The Aether

Numbers:

4.What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good andbad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

Anton: Eve Augustinewas Anton’s primary caregiver, and Caesar was more of an abstractidea. Anton’s most distinct ‘Memory of Caesar’ would have beenreading up on the spiralling Von Keifer history of facts and fictionsto the sound of ye-olde-magic-radio playing one of Caesar’s songs.

Eve was the firstperson Anton showed his first learned cantrip to: He prestidigitatedher a light show while they were out in the garden. Later in life,when his research into magic slowly unveiled itself as less ‘buddingyoung wizzard’ and more ‘heretical young warlock’, she grew abit frightened of what would happen to him. Loosing her confidenceand being left to try and argue that he was trying to do somethinggood was a rough patch in his life. He’s on good terms with hernow, but it took some proving that he didn’t need to be saved fromhimself. (…yet.)

Isao: Isao was bornto a pair of half-elves who worked on shuttle transport. Being apoppin’ planet, they were predisposed to be on-call all the time,so Isao was cared for in a technical sense save for the belief thatwhat he got would be there consistently. He grew to be moreself-sustaining, and started to take on projects to occupy his timewhile they were both away. He pulled his approximate normie-jobcareer aspirations from their influence.

Jay: Jay was mailedto the monastery at a young age so her earliest memories are probablyvexing monk/nun hybrids. She was raised on the mixed feedback thatshe was one of the best at physical exercises, but had a fundamental‘lump’ to her personality that made her a misfit. This instilleda sense of “I deserve something but not this, I need to stand alonebecause I can’t do group”. She never took her status aslumpy as a personal insult, but she did internalize it to a greatdegree. Criticism wasn’t taken as invitation to change but arejection of self-perceived integrity.

Tuna: Tuna just kindof… began, in their ownmemory. No coherentparentage to their knowledge. Space?Extra-dimensional being??? Who knows.

6.What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish?What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did theyenjoy? Which did they hate?

Anton: Anton greatlyenjoyed being in a learning environment and the tools that it madeavailable to him. He did quite well in his classes, but his mainareas of interest were things that his university wouldn’t be ableto facilitate beyond providing raw materials. He was seen in thelibrary so often people began to assume that he worked there, butonce he corrected their mistake he would try and help people find thebooks they were looking for anyway. He did well in history andreligions, although his relationship with the professorscould be one-sidedly tense from the teacher’s end. He greatlyenjoyed philosophy and literature, although ultimately his areas ofexpertise were the places where the subjects all bled together.

Isao: Of theoverworked and under-socialized engineering students, Isao could havebeen taken as either a glimmering jem of charisma or a recluse,depending on what you were habituated to. A bit of a workaholicbehind some of his social tact, he gravitated towards decorating hisdorm and subsequent living spaces with little plants when he couldfind them. He didn’t seem to stray too far from the subjects thatwould one day land him in engineering, and seemed uninterested in hisreligion humanity elective when the time came. His mind waselsewhere.

Jay: See above, herearly care and her learning went hand in hand.

Tuna: It’simpressive that they know how to read because they sure as hell don’tremember learning.

10.Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or wantany children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as agodparent/babysitter/ect?

Anton: Anton isguilty of not changing his social script enough when dealing withchildren, and will often talk to them as though they are fully grownadults. Reactions to this can be mixed, but it comes from a place ofrespecting the human/elvish/dwarvish/ect dignity of hisconversational partner. Anton would probably not say no to a lot ofthings if a child were under his care, which would yield mixedresults.

Isao: Isao can dealwith children like any other, but they stir negative emotions deeperdown. He cannot have kids of his own.

Jay: The right childwould probably stir up her protective streak, so I could easily seeher not thinking about it and then committing hard once one fallsfrom the sky or something.

Tuna: Children are#relatable in their simplicity. Hasn’t had much prolonged contactwith them.

15.Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think oftheir cooking?

Anton: Anton isbetter at vegetable based dishes than meat-based ones. He’s pleasedwith it as an act of creation, and wouldn’t be against studyingunder a proper chef if he had the time.

Isao: Isao isreasonably well versed in preparing food supplement. He tries alittle harder when he’s cooking for others, but when it comes tojust himself he’ll eat whatever puts nutrients into the bodywithout much concern for the taste.

Jay: Weirdly so.What she chooses to learn to cook is up in the air, but she knowswhat she knows.

Tuna: No time forfood prep, we eat the whole thing including the can immediately.

17.Do they like to take photos? What do they like to take photos of?Selfies? What do they do with their photos?

Anton: In a modernsetting he would collect noteworthy sunsets and pictures of friends.While one part of me says that he would have fun scrapbooking, theother part of be believes he’s so rooted in moments as they happenthat he would prefer a vivid memory to a smudgy picture.

Isao: Once owned aPolaroid camera that he had some fun with. However, [REDACTED]

Jay: Collects photoevidence when paranoid. Would have snapped a couple candid shots ofGF when first trying to figure out how to work camera.

Tuna: Photographedby others when crypted hunting, has probably been miscredited as anynumber of supernatural happenings.

18.What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films,video games and anything else

Anton: Books include(but are by no means exclusive to) nonfiction, ‘nonfiction’,high-feeling romances and tragedies, religious heresy, high-conceptscience stuff, philosophy. Eclectic taste in music. Has a dream ofseeing a troupe of Drow perform their ‘creation story’ from theperspective of Lolth followers in the underdark, since they are knownfor their theater.

Isao: Doesn’t seemto have many ties to fiction. Won’t turn his nose up at anything,but he doesn’t seek out distraction. Most likely to read nonfictionand technical manuals, with some exceptions.

Jay: Wrestling wouldbe the guilty pleasure. Likes music with punch to it, but is probablybest served by 3 Hour Soothing Meditation Music on YouTube. Willwatch action movies and silently go “…I could do that.”

Tuna: Hard to say,hasn’t lived much of his life indoors.

25.What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Arethey funny themselves?

Anton: Anton has astreak of deep-cut humor, the more ridiculously obscure thereference is the more likely you are to get a laugh out of him. Antonhas a kind of English humor in his own speech, very touch-and-gosubtle. He probably isn’t thought of as ‘the funny one’ onpurpose as much as by his odd behaviors in his regular day-to-daybehavior.

Isao: Isao can bequite humorous, and at times set himself as the butt of the cosmicjoke, as he has no problem with looking ridiculous when he’s got asocial face going. Can be guilty of flirtation-style joking to buildrapport.

Jay: Jay has a gruffdeadpan. Likes poetic justice and when jerks get roasted.

Tuna: Tuna is awise-cracker. His thinking and his joking are married, hard toseparate a joke from a legitimate facet of his thought process.

30.Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they actlike pre-work out and post-work out?

Anton: Anton is aserial stroller. He goes on leisurely walks near and far, and hasn’tseemed to need much more than that to keep himself afloat since helives a fairly exciting life already.

Isao: Oh yes. He hasa daily routine that he likes to get around to when he can, and anextended version if it’s looking like he’ll need it. Often doneright after breakfast.

Jay: Ever sincefounding her own school she’s been obligated to keep in shape bytraditional means and not just a rough life. Spare time stillincludes some recreational roof-standing though.

Tuna: Does notunderstand exercise, relates to his body in a while different way.There is no fitness in Tunaland.

31.Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover?How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind orteasing?

Anton: Anton is apatron of the celebratory alcohols like champagne and wine. DrunkAnton gets sleepy, a little louder, and is more likely to sing.

Isao: [REDACTED]

Jay: Makes a pointto not drink around people that she doesn’t like because she justKnows what’s gonna happen. Actually gets friendlier, and thensleepy. More likely to make dirty jokes when drunk.

Tuna: Alcohol seemsto have no effect on him. Doesn’t fully comprehend the appeal.

37.Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they likepoetry? Fictional or non fiction?

Anton: Fiction,nonfiction, poetry, the works. A slow reader, but not for lack ofpractice, just likes to close-read when he can. More likely to beslow with poetry.

Isao: Nonfiction,with some single-serving bouts of poetry, but he’s more likely towrite it than to read it.

Jay: A big readerfrom those insomniac nights in the monastery, will take what she canget but form her own opinion in each case.

Tuna: Has never readfor pleasure, only utility. Read a newspaper once, it was bad.

41.What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physicallyand mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

Anton: Gayer thanChristmas. Broad aesthetic appreciation, but mentally attracted topeople with a strong set of personal ideals. Anton is best suited tobe a compliment to a juxtaposing personality in love. Intent may bemasked by engaging in strange mental chess games, as he is notinnocent of wanting to know what his persons of interest are ‘madeof’. Some good-natured teasing may be involved.

Isao: ‘Bisexual’with no innate sex drive. As a bit of an island, he likes partnersthat leave him some room to organize himself and plan. He can onlyoffer so much of his heart, because only so much of his heart is his.Ultimately his turn-ons are those who will knowingly or unknowinglyhelp his plans along. Has a history with the quietly misanthropic, ashe tends to suit their needs well.

Jay: Butch Lesbian.Has two types: Murder Femme and Cottonball Femme. Murder Femme burnsbright and fast, Cottonball femme is more home-y and sustainable.

Tuna: No innate sexdrive, but can technically be a tentacle monster? Furtherinvestigation may be required. Can a Tuna do a romance? Stay tuned.Probably wants an enabler, probably needs someone accepting but withthe ability to redirect his energy.

48.Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise theparty or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want togo but were dragged along by a friend?

Anton: Garden partyand dry formal gatherings are Antons most frequented social gatheringtype, but he has attended much more lively and had quite a good timethere as well. He probably threw a little gathering at the foundingof his private seminar. Von Keifer family reunions are off thefucking chain.

Isao: Been to manyan office party, club, celebration, ect. Quite good at looking likehe belongs there. It all depends on the tone of the gathering, andwhat name the people there know him by.

Jay: Wall-huggerunless she’s hosting. If she has a sense that the people presentare ‘her people’ she can change rapidly from porcupine tofloor-commanding host.

Tuna: 0 party withleft paper plate dumpster.

HOUSES of VARIOUSSORT:

Anton:Ravenclaw/Gryffindor, right down the middle. The Will has no formwithout the knowledge, and the knowledge has no ends without theWill. This actually makes him a case where the sorting of Thunderbirdprobably suits him more cleanly than the classic sorting system,because of the image of the “not all who wander are lost” vibes.

Isao: Gryffendor,classic paladin. Pukwudgie, sitting in his heart.  

Jay: Classic bruteforce Gryffendor. Wampus too, the whole deal.