[ACCEPTED] Shenaanigans' *warble License Application

[Shenaanigans]

BYOND Key: Shenaanigans
Character Names: Most of my characters haven't been played in almost a year, but I'll list some of my most notable ones (for any oldies who might remember) along with the ones I've played since coming back.

• Sloane Goldhirsch - Security Officer
• Valeriya Samsara - Head of Personnel
• Aishsa Viswan - Chief Medical Officer
• Najeera Sayisov - Engineer
• Halkikijr Zaydan - Chef
• Mirima Rikhraka - Investigator
• Zeolsa Ezko - Security Officer
• Isarla K'rrimaliik - Bartender

Species you are applying to play: Skrell
What color do you plan on making your first alien character?: Dark purple
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes!

Why do you wish to play this specific race?:
After a long absence from Aurora I was feeling the role play itch again, so I've been looking to ease myself back into playing regularly which involved brushing up on my lore knowledge to see what had changed. I hadn't been too interested in deep diving into the Skrell pages during my first bout of play, but after taking some more time with it I've become much more compelled by the uniqueness of Skrell and their complicated relationship with artificial intelligence. The concept of a telepathic alien race is neat on its own and I'm very interested in exploring how a species who is so much more deeply connected to each other during both their waking and sleeping hours navigates their rather authoritarian culture, expresses themselves to aliens who lack this connection, and goes about day to day life as an amphibious creature in a landwalker's world.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:
So much, honestly. From just a biological standpoint, Skrell have vastly different needs than humans when it comes to environment, nutrition, and social interaction and it can make it rather jarring for them to exist outside of Federation space, which has had centuries of head-start over the other races in producing an advanced society that tends to their every need. Even their lifespan vastly outstrips that of all other species, causing Skrell to adopt an entirely different mindset of what constitutes "long" versus "short" term. A decade is just a brief interlude that can be idled away while they worry about all their big plans fifty years, a hundred years, maybe even centuries in the future. Their exceptionally active Zona Bovaine and resulting psionics could also be considered a major physical difference, but actually has a greater degree of a cultural and social impact on the Skrell than importance as just a neat, natural ability. When entire population centers can be subtly drawn into unified thought by the pull of the Wake-- persisting even when a Skrell drops into the Srom --it only makes sense that the Federation would develop as a more authoritarian government that values adherence to social norms and "good thoughts" that ripple outward to further promote homogeneity. Much less prone to factionalism and infighting than humanity. Their attitude toward artificial intelligence is also particularly unique and, in the interest of cutting off this long paragraph here, can be summarized as a complicated mix of fear and hostility after the tragedy that was Glorsh-Omega.

Character Name: Tiik'Qi Wurlq
Please provide a short backstory for this character:
Born in 2377 on the Skrell capital of Qerrbalak, Tii'Qi was welcomed into the world by the joyous excitement of their parents' four person Quya. The Quya in question had nearly been a member short at the time of Tii'Qi's Aqi'qa as its fourth member, a rather hotheaded Skrell by the name of Xul Gir-Lurq, stood on somewhat tumultuous romantic ground with the other three members orbiting in their stable Qu'Poxii triad. Lu'Poxii to some, uncertain with others, they had drifted in and out of the Quya every few years until the news that an egg had successfully quickened came out and settled their commitment to raising this child alongside the others. Quite fortunately for Tiik'Qi, as Xul was the one that their psionic tether latched onto and bestowed upon the honor of being their Qrri'Myaq.

Tii'Qi's Scuttle Schooling was a generally normal affair for a Skrell born during the reconstruction era and for the first thirty or so years of their life they were barely ever outside the watchful gaze of at least one member of their parents' Quya. The older Skrell handled them like a precious gift-- full of potential that had to be carefully shaped --and despite the black sparks some parenting arguments caused between Xul and the others the group was quite successful in preparing Tii'Qi with the foundational knowledge they would need from their early life. The only hiccup was when the young Skrell was tested for psionic aptitude, both labeling them as a strong Receiver and psionic talent that brought some Qeblak clergy knocking with the intent to recruit them into becoming an acolyte. Xul was immediately opposed, both as a believer in Weishii and defensive Qrri'Myaq not wanting their progeny stolen away so early, though even without that negative response Tii'Qi shied away and seemed not at all interested. So the Quya turned them away and Tii'Qi went on to Reefgarden, formalizing their choice during their Odurserr where they chose to pass over the illuminated sketch of the constellations Xul had gifted them in favor of burning a scale model of a Skrellian scouting ship.

In their first degree at Depth College, Tii'Qi pursued the path of Psy-Neurology: the study of the Zona Bovinae and how psionics and the brain are intertwined. They had always been an eager student, hungry for knowledge on topics that intrigued them, and they performed quite well throughout the decade they spent taking classes, participating in experimental labs, and contributing to papers on the nuances of the Zona Bovinae. Their independence from their parents' Quya began to grow steadily during this time, but their relationship with the older Skrell had always been positive and loving, especially with their Qrri'Myaq. It was after they'd graduated and were seriously considering a second degree that Xul told them that they were leaving Federation space for the Sol system and taking a contract with a branch company of Nanotrasen to consult on the new model of submarine that would soon be employed in Europa's vast seas. The concept of being separated by such vast distance from their Qrri'Myaq made the young Skrell balk and so they quickly pivoted on their plans, instead declaring that they wished to follow off world and join one of the many research teams operating on the moon. And so the two departed.

Plans once again changed once the Skrell arrived on Europa and Tii'Qi began putting out feelers for openings on research vessels. Zeng-Hu was always quick to lock on to news of psionically gifted Skrell in want of a job, and so they immediately presented a cushy, exceedingly well paid offering for a position as a Psionic Navigator. The concept thrilled Tii'Qi's young curiosity for the new and unknown as well as offered exposure to the research expeditions they'd been interested in in the first place which led them to, likewise, immediately accepting.

For years this career made Tii'Qi very happy, despite the inherently claustrophobic environment of a submarine, though they naturally picked up some of the quirks inherent in Europan Skrell such as an affinity for the tarot. They became quite well versed in mapping their own fortunes and basked in the appreciation of the various crews they were placed with for keeping the subs safe in the endless dark water. It was an experience they often shared through Viv-ID-- writing poems about creatures gliding through the dark and relaying their gratitude for the keen psionics that let them keep others safe --which earned them a steadily climbing social credit score that peaked in the low 6s. All these positives were not to last, though.

Closing in on their second decade as a Psionic Navigator, Tii'Qi began to feel a stretch on their psionics. An ache that would ping in their brain when they reached out to the limits of their abilities searching for signatures in the abyss. It was a mild annoyance at first, but began to grow into a more serious issue of persistent headaches, frazzled nerves, difficulty sleeping, and eventually a gradual weakening of their psionics itself. They were going Sea-Blind. They refused to believe it when first given the diagnosis, instead mulishly continuing to navigate for multiple other expeditions, until suddenly it was like the spark in their Zona Bovinae fizzled out and their sensing radius became about as useful as staring out a window into the endless black. Zeng-Hu, meanwhile, had been tracking their diminishing performance for some time and, unsympathetic to anything but results, "suggested" that the Skrell retire. To make matters worse, Tii'Qi had begun venting through Viv-ID about their struggles as the Blindness became worse and their account became flagged for the persistent negativity and "spreading of hysteria" with the claim that one could even lose their psionics. Their social credit peak of low 6 dipped to a valley of the high 4s. Having seen quite enough, Xul intervened on this despairing spiral Tii'Qi had slid into and, in no uncertain terms, declared that they were going home.

The next decade or so was spent recovering among their doting parents who rejoiced at having Tii'Qi back in arm's reach despite the deep melancholy the younger Skrell had fallen into. The persistent headaches and anxiety did begin to abate with time but, unfortunately, their psionics showed no signs of returning to anywhere near their prior strength nor sensitivity, instead settling into a level much more akin to a low affinity listener. They were forced to make peace with the fact that their previous passion was now barred to them and they (mostly through Xul's tough love) accepted that they had to move on and find a new path. This ended up becoming a more skill oriented degree in starship piloting and navigation, since it would at least place them back on the familiar ground of a ship-- just among the stars rather than the seas. They graduated, once again told their parents' Quya goodbye, and left Federation space on a shuttle to intercept the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's new discovery vessel, the SCCV Horizon, where they would serve as a part of the bridge crew navigating the ship into unknown space.

What do you like about this character?: I really love Europa's lore in general so when I saw the tie-in to Skrell with the Psionic Navigators I was immediately compelled to build a character concept around it. What I ended up with is a character who's sort of fallen from grace, unable to rely on the talents they once took for granted, and had to just pick up the pieces and keep on moving through the centuries of life they have left ahead of them. I think it'll make for an interesting dynamic with both other Skrell and Solarians, since Tii'Qi has some more experience with Solarian culture than Skrell who are fresh out of Federation space.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?: I've gotten to the point where trying to slap a number from 1 to 10 down to describe this feels arbitrary, so I'll just say that I'm pretty confident in my ability to both create compelling characters and RP them faithfully according to the lore.

Notes: Tii'Qi is an Axiori Skrell and loosely follows the Weishii faith, though is more into using tarot for spiritual purposes.

Edited December 7, 2022 by WhatsUpBrotendo

[WhatsUpBrotendo]

Hi, nice to see you back on the server!

There's two things I want to point out in the backstory:

• During their coming of age ceremony, the object being burned is what Tii'Qi would have chosen, rather than burning the object that wasn't their choice. The sentence reads that they burned the constellation sketch and chose the model ship. Not an egregious error but I thought I should clarify.
• From the wiki section regarding Qwei'Paqui: "While stargazing is seen as a communal affair, the Qwei’Paqui is seen as more personal since the individual draws their own cards. Sharing any divinations made is still common and tarot readings can be done as a group, but any interpretations that can be made are regarded as a personal matter that should not be assisted with." Fortune telling is not something that's done for this reason.

Other than that the application is great! Your application covers pretty much most of what we'd ask, but I do have some questions about your character and their backstory:

1. What is their SCS right now, as of joining the SCC? Did they manage to improve before they left the Federation?
2. How do they feel about the Federation?
3. How do they feel about Diona and Vaurca? Did they interact with either much before or after moving to Europa?
4. Tii'Qi has some experience with humans thanks to working on Europa. Do they still find working with non-Solarian humans difficult? Do they possibly find it easier? 
5. How does Tii'Qi feel about current events regarding the Federation?

[Shenaanigans]

It's nice to be back! You can never escape the Aurora for long...

13 hours ago, WhatsUpBrotendo said:

Hi, nice to see you back on the server!

There's two things I want to point out in the backstory:

• During their coming of age ceremony, the object being burned is what Tii'Qi would have chosen, rather than burning the object that wasn't their choice. The sentence reads that they burned the constellation sketch and chose the model ship. Not an egregious error but I thought I should clarify.
• From the wiki section regarding Qwei'Paqui: "While stargazing is seen as a communal affair, the Qwei’Paqui is seen as more personal since the individual draws their own cards. Sharing any divinations made is still common and tarot readings can be done as a group, but any interpretations that can be made are regarded as a personal matter that should not be assisted with." Fortune telling is not something that's done for this reason.

I totally misunderstood how the ceremony worked, then. Edited to reflect that. I was also definitely going off of a more human understanding of "tarot reading" so that's likewise been tweaked.

13 hours ago, WhatsUpBrotendo said:

1. What is their SCS right now, as of joining the SCC? Did they manage to improve before they left the Federation?
2. How do they feel about the Federation?
3. How do they feel about Diona and Vaurca? Did they interact with either much before or after moving to Europa?
4. Tii'Qi has some experience with humans thanks to working on Europa. Do they still find working with non-Solarian humans difficult? Do they possibly find it easier? 
5. How does Tii'Qi feel about current events regarding the Federation?

1. A very average 5.5 or so. Their SCS hovered in the low 5s for most of their recovery period, but after successfully graduating with their piloting credentials and cleaning up their social media a bit they managed to boost it to a more comfortable level before leaving.
2. Tii'Qi is definitely not a rebellious type and has always steered clear of those circles, but their Qrri'Myaq always stressed to not take information as the gospel truth without doing their own research and thought first so they have moments of skepticism toward the Federation's more authoritarian practices. They'll just never say any of it publicly and especially not on social media. They're a bit terrified of being flagged again.
3. I'd say they only really interacted with either in passing due to the fact that they spent most of their time in the Federation at Depth College or other schooling. They are intensely curious about all other alien species, though, and would love to get to know a few both on a personal and scientific level.
4. Working with Solarians is a bit easier due to the fact that they picked up a good amount of cultural knowledge on the Solarian jewel worlds while they lived on Europa, but they feel familiar enough with humans in general to manage with any of them. The emotional aspect is still just hard and that won't ever really change.
5. The various bits of marauder activity out in the Traverse were really only something that reached Tii'Qi as news articles and some social media discussion to read over, though it did effectively kill any consideration they were giving to exploring some of the Skrell colonies further from Qerrbalak. They might have sought employment on a Federation vessel out there instead of choosing to leave Federation space entirely otherwise.

[Butterrobber202]

I like this a lot. You display awesome understanding of the lore and clear effort in gathering plenty of information before making your application. The way you handled your character's usage and feelings towards Psionics hit my buttons in all the right places.

Nonetheless, I am here to attack you with an onslaught of questions!

1. Tii'Qi's favorite food? Since you had spent time on Europa, maybe they have a Solarian favorite and a Skrell favorite!

2. Very clever nerfing of a lore-accurate but mechanical infeasible concept with the psionics burnout. Skrell also have a strange connection to piloting ships and navigating the stars, psionics included. This isn't quite a normal question, but do you think this bit of lore would be a good piece to incorporate in your character's story?

3. Tii'Qi has two depth college degrees, putting them at a minimum of 80 years, plus your 30 mention years, has you at around 110 years of age. Placing you firmly in Supernova Age Skrell territory. I'm pretty sure you knew this already, from how you described your Quya's reaction to your birth. That has you born a whopping (approx.) 20 years after first contact with Humanity. That is a really really slim bit of time for Skrell, can you (very briefly) tell me how your Quya felt about first contact and how their attitude may have affected Tii'Qi?

[Shenaanigans]

7 hours ago, Butterrobber202 said:

I like this a lot. You display awesome understanding of the lore and clear effort in gathering plenty of information before making your application. The way you handled your character's usage and feelings towards Psionics hit my buttons in all the right places.

Nonetheless, I am here to attack you with an onslaught of questions!

1. Tii'Qi's favorite food? Since you had spent time on Europa, maybe they have a Solarian favorite and a Skrell favorite!

2. Very clever nerfing of a lore-accurate but mechanical infeasible concept with the psionics burnout. Skrell also have a strange connection to piloting ships and navigating the stars, psionics included. This isn't quite a normal question, but do you think this bit of lore would be a good piece to incorporate in your character's story?

3. Tii'Qi has two depth college degrees, putting them at a minimum of 80 years, plus your 30 mention years, has you at around 110 years of age. Placing you firmly in Supernova Age Skrell territory. I'm pretty sure you knew this already, from how you described your Quya's reaction to your birth. That has you born a whopping (approx.) 20 years after first contact with Humanity. That is a really really slim bit of time for Skrell, can you (very briefly) tell me how your Quya felt about first contact and how their attitude may have affected Tii'Qi?

Thank you! Writing this out definitely involved a LOT of flipping between all the different Skrell pages to make sure I was spelling various terms right and getting all the little details right hah. But on to the questions.

1. They've loved candied Neaera eyes since they were a tadpole and were very glum about how much harder it was to get their hands on those outside of the Federation, so i's become a treasured treat that they're always thrilled to get to have. They've also had some hits and misses with trying lots of different Solarian foods-- spicy hurts ow --but they're a big fan of various fried, sweet things like funnel cakes and doughnuts.
2. The loss of their psionic abilities is something that Tii'Qi is still rather sore about, even about a decade later, but getting back behind the helm of a ship has helped them settle some of the longing they've felt for their old profession. They might have to rely on technological sensors to confidently navigate rather than psionics yet they've felt some of that old, childhood curiosity re-igniting at the prospect of ranging out into the stars to discover new things and meet all the fascinating alien species out there. It still sucks though and they often feel envious of psionically gifted Skrell who enjoy what they've lost.
3. I can only imagine that the whole Federation was bursting with excitement after the discovery of humanity and that would've been something all four members of the Quya felt. Xul is really the only one of the four I've fleshed out personality wise, but as an aerospace engineer they were likely well involved in some of the technological exchanges that occurred. I'd say they also visited Solarian space before Tii'Qi was born which is what led them into setting up some professional contacts there and eventually returning with their child in tow. Tii'Qi was definitely raised on stories about what living among humans was like and had a childhood dream of one day visiting.

[WhatsUpBrotendo]

[ACCEPTED]