#fiighters

RISE & SHINE            ↪ NOT ACCEPTING / @fiighters

 the  astromech  is  immediately  on  alert  (  bb-8  knows  all  about  emergencies  in  the  resistance  )  despite  the  sudden  jolt  awake  and  the  first  to  come  into  view  as  soon  as  her  optical  lens  focuses  is  her  twin.  she  risks  a  glance  towards  poe--a  lump  underneath  the  covers--and  another  glance  at  the  chronometer,  indicating  that  it  is  still  the  middle  of  the  night.

     beebee!              ‣‣ beebee!

 her  voice  is  as  hushed  as  can  be  (  humans  are  meant  to  be  sleeping  and  droids  are  meant  to  be  charging  )  but  the  worry  is  still  evident  in  her  tone.

 “HELLO OUT THERE,” The vagabond called out as the younger woman emerged from the slight WRECKAGE of the small ship, his gloved hand raised against the harsh rays of the setting sun. Orzo let out a low, rather IMPRESSED whistle as he surveyed the damage, his brows raised in interest. “-- damn, kid. If there was an award for best save, you’d’a won it. Where are you flying in from?” 

               ❝ god, what makes them think                    they can get away with doing                    this to us ? ❞

what kind of teacher schedules a test -- for the very next day ? 

42 character development questions!

1. How do they move and carry themselves? Pace, rhythm, gestures, energy?

I will start by saying that Braig talks with his hands. Unless he’s holding his hands behind his back, like at parade rest, or carrying something, chances are he’ll be gesturing with every other word. Part of it is because he’s just that energetic, part of it is because it’s easier for him to get his point across with gestures, and a third part of it is that talking with your hands has combative applications. I am not kidding. It’s a way to have your hands up and ready if you need them, without seeming aggressive.

He usually walks at a steady pace, with speed depending on where he’s going, and why and when he needs to be there. His hands are often behind his back, resting at his hips, or with his thumbs hooked through his belt, if they’re not hanging loose. He tends to like fiddling with or holding things, though, so he’s not usually just sitting with his hands idle. 

His posture is straight, whether he’s walking, sitting, or sparring, since it makes him look taller, reduces the likelihood of back problems, and helps with balance and stances and the like. He doesn’t tend to slouch unless it’s to express a mood or emphasise a word, and he would never do this in formal conversation - it’s hard enough to get people to take him seriously, as is. 

A few people have described his overall movements as ‘fluid’ and ‘flowy’, and that’s a good way to put it. It’s a result of his training, mostly, but also the areas he’s focused on, and his general body type. He’s got muscle, sure, but he’s not a Dwane Johnson or John Cena. He’s lean, I suppose, is what I’m getting at. He doesn’t have a lot of bulk to hinder his movement, and, on top of that, his training helps him be as graceful as any other Jedi. 

Energy, for him, depends on what mood he’s in. Like most people, he has highs and lows, and it all depends on what’s happening around him. If he’s excited or angry, it’s more high-energy, sad or tired or content are low, confused is somewhere in between. Of course, even then, it can vary, but that’s the usual. 

Braig gestures a lot, so I’m just going to list a few of them here. When he’s nervous, he’ll tug on his scarf; when he loses his scarf, he tugs on his sleeves, his collar, the hems of his shirt/tunic, or his padawan braid, if he still has it. When he gets his infamous facial scar, he scratches at it idly, and often has no idea if he’s doing it. When he’s ashamed, being scolded, or uncomfortable, he’ll hunch his shoulders and avoid eye contact, maybe bunch his fists around the hems of his sleeves. If he feels unsafe, he’ll have his hands resting on his lightsabers, and he’ll be gathering strands of the Force around him. If he’s angry, he’ll be tensed, gritting his teeth, and making eye contact with his shoulders back, possibly with his hands held behind his back and tightly clasped, depending on the situation. Another thing he’ll do if he’s nervous is run his fingers through his hair, but he’ll do that idly, too. If he’s afraid or unsafe and Obi-Wan is around, he’ll hold on to Obi’s sleeve (It’s a habit developed over long years, and it’s gotten to the point in threads where Obidad just holds his arm out automatically; Braig appreciates it). When he’s thoughtful, he’ll stroke his chin with his right hand, usually look to the floor with his brow furrowed; If he’s excited, he’ll rock/bounce onto the balls of his feet. He’ll puff air out of his cheeks if he’s frustrated, stretch and rub his eyes if he’s sleepy or just waking up. He doesn’t bite or chew on his lips often, but he might, sometimes, on the rare occasion. He tilts his head to the side when he’s listening to someone, curious, or confused, and arches his brow usually; he’ll smother smirks or little laughs behind his hand or fist. If he’s saying hello to someone, or thank you, there’s usually a little bow thrown in - Usually this is for knights and masters, but he’s done to to shop keepers, other padawans, and even a youngling once; It’s a habit that just springs up from time to time, and it can cause some pretty humorous situations. There are more, but I think this is enough for now.

16. Do they dream? What are those dreams like?

Oh, he dreams a lot, almost every night, and it’s almost never pleasant. He sees the faces of those he hasn’t been able to save, of those he wasn’t supposed to save, of places he’s been (those aren’t too bad), battles he’s fought in, traumatic things he’s been through… But he’ll also have dreams about his friends, people he knows well, and the most abstract things. Sometimes it’s nothing.

It depends.

19. How do they behave within a group? What role(s) do they take? Does this differ if they know and trust the group, versus finding themselves in a group of strangers? Why?

Depends on the group. In his best friends (the gathering group), he’s sort of the unsung mastermind. While most people assume that the twins are the ones behind it all, or Lohata or Naweh, he’s actually usually the one coming up with their game plans. Not always, of course. The others have their schemes, too. And once they get going, they all have their own roles and do their own thing, but someone’s gotta get the initial spark.

If Obi-Wan’s part of the group, or any Jedi master or knight he likes or is even remotely curious about, he’ll let them take the lead quite happily, tagging along and asking them as many questions as he thinks he can get away with, and maybe a few more than that, depending. He’s been described as a ‘puppy’ by a lot of people, and that’s not at all inaccurate. He can get very enthusiastic about learning from or spending time with people he likes. 

The older he is the more comfortable he is taking an explicit leading position in a group, so, when he’s just starting out in the GAR, he’s more likely to let Cody take charge, since he’s still finding his footing, but the older he gets the more comfortable he is leading on his own. 

Chances are if he’s in a group of of strangers and has to take the lead, it’s because there’s some kind of crisis going on. Believe it or not, he’d feel more equipped to handle that than other moments. If it’s not in this context, he’s less of a fan of groups of strangers. He can navigate them fine (it’s a lot easier if he can sense them in the Force, to pick up their emotions), but it’s a lot more comfortable for him to be with familiar people, though that’s not just for him. I think that’s pretty common. 

Lastly, since I didn’t mention this earlier, if Braig’s put with a master he doesn’t like (which, given his track record, probably isn’t likely), he will do as he’s told as best he can, but he will trust his gut above anything else, and is way more likely to second-guess what he’s being told to do or think. It’ll be fairly clear that he doesn’t want to be there, but he won’t put civilian or clone lives at risk just because he has a bone to pick. Besides, being too stubborn or difficult would only leave him with punishments, and he’d rather not deal with it. (But he will complain to someone he likes better at a later date.)

31. Is there anything that counts as a “dealbreaker” for them, positively or negatively? What makes things go smoothly, and what spoils an activity or ruins their day? Why?

The first bad-thing that comes to mind is excluding someone based on irrelevant or outright ridiculous logic or prejudice. For example, he understands not inviting the clones to games of push-feather, since that requires Force-sensitivity to play, but if it’s like ‘we don’t want Rodians playing boloball because they have different noses’, I don’t know, he’ll promptly leave as soon as he possibly can. If someone acts really pompous and arrogant and high-and-mighty, he probably won’t want anything to do with them. Anything that involves flying or mechanics work, he’s out; he’s not big on those. If it’s high-energy and he’s just had a long day, that’s a no-go; Anything that glamorises or romanticises the war is right out, so there are a lot of holovids he won’t see, a lot of video games he wouldn’t play even if he were allowed, a lot of books he won’t read, songs he won’t listen to, and so on and so forth. When he’s younger, he’s not a big fan of public speaking or crowds, so that’s out until he gets used to it. Anything that involves breaking the law is right out, in almost all verses, so that’s another thing. When it comes to food, he’s not a fan of carrots and broccoli, so that is also a no. He doesn’t like anything to do with excessive eating, or wastefulness, or even anything to do with buying expensive or luxurious material goods in general. On a ‘bad’ day, he’s not a fan of sitting down for long periods of time unless he has something to feel accomplished or productive with, but on better days, he’s grateful to take some time to meditate or stargaze or go on walks or take tea with his friends and/or master(s). Also, talking with politicians about negotiating treaties to help their people get the food they desperately need while said politician is shovelling imported delicacies into their mouth and complaining about everything. That’s a bad-day maker.

Things that would make a day/activity better include being invited out to something, since that means he’s actually wanted there, or doing anything with people he cares about, so anything to do with the Space Fam or the Gathering Group are right in. Things that involve sparring or building lightsabers, he’s probably down for. He likes flowers and stars and books and tea, so, chances are, he’ll be down for activities involving those. He likes swimming, so he would be glad to do that (though he doesn’t like getting wet, otherwise). If someone wants to brush, braid, or otherwise style or toy with his hair, he’s all for it, depending on who it is (and, obviously, no scissors). He doesn’t like things that are too loud or chaotic, since he gets enough of that when he’s at war; He also isn’t a fan of large crowds, just ‘cause the Force can get a little noisy on top of people themselves, so he’ll enjoy things with smaller groups (And by large crowds, I mean anywhere where people are all packed into a place with not a lot of room. If he’s in a large, open place with a few people, he’ll be chill; But put him in a crowded train car, and he’ll be pretty :/ about it). He likes high-energy things sometimes, but he also likes quiet moments, so something that fits his mood makes it better. Being around people with relatively peaceful Force signatures is another good thing. He likes cooking, and some chores, and he likes being warm, and he likes things he can learn from and challenges. 

Over all, it really depends on his mood - there are a lot of things that change and shift on a day-to-day basis. You can usually tell what he’d be interested in or if an idea entices him just by watching his reactions.

38. Is there anything they wish they could change about their worldview or thought processes? What, and why?

He wishes that he wasn’t so emotional, so empathetic, that it was easier for him to detach himself from the things he’s seen and had to do. It would be a lot easier to handle being a Jedi, that way. He also wishes he knew more about the actual situation in the galaxy. The older he gets, the more he realises he’s been drinking the propaganda kool-aide just like everyone else. He doesn’t know the Mandalorian’s side of the story, for example. He doesn’t know why people like Mina Bonteri would join the Separatists. He doesn’t even know why he’s fighting, some days.

41. What associations do they bring to mind? Words or phrases, images, metaphors or motifs? Why?

Aside from the typical stars and galaxies, the images Braig brings to mind are flowers, leather-bound books and blank parchment, fountain pens and ink blotches, gentle scrawls of text, cups of tea or hot chocolate, bandages - often bloody - tiny weapons parts and tools, dirty hands, flying birds, long dark hair, scars, brown fabric (esp. rough), small boxes of candy, pastries, lightsabers, leather boots, etc.

Phrases include ‘kill them with kindness’, ‘someday I’ll be better’, pretty much the entirety of Phil Collins’ ‘Son of Man’, ‘The strong must protect the weak’, ‘I found my family’, ‘The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb’, ‘no pain no gain’, ‘my pain is irrelevant, as long as you’re okay’, ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’, ‘the sun will come out tomorrow’, ‘spit your blood and wipe your mouth’, ‘a cup of tea a day keeps the doctor away’, ‘he was your father, but he wasn’t your dad’, and a bunch more - I’m not the best with remembering quotes, honestly. There’s a tag for it. 

CORUSCANT WAS SERIOUSLY CROWDED. So much so, Bop barely had room to extend his cane, but kept it pressed against his chest as he moved with the flow of the crowd. He sort of had a routine: walk, walk, walk, ride the Coruscanti trains, go new places, meet new people. It wasn’t the most exciting life, but Coruscant was filled with odd people (he, himself, certainly one of them). You never knew.