App for thevelvetkey
Player Info:
Nickname: Jess
Age: 20
Personal LJ: draconic_scribe
Method of Contact: AIM: Firebenderjess Plurk: Firebenderjess
Characters Played: Allen Ridgeley
Character Info:
Name: Albedo Piazzolla
Age: 27
Canon: Xenosaga
Pull Point: After he's fallen asleep in Jr.'s subconscious.
Background Info:
History: Here's a couple links.
Personality: Albedo is an incredibly complex being who sometimes seems to contradict himself. At the most basic level, he's motivated by a deep-seated obsession with his twin brother, though it's often difficult to understand just what goes through his head at any given time as his methods of expressing anything resembling affection are twisted by his insanity. Initially, he was completely insane and desperately wanted to die before his twin, to the point where he orchestrated events that would force his brother to kill him. After his death and rebirth, he mellowed out significantly, but still can't connect with other people. His inability to forge emotional bonds comes from the immortality he was born with. As he doesn't understand the fear of injury or death, he can only comprehend human fear on an academic level and can't truly sympathize. He does show signs of understanding how people act, however, most likely from observation.
He also seems to contradict his own personality in terms of class versus immaturity. While he ordinarily holds himself with an air of dignity, speaking in a sophisticated syntax and frequently making deep philosophical comments, he also has an almost childish sense of humor at times with his tendency to openly mock people, at one point even shouting “boo” while threatening someone. He's also easily bored and thus frequently goes looking for entertainment, usually in the form of teasing or taunting people that catch his interest or, when available, by reading books of all subject matter, but especially the works of Shakespeare and religious texts, which he will often quote ironically. The childish aspect is mostly overshadowed by his love of philosophy and literature, though, as well as his analytical mind that lets him build plans within plans while using the people who seemingly have control over him, such as when he used Ormus and U-TIC to lay a many-layered trap that ultimately led to him and his twin fighting one-on-one inside a spacetime anomaly.
Another point of apparent conflict is his opinion of the people around him, though in reality it's more a result of him trying to deny his own vulnerability. During all of his interactions with his brothers, he acts as if he despises them and wants nothing to do with them, but he also does what he feels is best for all of them-one thing that has changed due to his death, as he was too insane to consider how his actions would affect his siblings before-to the point of trying to sacrifice the chance to do the very thing he'd become a Testament to do because he thought it would be better for his brothers. He also acts as though he despises everyone else in an attempt to hide his jealousy. While he doesn't usually acknowledge it, canon meta material outright states that he wants to understand mortals in a way that would let him figure out how they form relationships and sympathize with each other so easily.
He manages to simultaneously not take orders well and to follow them easily. He was raised to take orders from the staff of the Yuriev Institute and his twin, but has developed a deep resentment of authority. While he knows how to take orders, he has a tendency to come across as borderline insubordinate, pushing the boundaries of what his usefulness will let him get away with, and using his orders to set things up for his own ends. Even as the White Testament under Wilhelm, he referred to the near godly being as his partner and only worked with him under the promise of being able to become one with his twin.
Part of the reason behind his self contradictions is a combination of curiosity and a lack of care for the morality of good and evil. While his major moves will be planned out, anything not related to his overall goals is likely to be done on a whim because someone or something caught his interest. Even his knowledge of literature ranges from the Shakespeare he so frequently quotes to things as obscure as McCartney's line “Ebony and ivory live together in harmony.” Even his surname, Piazzolla, is probably a reference to an ancient(by Xenosaga standards) composer. These hint at an inclination to learn just for the sake of learning that he seems to share with his brothers.
In fact, the only thing that he seems to care enough about to go out of his way for is his twin brother. He cares about Jr. to a level that could be taken as incestuous-and, in fact, is rather fond of slipping innuendo into his comments to or about Jr., such as when he commented while dying that Jr. looked like he'd “just lost [his] lover.” He's also severely prone to jealousy, especially of people Jr. is romantically involved with, much the way someone with unrequited feelings would act. Jr. and perhaps Gaignun are the only people he sees as worth anything, and even Gaignun takes a distinct back seat to Jr. as, while he would do anything for Jr., the only indication that he doesn't hate Gaignun as he says he does is his expression as he watched Gaignun sacrifice himself and a conversation afterward where he said it would be nice to meet him in the afterlife.
Game Specific:
Arcana: The Death
Justification: The Death in its upright position symbolizes “transitions, alterations, a new chance at life and the end of something that has served its purpose.” Albedo is, at present, markedly different from how he acted at the beginning of the series, which is, in turn, almost nothing like how he acted as a child. Albedo's entire life has been about sudden changes. In addition, the most recent change was marked by his death and revival, providing him a second chance at existence in every sense of the phrase, and he gladly left the stage when his goal was complete. Also, one of the negative aspects of the Death is fear of change, which aligns well with his utter terror of the concept of watching his brothers die or losing his twin's affections to someone else.
Samples:
First Person Sample: *The phone camera is twitching a bit as it focuses on a tired looking face, as if the person holding it was tapping its side. Though he looks mostly exhausted and annoyed, there's a wild look in the back of his eyes that indicates that he's probably not entirely sane.*
Who dares disturb my slumber? Whatever force saw fit to rip me from Rubedo's subconscious in the midst of my well deserved rest would do well to return me to my rightful place. Quaint though this place I've found myself appears, I find my interest in the recreation of the setting of Lost Jerusalem pales when compared to my desire to return to Rubedo's subconscious.
And don't think I've yet to notice what I've been stripped of. Even bound as I am by this human shell, I have ways of enforcing my will.
Third Person Sample: This wasn't Rubedo's subconscious. This fact was immediately obvious to Albedo, even in his thoroughly exhausted state, and to say it left him displeased would have been an understatement. But of course, the former Testament's ire couldn't end with something so simple as that. Not only was he torn from his much-needed sleep inside Rubedo's subconscious, but the body he'd been given was so painfully human, it was disgusting. Or perhaps...terrifying? No, that was a ridiculous notion. What had he to fear even in this weak body? He was still superior to those pathetic wastes of flesh that comprised humanity, elevated in mind if not in body, so why should he worry that he wouldn't still be able to enforce his will upon those peons?
But still. He was apart from Rubedo and his senses were limited to the physical. He had no way of knowing if his other half was even here with him. That alone was enough cause to be unnerved, but even alone, he refused to allow it to show in his posture. Back straight, arms at his side, and irritated gaze sweeping around the area, he stood like he owned the world, casually turning over the communications device he'd found in one gloved hand. It was primitive, to say the least, but it should serve his purposes until he'd gotten himself back where he belonged.
Nickname: Jess
Age: 20
Personal LJ: draconic_scribe
Method of Contact: AIM: Firebenderjess Plurk: Firebenderjess
Characters Played: Allen Ridgeley
Character Info:
Name: Albedo Piazzolla
Age: 27
Canon: Xenosaga
Pull Point: After he's fallen asleep in Jr.'s subconscious.
Background Info:
History: Here's a couple links.
Personality: Albedo is an incredibly complex being who sometimes seems to contradict himself. At the most basic level, he's motivated by a deep-seated obsession with his twin brother, though it's often difficult to understand just what goes through his head at any given time as his methods of expressing anything resembling affection are twisted by his insanity. Initially, he was completely insane and desperately wanted to die before his twin, to the point where he orchestrated events that would force his brother to kill him. After his death and rebirth, he mellowed out significantly, but still can't connect with other people. His inability to forge emotional bonds comes from the immortality he was born with. As he doesn't understand the fear of injury or death, he can only comprehend human fear on an academic level and can't truly sympathize. He does show signs of understanding how people act, however, most likely from observation.
He also seems to contradict his own personality in terms of class versus immaturity. While he ordinarily holds himself with an air of dignity, speaking in a sophisticated syntax and frequently making deep philosophical comments, he also has an almost childish sense of humor at times with his tendency to openly mock people, at one point even shouting “boo” while threatening someone. He's also easily bored and thus frequently goes looking for entertainment, usually in the form of teasing or taunting people that catch his interest or, when available, by reading books of all subject matter, but especially the works of Shakespeare and religious texts, which he will often quote ironically. The childish aspect is mostly overshadowed by his love of philosophy and literature, though, as well as his analytical mind that lets him build plans within plans while using the people who seemingly have control over him, such as when he used Ormus and U-TIC to lay a many-layered trap that ultimately led to him and his twin fighting one-on-one inside a spacetime anomaly.
Another point of apparent conflict is his opinion of the people around him, though in reality it's more a result of him trying to deny his own vulnerability. During all of his interactions with his brothers, he acts as if he despises them and wants nothing to do with them, but he also does what he feels is best for all of them-one thing that has changed due to his death, as he was too insane to consider how his actions would affect his siblings before-to the point of trying to sacrifice the chance to do the very thing he'd become a Testament to do because he thought it would be better for his brothers. He also acts as though he despises everyone else in an attempt to hide his jealousy. While he doesn't usually acknowledge it, canon meta material outright states that he wants to understand mortals in a way that would let him figure out how they form relationships and sympathize with each other so easily.
He manages to simultaneously not take orders well and to follow them easily. He was raised to take orders from the staff of the Yuriev Institute and his twin, but has developed a deep resentment of authority. While he knows how to take orders, he has a tendency to come across as borderline insubordinate, pushing the boundaries of what his usefulness will let him get away with, and using his orders to set things up for his own ends. Even as the White Testament under Wilhelm, he referred to the near godly being as his partner and only worked with him under the promise of being able to become one with his twin.
Part of the reason behind his self contradictions is a combination of curiosity and a lack of care for the morality of good and evil. While his major moves will be planned out, anything not related to his overall goals is likely to be done on a whim because someone or something caught his interest. Even his knowledge of literature ranges from the Shakespeare he so frequently quotes to things as obscure as McCartney's line “Ebony and ivory live together in harmony.” Even his surname, Piazzolla, is probably a reference to an ancient(by Xenosaga standards) composer. These hint at an inclination to learn just for the sake of learning that he seems to share with his brothers.
In fact, the only thing that he seems to care enough about to go out of his way for is his twin brother. He cares about Jr. to a level that could be taken as incestuous-and, in fact, is rather fond of slipping innuendo into his comments to or about Jr., such as when he commented while dying that Jr. looked like he'd “just lost [his] lover.” He's also severely prone to jealousy, especially of people Jr. is romantically involved with, much the way someone with unrequited feelings would act. Jr. and perhaps Gaignun are the only people he sees as worth anything, and even Gaignun takes a distinct back seat to Jr. as, while he would do anything for Jr., the only indication that he doesn't hate Gaignun as he says he does is his expression as he watched Gaignun sacrifice himself and a conversation afterward where he said it would be nice to meet him in the afterlife.
Game Specific:
Arcana: The Death
Justification: The Death in its upright position symbolizes “transitions, alterations, a new chance at life and the end of something that has served its purpose.” Albedo is, at present, markedly different from how he acted at the beginning of the series, which is, in turn, almost nothing like how he acted as a child. Albedo's entire life has been about sudden changes. In addition, the most recent change was marked by his death and revival, providing him a second chance at existence in every sense of the phrase, and he gladly left the stage when his goal was complete. Also, one of the negative aspects of the Death is fear of change, which aligns well with his utter terror of the concept of watching his brothers die or losing his twin's affections to someone else.
Samples:
First Person Sample: *The phone camera is twitching a bit as it focuses on a tired looking face, as if the person holding it was tapping its side. Though he looks mostly exhausted and annoyed, there's a wild look in the back of his eyes that indicates that he's probably not entirely sane.*
Who dares disturb my slumber? Whatever force saw fit to rip me from Rubedo's subconscious in the midst of my well deserved rest would do well to return me to my rightful place. Quaint though this place I've found myself appears, I find my interest in the recreation of the setting of Lost Jerusalem pales when compared to my desire to return to Rubedo's subconscious.
And don't think I've yet to notice what I've been stripped of. Even bound as I am by this human shell, I have ways of enforcing my will.
Third Person Sample: This wasn't Rubedo's subconscious. This fact was immediately obvious to Albedo, even in his thoroughly exhausted state, and to say it left him displeased would have been an understatement. But of course, the former Testament's ire couldn't end with something so simple as that. Not only was he torn from his much-needed sleep inside Rubedo's subconscious, but the body he'd been given was so painfully human, it was disgusting. Or perhaps...terrifying? No, that was a ridiculous notion. What had he to fear even in this weak body? He was still superior to those pathetic wastes of flesh that comprised humanity, elevated in mind if not in body, so why should he worry that he wouldn't still be able to enforce his will upon those peons?
But still. He was apart from Rubedo and his senses were limited to the physical. He had no way of knowing if his other half was even here with him. That alone was enough cause to be unnerved, but even alone, he refused to allow it to show in his posture. Back straight, arms at his side, and irritated gaze sweeping around the area, he stood like he owned the world, casually turning over the communications device he'd found in one gloved hand. It was primitive, to say the least, but it should serve his purposes until he'd gotten himself back where he belonged.