Perceptions of Characters: Forums reloaded

Cyndarin

Since the other thread is starting to get pretty active, and this thread was one of my favorites on the old forums, I'm starting it up again.

 

Start with whoever you want. Someone has to go first. (I still refuse to start my own discussions)

Siam

Siam has come to respect Celina's way of standing her ground for what she feels strongly for, especially since Siam just stays quiet(relatively) when it comes to politics and conflict. YOUR TURN @Celina!

edit:

Also, Siam considers @Calesta and @Crek his BFFs. He also knows that he can rely on the Gloms especially during fights. Glom-coordination is a splendid thing to witness.

Astraea

Siam is crazy. As in Astraea avoids Siam whenever she can, because he is crazy. She doesn't know how he exists in Glom, and yet he does. Crazily. She is actually quite disturbed by him, but politely doesn't talk about it. Because he is so crazy. But he's also very polite, so sometimes she can have a quick conversation at the Ravenwood. But not too long of one, because she is afraid the crazy might be contagious. 

Tacita

Tacita loves that Astraea is in the Harbingers, because there were a few points when she was Queen of the Night that Tacita considered going over to the Shadowdancers purely to soak up some of the awesome. That said, she's in two minds about whether she likes the fact that she's seen different sides to Astraea's personality - when Astraea was just the terrifying, untouchable Queen it was easy to be in awe of her. Tacita's not sure whether knowing more about her has increased the degree to which she idolises Astraea or reduced it.

Also, Astraea made Tacita run for Regent, so everything that happened thereafter is totally, entirely her fault.

Cyndarin

Hmm okay.

Initially Celina hated Tacita. She was some sniveling noncombatant nobody that crept into the forest when Celina was gone and took advantage of her absence to take Sidd. She deeply resented Tacita and made no secret about it. Celina wanted Tacita to engage her in the feud, but Tacita never did, which just fueled her dislike of her even more. She would never admit it, but Celina feels as though Tacita outplayed her repeatedly.

Celina secretly really likes Tacita now, but keeps her distance. She was starting to see Tacita blossom into a really great leader, someone she could see rivaling Talan (whom really has no equal in Celina's eyes) in a few more decades. She essentially sees Tacita as this huge, untapped ball of potential and talent that is fatally weakened by an over attachment to emotion and people. She views Xenthos as Tacita's downfall, and that he holds her back from being the Glomazon (tm) that she is meant to be, which also conveniently gives her more reason to dislike Xenthos.

Bascially it's a mixture of respect for what she knows Tacita is capable of and anger because she is so hampered by what Celina considers a crippling weakness and wasting of potential.

Cyndarin

Celina thinks of Astraea as one of the Glomazons that define Glomdoring's success, and is one of the very rare non combatant sort that Celina really respects. . Celina views Astraea as an effortless master of all the arenas Celina sometimes struggles in. Celina basically sees Astraea as her equal opposite. Celina enjoys the odd relationship they share, and grows more fond of it as time goes on, especially now that she has figured out the way to press her buttons is through Eliron. Celina believes they share a lot of the same vision for Glomdoring and Glomdoring politics, she'd just wish Astraea would stop trying to collect Nightshade nutjobs.

Ragniliff

I'll admit, I always used to hate the original thread since I could never quite tell if I was supposed to be posting from my character's perspective, or my perspective as the player. It seems like most people go with the former, which would tend to generally make me uncomfortable. However, in this instance, I feel like obliging. So...

Ragniliff never thought much about Celina for the longest time. To her, Celina was just another combative sort that wasn't good at keeping her mouth or emotions in check. That would begin to change when Celina was admitted back into the Glomdoring from Gaudiguch. Ragniliff really could have cared less, but Talan pushed for it. In the end, there was absolutely no way to refuse Talan on a request such as this (though perhaps only Xenthos and Talan themselves might understand why), so Ragniliff went ahead and made the whole thing look like a precarious, thoughtful deliberation instead of a straight and done deal in order to make all sides on the matter feel as though they had been heard and at least acknowledged.

Even if she was doing it for Talan, Ragniliff would ultimately consider herself responsible for this action. The legacy that it would lead to, as well as why Celina had generated this much good faith in the first place, became points of intrigue.

It would not blossom into any definitive answers until after Celina's vernal ascension. Even though she predicted she would lose, Ragniliff was still rather impressed with the apparent transformation that she felt was visible in Celina - sometimes subtle, other times dramatic. She has come to regard Celina as something that the Glomdoring has inherent need of, and each time there is a new court or commune post to glean through from Ragniliff's coveted position in the background, she finds that her satisfaction grows.

Everything else, I will keep to myself.

Siam

Pre-Wyrden Potato Siam was so, so, so close to being the King of the Night in the Shadowdancers, and he disliked that notion since it would require him to be very, very, very proper, even more than what was required as the Prince of Shadows. Then one day @Astraea deigned to wake up and come out of the dark, dusty corners of the Halls of Conquering Darkness, . He was so happy to have met a prominent figure from the Old Days(tm).

Essentially, he came to know Astraea since he's gone through the past posts in the guild newsboards and the writings in the libraries of Glom and the SDs themselves. Here was someone who had the bearing of a respectable Shadowdancer and he strove to get her to run for the position, although he does not know if his support or his goal was obvious to those around him, especially Astraea herself. When she took the mantle of the Queen of the Night, Siam felt he could relax and relax he did. He has absolute trust in Astraea's abilties as a leader and admires her as an elder in the Glomdoring. He also tries to tap into the inner crazy of Astraea through various means, most memorable of all(to him) was their library project.

Lavinya

Lavinya has nothing to do with those deluded dwellers of the Glomdoring, since they are completely in denial about their being tainted and enjoy the company of those light-blinded Celestians far too much. Though she did find herself begrudgingly amused to hear Celina shout about Alacardael finally being of use. Not that she'd ever admit it.

Siam

Lavinya is a person Siam sees on QW, he also thinks she must be an important Mag.

Lavinya

:-O Lavinya has a gem of cloaking!

Siam

Hmm, am I thinking of another female Mag demigoddess? Hmmm...Is it Shally? I'm terribly confused!

Llesvelt

Llesvelt thinks of all Gloms pretty much the same way (since he has not interacted with all that many or them, or even wants to), and that is that while their commitment to a primitive sort of semi-collectivism is remarkable for a quasi-civilization, they are still pretty much hollow-brained barbarians who put too much stock in superstitions. Siam is on his "quasi-civilized whose names I remember for some reason" list, though. Perhaps at some point in the future he will take contact, perhaps not.

Phoebus

Phoebus knows Llesvelt is a popular citizen of Hallifax and that his personality is a rather extreme product of his environment, but she just does not like him. Serving on the Board alongside him in the past revealed to her that he cannot put aside his disdain for other civilizations for the sake of politics and the good of the Collective. Yes, yes, distaste for foreigners is nothing new and not exactly an eyebrow-raising trait for someone living in Hallifax (especially in that family of his, full of snooty-britches). But if that prejudice is so deeply ingrained that the Board agrees one of its members absolutely cannot be present for discussions with the city's allies? That speaks of a problem-- a lack of control over one's actions-- that is potentially dangerous.

Thankfully that was all a very long time ago, so his recent return is a positive thing in her mind, as he is productive and she loves to see active members of the Sentinels out and about. She just won't be going out of her way to socialize with him. And she sincerely hopes he will be staying out of politics this time, otherwise, there's going to be a problem...

Eritheyl

Eritheyl has extremely mixed feelings about Phoebus. Though they were never really -that- close on a personal basis despite their shared ties, they did seem to get along well enough over their commitments to duty and sacrifice of time and relative sanity for the goals of the Commonwealth. Of course more often than not they were butting heads over this, that and the other thing, but Phoebus was the one person able to not only back her case up, but make a damn near convincing argument to throw Eri through a loop every now and again. You just don't see that so much in Hallifax, it's typically people talking out of their rears.

He enjoyed politely pushing her buttons on things like policy and treading around the law, and was always impressed by her unwavering dedication as both a public figurehead and a follower of Zvoltz - you don't mess with Law when sheriff Phoebus is around, even jokingly! Even if her more visible side was something that Eritheyl tried very, very hard to dislike (strictness, blatant fun-hating, constant and sometimes irritating adherence to policy), she does it all with such finesse and passion that his only choice was to silently praise her for it.

Of course she's all but denounced him as a traitor to the House and the Collective due to his leaving for Celest (anticipated), but their dealings since have only been brief and completely professional, which he respects more than anything. Also he sort of owes her his life, since she was willing to take the reigns when presiding as Magistrate drove him (and me, really!) to the brink of insanity. Mad props, mad respect, but just a bunch of confusion on a personal level due to contrasting personalities.

Phoebus

(it's exciting to know that people don't hate me for being a fun-hater)

Llesvelt

Llesvelt never really noticed Eritheyl that much, at all, in general. If he did, he quickly forgot. He does tend to remember the name as someone who moves (or moved) about in the city from time to time, and he has the distinct impression that they did an okay job at it, at least he never heard anything bad.

He absolutely hates traitors to the Collective, however, and especially race traitors. Nothing is as bad as a Trill (or even former Trill) who have fallen so low.

Cyndarin

Hmm...I pick Phoebus.

 

Celina has, obviously, had no direct interaction with Phoebus but has gleaned a few opinions from being in her proximity a few times. Celina views Phoebus as remarkably frivolous in her mannerisms and odd sense of humor. She always sees her making strange puns or off kilter jokes in that sort of odd, quasi funny Hallifaxian humor she doesn't understand. At least, she assumes it's Hallifaxian humor. Hallifax, in general, is a bit of a mystery to Celina. They have the same general framework that Glomdoring has in terms of "for the greater good" or "we are pieces of a greater whole," but with a sort stiff arrogance she believes is above what the city has actually accomplished. If the Court were to ever consider it, Celina would probably dread having to deal with Phoebus in a diplomatic arena. Not only does Celina find laws and rules to be entirely pointless, something that the Coven and her singular authority over everything has no need of, but she thinks the mixture of a stuffy code of manners and strange humor would probably just irritate her.

She also suspects she would get along with the Shee-Slaughs.

The short version is Celina doesn't know much about Phoebus but her general opinion is "You picked that as your leader? Well, at least it's not Morbo."

Ssaliss

Ssaliss' view of Celina is conflicted, to say the least.

On the one hand, she is everything he is not. She's abrasive, conflictive, a fighter, and doesn't care much for politics; rather, she's all for conflict and proving the Might of Glomdoring. In that sense, he strongly agrees with everything she does and says.

On the other hand, she is the Queen of Night, and Ssaliss is loyal to a fault. He would never dream of publically arguing with the Queen (although in a few instances, he does make some small comments).

At the end of the day, though, he simply distances himself from politics. Even if he doesn't agree with her views, it is the view of the Shadowdancers. That's not to say that he doesn't breathe a sigh of relief if others oppose her however...

Moi

Iytha has suprisingly nuanced feelings about Ssaliss, come to think about it. On one hand, she has a (mostly unfounded opinion) that she* is driving other merchants out of the herb and potions trade with her undercutting prices, but on the other hand, she doesn't really object to that - she's very laissez faire regarding shopkeepers. At most, she's suggest that maybe the Chancellor should reconsider giving Wyrden Blessings a lease now that Celest has their own alchemist shop. Their one interaction was several IG decades back, when Iytha was doing some research on a possible connection between Tzaraziko and Mmakigogotl and asked Ssaliss about it, who in turn pointed her to Janalon. Though it never went anywhere, Ssaliss was suprisingly helpful for a Glom.

On the other hand, they're never really interacted beyond that. Just strictly for business. So while she could dredge up all sorts of facts and figures and recollections about Ssaliss if asked - she probably won't even think about it unless someone brings her* up.

*Iytha doesn't remember Ssaliss's gender, but assumes he is a she. This is likely due to her mentally conflating Ssaliss and Janalon, the two nekotai she talked to. Iytha would probably revise that recollection if they met again, but so far this has not happened.

Maellio

Iytha continues to intrigue Maellio, being in his opinion one of the foremost scientific minds in the Basin [if she didn't believe in such silly things as four element matter and the non-existance of time travel] and one of those people he is very happy to converse with. She makes scientific quibbling fun.

On the other hand [though the same hand?] she is also a lamentable failure on Hallifax's part to assimilate, someone whom bureaucracy failed and lost to the lamentable superstition and zealotry that is Celest. As such any conversation is bittersweet and generally involves him trying desperately not to derail himself and pontificate in the hopes of converting her back.

Llesvelt

Llesvelt is... Annoyed, by Maellio.

He does not fit into his neat little black and white world. He is an interesting specimen and needs to be examined.

On the other hand, he also kind of likes being near him.

Maellio

Llesvelt is the most delightful xenophobic, misanthropic, snob Hallifax has to offer. His opinions are so closed and cemented that Maellio sees arguing anything with him as more like target practice than dialogue.

Of course Mael also counts him as a wonderfully close friend, though generally wishes he wasn't so hard on himself [such obvious self-esteem issues under that highbrow facade, after all]

Portius

Portius thinks of Maellio as a wonderfully helpful and reliable Hallifaxian. In fact, he cannot recall any occasion on which Maellio has declined to be helpful when asked. He's a credit to the Collective and Portius discreetly admires him.

Zyphora

It is no secret that Zyphora adores Portius as a brilliant younger cousin and loyal Hallifaxian. In addition, Portius is pretty complacent with all of the usually-undemanding Zyphora's commands.

Secretly, Zyphora is slightly intimidated by what she perceives as Portius's vast stores of intelligence, and thus tries harder to appear smarter than him socially, taking on the role of "socialite instructor" whenever she is around him (and it doesn't help that he goads her on!). She is concerned that perhaps he will begin to make conversation that is too intelligent for her simpler mind to handle, that he will discover that he is too smart to talk to her, and that she will lose him as a "dear cousin".

Llesvelt

Llesvelt is intrigued by this new Librarian he has heard so much about, and wishes quite eagerly to meet with him. From what he has observed in the short while he has been back, the Library seems to be much better organized and staffed than it was years ago. Apart from this, he does not know all that much, but its far more than enough to make him a wortwhile person in his eyes.

(Damn it, ninjaed)

Llesvelt has only spoken briefly with Zyphora, but likes her based solely upon the fact that she is a Trill, and seems to share some of his views. He wants to nurture that.

Maellio

Zyphora is a delight to both converse with and work for [particularly for her fine poetic tastes], Mael's only general regret is not getting to see the Provost very often outside of her [many] bookbinding requests [and his lingering fear that he's [and I] am taking too long to write her contracted Haikus >.=.<]. Though, of late she has had the dubious distinction of reawakening his advice dispensing, uncle-ish tendencies which he rather hopes will be more helpful than potentially just elderly gibbering.

[Also someone else jump in before Hallifax assimilates this thread entirely [again ^.=.^; ]]

Tacita

Maellio is Tacita's favourite uncle. He's also her only uncle but that's totally besides the point.

She was slightly sad when she came back from dormancy to find that he'd gone to Hallifax, but then, lots of people had - and there are worse places he could've gone. Mostly she misses the fact that he was the other person who kept Eliron sane and now that Maellio is elsewhere, a lot of the weight of that responsibility has fallen to her. Also having someone around who was scholarly but a little bit random was nice.

She wishes he would actually get around to introducing her to his wife or children :P

Eliron

Eliron adores Tacita as this astoundingly empathetic, utterly capable awesome person who manages to maintain common sense and a reasonable perspective even under harsh conditions.

He thinks she's withdrawing, though, and worries that the combination of commune leadership (which he has seen chew up and spit out many competent people) and Xynthin have caused damage in ways she won't admit to, or at least won't admit to him.

(Unless she's a trill. Then he just wants to hide behind Lhiannan until Xenthos comes along to distract her.)

Astraea

Oh man, where to start....

Eliron. Astraea used to hate Eliron because he took Druken away from all the exciting interactions they had about the Shadowdancers, Nightshades/Shee-Slaugh, and Glomdoring at large. She considered Eliron a fancy prize Druken had attained for himself, one that contributed to his regal appeal and overwhelming charm, and someone who balanced out his at times alienating sense of superiority in regard to those who did not understand Druken. And then Druken left. I think Astraea and Eliron started to interact more because they were both going through Druken-withdrawal, and it was very exciting for Astraea to find out that maybe Druken wasn't the total mastermind she had thought he was. Astraea finds Eliron appealingly elegant in ways she never thought of his husband, she has found that what she considered his unsettling softness is actually a very iron-clad cover for very long running, intricate, ongoing manipulations and deceits. 

Astraea finds Eliron competent and excitingly willing to conspire against others with her. While Druken brought out a more...cold side of Astraea, she finds that Eliron brings out a more conniving side of her, and she enjoys it a great deal more than she thought she would. There are some guilds that are defined by their leaders, and in Astraea's opinion, Eliron has become an unbreakable part of the Harbinger Identity, as much as he would deny it were she to say so. 

Eliron is less of a friend to Astraea than Druken was, but in my (IRL) opinion, there is room for their relationship to grow, especially considering that Astraea used to hate Druken. What is magnificent about the Astraea-Eliron dynamic is that Druken is a near-constant echo in their own relationship, and in some ways, I think they look for reflections of Druken in each other, it's a very interesting sort of melancholy thing that I think will forever bind them in ways deeper than mere friendship, or frenemyship, as it were. That being said, the most fun interactions Astraea has ever had, the most entertaining moments that she has ever enjoyed, they have been by and far with Eliron, because interacting with Eliron is hard work, and a tea party where Astraea comes out the winner is a victory well worth savoring, though with Eliron, it happens much less than she'd like, and even less than she'd ever admit. 

------

Celina. Oh gosh. Celina. That ho is cray. Astraea loves it. Originally Celina was meant to be the figurative Fist that Astraea used as a scare tactic to generate further affluence for herself and the Nightshade Dynasty, but throughout the Xynthin Debacle, and various things before and since, Celina has really proven herself to be one of the most competent, position-redefining Queens of the Night since Shayle, someone Astraea has very deep, very strong, very mixed feelings about (Still, to this day!). Celina has taken what has traditionally been a frigidly cold position of an untouchable height and turned it into a role with passion and fury and overwhelming, enthusiastic, conceited rhetoric about the divine-right of Queens to rule by Night's mandate. While the leadership of the SD's has always been rather Vatican-like, Celina has kind of emphasized that and made an Empress out of herself, and Astraea is duly in awe and envy of her. Astraea remembers Celina from Magnagora, and having to deal with her somewhat, and it was just so annoying, but those annoyances have turned out to be very crafty, willful, absolutely focused instincts about leadership, responsibility, and what it takes to avoid complacency at all costs. 

As it turns out, Astraea has found Celina to be her most entertaining spouse to date, and the one she has enjoyed most since Leiliadhe. 

------

Tacita. Gosh. Tacita. Astraea likes Tacita because she views Tacita as the physical embodiment of the emotions she purposefully deadened years and years and years ago. Tacita is the rare individual with overwhelming emotions and the willpower to focus them in any given direction, Death Star-like. Astraea views Tacita as the direct heir to the Talan/Narynth legacy of awesomeness, and while Tacita may no longer be Regent, and while Astraea may or may not be avoiding Tacita because of that one time her husband and her god-lover-thing almost destroyed the world and the Pantheon of Glomdoring, Astraea nonetheless considers Tacita, and by extension, Xenthos to be the salvation of the Wyrd, she imagines their children will be amazing, but also dreads the resulting brood because of just how annoying tea will be with Eliron after that stuff goes down. 

Astraea considers Tacita to be a giant among mortals, and while there was that one time, with the whole trill thing, that Astraea has politely forgotten completely about, Astraea thinks of Tacita as a fine presentation about what it means for the Wyrd to adapt coherently and competently to any circumstance.

Everiine

About the only people I can realistically comment on are Maellio and Celina.

Maellio keeps popping in and out of Everiine's perception, and he can't understand why. It's like Maellio at one time took an interest in him, but the old bird has long forgotten if there was any reason. Every time Ev meets Mael, it feels like he's completely different each time. He's a mysterious character, but not a malevolent one. He's just Mael. Ev considers him an extended aquaintance--not unknown, but neither friend nor enemy. He intrigues Ev, and is part of the reason Ev will make a journey to Hallifax.

Celina, on the other hand, Ev has little respect for. Most of it is impersonal--she's the enemy, she's Wyrdfolk. He doesn't tend to look much further than that; in his younger days, he tried to hold higher opinions and not let political affiliations get in the way of honest respect when called for, but he's an old bird now--all he remember is that Celina has been as constant an enemy of the Northern Woods as any. He detests her mockery, her underhanded tactics, her willingness to fight dirty and her loud mouth.

On the other hand, even though he doesn't respect her, he can't help but deny that she is a brilliant combatant, and unlike others whom he detests, she is not for hire--she doesn't sell herself out to the city or forest that will giver her the most benefit and the most blood. She is radically (brainwashed?) loyal to the Glomdoring and will fight for them to the bitter end. Her hatred comes out of her deep passion, which in many ways makes her more dangerous. She may be a low life Wyrdfolk, but she will always be Wyrdfolk, and that consistency and dedication earns a small modicum of acknowledgement from Everiine.