Get To Know A Gamer: Aethera - Ask Me Anything!

[Astra]

Get to Know a Gamer
Red Edition

Hello everyone. This thread is the next installment in a series of threads on a somewhat-weekly basis where we get to know members of the RPGX community by having informal "Ask Me Anything"-type threads. In essence, I am going to post some icebreaker questions to which the subject will reply and then the thread will remain open for Q&A until it isn't fun any more.

Some reminders:

1. All site rules of course still apply (i.e. keep it PG, no dox, etc.)
2. Nobody's obliged to answer any questions they don't want to answer
3. Please keep in mind the risks of sharing info online.
4. It is okay to ask questions in advance; no need to wait for the victim to respond to the opener.

Now without further ado, some opening questions to break the ice!

Questionnaire What are you doing right now? (besides answering this) What do you like about your town? (and where is that?) What do you see when you look in the mirror? What do you see when you look out the window? What's your personal creed/motto? Low-fat, non-fat or regular milk? Pen or pencil? Last-gen or first-gen game consoles? Where would you vacation (if you had enough money)? Sarcastic or ironic? The following shamelessly stolen from the "Inside the Actor's Studio" Questionnaire: What is your favorite word? What is your least favorite word? What turns you on (intellectually speaking, not sexually)? What turns you off? What sound do you love? What sound do you hate? What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? What profession would you not like to participate in? If heaven exists what would you like to hear your supreme being of choice say when you arrive? What is your favorite... ...music style? ...food style? ...color? ...instrument? ...ice-cream flavor? ...furniture piece? ...quote? ...video game? ...magazine? ...moment in a game (either on RPGX or IRL)?

[Aethera]

What are you doing right now? (besides answering this)

I'm working on editing a first draft of a romance novel. (I'm a freelance writer/editor.) It's okay, I guess? Needs a lot of work, but that's the whole reason I'm involved, so I suppose that's good?

What do you like about your town? (and where is that?)

I like the community here in my suburb of Boston, MA. It's not as impressive what with coronavirus keeping us all indoors as much as possible. It's also nice to be city enough to have all sorts of city choices (public transit, among others), but suburb enough to not be packed on top of one another like sardines.

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Mid-30s nerd girl with no fashion sense whatsoever. How detailed do you want to get? 5'11", heavy, brunette, hazel eyes, glasses... I think "nerd girl" pretty much covers it.

What do you see when you look out the window?

A really ugly state building and the puddles on its roof. Some houses beyond, then it's hard to see much else for the trees.

What's your personal creed/motto?

If I had a personal quote, it would probably sound something like a "keep calm and stay crazy" t-shirt.

Low-fat, non-fat or regular milk?

I've always drunk nonfat milk, but I don't drink as much as I used to.

Pen or pencil?

Yes?

Last-gen or first-gen game consoles?

None of the above? Telnet FTW.

Where would you vacation (if you had enough money)?

Somewhere warm and dry—I loathe humidity. Not sure where, I haven't been to many places, so there's all sorts of options.

Sarcastic or ironic?

Yes.

The following shamelessly stolen from the "Inside the Actor's Studio" Questionnaire:

What is your favorite word?

omphaloskepsis \ˌäm(p)-fə-lō-ˈskep-səs\ noun. contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation (Also: NAVEL-GAZING)

What is your least favorite word?

No

What turns you on (intellectually speaking, not sexually)?

Creativity (especially writing), intelligence, music/musical talent

What turns you off?

Idiocy, bigotry, closed-mindedness

What sound do you love?

Music (especially a cappella) that has pitch-perfect harmony gives me ASMR chills.

What sound do you hate?

"Mrew?" (Translation: I just did something really awful but if you're too sound asleep to hear me, you're going to have to get upset with me later.)

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Technically I'm already attempting it... I freelance as a writer and editor, both of which might someday turn into a career but don't count for much at present given the lack of income so far this calendar year. Haven't made much money doing it, but I've already broadened my options quite a bit.

...Unless "bestselling novelist" counts as a different career?

What profession would you not like to participate in?

Pretty much anything that involves paperwork. Bureaucracy kills me. Instant migraine.

If heaven exists what would you like to hear your supreme being of choice say when you arrive?

"Oh good, you made it! Had me worried for a bit, there."

What is your favorite...
...music style?

Folk rock, alt rock, etc. I listen to a lot of music styles.

...food style?

Delicious food.

...color?

Green

...instrument?

The human voice.

...ice-cream flavor?

I have to pick one? I guess I'm really fond of the black raspberry oreo that a local place used to make, but I haven't found it available since they closed. Typically cookies'n'cream or cookie dough are a solid bet.

...furniture piece?

Whatever I'm currently sitting or lying on, pretty much.

...quote?

"Never let school interfere with your education." — Mark Twain

...video game?

None. I'm just not a video gamer.

...magazine?

Explosive Runes. *cough*

...moment in a game (either on RPGX or IRL)?

Oof, hard one. I've had some fun moments in every game I've been in (ever). A lot of them are introduction moments, like when I had my druid show up as a black cat, wander through the party's discussion/meeting, then pop up as a human for the laughs. Just silliness like that. I can say that my World of Darkness games are usually less silly (WoD, Q.E.D.) but no less full of epic moments.

[Rasgorn]

Hi Aethera,

I love visiting Boston. My wife went to Boston College for a year and we always enjoyed going back and visiting friends. There was a great little Chowder House and Pub called Ben Foster's we used to frequent when we came to Boston. It was a bit of a hole in the wall place we ran into to get out of the rain. I remember the beautiful dark wood bar and the thick scent of chowder and baked bread. I don't know if it is still there or not. I haven't been to Boston in more than thirty years. I still compare every chowder I eat to Ben Foster's though and I have yet to find any that match it. Of all those kind of places in Boston, what is your favorite?

[Astra]

If you say you're going to "party wicked hard" does it sound like me saying "potty wicket hat"?

[Wishkamon]

How do you feel about fancy dress and why?

[Imveros]

Fancy, our first red!

How did you become a member of staff?

What's your favorite part of being staff?

What's your least favorite part of being staff?

If you were queen of RPGX for a day, what would be your first proclamation?

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Rasgorn

Of all those kind of places in Boston, what is your favorite?

Chowder favorite is definitely Legal Sea Foods, though the original owners sold the chain in the last decade so I'm not sure it's necessarily as good any more... I haven't been eating out as much and can't really say for sure!

As for hole-in-the-wall good spots in Boston, do you have a year?

Originally Posted by Astra

If you say you're going to "party wicked hard" does it sound like me saying "potty wicket hat"?

Some Bostonians might sound that way, I'm afraid I do not. I always thought that the Boston accent sounds slovenly, and worked to avoid it. Last time I had it pointed out to me, I'd had several drinks, so I might only sound posh till I've had a few, no idea.

Originally Posted by Wishkamon

How do you feel about fancy dress and why?

Fancy dress is... not really my style. I am very much a function over fashion person, but I don't deny that dressing up can be kinda fun. Mostly other people look good in fancy dress occasions.

Originally Posted by Imveros

Fancy, our first red!

How did you become a member of staff?

What's your favorite part of being staff?

What's your least favorite part of being staff?

If you were queen of RPGX for a day, what would be your first proclamation?

Oof, I've got to be the whipping staffer, huh? I guess June marks five years as staff, so I probably deserve it for something or other.

I became a member of staff after running New Player Solo Games and the Short Story Competition for several years, and then I volunteered to help with Outplay and stepped up/pulled hard when the lead red had life happen. I think I pulled my "run Outplay" muscle.

Favorite part of staff is probably the community. I've spent a lot of time getting to know people on the forum and then on the unofficial Discord server over the years.

Least favorite part of being staff is having to be the bad guy when someone's misbehaving. Pretty much as a rule, I've found staffers are friendly until forced to enforce site policy. I don't mind speaking up if there's a problem, but while most of our community is great about "oops, my bad" responses, there's a significant number who lash out, even to the point of making a bigger deal out of something that could've been easily fixed. It's not fun.

Queen of RPGX? I'll have you know I already AM queen of RPGX, you peons just don't know what happens above your pay grade. I've no idea what I'd proclaim, since mostly the site works pretty well for me and my gaming wants and needs. I will think about it, though, because there are so many good things I could do.

[Leviticus]

What's it like being a freelance writer/editor?

Can you share any details about the romance novel you're working on? Sounds interesting!

[Marshmallow]

Originally Posted by Aethera

Queen of RPGX? I'll have you know I already AM queen of RPGX, you peons just don't know what happens above your pay grade.

Regicide it is, then!

[Strangemund]

Aethera, I like food, I imagine you also like food, so what's your favorite meal of all time? And naw, I do not accept 'delicious' as an answer! I want the hard hitting FACTS!

What's your favorite animal? Do you have a cool animal fact to share with the class site?

What's your favorite ttrpg system and why is it Cypher? Just kidding! But seriously, is it Cypher? And if it isn't, what does a lady gotta do to make it so!

And last but certainly not least, who is your favorite writer?

[Wishkamon]

What accessories does the Aethera action figure come with, and what does she say when you pull her chord?

[Unko Talok]

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you most like to be? Assume enough money to maintain your current standard of living, or maybe a tad better, but not insanely wealthy compared to others in the area.

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Leviticus

What's it like being a freelance writer/editor?

Can you share any details about the romance novel you're working on? Sounds interesting!

Freelancing is both awesome and trying. You can choose your contracts and make your own schedule, but you're also on the hook for everything, including drumming up new clients and jobs. Writing is my preferred pastime, but its also nice editing something to clean it up and make it all shiny.

I can't share any details, no... but it was an editing job, so mostly I was cleaning up the draft to make it read better.

Originally Posted by Strangemund

Aethera, I like food, I imagine you also like food, so what's your favorite meal of all time? And naw, I do not accept 'delicious' as an answer! I want the hard hitting FACTS!

What's your favorite animal? Do you have a cool animal fact to share with the class site?

What's your favorite ttrpg system and why is it Cypher? Just kidding! But seriously, is it Cypher? And if it isn't, what does a lady gotta do to make it so!

And last but certainly not least, who is your favorite writer?

Favorite meal of all time is awfully hard, Strangemund!

Favorite animal is definitely feline(s). I'm very much a cat person, and while house cats are awesome, big cats are really my favorite. I love youtube videos of big cats purring (or chuffing, as the case may be), especially when they're loving on their caretakers.

My favorite system is still 13th Age. (Kinda like D&D 4.5e, was an intermediate step made by some of the D&D peeps that influenced 5e.) Significantly less crunch, but plenty of room for creative storytelling. It suits the games I want to play most, namely run of the mill epic fantasy, and it has some wonderful mechanics like Icon Relationship dice, which tie each character to the major factions of the world, and allow for player-driven boosts to the story.

PS - I do like Cypher, and happily play that, but it's not the system I reach for when I want to run a game.

Ack, favorite writer? Like there's a way to choose! I grew up on Anne McCaffrey, Isaac Asimov, and Marion Zimmer Bradley. They're probably still my favorite writers, but I've read a lot of good books.

Originally Posted by Wishkamon

What accessories does the Aethera action figure come with, and what does she say when you pull her chord?

Hmm. The Aethera action figure is a superheroine... RPGX mom by day, bestselling novelist by night. I'd expect she has a pen or quill ('cause yeah, I'd totally handwrite with a quill if it wouldn't kill my hands), journal/notebook, a banhammer, a d20... oh, and can't forget the glasses to pull the Clark Kent move! I think the pullcord would cycle between "The pen is mightier than the sword", "Play nicely, children", and "Ban-happy McWhamBam!" Not the most creative of choices, but they cover a lot of ground.

Originally Posted by Unko Talok

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you most like to be? Assume enough money to maintain your current standard of living, or maybe a tad better, but not insanely wealthy compared to others in the area.

I admit that's a hard choice. As ought to be very obvious at this point, I'm not particularly good at choosing favorite-est anything. I like Western liberties and belief systems, but I object to a lot of different things that have happened in recent years across multiple countries and continents. I might go to Canada, as I have a lot of friends scattered between Toronto and Ottawa.

Without trying to sound unrealistic, I'd like to be able to live off the grid or in an area that allowed for a lesser human footprint. We've joked about an RPGX commune before on the unofficial Discord server, but that wouldn't be far from my ideal. Admittedly, with my health issues, I'd never be able to truly live away from city life, but it's a nice dream.

[Thaco]

How does one become a Godqueen? It it an inherited title? Did you need to vanquish the previous Godqueen/Godking? Did you need to retrieve some archaic weapon from its hidden resting place?

If you were going to be stranded on the proverbial desert island, which five books would you take with you?

Is a hotdog a sandwich?

[Astra]

As an editor, what is your opinion of Dreyer's English?