hc meme, 8, 18, 28, 38, 48
8. Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulging
He has sort of a double-standard when it comes to what he classifies as an ‘indulgence’. The Clone Wars started when he was very young, and as the years went by, it became more and more common to ration supplies. He’s also been raised a Jedi, and though the interior of the Temple can be considered luxurious, they generally live very simply. Plus, being in so many combat zones means he’s spent a lot of time with ‘you have what you can carry, anything else is extra’. When it comes to what he classifies as personal indulgences, it’s things like an extra ten minutes to sleep in, or a shower with water (especially hot water) instead of a sonic. Further on in the war, he also counts being able to spend time with his whole core group of friends, since they’re usually scattered to the winds. He thinks it’s alright in moderation. He can’t sleep in every day, he has too much to do - but on special occasions or after particularly gruelling missions, maybe a minute or two won’t hurt. He doesn’t want to waste water, but sometimes the sonic just isn’t enough to get the battlefield grime off. Little indulgences, to him, are fine, as long as you don’t overdo it.
On the other hand, part of his job as a Jedi means he’s had to meet a lot of rich people, and they almost all drive him up the wall. Yes, yes, he knows, it must be such a shame to not be able to get your perfume imported because of the blockade. He's sure your starving people really sympathize. He can have a hard time maintaining a neutral demeanor for mediation at times like these, but he’s told such things come with practice. The idea that anyone could live in excess while people around them go without repulses him.
Lavender tea with honey! Especially if there are ginger biscuits with it. Let him have that and a good datapad, or a spot to look at the stars, or some company, and he’s happy as can be.
28. Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?
His best friend is another OC of mine - Hano Rhi. Hano is, like Braig, a padawan of the Jedi Order, and they were in Bergruufta clan together as younglings. They’re the same age - mostly. Braig’s three and a half months older. It’s a thing they do where Hano always says ‘three months’ and Braig corrects him with ‘three and a half’. And they do have to constantly tell people that they’re the same age/that Braig is older because Hano is a Cathar, and, like most of his species, is fucking massive. Braig evens out at 5’9 in his mid-20s; Hano is 7’5 by the time he’s 16/17. While they're both in incredible shape, as all Guardians are, Braig has a leaner build, and Hano is built like a brick shithouse. There's been a few times they've been out and about and people have mistaken Hano for Braig’s master. Hano always thinks this is funny. Aside from stature, their general dress and demeanor couldn't be more different at first glance. Braig is his master’s student, and while he’s not VAIN, he does take pride in his appearance, robes pressed, hair combed, that sort of thing. Hano hates wearing shirts (they get hot and itchy with his fur most times) and doesn’t like wearing shoes because he likes having his back claws free. They’re both gremlins, as most teenagers tend to be, but Hano is more jovial and outspoken. Braig tends to reign him in (............ sometimes) and he reminds Braig when it’s okay to relax. In spite of the differences, they’ve been damn near joined at the hip since they met in the creche when they were three. Even their lightsabers are complimentary colours - Braig with his purple, and Hano with a golden bronze. They’re both very physically affectionate people, and it’s not uncommon to find Braig sprawled across Hano’s lap, riding on his shoulder(s) (he can fit on just one once they’re in their late teens), being picked up by Hano and carted off because ‘I need this’ ‘Do you mind?’ ‘Yes’, or even sharing a bunk. There’s absolutely no romantic or sexual interest between the two, and they don’t view the intimacy as anything more than platonic - any partners are going to have to accept this, but know that they’ll get the same trust and freedom for their own friends in return. Braig will sometimes call Hano his best friend, but more often calls him his brother, and it goes both ways. As far as Braig is concerned, the only one who knows him better is Obi-Wan. Hano does survive Order 66, and they do meet up again when they’re older, but I’ve been debating tweaking the timeline as to when exactly that is. Whether he’s killed in battle or dies peacefully of old age, his last words to Braig are ‘thank you for being my brother’; Braig’s last words to him are ‘thank you for letting me’.
As for his greatest enemy… Overall, probably Sidious, given the whole genocide, but- In his personal canon, one just specific to him, that would be Grau Tessk, the Devourer of the Fallen and the Would-Be Conqueror of Tassish. Grau was a massive Trandoshan warlord who had a habit of eating the people he killed, and a General in the Separatist army. He didn’t give a shit about politics, he just liked having a license to kill. He thought it was funny. He had some followers who he treated as henchmen, but his closest companion was SP//34R, aka ‘Spear’, a droid that functioned as his assistant and personal chef. Grau was a fan of ‘fine dining’ in his own way, and kept Spear loaded with thousands of recipes to cook whatever (or whoever) he brought home. Grau also took trophies from his more impressive hunts, including wearing a Wompa-skin cape and a necklace with a blue Kyber crystal from the first Jedi he killed. This was both to show off his prowess, and to make hunts more difficult for himself by disrupting his natural camouflage. He loved a challenge. When he and Braig finally meet face to face, Grau had also claimed the lightsaber of Jedi Master Dhissit Ryloff and used it as a primary weapon, though he tended to prefer either his claws and teeth or a blaster in most other hunts. He was arrogant and callous, but not stupid, and took both pride and care in learning about his prey before he set out on hunts. Anything from culture to interests to fears could inform where they go and what they do, and could also help him in avoiding complications down the line. He had many children, but only claimed a few of them. Out of all the Separatists’ attempts to colonize Tassish, Grau made the most progress, and actually had several mining camps set up to take the precious ores for himself. … And, sure, the Seps too. Whatever. He was killed by Braig towards the end of the Siege of Tassish on 9 Welona, 20 BBY, but not before leaving Braig with his trademark scar. Aside from the months of hiding that Braig had to do and the traumas he had to endure to defeat Grau and finally go home, Grau was also the second non-droid enemy Braig ever killed (the first having been only a few weeks before - Grau’s lieutenant Tak Errdon). He was the first where it happened close enough for Braig to watch Grau’s eyes glaze over.
It stayed with him for a long time.
38. Would you say that they have a superiority complex? Inferiority-complex? Neither?
He has almost what I’d call a superiority complex by proxy, if that makes sense. He doesn’t think he’s the best, but his master is. He’s Obi-Wan’s biggest fan. He loves his dad. His dad is his favourite person. When he was younger, eg. his Initiate days, he had some insecurities, definitely - and they carry on to his early years as a padawan, too. After all, again, he idealizes his master, but then you have all the added pressure of war on top of trying to live up to that legacy. This isn't a usual training period for young Jedi. There is no easing into things. Every wrong decision comes with casualties. There are certain events that give him more insecurities, but I don't know if any of them are COMPLEXES as much as immediate trauma responses.
48. Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?
Yes and no. He doesn’t want to die (in most eras; Order 66 messed him up pretty good). He likes being alive. There’s a lot of things he wants to do. But he’s also grown up at war - death has always been a possibility. He’s been to more funerals than he’d care to count. He’s witnessed a lot of deaths first-hand. And he knows (or at least believes) that, when his time comes, he will rejoin the Force and become one with the universe and those who went before. He doesn't want to die, but a lifetime at war has, sadly, prepared him for that outcome.
