Ooookie dokie time to think about what the actual Elemental personalities are like... (that's the original Earth, Air, Fire and Water, not the mortal forms) hm. The lines between Mortal/Elemental form are blurred. Eventually, the two personas must become completely merged, for the mortals to be able to access the full extent of the Element's powers. For this to happen, the mortals must grow and mature as people, and fully understad the Elements, and reconcile with them. The development curve is different for each mortal. Originally, Earth is far ahead, but he is quickly overtaken by Air and Fire. Air is the first to fully sync. Water the second, Fire the third, and Earth the last.
So, the Big Four were originally more like Spirit, in that they had the mindset of children...carefree, self-centred. Their personalities are purer than that of their shells, but they have been corrupted and aged by their experiences (subconscious, as they are scattered) on Eden.
Earth: mentally the eldest, as he has recieved the most abuse at the hands of Eden and it's monkeys. He's been repeatedly plundered, 'raped', in the search for raw materials and the re-moulding of the landscape. Before he came to Eden, he was the quietest and shyest of the Elements, preferring just to sit and think and watch the other's run around. The trauma of the colossal damage dealt to him means he is now mute, and immensely, immensely sad. He is also paranoid and twitchy, and will not be touched, like a rape victim. Water is extremely protective of him. Fire avoids him like the plague, as the monkey's used him to inflict damage on Earth. This sense of guilt consumes Fire. Air clings to Earth, trying to clumsily comfort him, but is deeply hurt when he meets with no reaction.
Differences from Mortal form (Adam): Adam is embittered and craves vengeance on a deep, supressed level; Earth is simply saddened. Earth lacks the sense of responsibility Adam feels. He does not have Adam's inner strength and determination, to keep going, on and on. No matter what. In this pair, the mortal is in fact the more developed emotionally, so instead of aspiring to his Element, he must instead resolve the deep issues that lie at both their centres.
Water: Pre-Eden, Water was a cheerful, playful prankster. Always grinning, the equivalent of a trickling stream, all smooth pebbles. He was very affectionate with his fellow elements. He teased Fire especially, and babied him a little- he was the one who controlled him (unlike in mortal form, where Earth is the damage-control on Fire). The effect of the mass-pollution of the oceans have made Water sluggish, lazy, and corrupted. He was hurt the most by his seperation from the others, and now finds it difficult to emotionally re-connect- he has no trust anymore. He and his mortal shell are the most similar- and so the most in sync, of all the pairs. They both feel a sense of betrayal, a reluctance to be close to anyone, and a sense of guilt over Fire (and Aedan). Though he has healed better than Earth from the experience of being 'raped' or plundered- he is more twisted, than saddened. His pranking ways have turned to an underlying sense of genuine cruelty. He feels a sense of shared experience with Earth, and so he is fiercely protective of his comrade in hurt.
Differences from Mortal form (Calder): Calder is very similar to Water. His experiences as a mortal (as a prostitued and sold child/teen, confused/betrayed by his embittered Mother) mirror that of Water's, a world of rape, want, and confusion. He shares Water's inability to emotionally re-connect, and Water's sense of guilt over Fire is tied up with his own issues with Aedan. He resents Air deeply, over the problem of Air inadvertently pawning off his own pollution into Water (acid rain, etc) and he cannot help but envy Air's continued naivety. Water is more easily incited to emotion than Calder, who keeps his facade very rigid. Hence, Calder's initial problems in mastering the sheer power of Water.
Fire: Before Eden, Fire was a whiny, needy, sulky child, but when content had a sunny disposition bursting with the sheer joy of life. When tapped, his affection was in enormous abundance (think the sort of fire that warms water, lights up dark streets, heats homes). He was prone to fits of temper, but no real rage was present. He was the last Element to be 'killed' by Spirit. Having watched his fellow Elements go down, he has become, basically, an uncontrollable, enraged, incensed, titanic mass of pure rage and hate. He is furious at everyone and everything (bar, perhaps, Earth, whom he is wary of). He hates Water for leaving him. He despises Spirit for what he has done. He resents Earth for doing nothing to protect his fellows. And he hates Air for turning his back and refusing to see what the monkeys were doing. But, most of all, he hates himself. It was his rage that lit life in the belly of Eden, that burnished the sun, that nourished the monkeys into monsters. He blames Spirit, but more, he blames himself, for being an instrument of pain for the others (although they do not blame him). He is the hardest Element to control, as he is the most alive, the most volatile (not necessarily the most powerful, however). He is initially Spirit's greatest threat, as he embodies light, while Spirit embodies dark. He is the antithesis, and Spirit is very eager to take him down first.
Differences from mortal form (Aedan): Aedan is an angry boy, but he does not possess even a fraction of Fire's hatred, at first. Although, it was the potential for rage that led Fire to inhabit Aedan instead of his sister (that, and the raising of a giant middle finger to Spirit and his interfering with the vessels). Fire needs passion more than anything, a quality Serafina simply did not possess. After the death of Serafina, with the fact that he now seems to destroy and hurt everything he touches, he begins to become more and more like his Element. However, Earth cultivates Aedan's insecurities into control and inner strength, qualities Fire never had a chance to develop. In this case, the mortal teaches the Element, or rather, they learn together. Due to the love of his sister, Aedan is a little more able to engage in emotions than Fire. He chooses to face and overcome his guilt, rather than run from it, and lash out at someone else.
Air: Air remains the least changed by his experiences in Eden. Before the machinations of Spirit, he was pretty much just as disenfranchised from his fellows and the cares of the world as he is by the time he inhabits a mortal shell. Air is a dreamer; he lives in a world of his own, and has never really understood the individuals around him. He accepted and loved them, but they were intangible. He was closest to Earth, whom he would pass by and over as he wandered. He still does not understand what happened when Spirit attacked. He is not really aware of having been scattered, or been polluted by smog and gases. He is only ever incited to action when deeply disturbed- he does not like his own personal world invaded. There is great resentment towards him from Water and Fire, who feel he betrayed them in his ignorance. Air, like Spirit, is still essentially a child. Spirit hates Air the most, as Air passed the closest to him, skimming so very close, but never stopping, never listening.
Differences from mortal form (Erion): Erion is an airhead, but he is a human, and a compassionate one. He is the least like his element. He is a clutz and a dope, but he cares deeply for his loved ones, and although he shuns responsibility and dislikes putting too much effort into life, and finds it hard to accept harsh truths, he is at least willing to listen, and act. He learns and matures fast. Through him, Air catches a glimpse of what he has ignored for so long. And he doesn't like what he sees. Erion learns from his Element's mistakes, and through his tutelage of Air, he finds himself forced to grow in unprecedented ways, also. Erion is fundamentally grounded and driven in a way Air finds it very difficult to aspire to.
...*pant puff* HOLY SHITE ON A BRICK @@ ugggggh shut off brain D: what a load of confusing crap :s oh well, least the vague ideas are thar...bedtime now methinks, will deal with mortal relationships in the morning 8D ALSO, today at Dartmouth Castle, somebody was foolish enough to give Ebs...A GUN -->
...quite why everyone was surprised when I immediately shot mah bro with it, escapes me 8D (they were rubber pellets, he's fine, btw XD)
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