TD Strider

**Gavin "TD" Strider**, also known by his Pesterchum handle **tacentTimore**, is one of the main eight humans in Ripoffstuck, and the first Alpha to be both foreshadowed, and later introduced. He is described as being pale-skinned with light brown hair, having a frail build, and a tired but panicked air. He is one of the main brains of the group, and usually takes the role of primary interpersonal problem solver.

As the first player to reach the god tiers thanks to time shenanigans, he often functions as a(n overly enthusiastic) guide to the others during the course of the game.

TD's web browser of choice is Hephaestus (reflecting his denizen), and his associated classical element is water.

## Biography

### Childhood

* Rescued and raised by GCAT
* Alone for first nine years of his life
	+ Only met Milal at nine when GCAT teleported him to the compound while they were playing
* Was desperate for a guardian's love
* Would rewatch Dave's video messages to "him" (Actually meant for Dirk) to feel like he was loved.
* Eventually became completely submissive to the Condescension
	+ Adopted certain troll customs such as the romance system
* More or less begins to platonically auspitice between Milal and the Condescension
* Sets up fourth wall windows between his house and Milal's
* Meets Yurix and Mich online
* Spends 2-3 years (15-17) building his first and only fully functional robot
* Eventually develops an unrequited pale crush on Milal, because Milal thinks troll romance is stupid
* Gifts Milal Dave's rocket board at some point

(Order of events not entirely correct)

### Pre-Entry

* Realises Milal is a completely draining presence but refuses to acknowledge it due to intense loneliness and sense of responsibility
* Awaits another care package from the Condescension
* Uses the window travel system to visit Mikey
* ???
* Is put to sleep by Condy's ♏ ability
* ???
* Enters the game as Mikey's server and Yurix's client

### Sburb

* Enters into LOSAA
* Meets his future god tier self while on the roof of his house
* Is given a rundown of the game
* Meets a traumatised Alternate Future TD while he and Future TD are talking
	+ AFTD prototypes himself to become TDsprite
* ???
* TDsprite talks about what happened in his timeline
	+ Sticks went mad and killed almost everyone, Mich went to fight her, Condy killed them both, Mich came back due to a god tier ability, Condy killed him again
* ???
* TDsprite spritesplodes before the fight with the Condescension so she can't use her ♏♉ ability to control him
	+ TD promises to meet him in the bubbles and merge
* ???
* Joins the other Alphas in the battle against the Condescension
	+ Wins the battle
* Goes to sleep to meet TDsprite in the dream bubbles
* Merges with his ghost as promised
* Wakes up as Dovetier
* Prepares to enter new world

(Order of events not entirely correct)

### Post-Victory

* Names the planet after a croissant
* Designs and creates his race with the other players
* Breeds the first generation of Nautili through both combined god powers and ectobiology
* Agrees to leave CN behind to care for the world due to carapacians not aging (hc)
* Takes everyone forward in time a few thousand years to let the planet develop
* Reunites with CN and the new world
* Becomes a benevolent god preaching wisdom and understanding
* Becomes a key part in the Draconian hatching ritual
* Lives happily ever after

## Personality and Traits

* Aggressively paranoid
* Highly anxious
* Cautious
* Perceptive
* Wise
* Understanding
* Cowardly
* Submissive / Passive
* Honest
* Altruism / self preservation conflict
* Psychoanalyst
* Often misses jokes
* Tolerant
* Gentle
* Sassy
* Serious

TD is a highly intelligent young man, who prefers resolving conflict with words rather than war.

TD Strider carries a core theme of "Altruism vs Self-Preservation"

TD is an honest character, perhaps brutally so. He values the truth highly, and would rather people be honest with their opinions than lie to protect his feelings.

TD frequently struggles with hypersensitive hearing and chronic nightmares, the latter of which are said to be unrelated to Skaia's prophetic clouds.

Surprisingly, TD has adopted various aspects of troll culture due to growing up under The Condescension's reign. He will sometimes refer to Nostradamus as his lusus, though rarely, and has even gone so far as to adopt the troll romance system, sans kismesistude. His favoured quadrants are pale and ashen, most likely due to his trait as a natural mediator.

## Relationships

### The Condescension

* Completely submissive to
* Doesn't dare defy her will
* Obedient out of fear (and maybe some desperation to be loved by a guardian-like figure)
* Is favoured by, and gets the best supplies from Condy's 'care' packages

### Brobot

* Artificial guardian and magnum opus
* Built out of desperation for a guardian's love
* Somewhat possessive over, particularly regarding Mikey
	+ Feels Mikey is trying to take the only guardian figure he has away from him
	+ Resents that Mikey has an entire community / slum, but still wants more (aka Brobot)

Brobot, also referred to as Dave in some cases, is TD's **magnum opus in the engineering arts.**

### Sticks Lalonde

* Moirail and platonic soulmate
	+ Is the pacifying partner to Sticks' aggressive role (The Nepeta to her Equius)
* Shares secrets and insecurities
* Helped TD realise a pale relationship with Mikey would have been toxic
* Brightened his life and anxiety

Though his relationship with Sticks Lalonde is new, she is easily his closest and most trusted friend.

### Mikey Lalonde

* Goes from good relationship, to bad relationship, to good relationship
* Often feels Mikey takes advantage of him and ignores his advice
* Carries harsh resentment for Mikey's attitude to Brobot
* Irritated that Mikey is so disrespectful to someone who could easily destroy them
* Feels obligated to be his friend since they're the last two humans alive
* Did not trust him to be his server player.
* Eventually makes up with him before the fight with the Condescension

## Trivia

* TD Strider was made by Taceas.
* His text hex code is #3372BB
	+ Coincidently, both he and Yurix Crocker have one anothers' primary colours as their secondaries.
* TD has both photophobia (an oversensitivity to light) and hyperacusis (hypersensitive hearing), making him intolerant to bright lights and loud sounds (the latter in particular).
* He is the only character to use a fanmade class

## See Also

* TD's house
* TD's room
* TD's outfits