ways_back_room | Daily Entertainment

Walls.

Even after all this time on the surface and learning how not to freak out about the sky, Ellen still really needs walls somewhere nearby to feel properly comfortable. And by 'nearby' I mean she has issues in spaces much larger than about thirty feet in any given direction. She's found an acceptable substitute is power armor and a helmet, as that gives the impression of having the Vault walls right up next to her skin, as does her Chinese stealth suit since that's so close fitting and covers everything when she's got the hood up. Without something closing her in, she's extremely uncomfortable.

Nineteen years of never being able to go outside and not having anything else to compare your experience to don't just go away in the space of a few years.

That makes sense and considering what's outside in her world, its smart as well.

Teja likes to have a working space, or at least some place where he can be by himself and think and play his harp and make plans. It doesn't have to be much, but even on Mount Vesuvius, he had his own lava cave with makeshift curtain where he could retreat after his turn at the mouth of the gorge.

Urquhart really just needs his black cloak and his crossbow to feel able to take on anything. Everything else is nice but entirely optional.

Poins probably has a chest of possessions stashed somewhere that he's glad to know he can find again; otherwise, he's used to being out on a limb somewhere.

I can see Poins being a bit of a magpie with his stuff for when he wants it.

It's not as if he had a home or anything like that, or needed one; but he has some place somewhere where he gets the impromptu burlap sacks from to hide under, and where to stash things he found or 'found'.

Sariel needs an awareness of both what she's intended to do and where she stands in a broader situation. It's not that she's a follower, as in a sheep - she's not that at all. Initiative she has. It's just that the reality of some sort of intentional hierarchy helps. That's part of the reason she fits so well into Starfleet life; the structure is in place, but it's structure with clear purpose to everyone involved. She's aware of it, as is everyone else.

I'm now pondering over exactly what she brings with her if she switches quarters/locations, as in the material side of what she needs to feel secure. There are pictures of friends and family for sure, and some model air and spacecraft. Probably a few actual paper books as well. Hmm.

Does that make any kind of sense? ... God, I still feel icky. Sickish icky, not gloomy icky.

No, that makes sense to me. She needs to know where she fits into the greater picture.

Oh dear, you're sick too. *sends tea*

Exactly. She isn't going to agree with every decision, she isn't going to know every little detail, and she knows it. But the larger picture is still there, and she's aware of it and approves of her basic place in it.

*sips tea* Say thankya. It's a long story. Mine was just a matter of something I ate not agreeing. May we all feel better!

Ugh, not fun, I ended up with an upper respiratory infection but I'm healing up.

I completely get where she's coming from as that's what I need myself, which makes my new job exciting and terrifying as I'm having to create some of that.

Interesting question!

As far as taking on new things, most of mine are relatively willing to jump into a situation that's unfamiliar or a 'first time' as long as they've had at least a moment to consider the pros and cons of what they're about to do. Feeling secure doesn't necessarily go hand-in-hand with taking on new things for the most of mine, but there are things that make them more comfortable in a general sense.

Nowadays, with being stuck in Milliways, Dan appreciates it when the Bar isn't trying to implode on itself. He's got his room upstairs and he and Bogart the pig have a nice little space made out for their stay here, but as far as trying new things...there's not much he really gets out and does, you know? When he was back in the 'real world', he felt most secure knowing that there was enough money that the banks wouldn't start getting pissed off - which never happened in Arizona, so he always had an edge to him.

Han really gets uncomfortable when he's away from the Falcon. He doesn't really like being outside on terra firma, because it's just...weird, now that he's spent so long on his ship. Space is home, and as long as he's at the controls of his girl, he feels like he can do anything.

Probie...is interesting. He likes trying new things but he's really shy, so he feels most secure when he's in a place where he feels comfortable. I know that's vague, but it has to be the right sort of atmosphere for him to feel like he can open up. As far as firefighting goes, he's still a little nervous when getting into a big fire or a strange situation but having 62 Truck with him helps a lot - he knows the guys have his back. Even if they may give him a little good-natured hard time.

I can't really answer this for Jake because there's not much to say - right where he is in canon, he has no idea who he is or what happened to him, so he's very unsettled but he has a gun and he knows he can shoot with it, so that helps. Shoot first, ask questions later.

Gordon needs to know that his family is safe, and needs to know that he's done all he can to keep his officers safe as well. Once he makes Commissioner (once I get off my ass and start some canon writing) he's going to have more responsibilities and Gotham needs a lot of work - he's going to be doing a lot of things that are new and that they've not tried to do before, and I think he just does better knowing that he's done all he can do at the end of the day to try and fix things. That gives him the courage to get up the next day and do it all again, and try and do it better.

Skellig has no issues with taking on new things, be it fighting new bad guys or trying new food or moving to a new city. He is definitely a jump-without-looking sort of creature, though he has tempered that a bit now that Katya is with him, because now that he has a partner, he has taken on the responsibility of making sure she stays in one piece - especially important since Katya is also an "act first, ask later" sort of person.

Carl has been trained to make snap judgements and evaluate a situation in split seconds. He almost always feels secure about taking on new things, simply because there is no other setting in his brain to react otherwise. Doubt causes a delay in reaction time and might get the guy behind you killed. You can't doubt. You can't hesitate. Act in the moment and act with confidence - later you can allow yourself the 'what-ifs' of insecurity, once everyone is home safely. Granted, that's not to say that it never happens (the feeling of hesitation or not being 'secure'). He works hard to make sure he's got intel on a situation beforehand which helps to avoid that feeling, but sometimes if things go FUBAR there will be a moment of 'shit, this isn't going to end well'. But he still rarely hesitates, especially if he has guys counting on him - he can't. That might get them hurt or killed, and that's inacceptable, period.

Doc has issues with a few things. That's why I saved him for last. Lately, he's been working to get over some of those issues, but being around law enforcement (moreso in his time than in the bar) still makes him edgy and nervous; magic or unnatural abilities give him pause or unnerve him; not knowing what the hell is going on really irritates him. He'd love to be secure, he really would - he'd love a cabin in the woods, or perhaps a little farm or ranch somewhere in a place where he could settle down and just live his life in a routine. But...he knows it's not going to happen, for him. Not after all that's already happened to him. After John Tunstall was killed (to start the Lincoln County War) the cracks started to form in the reformed security that he was beginning to rebuild and then they shattered as the War went on and they lost more and more of the gang. He trusted Billy; Billy betrayed that trust, and sent Doc over the edge in his head a little - surviving (barely) the shootout at Blazer's Mill gave Doc a different look on things. He feels like he's living on borrowed time, unfairly (since it was Milliways that got him through that) and wishes a lot of times that he'd have been able to help the others make it through it all alive.

Right now, he's moving from place to place in his world trying to keep out of trouble (which he's managed so far) but he's not doing well for himself financially. I think he knows that he only has one option that really makes any 'sense' - go back to outlawing. And in some ways...that in itself is something that makes him feel secure, because at least if you're going to spend your life looking over your shoulder...it's something that you did to earn it. And if you get caught, then that's it - the game is up. That's what he's used to, and what feels most natural...and when he's out there, doing what feels most natural...he has moments where he thinks he could do anything.

Will's answer would mirror a lot of Doc's though he has the other men in Sherwood and Sherwood to provide an anchor. Doc's welcome to spend time in Sherwood if he wants a little more security and those guys at his back as well.

William's pretty much where Dan is as well though things are a little better and since I haven't been able to brain it. There's a letter for Dan from William explaining about the drive going well, Mark doing better in school and other small details. I keep meaning to try and write it but the ideas and words haven't been there. Also let me know if you'd be up to doing a thread with them at some point, maybe an OOM since I know Dan's one of your trickier voices.

I love Skellig and Katya's partnership, they would so well together.

Waaaaiting for the mover peoples. Right now, not feeling secure, and my cat is cranky that all of her things are in boxes and her favorite views are blocked (also by said boxes). Just wait until she finds out about the two day car ride. >.>

Katya needs the Gloom. She needs to be able to retreat and regroup and have her source of power at hand at all times. She only truly panics when she can't access that.

Ace needs her explosives, and either a) the Doctor or b) a ready source of transportation to get the heck out of Dodge. She has already learned that getting herself trapped with the people she's been pissing off doesn't go well.

Balthazar needs his ring. Things will not go well if he doesn't have his ring (and a nice pair of pointy shoes).

Haymitch really, truly, omgwtfbbq needs his knife. He pretty much always has it, tucked into his waistband or slipped into a pocket or hidden in a sock. Has to have the knife. He may actually completely lose it without the knife.

Shaz... is actually pretty good with whatever. Anything free of screwdrivers. >.>

Oswin is most comfortable in front of a computer. Of course, I'm not sure that is really true anymore, since she's found out where her last computer station really was.

Bones needs his medical kit. He needs to know that if something happens, he won't be completely useless. Of course, on the Enterprise, all the medical equipment in the universe isn't enough some days.

Glorfindel needs to know where the elves he's decided to protect are. It drove him nuts when the twins would go off hunting orc without him, but he couldn't leave Elrond. Crazy Peredhil, an elf could go mad trying to keep them all safe.

Omfg where are the movers? Waugh.

Movers are terrifying, mine came on Friday to drop off all my stuff. *hugs you* Good luck with the move, they're hard things but you know where you're going and it will work.

My staff got me a card, and candy, and made me cry inna hospital. Boo. Gonna miss them ridiculously.

Also omgwtfbbq this drive. Thing.

Aww, that's wonderful of them. How long is the drive?

12 hours altogether, but we're taking 2 days.

That's about how long it is from where I am in Michigan to my family on the East Coast. I hope it all goes smoothly.

Aw *snuggles*

Alfred is just comfortable with himself, he has very little regard for mental crutches. At the same time, though, he knows his limits, physically, and knows when is the right time to stop.

Bean needs information, he has to know a way out from, well, anything/anywhere. (Which is why he could well freak out when he gets to milliways, it's an enclosed space with no way out). On the other hand, there are plenty of hiding spots, but he hates just hiding.

Jack, as another military pup, is trained to make snap decisions well, thereby saving lives. In the future, he's going to be most comfortable when with Horus, but that's the future.

Erik has a couple of books he likes to take with him, wherever he goes (He's quite like me in this regard). They don't have to be the same books, but at least one of them needs to be a decent chunky fiction book, generally pseudo-historical, but myth and legends work as well. If he's going to a conference, he'll probably also have The Road To Reality by Roger Penrose (Which I totally should actually read (I say this yet again)).

Max is similar to Erik, but rather than a fiction book, more often than not, he'll have a notebook with his latest random ideas and theoretical calculations in it. Also, he won't have TRtR, because it hasn't been written in his time. If he can get away with it (AKA, he isn't badly constrained on luggage space, and isn't going to fly) he'll have some physical project to work on as well.

Books are comforting, there's something nice about knowing if you have a book that time will be manageable.

Henry needs his Book o' Fairy Tales.

Lois claims to only need herself, and to an extent that's true. She also likes having her car: she can control it and where it goes, she can live in it if all else fails, and it's a constant escape plan. Realistically I think she also needs some kind of purpose or goal. (Also, secretly nothing really feels like a home she has a right to be in without her mom's glass blue bird in the window.)

Tavi needs Kitai. (And information, but he'll get that himself if he needs to.)

I love Henry's book, it's so solid.

This is a great question!

Raph either needs his family by his side, or the knowledge that they're somewhere safe. If he doesn't have either of those things, then he needs a weapon in his hand and a target...or things start to go bad very very quickly.

Mike needs people around him. Where Raph can handle being alone, Mike doesn't do so well with it. He can take on just about anything, so long as he's not doing it alone.

Splinter's current challenge is finding a place in the universe now that his life's work is complete. At the risk of making him sound unbelievably clingy, I'd say right now the thing that makes him feel most secure is the knowledge that his sons still need him for something, and that Sallie loves him.

Bumi if his family is safe, and he can see the horizon, then Bumi can handle pretty much anything.

Aang needs only his friends. Good thing he has a lot of those, especially if one considers his past lives friends.

Oh Splinter, his life is complicated, but he'll figure out how to handle his empty nest.

Stalking in ninja-like while I wait for the local bike store to open...
Ben most often only needs his family. Sometimes though he needs solitude or a familiar face from Yancy street.

Hank used to think he just needed a lab and a project. Now that he's met other mutants, it's having them around. The heights he will go for them is kind of astounding in my head. It's like his theory/engineer brain is in high gear.

Jess needs a few important people; Carol, Logan, Fury and Clint (thank you canon for forcing that one). She doesn't really express this, well she does with Carol, be she depends on her friends to help her remember who she wants to be.

Thalia needs Annabeth and a purpose. She doesn't really understnad how much she needs a family though at least until she joins the Hunters.

Palamedes is still searching for his anchor. At this point he is clinging to Arthur's noblesse oblige, but it is crumbling as he sees more and more nobles misuse it.

Edited 2012-11-12 17:49 (UTC)

I think needing other mutants around is also true for Charles, that sense of not being alone in the world is powerful.

Aww, Thalia, family is important and it makes sense why she chose the Hunters, they're a family she decided on.

Mark needs his family. What constitutes his family changes as canon progresses, but it's the presence of people who he can talk to about what Invincible is, does, and faces that allows him to survive.

*nods* It seems like when there are secrets involved, it matters a lot to have people you can share them with.

Clay needs Callie. And now he doesn't have her anymore, he needs something to do with his hands.

Eric needs fighting, sex, and drinking. Just like when he was alive. He also needs control and a clear idea of the whereabouts of exits. And pointy wooden things.

Elrond needs being able to shut everything out, if only for a breath.
He used to need to be able to feel the weight on his finger of one of the Three, but he is getting used to that not being the case anymore.

The image of what Elrond needs is beautiful and striking.

I should probably answer for my others.

Will needs Sherwood and to know that Robin and the other men exist and trust him. He's more comfortable in Milliways than when he first arrived as he's found people he trusts and wants to have at his back.

Charles needs to know he's not alone, the touch of other minds but especially of mutant minds. He tries to give other mutants what he prizes himself, knowing that you are one among many.

Jane needs to know she has a quiet space to write and be on her own, also time with her sister.

William needs to know that his family won't starve or be too deep in debt. He's not good at feeling secure and while things are better for him than they were at the start of canon, he's always waiting for the next thing to go wrong.

Moist needs to know where his box is, the nearest escape route and have the start of a plan for whatever happens next in mind. Feeling secure and solid is something he actively runs away from, confident that he can get out of anything that he can do.

Sameth needs to feel the Charter and have a place to work.

Demeter needs to feel the earth, know where Kore is and have people she can hug and care for nearby.

Tumnus needs Narnia, safe and prosperous. In smaller ways though, he needs a home to sit in, books to read and his friendship with Lucy.

The Pirate King just needs his ship and sword.

Sam in particular needs the tools of his trade close at hand. Cata can manage as long as she knows her profession has a place in the world.

Claudia needs family, or failing that, a purpose. Even then, putting herself out there in something she enjoys doing but doesn't consider her strength is hard for her to do.

Apollo can get my in most places and situations, as long as he knows there's a place for him (and of course there is!).

Imp needs his harp. It's almost a security blanket at this point, as many times as he's lost it.

Regulus would be totally lost without his wand.

Red absolutely needs to have her cloak with her, or at least know who's got it. Before she knew how important it was, her bow and quiver were that touchstone, and to some extent they still are.

Clementine might put up a front about it, but she needs love like she needs to breathe.

Pinkie needs friendship.

Dix needs her independence.

Jules needs the truth. It's what she functions on, the basis of her life.

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