D's Character Q&A, Part III

Part I / Part II 

Hey all! The voting for the poll came in, and about 36% of you voted for D! Just about edged out X by 1 vote haha. There were also a few questions sent in that will be answered for this Q&A as well - one specific submission only wrote down a question for R so I'll save that for when it's R's turn ✨

Do you wish the Crown had been found sooner?
"Of course I do. Both for [their] own protection, and for the good of Arsur. Perhaps if the Crown was found sooner, then [their] parents would still be alive, and [name] would have the answers they so desperately seek now." 

What kind of animal would you say you most resemble?
"A rhino. They're large and have tough hides." 

What would other people say, do you think?
"Xelara/Xelef would probably say something idiotic, like a giraffe because of my height. Azad/Ashti and Rozerîn/Rêzan would, hopefully, would have more apt comparisons."

What would be your ideal vacation?
"I don't need a vacation." 

Okay, but IF you were to go on vacation-
"I would not go on a vacation." 

Gun to your head, ideal vacation, now.
"...A day at the beach? I don't know what people do on vacations. See my family?"

What was your favorite subject as a child?
"Weapon training. I enjoyed learning how to wield a spear, especially, though I've found maces to be quite effective as well with my height and build. Swordplay was also a pleasure to learn."

What about theoretical subjects?
"It would be either history of geography. Far beyond Arsur's, as well; there is a vast world out there with a wealth of knowledge to offer. We can learn much from other cultures and their histories, in order to strengthen our own."

Would you ever want to travel outside of Arsur?
"I wouldn't mind it, but it's not a desire of mine. I prefer staying close to home; I always have." 

So, which place brings you the most joy or peace? Is it home?
"Home, of course. Back in Penawar." 

How do you deal with being away from home so often with the Imperial Army?
"I remind myself of my purpose. Naturally, anyone would get homesick after a certain point, but there wasn't much of a choice. In the absence of the Crown, someone had to guard the country. Now that the Crown has arrived, it will afford me more leave to go back to visit my family."

When was the last time you saw your parents?
"More than a year ago, now. We regularly exchange letters, but I should like to visit them soon. But perhaps it's better that I haven't had an urgent reason to visit yet - that means the region has been safe and stable in my absence." 

Can you describe your ideal first courtship meeting (read as the Arsurian equivalent of 'date')?
"I don't have an ideal of it in my head; preconceived notions and fantasies tend to close your mind to possibilities you might not have considered otherwise. Ideally, all I can say is that I hope we both enjoy our time together, regardless of where it may lead. I am already satisfied if I'm able to spend time together with someone whose company cheers me." 

Imagine you finish your courtship with someone and you decide to promise yourselves to each other. What kind of token would you want to receive from your promised one?
"It would have to be something small, something I can easily carry with me without it getting in the way during a fight. Preferably, I would like a necklace. I could wear it beneath my armor, and not worry about losing it or having it damaged." 

When you promise yourself to someone, your magic connects through your tokens. Would you being peri-born influence it in any way, or does it work the same?
"It... could. After my mother and my parent promised themselves to each other, my mother actually found flowering vines growing out of her left wrist one day--her forearm is covered by it, now. An effect of sharing my parent's peri magic. For my promised one, it probably wouldn't be as strong since I'm not a peri, but something similar might happen on a smaller scale. I hope they won't mind it." 

Do peris have a similar custom for promising themselves to each other? How do they mark committed relationships?
"The peris in Penawar do, since their customs and that of humans have often blended together since ancient times--in fact, the aspect of magic connection is one that originated from peri custom, originally, before it spread through human communities. 

"The peris in Rojan still adhere to original peri customs. It is more extreme: their very lives are bound together. If one of them is hurt, or killed, the other suffers the same fate. This is only possible for them since peris lack physical bodies; they are made entirely of magic. I don't think it could be recreated with humans."

If it could be recreated, would you want to do it?
"Of course not. To have my beloved die, because I died? What a selfish notion. I would want them to live on and find happiness. Even if they were hurt because I was hurt, I could never forgive myself for it."

---

That was it for this month!!

Until next time 💖