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Tales of the Abyss character update
I still dislike Jade intensely, but thanks to the drabble challenge, I've discovered that I don't loathe him while in Peony's mindset. I like Peony a lot, so it's kind of shiny. I suspect I could even roleplay as Peony and remain IC enough to be fond of Jade, until I remember that probably anyone roleplaying Jade is going to manage to make him more annoying than I find him in canon. That's a little sad. For about .02 seconds I thought about joining a game. Because what I really need right now is more RPGs.
I think this is the first game I've ever encountered where the Optional Uber-Boss is actually relevant to the story in some way, shape, or form. I approve of that. (Star Ocean doesn't count, although if you removeGabriel Indalecio's Limiter, he might well be tougher than Iseria Queen.)
And while I despise Dist and want him to die in a fire, there is one skit scene in Keterburg (in case anyone wants to dodge spoilers at this late date) that makes me wibble a little.
In the skit, Jade tells us that Dist always use to sit alone, by himself, at the cafeteria during lunch, and one day Anise felt sorry for him, because god that's pitiful for a 'genius' villain. So at lunch for a few days Anise went over to sit with him and talk to him, and Dist was so... grateful and happy that he made her Tokunaga as a gift.
I think that that is... sincerely the most touching and moving thing I've ever encountered in a video game. That's. It almost makes me wish I didn't hate him because it's such a beautiful idea. It's like Frankenstein's monster and the little girl, only the monster is a "beautiful" psychotic genius and the little girl is normally a money-grubbing if lovable bitch.
Anyway. I like everything about Asch and I like everything about Guy. I do not like Tear, at all. She's right up there with Jade now. Possibly worse, because I doubt I have a Peony's mindset for her.
I think this is the first game I've ever encountered where the Optional Uber-Boss is actually relevant to the story in some way, shape, or form. I approve of that. (Star Ocean doesn't count, although if you remove
And while I despise Dist and want him to die in a fire, there is one skit scene in Keterburg (in case anyone wants to dodge spoilers at this late date) that makes me wibble a little.
In the skit, Jade tells us that Dist always use to sit alone, by himself, at the cafeteria during lunch, and one day Anise felt sorry for him, because god that's pitiful for a 'genius' villain. So at lunch for a few days Anise went over to sit with him and talk to him, and Dist was so... grateful and happy that he made her Tokunaga as a gift.
I think that that is... sincerely the most touching and moving thing I've ever encountered in a video game. That's. It almost makes me wish I didn't hate him because it's such a beautiful idea. It's like Frankenstein's monster and the little girl, only the monster is a "beautiful" psychotic genius and the little girl is normally a money-grubbing if lovable bitch.
Anyway. I like everything about Asch and I like everything about Guy. I do not like Tear, at all. She's right up there with Jade now. Possibly worse, because I doubt I have a Peony's mindset for her.
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God. I hate her so much. I just met her and I hate her.
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Asch is amazingly awesome, too. There's one big thing that irritates me about Guy, but I won't go into it since I don't know how far you are. D:
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Jademyself.I know about Guy's background, if it's related to that, but otherwise I'm like. *blank* Um, still nowhere really impressive, I'm pretty sure, because I don't have a single costume title. D: We're still working on convincing the king that Natalia is his daughter for realz, Asch just saved all our asses.
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Grr.Yes?")Didn't Guy live with Asch and his father for like, two or three years, though?
So, I mean, there's the Luke thing, but there's also the Asch thing, did Asch not endear himself to Guy at all, because he seems to have Guy-related woob that is not reciprocated.*...plays more*
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It's quite gay.He did. I haven't seen any canon to suggest how their relationship was back then, aside from a part where Natalia mentions that Asch said something to her and then went to play with Guy.
I think that part of the resentment towards Asch is the Luke thing, but even that doesn't make sense. Guy treats Asch badly when he acknowledges Asch at all, and it's just... weird. On the other hand, Asch does listen to Guy.-is not on second playthrough... no-
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-swoops in from another journal-
You can actually get Mushroom Road on the first playthrough. The official guide has the information on it stuffed in the back, but it opens up after Absorption Gate, IIRC. You simply need to see the event with Luke's mother in the mansion and get to Mushroom Road before Eldrant. (Asch won't show up at Mushroom Road anymore after that.)
I don't have all of the transcripts from Mushroom Road, but I do have the one where Luke yells at Guy:
Guy: You again.
Asch: ...Gee, sorry. Good timing. Take me with you.
Luke: Gotcha, I'll stay here.
Guy: Luke, you don't have to stay behind for this guy's sake.
Luke: Guy! You were Asch's childhood friend. He loves you. You could be a little nicer.
Asch: ...N-no I don't! Cut the stupid chatter and let's go!
I need to back there and get the rest of the scenes, but that one is the most fascinating of the bunch. There's also a nice set of skit scripts here (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/929343/45991). The one Mushroom Road skit (which is more humorous than anything) is SK418. I haven't seen any other special event scripts outside of the ones friends have transcribed. I'll have to look around and see if I can find them. I totally can understand the obsession. XD; I love Asch to bits, and his relationships are so complicated and fun to unravel!
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http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/solarismagnum/toa_mushroom05.jpg
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Am with you on the Tear dislike though -- she strikes me as particularly bland as far as characters go. I am honestly annoyed that so many heroes (particularly the female ones) only pretend to be strong and stoic but are secretly extremely vulnerable inside. :X She kind of reminds me of Sheena from Symphonia, actually. Or Chloe in Legendia. *sighs* Tales needs to make better heroines, it seems.
Since you're still so early in the game, I take it you haven't started the Nebelim sidequest? Because that's got one of the best Jade/Peony interactions XD Along with the rappiggy sidequest that opens up at the same time.
(Oops, sorry for rambling... :X)
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I dislike Tear because she's motivated at the worst things -- she was blushy and protective when Luke DEFINITELY didn't need it, because she was all, "Oh, he's so inept, he needs to be taken care of!" But then when he really, really, really could've used someone who didn't treat him like he was the scum of the earth, she stomped on him, and later when he was dedicated to changing and becoming a better person, she was just like, "Yeah? Well words are WORDS. I'm coming with you, but not because I LIKE you. Because I'm going to be WATCHING you. And critiquing everything you do. I will be your judge, jury, and executioner." And I'm just like... where do you get OFF? You were partially guilty for helping them coddle him.
I've determined that I dislike Jade primarily because of his environment. Jade is surrounded by people who are A) idiots, or B) admirers. So he's full of sarcasm, but it's condescending sarcasm, or smug sarcasm, and he's always right and he knows everything, and that kind of character grates on me. I love snarky characters, but not when they're Super Awesome Invincible Heroes That The Whole World Knows And Respects. That character I usually want to get knocked off his high horse. (You're not so much better than me!!)
But your drabble did help me. XD Because when Jade and Peony were in the same room it was a very different dynamic. In that environment, Jade has someone to look up to, someone to respect, and when he tried to be all superior, Peony could just casually knock him off his high horse with a few self-deprecating and charming words. I liked their relationship, even if I didn't like Jade, and when I was writing the drabble I decided that it was who Jade interacts with that bothers me. I like him just fine when with Peony, because then he's more the kind of snarky bastard I like. XD
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What DOES annoy me about Jade, actually, is that he falls into that same trap that most TV/Game/Book characters fall into -- he doesn't share information. I don't know how many times I want to throttle characters for getting themselves into bad situations just because they didn't tell anybody what they knew. (Oh, I'm look at you, Lost, I'm looking at you.)
As for that scene... honestly, post Akzeriuth, I find that nobody is being completely fair to Luke. The only one who gets cookie points is Mieu. >( (... Oh man. I shoulda asked for Mieu/Luke crack XD And I bet nobody you know writes that!) Well, and Guy ♥, because he's really the only one who comes around on his own.
What bothers me the most, really, is that not ONE PERSON thinks to ask Ion why he did what he did. Because when you think about it: it was a known fact that Luke was an idiot. They KNEW that he worshipped Van. Ion, unlike Luke, knew what was behind the door. Ion was also a lot less trusting of Van. So when Van asks him to, he just... opens the door to one of the pillars of the world? Yeah, good job. 9_9 (I'm not saying Ion is to blame for the situation, I just think he could have handled it a lot smarter.)
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The lack of sharing is definitely one of those things that makes me want to tear my hair out. XD "JADE! DON'T SAY IT! DON'T. FUCKING. SAY IT." "...well, I can't say for sure, so I won't explain myself, just make enigmatic comments." "GAAAAAAH."
LOST remains awesome, though, because they have moments like, "Maybe it's another polar bear?" "...THERE WAS A POLAR BEAR?" "Oh, you didn't know about the polar bear?"
I agree though, and while I don't entirely blame them -- frankly, if Luke had just destroyed a chunk of continent and killed hundreds of people because he was busy daydreaming about running away with the OBVIOUSLY SINISTER Master Van, and then insisted it's not his fault, "It's not my fault!! Right?! It isn't!! Why are you all looking at me like that?!" I'd also have been like, you need some time alone to come to grips with the fact that this is all your fault, jackass. -- I do think Tear's was the harshest reaction of all. I mean, it's one thing to be skeptical of Luke's competence, and another thing altogether to be like, "I doubt that you're capable of being a better human being even when you stand here insisting that I stop bitching and help you save a city before it falls into the Qliphoth."
And considering that earlier she was so tolerant of him being a retard-- Bah. I just want to know, why can't her reactions have been reversed? Be tolerant of him when he needs support, grind him beneath your bootheel when he's being a prick.
Mieu was adorable thought. ♥
You make a really good point, actually, about Ion. Luke's an idiot, but Ion really needs to kick that learned passiveness thing he's doing. It's just like, "Should I?" "Yes." "Luke?" "He said YES." "Okay then." No, that doesn't make it okay, Ion honey. XD He obviously needs Anise around for more reasons than self-defense.
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*and also i normally wanted to kick mieu also, so that IS saying a lot
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Yeah, okay. Luke obviously could have handled the situation better as well XD I mean, he didn't have to mean it, but had he been clever at all he would have completely beat himself up over it, and then everybody would have told him that no, there was no way he could have known, it was all completely Van's fault. Kind of how Ion does. ("Oh, I blame myself..." "WASN'T YOUR FAULT. LUKE DID IT.")
Y'know, I hadn't actually considered Ion as being "trained" to be passive -- but I guess that would make sense, considering he was raised to be a puppet of the order. (But! Doesn't mean he had any right to get himself kidnapped by a circus troupe.)