All right, finally finished this at least with the characters already posted. It goes without saying, but these are obviously [i]his[/i] views on the characters, some will be wrong and some will be right. I only looked at the personality and appearance sections when writing these. [hider=Interview With The Doc] [i][color=00ffbb]Look, I know they call me 'Doc' but do you really need me to psychoanalyze the newbies? I'm sure you have people for that.[/color] ... [color=00ffbb]What? My opinion? Why does that matter? You know what, nevermind, let's just make this quick so I can get back.[/color][/i] [h2][center]People The Doc Likes:[/center][/h2] [h2][center]People The Doc Dislikes:[/center][/h2] [h2][center]People The Doc Is Neutral On:[/center][/h2] [list] [color=lightcoral]Lily[/color] - [color=00ffbb]Lily first? All right, I guess I have known her a week longer than the others, so I'm game. I guess it makes me a horrible person if I say I prefer her when she's depressed instead of manic, but you guys never really cared about how terrible we are. I mean, of course I [i]want[/i] her to be in a good mood whenever possible for her sake, but... Wow that's a lot to handle at once. Still, that doesn't bother me too much. What bothers me is her powers. Taking on the injury of someone else? I'm not sure whether I respect her for having the mental fortitude to do that, or worry about her sense of self worth. What is she saying about her own value if she can damage herself readily? This is all speculation though, I'm not inside of her head (Magical hocus pocus aside) and I hope I'm wrong. Still, I'd be lying if I said that didn't affect my view of her. [/color] [color=8A3DFF]Emma[/color] - [color=00ffbb]All right, so Emma. Another person I'm not quite sure how I feel about, exactly. On the one hand, I appreciate how kind she is to everyone, and if taken at face value that's pretty great. On the other hand... Emotions are sorta my thing, you know? I deal with Aberrations every day, so I've seen all kinds. I'm not saying she's secretly a void of emotion or an ocean of depression, but an act is an act. I don't really care for people who put on a front. So, it's hard to say one way or the other how I feel about her. I respect her good qualities and have no respect for her "bad" ones, if you can even call it that. If she can't trust me enough to take off that mask I won't be able to trust her enough to become her friend.[/color] [color=0095FF]Grant[/color] - [color=00ffbb]He's something between a kindred spirit and a polar opposite. I wouldn't consider myself [i]lazy[/i] but I can definitely relate to someone that doesn't give a damn about appearances or being "productive". Still, that bone he has to pick with authority? Grow up. Now I don't mean that in the sense of "Oh, you need to get over everything that's wrong with you and live a happy life", but there's [i]clearly[/i] a deeper problem there than teen angst. Instead of lashing out he needs to realize that the people trying to help him are [i]trying to help him[/i]. He's almost an adult, having these issues isn't a problem but not trying to fix them is. Needs an actual therapist. So if he blows up on me, I get it, but it's not going to win him any points. Other than that, he seems all right by me. [/color] [color=red]Chris[/color] - [color=00ffbb] Another of those people I would describe as being in between a kindred spirit and polar opposite. I think we have similar tastes in company to a degree, in that we both can respect a more muted attitude in people. His preferences in that regard though seem much stronger than mine are. The real difference lies in the fact that the guy doesn't seem comfortable with himself, [i]at all[/i], and that's an issue. Self acceptance is a pretty big part of life, you know? Someone who can't talk about themselves with others clearly has a lot of honest introspection to do. Kinda feel like I should introduce the guy to Stoicism and see if anything good comes from it, seems like the perfect type to benefit. Still, I'm not here to take on an apprentice. If he wants help accepting himself I'll do what I can, but if he doesn't then I can't see much of a friendship developing during his time here. I'd feel like I was hanging out with an empty shell.[/color] [color=cyan]Sander[/color] - [color=00ffbb] This guy's harder to get a solid read on than most, I'll give him that. I feel like I could flip my "Calm the fuck down" magic switch on 24/7 around him and I'd still be weary of getting caught up in a tantrum. Still, he seems... reasonable, which I like. Dude clearly hates this place and everything about it, but he falls in line instead of trying to be a rebel and wasting his time. I'm perhaps not so much of an... idealist as he is, but as long as he doesn't go full radical one day and start marching in the streets I think we'll be fine. Rather, as long as he doesn't expect me to join him when that happens, because honestly I would rather just read about it later.[/color] [color=a2d9ce]Callan[/color] - [color=00ffbb] So, Callan, our resident hero-complex. I'm not even quite sure where to start with her. She's... weirdly normal, in the sense that her powers and life at the Institute don't seem to be able to make a dent in her in her natural personality and schedule. Not that I've known her since birth or anything, but I just get the feeling that if I had met her before and after she awoke from her dreams, she would be the same person entirely. I can't say that I really "get" the hero complex thing she has going on though. That and the amount of effort she puts towards achieving her ideals is disproportional to their size. She's both spreading herself too thin, and not putting enough effort to make up for it. If one or both of those realities doesn't change, she's either going to burn out or break. Whether she's aware of this and doesn't care, or is unaware of it entirely, who knows? I don't. [/color] [color=662d91]Kursai[/color] - [color=00ffbb]I enjoy a good verbal spar, but holy Hell I think she and I have different reasons behind why. It's one thing to burn your friends in a fun way, it's another to try and torch every individual you come across indiscriminately. I get that she doesn't really have to worry about an Aberration accidentally killing her in a bit of rage, but tempering her tongue with a bit of wisdom would go a long way towards helping her get by in life. Personally? I think it's fun, in a way, but I can't really agree with going around making potential enemies left and right. It's careless, dangerously so. I feel like she's missing a reason [i]not[/i] to though. Perhaps not exactly lacking a will to live, but a will to live well. I may not have much ambition in my life, but I at least try to live well by my own definition. Maybe one day she'll find what she needs.[/color] [color=6ecff6]Padma[/color] - [color=00ffbb]We're in no way kindred spirits, just polar opposites. I'm fine holding a conversation with her, really, but she's going to have to run circles while I sit in a chair. It's not that I [i]hate[/i] being active, but I prefer to exercise my mind in my free time rather than my muscles. She'd be useful as a partner in learning some [i]physical[/i] skills, which I can totally get behind, but I can't commit to that every day of the week. I don't feel like she'd accept a "Hey, how about we do this once a week" commitment from anybody. Still, there's something that can be said about discipline, and she seems to have that in abundance. She may be a bit... lacking in flexibility though as a result. Perhaps a brick wall to my river? Something I can admire but not relate to. [/color] [color=33ec06]Marcus[/color] - [color=00ffbb]I swear this guy would get along great with Emma because I get the exact same vibe from those two. He's the class clown to her social butterfly and neither one feels entirely natural. I like the humor, personally, it's a lot better than the usual angsty, whining, and angry bags of hormones that usually wander the halls. I'm not quite saying it's a mask, I think he's genuinely someone who likes a laugh. Still, it almost feels like he's putting... to much of himself into it, and neglecting other aspects in the process. I'm not sure if he's consciously doing that or not, but it makes getting a real read on him difficult. So, I think I'm going to just wait and see when it comes to him, and hopefully not regret it.[/color] [color=4186A9]Lincoln[/color] - [color=00ffbb] I don't like the guy. I don't like most assholes though, and that hasn't stopped me from hanging around Aberrations yet. I don't particularly care one way or the other about how much of a prick he is, I just care about whether he'll be a liability in the long run or an asset. The guy seems like a gamble to me, and not a very wise one. If he manages to not kill me or his peers, then great, we have another useful asshole around to put up with. If he does though... I hope it's not a mistake the Institute makes again. I'm probably digging my own grave when I say I [i]do[/i] think he deserves a chance like everyone else, and he should use me to chill the fuck out before he goes causing any damage. If he does. At least his power isn't one of the more lethal ones out there.[/color] [color=palevioletred]Zoe[/color] - [color=00ffbb] Hot headed Aberration? Never seen that one before. Like I've said before though, I'm so used to this by now I don't even care that much. On the one hand, she's honest and straightforward, which is good. On the other, she's honest and straightforward, which is bad. Tactfulness, while I'm not always the best with it myself, exists for a reason. She reminds me a bit of Padma with the whole inflexibility thing, which again is admirable but not always good. Still, she seems very... self aware of how she ticks, and her decisions and actions aren't bred from ignorance. I just wish she'd drop that self confident facade she uses as a defense mechanism. It's easier to read than Emma's and loses her just as many points. Trust people to like who you are or accept that they won't, especially if you're not going to be shy about making enemies anyway.[/color] [color=fff79a]Hazel[/color] - [color=00ffbb] A calm Aberration? I'd rather take my chances with the moody ones. That collar around her neck doesn't help matters, in all honesty she's pretty suspicious. Rather, the circumstances [i]surrounding[/i] her are suspicious, and I'm not usually one to question these things. I've said I couldn't get a read on a couple of people so far, but she by far takes the cake in that department. It isn't even that she's trying to wear a mask as far as I can tell, but that she's missing in her own body. Maybe if my powers were stronger I could do something for her, but until then it's hard to have an opinion. Maybe one day I'll meet her for real, if I'm even right about this.[/color] [color=ff57ff]Siena[/color] - [color=00ffbb] "A kindred spirit and polar opposite", just how many times am I going to have to describe somebody that way? First off, I'll be damned but she reads as much as I do. Hell, maybe she even reads more than I do these days with all the Aberrations constantly taking up my time. If knowledge were actually power I'd wager the two of us combined could probably take over this small corner of the world with little difficulty. Still, she's lost in a way that I'm not even sure can be helped. Plenty of people around here are trying to hide their true selves, or trying to avoid introspection so that they themselves don't have to know what lies belief the surface. Her though? She's trying hard and not able to come up with any answers, and that's not something even a professional can help with, I'd wager. I don't envy her power if that's the end result of using it. I can't say that I relate to a wealthy upbringing either, but my life's been comfortable enough this past year that I can understand not having to worry about money, to an extent. Overall, if she ever finds the answers she needs about herself, I wouldn't mind sparing a chair in my corner of the library.[/color] [color=f6989d]Samantha[/color] - [color=00ffbb]A... Kindred spirit? Wow, what an actual surprise. Sure, she may not be as upbeat as I am or spoiling for a battle of wits when in a good mood, Hell if I care about that though. Previous criticisms I've made apply of course, sometimes it's wiser to be quiet than tactless, etc. If I had a major point of contention, and I do, it's that she needs to let down that wall of hers more. I understand, to a point, a year at the Institution means I've known people who left and never came back. Good people, assholes, friends and enemies have all died. I guess I could work on that flaw a bit myself, but I'm not here to give an opinion on "Lawrence Ellison". Though covering Samantha may as well be at this point. So I think I'm going to cut this short before I give you guys more info than I meant to.[/color][/list] [i][color=00ffbb]If you want my real opinion? I don't really give a damn about who a person is or how they act. I don't get close to people I don't respect, that's the criteria. That respect needs to be earned, and I just don't know anybody well enough to say "Ah, yes, this is somebody I'd like to invest in as a friend". Plus, it makes my job easier if I don't have a bunch of buddies trying to take up my free time, most people who want my help don't want an audience in their time of weakness.[/color][/i][/hider]