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Entry tags:
re-app: empatheias
Player: Claire
Contact:
Current Characters: none
Character: Tekhartha Zenyatta
Age: 20
Canon: Overwatch
Canon Point: post-Reflections (technically a later canon point, but functionally nothing changes for Zen whatsoever)
Background: wiki link! I'm also reapping him with memories of his last stay in the game.
Personality:
Zen by name, Zen by nature. On meeting the omnic himself it seems difficult to imagine that anything could get under Zenyatta's titanium plating. Everything about him, from the slow, graceful way he moves to the deliberate way in which he expresses himself speaks to just how tranquil he really is. Whether he's in a friendly conversation or the heat of battle, he remains almost comically serene; ever the stereotypical monk, there's seemingly no situation that can't be met with a wise proverb or a reflection on some new revelation on the nature of existence. An intelligent, philosophical man, he spends much of his time deep in meditation, contemplating the existential mysteries of life and his own place within it as a thinking, feeling individual- which he quite adamantly is. Zenyatta believes absolutely that he is more than simply a machine: true self, as he says, is without form, independent of the flesh or metal that binds soul to body. Like his Shambali brethren he follows a Buddhist-esque ideology that strives to reach what they refer to as the Iris, a kind of metaphysical nirvana through which all life is harmoniously intertwined. Even moreso than most of his brothers and sisters, he is highly sensitive to the Iris' ebb and flow and treats his subsequent intuition as a virtual sixth sense, lending him an air of mystique and a spiritual, almost lyrical way of conceptualising the world around him: when in battle he "moves as one" with his teammates, he obeys the push and pull of "fate", he feels the Iris moving through him as a wave.
With such a lofty goal as spiritual enlightenment, you'd think he'd be a real stick in the mud- that, or too pure and high-minded to be much fun. In actuality his open-minded nature makes him easy to like, and, while he isn't exactly the life and soul of the party, he loves meeting new people. There is little that doesn't fascinate him in its own way, and few people who do not have something new to teach him, his convictions elevating his relationships with others to intimate meetings between souls. Of course, having a sense of humour certainly doesn't hurt either. He's quick to laugh and can frequently be heard dropping sardonic little comments here and there, utterly deadpan and just knowing enough to straddle the line between sincere and silly. Often he plays on the expectations of others as a way to deflect aggression and tension without seeming cruel or dismissive; one of his emotes involves him fist-bumping himself, while another is a stern warrior's stance that immediately drops into a playful taunt. It's this warmth and approachability that sets him apart from his brother Mondatta, and part of what drives his general philosophy of forging connections between all sentient beings based on sympathy and understanding rather than doctrine alone. This, he believes, is what the Iris truly represents.
After having broken away from the Shambali and his beloved brothers and sisters, not to mention a life as a robotic minority, Zenyatta is very much used to walking to the beat of his own drum- and one of the things that set him apart from the Shambali is his restless curiosity. It's one of the things that drove him out of the monastery and into what he sees as, fundamentally, a bright, beautiful world. Possibly this, along with his considerable capacity for empathy, is why he seems so inexorably drawn to the outcasts of society, from his student Genji to Bastion, a renegade military omnic left over from the Omnic Crisis. To Zenyatta, those who exist on the fringes of society, those burdened by their own sins, are the ones most in need of his care; more than anything, he wants everyone to experience the revelation of self-worth and agency he underwent among the Shambali. At heart, he's a true idealist, a nurturer who strives to bring out the best in everyone he meets. And if even the most forsaken of men can be reached, why believe that the world cannot be changed for the better, too?
That said, there is still steel under the softness. The qualities that make him a fine philosopher also serve to make him a formidable opponent, clever and flexible on the battlefield and able to use his opponent's darkest thoughts to his own advantage. Zenyatta is also doggedly persistent; though Genji initially resisted his teachings, presumably while he was at his most hopeless and aggressive, he eventually does win him over not only as a student but as one of his closest friends. While part of it is simply innate in his personality, it's also the kind of determination born out of personal suffering; although his past has not yet been explored in canon, as an omnic he has faced prejudice on almost every level. Half of the world still doesn't believe he even has a soul, including individuals within Overwatch itself. More than anything, Mondatta's assassination drove home the fact that there are people out there who, given half a chance, would not only kill him on the spot but be secretly praised for doing so. In shouldering the weight of his dead brother's international celebrity he's only putting himself in the line of fire in turn.
But what Zenyatta has come to recognise is that, like it or not, true peace cannot come from inaction or isolation. There cannot be harmony without discord. As such, although he is technically still a pacifist- he dislikes conflict and will not instigate unnecessary violence- he will not back down once challenged. In battle, he comments that, while he does not take any pleasure in slaying his foes, nor does he feel remorse or guilt for their deaths. The messy business of living, of the necessary conflict that he can only hope will bring about peace, continually stretches his ideals to breaking point.
These contradictions can sometimes make him seem self-righteous or even hypocritical, an impression not particularly helped by how easily his calm demeanour might be misinterpreted as smug instead- or by his tendency to deliver philosophical platitudes off the cuff. This is especially true when it comes to trying to help those who do not want to be helped. When on the same team as Hanzo he will reach out to him with a frank assessment of the man's inner turmoil, only to be aggressively rejected out of hand. Relative to Mondatta's sophistication and presence, Zenyatta seems almost immature. But that is to be expected. As he would all too readily admit, even the master still has much to learn, not only about others but about himself, too.
Abilities: As an omnic he's more solidly put together than most humans and packs a few upgrades, including anti-grav tech that allows him to float a few feet off of the ground at all times. Zenyatta will be bringing his Orbs with him, a set of nine floating metal balls through which he can channel omnic energy into two kinds of force: Harmony and Discord. Harmony orbs continually heal their targets, while Discord orbs create doubt and fear in their targets' minds, leaving them more vulnerable to attack. Targets must remain in Zenyatta's line of sight for the orbs to have any effect. His ultimate move, Transcendence, involves him reaching a temporary state of heightened existence in which he becomes a literal beacon of peace, healing energy and light. On top of this he's a reasonably accomplished martial artist in his own right
Alignment: Sosyne. Zenyatta's defining characteristic is just how
Other: experience festivity
Sample:
Like the moon to the dusk, like the sea to the shore- inevitably, inexorably, Zenyatta returned.
Empatheias had changed. Of that the omnic was certain. His sensors sang with it even before he fully understood what it was: some subtle shift in the air, something he could feel and taste before he could see or hear, a turn of the winds and the tides. Stars inching silently away from their positions in the night sky above, inscrutable between the clouds.
Cold rain plopped onto his upturned faceplate, diverging into neon blue streaks that faded and vanished as they rolled away from the glow of his jieba, one, two, three... and no more. Each droplet bounced away from him as if he wore some invisible shield while he floated along, undisturbed by the downpour.
So he did still remember his dunami practice. Wonderful. Reviving though a storm could be to the soul, it seemed wiser to project that carefully cultivated serenity of his outwards and remain both figuratively and literally untouched. It would not have done to rust before he discovered just what had changed here in the time since his departure.
What, and whom.
That final thought was what threatened to undo him. There was Auron, and Ana, and Snow White, and Gabriel (the name a bell that chimed through his heart, weakening his shield for a moment or two) and so many others- who knew what had become of them? But if he focused his attention, and moved, and found his way into Bavan... the truth was to be found there, great and small, whether he was ready to receive it or not.
Questions: did you miss me