Personality: At first glance, Po seems like an average, spoiled noble. He’s a prince, the seventh son of King Ror of the island nation of Lienid. Because of his royal status he is treated with utmost respect by those around him and never lacks money, but because he has six older brothers in line for the throne ahead of him he does not bear much responsibility to his nation. He seems to be good at almost everything he does: he is among the greatest hand-fighters in the nation and handles social situations with ease and charm. His Grace makes him stand out among his brothers, but only as a figure to be revered for his power. He seems arrogant and self-assured as well as lazy. He seems to take everything lightly, from fist fights to political intrigue.
But it’s a façade. The Po that sits in the public eye may be a social creature, but the real Po would much rather the relative peace and solitude of his own home or of the road, for being around others often means living a lie. He is well aware of the danger his Grace puts him in and knows that if anyone were to discover it, most of his life would be revealed to be a lie. Therefore he’s very cautious about letting himself get close to others. He can seem a great friend to all he meets, but until midway through the book he has never opened up to anyone about his true personality.
In his truest state, Po is a man with a profoundly good understanding of himself and a great amount of self-confidence, but not without a certain amount of doubt. He is always willing to explain himself and his feelings to others and is never humiliated by how pathetic or strange his emotions may sound. But he is also very aware that he is usually living a lie even around his family, whom he adores. This makes him feel fake and untrustworthy, and he hates the idea of deceiving anyone he cares about. But he knows, as much as it saddens him, that he can never tell the truth. He dislikes himself for his inability to control his Grace and for his own willingness to deceive, but he also loves himself for who he is and what he is capable of being. He is perhaps the most well-rounded and sane person in his canon.
Po’s Grace also causes him stress by nature. At only 20 years old he is still growing into his abilities; every day new facets of his Grace open up to him. The result is that he is often disconcerted by what his own mind is telling him. He states in the book that he has spent many years trying to understand the thoughts of others, picking out which are fleeting fancies – an older brother wanting to beat him senseless for stealing a toy, etc. – and which are meaningful thoughts that have bearing on the minds of others. Because of this he has a great deal of experience discerning the psychology of others: often he is more tuned in to the emotions of those around him than they themselves are. He cannot often share all he knows about others or offer comfort without appearing suspicious, but he perceives the changing moods of everyone around him at all times. Furthermore, Po is utterly and completely aware of his own emotions at all times, whether he is truly upset or calm. He has great mastery over his moods and thus appears to be a calm and balanced person even when he is upset.
Not all of his outward façade is a lie, though: Po really does value the company of friends and can see the humor in almost everything. Though he cannot fully open himself to others for the most part, he is happy in the company of those he knows. Often he is able to lie about his true nature to others without feeling treacherous, for he has had many years to come to terms with his life of concealment. And when he feels happy, he is able to make those around him happy as well. Certain aspects of his life have changed though, not long before the point at which I hope to pick him up. As I will recount in the history section, a grievous injury has left him weak and nearly helpless. He has been hiding away from civilization all alone for several months, evading capture by a great army and pushing himself toward strength to save his family and friends. I pick him up at an angry, unbalanced point in his life, so presenting his outward façade will be more difficult for him than usual. What drives him in the story to recover from his injuries and, if I am accepted, to help people on the Barge, is a desperate situation that few others are capable of fixing. He will be more driven and determined than he has ever been in his own quiet way, though he will want to show his easygoing act to those around him.
Re: Application: Prince Po 3/?
But it’s a façade. The Po that sits in the public eye may be a social creature, but the real Po would much rather the relative peace and solitude of his own home or of the road, for being around others often means living a lie. He is well aware of the danger his Grace puts him in and knows that if anyone were to discover it, most of his life would be revealed to be a lie. Therefore he’s very cautious about letting himself get close to others. He can seem a great friend to all he meets, but until midway through the book he has never opened up to anyone about his true personality.
In his truest state, Po is a man with a profoundly good understanding of himself and a great amount of self-confidence, but not without a certain amount of doubt. He is always willing to explain himself and his feelings to others and is never humiliated by how pathetic or strange his emotions may sound. But he is also very aware that he is usually living a lie even around his family, whom he adores. This makes him feel fake and untrustworthy, and he hates the idea of deceiving anyone he cares about. But he knows, as much as it saddens him, that he can never tell the truth. He dislikes himself for his inability to control his Grace and for his own willingness to deceive, but he also loves himself for who he is and what he is capable of being. He is perhaps the most well-rounded and sane person in his canon.
Po’s Grace also causes him stress by nature. At only 20 years old he is still growing into his abilities; every day new facets of his Grace open up to him. The result is that he is often disconcerted by what his own mind is telling him. He states in the book that he has spent many years trying to understand the thoughts of others, picking out which are fleeting fancies – an older brother wanting to beat him senseless for stealing a toy, etc. – and which are meaningful thoughts that have bearing on the minds of others. Because of this he has a great deal of experience discerning the psychology of others: often he is more tuned in to the emotions of those around him than they themselves are. He cannot often share all he knows about others or offer comfort without appearing suspicious, but he perceives the changing moods of everyone around him at all times. Furthermore, Po is utterly and completely aware of his own emotions at all times, whether he is truly upset or calm. He has great mastery over his moods and thus appears to be a calm and balanced person even when he is upset.
Not all of his outward façade is a lie, though: Po really does value the company of friends and can see the humor in almost everything. Though he cannot fully open himself to others for the most part, he is happy in the company of those he knows. Often he is able to lie about his true nature to others without feeling treacherous, for he has had many years to come to terms with his life of concealment. And when he feels happy, he is able to make those around him happy as well.
Certain aspects of his life have changed though, not long before the point at which I hope to pick him up. As I will recount in the history section, a grievous injury has left him weak and nearly helpless. He has been hiding away from civilization all alone for several months, evading capture by a great army and pushing himself toward strength to save his family and friends. I pick him up at an angry, unbalanced point in his life, so presenting his outward façade will be more difficult for him than usual. What drives him in the story to recover from his injuries and, if I am accepted, to help people on the Barge, is a desperate situation that few others are capable of fixing. He will be more driven and determined than he has ever been in his own quiet way, though he will want to show his easygoing act to those around him.