#a'den just doesn't speak niner so he doesn't get it

[clonecumber]

YEAH, WHATEVER, NINER

[clonecumber]

Niner for the character ask (but in like a month or two because you've written so many of these! 😅)

I appreciate the generous timeline, but you're asking me about my favorite character here.

(Thank you :) )

First impression : You know the beat up old stuffed toy who just looks like they have seen some shit that some people have? That was Niner to kid me. I latched on to him like a limpet, and expressed this affection by throwing him at every weirdass plot a kid my age could come up with. I had a thing for "oldest sibling"/"leader" character types with anxiety who are under a lot of pressure and just really, really wanted things to do what they were supposed to do and Niner hit all my buttons. Him and Silverbolt from the G1 Transformers cartoon, man. I put them through the wringer.

Impression now : Honestly, hasn't changed much? Mostly it's just gained new elements and perspective. I have a much better appreciation for his obstinacy and temper, which is a part of his character I sort of slept on when I was a child, and especially how it lives alongside his deeply caring nature (and anxiety), for better and for worse. I really like that he feels things very deeply, and needs to express his thoughts and feelings externally to really process them, but struggles with actually articulating those strong emotions and difficult thoughts to the point he usually just ends up blurting them out in a really garbled or unfiltered way that either confuses anyone who doesn't speak fluent Niner...or straight up pisses them off (looking at A'den). But also that he keeps working at it. He doesn't just, you know, shrug and go, "Oh, well, guess that's that," like Ordo does with his total inability to act reassuring even though he notes it as a problem at least twice in the series, or Kal does with his...everything. Instead he actively tries to improve. Most of his confused emotional outbursts happen when he's younger too, which is another fun thing, because we get to watch Niner grow into himself a bit over the course of the series. By 501st, Niner's shown on page to have been looking into things to understand and help Darman, and understanding his own limitations to the extent he goes out and finds answers so he can better help. We also see him reaching out to his squad in Order 66 similarly, which makes me think he's been trying to learn better communication skills and deepen his emotional literacy for awhile. Compare to Hard Contact and his way of approaching Fi in literally their first chapter together, and how he tries to get Fi to talk to him later in the book when Fi flat-out tells him he's checked out of the situation with Atin because he can't deal with it otherwise. Young!Niner keeps pushing at Fi because he wants to help, which only makes Fi lash out at him. It's a stark contrast to how he handles Darman in 501st, where he's consistent about checking on Darman and making sure Darman knows he's there for him without actually pushing him past where he's ready to go, which I thought was pretty great character development. This is less a general impression than a fixation on a particular part of his character, I know, but it's what I've got.

Also think it's hilarious that Niner is 100% transparent in a book where everyone is playing some sort of game 90% of the time. He is capable of chewing a man up one side and down the other in the same breath he tucks them in and asks if they want a glass of water and not a single person in his life ever feels like these are somehow mixed messages. He doesn't play emotional games and he doesn't withhold affection because he's irritated with someone, and so no one in his life doubts his affection and goodwill even when it's coming with a heavy dose of stress fussing.

Honestly, everyone in the book says Niner emulates Kal, but sometimes I think Niner is actually just much closer to being the guy Kal thinks he is to his kids.

Favorite moment : I've had a policy of never looking these up to check my memory and also for going with the first, most vivid scene to pop in my head, so: Niner in TZ when he covered a sleeping Skirata with a blanket. Just him standing over him with his hands on his hips and tutting, and then going to get the blanket and tucking this fifty-something year old man in, was just. So very Niner. Also not something we often get to see male characters doing in media, especially for other adult characters, and especially for other adult, male characters, for all that I don't actually want to give KT any sort of points in that direction whatsoever. I'm aware it was probably supposed to be more about Skirata than Niner, but it was a very nice moment regardless, and character-defining for Niner, I think.

Idea for a story : *slams fist on desk* CUDDLING. In a purely platonic way, I want to see Niner to have control taken away from him for a bit by someone he trusts, who wants to do that for him. I vote Boss.

I've only ever seen this written in a BDSM context? Which isn't really what I'm going for, but I guess if you can do platonic BDSM elements, then...that?

Just let him be quiet for awhile and not have to worry about anything. Cherish the man. Platonically.

Unpopular opinion : There are no such things as popular opinions here, I think, lol. Uhh, I don't know, I'm pretty attached to my "Niner is a sheepdog" comparison. I feel like it really says it all.

Favorite relationship : I've been intrigued by his relationship with Boss ever since I was a child and that has not changed. I think their dynamic is interesting and - while it has evolved a bit with time and age - hasn't actually shifted that much from my initial read of it. I feel like their personalities are an interesting blend of clashing and perfectly complimentary, and they can relate to each other in a way they can't with their squads. I sort of see them growing on each other like fungii.

Favorite headcanon : That Niner is very, very ace. I go back and forth a bit on the aro side of things, but even then I tend to lean toward quoiromantic at most.

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https://clonecumber.dreamwidth.org/3866.html - post with all the collected asks