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From Decepticon Dominion's PEC Application Form, circa November 2000:
Your Character's Info
Name of the character you're applying for:
Soundwave
What is it about this particular character that appeals to you?
Soundwave is the personification of the quality that I consider the highest of all virtues - loyalty. Not mindless loyalty to someone stronger than oneself, but loyalty born of careful consideration, founded in friendship as well as respect. An extension of that is his dedication to the Decepticon cause, which nothing can displace.
How do you perceive this character's role within the faction? What's unique about this character - that is, what do they contribute that nobody else can do quite the same way? How does this character interact with those above, below, and of the same rank as themselves?
What does Soundwave have that no one else has? An inner center of quiet confidence that has a calming effect on those around him. In the midst of disaster Soundwave is someone whose mere presence may settle everyone down as he goes about his tasks and does what needs to be done. This has an equally beneficial effect on his creations, on patients in repair bay, and on his somewhat volatile leader. :) He's not out in the forefront trying to draw attention to himself, but in his own way he's the guiding hand of his group, the one that reminds everyone just by his example of what's truly important and why they're fighting. As mentioned, he has a balancing effect on Megatron and acts as an advisor and trusted confidant; as someone closer to Shockwave's generation, he works harmoniously with Shockwave on such occasions when they're on a project together; he also in his own way has a restraining effect on Starscream's excesses, because Soundwave in looking out for Megatron's interests tends to keep close watch on Starscream - of which Starscream may or may not be somewhat aware. Soundwave does not consider himself on friendly terms with Starscream, but works with him civilly and effectively if needed; Soundwave is aware of some of the psychological forces that drive Starscream, and so bears him no malice. Those who are below Soundwave in rank, he takes a protective stance towards. He's an individual who is always available for consultation or advice, and most of those who have worked with him closely, are aware that they can trust him with any sort of problem or difficulty. While he's not one for inspirational tirades, he is fully capable of sitting someone down in private and speaking to them in a manner that will revive lost courage and confidence. Soundwave tends to be more forgiving of other Decepticons' mistakes than most, because he feels that no matter how they may have screwed up, they're "still one of us," and so they deserve a chance. It's not only his telepathic abilities that make him an excellent judge of character - he simply has an intuitive sense for it. Toward his cassette creations he has basically the same attitude as he has toward the other Decepticons, only more so. :) His parenting style is a strange mixture of permissiveness and protectiveness: he'll send his tapes on dangerous missions because he knows they need to learn self-sufficiency, but he's also ready to come to their assistance if they should really need it.
What do you perceive as this character's goals in life, both on a
personal level and as regards the cause they're fighting for? Why does this individual risk themselves for this particular cause?
Soundwave believes in the rightness of the Decepticon cause - that the purpose is to make a better life for all Decepticons. He wants his creations to experience a better life than the one he has had, and he wants to see the proud warrior species of the Decepticons take their rightful place as galactic rulers. Although he has a compassionate nature, that compassion is directed first and foremost at his own kind, at those who have earned it, and he is willing to utilize all of his considerable abilities for the advancement of the Decepticons as a species. He can be an utterly ruthless fighter when it comes to dealing with those who would prevent the Decepticons from reaching their destiny, and who would see the Decepticons destroyed as a species and as individuals. He holds no illusions that there can be any other outcome to Cybertron's wars than the destruction of the enemy, and for this too he is willing to risk himself. His ultimate goal is to do his part for the survival and advancement of his species, and on a more personal level, to insure that his creations survive until that time, and to insure that Megatron survives - both because he is, in Soundwave's opinion, the only leader who has a chance of bringing the Decepticons to victory, and because he is Soundwave's closest friend.
Give an example of an IC situation that you can see this character taking part in and contributing to.
Megatron in his eternal quest for the perfect superweapon comes across something that could bring him great power, but could also do him great damage. He insists on pursuing it, of course, and orders the others to stay behind. This is a rare instance where Soundwave might actually disobey orders and follow Megatron to insure that he remains safe. If the desired object has any element of exerting mental control over its possessor, Soundwave is ideally suited to break someone free from such a control, and where Megatron or another important individual were involved, he would do so even at the risk of his own life.
What types of actions would you consider unacceptably twinkish for your character? What would you do if another character acted toward you in a manner that you consider twinkish? (see News Twink if you are unfamiliar with the term)
I would consider it unacceptable for me to use Soundwave's telepathic abilities as an excuse to write backstory for another character -- that is, to come up with on my own some bit of information or element out of the past for a character whom Soundwave happens to be scanning. Just this sort of thing is something Soundwave would be good at -- being able to delve into the mind of another individual and find out what may be wrong with them -- but what he finds, would have to be agreed on beforehand between myself and the other player.
If someone twinks on me, I'd attempt to explain to them calmly why it's unacceptable and why it's something that I find upsetting. Most of the time, such instances aren't acts of deliberate malice, but due to inexperience and ignorance. If both individuals are willing, it's usually possible to come to a middle ground where both are able to get at least part of what they want out of the situation. If I notice that the topic under discussion is escalating and is an issue that I feel very strongly about, to the point where I don't think I can be objective, it's then that I'd call in a third party for some arbitration - but I would hope it wouldn't come to anything so drastic. Most people in my experience respond to calm explanation rather than accusation.
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