#whumpawaydarling

[inhurtandincomfort]

Friendship: What's your OC like as a friend? How are they at making new friends? What are the most important friendships in your OC's life?

Meet Strange: What's the most memorable way your OC has ever met a new person? Was it a good experience? Bad experience? Just plain weird? How's their relationship with that person now?

:0? - @whumpawaydarling

Thanks for the ask, sorry I'm late!!

Friendship: What's your OC like as a friend? How are they at making new friends? What are the most important friendships in your OC's life?

Eldwin

As difficult as he can be these days, he's a good friend to have. If you have his genuine loyalty then it runs deep, he'll always stand by you. He's always been more reserved, even as a child until he got to know you (Side note, one of my wips covers him meeting Ancassius, and Cass thought he was really weirdly quiet until after Eldwin decided to befriend Cass, and then he didn't shut up :P Alas, he's always quieter now, but I'm getting off track.) but he (barring his trauma-related difficulties) will attentively listen to everything you say, and any snarky remarks should be taken in good faith. Probably. All in all, he's someone you can depend on, and he'll drop anything to help you out.

Making friends however, is difficult for him as you might imagine. Even if he presently has no plans too, it's always in his head that he's playing a role, either he's gonna betray you or you're gonna betray him - and he intends to get there first. So as close as he seems to someone, he is secretly guarded, keeping his heart distant.

Most important friendships for him, Ancassius 100%. They were very close growing up, Eldwin's only friend, (largely by choice; people did think he was a little... odd at best, then a troublemaker as he got older; lots of gossip about I always knew there was something wrong with him when he made the pact. But Eldwin made no effort to make friends either, he was happy to keep to himself. And I mean, he was close with his siblings) and even after their friendship break-up in Shattered Soul, that left an impact on him even though he tells himself he doesn't care. It's been long enough that he doesn't think about Cass anymore, but that doesn't mean the ache has gone away, it's just blended in with everything else.

Desmeirth he hasn't met yet, but they will also be very important to him - I don't want to spoil it, but let's say they'll both grow together :)

That was so long adjajdajk I'm sorry

Jowan

He'd be a great friend, if you can deal with his high-energy persona and lots of talk about things you don't understand. He doesn't mean to act like he's better than you, but... he is smarter and he knows it. But he wants to be friends!! Any problem you have, he'll solve it... even if you don't really want him to. Mould problem? Use this, will kill it all! Sick or injured? He's got just the thing, and if he hasn't, he'll make one! Don't worry about the ethics of it all, it's fine, it's fine. Too many chores to do? Would you like a clon- no? Oh okay, how about a robot instead? It's not as efficient, but can take a few things off your hands!

He is. very eager to please abdabdhabd. Bear with him please, he's never done this friends thing before.

Suffice to say, Jowan has no idea how to make friends. He comes across as very friendly, initially; when he worked as an underground doctor, the kids loved him! But among potential friends, the more you know him the more unnerving he becomes. People tend to think he's freaky and annoying.

So he has no friends! :( He did have a girlfriend as a teenager, alone and trying to figure out this whole Life thing, and he had the potential to take the right path in life, but well, obviously he didn't, so maybe she didn't have that much of an impact.

Meet Strange: What's the most memorable way your OC has ever met a new person? Was it a good experience? Bad experience? Just plain weird? How's their relationship with that person now?

Eldwin

Answered here!

Jowan

Ooh... hmm, that probably would be his girlfriend, Thaleia. Jowan had gotten himself in a bit of trouble with an underground gang because he called out their sales of fake medicine, and they didn't take too kindly to that. Thaleia had witnessed this, and also knew who he was because she also helped the poor underground people, not as a medic but in other ways - such as stealing from rich people and giving it to the poor. A Robin Hood!

So she helped him out there. Wasn't really a great experience, but luckily she was there before things got too bad.

But well, they're not in touch anymore. It wasn't long before the syndicate contacted Jowan and wanted him to continue his father's azura project, and of course Jowan agreed. It was right back to shady experiments and crimes against humanity, and no time for any sort of personal life.

[cepheusgalaxy]

11, 22 and 37 for espa :0 - @whumpawaydarling

OHHHH these r good ones :)

[ask game]

11. If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

If I'm being honest Ann would not be able to tell lowkey. JUSTE, however, may test how "Espa" is reacting to 1. praise and 2. punishment because it's very obvious when they feel flattered and perk up and they're usually very good at the whole 'staying still and taking it' thing which I suppose would be hard to fake. Ciça would feel a little creeped out by it but might be able to identify it based on their responses to what usually triggers or comforts them and maybe make some questions about things they've done together or funny stories she's told them. Espa has a good memory and has made it very clear that they're keeping their meetings secret so if it's an impostor they DEFINITELY won't be know about them.

Sabre will pick it up by the little tells. He knows how they move and how to read them and also Espa has the very obvious nervous habit of biting their lip which anyone who's stayed even for a while with them will be able to know, even if he's the only one that's noticing its absence. Espa is the most tense or most calm around certain people and he'll be able to point that out, too. Yeah. No impersonator is getting past Sabre he knows her like he does the back of his hand.

Gisele would also pick up on it at some point I think ☝ She would NOT be able to tell you what's standing out for her she's just having a really odd and uncomfortable feeling. She doesn't know why but she knows that this isn't Espa.

In truth, what I think she's actually noticing is how they act in like... different situations. Espa is a little condratictory of themself at times. Getting these contradictions right (how they're both cruel and kind or cold and caring in the same breath, how they'll be always obedient but also keep certain things from ms ann without even hesitating) would be tricky. I think. Gisele aside from Sabre is one of the people who's seen the most sides of Espa (all the 'living' part, the 'weapon' part and the 'whumpee' part, if i may) so it wouldn't be easy to decieve her.

Repeating it again Ann would have no idea. As long as they're obeying and following demands and meeting expectations then that's literally it and if they're not? She's just gonna hurt them as usual. Other handlers might have a similar response Juste is just the weird one.

22. What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

Hugs...

Half joking but it'd really dread having to touch somebody that closely for that long especially out of nowhere it just stresses it out. It makes her really tense awaiting for danger (very easy to stab you in the back crush your windpipe or yank you by the hair). Not a fun experience.

Aside from that hmmm. napping thorough the day. prime way to get beaten by a handler or ambushed by an enemy they have no idea how some people can just fall asleep around anyone

37. What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners* and don’t plan to tell?

(*taking this one as 'close friends' bc well. gestures vaguely in their direction)

One thing they won't voluntarily offer up to anyone if they have the choice is that their first handler died u_u they didn't have any fault in the situation and they don't feel flat-out guilty for 'failing him as a weapon' and stuff, but they still get that feeling of like... he died on me and that doesn't sound very good on a weapons record now does it. in the ciça handler au for example ann dies on them and they probably develop a bit of a complex about it like fuck. theyre really shit at doing their job theyre a failure and they cant do anything right etc etc. but its less 'i am upset about this because i cared and wanted to protect him' and more just failing to do their job in general. espa did not actually like him. they won't offer that information either but he was very unpleasant they like ms ann better than him lowkey. not that they'd counsciously recognize that they don't like ms ann either. theyre not allowing themself to feel that way. mr claudio however is already dead. so. can dislike him in peace. they generally dont want to recognize his existence either unless somebody asks and theyre required to answer truthfully ms ann has always been its one and only handler. espa is really fond of pretending the guy didnt exist.

it's not a *secret* per se, it's in their records and they will answer truthfully if prompted by most people (if it's others they'll just feel like they have the right to dodge the question and will then gladly do so) they just don't want to think about it or for anyone else to. he didnt exist. 👍 as far as it's concerned. dont ask them about it.

[whumpologyy]

5, 23 and 34 for vienna pls :0 - @whumpawaydarling

ahh thank you friend!! :) from this ask game

5. What is their response to their friends or loved ones in pain?

Hates it and wants to take care of them!! She has a generally very calming/nonjudgmental vibe and WANTS to listen which is really helpful. This is a big thing that drew Zander to her while he was having a hard time and why he opens up to her and p much nobody else (thus far) <3

23. How do they feel about hospital environments?

I don't think this has come up yet but her mom works in a hospital! On the business side, not medical, but I think that has demystified it a bit for Vienna so she's not nervous about doctors/hospitals generally

34. Do they have an interest skill they excel at but are embarrassed of?

Baby girl LOVES a good show tune and to sing in the car but would never do it in front of crowd 🤭 I do think she might enjoy some drunk karaoke if a friend did it with her

[afterdarkwhump]

6 and 8 for eldwin, 19 and 23 for vivruh :0 - @whumpawaydarling

Thanks for the ask! :D Ask game here

ELDWIN

6) when was the last time you cried?

Once upon a time, such a question would have been met with eyerolls and open scorn. 'I do not cry,' he would have said, like a petulant child trying to prove he's grown up.

Now though, he just takes a moment to think. "I don't know," he says at last. "I don't cry often. More than I used to, somehow. With Lord Cazriec more than anyone, I don't know why. I try not to. He likes it though. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

8) does something hurt right now? what is it?

"What doesn't?" His tone is light, like it's a joke. You get the feeling it's not. "It's fine, I'm used to it." His hand touches a dark bruise below his eye. "That fucker can throw a punch, I'll give him that." His voice cracks, just slightly. He clenches his jaw, breath wavering. "And my throat hurts, so I'd like to stop talking now, thank you."

VIVRUH

19) favourite tool/instrument?

"My own magic is the best. When you can get into someone's head, you can make them do anything," he drawls, a smirk on his face. "Perhaps I'll try getting a shock collar of my own. I'm sure we'll have fun with that."

23) do you have a preferred title or would you rather victims call you by name?

"It can depend. Most refer to me as Lord Cazriec, which is my official title. I don't usually ask for it though. My darling [Eldwin] often refers to me as sir, too. I think that's a habit from Clyde, but I don't mind. Sometimes I ask him to call me by name, as a demonstration of our relationship. He tends to need frequent reminding."

[faultsandfractures]

18, 26 and 67 for zach pls :3 - @whumpawaydarling

Set at the end of the first arc of Buried Depths, in 2020.

18. What's the least painful punishment you've recieved?

He knows what was the worst, waterboarding and electrocution at once, but the least? “When I lost control of my powers, Bridges would make me wear more restraints after. It doesn’t hurt at all, and I understand why, but still...” 

26.Do you like yourself?

“I think so, yeah, I just don’t like this thing that’s latched onto me”. He looks at you, pleading for you to believe that he and the ancient memories he bears can be separated. 

67. Do you have any secrets you've kept from Handler Bridges? 

“I’m not sure. I don’t know how much he knows. He’s alluded to reading my journals, and basically everything is in there”. This month of captivity is by far the longest he’s gone without writing since he started. “Like, I haven’t directly told him that my father’s family is magic, but he’s got to know. Besides, I’m not used to lying. My family could always tell when I did. Bridges isn't a prophet like them, but it's better not to risk it”.

The ask game

[whump-until-wretched]

🌴 🧡 🎂 😥 for riina! :) - @whumpawaydarling

🌴 — does your oc have a green thumb? do they enjoy gardening?

I don’t think she does! She enjoys and appreciates all nature, but growing things is just not her thing. She would probably be a little confused and overwhelmed with all the plants’ individual needs of sun and water and certain types of soil… too much - she’ll love flowers in a vase and some potted plants that she waters in a rush when they begin to turn brown. She’d probably really love a vegetable garden, but doesn’t want to do any of the work :D just pick yummy things. In fact they might have this in the location where she’ll live with her team. Maybe someone else will take care of the growing things part…

🧡 — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends?

Neither comes automatically first just because ”it’s family” or "it's friends". It is "whoever I love and trust." For long that was just her family though - so she prioritized family. But as she gets her team, and more people to care about, and choices are to be made, it becomes questions like "will I do as I'm told or will I do what I feel is right". The answers just happen to start to align with the friends...

🎂 — when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs?

Riina’s birthday is 2nd of February :) She’s 20 at the beginning of the story, but we’ll see her through several years.

Now that birthday would make her an aquarius. I used some website to roughly calculate the rest, she’d be capricorn moon and the rising would seem to depend on the time of birth which I’m not sure of (I think she's a morning child - the first time of day I tried said sagittarius). I don’t know much anything about astrology and what the signs mean, so I don’t know if she fits them. I’m not trying to base anything on them, but it’s cool if they happen to align in some ways!!

No idea about the rest of the things mentioned in the question :(

😥 — is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool?

She gets stressed out pretty easily! More so as her story begins - before she didn’t have many reasons for stress in her life, but as she gets her team and she feels responsible of people’s lives, the stress becomes (understandably) occasionally pretty overwhelming. She manages to hide it with varying results.

[inhurtandincomfort]

23. If your life depended on it, would you betray [Caretaker]?

28. What is the worst case scenario to you, right now?

63. What helps you calm down when you have nightmares?

for eldwin :) - @whumpawaydarling

Thanks for the ask!!!

23. If your life depended on it, would you betray [Caretaker]?

"No," Eldwin says firmly. "Their lives are worth far more than mine. I wouldn't want them to suffer for my sake."

28. What is the worst case scenario to you, right now?

He suddenly looks a little uncomfortable. He inhales deeply, not wanting to answer. "If they handed me over to the government. Or kept me in the lab themselves. Or... if they gave me to Lord Cazriec. I don't think I could cope being with him full time."

63. What helps you calm down when you have nightmares?

He again looks uncomfortable, more awkward than upset. "My cat helps. Her purring as she looks relaxed, helps me know that it's okay, for the moment at least. I also like to work out a bit, go for a run, or... a walk, if I can't run. When at the manor, and I'm not allowed to leave then... I'll probably draw something. Sometimes it's cathartic."

[ask game]

[inhurtandincomfort]

4, 11 and 12 for eldwin :0? - @whumpawaydarling

Thank you! Ask game here

4. How would your character react if they were gifted something handmade?

?? For him? Are you sure?? But that takes so much effort... even if it's low quality, it's still more than buying something cheap from a store, although why are you giving him anything at all...

He'll play it casual with a short "thank you." He can be polite!

He'll secretly treasure it, and you might catch him looking at it with a faint trace of something akin to awe

11. What's the easiest way to annoy your character?

Answered here!

12: What's the easiest way to entertain your character?

Torture some asshole lol. Maybe not easy to do, but easy to entertain him. He revels in suffering he deems 'deserved'. The reasons for "deserving" may vary.

Or you know, he sometimes -particularly in the future- makes deadpan "jokes" about his trauma. He enjoys making people uncomfortable :) Although if he had someone with a similar trauma to join in, that would be great. (*cough* Kev Black Syndicate AU)