Application for empatheias

[crisisarrow]

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Terri
Contact: terriv
Age: 21+
Current Characters: Sheena Fujibayashi


⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Trey
Age: 17
Canon: Final Fantasy Type-0
Canon Point: After returning from Pandæmonium during the 600,104,972nd time loop of the world.

Background: "Just thought I'd share information."

Personality:

At seventeen, Trey is a font of knowledge. However, according to his own writings, he hadn't always "possessed such an insatiable appetite for academics". The pursuit was actually an excuse to be able to spend more time with Mother (Arecia Al-Rashia) by reading the books in her office after training. Eventually, the young man had grown to enjoy the books and the acquiring of knowledge began in earnest--turning him into the "know-it-all" everyone comes to know. He is well-versed in many subjects--ranging from military basics to psychology--and is more than happy to share this information with anyone (whether they ask for it or not). His usual explanations are usually on the long-winded side, and he sometimes has trouble understanding that "less is more" and is bothered when Machina's simple, yet correct, answer to a question in class is met with approval.

While probably mind-numbing to those first meeting Trey, his long-windedness is something his siblings are quite accustomed to. Sometimes, his theories and exposition are quite on the mark, making the others think and come to their own conclusions or ask questions--such as when they had been accused of regicide. Those who die on Orience aren't remembered, and Trey theorizes that although he recalls meeting The Queen of Concordia, he doesn't remember the woman herself, so she must really be dead. And since everyone has the same memories of the Queen, that combined with her death make them the prime suspects. This leads Queen to piece a few things together and theorize that they had been set up long before they were given leave in enemy territory for the Peace Talks instead of being sent home. This particular instance is a rare occurrence, as more often than not, they don't want to hear the speech and unlike those who don't know him and don't want to be rude, have no compunction in telling him directly to stop (as Cater is wont to do), or by interrupting him (Eight) when Trey is explaining the import of blowing up a revered bridge during the Liberation of Rubrum, prompting Trey to say, "Just thought I'd share information." A phrase, though never spoken again in-game, one can imagine being Trey's mantra.

While Trey is eager to share the knowledge he's accumulated, he has no patience for those who don't take the time to gather some on their own. Cramming for a test the night before doesn't do any good if it's only retained for a short time. Only slow and true studying is beneficial, as the information will remain for a long time after and may one day save the person's life. Nor does he think the war is a good excuse to neglect one's studies. After all, he's been able to keep up with his schoolwork, so why shouldn't others be able to do the same thing? (Whether this is a reference to one of his siblings who tends to be all brawn and not think isn't clear, though considering the other's placement to Trey during the optional conversation, it's possible.)

Trey is proud not only of the knowledge he possesses, but also his combat skills. After all, he is being trained as a soldier, and has been for the past nine years. He credits his studying combat basics as the reason he's survived each time he's been on the front. And from what we see in the game, he's also taken his training--like the rest of his studies--very seriously. For Trey can do with a longbow and arrow, what a sniper with a long-range gun can do: take out an enemy over 4000 meters away. With greater success as his one shot hits the mark, while the sniper's many attempts keep missing. Now that is something to be proud of, yet he doesn't constantly try to show off those skills. Perhaps his being alive is bragging enough--even though Arecia can bring them back to life when they die each time.

Before coming to Akademia, the only life Trey had known was training with his adoptive Mother and eleven adopted siblings in a remote area with very little to no contact with others. As a result, they have become an insular group with very few friends other than each other. As siblings and friends, they could fight and joke and insult each other because of that bond--something the well-mannered Trey reminds Cinque of when she says a Lorican student (Ryid) is a "really big dude" because even though it's rude to comment on a stranger's appearance, the bond Class Zero shares allows Sice to get away with saying that anyone can see that Cinque is "flaky". Though Trey apologizes for their comments, the student isn't offended since Loricans are pretty big, so she was merely speaking the truth. While speaking, Trey's vengeful side peaks out from beneath his calm and cool exterior when he says they should join forces in order to make Milites pay for what they did to Lorica. He is then surprised that Ryid doesn't agree, telling the two that he fights only to end the bloodshed and to protect others, not to add to it. This not only impresses Trey with his convictions and but also plants a seed of friendship and possibly gives the young man something to think about.

Later, when Trey and Cinque re-encounter Ryid, they learn that he is to be expelled from Akademia because he's too old and won't be able to use magic anymore. He has been told that a cadet like that has no business being in battle--despite his strength and power. This upsets both Trey and Cinque since they didn't know cadets without magic are kept from battle. Remembering the other young man's convictions, Trey, in a moment of friendship, uses his talent for logic and reason to come up with a way for Ryid to continue on the path he's chosen to save lives. He could become a teacher--like Kurasame had--at Akademia and use his knowledge and experience to train the cadets in how to survive, telling him they "could greatly benefit from [his] wisdom", giving the young man pause and the challenge to change the way he thinks and the way he lives.

Now, if Trey could change the way he thinks (which will probably never happen), perhaps his siblings and others wouldn't interrupt him or become angry with him. But he does mean well, even if he doesn't quite catch that what he's saying may not be exactly what the other person wants to hear. And he cares for those around him very much--shown with gentle scolding about manners, or a warning about danger, or panicking slightly when one is seriously injured. He even tries to offer them some comfort when they seem troubled, but he's not very good at it, since he thrives more on logic and reason than emotional response and non-verbal cues. A prime example of "comforting gone wrong" is a discussion about deja vu with Cater. Instead of stopping when he admits to having some--which makes Cater smile because he understands, she immediately frowns as he continues by saying that he hasn't had it as often as she has, and missing the cue that she's not liking what he's saying now, he goes into the scientific explanation of the phenomenon and mentions schizophrenia--unknowingly scaring her and prompting her to ask Mother later if she's okay.

That isn't to say that Trey is emotionless. Far from it. He's capable of frustration, anger, confusion, compassion--all of them. His calm demeanor and way of thinking, however, lessen the impact of these emotions, making him seem more cold than cool in some situations. He doesn't believe in endangering the group because of one person, but he also doesn't believe in leaving anyone behind, either. That doesn't mean just his siblings, but Rem and Machina as well. He has accepted them as members of Class Zero from Day One, and includes them in the bond he shares with the others--both militarily and personally. While escaping after being accused of regicide, he "translates" Queen's harsh comments about the enemy finding them and not sacrificing the group for Rem, who needs to rest, into the more compassionate, "She means we need to find a safer place." And later, when Machina accuses them of killing his brother and a fight among the class begins, Trey stops it with a terse command of "That's enough!" before acknowledging that although Machina is upset, they need to focus on a much larger issue--like escaping. In both cases, he's not dismissing the others' problems and concerns, but wants to wait until they're all safe and sound before addressing them.

Trey uses his composure and appearance (well-groomed and uniform always neat and pressed) as a means to prevent anyone from finding any weaknesses. After all, if the exterior is perfect, then the interior is, too, correct? He discovers that this isn't always the case when you've been around the same people for most of your life. Prior to the events that had them escaping Milites, Cinque "jokingly" tells another student that she needs Trey "to stop saying unpleasant things". This shocks Trey out of his composure with a startled, "What?!" that he repeats a few times as the other student mentions him having a "defective personality" and that this behavior can be modified. He had had no idea anyone felt like this, and takes the "joke" to heart, learning from it, so when they're on "leave" in Milites and he's speaking about his suspicions to Cinque, he doesn't say anything unpleasant to upset her, and gives her an encouraging smile instead. (This isn't something he does with Cater several hours later because he sincerely thinks what he's saying is helping his sister.)

So, in a way, his behavior had been modified, but by him and no one else, allowing him to maintain that facade of perfection he wears.

Class Zero--with the exception of Rem and Machina, have an unswerving loyalty to Mother. And Trey is no exception. Even if her orders seem odd or unsettling, Trey reasons that there must be a purpose to them and doesn't hesitate to follow them. He takes someone else being their commanding officer in stride--unlike a few of his classmates who attack the man--because not doing so would "go against Mother's wishes". On another occasion, Class Zero is asked to gather phantoma from dying Dominion soldiers and not enemy soldiers. This is something they had never done before, since to remove phantoma ends the person's life, he agrees with Eight that she must have a good reason for them to do this to their allies. One would think that without Mother's presence in Empatheias, Trey would be lost and not know what to do, but his thirst for knowledge and leanings towards logic will help him adapt quickly enough. Just as he and his siblings had done when they faced the prospect of going into battle without Mother there to keep them healthy and revive them. Something had to be done, and they logically concluded ways to make it happen (healing one another to prevent dying, protecting each other to prevent injuries, and so on)--just like the rest of the world. And if things ever get too tough for him, his loyalty to his Mother and his memories of her will lead him to a few "what would Mother do/have me do" moments.

As mentioned above, Death in Orience goes well beyond being permanent. When a person dies, they become nothing more than a name on a stone or a piece of paper. The Crystal erases memories of them from the minds of those who once knew them: friends, family, acquaintances--no one remembers the person, only that there had been someone there at one point. And for this, Trey is grateful because he feels that he wouldn't be able to fight or move forward if he's weighed down by grief over the loss of his friends and comrades. It's an off-the-cuff remark, but it's an important one, as it gives great insight that yes, he does feel emotions, but is afraid he'd be crippled by them if he gives into them. It's also telling in that to him, the sharing of knowledge is more important than remembering who had imparted it in the first place. How Class Zero handles this in relation to being revived after death is unclear, but temporarily forgetting seems plausible, given that memories can be buried and return as a form of deja vu.

When he's with his siblings as they face their permanent death, however, this attitude seems all but gone. Logically, he knows and accepts what's happening to them, but in his heart, he can't face it and grieves for himself and the others--something he's never done for anyone before. They aren't gone yet, but he knows that when they start dying, they will forget and be forgotten by everyone else, so for the short time remaining that he has, he moves forward, talking and laughing, "free" to imagine the future he will never be able to have on his world.

Abilities:

Magic:
In the Dominion of Rubrum, magic is a pretty common ability provided by the Vermillion Bird Crystal up until adulthood when it diminishes and ultimately disappears. When it can be used, it is separated into five different categories--Fire, ice, Lightning, Defensive, and Unique. (The full list of spells available can be found here and are available to everyone.) However, thanks to Arecia Al-Rashia, Trey and the rest of Class Zero don't rely on the Crystal to cast magic. Instead, they collect what is known as Phantoma--or life force--from dying/dead enemies (both human and monster) to restore MP. It can also be used in the Altocrystarium--a place created by Dr. Al-Rashia--to upgrade the basic spell attributes (such as casting time, and MP cost), something that is not available on Empatheias.

Weapon:
Trey uses a longbow in battle and has a wide array of abilities and enhancements that make him formidable against the enemy--especially larger groups. He also is an asset against long-distance enemies with his higher chance of dealing more damage with one shot.

Summoning:
Because of its dangerous nature, not everyone is allowed to Summon the powerful creatures known as Eidolons. A great amount of magic/phantoma is required, and as a result, the Summoner dies during it. For Class Zero--with their unique magic abilities--only three members are required to Summon, with one losing their life only temporarily to the Eidolon thanks to Arecia's ability to resurrect them.

Because of the restriction of needing three people, Summoning is not something Trey can do wherever or whenever--even if he would be able to come back to life after a certain amount of time.

Triad-Maneuver:
As the name implies, three people are required in order to perform this move. Each person attacks the same enemy with a powerful attack, making this move stronger than a regular attack, yet not as strong as a Summon.

However, unlike a Summon which sacrifices one character, all characters remain alive and can perform the Triad more than once.

Alignment: Sosyne.
Trey's calm demeanor and habit of looking at things logically and objectively make Sosyne the perfect choice. He also tends to feel some of those negative emotions--like frustration at being interrupted by his siblings when he's talking.

Other:


⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉

General Sample:
TDM

Emotion Sample:
Other than the main TDM Prompt Here are a few others:
Considering how the amulets work. | Even quiet excitement can be a problem.

Prompt from December 2017's TDM:

D3: National Libraries Day. What's more relaxing than a library? The Central West library in Verens is inviting people to come share or listen to stories about this time of year. There's also a food spread, featuring ginger cookies, steamed milk and plentiful autumnal vegetables. Should someone get bored of stories and food, there's always the sad, lonely archives in the basement. The librarians are eager to recruit people to sit down there and try and cheer the books up.

[ Sharing his knowledge always appeals to Trey, but there's just something about learning something new that intrigues him more. So, when one of the Librarians mention the archives, he decides to take a look. Besides, he can always come back later and tell his tales, right?

Making his way down the stairs, he can't help but wonder how books can be sad and lonely. Yes, he's seen the effects emotions have had around people--from mini rain clouds to small rainbows and flowers, but they were alive. So, how can--?

His pondering is halted by the sudden realization that the chill in the air surrounding him isn't just from being in the basement or temperature control. There is more than a touch of sadness floating around him; abandonment, loneliness, misery all hit him, and he stands there, momentarily frozen in place as he remembers his own abandonment and loneliness.

It may have been the emotions that prevented him from leaving, but it's the sight of the books before him that makes him want to stay. Shelves and shelves of books! More than in Mother's office, but are there more than in the Crystarium? Only one way to find out.

Eagerly Trey begins to make his way through the shelves, touching the books and sneezing in response to the light puffs of dust that are produced. As he walks among the tomes, the books slowly begin to vibrate with Trey's own excitement as the air around him begins to grow pleasantly warm and scented like a Spring Day from his own happiness. Gone are the feelings of abandonment and loneliness; in their place now exists welcome and friendliness. Spotting an interesting title, he pulls it from the shelf and sinking into a chair, begins to read. ]

Fascinating.

[ As he gets deeper into the story, both the vibrating and warmth increase with each turn of the page, the fresh scents of Spring and feelings of friendliness floating their way up the stairs into the Library proper. ]


Questions: