#carthaytask003

the imperfections

Immature -- Lost Boys never truly grow up, so it probably comes as no surprise that Nibs is every bit as childish and mischievous as ever. He doesn’t plan on acting his age anytime soon, and even if he did, how mature can an 18 year old even be?

Blunt -- Brutally honest to a fault, Nibs frequently puts his foot in his mouth. It sometimes seems like he doesn’t even have a filter, often spouting the first thing to come to mind. It’s gotten him in trouble more often than not.

Clingy -- For most of his childhood, Nibs never had a family to call his own. Because everyone seemed to come and go, he has a habit of clinging onto anyone stable in his life. In turn, anyone who leaves his life sends Nibs into a panic.

Spoiled -- Technically, Nibs came from nothing. Before he was adopted by the Jacksons at the tender age of twelve, he was used to living with just about nothing. Now that he’s part of a wealthy family? Let’s just say he’s used to getting his way.

Hot Tempered - Stitch has always a short temper. Even the littlest and stupidest things can throw him off the edge. He would say that it runs in the family, but even talking about his birth family can drive him up the wall. If someone who doesn’t know Stitch all too well could see that one of his out burst would be something of a concern. However over the years and with the help of Lilo, Stitch has learned to control his anger. 

Destructive - There isn’t anything Stitch touches and it doesn’t break. Since he was a child, Stitch has never had a gentle touch. He has a record of punching holes in walls and ruining relationships. And the worst part that he gets enjoyment from breaking things. There are times when he doesn’t mean to break things. He has been trying to fix some of the older thing. But now it’s just become something of a norm for him, it’s hard for Stitch stop.

Impulsive - Thinking before doing was never apart of Stitch’s life. He does whatever pops into his head without even thinking it over or what could happen in the process. If he wants to do something, he will do it. His impulsive actions has caused a lot of trouble for him and his friends in the past. He has no plans on changing this. It’s these last second decision that make his life fun.

Lost - Stitch has never been on a path where he knows where he is going. Since he was taken from his birth father, Stitch never knew where his life was going. He was all on his own at such a young age, he didn’t know where to start to get back on some sort of path. Even now with friends, going to college and finally having a family, Stitch still doesn’t know who he truly is or where is headed.

1. Indecisive “I never meant to make it such a mess. I never meant for things to go this far.”

John has the tendency to either overthink every little decision he makes and constantly second guess himself, or react to things on impulse. This trait developed as a result of his strict upbringing. John has become incredibly dependent on his siblings over the years, as well as his over-bearing parents (mostly his father) that liked to make decisions for their children while they were growing up, rather than letting them make their own mistakes. As a result, John has a difficult time making decisions for himself and finds himself constantly consulting others to help him make these choices. It’s something that he’s very aware of and is working to improve, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes he over-corrects this flaw and acts on instinct-- which can either work out in his favor or backfires horribly. Although John is making strides in being his own person and becoming more sure of himself, sometimes he finds himself regressing back to the comfort of his family-- where he lacks the independence to make his own choices, but is offered unconditional support. 

This quality has stopped John from being able to grow as a person, as he is unable to move on from the carefree days of his childhood and from the influence of his family. It is something he is trying to improve and is well-aware of, but he can’t stop the incessant doubts swirling around in his mind. This facet of his personality also comes from his issues with self-confidence and being sure of his decisions. He tends to over-analyze and second guess his instincts when making decisions on his own because he lacks the confidence to make choices with complete certainty.

2. Impressionable “I guess I thought I could be part of this. I never had this kind of thing before.”

Naturally attracted to people with strong personalities, John tends to be swayed very easily by others that have command of themselves and speak with confidence. It started with his fascination with Wendy’s stories about Peter, and as the two boys became close friends over the years, John found that he responded well to the Lost Boy’s confident leadership. Although this makes him an incredibly loyal friend, John is often swayed by the influence of strong people in his life-- including some people that might not be such a great influence on the Darling boy. He isn’t gullible by any means, but he is easily persuaded by people who are commanding and confident. This is something that is more subconscious that John isn’t really aware of. He doesn’t really question why he tends to give in so easily to these kinds of people or why he tends to make friends with them. The way John sees it, he’s always been the best at being a loyal sidekick, so he just tends to gravitate towards people that he would connect well with.

This trait also comes as a result of his issues with not having enough confidence in himself. Instead of stepping into the role of the leader, John is used to hanging back and being the loyal friend that can offer support, no matter what. That is why he tends to make friends with strong-willed people, rather than stepping up and being the leader. When he had the chance to step in and act as the leader of the Lost Boys during Peter’s absence, he got a taste of what that kind of power felt like. Although it was foreign to him at first, he liked the feeling of being in complete control and not at the mercy of others and a part of him would love to have that feeling again. But for the time being, he tends to stick to his role as the submissive sidekick. 

3. Pompous “That’s not a worthy explanation, I know there is none. Nothing can make sense of all these things I’ve done.”

Used to being one of the smartest kids in his class, John doesn’t do very well when he feel like he’s being talked down to or when someone is trying to make him feel dumb. On the contrary, John takes immense pride in being one of the smartest people in the room, which can give him severe tunnel vision when it comes to seeing the perspective of others. Although he’s generally good at being empathetic and sympathizing with the emotions of his friends and family, when it comes to facts and figures, he’s entirely certain that he is always right about most things and that his opinion shouldn’t be questioned. This quality doesn’t make him a great person to have friendly debates with, since he will brush off the opinions of others if they don’t align with his. 

Although he takes pride in his intelligence, his incessant need to be right tends to rub people the wrong way. One of his least likable qualities, this facet developed over the years as John was attempting to define himself as an individual in his family. While Wendy was well-known for her creativity and ability to make friends, and Michael had his athleticism and limitless talent, John could always rest assured in the fact that he was the cleverest Darling. As a result, he does not take it well when others try to undermine his intelligence, since it is the one defining quality that has always set him apart from his siblings and that has allowed him to pave the way to becoming his own person. John doesn’t see anything wrong with this trait, he just thinks that other people get upset because they’re wrong, not because he undermines their opinion. 

4. Non-Confrontational “If I just believe, then I don’t have to see what’s really there.”

Whether it’s confronting the people in his life and being upfront with them about his desires for the future, to confronting the reality of growing up, John is terrible at facing the issues in his life head on. He tends to avoid confrontation at all cost in attempt to avoid unnecessary conflict, choosing instead to either fester in his thoughts or ignore them entirely. This unhealthy coping mechanism developed as a result of a lack of communication skills between John and his parents. Although he trusts his siblings with (nearly) everything and tends to frequently confide in his brother and sister, he never really had that kind of relationship with his parents. He is normally met with criticism from his father, and although he trusts his mother, she tends to take his father’s side rather than hearing him out. So as a result, John has learned to keep some things to himself, which ultimately stop him from being able to develop as a person, stunting his emotional and personal growth. 

John also isn’t the best at confronting the people in his life when he feels that he is being treated unfairly. Used to being the trusted number two, John tends to prefer passivity to facing his issues head on, which tends to hurt more than it helps, as it can breed resentment over time. He is also terrible at confronting his feelings, so he tends to brush them off rather than facing them with honesty. He is somewhat aware of his inability to express his feelings-- whether they are negative or positive-- but he hasn’t done anything to improve this trait or work towards being more in-tune with his emotions. For now, he prefers the tried and true method of just shoving them down and hoping they’ll go eventually away, an avid fan of avoiding conflict at all costs. 

5. Reckless “Will I just keep on running away from what’s true? All I ever do is run.”

In attempt to gain control of his life and break away from the hold that his parents have over him, John has become more and more reckless and irresponsible over the years that he’s spent adventuring with Peter and the Lost Boys. He used to be a very cautious and calculating child, but this quality developed as an attempt to over-correct the strict upbringing that he had in the Darling house. What started off gradually with spending time with the Lost Boys against his parents’ wishes has slowly escalated into sneaking out through his window most nights to get into misadventures with his friends. Even his explorations and adventures became more and more mischievous over the years. What was once just an excuse to see the hidden parts of Carthay turned into trespassing into abandoned houses and indulging in his fair share of alcohol. When he’s feeling rebellious, the calculating part of his mind shuts down in favor of more impulsive decisions. Some of them he tends to regret when he’s had time to reflect, but overall, his private rebellions are satisfying to the Darling boy-- they offer him a way to break away from the expectations thrust upon him by his parents.

When it comes to Lilo Pelekai, her biggest flaw is that she’s self-centered. This is something she has become aware of over the years and tries to avoid. She is a very caring person, every important decision she makes is after careful consideration of her friends and family, but she has a bad habit of focusing on her own life and her own problems over everyone else’s --- no matter the subject. She spends more time venting to others than asking how they are. She takes every bad thing as a personal blow and every good thing as a personal achievement. As hard as she tries to not be this way, it’s like her mind always jumps to “but what about my feelings?” first. I think she tends to forget that Nani lost their parents too. I think she tends to forget that a lot of people she loves know loss, and she isn’t the only one with abandonment issues.

She is also a stubborn person. If she truly wants to be grumpy, she’s going to be grumpy and no amount of ice cream, Elvis records or kind words can take her out of that slump. If she wants to do something, she is going to do it or die trying. It’s hard to talk her out of bad ideas or a bad mood because once her mind is set, the only one that can change it is herself. She’s been this way ever since she could walk and talk, it’s something deeply embedded into her personality and I don’t see it going away. While it isn’t always a bad thing, I’d say that it’s been more of a problem than a help in her life, so it’s going in the ‘flaws’ category.

Another obvious description of her would be moody. Her emotions, always intense, can change in the blink of an eye. It makes for some interesting interactions, but it can also be hard to know when she just might be set off or what will do it. Talking to Lilo is like walking through a minefield. Be careful, one wrong step and she’ll burst into tears or start screaming at you. Fortunately, she tends to calm down just as quickly.

It probably goes without saying (and is sort of hand-in-hand with the previous) that she’s an over-dramatic person. It’s not rare to find her flopping on her bed and declaring that the world is ending over something extremely minuscule that she’ll forget about ten minutes later. Though one of my favorite traits of hers, I’m sure it would be annoying to deal with. I think this stems from wanting attention, maybe from a lack of it in her childhood since her parents were gone, her older sister had to step in as her guardian and she didn’t have an easy time making friends.

This brings us to the last one. Her quirkiness is her most prominent trait of all but I don’t see that as a bad thing, so we’re going to go with conservative. It may not be perfect, but it’s the closest word I can find. Lilo is quite resistant to change in her life. She’s happy to try new foods, new hobbies, but when it comes to taking big steps, she resorts to feeling like a frightened child. It terrifies her. Even the things that don’t have to be negative, like graduating and going to college, she doesn’t know how to handle life being different. After losing her parents, she knew what it was like to feel brokenhearted, completely devastated, and I think she’d just rather everything stay the same because yeah, it could get better, but it could also get worse, and she’s not sure how many bad things her heart is capable of handling anymore.

Fred is, as everyone knows... dimwitted. He was not lucky when it comes to the brain department. It’s not that he’s a complete idiot, but he’s not... not, either. He doesn’t apply himself in the ways that he should, though even when he tries, there are some things he simply cannot understand. His mind is a little slower than some people’s are, and it can be a bit of an insecurity when he thinks about how smart his friends are. But now that he’s out of school, he doesn’t beat himself up about it.

If it were to bother him more, no one would know, because Fred is also a repressed person. He has the tendency to shove his negative emotions down. It’s not that he has walls up, it’s that he feels like he needs to be the strong one for the people he cares about. It seems like he shakes everything off, but that isn’t always the case. Even if something genuinely upsets him, someone would have to pay very close attention to notice that. And if he were called out, he’d deny it.

He is immature. He’ll make (and laugh over) jokes at a middle school boy level. Some of this ties into his lack of smarts, but it’s mostly just childish, he loves life, he loves to laugh and he loves to have fun.

Unfortunately, he does not love to clean up after that fun. He is untidy. In every way, shape and form. His room is a mess at all times --- the staff at home have stopped bothering to straighten it up completely, because in ten minutes, it’ll be destroyed again. He never makes his bed. He doesn’t throw out old food containers. He doesn’t wash his clothes regularly. He doesn’t even wash his hair regularly. Himself and his living space are the bane of anyone who likes things clean and organized. (Sorry, Wasabi.)

What will he do if he lost family? What if he lost Missy? What if his friends decided once he's graduated that he didn't share the same interests anymore and slowly stop seeing him? What if he has to move to follow his dreams? Are those passions even worth it? To leave home. To leave period?

He spits the water splashing on his lips, lowering his head, so the beads of rain collided with the crown of his head, slipping down gathered strands of hair and making their way to the muddied earth below. He stared at his toes buried in the mud, inhaling-- exhaling-- inhaling and growled with a closed fist at how he felt right now. He hated it. It was stupid. It didn't need to exist.

His mother used to say to him, "it's impossible to stop someone who wants to change." Those words were empowering to a child, proof that if there was something you desperately wanted and it required a change in you-- there was no restraint to stop you. So why was he feeling so angry? Why was he thinking about Bambi and almost blaming him for his mood when it wasn't his fault? What was the real reason he was standing in the damn rain alone?

Tae released his fists and turned around, walking through the fields just when a shiver raked through his shoulders in a chill. He'd always be overly critical of his emotions when they slipped into the opposite direction he strived to show to the world. It took a lot of work to appear happy all the time. 

July would be over soon, another passing month-- another step closer to an end that threatened the normalcy he's grown to love. What can he do about it? Should he throw something away? Should he accept that change was coming and suffer through it? Should he go for it all-- wrap his hands around a dream he's always looked up at and never fully grasped?

Fred lives in a larger-than-average house, but most times he can be found lounging in his (also larger-than-average) room. When you walk inside, the bed is straight across from the doorway, mid of the room --- head of the bed against the wall, beside of his window and window seat.

Despite the cleaning staff, it’s a mess for the most part. Empty food containers, clothes that haven’t been put away. His bed is rarely ever fixed but when it is, it looks like a bed that belongs to a five year old... despite being king sized. The sheets are super hero themed, of course.

From his bed, you can see the large flat screen TV on the wall.

Two bean bag chairs are planted in front of it, his PlayStation is usually the system hooked up but he switches them up from time to time. He has two large bookshelves filled with games and gaming systems, categorized by game type and consoles. It’s the most organized thing in his room.

You’ll find all kinds of figurines around his room -- comic book character pop heads, Japanese monsters, you name it. If it’s Nerdy, he probably has it.

He also has one of the most extensive (self proclaimed, anyway) comic book collections in America. He has so many that it’s like a comic book shop, and some of them are spread throughout the house, on shelves in other rooms. But his favorite and most rare can be found on a smaller shelf similar to the one below.

There are a lot of posters on the wall. He has a walk-in closest, though there aren’t many dressy clothes inside. Mostly graphic tees, sneakers, beanies and jeans. There are a few framed pictures around the room, of him and his friends as well as one of him and his parents from when he was much younger.

There is a large coffee table in the room, white and round at the center with the top being red. Similar to the one in the movie. He also has a few arcade games, like in the movie, and kiddish costumes on display like they’re gold.

Quiet being their main trait, Pascal is not much of a rambler. I like the value they put into their words and the fact that while they aren’t shy, they have to be comfortable around someone to have full-fledged conversations... but it makes it difficult to write for them, and I feel like I’m not giving other people enough to reply to when there’s not much dialogue. It’s all inner monologue and description.

It is also safe to say Pascal isn’t the biggest ‘people person’ in Carthay. They are suspicious of one’s intentions until they decide they can be trusted --- and that could take awhile. It’s either an initial feeling they get that someone is being genuine, or getting to know them over time. That doesn’t mean they won’t be nice to them, or they’ll follow them around town to make sure they’re not about to rob a bank, it just means they won’t trust them until they know they can. And once they do trust someone, their love for them automatically begins to build. And when they love someone...

Pascal can be overprotective, to the point that it could come off as overbearing and controlling. They don’t try to run their friends’ lives, but if someone has weaseled their way into their heart then their place there is permanent, and they want to make sure they are safe and happy at all times. If they think a person their friends are hanging around with is bad news, if they think they can sense heartbreak coming or their friends are doing something they deem dangerous, they’re going to speak their mind on it, and just hope that it doesn’t cause a ripple in their relationship with said person.

Somewhat related to that, they can be pushy. They would never try to make someone see things the way they do, but they insert their beliefs and values regularly. They consider themself a voice of reason, and they make sure their reason is heard when they want it to be. They are straightforward and honest, which (while admirable in my eyes) isn’t always a good thing. They’ll try to be kind to the best of their ability, they believe it is important to treat others with respect and not with ill will, but they do not believe in sugarcoating. Sometimes the truth hurts and there is no way around it. For Pascal, the truth is always the right way to go, no matter the hurt feelings it may cause.