VI: The Cloaked Schemer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
illicitresearch) wrote2013-04-20 12:58 am
illicitresearch) wrote2013-04-20 12:58 am
Application for City of Ariel
→ OOC
□ Name: Puli
□ Age: 28
□ Contact: Plurk- magicnme
AIM- illusivetactic
□ Journal: reserved under illicitresearch, my personal journal is whippetpuli
□ Do you play anyone in Ariel?: Nope, this is my first try!
→ IC
□ Name: Zexion
□ Journal: illicitresearch
□ Series: Kingdom Hearts
□ Canon point: Chain of Memories, Reverse/Rebirth (Riku's Side)*
* Immediately following his retreat from confronting Riku, Zexion is cornered by a traitorous Axel who uses Riku's Replica to finish him off. The replica absorbs his remaining life in an attempt to gain an identity. Zexion's heart and destroyed body are presumed dormant during the events of 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts 2 & Coded, until his appearance in Dream Drop Distance, where we learn he has been reborn in Radiant Garden, with his missing heart restored. I will draw him from between these two canonpoints, after his 'death' as a Nobody but before regaining full selfhood as Ienzo.
□ History: KH Wiki Link, (Here's an additional overview in my own words.)
Ienzo was once a young ward and apprentice of Ansem the Wise, the sagely ruler of a small kingdom of light called Radiant Garden. The youngest among his five companions and doted on by the king, he took part in conducting secret experiments on darkness in the heart, requesting that a laboratory be constructed for their exclusive use. Led by an enigmatic and amnesiac newcomer called Xehanort, they betrayed their Master by conducting dangerous research against Ansem's wishes. Xehanort penned reports under Ansem's name, and later banished their king beyond the door to darkness, assuming his identity.
Their experiments spawned creatures of darkness called Heartless, which were eventually manufactured in droves, overrunning the castle and surrounding kingdom. The Heartless invasion then spread, swarming into the shadows of other worlds. Ienzo and his peers cast off their hearts and fell into darkness themselves, reviving as Nobodies, beings which are the counterpart husk of a body which has lost its heart.
Ienzo's Nobody was given the new name Zexion, and became part of Organization XIII as their sixth-ranked member. He retained his loyalty to their cause for many years, traversing the worlds and the realms of in-between to both continue their studies, in hopes of finding a way to regain their whole being and claim a world for themselves, as per their leader's fanatical vision. Obtaining the legendary Kingdom Hearts would be the cornerstone to this plan, but for many years they lacked the necessary key.
Around ten years later, Zexion was assigned to one of Organization XIII's side projects exploring memory and data replication, conducted within their second headquarters of Castle Oblivion. There he took a very conservative approach, remaining in the company of his long-term peers as tensions grew between the dividing lines of old and newer membership.
When two visitors arrived in the castle, the Keyblade Hero Sora and his friend Riku, things took a turn for the worse. While Sora's memories were being manipulated as part of an attempt to overthrow the Organization's hierarchy, Zexion and his cohorts on the lower floors were distracted by another intruder in Oblivion's basements. The close resemblance of Riku's darkness to that of their leader was seen as a troubling matter.
Vexen created a replica of Riku, and was eliminated as a traitor on the upper floors, sparking further worry as Zexion realized his associates were not above killing one another. When closer colleague Lexaeus fallen had in combat against Riku, Zexion realized there was no one left to trust, and to make his own stand against the boy alone.
Preferring not to engage him in a direct combat, Zexion initially took a manipulative approach, trying to shame him into despair and hopelessness. When Riku miraculously saw through the illusions and embraced the inner strength of his darkness, proving too much to handle, Zexion breathlessly retreated- only to be confronted by traitorous executioner Axel and the renegade replica resembling Riku. Realizing his last ally had turned on him, Zexion was consumed by darkness and destroyed.
□ Personality:
Zexion’s soubriquet names him as the Organization’s Cloaked Schemer, which refers to his favoring of secrecy and cleverly manipulative tactics, using brains over brawn wherever possible. As the smallest and youngest of his peers, he understands his place in rank and prefers not to deal in raw power and physical strength, taking his time to rely on cleverness to analyze and assess situations, evaluate his own advantages, then figure out a rational approach. He is capable of the patience necessary to carry out long term goals, although sometimes this reserved mode of restraint backfires. As a wait-and-see reactionary, hesitant in his carefulness, he will rarely make the first move. When prepared he acts deliberately, and with resolve.
He can be something of an information glutton, hoarding away a vast compendium of text and sensory details within his personal Lexicon archive. As talented apprentice trained by a scholarly sage from an early age in a broad background of metaphysical sciences, he has a particular talent for magic, and is gifted in the art of illusions.
With an intense curiosity for exploring the unknown, Zexion has a fatal attraction to enigmatic persons and undiscovered mysteries, one which leads him to a path of treason and corruption in his former life as Ienzo. While always questioning he exercises caution, however, and doesn't typically charge blindly into risky situations- but some puzzles and clues will prove an irresistible temptation. He prefers to keep his own nature shrewdly shadowed as well, unwilling to show his hand until the opponent’s cards and guard are down. For these reasons, he may often seem coolly detached and elusive in demeanor, presenting little unless he has a specific invested agenda to act upon.
Morally steeped in shades of grey, Zexion is outwardly malicious to his decided enemies, and has preyed upon innocents, but conversely also holds to an austere personal code of 'respectable' conduct. While he is certainly capable of being cruel and merciless, he keeps it within the framework of a task, and does not appear to hold deep, sadistic pleasure in outright villainy. Nor does he embrace an evil alignment, as he does not associate with Maleficent, or consider himself in league with Heartless and the darkness. Still, he has taken part in traitorous collaborative disobedience and terrible experimentation, which has led to the destruction of countless hearts and worlds.
However, now that his heart has been lost to the darkness, he does not plan to dive in after it. Instead, he walks an ambiguous in-between with the hopes of attaining completion- but true redemption isn't something he really concerns himself with seeking. There is a thick wall of aloof unwillingness and denial to let himself experience remorse for those actions, but he can identify past mistakes, and hold regrets- although he does not take up an aim to change his ways or atone for his past wrongdoings.
Despite this, Zexion is shown to value reciprocity and fairness. He has a strong sense of what is "deplorable" conduct between allies, and doesn't hold those who skiv off their share of duties in high regard. Zexion is very firm about keeping an efficient work ethic, and seeing things through to their maximum potential. He's quietly fussy and finicky, preferring things well-maintained and orderly. He grudgingly upholds the status quo, expressing disgust when it falters, and respects the hierarchy of the Organization- (except when his elders squall for respect...then he's prone to raise an eyebrow and mock them). Ego and outwardly arrogant selfishness is something he holds at arms length, with a bit of annoyance.
Because he has grown up as part of a group, Zexion holds high standards for collaborative work and has little qualms with authority, if his Superiors prove themselves worthy. He can resign himself to be an agreeable, loyal follower, but will take up his own plans on the sly when subordinates clearly don’t know how to handle their leadership roles. Cooperation is important among allies, and Zexion also appreciates the value of group work. Although he prefers to avoid the dirty jobs whenever possible, with the understanding that others are simply better suited for it, he’ll take his own tasks seriously and hold up his end of responsibility. If someone else makes strident initiative to deal with an unpleasant task? "Better him than us."
Zexion conducts himself with 'civilized' politeness, minding his P's and Q's with a careful veneer of good taste and dignity. For the most part, he is tolerant, if exasperated when niceties are not returned. While he seems a little erudite, pedantic and aloof, not easy to get close to on a personal level, he isn’t particularly obnoxious and efforts to carry himself pleasantly even if the company manages to get under his skin. Sometimes, a sardonic sense of darker humor and intentional mindgames can slip though, but mostly he plays cleanly with his colleagues, understanding that some degree of interdependence is necessary. When everyone pitches in with their own strengths, well-coordinated, things get done. When selfishness and ulterior motives reign, well...
When things begin to unravel, Zexion is quick to blame lack of unity and questions the loyalty of his comrades. He has an ear to the ground and a proclivity toward paranoia and suspicion, anticipating treachery, and treating those he does not consider close allies with detachment and distrust. As a betrayer himself, he knows how easily loyalties can shift, and with bitter cynicism expects even the kindest hearts to fail themselves in the end. As one of the founding Nobodies, he is cold to those he cannot rely upon, and this is especially notable in his attitude toward newer Organization membership. Drawing dividing lines between old and new, Us and Them, he regards changing of the old reliable guard with agitation and wary watchfulness. When instructing their newest member Roxas, Zexion lays down his stark expectations, defining their purpose, and warning that he will not respect those who don’t perform well on missions.
His encounter with Riku demonstrates how Zexion acts in the rare cases he is called to take up offensive stance against an opponent. Talented at identifying sources of darkness, he chooses to avoid open combat for as long as possible, using his illusions to prey upon shame, guilt, negativity and self-doubt. He exploits as many of these emotional weaknesses as possible before resorting to cruder forms of violence. While paired with the distortions of illusion, his messages are grounded in truth, showing that while Zexion is deceptive, he prefers to wield a twisted truth wherever possible, rather than dispensing easy outright lies. While a master of illusion, Zexion is not so overconfident in his abilities to understand that brutal honesty is sometimes a more wickedly effective weapon than a full web of fabrication.
On the surface, Zexion might seem a little bland and severe for his age, overly mature, crisply ascetic. He does in fact enjoy a great deal of creature comforts, but relishes them in the privacy of his own space. To reveal the things he truly enjoys to people he doesn’t trust is to lend them an opening to mislead him with his own desires. Left to his own devices, he can be something of a sensory hedonist, but he's slower at taking his personal pleasures around strangers. As a new ‘friend’ or potential ally, expect to be held at a wary arm's length, and in rationally polite conduct that might be mistaken for coldness. Expect to be thoroughly scrutinized.
□ Age: 20
□ Gender: Male
□ Appearance:
Zexion is primarily a scholar- he lacks a warrior or athlete's physique and has foregone some disciplines of the body in favor of sharpening the mind. He is of middling height and average build, although in comparison to his older and more robust colleauges, it's been a lifetime of being very conscious of his place on the shorter, smaller, and younger side of the Organization's lineup. He still carries himself as someone well aware of his youth and striving to be taken for an adult.
His most distinguishing feature is a wild shock of unruly bangs, which fall past his chin over the right side of his face, usually curtaining half of his expressions from view. His hair is shorter and softer-textured in the back, and its natural color is slate grey. He does keep himself fastidiously clean, so the choice of hairstyle is apparently not the fault of poor grooming habits.
Zexion's skin is pale and he does not have any visible scarring or permanent modifications. His eyes are a deep blue, though most of the time only one of them is fully visible. His body and facial hair seems to grow in minimally; he does not need to shave or make much effort to stay smooth-skinned. His mouth seems to favor a petulant pout as its neutral expression, when he's not smirking.
Although he is a Nobody, it's worth noting that he does still possess a physical heart with a pulse.
Zexion will arrive wearing his long hooded uniform coat, which is made of black leather and is well-tailored to his body. It zippers down the front and has a chain clasp, with silver ornamental detailing on the hood's drawstrings. He wears short gloves, black boots that come to the knee and close-fit leather pants beneath.
□ Abilities/Powers:
The Nobodies of Organization XIII each have elemental affinities. Zexion's talent lies in Illusions.
As an illusionist, he can conjure up sensory deceptions, typically by copying down a basic description of the mirage into his Lexicon, which can then be easily extracted from its pages with minimal focus and inflicted upon the perception of a chosen target as a hallucination. These illusions can engulf up to all five senses, but can be shattered by strength of will and mental defenses. Creating an unprepared, improvisational illusion requires much more intensive concentration and active attention to crafting details- it is much easier to use his Lexicon-stored compilation of planned sensations and 'scripted' visuals as a tool to channel the ability.
In battle, he is shown to be capable of both instantly copying and reflecting an enemy's weapons and appearance, as well as creating multiple dopplegangers of himself. While these illusory weapons can inflict real damage, his skill with them are limited by his own experience and training- and he is obviously no master of every copied tool that comes into his hands, and so he prefers to avoid fighting hand-to-hand whenever possible, using ranged evasive techniques to divert an enemy's attention.
With the carefully honed sensory library at his disposal, it's little wonder that Zexion is a bloodhound for small details and has a supernaturally acute Perception, especially when it comes to sensing the presence of darkness. In Kingdom Hearts, one's darkness is defined as the aura and energy of negative emotions contained in every heart. Because each individual's darkness has a distinctive 'scent', Zexion claims he can identify a familiar presence from several floors away.
He also commands the standard magic spells of the Kingdom Hearts universe, elemental basics like Fire and Blizzard, Thunder, Aero and Cure. The first three are offensive spellcasting, the latter two are for minor shielding and healing. Although his playable mission mode stats in 358/2 Days rank him as one of the more talented magic-users in the Organization, his two antagonistic boss battles show a heavier reliance on his own elemental affinity for illusion.
His Limit Break ability, Meteor Mirage, summons falling indigo energy balls which can heavily damage all opponents in the surrounding vicinity. This requires a hefty amount of energy at critical health, so he'd only resort to it under extreme duress in near-fatal situations.
In Ariel, I assume he will not have access to corridors of darkness as means of quick transportation, so his canonical 'Portaling' abilities will be considered out of play.
□ Personal Items:
1) Lexicon ("Book of Retribution") - Technically this would be considered his 'weapon', but until he is permitted powers it is simply an unusually large tome with black and silver covers which appears to be filled with research notes. The object itself is considered soul bound, and when used to its full potential, can be called to his hand out of void space and used as a magical foci for his illusion abilities.
Part grimoire, part personal inter-dimensional library of memory information, it serves as a private collection of prepared illusions and copied-down texts. There appears to be no finite limit to the amount of content it can actually store within its pages. To stare directly at its pages is to place yourself at the mercy of Zexion's hallucinations... so we don't advise anyone try this. It might prove a bit disorienting.
2) Organization XIII Uniform - (Leather Boots, Gloves, Pants & Coat) - The coat has properties which shield the wearer against the corruption of darkness when traversing between worlds. In Ariel, it's simply a fashionably well-fit, zippered trenchcoat with a hood and silver fastenings.
3-5) (3) Hi-Potions - Each contains one sparkly dose of a high quality, moogle-synthesized cure-all, which should prove useful until he can trust Ariel's health care system.
6) Calligraphy Pen & Ink Set - Nothing special here, just some fancy writing supplies
7) White Laptop Computer - This is technically his 'Joke Weapon' gear in 358/2 Days, but since computers are canonically used in his homeworld and by the Organization, it's safe to assume he has a portable personal notebook. The Organization's symbol is visible on the casing. He'll use it in Ariel as a functional electronic device for research and writing.
8) Shade Archive Accessory - A charm version of his Lexicon on a leather cord. It is an accessory that enhances magical strength, though it is purely aesthetic, for the time being.
□ First Person Sample:
[Text]
I'll try my best to be frank and succinct.
As a new arrival, there is plenty of information one might consume on their own, yet only so much that can be learned from browsing paperwork and changing video screen channels.
Ideally I would like to work in my field, as a curator of books or perhaps as a research assistant. I have been made aware that there are additional qualifications, aside from the experience I already possess. I need to meet these standards, like everyone else, but I am a little wary for lack of certain comprehensive skill sets.
I am seeking a thorough, intensive bedroom education to advance my personal opportunities.
If affordable public workshops or free demonstrations exist, preferably during twilight hours or later, I would greatly appreciate positive recommendations or programs to be wary of. I've acquired some brochures, but haven't the faintest idea where a novice ought to start.
My integrations counselor also suggested that a someone malleable, with minimal experience but a creative mind and openness toward instruction might find themselves a willing mentor?
It is understandable that a master rarely takes on an apprentice solely out of goodwill, let alone on a whim via public solicitation, but I may as well be bold and ask for the consideration regardless. I am fresh-faced in this city, and as one might have already guessed, I have accumulated little by way of monetary payment. Whatever I might be able to offer in fair exchange will of course be negotiable upon our mutual assessments?
Serious offers and inquiries only, please. I imagine I'll hear quite enough empty 'let me show you a thing or two's on the street, and hope to bypass such unpleasantness by asking directly.
I look forward to hearing an intriguing proposal or two.
□ Third Person Sample:
January Test Drive Threads
□ Name: Puli
□ Age: 28
□ Contact: Plurk- magicnme
AIM- illusivetactic
□ Journal: reserved under illicitresearch, my personal journal is whippetpuli
□ Do you play anyone in Ariel?: Nope, this is my first try!
→ IC
□ Name: Zexion
□ Journal: illicitresearch
□ Series: Kingdom Hearts
□ Canon point: Chain of Memories, Reverse/Rebirth (Riku's Side)*
* Immediately following his retreat from confronting Riku, Zexion is cornered by a traitorous Axel who uses Riku's Replica to finish him off. The replica absorbs his remaining life in an attempt to gain an identity. Zexion's heart and destroyed body are presumed dormant during the events of 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts 2 & Coded, until his appearance in Dream Drop Distance, where we learn he has been reborn in Radiant Garden, with his missing heart restored. I will draw him from between these two canonpoints, after his 'death' as a Nobody but before regaining full selfhood as Ienzo.
□ History: KH Wiki Link, (Here's an additional overview in my own words.)
Ienzo was once a young ward and apprentice of Ansem the Wise, the sagely ruler of a small kingdom of light called Radiant Garden. The youngest among his five companions and doted on by the king, he took part in conducting secret experiments on darkness in the heart, requesting that a laboratory be constructed for their exclusive use. Led by an enigmatic and amnesiac newcomer called Xehanort, they betrayed their Master by conducting dangerous research against Ansem's wishes. Xehanort penned reports under Ansem's name, and later banished their king beyond the door to darkness, assuming his identity.
Their experiments spawned creatures of darkness called Heartless, which were eventually manufactured in droves, overrunning the castle and surrounding kingdom. The Heartless invasion then spread, swarming into the shadows of other worlds. Ienzo and his peers cast off their hearts and fell into darkness themselves, reviving as Nobodies, beings which are the counterpart husk of a body which has lost its heart.
Ienzo's Nobody was given the new name Zexion, and became part of Organization XIII as their sixth-ranked member. He retained his loyalty to their cause for many years, traversing the worlds and the realms of in-between to both continue their studies, in hopes of finding a way to regain their whole being and claim a world for themselves, as per their leader's fanatical vision. Obtaining the legendary Kingdom Hearts would be the cornerstone to this plan, but for many years they lacked the necessary key.
Around ten years later, Zexion was assigned to one of Organization XIII's side projects exploring memory and data replication, conducted within their second headquarters of Castle Oblivion. There he took a very conservative approach, remaining in the company of his long-term peers as tensions grew between the dividing lines of old and newer membership.
When two visitors arrived in the castle, the Keyblade Hero Sora and his friend Riku, things took a turn for the worse. While Sora's memories were being manipulated as part of an attempt to overthrow the Organization's hierarchy, Zexion and his cohorts on the lower floors were distracted by another intruder in Oblivion's basements. The close resemblance of Riku's darkness to that of their leader was seen as a troubling matter.
Vexen created a replica of Riku, and was eliminated as a traitor on the upper floors, sparking further worry as Zexion realized his associates were not above killing one another. When closer colleague Lexaeus fallen had in combat against Riku, Zexion realized there was no one left to trust, and to make his own stand against the boy alone.
Preferring not to engage him in a direct combat, Zexion initially took a manipulative approach, trying to shame him into despair and hopelessness. When Riku miraculously saw through the illusions and embraced the inner strength of his darkness, proving too much to handle, Zexion breathlessly retreated- only to be confronted by traitorous executioner Axel and the renegade replica resembling Riku. Realizing his last ally had turned on him, Zexion was consumed by darkness and destroyed.
□ Personality:
Zexion’s soubriquet names him as the Organization’s Cloaked Schemer, which refers to his favoring of secrecy and cleverly manipulative tactics, using brains over brawn wherever possible. As the smallest and youngest of his peers, he understands his place in rank and prefers not to deal in raw power and physical strength, taking his time to rely on cleverness to analyze and assess situations, evaluate his own advantages, then figure out a rational approach. He is capable of the patience necessary to carry out long term goals, although sometimes this reserved mode of restraint backfires. As a wait-and-see reactionary, hesitant in his carefulness, he will rarely make the first move. When prepared he acts deliberately, and with resolve.
He can be something of an information glutton, hoarding away a vast compendium of text and sensory details within his personal Lexicon archive. As talented apprentice trained by a scholarly sage from an early age in a broad background of metaphysical sciences, he has a particular talent for magic, and is gifted in the art of illusions.
With an intense curiosity for exploring the unknown, Zexion has a fatal attraction to enigmatic persons and undiscovered mysteries, one which leads him to a path of treason and corruption in his former life as Ienzo. While always questioning he exercises caution, however, and doesn't typically charge blindly into risky situations- but some puzzles and clues will prove an irresistible temptation. He prefers to keep his own nature shrewdly shadowed as well, unwilling to show his hand until the opponent’s cards and guard are down. For these reasons, he may often seem coolly detached and elusive in demeanor, presenting little unless he has a specific invested agenda to act upon.
Morally steeped in shades of grey, Zexion is outwardly malicious to his decided enemies, and has preyed upon innocents, but conversely also holds to an austere personal code of 'respectable' conduct. While he is certainly capable of being cruel and merciless, he keeps it within the framework of a task, and does not appear to hold deep, sadistic pleasure in outright villainy. Nor does he embrace an evil alignment, as he does not associate with Maleficent, or consider himself in league with Heartless and the darkness. Still, he has taken part in traitorous collaborative disobedience and terrible experimentation, which has led to the destruction of countless hearts and worlds.
However, now that his heart has been lost to the darkness, he does not plan to dive in after it. Instead, he walks an ambiguous in-between with the hopes of attaining completion- but true redemption isn't something he really concerns himself with seeking. There is a thick wall of aloof unwillingness and denial to let himself experience remorse for those actions, but he can identify past mistakes, and hold regrets- although he does not take up an aim to change his ways or atone for his past wrongdoings.
Despite this, Zexion is shown to value reciprocity and fairness. He has a strong sense of what is "deplorable" conduct between allies, and doesn't hold those who skiv off their share of duties in high regard. Zexion is very firm about keeping an efficient work ethic, and seeing things through to their maximum potential. He's quietly fussy and finicky, preferring things well-maintained and orderly. He grudgingly upholds the status quo, expressing disgust when it falters, and respects the hierarchy of the Organization- (except when his elders squall for respect...then he's prone to raise an eyebrow and mock them). Ego and outwardly arrogant selfishness is something he holds at arms length, with a bit of annoyance.
Because he has grown up as part of a group, Zexion holds high standards for collaborative work and has little qualms with authority, if his Superiors prove themselves worthy. He can resign himself to be an agreeable, loyal follower, but will take up his own plans on the sly when subordinates clearly don’t know how to handle their leadership roles. Cooperation is important among allies, and Zexion also appreciates the value of group work. Although he prefers to avoid the dirty jobs whenever possible, with the understanding that others are simply better suited for it, he’ll take his own tasks seriously and hold up his end of responsibility. If someone else makes strident initiative to deal with an unpleasant task? "Better him than us."
Zexion conducts himself with 'civilized' politeness, minding his P's and Q's with a careful veneer of good taste and dignity. For the most part, he is tolerant, if exasperated when niceties are not returned. While he seems a little erudite, pedantic and aloof, not easy to get close to on a personal level, he isn’t particularly obnoxious and efforts to carry himself pleasantly even if the company manages to get under his skin. Sometimes, a sardonic sense of darker humor and intentional mindgames can slip though, but mostly he plays cleanly with his colleagues, understanding that some degree of interdependence is necessary. When everyone pitches in with their own strengths, well-coordinated, things get done. When selfishness and ulterior motives reign, well...
When things begin to unravel, Zexion is quick to blame lack of unity and questions the loyalty of his comrades. He has an ear to the ground and a proclivity toward paranoia and suspicion, anticipating treachery, and treating those he does not consider close allies with detachment and distrust. As a betrayer himself, he knows how easily loyalties can shift, and with bitter cynicism expects even the kindest hearts to fail themselves in the end. As one of the founding Nobodies, he is cold to those he cannot rely upon, and this is especially notable in his attitude toward newer Organization membership. Drawing dividing lines between old and new, Us and Them, he regards changing of the old reliable guard with agitation and wary watchfulness. When instructing their newest member Roxas, Zexion lays down his stark expectations, defining their purpose, and warning that he will not respect those who don’t perform well on missions.
His encounter with Riku demonstrates how Zexion acts in the rare cases he is called to take up offensive stance against an opponent. Talented at identifying sources of darkness, he chooses to avoid open combat for as long as possible, using his illusions to prey upon shame, guilt, negativity and self-doubt. He exploits as many of these emotional weaknesses as possible before resorting to cruder forms of violence. While paired with the distortions of illusion, his messages are grounded in truth, showing that while Zexion is deceptive, he prefers to wield a twisted truth wherever possible, rather than dispensing easy outright lies. While a master of illusion, Zexion is not so overconfident in his abilities to understand that brutal honesty is sometimes a more wickedly effective weapon than a full web of fabrication.
On the surface, Zexion might seem a little bland and severe for his age, overly mature, crisply ascetic. He does in fact enjoy a great deal of creature comforts, but relishes them in the privacy of his own space. To reveal the things he truly enjoys to people he doesn’t trust is to lend them an opening to mislead him with his own desires. Left to his own devices, he can be something of a sensory hedonist, but he's slower at taking his personal pleasures around strangers. As a new ‘friend’ or potential ally, expect to be held at a wary arm's length, and in rationally polite conduct that might be mistaken for coldness. Expect to be thoroughly scrutinized.
□ Age: 20
□ Gender: Male
□ Appearance:
Zexion is primarily a scholar- he lacks a warrior or athlete's physique and has foregone some disciplines of the body in favor of sharpening the mind. He is of middling height and average build, although in comparison to his older and more robust colleauges, it's been a lifetime of being very conscious of his place on the shorter, smaller, and younger side of the Organization's lineup. He still carries himself as someone well aware of his youth and striving to be taken for an adult.
His most distinguishing feature is a wild shock of unruly bangs, which fall past his chin over the right side of his face, usually curtaining half of his expressions from view. His hair is shorter and softer-textured in the back, and its natural color is slate grey. He does keep himself fastidiously clean, so the choice of hairstyle is apparently not the fault of poor grooming habits.
Zexion's skin is pale and he does not have any visible scarring or permanent modifications. His eyes are a deep blue, though most of the time only one of them is fully visible. His body and facial hair seems to grow in minimally; he does not need to shave or make much effort to stay smooth-skinned. His mouth seems to favor a petulant pout as its neutral expression, when he's not smirking.
Although he is a Nobody, it's worth noting that he does still possess a physical heart with a pulse.
Zexion will arrive wearing his long hooded uniform coat, which is made of black leather and is well-tailored to his body. It zippers down the front and has a chain clasp, with silver ornamental detailing on the hood's drawstrings. He wears short gloves, black boots that come to the knee and close-fit leather pants beneath.
□ Abilities/Powers:
The Nobodies of Organization XIII each have elemental affinities. Zexion's talent lies in Illusions.
As an illusionist, he can conjure up sensory deceptions, typically by copying down a basic description of the mirage into his Lexicon, which can then be easily extracted from its pages with minimal focus and inflicted upon the perception of a chosen target as a hallucination. These illusions can engulf up to all five senses, but can be shattered by strength of will and mental defenses. Creating an unprepared, improvisational illusion requires much more intensive concentration and active attention to crafting details- it is much easier to use his Lexicon-stored compilation of planned sensations and 'scripted' visuals as a tool to channel the ability.
In battle, he is shown to be capable of both instantly copying and reflecting an enemy's weapons and appearance, as well as creating multiple dopplegangers of himself. While these illusory weapons can inflict real damage, his skill with them are limited by his own experience and training- and he is obviously no master of every copied tool that comes into his hands, and so he prefers to avoid fighting hand-to-hand whenever possible, using ranged evasive techniques to divert an enemy's attention.
With the carefully honed sensory library at his disposal, it's little wonder that Zexion is a bloodhound for small details and has a supernaturally acute Perception, especially when it comes to sensing the presence of darkness. In Kingdom Hearts, one's darkness is defined as the aura and energy of negative emotions contained in every heart. Because each individual's darkness has a distinctive 'scent', Zexion claims he can identify a familiar presence from several floors away.
He also commands the standard magic spells of the Kingdom Hearts universe, elemental basics like Fire and Blizzard, Thunder, Aero and Cure. The first three are offensive spellcasting, the latter two are for minor shielding and healing. Although his playable mission mode stats in 358/2 Days rank him as one of the more talented magic-users in the Organization, his two antagonistic boss battles show a heavier reliance on his own elemental affinity for illusion.
His Limit Break ability, Meteor Mirage, summons falling indigo energy balls which can heavily damage all opponents in the surrounding vicinity. This requires a hefty amount of energy at critical health, so he'd only resort to it under extreme duress in near-fatal situations.
In Ariel, I assume he will not have access to corridors of darkness as means of quick transportation, so his canonical 'Portaling' abilities will be considered out of play.
□ Personal Items:
1) Lexicon ("Book of Retribution") - Technically this would be considered his 'weapon', but until he is permitted powers it is simply an unusually large tome with black and silver covers which appears to be filled with research notes. The object itself is considered soul bound, and when used to its full potential, can be called to his hand out of void space and used as a magical foci for his illusion abilities.
Part grimoire, part personal inter-dimensional library of memory information, it serves as a private collection of prepared illusions and copied-down texts. There appears to be no finite limit to the amount of content it can actually store within its pages. To stare directly at its pages is to place yourself at the mercy of Zexion's hallucinations... so we don't advise anyone try this. It might prove a bit disorienting.
2) Organization XIII Uniform - (Leather Boots, Gloves, Pants & Coat) - The coat has properties which shield the wearer against the corruption of darkness when traversing between worlds. In Ariel, it's simply a fashionably well-fit, zippered trenchcoat with a hood and silver fastenings.
3-5) (3) Hi-Potions - Each contains one sparkly dose of a high quality, moogle-synthesized cure-all, which should prove useful until he can trust Ariel's health care system.
6) Calligraphy Pen & Ink Set - Nothing special here, just some fancy writing supplies
7) White Laptop Computer - This is technically his 'Joke Weapon' gear in 358/2 Days, but since computers are canonically used in his homeworld and by the Organization, it's safe to assume he has a portable personal notebook. The Organization's symbol is visible on the casing. He'll use it in Ariel as a functional electronic device for research and writing.
8) Shade Archive Accessory - A charm version of his Lexicon on a leather cord. It is an accessory that enhances magical strength, though it is purely aesthetic, for the time being.
□ First Person Sample:
[Text]
I'll try my best to be frank and succinct.
As a new arrival, there is plenty of information one might consume on their own, yet only so much that can be learned from browsing paperwork and changing video screen channels.
Ideally I would like to work in my field, as a curator of books or perhaps as a research assistant. I have been made aware that there are additional qualifications, aside from the experience I already possess. I need to meet these standards, like everyone else, but I am a little wary for lack of certain comprehensive skill sets.
I am seeking a thorough, intensive bedroom education to advance my personal opportunities.
If affordable public workshops or free demonstrations exist, preferably during twilight hours or later, I would greatly appreciate positive recommendations or programs to be wary of. I've acquired some brochures, but haven't the faintest idea where a novice ought to start.
My integrations counselor also suggested that a someone malleable, with minimal experience but a creative mind and openness toward instruction might find themselves a willing mentor?
It is understandable that a master rarely takes on an apprentice solely out of goodwill, let alone on a whim via public solicitation, but I may as well be bold and ask for the consideration regardless. I am fresh-faced in this city, and as one might have already guessed, I have accumulated little by way of monetary payment. Whatever I might be able to offer in fair exchange will of course be negotiable upon our mutual assessments?
Serious offers and inquiries only, please. I imagine I'll hear quite enough empty 'let me show you a thing or two's on the street, and hope to bypass such unpleasantness by asking directly.
I look forward to hearing an intriguing proposal or two.
□ Third Person Sample:
January Test Drive Threads