MILES to GO || before I sleep

Unofficially tagged by a_white_rain. Sounds like an interesting meme.

Sometimes it's okay to pimp yourself out. Post a list of your top five favorite fics that you've written, regardless of fandom or the reason you love them. This isn't about the BEST things you've written, but what you LOVE most. Then tag five other people to do the same.

Like AWR, I won't tag anyone in specific, but any fic writers on this list, I TAG YOU! Just do eet. (I'd love to see the fic writers on this FL do this. It might be fun to [re-]read fics that I wouldn't expect are the author's favorites.)

Oh, and these are not in top five order, or descending order or anything like that.

( Will you LOL? )

So I'm at this Life Skills & Leadership Institute workshop that's supposed to be about exploring priorities about careers & internships. We haven't really talked about specific internships or how to get them/where to find them, but we have done some activities that have opened my eyes a bit to what I want out of a future career. When we were talking about talents, I started thinking about the Talents in the Star Ocean 2 game. For people that have played the game, they probably know what I'm talking about; when you start the game, every character begins with 2-3 Talents, like Dexterity, Sense of Taste, Blessing of Manna, etc.

Anyway, in the game, they are:
Originality - The ability to modify things with one's own creativity
Dexterity - The gifted talent of being able to move one's fingertips exactly as one wishes.
Writing Ability - The talent of being able to put one's thoughts into words.
Pitch - The ability to grasp musical tones well.
Sixth Sense - The primitive ability to sense things that cannot be expressed with words.
Sense of Taste - The gift of judging what tastes would please anyone.
Sense of Design - The creative talent for the arts.
Sense of Rhythm - The ability to grasp musical rhythm.
Love of Animals - Animal Lover. More than anything. More than anyone.
The Blessing of Manna -The innate magical power.

In this workshop, the difference between abilities and skills are that abilities are related to your innate talents-- you're born with them. Skills, on the other hand, can be learned and developed.

What's interesting is that in SO2, someone who has a particular Talent is going to be the best at a particular skill (e.g. Metalwork, Cooking, Machinery). Some characters have a given for a particular Talent; Celine, Noel, Leon, and Rena are all givens for The Blessing of Manna. Chisato will always have Writing Ability, and Noel and Rena will always have the Love of Animals. You get the idea. So when making individual things, like Weapons, it's best to have the experts do it. But there are also combined efforts: Super Specialties, where everyone contributes their own part and they try to make something together. Things like Blacksmithing, Reverse Side, or Orchestra.

Now, this isn't about video games. It's actually interesting how SO2 does it, versus, say, Final Fantasy X, where you have the Sphere Grid. In SO2, there's a random element-- many of the Talents can't be learned if you didn't start with them, or if you don't put a lot of "blood, sweat and tears" into a number of failed attempts at performing a related skill. For example, you can keep trying to use the Authoring skill without the Writing Ability (Talent), but the most you'll churn out is probably some Crumpled Paper. But IF you keep trying long enough, eventually that Crumpled Paper will turn into something you like, something passable-- maybe even a book. Basically, "anyone can become anything they desire, if they try hard enough. Effort, above all else, can conquer even the most insurmountable of odds."

And then in FFX, you've got this Sphere Grid, where everyone starts out in a particular spot, with a very distinct path laid out for them. But the great thing about the Sphere Grid is, ANYONE can do ANYTHING. For example, you've got Lulu, your typical Black Mage. She starts out in an area where she's primed to learn more magic, increase her Magic and Magic Defense, and so forth. Then you have Tidus, who starts out with a lot of Agility and Strength/Defense areas to "level up" in. He's set to be your typical fighter character-- quick, with a decent amount of strength, but not a lot. There are other fighters, like Auron (immensely strong, but slow), Wakka (moderately strong, quicker; more resistant to Magic), and Kimahri (Jack-of-all-trades; can be a Fighter or a Mage).

So in FFX, the attitude is more like "Anyone can be anything, no matter what path you start out on." Effort's not so much of an issue, because movement on the Sphere Grid is largely guided by what kind of Spheres you pick up-- and I'll tell you, because of a New Game Plus I got on my Max Drive, a lot of my characters basically "cheated" their way across the board. Now, even if you consider that life doesn't offer cheat codes, New Game Plus, and the like, it's not so much about effort and persistence in FFX as it is in SO2. Persistence IS a large part of it, because you have to keep fighting monster after monster to get spheres, but it's not like WHICH monsters make a difference. In other words, it doesn't have to be YOU specifically doing the dirty work, or YOU focusing on a particular goal-- it'll get done, eventually, with a TEAM. FFX emphasizes more of the team rather than the individual; SO2 focuses on both, but with a heavier emphasis on the individual (though Orchestra is by far one of the best Super Specialties in the game).

In SO2, new talents can be discovered. Anyone can make an attempt at a skill, and they might give up if each time they try something, it ends up as ?JEWELRY or ?FOOD or whatnot. In life, then, it's a good idea to keep trying-- not just the familiar, that you know, enjoy, and are proficient at, but also the unfamiliar, and what you're NOT so sure about, and what you might actually SUCK at for a while. You might just discover after your 100th attempt that you really do have a unique talent-- whether it's a sense of taste or an improved sense of dexterity.

For me, I'd like to think I was born with Originality and a Writing Ability. Over the years, trying over and over, and working with other people, I've learned I have a Sixth Sense of sorts, a Love of Animals, and maybe even a Sense of Design. I used to be pretty good with my hands, but I think after my accident I lost my Dexterity. But that's okay, I know plenty of other people who can help me out if I need it. And I might not have much of a Sense of Taste now, but I can learn through trying, even if it takes me years and lots more stomachaches and deflated quiches.

In the workshop, I found that certain values might conflict with one another, and what I enjoy doing, what courses I've liked, and what work environments I function best in are sometimes at odds. It's getting them all to work together, and to understand the "cores" that really helps. Hopefully recognizing those --my strengths, weaknesses, values, skills, and abilities-- will help me land not just the internship I need for next semester, but the job I want for my future.

(P.S. This kind of tempts me to make a "What SO2 Talent were YOU born with?" meme, or perhaps an examination of what stereotypical video game job classes relate to particular values, skills/abilities, and likes/dislikes.)