❧ application: empatheias

[followthehearts]

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Twi
Contact: twilitfall
Age: 25
Current Characters: n/a


⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Aqua
Age: Guestimated at 18, never given a canon age
Canon: Kingdom Hearts
Canon Point: Post-Final Episode of Birth by Sleep, just before the Secret Episode

Background: "He's not as weak as you think."

Personality:A kind young woman whose sense of right and wrong never wavers. She is nimble, and a gifted mage. ─Character selection screen, KH: BbS

Aqua is the second oldest of the Keyblade wielders under the tutelage of Master Eraqus and the only one of the three to be acknowledged as a Keyblade Master. As such, she was entitled to knowledge and responsibilities she may not have been emotionally prepared for as a result when the worlds beckoned her and her two best friends. She is reliable and more often than not the motherly protector of Ventus, and even Terra at their Master's request. This is shown in hers and Terra's Mark of Mastery exam when the orbs of light are corrupted; Terra was the one who had to remind her that, even though Ven was younger and less experienced, that he'd been training just as hard as they had and would be fine. She relents of course, but the impression that she was more concerned with him staying safe remains throughout their travels.

When it comes to her personality, Aqua always seems to be the most steadfast and strong-willed in her core values of the three friends, always believing in them even if she never puts these feelings to words. It's seen in the presence of Yen Sid that she grows angry or even outraged at the thought of Terra harming their Master. She is much like Kairi in this regard, and perhaps even Sora, both of which prize their friendships with others above all else. Aqua seemed to have forgotten that briefly when she had to think of her duty as a Master as well, taking her orders from Eraqus more seriously than feelings when tension grew and created barriers around their hearts. Seeing what was becoming of Terra, not wishing to believe it─and perhaps for good reason, considering the ones spinning the tales were of questionable honor (i.e. Maleficent)─she tried to see the good in his actions, but upon it being "confirmed" by the evidence, worry began to gnaw at her heart. Terra's harsh decision upon being confronted by this and his sense of betrayal was like a slap in the face; Ventus's words making the pain all that much worse.

As one may have guessed, the bonds between her and others are incredibly important to her. She would do anything for them; sacrificing her time, and even her own Keyblade and means of protecting herself from the Darkness should that mean they would be safe. This is exactly what she would do later on as well, later falling into the Realm of Darkness in Terra-Xehanort's stead. The all but unbreakable connection between them and their Master aren't something she takes lightly, and anyone threatening them usually ends with them on the ground or fleeing from the site after a sound beating.

She is like the element of her namesake: calm and serene, nurturing those around her. It was Aqua who stayed by Ven's bedside until he awakened from his memory-migraine induced coma, wishing for him to awaken soon. She constantly mothers him throughout the events shown, often having to put aside his feelings in favor of his safety. Sadly, this began to cause a rift between them in the times to come as they walls between their hearts began to build. Still, she was there to catch him when he fell...literally.

It was also Aqua who would later be the one to see the bigger picture when Terra did not about his own fate. She feared for him greatly, seeing the damage Xehanort already caused in his heart that she put aside his feelings in favor of showing her concern for his safety. This ability to see what the other two overlook is often overshadowed by her constant worry for both of them, and by the end of the game... it isn't hard to see why, even though part of the hurting was caused by her own actions.

Her role as the Team Mom in the trio is her greatest strength; the friendships between them solidifying her character as a seemingly immovable force against the Darkness and forces of negativity that threatened the balance during their travels. All three of them became scarred by the trials set upon them, and while Aqua hasn't faced the worst of it just yet by this point, her struggles with perseverance have only just begun.

Abilities:
As stated above, Aqua is a Keyblade Master and as such has abilities far beyond that of an average wielder. This entails that, like her Master before her, she is entitled to certain knowledge and abilities reserved for those only with the Master ranking. The Keyblade, as the name suggests, is a special sword that both has the appearance of and serves as a key; it can be called and dismissed at will, unlock any lock (Doors, magical seals, treasure chests... even hearts, if the wielder has malevolent intentions). It is also a rather stubborn, perhaps even sentient, weapon, for it can only be used by the wielder it has chosen. Anyone else who attempts to wield it will only be able to hold it for a brief period of time before it reappears in it's owner's hands.

It may also be used as a method of transport known as a Keyblade Glider; hers taking the form of a sort of rather large magical crossbow with a shooting platform that can rotate freely with it. A positive trait to wielding one is that it causes the wielders to be able to withstand far more damage than normal, with the flipside being, as I've heard many a time, "Having one is like painting a target sign on your back." This means that while they have greater resistance, it also entails that they also have to deal with greater challenges and face more life-threatening situations.

Being of one who has shown the Mark of Mastery, she can pass along the power, should the Keyblade deem them fit to wield it.

As a Master, she has many abilities and being the mage of the three, however, it is her grace and magical prowess that allows her to flow around the battlefield. Her specialty seems to focus on teleportation and reflecting enemy blows along with advanced forms of magic that her friends can't quite grasp. That said, her actual physical strength is lower which forces her to be dependent on her magical abilities. She is second only to Master Xehanort and Yen Sid in magical prowess, the latter having retired the rank of Master before the events of Birth by Sleep began. She has many abilities and techniques, and I will make the effort to list them all... bear with me.

Abilities and spells
❧ Deminsion Links:
In essence, Dimension Links allow the trio to summon the spirit of their nakama (friend and comrade) and utilize abilities based on their power. This is enabled due to the good luck charms (Wayfinders) that Aqua crafted for herself and her two best friends the night before hers and Terra's Mark of Master exam; an object she has carried ever since. It is only possible due to the incredibly strong magic she weaved throughout their constructions, connecting the Hearts of those who hold them together in as she says in the cutscene, "an unbreakable connection." (Permission post will be needed, of course.)

❧ Other:
There are other abilities that do not fall into any of the above categories. One of which is the ability to sense the light and darkness within an individual's Heart. This is a trait shared with her Master and (to a lesser extent on his part) her friend, Terra. Her senses aren't as fine-tuned as the Master's, but she can still sense power that is shared between others. For instance: upon first meeting Sora and Riku, she could sense the sincerity of Riku's soul at a passing glance, and upon further study could discover that Terra had possibly passed on the power of the Keyblade to this (at the time) young child. She could also vaguely sense a connection between Sora and Ventus, but at the time it was too vague for her to realize the extent of it.

Another is the power of Light itself. Having been of firm belief that Light is the acceptable way, she is capable of wielding it both as a powerful weapon and as a means of transport. Like Terra and Ventus, she can use it to create a pathway into the Lanes Between and thus different worlds. While this is impossible in the game, it could be possible to use them to cover more ground in the world itself with mod permission.

Alignment: Piphron. At first I struggled between Piphron and Peromei due to the struggles she has with both faith in her friends, and how it is her hope to see them again that keeps her going, but in the end, I had to go with Piphron. Her lack of trust in Terra's strength of heart at a crucial turning point due to what she'd seen of his actions is what helps act as a catalyst for her friend turning his back on her and Ven.

Other:


⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉
Sample:

Test Drive


Questions:
Why is the rum always gone?