#hes actually selfless to his own detriment sometimes even as he tries to help others. but maybe thats why he makes such a good wol

[the-smallest-lizard-in-eorzea]

I guess I should start putting things out there about my wol and actually talk about them since it's been a bit difficult to draw things.

So this is my Warrior of Light OC, Lux Lumiux. He's a Raen Au'ra man standing at an astounding 4 feet tall. Not only is he short by auri men standards, but even his own mother is some few inches taller than he is. He's got dark skin and light colored hair that I've made blonde, but I've considered recently to possibly recolor it to a light teal type color. Regardless, though by the end of shb for plot reasons, his hair goes completely white, and his horns and scales are also irreversibly altered.

Although Lux's most noticeable trait is his lack of height, he's also selectively mute. He almost never speaks not even if someone's really close with him, and at best the most, you'll hear from him is laughter or a guttural growl. Although he's a white mage and considering how usually there's an incantation used for spellcasting to work in ffxiv, I've taken to altering it that he doesn't so much utter incantations but hum them as though they were a song. Well, at least that's when he's healing, the few offensive spells, while some he can similar hum they're more of a hiss or cry than anything, resembling a melody. While he may not talk verbally, he does on occasion use sign language if he actually has a message to get across but that's not often as Lux is a rather passive person and doesn't really ever have much to say anyhow. Yet at the same time, he's also rather expressive, so it's relatively easy to read how he's feeling based on his expression and body language alone sometimes that and he can always easily answer a yes or no question with a simple nod or shake of his head.

Small side note: he's also got impeccably neat handwriting that's really easy to read.

Lux is originally from Othard, and some years before ARR was brought to Aldenard by his father, but due to several bad things that seemingly happened all at once he was cast out into the seas and by the grace of hydealyn surfaced off the shores of Gridania bordering Ul'dah. He wound up taking residence in Gridania until eventually enlisting in the adventurers guild after a few confusing dreams that seemed to take place in the endless liminal blue of the aetherial sea. Little did he know what all those dreams would lead to.

Dreams are also an odd quirk of Lux's that came with his connection to hydealyn. While sleeping, he can connect to others' dreams and subsequently invite them into his. For a while, though, he mainly only ever saw the memories or dreams/nightmares of others, but as time went on, he unintentionally began pulling others into his nightmares. Although this ability is fairly limited as often, it's hard to remember dreams and nightmares once you've woken up and because of the lack of worldly logic it's hard to really know who's dreams he's witnessing, especially since he's bound to the logic of one's dreams too so anything bad or good that happens in the dream he cannot change or alter. Similarly so the same holds true to those that get pulled into his dreams.

[captainstarburst]

hey can you tell me more about captain starburst. I think he's really cool hehehe

YES ID LOVE TO. i made a big post about him here a little bit ago, but i always love the opportunity to infodump so i will try my best to give a full summary of aaaalllll his stuff. under the cut of course. warning for some body horror? esque stuff because i talked about his weird body

SO starting off i'm actually gonna talk a bit about nix, because starburst is an AU of him. nix is a god from a place called the purpose, and his story has a few similar themes to starb's. they both have a lot of focus on guilt after hurting others. nix, as opposed to starb, is a lot more aloof and at times abrasive, while starburst is overly cutesy and joyful. nix is a god that was forced into a "hero" position (more of a villain in the broader scope of things, but told what he was doing was for the greater good) while starburst has dedicated his life to heroism. they both started in a similar place, but diverged, with nix turning towards more selfish goals and starb forcing himself to be nothing but selfless. i should probably make some kind of big summary post for nix too at some point since i feel like people know less about him even though hes like, the first one, but that's besides the point.

he comes from a universe called superverse, which is a collaborative setting between me and a bunch of friends. it's basically just Supheroes With Capitalism, most heroes are there for show and entertainment exclusively, even if that's at the detriment of those in surrounding. specifically, he was made by a company called AMOEBA, who makes furries and sells them as tools, or otherwise less than people. they grow them in tubes LOL. starburst was made to be handed off to.. i just say The Government there isnt really anything specified there because i dont know government stuff. but they wanted to use him destructively, just to do whatever for their gain. cartoonishly evil american government you know. he was their first project, and quite literally an explosive failure. when he was born he exploded the entire building he was made in. his body's kind of fucked up and so are his powers!

in terms of his biology, the most notable thing about that part of him is that.. his body's full of a SUPER strong acid, and that's used almost exclusively to? destroy his own organs. if theres too many. because his body ALSO regenerates his organs, and like, makes multiple of them. that's why he has two hearts! it doesn't happen all the time, but sometimes he just gets a new organ. and if he has too many his body gets rid of some extra ones! it doesn't hurt him, but i imagine it probably feels.... weird. but that's why he has two hearts!

all of his powers are emotion based, and EXTREMELY volatile. when he's feeling any kind of strong emotion, including positive ones, and doesn't have it in check, he's at risk of just.. generally being way too strong, leaving holes in things or breaking stuff he grabs, he generates warmth in states like that and if it comes to too much of a head he will quite literally explode. he can also create stars, big or small, think like.. the variety of sizes that plates come in. when he's in control of his emotions, the stars are round and glow a warm yellow, and when he's not, they're pointed and sharp and more of a gray/white. when he's excited he also tends to have little glowing floating stars appear around him! he also has slow falling and healing powers, both that he has to be calm and focused to use. for specifically his healing, he has to make a wish to use it (like wishing on a star).

he was on his own for a while after he came out of the tube, wandering aimlessly before eventually becoming enraptured by the idea of heroism and helping people. he didn't really understand that heroes were just for show, and that influenced how he went about his career later down the line.. but early on, any time he tried to help people, it just ended in fire or explosions or some sort of harm coming to other people. he has a lot of guilt and repressed feelings because of this, and it took him a long time to learn to control his powers.

i use him in roleplays with my friends, and i ALSO use nix in those roleplays. the reason he was able to control his powers was because of nix helping him learn, and the two getting closer and eventually dating. he has a lot of partners and a lot of his story beats around him meeting these people he ends up caring so much about and helping them, and in turn learning more about himself.

i go over this in the post i linked above so i'll try to be brief, but along with him learning to control his powers, the first big thing that skyrockets him into being a known hero is when AMOEBA comes after him. they kidnap people, get him to come back to them, he ends up stabbing the guy in charge in self defense trying to free those people, and eventually does get out with them. AMOEBA is never punished for this, but they do leave starburst alone after that.

before he was a recognized hero, though, he met another AMOEBA creation, russian roulette. they WERE successfully used as a government weapon, and mistreated greatly. they captured starburst at one point, then they both broke out, and then they got too scared of being close to someone and they ran away from him. they were recaptured and promptly punished, and with nowhere to turn their anger at the situation, they started blaming him for what happened to them. for a long while the two had a really long running thing of getting into fights or chases or whatever but russian roulette never actually having it in them to hurt him. eventually they both get trapped together and still they refuse to kill him, which leads to them eventually talking it out and both of them agreeing they don't really want things to change, but they don't want to actually fight anymore. they're also something like partners?? but not exactly. its complicated and starburst has a lot of strange relationships with people where he just doesn't mind them being weird or trying to hurt him in the past hes a weird little guy LOL

a similar thing happens to him with another hero, villian spectasy (his hero name is hocus pocus.) villian comes from wealth due to his father being semi-famous, and is a little bit.. too self centered for his own good. the two enter into a business partnership after handling a fight well together, that kind of just ends up as villian turning starburst into his sidekick.. while the two also get into a romantic relationship. eventually they get into a disagreement publicly, culminating in starb telling villian he doesn't want to be his sidekick anymore. villian's whole thing is him kind of learning to be a better person, and i didn't wanna just like.. leave him stranded after doing a bad thing, and i also like him, so he and starb don't break up. starburst really wants to see him become a better guy, and villian really wants to be better because of that. and eventually he'll learn to be better for just. the sake of it. i think it's sweet.

and FINALLY, i will talk about tesla and scelestic. both are owned by my friend @apotheoseity!! scelestic is a villain organization, one of the bosses there (TISM) turns people with powers into tools and what have you. not a good explanation ask him more about it LOL. but starb gets kidnapped by them, mostly so TISM can harvest the aforementioned acid in his body and turn it into.. weird acid grenades. that's not the important part though, while he's there he meets teslacoil! who is tism's adopted snake son. the two get REALLY gay really fast, despite.. the kidnapping? and the evil surgery, and all the villainy stuff? starb just gets googoo gaga about him. it culminates in starburst getting kicked out of being kidnapped for being too gay LMAO. but the two kept in contact and eventually got married! they're the perfect couple, despite how beautifully strange they are. starb also eventually ends up reconciling with TISM after he marries tesla, and now he's just TISM's weird son in law.

i wanted to focus on specific story beats with characters and plots, and thus the timeline for this is kind of incorrect. the actual order of events is more like this: early starburst stuff, before he meets much of anyone -> he meets russian roulette and they're together for a bit before they run off -> he gets with nix -> AMOEBA comes back for him and he solves that whole thing -> he gets kidnapped by scelestic and meets tesla -> he and tesla get married -> he and villian have their whole thing -> he and rouls reconcile

he also has some other connections i didn't touch on- his adopted son is @apotheoseity's maya, and he's also a father figure to @pbjpuppy's flicker. he's also dating his motorcycle (it's name is the star strider), a big slime guy named glumby (from another plot with villian), and @pbjpuppy's vinny!

and very important hes ME! hes a representation of a lot of stuff to me, and also just... literally a representation of me, i represent myself as him more often than not (and nix, he just tends to be the cuter of the two i guess?) he carries a lot of guilt with him, and in general pushes himself to be something that's soft and cute and nice for others, and disregards a lot of his own feelings. he does almost nothing but work, and even if his work is exclusively helping others, he still does nothing but doing things for other people and not himself. and that's really important to me. i imagine in the future he'll grow into better habits, but right now his flaws are very meaningful to me.

this is SO SO long im sorry. theres so much to this guy and theres so much to. everything i write and all my characters. but if you read it all THANK YOU!! i don't usually talk this in depth about my characters, and it can feel a little vulnerable to do so, but i want them to be enjoyed to their fullest. and thank you for asking about him it means so much to me that people wanna know more about my stuff!!!

[smolstarthief]

Persona 5/Persona 5 Strikers: Pro-Police or Anti-Police?

Hoo boy... So this honestly has been a LONG time coming on my end because I have seen so much of that debate on social media (Twitter namely) and I can see the points of BOTH sides but there have been moments where it just got out of hand... Especially whenever people tried to put in a more grey/nuanced take only to be slammed and taken out of context. Even repeatedly mentioning the interrogation at the beginning of P5 which, I will admit has gotten tiresome. At least for me, I do still feel for Joker and I wished the game acknowledged his trauma more but there's a thing called, "beating a dead horse" and this is one along with "Haru says ACAB" in Strikers (which was done THREE TIMES in the same arc and it got annoying fast, like shut up already! We get it!). So, let's dive in a little bit:

MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!!!

Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal

Now let me just say I know! Police in Japan are just as bad if not worse than the West and I STILL hate the idea of Makoto wanting to become a cop for such naive reasons (especially with what happened to Sae, her own sister!)... But there are at least some of form of nuances sometimes and by that I mean, I can see what they were trying to do? I do agree that P5/P5S backpedaled SEVERELY by deciding to sweep issues under the rug after addressing them and not continuing from such. In fact I feel like it could have been a hell of a lot better. But P5 did something different compared to previous games and addresses the issues DIRECTLY right at the beginning of said game! It was tense and horrifying, but needed. Of course... They then sweep it under the rug and act like nothing traumatic happened to our protag which is NOT a good look at all and I'm still pissed off about it. In the main game's case, it's portrayed as more black and white with only a SMALL amount of nuance like that cop that was trying to help Futaba when she went out by herself and got lost (which people ignore entirely by the way). So I CAN see where people got the "anti-police" message from... But that's only the tip of the iceberg as it's ACTUALLY more about Systematic Corruption, not exactly or JUST police corruption. Namely in politics with Shido and the Conspiracy (which is apparently still somewhat around in Strikers until Owada's downfall) controlling everything all the way to law enforcement. The force had been basically under his payroll (including the corrupt SIU Director before his death) whether by force or not (mostly not in this case though). Now honestly, the police depicted there are undoubtedly rotten to the core save for a VERY SMALL handful (the cop that was trying to help Futaba which, again, gets ignored by several). Look at the interrogators who ruthlessly beat and drug a minor without any second thought or remorse for example. But again, the black and white narrative the game kept unwittingly doing ended up being to its detriment in a way. I'm not defending those assholes AT ALL! They deserved every punishment given to them! But for a game that goes on about grey morality... It doesn't quite deliver on that. Still though, it does emphasize that it's more of the fault of the whole corrupt system, not just one part of it. There needs to be change and reform which is what our MCs were trying to do in a way (more like inspiring change but still). In the end, it's all about the following:

Corruption and abuse of power.

Again the police depicted in this game were incompetent at best, corrupt at worse with very few silver linings. But it's not just them but rather the one person responsible for the whole mess. Who had them under his payroll? Who controlled them and by extension all of Tokyo? Who was willing to dispose of anyone who "outlives their usefulness" or is perceived as a threat to what he wants (including his own family)?

SHIDO AND BY EXTENSION THE CONSPIRACY

Bottom line: They are definitely a problem but it's not just them.

"But, Joker and his trauma?"

I definitely understand that and still do. I fully believe he has and still has trauma with the police. Easy! But... I do feel like people go too far with it sometimes. It's hard to explain but there have been moments where people either use it as a justification/argument against someone trying to provide a more nuanced view of things or... Dare I say, depict him like a "uwu soft traumatized boi." Like I said, it's hard to explain on my end so feel free to ignore it. Everyone deals with trauma differently so there is STRONG chance that I'm overanalyzing it. I just remember moments where I just feel a little, I guess annoyed? I'm not sure exactly but final thing: I understand what he went through and I can't imagine how long it would take to recover but I hope he DOES overcome it.

"Sae? Akechi?"

Yep, even though their jobs are different, they are by and large members of law enforcement no matter how you spin it. Both were broken in a way. Akechi is pretty easy to explain with how Shido negatively impacted his life but not much about Sae, who dealt with sexism/misogyny at her workplace along with the trauma of her father's (also a cop) death. She no doubt had some idealism only to be hit with the fact that she's gonna have to use underhanded/downright illegal tactics to get by and even rise up the ranks. She, therefore ended up (well, nearly) corrupted herself before coming to her senses. That's honestly one of the BIGGEST REASONS why I felt like Makoto joining the force to become a police commissioner isn't a good, even a downright naïve, idea. I honestly would have been somewhat fine with it if it weren't for that fact among other things. Regardless of her willpower, it will go south fast.

Now... Onto Strikers!

Persona 5 Strikers

Since the game came out and I started playing it, I still feel like the system is still beyond saving, especially when attempting to do it from the inside. But I don't mind the added nuances that P5 didn't do much of. It's still continuing the critiques, just shows more of what does happen within said system and even has an ACTUAL officer (Zenkichi) say, "Yeah, my job sucks, everyone's corrupt, there are much better ways to do things and make a change but not this. I'm only staying because I have a daughter to take care of and it's all I know. I'm no different from them." Was it all handled well? I wouldn't say "yes" (Joker's trauma is BARELY addressed at all of course) but a little better than what P5's narrative did which only addressed the issues but not exactly follow up on them. Now to be fair... In the system, regardless of where you live, any one within it who remotely tries to do something or speak against it either lose their jobs or even go "missing" irl. Those have happened and it's more proof that yeah, it's rotten to the core. There's no denying it but regardless, that's NOT what the game is about at all. At least that's what I feel about it as it's only PART of the narrative. I think Zenkichi puts it best here:

Speaking of Zenkichi... Oh boy... Now I definitely understand some of the criticisms with him but honestly, he was the best written (PT) character I've ever encountered! He was honestly the perfect representation of those that genuinely want to help and do good, only to be held back by an extremely harsh reality. It was already hinted at with Sae but here? It 100 percent confirms just how harsh and even cutthroat it can be if it could break someone's idealism so badly. Even Kaburagi of all people thinks the same thing Zenkichi said:

Then there's his past and it's a tragic one! But let's look more at the decisions he ended up making:

While it was no doubt done to protect his daughter, he ended making a selfish decision along with a selfless one (which was brilliant!) with not only allowing the cover up of his wife's death and denying justice for her, but also ruining an innocent person and their family's lives.

It's horrible, but also... There's a grey area/nuance as with the rest of his character. It was both understandable, but also wrong as he, as Akane's Shadow puts it:

He sacrificed his values, his morals, all for the sake of having a peace of mind. Speaking of Akane, she's also an interesting case in a way that she more or less perfectly represents the more "black and white" views on justice in general. Namely the more toxic/biased kind. Her reasons are also understandable but she was also acting selfishly by only focusing on how SHE was effected by Aoi's death and not even considering those that were also grieving her death and/or that people grieve/handle grief differently than her. But back on topic.

Her own views and beliefs that law enforcement basically SHOULD be dismantled (mostly out of said childish bias and black & white views) and it's framed as WRONG and it's very much correct on that. Chaos and order are two sides of the same coin, one can't exist without the other. When I say ACAB, I'm calling for reform, defund, have the corrupt held accountable for EVERYTHING and even face jail time for their crimes! Defund the police, have the ones that arrest, harm, and even murder out of bias (race, gender, etc.), lose their badges/jobs and locked up, make improvements! It's saying that there IS still corruption out there and there's no denying it. But fully eliminating the law in general will just lead to more problems. Now granted, she's young and clearly doesn't fully understand why those views are ultimately wrong but still... It was a very interesting subject to tackle and I feel like they handled it well.

Now back to Zenkichi, he was at first in denial about his decisions ultimately being the wrong ones too and even tries to justify it. Of course, his Shadow said otherwise and that was when he finally admitted that he really did act no different from the criminals he despised. But it also doesn't mean he can't redeem himself and that's what ultimately leads to his new resolve:

That right there along with everything else! There's the nuance! And ultimately despite some hiccups, Strikers handled the grey morality and nuance beautifully! Especially regarding law enforcement! Dare I say, even better than the base game! It continues the critiques with no problem but also showing different sides and areas of it! There is good and evil, but what about in-between? What about the more greyer area? It still says that there IS corruption, sometimes even beyond saving but... Sometimes a small silver lining is hidden somewhere.

Now, the ultimate question:

Is P5 & P5S (namely the latter) Pro-Police or Anti-Police?

Personally, my answer is this: Neither.

Why? What theme do they both have in common?

JUSTICE

Someone puts it best on Twitter that the games are more pro-justice and I fully agree!

P5/P5S gives the idea about following your OWN justice, your OWN moral code and rules, paving your OWN path and not let others dictate it! That's what the MCs ultimately start to learn in both games. Therefore it's pro-justice. Again, do I agree that the system is beyond saving? Yeah. Do I at least acknowledge and understand what the narratives are trying to say and nuances regardless even if I don't agree with some writing decisions (ex: Makoto wanting to become a commissioner despite everything)? Also yes. But at the same time, don't judge a book by its cover for other people (not just law enforcement and politics mind you). Especially some that genuinely DO want to help at best. That there is nuance and greyness, just have to look closely. Some of the MCs are still TERRIBLY written and executed (even annoying) but the message was still somewhat there.

Final Thoughts

Now I fully understand how you all feel of course! I still believe in ACAB and even I agree that maybe I'm one to talk and have a lot more to learn about the world... This is just my own attempt at putting my own two cents in. If you disagree, that's fine! This is just what I've felt should be at least talked about more often. And I tried to phrase it as best as I can without coming off as insensitive or ignorant and if I did, I sincerely apologize for that! I'm not trying to say, come off as a "bootlicker" or any of the sort. I'm just trying show discuss more of the grey areas and nuances that are, more often than not, constantly overlooked. How one interprets both games is ultimately up to them. You, the player. And this is my own interpretation. Simple as that. I hope you all have a good day/afternoon/evening!

[mecomptane]

Blew up my old laptop so I’m trying to recover things from it. (Okay, a slight exaggeration. Maybe.) Apparently I decided to write Star Wars fic at some point? It’s here for posterity, definitely no beta, can’t guarantee the quality. So, the usual. (Pretty sure this was also a 3am sort of thing.)

-

Yoda has been Grand Master of the Jedi Order for going on five centuries, alive for nearly nine, and still, sometimes, feels like he's barely one.

It's few and far between, admittedly--history doesn't exactly repeat, no, but the motivations of sapient beings don't particularly change, and once you understand why people make the choices they do, then you can generally guess what any person or group might do in response. It's not flawless and has failed him before, but between lived experience, his strength in the Force, and the Republic having little changed, overall, he's usually right. Or at least, unsurprised.

The Councilors call him unflappable, the Masters and Knights steadfast, and the Padawans and Initiates whisper that he is Ancient and Omniscient.

Yoda, mostly, calls himself tired.

This is a song and dance he knows well, has all but memorized the steps to. Padawans become Knights become Masters and find an Initiate to teach and mentor and raise, the closest they will ever be to children of blood being children of their hearts. Years--in some cases, a decade or more--will weave the two into a knot of compassion and knowledge and reliance (but never attachment), and with the Trials the Master shears their Padawan's braid and the Padawan shears the rope that had once bound them so tightly, and the two walk away, together but inherently separate, to live their lives as sole individuals connected only by the gossamer web and weave of the Force, as all living things do.

Countless have come and gone, all with slightly different steps or rhythms. Not all have been successful. Jedi walk in the light and dream of the sun, but shadowy corners and secrets in darkness are tempting, too intriguing to pass up the chance to investigate. Rare are those who give in; rarer still are those who find their way back. But it does happen, as much as they might wish it otherwise.

Yoda has seen all of them in nearly a millennia, can trace the pattern and knows the steps of that dance, too. Not that of true Sith, no, but the path to becoming a Darksider is identical to that of a Jedi with only a few steps reversed, repeated, skipped over. Once the first misstep occurs, it takes barely any thought to see where and how the dance might change. Will they weave back and forth, between light and darkness? Will they flit into the shadows briefly and find it not to their taste, thereafter choosing only the path strung with the lanterns of faith? Will they stumble into the shadows once, twice, again and again, until the light itself hurts their eyes and they cannot see save anywhere but darkness?

One step, two, a few more--that's all it takes, now, for Yoda to know. He's been wrong, true, but those times were more that he'd given into hope. Hope that they'd find their way into the light, that their dance would one day realign with that of the rest of the Jedi.

So as Yoda sits among the Council, the dimming light of Coruscant's pale setting sun struggling in through the windows, he is thrown. Surprised. Confused.

"I will take him as my Padawan," Qui-Gon Jinn says, hands resting reassuringly on the shoulders of a supernova given form. So bright, so powerful, spilling everywhere with little control, care, or concern. Yoda can barely look.

Behind the duo stands a white dwarf of the Force, the light and warmth turned inward and controlled, peaceful but puissant and exactly like a Jedi should be, but.

But.

"Obi-Wan? He is ready for his Trials."

"Decide that, the Council shall."

In a room of so much light, where the brightest and most powerful Jedi in the galaxy sit in state, there is an undercurrent of shadows. A slight dimming in the corners, a hint of something obscuring the warmth and nurturing rays.

Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker.

Yoda looks between them and the Council, and wonders.

-

When he was younger, Yoda delighted in his Padawan learners. That he lived so much longer than any other species or race was a detriment to others, but it allowed him to have generations of Padawans and their Padawans, Grandpadawans and Greatgrandpadawans. Each of his students had siblings, younger or older; each had nieces and nephews; all had someone to fall back on, to speak with, to rely on. To be family with.

Attachment was not the Jedi way, but compassion and selfless love was. All of his students--and their students, so on and so forth--understood that, embraced that.

Eventually he became the Grand Master and became so busy with duties he could not devote the time to another Padawan, to his Lineage as he once did. They understood, relied more on each other, and while some came to him with questions or concerns it was a rarity. And then--somewhere along the lines--it stopped happening altogether. A Lineage was called after the oldest surviving member, but when there were gaps of three, four, ten generations... did one really still count as part of that Lineage? But that was fine, as it should be; the Force is Life and Life is forever changing, growing, renewing. Yoda had learnt at the side of a Master long gone but fondly remembered, now part of the Force; his students, too, memories and trinkets, memorabilia tucked carefully away in a chest in his room, never opened but a reminder nonetheless.

The desire to teach Dooku had been unexpected, unanticipated, almost unappreciated. It had been years since he last had a Padawan learner of his own... but why not? He'd long since turned over immediate day-to-day responsibilities to an aide, now the Master of the Order, and aside from popping in to teach classes or spend time in the creche, he had ample time for a personal student again.

Of course, the way that had turned out... but Dooku's own Padawan, Qui-Gon, had been bright and sensitive to the ways and wills of the Force, and always willing to help another Padawan, always willing to lend an ear or support. Maybe Dooku hadn't turned out as Yoda had hoped, but surely Qui-Gon would be better.

And he was, with Feemor. Maybe not the most in-touch Master, preferring books or research or his plants and animals and following the eddies of the Force invisible to most others, but he cared. He wanted Feemor to succeed, to thrive, as did Yoda. And Feemor did, passing his Trials with little difficulty and much grace; a Jedi Knight to be, surely, proud of.

Xanatos, however....

He'd deserved to be repudiated, true. Yoda had even cautioned Qui-Gon about his second Padawan, having seen the steps and the missteps and the constant swaying between light and dark. A Shadow, he'd suggested. Cautioned. Xanatos could not walk in the light, not like Feemor, but enough light he had in him to walk in both, to be a Shadow of their Order. Qui-Gon hadn't listened, still too proud, too arrogant, after Feemor.

In the end, Xanatos became a Darksider. Qui-Gon, as custom and duty and common sense demanded, repudiated him. But not just him, no, for if he'd gone so wrong with Xanatos, surely Feemor, too, was secretly not what he appeared to be? And so Feemor had suffered for his younger brother's choices, for Qui-Gon's pride and lack of attention to detail, for his desperation to not stain or blemish the Lineage of the Grand Master.

Two students, one Jedi Knight, one Darksider. Two repudiations, one earned, one not.

Qui-Gon had sworn off all further students, had nearly been convinced to take another, had rejected them in the end. The Force had brought them back together, and Qui-Gon could not ignore such a sign, but--

Obi-Wan is quiet in the Force. As a child he'd been as a river, calmly flowing one minute and the tempestuousness of white water the next, but always moving, always steady. As a babe... Yoda remembers the young human, presumed Stewjoni, being brought into the Hall of Healing for the first time, so young and already so part of the Force it had nearly wrapped around him. Not a vergence, not power, but a pin in an ever-changing tapestry, a marble dropped into the center of a taught sheet, a boulder in the middle of the river he'd become part of.

Chaos in the midst of calm, or the calm waters of the eye of a storm?

Obi-Wan learnt the steps of those around him, learnt to dance between light and darkness with Quinlan Vos and somewhere along the lines chose to remain in the light. But these were not his steps, Yoda could see. They were the steps of the Masters, the Knights, the Padawans, even other Initiates; they were what should be, what Kenobi himself clearly wanted to do, to be, but were copied from others, a reflection of truth and not what actually was.

The only times Yoda could remember Obi-Wan stepping out on his own, trying to make his own dance--Melida/Daan. Mandalore. Qui-Gon had either left him alone or with minimal guidance, and without the framework of the Order to guide him, Obi-Wan had fallen back on what he believed to be right, to be the will of the Force. Protect the Young. Protect the Duchess. Stop a war. (Even if it meant fighting.)

Obi-Wan wouldn't be happy strictly as a Peacekeeper, no. He had the knack for it, a skill with words and negotiations that most Masters could only wish for, but the boy's heart--his desire--was to defend and protect that which was Good.

And now, here. Naboo.

Qui-Gon's body lays in repose in the next room, waiting for the sunset and the pyre. Obi-Wan kneels before him, a Knight in a Padawan's garb, and while he never fails to make eye contact, there's a careful guard to it.

Peacekeepers do not kill, after all. Jedi are Peacekeepers; ergo, for all that he's tried to emulate them, Obi-Wan Kenobi is not a Peacekeeper. Not a Jedi.

He's a protector, and Yoda can see him realizing this even as he kneels and Yoda paces, otherwise in perfect silence.

Protectors need things to protect, things to cherish, attachments. How do you value something enough to protect it while maintaining a necessary distance? Even the Sentinels, guards as they are, keep their distance from their charges, no matter how many Younglings jump around and climb them and offer them sweets and pies.

"...even if I must leave the Order, I will train the boy."

And there is both the problem and the solution. Qui-Gon did a disservice to his student, leaving him to find his way alone. Even now, in death, Qui-Gon cannot complete the ritual to break their bond, to cut their ties so Obi-Wan may move forward alone. Yet it's clear that between the Council chamber and the reactor, the bond between them had already begun to unravel. Now what ritual there might be--it wouldn't have mattered, anyway. A sham, a farce, to be done with, if it would even happen at all.

Not that they didn't care about each other--no, he'd seen enough of them together to know that they did, but it was the care between two Knights or two Masters, not teacher-and-student, not father-and-son. Removed, careful, expecting and understanding that each could exist without the other ever in their lives again, but grateful for this brief opportunity to spend time beside each other.

So maybe Qui-Gon was right, in the end: maybe Obi-Wan had been ready for his Trials, having been acting the part of Knight already. No Trials now, Darth Maul's death is more than enough to count, and no ritual Knighting. Just the burning of a body... and the decision of a Knight to train a boy he barely knows.

A boy for the first time away from family and friends and familiarity, a boy... much like Obi-Wan once was, if only Yoda had paid more attention. A boy that, like Obi-Wan, will need to find his own path through life, his own steps through light and dark that might--will--be different from any Yoda has seen before.

A boy that, for right now, needs less guidance and more care. More compassion. More... protection.

It goes against the teachings of the Jedi, to encourage attachments. But Yoda looks at Obi-Wan, feels out for the boy on the other side of the door keeping vigil over his once would-be Master's body, and knows the will of the Force, too.

"Train the boy, you shall," he decrees, and blames the rest of the Council. "A Knight, you are."

Obi-Wan bows his head, like he'd expected nothing less, like he's grateful they're in accord and he won't have to fight for it.

And like he'd never expected a Knighting, a ritual, a ceremony.

Yoda watches him quietly enter the next room, kneel down beside Anakin Skywalker and join the silent vigil. Sees Anakin lean into him, just slightly. Sees Obi-Wan pause, then wrap one arm loosely around small shoulders.

No, he decides, turning his back on what's left of his Lineage. They'll make new dances, a new path, and he won't recognize a single step of it.

And he feels the slightest hint of relief.

[tuesniverse]

{✭} Quincy {✭}

Background

•Current Situation

◦Lives with his M'mma and P'ppa in a nice suburban house; quaint, but still an accomplishment

° Attending school; adored by teachers and staff, but ostracized by peers for being a "goody goody"

° Not sure of what he wants to do with his life; has a general idea, but doesn't have the specifics planned out (mainly in terms of his future career path)

Surface

•Aesthetic

◦Prefers muted colors whether they're pastel or neutral

° Likes to wear turtlenecks and/or sweater vests; professional, but subtle

° Has to wear long sleeves and pants, only feels comfortable when he's properly covered

•Appearance/Hygiene

◦Always looks presentable

° Neatly brushed hair

° Likes to put together his own outfits

° Very cleanly; always keeps hand sanitizer with him, usually something scented like vanilla or lavender

° Shorter than most of the other boys at school

•Mannerisms

◦Hugs himself when upset or anxious

° Uses his hands when he talks, either fidgeting or expressing emotion

° Keeps his hands to his side when he's not talking, conducts himself in an orderly manner

° Very vocal with bird sounds, though his warbles are saved for his Most Trusted people

° Tsks or clicks tongue when in thought, usually while he's pacing

Core

•Abilities

◦Mimicry; is good at impersonations, usually of fictional characters

° Singing; has a nice singing voice, his accent can be heard if you listen closely

° Acting; can put on a good performance when he's on stage

° Sewing; doesn't do it nearly as often as his mother but could do a fairly decent job at it if he needs to

° Good with numbers like his father, though he doesn't utilize it as much (or at least, he doesn't realize when he's utilizing it outside of math class

•Interests/Hobbies

° Musicals; whether he's watching one or in one

° Singing; is in theater club and an acapella group

° Playing ukulele (or acoustic guitar)

° Fashion; not super flashy, but has an appreciation for aesthetics and likes putting together his own outfits

•Likes

◦His parents; very close with them and highly admires both of them

° Affection; is used to receiving it from his very affectionate parents, comfortable with showing affection with most people but gets flustered when shown affection by a crush

° Movies (especially musicals); can memorize entire scripts and often quotes movies to socialize with other students

° Music; prefers gentle/soft music, can play acoustic guitar but absolutely loves playing his ukulele (which he keeps at home to prevent it from getting broken or contaminated)

° Acting; doesn't matter how big his role is, he enjoys being on stage

° Order; strives on routine, well organized, keeps a bullet journal to keep track of things

•Dislikes

◦Being alone for too long; needs short periods of alone time to recharge, but any benefits it has are nullified if he goes too long without someone close by (this issue is solved by having a set period of alone time and keeps a timer to ensure he gets just the right amount)

° Germs/filth; must sterilize things before he uses them, takes his time washing his hands, sometimes wears gloves depending on how uncomfortable he feels (uses them more often during flu season), has a collection of face masks which he likes to match with his outfits

° Breaking rules; makes sure to follow the rules to the tee, has entire school handbook memorized, is more willing to break rules if it means doing what is right but it still gives him anxiety

° Chaos; can handle a certain amount of it (he can't control EVERYTHING), but gets overwhelmed when it's above his threshold

•Strengths

◦Creative; loves decorating his bullet journal, makes things for the people he cares about, looks at things from a different perspective

° Optimistic; has an infectious joy, tries to find good in everything no matter how bad it is,

° Loyal; is extremely faithful to the people he is closest to and would defend them with his life

° Altruistic; strives to help others, has a strong moral compass

° Humble; doesn't gloat or show off even if he has every right to, gets flustered when he's given a high level of praise

•Weaknesses

◦Absentminded; can lose train of thought, easily distracted, his bullet journal is what allows him to remain functional

° Naive; assumes everyone has good intentions, doesn't always understand the gravity of the situations he's in

° Selfless to his own detriment; willing to exhaust himself for others, sacrifices his own happiness if it would make someone else happy

° Crushes easily, which leaves himself vulnerable to being taken advantage of or a deep emotional hurt

•Flaws

° Often can't see when someone is bothered by him; sarcasm flies over his head

◦Diminishes his talents, usually to lift up others; partly because of his desire to help people and partly out of insecurity

° Despite having a beautiful voice, actually speaking to people isn't his strong suit. Tends to sound unnatural in conversations, which his peers make fun of him for.

° In the same vein, he's terrible at advocating for himself despite regularly advocating for others. A huge doormat; lets people treat him less than well even when he can't put a positive spin on it

° Is terrible at telling lies despite his ability to act, can't focus when he's feeling suffocating guilt

• Miscellaneous

◦ Has a more complex approach to trust despite his outward appearance; gives everyone the benefit of doubt but moves people up or down the hierarchy of trust depending on their actions, has high standards when it comes to who reaches the top (though his crushes have an immediate advantage), very protective of his most prized possessions (not even the people at the top of the hierarchy are guaranteed permission to touch them, it's on a case by case basis)

° Gets nervous when visiting other people's houses, is always extremely cautious and respectful

° Has complicated feelings when it comes to his eyes; thinks they're pretty and they remind him of his M'mma (who he loves dearly), but hates it when he unintentionally scares people with his eyes

[laniidae-passerine]

What are your likes and dislikes about each character on Mr. Robot?

I’m assuming the anon from before who sent me a similar message and this anon are in fact the same, so that’s why I’m not answering the one before, but if you’re different then do tell me :)

okayyyy so this is a BIG question. I’m going to try use the characters the prior anon asked about and limit it to 3 pros/3 cons per character because i could talk forever about some, if not all, of them. 

spoilers under the cut!

Elliot 

Pros: 

He’s altruistic, and wants to do what’s right for other people

He is conscious of his own emotions and knows what he’s like, even if he doesn’t know who he is

If he lets you know him, he’s a good friend - he tries to save Shayla, reaches out to Angela and is a solid support system for Darlene

Cons:

He lies so much. It comes from a place of wanting to make other’s lives easier, but he just makes it worse for others by lying

He can be so cutting - other people might yell, but Elliot says or does things that cut to the bone. Poor Olivia, half of that conversation made me want to strangle him for how cruel he was

He will cross lines that he shouldn’t to achieve his aims, and even though they’re selfless aims, he wrecks a couple lives in the process

Mr Robot

Pros:

He’s willing to listen to Elliot and is honest to god on his side most of the time, even if it doesn’t seem like it

He will take physical punishment to keep Elliot or other people safe. Although we don’t ‘see’ Elliot ‘switch alters (is this the correct term? i tried to check but i’m not 100% sure) during “Method not allowed” I considered that it’s not Elliot running from the police to save Darlene, but Mr Robot.

Kinda allows Elliot to be more verbally open to others? he tells people to fuck off and respect Elliot’s boundaries

Cons:

Why the fuck you always lyyyyinggggggg? but seriously. telling Elliot nothing was not the healthy thing to do, even though it’s understandable why he did it

He has physically threatened 90% of the people in Elliot’s life and it’s not good at all

Communication issues are an obvious flaw. If he told Elliot what was happening more often, perhaps some issues could have been avoided and also revealing himself to Angela and Darlene might have been a good choice

Angela

Pros:

At the beginning, she’s a good friend. She goes around to Elliot’s and offers him the social contact he wants but is afraid of asking for, which shows she cares

She’s actually really smart as shown in “Kill-process”. To remember complicated instructions under pressure, and to then execute them flawlessly is impressive! She’s clever, even if it’s not the kind of clever Elliot is

Angela is also an adept social charmer. She befriends, connects with and seduces multiple people throughout the show, often with only minimal interactions, which is a real skill

Cons:

She herself is easy to manipulate. It truly wasn’t hard to make her subscribe to Whiterose’s ideology, so I’d assume as soon as you know her weak points, you can treat her like your puppet

I support a strong minded, no nonsense woman (hell I want to be one) but sometimes Angela can be really mean and coldhearted if she wants to be

Sometimes I feel as if Angela got so used to having Elliot to herself, she may have started to enjoy the fact that he only had her and didn’t like it when other people came into his life. She likes have him rely on her because then she’s important and if she had only gone to therapy, I think that desire for his dependence would have switched into healthy romantic love. They truly could have had it all.

Darlene

Pros

The way she knew how to lead fsociety after Elliot left proves to me that she’s actually pretty good at leading, but only when she knows herself. As soon as she doesn’t, even Cisco notices that she starts to spiral and lose any power she has

Planning is a skill, and Darlene has it. She can pull off complicated plans but also thinks on her feet, like when she manages to trick the police in “Method not allowed” 

She has a lot of empathy, even if she tries to hide it. Despite what Angela and her mother put her through, Darlene can still see the good in them and cries over their deaths. It’s what allows her to keep loving Elliot no matter what he does - because she understands and cares for people

Cons:

Darlene can be hella mean. She isn’t exactly succinct but she will call you multiple names and it will do a number on your confidence

She represses her empathy, meaning that she lashes out and mocks people to avoid showing her feelings, causing serious conflict between her and others

Also, she runs when she doesn’t know what to do. It’s a problem she’s shown serious growth with by the end of the show, but it’s still there and she can flee if she feels backed into a corner or unsure of herself

Dom

Pros:

Dom wants the world to be a good place for everyone, and she strives to do that, by fighting what she sees as the enemy to make life better 

She’s caring even to people who are on the opposite side to her - she treats Darlene with respect during interrogation and does the same with Mobley when he’s brought in

Dom is very family oriented, and holds the lives and well-being of people she cares about to the highest regard, showing that if your family to her - she’ll do anything she can for you

Cons:

Dom really respects the law and the government, which proves a flaw when she blatantly avoids the fact that both of those systems are incredibly corrupt. It’s not that she’s too stupid to see it - rather that she has so much faith in her country that she tries hard not to look

Her willingness to care for others is also an issue when she’s willing to die and be tortured on multiple occasions to keep others safe. I’m not saying that being willing to die to save someone else is a flaw - but Dom seems all too ready to sacrifice herself and it makes you wonder how much she values herself as a person

Sometimes she’s so stuck in her ways or stubborn to change her mind, which means she ignores or refuses help from others which is ultimately at her own detriment

[a-crimson-lion]

The Thing About Deku vs Kacchan 2...

[Y'all know the drill. If you don't like, then avoid. No unnecessary uncomfortability around here.]

Katsuki is trying to figure out why Izuku was chosen as All Might's successor. All Might chose Izuku for his heart, but Katsuki will never understand that because to him, being a hero is all about power and prestige; saving people is just an afterthought. I mean, he told Izuku to shut up when he tried explaining himself, and then he refused to accept Izuku's hand AGAIN when he fell. The possibility of All Might choosing Izuku for something other then strength is just nonexistent for Katsuki.

I get that they're trying to make Katsuki more sympathetic with his misplaced guilt, but you know what? Virtually everyone feels guilty about something or another. Izuku felt guilty about not being able to save Katsuki at the training camp. Eijiro felt guilty aboust staying put while his friend was taken away. Tsuyu felt guilty about bashing her friends fro wanting to save Katsuki. Hell, even All Might felt guilty for enjoying a bath during the camp attack when he had no idea about it! Misplaced guilt is nothing special, and it isn't an excuse, either. Notice how Tsuyu just talked about her guilt instead of trying to pummel everyone?

Look, I get that Katsuki only understands fighting and violence as a communication method, but that doesn't mean it's VALID. He needs help! Izuku needs help! Throwing hands is not the solution to every inconvenience life throws to you at Mach 13!

"...I'm weak, too!" Yeah, and so is everyone else, Katsuki. I get that you feel guilty about All Might's retirement, but... seriously. That line from Katsuki indirectly comes of as self-centered. "Oh, look at me! I'm so weak and sad and angry because I indirectly helped aid the Number One Hero's inevitable downfall!" Katsuki, buddy, you bullied Izuku for nearly a decade because he was "weak." You only got away with it because everyone else agreed that Izuku wasn't worth the effort since he was weak, worthless, quirkless, etc. You only see yourself as weak NOW just because your classmates no longer have crappy quirks. Welcome to the real world, where actually substantial quirks exist. That doesn't make you "weak" in the traditional sense, it just makes your expectations of others and yourself highly irrational. Seriously, you need to see a therapist.

Katsuki, your annoying win complex is showing. It's not just here, either! Katsuki loses? He throws a hissy fit. See Izuku's Ball Toss, the Battle Trial, the Sports Festival Pre Tournament, the Provisional License Exam, maybe etc. Katsuki wins? Sometimes he'll be a jackass about it. See Katsuki vs Shoto and Deku vs Kacchan 2... oh wait.

In regards to that last bit: Shoto has personal issues using his left side that KATSUKI LISTENS IN ON, but then Katsuki's like nope, doesn't matter, fight me at your best because I need validation. Katsuki beat Izuku, but since it doesn't answer any of his questions he just wonders why All Might picked his weak self for a successor when physical strength was never the main reason? You wanted him to win just so you could throw a hissy fit afterwards? IDK anymore...

Izuku, I get that you admire Katsuki and all that, but please, for the love of God, stop excusing his crappy behavior. You're a Shonen Protagonist, you're selfless, but for ONCE, THINK. OF. YOURSELF! Katsuki has detrimented your self-esteem nearly beyond repair, and now you're trying ro comfort him again!? That works fine with other people, but it has never worked ONCE with Katsuki! It's like talking to a brick wall!!!

They tried making this fight and the aftermath seem on equal footing, but honestly, I don't buy it. Izuku didn't want to fight in the first place, but again, Shonen Protagonist(TM). We're supposed to believe that they're rivals now, but honestly. Izuku's the only one taking that seriously. Katsuki just went from "Deku's useless" to "Deku exists." That's it. He doesn't recognize Izuku's own power. He recognizes All Might's. He recognizes One for All, not the wielder. And then Katsuki? Is surprisingly getting less flack!? Sure, he gets more time in house arrest, but that's basically where it ends. Izuku gets punished even though he tried diminishing the fight (even though Aizawa would have split them apart had All Might not intervened), he gets berated by his peers during house arrest because HE should be the bigger man and the good student (no such expectations for Katsuki... stupid double standards), and then IZUKU is the one who has to apologize. Meanwhile, Katsuki gets support from Dad Might (which I suppose he needs, but it'll take a whole lot more than that), and he learns about One for All (which helps his character HOW exactly?).

The growth in this fight is honestly just... very miniscule. Katsuki almost develops, but ends up regressing shortly after house arrest is over. Izuku, meanwhile, gets access to 8% of One for All from his previous 5%. Yay for best boi Izuku, nay for Katsuki, who was so close to gaining actual ground in his development.

Okay, I can't think of anything else to vent about, so it's probably out of my system. For now.

-Crimson Lion (10 August 2019)