Soul Campaign Application
[ PLAYER INFORMATION ]
Player Name: Katsu
Age: 20
Timezone: EST
Personal Journal: em_windsor
Contact Information:
Instant Messenger:
AIM - bringagolfclub
Plurk - bringagolfclub
Email: zeithaftigkeit@gmail.com
Current Characters: None!
Activity Checks: Nope!
[ CHARACTER INFORMATION ]
Name: Tear Grants (born Mystearica Aura Fende)
Age: 16 at start of game, 17 at canon point
Gender: Female
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Timeline: Postgame, pre-epilogue
History:
· Tales Wiki Click here
· Master Timeline of the Game Click here
· Game Script Click here
Character Personality:
Tear is a soldier; that’s how you meet her, and that’s how she wants to be seen.
Professional and level-headed, one of the mantras she repeats multiple times is “if I can’t control my emotions, I’m a poor soldier.” She’s able to shelve her emotions and personal feelings for the completion of the task at hand, and considers the good of the group over the good of the single. As such, she’s willing to cross swords with her own brother - her only living family member - to stop him when he goes to destroy the world, even if she, personally, might agree with his intentions on some level.
Tear is someone who believes in personal responsibility, in fulfilling your duty, whatever that is defined as. Seen most strongly right before the Tower of Rem, when Luke informs her of his plans to kill himself to save millions; she does not try to stop him, no matter how strongly she cares for him, because it was his choice made with the best intentions. While she informs that she will never forgive him if he does die, she makes clear that her own feelings should not get in the way of his decision. Partly from her religious training, partly from her military, Tear understands the role of the individual as a cog in a larger machine; while at the beginning of the game this allies her with the fulfillment of the Score, this line of thought also causes her to realize what can occur if that cog breaks, or decides not to work.
However, it must be stated that her stoicism, her loyalty, and her bravado are a front, and unlike some other party members (cough Jade cough), Tear is still human. Guy puts it best: “Tear wouldn’t be Tear if she didn’t act tough.” For her strength, Tear is still a seventeen-year-old girl.
She is incredibly modest; when Luke or Anise comment on her body type, she blushes and stammers and immediately changes the subject. When complimented on her cooking, she tries to brush it off as skills necessary of a soldier. Even though she adores cute things and cooking, she will deny it, because those are behaviors are unbecoming of a soldier. Similarly, she presents herself as someone older than herself; despite being only a teenager, she comes across as someone much older, much more competent and trustworthy with important tasks - thus why she is sergeant in the Intelligence Division.
Tear believes that she must repress or ignore parts of herself in order to live up to the ideal she wants to be. For most of her life, she worked tirelessly to become someone her brother could admire and respect; she joined the Oracle Knights and specialized as a Seventh Fonist. Her emotions and personal life are kept strictly private and repressed; she does not share much about her childhood or parents, and that knowledge only comes out on a need-to-know basis. The most extreme example of this is her name, Tear, which is an alias.
When the party have to face down Tear’s brother Van and her old instructor - the two people she was closest to, admired the most, during her life - Tear says nothing but it’s clear to everyone around her that she’s suffering. She expresses hope, even after having made attempts on Van’s life already, that they might still reach him, that there’s still some good in him.
But even still, Tear is a bad actress. When something’s bothering her, you can tell that she’s off. The party knows, no matter how much Tear tries to deny it, that fighting Van is destroying her inside. She grows quieter and isolates herself in these instances, taking long walks to far-off-places to think. Even though she divulges what’s bothering her to Luke in these instances, it can be assumed that she only does so because Luke holds such a special place in her life.
And that is a complicated place.
Furthermore, Tear has a somewhat motherly instinct. She keeps the party on track with small reminders about their task at hand and tries to comfort people when confused, by explaining others’ motivation as she understands them. But when they refuse to listen, as with Van, so too will she stop talking. Tear will help those who will help themselves, but she will not do the work for them. This instinct is most seen with Luke; she takes it upon herself to monitor him when he insists that he can change from his former, selfish ways, and also feels some share of responsibility in his early actions too. She wants to see him grow and mature, but makes no defense for his actions or nags him to change; rather, she will help him so long as he expresses the desire to change, and if he doesn’t, she would leave him behind.
Over the course of the game, Tear falls in love with Luke - a thought that terrifies her, because emotional attachments are a thing that she shouldn't possess, and because it was with someone like Luke, a narcissistic brat with no acknowledgement of his personal responsibility. It is not until their very last meeting, when she’s leaving him to die, that she confesses her love to him. Before then, that confession would have gotten in the way of achieving their victory. Tear understood that saving the lives of millions was more important than giving voice to her true feelings.
At her canon point, she will have lost Luke, and you can bet that’s gnawing her up inside with guilt and regret. But she’ll never show it.
Character Abilities:
• List of Fonic Artes [the game’s magic]: Click here
Tear is the party’s healer. Although she does have a smattering of elemental spells, her specialty definitely lies in recovery and resurrection skills
• Tear is a descendant of Yulia Jue; this has given her the ability to use the Seventh Fonon - that of sound - and thus to sing the seven Grand Fonic Hymns. Doing so in succession will allow her to summon the aggregate sentience of the Seventh Fonon, Lorelei.
· On their own, the Grand Fonic Hymns are regular spells:
o Nightmare - represents the First Fonon, the Fonon of Darkness
o Force Field - represents the Second Fonon, the Fonon of Earth
o Holy Song - represents the Third Fonon, the Fonon of Wind
o Revitalize - represents the Fourth Fonon, the Fonon of Water
o Judgment - represents the Fifth Fonon, the Fonon of Fire
o Grand Cross - represents the Sixth Fonon, the Fonon of Light
o Fonic Hyms on their own are rather weak, and it’s only Tear’s bloodline that has hers as strong as they are.
o Likewise, in in-game cutscenes, her Hymns have been shown to produce a variety of effects, from causing groups of enemies to fall asleep to summoning a barrier to protect the party to healing simple wounds.
o It’s almost redundant to say, but nevertheless, Tear has a beautiful singing voice.
• Tear underwent private military training for most of her life, under the tutelage of two of the best soldiers in the Order of Lorelei. Tear’s light and fast on her feet, in great physical condition. Likewise, she’s able to tolerate a number of brutal conditions (i.e., extreme heat and cold, long days with no sleep, etc), the tolerance gaining from that training and hard traveling with the party
• Also from that military training, Tear knows how to work in a group. She finds her niche and takes orders well, questioning them only under extreme conditions. However, by this point in her canon, she’s much less likely to follow someone she doesn’t trust or whose actions will cause great harm to many.
Character Weaknesses:
• As the game’s healer, Tear is fragile. She can cast magic, hit pretty hard with her staff, and carry knives, but in a one-on-one fight she’s at a severe disadvantage. Anyone bigger and stronger than her will most likely floor her
• Van and Luke are extreme sore spots for her. Mention or disrespect them and you’ve got a very angry, and very depressed, girl on your hands.
• Tear is emotionally repressed, still trying to fit into the mold of a soldier. Emotions are swallowed and personal thoughts pushed away, so in situations where they’re expressed openly, she grows awkward and unsure of what to do. Likewise, she isn’t likely to seek comfort in others when something’s bothering her, but if you approach her first, she might start to open up.
• Tear is rather naïve, and in conversation tends to take things on a literal basis. (In two skits, when people tell her she hasn’t changed at all, she openly wonders if they mean her clothes).
[ SOUL CAMPAIGN SECTION ]
What are the abilities that your character will retain in Soul Campaign?
• Her practical skills (cooking, for example).
• Any skills gained from military training (i.e., physical condition, stamina, ability to function in group settings).
• Her singing voice, although without it’s mystical applications.
What are the weaknesses that your character will lose or gain in Soul Campaign?
· Her ability to use Fonic Artes, and that’s a big one. In fights, she’d have to rely solely on her knives and staff, which puts her at a pretty bad disadvantage.
· Upon arrival, she’d have to get used to the fact that she’s in a whole new situation and have to bond with whole new people. While not the most introverted of people, anybody too friendly or outgoing might make her feel awkward.
· Also canon-mates from different canon-points have the potential for real unpleasant confrontations.
Keeping the game’s premise in mind, please give us a brief explanation of your plans for your character in Soul Campaign.
Given her comfort in and experience with a military setting, finding some kind of group with a purpose (such as the Watch) would work best for Tear. Without her Fonic Artes, she’ll be much more cautious on being on her own, but not completely opposed to it if necessary.
Similarly, she’ll probably be best in some sort of healing/medical capacity. Since she can’t use her Fonic Artes to heal, she’ll try and pick up some basic medical knowledge in order to help. It was her specialty after all. If not that, a support position is a definite; she’s fine leading around a complete newbie, but not so much the one with total responsibility for a group.
Since she’s coming from canon point with some ambiguity to it, it’s an opportunity for Tear to reflect on her life, journey, and loss of Luke (bonus points for awkward and uncomfortable when she meets him in the game). There’s a lot of area for character development.
[ WEAPON ONLY SECTION ]
Why your character should be a Weapon:
As a soldier, Tear has always fought for something and under someone - be it for Van, Mohs, or Luke. While perfectly capable of executing actions and plans by herself, Tear works best with a partner to balance out weaknesses. And considering the bulk of her Artes are healing and support, being the front line fighter is not the place for her. Tear also does not so much as attack as end fights, too, considering how her first instinct is to put enemy knights to sleep rather than beat them into submission. That would be her Meister’s job.
The role she takes over the course of the story is one of support and balance. Her career with the Oracle Knights was also in intelligence. She’s there to make sure Luke lives up to his promise, to advise the party on their course of action rather than direct it.
Finally, too, Tear has lived her life attempting to fill a kind of model rather than creating one herself; as strong as she is, she is likewise passive, careful, and studious.
What is your character's Weapon form?:
Her weapon form is that of her default staff, as seen in her official artwork (Reference Here).
Wielding her would grant her Meister the ability to use her Fonic Artes. The most compatible they are with one another, the stronger the Artes will be; furthermore, they’d gain access to her stronger spells, including her Mystic Artes.
However, there are different penalties for the Meister depending on the type of Arte cast;
· Casting healing and support Artes will drain energy from the Meister much less severely than casting an elemental Arte.
o This even includes high-level spells; while casting either Regenerate or Innocent Shine will drain a significant portion from the Meister, Regenerate will leave them feeling drained and weak, Innocent Shine will have them completely spent and needing an hour or two to recover.
At greatest compatibility, the Meister would also have access to her Grand Fonic Hymns (Tear would sing through her partner, as otherwise the Hymns wouldn’t have the magic behind them, prompting some…rather interesting images).
At the lowest compatibility, Tear would just be a very heavy staff in their hands, with no access to Artes of any sort.
[ SOUL INFORMATION ]
Soul Description:
Quiet, dedicated, repressed, responsible, feminine, naïve.
Soul Appearance:
Tear’s soul will be dark brown with yellow details, like her Oracle Knight’s uniform. It will be rather tight and constricted, making it seem smaller than it actually is, with a rather nervous smile and her haircut, with bangs completely covering one eye.
[ SAMPLES ]
First Person:
[The feed clicks on and you catch a fine, close up view of a woman’s bright pale blue eye. The videos pans back out, revealing a young woman standing firmly; she sets the camera down and looks at it straight on, expression hidden by long brown bangs.]
This is Sergeant Tears Grants, 1st Platoon, Oracle Knights Intelligent Division. I have already been briefed on the situation by Spirit Albarn. However, currently I am without any weapons, and thus need to obtain some, and should anyone recognize have recognized my name, please contact me immediately..
[She speaks very calmly and evenly, but she continually looks over her shoulder as if waiting for someone to appear.]
Or if the name -
[She catches herself, sighs, then reaches over to turn off the camera.]
Third Person:
Considering the madness that had come after Van’s insanity, Tear is amazed at the amount of time she’s had to think. Even when she’s at the heart of the mess the Order had become (they were, after all, still without a Fon Master or dogma anymore), her progress slows and her superiors catch her distracted. She only wishes there were discipline instead of the pity most give her.
Guy, whenever he can, tells her to take a holiday, but Tear didn’t quite understand the logic behind that. The problem was that she wasn’t getting enough work done, after all; giving her more time to not get things done would be detrimental to everyone. Besides (though she’d never admit it, and would bury her head in paperwork when the thought comes up), she certainly doesn’t want more time to think about all the corpses Eldrant had swallowed.
At least, she thinks that’s what’s bothering her. It’s certainly what everyone’s telling her is bothering her. When her commanding officer explains her orders, they always snap her out of her thoughts with a tight expression and, “I’m sorry for your loss, Sergeant, but...” And she’s not an invalid. Just tired, she thinks, just in need of a good night’s sleep to get her back into shape.
Tear deposits paperwork and deployment notifications on her desk, first thing, when she enters her room. The cold impersonal walls gnaw at her tonight and so she walks outside, into the field of blooming flowers lit by the filtered moonlight. She’s never tired of seeing them without the miasma’s haze. Tear kneels in the midst of the white flowers, just sitting, just thinking, breathing deep the smell of their perfume. Calming. She inhales, and starts to count down into a meditation…
And then the world explodes.
Tear goes blind, but hardly a second passes before it comes back. The flowers don’t. The hard earth beneath her knees has turned to harder stone, the moonlight gone, and just a sickly light illuminating metal and all the battle scars the floor bore.
A redheaded man appears before her. Tear grabs for her garters but her knives are gone - all her weapons, she remembers, carefully stashed on a bedroom shelf. Damn. But the man holds up his hands to show him unarmed, and offers a conciliatory smile and explanation.
Tear swallows all her questions and confusions, knots her shoulders and stands tall - a soldier’s stance, gripping her wrists behind her back, nodding and listening to whatever he says. War, Witches, Meisters, Weapons . . . and even still, she can’t help but be reminded of the past few months. The weight falls back onto her heart and shoulders. But at least, if what this Spirit Albarn says is true, they’ll be less physical reminders of those events, and actual combat to distract her.
Perhaps this can be her holiday though - something new to keep her mind off the old? Tear nods, bowing with a stiff salute to the man, and follows him out.
[ NOTES ]
Apologizes for length!