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[these_balls]

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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

Serah Farron | Final Fantasy XIII | Reserved

[failnought]

Player
Name: Michelle
Personal Journal: lanvaldear
E-mail: sweetstacking@gmail.com
AIM/Plurk/Etc.: sweetstacks
Timezone: PST
Current Characters in Route: Naminé (Kingdom Hearts)

Character
Name: Serah Farron
Series: Final Fantasy XIII
Timeline: After fighting the Proto fal'Cie Adam.
Canon Resource Links: Here

Personality:

At her core, Serah is a caring, fairly outspoken, incredibly resilient twenty-one-year-old young woman. She genuinely cares for people, and believes the best in them. Similarly, when Serah loves someone, she puts her whole heart and soul into it. You won't find a more dependable person than Serah, someone who'll listen to your thoughts and doubts and dreams.

It's her loyalty to her fiancé Snow and her sister Lightning that carries her throughout her journey. It's more than arguable that it's her desire to see Lightning that lets her push through her tough journey. Throughout it, she constantly monologues, and at the heart of all of them is one singular desire: She wants to see Lightning again, and she's willing to follow a young man she doesn't know through the timelines. In fact, it's because of her incredible faith in people that she goes with Noel. While she initially doesn't believe completely Noel's story about artefacts, she gives him a chance to prove that what he's been saying is true. (Gadot questions whether he "believes that crap," to which Serah replies that she "has to give him a chance," since it's the only way she may see Lightning.) And when he does, Serah allows herself to trust completely. This faith might also be perceived as desperation to stick together: Serah's been alone before, and she doesn't want to be alone again.

And so her journey begins. It's definitely not an easy journey; Serah herself is plagued by feelings of guilt and loneliness. Guilt, because Lightning is gone, and Snow went to search for (what they believe due to timeline shenanigans) a dead woman. However, Serah takes a while to open up about her less-than-happy feelings. It's not until she can identify with someone that she opens up to them. From then on, though, Serah puts her whole trust in them.

It's because of her past traumas--being branded by a Pulse Fal'Cie and losing her parents at a young age--that Serah is so mature. Part of her maturity, too, is her perceptiveness, especially where her sister is concerned. She gifts to her on her birthday a survival knife, aware of Lightning's preference for practical gifts. Serah can also be fairly sentimental: She keeps Lightning's survival knife when living in New Bodhum and keeps it close to her. It serves as a reminder of her sister. It's little trinkets that are significantly important to Serah. This maturity also helps her to be an effective school teacher and, in Sunleth Waterscape, scold (lightly, of course) Snow for acting... well, not his age. And because of Snow and Lightning's... well, recklessness, Serah tends to worry about them very deeply. She doesn't hesitate to go to Snow's side when she has a vision of his being hurt, and even when it seems Lightning is gone... Serah remains worried about her sister. Which is probably why she's so desperate to get to Lightning!

As cheerful and strong-willed as Serah is, she's not without fears. She states that she had been scared during her crystal sleep--trapped in a dark place. Similarly, when the timeline gets messed up and Lightning disappears (like she was never there to begin with!), Serah is terrified. When Noel arrives, too, Serah freezes up when faced with monsters for the first time. Here, she calls on Lightning to save her. Of course, this is basically the only time she does this, because later on she knows what she has to do. Serah, though, is not without feelings of loneliness: Her fear is what fuels her alienation of Snow at the beginning of XIII. She's terrified that she's become a monster after being made into a l'Cie, and pushes Snow away. Telling Lightning, too, is out of the picture, as Lightning is a soldier and it's her duty to take care of threats. It's after Snow proposes to her, though, that Serah realizes how foolish she was. And so, when she meets Vanille, she tells her that pushing her loved ones away will only result in more pain. As she says herself,

Running away and leaving behind the people you care about? That isn't love. Though you might just want to keep them safe, shutting them out of you life only hurts them more. The point is, I have people I can count on. I'll make it through.

Serah's ability to adapt is incredible. She eases into her journey fairly easily, wielding her bowsword like it's the most natural thing in the world. Serah also shows no qualms about settling on Pulse, which might be because New Bodhum looks at least vaguely like her old home on Cocoon. While Serah admits life is harder, she also states that having people around to support her helps her adjust easier. This shows the value she places in others' actions, and the incredible love and affection she has in others. Truly, the residents of New Bodhum are very much a family, and Serah cares for all of them deeply.

Serah's kindness and love knows no bounds. She assures the members of NORA, Yuj and Maqui, that they're equally as important as the other members, Gadot, Snow, and Lebreau. And it's this kindness that makes her think carefully about her words, so she doesn't say something careless. Because despite Serah's... well, gullibility, she's still careful, especially where her relationships with others are concerned. And maybe it's why she takes Lightning's rejection of her being a l'Cie so hard: Lightning treats her coldly, as if this is an excuse so she can get married to Snow, instead of taking her at her words. However, Serah does not bear any ill will toward Lightning after this, because she loves her sister so much. The next time she sees Lightning, she's truly happy, even if she's... a bit disoriented. She genuinely is happy to see Lightning, even as she turns to crystal before their eyes.

As patient as Serah is, though, she has her moments where her temper flares up! Her students refer to her as "Meanie Miss Farron," because she's so strict--though Serah admits it's only because her own teacher, Lightning, was so strict. This shows just how much Serah values Lightning and respects her: She emulates her in her own occupation, without hesitation. And Serah certainly doesn't hesitate to break out the teacher voice, like when she tries to chase down a student she suspects has been misbehaving. But though she's strict, Serah genuinely cares for her students. She wants the best for them, even if it's communicated harshly.

Also, if she tries to be too nice to her students, she ends up... scaring them, because they're certain she'll start yelling at them.

Lastly, Serah is incredibly optimistic. Her optimism is probably what keeps her going in the first game, when she's alone in a crystal sleep. The crystal tear Serah leaves behind remains with Snow, and he communicates with her this way. She has the thought of marrying Snow and seeing Lightning to keep her hanging on, and Serah is wholeheartedly convinced that, if she has people she loves next to her, everything will be okay. Serah never once doubts Noel or herself during their journey: She knows they'll be able to complete their mission, and they'll fix the timelines. And it's not just Serah's being optimistic in people; it's her being optimistic in the future itself. Whatever happens, Serah is certain the future will work out for the best.

Strengths/Weaknesses:

✔ ADAPTABILITY: Living on Pulse? No problem. Serah adapts fairly easily to new situations. When faced with a journey to leave her home, she agrees, and she settles into the routine of finding artefacts and fixing the timelines very quickly. She's also willing to try new things--especially food.
✔ OPTIMISM: Serah has incredible faith and optimism in her friends. She genuinely believes that, as long as she has those she loves, everything will work out in the end. She notes this, her belief in the power of strong bonds, when she meets Vanille for the first time, and she tells the other that pushing away her loved ones will only end badly.
✔ STRONG WILL: Possibly the reason Serah didn't fall into a deep depression during and after her crystal sleep. Serah's will is exceedingly strong, and she tends to follow her heart--the reason, really, that she goes out on her journey with a boy she just met.
✔ PHYSICAL STRENGTH: Serah can easily hold her own in battle, despite not having prior combat experience. She jumps right into battle, wielding her bowsword like she was always meant to.

● DETERMINATION: Possibly bordering on stubbornness. While Serah isn't afraid to jump into situations, this may occasionally backfire on her--the biggest example being the journey to find Lightning and later on fix the timelines. It results in very serious consequences, not only for Serah herself, but the entire world.
● EASILY PERSUADED: While Serah has a lot of faith in people--especially Snow and her sister--it's that faith that allows her to be... easily persuaded. She believes Noel wholeheartedly when he arrives, and she accepts without question pretty much everything he says.
● CURIOSITY: Serah is a fairly curious individual! She is pretty young, after all, and while this curiosity allows her to feel out things and discover things on her own, it leads to some pretty bad things. Like being made a l'Cie in the first game: She'd been curious about the place, and ended up branded as a result.

✘ TEMPER: There's a reason her students call her "Meanie Miss Farron." Serah has a temper similar to Lightning's, though she loses it more often--Noel even notes this himself in Sunleth Waterscape when she yells at the flan to stop misbehaving.
✘ IMPULSIVE: Along with her temper, Serah sometimes throws herself into situations without any regard for herself--such as when she yells at Hope during her fight with the prototype Adam. She nearly falls off the edge of the the elevator in Augusta Tower.
✘ TRAUMAS: As in being turned into crystal, being told her sister is dead, parents dying, etc. This results in her panicking when someone she cares for gets hurt, or her freezing up during the worst times possible (like, near the beginning of the game, when she's in trouble and calls for Lightning to save her).

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Piplup
Password: Cherries Jubilee

Samples
First Person Sample: [ When the screen flickers on, Serah smiles and settles back on her heels. With a quick glance around, she looks back at the camera. ]

Hi. I'm Serah Farron, and... well, this is new, but I don't think it's too bad. At least I've got this little guy with me to help me through it. Right, Snow?

[ The Piplup at her hip lets out a little squeak of approval. ]

Anyway, I kind of got an idea of what's happening here. Though, I'm still a little fuzzy on the details. [ A pause, and Serah looks fairly disconcerted. ] I mean, I have things to do, and I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here. It's just... they're really important, and I don't want to let anyone down.

If you could help in any way, like information or telling me if anyone I know is here, let me know. Noel Kreiss, Hope Estheim, Snow Villiers, Alyssa Zaidelle-- [ There's a small pause here, and... well, give it a try, right? Stranger things have happened, and Serah has traveled through enough timelines to know that she always has to expect the unexpected. ] --Lightning Farron, Sazh and Dajh Katzroy, Oerba Dia Vanille, or Oerba Yun Fang.

Thanks! [ And Serah gives a little wave before leaning forward and flicking off the feed. ]

Third Person Sample: Serah has seen a lot of things during her travels with Noel. Lately, she's adopted an "expect the unexpected" sort of attitude. Kind of have to, when literally anything can happen. If there's one thing Serah's learned, it's that nothing is impossible, and this... this is definitely falling into the "improbable, but no impossible" category. It's not hard for her to keep a level head; she learned to do that when she started working as a school teacher.

Nevermind that sometimes her temper got the best of her.

"Well, not much to do except move forward, right, Snow?" she says, patting the little penguin on the head. Okay. That's definitely weird, but it definitely seems real. And who's to say, in an alternate timeline, something like this is definitely possible? It seems like that's the right answer. Serah gathers the little guy up in her arms and straightens. At least he's adorable, and he does remind her of Snow: All gung-ho, ready to take on the world.

Serah had scolded him when he ran ahead into the route without her. At least he'd behave now.

"Wonder what kind of trouble we can get into, huh, Snow?" she asks her friend in a quiet voice. The route's so quiet, she can at least hear herself think, though... thinking led to worrying, and worrying led to more worrying. If she were here... what was happening back home? What would happen to Noel, to the crystal pillar, to Snow?

"I'm sure they'll be fine," she says, and she finds she believes it. Because even without her, they're strong. Especially Snow, even if he does get in over his head sometimes. Though, honestly... this whole thing, the weirdness, it would be a lot easier if she had someone she knew.

It's with a sigh that Serah's arms tighten around Snow. As if sensing her distress, he lets out a little coo--those arms reach up and he pats her cheeks. It's enough to make her smile. She appreciates the gesture, because she can tell it's genuine. And with such an earnest little guy, it's hard not to stay optimistic.

"Alright," she says, patting the penguin's head. "Let's get going."

[these_balls]

Before we make our final decision on your application, we would like a revised personality section and first-person sample for Serah. We feel that, while the current section thoroughly covers Serah's more positive traits, her negative ones are somewhat glossed-over; thus, we feel the section as a whole would benefit from further expansion and in-depth analysis of the flaws that make her a unique character in her own right.

We also feel that the first-person sample is generic, and would prefer a sample that more clearly demonstrates who Serah is as a distinct and identifiable character. In the revised sample, please feel free to tailor the scenario as you see fit to show off Serah's unique traits as a person. You will have one week to complete these requests before the character is available again.

[failnought]

Just putting in the revised section on negative traits, if that's okay.

However, Serah is far from perfect! She's still young, after all, and a young woman who has been through so much. Her traumas have left their mark on her: When New Bodhum is attacked at the beginning of XIII-2, Serah runs out... and freezes up. She's scared, and rightly so: Serah's never been in combat. She calls on Lightning to help her, knowing full well that Lightning isn't there. This scene shows a fair bit of impulsiveness on Serah's part: She goes outside (to be fair, she'd had a vision and lost track of where she was/herself) to see what's going on. So while Serah's curiosity can be a good thing sometimes, it... nearly gets her killed a few times.

Serah also has a tendency to care a little too much--while this obviously isn't a bad thing, she does sometimes lose her head! Example being in Sunleth Waterscape when she has a vision of Snow in trouble. Because she's so worried about him, she rushes ahead, leaving Noel behind. While she doesn't get hurt, she also puts herself in the way of danger for those she loves. This is yet another example of her impulsiveness getting the best of her. Serah is also stubborn, almost to a fault; she doesn't ever give up, not even when it gets her in a bad situation! Such as when she and Noel fight the Proto Fal'Cie Adam--Serah rushes ahead, stubborn and angry, and doesn't ever give up until she lets her feelings known: She yells at Hope for screwing up. Which ends up actually working, even if she almost falls of the elevator of Augusta Tower.

While Serah is far from dumb, she... has her moments where her judgment is questionable. When Noel shows up initially, Serah is willing to believe most everything he says. The members of NORA even outright question her trust in Noel, but Serah states that she needs to give him a chance. Serah does question him, even just a little bit, but it's not suspicion enough that she shuts him down. She believes him enough to give him a chance to prove himself; while she's a little unsure, yes, she's more than willing to give him a chance. And because Serah can be naïve, some of the things she says are a little... odd. Some of her dialogue options make her seem somewhat of a space case--such as when Noel asks her about Snow and she, ah, fangirls and gushes over him. Similarly, there's a dialogue option for her to say "The cat is my only family!" and when she and Noel are captured... she can ask about when they're going to eat. Definitely not the kind of thing you want to ask when you've just been arrested.

First Person Sample:

[ When the video flickers on, there's a Piplup face taking up the whole screen. And there's a voice not too far away--the Piplup jumps when it becomes louder. ]

You've got a lot of explaining to do, young man! [ The Piplup moves away from the camera. Standing not too far off is a young woman with pink hair. ] Stealing someone's bag? You should be ashamed of yourself! Now, return it to me, and apologize. [ Cue the culprit--a young boy--sheepishly handing over the bag. There's a quiet apology, barely audible. Serah softens, though, just a tiny bit. She slings the bag over her shoulder and sets her hands on her hips. ] I thought your mother would teach you better than that. [ Her voice is still stern, but at least she's not yelling. She does sound disappointed, though. ] Now, why don't you tell me why you felt the need to steal?

[ And the kid launches into an explanation. Serah kneels down during the whole thing, nodding every so often--she's dealt with naughty children, she's got enough experience with them to know what to do. When he's finished, Serah straightens up. ]

Alright, why don't you run off? I'll be telling your mother about this, okay?

[ The kid runs off. Serah makes a note to visit the kid's mom when she has a chance--while she'd lectured the kid, she should tell his mother. Maybe he'll have learned his lesson then.

It's at that moment that she notices her gear is on, and her eyes widen in surprise. She looks at the Piplup, which... suddenly looks very scared. Instead, she looks downright impressed. ]

Well, look at you! Aren't you a smart boy? I can't believe you figured out how to turn that on! [ Serah sits down, cross-legged, and pulls the Piplup close. At least the penguin doesn't look completely terrified. ] Looks like you've got a lot more tricks than I thought. [ And because the camera's on, she can't help it. She waves, and it's with a smile that she starts talking. ]

Hi. I was wondering--might anyone have any information about this place? I didn't really get a whole lot of information from "Mom." If anyone can help me, that'd be great. Thanks in advance!

[these_balls]

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Thank you! See you in the Pokémon world!

[failnought]

yassss

this is Serah's journal!!