♣ chase the high ground
PLAYER
» Journal: randomcrimes
» Birthdate/Age: Novemeber 1st, 1990 / Nineteen
» Characters Played: N/A
CHARACTER
» Name: Vaan
» Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
» Reference: Wikia on Vaan
» Canon Point: Post FFXII, Pre-Revenant Wings
» Gender: Male and Male
» Age: In canon, he's only seventeen, but since he's being jumped up to eighteen, he's only going to be that age physically. It's hard to imagine Vaan as too mature emotionally and mentally in any regard, though he does have his wise moments. Most of the time, he's content with being childish (cracking jokes, using sarcasm, and missing the point entirely.)
» Orientation: Vaan's orientation is... hard to pinpoint. Mainly because his main desire throughout the game is to gain his wings (to become a sky pirate) and be free of Rabanastre. He is presumably heterosexual, which is to say he seems to have the inclination to lean towards females (and I only say that because it's the most popular and occurring form of sexuality in most forms of media.) It's hard to tell. The first real interaction seen of him on screen is with his best friend, Penelo, a childhood friend he grew up with. The two of them tease and joke, lecture and chide, and even go so far as to share dreams. He has protective tendencies towards the girl, shown when he offers to give up the treasure he found in the palace as a reward, even if it was something that would get him out of poverty. The two of them appear to share the sort of bond that rivals the strength of siblings (endearment and annoyance) which isn't to say it could completely rule out the idea of something romantic between the two, just that it might take time for the idea to spark. In my point of view, she's important to him (she's family) and while he loves her, he very well might not be in love with her.
There are hints that he might be attracted to the Lady Ashe from the get-go, even when she introduces herself under another name. He offers his help, and the help of strangers and is constantly finding ways to talk to her, which may or may not just be out of curiosity and his genuine good nature. He's sheepish and arrogant, and his failed attempts might be something resembling flirting, at least until he realizes she's of noble blood. Again, there's no solid evidence either way, he's a solitary figure throughout most of the game, lingering in the background and maintaining no romantic ties. He admits later in the game that he followed her, because he thought he mind find answers regarding his brother.
As far as Fran goes, he's almost in awe of her. At first, he makes his distrust apparent, but one can hardly blame him as he's trapped in a dungeon at that point. He comes to gradually trust her and has a friendly companionship with the Viera, even if they don't share that many words. The other two people in his party, Balthier and Basch... well, he spends a great deal of time casting vacant stares in their direction, either out of hero worship or flat-out contemplativeness and bad timing. He started off hating Basch, thinking the Captain had betrayed and killed his older brother, Reks, but after spending time with him learned that he couldn't have and the two share a loyalty that is mostly silent.
Balthier is probably the one he looks up to most as he is exactly what Vaan wants to be, and though some comments can be taken in one way or the other, he makes no open pursuit of the sky pirate, other than playful banter after initial dislike (seeing a pattern there?) They have a mentor/student relationship going on, in which Balthier teaches Vaan either intentionally or unintentionally the ropes of the trade. Any which way you look at it, there isn't any blatant evidence that Vaan is leaning more in one direction than the other. He isn't in any relationships. His preferences aren't stated. It would be more plausible to assume he was pansexual, to be honest, in part because he's a teenage boy with dreams bigger than his hormones. He's more interested in airships than getting in peoples' pants, but given the chance, he probably wouldn't mind either way.
» Personality: In the beginning of the game, Vaan starts off as an orphan on the streets, with a chip on his shoulder regarding the Empire. He doesn't want anything to do with imperial soldiers who played a key role in the war that took his brother away. That took something from everyone in Rabanastre. He doesn't want to be caged in the city, living in poverty - surviving on pocket change and table scraps (not to mention the swiped fruit from vendors and purses from soldiers.) He's got a bad case of wanderlust, humming through his veins, waiting to take flight.
Vaan has big dreams and he plans to pursue them. He's goal-centric. If he has something in mind, there isn't a whole lot that can sway him from it - not even his friends. When he sees a way out, he takes it, consequences be damned. In that way, the kid's selfish to boot. He's willing to abandon everything he knows for something new, for something outside of sheltered stone walls.
Despite his initiative in seeing what he wants and chasing it, he is by no means opposed to looking over his shoulder to see what he left behind in terms of the people he cares about. If one of them is in danger, he can become pretty thick-headed and reckless. He'll do what has to be done to save them. Translation? His heart and brawn make more of an appearance than his logic.
He doesn't always think things through, especially the words that come out of his mouth. There are occasions that he says something thoughtful and insightful, but those moments are few and far between. The majority of the time, Vaan's responses lack any shade of tact. He's been known to say what comes to mind, when it comes to mind. He's ignorant to the different customs and ways of the world, and curious to learn all of them. If he only tried to go about them better, he'd probably have a lot more knowledge on his plate.
Still, being blatant has its perks and has been known to open doors that might have otherwise remained shut. For some reason, saying it like it is has wormed pointers out of people along his journey. His solid determination is something to be admired (likely from afar) because while he might not be overly skilled or significantly strong, he's persistent. It's a double-sided coin, considering being rooted in his ways makes him less likely to see situations from all sides.
He's wary to change what he believes due to his upbringing and once he's been crossed, he doesn't take it lightly. He's got a short fuse and something like that makes him quick to ignite - either in harsh words or with violence. Betrayal is a high offense; almost an unforgivable one. Gaining his trust back isn't impossible, simply difficult. However, he has to see the process of redemption with his own eyes, because there's no better judge of character than his own opinion.
If it hasn't already been assumed, Vaan's got some degree of self-importance (that lessens along the way, standing beside royalty.) His flaunted arrogance is potentially the exact thing that endears people to him, because while he might be completely exaggerating what he's capable of.. he at least has the potential to one day meet his claims.
As the game draws closer to an end, Vaan shrugs off his iron hold on revenge with a new-found clarity. He learns that no matter what he does, his brother is still going to be dead. Slowly but surely, he also seems to be becoming a tad more mature after playing a part in paving the path to a Dalmasca unchained by the Empire.
» Appearance: Vaan sort of blends in, rather than sticks out. He's about average height, with a desert sun-kissed tan coating his skin from head to toe, complimented by a contrast of blue-green eyes and pale blond hair. His hair is styled in a bob-cut, longer in the front where it frames his face and short and layered in the back where it looks spiked. He might have some dusty scars lining his skin from his lifestyle but for the most part, he doesn't have any visible beauty marks or markings.
His style of dress is that of a low-key warrior and it doesn't cover much skin. It's mostly armor in silver and black, with a hint of blue here and there where a jewel is. He likes to stick to a small vest, held together by a crest of some sort, simple black pants, leg guards and boots. Not to mention the red belt-looking fabric wrapped securely above his waistband, with several leather straps curled around it and another blue and silver emblem -- possibly the equivalent of a belt buckle.
Being aged up a year hasn't changed him much. He might have grown an inch, potentially a bit more than that, but for the most part he's still all lean muscle and limbs.
» Suitability: Despite his typically childish mannerisms, he isn't oblivious. He's seen some harsh things in his life. The plague and war made him accustomed to having his world flip-turned upside down, being plucked from Ivalice and into Amat might surprise him at first, but he's nothing if not adaptable. Losing your parents, then your brother, and then your best friend's parents sort of does that to you. If nothing else, being an orphan taught him something about survival.
SAMPLES
» "amatomnes" Entry: [VIDEO]
How do I-?
[At first, the camera's focused on a shelf but it sways, probably as the holder moves it. The sound of buttons can be heard, clicking away before someone huffs. Clearly annoyed at trying to figure this device out and failing. After a few minutes, there's an audible 'Oh' before the camera pans upwards and settles on a blond-haired, blue-eyed kid who doesn't look that amused.]
Uh- hello?
[He reels back from the screen, possibly after getting a verbal response.]
Hey, if anyone can actually hear this and I'm not losing my mind, can someone tell me the name of this place? I'll take whatever information you've got. I was kinda in the middle of something
[As he waits, he muses out loud.]
It's definitely not Bhujerba or Rabanastre.. or any of the other places I've been to before.
[He pauses to fidget, idly rubbing at the back of his neck as he looks away from the camera, before settling on bringing up the next part.]
There's another thing; I can't find my friend, and last I remember she was with me. Her name's Penelo. She's got blond hair that she wears in low curled pig tails and brown eyes. She's almost the same height as me.
If anyone's heard the name, even mentioned in passing, I'd be real grateful for the help.
» "amatomneslogs" Entry:
That was... the most intense dream he had ever had.
It had been a dream, hadn't it?
He felt too warm, too sated, too easy down to his bones to move, to do much more than breathe. He didn't even want to open his eyes. He stretched out in the bed, blankets twining around his legs as he lifted his arms above his head and leaned into it. He even popped the muscles in his neck. He was more relaxed than he remembered feeling in a very, very long time. His hand curled in the pillow and he turned, rolled until he was facing the ceiling and his lungs could move easily again.
Vaan smoothed his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes as his brain grasped at wisps of his dream. Prying at the tantalizing imagery and sensations, reaching for a hand that wasn't there or out to trace lips that had vanished.
There had been a beautiful woman. Words were incapable of describing it, but she had been there. His skin was still humming and he could swear he could almost feel her laying beside him, breathing. That he could still taste her on his lips as he coasted his tongue across them, edging over the chapped texture. He didn't want to open his eyes in fear that she would be gone once he took in the surroundings, but open them he did and to do just that.
It was uncanny for the sheets to be soft, for an actual bed and not a cot beneath his frame (not that he was complaining) but this wasn't where he had fallen asleep. Still, he couldn't be bothered by that just yet not with the heat coiled in his stomach and the dampness clinging to the sheets and him. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. So, it had been a dream, after all.
She wasn't real.
With the realization, he pulled himself from the arms of sleep and propped up onto his side. With a clean sweep of the room with blue eyes, he located his clothes at the bottom of the bed, folded with precision he hoped he could assume meant they were clean. Speaking of, what he wouldn't do for a bath right about now. If the room was any more ... his style and his budget, he might have assumed Penelo helped him stumble in here when he was half-asleep but that didn't look like the case. At all. If he saved up his gil for months, he probably still couldn't afford a night in this place.
He threw the sheets off his body with a scoff and got to his feet. Clothes were his main priority, so with the edge of the sheet, he cleaned himself up and balled the thing up, tossing it haphazardly onto the floor. Oops, he thought, but he wasn't actually guilty. Some emotions came first.. like wanderlust and concern. He shuffled over to his clothes and began to pull them on.
When he was dressed, maybe then... he could find some answers.
He wouldn't have had a problem with that, if he didn't locate a mirror and spot his reflection sporting a collar. "What the---?" His thumb immediately hooked beneath it, testing its tightness as his index and middle searched for some kind of catch. He found none.
Vaan sighed and pulled on his pants. If Penelo had decided to try her hand at gambling and had lost, he was so going to get her back for this.