Truth Interview Thursday Spotlight - FieryEnd

*Shakes dust off of keyboard*

Hello everyone! After an overlong and underplanned delay, Shua has returned to the one thing about him that people seem to like, his TITS!

This week, we are learning a bit more about one of our longest reigning admins, FieryEnd!

Hey Fiery, welcome to TITS. We’re stoked to have you in the hotseat this week (FieryEnd, Hot. Seat. Get it?). Let’s get started, tell us what you do to make that bread.

I work for Ford Motor Company as a Body Exterior engineer at their Ohio Assembly Plant. In a nutshell, I’d describe my job as problem solving; if the plant has an issue that they can’t immediately figure out, they call me. I also oversee any warranty for vehicles up to 3 months in service since those are the most likely to be plant-controllable and ensure that the root cause is understood and cut off. (I’d like to engineer the exterior of your body…)

Aside from videogames, what hobbies or pastimes do you enjoy?

Hunting and fishing for sure. While I don’t do as much now that I’ve moved away from my parents’ (they had 60 acres), I still love doing both. The other one is reading. I love my books; get me started on LOTR (yes, I’ve read the Silmarillion) or another of my favorite series and I won’t shut up. My genre of choice is fantasy and the two series I’d recommend to others (aside from LOTR) are The Belgariad and Codex Alera. For the latter, imagine Avatar the Last Airbender but with added metal-bending and wood-bending, some great political machinations, and a hidden threat to humanity. (Will you be my new best friend?)

What is a skill you have that you take pride in?

Grammar and spelling I guess, but apart from that, I’ve been told that I am a good listener. I’ve always been the sort that people vent to, idk.

Any fun facts about yourself?

Uhhh… my team went to the regional baseball championship in high school and even though we lost, I was the only person on either team with more than one hit that game, so that’s cool, I guess. I was also one of the “founders” of the clan, if you can really say that anyone other than Witty was truly responsible. But really, I just like to be able to say I was there at the beginning. Now I’m just that irritable person who yells at you if you have the audacity to ping me. (@FieryEnd)

How long have you been playing video games and what are some of your earliest memories with games?

Probably since I was 5, or maybe even before. I remember playing an Atari of some sort and a Sega Genesis, but the true beginning was on the N64. I spent countless hours playing Super Smash Bros, StarFox, and Gauntlet Legends. Some of my best memories come from video games; Pokémon on the GameBoy, Smash Bros Melee on GameCube, Halo on Xbox, Oblivion & Skyrim, and now Destiny.

What are your favorite foods, music, movies, shows, etc.?

Love pizza of course. Steak is a strong contender as well. But I think breakfast food in general is my favorite. I make a mean breakfast crunchwrap.

Music is primarily 80s rock/heavy metal, but there’s a group called Two Steps From Hell that has some fucking phenomenal music.

I don’t watch a lot of TV shows (mostly twitch and anime), but I’d throw ATLA up as possibly my favorite.

I touched on books earlier, and I won’t go into the abyss that is anime/manga; we’d never finish. (I think you could have added maybe one piece more information about your anime/manga preferences)

Is there any special story or significance to your gamertag?

It sounded cool to an edgy 13-year-old. I honestly think it may have been auto generated at this point. My discord tag is a play on my last name and where I went to college.

When did you first start playing Destiny, and can you tell us about what drew you to the game?

I’d heard that Bungie was making a game, and being a big Halo fan, decided to download the beta and give it a try. Been in love ever since.

What is your favorite/primary class? Why?

Warlock has been my main since the beginning. Something about space magic has always resonated with me. (Good answer, Warlocks are best)

Who has the best jump?

If you don’t say warlock, you just need to get good.

If you could remove any one weapon from the game, which one and why?

LeMonarque probably, I hate going against that in PvP. Or maybe eager edge swords so that my team stops murdering me…

If you could design an exotic weapon or armor, what would it be?

I don’t think it would be an exotic, but rather give me the ability to equip exotics in all slots at the same time. How has that not been added to mayhem or something else yet? (You’re a madman. I’m in.)

If you could date any character(s) from Destiny, who and why?

Ana Bray, I guess. She’s cute.

If you could design your own Crucible mode, what would it be?

I generally dislike PvP, so just give me a firing range, since it was taken away. Damn you, Bungie…

What Destiny characters would you ship together that aren’t already?

Does Zavala/Caiatl count since they aren’t together (yet)? (Yes)

Alright, that covers the standard fare, let’s get into that dessert menu and learn more about you.

Would you rather give up the high ground or experience 13-9 again?

Goddamnit, Saylor… I mean, I guess the obvious answer is that we wouldn’t have to experience 13-9 again if we had the high ground, but let’s be real, I don’t EVER want to go through that again. (For those that don’t know, look up the 2007 Backyard Brawl) (oof)

Please provide your definitive ranking of Star Wars movies, Episodes 1-9.

(Best to worst). Personal enjoyment: 3,1,6,5,4,2,7,8,9. Overall rating: 5,3,6,4,1,2,7,8,9. (Interesting, but wrong)

If you could only read one manga for the rest of your life, which is it?

I mean, One Piece may not be over before I die, soooo…. Jokes aside, it would either be One Piece or One Punch Man. Oda’s worldbuilding is just the best I have ever come across in any medium, and Murata’s illustrations are god-tier (plus OPM is just a really fun story). Shoutout to Kaguya-sama and My Dress Up Darling, both are amazing slice of life/rom-com mangas.

Same question, but for watching anime.

Assuming I could skip filler, I’d go with Naruto. I think it’s my favorite anime to this day, mainly because of the music/soundtrack. Honorable mentions to Attack on Titan (hoping for an anime original ending; if you know, you know) and Kaguya-sama (the anime is just so extra lmao). In the other direction, one I would never watch again is Violet Evergarden because I’m a little bitch and I know it would break me lol.

What is your favorite raid in Destiny? Why?

Overall, Last Wish; the raid as a whole is the best mix of mechanics there is, especially Riven (I will immediately lose respect for you if you want to cheese Riven). Favorite boss fight is Aksis p2 though, specifically challenge mode. That’s up there with Riven for the most exhilarating experience in Destiny when done correctly.

If pay, work hours, etc., weren’t an issue, what would be your dream job?

Growing up, the answer would have been playing baseball. I love everything about it, but that has diminished in recent years. Now, I’d say either playing video games, or maybe doing a podcast about books/shows/anime/manga. (I will listen to this podcast.)

Who do you think is the sexiest admin?

Shua and the beard. (*blushes*)

What is the eeriest thing you have ever seen/encountered?

I woke up one night with the feeling of someone standing over me. After finally being able to move, I searched my apartment and found no one. Upon coming back to my room however, one of my dresser drawers was fully open. I rarely go into that drawer, so in addition to having no memory of opening it, I have no reason to think that I would have. So yeah, that creeped me out for a week or two.

Describe what you were like at age ten.

Socially awkward, definitely into video games by then, and big into sports (I played soccer, baseball, and basketball, up til high school).

If you were handed $50,000 in cash and told it had to be used in the next 7 days to take a trip worth writing a book about, where would you go? What would you do?

Either Greece, Spain, or Egypt. For the first and last, I love mythology, so I would do anything and everything related to those areas’ mythology. For Spain, I learned quite a bit of Spanish growing up, both about the language and the culture. I’ve always wanted to take an extended trip to Spain and experience it firsthand.

Who is the best character on How I Met Your Mother? Defend your reasoning.

Never watched.

Pie, crisp, or cobbler? What flavor?

Key lime pie, all day. (Interesting choice, now I need pie)

Which burns hotter, your old living room couch or your ass after Rich Rod left for a real program?

I can’t believe you consider Michigan (or even Arizona) a real program, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re a Pitt fan…. That being said, one of my favorite college memories is watching a flaming dumpster roll down High Street my senior year. (That’s just what they call the WVU football team right?)

What is your dream vehicle?

It was a Bugatti when I was growing up, but now it’s just anything nice that I can actually afford. FeelsBadMan.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I’ve never really thought about this. Two of my top picks would be Roberto Clemente and Pope John Paul II. Growing up, I loved baseball and was raised as a Catholic. Clemente was not only a great athlete, but also an incredible humanitarian; I’d want to talk to him about his experiences in both of those aspects. For the pope, I’d want to hear the story of how he forgave the man who shot him; that kind of act just doesn’t compute with my worthless ass. (Okay, but dead or alive?)

Tell us two truths and two lies about yourself.

I can recite the names of each of the Valar by heart. I believe that pineapple does not belong on pizza. I think that the prequels were unironically good movies. I have read every One Piece chapter to date (1050 right now).

What made you laugh the hardest you’ve ever laughed in your life?

One thing in recent memory that stands out is my first reading of chapter 1045 in One Piece. It was so unexpected and comical that I was just laughing my ass off the whole time. Apart from that, I can’t remember any specific scenario, but there’s always shenanigans going on in our Destiny groups. Shoutout to Waffles, Jonezii, Nova, Slow, Witty, Jack, and Ceph.

Do you have any phobias?

Death. There is something about the unknown, inevitability of death that just frightens me to my core.

Who would win in a fight, you or Pentad?

I’d like to think I would. (inb4 Pentad is like an 8th dan black belt or some shit lol)

Why are you the way that you are?

I had a sheltered upbringing, which naturally made me swing in the complete opposite direction. I have a warped sense of humor and some even weirder friends lol.

If you could wake up tomorrow being a master of a musical instrument and join any band in the world, what instrument would you play for what band?

Guitar. I’d join Ozzy when he split from Black Sabbath so that I could play with Randy Rhoads.

What is your favorite color, and why?

Blue. It’s just the best. Shoutout to hot pink, though. (I’m literally wearing a hot pink polo right now as I edit this up on Wednesday night (on Wednesdays, we wear pink)).

If you were a meal, what would you be?

Ribeye steak.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?

Toss-up between having pretty eyes and being told that I’m a great listener/give good advice.

What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

Buy a house; no lie, that shit’s crazy.

What is the most embarrassing story about yourself that you’re willing to share?

I’m not a very outgoing or sociable person so I don’t really have many embarrassing stories, sorry.

What is your personal theory as to how Banditt lost her hand?

Clearly, she fought the same sea monster that Shanks lost his left arm to, and what a battle that was… (Yarr)

Are you coming to Truth Con the Seattle Clan Meetup?

No :( I have plans to visit relatives in North Carolina around that time. (Just bring them to Seattle)

Is it true that they chose the initials “WVU” because both the state residents and the college students are incapable of writing anything more complex than three similar shapes?

No, it’s because we can’t have more initials than we have teeth remaining. (Fun fact: The toothbrush was invented in West Virginia. If it were anywhere else, it would have been called a teethbrush)

What was harder to accept, dinklebot getting replaced, or the 681 area code?

Not only did I technically live in PA, Morgantown has the 304 area code, so losing dinklebot was definitely the one that hurt most.

Which devil fruit would you choose to eat if you could?

I think I’d have to go with the Op-Op fruit that Law has, although any of the logia fruits would be super cool.

Why is the Dodge Ram the undeniably best choice of pickup truck?

Because who else makes a Shitbox edition? (I do not appreciate you changing the question. We all know Rams suck. Both the trucks and the football team)

Can you list the major landmarks of Ohio?

Shit, Ohio has landmarks? I thought it was just farmland…

Is it true that you’re related to Guy Fieri?

I mean, we are only one letter off. Nothing’s impossible. (So your name really is Goy Fieri?)

If you could have a well-trained exotic pet of any kind, what would it be?

I actually have no clue. Maybe something in the cat family…

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself that we haven’t covered yet?

Just don’t tag me in discord, you might get banned. Or get an emoji reply, idk I’m not your dad. (@FieryEnd)

Fiery, thank you so much for your time! It was a pleasure getting to know you better! See you all next week!