tanza’s mouth curved up. “I was found in a cave as a baby by the women who would become my mothers. As far as we know, the only reason I didn’t freeze to death was snow.”

Minei blinked. She’d meant to make small talk, not share personal information. Then she processed what Tanza had said, and she furrowed her brow. “I don’t follow.”

“Do you know how some animals sleep through the winter?” Minei nodded. “Some of those animals dig tunnels made entirely out of snow and stay there for months. They don’t die because, funnily enough, snow walls actually trap heat.”

Tanza looked down, her eyes not quite focused. “There was a snowdrift in front of the cave when I was found. The snow protected me.”

See, child? It is as I told you—ice fortifies. Ice protects.

“Ice is not snow,” Minei snapped aloud.

Tanza’s eyes jumped back up. “Sorry?”

“Never mind.” Minei’s voice was tense. “Not talking to you.”

Their face shifted just a little. “Ah. Well. Okay.” They coughed. “The more important point is that I was saved. And I was lucky in more ways than one. I ended up with wonderful mothers who taught me to hunt and to respect the Spirits. What about your parents? What are they like?”

It depends which ones you mean, Minei thought. The ones I can’t remember? The one who raised me? Or the one who died for me?

Aloud, she said, “I had them. I don’t now.” Anticipating pity, which she did not want, she quickly added, “But I’m glad you do. Let’s take a look at your hand.” It was far too early for that, but it was a change of subject, at least.

Tanza carefully lifted her hand out of the water, and the two blinked.

“You didn’t tell me you were going to heal me with magic,” Tanza said.

“I didn’t,” Minei said, completely nonplussed. She grabbed Tanza’s hand, inspecting the palm and fingers for any sign of discoloration or chill. There was none. “I can’t heal that way. I don’t know how.”

More than that, no one on medic duty today could have healed Tanza. None of them had so much as talked to her, and, more importantly, none of them were capable. Jormag seemed to have a particular fondness for taking out healers, and the Vigil was still waiting for reinforcements.

Minei shook her head. She’d seen enough weirdness to last a thousand lifetimes; she wouldn’t let this unsettle her. “I have no idea what just happened,” she said. “But I’m still giving you a bandage.”

Tanza laughed, and Minei began wrapping their hand in gauze. The entire process was over in under a minute, and Minei secured the gauze with a pin.

“All right,” she said. “You should be good to go. But stay in the keep today, and wear gloves next time.”

“No promises,” Tanza said lightheartedly. She stood up and headed towards the door.

“Lieutenant!” Minei called after her.

They turned around. “Yes, Warmaster?”

“At least promise not to die, would you? We’ve lost too many soldiers already.”

Tanza grinned, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll do my best.”

[kerra-and-company]

(@commanderhorncleaver) Can I get the first question from each category for Mx Kerralind~

You may indeed~ :D And thank you!!

1. Age, Birthday, Star Sign

In terms of literal years old, Kerra's almost 11. She was born at the beginning of 1325, on the 20th of the Season of the Zephyr (which, since that's at the start of the year, is January 20, I believe). That makes her star sign Aquarius!

19. Hobbies

Singing, playing the flute (literally, as in the instrument, to be clear), reading (sometimes, but not paperwork), and swimming (recreationally, sometimes--she's not super fast, but she enjoys it) all definitely make this list! And she sometimes does woodcarving in her spare time, too. Her bow is good evidence of her skill--though it's now been crystallized thanks to Aurene's magic and no longer really looks like wood.

27. What’s their family like? Who’s in it? What’s their relationship with them?

Ah yes, we have opened up the box labeled "Kerra's family." It is a large box. There are many people in it.

Please proceed below the cut :)

Kerra considers both Caithe and Trahearne her siblings. Caithe almost immediately got the "sister" label from the moment Kerra awoke. Though their relationship's definitely had its ups and downs, they're closer at this point than they've ever been. Trahearne got the "brother" label semi-tentatively during the level 20 PS (which was Malyck's story in this case), and it was then solidified during their work together with the Pact. They were, and are, close enough that Kerra fully would have died for him during HoT (which was actually a point of contention between them for a bit of LWS3, since that's not something he would ever have wanted her to do; they talked that through, though).

Kerra also has a couple of friends who are close enough to be sibling-adjacent but don't quite fit into one category, and that's Rel and Minei. Rel has been her friend since they ran into each other in Caledon (sometime between the level 10 and level 20 PS), specifically during an incident with the Soundless and the Nightmare Court. They stuck together through quite a few months, separated for a bit when Kerra joined the Order of Whispers and Rel traveled to Orr with Trahearne to conduct more research, and reunited during the level 60 PS. They're very much on the same wavelength about a Lot of stuff, they get along very well and pretty much always have, and they've kept in touch even as their individual lives take them farther and farther away from each other. Minei and Kerra met on Claw Island and bonded, in part, thanks to Kerra comforting her after Forgal's death (though Kerra was not doing great herself at the time, either). The other reason was that they saw through each other--Kerra figured out that Minei was very young to be part of the Vigil, and Minei saw that Kerra was scared/upset. They worked together a great deal during the rest of the PS and continued to work together during HoT, LWS3, PoF, and LWS4. (And technically some of Icebrood, too.) They still very much keep in touch even when they're not directly working together.

I feel like "family" usually isn't talking about romantic partners? Could be wrong? But, romantically speaking, Kerra has Nisha and Canach, which is a story in and of itself that I won't go into here. They are definitely very happy and very in love, though.

Kerra also has kids--Aurene, Rhi, Tev, and Ia! She wasn't expecting to get a daughter when Aurene hatched, but the second that she did hatch, that was definitely Kerra's daughter. She is so, so proud of Aurene, and she hates that she wasn't able to better protect Aurene from having to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders young. She knows firsthand how hard that is and had hoped Aurene would have more time to grow up. Rhi, Tev, and Ia are all sylvari sprouts, second-gen sylvari (but not Secondborn, haha). Rhi awakened after LWS4, and Tev and Ia (who are twins) awakened after Icebrood. They're all wonderful kids, even though they're pretty different, and they definitely consider Aurene to be their big sister.

(And technically she also has a nephew! Sindri, Rel and Trahearne's kid :) )

There's also the whole other complexity that is the Elder Dragons, if you want to factor them into the family tree. Kerra did label/consider Mordremoth to have the position of "grandfather", but she definitely never loved him like family (and hated him, in fact). It does mean that seeing Aurene facing down Kralkatorrik later on was a painful parallel for her, though.

34. What’s their room look like right now?

Cozy, slightly cluttered, lots of things. Nothing too stacked up or messy, but it's a very lived-in room. The bed's made, but not particularly neatly. There's books and pens and paper on a table to the side. There's an amount of pillows that's more than average. The blankets are blue. There's a few assorted posters on the wall in a corner of the room; you'd have to get close to read the text. The window's open. The closet door's open a crack; it got shut too fast and there's the tip of a boot poking out.

47. What was this character’s biggest turning point in their life, something that changed them almost completely?

There's a whole lot of things in Kerra's life that you could point to as things that had a huge impact, but as far as "biggest turning point"? That happened early for her. That's Tiachren.

Sapling-Kerra was, for the first month-ish of her life, almost painfully optimistic. Very bright, believed fully that though her mission was hard, of course she'd succeed. There wasn't another option for her other than for things to turn out well in the end.

She was very excited to meet Tiachren, to start on part of her Wyld Hunt, and they became friends (not super close, but still friends) very quickly. She was horrified alongside him to find Ysvelta had turned to Nightmare, and though she did truly believe Ysvelta could be saved, her duty was to help those in Astorea. The many over the one. So she let him go alone, and he understood--and then he and Ysvelta came to Astorea both with Nightmare, and Kerra was the one to kill him.

Tiachren has never stopped being a recurring figure in Kerra's nightmares. Ever. It's been almost eleven years now. His death is the reason she learned that she can function under extreme devastation, can talk to someone as important like her Mother (for the first time, no less) like everything's normal if she has to. His death is the reason she learned that to complete her Wyld Hunt did not mean that everything would go well, even if the ultimate goal was achieved.

And his death is the first reason the world ever gave her to be truly, deeply, angry.

Kerra keeps the optimism going forward, to some extent. She smiles a lot by default, is generally friendly and a warm person. But it's optimism shaped by knowledge of what could happen. And she keeps the anger, too.

[kerra-and-company]

Not based on a prompt or anything but a) hoping you are doing well and b) if you could take any of your OC's out for a picnic or go out to eat and hangout - who would you take with you? And why/why not? Bonus if you know what they'd bring to eat or order at the restaurant.

(@uselessidiotsquad)

a) Thank you <3 Doing better! Mostly! Still working on it, but I'm feeling better than I have in a bit, so I'm calling it an improvement at least :) Hope you're doing well too!

b) Thank you very much for the ask!! :D This is an interesting one, let's see here...

Well, first of all, you've now made me imagine having a picnic with each of my OC folks, and I'm minorly disappointed that it's not actually possible asldfjad. Second...hmmm, god, this is hard to choose!

Kerra is someone I'd really enjoy being able to spend time with, regardless if it was a picnic or not. We'd definitely find things to talk about, and if we went to a restaurant, she'd probably have very good recommendations. (At least, good for her--Kerra has a much wider range of foods she likes than I do, lol.) If it was a picnic, she'd almost certainly bring muffins (and potentially more main dishes too; muffins would just most likely be there xD).

Rel has a taste for coffee that I don't share, but I do share his taste in sweets, so we'd be on the same page there. He's another one of my OCs who I would just really love to talk to. I think we'd vibe pretty well if we were actually to meet IRL. (Okay, that's two sentences in which I accidentally made a rhyme. Not on purpose. xD) But...yeah! He enjoys the outdoors, and for him in particular, a picnic would be very cool. Jam session :D

Weylon's someone who I doubt would specifically enjoy being dragged out for a picnic/meal with a human he doesn't really know, and thus I can't say the interaction would be particularly fun on my end, but he and Cyprian are both people I'd put as honorable mentions here because I'd love to explicitly tell them some things they need to hear. Pliarr as well, actually!

Nisha, Chieko, and Tanza also get honorable mentions. I'd love to talk books with Nisha and history (well, Tyria's history at least) with Chieko (or Minei for that matter, but Chieko would be more talkative about it), and Tanza's also someone I'd vibe with well (not to mention that I'd love to hear them talk about the Mists).

[kerra-and-company]

All of p and w1 and x1 from the alphabet asks...for ALL your characters because I'm curious!

Oh good lord this is going to be So Much Character Talk, why do I keep creating characters aaslkdjf (but I am not upset about this whatsoever, to be clear :D ) Thanks a bunch for the ask, and let's get started! P: Personality 1. what is their best personality trait? Kerra: Her resilience. Literally everyone on here is resilient at least a little, but Kerra's (arguably) the best at it, and it's the answer she'd give if asked. Nisha: Xyr determination. Could also be labeled stubbornness. You don't find xem giving up very often. Rel: His forcefulness. He's kind and understanding (and stubborn like his sibling), but he's a force of nature when he wants to be. Cyprian: His kindness, even though it's not always at the forefront. Cody: Her faith, though it's not in the gods or even, really, in her Mother. It's just in the fact that the world will get better if everyone keeps working hard. Rhi: Their adaptability/flexibility. They enjoy and seek out new things, and though that doesn't mean change is always easy for them, it's easier, at least. Tev: His perceptiveness. Even as a kid, it's very hard to hide anything from him--which can be both good and bad, of course, but I'm putting it here. Ia: Her intensity/dedication. She's an elementalist who favors fire, and it's evident in her personality. She's the kind of person who plunges into everything at 100%. Sindri: His charm. Sin is very charismatic, which serves him well with paparazzi trying to mess with his family as well as whenever he visits the Mists. Tanza: Her protectiveness--again, a trait shared by a lot of my folks, but I'm specifically noting it for her. Tanza adores their mothers and would do anything to protect them. Aysel: Her ferocity. In part a defense mechanism and in part just how she is, Aysel takes zero shit, and you don't want to take her in a fistfight pretty much ever. Chieko: Her adventurousness. She's a noble and then a Priory scholar and then a trusted member of Pact search-and-rescue, and it's in a large part due to her desire to see/learn about more of the world. Minei: Her ability to trust. She probably wouldn't give that answer, but this kid has been through So much and yet still is able to bond and trust and accidentally adopt parents/siblings wherever she goes. Ari: Her practicality. Ari's determination is also worth noting, for sure, but if you need someone to clarify the basics and cut through arguments/political stuff/posturing, she's very good at that. Weylon: His adherence to principles. They're specifically his own set of principles rather than any legal code, and the way he's followed them has shifted over the years, but...yeah. Lifa: Her loyalty. It's a double-edged sword, but Lifa would gladly fight and die for people she's loyal to without a second thought. Casca: Her resourcefulness. You can leave her alone, tied up, with a pin and three socks nearby and out of reach, and she'll find a way to get out. Brook: Their intelligence. They have plenty of other good qualities, but I wanted to highlight this one. They can and will insult you in several different languages. Pol: His compassion. Also his undoing, arguably, but Pol would be the first one to reach a hand out to anyone who needs it. Cio: Her confidence. It's something she's fought hard for and something she should be (and is) proud of. Pliarr: His tendency towards forgiveness. It's a dangerous trait as well as a positive one, but Pliarr very, very rarely holds grudges. And now that everyone's seen how long this will be, proceed under the cut at your own risk! xD

2. what is their worst personality trait? Kerra: Her tendency to blame everything on herself. Nisha: Xyr fundamental dislike of xyrself, which xe still struggles with. Rel: His tendency to feel like he has to do everything himself. Cyprian: His viciousness. It can be an advantage, too, but he's not afraid to hurt or kill should he need to. Cody: Her tendency to put people on pedestals. Rhi: Their overconfidence. In part because they're still young and haven't really faced a lot of adversity

personally, they don't have a proper sense of how unprepared they are. Tev: His perceptiveness--double-edged sword trait, here. He hears and sees a lot more than he should, so it's "worst" in terms of the fact that it hurts him as well as helps. Ia: Her carelessness. Again, this is a "she's a kid" thing mostly, but she jumps into things without considering consequences. Sindri: His cynicism. He tries to hope for the best but generally expects the worst from people. Tanza: Her indecision. This improves with time, but they have significant trouble actually choosing a course of action for a while. Or a favorite, for that matter. Aysel: Her tendency to run away from problems. She will face them, and fiercely, but she has to be cornered before that'll happen. Chieko: Her chip on her shoulder, which comes from being noble-born. Yet another thing that gets better with time. Minei: Her tendency to take on responsibility--basically, what you'd get if you combined Rel's flaw with Kerra's. (Ex: "My dad died, which I'm blaming myself for, and therefore I'm going to earn money to help Petra by running headlong into the fight against Zhaitan.") Ari: Her capability for denial--usually of her own feelings, but it can be more than that, too. Weylon: His temper/hostility/tendency to just lash out at everything. Lifa: Her loyalty, because it's way too often blind and out of a desperate desire for security. It's how she ends up following Bangar during the Icebrood Saga. Casca: Her tendency to hold grudges. She gives second chances occasionally, but pretty much never gives third ones. Brook: Their trouble with trust. They don't make friends easily, and honestly, their prickliness is a bit like Weylon--but tell them that and you'll probably get whacked in the face. Pol: His gullibility. He's basically the opposite of Brook this way--despite being an Ash soldier and trained to spot deception/to spy himself, he still tends to trust too quickly. Cio: Her inability to let things go. Grieving is really hard for her. Pliarr: His tendency towards forgiveness--same as his best trait. It's nice some of the time, but other times, he's let people back in who have really hurt him. 3. what of their personality do others love? Kerra: Her warmth. Kerra has a smile for almost everyone. Nisha: Xyr strength. Even when xe's falling apart inside, xe can lead an army if necessary. Rel: His stability. Similar to his sibling, Rel is a pillar in crisis, something that serves him well as a medic. Cyprian: Ia would say it's how much he tries, and how hard. "He really cares, he's just...not good at it yet." Cody: Her gentleness. Don't get me wrong, Cody's a deadeye and a damn good soldier, but she's also just got a soft touch that's generally appreciated. Pink contradictions sylvari kiddo, here. Rhi: Their authenticity. Rhi doesn't pretend, pretty much ever. Tev: His sweetness (and, at the moment, his larger-than-most-small-children vocabulary, which charms a lot of adults). Ia: Her fire. She says and does everything like she means it and like it needs to be done as fast as possible. Sindri: His charm/charisma--same as what I put above for his best quality. It's rare that Sin meets someone he can't befriend if he tries hard enough. Tanza: Her joy. She can look up at the sky and feel happiness, on a good day. Aysel: Her humor, for people who don't know her well, and her resilience for people who do. Chieko: Her generosity/willingness to give. It helps balance out that chip on her shoulder. Minei: Her ferocity, though that's both feared and admired. Ari: Her care and the fact that she tries (badly, sometimes) to hide it. Weylon: His determination to be better than he has been and better than he is. Lifa: Her passion for things. (Also, this one is making me sad, because out of all of these characters, Lifa is the most alone right now.) Casca: Her sense of humor and her absolute intolerance for insults directed at herself or her loved ones. Brook: Their dedication to the causes and people that they choose, even if those causes or people

could hurt them. Pol: His intuition combined with the fact that he's a sweetheart. Pol actively looks for ways to help when he can. Cio: Her sarcasm (though some people also hate it, Ari is a firm proponent of the "love" side). Pliarr: His determination to make up his own mind about things and situations rather than take someone's word for it. 4. what of their personality do others envy? Kerra, Nisha, Rel, Minei, Ari, Cio, Tanza: Some variant of "strength" is the easiest answer, and the most general. They're all leaders in some way, shape, or form, and though they're different people, their ability to lead is something people envy. Cyprian, Rhi, Casca, Brook, Aysel, Pliarr: Their individuality. It's something present in the others as well, but it's particularly admired and envied in these six. Cody, Tev, Ia, Pol (and Kerra, too): The way they love the world, even when it's hurt them and even when it's complicated. Sindri: His ability to listen and not judge. Chieko: Her idealism. Lifa: Her will to live, honestly. 5. do they hate anything about their personality/about other’s personalities? For their own personalities: Tev, Ia: Generally speaking, no. Kerra, Nisha, Rel, Cody, Tanza, Aysel, Cio, Pliarr: Conscious of the "worst personality trait" I listed above and sees it as a flaw. Rhi, Sindri, Chieko, Minei, Ari, Casca, Brook: Aware they're flawed, but they wouldn't acknowledge or recognize the one I mentioned above for them (or they'd recognize it, but not as a flaw). Cyprian, Weylon, Lifa: Has a general hatred of themself, not targeted. For other's personalities*: Cody, Rhi, Tev, Ia, Sindri, Chieko, Minei: Condescension. Nisha, Rel, Cio, Pliarr: Arrogance. Kerra, Weylon: People thinking they're superior because of their power or for any other reason (a cousin to condescension, in some ways). Cyprian, Tanza, Aysel: Cruelty. Ari, Casca, Brook, Lifa, Pol: Inconstancy/betrayal. *Note: these have some overlap, but I've only listed everyone's name for one of them. W: Water 1. do they drink enough water? Nisha, Cody, Tev, Ia, Tanza, Aysel, Chieko, Minei, Ari, Brook, Pol, Pliarr: Yes. Kerra, Rhi: Yes, but they need less water than most people. Rel, Cyprian, Weylon, Lifa, Casca: No. They're either busy and just forget (Rel, Casca) or don't bother to take care of themselves properly (Cyprian, Weylon, Lifa). Cio: No, and she needs more water than most people. Her brother bugs her about this quite often when he sees her. X: Xylophone 1. what is their favorite genre of music? Kerra, Cody, Tev, Tanza, Brook: Folk music, or stuff like it--instrumentals, strings, meaningful words. Nisha, Rhi, Ia, Minei, Ari, Lifa, Cio: Anything with a good beat; something that you can bob your head or dance to. Rel, Cyprian, Sindri, Pol, Pliarr: Pretty much anything at all, as long as it means something to them personally. Aysel, Chieko, Weylon, Casca: Things along the line of Metal Legion--heavy rock, heavy metal, maybe some screaming thrown in.