AMA: Sethera Version

[Sethera 290]

Ask me anything but opinions on members. I won't answer those. I might make a thread for that someday...or I might not. Who knows.

I've stayed away from making these before for a couple of reasons. Namely, not being very well-known, and because of that, there being little to no questions people had to ask me. I doubt anything's changed in that respect, but I've also been told I need to be more open and stuff. It's a new and smaller site too, so there's that. Also, I'm bored. That may or may not be playing a big part here.

[radio414 906]

What can you talk about for hours on end?

[yui 576]

You can do one thing for a living. What thing do you want to do?

[Sethera 290]

I'm not used to having an AMA with all that implies--aka replying right away, so sorry about that. Obviously a sign I've been stuck in the RP corner for far too long.

 

On 2/8/2020 at 12:01 PM, radio414 said:

What can you talk about for hours on end?

Hmm this sounds familiar...

To take a leaf from your book, I could talk about what the subject used to be. It used to be animals and the environment--basically anything to do with wildlife and the preservation of it. I used to be a rather gung-ho environmentalist in my elementary and middle school days, so while other people were talking about card games and sports and the latest happenings in school, I was that one weird kid who wouldn't shut up about the dangers of refrigerants and how we needed to be doing something about rainforests and most governments' disregard for their preservation since rainforests account for over a quarter of the world's natural medicines and oxygen turnover. It really wasn't right that not enough attention was being paid to them, and we all needed to take action somehow. And don't even get me started on coral reefs and coral bleaching...

But I got away from that. It's not that I'm not still concerned about those things, but these kinds of topics aren't something that I, a single kid, could really do anything about. Whenever I opened my mouth, it was as if I was shouting in an empty room. Nobody cared. The only sort of acknowledgment I got was a pat on the head from a few adults with an "Oh my you're so very smart for your age aren't you" and that was it. Nobody had any ideas to contribute either. If I wanted to do anything about it, I was alone. I suppose if this were an anime this would be when I'd rise up and take charge. But that didn't happen for various reasons. I did do some small things like organize a couple of local litter cleanups and make a few speeches in school. But that was it. For all my big dreams, that was all that it was. Dreams. Empty talk from a person with more vision than sense.

Well, looking back on what I've written, I suppose I could still talk about it. Maybe not for hours on end like before though. I've grown weary of a topic that seems to do nothing more than bring me down.

So instead I talk about food!

Food. Food never makes me sad. It makes me happy instead. I say this all the time, but I really wouldn't be able to live without food. Yes, I literally would not be able to live, but I also wouldn't be able to live. It's a simple pleasure, but the sensation of eating the perfectly-prepared meal made with just the right amount of seasoning--not enough to overpower the palate, but just enough to add to the natural flavor of the dish itself... Mmm! Perfect! And haven't you ever watched something where they bring up food and then you want to eat? I did that today. I watched an episode of Pokémon where Ash, May, and Max were starving and had all their food stolen by a Taillow. This was before Brock joined, but when he arrived and the food did come, when they did get to eat, they were so very happy and it made me happy. I was also happy because I was busy eating, but that just adds to my point. Food makes people happy. The only time it doesn't is when it doesn't taste good or you're too full or sick to eat it.

I've gotten to the level where I can identify most of the ingredients in a dish just from look and flavor alone, and I tend to narrate it because I'm just so dang happy about eating it. "I can detect a hint of sherry and cream in this pasta dish...the mushrooms are probably cremini judging from their appearance and they taste just divine as well! The grated parmesan and thyme really top it all off too." Saying stuff like this is good to get a few laughs or weird looks from people, but it's all in good fun because food just makes people happy. I like that. There needs to be more happiness in the world, in my opinion.

Edit: Also, I realized after the fact that I could probably talk about music for hours on end as well, specifically classical and choral singing, as that makes up the majority of my experiences with it, but I decided that that would make an already long reply even longer, so I won't.

 

On 2/8/2020 at 2:57 PM, Yui said:

You can do one thing for a living. What thing do you want to do?

Now, if you read that big long tl;dr thing up above, you would probably think it would be something like a biologist, environmentalist, a chef, or even a food critic. But no. Actually, it's writing. I just really love making stories and stuff. That's actually what I want to do, eventually. I want to be a writer, somebody who can, with a few strokes of the pen, inspire others to action, light up their hearts, send them to tears, and ultimately, walk away from my work with the feeling that they, as a person, have changed from it. For me, personally, writing is one of the most beautiful, influential, and wonderful careers in the world.

Along those lines, I might not mind RPing or running tabletop games for a living. These things are fun, and I tend to go a bit overboard researching and preparing for them, so it's not like I'd have a surplus of time with nothing to do on my hands either. I could also probably do Let's Plays for a living since I like to play video games, and while I might get bored with a single game, there are so many games out there that are being made every year, that I don't think I'd ever run out of games to play. I've actually considered going into Let's Plays, as I have actually done them for friends before. But the world of Twitch and Youtube seems to get more cutthroat and competitive each year, with copyright claims and strikes making it even worse. Maybe it'd be more palatable if I had started back when it was less busy, but now it just seems like more of a hassle than it's worth.

And I don't think I'd be able to RP for a living either. This might sound strange coming from somebody who has RPed in YCM, and then NCM, for a decent amount of years, but every time I make a post, part of me feels guilty. I used to write more before I joined YCM, but that all fell by the wayside. Lack of free time, partially because of school and then work, but also because most of my spare time goes into RPing, means that I barely write anymore. In fact, I can't remember the last time I wrote something. Kind of sad. I recently made an effort to get a bit of both worlds by being less lazy with my RP posts and trying to turn them into good writing instead of just "he said she said they did this they did that." However, I'm having difficulty with that as the point of posts seem to be more like turning a Mel Brooks or Michael Bay scene into written form. So yeah, I'm not having much success there. I feel like someday, something is going to have to give, but until then, I'll be chilling and having fun in the RP corner.

Ultimately, I feel like writing is the one big thing that I want to do for a living. RPing is fun to do, but it's a hobby, and that's all it will ever be for me. Same with tabletops and video games. Writing, however, is a life choice and a career, a path I hope I will eventually be able to walk without having to rely on supplementary income.

 

Kind of went overboard on the word count here but I felt that questions like these deserved a serious answer beyond a sentence or two with a couple of lols thrown in per my usual interactions on this forum. Also, as I said, trying to be more open and all that rot. So yeah.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

[Thar 502]

If you could throw your hat at any Mario enemy to possess them, which one would you be?

[Sethera 290]

On 2/11/2020 at 5:52 PM, Thar said:

If you could throw your hat at any Mario enemy to possess them, which one would you be?

This reminds me that I really need to get farther in Super Mario Odyssey. I pretty much went to the water kingdom place and stopped there. The one right after the desert, which is right after the first kingdom. One day I'll get back to it...one day. OTZ

So yeah, I actually haven't gotten that far, but I have played other Mario games, so...Bowser maybe? I really like Bowser, and think he's kind of hilarious, especially after Sunshine and the handheld RPG games. If bosses don't count, though, then I'd say...either a chain chomp or a boo. Chain chomp because they're basically invincible and also really cool, and boos because I'd also be invincible...kind of. And I'd get to fly around. That sounds pretty cool. Though flying koopas also sound cool.

Actually, no, scratch that. There's another enemy that flies too. Lakitu. You get to fly around on a cloud, and you get to watch Mario and company play tennis, race, and run around...and probably get paid to do it too. And you're usually invincible because of your role unless your role is that of an enemy. So yeah. It sounds not only fun but also safe and lucrative.

So if I get to be a boss, Bowser. If not, Lakitu. And I might choose Lakitu over Bowser anyway because Bowser usually gets beat up in the end.

[radio414 906]

Do you cook? What and how often?

[Sethera 290]

I do actually. I'm pretty decent at it too. My keen sense of taste and ability to follow a recipe coupled with experience watching my father cook gave me a bit of a leg up there. I don't do it too often, though, because I'm naturally lazy, and that generally wins out over my hunger. Some days, though, I feel a sprinkle of ambition, and that's just enough to get me going and cooking. For food, I prefer Italian food over all others. Chinese is good sometimes, I sparingly crave Mexican, and I'm always up for a good old American cheeseburger or macaroni and cheese, but Italian food is what really gets my mouth watering.

So since I don't cook often...when I do cook, it's usually for events like potlucks or just I'm really, really craving a certain thing. Or it's something simple. For a while, I was on a ramen binge, where I'd make tons of ramen, adding in beef broth/soy sauce, chicken/pork/beef, baby bok choi, shiitake mushrooms, minced green onions, eggs, and optionally cheese and mayonnaise. I usually leave out the broth and sauce if I add the last two, though. They're actually really good in ramen, but definitely not the healthiest of options. Ramen is also good with frozen vegetables instead of freshly-prepared ones if you want to be lazy, and also with just an egg if you want to be even lazier. It's amazing how just a little goes a long way there to really add depth to plain old ramen.

I also make a mean chili, if I do say so myself. I generally only make it for the family though and not myself, since it's the kind of thing best eaten with others. One person eating a whole batch of chili is...not the best combination. I generally like to put in plenty of garlic and maybe a bit of pepper to give it a stronger flavor. Most of it cooks out though, so it's never overpowering. I remember going to a chili contest once and the chilis there were all amazing. My father's chili was always really good too, so I've gotten a bit spoiled there. I can't stand eating some of the bland chilis I've had at potlucks or chili in a can. If you make chili, you have to make it right, in my opinion.

Anyway, something I made because I was craving it was a cajun shrimp and sausage stir fry with vegetables. I accidentally picked out the wrong kind of sausage, but it still tasted really good. The only downside is that it's one of those things that has to be eaten right then and there. It doesn't keep very well, unfortunately.

Recently, I made a breakfast casserole with tater tots, eggs, Italian sausage, and of course plenty of cheese over it. That's one thing I love is cheese. I can't get enough of it. If I'm feeling lazy for casseroles though I'll go with the old green bean staple, though I usually only make that in the fall. It's super easy to make and pretty fast compared to a lot of casseroles, so I definitely recommend it if you're looking to get into cooking and don't know where to start. I also made ham, pickle, and cream cheese roll-ups recently, which are a good, fast, no-cook snack.

Normally, though, I'll just be lazy and heat up a TV dinner, canned soup, sandwich, or snack on various things throughout the day. Maybe eat out too. I've snacked a whole lot less recently for various reasons though, which really makes me realize just how much food I normally go through in a day.

Unfortunately, I'm a better baker than I am a cook. I'm not a huge fan of sweets or pastries normally--there are a couple of exceptions. Sugar cookies, cookie dough, and cookies and cream-related items are amazing. I also tried these half-brownies, half-madeleines recently, and they're pretty good. Even better with whipped cream on top though. Strawberry shortcakes are also good, especially if the strawberries are set in a syrupy glaze.

But anyway, I prefer savory to the sweet, so it's a bit troubling that way. I never bake unless it's for others, actually. I've baked bread, cakes, cookies,  cupcakes, muffins, pies, and recently blueberry pie bars, but each time, they've been for other people to enjoy. I've probably baked other stuff too but I can't think of them at the moment. Oh yeah, I've also made krumkake, but that's really simple to make. Oh, and caramel rolls too. Those are good. I actually prefer those to cinnamon rolls, but you have to make them right. Too often, people make it so that it's too soggy on the bottom and too dry on the top, and too much sugar here and not enough sugar there. It's quite frustrating, but if you do it right, then it's well worth it.

tl;dr: I like food.

[LordCowCow 840]

Rank the 5 flavors of food

Sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (savory)

[radio414 906]

Copy/pasting this so to cover all bases...

What's the five RP characters (from YCM or NCM) of yours you feel most attached to? And why; if not too much trouble?
If there's less than 5 you can think of just give the ones you can think of.

[Sethera 290]

Crap, I forgot to reply to this...

On 3/26/2020 at 10:47 PM, LordCowCow said:

Rank the 5 flavors of food

Sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (savory)

Sweet, Sour, Umami, Salty, Bitter

I really love the taste of sweet things, but I can't have too much of it or it gets overwhelming. Also, there are certain sweet things I prefer over other sweet things, like fruit instead of chocolate. Sour things are really good too, especially when combined with sweet things, like in lemonade or orange juice. I also like umami, especially in cheese, and do not grow tired of it like I do sweet things, but it's also a bit more...boring, so my liking for it is not as strong. Salty things are all right, but I don't go out of my way for it. I try to avoid bitter foods when possible.

 

On 7/22/2020 at 10:47 PM, radio414 said:

Copy/pasting this so to cover all bases...

What's the five RP characters (from YCM or NCM) of yours you feel most attached to? And why; if not too much trouble?
If there's less than 5 you can think of just give the ones you can think of.

This reminds me that I need to start up the character archive I made on YCM over here at some point... Anyway, in order from most liked to least of my top five:

1. Catriona Nabudis - Fire Emblem: Curse of the Goddess
2. Noah Evans - 「Emote」
3. Easter - Pokemon Gijinka: The Promised Land
4. Matthias - Lore Online
5. Manami Saito - Aethertouched

Manami Saito is important to me because her character was the first character I used here where I really got into writing more lyrically on this site, amping up the descriptions to give a visceral sensation of herself and her surroundings. It was also the first time that others on YCM acknowledged my writing as good. Usually it was just "good post" or "tl;dr," or "who are you again?" So that was a nice ego boost I suppose, but then I quickly became lazy afterward, though I'm usually lazy when I do posts. Also, I really like her abilities and stuff. Controlling the weather through a magical umbrella just sounds awesome. While she is #5 on my top five list of characters, I still consider her an important character in my history of RPing.

I have a longer description for what I feel about Matthias here, but basically he started the trend for an important process of posting that I still do even now, which is RESEARCH. I knew practically nothing about plants before I made this character, AND YET I MADE HIM ANYWAY. A sweet nerd who loves plants. Why did I do it? Just because, I think. But it ended up working out for me, since he was accepted, and I had a lot of fun writing him. Another important thing was that he really felt like an actual person, and not just a "tsundere but goes gaga for teddy bears. Likes spinach." He wasn't somebody who could easily be summed up into a single sentence--though I just did that earlier--at least not without leaving other parts of his personality out. I think that's important for making characters, is they have to feel like an actual person you might meet in real life. Matthias, as a realistic person, is #4 on my top five list of characters.

Easter is probably one of my more well-known characters, not only because he is in an RP that is still ongoing, but also because he has such a strong and unique personality. Writing him is always a treat. I made him because I wondered why a certain RPer kept making boys who looked like girls, or, excuse the term, "trap" characters, and why others did too sometimes. What was so great about them anyway that they had to go out of their way to make them? The shock factor, or something else? So I decided to make one myself to find out, adding in a dash of sadomasochism and some other bits. I never did find out what was so great about them, but I have found out what was so great about Easter, and part of it, I think, is that his personality doesn't revolve around that shock factor appearance. He has also gone through the most growth out of any of my characters here, purely because he's been in the RP that's lasted the longest. The others never got the chance to spread their wings beyond what the initial character app laid out for them. While my other two characters in the RP have also gone through growth, Easter has arguably gone through the most. For that, he is #3 on my top five favorite characters.

I also have a longer description for my thoughts on Noah Evans here, but I'll discuss him a bit anyway. I like Noah because he resonates with me. He's a cathartic character, made partially as a way for me to face my past and come to terms with it. He ended up being OP, but I never actually got to really use his powers, because the RP died right away. Actually, Aethertouched, the RP Manami was in, was inspired by 「Emote」, but that's beside the point. Kind of sucks that two of my favorite characters were in RPs that the host dropped right away, but that happens. I do wonder what would have become of him had the RP continued... Anyway, Noah is one of the clearest reflections of myself of all my characters. Others have also come close, but he was the first, and for that, he's rather dear to my heart. He's also what started my liking for bears over like, most animals, but that's beside the point. With that, he is #2 on my top five characters.

Now, I'm probably biased because Catriona happens to star in the RP I host, but that's fine. I actually struggled with her character for a while when making her, as I had another idea for her initially, and then I kept redoing the personality, but I'm very happy with what I decided on in the end. Catriona is one of those characters that you might expect to be used purely to push the plot forward, except that she's not. She's a person who struggles to interact with other people, due in part to her upbringing, but also her personality. And she keenly feels the wall that separates her from others, but she has no clue how to go past it. I think that's something that many of us nerds on NCM have dealt with--wanting to get closer to others but unable to. Oftentimes, especially when younger, we don't know why people don't want to be our friends, or why we're excluded, we just know that we are. So we just do the best we can regardless. So we can relate to Catriona in that respect, as well as find humor in her interactions with others, shaking our heads as we recall past experiences. And as the RP has progressed, I think I have shown that more and more, though I struggled with it initially. I did not expect how burdens of hosting would interfere with writing out a character people could see beyond a plot device, but through Catriona, I think I have gotten better at it. And this is why she's #1 on the list. She represents not only the growth of a character, but my growth as a writer who has had to juggle setting the scene and plot with writing out a character who progresses, even if just in small ways, with every post.

This ended up being a bit long, but oh well.

Edited July 24, 2020 by Waluigi

[radio414 906]

1. What got you into RPing?
2. What do you enjoy most about RPing?
3. What question do you want to be asked most here? And what's the answer to it?

[yui 576]

what is your favorite meme from 2010 or earlier?

[Sethera 290]

Not a huge meme fan so I can't really say, but...maybe the "all the things" meme? It's perfect to use when I'm trying to be motivated, and then failing at it.

Edit: Aww, crap, I just realized I missed radio's question. I'll edit this with an answer at some point.

Edited August 11, 2020 by Waluigi