This is me answering all of the questions from my thematic oc ask game, for Josele specifically.
1. What is the main color associated with them? What connections with that color do they share? Josele’s main color association is blue, think cobalt. Not too dark or light, right in the middle. Blue is associated with sensitivity (fitting her magic), peace (despite having strong emotions, she could keep them in check), and sorrow (reflecting the tragedy in her life). Also, despite being seen as a masculine color now, blue was actually once associated with femininity so it represents Josele’s masculine and feminine aspects.
Josele’s secondary color is brown. Brown is associated with feelings of security, resilience, and reliability. Josele strives to be a person whom others can depend on and be protected by. She’s also a physically resilient though her heart is more fragile and needs help finding safety for her that. Brown is also associated with Josele because brown is a mix of multiple colors and Josele’s Emotion Magic is essentially a mix of many elemental attributes.
2. Drawing from the language of flowers, what flower would symbolize them? I associate Josele with the star flower.
The star flower, also called amsonia, is the perfect flower for Josele. Blue is Josele’s primary color and she’s associated with stars (which I will elaborate on later). The star flower’s meaning/symbolism is “endurance, strength, and determination.” Josele endured a lot in her life, physically injuries and emotional losses. She faces a great deal of hardship and while she does stumble (her curse if her biggest fault), she still pulls through. She’s physically strong but also has a strong spirit as her curse isn’t able to fully erase her emotions and kindness. And her determination to help others is one of the things that keeps her going even while cursed.
3. What real life animal would they be represented by? I’ve mentioned it before but Josele would be represented by deer, in general and not a specific species. They are animals known for their grace and are often used as symbols of gentleness. Josele, even when cursed, is a caring individuals. In Buddhism, they represent happiness and harmony, something which Josele seeks after and eventually attains. Deer can also be associated with strength, usually male bucks with their antlers.
4. What mythical creature would they be represented by? It’s not entirely due to Josele herself, but she is associated with kitsune from Japanese mythology. Kitsune in Japanese myth sometimes transform into or possess women, usually to prey on men. It’s similar to how Almatra (who has a fox-like true form) possesses Josele’s body through their devil contract. One famous kitsune story is about Tamamo-no-mae who becomes a favored individual in the emperor’s court but her presence makes him sickly as she tried to take the emperor’s life force. Josele is much like the emperor, afflicted with the presence of fox-like Almatra and her Blight Magic. Kitsune aren’t always malicious or tricksters and can be aligned with good, and that’s Josele using Almatra’s Blight Magic for Magic Knight duties.
5. Which body part are they associated with? Hands. Josele is physically strong and hands are symbolic for strength (in my experience at least). But also, I see hands as a symbol for connection. “Reaching out to one another.” “Take my hand.” “Lend a helping hand.” Thoughts like that. Josele used to be someone who so easily reached out to help others but with her curse, she has closed herself off. Now, she is the one who needs to be reached out to. And Josele needs to take the hands of those who want to help her so they can bring her out of the dark place she put herself in.
6. Which of the four seasons best fits them? The best season for Josele is spring. It’s the season of life and rebirth. Josele’s true self is happy, kind, and full of life, like the world in the spring. But currently, she’s trapped in a state opposite to herself, an emotional winter of sorts. Depressed from the loss of Morgen and emotionless from her curse, Josele is without spirit or life. Plus, she is using Blight Magic with takes life away from the world around her. When she’s freed from Almatra and her curse, Josele is essentially reborn. Just like flowers blooming in the spring, Josele’s emotions are allowed to flourish again and she is able to truly live to the fullest.
7. What time of day are they associated with? Dawn, when the sun is rising. Josele loves watching both the sunrise and sunset but she is better suited with the sunrise. Just like how spring is about renewal, the dawn is about hope. Josele must find the hope and strength of heart to continue towards the future. The light of dawn is gentler than full daytime as well. Finally, there’s the saying that “it’s darkest before the dawn.” Josele loses a great deal (Morgen, her magic, her emotions, her father, and even Nacht’s presence when he leaves for Spade) before she finds happiness and love once more.
8. Which of the seven heavenly virtues are they associated with? Do they embody that virtue or are they trying to learn it? Josele’s greatest virtue is her charity. She does her best to love all people in a general sense, serving the greater good above all else. She can’t perfectly love and know about all people individually, but she can care for society as a whole. From there, Josele developed an altruistic nature, willing to make sacrifices for the sake of helping others. Sometimes, she’s resorted to less upright means, such as using Forbidden Magic, but it was done to continue working as a Magic Knight. Josele isn’t entirely without personal wants but she puts others above herself more often than not. Charity is a pure form of love she can give to everyone.
9. Which of the seven deadly sins are they associated with? Is it a negative trait of theirs or something they actively struggle with? The sin Josele is associated with is sloth. I explain it here but I’ll still give a quick summary. Josele is mentally slothful. She wallowed in misery and then lets herself suffer from her curse and the presence of a devil. She doesn’t really have that much desire to do much aside work.
10. Are they closer to life or death? Although she is associated with the season of spring, Josele is closer to death. Her mother died when she was still young, then came Morgen’s death which sent her into a downward spiral, she killed her own spirit through her curse, and the magic she gained from her devil contract is Blight Magic. Also, in order for Josele to be reborn later on, she must first die.
11. Land, sea, or sky? Of the realms of the world, which one does the character belong to? Josele belongs to the land. The stable ground from which life is born, where plants take root and many animals make their homes. She has traversed the forest since her childhood. Josele is also grounded; she has strong emotions but she takes in the world around her as it is
The land is more tangible than the other realms. One can feel the flow of water or a breeze but water slips through one’s fingers and air can’t be grasped. Josele wants the things she care about to be something she can grasp, like soil or stone. Although she can sense people’s emotions through her magic, Josele prefers hearing people’s feelings spoken outright, as it feels more real. And she prefers receiving affection through touch, to be able to feel someone held in her arms and place her forehead against theirs.
12. Are they the sun, moon, stars or something else in space? Josele is associated with stars. Josele is like a light. She is happy, kind, and admired. But she’s not as strong a light like Morgen, who is associated with the sun. However, Josele is still able to shine. Stars are far off, distant objects, lightyears from Earth. And though Josele is physically present, her feelings being locked away makes her emotionally distant from people, even if deep down she doesn’t want that. Stars are a popular symbol of hope, a repeated theme/concept connected to Josele. There is hope for Josele’s curse to break and she must find a way to have hope again.
Josele being the stars also aligns her well with Morgen and Nacht. Morgen is the sun and technically, the sun is another star that’s just much closer to Earth. Josele and Morgen are similar in that they are shining lights. Meanwhile, Nacht is the moon, accompanying Josele as the stars in the night sky. The stars and moon are gentler, somewhat lonelier lights. Finally, Nacht calls Josele “my star.”
13. Instead of your standard four elements, consider what kind of metal represents your character. Josele is represented by steel. It is strong and durable like Josele is. She’s on the muscular side and can take a beating in a fight. Josele’s heart is also strong with emotions. Her despair over losing Morgen was so overpowering for her. Another aspect of steel is how dangerous it is. Josele is dangerous mostly due to Almatra and the deadly Blight Magic that she has. But wielding a sword on it’s own it still quite threatening. Finally, there is the fact that steel is a refined alloy of other metals. Josele, upon breaking her curse, is able to take her sorrows and joys, pain and love, to become stronger than she was before. She hones herself and becomes more than what she was once through her tribulations.
14. Regardless of whether or not they wield any, what kind of weapon do you associate them with? Naturally, Josele is associated with swords. She can wield a variety of weapons but her primary one is a sword. Swords are the “standard” weapon in fiction and Josele is a simple, straightforward woman. Being the stereotypical weapon for knights, swords have connotations of courage and justice, which Josele believes in. Swords also symbolize power and protection, and Josele uses her strength to protect others. Finally, swords are a close quarters weapon. Josele is about physical closeness and intimacy to reflect emotional closeness to the ones she loves.
15. Pick an article of clothing to represent them. What does it mean? I would have Josele represented by a sash, a piece of cloth that can be worn over the shoulder or around the waist. Josele’s outfit actually includes a sash for her belt from which her sword is held. As for what a sash means, I see it as a symbol for adaptability (because it can be worn in two ways) since Josele’s latent Emotion Magic is flexible in the way it creates multiple elements. I also associate sashes with connection. Sashes are often tied when they’re worn and people become tied through knowing one another. Josele’s arc involves her becoming more closely tied to the Black Bulls in order to break her curse.
16. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything between. What kind of dish are they? Josele would be a supper. Compared to “dinner,” “supper” has a more home-y, informal feel. Josele is a commoner, rough and simple. She would cook a comfy, home-y supper for her loved ones. Supper being an evening meal also creates the sense of winding down from a long day of work. Supper is a welcoming, comforting meal to help one wind down in my mind. And that’s the kind of vibe Josele (especially post curse) would give off.
17. What instrument would be used in their leitmotif? I imagine that a leitmotif for Josele would involve an acoustic guitar. It seems like a simple instrument at first but guitars can convey a great range of emotions through the chords played on them. Guitars can play energetic, upbeat melodies or slow, melancholy ballads. Similarly, Josele is a straightforward individual but she has deep emotions and her Emotion Magic is quite complex in how it works. There’s also a universality to the guitar and Josele is a person who wants to do good to as many people as possible.
18. Which card would they be from the major arcana of tarot cards? Just like her space motif is stars, the major arcana that Josele is associated with is The Star.
In the upright position, The Star stands for hope, faith, purpose, renewal, and spirituality. Josele’s Emotion Magic connects her to the human spirit/soul. Cursing herself and then breaking the curse is her being renewed. She’s always had a purpose in serving others but also finds purpose in living for her own happiness. Faith, and connection, in others helps Josele break her curse. And hope for a brighter future is a major theme in her character.
In the reversed position, The Star stands for a lack of faith, despair, self-trust, disconnection. Morgen’s death caused Josele to lose faith in herself, her abilities and heart. She fell into despair from there and became disconnected from the people and world around her when she cursed herself.
19. Which of the four temperaments are they? Josele, under normal circumstances, has elements of both the sanguine and phlegmatic, being people-oriented and an ambivert (between extrovert and introvert).
From sanguine, Josele gets her energetic, passionate, and adventurous aspects, as well as the springs and morning associations. She can be unruly and impulsive too (though that was a bigger problem in her youth). Her sanguine side is stronger in her youth, before she cursed herself.
From phlegmatic, Josele gets her peacefulness, kindness, and empathic side. Her stubbornness and sometimes passivity (in negative cases) also come from this temperament. It’s also the one associated with the role of the mother in the family, and Josele is a pseudo-mother figure to the Black Bulls (if a distant one). She leans much more towards phlegmatic, especially in adulthood.
The two temperaments share traits of being friendly, forgiving, and emotionally available. Both temperaments tend to also be very giving, too much to a point of fault. Generally, they are the more optimistic temperaments and are highly responsive.
While under her curse, Josele is more melancholic. Passive and detached from the world. She remains polite but can be blunt and is always distant.
20. What word/phrase is central to their character? Josele got the advice from her mother that “every feeling matters.” She still has to remember this advice, but what’s just as important to Josele is the idea that it’s emotions that connect people. Josele locking away her feelings made it difficult for her to remember and connect to people. Feelings are important to just for the individual but for everyone around them. It’s by opening up to others, sharing feelings with those around her, that Josele’s curse gets broken. To summarize that idea, the phrase that is central to Josele’s character is “your heart is meant to be connected to the hearts of others.”
