#and tells kids from 7-12 that violence is the answer to intolerance

[awakefor48hours]

“All the fights in Steven Universe were so boring. They all end with talk no justu.” Tell me you didn’t understand Steven Universe, without telling me you didn’t understand Steven Universe

[hystericballad]

Super detailed questions about your OC

Back at it again for round two!  I took this post here and, instead of reblogging it, decided to just answer all the questions.  A lot of these are very personal, and not only will you not find these elsewhere on my blog-- not even in the about page-- but they likely won’t be touched on again.  Some of these aspects of him are things he does not, and will not share with others. 

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything? Soleil Medara is his full name, though it wasn’t always so.  His original surname was Jeauvaine.  His new one, Medara, was simply crafted by himself on the fly, a mess of syllables that sounded pleasing to his ear.  Most of the reason he changed his surname was to make himself harder to find, but that wasn’t all.  Truly, he was simply enamoured by the idea of a new identity, though he liked his given name enough not to change it.

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them? Yes!  Granted, most of his titles are self-styled.  Skysinger is what he’s known as by his closest friends, a memoir to his battle alongside Guydelot, Sanson, and Mogta in the Sea of Clouds.  

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory? In short, no.  However, there came a point where it kind of clicked in his head that he didn’t have to live that way forever, and he ran away from home.  He was about twelve or so?  He was young, and he doesn’t well mark the passage of years.  Essentially, his family business was carpentry, and his father was rather hard on him.  A perfectionist as his own father was, yet Soleil was a highly imaginative child with little interest in the material world.  His ambitions lie amongst the stars, much to his father’s constant frustration.  Every day was a battle in which neither of them won.

One day, the struggle reached its climax.  His father was drunk, his mood entirely ruined as their shop had been robbed that day.  The sight of his son reading a book was enough to send him into an inconsolable fit of rage, and he ended up beating him savagely with a switch that had been fashioned out of anger and the hope that the simple act of its creation would quell the aggression within.  Soleil was bruised all over, but the worst of the damage was on his back where the switch cut deepest.  He was unable to move for days, but when he finally could, he left and never looked back, taking only his father’s prized bow.

He ran for days and days until he collapsed from hunger and exhaustion.  His unlikely saviour was a chocobo who was oddly concerned and alone, a saddle already in place but no rider to be found.  In the saddle was both food and drink, which Soleil partook of without complaint or care.  The two were fast friends, and from the moment of their meeting, became inseperable.  This chocobo, he named Randy.

He ended up selling the bow he carried, finding the idea of food to be much more compelling than the idea of self-defense.  After all, he reasoned, if he starved there would be nothing there to assault, anyway.  It was fortunate he knew the worth of the weapon in his possession, for its simple yet elegant design belied a sturdy pull that even the truest of aims could appreciate.  The money he received from it was enough to see him through several moons on a careful and strict diet.

Eventually, he happened across a tin whistle in the woods.  The instrument was in decent enough shape, all things considered.  He chalked it up to fate and began practicing, day in and day out, until he felt his skill was decent enough to perform.  Then, perform he did at the next town he came across, striding into the tavern with confidence enough for every soul in the house.  The buzz lulled and he launched right into his song-- this song, to be exact-- and though he danced and played, though plenty of men and women hollered and stomped and clapped along, there was one soul who seemed most unimpressed.  A bard by the name of Iris Ivy stood after Soleil’s performance, bowed to him, and thoroughly outplayed him with the violin, her instrument of choice.

Rather than upset, however, he was completely awed.  He would later come to learn that it was her passion, less her skill, that had him so humbled.  She called him “Little Firefly,” as rather than the roaring pyre he fancied himself, he was but a bug drawn to the light.  She promised him, however, that his aspirations would ignite, and she gave him her favourite lute, bidding him care for it more soundly than his own life.  That night stuck with him forever, and though their paths crossed several times after that, he always felt that she was still above him.

4. What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents? His relationship with his father was strained at best, and downright explosive at its worst.  They got into many arguments, often calling each other nasty names.  However, only once was physical violence ever involved.  Now, his father was an alcoholic and there were always questions as to whether the drink was responsible for the man’s intolerance, or if he simply was so hard of heart.

Soleil’s mother was very passive; after a time, she simply stopped interceding.  She couldn’t stand the fights, but she realized she often only made things worse by attempting to stem the flow of yelling.  Even on that horrible night, she had hoped that by not saying anything, it would lead to the punishment being less severe.  But oh, how she cried, and she regretted forevermore the act of not opening her mouth.  She always comforted her son after their arguments, but after that night, she could not be convinced to leave his side until he snuck away while she was asleep.  He didn’t resent her, but nor did he love her. 5. Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults? Nope!  No siblings.

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate? He didn’t receive any formal education, though he likely would have enjoyed it.

7. Did they have lots of friends as a child? Did they keep any of their childhood friends into adulthood? He made friends out of as many people as he could, a trait that remains with him to this day.  However, he has thoroughly evaded everyone he knew before he ran away from home.

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals? He has always adored animals.  His family had an old hunting dog who he loved, the dog aptly being named Chase.  The closest thing he has to a pet now is a coblyn larva he cares for, who he has named Beryl.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals? For the most part, certainly!  He has his own charm that naturally draws in people and creatures alike.

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect? He loves kids.  He loves the mystified, wide-eyed wonder of a child being introduced to something new and amazing.  And of course, the kids love him, too!  He often returns to Gridania to gather children for storytelling, both for the sake of entertaining them, and in hopes that Gridania’s next generation blooms with less prejudice and hatred.  He’s a little afraid of the idea of being a parent, but he would eventually warm up to it.  He just doesn’t want to be anything like his own parents were, and all too often he hears tales of sons growing up to become their fathers.  But he truly would be a good parent.  He’s already so good with children, and he has strong parental instincts.  He understands the importance of letting people grow at their own pace and in their own way, and that people cannot be placed in boxes and expected to thrive.

11. Do they have any special diet requirements? Are they a vegetarian? Vegan? Have any allergies? Sort of-- he has mild nut allergies, but that won’t stop him from eating them.  He likes them.

12. What is their favourite food? He loves food, period.  There is almost nothing he doesn’t enjoy eating.  Lately, however, he has acquired a taste for loaghtan meat, particularly Loaghtan Cordon Bleu.

13. What is their least favourite food? He definitely doesn’t appreciate over-seasoned or over-sauced food.

14. Do they have any specific memories of food/a restaurant/meal? Oh, glory, yes.  He vividly remembers most meals taken in the company of others.  He cherishes such moments as sacred.

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking? No, no.  He’s awful at cooking.  His food is just edible, and this is only because he’s spent so much time on his own that he learned how to make subpar taste alright over time.

16. Do they collect anything? What do they do with it? Where do they keep it? Nope!

17. Do they like to take photos? What do they like to take photos of? Selfies? What do they do with their photos?

18. What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films, video games and anything else Fantasy, romance, and adventure are his favourite of everything.  A thrilling story with an engaging protagonist and a charming love interest are all he needs to be satisfied.

19. What’s their least favourite genres? He doesn’t much care for terribly unhappy endings.  Bittersweet is okay, but a bleak and hopeless ending doesn’t sit well with him.  He doesn’t understand why anyone would want to tell a tale that ends in absolute tragedy when real life could be so cruel.

20. Do they like musicals? Music in general? What do they do when they’re favourite song comes?

YES.

And as for what he does, isn’t it obvious?  He sings, he dances, he makes merry and life goes on.

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper? He’s ridiculously patient.  One must wonder if there is an impatient bone in his body.  To make him angry, you would have to do something truly irredeemable, such as commit a massacre, trap, or torture people.  He’s rather sensitive to the topics of freedom, after all.

22. What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back? insults.... lol..... he doesn’t.

23. Do they have a good memory? Short term or long term? Are they good with names? Or faces? His memory for things he cares about is precise.  His attention to detail is acute and uncanny.  However, if he doesn’t deem something important, it flows away effortlessly.  He has little to no memory for directions, for instance; he’s convinced he will arrive when he is meant to, whether he knows the way or not.  He remembers both names and faces very well, and in fact, will usually come up with new nicknames for people, often animal-based.  He will remember small things about people, as well, such as the expression that first crosses their face when they see a full moon, or the tone of voice they first use when receiving a gift, or what colour they look to first.

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress? What’s a sleeping pattern?  Sleep is not his friend, unfortunately.  He’s plagued by too many thoughts to fall asleep easily, and when he finally does, he’s likely to be seized by nightmares.  He does snore lightly, and he prefers soft bedding-- not that he often has the choice.

25. What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves? He has a good sense of humour, and can find the humour in almost anything.  Now, he thinks he’s funny, but he often talks in riddles that others don’t understand.  Much of the meaning behind his wordplay and jokes are lost on others, and more often than not, if they find him funny, it’s his mannerism rather than what he actually says.

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions?  He talks a lot.  He talks even more when he’s happy.  He sings often, dances often, and more often than all of these combined, plays his instruments.  One can expect, more often than not, that his words will be accented with gentle strumming.

27. What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like they are sad? He tries so hard to hide his sadness.  It’s an intimate affair if he shows you his tears.  He truly does not cry often; only alone, and only briefly.  He isn’t afraid to cry, but he doesn’t like to dwell on the things that make him sad.  To him, there isn’t enough time in the world to indulge in anything unenjoyable for too long, and no one finds sadness to be fun.

28. What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared? His greatest fear at this point is a fear of regrets.  He doesn’t want to be the one who doesn’t do or say something, only to lose his chance forever.  Even if it’s something that sounds unpleasant, just to say he did is enough.  He’s convinced that even if he makes a mistake, as long as he acted from the heart, there won’t be anything to regret.

He has a minor fear of small, dark places.  Nothing too bad, but it makes him uncomfortable if he can’t see the sky. 29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective? He’ll never, ever tease for fears.  However, he won’t prod them about it.  If they want to take steps to overcome them, he will help.  If they want to ignore it, then he will not talk about it.

30. Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they act like pre-work out and post-work out? Not for the sake of it!  He rarely sits still, however.  He’s fit enough without having to put a lot of extra effort in, simply because of his lifestyle.

31. Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing? He drinks sometimes, but rarely.  He has a pretty decent alcohol tolerance, so he doesn’t get drunk or hungover easily.  When he gets drunk, he gets quiet and distant.  His sadness is much more apparent, though he’s still unlikely to talk about it.

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like? Oh, boy.  Well, in short, he’s a mess.  His clothing tends to be a splash of colours centered around green, and his hair is often a mess.

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties? He likes all underwear as long as it isn’t too tight.  He also likes no underwear.  Anything goes.

34. What is their body type? How tall are they? Do they like their body? HE IS SO TALL!!!  Very tall, very lean, but he’s got those archer arms.  Muscles.  He does, in fact, love his body.  The one thing he takes issue with has been all but erased.  Scars from the night his father beat him still linger, and with the first of his performance money, he had a tree tattooed onto his back with sweeping branches to cover the marks.  Now, they’re much harder to see, as they blend right in with the art.

35. What’s their guilty pleasure? What is their totally unguilty pleasure? Guilty pleasure?  As if he has any guilt LOL.  I have no idea what to list here.  Truly.

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing? CAN HE?  That’s all this boy does.  He sings, he dances, he plays, and often it’s all three at once.  Now, he is good at carpentry.  Contrary to the way his father treated him, he retained most, if not all of what he studied, on top of his natural talent.  But glory, he hates working with wood.  The sawdust only brings back bad memories for him now.

37. Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or non fiction? He likes reading, though he doesn’t make any big hobby out of it.  He can read relatively quickly.  He IS poetry.  He prefers fiction because why read about the real world when you could just live it?

38. What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had? Passion, above all, is his favourite trait.  It doesn’t matter what the person is passionate about, he feels it.  He could even admire Charibert to some extent.  Beyond talent, beyond skill, beyond ability, he admires desire above all.

39. Do they like letters? Or prefer emails/messaging? Yes!

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert? It’s not his favourite thing.  He prefers just water, when it comes to drinks.

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship? boy.... 

He actually doesn’t have a preference.  This one is blind to gender, race, age-- everything when it comes to it.  He can and will convince himself he is in love with almost anyone, at any time.  The ensuing heartbreak is only part of the thrill.  He thinks that kind of pain is worth living for.  Again, passion is the surefire way to draw him in.  If you’re doing what you love, or if you love what you’re doing, he will soundly offer you his heart posthaste.  Also, as for bodies-- so long as you’re not rotting, I suppose?  :D

He needs touch and compassion out of a relationship.  He really won’t live well with someone who ignores him or needs a ton of space.  He’s a very affectionate thing and will take every opportunity to show it.  He does not like to be stifled in that regard.  Now, I’m not saying he can’t handle ANY distance.  On the contrary, even he likes some alone time.  But definitely, don’t be afraid to share physical contact.  He needs it.  Hug him often, lean against him, even just a hand on a shoulder now and then.

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition? He really just wants to make others happy.  That’s his first and foremost goal.  To that end, he has many other little goals to accompany it, each tailored to nearly every person he meets.  A desire for each person.

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people? Glory, yes.  He’s very nearly the personification of Oschon, and as such, he very fervently believes in him.

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most? He likes autumn.  The symbolism is strong in many ways, and he also loves the atmosphere of the late harvests and changing colours.  He’s pretty okay in both cold and heat, and can just barely tolerate the cold more.  He will complain about the cold, but it doesn’t bother him as much as he would have one believe.

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves? Well, others often see him as odd.  He comes off as odd.  He’s overly cheerful and speaks in long-winded riddles, which can often confuse or unnerve others.  Once he sees that it doesn’t fly very well with them, he’ll likely tone down his theatrics.  He is capable of holding a normal conversation, and is more likely to do so with those he is comfortable with.  

He is endlessly friendly and willing to adapt to others, so there’s little reason for others not to see him in a positive light.  This has always come naturally, but often, it’s still a conscious effort.

46. Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves? Well, as stated above, he comes on terribly strong.  He has a large personality and, when it comes to meeting new people, he struggles to hold himself in check.  It cannot be said that this is inaccurate, either.  He is what he is.

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event? It isn’t his favourite thing, but he’ll do it.  He can focus enough to present himself as more or less “normal” in such occasions.  Once, he was hired as an assassin.  The mission operated out of a formal event, and he was able to fit in perfectly.

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend? He loves parties!  Parties of any kind.  His attitude changes with the atmosphere, but you can expect that he will adore the lighter-hearted events.

dragged along.  LOL.  he’s the one doing the dragging.

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them? Now, he doesn’t place a lot of importance on objects, but he has a pendant he refuses to remove.  He is known to play with it absently.  He had stolen it from his mother to sell when he ran away, but had never been able to bring himself to do so.  He doesn’t understand why.

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?  Aha!  Whichever of his instruments he could fit, food, and water.  Perhaps an extra dagger or two, if he feels the need.  Really, the only things he keeps around are his instruments.  He doesn’t even carry clothing with him.  He expects to find what he needs in the world around him.