#aikalaein

14. Are any of your characters nonverbal? (Beside Ceicive? Cause he kinda is right) 

32. Do you have any characters who are twins?

42. Did/do any of your characters have an arranged marriage?

96. Which character is The Proudest ™ of their kids?

Oooh ok!!! :D

14. Are any of your characters nonverbal? (Beside Ceicive? Cause he kinda is right) 

First off yes Ceicive very much is! His is a kind of fluent aphasia and he can typically understand what people say to him and can physically verbalize, but what he says is just word salads and/or completely off-topic and he won't realize whatsoever because it registers as completely normal.

He's honestly the only one I can think of who's fully so though (for now?), but some other characters might have some speech issues, like Wilvous' anxiety might get up to selective mutism at times, Makarr definitely has it and some severe speech issues from facial scarring, and R'aahs was a late bloomer in a lot of areas including verbally and later on has some speech issues after breaking his jaw and having some pincer teeth regrow in an overly clustered way.

32. Do you have any characters who are twins?

Not currently! Some of R'aahs' older siblings might be a set, but nobody specifically at the moment!

42. Did/do any of your characters have an arranged marriage?

T'Pril was at one point (more as a formality of tradition, either of them were technically free to object if they had sufficient reason to do so.) She objected (lesbian) and it was understood that the union would not be occurring. Her perspective husband's family was actually much more understanding than her ex husband to be, who attempted to convince her to alter her decision (hence D'Hrava's introductory library window yeet).

Also The Ferengi COS' adoptive parents could technically count in that his mother (remember they're T4T) was pressured into selecting a cheap "bride" at a young age by her father because he thought it would get her out of her house and into business if she had some proper motivation, and by happenstance she signed a marriage contract of the young man who'd she'd build a very loving life with down the line. Like fate just genuinely aligned perfectly for them honestly <3 <3

96. Which character is The Proudest ™ of their kids?

Oh. God. That's really hard to answer.

J'hren is an extremely loving father, but to say he's the most proud might not be true especially given Makarr. Like there is no question of his love for them but his pride? Well he's proud they all managed to somehow survive but most of his energy kind of goes into hoping they all stay that way. Similarly, Aikalaein loves J'hren very much, but sees him as very soft and struggling to make certain harder choices a lot of the time (hence why one of his genuinely prouder moments is when J'hren makes some of the choices he personally considers his cruelest).

The COS' parents think of him as a blessing, a sign, and an opportunity they're grateful to have had, but they're very anxious people and more than anything they worry about him and to some extent for their life through his actions. He's juggled fame, infamy, and now possibly some degree of utter madness off working for starfleet credits after accruing medical and some deliberately unspecified debts. (He paid hush money and ultimately an assassin to keep an unseemly relative who'd tracked his mother down quiet. He'd rather they think he went bezerk in a tongo game than admit he'd let someone blackmail him that long.)

Kirev mostly just feels grief when he thinks about his actual biological child, and in the cases of the people he's a sort of (or outright) a substitute father for I don't think he'd feel it's his place to actually claim to feel proud of them directly (he still is, but he wouldn't ever really say it barring highly specific circumstances).

I know Wilvous, Kirev and the Arachnid Xenoanthropologist all do art, but who else has artistic skills? Do they show off their skils or do they keep it private?

And a long angsty one- how old was the Bajoran nurse when the occupation ended? Did she live through any of it? How does she feel about it now?

Excellent!!!!! :D 🍾🥂

I know Wilvous, Kirev and the Arachnid Xenoanthropologist all do art, but who else has artistic skills? Do they show off their skils or do they keep it private?:

So Aerelai is kind of artistic! They used to do some watercolor painting (they still can, they just rarely do), and while for bigger projects they purchase a commission, they do some sewing and alterations on their clothes!

Toka doesn't really consider it art, but he can pack a surprising amount of detail into his simple diagram sketches

I could see R'aahs liking some form of chalk art like what might be done in caves or on more covered sides of rocks (or just done on open rocks with the knowledge that it will be temporary). Idk that he's overly good at it unless it's maybe stars or animals that he had cause to see a lot, but I think he enjoys it!

Aikalaein and Makarr are both quite skilled at some traditional Cardassian at forms, though Aikalaein would be very secretive about it given the eras of Cardassia he grew up in. Makarr starts out the same way but gradually softens into doing it more openly since it isn't really penalized post-war. Aikalaein does mostly very small ashpaint pieces on tiny canvases of bone fragments and shells, and Makarr starts doing something akin to charcoal art sketches (which appear far more detailed to Cardassians since they can see shades of black and grey with more precision)

The Bajoran/Cardassian engineer likes to build starship models (and they're gorgeously detailed) (like the ones Tendi and Rutherford build on Lower Decks)

And maybe Kirev teaches Ryn some weaving! It's probably something that's done both by Andorians and Aenar (albeit with differences in the textures and designs). I could see him wanting to learn more traditionally Andorian stuff, but it would maybe be a good starting point for him! <3 Plus sometimes he'll build the little models with the B/C E! He's got a very good eye for mechanical details (nevermind how he came by that skillset

And a long angsty one- how old was the Bajoran nurse when the occupation ended? Did she live through any of it? How does she feel about it now?

Agh. Ok I'm going to be upfront about something: I cannot do math so I'm afraid I'm not really going to touch on actual ages too much. I'd say she's a little older than Ceicive, but not by a lot so she would have been around for the lattermost chunk of it, and would have trauma relating to it. I don't think she really had a reference point for Bajor other than during that time and it's a factor in why she peruses a career within Starfleet.

General question first!

22. Do any of your characters have someone named after them? Or are they named after someone else?

Arachnid officer

30. How independent was your character as a teen?

Bhea

31. How much does your character care about their appearance?

Toka

40. If a loved one died, how long would they stay in mourning?

Another round!🍾🍷

General question first!

22. Do any of your characters have someone named after them? Or are they named after someone else?

Directly? No (at least not currently), but Amae'll's name, as the oldest child, draws some inspiration Aikalaein's (it's maybe more obvious to Cardassians XD) and captain Vasilios' first name, Céline, comes from her great grandmother's first home (the Selene colony), but with a French spelling due to her great grandmother's partner being French.

Arachnid officer: 30. How independent was your character as a teen?:

I think her species tends to have family units that extend a long ways back generationally, so I think she honestly spent most of her time of an adolescent stage well entrenched within her family unit learning her family history and her weaving skills from her foremothers as would be expected of her. She's honestly a bit of an exception to have had children and gone off for a time, planning to bring them out with her when they're of age. It's certainly not unheard of, but it certainly isn't common either and she's the first of her family ever to do it.

Bhea: 31. How much does your character care about their appearance?

So not a ton, she's ultimately practical above all else in that regard, but I think it does sometimes bother her when she gets mistaken for a man, usually by humans. (though sometimes she thinks it's funny and will see how long they'll keep thinking it). There's some pretty notable sexual dimorphism among Bolians in regards to height, weight, and hair, and she looks very masculine due to an intersex variation.

Toka: 40. If a loved one died, how long would they stay in mourning?

Captain Céline

Does your OC collect specific things? Is there any practical purpose behind them doing so, or is it just a hobby?

Kirev

Is there one particular food that your OC absolutely loathes and would never eat, unless all other options were unavailable?

And for off menu- I wonder which of your OCs have kids. I know you've mentioned Kirev's traumatic story with his child, but do you have have any other who love/want children?

Another round!!! 🥃☕️<- ooh an Irish Coffee! :)

Captain Vasilios: Does your OC collect specific things? Is there any practical purpose behind them doing so, or is it just a hobby?:

Physical journals, stationary, calligraphy pens and differently colored inks! She's smart enough not to write down anything she wouldn't be semi alright with someone seeing, but she loves journaling and old timey letters, so it's a skill she's practiced for years to the point that her writing is practically art! <3

Kirev: Is there one particular food that your OC absolutely loathes and would never eat, unless all other options were unavailable?

I think he once got very sick off of something with lemongrass due to something with his species biology, so he's learned to steer well clear of it since! XD

He also doesn't really eat meat for cultural reasons since the Aenar are pacifists. He may have had it before in diplomatic or survival situations, but it's not something he ever really wants to eat.

And for off menu- I wonder which of your OCs have kids. I know you've mentioned Kirev's traumatic story with his child, but do you have have any other who love/want children?

Alright so yes so Kirev aside because you know about him:

There's J'hren who again you already know, and his father Aikalaein, who I can't say is necessarily a good person, but does love his family very much.

Something that doesn't come up a ton is that Ceicive's younger brother Makarr has a daughter! She's an infant and he's not really in the right mental state to be able to do much to take care of her right now, but he does care about her a lot </3 Makarr, his wife and child, and J'hren all live with Aikalaein in his larger family home as is traditional within Cardassian culture, so she's mostly cared for by the rest of the family.

Also I think Ceicive and Wilvous will probably end up adopting children at some point down the line, but I don't really have too many ideas for it yet. I've mentioned that Ceicive was rendered sterile by his time as a Borg, and honestly I think Wilvous would want to adopt anyway. Adoption isn't typically done within Cardassian culture, but I think there would be a bit of a cultural shift after the Dominion War and it becomes a little bit more of a practice, and I think Tellarite culture is rather for it in general, so Wilvous could definitely "convince" him to accept the idea. I can't say that they'd be the warmest parents ever, but they'd be so attentive and love their kid/kids a lot <3

The Arachnid Xenoanthropologist has children, but they don't live aboard the ship with her, they live planetside with her family. When they get a little older she might start bringing them on expeditions, but right now they're too young.

Captain Céline: 45. Would your character kill someone to get what they want? (If not, where is the line of what she wouldn't do to get what she wants?)

General: 61. Have any of your characters struggled with addiction?

General: 79. What is a humanizing thing about a villain/antagonist/generally horrible person character that you have?

Wilvous and Kirev: 82. Describe your character’s handwriting.

Ayyyy! :D Another round!!!

Captain Céline [Lastname]: 45. Would your character kill someone to get what they want? (If not, where is the line of what she wouldn't do to get what she wants?):

For a want? No she wouldn't kill. To save someone I think she would, and herself if it came right down to it, but not for a want.

I think she has blackmailed people to some extent before for important but not literal life and death reasons, and I think she's followed through when it didn't take. It's not something she's proud of, but it is something she's done and would, if she had to, do again. It's not for trivial things and it's not done to people who have helped her, but sometimes those in power will do a lot to stay in power or in high status, so she's not afraid to fight dirty if they won't be reasoned with for that reason.

General: 61. Have any of your characters struggled with addiction?

I can't think of anyone specifically no; I think some of them are on pretty strict medication/medical procedure requirements that would go badly if they weren't able to do them, but not really addiction specifically.

General: 79. What is a humanizing thing about a villain/antagonist/generally horrible person character that you have?

I don't know if that would be Aikalaein or Makarr tbh so you get both!

For Aikalaein it's probably how much he carried his late father's reverence for truth, preserving in his memories the library books he was killed for trying to protect and sharing them in snippets to future generations. He has never had anything but love for J'hren, and even his worst moments came from a place of love.

As for Makarr, well. A lot aligned to make what happened possible, and he was only given a narrow range of options to take, but he did ultimately make his own choices. He paid a heavy price and came out a broken man. He's coming back slowly, finally knowing his father and trying to be one himself.

Wilvous and Kirev: 82. Describe your character’s handwriting.

Oh well come on now they'd be writing in their own languages! (but I can try!) Speculative worldbuidling go! XD

Wilvous:

So apparently Tellarite language looks like this:

Perhaps ink on the fingertips or a digital signiture is the two primary means of writing, and since he's got the 3 finger hand variant I could see his lines maybe being prone to being a little thicker since he'd write with two then one, maybe with a slight wave to the lines since his hands might shake a bit if he's nervous.

Kirev:

I'm not really sure the Aenar would have much of a written language given that they're blind, with most communication and preservation falling under oral traditions, but there might be a little bit of a holdover from Andorian script prior to the branch-off where sometimes markings similar to the letters might be carved into ice, stone, or metal either as markings of danger or small personal tokens

(Andorian script looks like this):

For Kirev: 145. How much first aid and medical knowledge does your character have? and 136. Has your character ever been forced to deal with the ‘I want to speak to your manager” kind of person?

For Muna: 76. Would your character like to live on a farm and raise sheep?

General: 55. Do you have any characters who despite trying their best ended up being horrible parents?

General: 116. Have any of your characters (almost) drowned?

Yay!! :)

Kirev:

145. How much first aid and medical knowledge does your character have?

A pretty decent amount! He's from Andoria so he would have learned survival skills from a pretty young age onwards! He's not going to beat Doctor D'Hrava anytime soon in terms of skill, but he could treat minor ailments easily and provide pretty good care and could most likely keep someone with something serious stable for at least a good long time while waiting on an actual professional if he had to.

136. Has your character ever been forced to deal with the ‘I want to speak to your manager” kind of person?

He's the first officer of the ship; His job is like 75% dealing with that on a bigger, often more dangerous scale XD

Muna: 76. Would your character like to live on a farm and raise sheep?

No, not really. She likes more connection with people than something than remote would probably entail, and Lurians don't really keep pets traditionally. She might like the non-replicated mutton and fresh vegetables, but I think she'd rather just know a farmer or go to a market or something.

General: 55. Do you have any characters who despite trying their best ended up being horrible parents?

Well, for all of their very genuine love, Aikalaein and J'hren definitely made some major league fuckups with very lasting impacts (Aikalaein moreso).

Aikalaein tried to grant J'hren as much truth as he was able to about the world because his own father, a librarian, was killed for its distribution, so he knew the value of it and tried very hard to give it in some of the only ways he could, and unfortunately given his profession as an "interrogator" for the government that meant letting him see some horrific things.

J'hren was a sensitive child and he only needed to see it once to get very deeply impacted by it, and while he did maintain a good relationship with his loving single father it did go on to impact the degree to which he tried to shelter his first two children from the world, making them very shy for the first half of their life, then when Ceicive was assimilated and J'hren suffered mental and neurological health problems due to the grief and its physical effects that left Amae'll and the infant Makarr in Aikalaein's care, which, while it kind of ended up being good for her was also a massive shift that took its toll on he relationship with all three of them.

Aikalaein basically raised Makarr from toddlerhood up and Makarr ended up being a lot more like him than J'hren ever took to which was admittedly a little intoxicating for him; He never loved J'hren any less for opting for a different career or having that gentler temperament, but it would be wildly untrue to say it wasn't an ego boost to have a young eager "mini me" following in his footsteps and into the same career.

It came crashing down after the Dominion war when the new government needed information about the people working more covertly in the old one, which Aikalaein knew. Through the bait of Ceicive's return they coerced J'hren into revealing Makarr was one of them (which they knew) and in turn used him to make Aikalaein reveal what he knew (which they actually did need slightly more, but mostly to get the Intel further within the chain).

J'hren had recovered to some degree by the time Makarr was in his early teens, but by then he had missed the chance to unhook his father's influence and he didn't get a real chance to parent him very much at all until after the torture had somewhat broken him down into a very different person than before.

Makarr has his own infant daughter though he's in very little condition to know her well at the moment. He is still married and his wife does still care about him very much, but recognizes that he both is and isn't the cocky whipsmart young upandcoming worker who she used to know, and I don't really know how she feels about that tbh.

General: 116. Have any of your characters (almost) drowned?

Yes! Weird lore dump time!

The Ferengi COS. He was actually adopted by a heavily closeted T4T couple after being found abandoned as an infant and left somewhere during one of Ferenginar's worse stormy seasons.

ooh, interesting!

I guess the most deliberate foils are D'Hrava and T'Pril (though in truth they were initially more of one of those ideas that starts out funny and spirals into a heartfelt thing lol) and that seems like kind of a cheap answer anyway given the Klingon/Vulcan dynamic.

I think instead I want to talk about Ceicive's two siblings Amae'll and Makarr, especially since theirs wasn't really deliberate so much as it evolved to end up like that.

Originally there was going to be three siblings with Makarr being the next to youngest, but having the Amae'll sibling be nothing but shy and nurturing and the Makarr sibling just kind of vaguely resentful of Ceicive and the 3rd sibling was borderline apathetic to him as a wildchild in a crumbling religious sect, but was just too flat and off-topic, so she got cut and her wild lifestyle & confidence went to Amae'll sans cult and the clingy youngest part went to Makarr softening his resentment into a childish fear in the face of everything that happened.

I love that they're from the same family but end up so different, her shifting from a timid child into someone with enough confidence and common sense to manage just about any situation and him going from the perfect confident little copycat of his grandfather, mature beyond his age and with mannerisms of a largely bygone era into the shell of himself with a terrified childlike manner. She's been off-planet for years and after the war he can't even bring himself leave the family home anymore.

Even their views of Ceicive are a contrast in the way he haunted their lives growing up; She knew him, she remembers him, everything is a jagged reminder of his absence. It makes leaving easier. It makes his return so much harder because she can see the missing pieces.