The Application
ALL ABOUT YOU
Name: Aa-chan, or April. One of the two works fine.
Username: porom
Age: 26
Email: april [at] studio-shroom dot net
IM Messenger: double ohh snake, mysidian porom
ALL ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER
Name: Anna von Muir
Game: Final Fantasy IV
Point in Canon: Before the attack on Damcyan.
Note to Mods: Porom and Anna do not interact whatsoever in Final Fantasy IV, though if this is denied, that’s fine. =)
History/Background: [Taken from the Final Fantasy IV ’Settei Shirihonyen’ (basically “Information Compendium.”)] Anna is the daughter of the world renowned Sage, Tellah, and wife to the Prince of Damcyan, Edward Chris von Muir.
As a child, Tellah taught her magic to keep her safe, and it was no surprise that she learned both White and Black. She grew up with the responsibility of being the next world’s greatest Sage, and probably would’ve achieved that goal had it not been for a move to Kaipo in her later years, where she met the Prince of Damcyan, Edward, who was visiting Kaipo in the guise of a bard. They fell in love, and sought out Tellah’s blessing to wed, but the Sage refused their marriage. Angered, Anna eloped to Damcyan with Edward, and was married there.
Anna’s life ends in tragedy, when Golbez and the Red Wings of Baron stake an attack on Damcyan for possession of the Crystal of Fire. Anna shields Edward from an onslaught of arrows, a move which ends up being fatal.
In death, her spirit continues to live on, though, encouraging Edward to fight for Damcyan and the people they love. In later years, she still serves as a comfort for Edward, especially when things aren’t going right.
Personality: Even though she has little time onscreen in Final Fantasy IV (and, to an extent, The After Years), Anna has quite a personality. Above all else, she hates being told what to do, and how to do it, and often thinks irrationally (hurrying off to Damcyan to be wed being both examples). Despite that, though, she always doesn’t think of herself, and puts forth the ones she loves before her own needs (in The After Years, Palom and Porom comment on what a gentle person she must’ve been to love Edward so deeply.) Being Tellah’s daughter, she also has a bit of a temper, though she often remains cool under fire. She also manages to see the best in people, whereas her father would often pass judgment too quickly.
Anna is also easygoing, unless you’re her father, or you mess with Edward. Her father, while she loves him dearly, is the main cause for stress in her life, having to meet his expectations with an iron fist. If someone messes with Edward, she finds it easy to mess them up, including her father.
Knowing both Black and White magic, Anna delves deeply into the arcane arts, though her level is set at “Ra.” (I.e.: “Fira,” “Cura.”) She can sometimes be found in a library, reading up on facts rather than fiction; anything to increase her knowledge. She loves books, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she were reading both
Rough, tough, yet gentle as an angel, Anna is dedicated to protecting those that mean the most to her, even at the cost of her own life.
Being an only child has spoiled Anna to a certain extent. Since her mother died shortly after her birth, her father turned all of his attention and love towards Anna. This in turn taught Anna to focus her own attention towards one goal, whether it included loving Edward, or chasing after a love of the arcane.
Anna also doesn't take "crap" from other people. She is a strong woman, believing in her own values set forth. Any person who tries to change her stubborn mind will most likely find themselves upside down after being smacked across the face with a fist. She has her own ideas, and, once she sets something to it, it's very hard to change anything about it.
Anna is also a defender more than a fighter. Though she knows her father, a high-ranking Sage, can take care of himself, she will look out for him anyways; same with Edward. She watches over both, plus any other people she knows and loves, like a matron, empowering her to use any means necessary to get a job done.
Though Anna's powers are nowhere near godly, she is quite powerful for just a "Ra" magician. She loves all sorts of magic in general (though not as quite as she loves Edward), and if you show her a piece of new Green or Grey, or, even, Summoning, she'll be your friend forever, unless you're a bad guy, in which case you must die a gruesome death via Fire Rod, and Fire-2 Fira spell. Though she knows both White and Black, she doesn't care much for the former, especially since no mage (especially herself) she knows of can cast both Holy and Meteo. There are benefits to the more common spells of Sight, Berserk, and Float, though, which is probably the main reason she keeps tabs on her Light Arts in general.
Anna doesn't have a complex about herself. She sees life in the big picture, and that picture is that everything has equality. She might have her father's bad temper, but it doesn't mean she will kill everything in sight. Given an audience with her, one will come to find that she is quite forgiving, and speaks with an elegant, gentle nature. The only time she is sarcastic and full of snide, or anger, is when something pisses her off, such as her father picking on her husband, or a monster stealing her picnic basket.
Anna takes orders from no one, save herself and maybe Edward. She is terribly independent, and will let the whole world know it. Her first priority is always Number One (or Edward, since she thinks he needs her), no matter what goal she is working towards. She gained this from her father, who is horribly picky and independent himself.
Other than her love for the arcane, there is one thing Anna is passionate about, and that's her husband, Edward Chris von Muir. If he were to go, there would be nothing left in the world for her. She is also his guardian angel, to speak, and gets rather pissed when anyone tries to mess with him. As much as she loves him, there are times when she gets frustrated with him, such as when he runs away and hides, often for no apparent reason. Secretly, she wishes he would "grow a pair," so to speak, but she also knows fighting isn't his best forte, and gives her all just to make sure he is safe. Anyone looking to mess with him will also meet doom with her spells and weapons.
Anna isn't in love with herself. She hates having to put on airs for anyone, including dressing the part of a Damcyan royal. If she had it her way, she would abolish such nonsense, and replace it with people dressing in their mage's robes, or everyday clothing. She sees no sense in trying to win people over with rich fabrics or fancy jewelry, especially since half the people that stem from that end up pissing her off with their snotty attitudes anyhow. Like Edward, she will skip out on meetings with kingdom leaders, and leave diplomacy to chancellors.
It isn't to say Anna is without responsibility, however. When it comes to the people of Damcyan, or Edward, she has her priorities straight. It might seem she is heartless, but she is good on the inside. It takes a bit of getting to know her until one can see past the witchly form of hers to an understanding and caring monarch.
First-Person Sample:
I groaned softly as I slowly felt the sensation of the ground beneath me, rugged terrain poking sharply all about. My body was still heavy with the toil of weakness, and I wasn’t sure if I could even will myself to lift up, and stand.
What has happened here? I was on my way to see Edward, and then…
At first, I was certain that I had tripped and fallen on some cobblestones lining the castle - I was always clumsy when it came to dodging those things - but, after finally opening my eyes, and seeing a myriad of stars above, I knew I wasn’t in Damcyan anymore.
“Where am I?” I mumbled, attempting to push myself off of the ground, and sit up. My head responded by pounding sharply, and I quickly cupped my forehead with my hands. When it dulled, I looked about; there were buildings in sight, and a long stretch of road before me, lined daintily by lampposts. “Am I dreaming? Is this real?
“It has to be a dream,” I convinced myself, finally willing myself to stand, and brush off the dirt from my clothes. “Nothing else can be this surreal.”
I dared to take a step forward, the ground responding with a faint crunch beneath my boots. Nothing appeared to be broken, save for an ounce of my pride. The terrain was nothing that I had remembered from either Mysidia or Damcyan.
“I need to get out of here, and back to my husband.” I took another step, this one firmer than the last, followed by another. “He must be worried sick.
“But first, I need to find the idiots that did this to me.” I raised a fist in the air, a glare etched across my face. “They’ll pay for sending me here!
Another thought then crossed my mind:
“Where do I start, though? There are so many buildings around here that it looks to be I‘m in a town of some sort, but, really; what do I do?”
Even I wasn’t sure on that.
Third-Person Sample:
Crossing her arms to her chest, Anna walked on through the hallowed night, avoiding any choice matter that might’ve caused her to trip. She was still feeling sore from an earlier fall to the ground, and wanted to keep on walking without any borders.
“What do I do now? There isn’t a whole lot for me to do, is there? I suppose I better start by gathering information first.”
Eventually, she came across a building of a medium size, the words Black Magic Guild emblazoned upon it. Something about the way the building loomed over her was almost a comfort, and she knew she’d likely find something here, if not entertainment.
“Perfect.“ With a quick jaunt up the stairs, Anna pulled open the door, and found her way inside.
The guild hall was quite spacious, a bar on one side, and a counter for the aspiring Black Mage on the other. In the midst, round tables and chairs were placed in array, a handful of people sitting and either talking or reading texts. The clothing some wore were quite familiar of her homeland, what with a yellow, wide-brimmed hat, and robes of the darkest cerulean.
I feel at ease already, Anna thought, allowing herself to smile. She was about to advance a step forward, when a small creature with a red pompom atop its head appeared almost instantly before her.
“Welcome to the Black Mages Guild, kupo. How may I be of service?”
Anna froze, unsure of whether or not to attack, or to leave the hall. She figured that since the creature was being so polite that a need for violence was likely unnecessary.
“I - I am a Red Mage; er, Sage, but found myself here after walking down the lane out there,” the woman began, wary. “I’m sorry if I’m intruding, but the dark arts appeal to me more than that of the light.”
The creature tilted its head to the side. “Ah, another kupo. We are getting more and more citizens by the day, it seems.”
Anna blinked, not sure of what the creature spoke of. “What do you mean?”
“You are in Never Was, kupo; a town that strangely accumulates its citizens from random locations in time,” the creature responded. “It seems you are one of its newest, kupo.”
Anna’s mind whirled. It was almost too much for her to handle. “So you’re saying that I’m here because something abducted me from the people I love?”
“Yes, kupo.”
“How do we stop it?”
The creature let out a squeak. “You can’t, kupo! It is almost forbidden to even speak of such a thing!”
Anna’s mouth dropped open. “Then I’m… I’m stuck here?”
The creature bowed its head, saying nothing more.
“I see,” Anna mumbled, gathering from the silence that her suspicions were correct. “Guess I better make the most of it, then. Mind if I use your library?”
“O-of course not, kupo! Please, feel free,” the creature replied, gesturing towards the rest of the hall.
Though Anna was smiling towards the creature (which she soon found out was called a ‘moogle’), deep on the inside, she was glowering with rage, a fire in her heart that wouldn’t allow to be extinguished.
Mark my words, Never Was. I’ll get out of here alive, you’ll see!