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Starter Pokémon! A compiled list of the starter Pokémon to choose from offered in Victory Road!
Player Name: Zoe E-mail: fourteenthraidou@gmail.com Preferred Contact:fireplacecat or PM character journal Timezone: EST Current Characters in Victory Road: Cassandra the Dust-Eater
Character Name: Shinobu Tsukuyomi Series: Original Character (Changeling: The Lost/Mage: The Awakening) Timeline: About a year and a half after escaping Arcadia Original Character Background: Shinobu hails from the World of Darkness tabletop system; in fact, he hails from the same world as Steven Durante and Tyler Huang, although Shinobu's background as a Mage adds a few additional quirks.
The World of Darkness is very much like our own world on the surface; however, magic and supernatural beings are quite real, although most humans don't know this and many supernatural beings (or supernaturally touched humans) would like to keep it that way. Mages are humans who have "Awakened" to their own magical abilities and written their name on one of five "Watchtowers," each representing their own discipline, which exist in the Supernal Realm, a higher plane of existence from which all magic springs. Born in Japan in 1914 and raised in a family of Mages who belonged to an offshoot sect of their particular discipline, Shinobu was a particularly precocious Mage who Awakened to his power and wrote his name on one of the Watchtowers at age seventeen. If things had progressed normally, he would have continued on like this, dedicating his life to the study of those branches of magic his family specialized in, but then a pair of Fae who styled themselves on Titania and Oberon took a fancy to him and spirited him off to Arcadia, and there went that. He would spend five years (to him) as their unwilling plaything, forced to navigate between their quarrels and tantrums, or worse, those moments when their wills were in accord. His body began to alter itself accordingly, as the Fae and their realm alike worked their magic on him, eventually shaping him into a a Changeling - specifically, a Fairest. Further, navigating the whims of two masters left him with two different kiths: Dancer, for the metaphorical dance he'd been forced to do to keep them both happy, and Romancer, for the way he'd had to repeatedly mold himself to his captors' respective ideal lover.
Meanwhile in the human world, his Fae Keepers had left behind a Fetch, a copy of Shinobu created with bits of detritus and a piece of Shinobu's own soul, in the young man's place. Unfortunately for the Fetch, he was found out almost immediately by Shinobu's family, and forced to go on the run. He spent what turned out to be the next several decades traveling through Asia and the Pacific Islands, eventually ending up in San Diego sometime during the late 1960s. During that time, the Fetch came to sympathize enough with what he knew of Shinobu's plight that he resolved to rescue him from Arcadia. To that end, he would eventually ally himself with the San Diego Changelings' Autumn Court - almost unheard of for a Fetch - and set about doing so. It took a great deal of time, far more than anyone would have liked, but between his efforts and those of Shinobu himself, he was eventually successful. Shinobu was finally able to escape Arcadia and the Hedge, but there was a cost: his magic was diminished, its growth forever stunted; he would never be able to attain the heights he could have before being Taken. Not only that, but while for Shinobu his torment had lasted for five years, in the outside world almost ninety had passed. It was 2020, and he was half a world away from his home and his family, with no chance of return.
With little choice in the matter, and not wanting to sully his Fetch's efforts, Shinobu set about adjusting to this new upheaval. Already multilingual as a result of his magic studies, he worked to further refine his English. He joined the Autumn Court... although his Fetch being so known and respected there has been something of a double-edged sword. He studied and practiced with the powers he'd developed as a Changeling, as well as what was left of his old magic, adapting it to his new circumstances (this last would pull him into Steven Durante's orbit, as one of the things he did for practice was summoning the ghost of his sister, a vampire, to learn why they'd mostly disappeared; she then convinced/browbeat him into attempting to break into her brother's apartment to steal his anime for her, which was not the most auspicious beginning, but they managed). With a new identity - ironically, on paper he's his Fetch's great-grandson - he's essentially starting his life over again. What else can he do?
Personality: Before his Durance (i.e. his time as a prisoner of his Keepers), Shinobu had been a diligent student, focused on his studies almost to the exclusion of all else. He retained that diligence through his Durance; it's one of the things that kept him alive. His Keepers were capricious, with flaring tempers and needs and wants that almost seemed to change from minute to minute, and Shinobu had to learn to anticipate all of it as best he could in order to avoid punishment (that they quarreled constantly didn't help). Accordingly, he's very observant - and very controlled. It wouldn't do to show his own feelings in a situation like that, lest they be noticed and used against him. Unsurprisingly, post-Durance Shinobu has a very, very good poker face... and an eidetic memory, which is something of a double-edged sword.
Of all the varieties of Changeling, Fairest like Shinobu are the most likely to lose their grip on reality enough to be drawn back into Arcadia, even becoming True Fae themselves. Shinobu is well aware of this, and he works hard to prevent himself from falling to that particular fate. That's complicated, though, by his specific circumstances. He feels split in a number of different ways: between Mage and Changeling, human and... not-human, Japanese and American (on paper, anyway, via some very good forgeries from the Court), past and present. He's even got dual kiths - although one is much easier to deal with than the other. The Blessing and curse of a Romancer is that their appearance tends to reflect the desires of whomever is looking at them. To someone who likes black hair and brown eyes, or blonde hair and blue eyes, or tattoos or any conceivable combination of traits, a Romancer will appear to have those traits. Shinobu is never quite sure what other people are seeing when they look at him; sometimes even he wonders if the reflection he sees in the mirror is really true, or just another ideal. It's done nasty things to his sense of self, which also isn't helped by the fact that his Fetch is in such good standing with the Autumn Court. It's hard for Shinobu not to feel like a pretender to his own life sometimes. He fights fiercely against it, but it's wearing, and he can't help but wonder how long it will be before he finally gives in. Part of him almost resents his Fetch's efforts, no matter how many times he castigates himself for being ungrateful. Most Fetches wouldn't even try to rescue their originals; how dare he resent his own for actually doing so? He does his best to bury those feelings, but he's fairly sure his Fetch isn't fooled, which just makes things worse.
While he does have his bad days (too many of them), Shinobu is still determined to find a place for himself in the world, to prove he's not just an empty plaything or an inferior version of his own copy. He's much more willing to try new things than he was before his Durance (although given how long his Fetch has been around, chances are that he's also tried them at some point), and he's reached out here and there and made friends of his own, although he's not the most socially adept person around. Still, he doesn't trust easily; he can't afford to. He's always polite, but letting people get close to him is harder. That doesn't mean he doesn't try, and not just because he can't afford not to; he needs all the touchstones he can get in order to keep a basic grip on reality. But he also doesn't want to spend the rest of his life alone in a crowd. He just wants people who can see him for who he actually is, and not who he seems to be. He wants that more than anything. If he can find them.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Galarian Ponyta Password: Atomic Fireball
Player Name: Sailor G E-mail: sailorgundam06 [at] gmail Preferred Contact:sailorgundam06, Discord: SailorGundam06#2608, PM journal Timezone: Eastern (NY) Current Characters in Victory Road: none
Character Name: Romelle Series: Voltron: Legendary Defender Timeline: mid season 8... just after the episode "Clear Day" Canon Resource Links: - Voltron Wiki - Voltron: Legendary Defender Wiki
During season 8, Romelle joins the crew of the Atlas in the hope that she can help Allura unlock the mysteries of a strange new type of mech that has been draining quintessence from various planets. The mechs are all piloted by other Alteans from Romelle's colony, and, after enduring a bitter tirade about being a traitor to Lotor and her own people from Luka, the first pilot the team found, Romelle is able to learn that the mechs are being sent by Honerva in an effort to gather enough quintessence that she can open a rift to other realities.
She spends most of her time with the rest of the Altean pilots of these mechs that are recovered, hoping they will turn against Honerva. However, they are all infected with a parasite from within the rift that connects them to Honerva and causes them pain when they try. At a loss, Romelle steps back from her attempts and leaves dealing with the parasite to Allura, who is a powerful alchemist able to figure out a way to draw the parasites out.
Personality: Romelle can be headstrong, blunt, and stubborn. She's guarded, as her skepticism and questioning of blind faith made her something of a pariah among the other Alteans on the colony. When her parents are chosen by Lotor to go to the other colony, she begins to wonder if they're doing the right thing in just following everything Lotor tells them. Most of the other Alteans tell her not to worry and that being chosen is a great honor. This does not sit well with Romelle at all.
She can also be persuasive. Her discussions with her brother about where their parents went gets through to Bandor and he gives her a secret communicator to use when he is suddenly chosen for the other colony as well. This only strengthens her resolve. However, she realizes that she cannot tell the other Alteans when Bandor returns badly injured and dies. Lotor finds the wreck of Bandor's shuttlepod and covers it up, and Romelle knows that she will have to play along with the charade. None of the other Alteans are likely to believe her anyway without proof, and now she fears what might happen to her if Lotor finds out she knows. She hides the truth, even lying to others in order to protect herself.
Still, taking this stance against the beliefs of her people isn't easy for Romelle. When Luka calls her a traitor, Romelle takes it to heart, and is clearly hurt. In her mind, she was doing the right thing and trying to save them from this suspicious thing Lotor was doing to them. When Keith and Krolia arrive on the colony, Romelle sees her chance to gather proof and takes it. When faced with Lotor on the Castle of Lions, where Keith and Krolia had taken Romelle to get help from Voltron, Romelle shows how bitter and hurt she is at the loss of her family. She is disillusioned from Lotor's glossed over plans of restoration for the Alteans and the Galra, and is quite ready to speak her mind about how she feels about what Lotor's done.
Romelle's curious nature likely started her down the road to finding out the truth. As we get to know her during her journey with the Paladins to Earth, we see how she wants to learn about everything around her. She becomes a bit of a thorn in Lance's side as, while riding with him in the Red Lion, she ends up pushing too many buttons and filling the cockpit with some sort of mist or gas. She's also very pragmatic, pointing out just how weird things are, and that everyone just accepts it without question. She tends to mention the obvious in order to highlight this, like how Allura yanked Shiro's soul from the Black Lion, crammed it into the clone body, and everyone is just moving on to the next thing without blinking an eye.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Stufful Password: Atomic Fireball
Personality: There is something to be said about a man who has earned the nickname Kusomatsu (literally, Shitmatsu) from his identical five brothers. Karamatsu is nothing, if not memorable, and, usually, it's in a negative way. He is flashy and over-the-top in not only his mannerisms, but also in his clothes. If he's not showing a little skin, it's not good enough. Karamatsu thinks of himself as the prime example of manly, opting to wear tight jeans, leather jackets, sunglasses, and toe-pinching shoes. Sometimes his pants have sequins.
He also believes he is kind, saying that he will run odd errands and do tasks for his other brothers. At the same time, he resents them for always talking down to him or making fun of him. Osomatsu, especially, earns Karamatsu's ire, since he is supposed to be the oldest, but is unreliable at best. When push comes to shove, Karamatsu fluctuates from being supportive and steadfast, to being a pushover constantly weighed down by the opinions of others. He is not weak-willed, but he does appear to be timid and unable to say no (again, unless you're Osomatsu). Karamatsu values validation. He likes to stand out, but that is because he is so worried about becoming invisible in a sea of faces that look exactly like him.
He is constantly the butt of jokes, though not by his own volition. In one episode, Karamatsu's only friend outside the family, Chibita, encourages Karamatsu to pretend he has been kidnapped by him, and that he is being held for ransom. Instead of running to his aid, his brothers ignore the danger, and, in the end, throw pots and pans at Karamatsu while Chibita is making noise outside their house. He returns at the end of the episode, bandaged and with a crutch, wondering why no one cares about him. There are other episodes where he injures himself (or others injure him), and his brothers don't bat an eye. He has also been known to say something relevant, or give good advice, only to be berated by one of his brothers (usually Ichimatsu).
But why are his brothers so mean to him, you ask. That could be because they know what a narcissist Karamatsu is, and don't approve of the methods he uses to make himself look good. He dresses flashy, draws attention to himself by being dramatic and speaking poetically and loudly, and he has a high opinion of himself (while still valuing the opinions of others... he's complicated). His confidence level is through the roof, and no one understands how it got that high. He simply started wearing shirts with his own face printed on them one day, and everyone began to avoid him like the Plague. Thankfully, Karamatsu is both tenacious and stupid, and can bounce back episode after episode, as though nothing was wrong. He tries hard, too hard, most of the time.
Still, even with his brothers constantly ignoring or going out of their way to bully him, they mean so much to him. Karamatsu has been known to be protective. His bond with Jyushimatsu is surprisingly strong; he is seen bribing his younger brother with sweets in one episode, but also he stepped in to punch Osomatsu when Osomatsu wrongfully bullied him in another. In the movie, younger Karamatsu cared so much about how his teenage brothers were going their separate ways that he was depressed and filled with anxiety. Both younger and older Karamatsu did not want to make waves, so they bottled up their feelings for a long time.
So, he has some good in him. In one of the more famous episodes, Ichimatsu finds Karamatsu taking a nap, and decides to try on his clothes because he actually likes them. Then, when Osomatsu discovers him, Ichimatsu pretends he is Karamatsu. When Karamatsu wakes up, he pretends he is Ichimatsu to help cover for him. In another episode, Osomatsu was blaming his brothers by saying they were stealing from him, and Karamatsu whispered to Osomatsu that his wallet was in his own pocket. Karamatsu did not ask for any compensation for either of these instances, and was simply helping his brothers out so that they would not be ashamed.
Above all else, what matters most to Karamatsu, is... Karamatsu. His driving force could be his narcissism. He doesn't want to be forgotten, he performs tasks for others so people will like him. This doesn't mean he is necessarily evil. He has been shown to have a good heart, though he's definitely not a pure gentle flower, or anything. Karamatsu is, objectively, one of the nicer Matsuno siblings (only surpassed by Jyushimatsu) but, when compared to the others, it's not a high bar to pass.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Breeder Starter: Feebas Password: Atomic Fireball
Player Name: Roo E-mail: narsinator@gmail.com Preferred Contact: Disco: Rooibos#5175, CosmicRooibos Timezone: US Central Current Characters in Victory Road: N/A
Character Name: Larry Laffer Series: Leisure Suit Larry Timeline: After the events of Wet Dreams Don't Dry Canon Resource Links: Listen. The canon for this series is an absolute mess, and not just from a political/content standpoint. There is no fourth wall; he is aware that he's a video game character, while simultaneously being a living person. For example, he becomes programmer for Sierra On-Line, making games that he's the protagonist of within his own universe. Every time there's a death scene in the first game, he's shown to be liquidated and remolded into a new body in an underground lab, with no reasoning or backstory. The fourth game, or rather the lack of it, suggests that Larry loses his memory, and thus his character growth, simply because his development floppy disks went missing. He gets abducted by aliens at the conclusion of the seventh game, which never gets to see resolution due to massive layoffs at Sierra in 1999.
The more you know, the less it makes sense. With that said, here's links to the synopses of older games: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, Wet Dreams.
Personality: By far his most defining characteristic, Larry is permanently and relentlessly horny on main. He'll hit on any woman even if she wouldn't even give him the time of day. Cheesy pickup lines and double entendres abound and anything you say can and will be twisted into that's what she said. At least he has the decency to introduce himself before hitting on someone...well, most of the time.
You may be tempted to think that a series that is founded on a plot where you try to sleep with as many women as possible has a protagonist that is a frustrated incel that thinks that women owe him sex...but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Larry, while a far cry from being a classic textbook gentleman, is not hunting for conquest. When women rebuff his attentions -- or worse, take advantage of him -- regardless of how much he's done for them to win them over, he shrugs it off and moves on. Not a single time has he ever believed that a woman owed him something, nor has he ever flared a temper or held a grudge. While a persistent flirt and a single-minded pervert, Larry has always honored consent, holding both women and their autonomy in high regard...
...even if "yield" means "go" to Larry. He's rarely able to read between the lines, even when he tries to. If you're not interested, you must clearly say "no" or "I'm not interested". Ultimatums are taken as challenges and are worthless in trying to dissuade him. Likewise, attempts to insult or tease him frequently go right over his head. Most of the time, he can't tell when guys are hitting on him. Before he started his swinger lifestyle he used to be an extreme shut-in, and the lack of social skills that implies frequently rears its head.
Even though it's obvious that Larry thinks with his libido, it's clear that his heart is at least sitting in shotgun with the map. At his core, Larry craves genuine and meaningful emotional connections with people. Because he doesn't view sex as mere conquest, he doesn't try to force a connection when it's not there. This is the most significant reason why, despite his libido, he doesn't simply stick to transactions with prostitutes.
Unfortunately, Larry is the textbook example of "product of his time." Even though Larry has a gentle soul, he has some backwards conceptions about minorities and a tasteless sense of humor about them. None of it comes from a malicious or hateful place, but he thinks that it's harmless. He genuinely apologizes when someone makes it clear that he overstepped a line.
No matter how hard he gets shafted, he always retains an upbeat attitude. Let it be known that life loves to dump on Larry Laffer. With what could only be the cosmic karma for constantly trying to woo women, Larry finds himself frequently in unfortunate situations. Sometimes he ends up chained to a bedpost while the woman he thought he was about to have make love to steals his wallet, sometimes he gets kicked out of the bed (and onto the street) immediately after the act, and he's had several types of emergency services called on his behalf.
However, there's a hidden genius in this crouching moron. Using lateral logic problem-solving skills, Larry can MacGyver the most illogical items together into something useful to solve problems, navigate puzzles, and obliterate obstacles. In previous games, Larry -- despite being originally established as a programmer -- goes on to various career fields throughout the series and only notably fails at one of them. (Timeshare marketing, for those who are curious.)
On that note, If you have something Larry thinks could be helpful down the line, hopefully it's either (a) tied down, (b) cemented into place, or (c) too heavy for him to lift, because it's going to disappear. It doesn't matter how readily apparent the utility of the object is. He'll do it right under your nose, too. Catch him in the act and he's likely to try to bargain for it. The logic of an adventure game protagonist can be obtuse, but if he likes you (or, hell, even ambivalent towards you) it's likely to end up in your favor at the end.
Most importantly, a characteristic of his that significantly contrasts with his previous iterations in past games is that he's actually quite progressive. If anything, Larry now more accurately represents the attitude of the late 70s discotheque than ever before. Larry is particularly amicable to Dick and Lance, even after he realizes that he's being hit on (and the insisting that he's not into men), and expresses positive surprise to hear that gay marriage had been legalized.
Important Note: As you can see, Larry comes from a very adult-oriented canon, but with his level of meta-awareness (he'll immediately recognize that he's in another world that also runs off of Video Game Logic, and that this "video game" is meant for kids) combined his canon-implied proactivity in keeping his adult content away from kids' eyes, he will make an intentional effort to keep himself on a PG/PG-13-level filter. In other words, not only am I cognizant of Victory Road's tone and theme and wish to play within those boundaries, but Larry is on board with that as well. Think Brock-mode.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Bounsweet Password: Atomic Fireball
Samples RP Sample:A Ryslig TDM (SFW but you might not want to show the hyperlinked image to friendly company)
Victory Road Sample: Network post:
[This video gets posted in the wee hours of the morning. It's not an hour too absurd, but if you keep to a decent sleep schedule you might not see this until you wake up. When Larry speaks, it's in a conspiratorial whisper:]
Hey guys. Larry -- eheh -- Larry Laffer here. I, uh, could use some help...
[He points the camera down and into his lap, where a battered and bruised Bounsweet -- despite her injuries -- sleeps peacefully in the cradle created by his crossed legs. She makes contented, dainty little snores all the while.]
This little guy here keeps running off and getting into fights she can't win! I know what she's trying to do, but we're not going to get anywhere like this.
I don't know what the point of these balls are if they can escape whenever they want...!
Heh, aaaaanyway --
[He brings the camera back up to his face.]
-- is anyone around that would --gently-- spar with her? I've...eheh, run out of money for healing items, and I can't get a stone's throw from town before having to bring her back to the Center! So, I'm stuck here for now. I guess I could use a travel partner--or a chaperone--but that'll just get me to the next town without fixing the problem!
I'm in -- [he throws a glance over his shoulder] -- Cherry...grove? Oh, what a cute name for a town-- if anyone's available to lend a hand.
Player Name: Airdra E-mail: kamenfirestorm at gmail dot com Preferred Contact:Airdra Timezone: CST Current Characters in Victory Road: Sento Kiryu
Character Name:Jules Thibault Series: Original Character (Changeling: The Lost) Timeline: He's from late 2019. Canon Resource Links: There is a fandom wiki here. Changeling: The Lost is a tabletop game that enters around Changelings, who are humans who were kidnapped by the True Fae and taken to Faerie to serve as whatever the Fae needed them to be. These Changelings have then escaped from the Fae and made it back to the human world, where they must now deal with what has happened to them and being something other than human. When the Fae took them, the Changelings lost a little bit of themselves, but gained something otherworldly--their own fae powers--in return.
Original Character Background: Jules grew up both loving computers and going without much in the way of proper adult supervision thanks to his parents paying more attention to his siblings than to him. He originally started out with small acts of digital mischief, which escalated to running a full-on botnet by the time he was in college. He got caught, much to his dismay, and ended up getting sent to jail for a variety of digital crimes. To make things worse, once he made it to jail, he also ended up getting taken by the True Fae.
The Fae came for him while he was in jail, snatching him out of his bunk in the middle of the night and replacing him with a Fetch, a simulacrum made in Jules's likeness so that a prisoner suddenly going missing didn't cause a fuss. The Fetch only needed to hold together for a week, at which point it died in a freak food poisoning incident at the prison. It might have been better off than Jules himself, who was stuck serving as a gargoylish captive bound to a shifting carnival maze with no memory of who or what he had once been--until a fleeting scent on the wind jarred his memory and spurred him into escaping. He found himself tumbling out of Faerie out into the real world of Houston, Texas, and into the local freehold's care.
Jules took up with the Winter Court there, and it didn't take him long to become the freehold's computer guy. He had the skills to set people in situations similar to his own up with new paperwork and new identities, thus making their existence in the human world a little easier. He fell in with a motley, a smaller group of changelings, of his own, and for a while, felt like he had friends.
But one of his motley, an ice Elemental named Crystal, had eyes for the Winter crown, and she framed Jules for a crime against the current Winter King, leading to the Winter King's demise, her ascension to Winter Queen, and Jules's having to make a break for it into the Hedge to save his own skin. He was mostly able to survive--some hobgoblins attempted to help him out and ended up giving him an extra foot of height in the process--but his friend Haru, an ogre, came looking for him and ended up rescuing him. She was angry at Crystal's actions, and she wanted to make things right...with her own brand of justice. Jules agreed to help her out, using one of his Contracts--Balm of Unwakeable Slumber--on Crystal so the Elemental would not be able to wake for whatever it was Haru was going to do. Murder, he knew it was going to be murder even if he denied it. In the process, Haru became the Winter Queen and Jules became her right-hand man. Neither of them is really sure how any of this happened.
Personality: Jules tends to be extremely high-strung, and he is pretty good about inadvertently letting people know this. He yells and otherwise loudly complains a lot about everything. This yelling ranges from loud complaining that onions were left on his burger after he explicitly asked for them to be left off to outright shrieking and screaming after being startled by something. (Bonus: his Lurkglider tail falls off when he's startled, and he can regenerate it in a couple of weeks. He hates that but such is his lot in life.) He's a complainer. He's good at finding flaws in everything and loudly sharing them with the class. There is always something wrong, nothing is ever perfect.
He's also not at all quick to become involved in anything. Part of this is thanks to the nature of his durance encouraging observation over action, but part of it is also a tragic pre-existing condition known as laziness. He'd rather skirt around along the edges of whatever's going on and avoid direct participation unless pressed into service. He will watch and file information away for later, but he won't volunteer any of it on his own unless he's pressed. He's very big into picking the course of action that means the least risk and work for him. And yet if he's not thinking too hard on the relative amount of work, he'll spend a great deal of time and energy on things that are designed to save him effort in the future.
More than anything, Jules can't handle combat. He is not a combatant by any means, and he will beg forgiveness or mercy or start crying hide or flee or do what he needs to do in order not to get involved. The man doesn't have much in the way of pride when it comes to saving his own skin. Subtlety is not something he's good at here. As much as he hates losing his tail, he will gladly drop it and run if it thinks it would be a sufficient distraction to spare him a really terrible fight. His gargoylish fae mien might be imposing to some, and he's aware of this on some level. But in practice, he's not good at applying that intimidation potential. He can work up a very good resting gargoyle bitchface if he has to, but any effect that has usually dissolves when he opens his mouth to speak or if he's confronted directly. It doesn't help that the human form of his Mask is scrawny and relatively unimposing despite now being seven feet tall.
Yet underneath the cringing, snivelling surface, he's got a surprising amount of determination. You don't escape from Faerie if you're a total weakling, and there is some sort of strength hidden deep in there. Jules can be patient when he needs to. Very patient. He'll use misdirection if he has to, channeling his complaining urges towards something less important in order to obfuscate his true concerns or intentions. It's a win-win scenario as far as he's concerned--he still gets to vent somehow, and he gets to keep his true intentions to himself. And hey, complaining is just a way to pass the time while you're waiting, right? But if things get serious enough, he knows when he should freeze and wait there in the dark, biding his time. He knows how he usually behaves and he knows what people expect of him, and it's when he gets a grip on himself and uses what he is to his advantage that he's at his most dangerous. He sees no problem in kicking up some kind of dramatic scene for use as a distraction or to cause people to underestimate him. (Dignity? Who cares?) Everything has its own series of costs and benefits. If he manages to calm down enough to think, he's capable of weighing those costs and benefits with surprising coldness. He's not inclined towards sentimentality, and his priority is simply to ensure his own continued survival--he's not particularly loyal to anything or anyone other than himself.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Team Rocket Starter: Porygon and Scraggy Password: Atomic Fireball
Victory Road Sample: Jules hates this. He is going through actual effort here, but he's been a little bored lately. And staying occupied inside is far preferable to staying occupied outside in the tall grass where Pokemon might attack, so there he is, in the Goldenrod City Game Corner, very quietly moving to stand next to a slot machine at what is definitely not a suspicious angle. He's just testing the security, that's all. That is definitely what the program he's trying to dump into the slot machine is. A test. If it had been an actual attack, he tells himself, he would have just tried to do it remotely.
But he's well aware that as an overly tall and therefore memorable individual, he's quite likely to get caught. That's why he's come in here with a friend. The Whismur toddles into the center of the casino and looks around a bit before catching Jules's eye for the signal. When Jules gives it, it starts up with Uproar. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Aw, poor little lost Pokemon.
Jules takes a moment to watch the chaos unfold as everyone in the area immediately turns to face that noise, and then gets to work.Thanks, little Whismur, you're a pal.
Player Name: Star E-mail: thisisandroid18@gmail.com Preferred Contact: PM Timezone: CST Current Characters in Victory Road: Lydia, Jolyne Cujoh, Johann (I hate myself, it's fine)
Character Name: Robert E. O. Speedwagon Series: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Timeline: After Phantom Blood, before Battle Tendency Canon Resource Links:Bless the wiki
Personality: On the surface Speedwagon seems to be a fairly simple character, the sidekick of the main character who comes across as seeming more ridiculous and less competent than how he actually is. Which is a fair enough assumption, given he's the one normal human of his part without any powers what-so-ever to speak of while being faced with supernatural foes of various degrees.
The first time he's met he comes across as a street thug that only wants to continue to survive on the streets, only to be revealed that he does care about those around him and has a sense of morality and judgement that isn't typically found with the type. For instance, once the rest of Ogre Street shows up after Jonathan kicked him in the face, he could have easily let the number of them tear the man apart. Instead, having seen the fact he could have been far more seriously injured but was spared, decided that it was a true move of a gentleman and to leave him be. Very potentially sparing his life and showing him that there are more people out there who have have a moral compass and work for those that they care for.
He seems to be almost obsessed to a degree with the concept of being a gentleman, which seems to be someone that has a moral compass to help those that are in need while living something of a righteous life. Which is ironic given the backstory we know with Speedwagon seems to allude more that he's always been a thief of some sort, while still traveling the world in some fashion or another. It probably makes him one of the more well traveled types, especially for his time period, and colors his actions. He tends to think more out of the box and quickly on his feet, probably due to necessity of having been in places he doesn't fit in with and having to survive.
Among his other traits, loyalty seems to be a particularly large one. Despite the meeting circumstances being strange, it didn't take much for Speedwagon to decide to follow and help Jonathan out with a situation completely and totally unrelated to him at first. But he's the one character that sticks around with him throughout the entire part and even when his friend passes, he still stays around to help Jonathan's then widow and child with whatever they might need. He also makes a foundation to assist that family as well as conduct research into bettering the world and studying the supernatural later down the road.
Speedwagon also tends to be the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, which is also a little strange for the time period. He's seen crying over a friend's death in the series proper, as well as any fright or particularly stressful point very clearly painted on his face. He doesn't pretend to put on airs unless it's absolutely necessary, meaning that he's also pretty easy to read no matter what the situation may be. It's a particularly good and bad traits, because it lets someone know he's being honest with them while negatively can show an enemy just how much they're getting under his skin.
Which also ties into him being particularly hot-headed, not thinking much on a situation when it involves trying to save someone close to him or to keep an evil from getting out. Such as when he decided that taking a sledgehammer to a bunch of zombies was a grand idea, or narrating ridiculous fights that could also potentially backfire on giving the opponent information they might not have noticed otherwise.
Oddly enough, despite being considered a lower class member of society at the time, Speedwagon also comes off as rather intelligent at times. Whether this is simply street smarts when mixed with those that have book learning and no street smarts or simply him just being in the right place the right time is a bit of a toss up. But it's no secret that he has traveled to different countries around the world where he's studied things such as exotic animals in Africa, strange plants in Asia, and even tornadoes in the Carribean. It also becomes fairly obvious with his ingenuity in the existence of the saw blades concealed in his bowler hat and the fact he can maintain his speedwagon with such accuracy.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: ROCKET, ROCKET, ROCKET Starter: Mareep (Sophisticated Lady) and salandit (Candalera) Password: Atomic Fireball
Samples RP Sample: (Ignoring the fact he's a damn rabbit here, personality is the same.) Here go
Player Name: Dante E-mail: theirradiated@gmail.com Preferred Contact:teenysanguini Timezone: EST Current Characters in Victory Road: Spinel, Padak
Character Name: Luz Noceda Series: The Owl House Timeline: After Episode 17 Canon Resource Links:Here Personality:
Luz is a strange teenager, who gets wrapped up too much in her own fantasy world. Her eccentric personality makes it difficult for her to make any friends, and she often ends up in the principle's office because she takes things too far. Such as including live snakes in her book report, making a griffin that spits out spiders, or pretending to die in a play by using sausages that come out of her as fake intestines. Her mother tries to send her to a summer camp to bring her back down to earth, but she ends up chasing an owl into a messed up fantasy world known as the Boiling Isles.
Luz can be very headstrong and tends to act first, think later, often to the point where it gets her in trouble. This includes Luz declaring a magic duel with Amity after Amity insults Luz and King, where Luz soon realizes she only knows one light spell - not nearly enough to take down a witch who's more experienced with magic. She even gets banned at Hexside, a magic school, for pretending to be an Abomination monster so she can sneak in and see the school for herself, which results in accidentally trashing the entire school. She similarly gets in trouble for breaking down the door to escape detention.
Along with being headstrong, Luz is determined to do things her own way. She ignores Eda's warnings not to fall for a wizard's scam, she hosts a Moonlight Conjuring even though she's told not to, and she even starts freeing prisoners and starts a riot in the Conformatorium. Luz is very much about following her own set of rules, regardless if they're right or not. Often times, that leads to Luz being in trouble, but every once in a while it does work out in her favor. She also has a need to befriend others. For instance, Luz sees Eda a lot like herself - both of them outcasts in their own worlds. And she even tries her best to befriend Amity, who outright seems to dislike Luz for all the chaos she creates wherever she goes.
As a teenager, Luz cares deeply about what other people think of her. Not enough to change who she is, but enough for her to get dragged into situations she wouldn't otherwise be in if she was more honest. An example of this involves Luz trying to learn a second spell, after she finds out she needs two spells to get into Amity's magic class. Instead of telling the truth - that she only knows one spell - and maybe having help learning a second spell, her pride gets the better of her. She ends lying about knowing two spells, and ends up stealing Amity's wand to learn magic because she wants to know two spells now, rather than be patient and learn it in a more natural way from Eda. She's also charmed by Amity's two siblings, who win her over by calling her cool and wanting to hang out with her.
Despite this, Luz generally always tries to do the right thing, even if she starts off by doing something selfish. During the magic duel with Amity, Luz tries to warn Amity about the magic traps scattered around the arena that were put there to help Luz win. When she breaks into the library with Amity's older siblings, she tries to stop them from making Amity's diary public to embarrass her. She also takes on the Bat Queen's "impossible trials" in order to earn the trust of Eda's staff, Owlbert, after accidentally hurting him while flying.
Luz has an obsession with learning magic. Part of it comes from wanting to be more like her fictional hero, the Good Witch Azura, and the other part is her wanting to be special. She admits to King she that she's a nobody back home, and that magic makes her feel like she's somebody. Magic is important to Luz, it makes her feel like she could be more than just a weird, outcast kid at school. Learning magic gives meaning to Luz's life, and gives her purpose. Luz is so in love with this idea of having a magical destiny, that she falls for a scam by a fake wizard, who tells her she's the Chosen One and has to go on a quest. She's so drawn into the idea of being a "Chosen One" that she fails to see it as a trap, and ends up getting captured and used as bait for Eda.
Luz is also creative, clever, and imaginative. She paints and draws in her free time, and often she'll do dramatic readings of the Good Witch Azura to King (and Eda, against her will). Her cleverness shows itself whenever she's either faced with a challenge, or sometimes for her own wants. She gets Eda to teach her a light spell by using Eda's love of sparkly things against her, promising her a shiny, sparkly pen in return for a magic lesson. When Eda turns into a giant owl monster, Luz and King come up with a plan for trapping her with a tarp, and using a giant light spell against her to turn her back to normal.
All Luz really wants is to be her own person, and be accepted for who she is. Despite her impulsiveness, she's a kind, caring individual who sees magic as a way for her to become something great.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Cubone Password: Atomic Fireball Samples RP Sample:Luz wakes up in Ryslig.
Player Name: Owl E-mail: kiyuuchan@gmail.com Preferred Contact:OwlKnight Timezone: EST Current Characters in Victory Road: n/a
Character Name: Princess Rapunzel of Corona Series: Tangled Timeline: post-Plus Est en Vous Canon Resource Links:Rapunzel @ Disney Wiki
Personality: In the series finale, Rapunzel jokingly refers to herself as a "free-spirited flower child". While this is clearly an attempt at a bit of self-deprecation to lighten up a dark moment, she isn't too far off the mark.
Rapunzel is a character who embodies the sun. Not just in the sense of her powers coming from the sundrop, but in her bright, sunny personality. Rapunzel has endured a lot of hardships in her life; kidnapped as a baby and raised by a terrible woman who preyed on Rapunzel's naivete, she initially starts off her life outside the tower absolutely terrified of everything. But what's able to outshine this fear is her absolute wonder when it comes to the world. See, Rapunzel is someone who truly enjoys life. She initially left the tower where Gothel kept her trapped not to escape, but to simply follow a childhood dream she had of watching the floating lanterns and finding out where they came from. She spends much of her first day outside simply running around the forest and embracing the feeling of nature around her, and it's only after she started to experience the real world that she realized she doesn't want to go back to her tower. Even later on in the series, Rapunzel wants desperately to find a way to see what's beyond the borders of Corona. She's been denied truly living for eighteen years, and fully intends to make up for lost time. She throws herself happily into anything she sets her mind to because of this; whether it's art, helping her friends, making NEW friends, or exploring, Rapunzel always puts herself a hundred percent into things.
This leads to a bit of an issue with being tied down. Rapunzel, understandably, hates the feeling of being trapped, and sometimes pushes back against others when things get too overwhelming for her. She dislikes the idea of being a princess content to live within the palace for the rest of her life, and is quite understandably terrified of her supposed "Destiny" to unite the sundrop and moonstone. She even rejects Eugene's marriage proposal, not because she doesn't love him, oh no! She loves Eugene dearly. But Rapunzel wishes to travel the world, to see things that she never could have seen from the window in her tower. Settling down... isn't in the cards for her just yet.
Of course, those eighteen years in a tower with only an abusive mother figure to talk to means that Rapunzel is... somewhat bad at social situations. She has no clue how to read the room or how to read people, and very often does or says something that causes harm that she sees no problem in. When conducting her first official meetings with other nobles, she introduces herself while barefoot, or hugs or otherwise invades the personal spaces of others in what should be a formal setting. She ignores the rules of proper events to make things more "interesting" and sometimes winds up making more trouble than fun for other people. But Rapunzel tries, because at the heart of all her awkward interactions, she just wants to make people happy and to help them have fun. She's just... a bit naive, that's all. To her, it doesn't matter that her best friend is a servant, or that her boyfriend doesn't initially do much around the castle; she doesn't see it as a problem, so why should that bother others?
Stemming from that, Rapunzel is... a bit bad at taking others' feelings into account. She often brushes her friends feelings aside to try and insist on how she feels about certain situations; when Cassandra and Eugene bicker, does she let them calm down and talk it out? No, she locks them in a prison cell and concocts an elaborate fetch quest to make them get along. When Cassandra expresses her worries that Rapunzel doesn't trust her anymore, does Rapunzel comfort her and insist she does? No, Rapunzel tells Cass that she needs to be okay with some decisions that Rapunzel makes that she might not agree with. Rapunzel's heart is absolutely in the right place when she wants to help her friends or try and talk things out with them when problems arise, but her execution can leave much to be desired. Thankfully, events in the Dark Kingdom and her later return to Corona help her reevaluate how she acts around others. She can't just expect them to understand her - she needs to take the time to understand them as well.
But despite all these complicated feelings and her trouble trying to navigate certain dynamics, at her heart Rapunzel is an intensely loving young woman. She believes wholeheartedly in her loved ones, and though she'll stand up when she's pushed too far, she absolutely refuses to give up on others. This is best seen in her relationship with Cassandra in the third season of the show. Cassandra betrayed Rapunzel, fought with her and hurt her friends and tried to kill her, but did Rapunzel give up on her? Hell no. Rapunzel could see that something was wrong with Cassandra, and she knew that deep down, Cassandra was still the same person who was her friend, the same one who helped her sneak out of the castle when she saw Rapunzel was getting overwhelmed by her new royal duties. Rapunzel's absolutely unconditional love for the people she holds close to her heart is one of her biggest strengths, and that love and belief in them is what helped change Eugene and Cassandra's lives for the better. No matter what, Rapunzel will always be there for the ones she holds close, and though she may not always address the situations perfectly, she'll try. Because it was the love of others that helped her break free, and she will always repay that kindness and spread it further.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Breeder Starter: Galarian Ponyta Password: Atomic Fireball
Victory Road Sample: [Another day, another bizarrely-angled video of someone who's clearly never held a piece of technology before. The freckled face of a young woman with short brunette hair pops up on the screen, the curious tilt of her head and the angle of the camera making for an odd sight indeed. But despite a slight furrow of her brow, there's no overwhelming sense of panic in her expression. She looks fascinated, really, tilting the gear this way and that to get a better look at it.]
Wow. It's like... some kind of magic mirror, but not? Varian would go nuts over this.
[Maybe not the magic part, but it definitely looks like an incredibly refined bit of Demanitus tech. Varian would be itching to take it apart.]
So I just talk into it, and other people can see it? [There's some murmur of agreement from off-screen, from the poor patient soul who's had to give this new arrival the run-down on technology.] Great! Thanks a bunch!
[The video finally settles as the young woman stops fidgeting with the device, and she clears her throat before waving at the camera.]
Hello, people of... this land! [Oh boy she really needs to check out a map soon.] I'm Princess Rapunzel of Corona, and I'm... a little lost.
[...]
Okay, really lost. I mean, I'm not really a sleepwalker, but even if I was, I don't think I could walk off to a completely different region in one night! So, um... can anyone tell me what happened? And how I can get into contact with my friends? [...] Oh! Unless they're here too? Or can see this...
[She pulls the gear closer, not quite to the level of an unflattering angle, but it's almost like she's staring hard into the screen and willing faces to appear.]
Eugene? Pascal? Lance? Varian? [There's... a pause, where the princess looks somewhat uncertain, before calling out one more name.] Cass?
[It's a long shot. Cass has been off on the road for a few weeks now. But still...]
Player Drizz Name: Drizz E-mail: rightkindofrenmei gmail .com Preferred Contact:lightdrizzel Timezone: PST Current Characters in Victory Road: N/A
Character Name: Cassandra Series: Tangled: The Series Timeline: Post-series Canon Resource Links:A helpful disney wiki link!
Personality: On the surface, Cassandra is a bit like a rock; tough and cold. She tends to be blunt and headstrong, butting heads with anyone that gets on her bad side... which can happen easily if you push any number of her buttons. This, coupled with displaying an attitude that ranges from bitingly sarcastic remarks to chilling outbursts of anger can result in people brushing her off as simply a spiteful young woman.
But once you push past the cold demeanor, underneath is a strong, supportive friend who wants the best for those she cares for. She's just planted her feet firmly in the camps of "Not taking people's shit" and "Tact? What tact?" You likely won't get by with just a smile and a nod, Cassandra likes to tell it like it is. Even if you won't want to hear that. And it's usually good advice too, owing to how perceptive Cassandra can be. That perception doubles as a easy way for her to toss in some teasing snark and cynicism when she finds it appropriate.
And pushing past the friendly, caring side of Cassandra, you find... Someone very willing to prove herself. Someone who, from a young age, just wanted to be in the royal guard like her adoptive father, the Captain, to make not just him proud of her but everyone else. Cass devoted herself to hard work - to "earn her keep" - ever since, putting aside the desire for dreams to instead keep a practical outlook on life. Earning respect and a job that didn't leave her stuck as a handmaiden were always on her mind, but she hardly made a move to complain if that complicated things.
This gets into the main issue. Cass is very much like her dad, with her strong sense of justice and bravery, but at the base, there's a traumatized four year old. One that watched her birth mother abandon her for another child. One that was treated less as a daughter and more like a servant, teaching Cassandra that love came with strings and her worth was measured by those around her. And even though the memories of that time were repressed, the feelings remained, and that mindset stuck with Cass all her life... leading her to no end of frustration when she was stuck waiting on others for the respect she hopes for but ends up overlooked. She used to repress those feelings, too. Until it became too much.
Full disclosure, Cass was just through a months-long downward spiral of rage and resentment. Feeling ignored and always overlooked, she lashed out for the first time in her life in violent ways, planning to drive everyone away and burn the bridges so long as she finally got something out of it for herself. It takes one last betrayal for Cass to completely break down and allow herself to cry, finally making her issue of feeling worthless in people's eyes known.
She didn't bet on one person refusing to give up on her, though. Rapunzel's refusal to ever stop trying to get her back confused and frustrated her. No matter what Cassandra did. But it brought her back from the brink, proved to Cass that there was more in her than anyone thought, and convinced her to keep going - and ultimately saving the kingdom.
Now, Cassandra is better, not completely. But she is healing. While making the effort to repair the bonds she broke, Cass ultimately decided to something for herself again: by going out to seek her own destiny. Not stolen out of anger but a destiny entirely for herself.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Rowlett Password: Atomic Fireball
Victory Road Sample: [The screen flickers to life, capturing a quick glimpse of the morning sky, bright and blue, before it quickly shifts in a blur of movement-]
-pretty sure it's working.
[And a voice comes through, very close. Thankfully a sign that the video is still going, seeing as now all that can be seen is a dark haze.]
Hello? Someone that isn't that weird woman in the house claiming to be my mother? [Which is a whole other can of worms she won't even touch, aside from the general information she'd gotten.] I mean, I heard the instructions, so I'm just guessing here. Most of the time I see things like this, they tend to explode!
[The screen shifts, again. On the upside, you can see the sunlight again! And now, a person, with a short bob of curling hair, and an unimpressed look staring down at you. A pokemon - Rowlett, to those familiar with the type - perches on her right shoulder, trilling as it rubs its face into her neck.]
I mean, how do I know if the light means it's working? This is my first time handling a magic mirror like this.
[Hoo? Goes Rowlett. Because it seems she's speaking to it. Such things are possible for Disney characters.]
Yes, sorry. It's technology. Alright? [A fown, a sigh, but she presses on.] Hello? If I'm reading the map correctly I'm in... the Kanto region? Don't exactly like how I can't remember getting here, or waking up in a bed I didn't pay for. So... yeah.
Player Name: Naem E-mail: gracefulgraveler@gmail.com Preferred Contact:mistytpednaem Timezone: WET (currently WEST) Current Characters in Victory Road: None
Just about everything from this point onward is a spoiler. The Boss's identity is a major mystery throughout most of Golden Wind, and his connection to Doppio is one of the first times the curtain is peeled back.
Character Name: Vinegar Doppio & Diavolo Series: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Timeline: Chapter 114/Episode 29 Canon Resource Links: It isn't accurate to say that Doppio and Diavolo are the same person. For one, multiple characters in canon state that he has Dissociative Identity Disorder (well, they call it Multiple Personality Disorder because the manga was written in the 90s, but You Know), in contexts that make it very clear this is the author telling his audience "yes, hello, my antagonist has a real condition and this is how it really works". For two, because souls are a thing in JJBA, they are also two separate souls inhabiting a single body.
There's also the absurdly drastic changes in appearance between the two, presumably stemming from Hirohiko Araki reading about how alters can have differences in posture or voice and whatnot and REALLY running away with it, but I could be here all day. The important bit is that these two are an intrinsically linked duo, and as such, I'm linking several pages:
(Doppio's history section summarizes what he goes through in canon, rather than providing any sort of background; this may be because, even though it's never stated which of the two was the "original" personality, if any, Diavolo is now clearly the dominant one, even though he's not the one who likes to show his face. Plus, uh, Diavolo's the main antagonist, so that's probably enough of a reason for the privilege.)
Personality: So, the main antagonist of Jojo's Part 5 has a "split personality". That's a statement that doesn't inspire much confidence, especially knowing that Jojo is a series that takes liberal inspiration from western media, including horror, and lord knows how horror movies tend to treat characters with DID. Heck, their names are Italian for Double and Devil, Diavolo is a mob boss, the exaggerated physical changes between the two are almost evocative of demonic possession...
And yet, it's not that straightforward. Yes, Doppio is nice, compared to Diavolo. Yes, Diavolo kills people. But Doppio is his underboss, and he knows damn well what his job consists of. Aside from the part where his conversations with the Boss are all in his head, anyway.
Now that that's out there, let's take this one man at a time - but let's start with Diavolo, actually.
Diavolo is a mysterious man, in several senses of the word "mysterious". The most obvious, of course, is his desire to be completely unknown. Even though he is the Boss of Passione, a powerful mafia gang, none of the gang's members know his name or his face, nor does he communicate directly with any of them. Only Doppio, his direct subordinate, speaks directly to him, presumably relaying orders further down the chain of command - but more on what Doppio does later. This obsession doesn't seem to have started with the gang's creation, though. As stated in his background, when Diavolo's adoptive father found his mother buried alive (which, no, is never explained), Diavolo's next course of action is to burn down the entire village and fake his death. This paranoia colours his every move to the point of irrationality; years later, when he learns he has a daughter, he conspires to kill her himself for fear that traitors within the gang might use her to learn his identity, even though he and his daughter have never met.
Despite this, when the heroes face Diavolo in combat, he seems to project an aura of confidence and pride. This may be in part because his Stand - an ability drawn from his soul which also has two faces, would you look at that - is ludicrously powerful, capable not only of manipulating time but also skewering people with a single blow. However... if Stands are a reflection of their user, then what does this really mean? Diavolo apparently sees himself as worthy of eternal glory, using and abusing King Crimson's abilities to foresee any events that may be unfavorable to him and erasing them, leaving only the results that he has skewed to his favour, but how does this power come from the soul of a man so paranoid that he no longer shows his face in public?
Some may call these inconsistencies. I call them a challenge. But let's talk about Doppio for a bit.
As mentioned, Doppio is the underboss/consigliere of Passione. While his job description involves mostly advising the boss, as the name implies, and relaying orders to lower-ranking members, the truth of the matter is that Doppio is Diavolo's eyes, ears, and... basically entire body on the streets. When Diavolo realises the protagonists have a very tangible way of learning what he looks like and declares that he has to handle the situation himself, it's Doppio that we see next - in fact, that is when we're introduced to him. Even though he's intrinsically linked to Diavolo, however, he is his own person as well, and Diavolo treats him as such.
An interesting consequence thereof is the following: although Diavolo trusts Doppio - and, in fact, calls him the only person he is able to trust - and Doppio knows himself to be Diavolo's closest subordinate in turn, that's all Doppio knows. Not that they share a body, or the reason why he's plagued with frequent headaches (caused by Diavolo coming to the forefront of their consciousness in some way, it seems), nor why he experiences blackouts and gaps in his memory. Funny definition of trust - and really another sign of Diavolo's intense paranoia - but Doppio seems perfectly content with his position.
In fact, not only does Doppio take pride in his job, he states at one point that serving and protecting Diavolo's interests is pretty much his sole purpose in life - which only makes sense, as his lack of awareness about his condition indicates that he most likely does not remember his past or maybe even anything from before he "joined" Passione. It's arguable whether he even knows how old he is, given that he's fine with letting people assume he's much younger than he actually is and seems to believe he couldn't possibly have a 15-year-old daughter, himself.
But yes, to loop back around to the start of this section? Doppio may be the pleasant and polite one, his demeanour fitting the description of young Diavolo as dim and timid, and Diavolo may be the man who rules the criminal underworld with an iron fist - but that doesn't mean there's a Good one and an Evil one. It means they are two individuals with different dispositions who, nevertheless, work together. More together than one of them suspects, but still...
One last important thing to mention is a trait that the two do seem to share: a violent temper. Reflected even in King Crimson's near-constant grimace, this is easily mistaken for a trait exclusive to Diavolo - perhaps because it often manifests when Doppio has the freaky green eyes going on, an apparent sign that the two of them are sharing consciousness at that point in time - that is not the case, as Doppio snaps several times without Diavolo's direct involvement.
Keeping Doppio away from a phone call - the framing device for his conversations with Diavolo - is a sure-fire way to provoke him, but he also shows intense frustration when a fight with an enemy Stand user turns overwhelmingly against him, eventually vowing to kill his opponent despite his boss's insistence that he needs to back down. He even yells at Diavolo when he gets a phone call at a very inopportune time.
Of course, as mentioned, Diavolo is violent and temperamental as well, as indicated by his outbursts when his identity is at risk and his willingness to brutally murder anyone who compromises it or his supremacy. The difference, then, seems to lie in how each of them expresses their temper. Looking at King Crimson, which is primarily Diavolo's Stand (Doppio can only use parts of it) it overwhelmingly strikes with single, powerful blows - directed anger, in contrast with Doppio's more erratic, uncontrolled fits. Diavolo even has to get him to back down on occasion, as mentioned above, or like when Doppio thought a taxi driver may have seen some compromising information and nearly gouged out the poor guy's eye. Diavolo uses Doppio for protection, yes, but Doppio seems to take to his role well.
So, let's try to summarise this mess. Diavolo is a man of contradictions: an obsessive, paranoid wreck who takes pride in his power and believes he deserves to rule uncontested. Doppio, too, is outright called a walking contradiction by another character: a young man (who's just as old as Diavolo, probably) of polite and cowardly disposition who will go to great lengths to obey a drug lord's commands. Not only that, but these two coexist. That's a lot of contradictions to deal with!
But somehow, they make a whole. A dubiously functional whole with a very peculiar dynamic, but a whole nonetheless.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Team Rocket Starter: Morpeko and Magikarp Password: Atomic Fireball
Victory Road Sample: Vinegar Doppio wakes up on the floor with a fading headache (this is not an unusual occurrence). Unbeknownst to him, he is not the first person to wake up here, although the one who preceded him, Diavolo, was lucky enough to find himself on a bed. Small fortune, really, because between the two of them, the one who woke up first was exactly the one who didn't have a habit of finding himself in new locations without any memory of how he got there. It was an unpleasant awakening. The immediate fear that he had been found and brought somewhere for questioning, torture, or death. The inane letter. King Crimson's absence. But Doppio is privy to none of this, and as such, it doesn't matter.
The only thing that matters is that the phone is ringing, and Diavolo hopes beyond hope that Doppio goes for the obvious choice - of all possible times to make a scene, this would be the worst. He breathes a non-physical sigh of relief from the back of Doppio's mind when his counterpart reaches for the device he doesn't know is called a PokeGear, and the ringing stops before anyone in this "Team Rocket" can catch the sound of a grown man imitating a phone.
"Boss?! Doppio here! I-I've been waiting for your instructions."
Alright. Here they go. Diavolo prepared a rough cover story before giving Doppio the wheel, but his underboss can be... unpredictable. Hopefully he won't have to adjust too much on the fly.
"I know, my Doppio, but I'm afraid these are very unusual circumstances. Have you read the note yet?"
"Letter? Oh no, did I miss your instructions, Boss? I'm so sorry, let me...!"
Diavolo holds back a sigh. Things are already stressful enough. Better not to give Doppio further reason to believe he's already made a mistake.
"Welcome to... what?" Doppio's eyes scan the note Diavolo has already read and mulled over, increasingly bewildered - team-mates? In the balls? - and, frankly, he needs a minute before he's ready to ask the obvious follow-up question. "Boss, have I been kidnapped??"
"Yes, you have. Most alarming of all, they nearly caught me as well."
Doppio's eyes go very wide.
"What?! How is that possible, Boss? You're untouchable! E-Even if they got the best of me, they shouldn't have been able to defeat your stand!"
"Unfortunately, King Crimson doesn't appear to be available."
"HOW?!" Doppio's voice has turned into the kind of hysterical whisper that would be nigh-inaudible if the person on the other end of the line wasn't inside his head. Diavolo may not be aware of Doppio's precise train of thought - for a moment, he was hoping this might be some kind of deliberate setup, that the Boss may have placed him here to gather info and stamp out dissidents or opponents, or whatever - but his panic is palpable regardless. "But that means... This is terrible! You can't come get me?"
"Not without King Crimson, dear Doppio." Only sort of untrue.
"Then what do we do...?!"
Doppio isn't questioning where his Boss is, how he escaped, or what happened to the people who nearly managed to capture him. Good. It should be smooth sailing from here, then.
"This is no time to panic, Doppio. I believe you can do what you have always done best."
A swell of pride fills Doppio's chest. It may not calm him down, exactly, but it reassures him nonetheless.
"I want you to gather information for me. This Team Rocket appears to be an organization with some type of hierarchy, and as I'm sure you have gleaned from their helpful letter, they want us - you - to do something for them."
"So... You want me to comply?"
"Exactly. Earn their trust, and learn of their inner workings as thoroughly as if you were their loyal agent. Once the conditions are right, this organization will go the way of all others who have opposed Passione."
Doppio beams. Of course the Boss already has a plan - he may have said it's time for Doppio to do what he does best, but this is really about the Boss doing what he does best, isn't it? Crushing the enemy and rising to the top.
"Got it! I'll do everything they tell me - oh, but you're still the one I'm really serving, Boss!"
"Naturally, dear Doppio." There is a smile in his voice. "For now, following the instructions on that note should be enough."
"Even the training, Boss?" Because he's been at this crime thing for a while, really, assuming this is a criminal organization--
"Even the training."
"Right, of course. To get a feel for how this organization works." Now he feels silly for asking. He hopes the Boss can't tell.
"That should be all for now. Get ready to leave this room, and report back to me as soon as it is safe to do so."
"Yes, I'll keep you updated, sir."
That should be that.
"Er, Boss..."
Except Doppio has that one more thing kind of cadence going on.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Ah, dear sweet Doppio. Always the concerned subordinate. Diavolo couldn't ask for a better right-hand man.
"I don't mean to intrude, obviously -"
Wait. Oh no.
He's going to ask.
"- but I still don't understand exactly what your current position..."
Now Diavolo hopes beyond hope for an interruption, even if explaining who Doppio was just talking to may invite its own problems.
Player Name: Dany E-mail: danybel.haine@gmail.com Preferred Contact:danybel or on discord at uchihas#1868 Timezone: EST Current Characters in Victory Road: n/a
Character Name: Malleus Draconia Series: Twisted Wonderland Timeline: past chapter 4 of the main story, including the side stories.
Canon Resource Links:Diasomnia students' side stories Malleus Draconia is the crown prince of the Valley of Thorns. In his time in school, he’s guarded closely by Lilia Vanrouge, Silver, and Sebek Zigvolt. He’s a third year student of Night Raven’s College, the prefect of the Diasomnia Dorm, and feared by many.In the Prologue of Twisted Wonderland, Malleus is mentioned for the first time, when the students realize they never invited him to the Entrance Ceremony.
During the second chapter of the main story, it is mentioned that Malleus agreed to be inducted in the hall of fame for the Magical Shift Tournament,for being the best player of the college, to which the other Dorm Leaders agreed. But Leona Kingscholar, the dorm leader to Savanaclaw, resents Malleus for many things, including beating him in Magift for two years in a row, and he disagrees on the motion. This disagreement is what makes the other dorm leaders to question their decision, and thus, change their stand to match Leona's. Malleus is said to be amazing at many things, and that includes the game, Magift. Sadly, he wasn’t invited to this meeting. He isn't invited to anything, actually.
During this chapter, the main character is trying to figure out who’s injuring people who are to participate in the tournament, and one night, as they can’t sleep, they decide to walk around the outside of the Ramshackle Dorm and it’s the first time that they meet Malleus. When they meet, Malleus is surprised to encounter someone who doesn’t know who he is, and so, he decides got not introduce himself, as he thinks it would make the main character fear him. He asks them to call him whatever they want. He also mentions he enjoys solitary walks and thus needs to find a new abandoned place to walk around, and then disappears, speckles of green light appearing where he once stood.
Malleus is then mentioned again, as Ruggie Bucchi uses his Unique Magic to try and hurt Malleus. Ruggie, as part of Savanaclaw, resents Malleus just like Leona does. So he uses his magic to create a stampede that would hurt the Diasomnia team, including Malleus. Instead, Malleus helps save the people Ruggie had been controlling, as well as the members of the Magift team of Diasomnia, all without using any of his powerful magic.
The next time the main character meets Malleus is during the third chapter of the main story, when they walk to the Ramshackle Dorm out of habit as it is collateral for a contract they made with Azul Ashengrotto. The main character sees mots of green light, and suddenly, Malleus is there. They call Malleus “Tsunotarou”, the nickname they decided to give him, which translates to Horn Boy. Malleus laughs at this nickname, and allows the main character to call him so, and only them are allowed to do it.
He wonders why the Ramshackle Dorm has been noisy the last couple of days, and the main character explains about their deal with Azul. Malleus, after listening to their explanation, observes that the main character isn’t happy about the deal, and then, completely changes topics, talking about the gargoyles the Ramshackle Dorm has. Malleus goes to explains what a gargoyle’s purpose is, and tell the main character a useful tip. “There are times when what we see is the opposite of what they really are.” This gives the main character the clue they need in order to beat Azul.
When everything is dealt with, and the main character returns the Ramshackle Dorm, Malleus is there to see them, calling them cunning for beating Azul. They point out that it was Malleus’ clue that helped them defeat Azul, and Malleus says it wasn’t his intention to give the main character advice, but that he’s glad they beat Azul, as Malleus likes the quietness of the Ramshackle Dorm. He then says his goodbyes, and suddenly, Sebek and Silver are there looking for their Young Master. The main character can’t help them, as they don’t know who the “young master” is.
During the fourth, and currently latest chapter of Twisted Wonderland, Malleus doesn’t make an appearance, instead he sends a holiday card to the main character via Lilia. Lilia points out that the sender of the card hasn’t been invited to any parties, and that he would like if the main character invited him to one. After this, the main character wonders who the letter was sent from, as it’s signed with “M.D.”
Personality: Malleus is intimidating, with an aura that makes others afraid to approach him, to the point that no one wants to talk to him. Due to the fact that no one wants to approach him, he is often forgotten by others. Malleus says this doesn’t bother him, but whenever someone brings up that an event is happening, Malleus shows sadness and resentment towards not being invited to it. Like the dinner parties happening in Scarabia and then the Ramshackle Dorm, Malleus wishes to be invited but won’t outright say it. Silver says that Malleus accidentally zapped his own phone when he was left out of the entrance ceremony, which, as a dorm head, he should have been invited to go to. His emotional state sometimes makes it so that he can't control his powerful magic.
Due to rarely being in contact with others outside his dorm, Malleus is slightly introverted, but that does't mean he doesn't want or appreciate company. As it is with the main character, who doesn’t know who he is, Malleus feels comfortable to talk to them and even give them guidance. Even though he wishes to be in contact with others, Malleus’ hobbies don’t require others in order to be enjoyed.
He likes abandoned places, to roam during the night, looking at the many gargoyles on each building he finds. He’s an avid fan of gargoyles, and even made the Gargoyle Research Society in school, to which he’s the only member. When talking about gargoyles, Malleus becomes excited and is very particular about them, as it happens with Silver, who didn't understand what the difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque is. Malleus gets frustrated with his ward, but still explains everything he can about gargoyles to him. He becomes animated when talking about gargoyles, as he knows a lot about them. He's a great fan of gargoyles and is not afraid to show it.
Even though he wishes to have more contact with others, he doesn't like it when people project things onto him, instead of seeing who he actually is. When Cater Diamond sees him in gym class, he tries to get Malleus to do things for him to post on Magicame, and Malleus, instead of saying no, decides to make it impossible for Cater to get a picture. Even though he says not to be hurt by Cater’s words, who made it seem like Malleus is a rare being and difficult to capture, his actions show otherwise. He taunts Cater and tells him to “Take pictures, if you can, that is.” Malleus tends to show a calm, collected self, but he always gets even when someone offends him. He doesn’t like it when others point out that people avoid him and forget him. When Leona Kingscholar makes fun of him for not being invited to the Entrance Ceremony, he snaps back, pointing out Leona’s faults in turn. They have a bad relationship in general, but Malleus tries his best to be in good terms with everyone.
He wants to be seen as the individual he is, and not the titles he carries. To him, it seems like everyone around him only sees him as the scary and powerful mage, or the fairy dragon, or Diasomnia's prince. He wants to be seen like the main character has seen him, without preconceived notions and ideas.
Even though he’s resentful and hurt by being forgotten by everyone, Malleus still has his soft side. He cares deeply for the ones close to him, specially Lilia, who raised him. When, during class, Rook Hunt is taunting Lilia, while Malleus is practicing long shots in class, and throws a ball that nearly hits Rook, who then mentions the closeness of Diasomnia's members. In a different event, Malleus went to Riddle Rosehearts, who was ready to go save his dorm members, to ask him for help. Malleus points out that, due to his position, he can't go into the fry to help them. He thanks Riddle, as he's confident the Heartslabyul dorm leader is strong enough to help his friends.
Malleus is a very sentimental person. He doesn't really understand machines or electronics in general, but he holds something Lilia gave him as precious, because it was a gift made specially to him. He was frantic to get it fixed after he got it wet by accident, but he doesn’t understand everything that happens around him, and sometimes gets the wrong message across. While getting to the person he thinks can fix his Gao Gao Dragon-Kun, Deuce Spade, he doesn’t realize that Deuce thinks he’s looking for a fight. Instead, he’s too worried about his treasured toy to even notice the other’s reactions. When his treasure is fixed, Malleus rewards Deuce with rare ore from the Valley of Thorns, and even offers more when the other seems surprised. He cares more for what has sentimental value to him than anything else, including expensive and rare things.
Malleus has very little social awareness, as he was always escorted everywhere before Night Raven's College. He escapes from his wards' watch more often than not, as seen in the main story with Silver and Sebek looking for him. Malleus enjoys being alone, but only when it's by choice.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer! Starter: Goomy Password: Atomic Fireball
Victory Road Sample: Malleus wasn’t used to this world just yet, and being without his horns felt weird still. But his very friendly Goomy was always by his side, and so he didn’t feel lonely. He had reached Violet City, after walking for way too long. He enjoyed the scenery and the pokémon he had seen wondering around were really interesting, he had even battled a few.
‘I need a place to rest,’ he thought, as he saw his Goomy yawning. He really needed to get somewhere for the pokémon to get comfortable. ‘And maybe get some of that grape juice people were talking about.’
So Malleus goes to the pokémon centre as soon as he sees it. He avoids talking to anyone, and just goes to the counter. After the first time, he was pretty used to the process. He pets his Goomy’s head as he hands the little girl in, and waves goodbye at her, she goes into her pokéball and then something happens and Malleus has her back in no time at all. He takes her out.
That always surprises him, because it’s weird how fast they can replenish energy. If it were his magic, it would take a lot longer to replenish, to clean his pen from blot, and he’s slightly glad he can’t use magic in this place.
He looks around, still not used to people not being afraid of him, and wonders for a moment if he should get a toy or something for Goomy to carry around. She probably wouldn’t like carrying something forever, but maybe a bow or a ribbon? Where, exactly, can he get this though? He’s thinking about looking at the store’s wares when Goomy pulls his pants.
“What is it?” He asks, looking at the pokémon, and sees her pointing to something. Malleus looks at the counter where she’s pointing at, and notices there’s what seems to be drinks on it. “Want a drink?”
The Goomy makes an excited sounding cry, and Malleus nods, going to the clerk and buying a couple of soda bottles. They leave the pokémon centre and take a sit on a bench, and when Goomy jumps on it, she lifts her little arms. Malleus smiles at her, taking a soda bottle and giving it to her, as he opens his own.
It’s relaxing, this world, maybe he’ll try to catch more pokémon soon, to get the badges from the gyms, since he’s a trainer after all.
“We need to get stronger,” He tells the Goomy, who’s drinking the soda slowly, “and maybe you can win us badges.”
Goomy coos, and Malleus chuckles. He looks at the sky, the moon full on the sky, and he lifts his hand to pet Goomy. Goomy moves her head closer to the hand, and coos again.
Player Name: Ren E-mail: N/A Preferred Contact: PM Timezone: GMT-7 Current Characters in Victory Road: N/A
Character Name: Deuce Spade Series: Twisted Wonderland Timeline: Post-Chapter Four Canon Resource Links: ♠️ Main Story Translations ♠️ Main Story & Event Translations ♠️ Personal Episodes *Unfortunately there are no episode synopses, only translations. Below is a brief summary by chapter of Deuce's main story involvement. He's...well. Call him a starter pokémon, we see him a lot.
Pre-Game Deuce Spade hails from the Country of Roses, like the majority of playable characters assigned to the Heartslabyul dorm. Unlike Riddle, however, Deuce wasn't acquainted with any of the others. Raised by his single mother, Deuce fell in with a bad crowd of older kids and was a delinquent in middle school. By his own reckoning, he skipped school, got into fights frequently, and caused quite a bit of trouble. This led him to be an intimidating presence to his peers, and as such, served to isolate him.
His life of delinquency came to an end after he overheard his mother crying on the phone while speaking to his grandmother. She questioned if she was to blame for the way that her son had turned out, believing that she had done something wrong. Her distress struck a chord with Deuce, who felt with absolute certainty that his mother wasn't at fault and that it was all him. From that time onward, Deuce resolved to turn his life around and become a model student.
Prologue: Welcome to the Villains' World When he was selected to attend the prestigious Night Raven College, Deuce saw his opportunity. Determined to become an honor student, Deuce set off for the school and was assigned to the Heartslabyul dorm, founded on the strictness of the Queen of Hearts. Deuce's hopes for a better future seemed short-lived, however, as he got caught up first in wrangling an errant Ace and then Grim who were each trying to evade punishment assigned to them by the school's headmaster.
In an attempt to catch Grim, Deuce used his magic to throw Ace, and consequently damaged an extremely valuable chandelier — specifically the magic crystal that allowed it to function. For this, he and Ace were both faced with the prospect of expulsion unless they replaced the magic crystal before the next morning. To that end, Deuce, Ace, Grim, and the protagonist Yuu made their way to the Dwarf Mines. There, they were confronted by monster bound and determined to prevent them from collecting a crystal.
After an initial failure to retrieve the item, Yuu convinced their reluctant companions to work together. Through this cooperation, the group succeeded and returned to the school. Headmaster Crowley was stunned that the students had prevailed, stating that magic users are prideful and disinclined to work together. Nevertheless, his condition was met and the expulsion was averted. Afterward, Deuce informed Yuu that it turns out he and Ace were classmates and assigned to the same dorm: Heartslabyul.
Chapter 1: The Crimson Tyrant Not long thereafter, Deuce was recruited to help Ace replace a tart he had gotten in trouble for eating. Along the way he also got into an altercation with some older students. Eggs were broken, and he was not happy about it...and it wouldn't be an overstatement to say he avenged them in spades. When the unbirthday party came along and Riddle was presented with the tart, it turned out that marron tarts on this occasion would break one of the Queen's 810 rules which dorm prefect Riddle strictly adhered to.
The result was that Ace was barred from entering the dorm. Riddle's enforcement of the rules had reached a point of tyranny in the eyes of the other students, and to confront him, Ace and Deuce decided to team up to challenge his role as the dorm's prefect. Their efforts were for naught, as Riddle quashed them easily. However when members of the dorm rebelled, Riddle entered a state called overblot in which his physical form changed and he went berserk and was in serious danger.
Deuce teamed up with Yuu, Ace, Trey, and Cater to pacify Riddle end end his overblot. As a result of this, Riddle admitted that he didn't enjoy enforcing or adhering to the rules as he had felt obliged to. Though Ace's forgiveness came with a specific condition, Deuce was mollified by his senior's heartfelt admission alone.
Chapter 2: The Rebel from the Savannah With the approach of the Magical Shift (or Magift) tournament looming, Deuce became involved in an investigation into a series of injuries. The prevailing trend was that all of these injuries involved players who would participate in the upcoming tournament. After Trey was hurt preventing Riddle from falling down the stairs for some inexplicable reason, Deuce worked with dormmates, Yuu, and Grim to uncover the truth... If only for the chance to participate in the tournament himself.
They discovered that Ruggie was using his unique magic to cause players from other dorms to injure themselves, and thus weaken the competition for Savanaclaw in the upcoming tournament. Unfortunately, the nature of his magic meant that they had no proof. A first year from Savanaclaw, Jack, joined their efforts after Deuce was able to keep up with him in a fight, and the group devised a plan.
By employing Cater's unique magic, they were able to prevent Savanaclaw's prefect Leona from coordinating an attack on Diasomnia, the winner of the last two tournaments. This led to a subsequent meltdown on Leona's part and he went into overblot as well. After fighting and subduing him. Leona was returned to normal. Rather than barring Savanaclaw from the tournament, Deuce and the others wanted them to participate — because only in Magift could they get even with magic without breaking rules. Just as he hoped, Deuce was able to participate in the tournament as part of a rag-tag team.
Chapter 3: The Merchant of the Sea When it came time for exams, Deuce was among over two hundred students who made the mistake of making a deal with Azul. The conditions of the deal involved getting a guide for the test and having to be among the top scores posted or be roped into working for Azul. Unfortunately for Deuce, although he scored well, he was far from the only one who made that deal. As a result, the contract dictated that he be pressed into service, and he was among the many who were dragged to Mostro Lounge by Azul's unique magic.
Deuce and others were run ragged, and had no way of escaping these circumstances. It was only when Yuu made another deal in the hope of freeing these students that there was any chance of a way out. Deuce joined Yuu in order to try and fill the conditions of their deal with Azul: retrieving a photograph from the Atlantica Memorial Museum in three days' time. Of course, what Azul never mentioned was that he'd have his dormmates Jade and Floyd bar their path.
Thus thwarted, Yuu and company attempted instead to steal the contracts following Leona's advice. When this too failed, Yuu suspected the truth about Azul's contracts. Once more, Deuce and the others went to retrieve the photograph and succeeded in doing so this time. They were decoys, allowing Leona to destroy the contracts and free the students. This caused Azul to frantically use his magic, the consequence of which was entering overblot. Deuce joined the effort to put an end to this rampage. After time to recover, Azul invited the group to visit the museum and they had a pleasant trip.
Chapter 4: Tactician of the Hot Sands Deuce, much like Ace, headed back to the Country of Roses for winter break. Before going, he gave Yuu his phone number and encouraged them to call him if they needed anything. Upon Grim's suggestion when things went awry with Scarabia's dorm, Yuu did in fact call both Deuce and Ace. Nothing further was heard about them until the end of the chapter, when all was already resolved. Deuce and Ace arrived on the scene, revealing that they had come in response to Yuu's message after failing to call them, but had to take public transit to get there.
Upon returning to campus, Deuce crossed paths with a crying first year student from Pomefiore dorm: Epel. Ace goaded Deuce by saying the run-in hurt Epel, and Deuce offered to take the other boy to the infirmary if he really had been injured. However, Epel only ran off...
Personality:
"I’ll become a committed man, just like a card soldier. That’s what I made up my mind to do."
Determined to become an honor student, Deuce initially is recognized for his staunchly serious attitude. He approaches his school life with this goal in mind and no small measure of determination goes behind it. At times he comes across as stiff, or even humorless, putting far too much weight behind matters which may seem mundane or trivial to others. This can easily set him up as being an obstinate individual in his own way, though mages are known as creatures of surpassing stubbornness and uncooperative nature.
The reasoning behind this determination, however, is that Deuce is an incredibly earnest and sincere individual. Driven to make his mother proud after the grief he put her through as a delinquent in middle-school, Deuce will do anything in his capacity to make her proud. At the same time, he dreads the thought of disappointing or hurting her with his behavior ever again. This has, in fact, been used to twist his arm before. These motivations are what compel Deuce to do his utmost to turn his life around and excel even if by sheer force of will alone.
In this, Deuce demonstrates his true colors. Unlike many of the students around him, Deuce has already lived the experience that has made him want to shape up and become a better person. His capacity for guilt and empathy stand out in a school full of people whose self-interests and personal concerns can and will be at the forefront. Particularly when someone is in emotional pain or distress, Deuce is often moved by concern and quick to apologize or soften his stance toward those individuals... Though the same can't be said of physical altercations.
Despite his determination to move away from the delinquent life, old habits die hard. At the end of the day, Deuce has a hair-trigger temper and his first instinct is to talk with his fists when provoked, threatened, or offended. Ace's ease in setting Deuce off goes to show how incredibly easy it is it achieve. Following incidents like this though, Deuce is frequently embarrassed to have lost his temper. What makes matters worse is that, even if Deuce isn't angry and just feels cornered, he doesn't have the good sense to recognize when he ought to back down. When he thought Malleus Draconia, one of the most powerful mages in the world, had a bone to pick with him, Deuce recognized he was outmatched and was still determined to fight him like a man.
While he may struggle with his reflexive combativeness, Deuce really does want to change. He may not always know how to achieve that, but he's doing his best. That's because beneath the short temper and serious determination, he's an honest and earnest soul. When shown kindness or given help, Deuce is pleasantly surprised and shows sincere gratitude. Professor Crewel assigns him supplemental lessons to catch him up? Others see it as a penalty, but Deuce is delighted. He grows excited when his efforts yield positive results, and rather than envy those who excel beyond him, he admires their strength and ability and finds it inspiring.
Sometimes, that straightforward, direct nature can get the better of him. Honest to a fault as he can be, unable to keep up a ruse to save his own skin, Deuce readily places a little too much trust in his elders. He'll often take others at their word, or mistake a blithe or sarcastic comment as genuine advice. Between this and being behind in his education from his delinquent years, Deuce is an easy mark for deceit. But he has recognized that, and he isn't discouraged... He's just a little disillusioned to learn not all eggs can become chicks. That said, won't be duped when something goes against his personal experiences. Trey claiming oyster sauce is the secret ingredient in tarts? He's not buying that — because he buys groceries with his mom.
As is the case with most mages by their very nature, Deuce did have an prideful resistance toward cooperation and a leaning toward serving his own personal interests. Those interests have from the onset included making his mom proud of him, but during the main story, Deuce has often been motivated by his own goals and desires. He and his classmate Ace will mutually deny the benefits of cooperating with one another, and he will take up causes because there's something he wants.
Over the course of his first semester at Night Raven College, however, it's clear that something has changed for Deuce. It's not just his goals and interests that compel him, but also the first friendships that he has forged in his young life. When he thinks that the protagonist Yuu is in danger during winter break, he makes the arduous trip to go and rescue them. Just...well. When he arrives and everything is already resolved, he puts it off as something he was obliged to do, since he did say to call if they needed anything. No big deal. Mages are idiots like this.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Breeder Starter: Milcery Password: Atomic Fireball
Victory Road Sample: [ What first appears on the feed is a teenage boy's face, expression set in a thoughtful frown as he evidently fiddles with his device. At least, that's what one is left to assume as his hands appear to be moving just out of frame. What's most prominent, however, is the black spade set over his right eye.
Distracting as that might be, it's certainly not what Deuce intends to talk about as he props his gear up and angles it just so, revealing a small, floating cream-colored creature behind him. Just for emphasis, he points right at it. ]
This thing isn't really cream, is it? I don't know any spells that could do something like that. [ He pauses, bringing a hand to his chin as he considers this. ] I mean, I've heard of bread-and-butterflies, but... Just cream, with a face...?
[ The more he thinks about it, the more puzzled he seems, brows knitting together in confusion. ]
Player Name: Rook E-mail: n/a Preferred Contact: PM or Plurk @ rookadoodle Timezone: EST (GMT -4) Current Characters in Victory Road: n/a
Character Name: Eijiro Kirishima Series: My Hero Academia Timeline: Manga: Chapter #246 Canon Resource Links:Wiki Link
Personality:
Outgoing, upbeat, and straight-forward, what you see of Kirishima in the first few minutes of meeting him is often what you get. This honest sort of earnestness is what allows him to get along with most people he meets or be - if you're a nervous pessimist like his senior student, Amajiki - some spectrum of insufferable to others.
A lot of Kirishima's character can be described by the classic, idealized code of chivalry, as this is what he respects and aspires to be. Often when he's obsessing over "manliness" ( which is his schtick ), this is what he means over raw masculinity, though he admires that too. His heroic idol and professional namesake, Crimson Riot, shared a similar Quirk ( superpower ) to Kirishima and was known as the Chivalrous Hero. From a young age, Kirishima was driven by the desire to protect others, especially those less fortunate than him. He stood up against several school bullies in middle-school to protect another student they were hounding for money. He got his ass handed to him when one of those bullies threw a big rock in his face, but it didn't stop him from dreaming of joining the most prestigious superhero school in the country ( something else challenged that, but we'll get into that later ).
Kirishima is respectful of authority and his peers, often being the first to encourage teamwork and compliment the strengths of others. The only time Kirishima felt like he should challenge the law and the commands of authority was when his friend, Bakugou, got kidnapped by villains. However, instead of just running off on his own, he tried to recruit others to his cause because he's very well aware that teamwork makes the dream work. And it was his passionate argument that swayed his fellow students into coming up with a rescue plan that would fall into the lines with the restrictions they were given. Speaking of Bakugou, there's no better example of Kirishima's ability to accept and get along with almost anyone, as well as his ability to want to see the best in others. Bakugou's explosive temper and arrogance chafes with almost everyone in their class, but Kirishima finds him admirable, commenting to a mentor that he finds his friend to be very sincere. This is pretty hilarious considering Bakugou is a textbook example of a tsundere with a heaping helping of aggression, but is nonetheless true when you look towards his actions. Kirishima easily shrugs or laughs off the numerous insults his friend throws his way, though he's not afraid to call out that same behavior as inappropriate or apologize for Bakugou when he does the same to others. Possibly because he's one of the few people who can sustain an explosion to the face without damage.
Kirishima is motivated to be the best possible hero he can be because his goal is to protect people. Of course, school is school and he's not the smartest person when it comes to academics ( he's #15/20 in his class test ranks last heard ), but he's obviously driven to succeed even in that aspect since it's made clear he has the churlish and demanding Bakugou tutor him - to the point he even lets the guy literally beat him over the head with a book while he studies. It's practical training exercises that he likes the best, bringing enough enthusiasm to every challenge that sometimes his friends have to tell him to cool down. During his internship with a professional agency, he was complimented for his energy. However, when he went on to gain the license that would allow him to do hero work on the streets, he selected the work study mentor he did because he reportedly didn't want to just be moral support, he wanted to challenge himself to do and be better.
Now with the strengths out of the way, we can get more into the flaws. Starting with the one that makes everyone in an interview or overlooking college applications roll their eyes, yes, it's Kirishima cares too much sometimes. His Quirk allows him to be a literal human shield and boy howdy, does he take that to the extreme, throwing himself in the way of a lot of dangerous situations multiple times over the course of the series. For example, he pushed his more experienced teacher out of the way of a big fist made of wall at one point, causing himself to be put into a fight that temporarily shattered his resolve and ended up injuring him quite severely. He dropped big bucks to secure an item to help on Bakugou's rescue mission only for it to be broken, though he seemed not to care at all since it was in service to his friend. His caring even extends to villains, as at one point in the field a villain who shot his senpai started crying and Kirishima still awkwardly tried to comfort him during the arrest. Of course, the aforementioned villain used the same trick twice to make things even worse for Kirishima with a surprise attack, then for an escape, and Kirishima fell for it both times.
That being said, Kirishima is arguably quite gullible. On top of being fooled by the aforementioned villain, he's been known to change his views on most things at the drop of a hat if the argument sounds good enough. For example, he worries about leaving his friends behind during a fight ( to pursue their bigger hero goal ) aloud, only to immediately agree when his mentor says they need to trust in their strength to support them. One might also be able to chalk this up to having an open mind if they were being generous. Generally speaking, whatever sounds more bold and noble to him is where his opinion tends to lean. It's not hard to figure out he has a traditional sense of honor and manipulate him that way.
Finally, Kirishima puts on a confident front and makes bold decisions, but he wasn't always that way. In his middle-school days he was haunted by an incident where he failed to save a few schoolgirls who were in danger from a massive villain. His fear kept him frozen in place, able to do nothing. Fortunately, someone else stepped in, but he still went home and was about to decide he wasn't cut out for hero work after all. It took a small speech from his idol to reassure him that it was okay to be afraid, but feeling regret over watching someone lose their life was so much worse. Since then, Kirishima has vowed to be a man who strives to live his life without regrets, but he still labors under many other fears besides dying. Fears of not being a popular hero because his quirk isn't 'flashy' in his opinion, fears of not being strong enough to protect other people, fears of just blending into the crowd.
But that has also driven him to become the loud, honorable, and gregarious personality he is now. And he's honestly happier for it.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Machop Password: Atomic Fireball Samples RP Sample:Status Effect Meme (Action)
Player Name: Seraph E-mail: apexseraph@gmail.com Preferred Contact: jardaan @ plurk Timezone: EST Current Characters in Victory Road: N/A
Character Name: Katsuki Bakugou Series: My Hero Academia Timeline: Ch 258 Canon Resource Links:A link
Personality:
To be perfectly blunt, Bakugou Katsuki is not a pleasant person to deal with. The reality is that he's going to end up being every PR agent's worst nightmare. Bakugou is not polite in the least and it doesn't matter who he interacts with or if he respects them or not. He has been known to be rough with the people that he's trying to save and downright hostile to even those that he'd call friends. Katsuki has a rather short fuse for a variety of reasons, but he usually expresses himself in the form of yelling or just downright using his Quirk to cause an explosion on someone's person or even blowing up objects. He doesn't even have to be more than a little irritated in order to be set off the deep end. Bakugou has little patience for people and even less for those that he thinks are below him. It's because of his antagonistic personality that many question if he wouldn't be better suited to be a villain rather than being a hero.
Katsuki is a very prideful person. His quirk is powerful and received much praise when he had been a child. This had created something of a superiority complex within him when he had been younger. Because of this he often bullied his childhood friend ( though it's a bit more complex than that and will be discussed later ) and thought of himself as being better than everyone else around him. This had even continued onto UA, where he thought he simply would be able to blow away the competition. However this had not been the case and since he has suffered some losses, Katsuki is somewhat humbled by the experience. While he still doesn't think of everyone as being his equal, Bakugou has learned to at least acknowledge other people enough to be able to work alongside them - something that he had struggled with greatly when he had first arrived to UA. However he still doesn't see fit to call people by name very often. Usually he uses nicknames when referring to people - even his own classmates and teachers.
It's because of his pride that he struggles with his emotions. Everyone building him up over the years has made it hard to swallow that big humility pill. On top of that, he doesn't necessarily want to be seen as weak or imperfect so that makes it even more difficult to express himself in any way other than what people have come to expect from him. Even when he is in the wrong he won't outright acknowledge it. Instead Bakugou is someone that speaks with actions rather than words. An example of this is the fact that he has been helping Deku to train and is in the know about One for All and All for One. Bakugou had agreed to it because, in a sense, it is atonement for the way that he had treated Izuku in the past. He's never outright said that he regrets the choices he's made back then and he hasn't made it obvious that's why he has been helping the other out. However, the feelings are there all the same. Even with the group of friends that he's made, he'd never call him his friends outright. It's just assumed. Bakugou has helped out in other ways, but usually it's still shoving people out of the way so it can "be done right" or under the pretense to show off. Even when he's called out on being thoughtful, he'll just deny it.
Katsuki might have had a superiority complex, but he also struggles with an inferiority complex. Usually this can be seen in some, if not most, of his dealings with Deku. While Deku is the one that is saying that he is going to catch up to Bakugou, Katsuki feels as though he needs to be the one catching up to or staying on top of Izuku in return. At one point he even refers to himself as a loser, likely because there are some points where he hesitates on a course of action whereas Izuku just jumps in headfirst. On top of it all, he bears a burden of being the end to All Might. He had been powerless to stop himself from getting kidnapped ( this is the 2nd instance of Katsuki falling to the "damsel in distress trope" ) and the result had been All Might being unable to carry on as a hero. Katsuki takes this hit particularly hard, showing yet another time where he actually had cried.
Yet the truth is that Bakugou is a very passionate person. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, even if he has a difficult time expressing himself. Katsuki is very emotional, even if he does tend to keep things bottled up within him. While he is extremely competitive, it is partially because he strives to always get stronger. To always be better. Katsuki wants to aim for the #1 hero slot in all of Japan. He doesn't do this because he wants the fame and fortune. Bakugou wants to be the strongest so that he can be a hero that never loses a fight. To him, the best way that he can be a hero and save those around him is to be that type of person. Therefore he needs to strive for perfection in all areas. That's where it all leads up to. It's Katsuki's need to be a perfectionist and excel in all things that gives him issues with his pride, complexes, and inability to process his emotions correctly.
Now what may come as a surprise is that, despite his explosive personality and the fact that he comes across as crude, he's actually very intelligent. Bakugou is in the top tier when it comes to academics. He isn't just book smart either. Katsuki has the ability to analyze in the middle of combat and adjust his tactics when he isn't blinded by his own aggression. He also picks up on things from others to be able to adjust his own combat style. While he might not be as tactical as Deku or some of his other classmates, he can match them in the heat of the moment. Katsuki is actually quite insightful as well, picking up on things that some of the others around them haven't. After all, he is the one that is suspicious about the true nature of One for All and is promptly shut down by All Might for even attempting to voice it.
On a side note, Katsuki is a bit of a contradiction. He has all of these mannerisms that would make people think that he's not someone who engages in the following activities... Bakugou knows how to play the drums. He's also a decent cook and is something of neat freak, despite the fact that he is kind of defiant with the way he wears his pants and school uniform.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Cyndaquil Password: Atomic Fireball ( LOL )
Player Name: Einir E-mail: madmuggle [at] gmail Preferred Contact: Discord: griffinmoth#4430, journal PP, or Plurk: moxana Timezone: eastern Current Characters in Victory Road: none
Character Name: Kayo Hinazuki Series: Boku Dake ga Inai Machi/Erased. Anime version. Timeline: after leaving Hokkaido to live with her grandmother in the true timeline Canon Resource Links:Spoilers abound, beware She has two wikia entries, not sure why
Kayo is the first of a string of child kidnappings and murders in Hokkaido in the 1980s. She made for an easy target because she's a loner and a bit of an outcast, even from her own classmates. Often late to school, especially on Mondays, and not very expressive or talkative, most of her classmates leave her alone. She spends her free time alone at the park until darkness falls, or at the often-empty science center in their small town. She is clever, good at science and good at strategy board games like othello. The reason she avoids going home until as late as possible is because she's being abused by her mother, Akemi Hinazuki. A single parent after divorcing her abusive husband, Akemi's own broken heart and mind led to her venting out her pain and stress on Kayo the way her husband had done to her. Akemi mostly beats Kayo on Saturdays, when the bruises have time to heal before Kayo will be seen in public again, but Kayo still hates being at home and holds no warmth for her own mother, understandably.
When Satoru revives all the way back to being 10 years old himself, he recognizes the signs and is able to change Kayo's fate by becoming her friend. He doggedly chases after her friendship, inspiring quite a lot of sass and some unsettling conversations from her ("Would you kill someone for me?"). She calls him stupid fairly often, but it becomes endearing over time as Kayo begins to trust him and believe that his interest in being friends is genuine. As she starts to open up, we get to see more of Kayo's personality. She's nerdy and smart, just as happy to read books as to watch tv, and excited for all of the little adventures that Satoru ends up taking her on. Even when she tries to be stoic about them- like when he takes her to see a natural "christmas tree" and they see a pair of foxes along the way, or when Satoru and the other kids kidnap her and hide her out in an abandoned bus to keep her away from her mother (and potential murderer) while they try to get child services in gear. Satoru and Kayo share a birthday, so their now-shared friends plan to surprise them with a double party that day after school. Deeply Poor, Kayo saves up her lunch money to buy yarn so she can crochet Satoru a pair of mittens as a birthday present, a poetic reflection of the mittens he gives her. She's attentive and thoughtful when she chooses to be.
Kayo shows some incredible bravery, when faced with her mother and the challenge of bringing her abuse to light. When Akemi attempts to assault Satoru's mother, Kayo doesn't hesitate to throw herself at her and cling around her middle, holding her back. She also doesn't hesitate or flinch when facing her mother down as bait for getting her to speak with child services. Kayo doesn't show any sympathy, only embarrassment and exhaustion, as Akemi throws herself at Kayo's grandmother in tears. As Satoru suspects, the tears are self-pity, more than anything else, and Kayo isn't impressed. Any sense of affection she may have with her own mother is ruined for her and her only hope to feel secure is to be away from her.
Resilient in the way children often are, Kayo does start to blossom under the friendship of Satoru and his gang, and with some parental care from Satoru's mother Sachiko. She's brought to tears at the sight of a hearty homecooked breakfast after years of neglect, and when she receives a real birthday party with presents for possibly the first time ever in her life. Sachiko was able to remind Kayo what being loved by an adult she can trust feels like, bringing out more smiles and individuality from the stoic little girl and setting the stage for her to put her trust in her grandmother, and grow up to recover from everything she's been through. In the end, Akemi gives up custody of Kayo to her grandmother willingly, and Kayo moves away to grow up far from her mother and the town where all her trauma happened. By the time Satoru sees her again, 15 years later, she's married and has an infant child, content with her life and grateful to him for giving her a chance to truly live.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Hoothoot Password: Atomic Fireball (sounds tasty)
Kayo looks shell-shocked in the moments immediately following her arrival. Some woman calling herself "mom" handed her a bag, a weird phone thing, and a pokeball, and told her to go on an adventure. She stands outside, blinking in the sunlight, her expression every bit as owlish as the pokemon she's been given. Hoothoot itself pops out of the ball and hops around her, happily "whooo"ing. This makes none of these recent events make a lick more sense. Slowly Kayo's blank stare turns into a confused knit of eyebrows. She walks a few steps. Hoothoot follows. She turns the other way and walks some more. Still it follows.
"Are you stupid?" She asks it. It hoos and flaps its wings, pecking at the pokeball in her hand. "My adventure is supposed to do with you?" She asks slowly, as the realization dawns on her. Hoothoot lets out a cacophony of excited noises as an answer. There's a beat of hesitation, and then a small smile crosses Kayo's face. "Well come on then I guess," and she heads toward route 29, poking at her pokegear as she walks. It's nothing like phones back home, but it's pretty intuitive, she thinks. The buttons are big and well labeled, though she does startle herself when she opens up the network and a video starts playing. She shouts, dropping the 'gear and Hoothoot squawks, flapping its little wings.
Kayo recovers after a moment, and starts to laugh at the pokémon's dramatic reaction. "Did I scare you?" Slowly, she reaches out a hand, and Hoothoot bumps up against her palm. Kayo softens all over, patting the bird on the head. "I'm sorry. I got startled too." Scooping the 'gear back up, Kayo figures out how to control when the videos play, and how to record one herself. She posts it to the network and continues her investigation. The map is especially helpful, showing her at least the places she can go, even if that doesn't really tell her why. Might as well see what's in Cherrygrove, she thinks. Since there isn't much here.
"Hooo?" "Yeah, we're going. Come on." She shoulders her bag and heads into the tall grass.
Player Name: Maggie E-mail: maggieegauntt@gmail.com Preferred Contact:omixgirl10 Timezone: U.S. Eastern Current Characters in Victory Road: none
Character Name: Grant Abaroa Series: Original character Timeline: after adopting Chip
Original Character Background:
Canon history
Grant is from a modern fantasy setting, the world of which is similar in many ways to our own; what differences there are stem mostly from the existence and workings of magic. This world’s Earth is one of four planes of reality, acting as the central axis around which the other three - commonly referred to as Heaven, Hell, and the Other Place - balance. Each world is host to its own “color” of magic, with different colors impacting reality in different ways, and its own native creatures with the ability to harness that magic naturally: white magic used by angels, black by demons, green by fae, and Earth’s red magic by dragons.
Rather than using magic “naturally” through their own bodies, humans harness it through carefully-arranged rituals; while these rituals allow the mixing of different colors of magic in ways not typical in natural magic use, the knowledge of how to put them together was all too easily forgotten by humanity as a whole. Intending to maintain their own power by limiting that of others, a few ancient vampires manipulated the rest of the world to abandon and forget magic; over time, the last vestiges of magic came to be so rarely encountered by humans and so poorly understood as to be largely written off as legends and old wives’ tales. It was only as non-magical technology advanced, and information spread faster, that the vampires finally accepted that they couldn’t keep magic a secret forever, and chose to re-introduce it in a controlled way, maintaining their own power and giving the world time to adjust.
That adjustment, on top of its impact on science and Earth’s understanding of the nature of reality, brought about an adjacent revolution with regards to the types of people that the world knew to exist. Inevitably, controversy and fear and doubt rose around the sentient undead, the magically constructed, and those touched by incurable curses or hybridized with beings from other planes.
Character history
Grant Abaroa was born to a mother well aware that she carried the genes for lycanthropy; though she showed no symptoms herself, her own mother was a werewolf, and the curse could easily be carried through a bloodline without its symptoms manifesting in every carrier.
However, Grant didn’t get the benefits of being raised by someone familiar with lycanthropy for long, as his mother passed away in an accident when he was ten. As his father had left their lives not long after his birth, and his mother’s family wasn’t equipped to take in another child, Grant was placed in the foster system. Unfortunately, as it turned out, people willing to take in a child with lycanthropy weren’t necessarily ready to take proper care of one. Grant's high energy and emotional outbursts, which only got worse around his monthly transformations, were often received poorly and handled worse by his foster parents.
Around that time, as Grant struggled to manage his symptoms with very little in the way of actual support, an organization emerged claiming to be making groundbreaking strides in “curing” lycanthropy - which was theoretically impossible, thanks to its being woven into one’s genetics. His foster parents, hoping for an easy answer to his condition, quickly enrolled him in their latest study - and Grant, already convinced that anything would be better than remaining a werewolf, gave little resistance.
The study itself quickly proved to be little more than glorified abuse, as its participants were coerced into undergoing frequently harmful procedures meant to force the magic out of their bodies, with the “excision” of the curse clearly considered more important than the subjects’ physical or mental wellbeing. Despite its harm and inefficacy, most of the subjects were either desperate, had little recourse but to stay enrolled, or both; it wasn’t until Grant and many other werewolves had been subjected to the so-called study’s dehumanizing and painful “treatments” for almost three years that the organization was exposed as fraudulent and dissolved.
In light of the revelation that such a large and public organization had been outright abusing those with lycanthropy under the guise of curing the incurable, a few well-executed news articles and a push for justice led to a swell in awareness for the rights of permanently cursed individuals in general, and werewolves in particular. As Grant’s foster parents could not reasonably have been unaware of what was being done to him, he was removed from their custody and placed in a different home.
By this time, Grant had already internalized a deep discomfort with his condition, and an approach to “handling” his behavioral symptoms that was rooted primarily in suppressing any impulses that could come across as too aggressive or “unstable” - impulses that could range from actually lycanthropy-rooted outbursts to standard teenage mood swings to simply standing up for himself, and none of his future foster placements did much to discourage that behavior.
In their relative stability, however, Grant took an interest in magic, seeking to at least manage that distaste for himself and his state of being with a better understanding of the condition that had impacted so much of his life. He ended up taking a genuine interest in the subject, and found its complexity more comforting than he expected; as he reached adulthood, he managed to push through community college and, in his late twenties, he opened a small store, selling books and supplies for the ritual magic he’d grown so intrigued by.
After a few years, despite the fact that Grant refused to sell weapons and dealt only in legal materials, his store ended up drawing in some suspicious regulars. Some, such as a vampire named Sophie Welman, he got along reasonably well with, even if the things she pawned off to him and some of the combinations of supplies she bought made him think he would rather not know what her mysterious, apparently dangerous “government work” entailed.
Her boyfriend, Foster, was another story. From the first time he stopped by the shop, he was basically a field of red flags; however, upon finding out that Foster was dying, and his theoretically impossible plan to perform necromancy on himself was actually probably his best chance of extending his own existence, Grant couldn’t bring himself to turn him away - something Foster seemed very aware of.
Around that same time, however, Grant ran into a significant distraction in the form of a child hiding in the alley beside his shop. It soon became clear that the child, Chip, must have been a runaway; however, between the mounting evidence that they had been abused and his own experiences with the foster system, Grant found himself reluctant to take the risk of having social services place them in a home. Instead, Grant slowly earned Chip’s trust and took them in himself for the time being - just until, he assured himself, he could find a way to be sure he was sending them somewhere safe.
However, Grant found himself becoming more and more attached to Chip - and, upon discovering that they were part demon, and had already been abused for their heritage by their mother and step-father, realized that finding another home for them where they wouldn’t be mistreated would be easier said than done. As he arranged with the authorities to keep looking after them for the time being, Grant was already considering the possibility of adopting Chip himself.
With the new risk of losing Chip if he were to run into legal trouble hanging over his head, particularly as his lycanthropy made him a harder sell as an adoptive parent to begin with, Grant began making moves to pull back on his involvement with his shadier clients. Though he was still reluctant to cut off his dealings with Sophie and Foster entirely, he did encourage them to branch out their sources a bit, trying to distance himself a little at a time from their likely illegal activities. Unfortunately, that hesitation turned out to mean much more to Foster than Grant had anticipated.
Though Grant never knew the full extent of why, beyond that Foster seemed to have swung around to considering Grant a threat to his plans, the aspiring necromancer broke into his shop late one night and attacked him, succeeding in seriously injuring his shoulder and taking an eye out. However, before he could do anything fatal, Chip was drawn into the storeroom by the commotion; upon seeing Foster, who they knew only as a strange and somewhat ominous customer that they never really trusted, obviously trying to murder their adoptive father, Chip attacked Foster in turn. It was only thanks to Sophie’s coincidental arrival and intervention that nobody actually died in the incident, though Grant and Foster were both left in pretty miserable shape - and Chip, terrified that their “demonic” burst of violence would turn Grant against them, slipped out the back door in the commotion.
As Grant was in no shape to find Chip, Sophie tracked them down and convinced them to go back and talk to him. Finally, after months of skirting around the subject in one way or another, Chip’s fear that Grant would decide a demon hybrid was more trouble than he wanted to deal with became clear; horrified, Grant assured them that he had no intention of kicking them out, and finally told them about his plans to adopt them.
After the break-in, Grant had little interest in pursuing legal action against Foster, as that would bring far too much risk of drawing attention to why Foster knew him and why he would attack him to begin with - besides which, even after the attack, Grant could only think of Foster as a strange and troubled man who would benefit far more from whatever help Sophie could get him than from being arrested. However, the aftermath still slowed down the process of pursuing adoption; it was only once Grant had recovered physically and the premises had been investigated for safety (including an improved security system, just to prevent any repeat incidents) that they could finally proceed.
Fortunately, while proving that Grant was a better guardian for them than their mother and step-father was still a roadblock, overcoming the actual obstacle turned out to be fairly straightforward. Chip’s own testimony, the evidence collected by the government officials involved, and Chip’s mother’s apparent lack of investment in keeping them at all amounted to 'ward of the state' at best. Compared to all that, a recent break-in and chronic lycanthropy seemed like relatively small points against Grant. And so, after months of paperwork and investigation, Grant was declared Chip’s legal guardian.
Personality: Grant comes off as a reserved, even withdrawn guy; he’s kind and gentle to those around him, but rarely gets involved with them to any greater extent than is necessary. He keeps his personal life and involvement to a very limited scope, both in terms of how involved he gets with those around him and how vulnerable he makes himself to them in turn, and it often takes him by surprise when outside factors come to impact him anyway.
By and large, frankly, he’s somewhat intimidated by other people - both in terms of what they could do to him, and how he might be perceived when interacting with them. His lifetime of effort to avoid the image of aggression and instability associated with werewolves has left him something of a doormat; he will frequently stamp down his own discomfort rather than stand up against another person, particularly if he can justify to himself that he “should” go along with what they want, and, in much the same vein, can be potentially too forgiving for his own good.
The care he shows others, however, is genuine, if sometimes maladaptive. If he gets the impression that someone truly needs help, and that he’s in a position to provide that help, he’s far more likely to take potentially risky action than he tends to be when acting on his own behalf - especially if the someone in question is a child. If he catches himself getting upset, however, Grant will usually react to his own distress by putting up walls, preferring to come off as standoffish or cold rather than letting himself get worked up. Fortunately, he’s patient enough not to have to worry about that often, unless he’s pushed pretty hard - or someone happens to run up on a sensitive topic.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Breeder! Starter: Swinub Password: Rules password: Atomic FAQ password: Fireball
[The live video starts with a bit of fumbling as someone still not-quite-familiar with the Gear gets it situated, and the camera finally steadies on Grant’s apologetically-smiling face and the Swinub snuffling at him for attention.] Hey, all; I had a quick question for anyone who actually knows how to use this, uh… Poke-Gear? Right.
Anyway, if you’re seeing this I guess I figured out the live video thing. My kid’s getting pretty into battling, and I want to film some of their battles, but I’d rather save and post it than just stream it live… I mean, it’s not like I don’t have confidence in them, they’re picking all this up really fast. [He laughs under his breath, brief but a little less reserved, his expression brightening as he speaks.] Probably helps that they were so into something like it back home, and they’re a smart kid anyway. It’s kind of amazing, I don’t know how they can get the hang of it all so quickly.
[Wait he’s getting off-topic, gushing about how Chip is basically the best can wait.] But, right-- point is, I’ve never been great with technology and stuff, so! Any advice on, uh… recording, saving, and posting videos with this thing would be great.
[There’s an impatient call from off-camera, a child’s voice, and Grant calls over in reply:] Coming, Chip, just a minute!
[Back to the Gear:] Right, okay, I’ve got to go for now, turns out - but I’ll check back later! Thanks in advance.
Player Name: Liz E-mail: lizadow@yahoo.com Preferred Contact:Lizadow Timezone: USA EST Current Characters in Victory Road: None, though I have been here before!
Zuke's general demeanor is to be self-possessed, polite, and rational. All of which is a stark contrast to his partner, Mayday. So Zuke's attitude is often gentle and soft spoken, trying to be sensible rather than walk into something hot-headed. This makes him very easy to talk to. He's a good guy who would ride or die for his loved ones.. You can always expect him to come up with logic and reason to try to worm out of problems. Water off his back. He is the sea, the ocean waves. Zuke being a friend is being a comforting presence: let's go for burgers and chill.
His fuse is so long that it's hard to agitate him to the point he even raises his voice at you. Unless if you obviously hurt people he loves or others in general.
Zuke is a graduate and holds a Masters of Fine Arts and Music because he's very passionate about the art world as well as he is very much skilled. He enjoys working with his hands and playing music while harboring a true fascination with old technology and traditional instruments. Skill wise, he's very good at machines, computers and even welding. There is a real passion for playing the drums, ever since he was a child and had an old traditional beat drum. He doesn't even want the fame or money, he just wants to do what he loves best. Expanding his mind, enjoying soothing activities, and learning new things is always a plus for him; wanna build this jigsaw puzzle with him that looks like the stars and do some meditating? He digs quiet leisure fun, making him rather introverted in the long run. But what you see is what you get, for the most part...
The downside to being that calm and collected has a lot of drawbacks when it comes to his personal life. His view on life is incredibly passive, and he won't raise a stink unless if he has evidence to believe he should bring the spotlight to himself. This makes him really shrink to the background often and doesn't take being thrown on to the spot very well. He would clam up and stutter when that happens. While he's better about this now than in his college years, he could tend to be walked over by people in situations as he used to let his ex-girlfriend do this to him until it bubbled over (or in this case, literally set him on fire). In general, he's cool with the louder people speaking up as he supports them. But of course, people who say nothing and let things happen tend to bottle things up. That goes for most trauma and frustrations. Zuke dislikes confrontations and arguments, and will try to slink out of drama and trouble with silence and calm rationale. If there is an issue that isn't resolved and doesn't get better over time, Zuke holds it personally and could hide away from it. This was evident in his long feud with his older rapper brother, DK West. The torment and resentment he got from him during his younger years frustrated himself into being passive and wanting to keep the peace. Until there wasn’t any, and his inward frustration could no longer take it. When that happens, mistakes happen. In which case he shockingly eventually disowned his brother and ran away no contact from his ex.
While at the end of the game, he came clean with some of his mistakes he made with this (comforted his ex and talked it out, and reconciled with his brother), this is a bad habit to break and be aware of it.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Breeder Starter: Grookey Password: Atomic Fireball Samples RP Sample: One!
It was getting late, Zuke thought as he held the freshly made malasada in his maw. He wanted to check up on the secured Egg he held in his pack before deciding to find a place to crash for the night. As well as check his supplies. He turned to look at Terbangan, his Grookey partner, who was just finished gobbling up his treat. Zuke couldn't help but smile and shake his head at the guy, "You're going to get a stomachache there but I guess you'd think it was worth it, huh? We were lucky to get the last of the last fresh batch of the day. Come on then, let's head out."
The two would follow the trail out of town, passing a few dumpsters, when a crashing noise boomed at them. This unexpected detour of their evening sent Terbangan into high alert, "Keeeee!!". He screeched as he got his stick ready, aiming to defend his partner. "Easy, easy...look," Zuke's calm voice rang out as a purple bundle rolled out of the trash heap. It was a Toxel, Zuke silently concluded as the small Pokémon went into a sudden fit of tears.
The Toxel saw this as a threat, as it started to buzz a small dose of electricity. Terbangan was ready to attack, rallying his stick to strike. "Whoa, whoa! Cool it, cool it, little man." Zuke did NOT want a Pokémon battle to start when unprovoked. He remembered he still had his malasada, which only had the one bite out of due to business. Idea.
"Hey buddy, you hungry? Here, take it."
Zuke diplomatically tossed the pastry the Toxel's way, which it took immediately and began to shove in its face. Calmed down now, it made a small grumble of pleasure. "Ah, see? There we go. That's better, eh?"
A sigh of relief and a grunt of joy was in the air both at once.
Zuke's eyes then went to the tin bucket in the trash, another idea.
"Need a dinner and a show? Here, call it a peace jam," said Zuke as his Grookey friend caught on immediately. Jam session impromptu, easy peasy fun for all. Zuke jammed on the pail with his palm, Terbangan following with his drumming stick. As the beats filled the air, the Toxel raised its arms with glee.
Player Name: Bear E-mail: realisticfakefish at gmail Preferred Contact:naturalcyber Timezone: CST Current Characters in Victory Road: Thace
Character Name: Scorpia Series: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Timeline: Post-canon (like, minutes after the last episode ends) Canon Resource Links: This is one I found. It's not written as well as I'd like, but for the most part it's not directly contradicting canon. (Although I will say, since it is a fan wiki: Scorpia and Perfuma wouldn't have had time to start dating before the finale. I can definitely see a post-canon romantic relationship developing out of their 'friends-with-romantic-interest' relationship as depicted on screen but in my opinion, "already dating" stretches things.)
Personality: Within moments of screentime, Scorpia proves to be incredibly cheerful and friendly. She describes herself as a hugger, and even makes an excited outburst "Kitty!" upon seeing Catra for the first time. She's also devoted to helping her comrades, even if her methods aren't always the most successful. Her first instinct when her ship is about to be blown up is to grab the other soldiers before jumping overboard, and in later seasons, she is happy to help move heavy crates for others who are having trouble with it. Something else that's apparent early on is that she's devoted to her position, and has taken time to become better at it. Force Captain Orientation is something of a running gag, but when paired with the way she throws herself into research to help Catra with managing the day-to-day minutia of Horde in later seasons (something she's less skilled at), shows that she gives every job her all, and seeks out ways to be better yet, even if they don't come naturally.
She's a well trained soldier, and a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Scorpia also clearly enjoys fighting both before and after she defects from the Horde. Fighting may not have been her base inclination, but she's lived her whole life doing it, and it brings her joy to do it well.
Scorpia could also be described as overly trusting, but it's less trust and more determination and stubborn loyalty. She has trained herself to always look on the bright side, to push down doubts and insecurities and to ground herself in what she considers her best qualities: loyalty and bravery. There's no indication that she's like Adora, who begins the series truly ignorant of what the Horde really is. But she is loyal, and she clings to that very, very hard. It causes her to stay at Catra's side, excusing and overlooking Catra's increasingly uncaring and unstable behavior, well past when even other members of the Horde have realized that Catra is best avoided.
This is why her turning point of acknowledging that Catra is 'a bad friend' and abandoning her to go save Entrapta. Scorpia's loyalty had been abused to the point where she couldn't ignore any longer how harmful it was to the people who cared about her (Entrapta and Emily) and it finally caused her to break ties with Catra and the Horde. On the other hand, her leaving was not intended to be permanent. Her loyalty had just shifted to the one person who had shown her real loyalty and friendship in return. Scorpia left fully intending to risk her very life for her friend and then return to the Hoard.
A big part of that is because Scorpia had literally known nothing else her whole life. Scorpia describes her family as willingly turning over their land and Runestone to the Horde, but canon implies that it was probably not the truth. Or at least, not the whole truth. It's also well demonstrated that the Horde has a lot of child soldiers (Catra, Adora, Kyle, Lonnie are all depicted/stated as being teens or not much older) so there has almost certainly been indoctrination in Scorpia's past. One thing that Scorpia finds out is demonstrably false once she leaves the Horde is the fact that she would 'not fit in' and 'be disliked' by other Princesses. Shortly after meeting the Princess and interacting with them off the battlefield, Scorpia herself admits that she was wrong in thinking that.
Perhaps because of growing up in the Horde and being exposed to such a harmful culture, Scorpia has tremendous insecurities about herself. One of her morning rituals is even pushing down those doubts and insecurities. In an early episode, Scorpia states that although she is technically a Princess, that she wasn't planning on going to the party because of how she wouldn't fit in and wasn't liked. Later she is seen rationalising that it was a good thing she was with the Horde, because she wasn't 'cut out for' being a Princess, and was only good for being a soldier.
Even after defecting from the Horde, those insecurities continue. Scorpia talks about how she's only good as 'the muscle' and displays awkwardness and reluctance in social situations. It's only with the encouragement of Perfuma that she begins to think of herself 'I can do this.'
Overall, Scorpia is a kind and loving person who was manipulated and hurt in subtle ways under the care of an evil organisation. She has more growing and becoming to do, but she's made a start, found friends who support her for who she is, and is getting a better grasp on how the world works outside the Horde.
Victory Road Sample: Perfuma would love this town! Flowers everywhere, of every color and shape Scorpia can imagine and a few she would never have thought up on her own. The air even smells sweet, and the sun is so bright and warm. The people here are so friendly too, and Scorpia has honey for her Pokemon friends (and some for herself) and pots and dirt for growing things too. Maybe she will end up a farmer after all? Perfuma would probably like that.
Speaking of, Scorpia looks down to make sure little Perfuma is comfy. She seems to like the pot, and is sipping a little bit of water while one of the giant (cute!) bugs buzzes overhead. "This is the life, isn't it? Let me tell you, little Perfuma, I think I could stay here forever. What about you? Do you like it?"
The 'Oddish' in return means that little Perfuma likes it here, Scorpia thinks. She's certainly getting a better hang of understanding all the little differences in tone and expression on her new friend.
"Yeah, me too." Scorpia closes her eyes and lets the grass tickle her face as it's swayed by the sweet breeze. She can feel the warmth of the sun, and hear the sounds little Perfuma's leaves make as she moves. It's almost perfect. If only she could be here with her friends, and Perfuma. Would Perfuma be happy that Scorpia had named her Pokemon friend after her? Little Perfuma was a cute flower. Well, plant that would probably grow into a flower someday.
"I hope she comes here. You'll love big Perfuma. She's so confident and strong--"
The words fade and Scorpia goes very, very still. Who's that cute little Pokemon with the lovely pink flower? It's so beautiful. "Oh wow. You're so-- wow. Hi! I could just hug you!"
The only thing stopping Scorpia from reaching out is that some Pokemon don't like hugs, and she's trying to be better about not hugging people who don't want it. She really is. But maybe if she moves really slowly and asks. "Do you think I could maybe pet you? Or hug you?"
"Min!" The cute Pokemon pushes something out in front of itself. Looks like one of the Pokemon berries, but Scorpia doesn't know which. Awww! A gift. This is so amazing.
"Thank you--" A blink and the stranger is gone, gift left where it was standing. Scorpia pushes down feelings of disappointment and more loneliness. A gift means it liked her right? "Maybe it was just shy," she tells little Perfuma.
Player Name: Raile E-mail: railerat [at] gmail [dot] com Preferred Contact:railerat Timezone: EST Current Characters in Victory Road: Dirk Strider
Character Name: Karako Pierot Series: Homestuck (Hiveswap + Friendsim) Timeline: Pre-Friendsim Canon Resource Links:Wiki. Player impact does not make a huge difference, and is covered in wiki.
Personality: In a classic Harlequinade, Pierrot's defining trait is his naïveté--he is seen as a fool, often the butt of pranks, yet nonetheless trusting. This jives with the player's first impression of Karako: just as startled by the player character (hereafter referred to as MSPAR, short for MSPA Reader) as MSPAR is by him, he jumps straight into the air and immediately gets stuck, having impaled himself by the horns into a low-hanging tree branch. He is left kicking his legs in the air helplessly, and the MSPAR is obliged to pull him down--which they do only after a great deal of explaining their situation and repeating that they mean him no harm and hoping that Karako does not use his belt(s) full of knives to fill them with holes.
On the ground, Karako Pierot turns out to be an expressive, upbeat young clown, 'chatting' with the player by means of honks and a few choice nonverbal cues. He quickly proves himself to be an attentive listener, open minded to the MSPAR's existence in a way many trolls are not (and without ulterior motive, as many OTHER trolls are not.)
Incredibly, he's a runt, and should have been culled back in the breeding caverns; instead, he was raised in secrecy by the self-appointed leader of the Jadebloods in charge of those caverns, and while he's supposed to be somewhat contained by the cloister, he's escaped 'to seek his fortune.' No lusus, no hive... just a pendant with his (dubiously appointed) symbol on one side and the words If lost, call BRONYA URSAMA on the other.
One would think that a troll in such a dangerous situation would be more suspicious and guarded, but this is not the case. One would also expect a troll in such constant peril to be more prepared, and in this sense... well, the MSPAR both is and is not disappointed. Karako is impulsive, clearly, but not unintelligent; for one thing, he's still alive, which is a pretty strong indicator of ability on its own. And he's no less bloodthirsty or dangerous than any other troll--in fact, he turns out to be bloodthirsty and dangerous in a new and terrifying manner, or at least one new to the MSPAR. (Terrifying is an objective quality here.)
Like any good purpleblood, Karako is 'down with the clown,' which in this case means he is faithful to the (clown) church, a believer in miracles and the mirthful messiahs. He paints his face (and, somewhat unusually, his horns) and wears a bandolier of Faygo across his chest in active observance of the traditional practises. Whether he actually attends massacre is unknown, but as canon shows, it doesn't matter: he is no less a true faithful of the Dark Carnival.
Because that's where he (and later, MSPAR) are taken in one of the possible endings, one where he takes on three seadwellers in his rage at their insults and mockery and is murdered for his efforts. The heavens open up and some janky, painted mannequins come down, suspended on obvious fishing line, and lift his repeatedly-skewered body up to the massive Murder Go Round in the sky. Whatever else Karako may stand for, his strength of belief merits the afterlife of his faith.
The Dark Carnival, however, is not Clown Heaven. I am so sorry that I have to do this, but taking from the ICP wiki:
The Dark Carnival is a concept of the afterlife in which souls are sent to a form of limbo while waiting to be sent to heaven or hell based on their individual actions. It features multiple rides and attractions which assist in this purpose, which are the focus balls of multiple albums and songs within the group's discography. These concepts are related by Insane Clown Posse in a series of albums called the six Joker's Cards. Each of the six Joker's Cards relate to a specific character — an entity of the Dark Carnival — that tries to "save the human soul" by showing the wicked inside of one's self.
MSPAR's actions after Karako's death embody this: horrified by the cruelty of the seadwellers and the brutality of troll culture, MSPAR takes a stand. A moral stand, one in which they refuse to accept the way things are on Alternia, the way Karako was ridiculed and then murdered. They decide to embody that morality, to choose what's right, to put morality into events through their own actions, to attempt and be morality in their little space of the universe, right here and now. They take up Karako's knives and his Faygo and take on all three seadwellers themself, despite being objectively weaker and less skillful than Karako. Which is admirable, but why am I talking about MSPAR's actions in Karako's app?
Because MSPAR dies. Like, that was fucking inevitable. But upon their death, the heavens open once more, and once more those mannequins descend on their fishing lines, lifting MSPAR in their arms and placing them onto the back of Karako's same Murder Go Round horse. (I have to note here that the term Murder Go Round is actual ICP canon lore.) Which leads me to my second pasting from hatchetpedia, the actual goddamn Juggalo wiki:
Carnival of Carnage is the first Joker's Card in Insane Clown Posse's Dark Carnival concept album series. This Joker's Card is a representation of the ghettos and the violence that occurs within them. It takes the form of a traveling carnival which releases the same brutality on those who have ignored the inner cities' cries for help. The Card issues a warning against the upper-class and government's negligence toward the lower classes.
This obviously describes MSPAR's actions, as inspired by Karako's death, but it also describes Karako's. Karako, as a reject, a runt and an outcast, is extremely sensitive to (and quickly enraged by) bullying and general unfairness. This despite his status as a purple-blooded troll, ostensibly the blood caste intended to become subjugglators--to subjugate the lower castes and keep them down. Given the ICP lore likely associated with him, and the way things unfold in canon, it seems likely that it's not just being picked on himself (though he surely doesn't like it, he's just very obviously used to it) which sets him off so violently. And he is super fucking violent.
He absolutely loses his goddamn mind on the seadwellers.
He's not on a hair-trigger, but he is surely quick-tempered--his anger is immediate (jaw clenched, face flushed), but stares at the seadwellers with stony dignity until they try to make him and MSPAR bow, mocking him for his anger. That's when he completely snaps. If allowed to attack them (the route that leads to his and MSPAR's deaths), he is so absolutely consumed with fury and bloodlust that the seadwellers are at one point described as 'dealing with hurricane clown' until they eventually manage to stab all of his own knives into his body. Also their own weapons. There are a lot of weapons stuck in his little body when he finally goes down. Like, there's an entire trident in there.
If he is restrained--a feat that takes all of MSPAR's strength and body weight, and is barely successful at that--he gets increasingly furious, so much so that he eventually unleashes the chucklevoodoos.
Even the seadwellers run in fear.
Yet this same clown opens his arms to offer MSPAR a hug--a hug he reconsiders for MSPAR's safety (he is wearing an awful lot of knives) and swaps out for a friendship-sealing handshake instead. And MSPAR is a soft, hornless thing, an alien being of a kind Karako has never seen before! MSPAR isn't on the hemospectrum. They're not even a Troll! Sure, MSPAR saves his life (twice), but that's not the kind of treatment MSPAR gets from... well, practically anyone, really. It's almost innocent of him.
It is innocent of him, really.
Word of god has confirmed him to be a wanderer (more specifically, he's living "the nomadic shrubbery lifestyle") and a good person, albeit still a Troll.
Which opens up the mystery of Karako's age, and.... truthfully? Information is conflicting. Friendsim confirmed Karako to be a tween (via narrative genuflection by MSPAR), but Aysha (one of the writers) told me on Twitter (I swear this is true) that this is a mistake, and he's actually the youngest Troll in Hiveswap, younger even than Barzum and Baizli. Who are... young. Definitely "children" and not tweens.
Which is... uh, frustrating. The fandom tendency is to characterise him as very young. A toddler maybe, or something like human five years old (not to be confused with six sweeps old, which is approximately human thirteen.)
I disagree with this pretty strenuously, though from an RP perspective, the details really don't matter. Karako's demonstrated intelligence and ability doesn't change in any way. His amount of lived experience does, but given how perilous Alternia is (especially for an outcast Troll like him) and the role of Pierrot as mentioned briefly at the beginning of this section... it plays out effectively the same way. His lack of verbal skills are still attributable to his existence as a runt. And he's clearly a minor in any case. However, since he needs "an age" for RP purposes, we've got a conundrum.
Canon indication is that Trolls in general just continue to get bigger as they age... but we don't really know how they age, whether it's different across blood castes, or what that means developmentally. I mean. Yes. Karako is definitely smaller than almost all of the Friendsim Trolls save for Amisia and maybe Barzum/Baizli, whose ages are also unknown, although Amisia claims to be "too young for quadrants." (Chahut disputes this, saying she that knows "a few motherfuckers what started younger," so Amisia can't be THAT young, but how young THAT young is... is a mystery.) But it's not clear how tall he is even compared to Amisia. The best we have is that they're both described as 'small' or 'little' and are shorter than MSPAR.
So, uh. As a solution, I'm putting Karako slightly younger than fellow Friendsim characters Wanshi and Tirona... the equivalent of human 8 years old, aka a human third grader. Which means that until proven otherwise (or told directly by a member of WhatPumpkin), I'm declaring he can read. Which is very likely, because Karako did share Wanshi's extremely sheltered life in the Caverns.
Even with all that, though? Tirona and the zodiac trolls are a much better comparison for life experience and maturity than Wanshi.... or the bizarre and isolated Barzum and Baizli. While his life was made easier in some ways (and possible to begin with, really) thanks to Bronya, Karako has an extremely difficult life overall. Mutant though he was, even Karkat had a lusus and a hive.
So far, Karako hasn't died (in this timeline, yet or to his knowledge), but that's the most one can really say has gone right for him. And technically, that's only gone 'right' for him because someone did the system wrong. It's... not great. He's a highblood who doesn't benefit from highblood privilege. He's certainly going to be hard to kill, but he lacks the societal benefit of his blood colour and a good chunk of the physical benefits. His horns are massive for his head, and that's because purples like him become fucking huge. Even less physically mature purples than Chahut are noticeably bigger than MSPAR. Not just taller, but bigger. Karako is not only shorter than MSPAR, he's pretty scrawny looking. At best, he's full of lean muscle but can't seem to bulk up. (Maybe when he gets older... but given he's a runt, I think it's doubtful he'll get much taller, if at all, so that's a mental image for you.) But the point is, anyone can pick on him. Anyone can threaten his life. And based on his route, it's easy to decode that they definitely have. MSPAR refers to him, at one point, as "a clown of suffering" while the seadwellers are mocking him.
Even staying alive is ultimately a futile endeavour... after all, he's a cull-on-sight runt, and has failed to keep (or even have begin with) a hive or lusus (which would also call for being culled, Alternia sucks.) He will never go to space and serve the Condesce in her eternal Space War... sooner or later, Alternian society or some other facet of Alternian life will kill him. So why does he even try?
... fucks' sake. Someone give this kid a flipping break.
Player Name: Aspen E-mail: aking94rp@gmail.com Preferred Contact:ashstriferous Timezone: Central Current Characters in Victory Road:brokencode
Character Name: Sylvain Jose Gautier Series: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Timeline: Azure Moon route, like five minutes before the reunion at Garreg Mach Canon Resource Links:Link!
Personality: On the surface, Sylvain is very much carefree and flirtatious, much to the chagrin of those around him. He claims to fall in love with every girl he meets, and others still claim that he has left countless men and women in his wake. He’s the bicycle of Garreg Mach and damn proud of it.
This, of course, is a facade. The truth is that there is a lot of resentment and loathing brewing deep within Sylvain. He considers himself cursed by his crest -- a magical endowment that guaranteed him to be the heir of his family, despite being the younger brother. It subjected him to abuse as a child, and leads him to believe that the bulk of any attempted relationships exist solely because of what Sylvain can give them.
This manifests as a hatred of women, though even Sylvain admits that it’s the easy answer. Considering comments made about fighting like he’s going to die, and the way he refers to himself having ruined his brother’s life, it’s fair to believe that the hatred Sylvain feels is more centered on himself.
Regardless, these behaviors were largely left behind at the tail end of his youth. His outlook on his professor, who he scorned for having a crest and offered to “take” it from them, has largely changed. He’s apologetic for his behavior at this time, and seems to be working toward understanding the depth of his feelings.
Despite his complex feelings toward others, though, Sylvain is fiercely loyal to those he considers his friends. He holds the promise he made Felix to not die without one another close to his chest. He does his best to guide Dimitri when it comes to flirting, and struggles to do right by Ingrid when she chews him out over his careless behavior. He also requests that she stay close to him on the battlefield so that he might protect her.
Despite everything, some of that loyalty even extends to his family -- particularly Miklan. Though Sylvain recounts being nearly killed by his elder brother (thrown into a well and left on a mountainside), he also is the first person to defend him. Frequently, he explains away Miklan’s behavior as being part of the crest system. And though he resents that he’ll have to marry without love and pass along his crest, he has accepted his fate as a studhorse for the Gautier family.
Sylvain is also prone to more soft-hearted moments, in which he does what he can to encourage the growth of others. He does what he can to assure a friend that her writing is good, even as she vehemently denies it and considers throwing him into a fire. Because of the relative age of this character, it can be assumed that Sylvain is disinterested in building her up simply for a romance -- in fact he makes no such attempt to fall into his usual flirtatious role.
Under slightly different circumstances, he also works to build up the confidence of Marianne. Though he started out flirtatious, attempting to coax the young woman out on a date, he became far more determined to encourage her to simply smile. When she once again denies him on going to the local village together, he surrenders with grace and is simply happy to see her smiling.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Breeder. Because how could I resist. Starter: No Name the Feebas. Password: Atomic Fireball
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indigo_league) wrote2016-05-03 09:48 pm
APPLICATIONS! 
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