#starbi-misc

Under the work of Cauldron, he could only hope he could use his powers on himself.

Okay now time to talk about my selfship with Devstar, (Northen Lights!Starbi and Devon) and how I connect their relationship with the song Lower One's Eyes by Nulut (specifically with Trickle's lyrics).

Okay so, let me first establish who represents who, but not in the way you'd think. If anything both of them can

NL!Starbi (sometimes titled North) clearly represents the Witch, but is in the position of the maid. He clearly has less to offer compared to the privileged Devon with a well-off family.

Devon represents the maid, but is in the position of the Witch. He has way more to offer, has a clear friend group, an education at the very least, and a job despite his reservations of his future.

Much like the Maid in the original MV. Devon has an initial resentment towards Starbi. For context, both Starbi and Devon are coworkers at a diner in Montana. But Starbi is managing his job way more compared to Devon with his bubbly personality. Customers seem to find Starbi enjoyable, and the two's manager favor the cat a little more compared to the grumpy doberman.

It doesn't help that Starbi is a bit of a new guy compared to Devon (subject to change). And in turn leads the doberman to envy Starbi despite his own predicaments of needing to be happy and cheerful to pay nights at the motel. And in turn becomes a bitter resentment towards Starbi.

But due to his stance as a privileged individual, it unfortunately influences his sense of empathy. Devon has been taken advantage of, or made fun of for being in a wealthy family. And has only spent time with Aldric and Misty, his two close friends from childhood. He only stopped being mean to Cody after learning he was Aldric's friend. So it would be a little more tough seeing as Starbi is a complete stranger. Case in point, I interpret Devon not having much empathy, or emotional intelligence for someone that's not from his friend group. Its writing like this that makes me want to see more of both him and especiallg Misty in the souce material.

Even when Starbi offers gestures of kindness to Devon. It unfortunately wasn't reciprocated by him, with him still not opening up to Starbi. But as time goes on, Devon understands Starbi a bit more with the help of Cody, and tries to be nice to him, in his own way. It also allows Devon to hang out with someone who shares similar interests with him. And in turn, the two surprisingly grow closer.

But unfortunately, tense feelings still remain.

Starbi, as shown in his reference and design, is an Avoidant. Due to his own way of thinking and need for survival from his predicament, he has a severe clash with himself on whether or not he wants friends not, or if he even can have them. He unfortunately sees himself as both unworthy, and worthy of friendship given his kindness to the friend group. But is noticeably distant with all of them. Starbi believes that to survive, he needs to be a "background character". A person that lives idly who doesn't concern himself with the "main characters". Its a way to protect himself so people don't find out his secret of being from another world, so to speak. So in turn, he protects himself by distancing himself from others.

But of course, Starbi's way of seeing people and himself are definitely skewed. He believes that he won't be noticed by people in the long run, but he's proven wrong by the kindness and interest Cody and his friend group have for him. Seeing this, Starbi plays a game of hot and cold with them.

"Be nice, but don't take the spotlight. Be what they want you to be. Anything but their friend."

But despite his precaution, Starbi doesn't even know that he failed. He failed at this goal and philosophy of his as even he grew to care about these people. How Starbi had grown to care about his friends. He did something he never thought he'd do.

Get people to care about him.

As time went on, he unintentionally let himself slip. Having heart to hearts with people like Cody, watching Misty play guitar, exploring the national park with Aldric, and spending quality time with Devon. It ultimately lead him to wanting to stay like this with everyone, forever.

Except, he could only dream such a life when his secret was exposed.

Feeling like everything came crashing down, how to him, it felt like everything ended. To him, Starbi could only do the thing he did best, and run away.

However, while doing so, Devon and everyone went after him. Not with disdain as Starbi had thought, but with understanding and compassion for him.

The song follows two friends, one who comes across as helpful towards the other, but its revealed to be one out of obsession and stalker behavior. Wanting her friend to rely on her and her alone.

I feel like this song is a generally good way to describe Rico (Reconnected!Starbi) and his friendship with Atticus.

Its not exactly stalker and victim, mind you. There is a genuine bond between the two. Except its also one that is perceived a bit differently from both sides.

Starbi, being a perceptive individual with severely good emotional intelligence, sees and acknowledges that Atticus is a bit different compared to others. With his gentle demeanor, he sees him as someone that's lost. Someone that needs guidance, his guidance. His protection.

Atticus, who is clearly way more normal than Starbi, doesn't see it this way. Atticus is easily excitable as shown in the source material when he spends time with Eco, and tends to go over the top when Atticus bought him a lot of expensive gifts. And I believe that Atticus would showcase Starbi a similar kindness.

Though, I fear that, while Starbi appreciates Atticus' kindness, he'd also interpret it as a sign of "naivete". He's not going to iron out his personality, of course. For now, the initial idea was that Starbi was to guide Atticus to be more confident with himself, albeit very subtle.

The song comes across as one about both pessimism and optimism. How the singer acknowledges how the world is so horrible, but they're trying their absolute best to convince themselves otherwise.

Rico is an invidual who believes that sadness is the prime blockade of life itself. And that its an entity that needs to be eradicated.

But obviously, he knows that sadness is a natural feeling. In the sense that he understands that it exists, and why it does. So he does his best to convince others to be happy, and probably himself.

He's aware of how the world is just an overall mess. With the massacre of the Kolterrans, and the great separation. And among other things in terms of famines, mental illness is a maybe. Especially with the ideas of making his father a corrupt police man, which certainly would influence his way of thinking to that of a traditional mindset.

So of course, I'd imagine the concept of despair itself would naturally eat away and affect his mental health. So he potentially uses his way to convince people to be happy as his own coping mechanism to prove to him that this world isn't too far gone.

And in addition. I had some ideas that some traumas as a child encouraged him to also feel responsible for others' happiness, and in turn their well-being. So I feel like he also needs he has to make people smile, and that he's the only one that can do that, kind of like a savior complex, really.

In the song, there's lyrics such as "don't get in my way", which could in turn relate to him feeling like he can complete his mission by himself. So seeing people being happy can further encourage this savior complex of his.

For context, the Overseer is of the same species as Starbi. A representation of trauma and control, so to speak.

His backstory revolves around being disguised as a human without realising he was a Starborn.

Unfortunately, his "home universe" consisted of him being in a Danganronpa style killing game. The game drove him mad and as the sole survivor, he was struck with a twisted love for the thrill of life and death situations.

Unleashing his abilities as a Starborn, he had a mission to throw alternate universes into the same feelings he felt. Controlling people and seeing how they'd survive in murder battle royales.

Its fascinating to think about because his home universe was a normal one. It was a modern society with no fantastical elements.

And the fact that a human, an ordinary person with no magic, masterminded a killing game, and inadvertently awakened a cosmic evil to cause havoc across the worlds.