#brook splitstorm

[kerra-and-company]

Happy Valentine's Day, folks! :)

Have a couple of pairs of mine, who are victims of my first attempt at editing couples together. (Cio and Ari are the two in the left-hand image, with Casca and Brook on the right!)

#gw2 #ciari #splitshadow #cioffi #ari stormshield #casca shadowstorm #brook splitstorm #company art #i shall slowly improve at this; i am sure; but i'm proud of these already! :D

[kerra-and-company]

Ship question Love #1 for splitshadow, please!

Sure sure!! :D Thanks a bunch!

1. Who said “I love you” first?

Brook, in a very teenager-overanalyzing-things way. They realized it abruptly in the middle of a conversation they were having with Casca about something they absolutely cannot remember now* and proceeded to bluescreen for a solid thirty seconds--during which they were doing way too much thinking about secrets and truth and what you do with that in Relationships (TM)**. After said thirty seconds (which involved Casca asking them various versions of "are you okay"), they did indeed just basically blurt it out xD

(*It was a conversation about the best way to get Casca's whetstone back from their primus.)

(**Downsides to following Kormir and being a teenage charr trying very hard to make their own path--you might overthink stuff like this! Though immense props to them for the fact that their overthinking took a solid thirty seconds and that was it.)

#gw2 #splitshadow #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #starlightswitch #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #and for your interest in them!! :) <3

[kerra-and-company]

Spill it, Brook! When you first found the Olmakhan did you have any mess ups while learning their ways?

Brook's mouth twists into a light-heartedly self-deprecating smirk. "Had no idea how to approach or ride skimmers, managed to break the first fishing rod they gave me somehow, accidentally encouraged a cub to ignore their history lesson, called a few different people 'sir'...there's certainly more that I don't remember. And I was just awkward as hell, too. Hard not to be when you've been entirely on your own for months, and imprisoned before that, and with the Legions before that."

#gw2 #brook splitstorm #brightwingedbat #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #if i could draw i'd absolutely draw all the random mistakes/shenanigans brook managed to get into early on #literally Zero were on purpose asld;kfj #which actually also helped because pretty much no one thought they were anything other than sincere in their attempts to learn #and they did indeed learn!

[kerra-and-company]

Ooooh for your charr, most to least loyal to the Legions!

@mystery-salad

Ooooh :D Okay okay!! This order varies a lot over the years, but as of right now (post-EoD), most to least loyal:

Weylon: in an upset I find incredibly ironic, Weylon actually gets the top spot--he works with Efram and Flame's back to being considered part of the Legions. He's more directly loyal to Efram and to Flame than he is to the concept of the Legions as a whole, though.

Lifa: her loyalty to the Legions is...weird? She technically also was fully fighting against them at one point, since she worked with Bangar and the Frost Legion. But she still holds loyalty toward the Legions in some sense, even though she would not necessarily be received fondly if she went back to the Citadel.

Pol: he is almost what I'd call true neutral here. He respects some things about the Legions, but dislikes others enough that he doesn't go back to them when he finally gets the chance to. Maybe "I respect them, but it's not for me anymore." Something like that. He's got a lot going on in his mind when he makes that decision too, though.

Ari: she shoved a lot of her negative feelings about Everything into the self-loathing corner for a long time and is still kinda processing them. Definitely not a fan of the Legions and is at a point where she can admit that she feels betrayed that no one would help her get her 'bandmates back.

Finch: it's the only one on this list who up and left on its own without some sort of (outside) event. It's not going back, ever. it also has no more ties to anyone within the Legions--its relationship with its bandmates was never as close as some, and those bridges have fully been burned. It'll actively tell people as much if they ask.

Brook: they're loyal to the Olmakhan, if anything. The Legions never treated them or their loved ones well in the first place, much less lifted a finger to rescue them. Their personal opinion is that the Legions can get fucked.

Casca: the one on this list most likely to try to burn shit down if they gave her enough of a reason, which is why she gets the "least loyal" spot. Flame being accepted back into the Legions definitely hasn't helped.

#gw2 #weylon stormblade #pol stormheart #ari stormshield #finch wildreign #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #mystery-salad #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #this was really interesting and i enjoyed writing it out

[kerra-and-company]

OC Music prompt! All 6 for your newest kiddo (unless you've already done one for them in which case all 6 for Brook!) (@uselessidiotsquad)

Hmm. What if Both? :3 (And thus this post became Long asl;dkjfasdf) But thanks a bunch for the ask! Ever and Brook songs be upon ye!

Ever

1. backstory

The Newly Awakened (from the official LWS2 soundtrack)

This song isn't used in entirely its original context since Ever's not a Secondborn by a long shot--they awaken during LWS3--but the vibes of this track are very much early!Ever regardless, so they get this one.

2. personality

I'm just young enough to still believe, still believe But young enough not to know what to believe in Young enough not to know what to believe

If I can live through this If I can live through this If I can live through this I can do anything

(Champion by Fall Out Boy)

Ever is not that old but also not that young. It gets Fall Out Boy, which is appropriate because of both the lyrics and the vibes of this song--and, on a more personal level, it's close to the same (mental, at least, I was older than 6 lol) age I was when I found that group, so...yeah. There you go!

3. angst

I seem fine But I can't take the highs and the lows All I am is a weapon I shoot 'em down 'til I end up alone

I always say I hate the way you look at me now And I swear, I didn't mean to be a let down What I broke can't be fixed with all my sorry excuses, no

(weapon by Against The Current)

...presented without comment.

4. comfort

We are friends for life Hold that deep inside Let this be a drive To survive

And just stand, high and tall Make sure you give your all And if you ever fall Know that I'm right here

We'll always be together, don't you worry I'll always be by your side, don't you worry

(Always Be Together by Little Mix)

Ever desperately wants to believe this.

5. love life

Not applicable (yet!! that'll likely change :3)

6. fight scene

Countdown's on you best get moving I'm about to change the game Go ahead, try to outrun me It's all the same Ready or not

(Ready or Not by WAR*HALL)

Aaaand bonus Brook songs under the cut! :D

Brook

1. backstory

If you let me I could I'd show you how to build your fences Set restrictions, separate from the world The constant battle that you hate to fight Just blame the limelight Don't look up, just let them think There's no place else you'd rather be

(Fences by Paramore)

Growing up in the Ash fahrar with magic that even you don't understand is a Time, to say the least.

2. personality

So tired from the miles I'm traveling Getting lost somewhere that I haven't been When all the bad shit starts happening I ain't never throwing that towel in

There's a lion in the wardrobe And a wolf out the door I might never get to heaven But I've been there before

(Lion by Hearts & Colors)

I mentioned this on another post at some point, but Brook is very resilient in the specific kinda sense of "you cannot kill me in a way that matters". They will build some semblance of a life back from ashes and will slowly work towards being at least vaguely happy again, even if they can't ever fully get there.

3. angst

Nowhere to run Nowhere to hide You left me spinning around in my mind I got no signal You never replied And I can't get no sleep

I keep telling my, telling myself your ghost story You got me lying awake in my bed, you still haunt me And I can't break free

(Ghost Story by Cheat Codes and All Time Low)

This song isn't meant to be about exactly what I envision it to be about in Brook's case, but it's funny how a song about ghosting someone can also sound a little bit like a song about someone you think is dead. This is one I could dissect in depth for them, weirdly enough aklsjdf

4. comfort

You've seen some trouble Some dark and stormy nights Dry your eyes my son, you're not alone I know the brave, hard You carry your little light up the path in every way you go

Paint the skies Chase the highs Draw the colors of the night Follow the rhythm of your hungry heart Feel the sun catch the vibe for a limited time Be the hunger in your hungry heart Our hungry hearts

(Hungry Hearts by River)

A little bit of Brook's worship of Kormir coming in here, but also them finding a home with the Olmakhan for the years they're there.

5. love life

Nobody gets me like you do I'm not the same, not after you So many things that we've been through I'm not the same, not after All that's been said and done I don't even feel like I'm back at one Nobody gets me like you do I'm not the same, not after you

(After You by Gryffin)

For Brook and Casca - truly a combination of the lyrics, the music, and the vibes of the music video.

Bonus one:

And nothing left unspoken When you whisper, I heard you say

Go on then, love And show me your heart 'Cause you are enough As you are and I'm awestruck So go on then, love

(Go on Then, Love by Said The Sky)

6. fight scene

The Call (the League of Legends one)

Almost more for the vibes than the lyrics (so listen to it if you want a more accurate impression), but the lyrics don't not fit, either!

#gw2 #brook splitstorm #everlyrre #sorry this took a second to get back to you!! i hadn't put together a playlist for ever yet #and i needed to like. entirely redo brook's #since i hadn't touched theirs for a Long time; since back when they were not a super developed character yet al;ksdjf #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D

[kerra-and-company]

K, U and Y for Brook! (Random character dev meme)

Oh for Brook!! Absolutely! :D

K. What is their greatest strength?

I was trying to find a way to phrase this, but--their willingness to rebuild, I suppose. They will claw their way back from the brink every time and shape their life into something livable. It might not be fast and it'll probably be rough, but...yeah. And I think it's distinct from the kinda sense of I will not go quietly, though there's definitely some of that in there too. It's more you cannot kill me in a way that matters.

U. What do they like to do in their spare time?

Woodcarving, for one thing! Fishing, once they learn during their time with the Olmakhan. Spending time with the village's skimmers (probably their favorite animals of all time and the reason that they now kinda like water instead of being slightly put off by it) when that's an option. And organizing the possessions they have--they're a big fan of keeping things in an order that works for them.

Y. What physical object do they value most?

They have a songbook that someone passed on to them fairly shortly after they arrived in the Sandswept Isles. They're not really musical at all, but it's nonetheless maybe the most important physical object they have. (Worth noting, they did previously have a couple of keepsakes from Casca that they treasured, but those were lost and/or destroyed during their stay in Flame Legion custody. At this point, having her back and alive is worth more than any keepsake they could possibly have.)

#gw2 #brook splitstorm #brightwingedbat #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #brook is really interesting because they got the farthest geographically from what happened to their 'bandmates #and yet they're the one who's reckoned with those events the most and the earliest #not saying they dealt with everything perfectly because ooh boy they did Not #but it's just. the vibes of 'i'm making sure i Live' #it's both a strength and a weakness #because it's also a little bit them punishing themself at first for who they couldn't save #anyway!! brook's whole deal is probably worth making into its own post; perhaps i will do this someday

[kerra-and-company]

character spotlight, day 11: brook splitstorm

“I’d be banned from the Citadel for saying this, and I will rip your tongue out if you repeat it, but in my opinion, Ash and groups like us honor Kormir more than her most devout human priests and priestesses.”

#gw2 #brook splitstorm #character spotlight #moodboard #company art #aaaand today's actual post xD #you get both brook and cyp today #the quote is one of my favorite things about how brook thinks #honor the truth by keeping it safe #which ironically means honoring the truth through secrets #love them

[kerra-and-company]

I don't have anything specific on my mind right meow, but care to ramble a bit about whoever has your attention the most right now? (@commanderhorncleaver)

I almost didn't catch the "right meow" and I want you to know that asld;kjfadf (and tyty for the ask! :D)

This isn't going to be an answer for a specific person, but I've been thinking a lot about how lost literally everyone in the Storm Warband is after they split apart. Not just sad or devastated, but specifically lost.

Ari joins the Order of Whispers, originally in an attempt to help her captured 'bandmates, but ends up just drifting through her version of everyday life for a while because she doesn't know what to do if she can't help them.

Brook and Casca both get out of captivity on their own eventually, but separately and not together--they each think the other's dead. Brook basically full-on starts walking and doesn't stop until they end up in the Sandswept Isles, and Casca eventually falls into mercenary work out of having nothing better to do.

Lifa, the only member to stay in the Legions, goes through three different warbands in the next ten years--mostly not her fault, but she's also desperately searching for some sort of place to belong or way to make an impression on someone higher up the chain than her.

Weylon, who's the reason all of this happened at all, doesn't find the glory and recognition he was hoping for in the Flame Legion. He's under the thumb of someone he hates, but puts his head down and deals with it by continuing to follow his new orders while feeling worse and worse about himself and his choices.

And Pol, the one who died, wanders the Mists for years on his own.

They do all end up with at least some resolution to this and most of them are doing better nowadays, but...yeah, it was Bad All Around for everyone.

#gw2 #storm warband #commanderhorncleaver #i could ramble individually about all of them for Hours but this is the broad overview of their worst times post-split #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #ari stormshield #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #lifa stormstrike #weylon stormblade #pol stormheart

[kerra-and-company]

4, 9, 20, 31, 34 for whatever TWO otps you want to talk about most! :3c

@mystery-salad

Double the OTPs!! :3 :D We'll do Casca/Brook and Cio/Ari, because I feel like talking about both of them and haven't gotten the chance recently!

4. How did they first meet?

Brook and Casca met in the Ash Legion fahrar, when they were very little (toddlers, more or less). They honestly don't remember not knowing each other, and can't remember the specifics of their first meeting, either.

Cio and Ari met for the first time when they were assigned to the same airship for the upcoming attack on Mordremoth. Ari was the pilot; Cio was the engineer more-or-less in charge of making sure the weaponry did what it was supposed to do. They were both stressed and on edge, and managed to get on each others' nerves very quickly--and then, very shortly afterward, had to rely on each other to survive in a jungle full of Mordrem after the fleet crashed.

(Putting a cut here because all of the other answers are Long!)

9. How are their personalities different?

Brook and Casca can both be abrasive, but it's slightly different forms of abrasiveness. If it's mission-related, both of them are more than capable of acting differently/playing a role, but in general, with no motive to act otherwise, Brook is just kinda...I think I described them once as "spiky", alsjdkf. They need a reason to be pleasant to someone (adults, at least; they're pretty good with children). Casca, on the other hand, can be...sort of aggressively pleasant, if that makes sense? Not in a cloying way or an insincere one. She's the kind of person who will tell you with 100% honestly that you're pissing her off and she's really exhausted and would rather not deal with your bullshit today so could you please fuck off while grinning. This still feels like it's not quite capturing what I mean, but I think it's close. (Side note, for whatever it's worth, Casca is very awkward with kids, though she does like them.)

Also worth noting for these two is that Brook has faith in the gods--more specifically, in Kormir--where Casca does not. Brook's faith is not in quite the same form as Kasmeer's, but it is pretty unshakable, even though (and partially because) they do believe in the gods' fallibility. Casca, on the other hand, has never had that kind of faith in any sort of higher power--not a god or gods, not the Legions, not the Pact. The closest she's ever gotten to that was the trust she put in Ari, but it's not really the same thing.

Cio and Ari both had walls up in very different ways when they first met. Cio was afraid of letting people get close because she was afraid of losing them, but she was still outwardly friendly/amicable to most people, just distant. Ari refused to confront all of the complex emotions she was dealing with as a result of past experiences, and therefore barely talked to others beyond what she had to for her job (or what slipped out as a result of being angry/irritated/pushed past her limits for the day). Their personalities without walls up have some semi-similar differences. Cio is entirely unafraid of calling out anyone who's being an asshole, but she's also quick to be friendly to a stranger, whereas Ari is not. Ari has a sort of gruff teasing thing she does with people who are (at minimum) on the cusp of progressing to the friend stage from the acquaintance one, but Cio really only teases the people she's closest to.

20. Who holds a grudge the longest?

For Brook and Casca? Casca, by a mile at least. She'll give a second chance, but very very rarely, if ever, gives anyone a third.

For Cio and Ari...hmmm. Cio, as far as who's actually held one the longest. Ari blamed herself more than anyone else for the losses she experienced, and she thought her primus was horrible (which he was) but didn't exactly hold a grudge against him. (To be fair, by the time she was in a space where that grudge would maybe have resurfaced over the various other feelings she was distracted by, the guy had already died, so.) I was going to say that I could maybe see her holding more of a grudge against Weylon (and Lifa, later on) if she thought more of herself, but...honestly, no, not really. She was in charge, and as far as she's concerned, on her head be all of it. Cio, on the other hand, does hold a very justified nugget of resentment with her towards a large part of Rata Sum and the Arcane Council, one that she would likely be holding even if they hadn't repeatedly proven over the years (often specifically to her face) that they're no better than they were when she was a child.

31. What’s the relationship like? Smooth? Rocky?

Brook and Casca were inseparable as cubs. They were a team before they really formed a warband with the others, and they remained a team afterwards. They got together romantically during their early teenage years, and their relationship was pretty much like their friendship. They had some arguments, some minor rockier times, as well as some things that were more or less related to growing pains--both of each other, as they were literally growing up at this point, and of the relationship. But they'd had a whole lot of practice with those things in the thirteen years before they got together and managed to navigate it pretty damn well in the following seven years. And then their warband was shattered, they were both captured by the Flame Legion, and they were separated for nearly ten years.

After reuniting, it's...both smoother and not as smooth. They have to relearn each other in some ways, but they're also not kids, and they have a sense of stability in a different way now. There's places they have to be cautious that weren't there before, triggers that are new, ten years worth of memories to go through together. But they've always known each other, and they still do after everything. And they love each other. And they're making it work. It gets easier every day.

Cio and Ari have a very smooth romantic relationship, but in terms of their relationship in general prior to that, it started off somewhat rocky. As kinda mentioned in question 4, they didn't like each other that much when they first met, but they worked well together when they were forced to, and their back-and-forth switched at some point during their trek through Maguuma from having a tone of "I'm irritated with your existence" to having one of "I care about you and would very much rather you didn't die"--not that neither of them would have admitted that at the time. They kept working together throughout the rest of HoT, and their friendship progressed from there, but it wasn't necessarily smooth or linear. They worked for different parts of the Pact (Whispers for Ari, and the Priory for Cio), and therefore were deployed to different locations at some points during LWS3 and early PoF. When they were together (or when they sent letters), there absolutely were miscommunications occasionally, and hurt feelings, and a decent amount of hey, I care about you, please eat/sleep more than you are currently. LWS4 was when they reached a point of making key decisions based on each other--which group they wanted to be deployed with, where they'd be stationed during the fight with Kralkatorrik, what they'd do afterwards. Whether or not they'd go to the All-Legion Rally.

These days, they're no longer part of the Pact, and they get to make their own decisions. They fight very rarely, though they disagree over smaller things on a semi-regular basis. They have somewhere they're comfortable and they're building a life together. Aside from that one time recently that the world almost ended thanks to the Dragonvoid, their lives and their relationship are both going pretty smoothly!

34. Do they give each other nicknames?

Brook and Casca will use shortened versions of each other's names when they're alone--just B and Cass, nothing super fancy--but that's pretty much it.

Cio and Ari have the nicknames that they originally gave each other as insults--Ari called Cio "Sparky", and Cio called her "furball". Both of those eventually became more affectionate terms. These days, the nicknames are used in more teasing circumstances. They use each other's names when they're trying to be sweet/romantic.

#gw2 #splitshadow #ciari #mystery-salad #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #rambling about these folks was Really Fun #because i have so many thoughts about them stored in my brain alsjkdfsa #also worth noting but i didn't know where i could put it: #cio teases people who are *very* important to her and that's it #and ari hit that threshold Very quickly without ari realizing it at all #but cio absolutely noticed it Instantly and was like. 'ah. shit. what.' #which is notable because she noticed and Didn't pull back despite that really scaring her #anyways #thanks again :D #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #cioffi #ari stormshield #tagging them all individually because there are Character Things in this post too

[kerra-and-company]

🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊 for anyone you'd like

Ooh, all righty, tyty!! :D You get one fact for everyone from the Storm Warband, since there's six of them!

🖊 - Lifa is technically a fugitive from the Citadel at the moment, thanks to her working closely with Bangar during Icebrood. Luckily for her, there really isn't anyone actively looking for her despite this--so she has to be careful but isn't really all that likely to be caught.

🖊 - Weylon sometimes stops by Cio and Ari's shop in Lion's Arch. It's ostensibly to pick up new equipment/weapons, but it's also a very clumsy attempt at reconnection from someone who a) doesn't know what the heck he's doing and b) still doesn't really think he deserves anyone's forgiveness. Cio's the one who helps him, when he comes in. Ari hasn't talked to him yet.

🖊 - Pol's magic, after his return from the Mists (which, in his case, means from the dead), very much straddles the line between ranger and necromantic magic. Considering that he learns the ways of the Untamed in Echovald shortly after coming back, which somewhat mask this, it's not something most people would notice--but if you're an expert in either type of magic, you might be able to pick up on something weird.

🖊 - Brook visits the Sanctum for the first time at some point in the period between LWS4 and Icebrood. They come back every once in a while to check on it and spend time there, and they end up befriending Nenah. On a related side note: they're, despite their devotion to Kormir, not particularly bothered by the gods' departure. They are bothered by the fact that the majority of them left with no intention to say anything about it.

🖊 - Casca's first job after escaping the Flame Legion was as a bodyguard, more or less, for a Priory expedition to investigate some of the ruins in Lornar's Pass. It didn't pay particularly well, but also not particularly poorly, and she enjoyed it, so she ended up taking on a lot of work with the Priory. After the three orders became the Pact, she was an extra hand there as well, almost serving the same way Nisha did for a bit--with the group but yet not really--but a lot more come-and-go than xe ever was.

🖊 - Ari is one of the first Whispers agents to make contact with the Order of Shadows, right at the beginning of PoF. (She's surprisingly stealthy for being a nearly-9-foot-tall, mostly-white, cat creature, haha.) She understands their take on the Joko situation (that it's entrenched in people's way of living at this point, and fixing the problem he created isn't as simple as killing him), but she also befriends Maya (another OC of mine) and understands her take on the situation (that it may not be simple but a stalemate also isn't tenable). She gives Kito a bit of a headache, lmao, but it's still a good start for reestablishing connections between the two orders, and Kerra further solidifies that relationship when she arrives.

#gw2 #the storm warband #mytalikes #lifa stormstrike #weylon stormblade #pol stormheart #brook splitstorm #casca shadowstorm #ari stormshield #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #please enjoy cat facts

[kerra-and-company]

Swarm of asks ahoy (if these are too many you're welcome to pick and choose which ones seem interesting).

For Brook:

20, 31, 33, 56, and 60!

And then for Chieko:

27, 29, and 43

(@uselessidiotsquad)

This is definitely not too many, and sorry I took a sec to answer these! Hell of a week last week IRL, and still a hell of a week during this one, and I thought I could answer asks Saturday--turned out my brain was WAY too fried for that. Anyways! Back to answer these now, since my brain's functioning for the moment :) (And thanks for sending them!!)

Brook:

20. Who’s their go-to person for advice?

When they were growing up with their 'bandmates, it was sometimes Casca (about everything other than their crush on her, during the period when they hadn't confessed yet) and sometimes Ari (about magic, about secrets, about plenty of other things). Nowadays, they're of course still going to talk to Casca about things--she's the love of their life and they trust her with it without question--and they're slowly getting back to a point where they can talk with Ari about things as well. They kinda went through a period where they shut off the same way Ari did; they were never the most open about emotions and such, and though they made friends during their years with the Olmakhan, fully opening up was difficult. So they're both re-exploring how to Friend in a way where they can ask each other for advice on stuff, which is a thing that makes me very happy for them.

31. Are they religious?

Yes, they are--an important Brook question, indeed! They worship Kormir, but are decently respectful of the rest of the Six as well, with the maybe-obvious exception (at this point, post-PoF) of Balthazar.

(I was about to say that their opinion of him was basically "he can go die in a fire", and then I was like, well, hmm...guess that's appropriate because he kind of did akljsdfd)

33. What’s the worst injury they’ve ever had?

Getting poked through the left bicep by an Awakened sword, probably! It took a very long time to heal, and they're INCREDIBLY lucky that they didn't lose the entire arm thanks to both the injury and the battle against infection that followed (any wound that size can get infected, but add in a tar-and-who-knows-what-else-covered blade to the mix and it isn't pretty). Not to mention that that arm is slightly weaker now and always will be; they have a brace for when any pain and/or weakness is particularly bad.

56. What do they smell like?

A little bit like passiflora, a little bit like whatever herbs/mint/etc. are in their chosen brand of relatively cheap soap that week (sage is one they like, when they can get it), a little bit just like a cat.

60. What are some of their simple pleasures?

Walking on the beach, when they can--they love the feel of the sand more than they like the water, but both are good; hearing happy background noise (like children/cubs playing, friends chatting, etc.); waking up rested; seeing Casca smile.

Chieko:

27. What’s their favorite genre of music?

To answer this question in a roundabout fashion, Chieko absolutely had a period when she was a teenager where she was very into listening to punk/emo/similar bands/groups when she could. (Side note, I'd legitimately love to see Tyria's version of MCR.) Nowadays, her taste is pretty varied: 1) she didn't care for Metal Legion but understood the appeal; 2) she's absolutely a fan of the things Rel's written (which are...kinda indie-folk-ish, I guess? not sure, there's variety); 3) she's found at least one or two songs/musical styles she very much loves literally everywhere she's been; and 4) not the most relevant to the overall question, but she tried to recreate a piece of Orrian music based on a very waterlogged piece of sheet music she found. It probably didn't sound anything like the original, since she could only read bits and pieces, but she and her friends had fun.

29. If they could change one thing about themselves, physical or otherwise, what would it be?

Not to be noble-born. She recognizes the privileges she was born with/into and is grateful for them, but she constantly feels like she's not living up to the standards of the noble class (and those of her parents, to some extent, even though they're supportive of her), and she doesn't want a title. She also is not looking forward to whatever stink people back in DR might raise over her choice of girlfriend (possible), or whatever gossip they'll put out about it (more likely).

43. What do people notice first about them, as far as their appearance goes?

Hmm. Either the way that her outfits tend to be very put-together, even if they're casual (or dirty from being out and about on battlefields), or the way that she stands, if you're particularly observant. She has a very specific posture that speaks to where she grew up.

#gw2 #brook splitstorm #chieko nakaya #uselessidiotsquad #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #ty again i've had so much of a week good god lafsjd

[kerra-and-company]

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

Ooh, interesting one! (And thank you for the ask! :D) Let's see...

Kerra and Nisha both have Aurene, who--although both do very much consider her their daughter and love her a lot--isn't blood-related to either of them.

Cyp has Ia for about a week after he rescues her from the NMC, and though she doesn't really qualify as his "dependent" after that, they still maintain a friendship/mentor-student kinda relationship.

Casca and Brook have Finch, who kinda drops headfirst into both their lives, and though they meet when Finch is (barely, but still) an adult, I'm definitely still counting this because Finch very much ends up as more-or-less their kid.

Aside from that, no one else is on this list (yet), but there's a couple people who probably will be eventually! :)

#gw2 #kerralind #nishannai #cyprian #ialyn #casca shadowstorm #brook splitstorm #finch wildreign #oceans-power #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #also if you're curious who else: aysel plans on adopting someday #and pliarr's definitely going to end up with a mentor-student dynamic thingy that'll be similar #still have to figure out the nitty-gritty of both and aysel's won't happen for quite a while #but...ye! :D

[kerra-and-company]

RANDOM QUESTION FROM OASIS! what is the most unimportant hill they will die on? An opinion that they have thay they will NEVER CHANGE but its really not that important in the Grand scheme of things.

Unimportant hills to die on, you say @moonlit-grove? All righty all righty, let's see here...

I don't know if styrofoam or an equivalent exists in Tyria, but if it does, Nisha hates it. The feel of it and sound of it are a specific form of sensory hell for xem. Other packing materials are fine! Don't pack xyr device parts in styrofoam or xe will be very displeased!

Brook's hill is "anything can be a weapon if you try hard enough." To be fair, that is kinda relevant in their daily life, but really, this is a hill they chose to irritate their primus as a cub, and they're sticking with it because it's true.

Ari cannot stand white chocolate and is vocal about it. Regular chocolate is fine and is great! Do not try to give her white chocolate or you will hear a very grumpy charr speech about how this "fake chocolate" should be thrown into one of the Flame Legion's fire pits.

Minei has zero idea why anyone would leave their bedroom door open at night. Doors should be closed. Add pet doors if you need to (fun fact, she actually made one for her rat Stanley), but the human-sized doors should be Closed.

#gw2 #nishannai #brook splitstorm #ari stormshield #mineille #moonlit-grove #i fucking hate styrofoam #i'm dying on that first hill with nisha adsfljkasdf #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D

[kerra-and-company]

🍉 [WATERMELON] What will your OC take to the grave?, your choice! (from ratasumportauthority~)

@ratasumportauthority Thanks a bunch for the ask! :D And ooh, my choice, huh? You get an assortment, just cause why not :)

Brook - They had an opportunity, when they were escaping the Flame Legion, to kill Weylon (the charr who betrayed their warband). They chose not to take that opportunity.

(Not so much that they didn't want him dead; his death just wasn't worth risking their freedom over, in their eyes.)

Rhi - They were involved in the fight with Li in Kaineng during EoD, and if they'd been the only one involved (in particular, if Rama and Kerra hadn't been there), they would absolutely not have accepted his surrender and he would be very much dead. They're not sure if they should feel bad about this or not and mainly just feel kinda weird about it, but, regardless, they have zero intention of ever sharing this with anyone.

(The dilemma here does not come from any sympathy for Li, but rather from the fact that Rama, Rhi's sort-of-mentor, and Kerra, Rhi's mother, both accepted the surrender when offered--but Rhi did not want to do that, and they're wondering if that perceived difference between themself and people they respect and look up to and care for is an issue.)

Chieko - She really does not like her parents' sense of style. At all. And she will never ever tell them.

(Her parents are very proud of their design sense, and their fellow nobles also seem to be fans, at least outwardly. Chieko has always thought it's a bit much, but sees no need to voice that and potentially burst a bubble and/or start an argument.)

#gw2 #brook splitstorm #rhianyi #chieko nakaya #ratasumportauthority #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #also important to note that rhi is the equivalent of a 17-year-old during EoD #and EoD was the first time they were really actively involved in story things #i could ramble about them for a bit because i've been thinking about them a lot today but i'll leave it here alsjkdf #thanks again for asking!

[kerra-and-company]

💌💐🧸 for whoever fits?

Sure sure!! :D Let's go! The random thing picker gave me Brook, so...you get facts on them today! :)

💌 : How would they plan a romantic evening for a significant other?

It'd be based on whatever they know their partner would enjoy, almost entirely. Considering that the only person they've ever tried to plan a romantic evening for is Casca, they usually end up setting up some sort of cozy thing at home/inside.

💐 : What is their courting style? How would they woo someone?

Brook is, again, an unintentionally mildly funny pick for this (my own fault, lol, and I'm sticking to choosing them regardless) because they've really ever actively tried courting one person, and that started when they were like. around 12 or 13. So it wasn't exactly done well xD (Still succeeded, though!) I think the basics would be that they try to make everyday life easier for that person in whatever ways they can, as well as maybe go slightly overboard with gifts for a bit.

🧸 : Into public displays of affection or are they more reserved?

They're not overly showy on purpose, but they're also not necessarily reserved, really. If they have affection for someone, they show it. To say that in a bit more clear/different terms, they have no problem with casual PDA, which for them mainly comes in brief (or slightly longer) kisses and arms around shoulders. They also very readily show affection in the way they look at people--the "eyes are the windows to the soul" thing is very true about Brook in particular.

#gw2 #brook splitstorm #anonymous #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #really appreciate you dropping in anon!!

[kerra-and-company]

@just-eyris-things​ Okay, we’re trying this again asl;kdjfasdf--the original ask posted before I was done with it, and then I couldn’t edit the post properly. So! Round 2!

Thanks so much for the ask!! :D <3 <3 This is from a bit ago now, but I am choosing to cash in my free ask :) You get some assorted songs that correspond with characters, with brief explanations, because I feel like talking about that for a bit. Hope you enjoy!!

This one is for Kerra and her Wyld Hunt, but also her and herself/her trauma in some ways. To pick out a couple key bits, this first verse is Baby!Kerra:

The first day that we met I saw you out of the corner Of my eye, I was 5 You're still the thumb that I'm under

This bit is LWS1 Kerra:

On the wall I was 10, you were more than a feeling By my side, unwanted The sun would see you come creeping Made of fear I was strong There's no shame to have you here Where you belong

And last but not least, this bit is Kerra at the end of HoT:

I see it's only me needing You back there behind me In my soul I feel like Maybe we'll be friends But you're holding me back Yeah, you're holding me back And I just want to run Dear shadow

This song is very Cal--to the point that when I heard it for the first time, I immediately put it on their playlist. First of all, the first line is "Create with me a work of art", which is perfect for them. Second, there's a couple more bits that I'll highlight.

This gives me vibes for how they felt leaving Ascalon and heading to Kryta over two years after the Searing:

Sitting here stuck in my head while the sun is just rising Come on, it's late, and we know we're the lone survivors

This bit just is...kinda how they are as a leader, and (in the first couple lines there) a bit how they are as a romantic partner to Daisy:

You're all that I've got, when it's dark, I have a light I finished the line, but my heart's on my own time Don't you wanna push, don't you wanna fight, don't you ever talk to your mind? You can make that come alive

And overall, it's just very them. "Let's see what we can do", indeed.

This one is Nabi, and though it's kinda bouncy, it's related (to me) to the fact that she chose to fight a lifelong battle against the Ministry of Purity and made a huge impact on the world by doing so, even if she couldn't stop them completely. Anyways, my point is that this is her:

You could give me hell You could give me death Right before I bend I will have revenge

Fire through my veins I will fan the flames Until my dying breath

'Cause I will never go down Any other way

I mentioned this one the other day, but this is a song for Brook and Casca--they're both the couple that's distanced from each other according to the lyrics and the couple meeting in the music video for the song. They find each other after years apart and thinking that the other is most certainly dead.

Nobody gets me like you do I'm not the same, not after you So many things that we've been through I'm not the same, not after All that's been said and done I don't even feel like I’m back at one Nobody gets me like you do I’m not the same, not after you

This song is the reason that Daisy's mother's name is Grace. She has a very close bond with her mother, who more-or-less raised her alone from the time Daisy was five.

Guess I got it from her, no I’m not sorry for it

Yeah I’m my mother’s daughter So glad I get the honor Yeah I’m my mother’s daughter Turns out I’m a little like Grace

This one goes out to all the Secondborn sylvari :)

See, I was born the second child With a spirit running wild, running free And they saw trouble in my eyes They were quick to recognize the devil in me See, I was born a restless child And I could hear the world outside calling me And heaven knows how hard I tried But the devil whispered lies I believed Can you hear it hanging on the wind? Can you feel it underneath your skin? You've got to go on, further than you've ever gone You've got to run far from all you've ever known

One of the songs that I think was originally intended to mean something slightly different, but it's on Nisha's playlist, because in the context of xem, it sounds like a Nisha-falling-in-love song. Letting down walls, being willing to get hurt, letting others in.

Maybe I'll crash into you Maybe we would open these wounds We're only alive if we bruise So I lay down this armor I will surrender tonight Before we both lose this fight Take my defenses All my defenses

I lay down this armor for you

I'll be your escape I'll be your safe place I'll be your shelter

Now, this song--this song I would make an animatic to if I could. It's very accurate to Casca's anger towards Weylon for his betrayal of their warband, as well as each of their individual struggles with forgiveness. Casca never intends to forgive him, so she doesn't take on the burden of forgiveness. Weylon struggles for years, after fully taking in how wrong his actions were, with forgiving himself. He's the one who needs to forgive here, not her. She's done.

They say the truth will set you free But it shackled me like chains

Some trust the law to guide them Some trust in the divine I am neither I have never been I have only been myself

Did you come for absolution? I have got none left to give You must find your own solution Find a reason to forgive You came looking for atonement You came looking where I live I can see right through your intent I have nothing to forgive

And because this is already long, one last song for you:

This one is for Cio and Ari! They're different but really similar at the same time, and honestly I think this song is a good encapsulation of that. So many of the back-and-forth bits could be either of them, but I've picked out the parts that seem the most like them:

You hurt I heal we cry But I'ma love you still You bail I dwell but we try So I'ma love you still

You're calm I rage enough But I'ma love you still You're scared I've shared too much But will you love me still

I'ma love you still I'ma love you through it all

#gw2 #kai speaks #just-eyris-things #thanks a bunch for the ask! :D #and sorry it took a sec to get to it!! but i hope you enjoy my assorted music ramblings #time to tag everyone: #kerralind #cal vereo #daisy llew #nishannai #seong nabi #casca shadowstorm #brook splitstorm #splitshadow #cioffi #ari stormshield #ciari #weylon stormblade