[OOC] Application for Witches Reign [ACCEPTED]
Name: Kathrine
Journal: sp_kathrine
Contact: spkathrine[@]gmail.com / chocolateisbrainfood on plurk
Character Name: Kaldur’ahm (alias: Aqualad)
Series: Young Justice Animated
Gender: Male
Age & Canon Point: 16 | Episode 10 (right after telling Red Arrow he would investigate his team for a mole)
Requested Sponsor: N/A
Entry position (Cadet, SeeD, Instructor, other): Cadet
History: History Section
Garden History: N/A
Abilities & Physical Abnormalities:
Aqualad is Atlantean so many of his features may be abnormal to most humans. He has gills on his neck for breathing under water, webbing between his fingers and toes, tough/thick skin, and fins on the backs of his legs. He’s also dark-skinned, blond with silver eyes, and has thick black tattoos called “skin icons” in the design of an eel trailing over his back and both arms that allow him to use sorcery to control water. Usually he does this through channeling water through the water bearer weapons on his back, which allow him to also manipulate the water and change it into whatever shape he wants. He also has superior strength (to the point he was strong enough to go head-to-head with Superboy), is extremely fast in water, and trained in physical combat underwater and on land.
Personality:
“For honor and country” could be Kaldur’ahm’s motto. Everything in his life revolves around living in an honorable way, protecting those he cares about, and serving his King, Orin (Aquaman). His desire to protect and serve is in large part, the reason why he chose to give up his studies at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Poseidonis to become the partner and pupil of his king. He became Aqualad not only because of his hidden wanderlust and desire to learn about the world of the land dwellers, but also because protecting others (being a hero) is instinctive to him. Once he asked his friend Garth if he ever thought about what it would have been like had Garth become Aqualad and Kaldur remained in Atlantis, but both stated the thought had never even crossed their minds. For Kaldur’ahm, he is doing was he was born to do.
However, that does not mean that serving his king and protecting people is all that there is to Aqualad. He’s quiet, but sardonic at times, and he’s known to show impulsive behavior if he believes that he is in the right, such as when he, Robin, and Kid Flash decided to put out the fire at Cadmus and infiltrated the building to find the source. He believed they were in the right because it was something that needed to be done and he felt that taking initiative to prove that they were ready to be true members of the Justice League was the best course of action at the time. Kaldur can feel hurt and betrayal, as he did when he believed that Aquaman had deceived him about the truth of the Justice League, which is also part of what prompted him and the other two “sidekicks” to act on their own.
Despite agreeing to go against the wishes of their mentors, Kaldur’ahm still wanted to have a plan of action ready-which did not work out. Kid Flash and Robin went on without him and they had to think on their feet from there, but this also showed that Kaldur is capable of improvising while in the middle of a mission. Their self-made mission ended in freeing Superboy, destroying a large building, and calling too much attention to themselves, but Kaldur still stood up to his king in the end because he believed they were doing only what they had been trained to do. He also took control of their first mission has a true team when they were sorely under-prepared and if it was not for him doing so, they would not have made it out off of the island as unscathed as they did. Kaldur does not see himself as a leader-for he is a soldier, a guard, a knight-but he is also the most level-headed and willing to look at situations that he and his team get into from various angles.
This does not mean that Aqualad is perfect. He’s kind, generous, cordial, playful, and even sarcastic at times when he feels that the bite will get his point across better than a polite rebuke, but he is by no means unflawed. He is at times too passive, allowing the louder, more forceful personalities (Robin, Kid Flash, and at times even Artemis) of the Team to control the situation and create distractions when he shouldn’t. This could be because the team was still so new and he was not yet fully accepting of his new role as leader. Aqualad does not see himself as a leader because his primary goals do not need him to be one, but there is also more to it. He can lead and will take on the role should someone else not be present, but in his heart, Aqualad does not consider himself someone worthy of leading others. He has such high standards for himself that he does not believe he is a person whom others should look to for leadership in the way that his people look to his king. He takes the idea and responsibility of being the leader of his Team so seriously that he distances himself in some ways from the others of his team.
He’s still friendly with them and deeply believes in the camaraderie of their team (even to the point of agreeing to outings that could be considered “team building exercises”), but Kaldur also believes that as the leader he must give 100% of himself to the cause and more. He must always be alert for he might have to make a split second decision at any time should they find themselves unprepared for events in the field. While he watches the rest of his team getting closer and more familiar with each other, he holds himself apart if only because as a leader he knows he will have to make decisions that may hurt them or himself for the greater good of them all. It is not because he believes that he is above them or does not want to get close to the rest of his team, but that he feels as a leader it is not fully his place to. This is the “burden” that Kaldur agreed to bear until Robin was ready to become the leader of the Team himself. This could also be considered a flaw, as his standards are so high that he may never be able to reach them, but he does not hold others to the same standards he holds himself.
When he was homesick and missing the girl he loved, Kaldur lost his devoted focus to the cause and thus became a liability, even to the point that the Team was beaten and had to be rescued by Batman. This shows he is not infallible. He is young and, at times, his emotions carry more weight than his logical heart of duty. But Aqualad was aware of his own failings in this, and knew he would have to make a choice. He almost chose to return to Atlantis and the love he had left behind, only to find that she had moved on. This hurt him, but further cemented in his mind that Fate had already chosen his path for him. If he had truly been meant to return to Atlantis, Tula would have been waiting for him. The fact she wasn’t could only mean that his true place was no longer in Poseidonis with her and Garth, but with Aquaman and with his Team. Kaldur’s conviction may have wavered, but it had not been truly broken. It only needed something to reconfirm that he had not given up more than he had gained, like any person at his age-or at any age.
Because he made the choice to remain Aqualad, Kaldur’s friends on land-the other members of his Team and even Red Arrow who refused to join-are very dear to him. He is separated from the childhood friends he grew up with and even though he maintains some modicum of distance, he considers the Team just as important to him. Their opinions of him do mean a great deal and that is one of the reasons he strives to be the best for them. But by holding their opinions and bonds so dearly, they also become liabilities that can be used against him.
He allowed himself to be distracted at hearing Red Arrow’s insults about them because Red Arrow’s opinion matters to him and that allowed Sportsmaster to gain the advantage against him in their fight. He showed how forthright he is by choosing to directly bring up the issue with Red Arrow as well, rather than leave the words festering between them. He also refused to air the accusations that there was a mole on his Team publicly because he trusts his teammates and would not let the bonds of his team broken by potential lies from an enemy. Still, as the leader, he could not ignore the possibility either and chose to investigate himself, in hopes of debunking it all. Even though his friends mean so much to him, Kaldur does not forget his duty, that he is the leader and must thus lead by example.
What are your plans for the character in-game?
I want Kaldur to meet up with his team, but also to be able to progress in his studies, which is something that he gave up when he became Aqualad. Even though he doesn’t regret doing so, I think he does at times miss the education he was getting since all of his friends are now devoting some part of their time to school. I also think that given his military background, (he joined his own country’s military at 12), he would be a good candidate for the SeeD Cadet program.
Anything else? Kaldur needs to have water around and can’t be in very warm areas for longer than a few hours without dehydrating.
i) IC Questionnaire
What do you prefer to be known as?
My name is Kaldur’ahm, but my friends call me Kaldur. Either is suitable.
How old are you?
Sixteen years old.
Do you have any history in combat?
Experienced, yes. I have served in my home’s military. Among other things.
If so, have you ever killed?
One must put the lives of their comrades above a desire not to kill others. The enemy will not have such reservations.
i) How do you feel when you get involved in some project that calls for immediate and rapid activity?
Even if immediate action is needed, a plan should be made-in the field if necessary.
ii) Do you organize and initiate leisure activities?
At times. They are useful team-building activities.
iii) What role do you take when working in a group?
Whichever role I am needed in most.
iv) How talkative are you around other people?
I am better at listening.
v) What three things would you want to have with you on a desert island? State your reasoning.
I do not understand this question. If needed, I can easily leave an island whenever I wish… I would not remain in a desert of any form unless necessary.
vi) Is it important to be liked by a wide range of people?
It is important to have friends who you can trust, but you shouldn’t sacrifice common sense or honesty in order to be well-liked.
vii) When the odds are against you, is it worth taking a chance?
You should weigh the risks. If threat of failure is too great, retreat is more logical. But some chances are worth taking if the mission is important enough.
viii) Do you consider yourself to be an impulsive person?
No, but anyone can be impulsive under the right circumstances.
ix) Would you agree that planning things ahead takes the fun out of life?
Planning ahead allows you to keep in mind the errors that can occur. But a friend has taught me that some things are better done…spontaneously.
x) Do you like surprises?
Not really.
xi) Do you sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with you?
No one is perfect, but being imperfect does not make one “wrong.”
xii) Do you consider yourself to be smarter than your superiors, and disagree with their decisions?
No. My mentor is a wise man who has experienced much. He may not always be right, but I trust that with his decisions he is doing what he believes is best.
xiii) Lastly, how do you feel about cabbages?
…They are a vegetable, are they not? We do not have them in Atlantis as they are on land.
ii) Prose sample. (Prompt: Kaldur returns to Mount Justice and finds it in…not-so-pristine condition.)
He had only been gone for a few days. In that time, he had arranged his priorities, made his decision on what life he wanted to lead-where he was meant to be.
Recognized: Aqualad, B-02.
He smiles softly at the now familiar greeting, exiting the zeta-beam terminal and making his way out of the mission room into the hall. Not even a week and yet it felt as if it could have been forever. Does this fit the land-saying that “Home is where the heart is”? Perhaps he should plan something in order to show his team-his friends-that he is truly with them one hundred percent-
--Kaldur is frozen in place, staring at the living room. Or what was once the living room. Currently, it is a veritable wasteland of wrappers, crumbs, half-eaten food, and at least a dozen pizza boxes.
A few days and their headquarters had been reduced to…a trashbin? He can already feel a headache building.
He steps further into the room, dodging box and unknown foodstuff alike. His foot bumps into a solid, warm object and said object moves, jerking with a soft groan of irritation. Red hair sticks out from beneath a black sleeping bag in the midst of the mess.
“Not yet…gotta catch the ice cream man…”
Wally rolls over, only mildly disturbed and still asleep. Kaldur takes the time to look around, seeing one other sleeping bag-Kaldur wonders how Wally managed to convince Robin to sleep out in the open, even if the boy was wearing a mask to bed-and sighs. He quietly makes his way into the kitchen, returning with a garbage can and begins to collect as much of the trash as he can without waking them.
Not that he believes he has succeeded where Robin is concerned, but he will let him keep the illusion of sleep.
Everything else can wait until tomorrow. He isn’t going anywhere.
Although, he might suggest to Black Canary that certain people had extra energy to burn off during training.