POPULAR: Character Development Den (Questions)

[Juliko]

Julia: I have lots of great memories from when Amara and I were little, but my most favorite one happened when I was eight. She was trying to teach me how to ride a bike, but no matter what I tried, I always fell off and got hurt. But she always helped me up and put band-aids on my scratches every time. I didn't want to ride a bike anymore, so we decided to do something different: We play-acted Hoenn Rangers in the backyard. Most of the time, I was Rustboro Ivory--she was my favorite--and she was Littleroot Crimson, her favorite. Other days we'd switch things up, like she'd be a monster and I'd be one of the rangers, or the other way around. Those were fun times. Back then she never made fun of me, yelled at me, or anything like that. I really miss the old Amara.

Caiseal: Oh boy, that's a tough one. There's too many to pick from. All of my good memories involve my little sister Violet. Mom and Dad never gave a crap about my birthday--or me in general, so unlike other kids, I never got any fancy presents...but Violet always made or got something for me. Whether it was a drawing she made for me, or something she bought with her own allowance. I wish I still had the drawings and presents she gave me, but I found out Mom threw them all out when she left me at the Ice Path. No surprise there, but it still hurt. I know Violet cares about me a lot, and I'm really thankful for that.

Do you feel insecure about yourself? Are there any things about yourself you wish you could change?

 

[UselessBytes]

Brian Donnel: "Insecurities? Man, we go from all the way across the galaxy, without using an FTL drive, and I'd still be listing 'em off. Of course, I hide all my doubts pretty damn well. You aren't a very good bounty hunter if you come across as unsure of yourself. But hey, they're still there. I wish I got along better with my mom, and I wish I could think back to a time before I started bounty hunting fondly, and I wish I wasn't so uncomfortable with being alone, along with countless other things about myself I don't like to think about. Thing is, I think we'd be pretty sorry excuses for intelligent life if we didn't have any. A good friend of mine told me that it's what you consider to be wrong with yourself that defines who you are, not what you think you're good at. It's certainly an interesting thing to think about."

"Keeping the serious train of questions going, what's your relationship with your family like? I wish mine had been better, but there's not much I can do about it at the moment."

 

[Nitro Indigo]

"It's fine. I'll never forget the day when my parents told me that I didn't have to worry about which one to stay with. I also kinda miss my sister, Silverstream. At least I have Skystar, but Auntie Novo grounded her after that battle on the first day." - Terramar, Your Heart Is in Two Worlds

What makes you feel nostalgic?

 

[InfiniteBakuphoon]

"Whenever I look at modern technology, it makes me long for the days where humans had to actually work to gain the power of a Pokémon. Back then, you see, Pokémon were actually treated like monsters... which meant that we fought them like monsters. Nothing was off-limits... but now they're just cute and cuddly animals with magical powers, which means that they have to be protected. Which is why, of course, we now have the Poké Ball to capture them with the least amount of struggle possible, and then store them indefinitely until they're needed. It's so simple, anyone can use it... even Youngster Joey with a Rattata. It is quite convenient, I have to admit... yet also so frustrating, in ways that I can't explain. But I can say this: the Youngster Joeys of today will never truly know the satisfaction of conquering something far greater than themselves. They wouldn't have stood a chance against even a random Rattata on Route 1... let alone a Pokémon with real power. Isn't that right, Dragonite?"
- Mirror Professor Oak

"Now, here is my question... something I'm sure that anyone can relate to. Have you ever had to deal with someone who you absolutely despise, but simply cannot get rid of for one reason or another? Or if you're someone with power... have you ever tried to get rid of them?"

 

[UselessBytes]

Brian Donnel: "Man, I'm a bounty hunter. If I had anyone I despised, they'd be in serious trouble. I'm an elite, killing machine! All joking aside, I've been in the situation before. I've taken assassination jobs based off of personal grudges, and I'm not proud of that fact. I've changed a lot in recent years, and I think now, I would rather try and make peace than solve my problems through violence. Although, I'm not at all opposed to violence if it seems to be necessary."

"Here's a good one: What's your guilty pleasure? I know for a fact that Marie loves old, cheesy superhero flicks from way before the advent of space travel. What about you?"

 

[namohysip]

"Ahh, my guilty pleasure... You know, that's quite a difficult question. There is not much that I actively seek out for the purpose of enjoyment that I do not already do as a job. Management, research, and being a tactician in another time--yes, those were all quite pleasurable. But I suppose if I must choose something to be guilty of, I would choose reading old, outdated, and debunked theories and texts. They can be quite entertaining to read, in hindsight, even if they are my own!"
- Alakazam Nevren

"Hm, now then. A question, a question.... Ah. This is an interesting one that we ask the candidates from time to time. Would you prefer to have a life that is long and mundane, or short and exciting?"

 

[Ereshkigal]

"I get a choice in this? Wish I had that choice in real life! But... Hmm... When I was younger, I would have said short and exciting. I dreamed of being an adventure archaeologist. But now... *looks at Kotone and Lena* My priorities are different. Long and mundane, as long as it means they are happy." -Shirona

"If you could change one event in someone else's life, who would you choose and what event would it be?"

 

[UselessBytes]

Marie Davies: "One event in someone's life? Mine to change? No thank you! Messing with other people's pasts would never end up like you wanted it to, if you ask me. Sure, people like Brian have some stuff that happened to them that was real unfortunate, but our experiences shape us, and to change one is to risk changing the person themself."

"If you could travel the galaxy however you wanted with no consequences, but you couldn't stay anywhere longer than a week, would you do it?"

 

[Cresselia92]

Barbara: "No. The only place where I would ever be... it's my room. I'm not an adventurous person. I'm not interested in visiting places and whatnot. I just want to stay alone, by myself, with just my games to keep me company."

Keldeo: "Well, I don't know other places in the galaxy, but I'd be willing to visit any world."
Sora: "Port Royal. No contest."

"Now, is there something that you deeply regret and wish you could erase in some way?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Salem: No. Not yet. I hope I don't feel differently in the future.

Alisha: Everyone has made mistakes or suffered some misfortune. Doesn't mean you should waste your energy fantasising about it never happening.

Dusk: Yep. [I would slit his throat this moment. If he were here.]

Is there anyone in your life that you feel disappointed by?

 

[Ereshkigal]

"My sister. I'm 36 and the older child. My niece is 20.
"Very frequently, Lena as well. I shouldn't be; I know why. Her empathy is one of the strongest instances of it on Earth, if not the most powerful to ever exist. And unlike most, she can't turn it off. Constantly feeling the emotions of everyone around you would give anyone impulse control issues." -Shirona

"My biological mother. May she burn in all of the Chinese hells." -Kotone

"Um... no? I'm kinda used to being the disappointment." -Lena

"My sister. She's made some very bad decisions that caused a lot of problems." -Chris

"Shirona, for forcing me to answer these every time I drop by." -Red

"What is one event that shaped your entire world that you regret ever happened?"

 

[UselessBytes]

Marie Davies: "I'll do you one better than a world, this one was a sucker punch for the whole freakin' galaxy. When I was seventeen, a particularly infamous bounty hunter got his name in the news for assaulting a diplomat that belonged to a very... testy alien race. They may or may not have declared anyone of the same profession a criminal in their society.
"Anyways, there was a huge controversy about it, and it was a daily headline for almost six months. In the end, I didn't think much of it, until I started my own career as a bounty hunter. It makes dealing with anyone in certain parts of the galaxy like walking through a minefield, so it's pretty simple why I resent that specific event."

"Do you ever find yourself enjoying something for being simple? I recently read a book that wasn't trying to push some meaning or make me think. It was just trying to tell a story, and it was rather refreshing."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Salem: I still feel confused that all humans don't nap. Naps are simple and they are good and important. [Yes, yes.]

Alisha: Simple is fine. Boring isn't.

Dusk: [I would not enjoy something only because it was simple. It has to also be good.] So, no.

Do people ever really change?

 

[UselessBytes]

(I usually try to wait a few posts before posting again, but man is UA's question ever good!)

Brian Donnel: "...No. Not truly. I think you can change on a surface level, and maybe even a little deeper if you try hard enough. But not your core being. That's there to stay. I spent a lot of time in a really dark place a while back, before Marie kicked my ass into gear. The thing is, that's still with me. Humans are like fly paper. We can add new aspects to ourselves, but it's nigh impossible to get rid of them once they're stuck fast."

"How do you go about changing someone's mind?"

 

[Rockium]

Rika,The Ties That Bind: “Depends. If they’re stubborn and persistent about it, then I definitely can’t persuade them outta it. Otherwise, I think I’ll just sit them down and talk about it. Or involve them in a Pokémon battle and hope they change their mind afterwards.”

Kaito,The Ties That Bind: ‘Brainwash them into doing so, though Rika does highly disapprove...’

What’s your most treasured possession?

 

[canisaries]

"This should be obvious. The fossil. It's been with me since the journey, and I've treasured it ever since. It's what made me able to go on. After that, HE awakened and gave me this opportunity to ascend. So, yeah, it's pretty much the entire reason I bother being alive. If I were to lose it... well, I don't know. I guess I'd just want to go out with a bang and do whatever the hell I wanted until someone finally struck me down." - Red Akai

"As a wildren, I don't own much... I rely on my natural horns and mandibles for most things. I do have my nest, but I'm guessing you're looking for an item with this question. Then, I suppose it's the glowing crystal I have from Glowrock Caverns. I use it to light up the burrow. There's not much to see there, anyway, but I think the light is pretty neat." - Pletora

"Speaking of, how would you like to die? (I could always help with that.)" - Red

 

[namohysip]

"How would I like to die...? While I'm concerned you'd ask something like that--I can certainly feel some questionable intentions behind your words--I suppose that is something I should consider. After all, my occupation isn't the safest in the world, dealing with mutants, outlaws, and bureaucracy. Not healthy on all accounts, really. Hm. I suppose it would have to be something painless, though at the same time, I'd prefer to be aware that it was happening. I'd like to tie up some loose ends before I pass, just to be sure my obligations are not left unfulfilled.

"I believe my ideal death would be to have an assassin send me a warning letter five days in advance. I should know from prior context that there is no use fighting this assassin. Perhaps he is the perfect assassin. Then, within those five days, I will abandon my long-term obligations, fulfill my short-term ones, repay any social debts I may hold, and then, on the final night, sleep peacefully with an unlocked door, and a last will beneath my bed. That seems quite ideal."
-Alakazam Nevren.

"Ah, a question. Very well. Let us continue on the theme of death, then. Would you kill one person to save a thousand? What about ten, to save a village? A city, to save a world?"

 

[UselessBytes]

Marie Davies: "There's an old urban legend where I'm from, about a bounty hunter so skilled and daring that even the most dastardly of criminals shuddered at the mere mention of their name. The tales say they wore a full suit of power armor, and never revealed their face in public, only presenting themselves as a faceless robotic enforcer. They also say that this mysterious hunter would go to any means to save the galaxy. There are tales of them laying waste to entire planets and wiping out entire hostile races just to secure peace in the galaxy.

"So I guess what I'm getting at is that it's not an entirely out there suggestion, to kill one to save many more. Personally, I'm not a fan of trading lives, unless the life I'm trading in belongs to someone particularly scummy. But yeah, I'd kill to save a ton of people. It mostly just depends on the situation."

(A/N: Marie and the entire world her story takes place in are heavily inspired by a certain nintendo franchise, so you all shouldn't be too hard pressed to guess who this mysterious figure of legend actually is, )

"Moving on to a bit lighter of a topic, what's one place you've always wanted to visit? Brian has told me that the submerged jungles on Feluse are absolutely stunning, and I'd like to find the time to go some day."

 

[BlindmanV2]

"I heard quite a bit about that Alola region, apparently They don't even have Pokemon Gyms!? Still, I think it is nice there this time of year with the seasons changing and all." Ray S.

"Now what are your thoughts on mental illness and physical disabilities?"

 

[Rockium]

Akira: “Shouldn’t people with mental disabilities still be able to lead normal, healthy, happy lives? I mean, look at Penelope - she’s got autism syndrome, but how would I know when I first met her? Penny does drum her fingers on any nearby surface when she’s nervous and is kinda socially awkward, but who gives a damn? I sing out in public, which sounds way weirder than what she does.”

“On physical disabilities...I don’t really know anyone who’s lost an arm or a leg in a car crash or has been blind from birth, but I’m pretty damned sure the above still applies. Screw those people who make their lives hard for the fun of it, try being ridiculed for something you can’t change and see if that’s fun...”

“By the way, how do you react when you see something weird? Not ‘weird’ as in how your uncle behaves after one too many beers, but mind-blowingly weird or how-in-the-name-of-science-is-this-happening weird? Erm, I’m asking for a friend......”