Zephyr Praise
Today we take a look at the Person Behind Zephyr Praise. Originally serving on the USS Intrepid as a Science Officer, Praise has jumped around ships with her Primary PC joining the USS Avenger and serving with distinction, before she transferred over to the USS Pegasus for her promotion to Chief Science Officer. After that she joined the USS Dauntless (lateral transfer from the Pegasus) for a brief time before she was drawn back to the remaining crew of the Avenger, relocated to the USS Gettysburg. Each of the ships she has served on she has been an exemplar officer as well as writer.
The 2017-Award-Queen Zephyr Praise has been around both fleets in many forms. Creating characters of varying personalities such as: the harsh Lieutenant Amelia ‘Blue’ Tirian, sensible Lieutenant (JG) Xyillia Cross, logical V’saillia Crystillin, and still more to come! Lieutenant Commander Zephyr Praise also plays the roles of: the former AI Eden Roth, Phaedra Weiss, and lastly Newt Blackford! Additionally to all this she also is Wiki Manager, a site GM, and finally one of the three Starbase Bravo Revival team members.
Seeing how embedded she is on the site is envious, and so I have cornered her to do an Out of Character interview, to meet the real Zephyr Praise!
Name, Sex, Location
My name is Christi, I’m female, and Live in Texas
When did you join Fed-Space? Why were you drawn to it?
I think it was 2013. I joined in August of 2013. I wasn’t actually drawn to it. I was brought to it. My friend, Tim, who used to write Ethan Harkness and I had met on another site where we wrote together. The site got shut down and he told me about Fedspace. I’ve always loved trek and scifi has always been this love for me but I was CERTAIN I would be terrible at writing it. Because, I don’t know technobabble anything, and I didn’t think I could play anyone really all that well. But, I had wanted to find somewhere to write with my friend and agreed to give it a shot. It took a little while for me to figure things out and warm up. I write fast and post fast, and it was hard for me, at first, to wait for replies and things like that. Once I found my ‘ship home’ I .. found a place to belong and after that, I just.. got INTO it and found out that I loved trek more than I ever thought I would and I’ve learned a lot along the way and my love for trek has just really.. Blossomed.
It seems you fit in well, creating several more characters throughout your time here. But could you give us some insight into developing your Primary PC: Zephyr Praise?
Ohhh Zephyr. I didn’t know what kind of character to make, remember; not sure I could even write trek. So I went simple. Someone that was happy and warm and loving. Someone that made friends easily and was so .. open hearted. I wanted someone that was easy to write, someone that was bright and the kind that could reach people. Zeph started out rocky, just because I had to find that right spot, the spot where she could just.. flourish. That happened to be the Gettysburg. Once I transferred there and she got to actually develop I was able to really get into the heart of who Zephyr is. She wants to help everyone, she loves friends and people, she’s steel at the core but she is such a warm person. I like to think she’s quite a lot like me, I put a lot of myself into her, actually. She laughs easy and loves the world. She doesn’t believe anyone is ever truly lost. She believes that everyone can be a friend, and I think her biggest fear is probably being alone. Then, when Ethan took his leave, Zeph too on this whole.. different form. She was always quick to cry and soft and wore her heart on her sleeve. She still has so many of those elements but now it’s coupled with a great deal of new found confidence and a spine that doesn’t bend so easily. She’s still Zephyr at the heart, but she’s become this .. force to be reckoned with.
You went from a fun loving, easy-going, open hearted character to a much different character with your Alternate Character ‘Blue’ Tiran, how do you go developing her?
Hahahaha Blue. Blue .. is a beast. I love her. She surprises me so much more than anyone else. I have so many characters but it’s Blue that surprises me the most. Blue is steel and iron and curse words, she subsists on sugar and energy drinks. She’s a force of nature. But at her core.. for those that look past it.. can find the wounded girl that she hides very well through all her overbearing attitude. I think ultimately Blue has a chip on her shoulder; really more chip than shoulder. Developing her has been VERY difficult. Very few aren’t run off by her blunt and brash nature, she tends to push everyone away, it’s a defense mechanism. She has massive abandonment issues. So while I’ve been writing her for close to four years now, she’s just NOW getting the development that she needs, and I’m loving it because it’s finally Blue’s time to shine, and it’s fantastic. Finding those little moments that surprisingly rock her to the core or piss her off or make her spine straighten. It’s fun watching this ‘life’ you create take it’s own shape and form. I love writing Blue she’s so fun and freeing.
You do have a lot of characters! But with all your NPCs and such there are no registered male characters. Do you find it harder to play the opposite sex? Or do you have another reason?
I honestly thought I would be terrible at it. I’m not a guy, .. and while I think that some guys write good girls (though only a SELECT few) I wasn’t sure that I could handle a male character. But then, when I joined the Ozaki, during mission they asked if I would pick up a Temp NPC. So I looked at their impressive list and picked out PO1 Newton Blackford, and just gave it a shot. He was a temp, I couldn’t mess him up too bad right?! Turns out I did all right, and ended up getting him assigned to me as a permanent Temp LOL. I’ve REALLY enjoyed diving into Blackford and all that he is, he’s been a lot of fun, that I didn’t think he would be.
Now lets talk a little about Christi! What do you do outside of Federation Space?
Well I’m a mom, first and foremost to two children. My son, 7 and my daughter, 2. They’re what keeps me busy, I’d write a book if I had the time! Haha. I do write, in my spare time, when I’m not on fedspace and other rp sites. I read books, and watch TV. Major Korean Drama addict, they’re my bread and butter. I run my own small business. It’s veryyyy small but it does enough that I can do special things with the kids when my son is out of school and we can just enjoy ourselves without things having to come out of the regular budget. I sew. I make quilts and shirts and personalized items all together. I am constantly on the move. It seems like I sit around posting all day but I usually pop on, write a couple, and pop off to go do some real stuff. I’m married for 14 years, to a great husband which enables me to stay home and do my little business and raise my kids without having to miss out at work. I’m quite lucky. We hunt, shoot, go on day trips. Little fun stuff as a family. My weekends are usually pretty packed.
As a family do you watch or talk about Star Trek, or is it a personal endeavour?
Oh no, my husband and I are avid Next Gen fans. I can’t stand Voyager, I’ve tried, but I can’t. I love TOS because it’s so corny it’s hilarious. And I love the new movies, though my husband is not a fan. My son doesn’t really much care for Star Trek he’s much more Star Wars and Doctor Who.. so He watches some of my loves with me Haha.
What got you into Trek in the first place?
When I was younger, my dad and I watched it together. We were the Sci-Fi family members. We would lay on the floor in the living room and watch the Next Gen every night. That started it, then I’d catch the occasional episode here and there, got back into it pretty hard back when I joined the site and actually started to know what the people on screen were talking about! Haha.
Now that you are really into it: if you could bring one piece of technology from the Star Trek Universe into real life what would it be?
The Replicator, for damn sure. If I could dereplicate laundry and replicate food .. man that would be AMAZING! Want a cookie? Replicate that sucker? Kids hungry? Go replicate kiddo. Oh you want the new cool Lego set (my son is a LEGO nut) go replicate! Have it dereplicate your mess when you’re done! It would be badass!
If you could not just have a piece of technology but visit a planet in the Trek Universe which planet would it be and why?
Oh that’s a toughie, hmmm. I think I’d love to visit Betazed. They did that one episode in TNG where Troi and Riker went to Betazed and I always wanted to see more of it.
Now, if you could pick not a piece of tech, nor a planet, but a person: which character would you most like to meet in real life?
Hmmm character, I think I’d love to have a chat with Picard. I’ve always liked his character, and I think he has a lot of depth. And he’s a damn sexy man. LOL
If you were assigned your own Command what type of ship, and what would its name be? Who would you want under your command? Name three!
Okay.. I think I would want to command a Science Cruiser, how fun would it be to be the first on the scene. Going into places that no man had before. Getting to experiment and take samples. Do testing. Save worlds, find worlds, find aliens, and be out there exploring, researching, developing the world around space. Who would I want under my command….. Well a mix of show and site characters: Geordi, Acenvar Crystillin; because he and Zeph make the best team, annnnnd Worf!
Now, do you only roleplay on Federation Space or do you have more characters elsewhere?
Oh no, I have characters all over the place. 2 on a Supernatural RP forum were I write a were lion and a witch, (not the show, just like weres and what not, 1 on a starwars site, 1 on a site where I play a were dragon, and one more multi-universe shake up. So I write a lot, luckily those other sites are slower so it’s a as needed basis.
What is your favourite part of the site? People? Places? Tech? Roles? Ships?
Oh that’s not a fair question, my friend. All of the above? I love the people, I’ve made GREAT friends here, many of whom I talk to every day. I love stretching my creativity and I adore missions. I’m a romantic at heart so of course relationships are something that I really enjoy writing but it’s not a must. I just love writing, and it’s a place where other people love writing too. I Love reading threads and enjoy the reactions of people that interact with my girls have its.. just a delight.
If you could make any mission happen or sitewide plot take place what would it be?
I would actually like to do a mission where we discover a planet, a race. They aren’t in danger.. they’re just new, and a whole diplomatic mission. Maybe they have issues and Starfleet helps them solve but without the pew pew action and tons of deaths. Something much more ‘trek’ than phaser fights and evil aliens.
Now, during one of these Diplomatic missions what part would you like to be apart of?
Botanical and Cultural research, I think it would be crazy amazing to dive into an alien race and get to the heart of them. To discover new plants, new life, new everything. It would be so fun.
Now if Blue and not Praise was on this mission, how do you think that would play out?
Ahahaha, well Blue.. it would depend. I think if they were technologically advanced or had some kind of tech she had never seen before she’d dive in head first and people would probably have to drag her away. She doesn’t make the best impressions so.. probably best she keeps her mouth shut, though she’s made a friend on the LAST mission she went on so apparently pigs DO fly.
Do you personally believe that Aliens exists within our galaxy?
I think in all the vastness of space, that we cannot be the only beings out there that have the perfect placement with the perfect sun, that creates the perfect atmosphere for intelligent life. So yeah.. plus… scifi fan.. so.. yeah definitely
If these aliens were to visit Earth now-a-day, what do you think would happen?
I don’t think most of society is ready. I think we’d have to up our space game, I think there would be mass panic, and depending on good or bad would change a lot of things. I watch a lot of Doctor Who so… they could already BE here! And we wouldn’t know. LOL
If you and allllll of your characters were in a room together how do you think it would be?
Mayhem. Blackford would sit back and watch all the ladies. Zephyr would try to make friends with everyone. Blue would tell everyone to get fucked. Illia would think it was illogical for everyone to be fighting over nothing. Xylia would be trying to make peace and calm everyone down. Phae would be ready to take someone down at the first chance and probably sitting with Blackford watching the mayhem, and Eden would be prepped with the med kit for when Blue lost her shit.
Of all your positions on the site which do you believe is the most important?
Hmmm, you like the hard questions. I guess the Mission Writing? I mean without well written missions the GMs would have nothing to do, and the wiki would have nothing to update, the characters would have no missions, and the site would not flow the way that it does. So, I guess that’s the most important. Though Department Head is up there. I like to write with as many new characters as I can because even if they aren’t on my ship I want them to feel welcomed out of the Academy if at all possible. Even if it’s just a coffee shop thread.
And finally: if you were President for a Day what would you do to improve the Site?
I would like to tackle how the accounts are created on the site, how long that takes, streamline the whole registration to Ship process if possible? I’d like to actually be given the chance to work on it. And at least try.
Thank you to Christi for answering the 20Qs! Are you interested in being our next 20Q feature? Contact Lieutenant Commander Teyioa’Rannoch at boone.nathaniel@gmail.com.