Loose Threads

I recently had the unique and unnerving opportunity to be glared at by Jedi Knight Abarai Loki. Below is a transcript of our conversation on...Between Two Interrogation Droids

What is your main motivation for getting out of bed in the morning?

The promise of a full and productive day. Also, breakfast.

Do you have any living relatives?

No. My grandfather told me my parents were on Alderaan when it was destroyed, and he was killed by a Dark Jedi. Along with my brother.

You have a very martial and "my way or the highway" way of viewing the world. Is this because of your upbringing, or do you think it's how you would be, regardless of how you were raised?

I was raised a warrior; a survivor; to be a conduit for Jedi learning. Had the Empire not sought to entirely destroy the Jedi Order, I would be, in every way, a traditional Jedi Knight. But they did, so I am not. Anything else is idle speculation.

What do you do for fun? Or, sorry, what do you do to relax? Do you have friendspeople you enjoy being around?

To relax, I meditate, of course. Also, I play holochess with... an acquaintance. It is a bi-weekly arrangement. Fitness is a priority: running, working out, and when the challenge is good enough, sparring. Whenever I required a break from my normal routine, however, I would volunteer my services at the old droid workshop. That was until an ugly altercation with a load-lifter quite robbed me of my charitable appetite.

And, for your information, I have two friends.

In light of recent events with Draiya, what do you think your future with the Jedi Order on Ossus will be?

Uncertain. I do not recognise in myself what I see in my fellow Jedi. How am I to help cultivate a new generation of Jedi Knights if my way is not the Jedi way? What need is there for a warrior in times of peace? Whatever my purpose will be, I do not believe I will find it on Ossus.

What do you think about taking a padawan of your own?

My padawan would be a warrior without peer: strong, confident, unafraid to act, and unburdened by the insipid wishful-thinking and superstitions of so many lesser Jedi. That said, I do not wish for a padawan of my own. It would be selfish and unwise, given the state of things.

And now some questions for the man behind the character:

How long have you RPed Loki?

In his first conception, since at least 2004. That was when he was called Loki Ahmrah, and bore an uncanny resemblance to Harry Potter. Version 2.0 was launched back in 2008, post-reset.

What do you enjoy the most about writing him?

I like that he provokes strong reactions from characters, because it means I've always got something fun to work with it. I enjoy steadily chipping away at his armour, to reveal the precious snowflake we all know lies within. Most of all, it excites me that I'm not entirely sure what kind of person he will grow up to be, because it is dependent on the characters he meets along the way.

In what way is Loki like you, and how is he different?

He is completely impatient like me. We have no time for superstition, and we both think we're smarter than we are. On the flip side, where Loki is an insensitive dick, I'm an overly-sensitive softie. Also, I'm not violent, but I am a notorious procrastinator. He, on the other hand, is an efficient killing machine.

Do you make any writing/stylistic choices for Loki that make him distinct from other characters that you write?

In realising Loki, I have shamelessly ripped off all sorts of characters, ranging from Spock, to Severus Snape, and a whole host of anime inspirations to boot. No other character of mine owes such a debt to outside sources as this one does. In his narration, I try to inject his general disdain for things that are strange or foreign to him, as if you can feel his formidable frown weighing heavily upon you as you read. He doesn't do things by halves, either: when he is not completely uninterested, he will be either passionately in favour of something, or against it, and he will have no objection to making his feelings known, regardless of who he unwittingly offends. It allows me to forgo subtlety, and indulge in more potent and colourful language instead, which makes my job easy.

Share something about Loki not many people may know.

As a child, he had a Lurmen friend called Nub Tipp, who taught him how to catch fish with his toes.