Suzaku's Ashura Essay
Nov. 1st, 2012 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
challengingSuzaku is a character with a long rich history. He arrived in Nautilus over three years ago as “Zero”, a masked champion and icon of justice. He had given up living as himself in his world to be Zero in order to keep the newly forged peace that he and Lelouch had created. Thus, his life was to be one of isolation. He spent a month living this way before he arrived in Nautilus to find out that his best friend, Lelouch--who he had killed with his own hands--was alive and that Suzaku was free to live his own life. At first Suzaku ignored the possibilities of a new life in order to keep a close eye on his world, but since that time, he has made great progress and changed considerably.
Over his time in Nautilus, Suzaku has come forward far enough to allow himself to look toward the future instead of the past all the time. This is incredible development for someone who has claimed in canon that time had stopped for him since he was eight years old and truly believed that he deserved to die from the very bottom of his heart.
Suzaku started off as a very conservative and closed off individual. This behavior was due to Suzaku’s social awkwardness and his own self-loathing rather than Suzaku being a cold person. He was also emotionally lost and unsure of what to do with himself. There was little he could do in a city of change if he saw himself unfit for a second chance even when he was unmasked on accident and was pushed to live for himself rather for an ideal.
He’s lived through the fight with Isis where he decided for the first time that Nautilus was his home and that he was here to stay and protect it as such. He’s helped with festivities and with murder investigations. He’s changed his mind about going back to Sleep in the case that he died in Nautilus but also gives up his greatest wish (to die, and thus what he saw as the only way to find peace) with this decision. He’s fought with jealousy when friends surpassed him by Ascending and put his effort towards Bending training, which he had been neglecting in the beginning. He eventually started to open up to more people on his own rather than casually associating through Lelouch’s friends. He’s also taken it upon himself to escort new arrivals if they show up at odd hours or in strange places all alone (i.e.: in the case with Raye).
His development wasn't always smooth. He's been shot several times by other Wakened (Rip and Legato on different occasions)and he's had to face the fact that he was still lacking either in power or emotional strength and push through it. The brush with Legato in particular lingered with him because it was a horrible experience that he saw as avoidable because he was trying to avoid being the center of attention at his own birthday party. Though it was a major hurdle, it was a period that saw a change in how he viewed death as well as in how he handled anxiety. The Balthazar murders were especially troubling but his resolve was tried severely when he and Lelouch saw Rion murder Leslie. In the end, it reminded him too much of his own crime of killing his father when he was a young boy - a crime that haunted him for most of his life -and he agreed to help cover it up for the boy's sake. As law-abiding as Suzaku is, he knows when it is best to bend it to better another person's life. Overall, his trials and tribulations have proven him to be a strong-willed and warm-hearted person.
Over time he made bonds beyond just Lelouch and although many of them have gone back to Sleep, he hasn’t stopped attempting to forge new ones and to help them along. But it’s unquestionable that his strongest bond is with his Ashura and best friend Lelouch with whom he eventually became romantically involved with after over a year’s worth of opening himself up to normality. And because a sudden reality storm made the subject unavoidable.
Suzaku has proven himself to be a responsible Angelii and he would be a good Ashura candidate as well.
He carried the weight of his own world on his shoulders in a mere two years. He jumped from a mere private in the military to being a member of the highest royal knights and then to becoming the highest of them all at Lelouch’s side when Lelouch became Emperor of Britannia. He had done this not for glory or personal gain but for the power to reshape his land - and the world - for the better. He carries this mentality even in Nautilus and though he’s learned to live for himself, he has not forgotten to live for others and to give his strength to them.
He is both firm and forgiving and knows when to be either one. He does not buckle easily under pressure from others but gives peers the chance to explain and redeem themselves if he sees the situation to allow it. He has a very strong sense of justice and is a person who would risk his life and go "out of his way" to save others regardless of their nationality, status, or their feelings towards him.
As an Angelii, Suzaku used his powers in the same line of thought to serve the city as a whole to the best of his ability without personal bias. He has by now accepted himself as a whole as demonstrated by his acceptance of his Shadow as a part of his past for the sake of finding peace within himself as well as to protect his friends before it spiraled out of control. In this time period, it’s more of matter that his positive traits have grown rather than been overhauled. Rather than being an icon of justice, he’s an active fighter who maintains his identity without having to hide behind a mask.
He has been a part of many missions against malicious characters (i.e.: when Riddler put three armed bombs around the city) or rescue missions (the Pillow arc, and even against Lelouch himself with the Shadow plot). In all these times, he put aside concern for his physical and his mental wellbeing in order to do what was right for others. He has stepped up from being merely dependent on Lelouch to being able to act on his own.
He’s aided in the fight against the Dark Aeon, collaborating with Lelouch and others to keep tabs on the Nautilus when things went awry as well as lending all his remaining strength to his Ashura to unmake the Aeon. He has by now accepted Nautilus as his one true home and his will to protect it combined with everyone else’s obliterated the enemy.
As things turned to normalcy, he has turned his attention to more mundane but necessary tasks after finding some closure to his remaining qualms about death with Death. He’s taken up teaching physical training at the Bending School for those interested in physical improvement from fighting skills (i.e.: helping Peter Parker hone fighting skills) to offering exercise plans or companionship (i.e.: since forever. also recently with Samantha) and he keeps watch the city from the skies on occasion as a phoenix. He’s also used his skills - both Angelii-related and personal - to help acquaintances such as Sanji (to rebuild his restaurant) and GLaDOS (to help her with her fear of birds). Currently he is conversing with the other Angelii what to do about Death the Kid. As he is an older Angelii, his knowledge of previous dangerous inhabitants and failed attempts comes in handy.
Suzaku has shifted from a life of friendless personal isolation to developing numerous connections, an attachment to Nautilus itself, and a willingness to start considering his own happiness. He has made leaps and bounds in character growth since his arrival and continues to evolve and touch others within Nautilus.
As an Ashura, Suzaku would continue to help those who lack the abilities or power to protect themselves or to better their situation. He is already very in tune with the current Ashura Lelouch and knows the duties that come with the Ascension as well as the other current projects such as the Welcome Houses. He is committed to protecting Nautilus and continues to put his all into making sure that it remains prosperous for all. The world he left behind remains important but he knows his future lays bound to this city.
Over his time in Nautilus, Suzaku has come forward far enough to allow himself to look toward the future instead of the past all the time. This is incredible development for someone who has claimed in canon that time had stopped for him since he was eight years old and truly believed that he deserved to die from the very bottom of his heart.
Suzaku started off as a very conservative and closed off individual. This behavior was due to Suzaku’s social awkwardness and his own self-loathing rather than Suzaku being a cold person. He was also emotionally lost and unsure of what to do with himself. There was little he could do in a city of change if he saw himself unfit for a second chance even when he was unmasked on accident and was pushed to live for himself rather for an ideal.
He’s lived through the fight with Isis where he decided for the first time that Nautilus was his home and that he was here to stay and protect it as such. He’s helped with festivities and with murder investigations. He’s changed his mind about going back to Sleep in the case that he died in Nautilus but also gives up his greatest wish (to die, and thus what he saw as the only way to find peace) with this decision. He’s fought with jealousy when friends surpassed him by Ascending and put his effort towards Bending training, which he had been neglecting in the beginning. He eventually started to open up to more people on his own rather than casually associating through Lelouch’s friends. He’s also taken it upon himself to escort new arrivals if they show up at odd hours or in strange places all alone (i.e.: in the case with Raye).
His development wasn't always smooth. He's been shot several times by other Wakened (Rip and Legato on different occasions)and he's had to face the fact that he was still lacking either in power or emotional strength and push through it. The brush with Legato in particular lingered with him because it was a horrible experience that he saw as avoidable because he was trying to avoid being the center of attention at his own birthday party. Though it was a major hurdle, it was a period that saw a change in how he viewed death as well as in how he handled anxiety. The Balthazar murders were especially troubling but his resolve was tried severely when he and Lelouch saw Rion murder Leslie. In the end, it reminded him too much of his own crime of killing his father when he was a young boy - a crime that haunted him for most of his life -and he agreed to help cover it up for the boy's sake. As law-abiding as Suzaku is, he knows when it is best to bend it to better another person's life. Overall, his trials and tribulations have proven him to be a strong-willed and warm-hearted person.
Over time he made bonds beyond just Lelouch and although many of them have gone back to Sleep, he hasn’t stopped attempting to forge new ones and to help them along. But it’s unquestionable that his strongest bond is with his Ashura and best friend Lelouch with whom he eventually became romantically involved with after over a year’s worth of opening himself up to normality. And because a sudden reality storm made the subject unavoidable.
Suzaku has proven himself to be a responsible Angelii and he would be a good Ashura candidate as well.
He carried the weight of his own world on his shoulders in a mere two years. He jumped from a mere private in the military to being a member of the highest royal knights and then to becoming the highest of them all at Lelouch’s side when Lelouch became Emperor of Britannia. He had done this not for glory or personal gain but for the power to reshape his land - and the world - for the better. He carries this mentality even in Nautilus and though he’s learned to live for himself, he has not forgotten to live for others and to give his strength to them.
He is both firm and forgiving and knows when to be either one. He does not buckle easily under pressure from others but gives peers the chance to explain and redeem themselves if he sees the situation to allow it. He has a very strong sense of justice and is a person who would risk his life and go "out of his way" to save others regardless of their nationality, status, or their feelings towards him.
As an Angelii, Suzaku used his powers in the same line of thought to serve the city as a whole to the best of his ability without personal bias. He has by now accepted himself as a whole as demonstrated by his acceptance of his Shadow as a part of his past for the sake of finding peace within himself as well as to protect his friends before it spiraled out of control. In this time period, it’s more of matter that his positive traits have grown rather than been overhauled. Rather than being an icon of justice, he’s an active fighter who maintains his identity without having to hide behind a mask.
He has been a part of many missions against malicious characters (i.e.: when Riddler put three armed bombs around the city) or rescue missions (the Pillow arc, and even against Lelouch himself with the Shadow plot). In all these times, he put aside concern for his physical and his mental wellbeing in order to do what was right for others. He has stepped up from being merely dependent on Lelouch to being able to act on his own.
He’s aided in the fight against the Dark Aeon, collaborating with Lelouch and others to keep tabs on the Nautilus when things went awry as well as lending all his remaining strength to his Ashura to unmake the Aeon. He has by now accepted Nautilus as his one true home and his will to protect it combined with everyone else’s obliterated the enemy.
As things turned to normalcy, he has turned his attention to more mundane but necessary tasks after finding some closure to his remaining qualms about death with Death. He’s taken up teaching physical training at the Bending School for those interested in physical improvement from fighting skills (i.e.: helping Peter Parker hone fighting skills) to offering exercise plans or companionship (i.e.: since forever. also recently with Samantha) and he keeps watch the city from the skies on occasion as a phoenix. He’s also used his skills - both Angelii-related and personal - to help acquaintances such as Sanji (to rebuild his restaurant) and GLaDOS (to help her with her fear of birds). Currently he is conversing with the other Angelii what to do about Death the Kid. As he is an older Angelii, his knowledge of previous dangerous inhabitants and failed attempts comes in handy.
Suzaku has shifted from a life of friendless personal isolation to developing numerous connections, an attachment to Nautilus itself, and a willingness to start considering his own happiness. He has made leaps and bounds in character growth since his arrival and continues to evolve and touch others within Nautilus.
As an Ashura, Suzaku would continue to help those who lack the abilities or power to protect themselves or to better their situation. He is already very in tune with the current Ashura Lelouch and knows the duties that come with the Ascension as well as the other current projects such as the Welcome Houses. He is committed to protecting Nautilus and continues to put his all into making sure that it remains prosperous for all. The world he left behind remains important but he knows his future lays bound to this city.
