Thursday DE

[needsmoreresearch]

Let's be honest: what are some of your characters' qualities that you wish you had?


(Also, apologies for patchy online presence here--my husband had surgery yesterday, no big deal, all's well, but the household is a little out of order and will be for a few days.)

Comments

[runningred]

Jay's ability to build things and Sinric's singing voice. (And pretty hair.)

[just_cant_lose]

Gene - his ability to withstand hangovers with good grace. And sometimes, I admit, I envy his preferred method of dealing with scumbags. Punching people and having done with it is so frowned upon these days.

Javert - work ethic. It's possibly his only good quality, lets be real. I would definitely apply it in a better way.

Valjean - uhhhh, everything? Barring the tendency towards crushing anguish. He's such a cinnamon roll, and so good, and patient, and kind, etc...yeeeah, that'd be nice. If I had to pick one, I'd have his patience.

Courfeyrac - his good cheer! It's a beautiful thing.

Bruce Wayne - his relentlessness.

Bruce Banner - his dedication to not losing control. I admire people who could just say 'fuck it' and live an easy life, but don't. Bruce is never not keeping a lid on his chance to do just that.

Jack Aubrey - his absolute satisfaction in what he does. Whatever other positions he gains through life, he is first and foremost a seaman, and knows it, and is happy with it. I'd like to be able to settle into one thing like that.

Jim - super genius! I get that it might actually be horrible in some cases, but like...there are many geniuses in the world who are not crazy and murderous, so if it's tempered with the kind of character that can manage it, it'd be cool. ETA: Just thought! I would also very much like his mad acting skills because wow, he's good.

[varadia]

I want Raven's ability to just let everything roll off of him. Everything. No matter how awful. Yes.

X's relentless determination and ability to power through most any circumstance. I want that.

Ysalwen's brains. I want to be a polymath. Also her ability to put her idealism into practice every day.

Wonder Woman -- I want her compassion and the way she always has a kind word for everyone.

Nynaeve's ability to power through her own irritation and her embarrassment about her own irritation would be very welcome.

Galadan -- I guess his keen tactical mind? That's -- about it.

Dean -- I want to steal his practical mechanical skills. ALL OF THEM.

Flemeth -- okay her sense of humor is both great and terrible. And she can turn into a dragon. But mostly her terrible sense of humor. Definitely not her parenting skills.

[never_promised]

A couple that are really on my mind right now:

Feuilly's ability to actually get shit done that he cares about--anyone who can teach himself to read and write and then teach himself about European history because he cares about it, anyone who does that has his shit together.

And Gredya's lack of self-pity.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee -- His sheer audacity. Seriously. His balls, basically. And his eye makeup skills.

Pam -- Her fabulousness and ability to walk in really high heels.

Floki -- His craftiness. He can build things in a cave with a box of scraps. Imagine what he could do with modern technology! And what he makes is often artistic as well as practical, so that would probably result in one bitchin' Etsy store.

[crabbycustomer]

I... don't think there really is, with Karkat. Oh! No, wait, I know:

His comfort with conflict as a default state, and his ability to sustain relationships and care about someone even when he disagrees with them fundamentally.

[i_am_your_host]

That second thing, though, what is that about. How does he do it?

[crabbycustomer]

Because he's a trollllllll, is basically the only answer I have. Although I know humans can do it, but it's a little alien to me too! I tend to resolve conflicts quickly by either apologizing or just cutting off contact.

Whereas Karkat kind of expects a default state of conflict with everyone he knows, ranging from "this person won't stop roleplaying while I talk to them" to "this person's long-term ambitions include killing me and everyone like me." I think it comes from the fact that he is an intensely social and big-hearted person deep down, but comes from a planet where literally everyone is encouraged to be at least a little bit terrible. Also, he hates himself, too, and he has to live with THAT guy, so. Once you figure that out everyone else is easy.

[yinyangwizard]

I would like to have Seimei's self-discipline. I have a lot of moments where I look back and I'm like "shit, I frittered away/wasted a bunch of time getting distracted and doing pointless stuff." Seimei doesn't have those moments. When he has control of his time, he uses it in what he considers to be worthwhile and productive ways.

EDIT: I am actually thinking about the inverse of this. What characteristics do we have that some of our pups might wish they had?

[bjornwilde]

Might steal your edit for tomorrow. = )

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine's inherent goodwill toward all most people, and her baking skills.

Yrael's ability to give absolutely no fucks what people think of him, and maybe a bit of his musical talent.

[bjornwilde]

Ahsoka - I'd love to be force sensitive. Or to have her enthusiasm.

Sabine - I'd love her fighting style or her artistic drive.

Rollo - Either his physique or his boldness. Yes he makes poor life choices but he makes them and doesn't look back.

Sam - Either his physique or his empathy.

Eliot - HIs sense of style and self confidence.

Hank - HIs intelligence or his agility.

Selina - Her sense of adventure or her agility.

Izana - Their complete acceptance of themself.

ETA: Glad the surgery went well and everyone is doing okay.

[genarti]

Enjolras: Man, I wish I had some of his focus and drive. I don't want ALL of it -- I like having a variety of interests, and the ability to be frivolous and whimsical! -- but it'd be great to be able to borrow some. What I really want most, though, is his ability to benevolently work through and/or tune out lots of chatter and shenanigans going on around him.

Cosette: Her ability to carry a conversation along singlehandedly at need, without feeling awkward and frustrated and drained by it. Also, her energy for decorating.

Thor: Some of that athletic ability would be pretty great, but really I'd pick to have just a bit more of his cheerfully dent-proof self-confidence, and his willingness to have conflict with friends or strangers alike without blinking or feeling bad about it.

Kazul: A lot of what I'd pick from her, I already covered with Thor, or it's something that will presumably come with age, or I already feel okay about it. Maybe her willingness to embrace causing a stir. The cheating answer is genre: it'd be pretty nice in some ways to live in a wacky middle grade fantasy novel.

[just_cant_lose]

I just laughed way too hard at 'her energy to decorate everything'. It's like a superpower! I wish I had that too.

[genarti]

Right? I always go "gosh, I want to make this room tidier and prettier and more decorated!" and then I do something else instead, like read twitter or RP or take a nap. Go Cosette! (Or... go the constrained life of an early 19th century bourgeoise young woman... but ALSO go Cosette!)

[just_cant_lose]

SAME. On both fronts. GO COSETTE.

Now I want to know whether she'd be the same way if she had RP and Twitter. I imagine her social media presence would be hilar. And cute, until she angry. :D.

[harryhotspur]

her aesthetic instagram would be famous

[just_cant_lose]

IT REALLY WOULD THO.

[genarti]

Awwwww, she would have so much fun being a lifestyle blogger/instagram kid/whatever! Aggressively cheerful ~aesthetic~.

[mighty_avenger]

THE ABILITY TO ASPLODE EVERYTHING!

[mighty_avenger]

Oh wait, Binary is kind of cray cray. Oops.

[genarti]

*cackles*

I admit, with Kazul, I was restraining myself from THE ABILITY TO BREATHE FIRE!!!!

(I don't actually want it, because I dunno what I'd use it for other than not having to bring out a lighter to start up the grill, but man it'd feel badass.)

[alexiscartwheel]

I sometimes lack restraint, especially in regards to answering DEs :)

I don't really want to make things explode either. I think if were actually to borrow a trait of Carol's, it'd be a dose of extraversion.

[misslucyjane]

Steve's courage and integrity. (Regarding the newest comic LA LA LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU.)

Sherlock's intelligence, without the "high functioning sociopath" thing (though after all these years I still don't think he's a sociopath; undiagnosed autistic spectrum seems more likely.)

Furiosa's general amazingness. She generally just makes me starry-eyed.

[i_am_your_host]

(la la la can't hear you either la la la)

[inlovewithwords]

(There is no comic. Life is better that way.)

[just_cant_lose]

I read on Twitter this morning that he's been made into a Nazi??? I don't read comics at all, but that made me double take. Like, really?

[inlovewithwords]

Secret Hydra agent since the start, I believe.

I don't follow Marvel comics, but I am cringing nonetheless.

[just_cant_lose]

...I don't follow comics at all, and I'm, like, 0_0.

[never_promised]

Yyyyyeah, I just...could we not? Could we just -not- do that?

[just_cant_lose]

Apparently not doing that is not an option, or something. *shakes head*

[thewidewideworld]

I reject your canon and substitute my own! It's the only way I've been coping with Jay's reboots for years.

[ceitfianna]

As a heads up to everyone, I'm not going to be tagging back until later tomorrow as I'm heading away for a family party tonight.

Will-His ability to keep going and not get battered by life.

Charles-His all encompassing compassion, I know I'm compassionate but the way he is amazing me. He keeps giving. Also his comfortable life position would be nice.

Quentin-The house and cats and his ease and confidence in himself.

Moist-His ability to bullshit and always be able to spot something that can be done.

William-His work ethic, I have a good one but his is fantastic.

Sameth-His gift at making stuff and I like the idea of having a tower workshop.

Jane-Her wit and writing ability, also her gift for reading what's going on in society.

Ivan-How he can read a room, his ability to make bureaucracy do what he wants and how comfortable he is with not being seen.

Demeter-Her green thumb and house

Tumnus-His musical ability

[inlovewithwords]

Eriond: His lack of judgment of people. I can get nasty. He is just a cinnamon roll.

Henry: Believing in happy endings. I would like to think they're possible, but I don't actually have his faith.

Lois: Besides most things--writing non-fiction, investigative skills, tenacity, general unending awesomesauce--I really wish I had her knack for getting jobs.

Evelyn: The quality she doesn't even know she has yet: when she is faced with everything collapsing, she Deals With It, especially When You Idiots Can't.

R2-D2: Hacking skills.

Anakin: If the qualities come with the rest of his baggage, No Than You I Am out Of Here. If they don't, however, I want the obvious ones: Force sensitivity, lightsaber (plus skills if given training), piloting, mechanics-ing, ability to push on through relentless terribleness... hmm. Funny how that list sounds a lot like someone else in the Star Wars universe. Let's go with "I don't want anything of Anakin's, I just want to be Rey." which admittedly might mean getting some anakin genetics depending what happens in episode 8 but who cares, it's rey.

Tavi: His brain, his ambition without selfishness, his ruthlessness without loss of compassion, Swording Skills (really I should look up those stage combat people I talked to), relentlessness combined with adaptability. As much as his furycrafting is cool, I actually don't want it the way I want Force powers (although watercrafting to heal or windcrafting to fly would be awesome). I do not want to be a walking nuke. That said, while there's a lot about him I wish I were myself, I would far rather go work for him. (Being that smart really would be nice, though.).

[cassiefuckingcage]

Above all else I wish I had Cassie's confidence and ability to move on after awful things happen.

[clayforthedevil]

Bahorel- his ability to not just not mind being in conflict but actually revel in it. And his energy, good grief.

Joly- - Man, I want to be the kind of cheery that can look up after a horrible battle and still go "cats are so great" and be happy about it.


Gringoire-...I want the awesome goat.