Understand the secrets and have some fun

[these_balls]

APPLICATIONS!
Currently: Closed!
Route 29 has closed as of May 30th. For the continuation of the game, please visit victory_road!

Applications will be normally checked during the weekend following the first and third Sunday of each month unless otherwise stated, and we will allow one application per person during one application cycle. Remember, the most characters one player can have at a time is currently set at five.

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<u><b>Player</u></b> <b>Name:</b> <b>Personal Journal:</b> <user name=""> <b>E-mail:</b> <b>AIM/Plurk/Etc.:</b> <b>Timezone:</b> <b>Current Characters in Route:</b> <b><u>Character</u></b> <b>Name:</b> <b>Series:</b> <b>Timeline:</b> <b>Canon Resource Links:</b> Here we would have the links to wikis and other information sites. If none of those seem to provide enough information, feel free to add more about the character here. However, please do not use this section as a full history section unless your canon is ridiculously obscure. General rule of thumb: if there are a good amount of descriptive resources, please just link them and use this section to add in what may have been left out, as opposed to writing an entire history section. <b>Personality:</b> Give us at minimum 2-3 full paragraphs of how you understand your character's personality. Talk about basic characteristics, any major developments over the course of their canon, their motives, their social behavior, and anything else you can think of that shows off your knowledge of this character. <b>Strengths/Weaknesses:</b> Try to cover the good points of what they can do, their life skills (not necessarily powers, but things they're just good at). Go into their biggest fears and what they just can’t do. <b><u>Pokémon Information</u></b> <b>Affiliation:</b> What career path will your character be taking? Breeder, Trainer? Or maybe even down the dark path of becoming a member of Team Rocket? Note: All Rocket members start as grunts. (For right now, only those three positions are available, whether your character chooses to follow their assigned path or not.) <b>Starter:</b> What starter pokémon do you want your character to have? Please use the list linked above to choose from. Certain pokémon have an orange star next to their names; if you choose one of these starters (Deino, Zorua, Litwick, Pikachu, Scyther, Dratini, Bagon, Gible, Axew, Ralts, Riolu, Beldum, Larvitar, Eevee, or Beldum) you must provide reasoning. You do not need to explain your reasoning for pokémon other than those listed above. <b>Password:</b> This is where you'll put the passwords from the Rules and the F.A.Q. There are two words, to assure you've read both. <b><u>Samples</u></b> <b>First Person Sample:</b> The sample must take place in Route_29's setting. Eight sentences is the minimum. This is a PokéConnect post--one that will be on the character's journal, broadcast to the network. Although it is short, it needs to show how your character would communicate with others, as well as be descriptive enough to express the character's voice without sounding too generic. <b>Third Person Sample:</b> The sample must take place in Route_29's setting. The minimum is 300 words. Please note that what we are looking for is an inner working into the character’s thoughts and actions, and how the character responds to the setting, not something that could be taken as an excerpt fanfic. You may use other characters to bounce your characters actions off of, but everything should still be mostly from their point of view.

Comments

Komasan | Youkai Watch | Reserved

[monge]

Player
Name: Chinchilla
Personal Journal: gesomon
E-mail: iamachinchilla@yahoo.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: gesomon
Timezone: CST
Current Characters in Route: N/A right now, but I played Teddie

Character
Name: Komasan
Series: Youkai Watch
Timeline: After episode 89
Canon Resource Links:
http://yokaiwatch.wikia.com/wiki/Komasan
Except there's like barely anything there so I'm gonna try and go over things as best as I can.

Youkai Watch tells the story of a boy named Keita who obtains the titular watch after freeing a youkai from its imprisonment. The world of Youkai Watch is pretty much like our own, only it's also inhabited by other worldly youkai (most of which are based on actual Japanese folklore, as well as original made up ones for the more modern setting) that are invisible to the majority of the human population. Basically every inconvenience ever - I'm talking sudden mood swings, hunger, your cell phones batteries dying, losing your remote to the television - is usually caused by a specific youkai. Komasan himself is a komainu specifically, but doesn't seem to have any human influencing powers. The show focuses on Keita dealing with the various amount of youkai and befriending them, made possible by the watch he now owns.

However, because it's a kid's anime that mostly focuses on comedy, there really isn't much of a plot. The episodes are usually split up into three separate stories, similar to western cartoons. Even though Komasan is considered a main character, he often has little side stories that happen away from the usual cast. I'm going to go over the more important ones that display his character the best and hopefully it doesn't get too long.

Episode 7: Komasan is Here!
Keita and Whisper find Komasan in a fast food restaurant, using his natural invisibility to steal licks off of customer's ice cream cones. When confronted, Komasan explains that for the majority of his life he's been guarding a shrine, unable to move from his spot. From there, he would watch nearby festivals and grow curious, mostly in the ice cream he watched people eat during these festivals. Eventually his shrine was torn down due to construction and he took off to the city in search for the treat. Now that he's found it, he can't seem to control himself, even nibbling on Whisper's head just because it resembles soft serve. Keita decides to show Komasan around the city to help him take his mind off of it, but the city proves to be a little too overwhelming for Komasan's usual easy going country living life style. Eventually Komasan decides that he'd rather go back to the country and Keita sees him off via train, but not before Komasan gives him his youkai medal (a coin used by the youkai watch to summon the corresponding youkai). Things almost end there until Keita notices Komasan left his bag behind and summons him back into the city, much to his horror.

The Return + The First Series
Now back in the city, Komasan begins to regret everything and desperately wants to go back home, but is suddenly reunited with his brother, Komajiro. Komajiro explains that he's been looking for Komasan and gets excited about being in the city, begging his older brother to show him around. Komasan agrees, if only because he wants to look like a cool big brother, but internally struggles with the fact that he knows very little about urban living. Pretending to be an expert, Komasan shows Komajiro simple city things in a series of "first" time encounters, including an escalator, a subway turnstile, a fast food restaurant, etc. To Komasan's horror, Komajiro adapts to city life far faster than he does and eventually becomes a popular DJ through the use of human disguises. The mini series ends when Komajiro is confronted by some of the locals, accusing him of being from the country, and the normally timid Komasan defends both his brother and their lifestyle.

The Rosy Bumpkin
Now living in a tiny house near the city, Komasan decides to get a job after hearing Komajiro explain how much he respects people who have one. He picks up a job as a janitor at a popular toy company, but apparently the company's president was running low on ideas at the time. Overhearing one of Komasan's comments (he saw a bug), the president becomes inspired and makes a toy line based on bugs that becomes a huge hit. The success prompts the president to promote Komasan as the company's toy planner. Cue running gag where Komasan makes some sort of random comment and the company makes a popular toy out of it. Eventually the president confines in Komasan that he's lost touch with his daughter and once again Komasan helps solve his problems through indirect means. After reuniting with his family, the president retires and names Komasan the next president, who somehow manages to run the huge company all on his own. It doesn't last long, however, as he begins to notice this new promotion is giving him less time to spend with his own family and he eventually gives the job up.

Love Poetry and Coffee
After getting caught in the rain, Komsan heads into a nearby cafe to wait out the storm. While there, he sees a human woman and immediately gains a crush. Wanting to know more about her, he visits the cafe again and overhears her tell someone on the phone that she's being stalked. Worried, Komasan begins to follow her (because somehow that isn't stalking) to protect her from any threats. But then it turns out she isn't being stalked at all, rather she's a manga artist and he overheard her talk about an upcoming plot in her comic. The next day, Komasan visits the cafe again, this time urged to make a move by his brother. Komasan worries that they can't really be together due to being from different worlds and that wearing his human disguise seems like deceiving her, but Komajiro assures him there isn't any rule against humans and youkai dating. When Komasan enters the cafe, he's surprised to find the woman crying and immediately asks her what's wrong. She explains her publisher won't take her new manga, one that happens to be based on youkai, simply because the story isn't realistic enough. The manga artist explains how she's been wanting to write a manga on youkai after seeing one as a child, which prompts Komasan to remember that the youkai she saw was him back in his shrine guarding days. Not wanting her to give up, Komasan takes off his disguise and reveals his true form to her, which inspires her to try again. Unfortunately, now that he's shown her he isn't human, Komasan takes his leave, but continues to silently support her endeavors. Her manga gets published and he buys it right away, the manga supposedly being about him. Instead, she draws him as your standard, more terrifying sort of komainu, but Komasan still hopes she becomes a popular manga artist someday.

This Year's Santa is Komasanta
The youkai committee (there's apparently a youkai committee) has chosen Komasan and Komajiro to help santa deliver toys at their local town. Komasan takes to the job right away, but isn't very good at it. Not wanting to break his heart, Komajiro tries to fix all his mistakes while his brother isn't looking, but all the mix-ups end up wasting a lot of time. Wanting to make the schedule, Komajiro puts himself in charge of a majority of the leftover toys and buys his brother a coin pouch when he's finished. This pouch is worn by Komasan throughout the rest of the series.

Komasan's Expedition Team
A television show director spots Komasan and Komajiro during their trip to a museum and instantly gets attracted to Komasan's excitable personality. He offers him the starring role in his new series about finding cryptids and other fantastical creatures, which Komasan eagerly accepts. Komajiro only reluctantly agrees, if only for his brother's sake. Cue the brothers being sent off to far off places to find things like the loch ness monster, yetis, and aliens at area 51. Of course, none of these are real and end up being obvious fake props set up by director Yarase, which Komasan ends up falling for anyway. Komajiro has been suspicious of Yarase from the start, but holds his tongue throughout their "journeys." Eventually the media catches on and audiences are outraged over the fake show. It gets cancelled and Yarase and his team are without a job. Komasan and Komajiro confront him, asking him why he'd make a show to trick people like that. Yarase explains that he wasn't actually trying to trick anyone, even though he knows everything is fake. He tells the two that when he was young, he was a very sickly child and was often visited by his uncle who would tell him about his own expeditions. Except it turned out his uncle was a fraud too and only made up the stories he told child Yarase to make him feel better. And yet Yarase didn't get mad or upset when he found out, but rather was grateful because the stories still excited him anyway. He didn't care if they were fake or not, he just loved the feelings the stories gave him and he wanted to do the same thing with his show. After hearing the explanation, Komasan agrees and tells him he didn't care if their expeditions were staged, he just had fun on them and that's all that matters. However, that didn't change the fact that the show was cancelled. Komajiro steps in and suggests that maybe they'd renew the show if they showed them something real, in which Komasan gets the idea to show Yarase an actual youkai. They video tape one through the use of magical olive oil (yeah) and send it to the station, but they still believe the show to be fake. Yarase comes up with a last second excuse saying that the youkai they captured was actually CGI and that all shows are CGI these days anyway. Somehow this seems to be good enough and the show is renewed, but because it's all CGI now, Komasan isn't needed. He doesn't seem to care and is just happy Yarase can continuing doing what he loves.

Let's Go with Komasan
Komasan's mother writes the boys and tells them she wants to visit the city, as well as begins to tell them about various places she'd like to see during her trip there. To prepare himself, Komasan decides to check out all the places she mentions so he has a good idea what to show her and doesn't create another Komajiro incident like in the beginning of the series. The places are an electronics store, where Komasan finds a roomba, believes it to be sentient and takes it in as a sort of pet, one he names Kuro. A ramen stand known for its legendary but also incredibly strict owner, who instantly takes a liking to Komasan for unknown reasons, changing his rules every time Komasan breaks one so he doesn't leave, and driving a regular customer insane because he doesn't understand why the owner is being so nice to him. It later turns out that the stand owner could see through Komasan's human disguise and his original form looks similar to a stuffed animal he owns. A sports gym with an energetic physical fitness trainer who Komasan drives crazy with his occasional snacking. Eventually he gives into Komasan's ridiculousness and eats the food he prepares for him. ...In the gym. A spa known for their famous massage therapist who could pinpoint anyone's source of stress, but struggled to find any on Komasan. Eventually he got so worked up trying to get Komasan to relax, that he fell asleep himself. And then finally a pottery class, where Komasan outshines a local famous sculptor through making outrageous creations out clay, including a hot tub, a model of the town, and an entire castle. This was a class for sculpting dinnerware.

The Case of the Bitten Ice Cream
At the beginning of season two, a new youkai watch owner shows up, a girl named Inaho who happens to be into all things scifi. She and her youkai partner, USApyon, use the watch to open up a detective agency to solve "strange mysteries" seeing as most strange mysteries are just problems caused by youkai. In one of their cases, they get a call from one of the employees at a local fast food restaurant claiming the ice cream she's selling is mysteriously getting bites taken out of them by some unknown force. To no one's surprise, it's Komasan. Much like with Keita, Komasan tells Inaho the same story about how he can't control himself around ice cream since he could never have it while guarding the shrine, but tells them he'll try to stop. However the minute he comes to that resolve, the employee calls up again and claims that the people who have been getting bites out of their ice cream have been having strokes of luck and want more. A rumor begins that an angel is taking bites out of them and granting good luck and raising ice cream sales. Komasan, of course, doesn't have any power like that and all the luck is just coincidence, but he has absolutely no problem continuing to snack on other people's food, this time with permission!

[sneezelikeakitten]

Player
Name: Silas
Personal Journal: gilbo
E-mail: twilightforestlullaby@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: chromatus
Timezone: US PST
Current Characters in Route: Lightning Farron, Rise Kujikawa, Roxas

Character
Name: Dipper Pines
Series: Gravity Falls
Timeline: End of A Tale of Two Stans
Canon Resource Links: Here

Personality:
Dipper Pines is not the average twelve year old. A born adventurer at heart, this boy seeks to figure out all the mysteries Gravity Falls has to offer, even if it gets him in trouble way over his head.

Dipper is a rather intelligent young man. Puzzles are not much of a challenge to him, such as when he and his friends look for the proof of the Northwest family's not being the founders of Gravity Falls and solved several puzzles to find the true founder. There are things that are still above his intellect, such as the what-the-heck-ahedron puzzle he tries to solve in “Little Gift Shop of Horrors”, which he can’t solve no matter how hard he tries. He displays a high level of academic intelligence when he is able to complete complex math equations in a short amount of time to create the perfect angle in which to throw a ball to win a prize in “The Time Traveler’s Pig”. This intelligence goes hand-in-hand with his resourcefulness, which is displayed when he kicks a shelf that has The Journal on it since he was unable to reach it in “Little Dipper.” He has also shown his ability to outwit others, such as when he beats Bill Cipher, the powerful dream demon at his own game inside Stan’s dreams by using his own imagination as a weapon. Dipper lets the others know that they can make whatever they think of become reality, and demonstrates this by using laser vision, and in the end they chase Bill out of Stan’s dreams. He is also rather genre-savvy, knowing that in most movies people don’t have enough cameras or that they malfunction, he brings 17 disposable cameras just in case in the episode featuring the Gobblewonker.

He can be very self-conscious, such as when he is confronted about the fact that the likes to sing the song “Disco Girl.” This makes him want to prove that he is anything but manly, so he sets off to take down the Multi-Bear as the Manotaurs tell him to do. Dipper was later told by Stan that standing up for what he thought was right made him a man, even if the Maotaurs would think otherwise. He takes this compliment to heart since Stan doesn’t give those to him too often. When it comes to the question of his intelligence, if something is beyond his grasp, he gets frustrated, such as when he can’t figure out the puzzle toy in “Little Gift Shop of Horrors”. Instead of trying again, Dipper instead gets a mushroom that will enhance his intelligence instead of solving the puzzle the good old fashioned way. His height can be a trigger, such as when he became the shorter between the twins due to a small growth spurt on Mable’s part, which caused him to become jealous and insecure since she teased him about being the superior twin. He reacts by trying to find a magical way to become the taller one. In order to seem cooler to Wendy, he lies about being 13 so he can spend time with her outside of the Mystery Shack, which leads to the group of teens and the twin’s ending up inside of a haunted convenience store looking for some fun.
Since finding the journal and reading its contents, Dipper is paranoid and has trust issues when the journal warned him to Trust No One, and to be skeptical about people and/or situations. The first time this is shown is after he receives the journal and meets Mabel’s new boyfriend, Norman. He distrusts Norman from the get go, and even though he thought the teen was a zombie, his fears still turned to be validated as Norman was actually a collection of gnomes.

Dipper can be selfish at times, and is not above using the mysterious things happening in Gravity Falls to his advantage. A prime example is when he uses a time device to change the timelines so he wouldn’t hit Wendy with the ball when he was trying to win her a prize at the fair in order to impress her. When he did finally manage to make things go perfectly so Wendy would spend the day with him, he refused to listen to Mabel’s pleas about changing time so she could win Waddles instead of the pig going to Pacifica. Dipper gives up his chance to spend time with Wendy, reversing time and letting Mabel win Waddles the pig, which was a win-win situation for them both in the end, Mabel sending Waddles to attack Robbie, Wendy’s boyfriend, for Dipper.

Despite having the right motivations and doing the right things, Dipper can be rather ruthless and temperamental in order to accomplish his goals. He has displayed such a tendencies even with his sister, Mabel, such as when they got into a fight over who got the new room. Since they had switched bodies, he tries to ruin her reputation with their Grunkle Stan in order to get what he wanted. When they do get their bodies back, and he does indeed have the room, Dipper finds that the prize isn’t what he thought it would be. That same night, he moves back into the shared room with Mabel, since he missed her, and gives the room to Soos instead.

Even with all these things in his life, Dipper is compassionate, and he loves his family dearly, and his friends as well. His twin sister Mabel is the one person he would never want out of his life, reaffirming that to her when he tells her that he will never fight with her the way that Stan and Ford did in the past. She is near constant companion in his quest to solve all the mysteries in Gravity Falls, even if his claims seemed ridiculous, like the time he thought her boyfriend was a zombie. He does love his Grunkle Stan, even when Stan says he doesn't in a dream sequence Dipper overheard while in the search of Bill. Later, when he comes across the sequence again, Dipper finds out that his grunkle does indeed love him, and just has a very strange way of showing it. This makes him happy, though the criticism does still irritate him even if it’s out of love to toughen him up. Dipper does not seek to impress his Grunkle, merely wanting to be accepted as a serious man, as seen in the episode when his manliness comes into question. Even with the hiccups between them, Soos, the maintenance guy for the Mystery Shack, is a friend Dipper knows he can rely on in dire times, as long as Dipper doesn’t see him as an obstacle, like in the episode “Land before Swine”. Soos manages to ruin a good shot of the pterodactyl by opening the dark room’s doors while Dipper was developing film, and later when Soos uses his constant optimism to try and cheer Dipper and Mabel up, he gets into a fight with Dipper when the younger man loses his temper. They make up later in the episode, and become “Pterodactyl bros”. Wendy is his long time crush, and even when she lets him down gently about his feelings for her, she is still one of his steadfast friends. These are the few people whom he trusts, even if the journal says not to, and whom he can depend on in the long run. They do things to drive him crazy, like not listening to him when he tells them to hit the switch to the portal that Stan had built in the basement to stop it, making him angry with them, but they mean well in the end.

After all is said and done, Dipper is a kid who knows how to have fun, even if his version of fun is seeking out the mysteries of the town called Gravity Falls.

Papyrus | Undertale | Reserved

[coolskeleton_95]

Good Lord Spoilers.

****I originally wrote his first person as his text appears in game, but, Papyrus font doesn't carry over, so I didn't want it to seem like he's screaming constantly.

Mettaton | Undertale | Reserved

[ratingspoint]

Ready, viewers? Here comes the moment you've all been waiting for!

[Cut for spoilers regarding his entire section of the plot, also the end of...several routes.]

Kaworu Nagisa | Neon Genesis Evangelion | Reserved

[smileofbetrayal]

Player
Name: Raile
Personal Journal: None, sorry!
E-mail: Railerat [at] gmail [dot] com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: Railerat on AIM, Railehatesfun on Plurk.
Timezone: EST
Current Characters in Route: None!

Character
Name: Kaworu Nagisa
Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Timeline: Manga -> NGE, before episode 24.
Canon Resource Links: I scattered a bunch of links in here because Evangelion is a mess and none of the information is centralised. Because it's a mess.

This is most of it and here's more.

But here's it all written out:

In the beginning, there was the First Impact.

Lilith, a Seed of Life, struck Earth, her blood running into the primitive oceans and creating primordial ooze, from which all life--including humankind--were born. This Impact, however, was an accident: there was already a Seed of Life on Earth. Two Seeds were not meant to coexist on the same planet; however, this first Seed had yet to establish life. For unknown reasons, its Lance of Longinus--the only one remaining on Earth, Lilith's having been seemingly destroyed by her own impact--subdued it, rendering the first Seed dormant. Lilith became the progenitor of life on Earth.

History as we know it ensued.

Then came the Second Impact, a global cataclysm that occurred on September 13, 2000. The massive explosion in Antarctica melted the polar cap and altered Earth's axis, resulting in massive tsunamis and a dramatic increase in global sea levels and permanently shifting global weather patterns. A variety of related disasters and wars followed amongst the planet's survivors. While officially reported to be a meteorite, the Impact was in fact caused by the awakening of of Adam. Adam, the second Seed of Life, was artificially contacted, his embryonic state and early impact induced by a contact experiment funded by the mysterious organisation known as SEELE. They did this knowingly, having determined that the damage done by this Impact would be lesser than one caused by a fully awakened Adam. Reducing it to an Embryonic state made it easier to conceal from the coming Angels (whose arrival SEELE knew of due to the Secret Dead Sea Scrolls) and enabling humanity to avoid its true awakening--an event which would have destroyed all Lilith-based life on the planet, from bacteria to humans, replacing it with Adam-based life.

Fifteen years later, Angels began to appear: the natural children of Adam. Despite their wide variety of forms, they comprised a single race of humanity--a variation upon a theme. The Lilim, or humans, are another. Indeed, Angels begin life in a humanoid state, developing embryonically inside oblong egglike objects before suddenly "rejecting" their form to spontaneously metamorphose into its adult shape. Unlike humans, who are constrained to a single basic template and must express their individuality in subtler ways, Angels can become whatever they desire to be. Interestingly, their genetic patterns are nearly identical to that of humans--to the 99th percentile, in fact.

Humans, using their incredible ingenuity, used Adam to create the Evangelions, and used them to combat the Angels (amongst other things.) NERV, a military special agency designed to lead the defense of humanity against the Angels and stop an uncontrolled Third Impact. This Impact could take various forms, but the one NERV was designed to prevent would have been precipitated by an Angel reuniting with Adam. An Angel reuniting with Adam would have destroyed all Lilith-based life on the planet--just as the Second Impact would have, were it not for its premature induction.

Not all Third Impacts were undesired, however.

Kaworu, the final Angel, was created by Mankind--the second Angel to be created by humans. (The first was Rei.) Officially Tabris, the Angel of Free Will (as well as the Angel of Betrayal), he is the product of an experiment that fused Lilim (human) genes with the flesh and salvaged 'soul' of Adam. (This has the interesting effect of not only making him both the first and last Angel, but also his own mother.) Sent to infiltrate NERV by SEELE, one of the goals set before him was to assist the induction of a different form of Third Impact--one involving Human Instrumentality. Human Instrumentality, a project by SEELE intended to force the evolution of humanity by creating a Third Impact under SEELE's control--in this Impact, all Lilim (human) souls would be gathered into Lilith's Egg and united as one being.

These things are constant across timelines.

Kaworu exists in each timeline, but with each iteration, things change. After every Third Impact (end of timeline/series), time resets and events begin anew. Kaworu, as the (supposed) instrument of this, develops between each iteration and retains memories of prior iterations. All other individuals, however, exist in isolation to their respective timeline. Shinji (NGE/iteration 2) does not remember anything experienced by Shinji (Manga/iteration 1) because the two Shinjis are not connected temporally.

The first iteration is the manga canon. This is Kaworu's first existence. Kaworu experiences consciousness for the first time, spending two or three weeks in life before his death. Kaworu acquires his infatuation with Shinji in this timeline after absorbing some memories and feelings from Rei Ayanami, but Shinji loathes him. Kaworu must argue that Shinji kill him several times before Shinji complies.

The second iteration is the television series canon. Kaworu earns Shinji's trust this time around, and Shinji is given the freedom to choose whether or not to kill Kaworu. Kaworu, as I play him, is taken from early in this iteration, before his canon appearance in NGE. But he's still technically NGE Kaworu.

The third iteration is the film canon. This is all after Kaworu's canonpoint, though, as the series isn't complete yet.

Personality: Amiable, observant, and friendly--a bit too much so, in fact; director Hideki Anno described Kaworu as "someone that could be loved by anyone, an incredibly good person. Almost as though, by the time Shinji saw him, there was nothing he could do but get a complex." He's cryptic and curious, but seemingly well-intentioned--at first glance, there's not very much to dislike.

However it is never entirely clear just how much of Kaworu is selfishness and how much is generosity, or how much is sincere and how much is misdirection.

In his first iteration, most of his thought and knowledge was shaped by SEELE; in his second, he inevitably continues to be a creation and tool of SEELE. Raised in isolation, he is inexperienced about life outside of their cloister. Though he has gained a bit in the void between his first iteration and his second, because of the limitations of his existence and his lack of the Fruit of Knowledge, he may be more hindered than he lets on. That being said, Kaworu began life as a being who is informed of his primary purpose, and might even be possessed of an instinct to pursue it. Given a mission by SEELE and a destiny by his design, he is nevertheless an independent being; he is a being with the ability to make decisions and the freedom of will to act upon them. And he is quite aware of it--whether he intends to betray SEELE from the start is unclear, but it is apparent that he was (perhaps unwittingly) open to the possibility of change.

The 'heart' of a Lilim is something Kaworu desires--not for himself, but to know and feel, in its true state. To that end, he becomes very close to Shinji--and, indeed, pushes him to the brink--for his own sake, and is simultaneously fascinated and occasionally repulsed by the actions and feelings of the species he is born to end. His curiousity and ignorance exist in tandem, feeding each other; the more he knows, the more he wishes to know--the more he understands, the greater he desires that bit of understanding. He is very fixed on Shinji especially, becoming more and more involved with him through his second iteration; the emotional imprinting of his first iteration has grown to be an essential part of him.

One interpretation states Kaworu to be "representative of blind, total and unconditional love and acceptance, but like those things Kaworu turns out to not be real at all." In a sense, this is true. Though Kaworu takes human form, and when with Shinji and the others has 'human' experiences, he is not human at all. Or rather, he is not 'Lilim.' His 'human' is 'Angel.'

This makes his motives simultaneously very simple and very complex.

He is both ignorant and curious, and acts with a great degree of freedom in both. He has a limited concept of the inhibitions related to personal space or privacy, and may freely invade others' with a strange combination of innocence and callousness. He is completely lacking in shame, and this dearth of self-consciousness (though not self awareness) is quickly apparent in even his most basic of interactions. He is very alert, though, and for the most part, his behaviour, while detached and decidedly strange, is not expressly "alien."

Part of the problem is that he lacks the inherent ability to cogitate that comes with Lilim 'humanity,' and he relied heavily on other people's experiences to shape his understanding of the world. He can be 'fed' information, but sometimes takes a very roundabout, not necessarily successful path to integrating it.

Being possessed of the Fruit of Life, Kaworu is lacking the Fruit of Knowledge, the gift of Lilith that allows humans their innovation and mastery of science. Kaworu, however, was denied the full gifts of the Fruit of Life. Angels choose their forms when they come into being, but due to his creation at SEELE's hands, he will never control his shape or form. His human genes 'chose' his form for him. Given his ignorance and his nature, it's possible for him to be unintentionally insensitive (and occasionally less unintentionally) to or dismissive of others, sometimes to the point of incidental callousness. It's generally accidental (in fact, almost always), but sometimes his priorities and understandings are a little bit different, to put it mildly. Kaworu possesses a blend of amorality and strange naivete, but is sincerely possessed of "good intentions," even though it is not always the same good understood by the Lilim. From what he understands, "goodness" is a concept that the Lilim seek out and admire, but he has a much different perspective on its parametres.

It isn't that Kaworu isn't understanding of those around him. It's that he possesses a little too much understanding side by side with too little, and his preternatural knowledge cripples him just as much as his almost childish levels of ignorance.

The other problem is that Kaworu's entire emotional world begins and (at the moment) ends with Shinji Ikari. Prior to his absorption of Rei Ayanami's memories and feelings during his first iteration, Kaworu was largely indifferent to the events around him. He was interested only in infiltrating NERV to initiate Third Impact. After his accidental contact, however, he began to experience more complicated feelings--or, more accurately, he began to experience feelings period.

To some extent, his interest in the Lilim may be purely an extension of his singular infatuation with Shinji. All of Kaworu's emotions are sourced from his initial love for Shinji (itself the inheritance of having experienced Rei's yearning) and minor extrapolations thereof--he is happy when Shinji is happy, frustrated when obstacles prevent him from helping Shinji experience happiness. The world of the Lilim is the world that Shinji lives in, the society Shinji is descended from, and contains the people that Shinji cares about and the things that Shinji is interested in. He aspires to Shinji's happiness, after all, and his increased interest in the Lilim in iteration 2 is directly because of Shinji--the Lilim must triumph, ergo Shinji will triumph. Or vice versa--Shinji must triumph, therefore the Lilim will triumph.

This is not to say that the emotions he experiences aren't genuine, just that his capacity for emotion wasn't booted up (and may not have been properly installed) until Rei accidentally shared her love for Shinji. Nor is completely incapable of developing beyond that; however, he hasn't really had time, nor has he had any vested interest in doing so. It's possible that if he had more time to bond with other people, he might start to care about them as well. But Kaworu's lifespan, so to speak, is tragically short--his first iteration 'lived' for only two or three weeks. His second iteration's time spent alive and 'awake' was quite possibly shorter. Between his first two iterations, he has clocked less than two months of collective experienced consciousness--it may even total less than a month.

Given that, he's not exactly had much chance to branch out and learn to value other people for their own merits as opposed to their value re: Shinji or Shinji's experiences. Nor has he had any experience with his own humanity except via Shinji.

The ultimate tragedy of Kaworu Nagisa is that he desires the experience of free will, but his ultimate expression of it will always be in 'choosing Shinji.' Which itself means 'choosing death.' The moment Shinji accepts Kaworu is the moment that they will be apart forever.

Chazz Princeton | Yugioh GX | No Reserve

[ojamameansfamily]

Player
Name: Phasma
Personal Journal: phas
E-mail: geoduelist87@yahoo.com
Plurk: Phasma
Skype: phasmu
Timezone: EST
Current Characters in Route:
Penny | RWBY | in4apounding

Character
Name: Chazz Princeton
Series: Yugioh GX (English Dub)
Timeline: Post s1e26, after re-enrolling at Duel Academy
Canon Resource Links:
Chazz on the Yugioh Wiki

Personality:
On first impression, Chazz is an abrasive blowhard, driven entirely by his own ego and sense of superiority. That impression would be almost completely accurate, if incomplete. The youngest of three brothers, Chazz grew up wealthy, privileged, and under the enormous pressure of the expectation that he would become the next king of games in order to further the Princeton family’s power and reputation. His brothers made it clear to Chazz that his worth was determined only by his dueling ability, which only fostered the attitude Chazz projected to the world. He was a top-ranked first-year student at Duel Academy, therefore he was superior to anyone ranked below him and could freely hold them in contempt. The lowest-ranking Red Dorm students (who Chazz dubbed ‘slackers’ en masse) were a frequent target of Chazz’s contempt; particularly the series protagonist Jaden Yuki, who managed to repeatedly out-duel Chazz despite his status and utter lack of effort in his academic studies. His repeated defeats at the hands of Jaden turned into an obsessive need to prove his superiority. Chazz resorted to facing Jaden in a graded duel using a slew of ultra-rare cards obtained under dubious circumstances by one of his professors, and when Jaden was required to win a tag-team duel or face expulsion, Chazz approached the Academy faculty and demanded that he be one of Jaden’s opponents; though he was turned down, he still watched the match with an expression of vicious glee when it appeared that Jaden might lose for once. His obsession was strong enough that over the course of the series it drove him to physically destroy an opponent’s deck before an important duel, drove him to flee Duel Academy in shame during his first year after repeated losses, and allowed a villain to goad him into a supernatural duel that ended in Chazz becoming his brainwashed lieutenant. This obsession also ultimately fueled his growth beyond a simple egomaniac; after leaving Duel Academy, Chazz was forced to gather and duel with a deck of largely randomized junk cards in order to gain access to the shelter of a rival school located in the arctic north. This was the point at which he began relying on his own skills and instincts rather than just the brute force of powerful cards or the power provided by his brothers. When his brothers came to him before an important inter-school duel Chazz ultimately refused to use the rare cards they had procured for him, ultimately choosing to rely on the deck given to him by his new school and beginning to establish himself as his own person beyond just his family name. His obsessive nature also manifested rather unfortunately in a very one-sided infatuation with a female classmate, which persisted despite Alexis’ repeated rebuffs of Chazz’s affections.

Once forced out of his initial shell, Chazz repeatedly proved to be highly resourceful. When challenged directly by one of his older brothers to a duel with the Academy itself at stake, Chazz successfully won with a hodge-podge deck of cards that other students had considered worthless enough to throw away. Additionally, finding himself saddled with several unwanted spirit companions, Chazz repeatedly made use of them as guards or watchdogs that few other people could see. On one occasion he also managed to ferret out the identities of a professional team of thieves, both through the aforementioned card spirits and deductive reasoning. He also performed well academically, evidenced by his eventual re-admittance into the top-ranked blue dorm.

Despite a sometimes slobbish appearance and attitude, Chazz is accustomed to high-class living and readily takes initiative to maintain the lifestyle he’s used to and is ambitious to prove himself and go pro. When re-admitted to Duel Academy as a member of the low-ranking red dorms, he used what personal funds he still had access to in order to commission a large addition to the spartan dorm complex, a relatively large, well-furnished penthouse for that he had to himself for approximately five seconds before it was overrun by his classmates despite his protests. This, combined with his need to prove himself, was what prompted him to face a professional duelists’ manager and talent scout despite urging from his spirit companions to the contrary; a chance at becoming a pro duelist right out of the academy, something few people managed. Unfortunately, Chazz’s decision was made recklessly, and he rapidly found himself out of his depth in a supernatural duel that ended with him becoming a brainwashed lackey. Even under Sartorius’ mind-control, Chazz maintained an independent streak and his need to prove himself, and to reclaim his former lifestyle. He used the power granted to him to crush the entire blue dorm single-handedly, inducting them all into Sartorius’ cultlike society and made himself their de facto leader. And while it would be inaccurate to say Chazz is a hero, he’s capable and willing to take responsibility (usually). After being freed from Sartorius’ control and being made aware of what he had done Chazz took it upon himself to single-handedly defeat all the brainwashed students, similarly freeing them from control and undoing the damage he had helped cause. He’s also proved somewhat reliable in a crisis; when a group of thieves began attacking Duel Academy in order to obtain a series of Plot MacGuffins magical items, Chazz was among those tapped by the school faculty in order to guard them. Similarly, when the school was transported into a wasteland-like parallel world, Chazz was chosen to guard the school’s remaining rations.


Strengths/Weaknesses:
✓ Determination/Survivor: Chazz has survived being shipwrecked, nearly drowning, and trekking through harsh arctic conditions, largely through sheer willpower.
✓ Tactics: Despite his tendency to rely on raw power, Chazz has successfully won duels while under severe limitations by thinking strategically with underpowered cards at his disposal.
✓ Cunning/Resourcefulness: Related to the above, Chazz knows how to use what’s available to him to its maximum potential.
✓/✗ Showmanship: Like many duelists, Chazz has a significant flair for the dramatic. Sometimes this results in stunning presentation, sometimes he just makes a fool of himself.
✓/✗ Self-Confidence: Chazz is supremely confident in his own abilities, or at least chooses to act as such, whether or not this is actually based in the reality of the situation.
✓/✗ Need To Prove Himself: Determined to prove he can make it on his own, Chazz isn’t afraid of a challenge. Unfortunately, this sometimes gets him in over his head, and he’s terribly afraid of failure.
✗ Temper: Chazz loses his cool very easily, especially when his ego is bruised or his competence is called into question.
✗ Ego: The darker side of his self-confidence, Chazz needs to be the best and doesn’t react well when someone proves to be better than him.
✗ Social Awkwardness: Even aside from his ego, Chazz has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth.
✗ Obsessiveness: Whether a rival, enemy, or object of Chazz’s affections, Chazz tends to fixate on people to an unhealthy degree and isn’t easily dissuaded.
✗ Luck: Chazz has absolutely garbage luck, almost everywhere but in the arena of card games.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Rocket
Starter:
Goomy, lvl 15
Trubbish, lvl 5
Password: Pumpkin Seeds

Samples
First Person Sample:
Why won’t these things leave me alone?!

[It’s late at night and not clear where Chazz’s dulcet tones are being broadcast from, other than “someplace with a LOT of Zubat.” They’re almost obscuring the screen, which can’t be comfortable since Chazz doesn’t appear to be holding the gear at any kind of distance.]

And don’t tell me to just use those Repel things! I AM using them, and they’re trash! It’s like it’s attracting more of them!

[As he speaks, Chazz throws a presumably empty bottle of Repel to one side; it pegs one of the swarming Zubat squarely in the face, bouncing off into the darkness with an empty clunk.]

I can’t even fight ‘em off. My Pokemon are out of energy, man! And- argh!

[The screen turns into a dizzy blur for a moment as Chazz flails at the Zubat surrounding him for a second. His efforts earn him approximately two seconds of free air before the swarm returns.]

-and there’s too many of them to even set up a freakin’ tent! I just end up with a tent full of goddamn bats! Gettin’ rid of the ones inside just lets MORE in!

[There might be a “please help me” buried in there, if one were to squint really hard. Mostly it seems like Chazz just needs to complain at someone. Or anyone.]

I swear once I’m out of here I’m gonna find a way to collapse this entire cave! And set it on-

[One of the Zubat chooses that moment to fly blindly straight into Chazz’s face; with a sharp yelp, the transmission goes briefly to static before cutting out entirely.]

Third Person Sample:
“This game is freaking ridiculous.”

Chazz glared down at the Voltorb Flip table, as if the cartoonish Pokémon mascots surrounding the game’s glowing touch-screen were mocking him personally. He’d been working the Game Corner job for weeks, and that he felt the need to return on a day off was no less of an affront for being entirely self-inflicted. The monsters available as prizes were a solid ten levels above anything available in the nearby wild, even aside from being almost impossible to catch anywhere else. Besides, he had a reputation to maintain. Or to re-establish. No one here seemed to have so much as heard of Duel Monsters, and this was a pathetic excuse for a replacement, but it was the closest thing he’d seen; ridiculous or not, Chazz wasn’t about to be known as anything other than a card expert.

“Moog.”

The gently wobbling Goomy stuck on Chazz’s shoulder like a lost piece of bubblegum peered down at the game table, its expression permanently one of dull interest.

“It is! There’s BARELY any actual strategy involved, it’s all down to luck! Ugh.”

Reaching for the game table like someone about to throw out a particularly rancid piece of trash Chazz tapped at the flashing tiles, almost cringing at the electronic beeps and sound effects as his score slowly accumulated. When he had determined he would still be the next king of games, no matter what world he was stuck in, this wasn’t what he had had in mind. There was still the need to make quick decisions and calculations, and a certain reliance on gut instinct, but the randomized simplicity in front of him was almost insulting. There was so little chance for actual decision on the player’s part, nothing you could do to tip the odds; just cold probability staring you in the face.

“I swear, once I’m running this place I’ll put in some real games, show these losers what gaming’s actually about.”

“Goo-ma.”

“I will! I just need to prove to these slackers that I know more about card games than they ever will! I’ve forgotten more since I got here than they-“

Chazz’s gathering head of steam was cut off as an errant gesture made contact with the table in front of them, prompting a buzzer to sound and one of the stylized Voltorb to roll onto the screen before executing a virtual Explosion attack. The score dropped back down to zero as the screen dimmed, displaying a ‘game over’ message and asking for another credit to begin a new round. Chazz sat in silence for a moment, scowling like the table might be intimidated into changing his mind.

“…That was your fault, slimeball.”

“Goom.”

“It was, shut it! And we’re not talking about this ever again.”

Katsuki Bakugou | My Hero Academia (not reserved)

[blazeit]

Player
Name: Kit
Personal Journal: mayuzumi
E-mail: diophantines@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: adjustment
Timezone: EST (US)
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Katsuki Bakugou
Series: My Hero Academia
Timeline: Chapter 66
Canon Resource Links: here, for canon history! Please don’t pay attention to the personality section, because it’s as bad as most wiki personality sections are wont to be.

Personality:

Bakugou is foul-mouthed, self-confident to the point of arrogance more often than not, and does not get along with people easily. He also wants to be a professional hero — in fact, he wants to be the best hero. These two sides of him do not contradict themselves in the least. In fact, they’re both essentially driven by the same motivation: his pride.

To some extent, being prideful is simply Bakugou’s nature. However, there’s also an aspect of nurture that explains how he's changed as a character over the course of the series. In a world where most people have superpowers (called quirks in canon) that manifest around the age of four, it’s immediately obvious from a young age that there’s a qualitative difference between those born with “good” quirks and those who weren't. Bakugou was fortunate enough to be born with bountiful natural talent: he has an exceptionally excellent quirk, he excels academically, and he’s naturally self-confident, always taking the lead among his peers. Even when confronted with older children trying to single him out and “teach him his place” as a kid, he would retaliate and win, which not only earned the awe and respect of his classmates but ingrained in a sense of superiority and entitlement to respect from others. This ties into his desire to be the top hero, because it’s a position of great respect and status, and he felt like he was destined for it.

This, however, also came with a sort of isolation and is likely why he’s very self-reliant; because his peers idealized him as much as he idealized himself, they saw him as infallible to the point where they wouldn’t help him on the assumption he didn’t need it. At one point as a child, he fell into a stream and the general reaction is: “He’ll be alright. He’s tough. Don’t keep us waiting.” And when Izuku Midoriya (the protagonist of the series), who Bakugou had nicknamed Deku (basically meaning ‘useless’) actually does the decent thing and offers Bakugou help, Bakugou wildly misinterprets that as Midoriya looking down upon him, revealing that his amazing superiority complex also comes with an equally amazing inferiority complex, and childishly lashes out by bullying Midoriya whenever Midoriya attempts to show any signs of self-confidence for years afterwards, constantly misperceiving Midoriya’s acts of kindness as insulting. In his mind, whenever Midoriya tried to help him, it was a genuine slap in the face because he felt it meant Midoriya was deliberately demeaning him and having a laugh about it behind his back.

Fortunately(?), Bakugou’s growth as a character throughout My Hero Academia takes the trajectory of dropping his shitty pride on the ground, shattering it into pieces, trying and failing to slap it back together real fast, and then having him slowly but properly put it together in a less shitty form than it was to begin with. In the very first chapter, he gets attacked by a villain and Midoriya saves him, which affects him pretty damn badly. In flashbacks and in the first chapter, it’s seen that Bakugou was more animated, ostentatious, and more of an instigator; afterwards, Bakugou withdraws from others and becomes more reactionary, with a tendency to snap back at others hard, and his fear of revealing any sort of inferiority is more prominent to how he thinks and behaves.

First to go is his inflated sense of superiority: after getting beaten in a training exercise by Midoriya because he let his pride dominate his better judgment and then realizing how many other talented students he was surrounded by, he realized that actively looking down on others’ capabilities leaves him full of openings and that being born gifted isn’t a golden ticket to respect and success. So compared to before, he shows more restraint... relatively speaking. When making a speech in front of the entire school plus spectators at U.A.'s annual sports festival, Bakugou confidently declares, "I'm gonna place first. You'll all make fantastic stepping stones, I'm sure." Yet Midoriya, who's known him since childhood, thinks to himself, "If it were the Kacchan I used to know, he'd be shouting it from the rooftops with a grin as wide as anything. What he's doing now is deliberately cornering himself." Basically, he's learned to not trap himself with unwarranted arrogance and prioritize making rational choices. For example, when faced up with a group of practice robots during an obstacle course, a classmate comments that given Bakugou's personality, he'd expected Bakugou to blast straight through rather than using his quirk to vault over them completely, allowing him to get ahead in the race rather than wasting time fighting them. Even when deciding to fight a bunch of villains, he clearly thinks about and says why he thinks the risk is acceptable rather than just charging on in there and assuming he’ll win.

Once he begins to get over himself, his cleverness begins to shine. At his best, Bakugou reveals a keen and logical thought process, and he shines the brightest in tense situations where he’s being challenged to excel. He is lowkey observant of the people around him, and when the manga gives snippets of Bakugou’s internal dialogue, he has surprisingly accurate insights about others. Especially when under pressure (or perhaps because he is under pressure), he shows good judgment and has a mind for strategy. During a one-on-one fight, one of his classmates comments that Bakugou seems to be getting "cleverer by the second", and it's noted that he's developed an almost sadistically perceptive ability to identify peoples' weaknesses and prey upon them. It’s noted in canon both by himself and by others that one should not wage a battle of attrition against Bakugou, because the longer something is drawn out, the more information that he has to work with, and the more likely it is that he will pick out a weakness and begin using it.

Another important thing that he's developed is a willingness to acknowledge others' capabilities. Bakugou sees people for their actions, not their circumstances. A notable example of this is when he goes head-to-head against Uraraka — several people are shocked that he would go all-out when fighting against a girl, failing to realize that Bakugou is respecting her ability as an opponent by meeting her best with his own best. He even checks his classmates when they tease him by asking how it feels to "play the villain and beat up a delicate girl", asking them "Where do you see delicate?" Another way that this manifests is that he has a pretty good ability to assess others’ capabilities objectively and utilize them well. This allows him to be a fairly decent team player, as long as he feels like he’s being respected properly as a team member. For example, during a human cavalry battle, he considers his teammates’ quirks to create a sound group strategy and directs them while on the field, which is fairly impressive considering everybody had only ten minutes to form groups and strategize.

The second thing he works on is his fear of inferiority. His most repeated phrase in canon to date is “You’re looking down on me” and variants on it: that other people might perceive him as not being “good enough” for any given context is his greatest insecurity. That fear often caused him to lash out disproportionately harshly at any perceived slights, covering up his insecurities with a nasty attitude. The school nurse notes that while Bakugou’s received the full package and excels all around, his insecurities can lead him to be volatile and irrational, crippling his abilities to the point where it doesn’t matter how naturally talented he is. At his worst, he’s made a downright self-destructive choice and got the crap beaten out of him for it.

After Midoriya punched him in the face and yelled at him for making this incredibly stupid decision, then successfully pulling off some beautiful teamwork between the two of them, Bakugou realized he would rather be helped to reach his goals than never reach them at all. He’s more willing to think of accepting help as a means to an end rather than a backhanded insult intended to demean him. At this point, his inferiority complex is even played for laughs a bit: in one of the recent chapters, classmates are randomly paired off as a joint fun activity and test of mental strength to go through a “haunted forest” route set up, and Bakugou tries to trade off his partner with because he gets paired with one of his (one-sided) rivals and apparently he doesn’t want to risk getting scared in front of his rival.

However, other ways that his pride manifests remain constant, most notably in his determination. One flashback shows Bakugou as a first grader, having successfully fended off a few fourth graders from picking on him, crying but insisting, “A hero always wins in the end.” That mantra continues to drive him throughout the series, and eventually it’s his determination that trumps both his superiority and inferiority complexes. Several of his teachers comment on the fact that his desire to be the best is "implacable", and that his drive to monopolize the top is what puts him an edge above when it comes down to the wire. He self-describes himself as a perfectionist, and goes the extra mile to win every time. When there’s something that he wants to get done, he doesn’t just want to finish the task and call it good if he meets the standards, he gives his best showing.

Also, he has a remarkably strong sense of self when it comes to his goals. Bakugou knows what he wants, and doesn’t feel the need to correct people who have the wrong impression of him (some characters insinuate that he’s more likely to be a villain than a hero). He desires status and respect and acknowledgment from others — becoming a villain would be counterintuitive to that.

In terms of how he acts on a daily basis, he’s generally a bit closed off and inclined to be by himself unless roped in by others, but he’s very much defined by his hair-trigger temper. He gets angry very quickly and overreacts to relatively small offenses. Even friendly teasing will get a petty retort out of him — which actually sometimes makes him a target of his classmates' teasing, because they know they can get him to snap back to sometimes hilarious effect. Bakugou's often called a delinquent by others, and for good reasons. He has a very aggressive, offensive way of speaking and an incredible potty mouth, especially given that Japanese social standards tend to err towards politeness as a norm. He is foulmouthed, rude, upfront, and not afraid to say exactly what he thinks — and what he thinks is probably that something or somebody is pissing him the fuck off!! He is, at least, equal opportunity rude to everybody — while he has just enough in him to show a modicum of respect to, say, teachers and other adults in positions of authority, he doesn't discriminate among his peers when it comes to giving them his bad attitude. To add onto this all, he doesn’t care to put in the effort to remember peoples’ names, and tends to nickname people in a way that can come across as demeaning — the nicknames themselves are generally fine, it's more the implication that he can't be bothered to remember peoples' names. (He does, though, remember the names of people who have done things that he thinks are worth some measure of his respect.)

However, it’s important to note that for all of Bakugou’s grumbling, he never actually physically lays a hand on anybody outside training exercises and the sports festival fighting tournament (except for Midoriya and they have crazy rival baggage so I’m inclined to say that’s a pretty extreme situation). He’s readily pissed off, but he does not take inherent joy in beating people up, and understands that society does not look fondly upon those whose reaction to getting angry is to get violent. He also tends to react more so than instigating. He does, though, lay it on pretty thick with the verbal abuse when provoked.

Ashley | Until Dawn (Reserved)

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Player
Name: Ashley (yes same name, etc)
Personal Journal: digi_dragon
E-mail: dragonninjagoddess@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: ionlyshootupwithyourperfume
Timezone: CST
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Ashley
Series: Until Dawn
Timeline: Immediately post-credits
Canon Resource Links: Wiki link!
Since Until Dawn is a game where the player can affect the plot based on choices, here’s ones that’d affect Ashley that will be present in her timeline:
- She takes the séance seriously.
- Chris is honest with her about what he found in the library.
- Chris chooses to save her.
- She’s reluctant to explore but repentant about the prank.
- She investigates the noise at the lodge.
- She stabs The Psycho! ...and gets punched in the face in response.
- Chris chooses not to shoot Ashley AND makes it back to the lodge.
- Emily gets bit, but Mike doesn’t shoot her. Ashley reveals what was written in the Stranger’s book.
- Ashley goes to investigate the voice in the tunnels but doesn’t open the trapdoor.
- EVERYONE LIVES ENDING

Personality: Until Dawn is the kind of game that gives base stats and character descriptions, so that’s a good insight into Ashley’s personality. The words that display when Ash is introduced? Inquisitive, Forthright, Academic.

Inquisitive. Along with this, Ashley’s highest stat at the start of the game is curiosity. It’s one of her key character traits, and one a strength and weakness all in one. Ashley is the kind of girl who questions EVERYTHING, and that can be a good thing! If the right clues are found, she’s the one to bring up the idea that someone’s messing with her and Chris in the basement, pushing them which way to go. She’s always thinking, always wondering, and in a mystery scenario, that can really come in handy! ...It can also be very, very bad. Ashley has more than one choice that can lead her into danger, or at least perceived danger. Despite being in the ruins of an old underground hotel with a potential killer, Ash can run off to investigate a noise she hears, thinking it’s her friend Sam. This puts her right near said potential killer. Sure, he’s not really trying to kill anyone- but it’s worse when much later, she hears a voice call out to her in the mines. It sounds like her friend Jessica, and she can choose to go and investigate it instead of rejoining the (potentially dwindling) group. If she investigates and chooses to open the pounding trap door… Well, decapitation looks like a painful way to go, doesn’t it? Curiosity killed the cat seems apt here.

However, in her foolish, potentially fatal decisions, there’s a modicum of bravery. Ashley’s curiosity in these moments leads her to risk her life, and it’s in both times because she thinks she’s helping a friend-in-need. Despite being scared out of her mind, her curious nature can spur her into a situation she knows is dangerous, and she has the ability to come out of both of them with her head still on her shoulders, too! In this sense, one could consider her inquisitive nature a crutch at times, keeping her going.

Ashley’s always-thinking nature also ties into a BIG drawback: fear. Ashley, in general, is not very brave. It’s a stat that steadily decreases over the course of the events of the night- and boy is that obvious to see, as she is likely to scream and freak out and jump at every little thing, even the light of a projector that she just turned on. While she’s naturally a jumpy and anxious person, scenarios like the one on Blackwood Mountain -- like she’s trapped in a horror movie essentially -- ramp up her racing mind until she’s “jumpier than a paranoid kangaroo.” She HATES horror films, scary things - creepy men in masks trying to hunt you down, Saw traps, and especially the supernatural. So curiosity and wonder mean that with this fear exploited, she becomes a nervous wreck. There are a few times she’s able to pull herself together and think rationally, but it’s usually with a grounding presence, Chris, ever the Scully Skeptic to her Mulder, so if she’s in this state...uh, yeah, this is very much to her own detriment.

...But it’s not just her terrible, horrible, no good imagination that she has to worry about! It’s bad decisions! There is a point where, no matter what choices have been made, if Emily (one of the other girls) is bitten by a wendigo, Ashley will notice the bite and freak the heck out because, operating on zombie logic and vague rules from an old guy only known as The Stranger or The Flamethrower Guy, she’ll immediately think that Emily herself will turn into a wendigo. Granted, she’s not the only one, but her fear and panic cause her to try and force Emily out of their safe room. It’s not her best moment, but at least she’s not like one of the other guys in the group, who considers shooting her her? Still. Ashley’s panic, definitely not a good thing. It’s often that the bad decisions she makes are informed by her fear and anxiety.

Forthright. This one is, honestly, the least defined of the three given traits, especially in how it plays into her strengths and weaknesses, but it can be seen as both in that it manifests as Ashley being very set in what she thinks. You wouldn’t expect this to go well with her curiosity, but dang does it ever-- when she starts to think the lodge is haunted, it will not leave her mind, and even if the choice is made for her to concede she didn’t know what she saw, she’ll eventually press again about there being ghosts. She will not stop talking about it. In fact, honesty is naturally one of her high traits as well! (And another that drops naturally as the night goes on, every time she tries to say she’s not scared, oh dear.) Ashley is a terrible liar, but most of the time she just takes this in stride and says what she thinks, save the few times she starts to try being brave when she is Really Not Feeling It. Whether she’s too scared to go on, or has to let Chris know she’s grateful he chose to save her life, or spies a particular bite… This can lead to some problems, but honestly being set in her ways can help; you know where you stand with Ashley, especially if you fuck her over. ...More on that later!

Perhaps because she’s so bad at lying, it adds to her I-will-speak-up mindset- a weakness that she turns into a strength. Upfront, open, or at least she tries her hardest to be. This can clash with her paranoia, though, so. Well, good luck with that, kid. At the very least, if there’s something on her mind, Ashley will speak up about it, unless she really has time to think hey maybe this isn’t a good idea, such as if she tries to keep Matt from seeing his girlfriend and her ex sharing a tender hug. (And if she lies, it’s still abysmal.) Good, bad, this attribute plays into both.

Academic. A callback to our first trait, Ashley’s one smart cookie, trying to put the mystery together like puzzle pieces. She’s spurned on by her curiosity, but what probably is the root of that curiosity is her very learning-based personality. She’s implied to be quite the studier, a bookish girl, and it shows. When she’s not too panicked to think straight, she can be very astute -- ie. figuring out someone is messing with her and Chris, even though in moments of worry she starts thinking it’s a ghost again at some points -- and she can even push forward in distress to try and learn more. This ties into her curiosity and inquisitive-nature being a crutch as well; after nearly eight hours of a terror-night, if Emily is shot and killed or not, Ashley seeks out the book the now-dead wendigo expert left them and reads it, when there’s nothing else to do. If the only options left to her are panic or learn, she’ll try to learn, even quietly reading off what she’s discovering so the rest of the group can figure it out as well. The desire to learn mixed with her questioning personality make her a real force to be reckoned with when she’s trying to figure out when things are amiss.

It’s important to note that her fear and worry can make Ashley appear self-centric and self-serving, and in some cases, she is. If one betrays her trust, she won’t prioritize their safety. That’s good for herself, bad for the person who wronged her. This isn’t something small, though, like lied and took an extra cookie or said something rude to her; I’m talking life-threatening. Like the bite, though when it becomes clear Emily won’t turn, Ashley is automatically remorseful and realizes how badly she’s screwed up. Or, like if Chris chooses to shoot her in their second Saw-inspired trap of the night. It’s a gun loaded with blanks, but their relationship drops to zero. This event leads to Chris’ death, as when he needs Ashley to open the door to the lodge, locked to try and keep some semblance of safety from the wendigos, she freezes and watches as he’s killed. When Ashley doesn’t know if she can trust someone with her safety, it means she overthinks. She doesn’t act or react. She doesn’t plan Chris’ death, but she doesn’t prevent it…

...But, two things. One, the event comes with a huge amount of trauma. Ashley breaks under the pressure of all the horrible things she’s seen, and she loses her overall good, kind heart. Throughout the rest of the night, she is more distant and reserved, and should she survive, she looks downright shellshocked. Two, with the choices made in this Ashley’s life, she isn’t as messed up. Ashley becoming so distrusting and traumatized and self-centered that she hesitates and lets someone die-- that is a potential outcome for her. It’s there, in her makeup, but it’s not an inevitable.

In other cases, if someone is in her I trust you and will save you mindset, then in the heat of the moment, she might risk herself to save them. Despite there being a dangerous monster outside, if Chris is in her good favor, Ashley immediately opens the door to save him. When she believes Josh is in danger before any of the horrors of the night really start, she rushes to save him. With a little push from her curiosity, there’s the instances with Sam and Jessica as well. Her positive relationships, therefore, are in their own way a strength; they pull her out of her paralyzed paranoia and stir her to action. Now, something bad could come from that action! But at least she acts, and at least she does something rather than wait. Ashley wants to survive. She wants to keep living, more than anything -- but she also wants the people she loves to be there with her, and if she loves them enough, she’ll even rise above her own terror.

When not in life-threatening scenarios, Ashley, while a bit more serious than some of her friends, is still a teenager who likes to relax and have fun. She gets excited about things she loves (books, studying), she feels nervous about confessing to the boy she likes, she teases her friends with a kind of dry sense of humor-- just a bright and eager girl who wants to be liked and write books and kiss boys and enjoy a quiet weekend with her friends. She’s very content to just exist in her social group, more of a follower than a leader, though not shy to voicing her opinion.

Rakka | Haibane Renmei (not reserved)

[charcoalfeather]

Player
Name: Drizz
Personal Journal: lightdrizzel
E-mail: comedianarmy@hotmail.ca
AIM/Plurk/Etc.:
Timezone: PST
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Rakka
Series: Haibane Renmei
Timeline: Post-canon
Canon Resource Links: Spoilers for Haibane Renmei. Content warning: mentions of depression

It starts with a dream; one of falling through a dark sky, alone except for a lone crow that attempted to help her. It was useless though. Rakka thanked it anyways, and it took off, leaving her to plummet through the clouds, spinning and falling... until Rakka awoke to find herself inside a strange cocoon, somehow able to breath and hearing others outside. Fortunately, the cocoon hatched soon after, and Rakka awoke again under bedsheets, and surrounded by winged girls with halos who introduced themselves as Kuu, Kana, Hikari, Nemu, Hyoko and specifically Reki, who found Rakka's cocoon in the first place.

She couldn't remember anything about herself or why she was in the cocoon in the first place, not even her real name. The only thing she knew was the dream she had in the cocoon. All Haibane have a dream when they're in the cocoon, and all of them are named according to their dreams. Rakka dreamed was that she was falling through endless clouds. Ergo, her name basically means "Fall".

Before leaving her to rest, Rakka receives a glowing halo from a mold that floats above her head after some difficulty. Apparently all Haibane are supposed to get them. And after falling sick, later that night, wings sprouted out of her back in a particularly painful shower of blood. All of this happens on her first day.

Over time, Rakka was introduced to being a Haibane, the town of Glie that they live in, people that lived there, and the large stone walls that encircled their entire "world". No matter what, Rakka was told that she should never go near the walls. Although, there are many things that she still doesn't fully understand. Like, why do the Haibane exist? Why do they have wings? Where were her parents?

To fully explain it would be impossible, but the Haibane are a race separate from normal Humans as they come out of cocoons, grow wings out of their backs, and one day just disappear. It's not really known why this happens, or where the Haibane come from. And because they are different, they fall under the jurisdiction of the Haibane Renmei. They follow a set of rules as well. They cannot buy anything new; they must only take things that are used, and use a special notebook instead of money. Rakka's group of Haibane live in outside of town, in a place called Old Home. Which used to be an old school that was left for them.

As Rakka adjusted to this new life, she began to grow accustomed to the town, meeting a variety of people. Including, the Haibane of The Factory, another home for Haibane across the town. And the Toga, a group of strange people always wearing masks that are the only ones allowed to go beyond the walls. The Toga are also the Haibane Renmei, the group that house the Haibane and help them live their lives peacefully.

For a while, nothing happened. Rakka's life was pretty good, and while her search for answers to what she was proved fruitless, she was thankful that her new friends were there with her. But it wasn't long before she started to notice strange things. Immediately after being shown the town, Rakka found herself stalked by a crow that looked exactly like one that she saw in her dream. And then, one day her friend Kuu, the youngest Haibane, suddenly left one day into the forest, disappearing in a tower of light that stretched up into the sky. When the others got there, only her halo was left behind.

That was when she learned about the Day of flight. At some point, after a qualification has been reached, every Haibane eventually takes the day of flight, signaled by their halo blinking in and out. soon they disappear into the western woods, and disappear in a column of light. Kuu was gone, forever.

An entire month passed, and Rakka was still brooding over it. It was made even worse, as one day, black spots begin to appear on Rakka's wings. They slowly spread through her feathers, Rakka unable to stop them in any way. Desperately, she tried cutting her feathers and was discovered by Reki in the process. Revealing that she herself has the same affliction, Reki provides a solution that paints Rakka's wings their previous color and hides the black spots.

It is revealed to Rakka that she is "sinbound". A sinbound Haibane is one that has been plagued by sin and must free themselves. Somehow. As unless Rakka can save herself from her sin, she will be unable to take her day of flight when it comes. With Reki's help though, she is at least able to hide it.

Unfortunately, her depression spirals out of control. Unable to find answers, or figure out why or how she has sinned, Rakka begins to wonder why she even exists at all. eventually breaking down in tears. At this time, the crow finds Rakka again and leads her into the forest, In there she finds a well and falls in, leaving herself stuck and trapped. In there she finds a bird skeleton, the one belonging to the bird in her dream. It had lead her there and Rakka slowly starts to understand her dream. Finding herself at peace with the bird, she buries the skeleton and is rescued by two Toga that come across the well. They do not tell her anything about Kuu though, despite her pleas.

She tries to follow them but gets lost and eventually comes across a part of the wall. Despite the warnings, she touches it and hears Kuu's voice. The Toga communicator finds her and brings her to the right exit of the forest, teaching her that only she herself can make her sin disappear after a long talk. Soon, the other Haibane find her, bringing her home just in time to get a terrible fever. As Reki watched over her, she learned that Rakka's wings were cured. Sinbound no longer.

There would have to be punishment for touching the wall, decreed by the Haibane Renmei. Thankfully for all, Rakka takes it in stride and accepts it. The job? Journeying down inside the walls to harvest glowing metals off the insides to be made into halos. She does it for some time, learning some of the Toga's hand-language, and eventually being given her own "real" name from the Toga. She is given Reki's "real" name to give to her. Because, without her help, Reki will be unable to free herself from her sin and take the Day of flight. Her wings will fall off, and she will no longer be a Haibane. It's up to Rakka to help her.

Reki on the other hand fell further and further into despair, as her friend has been cured of sin while she has not. Eventually, it all came to a head, when Rakka gave her the "real" name, and she remembered what happened in her dream. They fought, Reki telling Rakka she was just using her to save herself, and Rakka ran in tears. But despite that, and Reki very nearly falling victim to her sin, Rakka knew she actually cared. She rushed back to Reki, saved her from her fate, and the two of them were able to pull through. In the end, Reki took her day of flight, and Rakka continued to live and work in Old Home, never forgetting her friend.

Kain Highwind || Final Fantasy IV || Reserved

[dragonsfang]

Player
Name: Haley or Hollow. Either is fine.
Personal Journal: n/a
E-mail: hollowwolfpup@hotmail.com It is old, I don't use it often.
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: DragonsFang (Plurk), I have Skype, but I don't give it away easily.
Timezone: Canadian Atlantic time
Current Characters in Route: n/a

Character
Name: Kain Highwind
Series: Final Fantasy IV/Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Timeline: Post-TaY (Seventeen years after the events of FF4)
Canon Resource Links:
Here
A bit of extra information from information, directly translated.

Personality:
Pre-Final Fantasy Four
As a bit of background information. The Highwind family was a highly viewed family within the Baronian military. Known for being some of the best among the Dragoons, being part of the reason the Dragoons formed to begin with. Kain's own father, Richard Highwind, had served as Dragoon Commander before Kain.
This created a perfectionist's need to become better, stronger than his peers. As a Highwind Kain was held to specific standards and expectations by himself and others. Thus, Kain long held a negative view of himself, but would never admit to it or allow it to be seen; after all, a Highwind shouldn't be weak.
He found himself developing feelings for Rosa, who he knew quite well only had eyes for Cecil. So said feelings were something he denied, ignored to the best of his ability. Despite the jealousy he felt, always being beaten out by Cecil, those two were his greatest friends. Painful as it was he wanted to be happy for them...

Final Fantasy Four
Though lacking in true confidence Kain was the outwardly confident Commander of Baron's Dragoons. Calm and collected at all times he led the Dragoons as any Knight should, never questioned his liege or his orders, went about his work without being bothered to second-guess the cause or reason. There was no need for him to think twice after all, he was never taught to. Why start when it would only get him into trouble after all?
This would change as the story progresses. After being separated from Cecil in the Village of Mist, Kain is taken to Baron again; brainwashed by Golbez who had taken control of the Kingdom. In this state he's made into a cold pawn, farther playing upon his unquestioning nature. Memories suppressed and thoughts controlled tightly Kain maintains control of his actions though has been turned thoughtless, hateful of the world around himself; and especially of Cecil.
Upon the Tower of Zot he was released from the spell, shaken and quite unnerved by his actions. Ashamed and afraid of what he'd done while in the Warlock's trance, Kain almost refused to join with his friends, feeling he didn't deserve to stand among them. What brought him along was the faith put in him by Rosa, and the fact that unlike the rest of the party he knew of Golbez's plan. To prove himself better than his actions he went along with his allies, both redemption and revenge held as his final goal.
Eventually, despite his deeds Kain seemed to come out of it alright, his fear and anxiety passing. He'd even managed to gain some confidence in the war, some faith that all might be well in the end. Until The Sealed Cave. In their quest for the final Dark Crystal Kain grew overconfident, despite Golbez once again attempting to take control; believing himself capable of not being controlled again, though a bit concerned, he went on through the cave. Went on until the spell brought him to his knees.
A puppet this time, simply watching his own actions. When next Kain was free he was far from the determined Dragoon he seemed to be at the beginning. Quite broken down as a result of all he'd caused and seen, once again it took Rosa's faith to bring Kain along one final time. Despite his faltering belief in his own will he needed to be there to watch Zemus, the cause of all he'd suffered, be defeated. Needed to be among the party that finally put an end to the true cause of the world's near doom.
In the end Kain retreated to Mount Ordeals to train, to seek final redemption for all that he'd done. Upon that Mountain he would remain until finally...

Final Fantasy Four: The After Years

Hooded Man
Seventeen years later and Kain has finally begun his trial on Mount Ordeals. There he must accept the Darkness within himself to finally beat it, to finally surpass himself. Unfortunately, all the events of Final Fantasy Four conditioned Kain to a thought quite contrary to accepting the parts of himself he so despised. In his mind he needed to be rid of the past and the Darkness that haunted him due to it.
In the trial Kain failed, a deadly strike giving his darkness free rein to leave the Mirror Chamber and act as he wished. A dying wish to protect those he loved, however, allowed one more chance. Wound healed the corpse rose again, taking on the alias of The Hooded Man given the directive to seek out the Darkness and complete his trial once and for all.
He left the mountain to begin his trial anew, focusing in on the goal of defeating his other half, protecting Cecil and Rosa. Alongside a boy named Ceodore he believed it possible. All until reaching Baron, that is. Within castle walls The Hooded Man found Cecil acting quite oddly. Cecil had not even recognized him, and Rosa was no where to be found. So again he set out alongside Ceodore, hoping to find Rosa. His original hopes dashed, The Hooded Man went on with focus on his need to defeat the Dark Dragoon.
Though his faith had wavered he put his trust in Baron's young prince, doing as he could to help Ceodore find his mother. As they traveled he began learning what he needed to defeat his other half, though he certainly didn't like it at first. Soon the duo reached the castle of Damcyan where they learned Rosa had been abducted by Kain. This sent them on yet another chase to Baron Castle to save Rosa.
It certainly brought back The Hooded Man's strength, exerting all his power to defeat the Dark Dragoon. He fought until he could disarm his adversary. Through his journey he'd learned the need to accept his other half, the Darkness was as much a part of him as his own body; it wasn't something that could be purged from existence. Finally reaching out to that which he'd long feared, he completed his trial...

Dark Dragoon
Unbeknownst to The Hooded Man his target hadn't left the Mountain originally. While his counterpart went on a quest of his own the Dark Dragon remained on Mount Ordeals. He had found himself without a cause or purpose despite his freedom, lingering atop the mountain until a new catalyst appeared. Lady Porom of Mysidia had been sent to retrieve the Dragoon.
Back in Mysidia the Dark Dragoon seems to disappear as monsters begin their assault. Learning of the matters at hand the Dark Dragoon takes the Water Crystal of Mysidia, offering it to the Maenad who headed the attack... in exchange for a chance at taking Cecil's life. Pushed by memories of stealing the crystals, latent desires that had been so often ignored by Kain himself leading the Dark Dragoon.
For this chance he fought to claim the Wind and Fire Crystals, along the way assuring past allies that he was acting of his own will. Every action was a bit of proof of his own strength, determination to achieve his goals despite lingering insecurity about his existence that had been denied countless times in the past. All until he found Rosa, abducting her and returning to Baron, taunting how he intended to kill Cecil, to take her for himself.
But soon in Baron he would find himself in battle with, well, himself. Against The Hooded Man he fought to prove that he was Kain. While in his favor at first the Dark Dragoon soon found himself defeated, even accepted by his other half. Still he argued, fearful, tried to push The Hooded Man to disbelieve their shared existence. He didn't want to die, or disappear. Eventually though he gave in with the promise of is existence...
Holy Dragoon
The trial completed Kain found himself brought together again as a Holy Dragoon. A new power, what he'd aimed to achieve since he left for the Mountain, proof of his redemption. A strange occurrence at first, a mix of feelings that he hardly had anytime to consider. He was put swiftly into battle with Cecil, forced to make use of the power he'd been given for the first time without even knowing what to do with it.
It wasn't until reaching their next destination, The True Moon, Kain would be given time to think. Concerned and excited in regards to his ascension, confusion at the strange feeling. Fear for Cecil, if he was going to survive whatever seemed to be causing him such pain as they neared the moon. Fear for his planet, the need to defend it. Slowly throughout the moon Kain regains his once lost strength, his ascension a gateway to gaining some faith in himself.
Having finally proven himself, at end game we see Kain placed as a Red Wing Captain. His trial has paid off, though seen scolding Ceodore he smiles; prepared for that which may come. He's beginning to overcome his insecurity and fear, finally with some faith in himself.

Undyne | Undertale | Reserved

[challengeaccepted]

Player
Name: Cam
Personal Journal: camington
E-mail: soulsneasel [at] gmail
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: soulsneasel on aim, camington
Timezone: CST
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Undyne
Series: Undertale
Timeline: Neutral-Pacifist run, after befriending Frisk
Canon Resource Links: Here!

Hans | Frozen | not reserved

[skujle]

Player
Name: Michelle
Personal Journal: xehanoot
E-mail: sweetstacking@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: sweetstacks
Timezone: Pacific
Current Characters in Route: None!

Character
Name: Hans of the Southern Isles
Series: Frozen
Timeline: End of the movie
Canon Resource Links: look at that smug jerk

Personality: On the surface, Hans is charming, polite, and chivalrous. He listens well and takes genuine interest in whomever he's speaking to. More often than not, people take to Hans very easily--it's part of his easygoing charm and appeal. Hans is good with people above all else. He appeals to them and makes them feel wanted and loved.

Of course, that's on the surface.

In reality, Hans is a narcissist, and extremely cold and calculating. Hans's goal, above all else, is to "find his own place"--that place being a kingdom of his own to rule. It's for this reason he travels to Arendelle, and the reason he charms his way into Princess Anna's heart. He appeals to her lonely nature; he promises her that he'll be there for her. Hans knows how people tick--he figures Anna out fairly quickly, and he preys on her insecurities. Hans knows he can get away with it, too, because he's so charming. It's that mask which allows him to freely manipulate people--they won't expect someone as kind and noble as Hans to betray them, so it's a non-issue.

Not so. Hans's major talent is manipulation. He has no qualms about hurting people, as long as he gets what he wants. In a matter of one short evening, he has Anna wrapped around his finger; he proposes to her, and because he's been so open and kind to her, she accepts immediately. Hans convinces her that what they have is true love, that he cares for Anna; but really, he cares only about himself. Hans has no problems lying or deceiving, even to the most unsuspecting people. His mastery of lying and manipulation make him a dangerous villain--if only because he seems so unassuming.

And that's another facet of his personality worth mentioning: He's good at making people feel wanted. Hans reads people as easily as he lies, so it allows him to get into their heads. Even the most innocent people can get ensnared in Hans's web of lies and manipulation. Of course, when someone seems to not trust him, they've immediately solidified Hans's dislike for them. And Hans believes that--that anything he does is not actually his fault. Hans doesn't take lightly to people distrusting him. For example, when Elsa expresses discomfort in regards to his and Anna's marriage, he's obviously bothered. (This may or may not have any bearing on his later plans to kill her...)

But as much as Hans lies and manipulates, he claims to dislike violence. It's not something that he respects; rather, he prefers cunning and brains over shows of brute strength. This results in his being a quick thinker and master planner. And Hans shows incredible restraint when it comes to his plans. He hides his glee over being told that Arendelle depends on him after Anna's "death." He even manages to cry--even if it takes him destroying the inside of his cheek to do so. Hans prefers to have options. To him, murder is messy, and it results in an incredible lack of options later. But even with his dislike of violence, when Hans has no other choice, he'll certainly resort to it--Hans doesn't want to look weak, after all, especially after making such an intense declaration: The queen must be killed.

Like said previously, Hans is a master liar and manipulator, but he also wields very high intellect. Hans's plan to take over Arendelle is not without its hiccups, but Hans adapts--such as when he meets Anna and not Elsa, when Elsa suddenly runs away, and when Anna is seemingly dead at her sister's hands. Hans is able to improvise on the fly, and his lies even then are no less impressive--he keeps a calm exterior, even when he's most annoyed. Hans knows how people work; therefore, he's able to get under their skin. He pulls no punches when he confronts Elsa on the frozen fjord. Without hesitation, he proclaims that her sister is dead and takes the opportunity to attempt to murder Elsa. Even though Hans does not feel remorse or true love for anyone, he still understands others' emotions--it's how he forges a seemingly strong, if shallow, bond with Anna. While Hans lacks any sort of empathy whatsoever, he's still able to act. He truly convinces everyone that he is genuinely remorseful and broken up about Anna's "death." He uses his image to his advantage: He states something along the lines that, since he's been pretending to be the doting fiancé, it's easy to pretend he's legitimately devastated.

Above all else, Hans does value intellect. He abhors feeling like a fool; when he confronts Oaken and is unable to retrieve an answer, he starts to feel angry. Angry, because he's not able to use his intellect as masterfully as he'd like, and because Oaken plain just won't cooperate with him. Hans hates being sidetracked in anything; his plans are incredibly important (to him) and anything else is just a distraction. And Hans uses his intellect to manipulate, too. "The more I know," Hans states in the novel, "the easier it is to manipulate." Hans himself is a sort of businessman: He tells people what they want to hear, gives them what they want--if only to benefit himself. He's willing to even pay a hefty amount of money in order to get what he wants. The slightest resistance--such as when he suspects Kristoff is trying to win over Anna and the throne--immediately draws his ire. But Hans eventually cools his head--and focuses on his plans.

So Hans is also a opportunist. The novel A Frozen Heart delves deeper into Hans's background and personality. Hans appeals to his father through a combination of sucking up and doing anything he's told to; something he absolutely hates. Yet Hans soldiers on, because his goal is more important than his pride. Of course, Hans is not without his pride. He believes he deserves the best, and he resents anyone who thinks otherwise--this is his narcissism at play, and he proclaims himself a "hero," even, when he betrays Anna. Hans also feels an immense amount of pride when the people of Arendelle express that they can count only on him--that he's their only hope. Because Hans is such an opportunist, he'll tackle any obstacle that comes his way--he himself states that he "didn't have a chance" to acquire a throne of his own without marrying someone.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
+ MANIPULATION: When Hans sees something or someone he can use, he manipulates the crap out of them. He's a puppetmaster in the truest sense; because Hans knows how people work, he uses that to his advantage.
+ COOLNESS: Hans can keep his composure pretty well. Even when Anna drags him around at the party, he still manages to stay calm--and act.
+ CHARISMA: Hans is outwardly a charismatic guy; he does his best to appeal to those he believes he can use. It usually works.
+ PEOPLE SKILLS: As a prince, Hans is good with people. He knows how they work, and he reads them very easily.
+ ACTING: Hans manages to act the part of a perfect, noble prince. He wins over Anna and the people of Arendelle easily, by putting up an amiable front.
+ LEADERSHIP: People look to Hans to lead them when the two sisters are absent from Arendelle--and even if it's for selfish reasons, Hans leads them well enough.
+ HARD WORKER: Hans works hard to get his father's approval (which is not easily given) for him to go to Arendelle for Elsa's coronation.

+/- AMBITIOUS: Both a positive and a negative; while his ambition is impressive (since he went so long without his true goal coming out) it also leads to his downfall. His ambition is probably the root of all his problems: Hans wants to be recognized, Hans wants everything that rightfully belongs to him. ... Or, so he thinks.

- JERK: Hans has few truly redeeming qualities. From the start, he lies and manipulates just so he can claim a throne that does not belong to him.
- UTTER LACK OF REMORSE AND EMPATHY: Hans feels absolutely no remorse for any of his actions. He does not care that he leaves Anna to die, as long as he gets what he believes he deserves.
- CAN'T TAKE A PUNCH: Hans is only human, of course; he can be felled with a single punch.
- NARCISSISM: There is one person that Hans truly loves: himself. Hans believes he deserves the best, and if anyone stands in his way, he's willing to take them down.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Smoochum
Password: Peppermint Bark

Ruby Rose | RWBY | Reserved

[rosetotheoccasion]

Player
Name: Kiyuu
Personal Journal: kiyuubey
E-mail: kiyuuchan@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: Kiyuukins
Timezone: EST
Current Characters in Route: Elsa (defyingfrigidity)

Character
Name: Ruby Rose
Series: RWBY
Timeline: 3x10; "The Battle of Beacon", just as the teams are running out of the arena
Canon Resource Links: Ruby @ RWBY Wikia

Friendly reminder that there are SPOILERS for Ruby's canonpoint episode in the personality and third person sample! I've whited said spoilers out.

Personality: Ruby is a girl who as raised on fairy tales and stories of gallant heroes - her parents among them - saving the world from the forces of evil. In many ways, it's these stories that helped shape Ruby into who she is today.

At her forefront, Ruby is a deeply altruistic person with a strong sense of justice. When she's first introduced in the series proper, she fights off a group of robbers holding up a store she was shopping at. She doesn't just scare them off, she chases after them - but only after making sure the store owner was okay first. This desire to follow in her parents' footsteps and help all the people of the world is what keeps her going and gives her the strength to fight. She even says it herself: she's studying to be a Huntress so she can be a hero like in the stories.

With that sort of altruism comes a deep sense of compassion. Ruby's friends and the care she gives out to the people she thinks of - or wants to think of - as such are a big deal for her. She'll go out of her way to help the people close to her heart, even if doing so could get her in trouble. She isn't one to judge someone just based on the outside, either; she does her best to look past the images people present to the outside world and tries to get a glimpse at who they really are. It's how she befrinded Weiss Schnee, the stuck-up heiress to an extremely controversial company. It doesn't matter if her teammate Blake Belladonna is an ex-gang member, Ruby will still worry about her and believe that she's capable of rising up above her past. She's even one of the first people to believe Yang when she said her fight in the Vytal Festival - where it seemed like Yang broke the leg of her opponent after the battle ended - was rigged. Ruby will have your back no matter what, and her utter faith in her friends and family is one of the most unshakable things in the series thus far.

This wasn't how Ruby was from Day One, however. When she first arrived at Beacon, she was more or less okay with Yang - her sister - being her only friend, and was in fact upset when she heard new students had to partner up for their entire stay at the school. This doesn't really stem from any sort of serious antisocial attitude, but more because of a bit of social awkwardness on Ruby's part. She knows how odd it is for a younger student like her to be accepted into Beacon, and she had a hard time dealing with being separated from her friends at her old school, Signal. It doesn't help that she's not really into the whole active social thing; she was clearly uncomfortable during the party for the students in season 2, and gladly grabs the first opportunity to get out of it.

Ruby's strong sense of compassion and believe in others has its downsides, of course. Ruby is extremely trusting of people of others, especially her friends, and this sort of trust is very easy to manipulate. Three of the main villains had disguised themselves as students competing the the Vytal Festival tournament, and Ruby has no hesitations at all when she tries to befriend them. This backfires horribly on her in recent events; she has such a hard time processing that Mercury might be evil that he's able to stall her and keep her out of the way while Emerald pulls off a much more sinister part of Cinder's plan.

This is because Ruby is naive. That much is obvious now. It's not all that surprising, though, with her being several years younger than all her classmates; she hasn't seen much of the world outside the safety of her home. Ruby hasn't had to face much of the horrors of the real world, and in the times she has - seeing an abandoned city overrun with Grimm, fighting off extremest resistance fighters from the White Fang - she's usually somber afterwards. It's clear that these incidents weigh heavily on her, and she has to struggle to comprehend them and not let them affect her too much.

This isn't to say that Ruby is stupid. Quite the opposite, in fact! Ruby is very intelligent, especially for someone her age. She was accepted into the most prestigious school for Huntsmen and Huntresses there is, and several years ahead of other students in her grade to boot. She's quite a decent strategist, able to put together plans on the fly in the middle of battle that can go out without a hitch, ad it's these qualities that Professor Ozpin took into account when he made her the leader of Team RWBY, a duty Ruby takes very seriously. Or... mostly seriously.

She can be a bit silly about that. She's a badass Huntress-in-Training, yes, and has helped foil the plans of Torchwick and the White Fang several times now, but it's important to remember that Ruby is still just a 15 year old girl. She still gets childishly excited about things like sleepovers with friends and cool weapons,, still goofs off while slacking in class, and is generally a big ball of excited energy in new situations. Hell, her very first action as leader of Team RWBY was to declare that they would turn their dorm beds into bunk beds! And it totally worked out. It was awesome.

It's hard to see, but under the peppiness and friendliness, there's a lot of sadness and bitterness in Ruby's heart. Her mother, summer Rose, died when Ruby was very young, and it's clear that Ruby never really fully recovered from her loss. She still talks to Summer's gravestone like her mother was really there, and while her words are hopeful and loving... Ruby feels more than a little betrayed by Summer running off and disappearing in battle. Her character song "Red Like Roses pt II" (along with Word of God supporting said song) has Ruby blaming Summer for abandoning her, and having trouble moving past that death.

Thankfully this sadness isn't something that consumes her. It can paralyze her (she was only able to snap out of the shock and grief of seeing Penny "dead" when Pyrrha was in danger), but... like any good hero, Ruby can pick herself up and keep pushing forward.

Strengths/Weaknesses:

+Strategically and academically advanced: Ruby entered the most prestigious academy for Huntresses a full two years early, and became the leader of her own team through sheer skill. This is no easy feat, and shows Ruby is a lot smarter than she initially seems.

+ Advanced mechanical knowhow: Ruby's shown to have a good knack for machines. She built her own weapon - a scythe that doubles as a high-impact sniper rifle - mostly on her own, and is able to give an easy rundown on many weapons just at first glance.

+ Absurdly friendly to no end: Even if others come off as disinterested or outright hostile (Blake and Weiss) to her, she'll still stop at nothing to make friends with them!

+ Compassionate: Linked to that, she'll do just about anything to help people in need, whether they be human, faunus, or robot. It's her main driving force to be a huntress, after all.

+/- Trusting to no fault: Ruby wants to see the best in people, even those she doesn't know well. While this can be a pretty admirable quality, it leaves her open to be manipulated by those with less than good intentions.

+/- Unstoppable desire to play hero: Another good quality! As noted with her compassion, it's all Ruby wants to do. And while she's done good work so far, it also leads her to investigate things without even stopping to plan or even grab Crescent Rose first. Both incidents have led to enemies easily gaining the upper hand on her.

- Naive: As seriously as Ruby takes her job, she also still believes it's something like out of a fairy tale. She doesn't do well when exposed to the real horrors of the world, and has a hard time processing things like betrayal.

- Social Awkwardness: Though it has dimmed a bit, Ruby has a bit of a hard time talking to people, to the point where she didn't really plan on making any friends, and was incredibly uncomfortable at large social events.

- tendency to bottle up negative feelings: On the outside, you'd never guess that Ruby ever felt anything bad! But on the inside, she's still very bitter over her mother's death. Pushing those feelings deep down is bound to cause some serious issues if that bitterness ever snaps.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Houndour
Password: Peppermint Bark

Samples
First Person Sample: [There's a bit of a clatter when the video turns on, and the view is a bit skewed; a sideways shot of the very same house all non-Rockets wake up in. A pair of black and red boots can be seen pacing back and forth, their owner reaching down and grabbing a few other things that had spilled from their bag, along with the 'gear.]

Miss, I don't-- [The owner of the fear - a young girl it seems - halts as "Mom" continues to drone on with her usual spiel, a slight whine in her voice as she impatiently bounces on the balls of her feet.]

Miss, I really don't think you-- I mean, I really appreciate this, I guess!! But you're not really... [Sigh. She's not really listening is she? Guess she has no choice...]

I'msorryIreallyamthankfulbutIgottagobye!

[The words rush out all in one breath, and with a flurry of footsteps, the girl is gone.

... Without her Pokegear.

Luckily, a moment later a Houndour appears, grabbing the device in its mouth and running off. The camera jostles around a bit but stops soon enough, with the girl - dressed all in red and black, wrapped in a hooded red cape, and black hair cut short - finally in full view.]

What- yikes!

[She jumps back, shock on her face and a small bit of fear in her eyes. After a moment, though, she leans a little closer.]

You... you're not a Grimm, are you?

[A muffled bark comes from the Houndour holding the gear, and it's only then that the girl notices the device and quickly grabs it. After giving it a quick once-over to determine what exactly it is, she turns it in what she hopes is the right direction...!]

Uh... mayday, mayday! SOS! Some other distress call! .... Help? Geez, I don't know what I should be saying here...

[FOCUS. Okay. Breathe in, breathe out.]

T-This is Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY, and I have no idea where I am! This, uh... this isn't Vale, is it?

[As her adrenaline starts to fade, Ruby's shoulders slump.]

I... I gotta get back. Like, right now! There are a whole lot of people that need help...

Third Person Sample: Ruby Rose was a fierce Huntress. She could take down monstrous Grimm ten times her size (with help, of course!), fight off all manner of thugs and criminals, and even manage to stop a train (again, with help!)! There was nothing in Johto nor Remnant that could bring her down!

"Augh-hey! Drei, quit it!"

... Except an overexcited houndour puppy, it seemed. In the aftermath of a hard-fought battle, Ruby had scooped the pop up in her arms and twirled about in celebration of their victory, and with the mischievous amusement that most young pokemon have, he had clamped down hard on the front of Ruby's hood and tugged it down over her face, tail wagging a mile a minute.

Things hadn't always been this way, though. After all, Ruby had been dragged out of Remnant in the middle of a massive, chaotic Grimm attack. Those terrible creatures with the white skull masks, that were attracted to the despair of mankind...

And boy, despairing was she. It seemed like every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Penny, broken and too-still on the floor of the arena. She hadn't even registered that the Grimm were attacking until the Giant Nevermore finally broke through the arena's barrier. Everything after that - taking up one of Penny's swords to protect Pyrrha, joining up with CFVY, JNPR, SSSN, and the others to head to the ships - had passed by in a sort of blur, and then... she had woken up here, and that Houndour had appeared next to her. With its dark fur and the skull-like helmet.... poor thing. She'd very nearly attacked it...!

But that had been then. In the time since, Drei had proven himself to be a loyal companion, as good a dog as Zwei is, and an important aid in pulling Ruby out of her grief-induced funk. Thanks to him (and her new friends!) she was back to her bubbly self!

In the present, Ruby still shook her head in a futile attempt to get Drei to release her hood, but to no avail. So with an overdramatic sigh of defeat, Ruby flopped over onto the grass below them, arms raised in surrender.

"Okay, okay, you win! I surrender, o mighty king of the doggies!"

Happy with the admission of defeat, Drei finally releases her hood, choosing now to push his nose under it, snuffling and licking at his trainer's face as she squeals and laughs.

"H-Hey, that's just not fair!"

Nicolas Brown | Gangsta [1]

[dreamship]

Player
Name: Sunny
Personal Journal: dreamship
E-mail: connects.the.sky [at] gmail
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: AIM=shonencloudburst
Timezone: GMT-6 - US Central
Current Characters in Route: esthetically//Rei

Character
Name: Nicolas "Nic" Brown
Series: Gangsta.
Timeline: Chapter 23
Canon Resource Links: Wikia

Weiss Schnee || RWBY || Reserved

[usedglaciate]

Player
Name: Jen
Personal Journal: preternatural
E-mail: magentahazes [at] gmail [dot] com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: magentaskies
Timezone: EST
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Weiss Schnee
Series: RWBY
Timeline: Post-vol. 3, episode 10 (The Battle of Beacon)
Canon Resource Links: RWBY Wiki

Personality: Weiss comes off ice-cold to most everyone when she first meets them. There are a few reasons for this - arrogance, even a bit of narcissism - but one reason is underneath the surface. Being the heiress to the largest company in the world has come with a need to keep people at a distance. Why?

The company has had a target on its back from the moment her grandfather started it. It's been a full-out war, resulting in near-constant bloodshed: family friends have disappeared, board members have been executed. Keeping people at a distance is a defense mechanism - if people aren't close, it doesn't hurt as much when they die.

For Weiss personally, this conflict has a more painful side: her father is angry every time he comes home, and he takes it out on his daughters. (As a note, Weiss doesn’t put it in so many words; she says she had a ‘difficult childhood’, related to her father’s anger.) Growing up in that kind of setting has influenced her personality a lot - trying to stay on the good side of someone that's angry will do that to a person. What does this mean? Weiss is a perfectionist to a fault; she’s trained until her fighting style is almost like an elegant dance, she’s incredibly smart, and she works hard. Of course, it’s not all work for her. she admits that while things weren’t easy, she’s had almost everything she wants given to her.

By the time we first meet her in the series, she not only has an attitude of ‘well, of course I deserve to be at the top’, it’s combined with a defensive ‘and everyone else around me is a dunce’.

This all changes - slowly - when Weiss comes to Beacon Academy. It takes meeting Ruby Rose and being partnered with her to start to melt the icy exterior. The instant they're paired up, there's tension: Weiss wants Ruby to get serious, Ruby thinks Weiss needs to loosen up. The other members of the newly-formed Team RWBY - Ruby's sister, Yang Xiao Long, and Blake Belladonna - go without comment, at least initially.

It's a real shock for Weiss when after everything, she isn't named team leader. This is enough to drive Weiss to outright anger: yes, her teammates are cheering for her, but if she was the leader, they’d be in a lot better shape. She talks to one of her professors about it, but she doesn’t get the confirmation that she would have been the better leader. Instead, she’s told not to focus on what she doesn’t have, but instead focus on being the best person she can be.

That conversation sparks a huge change in Weiss. She acts more open towards people, she’s bonding with the team, and she’s smiling a lot more. She becomes more able to check her own perfectionism and snark in favor of what's best for everyone. She's also a lot more willing to call people out when they aren't keeping up with an agreement or a promise. It's not an easy change to make, though; she has to take a few more hard knocks before she's able to change. It's made clear that Weiss has a long way to go when she has a confrontation with Blake over the White Fang - a terrorist group of Faunus (people with animal features) that's targeted her family for years. It turns out that Blake grew up in the White Fang and is a Faunus. Weiss is frosty as the team searches for her, but in the end, after twelve hours of searching, she decides that she doesn't care. As long as her teammates are straight with her and no longer involved with terror groups, she can deal.

This is the point where things start to change. While Weiss might be softer around the edges, enough to take part in food fights and attempt to make puns, she hasn't entirely lost her icy edge. This is made clear by the fact she slams a door in Jaune Arc's face after he sings her a song to try to ask her to the Beacon Prom. She's quick with an insult when Ruby and Yang's father sends a dog in the mail, too, even though this particular bit of ice melts a moment later when the dog's cuteness wins her over.

The four go out on their first real mission after this, and Weiss, Blake, and Yang are all asked about their reasons for becoming Huntresses. Weiss' answer is 'It's exactly as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty.' It's not just about duty, as she later explains: she knows that her family has done some awful things. The words 'moral gray area' aren't entirely enough to describe it.

She's at the point now where she wants to face her past and her future at the same time: she'll fight to set things right. That's confirmed further as volume 3 happens. Her sister gives her an ultimatum, after they talk: she can be the perfect heiress, or she can travel, learn, and become the best person she can be. She chooses the latter, and no matter how hard that gets, she intends to walk that path. Weiss has also become much more of a team player, as evidenced when she throws herself into the line of fire during the tournament in order to give Yang an advantage. She's learned to trust them all implicitly and is shocked when others don't feel the same way.

Karkat Vantas | Homestuck | Reserved

[quadrangle]

Player
Name: lina
Personal Journal: arrogant
E-mail: Would prefer not to give this out, sorry.
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: facetious
Timezone: PST (I'M SO SORRY THIS APP IS LATE BLAME MY TIMEZONE??? THIS IS ALSO WHY I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO HAVE SOMEONE LOOK IT OVER. FUCK, NEVERMIND, I'LL STOP MAKING EXCUSES.)
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Karkat Vantas
Series: Homestuck
Timeline: [S] Game Over
Canon Resource Links: Wiki entry

Personality: Give us at minimum 2-3 full paragraphs of how you understand your character's personality. Talk about basic characteristics, any major developments over the course of their canon, their motives, their social behavior, and anything else you can think of that shows off your knowledge of this character.


On Alternia, the color of a troll's blood is everything. Consequently, delving into Karkat's personality without first explaining that his mutant cherry red meant instant death would make most of the text to come extremely confusing. Suffice it to say that despite how little the color matters after his home planet's destruction, it's held the greatest sway over how his personality developed pre-Sgrub and continues to influence him until the events in [S] Game Over. Most notably, his blood color and the life experiences he had because of it infused Karkat with deep paranoia, self-loathing, and... well, A TORTURED PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE FULL OF TOTALLY HYSTERICAL EMOTIONS AND UNAIRED GRIEVANCES AT PRACTICALLY EVERYBODY.

The paranoia is understandable; Karkat needed to keep the color of his blood concealed at all costs. This meant, to some extent, limiting his in-person interactions with other trolls, ignoring the cultural convention of typing in his blood color, and deflecting the attention his secretive habits inevitably drew. He only revealed his blood color to the other trolls after Alternia had been destroyed, and he was insistent that he gain their respect as a leader before doing so. Shortly before the events of [S] Game Over, Karkat shows similar uncertainty about the strength of his bonds with others by pointedly asking Dave whether the two of them would still be "bros" after reuniting with Jade and John. Some of his doubts are due to his low feelings of self-worth, further expanded upon below, but his anxiety over relationships and how he's perceived by others is nothing if not an evolution of the fear that he is literally expendable.

His self-loathing, meanwhile, grows from the fact that he was unable to escape internalizing the stigma of his blood and the perceived need to justify his existence. His original plan for doing so, should perpetually hiding not work, was to become an excellent enough threshecutioner that the empire would excuse him from his mandatory culling. Both options were unrealistic, but more importantly, they gave him plenty of reason to both feel ashamed for being who he was and work toward goals that were unobtainable. Failure to achieve the latter thus became justification for the former, and any other mistakes or personal failings quickly joined the Comprehensive List of Reasons Why Karkat Sucks (note: actual title probably has more swear words). This mindset, like his other issues, persists well past the point where his blood even matters; after all, his mistakes do, too. Worse, he finds ways to blame himself for things he couldn't have seen coming, solely because of course everything is his fault. He's perfected the art of self-flagellation to the point that he contacts himself at various points in his own timeline to tell himself how stupid he has been, is being, or will be, and yes, those conversations are about as ridiculous as they sound.

On top of all that, Karkat has a plethora of other issues that conspire to make his life difficult. His default state is "furious at everything, especially himself," which emerges from the aforementioned self-loathing as well as a total inability to regulate his emotions. His tendency to blow things out of proportion is not limited to his personal mistakes; he can and will react melodramatically to almost any situation, usually by throwing a tantrum. These tantrums are probably what he's best known for, both due to their frequency and their highly creative, offensive, and repulsive contents. The word "fuck" also tends to feature prominently, but that and every other curse under the sun (moons? shit) are a staple of his speech regardless. Talking to Karkat is akin to navigating a minefield wherein the mines are gross bodily functions, depraved sexual acts, and physics/anatomy-defying feats made possible either in pursuit of one of the above or as their direct consequence.

He's hotheaded in other ways, too. The trolling campaign against the humans, for example, was something he initiated without any real planning, and his impulsiveness in other areas is probably why he professes to hate Past Karkat the instant he's finished being him. The way he rushed Kanaya through breeding his session's Genesis Frog is another case in point (see also Strengths/Weaknesses). Strangely, he seems to have a hard time recognizing his impatience as a problem; when Jade brought it to his attention, he dismissed the issue in a way that validated the creation of her countermeasure, saying, "YOUR STUPID PASSWORDS ARE ALSO STANDING IN MY WAY. IF NOT FOR THAT I COULD BE FAST TRACKING THIS TO SOLUTION CITY FOR US BOTH."

That being said, most of Karkat's insults are meaningless. He cares very deeply for his friends and always makes time to talk to them, especially when they're upset. Before and after the Reckoning, for example, he would listen to the trolls' grievances even when the person airing them was generally regarded as an asshole (AKA Eridan). He also humored Nepeta's roleplaying obsession, if sarcastically, and despite the fact that he did not return her feelings, he did his best to tiptoe around her crush on him instead of breaking her heart. His friendship with Sollux is also fairly demonstrative of this concept; the two of them would talk shit to each other pretty much constantly, but each would back down if the other requested it and, in Karkat's case, ask if they were still friends when he was worried he'd gone too far.

It's only when one of them betrays the group outright that Karkat's hostility gains any sincerity, and even then, he's ineffective at acting upon it. When things came to a head on the meteor, he ordered Equius to stop Gamzee and Eridan's rampages, and later, when he confronted Gamzee himself, he shooshed, papped, and hugged the other troll instead of fighting him. In [S] Game Over, meanwhile, he completely lost it and leaped to attack Gamzee, probably because his ex-moirail was in the process of beating the shit out of Terezi at the time, and... well, that ended the way it did.

Considering his simultaneous preoccupation with romance and romantic comedies and how unrepentant he is about both, it's probably safe to conclude by saying that while Karkat gives every appearance of being acerbic in the extreme, the opposite is the real case. He's just really, really awful at admitting it.


Strengths/Weaknesses: Try to cover the good points of what they can do, their life skills (not necessarily powers, but things they're just good at). Go into their biggest fears and what they just can’t do.

LEADER

Even though things wound up going spectacularly to shit at the conclusion of the troll's game, neither the Blue nor the Red team would have managed to succeed if Karkat hadn't seized control of both. He still has a long way to go before his potential in this area is fully realized, but even before facing some of his harder lessons, he still proved adept at inspiring others to follow his lead.

He's also good at shouting them into submission. That is also a thing that's true.

SO MANY FEELS

Karkat may not quite be a HARDENED VETERAN OF ROMANTIC STUDIES, but he is indisputably the go-to guy for any sort of romantic/interpersonal/emotional problem. He's empathetic, an excellent listener, and has far more patience for everyone else's bullshit than he does for his own. When it comes to providing emotional support, therefore, he's simply the best there is. (Except for the Mayor. No one's as awesome as the Mayor.)

SHEER BLOODY-MINDEDNESS (F'ING LOL!)

Despite growing up in a society where the color of his blood meant an instant death sentence, Karkat nonetheless managed to survive for six sweeps and, through lots of yelling and herding of recalcitrant team members, hang on for a sweep and a half(ish) more. This perseverance can just as easily be labeled stubbornness, however, and it has landed him in equal if not greater heaps of trouble over the course of his lifespan, but seeing as how it led to the birth of a whole new universe and what will hopefully be the continuation of his species in the retconned timeline if nothing else, I'm counting it as a strength, shut up.

SELF-LOATHING

For all his ridiculous bluster, Karkat really does not like himself. Most of the time, this antipathy manifests as yelling at his past and future selves in Trollian memos (uh, long story), but even when he's not directly putting down a Karkat from ten minutes ago, he's all too happy(?) to leap into some exhaustive recitation of his innumerable flaws and past/present/future mistakes. He has issues. Many issues.

IMPATIENCE

As Jade points out during one memorable exchange, Karkat has no patience to do things the right way. Instead, he rushes through and does whatever half-assed job he can get away with even when the stakes are, say, the fate of an entire universe. The Genesis Frog produced by his session would not be missing a critical DNA sequence if it weren't for Karkat's insistence that Kanaya give up searching for the final frog in favor of facing down the Black King, and even a year later, Karkat probably wouldn't have had the asinine plan of working out a shipping rotation calendar with Dave just so that he could be in two quadrants with Terezi at once.

RIDICULOUS HORSESHIT

While his state of perpetual rage is part of the problem, Karkat is also prone to flipping the fuck out. Some of his reactions are understandable (fainting when one of his fellow trolls chainsawed another in half, for instance), but others, like the tantrum he threw over a chair, are hilariously inappropriate. Almost anything can set him off in the right circumstances, and for obvious reasons, the resulting shitfits have a tendency to derail productive discourse.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Breeder
Starter: Whismur
Password: Peppermint bark

Kaori Miyazono | Your Lie in April | Not reserved

[melodlies]

Player
Name: Mad
Personal Journal: koohii
E-mail: madchansan@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: koohii
Timezone: GMT +1
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Kaori Miyazono
Series: Your Lie in April
Timeline: Post-series
Canon Resource Links: There's Kaori's entry at the wiki, but it's kind of sparse on information, so I'll try to cover the most important events that take place in the series.

Major spoilers for the series' ending ahead!

As a child, Kaori wanted to become a pianist—at least until she went to a certain music recital at which she got to listen to Kousei Arima's music. That changed her whole world and made a decision that instead of a pianist, she'd become a violinist and have Kousei be her accompanist eventually.

When she learned that they were going to attend junior high school together, Kaori was really excited, but couldn't find a way to approach him. Besides, since she always were rather feeble and was suffering from an illness, she ended up in hospital fairly often. That's why she decided to tell a lie to one of Kousei's friends named Tsubaki that she had a crush on Ryota Watari, who happened to be Kousei Arima's friend as well.

From that point, Kaori stormed into Kousei's life and did everything she could to make him play the piano again (he gave up playing after his mother's death) and become her accompanist. After Kaori literally flooded Kousei with the music score of the piece she wanted to play during the upcoming violin contest and kept asking him to agree to play with her, he eventually agreed to be her accompanist and they got to play together. However, because Kousei stopped playing in the middle of a piece, they didn't advance to the next round. Kaori didn't give up on him though, and began playing once again, hoping that he'd join her, which he did.

Just a little while after their performance, Kaori lost consciousness. She was hiding the fact that she was ill and lied to her friends that she had anemia because she had been working too hard lately. When her condition was better, she was discharged and the very first thing she did was to wait for Kousei to meet him on his way home. Since they she had gotten disqualified from the violin contest because of him, she wanted him to grant her one wish—Kousei had to take part in a piano contest himself. He was reluctant to do so, but in the end he just couldn't refuse her, entered the piano contest and advanced to the next round.

Some time after, Kaori received a special invitation to a Gala Concert because even though they hadn't advanced into the next round, they had received the audience reward. However, on that day, Kaori didn't arrive at the venue and Kousei had to perform alone. It was revealed later that Kaori had fallen down, hit herself on the head, lost consciousness and was hospitalized again.

One day, she just appeared out of nowhere at the school's entrance and made Kousei help her when she was shopping for things. She wanted to go with Watari, but he went home already, so Kousei was appointed as his substitute. In the evening, Kaori admitted that she wasn't discharged from the hospital yet and could just go out for one day.

From that point, Kaori's health condition started to deteriorate (she even spent two weeks in the ICU), that's why she made a decision to undergo a surgery which may prolong her life, but there's little chance that she'd survive it. Nevertheless, Kaori wanted to take the risk because of Kousei; she wanted to play with him one more time.

Coincidentally, Kaori's surgery and the final round of the piano contest Kousei had entered were due on the same day. The surgery was unsuccessful and Kaori passed away. Although, she left Kousei a letter in which she explained that she had been admiring him since the first time she had heard him play the piano and that she lied about having a crush on Watari just to get close to him, the person she truly loved.

Personality:

Even though Kaori wasn't aware about it for some time, due to her illness she had been always constrained by time, which greatly influenced her personality. She used to be a shy, quiet girl, but when she realized that she had little time left she decided to live her life to the fullest from now on. The change she underwent was a fundamental one—not only did she change her appearance (she began wearing contacts, for example), but also her behavior. She was no longer quiet and withdrawn, but energetic and free-spirited. Moreover, she told a lie which changed her life even further and guided her to Kousei Arima, whom she had been admiring for quite some time.

Be it because of the time running out or not, Kaori is really passionate about everything she does. It can be mostly seen when she's playing the violin; her performances are never the same, never boring. Always keeping in mind what she wants to convey through her music, she never fails to enchant the audience she's playing for. The same can't be said about the musicians in the jury, who are usually negative about her interpretations. However, it doesn't bother Kaori much—she just wants to play her music, nothing more.

Actually, the way she plays the violin can be considered a reflection of her personality: she doesn't follow the music score when she's playing shows as carefree she can be, even in front of professional musicians. It applies to everyday situations as well—for example, even though she has been discharged from the hospital, she jumps into the river despite her condition. It's one of the most vibrant examples, but it pictures how unbothered Kaori can be.

There's simply no way to predict what Kaori's up to—she'll stray on her way home just to chase a cat because she wants to pet it, she'll pop up out of nowhere to take her friend out shopping. Actually, Kousei sometimes compares her to a cat because of how she is. Why does she do all these things, though? Her motivation becomes quite clear as her health condition deteriorates. Kaori simply wants people to remember her after she'll be gone, which is the reason that explains most (if not all) of her actions. She's aware that if she doesn't do something, her fear that she'll be forgotten won't be just a fear but may become reality. However, she doesn't want the whole world to remember her—as long as Kousei Arima won't forget her, it'll be enough. That's why she had to told the lie and get closer to him.

Since Kaori's a person to go her own way, she doesn't have many friends. Her only ones would be Kousei, Tsubaki, and Watari, actually. She values them, supports them as best as she can (she's especially pushy when it comes to Kousei) and enjoys spending time with them, but doesn't let them know about her illness which may mean she doesn't trust them enough and/or doesn't want to be of a burden. Besides, she's not a person who would like someone else to pity her.

Another reason why Kaori might not want to tell her friends everything is because she's selfish. Aware that Tsubaki who's in love with Kousei but is oblivious to her feelings at the beginning wouldn't probably introduce her to Kousei, she lies about having a crush on Watari instead. She doesn't realize that she hurt them anyway in the end—when Tsubaki realizes her feelings of Kousei, she gradually stops hanging with Kaori and becomes jealous of her relationship with him. At the same time, Watari seems to develop feelings for Kaori, despite the fact that he's a playboy who's known of dating few girls at once. Let it be because she knows that she'll be gone soon anyway or something else, she didn't consider her friends' feelings and didn't think of the consequences that might occur.

Her intrusiveness is something that makes people (mostly Kousei) uneasy—she can come out really egoistic when she wants to achieve something. Kaori wants Kousei to play the piano again, no matter what. While it was a good choice in the long run, it doesn't mean that it wasn't painful for him. Kaori didn't consider his feelings about playing the piano (his abusive mother made him play all the time and wouldn't do him anything else) and forced him to become her accompanist.

Overall, even though Kaori can be too much sometimes, she's just a fourteen years old girl who doesn't shut herself in but wants to do something memorable instead and live her life to the fullest, without regretting anything. Her illness is her major weakness, but there's more to it, actually—she became strong because of it and made her dream of playing together with Kousei on stage come true.

Edward | Edward Scissorhands

[topiaries]

Player
Name: Wolfy
Personal Journal: wolfintheattic
E-mail: wolfyttwisted@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.:
AIM/SKYPE: catfishsuicide
PLURK: wolfyttwisted
Timezone: Central
Current Characters in Route: Wreck-It Ralph and Henry Townshend

Character
Name: Edward
Series: Edward Scissorhands (film and IDW comic continuation)
Timeline: Post Issue 10
Canon Resource Links:
FILM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Scissorhands

There is a new comic from IDW that acts as a direct sequel to the film. I will be taking Edward from after Issue 10 (the latest issue to date) where the second story arc wraps up! There aren't any wiki pages for these comics so I'll summarize them the best I can! The stories are simple but bring some big changes into Edward's life.

Vol 1: http://www.idwpublishing.com/product/edward-scissorhands-vol-1-parts-unknown/

The first arc introduces us to the teenaged Megs, the little girl we see in the opening of the film. She is the granddaughter of Kim and though her grandmother has since passed away, she feels a strong connection to her and the stories she told her. This creates a conflict between Megs and her mother, Milly, who has mostly bitter memories of her mother and her fairy tale stories about the man on the hill. Milly believes that Edward a cold-blooded killer. She watched Kim's obsession drive a wedge between her parents and now that she's gone, she is trying her best to distance herself and protect Megs from those memories.

Megs insists on visiting Grandma Kim's grave on the anniversary of her death but Milly will have none of it. They argue about Kim's mental state and Megs decides to go get answers for herself by going through her family's old storage unit. She discovers several relics along with Kim's diary and takes it to the graveyard to spend time with her grandmother. Inside the diary she finds a key and near the grave she finds a shard of metal and believes it to be part of Edward.

She decides to investigate further and sure enough, the key fits the lock. Edward is there in the front yard of his spooky old house and he begs her to follow him inside because it is "not safe." Utterly enchanted to find Edward is real, Megs follows. What's happened is that Edward has discovered and reactivated an older robot (supposedly a prototype for himself) in hopes of having some company. He named the robot Eli and attempted to make friends by giving him gifts. At first Edward thought Eli simply liked to take things apart since he dismantled the watch Edward gave him and started tucking the parts into a hole in his chest. Edward went to fetch more things for his new friend to play with and upon returning to the place where he left him, he found only a dismantled rat and bloody streaks on the windows.

Now he is gone. WELP. EDWARD IS JUST GOING TO STAY IN HIS HOUSE AND HOPE NOBODY NOTICES.

Edward shows Megs the old schematics for Eli and a phrase is circled. "Something is missing." Their conversation is cut short by Milly yelling for Megs at the gate, rightly guessing where her daughter has ran off to. Megs keeps Edward a secret and reluctantly returns home. The next day, the news reports that a young boy named Philip has gone missing. Security footage shows a figure that looks startlingly like Eli. Megs leaves early for school and makes a B-line for the house to tell Edward, insisting that he has to help her look for him. Edward refuses, still reluctant to show himself to the towns people. Megs leaves him and goes to the police only to find the station deserted. She hops the desk and checks out security footage of the streets and spots Eli. She hurries back to the house grounds only to discover an old fashioned angry mob outside it. The town is still ready to blame Edward for something going wrong after all these years. Naturally, her own mother is among them.

Megs abandons the mob and finds a back way in after following a blood trail left by Eli. She warns Edward and they take an underground passage away from the house just as soon as the police are able to bash down the main door. Edward accidentally scratches Megs while they're in the hidden tunnel and is swift to offer her a strip of his suit for her to bind it with. They surface in a forest not far from the street where Megs saw Eli on the security tapes.

They come upon a spooky hole in the ground which turns out to be Eli's lair. Philip is tied up inside amidst a sea of junk Eli has been taking apart. A heart is carved on the boy's chest--a clear indication of what Eli thinks he is missing. Before they can pull him to safety, Eli shows up and attacks Edward. Edward distracts Eli and shouts for Megs and the boy to escape. He attempts to talk Eli down but the robot is unreasonable. He tears open Edward's chest and whatever he sees in there upsets him so much that he starts tearing his own innards out and kills himself there on the spot. Edward carries Eli's body to the surface in time for the boy's family and Milly arrive. The boy describes Edward's heroism and Milly is amazed to find the fairy tale man is in fact real.

Megs assures Edward that he is different from Eli and that Eli himself wasn't even exactly evil. Just broken. They clear Edward's name with the towns people and the police. He is invited to stay at Milly's house while all the angry mob damage to Edward's mansion is being repaired.

Vol 2: http://www.idwpublishing.com/product/edward-scissorhands-vol-2-whole-again/

Arc 2 opens on repairs to Edward's home being completed and even a few improvements being made. Philip's family has installed working lights and the police even supplied a working television complete with Edward-proof remote control! A new character appears on the screen--a Dr. Get Wells. On her show, people who feel disfigured in some way call in and she performs surgery on them, giving them a "second chance." Naturally, Edward becomes enamored with the idea and fully believes she can help him. Megs isn't so sure and warns him not to put his trust in someone he doesn't know.

The next day, Milly notices Megs seems worried when she's dropping her off for school. Megs shares her concerns and her mom insists that Edward will be fine and that they'll all visit him often. When Megs gets out of the car, she leaves Kim's diary behind. This is the first time Milly has seen it and she becomes lost in thought looking at it. Her mom's childhood is such a mystery and mix of stories that sound impossible.

After school, Megs catches a ride to Edward's place with Philip, a new friend named Adrian, and his little brother. Philip's parents are already at the house and Megs discovers Edward hasn't moved from the spot she left him the previous day. He's still obsessed with contacting Dr. Wells and Adrian encourages him, telling him if he really wants it, he should give it a try. The worst she can do is say no! Megs is still unsure. The families get together and shoot a pitch video for Edward's story to be sent away.

Obviously, Dr. Wells has never seen anything like Edward and when she receives his video, she is blown away. Her show's ratings are in the toilet and if she can get him, it can be saved. She responds immediately. Megs talks to Edward himself this time about how she isn't sure about this television show deal. He insists that he will be fine and that he wants to do this. With Milly driving, Edward and Co. take a road trip to the studio. Megs confides in Adrian all her worries and he gives her some comfort. They are all supplied a plush hotel to stay in after a tour of the stuido. That night, Megs and Philip have a talk about their respective moms and how people show their worry and love in different ways. Megs rethinks the cagey way her mother has been acting and Milly continues pouring over her mother's diary, treating us to flashbacks of how Kim grew estranged over the years but eventually came back around.

The day of the first filming arrives and the crowd adores Edward and his story. Wells invites them back for a second shooting, the "Before" shooting. Edward agrees. Meanwhile, Wells has been watching Megs who keeps encouraging Edward to back out if he feels at all uncomfortable. She sees the girl as a threat and decides to keep a close eye on her. Adrian and Philip go home to watch the airing with the rest of their family.

During the second filming, the crowd begins wildly chanting "Fix him!" at Edward and that tears it for Megs. She storms on-stage and yells at Wells. Wells quickly turns the situation on its head, shoving Megs herself in the spotlight, claiming that she is a special someone Edward would love to be able to hold. She offers the girl a makeover to go along with Edward's and under the pressure, Megs cracks and agrees. She talks to Adrian on the phone that night, telling him how freaked out about the whole situation she is.

The next day, Wells tells Megs that Edward will be doing her hair on live TV as a lead up to his surgery. He leads her to a "closed set" and locks her away. Milly is captured soon afterward. Lilith, Wells's assistant sees what's going on and hurries to warn Edward. She tells him that with the new ratings he is bringing in, it's unlikely Wells will let him go, new hands or no. She has been using him. Lilith warns Edward that his friends are in trouble and they hurry to rescue them but are too late.

Wells and her thugs cut them off and she threatens to kill Edward's friends if he tells anyone what's going on and doesn't do everything she says. Lilith is escorted away by security. Edward allows himself to be sedated and prepped for surgery. Meanwhile, Wells reveals her plan to the captured Milly and Megs. Edward becoming a "real boy" will make her truly famous.

In the surgery room, Lilith has snuck back into the studio dressed as a surgeon with the aid of Adrian and Philip. They get Edward off the slab and hurry to where Milly and Megs are being held hostage. They warn him that they're being filmed and Wells already knows where they are. Edward takes out the cameras while Adrian frees them from their bonds. When wells arrives with her thugs a second time, Edward puts up the blades and refuses to be her puppet any longer.

The police arrive to take Wells away and she crows that with all the money Edward has made her, she'll be able to bail herself out in no time. Philp reveals that he filmed the whole thing, murder threats and all, and that won't be happening any time soon. Megs apologizes for being so pushy about Edward not trusting Dr. Wells--costing him the hands he so wanted. He easily forgives her and thanks her for trying to look out for him. And so, the family returns to the suburbs. Edward is the same as he always is, albeit less likely to trust reality television.

Asuka Shikinami Langley | Evangelion 3.0 | Reserved

[crimsonchin]

Player
Name: Aren
Personal Journal: negaposicontinues
E-mail: negaposicontinues@aol.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: ILikeBlackMage
Timezone: EST
Current Characters in Route: Princess Anna (loveisanopendoor)!

Character
Name: Asuka Langley Shikinami
Series: Evangelion 3.0
Timeline: Post-movie!
Canon Resource Links: http://wiki.evageeks.org/Asuka_Langley_Soryu for a basic outline of her character, with http://evangelion.wikia.com/wiki/Asuka_Shikinami_Langley detailing the divergences between her character in the TV series and the movies! For the sake of coherence between 2.0 and 3.0’s plot, it is assumed that some events detailed in the timeskip between 2.0 and 3.0 (such as Asuka losing her left eye!) are based on The End of Evangelion’s depiction of Third Impact.

Personality: Asuka is a complex character with contradictory motivations; she is a brilliant girl, a prodigy who seeks to put herself above all others, with a constant desire to be noticed, though she violently rejects the notion of interpersonal relationships. As a consequence of this desire, Asuka uses her piloting abilities as a conduit to put herself on a pedestal; she is incredibly proud of her talent in EVA-02 (honored to pilot the first Evangelion specifically designed for combat), and flaunts this talent as often as possible, to the degree where she wears her Interface Headset at all times to show off her status. She consistently and clearly demands respect from her peers and to be in control of any and all situations; if the goal-oriented Asuka wants something, she will do whatever it takes to achieve it as quickly as possible, pushing herself (and others around her) to the absolute maximum and demanding absolute perfection in all that she does. It is this same motivation which drove her to become both Captain of the European Air Force and a college graduate at 14 years of age; the only reason why she attended school with Shinji and Rei was to learn kanji.

Asuka always feels she has something to prove: she frequently takes charge in sorties against incoming Angel threats (often to the detriment of her fellow pilots, as she engages with brute force without proper planning, just to prove she has a grasp of the situation) and social interactions with the people she’s forced to be around become a contest that Asuka is determined to win. Whenever she’s shown up by one of her peers in even the slightest of ways, she becomes angry and irritated; she makes sure her opinion is not only known but also respected, and when she doesn’t get her way, she becomes vicious and abrasive.

That said, if Asuka were to have her way, she would prefer not to talk to anyone at all. She prefers to be alone and independent, having grown up in a circumstance where she found it necessary to prove her own self-worth. Social interactions in general are not her forte; she is frequently seen playing her WonderSwan while other students in her class socialize, because, in her own words, “pretending to have fun with others will only wear her out”.

However, this creates a bit of a dichotomy; she prefers to be alone, yet demands attention and respect. This contradiction stems from her childhood trauma with her mother, who, after a contact experiment with Unit 02, treated a doll as if she were her own child (and later hung herself, leaving the doll behind); after this horrifying experience at four years old, Asuka became obsessed with throwing herself into everything she did to distract herself from her pain. Her desire to prove that she doesn’t need things like love or affection, despite intensely craving praise and adoration from her peers, results in an intense inferiority complex where Asuka frequently feels inadequate despite her lofty ambitions.

Notably, Asuka started to come to terms with herself and her desire to be with others just before entering EVA-03, realizing that perhaps having interpersonal relationships isn’t such a bad thing; no sooner does she say this, EVA-03 is infected by the 9th Angel and Asuka is absorbed into its core, where the Angel makes contact with her face; a deleted scene details Asuka in the core, pierced with ultra-fine needles (relating to the “hedgehog’s dilemma”; that is, when two hedgehogs seek to become close but must remain apart to avoid hurting one another with their sharp spines). This event also had a significant event on Asuka’s characterization during the timeskip; it is her interaction and contamination by the Ninth Angel that convinces her further that interpersonal relationships are a Really Bad Idea, yet she still constantly craves attention from her peers, particularly her co-worker Mari Makinami Illustrious.

In summary, Asuka is headstrong and overzealous, a complete perfectionist, intentionally off-putting, incredibly arrogant, and frequently tries to do everything in her power to appear independent and in complete control; she would rather die than show a sign of weakness to a member of her peers, let alone ask any of them for assistance. Her temper is uncontrollable when she doesn’t get her way, but her intense ambition and drive are not to be underestimated. However, her underlying reasons for her drive (that is, her constant desire for recognition that stems from a fear of being seen as vulnerable in any way) result in a complex polarity that manifests itself in the form of a rollercoaster of extremities in Asuka’s character arc.

Yang Xiao Long | RWBY | Reserved

[yanginthere]

Player
Name: Pip
Personal Journal: simplypip
E-mail:
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: simplypip
Timezone: CST
Current Characters in Route: none

Character
Name: Yang Xiao Long
Series: RWBY
Timeline: Volume 3, Chapter 6 "Fall" ; spoiler: (after winning the match against Mercury, but before kneecapping him)
Canon Resource Links: RWBY Wiki

Varric Tethras | Dragon Age: Inquisition | No Reserve 1/2

[authorised]

Player
Name: Ri
Personal Journal: resplendentri
E-mail: cheetah1090@yahoo.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: AIM: JoyBringer5002 Plurk: ResplendentRiTimezone: EST
Current Characters in Route: Agent North Dakota

Character
Name: Varric Tethras
Series: Dragon Age
Timeline: Post-Inquisition, but pre-Trespasser (before he's elected Viscount)
Canon Resource Links: his wiki page is actually pretty great god bless us every one
Because Dragon Age is so heavily player-decision influenced, some important decisions that affect Varric:
-100% friendship with Hawke (who shall be referred to gender- and class-neutrally, as much as possible, as well as sans romance until/unless a cast forms to work out a more fleshed-out world state)
-killed Bartrand
-wasn't allowed to keep red lyrium
-100% approval for Inquisitor (again, gender-, race-, and class-neutral, and romanceless)
-helped Cole become more human
-Hawke alive and well


Personality:
Varric Tethras is, in many ways, the opposite of what you expect a dwarf to be. Most dwarves in fantasy settings are little more than "drunk axe guy," and in fact Varric's role as dwarf companion is preceded by a much more stereotypical example. But Varric was born on the surface instead of in the dwarven city, and he's fully embraced the outside world in all the ways that his greedier, more traditional brother refused to. He's beardless and his primary weapon is a crossbow, but he's also a dashing rogue and a renowned author. He is incredibly loyal to his friends and to his hometown, however much Kirkwall just needs to be razed to the ground instead of saved.

One of the things that will make him fun to play in Route is the fact that he hates the outdoors. This is a character trait that doesn't change at all throughout both games, to the point where there's one banter that no matter who you have with you every single one of the Inquisitor's companions (even Cole, Varric's basically-adopted-son) has something to say about Varric's long-suffering grumbling about the outdoors, caves, forests, camping, slopes greater than ten degrees, etc. His response is that he's doing a public service, being the only dwarf companion, because if he didn't complain then they would trip over him.

In Inquisition, when asked about himself, Varric tells the Inquisitor straight out that he's "prone to extravagant lies." (It's ironic that, despite this, there's more proof of him lying in Dragon Age 2 than in Inquisition, where he reveals more about himself than even to Hawke.) There are two points in the second game where he's interrupted (Dragon Age 2 being presented as a story that Varric is being forced to tell) where he's called out on his bullshit. One of these times, he's talking about Hawke as if they were completely unstoppable and a force of nature from the beginning (aka, the tutorial), while the other he talks about himself as if he went to confront his traitor brother by himself and single-handedly took down Bartrand's guards and reduced his brother to a sniveling, groveling mess. Of course, the truth is that his brother had been irreparably corrupted by red lyrium, and either lives out the rest of his days with a nurse or was mercy-killed by Varric. Additionally, as we find out in Inquisition, he was actually lying to Cassandra the whole time about knowing where Hawke was.

However, the person who Varric lies to the most is, arguably, himself. And one of the most convincing lies that he tells himself is about his first love, Bianca. If Varric was truly honest with himself, he would have to admit that while he still loves her he is no longer in love with her. But it's easier for him to keep on loving her with his whole fool heart than it is for him to admit that it may be time to move on, so he just does what he's always done instead of taking the harder path.

Varric is an incredibly loyal person. He's willing to lie to a prominent religious figure (after being captured and interrogated) to protect his best friend, and he's willing to march into hell itself for both Hawke and the Inquisitor. He's also very caring, which is both a positive and a negative trait. He gives his all to all of his friendships and personal relationships, which obviously makes him a good friend, but the problem is that he cares too much. His greatest weakness is the same thing as his greatest strength: his friends. The one time in any of the games where he cries, and the one time in either game that he's in where you as a player get to hug him is in Inquisition if you just let his best friend sacrifice themselves to save the rest of the group.

Over the course of the two games that he's in (which span a full decade, in-universe), Varric changes quite a bit. He remains consistent throughout Dragon Age 2, the protective Dad Friend with a network of spies, thieves, and ne'er do wells that he maintains from his room above his favorite tavern. But in Inquisition, he's almost more hollowed out. He's no longer in his element. While he's the same character as before, with the same charm, he feels worn down compared to how he was in 2. The main difference, of course, is that he's no longer in his home. In the Trespasser DLC, he's much more back to his old self because he's had the chance to return to Kirkwall and to help rebuild it from the state that it was left in at the end of 2. At the canon point he's taken from here, he's been in Kirkwall for about a year helping to rebuild, but he has yet to be named Viscount. This means that while he will miss his hometown, he'll be able to have an adventure in Johto without worrying about either the Inquisition or about how Kirkwall will handle his absence.

Above all else, Varric is a storyteller. He views the world with the attentive gaze of somebody who draws heavily from real life for his stories, and no doubt that's part of the reason why he's such a renowned author. His texts (some of which are actually in the game) are written in the same casual, accessible language that he uses, and for the most part they seem to feature ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Even the Tale of the Champion, the book that he wrote about Hawke, makes no mystery about the fact that Hawke started out as a refugee from Ferelden and worked their way up from the lowest of the low. His special friendship/rivalry perk in Dragon Age 2 is called Authorized (or Unauthorized, if rivaled) Biographer. When he meets the Inquisitor, he encourages them to cut and run because he claims he's written enough tragedy to know how this story is going to end. He's written almost every genre, from a romance serial to biography to mystery, and he seems to have a weak spot for tragedy and tragic heroes especially.

Still, relatably, when it comes to real people he wants them to have a happy ending. Hawke, who is a tragic hero (or anti-hero, depending on the playthrough) who goes through plenty of shit in the seven short years they spend in Kirkwall, is also first and foremost Varric's best friend, and he defends them tooth and nail from the Inquisition, which was only trying to find Hawke to get their help. Help which, as the beginning of Inquisition implies, would have killed them. And Varric knows that, shooting a pointed barb during the confrontation after he reveals that he's known where Hawke was the whole time: "You people have done enough to him/her." All he wants is to keep his best friend safe, regardless of whether or not it would be the "right" or "heroic" thing for Hawke to join the Inquisition. Still, when he realizes that they need Hawke he sends for them, because he also acknowledges that the enemy faced in Inquisition is bigger than the Mage-Templar War, and bigger than his own desire to keep Hawke safe.

Ultimately, Varric is charming, affable, generous, and caring. He's a dashing rogue and a renowned storyteller, but where most rogues are portrayed as thieves and brigands Varric cares almost too much. Despite the adventures that his life drags him on, he's a dwarf of simple pleasures who loves nothing more than just to sit around drinking and playing cards with his friends. Taken from a point where he can be sure that Kirkwall will be okay without him and the Inquisitor no longer needs him, he'll adjust to this new adventure in time.

Strengths/Weaknesses:
+Loyal
If Varric were to be ascribed one Defining Character Trait, it would definitely be his loyalty. If he considers you a friend (and it doesn't take much, given that he shows this level of loyalty to almost every member of the Kirkwall crew), he will do anything to keep you safe. In Dragon Age 2, party banters reveal that he uses bribes and calls in favors to keep Merrill safe when she wanders the streets of Lowtown, and that he pays off the Coterie to keep them from harassing Anders in his clinic. To say nothing of his devotion to Hawke, whom he loves so much that he wrote an entire novel about their exploits and (it's revealed in Inquisition) actively lied to a high-ranking member of the Chantry to keep their location a secret so that they wouldn't become embroiled in the war and the whole mess with the Inquisition. His loyalty also extends to the Inquisitor and the Inquisition, to the point where he trusts them with his best friend (and even if you get Hawke killed he stays with you).

+Charismatic
While the author portrait on the back of Swords and Shields is an exaggeration in many ways, the fact remains that Varric is a merchant prince and a renowned and prolific author, both of which are occupations that require no small amount of ability to bullshit his way out of anything. He is charming and clever, and of course he knows it and he knows how to use it. He's one of your companions who seems perfectly at home at the Empress' gala (if you can find him), surrounded by adoring fans. But he's equally at home in his favorite tavern in Kirkwall, regaling a growing crowd of drunks with tales of Hawke's adventures and derring-do.

+Stupid Sexy Rogue
Delving slightly into game mechanics, Varric is a rogue, which is a class characterized by their high dexterity and cunning (cunning tying into the above charisma). Varric can pick locks and backflip out of danger, is what I'm saying. And when he gets pokemon he can train in these arts, you bet he's going to pass on some of his tactics with how he trains his pokemon to fight. Additionally, he's an Artificer, which means his battle style is going to involve a lot of arena traps and a lot of annoying the shit out of his opponents.

+/- Caring
Varric is probably one of the biggest-hearted companions in both games that he's in. In Dragon Age 2, his approval is easily gained by choosing sassy options but also by doing the Right Thing. One of the actions the player can take that he approves of is giving a job to an innocent freed elven slave whose father was a blood sacrifice. In Inquisition, Varric Greatly Approves if you take the time to save all the townspeople of Haven, and he Slightly Approves if you save at least one. He also practically adopts Cole, one of the Inquisitor's other companions, and he's one of the key figures in Cole's personal quest. Additionally, the Inquisitor has the option early on to ask him why he's not the Inquisition's Spymaster, if he has such a large network of contacts, to which he replies that he would be a terrible Spymaster simply because he gets too attached to his agents and starts worrying about them and their families.
However, his big, caring heart is also probably one of his biggest weaknesses, because he gets incredibly attached to people who end up hurting him. He cares so much that it blinds him to the shortcomings of the people he lets past his defenses. Also he is a big sentimental sap who cannot let go of the past at all.

- Narrow-minded
Varric has a big problem with holding onto a very limited worldview. As far as he's concerned, if it's not a problem that has to do with him then it's not a very big problem. An example of this is the entire Mage-Templar conflict that is an undercurrent in Dragon Age 2. Since Varric is a dwarf and therefore incapable of practicing magic and resistant to its effects, he isn't personally affected by the rising conflict between mages and templars. Therefore, while he acknowledges its immediate threat to the close circle of friends that he's loyal to (Anders and Merrill specifically), he doesn't grasp the scope of the fear and oppression that apostates live with. By downplaying the conflict between mages and templars and narrowing its scope to just keeping his apostate friends out of trouble, he allows himself to dismiss Anders' increasingly worrying diatribes and ignores the dangerous area that his friend is starting to tread.
Another example of his limited worldview is the hilarious extent of his rivalry with Sebastian. The prince of Starkhaven joins Hawke's motley crew of misfits when Hawke helps him hunt down the mercenaries who killed his family, and throughout the course of the game Varric Does Not Like the other archer. The reason why he dislikes Sebastian so much, however, is because Sebastian makes him nervous because he doesn't fit into Varric's view of people. To him, everyone has a weakness or a secret that can be exploited. But Sebastian has no secrets and no vices; while he's open about his hedonistic past, he's so open about it that it can't be leveraged against him. This combined with the threat that a Chantry brother could pose to Hawke's apostate associates lands him, in Varric's mind, in a category that definitely warrants suspicion, if not outright antagonism, despite the fact that until Anders Does The Thing at the end of Act 3 Sebastian is actually fairly harmless.

- Prone to blind spots
Similar to his narrow-mindedness, Varric has an almost uncanny ability to form incredible blind spots for people he cares about. The most obvious example of this is Cole, in Inquisition. Cole is a Compassion Spirit made flesh, and Varric comes to care deeply about him (presumably because they both love to help people). He encourages Cole to become more human instead of more spirit, in spite of his previous experiences with spirits (namely, Justice and Anders). His entire relationship with Cole, while important and also adorable, is almost hypocritical, given how little he previously cared about spirits and how much he continues to drag Anders for his actions in party banter throughout Inquisition.

Lavernius Tucker | Red vs Blue | not reserved

[spaceconfessional]

Player
Name: Jack
Personal Journal: spaceconfessional
E-mail: spaceconfessional at gmail
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: ratatosk | spaceconfessional [AIM]
Timezone: CST
Current Characters in Route: n/a

Character
Name: Lavernius Tucker
Series: Red vs Blue
Timeline: end of Season 13
Canon Resource Links: Tucker on the wiki I'm so sorry about this now

Also definitely spoilers up in there given that season 13 premiered less than a year ago.

Personality:

Over the first five seasons of the series, Tucker can be described in three words: lazy, immature, and perverted.

Being immature and perverted sort of go hand in hand. Tucker is always ready to make cheap pot-shots at anyone - friends, enemies, authority, aliens, you name it, he doesn't care. If you have a pulse (or had one) then you're fair game to be laughed at. He'll point out people's flaws and laugh at them for it if it brings attention to them more easily. It's how he enjoys himself and also how he enjoys his friendships.

Another big part of him that we just can't ignore is the fact that he is probably the most perverted member of the entire cast. He routinely talks about wanting to bang every woman they come across, even Tex knowing full well she'd probably kill him. He makes a lot of what anyone says into innuendo, cries in season 5 about not wanting to die a virgin during the big blow out battle, tries to turn a lot of situations into what he can use for his advantage to hitting on the ladies. It never really works out to his dismay but lord knows he's willing to keep trying. The ladies just can't handle all of him, obviously.

Despite being the highest ranking member of the team and being there the longest, he gladly lets other people take command of situations. He doesn't want to have to make the decisions on the off chance they happen to be the wrong ones, so why not let someone else do it and then complain when it all goes to hell. Granted, Tucker can be damn insightful and intelligent when things come down to it. He's just too lazy to do anything. And, again, showing that he knows anything means people expecting him to take charge and lead and that's very much in the list of things he doesn't want to do. So he displays his more colorful personality traits instead.

Being lazy and not making decisions also means something else: things generally stay the same. Something Tucker is very adamant about, keeping things the same. The same box canyon, the same team, the same friends (not that he'd ever admit it). He's constantly throughout the series reminiscing about the "old times" before Tex showed up, wanting to just sit around and do nothing with his teammates. He doesn't really do touchy feely kinds of conversations or anything resembling a serious discussion. Not unless he's under a lot of duress and frustration and gets pushed to the edge.

Tucker also claims to be a "lover not a fighter" - partly for his ladies' man attitude and partly because fighting is a lot of work. While he can be stubborn, he generally lets most fights wash over him instead of fighting back. He'll argue, sure, and he'll stand up for himself if someone insults his pride, but actual physical fighting? Nah, not a chance he'll take anyone up on that. But he does love his friends and teammates. As dumb as they can be. As not gay as it is. He loves his son, is very protective and proud of him and is likely the only being in the galaxy Tucker would physically fight someone over; he takes immediate insult to anyone even expressing a mild disliking to his alien kid.

He likes puffing up his ego - not as much as Church, but enough that he's visibly hurt if someone doesn't recognize his achievements the rare times he actively does something. Working alone in his new assignment does some wonders for his confidence knowing he can work alone and actually succeed at something on his own. But he's still happy to see familiar faces when they show up in season 7 and eagerly joins up with them given the chance once he gets an idea of what's going on.

However, with seasons 6 through 9, the Reds and Blues are separated, and Tucker, given his unique situation with his alien son, Junior, is given the official title of Sangheili Ambassador to handle negotiations and other official matters between the Sangheili aliens and humans. With this, he no longer has other people for responsibilities to fall back on for almost two years and takes up fighting when the time calls for it. He takes the role begrudgingly up front, but seems perfectly determined to fulfill it anyway. He proves himself to be a capable fighter on his own, holding off a group of mercenaries and scavengers in the desert on his own for an indeterminate amount of time. But he's quick to toss the responsibility in favor of joining up with the Reds and Blues again as they're on ... some kind of mission. Honestly, Tucker had literally nothing to do with it. It just seemed like a good idea at the time follow his newly revived best friend back to what they do best: get involved in shit that they shouldn't.

Through seasons 9 through 13, Tucker is forced into situations that make him grow and mature into a leader, making tough decisions, living with the consequences. He sees the results of hasty decisions and how bad ones can get people killed or get information about an enemy unit. In effect, he went from an immature, slacking soldier to a begrudging, bitter leader. He cares for his friends, and went through hell to save them from what he thought was being captive. Caring about friends doesn't mean he's sincere in any stretch of the word, though. He couldn't be caught dead talking about feelings openly or privately. Tucker also is a hell of a lot smarter than most people give him credit for, something he doesn't intend to disprove. But he's still unsure of himself and his decisions. He's not sure what the right decisions are when taking a leadership position and for the first time lets himself ask someone else for advice and show that he's not certain of something, quick to shrug it off and cover it back up when he's poked at for it. He's shown that he would rather not risk lives than finishing a mission. He's shown to do almost anything for his friends' safety, even - gasp - train physically. He's adapted plans and took huge hits to himself in order to save a planet (of people he's only just gotten to know). He assists in recon and scouting missions, and a couple rescue missions to keep the Chorus army safe from mercs.

From his current canon pull-point, he carries his AI best friend to a comm tower with just the sim troopers with the hopes of broadcasting a message to every frequency he could to get help to Chorus. Instead, he helps engineer a battle plan to take out the mercs for good and take on the leader of the enemy, unintentionally sort of becoming the leader of the group and wants to just make sure they all get out alive.


Strengths/Weaknesses:

+ Quick thinking
Yo the dude has the gift of the gab. He spent the first five years of service standing around talking to his friends and not getting in skirmishes. While he may not be able to talk his way out of anything, he can certainly talk long enough to take up valuable time and maybe postpone whatever he's trying to avoid. On the off chance he meets someone dumber than him, there's a possibility he could talk them in a circle and confuse them.

+ Observation
He's got a good eye for things most people would look over or never even notice (guess who knew Church was an AI years before anyone else). He often knew a lot of things about the war situation before anyone else did, despite no one believing him when Tucker told them the truth of his findings.

+ Sociable
Tucker is easily the most sociable of the group and isn't afraid of talking to new people as long as they aren't obviously perceived threats. He hits on women at first sight (and second sight... and third sight), shit talks his new COs within minutes of meeting, anything. It's how he introduces himself, really, but it does mean it takes some time to warm up to him.

+/- Forgiving
Tucker's claims of being a lover and not a fighter aren't just words - when he gets mad, he gets furious, but never for very long. He's forgiving of people he considers part of his team (Epsilon season 10, Wash season 11, the Federation army season 12). So even if he's the first to really get mad and storm off, he'll be the first one to come walking back to help. Usually.

- Lazy
Despite his experience as a soldier and all he's done as an ambassador, Tucker would really........ rather sit around and shoot the shit with his friends. It literally takes his friends getting kidnapped to get him to even offer to help dissolve a civil war so they can get home. Hell, if it's an option of training rookie soldiers so they don't die in their first battle, or sitting around moping about being stranded? He'll take the less exhausting option and find a lake to mope by.

- Socially inept
While he may be the most sociable of the group, he's not always the most socially experienced. Tucker often does a kick ass backflip to fucking pirouette his foot into his mouth when talking to someone new whose boundaries he hasn't figured out yet. Thankfully by season 12 and 13, he's mostly figured out how not to shoot his foot off in conversations, but sometimes he still is pretty dang annoying.

- Not Bright
Like the other simulation troopers in Blood Gulch, Tucker was not stationed there for his brilliant tactical strategies. He was first found impersonating a doctor ("Dr. Cloitus") to try and pick up army women. He's had in depth arguments over the color of his armor, tried to pick up other army women with the color of his armor, picked up a random alien artifact he found in a hole he was shoved into, the list goes on. He's learned a lot along the way since the fall of Freelancer, but he's still a work in progress. He has very little regard for learning actual military routines and formations or anything useful and focuses instead on what he can do right at that moment and damn whatever consequences it has even if he regrets them later. In shorter terms: he's kind of the smartest dumbass of the group.

Pokemon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Honedge
Password: Peppermint bark

Samples
First Person Sample:

[The video starts and there isn't anything all that unusual about it. Just the view of the natural countryside, definitely not anyone's house or the fond goodbyes of a mother. Instead, it's.... some asshole ruining the scenery.]

Okay, as nice as this is? I'm gonna call bullshit. Like, on the whole thing. This whole situation here.

Gonna need a couple things, one, someone to explain what the a actual fuck is actually going on. Two, where is my armor and my sword because I kind of need those back. [Nevermind it wasn't necessarily his armor in the purest sense of the word. But the mic picks up a low metallic mrrrrp? sound and Tucker wheels the camera around to show a disoriented view of himself, and a Honedge close by] And three, what the hell is that. I don't need it following me and it keeps backing away when I try to touch it to shoo it away.

God, look just. Church? Or Caboose or Wash, if you're out there, fuckin' answer me. Or Carolina and Kimball. Anybody, if Blood Gulch or Chorus mean anything. If you don't and I find out later you're here, I'll kick your asses.

[It almost looks like he's going to stop recording, but then thinks better of it.]

Hey also if someone knows the name or number of that chick in Woof City [New Bark Town], hook me up.

Third Person Sample:

Holy fuck this is bad. This is the very definition of bad: stranded, alone, no armor, no alien prophecy sword, no weapons. Just a weirdass phone, a backpack of supplies (a backpack! He wouldn't even shove this on his kid), and some kind of floating sword thing making noises at him but not letting him touch. Everything feels weird and weightless waking up suddenly not having a ton of metal armor on. And sneakers? Haven't seen those in years, let alone wear a pair. He takes inventory of what he was given, and the handheld phone... Comm. Thing is already the most useful in here. Even if he doesn't really get it. Or the red and white ball that's a lot heavier than it looks.

Tucker tries to use the comm to dial out, ask around for anyone he knows but so far no response. Which he'd probably get if he could figure out how to use the damn thing. So that's out. His next bet is asking someone else, but the only people around are natives who all look either like children or parents who would look at him funny for asking children. Fucking fantastic. Next best idea he has is to find people who are paid to help and answer these kinds of questions, because surely he can't be the only single occurrence of this bullshit. He can't be the only one who was just about to fight a death squad on a death ship to the fucking death and then blink and find himself here without defenses or armor or weapons. The rest of the group has to be here somewhere and he's gonna use whatever means he can to find them and find out what the hell is going on.

The Pokemart is unassuming. Simple, easy to navigate. It just frustrates Tucker more. It's too drastic a change from the last - god - how many fucking years of the UNSC and jungles and Chorus. He runs a hand over his face and steps up to the counter, not looking at the attendant at first because, really, once he does, that'll just humanize them and make him feel a little guiltier for how exhausted and done he is with everything. "Okay, first of, can you possibly answer some questions that will probably make me sound crazy but to be honest I'm not sure I'm not crazy right now, I just need to find my teammates and I can't fucking navigate any of this shit and--"

He makes the mistake of glancing up and sees her (a 'her', it's a fucking her standing behind the counter) face confused and obviously not trained or equipped to deal with someone coming at her this frustrated from the start.

"Jesus fucking christ, okay. Uh. new question set. Where am I. What is that thing," he gestures to the floating sword by his leg, "how busy are you, and can I get your number to do something tonight."

Nothing says he can't try while his life's not on the line.

Hibiki Tachibana | Symphogear | not reserved

[echoandbeyond]

Player
Name: Evy
Personal Journal: clysmian
E-mail: redequinox@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: plurk - synchrogazer
Timezone: EST
Current Characters in Route: N/A

Character
Name: Hibiki Tachibana
Series: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Timeline: Post GX
Canon Resource Links: http://symphogear.wikia.com/wiki/Hibiki_Tachibana

Personality: On first impression, Hibiki is your classic well-meaning, energetic, but not all that bright protagonist. Those things are true, but there is more to her than meets the eye. Hibiki's way of life depends on the wellbeing of others around her; she loves to help others, claiming it is her hobby since there is no competition in it like there is in studying or sports. Her knack for helping people may have been influenced by Kanade's death two years before the first season, but no matter the source, it's something that has stayed with her and become an integral part of her character.

But Hibiki isn't all sunshine and rainbows. She's a bit of a Stepford Smiler, meaning that she'll often smile to cover up her pain and past trauma. The last thing she wants to do is cause others to worry, so whenever she's down in the dumps, she'll usually opt for faking a smile and reciting her catchphrase: "It's okay; everything's fine." Between coming to terms with her survival at the ZweiWing concert in G and having to reconcile with her estranged father in GX, Hibiki's been through a fair amount of pain. However, these things aren't insurmountable, as her catchphrase and willpower prove. At the end of the day, Hibiki always picks herself back up, and she's stronger for it.

She hates the idea of people fighting each other and prefers to avoid conflict whenever possible. As she lacks an Armed Gear, her hands are left empty: she explains that perhaps the reason for that is so that she can instead join hands with others in harmony. Cheesy as it sounds, it really does work: she's brought at least four different people over to her side by joining hands with them.

One of her biggest hangups is that her Symphogear, which she believes to be a tool meant to help people, can also be used as a tool to fight and inflict pain. She doesn't want to fight anyone if she can help it - but when lives are on the line, she will ultimately put up her fists and get ready to brawl in order to protect what she holds dear.

Strengths/Weaknesses: STRENGTHS:
-Helping people: As mentioned above, her happiness depends on the happiness of others. She'll go out of her way to help you in whatever way she can. Yes, even getting that cat out of the tree.
-Friendliness: Hibiki has a way of making just about anyone her friend, though it may take some time and headbutting. Hold ALL the hands.
-Determination: When there's a will, there's a way. Hibiki will find a way to make things work, no matter how hard it is.
WEAKNESSES:
-Vulnerability: Though she's generally a strong person, Hibiki tends to take everything to heart. Insults will have her mulling over it for days until she can find a way to come to terms with it.
-Selflessness: While selflessness is generally a good thing, Hibiki dials it up to eleven in the sense that she often forgets to take care of herself. She doesn't want to worry others, so she puts up a fake smile. She also tends to wind up in the hospital for injuries pretty often.
-Anger: It doesn't happen a lot anymore since she's no longer subject to Gungnir's encroachment setting off berserker rages, but she's still fearsome when she's pissed. Do NOT piss her off, ohhh my god.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer - though she doesn't like fighting, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?
Starter: Torchic
Password: Peppermint Bark

Samples
First Person Sample: [ The feed flicks on to a much-too-large view of a pair of amber eyes. ]

Is it recording? Hmm... Oh! I get it now. Ahem!

[ And thankfully, she now holds it out at arm's length. She's still in pajamas, and the bird on her shirt looks oddly like the Torchic hopping up and down on the bed behind her. ]

Uh, hi. I guess I need a little help. I woke up someplace weird with this cute bird at my side! I rummaged through this backpack for clues, and at least I got its name - Torchic, right? - but... maybe I missed it, but I still don't know how I got here.

[ Hibiki furrows her brow. ]

I looked for my phone and I can't find it. I can't even get in contact with my friends...

[ Upon hearing the word "friend", Torchic stops hopping and climbs into Hibiki's lap, hogging the feed. Hibiki lifts the PokéGear up and out of reach, freeing one hand to pet Torchic on the head. ]

Well, I guess I made a new friend already! But I can't just let the others worry about me...

[ Looking perplexed, she sighs. ]

If anyone can help, I'd be very grateful! Thank you!

[ She bows her head and clicks off the feed. ]

Third Person Sample: "Chic, chic."

"Zzz..."

"Chic?"

"Mmn... Five more minutes..."

"Tor!"

"Mn- ow!"

Hibiki awoke with a start when a sharp pain began swelling at the center of her forehead. Holy cow, it was like a bird just pecked her. Clenching her eyes together as she rubbed her poor forehead, she slowly sat up. Putting a hand on the bed beside her caused her eyes to fly open: immediately, she discovered Miku wasn't in bed next to her. Normally this wasn't a problem; Hibiki often overslept and it was up to Miku to wake her up, but upon feeling the drapes under her hands, she realized she wasn't in their bunk bed. Looking around, she realized she wasn't even in their dorm anymore.

"Tor!"

The high-pitched call drew Hibiki's attention down to her side, where a cute, orange bird-thing was gazing up at her with beady eyes. Wow, awfully realistic for a stuffed animal... except now it's hopping up and down, letting out a whole slew of cute little sounds.

"I-it moved!" Hibiki exclaimed, drawing back from the bird. This was definitely no stuffed animal. The bird looked hurt at how she recoiled, though, and hung its head dejectedly. She immediately felt bad. "O-oh... um... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Turning in her seat, she offered the bird a hand. It looked into her palm, then pressed its head into it.

Hibiki immediately noted that the bird was very, very warm to the touch. And also very soft. Despite its size, it kind of felt like a baby bird... Hibiki's unsure expression melted away and turned into a smile as she scritched the bird's head. It's so cute... "Hey, can I hug you?" she asked, and the bird hopped into her lap without hesitating. The girl picked it up and squeezed it against her chest. Yes, very warm. Very soft. The bird chirps happily, wiggling its little feet. Hibiki couldn't help but think she wanted to bring it home with her...

"... Now that I think about it, where am I?"

John Egbert | Homestuck | Not Reserved

[harlequinhater]

Player
Name: Stripe
Personal Journal: tehstripe
E-mail: stripefisk@hotmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: tehstripe
Timezone: EST
Current Characters in Route: None

Character
Name: John Egbert
Series: Homestuck
Timeline: Right after this page (The end of his Terezi Retcon Quest)
Canon Resource Links: John's MSPA Wiki Page

Personality:

At a glance, John is just a nerdy teenager with a bad taste in movies. If you get him started, he can go into rants and rambles about his favorite film or gaming franchises, and he has a weird soft spot for Matthew McConaughey and the film Ghostbusters. He knows a bit about programming, but he's bad at it. He's not exactly the kind of guy you'd peg to be destined as an all-powerful wind god, responsible for bringing the last vestiges of humanity into a brand new universe.

Of course, that's exactly who John happens to be. He may be an awkward teen who likes movies, but that's just barely scratching the surface.

John is a very direct person - he's not the type to be passive aggressive or hide hidden meanings inside a lengthy monologue. He says exactly what he's thinking in almost any situation. Unfortunately, this can lead to him being blunt to the point of rudeness, where he takes joking comments or jabs just a step too far. John rarely intends to hurt people with his words (though you can be sure that he will insult you to your face if he dislikes you) but a lack of thinking things through means he sometimes needs to apologize to friends when his weak brain-to-mouth filter gets him into trouble.

John is also awful at expressing his emotions or true feelings on a situation, and he isn't very good at processing negative emotions. Sadness and confusion tend to manifest as anger and annoyance; he is much, much more likely to yell at the sky in an unrelated tantrum than he is to break down into tears over a departed family member or friend. Generally when something bad happens, he tries to redirect his thinking into doing something more productive and positive, which means that he never has the opportunity to dwell on the bad things. On the one hand, this is a survival skill that has served him well with the shitty hand he's been dealt by SBURB - it allows him to keep functioning, even after learning that literally all of his friends have died. On the other hand, it means that certain feelings fester until he literally passes out from yelling.

His world view is also fairly simplistic. John seems to have a hard time accepting the actual gravity of the situation that he and his friends have been thrown into; he's the one who persists with the belief that Sburb is just a game for the longest, and even when that fails, he still has faith they'll be able to meet their goals, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. As Rose puts it: "Optimism through stalwart skepticism is a defect not everyone is lucky enough to be cursed with." His optimism is a boon for keeping him going through even the roughest situations, but it also means that John doesn't often take things very seriously until it's an absolute necessity, because he implicitly trusts that things will wind up alright. He's also prone to diverting conversations that get a little too deep by pointing out something else, like the cool hat he's just made, or anything else that might get the other person to switch to an easier topic. Deep, tragic conversations have never been John's forte.

Still, John is all about friendship. He cares deeply about all of his friends, even if he still teases them constantly. This is shown even from the before the events of the comic begin, through the packages he sends to each of the other kids for their birthdays. Each one contains a note about how much he values their friendship, and a gift that he has picked out based on what he knows about them. In fact, most of his motivations come back to friendship - he wants to play the game in the first place to have fun with his friends. He does his best to win the game for him and his friends. He's quick to take the trolls up on offers of friendship, once they stop trying to troll him specifically. He refuses to leave Jade alone on the ship, even when she offers to let him go to the meteor with the trolls and Dave and Rose, because he hates the idea of anybody being alone. Even as John goes back through the canon with his retcon powers to try and save his friends from certain death, he can't help but stop to hug them all and tell them how much he cares about them. John loves his friends dearly, even if he teases them constantly, and they are easily the thing that is most important to him throughout the entirety of the comic. He isn't here for power or glory; he is here for friendship.

John isn't somebody most would peg as being traditionally smart - he's not a science genius, like Jade, and he's not a master at wordplay or prose, like Dave or Rose. He's certainly oblivious from time to time, both when it comes to people's feelings, or even just basic logic like "how many quadrants are there?" Still, John is far from being an idiot. Even if his mannerisms can be fairly blunt, John has an indirect way of thinking. This is part of what keeps him from getting to the heart of serious issues or causes him to come up with terms like "reverse anti-mutual friends" that only make sense to him, but allow him to wrap his head around the ridiculous timeline shenanigans that Homestuck is rife with. It also allows him brilliant epiphanies that only John is capable of, such as figuring out the complicated punchcard system for the alchemiter. He's still not somebody that could be easily labelled a "genius," but that doesn't mean he can't think of brilliant solutions on the fly.

In terms of development, John has (mostly) remained a static character; there have been very few outward emotional developments or changes in behavior throughout the course of the comic, mostly due to his inability to process negative emotions. He gets through all of Act 5 with most of his optimism in tact, and though he witnesses the death of his father, he buries it so deep that he never confronts it. His three years on the golden ship with Jade has a fair bit of navel gazing involved, but this comes more in the way of minor revelations than big character developments. He comes to some basic conclusions, like the fact that Vriska was probably not a great person and that Con Air is not a good movie, but none of that manages to leave much of a lasting impact in the way he treats others, or how he tackles the world at large. If anything, the time on the ship has made him a little more grumpy, but this is mostly due to being stuck in a confined space with only a few people to talk to for three years; he perks up again once in the new session and he has more to do.

In short: John is a goofy kid with nerdy interests who loves his friends so much that he's going to win an unbeatable game for them.

Strengths/Weaknesses:

+ Leadership
Like it or not, John is a natural-born leader. He has the best interest of his friends at heart, and if John's on your side, you know you can trust him to try and do what's right. That said, John usually doesn't want to accept this role for himself; it's usually something ascribed to him by his friends.
+ Friendly
Assuming you catch John in a good mood, he is generally a very amiable person and easy to get along with. He's quick to label people friends, and it takes a lot to get on his bad side.
+ Optimistic
John believes that things really can't be so bad, and that everybody will be able to get out of this in one piece! This might make him seem a little delusional at times, but it's given him the drive to carry on and try to fix things, even when everything else has gone to shit.
+/- Funny
In another life, John becomes a standup comedian. For now, he's just a snarky teenager, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to get a laugh out of people, or how to set up a good, light-hearted prank. John can take his jokes and pranks too far on occasion, though he'll apologize once it's pointed out to him. This is also a defense mechanism, keeping him from taking things as seriously as he should.
- Stubborn
Once John gets it in his head that things should be a certain way, then he tends to refuse to change his mind or his course of action. This can be a good thing, when channeled into stubborn optimism, but it can also lead to frustration, such as him pitching a fit over Jade using a character model he doesn't like in an MMO they choose to play together.
- Naive
It's not hard to trick John into blindly following directions, and this has gotten him killed at least twice now. He doesn't like seeing the worst in people, so as long as you convince him it's for the greater good, he will probably go along with it.
- Insecure
John does a pretty good job of hiding it, but he's not really that confident in himself or his abilities, and never has been if the literal writing on his walls is anything to go by. He sees his other friends as being cooler, smarter, and more capable than he is, which is part of the reason he doesn't see himself as fit to lead them. Still, this part of him is buried pretty deep, and he doesn't often self-flagellate.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Swablu
Password: Peppermint Bark

Samples
First Person Sample:

[The recording flickers on, revealing a close-up of a bright-eyed Swablu and not much else. Careful examination might reveal a few tufts of unruly black hair sticking out from beneath the small bird Pokemon's feet. A bit of muffled snickering gets picked up by the mic, followed by a hushed whisper.]

Okay, now do it just like we practiced.

[The Swablu glances down for a moment, then back up at the camera. Then it's mouth starts moving, and John's voice appears to come out.]

Guys! Help me! I have been turned into a Pokemon by a mysterious evil force and I need some awesome magic or science-magic to save me and make me human again.

[The Swablu's mouth may be moving, but it's not exactly syncing up with the words. An obviously human thumb passes over the lens briefly. Totally convincing.]

I am serious! I am in mortal peril here! What if a trainer tries to catch me or something? I could be crammed in a Pokéball for the rest of my Pokemon life. Aaaah, help me, what am I going to do?

...Hehehe.

[Suddenly the camera pans down, and John's grinning face is right there. Surprise! He's still human after all, and he looks pretty damn pleased with himself.]

Psyche! It was me all along! I was never actually a Pokemon. But I think that me and my buddy here have almost got the whole ventriloquist thing down. What do you think? Pretty great, right?


Third Person Sample:

John's just managed to finish getting the gist of what's happening here. He's in a totally new universe where Pokemon are real, and SBURB is apparently not even tangentially involved. He's a little concerned about what's happened to the friends he left behind, but maybe they'll end up here too. Anyways, it seems like his reality hopping power got shut down, and he can't even fly anymore, so it's not like he can do much about that right now. So that means it's time to make the best of things and learn a bit more about his new Pokemon companion.

He finds a nearby bench and gently pries the bird Pokemon out of his hair before settling it down on the bench. Then John takes a seat on the ground across from the bench so that he's on eye level with his Swablu. He squints at it.

"Soo.... I never really got into the whole Pokemons craze," he informs the bird, like it has any idea what he's talking about. "I remember, like, Pikachu and Squirt the Turtle, but I don't remember you. Can you talk?"

"Blu?"

John looks down at his shirt. "Yeah, I'm wearing blue. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Blu!"

John squints harder, like this will help him understand the inscrutable language of "blu." It takes him a moment. "Oh, wait, you guys can only say your names, right?" That sounds correct, anyways. "So I guess you're Blue?"

"Blu! Blu!"

"Hehe, I'm gonna take that for a yes." Okay, this weird blue bird thing is pretty cute. He could definitely get used to having it around. He's just going to need to train it to not nest in its hair; it looks enough like a birds nest without a bird literally nesting there. "So, uh, it's nice to meet you, Blue! My name is John!" He reaches a hand out to shake, then realizes that birds don't have hands. He curls his hand into a fist instead, for a proper friendship fist bump, but it turns out that birds don't have fists either.

He compromises by gently tapping his knuckles against Blue's feet. Close enough. Blue chirrups in response.

"Okay, Blue. Let's go off and be Pokemon Masters. This is gonna be awesome.

Elfnein | Symphogear | Reserved

[alchemists]

Player
Name: Sarah
Personal Journal: sachu
E-mail: sarah-senpai@hotmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: dmails
Timezone: CST
Current Characters in Route: none

Character
Name: Elfnein
Series: Senki Zesshō Symphogear
Timeline: Post GX
Canon Resource Links: http://symphogear.wikia.com/wiki/Elfnein
Elfnein being a rejected clone of Carol escapes to find the Symphogear users to warn them of Carol's plans of destroying the world. Containing the memories Carol wishes to discard, Elfnein knows the truth about their father and what he truly wished for Carol to do before being burned alive. Wanting to show Carol the error of what she's doing; Elfnein helps S.O.N.G with a project to upgrade the Symphogears, Project IGNITE using the power of the relic Dáinsleif. Which allows the users to active the use of berserk modes that are normally locked within the Symphogear system. At the end of the series due to suffering serious injuries is on the brink of death, only to be saved by Carol by fusing with her allowing her to become fully human.

Personality:
Elfnein, known as scrap material #11 was created by Carol to work on the Chateau de Tiffauges. Implanted with only the memories Carol wished to discard or thought would be useful as backup along with the knowledge of the needed skills to work on the chateau. Even though she worked under Carol’s order thinking the chateau would be used for the good of seeing their father’s dream come true it was a lie and she was thrown out after finding out. As she was worthless knowing the true behind what was going on.

Even as a clone Elfnein retained the parts of Carol that she left behind, taking them as her own will and personality and not just as Carol’s memories. Wanting to fix the wrong Carol was doing she actively sought out people that could help. Trying to provide any help she could, along with any sort of support mentally to members of S.O.N.G that took her in. Since they took her in without locking her up, questioning her actions or anything of that nature along with treating her like a normal human and not just a thrown away clone. Something Elfnein was very happy with since even though she knew a lot about the outside world from the knowledge implanted in her, had not truly experienced it.

Even when Carol revealed that she was viewing and hearing everything Elfnein was doing, that she wanted to be locked away so no one could be hurt due to her. That instead of her own life, other people’s wellbeing were more important and that if she needed to be killed to stop Carol that it would be necessary and take action. Which wasn’t something she wanted to do, but others suffering due to her mistakes was something she couldn’t handle or want to see. Members of S.O.N.G only encouraged her saying it wasn’t her fault and that she was valued and they would stand behind her.

When going on a trip to the beach to “train” Elfnein learned that putting things in to practice yourself even with the knowledge is a hard task. It was only due to Maria encouraging her and saying that strength isn’t just always in fighting but in being able to admit weakness that she finally opened up more. Allowing herself to have fun and act like a normal child instead of a tool for once.

Overall, Carol has a very good sense of right and wrong and wants to show that the world isn’t a place of hate. That there is a lot to see and learn from others and that memories aren’t something that can just be forgotten. Even if she’s a bit shy and can’t fight back with strength there are other ways to help people you care about.

Strengths/Weaknesses:
+ Knowledgeable
Elfnein has been programmed with knowledge of many things allowing her to upgrade the Symphogear system with only the help of a few books and supplies. Along with all the knowledge needed to lead a human life.
+ Orderly
Even before escaping she cleaned up her room, double checked that she had everything and then left. Plus her room in the S.O.N.G base is always kept clean and mess free for the most part.
+ Forgiving
Elfnein was able to forgive Carol for everything, even using her as a tool to help reach her end goal. The world being filled with forgiveness was one of the few things she was able to really show to Carol.
+ Strong in a different sense
Again, even though Elfnein was programmed with knowledge of many things shes not a fighter or anything remotely like that. But her role in helping upgrade the gears and being able to help the other be able to reach the mental state needed is it's own form of strength.

- Takes the blame too much
When Carol showed everyone that she was using Elfnein as her ears and eyes to spy she blamed herself. Wanting to be locked away or killed due to the burden she was placing on people instead of being allowed to be forgiven.
- Knowledge without practice
Even with all her knowledge most of it has never been put into practice. At the beach when Elfnein tried to play volleyball, while she had all the knowledge to play well her body didn't have the skills to put that brain power to use.
- Selfish wish
In the end, Elfnein tells Carol that she doesn't want to die and that she has too much to see in the world. Which causes Carol to agree to helping her live by fusing together into one human being.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Ditto
Password: Peppermint bark

Samples
First Person Sample:

Hello?

[ Elfnein is sitting outside under a tree trying to make sense of what’s going on. Of course her ditto is in her lap just being a gel blob and not much help. Being alone again has it's own troublesome things.]

Judging from the surroundings I’m in a small town, and this small animal is some form of cell structure only in a very big form ?

[ She knew enough about animals and how the structure of the body worked to be able to figure out just from the physical nature that it wasn’t an animal from her world. ]

It also keeps saying “ditto”, which I think might be its name? [ The ditto hasn’t done anything but say that and kinda stare at her waiting for something. ]

Ahh.. also I don’t know if this place has any relation to Tokyo or not, while I know of other areas and countries this doesn’t fit any known item. If someone could help me, I’d be in your debt.

Third Person Sample:
Considering the string of events that had happened so far to Elfnein it would be safe to say this was far from any sort of dream or memory she had been through before. Starting from waking up not in her room in the S.O.N.G base but a house with someone calling themselves her “mom” saying to go out and start her own adventure since they now had a “pokemon”.

“Pokemon?”

Elfnein had a lot of questions, and she knew this person wasn’t a parent to her, Mama and Papa were long gone and even Carol was now gone. Before there was even an answer Elfnein got a pat on the back and was walked outside before getting a goodbye from the person claiming to be her mom.

There wasn’t anything else worth investigating outside the house, so she decided to find a nice shady spot to sit down and take a look at what was in the bag given to her before being rushed out.

“Clothes, some food, a guide”

Elfnein had quickly determined that the guidebook was the most helpful thing out of the supplies given. Sure food and clothing would be helpful in the long run but for the moment being she needed to figure out what the guide had and if it was useful in explaining the world.

“Pokemon, forms of animals and companions. I understand, since I have one now I have to embark on an adventure with them to build a bond.”

She nodded while closing the book and took out the last thing in the bag which was a pokeball. One of the things that she was told in the house was that it was given to her earlier in the day. While it was a long stretch to believe given the information Elfnein had it was the only plausible thing.

Pressing the button a beam of light shot out and a Ditto had appeared in front of her. All Elfnein could do was stare at the cell like creature before trying to examine it in detail.

“Ditto”

The pokemon only said that before moving over to Elfnein, jumping into her lap like a puppy.

“W-what ?”

Confused, all Elfnein could do was pat it on what she thought was its head before looking at the guidebook again for more answers.