Application
For luceti
Mun
Name: Dea
Livejournal Username: dea_liberty
E-mail: dea.liberty (at) gmail.com
AIM/MSN: dealiberty
Current Characters at Luceti: king_en (Twelve Kingdoms) and abishopreally (07-Ghost).
Character
Name: Oz Vessalius
Fandom: Pandora Hearts
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Time Period: Retrace 57, just as Jack takes over
Wing Color: White with gold trimmings
History: Wiki link.
Personality: Oz is made up of a whole lot of layers - and that's not even counting the hero whose soul resides inside Oz and who comes out to help Oz out when he doesn't know how to handle the situation. There is, for the most part, the person Oz wants people to believe he is and the person he actually is and, while they cross over and share many of the same traits, there are parts of Oz that he would rather not acknowledge.
The first thing that should be noted, however, is one of Oz's key traits. He is someone who is willing to change and learn, and the person he is at the beginning of his story is not the same one he has grown to be. When his faults are pointed out to him, after time passes and he has a chance to really process what he's been told, Oz doesn't hesitate to better himself in the hopes of becoming a better person as a whole. This is a key point to make as it affects the rest of his personality as well, and has resulted in Oz's growth as a character. The clearest example of this is the slow change that occurs because of his discussion with Elliot. Up until that point, Oz's nature made him incredibly self-sacrificing to a point where it had actually become a fault. He didn't think about how his dying or being injured would affect other people, such as Alice or Gil, and instead believed that it was the greatest thing he could do for the people he loved. He never really saw himself as worth very much and, as such, constantly valued other people's lives over his own. He really never considered the burden this put on people close to him until Elliot pointed it out to him. As he realised his fault, however, he became determined to change, even telling Gil that he was sorry he'd made him carry so much of Oz's burden in the past and how Oz was going to be more proactive in the future. Though he hasn't completely shrugged off the bordering-stupidity-hero-complex yet (and he probably never will), he has begun to value his life a lot more and no longer acts rashly enough to seem like he has a death wish.
His hero complex, mentioned as possibly a negative trait above, is also actually one of the strongest parts of Oz's personality. He's learning how to be a hero without being, as Elliot would say, stupid about it, though that's taking a little time. Oz really can't stand to see "wrong" happen to anyone. The wellbeing of other people, no matter who they are or if he knows them personally, is of utmost importance to Oz. He won't break his contract with Alice despite knowing that the illegal contract will eventually kill him because he wants to help her rediscover her memories, for example. Or he tries to stop Gil from killing an illegal contractor because he'd promised the man's son that he would save him and let him go home. Oz feels deeply for other people, and his empathy is the main reason for his hero complex. He wants to save everyone at any cost, and he really does think it's okay to die as long as he manages to save people.
The only exceptions to that are the people he considers his enemies - mainly, the people who hurt the ones Oz loves. Oz can be fiercely protective of people - as stated above, this also extends to people he's just met - and will do just about anything to protect them. On more than one occasion, he's had to be stopped from killing someone because they've hurt people and Oz simply can't forgive that. It isn't fundamentally in Oz's nature to kill, but there seems to be a point inside Oz that snaps when people push him too far, and then Oz looses control of himself. At these times, it is as though Oz's body is not his own - and afterwards, he doesn't necessarily remember that it's happened. In the most current canon, however, it appears that Oz is completely aware of what he is thinking and considering doing and he doesn't regret that either (his desire, for example, to kill Isla Yura with his own hands) - even if it's Jack that eventually comes to the forefront when things really start to get messy. When he isn't in the midst of his anger-driven sense of righteousness, Oz is actually a little afraid of himself and of his own loss of control, especially because he has no idea why he does it. And because, many of those times, he has no recollection of it happening at all.
Disconnecting from himself, whether Jack is taking over his body or not, is something that Oz learned how to do at a young age. His childhood was, for the most part, relatively normal. His mischievous nature was even more obvious when he was younger and was definitely a handful for the maids around the Vessalius household. Though he could be a real brat, Oz was also - as he is still - a loving person who would take his baby sister around with him wherever he went, even when she didn't really understand what was going on. When Uncle Oscar first introduces Gil to Oz, Oz doesn't hesitate to take Gil into his care - even though Gil is supposed to become his servant. Instead of the traditional master-servant role, Oz turns it around to say that it's the master's duty to protect his servant - and that's the outlook Oz has had about their relationship ever since even though Gil definitely sees the relationship being the other way around; maybe that's why they work so well together. Unlike many of the other nobles, Oz also doesn't seem to care in the least about status or what is "proper" or not, treating Gil like his friend even though, at that time, he was Oz's servant and nothing more. As he is today, these traits are still there, and his kindness is perhaps even more obvious now than it was then.
The fact that he represses his negative emotions and his own needs, however, also stems from his childhood. Though he was a child that the household, especially his uncle, adored, Oz constantly tried to be the best he could so that his father would be proud of him. Zai Vessalius was constantly away and, even when he was in the house, seemed to barely notice Oz's existence. Though he tried hard to study harder and just become a better son in order to win his father's approval, it's soon revealed that Zai hates Oz, and sees him as nothing more than something dirty that he would rather have nothing to do with. Heartbroken, Oz retreated into himself and became determined that these sorts of things would never touch him; he would always be okay.
Since that time, Oz has been adamant about maintaining a strong, almost happy front constantly no matter what the situation. He'd decided that he would take everything in stride so, whenever things seem to get too much for him, Oz seems to hide completely behind a mask of "everything is just fine" and pretends that he is incredibly well-adjusted. It has got to the point where this reaction is automatic for Oz, and there, as a result, a lot of things about himself that he doesn't notice until someone - such as Break asking him, "where are you?" - points it out to him. This method of coping comes not only from his denial that things are worrying him, but also from his sense of self-worth or, more precisely, his lack of self-worth. He doesn't want to bother anyone with his troubles because he doesn't think he's worth enough that people should be worried about him. He doesn't what to cause them more trouble than he already has. This is both, therefore, a way to make sure other people don't worry about him and a way to protect himself from possible hurt. Choosing to ignore the difficulties and the upset that might be caused by situations and, instead, constantly trying to be optimistic about it is default defense mechanism.
Oz, however, is abnormally well-adjusted, especially when he's not trying to pretend. He takes things in stride and tries to focus on bits and pieces of things in order to process them. His cheekiness and playfulness comes out whenever he's given the chance, especially when it comes to trolling his servant - a pastime that he revels in a lot. Given the choice, he would much rather spend as much time as possible being that carefree - and he tries to bring that same brightness, light playfulness into everything he does, even if it's serious simply because he'd rather try to find something good about situations than to focus too much on the bad. He also tries hard to keep things light because he thinks that, by making light of the situation, making jokes and trying to keep things more positive, he can help the others feel a little bit better about the situation.
Despite everything pointing towards him being doom-and-gloom and depressing all the time, Oz really does try his hardest not to be and would much rather people never saw him that way. It doesn't always work, especially because he's realised that, by pretending, he's actually worrying the people closest to him more, but it doesn't stop him from trying to be okay so that the others will be okay as well. Without the situation making things too difficult for him and given the chance to actually be relatively free of the mission he's been given (even if he's going to worry about what's going on at home a lot while he's away), his playful side is likely to come to the surface a lot more.
Speaking of his playful side, Oz is - despite being relatively young - a flirt. Despite his disbelief in affection and his lack of self-worth, he really enjoys flirting with cute girls. After meeting Sharon, he developed a huge crush on her even going as far as to declare that he was going to marry her. He even flirts with the flower girl from whom he buys a flower - and immediately tucks it behind her ear. In canon, this side of him doesn’t have much of a chance to come out, but it’s definitely still lurking there inside, and definitely goes hand in hand with his playfulness.
Oz also wants to become a better person. Whatever his sense of self-worth, Oz still wants to continuously improve. Despite the fact that part of him knows he will never gain Zai's affections, Oz continues to try and continues to hope - and, in the meantime, he continues to win the affections of other people around him. Even though he can't quite believe that people genuinely care about him, and even though he gets somewhat scared when he realises that people do, Oz tries his best to please them and to make sure they're all happy; as long as those he loves are happy and well, Oz can deal with just about anything.
Strengths:
Physical: Most of the time, Oz is actually a pretty ordinary fifteen year old boy. Or, well, technically twenty-five year old man, but not really. He doesn't have all that much physical prowess, though he's been training with Break when it comes to fighting with a sword. He's…mediocre at it at best, the not-so-good side of mediocre at worse; he's never had a lot of practice. He does, however, have the ability to use B-Rabbit's power with or without the Chain around. Usually, in the Pandora Hearts' world, Chains can be activated but the Chain itself has to be present and is the one that carries out all the attacks. This is not the case with Oz, however; he has been seen with B-Rabbit's scythe and wielding B-Rabbit's power (Alice has said so herself) completely without Alice's permission or without calling on Alice/B-Rabbit at all. When he calls on B-Rabbit's power, he is incredibly power and wields the scythe with deadly precision. She is one of the strongest Chains that have come out of the Abyss, and Oz is able to harness this power for himself. While lost in the depths of Sablier, Oz was able to defeat the ghosts and other monsters created by the Abyss by himself and, more recently, he's been able to defeat many of Humpty Dumpty's contractors without so much as breaking sweat.
Note: The character’s physical strength was mostly put in with the assumption that Oz’s ability to use B-Rabbit’s power is something strange even in his own world. Despite the fact that Gil has sealed B-Rabbit’s power to make the contract take less toll on Oz, in times of trouble, Oz is able to draw on and wield B-Rabbit’s power without Alice’s consent and without her changing into the shape of her Chain at all; Alice has no part in the actual use of this power except that it’s technically her power. I understand that summons aren’t able to be used in Luceti and, therefore, it’s likely that this applies to Chains as well, but considering the strangeness of this ability of Oz’s, I thought I’d stick it in there anyway as a one-off thing that’s only happened a few times in the course of the entire manga, and wouldn’t likely be used that often - if at all - in Luceti either. If it’s pushing the limitations on summons too much, just let me know; it can be omitted without a problem.
Mental: Though he pretends to be relatively naive and, in a lot of ways, he still is, he's definitely got a tactical and cunning side to him. He knows how to manipulate people and how to get what he wants. For example, when Gil refuses to talk to him, he knows just what to say in his letter to Gil to make his servant come looking for him immediately or, in the case of Isla Yura, he is able to pretend to bring Jack "out" of himself in order to get Yura to invite them over to his mansion. Though it turns out that it was part of Yura's plan all along, it goes to show that Oz isn't just a pretty face who goes along with other people's plans. He's also pretty quick to adapt to situations and to read what's going on and, therefore, figure out what he can do about it, such as during their first visit to Rufus Barma's place when the Duke is trying to fool them into thinking he's a big, fat man in an opera house. Through this, and many other examples, Oz has shown himself to be incredibly perceptive - to a point where it has honestly surprised many of his friends and colleagues. Oz also studied incredibly hard when he was younger due to wanting to please his father. From Gil's discussion with Alice about Oz's childhood, it's not clear whether any of his dedication to his studies came from his own love of learning or not; the only thing that's clear is that he desperately wanted Zai's approval and thought he could get it by excelling in his studies. It's likely that this has resulted in him being above average in terms of his studies, especially for his age.
Emotional: Oz is a hero. His selflessness can also be put below in the weaknesses section - and it will be - but at the same time, this is one of his greatest strengths. He cares about people on a very fundamental level, and he honestly cares about the wellbeing of others, the safety of others, and doing right by everyone he can. In addition, Oz is incredibly good at adjusting to situations, able to get his heart and mind around it, assess it and act accordingly. More often than not, he is the one that is able to emotionally hold people together when it looks like things are getting out of control, such as going to comfort Leo after Leo and Elliot's fight - taking charge of that situation as well by sending Gil out to see Elliot. Not only in that situation, but even when it looks like Gil or Alice is about to fall apart because of the situation or their memories or whatever else, Oz is always together enough to reach out a hand to them and offer them some kind of stability.
Weaknesses:
Physical: He's a fifteen year old boy that never got all the training he should have as a young nobleman. His sword fighting skills aren't all that good, if he's honest with himself, and he's never really tested them out in battle. He's really not experienced when it comes to fighting in the traditional way. In addition, the use of B-Rabbit's power drains Oz himself, tiring him out but, more than that, the use of the Chain's power draws on his life due to the fact that, when used a certain amount, the hand on his illegal contractor's seal on his chest moves. His time is limited and, the more those powers are used, the faster the time goes as the contract itself begins to wear on the body.
Mental: His history with book-learning is deeply tied to his bid for his father's approval, which wears him down more than he cares to admit - though his father's treatment of him and its consequences fit more into "emotional weaknesses" below than here, it plays a part in how he sees the world. A lot of his emotional weaknesses can cloud his mental strengths, thus becoming a mental weakness as well.
Emotional: The hero complex. It's a huge emotional flaw in a lot of ways because it makes Oz value his own life less than he should, all things considered. He's actually said that it didn't matter what happened to him as long as the people were safe; he'd even die to make sure those he loved were happy. All that time, Oz didn't once consider how those he loved would feel if he died for them. Another emotional weakness of Oz's is that he's - well - not exactly emotionally stable. His detachment, whether it results in his episodes of violence without his conscious thought or not, is one of his flaws. By stepping away from the situation mentally, Oz thinks that he can protect himself but this is not always the case; it can occasionally make him seem completely out of touch with reality. In the cases where he does go…crazy - that is a clear weakness in itself. Oz is actually pretty afraid of himself because of this as he loses control over himself completely. He's incredibly worried about losing himself and about hurting those he cares about during these periods of time.
Samples
First Person:
[The video comes on mid-sentence - he’s not quite ready for the device to turn on and start recording yet, and he apparently hasn’t quite noticed it happening.] - no, no, in here. Yes. Just like th - your tail as well, okay? Now put your head down a little more…
Oh! This thing’s on already? [Completely, utterly innocent grin. So innocent it’s definitely not to be trusted.]
I made a new friend. [The view changes and, in the middle of the screen, a hat appears. For anyone who knows Gil, the hat is a familiar one. Very, very familiar.] And we talked for a bit, and then I taught her a trick. She’s got really good at it too.
[Oz glances at the hat.] Are you ready? [It wiggles a little. There’s definitely something in there.] Okay! On the count of three.
One.
Two.
Three!
[Out pops an adorably messy looking kitten, eyes perked up, tail swishing behind it. Very clearly, it says, “Hello Gil!” and then pops back into the hat again.
Delighted clapping for Oz.] Wasn’t that just perfect?
Hey, hey, Gil. What do you think? Can we keep her?
Third Person:
Playing house was something that appealed greatly to Oz’s sense of - well - family, if it could be called that. It was something of a rag-tag gang, that was true, but they were all out of their elements here. If he was completely honest with himself, he admitted that he’d always wanted to try something like this - like Gil had done back at home, living in his own apartment in Reveille instead of in the Nightray mansion as he could have done or with Sharon as Oz and Alice did. It seemed like something incredibly exciting. A house of their own! Without a history several thousand years long, inhabited as their mansions were by their ancestors. They could decorate their rooms however they liked, and had to think about things as simple as how many pillow cases and towels they needed in the house. It might seem mundane to most people but, for Oz, that was something of an adventure all in itself.
Which was to say that Gil was going to have a hard time trying to keep up with everything Oz thought should be done to their house. More likely than not, Oz’s ideas were going to present something of a problem for Oz’s servant, but that only occurred to him on the most superficial level; Gil would come to appreciate Oz’s help in time, he was sure. He would prove himself to be a capable cook and a capable housekeeper.
He arrived home carrying several bags of groceries, barely managing to actually balance it all in his arms. Kicking open the door, he announced loudly, “Gil, I’m home! I brought stuff for dinner,” before he began to carefully navigate his way through the corridor and into the kitchen. Placing the bags on the table, he started to unpack its contents.
Fruit: apples, bananas, oranges, the stray kiwi or two - and a pineapple because it looked really cool. Meat - all different kinds, in case Gil wanted to choose - and a variety of vegetables. Even if he wasn’t entirely sure he’d eat most of these, Gil seemed to like making it. That was, of course, followed by a bag full of chocolate, ice cream (in winter, yes), and various other sugary treats - perhaps an even larger selection than the savoury. Finally, Oz looked around and then had to paw through the bags again.
His expression turned sheepish. “Oops. I think I forgot the cooking oil.”
Request: In reading much of this app, I can tell you have a very solid grasp of Oz's outer appearances, workings, and mannerisms. But I feel as if there's a lack in real understanding of him, especially his faults. You present him as extremely well-adjusted for his circumstances, but Oz has a side to him that could be construed as deeply twisted or even broken. (In canon, Break even calls him "creepy.") Is there darkness in Oz? Why, and what causes it, and how does he channel it? How does it feed into his motivations? I'd also like to see specific expansions on the apathy he can show and his fear of being alone.
You don't need to revise all of your different personality/strength/weakness sections as a whole (though you may if you wish); I'm just asking for answers to the questions I've posed. If you have any questions about what I've said here feel free to contact me (spark memories on AIM). Thanks!
It's true that there's a darkness in Oz, and that there's something about him that's broken and not quite right, but I'd argue that Break calling Oz "creepy", as well as his question of "where are you?" that's directed at Oz early on in the series is less about said darkness and much more about how apparently well-adjusted Oz is. I say apparently because Oz is clearly compartmentalizing and making up for the PTSD that he seems to be suffering. At the beginning of the series, before we find out Oz's particular self-defense mechanisms, he really does seem far too well-adjusted, taking into stride everything that Break tells him no matter if it's about the consequences of an illegal contractor's seal or about his, Sharon and Gil's involvement in Pandora, and basically just accepting everything that's happened and is happening to him without completely breaking down like one would expect him to - hence, Break calls him creepy.
Oz's apathy, in terms of the expansion you've requested, is deeply linked to this. He constantly fought for Zai's approval and, when physically and emotionally rejected in such a clear manner after Gil confronts Zai, and after Gil is taken away from him for a few days, Oz came to the conclusion that if he simply accepts everything that happens to him, then nothing can really hurt him and he can't be upset anymore. After Gil comes back, he specifically tells him that he's going to just accept it all. The acceptance, however, is not really dealing with the issues at hand and, thus, he compartmentalizes it, attempts to make it into something trivial and tries to push away feelings related to whatever incident that might be in order to successfully "manage" these feelings. In reality, what Oz does is becomes apathetic to the situation; he simply ignores the difficulties that it presents and focuses very much on whatever positive side might be found, though his heart might not be in it.
He doesn't think much about his death, for example, simply because he says he's going to just accept it. As long as it has a purpose - a positive side that he tries to see in something like that - it's okay that he dies. As long as he saves someone important to him - and thus doesn't have to be the one left behind - he's okay with it. The thing is, Oz doesn't realize this until it's pointed out to him by Elliot and, since his talk with Elliot, in the recent chapters, it's been a conscious effort on Oz's part to fix this particular shortcoming. He canonically claims that he is no longer going to run away from these problems and thus make people carry them but, instead, he's going to face things more head on. After declaring this and since the arc where Oz meets Elliot at Lutwidge, Oz has been working hard to step past this particular shortcoming to a point where he is definitely less broken in this regard than he was before.
In terms of the cause of the "darkness" that resides inside Oz, there are different reasons that could be brought up in order to explain it. One is simply the one that's given to Break in canon, whereby it's said that it's entirely possibly that Oz is not the real Oz Vessalius due to Zai Vessalius taking the baby away as soon as it was born. It's entirely possibly that there is something inside Oz that isn't quite right - but canon hasn't given an explanation for this yet, and therefore there is no solid answer as to what causes his madness.
It can also be explained as a child's reaction to trauma - a defense mechanism that builds up in order to help Oz deal with things he'd rather not deal with. The ability, for example, that he has to summon B-Rabbit's power without using the Chain itself is something that Oz doesn't ever remember how to do but he is able to do it when the time calls for it. When Elliot and Leo find him in the cave at Sablier, the sickle in his hand, for example, Oz explains that he has no idea how his body knew what to do - but it did, and his expression when the Nightray boys first find him, is completely different to the one of normal Oz. The argument can be made that this is something of a split personality occurring from childhood trauma - or from whatever it is that canon has yet to explain as already discussed above.
It is also probably stemming from the possessiveness Oz seems to feel about those he loves, and about those he has chosen to care about. In the most recent canon, for example, Oz is completely calm and yet terrifyingly intense in his desire to kill Yura and in his single-mindedness to do so. Affected by the powers of the Abyss earlier, as well, when he is in Cheshire's domain, Oz is singleminded about his desire to protect Alice, though it could possibly also be argued that part of that comes from the piece of Jack's soul that's inside him, and another part from the madness created by the Abyss itself considering his words and his need to protect Alice sound strangely like Cheshire's own mantra. Oz does want to protect those he cares about desperately, however, and it is possible that there is something more than a little twisted inside him that takes this to the extreme when the circumstances are extreme, such as the two examples above.
Whatever it is that causes some kind of darkness inside Oz exists as part of his motivations in different ways. One of his motivations for changing, for example, is that it's been pointed out that his way of "dealing" and "accepting" everything that happens to him actually hurts the people who care about him more and, therefore, has motivated him into changing himself for the better.
The almost-physical brokenness in terms of his crazy moments, his possessive thoughts, his ability to go so far in wanting to protect the people he cares about that he will lose control and almost kill for them - all these things are kept carefully hidden. Or as well-hidden as Oz can manage, behind Oz's mask of positivity and how well adjusted he tries to portray himself as. It feeds into his motivations in terms of him trying hard not the disappoint those depending on him, such as Alice, and trying not to be a bother to the other people around him, such as Gil - though the second is to a much lesser extent in these later chapters of the canon since realizing that his attempts at pretense only hurt people. In coming to terms with that fact, Oz's compartmentalization process has been something that is used to a lesser degree, and he is actually taking slow steps towards actually being the well-adjusted person he'd like to be.
The possessiveness and the intense desire to protect those he loves whatever the cost, however, is partly also due to Jack's soul that lives inside him. When push comes to shove in the most recent chapters, for example, Oz isn't the one that actually kills Humpty Dumpty's contractor without hesitating in order to save Alice - but Oz's consciousness steps aside in order to let Jack do what they both want. This is despite Oz's declaration that he's going to kill Isla Yura with his own hands.
His guilt over whatever his "sin" was, and his lingering feelings of uselessness that exist because of how his father's always treated him has been something that fed very much into Oz's earlier character as he constantly tried to improve himself and make himself as small a burden as possible so as to not be left alone. The "dirtiness" and "sin" seemed to be something deeply fixed in him from the start and cause for Oz to try to be a better person. Throughout the course of the series, however, Oz has moved past that a little more and into a stage where he wants to find out what exactly the "sin" is - not so that he can repent for it so much as simply just to know. Almost so that he can prove his father wrong.
Basically, Oz is incredibly well-adjusted in that he hasn't broken yet, and he hasn't freaked out in the same way as many other people put in his position would have. He's dealt with it as best as he can in the way that he knows how to. At the beginning, it was definitely not a healthy way - twisted in logic as it was, and lacking in real practical benefit. Apart from the uncontrollable things, like his loss of control in extreme situations when Oz is pushed, which have also become part of Oz's weaknesses and part of his fear, Oz has consciously been taking steps to move beyond these problems and address these issues that his younger - and earlier - self had, slow as the process might be.
Mun
Name: Dea
Livejournal Username: dea_liberty
E-mail: dea.liberty (at) gmail.com
AIM/MSN: dealiberty
Current Characters at Luceti: king_en (Twelve Kingdoms) and abishopreally (07-Ghost).
Character
Name: Oz Vessalius
Fandom: Pandora Hearts
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Time Period: Retrace 57, just as Jack takes over
Wing Color: White with gold trimmings
History: Wiki link.
Personality: Oz is made up of a whole lot of layers - and that's not even counting the hero whose soul resides inside Oz and who comes out to help Oz out when he doesn't know how to handle the situation. There is, for the most part, the person Oz wants people to believe he is and the person he actually is and, while they cross over and share many of the same traits, there are parts of Oz that he would rather not acknowledge.
The first thing that should be noted, however, is one of Oz's key traits. He is someone who is willing to change and learn, and the person he is at the beginning of his story is not the same one he has grown to be. When his faults are pointed out to him, after time passes and he has a chance to really process what he's been told, Oz doesn't hesitate to better himself in the hopes of becoming a better person as a whole. This is a key point to make as it affects the rest of his personality as well, and has resulted in Oz's growth as a character. The clearest example of this is the slow change that occurs because of his discussion with Elliot. Up until that point, Oz's nature made him incredibly self-sacrificing to a point where it had actually become a fault. He didn't think about how his dying or being injured would affect other people, such as Alice or Gil, and instead believed that it was the greatest thing he could do for the people he loved. He never really saw himself as worth very much and, as such, constantly valued other people's lives over his own. He really never considered the burden this put on people close to him until Elliot pointed it out to him. As he realised his fault, however, he became determined to change, even telling Gil that he was sorry he'd made him carry so much of Oz's burden in the past and how Oz was going to be more proactive in the future. Though he hasn't completely shrugged off the bordering-stupidity-hero-complex yet (and he probably never will), he has begun to value his life a lot more and no longer acts rashly enough to seem like he has a death wish.
His hero complex, mentioned as possibly a negative trait above, is also actually one of the strongest parts of Oz's personality. He's learning how to be a hero without being, as Elliot would say, stupid about it, though that's taking a little time. Oz really can't stand to see "wrong" happen to anyone. The wellbeing of other people, no matter who they are or if he knows them personally, is of utmost importance to Oz. He won't break his contract with Alice despite knowing that the illegal contract will eventually kill him because he wants to help her rediscover her memories, for example. Or he tries to stop Gil from killing an illegal contractor because he'd promised the man's son that he would save him and let him go home. Oz feels deeply for other people, and his empathy is the main reason for his hero complex. He wants to save everyone at any cost, and he really does think it's okay to die as long as he manages to save people.
The only exceptions to that are the people he considers his enemies - mainly, the people who hurt the ones Oz loves. Oz can be fiercely protective of people - as stated above, this also extends to people he's just met - and will do just about anything to protect them. On more than one occasion, he's had to be stopped from killing someone because they've hurt people and Oz simply can't forgive that. It isn't fundamentally in Oz's nature to kill, but there seems to be a point inside Oz that snaps when people push him too far, and then Oz looses control of himself. At these times, it is as though Oz's body is not his own - and afterwards, he doesn't necessarily remember that it's happened. In the most current canon, however, it appears that Oz is completely aware of what he is thinking and considering doing and he doesn't regret that either (his desire, for example, to kill Isla Yura with his own hands) - even if it's Jack that eventually comes to the forefront when things really start to get messy. When he isn't in the midst of his anger-driven sense of righteousness, Oz is actually a little afraid of himself and of his own loss of control, especially because he has no idea why he does it. And because, many of those times, he has no recollection of it happening at all.
Disconnecting from himself, whether Jack is taking over his body or not, is something that Oz learned how to do at a young age. His childhood was, for the most part, relatively normal. His mischievous nature was even more obvious when he was younger and was definitely a handful for the maids around the Vessalius household. Though he could be a real brat, Oz was also - as he is still - a loving person who would take his baby sister around with him wherever he went, even when she didn't really understand what was going on. When Uncle Oscar first introduces Gil to Oz, Oz doesn't hesitate to take Gil into his care - even though Gil is supposed to become his servant. Instead of the traditional master-servant role, Oz turns it around to say that it's the master's duty to protect his servant - and that's the outlook Oz has had about their relationship ever since even though Gil definitely sees the relationship being the other way around; maybe that's why they work so well together. Unlike many of the other nobles, Oz also doesn't seem to care in the least about status or what is "proper" or not, treating Gil like his friend even though, at that time, he was Oz's servant and nothing more. As he is today, these traits are still there, and his kindness is perhaps even more obvious now than it was then.
The fact that he represses his negative emotions and his own needs, however, also stems from his childhood. Though he was a child that the household, especially his uncle, adored, Oz constantly tried to be the best he could so that his father would be proud of him. Zai Vessalius was constantly away and, even when he was in the house, seemed to barely notice Oz's existence. Though he tried hard to study harder and just become a better son in order to win his father's approval, it's soon revealed that Zai hates Oz, and sees him as nothing more than something dirty that he would rather have nothing to do with. Heartbroken, Oz retreated into himself and became determined that these sorts of things would never touch him; he would always be okay.
Since that time, Oz has been adamant about maintaining a strong, almost happy front constantly no matter what the situation. He'd decided that he would take everything in stride so, whenever things seem to get too much for him, Oz seems to hide completely behind a mask of "everything is just fine" and pretends that he is incredibly well-adjusted. It has got to the point where this reaction is automatic for Oz, and there, as a result, a lot of things about himself that he doesn't notice until someone - such as Break asking him, "where are you?" - points it out to him. This method of coping comes not only from his denial that things are worrying him, but also from his sense of self-worth or, more precisely, his lack of self-worth. He doesn't want to bother anyone with his troubles because he doesn't think he's worth enough that people should be worried about him. He doesn't what to cause them more trouble than he already has. This is both, therefore, a way to make sure other people don't worry about him and a way to protect himself from possible hurt. Choosing to ignore the difficulties and the upset that might be caused by situations and, instead, constantly trying to be optimistic about it is default defense mechanism.
Oz, however, is abnormally well-adjusted, especially when he's not trying to pretend. He takes things in stride and tries to focus on bits and pieces of things in order to process them. His cheekiness and playfulness comes out whenever he's given the chance, especially when it comes to trolling his servant - a pastime that he revels in a lot. Given the choice, he would much rather spend as much time as possible being that carefree - and he tries to bring that same brightness, light playfulness into everything he does, even if it's serious simply because he'd rather try to find something good about situations than to focus too much on the bad. He also tries hard to keep things light because he thinks that, by making light of the situation, making jokes and trying to keep things more positive, he can help the others feel a little bit better about the situation.
Despite everything pointing towards him being doom-and-gloom and depressing all the time, Oz really does try his hardest not to be and would much rather people never saw him that way. It doesn't always work, especially because he's realised that, by pretending, he's actually worrying the people closest to him more, but it doesn't stop him from trying to be okay so that the others will be okay as well. Without the situation making things too difficult for him and given the chance to actually be relatively free of the mission he's been given (even if he's going to worry about what's going on at home a lot while he's away), his playful side is likely to come to the surface a lot more.
Speaking of his playful side, Oz is - despite being relatively young - a flirt. Despite his disbelief in affection and his lack of self-worth, he really enjoys flirting with cute girls. After meeting Sharon, he developed a huge crush on her even going as far as to declare that he was going to marry her. He even flirts with the flower girl from whom he buys a flower - and immediately tucks it behind her ear. In canon, this side of him doesn’t have much of a chance to come out, but it’s definitely still lurking there inside, and definitely goes hand in hand with his playfulness.
Oz also wants to become a better person. Whatever his sense of self-worth, Oz still wants to continuously improve. Despite the fact that part of him knows he will never gain Zai's affections, Oz continues to try and continues to hope - and, in the meantime, he continues to win the affections of other people around him. Even though he can't quite believe that people genuinely care about him, and even though he gets somewhat scared when he realises that people do, Oz tries his best to please them and to make sure they're all happy; as long as those he loves are happy and well, Oz can deal with just about anything.
Strengths:
Physical: Most of the time, Oz is actually a pretty ordinary fifteen year old boy. Or, well, technically twenty-five year old man, but not really. He doesn't have all that much physical prowess, though he's been training with Break when it comes to fighting with a sword. He's…mediocre at it at best, the not-so-good side of mediocre at worse; he's never had a lot of practice. He does, however, have the ability to use B-Rabbit's power with or without the Chain around. Usually, in the Pandora Hearts' world, Chains can be activated but the Chain itself has to be present and is the one that carries out all the attacks. This is not the case with Oz, however; he has been seen with B-Rabbit's scythe and wielding B-Rabbit's power (Alice has said so herself) completely without Alice's permission or without calling on Alice/B-Rabbit at all. When he calls on B-Rabbit's power, he is incredibly power and wields the scythe with deadly precision. She is one of the strongest Chains that have come out of the Abyss, and Oz is able to harness this power for himself. While lost in the depths of Sablier, Oz was able to defeat the ghosts and other monsters created by the Abyss by himself and, more recently, he's been able to defeat many of Humpty Dumpty's contractors without so much as breaking sweat.
Note: The character’s physical strength was mostly put in with the assumption that Oz’s ability to use B-Rabbit’s power is something strange even in his own world. Despite the fact that Gil has sealed B-Rabbit’s power to make the contract take less toll on Oz, in times of trouble, Oz is able to draw on and wield B-Rabbit’s power without Alice’s consent and without her changing into the shape of her Chain at all; Alice has no part in the actual use of this power except that it’s technically her power. I understand that summons aren’t able to be used in Luceti and, therefore, it’s likely that this applies to Chains as well, but considering the strangeness of this ability of Oz’s, I thought I’d stick it in there anyway as a one-off thing that’s only happened a few times in the course of the entire manga, and wouldn’t likely be used that often - if at all - in Luceti either. If it’s pushing the limitations on summons too much, just let me know; it can be omitted without a problem.
Mental: Though he pretends to be relatively naive and, in a lot of ways, he still is, he's definitely got a tactical and cunning side to him. He knows how to manipulate people and how to get what he wants. For example, when Gil refuses to talk to him, he knows just what to say in his letter to Gil to make his servant come looking for him immediately or, in the case of Isla Yura, he is able to pretend to bring Jack "out" of himself in order to get Yura to invite them over to his mansion. Though it turns out that it was part of Yura's plan all along, it goes to show that Oz isn't just a pretty face who goes along with other people's plans. He's also pretty quick to adapt to situations and to read what's going on and, therefore, figure out what he can do about it, such as during their first visit to Rufus Barma's place when the Duke is trying to fool them into thinking he's a big, fat man in an opera house. Through this, and many other examples, Oz has shown himself to be incredibly perceptive - to a point where it has honestly surprised many of his friends and colleagues. Oz also studied incredibly hard when he was younger due to wanting to please his father. From Gil's discussion with Alice about Oz's childhood, it's not clear whether any of his dedication to his studies came from his own love of learning or not; the only thing that's clear is that he desperately wanted Zai's approval and thought he could get it by excelling in his studies. It's likely that this has resulted in him being above average in terms of his studies, especially for his age.
Emotional: Oz is a hero. His selflessness can also be put below in the weaknesses section - and it will be - but at the same time, this is one of his greatest strengths. He cares about people on a very fundamental level, and he honestly cares about the wellbeing of others, the safety of others, and doing right by everyone he can. In addition, Oz is incredibly good at adjusting to situations, able to get his heart and mind around it, assess it and act accordingly. More often than not, he is the one that is able to emotionally hold people together when it looks like things are getting out of control, such as going to comfort Leo after Leo and Elliot's fight - taking charge of that situation as well by sending Gil out to see Elliot. Not only in that situation, but even when it looks like Gil or Alice is about to fall apart because of the situation or their memories or whatever else, Oz is always together enough to reach out a hand to them and offer them some kind of stability.
Weaknesses:
Physical: He's a fifteen year old boy that never got all the training he should have as a young nobleman. His sword fighting skills aren't all that good, if he's honest with himself, and he's never really tested them out in battle. He's really not experienced when it comes to fighting in the traditional way. In addition, the use of B-Rabbit's power drains Oz himself, tiring him out but, more than that, the use of the Chain's power draws on his life due to the fact that, when used a certain amount, the hand on his illegal contractor's seal on his chest moves. His time is limited and, the more those powers are used, the faster the time goes as the contract itself begins to wear on the body.
Mental: His history with book-learning is deeply tied to his bid for his father's approval, which wears him down more than he cares to admit - though his father's treatment of him and its consequences fit more into "emotional weaknesses" below than here, it plays a part in how he sees the world. A lot of his emotional weaknesses can cloud his mental strengths, thus becoming a mental weakness as well.
Emotional: The hero complex. It's a huge emotional flaw in a lot of ways because it makes Oz value his own life less than he should, all things considered. He's actually said that it didn't matter what happened to him as long as the people were safe; he'd even die to make sure those he loved were happy. All that time, Oz didn't once consider how those he loved would feel if he died for them. Another emotional weakness of Oz's is that he's - well - not exactly emotionally stable. His detachment, whether it results in his episodes of violence without his conscious thought or not, is one of his flaws. By stepping away from the situation mentally, Oz thinks that he can protect himself but this is not always the case; it can occasionally make him seem completely out of touch with reality. In the cases where he does go…crazy - that is a clear weakness in itself. Oz is actually pretty afraid of himself because of this as he loses control over himself completely. He's incredibly worried about losing himself and about hurting those he cares about during these periods of time.
Samples
First Person:
[The video comes on mid-sentence - he’s not quite ready for the device to turn on and start recording yet, and he apparently hasn’t quite noticed it happening.] - no, no, in here. Yes. Just like th - your tail as well, okay? Now put your head down a little more…
Oh! This thing’s on already? [Completely, utterly innocent grin. So innocent it’s definitely not to be trusted.]
I made a new friend. [The view changes and, in the middle of the screen, a hat appears. For anyone who knows Gil, the hat is a familiar one. Very, very familiar.] And we talked for a bit, and then I taught her a trick. She’s got really good at it too.
[Oz glances at the hat.] Are you ready? [It wiggles a little. There’s definitely something in there.] Okay! On the count of three.
One.
Two.
Three!
[Out pops an adorably messy looking kitten, eyes perked up, tail swishing behind it. Very clearly, it says, “Hello Gil!” and then pops back into the hat again.
Delighted clapping for Oz.] Wasn’t that just perfect?
Hey, hey, Gil. What do you think? Can we keep her?
Third Person:
Playing house was something that appealed greatly to Oz’s sense of - well - family, if it could be called that. It was something of a rag-tag gang, that was true, but they were all out of their elements here. If he was completely honest with himself, he admitted that he’d always wanted to try something like this - like Gil had done back at home, living in his own apartment in Reveille instead of in the Nightray mansion as he could have done or with Sharon as Oz and Alice did. It seemed like something incredibly exciting. A house of their own! Without a history several thousand years long, inhabited as their mansions were by their ancestors. They could decorate their rooms however they liked, and had to think about things as simple as how many pillow cases and towels they needed in the house. It might seem mundane to most people but, for Oz, that was something of an adventure all in itself.
Which was to say that Gil was going to have a hard time trying to keep up with everything Oz thought should be done to their house. More likely than not, Oz’s ideas were going to present something of a problem for Oz’s servant, but that only occurred to him on the most superficial level; Gil would come to appreciate Oz’s help in time, he was sure. He would prove himself to be a capable cook and a capable housekeeper.
He arrived home carrying several bags of groceries, barely managing to actually balance it all in his arms. Kicking open the door, he announced loudly, “Gil, I’m home! I brought stuff for dinner,” before he began to carefully navigate his way through the corridor and into the kitchen. Placing the bags on the table, he started to unpack its contents.
Fruit: apples, bananas, oranges, the stray kiwi or two - and a pineapple because it looked really cool. Meat - all different kinds, in case Gil wanted to choose - and a variety of vegetables. Even if he wasn’t entirely sure he’d eat most of these, Gil seemed to like making it. That was, of course, followed by a bag full of chocolate, ice cream (in winter, yes), and various other sugary treats - perhaps an even larger selection than the savoury. Finally, Oz looked around and then had to paw through the bags again.
His expression turned sheepish. “Oops. I think I forgot the cooking oil.”
Request: In reading much of this app, I can tell you have a very solid grasp of Oz's outer appearances, workings, and mannerisms. But I feel as if there's a lack in real understanding of him, especially his faults. You present him as extremely well-adjusted for his circumstances, but Oz has a side to him that could be construed as deeply twisted or even broken. (In canon, Break even calls him "creepy.") Is there darkness in Oz? Why, and what causes it, and how does he channel it? How does it feed into his motivations? I'd also like to see specific expansions on the apathy he can show and his fear of being alone.
You don't need to revise all of your different personality/strength/weakness sections as a whole (though you may if you wish); I'm just asking for answers to the questions I've posed. If you have any questions about what I've said here feel free to contact me (spark memories on AIM). Thanks!
It's true that there's a darkness in Oz, and that there's something about him that's broken and not quite right, but I'd argue that Break calling Oz "creepy", as well as his question of "where are you?" that's directed at Oz early on in the series is less about said darkness and much more about how apparently well-adjusted Oz is. I say apparently because Oz is clearly compartmentalizing and making up for the PTSD that he seems to be suffering. At the beginning of the series, before we find out Oz's particular self-defense mechanisms, he really does seem far too well-adjusted, taking into stride everything that Break tells him no matter if it's about the consequences of an illegal contractor's seal or about his, Sharon and Gil's involvement in Pandora, and basically just accepting everything that's happened and is happening to him without completely breaking down like one would expect him to - hence, Break calls him creepy.
Oz's apathy, in terms of the expansion you've requested, is deeply linked to this. He constantly fought for Zai's approval and, when physically and emotionally rejected in such a clear manner after Gil confronts Zai, and after Gil is taken away from him for a few days, Oz came to the conclusion that if he simply accepts everything that happens to him, then nothing can really hurt him and he can't be upset anymore. After Gil comes back, he specifically tells him that he's going to just accept it all. The acceptance, however, is not really dealing with the issues at hand and, thus, he compartmentalizes it, attempts to make it into something trivial and tries to push away feelings related to whatever incident that might be in order to successfully "manage" these feelings. In reality, what Oz does is becomes apathetic to the situation; he simply ignores the difficulties that it presents and focuses very much on whatever positive side might be found, though his heart might not be in it.
He doesn't think much about his death, for example, simply because he says he's going to just accept it. As long as it has a purpose - a positive side that he tries to see in something like that - it's okay that he dies. As long as he saves someone important to him - and thus doesn't have to be the one left behind - he's okay with it. The thing is, Oz doesn't realize this until it's pointed out to him by Elliot and, since his talk with Elliot, in the recent chapters, it's been a conscious effort on Oz's part to fix this particular shortcoming. He canonically claims that he is no longer going to run away from these problems and thus make people carry them but, instead, he's going to face things more head on. After declaring this and since the arc where Oz meets Elliot at Lutwidge, Oz has been working hard to step past this particular shortcoming to a point where he is definitely less broken in this regard than he was before.
In terms of the cause of the "darkness" that resides inside Oz, there are different reasons that could be brought up in order to explain it. One is simply the one that's given to Break in canon, whereby it's said that it's entirely possibly that Oz is not the real Oz Vessalius due to Zai Vessalius taking the baby away as soon as it was born. It's entirely possibly that there is something inside Oz that isn't quite right - but canon hasn't given an explanation for this yet, and therefore there is no solid answer as to what causes his madness.
It can also be explained as a child's reaction to trauma - a defense mechanism that builds up in order to help Oz deal with things he'd rather not deal with. The ability, for example, that he has to summon B-Rabbit's power without using the Chain itself is something that Oz doesn't ever remember how to do but he is able to do it when the time calls for it. When Elliot and Leo find him in the cave at Sablier, the sickle in his hand, for example, Oz explains that he has no idea how his body knew what to do - but it did, and his expression when the Nightray boys first find him, is completely different to the one of normal Oz. The argument can be made that this is something of a split personality occurring from childhood trauma - or from whatever it is that canon has yet to explain as already discussed above.
It is also probably stemming from the possessiveness Oz seems to feel about those he loves, and about those he has chosen to care about. In the most recent canon, for example, Oz is completely calm and yet terrifyingly intense in his desire to kill Yura and in his single-mindedness to do so. Affected by the powers of the Abyss earlier, as well, when he is in Cheshire's domain, Oz is singleminded about his desire to protect Alice, though it could possibly also be argued that part of that comes from the piece of Jack's soul that's inside him, and another part from the madness created by the Abyss itself considering his words and his need to protect Alice sound strangely like Cheshire's own mantra. Oz does want to protect those he cares about desperately, however, and it is possible that there is something more than a little twisted inside him that takes this to the extreme when the circumstances are extreme, such as the two examples above.
Whatever it is that causes some kind of darkness inside Oz exists as part of his motivations in different ways. One of his motivations for changing, for example, is that it's been pointed out that his way of "dealing" and "accepting" everything that happens to him actually hurts the people who care about him more and, therefore, has motivated him into changing himself for the better.
The almost-physical brokenness in terms of his crazy moments, his possessive thoughts, his ability to go so far in wanting to protect the people he cares about that he will lose control and almost kill for them - all these things are kept carefully hidden. Or as well-hidden as Oz can manage, behind Oz's mask of positivity and how well adjusted he tries to portray himself as. It feeds into his motivations in terms of him trying hard not the disappoint those depending on him, such as Alice, and trying not to be a bother to the other people around him, such as Gil - though the second is to a much lesser extent in these later chapters of the canon since realizing that his attempts at pretense only hurt people. In coming to terms with that fact, Oz's compartmentalization process has been something that is used to a lesser degree, and he is actually taking slow steps towards actually being the well-adjusted person he'd like to be.
The possessiveness and the intense desire to protect those he loves whatever the cost, however, is partly also due to Jack's soul that lives inside him. When push comes to shove in the most recent chapters, for example, Oz isn't the one that actually kills Humpty Dumpty's contractor without hesitating in order to save Alice - but Oz's consciousness steps aside in order to let Jack do what they both want. This is despite Oz's declaration that he's going to kill Isla Yura with his own hands.
His guilt over whatever his "sin" was, and his lingering feelings of uselessness that exist because of how his father's always treated him has been something that fed very much into Oz's earlier character as he constantly tried to improve himself and make himself as small a burden as possible so as to not be left alone. The "dirtiness" and "sin" seemed to be something deeply fixed in him from the start and cause for Oz to try to be a better person. Throughout the course of the series, however, Oz has moved past that a little more and into a stage where he wants to find out what exactly the "sin" is - not so that he can repent for it so much as simply just to know. Almost so that he can prove his father wrong.
Basically, Oz is incredibly well-adjusted in that he hasn't broken yet, and he hasn't freaked out in the same way as many other people put in his position would have. He's dealt with it as best as he can in the way that he knows how to. At the beginning, it was definitely not a healthy way - twisted in logic as it was, and lacking in real practical benefit. Apart from the uncontrollable things, like his loss of control in extreme situations when Oz is pushed, which have also become part of Oz's weaknesses and part of his fear, Oz has consciously been taking steps to move beyond these problems and address these issues that his younger - and earlier - self had, slow as the process might be.