OOC: Character Essay(s)
It has come to my attention recently that there's been some confusion regarding Livio's relationship with Elendira due to their very rocky interaction in canon. So! In the spirit of the meme at poly_crack, I present you with:
What Livio thinks of Elendira and why.
Of all the relationships Livio has in Poly, the one he has with Elendira is probably the most confusing of them all, not only to himself but to those around them, especially given their history. Since first arriving in the City, he has changed his mind a lot about her, starting with a wariness (understandable, given their history) just sort of antagonism, which mellowed some with time, especially after her break with Knives. He even developed something of a friendship with her during this period, but since her return to Knives, as well as her attack against him, he is extremely resentful towards her and wouldn't hesitate to gut her if given the opportunity. Because of this progression, it's best to start from the very beginning:
From the point in time Livio was initially taken from, the fight with Elendira during the final battle against Knives was maybe a few months prior so it was fairly fresh on his mind, hence his initial antagonism in Poly towards her. At the time, he didn't trust her and didn't believe he ever would be on good terms with her, especially considering the fact that she was not only Knives ally, but had also tried to kill him and very nearly succeeded. However, the stangest thing happened not long after Livio's initial arrival: he had a fight with Elendira. After accusing her of using liposuction to keep her 'girlish figure', she broke down the door to Vash's apartment and the two had a shouting match, which was followed up with an actual battle, and it was at this point that Livio realized something: that it was all pointless. First of all, he had already defeated Elendira once so she was dead. Secondly, they weren't even in Gunsmoke (now called No Man's Land) anymore so the war back home had no place in the City, especially since it had ended decisively with Knives' defeat. Thirdly, as far as Livio could see at the time, Elendira was not being antagonistic so his own antagonism, though earned, wasn't particularly helping or changing anything. Once he understood this, Livio chilled out a bit, though he was still cautious around her.
The real turning point in their interaction, however, was when the current Knives arrived in the City in all his genocidal glory. After hearing from Conrad that Elendira was torn and might desert Knives, he got to thinking about her situation and his and perceived several similarities: both raised by people who made them weapons and expected them to live and die in their service. It was during this time that Elendira herself approached him and asked him how it felt when he first separated from Chapel. Identifying as he did with her situtation, Livio decided to go out on a limb and try to give Elendira the chance Wolfwood had given him and answered her questions honestly. After that, Elendira broke with Knives for a while, and during that time, Livio, encouraged that she was trying, opened up more and actually started to have an amiable relationship with her. It helped that they had common friends, such as Abel, Nero, and Atora, through which he saw a side of Elendira he never got to see when they were fighting back at home: the human one.
However, this friendship has been officially terminated now, and as far as Livio is concerned, it will never be reestablished again. Though he was angry when Elendira told him she was going back to Knives, he was more disappointed and frustrated than anything else since, to his mind, everything he'd tried to show her had been for nothing. He withdrew from her then, and in general had a very (understandably) negative attitude about it, though it's probable that he would have talked to her if she addressed him--he just would have been a hell of a lot more clipped about everything. However, after she attacked and killed him, Livio's animosity was magnified and compounded to the point where he now feels outright hatred for her, something that he'd never really felt towards Elendira before because, even though he had been fighting to prevent her from wreaking terrible destruction on the people back home, that fight wasn't nearly as personal as the one in the City. Back home, Elendira had been a dangerous opponent who needed to be stopped at all costs--in the City, however, she had been a friend who stabbed him in the back. The final nail in Elendira's coffin, however, is not that she killed and betrayed him--rather, it is what said betrayal cost, namely Wolfwood trading something (his memories) to get Livio's life back. That, in Livio's eyes, is unforgiveable--that Wolfwood was put in a position that would cause him to give up something precious to save Livio's life for a second time.
Because of this, Elendira has joined the ranks of the few people Livio absolutely cannot stand, and it'll take hell freezing over for her to get back in his good graces again.
Also, if you haven't done so already at the meme, feel free to post here if you want Livio's thoughts on your character. Yes, I am a dork, okay. >_>
What Livio thinks of Elendira and why.
Of all the relationships Livio has in Poly, the one he has with Elendira is probably the most confusing of them all, not only to himself but to those around them, especially given their history. Since first arriving in the City, he has changed his mind a lot about her, starting with a wariness (understandable, given their history) just sort of antagonism, which mellowed some with time, especially after her break with Knives. He even developed something of a friendship with her during this period, but since her return to Knives, as well as her attack against him, he is extremely resentful towards her and wouldn't hesitate to gut her if given the opportunity. Because of this progression, it's best to start from the very beginning:
From the point in time Livio was initially taken from, the fight with Elendira during the final battle against Knives was maybe a few months prior so it was fairly fresh on his mind, hence his initial antagonism in Poly towards her. At the time, he didn't trust her and didn't believe he ever would be on good terms with her, especially considering the fact that she was not only Knives ally, but had also tried to kill him and very nearly succeeded. However, the stangest thing happened not long after Livio's initial arrival: he had a fight with Elendira. After accusing her of using liposuction to keep her 'girlish figure', she broke down the door to Vash's apartment and the two had a shouting match, which was followed up with an actual battle, and it was at this point that Livio realized something: that it was all pointless. First of all, he had already defeated Elendira once so she was dead. Secondly, they weren't even in Gunsmoke (now called No Man's Land) anymore so the war back home had no place in the City, especially since it had ended decisively with Knives' defeat. Thirdly, as far as Livio could see at the time, Elendira was not being antagonistic so his own antagonism, though earned, wasn't particularly helping or changing anything. Once he understood this, Livio chilled out a bit, though he was still cautious around her.
The real turning point in their interaction, however, was when the current Knives arrived in the City in all his genocidal glory. After hearing from Conrad that Elendira was torn and might desert Knives, he got to thinking about her situation and his and perceived several similarities: both raised by people who made them weapons and expected them to live and die in their service. It was during this time that Elendira herself approached him and asked him how it felt when he first separated from Chapel. Identifying as he did with her situtation, Livio decided to go out on a limb and try to give Elendira the chance Wolfwood had given him and answered her questions honestly. After that, Elendira broke with Knives for a while, and during that time, Livio, encouraged that she was trying, opened up more and actually started to have an amiable relationship with her. It helped that they had common friends, such as Abel, Nero, and Atora, through which he saw a side of Elendira he never got to see when they were fighting back at home: the human one.
However, this friendship has been officially terminated now, and as far as Livio is concerned, it will never be reestablished again. Though he was angry when Elendira told him she was going back to Knives, he was more disappointed and frustrated than anything else since, to his mind, everything he'd tried to show her had been for nothing. He withdrew from her then, and in general had a very (understandably) negative attitude about it, though it's probable that he would have talked to her if she addressed him--he just would have been a hell of a lot more clipped about everything. However, after she attacked and killed him, Livio's animosity was magnified and compounded to the point where he now feels outright hatred for her, something that he'd never really felt towards Elendira before because, even though he had been fighting to prevent her from wreaking terrible destruction on the people back home, that fight wasn't nearly as personal as the one in the City. Back home, Elendira had been a dangerous opponent who needed to be stopped at all costs--in the City, however, she had been a friend who stabbed him in the back. The final nail in Elendira's coffin, however, is not that she killed and betrayed him--rather, it is what said betrayal cost, namely Wolfwood trading something (his memories) to get Livio's life back. That, in Livio's eyes, is unforgiveable--that Wolfwood was put in a position that would cause him to give up something precious to save Livio's life for a second time.
Because of this, Elendira has joined the ranks of the few people Livio absolutely cannot stand, and it'll take hell freezing over for her to get back in his good graces again.
Also, if you haven't done so already at the meme, feel free to post here if you want Livio's thoughts on your character. Yes, I am a dork, okay. >_>