Name:
Chase -- AKA "Glowstick"
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Why the pink flowers?:
A number of reasons.
To stand out and try to be more unique.
To try to bring cheer to those around him and figuratively - or literally - lighten the mood.
Though perhaps the main reasons for the flowers are as a reminder to himself and as a coping mechanism of sorts.
Even though Chase is cheerful and positive now, he hadn't always been that way.
Chase used to be incredibly pessimistic, looking only on the bad side of an issue and never seeing the good in anything. He used to believe no one was truly good. He'd believed that what others did to help one another was born from a purely selfish view of the world, designed only for their own gain. Selflessness, kindness, generosity, compassion; none of that existed in his mind. To Chase, the galaxy and everyone in it were nothing but cruel, cold, and selfish.
He had a very nihilistic and deterministic outlook on life, believing life was meaningless and that nothing he could ever do would ever make a difference in the grand scheme of things. With or without him, things would turn out exactly the same either way. One more or one less, nobody would care.
He felt detached and disconnected. That nothing he did mattered. In the end, nothing did. Despite this philosophy Chase still did his job and followed commands to the letter, but his actions lacked enthusiasm and felt completely impersonal, borderline robotic at times.
He remained like this until one fateful day.
Chase was on a routine patrol on a nearby planet. It was a completely average day, nothing abnormal or extraordinary about it. The only difference was that today he came across a young girl in a glittering pink dress playing in a patch of blossoming pink wildflowers while on his rounds. Normally he'd think nothing of it and continue on his way, but this time something caught his attention and inspired him to stop and watch for a while.
Something about the girl's behavior fascinated Chase. She played as if she had not a care in the world. She laughed at everything and nothing. She laughed for no reason at all. She laughed just because she could. She laughed for no reason except for the very joy of laughing.
For the first time, Chase found something he couldn't simply explain away. And so, perplexed, he asked
"Child, why do you laugh?"
"Oh, it's simple!" she beamed, utterly undaunted. "It's so simple, it's quite beautiful I believe. I laugh because I can. I laugh because I feel. I laugh because I'm here, and I laugh because I exist. I laugh simply because I'm alive. After all, isn't that all we need? The gift of the breath of life is a most beautiful thing, and I laugh from the joy of the simple knowledge that myself and everyone else have been blessed with the most wondrous and joyous thing out Universe has to offer. I laugh because I am. For what reason do we exist if not simply for the joy of existing and coming to experience the endless beauty life has to offer? For what do we exist if not to live and find the joy and purpose in our own life? And so yes, these are the reasons for which I laugh. I laugh simply because I'm alive and simply because I can. I laugh because I am."
A gust of wind swept through and rattled the branches of a nearby tree. Chase took his eyes off the girl for a moment, but when he looked back she was gone. Not a sign was left that she'd ever been there in the first place. The only things left were the pink wildflowers, waving and swaying gently in the remaining breeze.
Feeling only more confused than before, Chase continued on his route.
As he walked, something about the girl's words stuck with him. Some sentiment buried in her words struck a chord deep inside him. They echoed in his mind all the way back to base. He couldn't help thinking about what she'd said. He couldn't help but think that maybe she was right. That night, he saw events around him through slightly different lenses, as though he was seeing them through different eyes and seeing something about the world he hadn't ever quite seen before.
Over time, he began to change. Little by little, but change nonetheless. He took her words to heart and began trying to improve himself, to change the way he saw the world. And as he did, a whole new side of it opened up. A side that was softer. A side that was kinder. A side that wasn't as selfish and greedy or cold as he'd thought.
His outlook on life began to change, and he began to grow more positive, seeking out the good buried in people and situations instead of seeking out the worst.
And so, a few years later when he thought back to his encounter with the girl, he decided to paint pink flowers on his armor to commemorate what she'd said to him that changed him forever and as a reminder to always look for the good in life and not focus solely on the bad.
Now, he does his best to cheer up those around them and keep their spirits high. He does what he can to help them through trying times and inspire hope in those who've given up. Chase has become a go-to trooper for others to confide in and seek advice from and many in his battalion have gone to him at some point or another.
In addition, due to his unique armor design, Chase also helps build the confidence of other clones who are bullied, teased, or ostracized due to their appearance or physical attributes.
However, despite his cheerful attitude, he still often acts as the voice of reason and will not hesitate to tell you when something is very clearly a bad idea in no uncertain terms. He's a master strategist and excellent fighter, and can still be deadly serious when the situation calls for it. He understands there's a time and a place for everything and knows how to behave appropriately for the circumstances.
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Other:
I've seen these adopts around a bunch and I always wanted to try for one but never found one I've really connected to before. Thank you for the opportunity!
-- Chase earned the nickname Glowstick from a mission where he and his battalion went to investigate a cave suspected of harboring enemy activity. Within that cave were several pools and streams of a brightly glowing bioluminescent liquid. At some point during the expedition, Chase was kneeling over a pool of it to try to get a closer look, but the rocky bank he was on was smooth and slick and he ended up falling into the liquid and getting completely submerged. When he resurfaced, they found that the liquid didn't come off armor very easily, and so Chase ended up glowing like a neon star until they returned to base and he was able to subject his armor to a round of aggressive scrubbing with a stiff brush and many gallons of hot water. Rumor has it his armor still glows slightly in the dark to this day.
