[Meme] Character Survey of Doom: Asch

[mirrorbirth]

The New, Improved Character Survey of Doom

Body and Appearance

1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Asch is 5'7", 150 lbs, though it's all muscle so he's very lean. Pictured here. He also has fine abs.

2. How old is he?
Eighteen. Nineteen if you want to be technical, since he's been in Luceti for a year (Auldrant time).

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Asch is usually stiff-backed; he stands straight up and walks with an air of haughty nobility. ...Pretty much because that's what he is.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
He used to have occasional chest pains, rising in frequency and intensity the more time passed, but that's been more or less fixed since he died in Luceti. It might show up again someday, but he's alright for the moment. Currently the only real problem is his link to Luke which essentially ties their lives together permanently. Such is the case with perfect isofons. But without a Luke that doesn't matter too much. Otherwise he's in good health and pretty damn fit.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Tense and focused is what I'd call it. Asch always seems to move with purpose; as a swordsman he's not exactly graceful, but he's far from clumsy. He moves quickly and without restraint.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
He... doesn't put much weight in that, really. If he looks in a mirror he's not thinking, "How do I look today" but more along the lines of, "Am I wearing anything that could be a weakness/detriment to how I move/etc". Even after he started his relationship with Guy, he still doesn't put much consideration into his appearance.

Aside from (or perhaps despite) his lack of interest in the matter, he is undeniably handsome. And he does fuss about his hair- he knows Kimlascan red hair is beautiful and valuable, and he takes damn good care of it. Cutting it would result in bitchery to the extreme. And very likely some violence. And angst. Never forget the angst.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He's somewhat pale, but not overly so. Since his hair's usually drawn back it might look like he has a big forehead. His notable scars are those he gained from his death - multiple stab wounds through the chest, stomach, and back, some through-and-through.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
He has dark crimson hair (darker at the tips). His bangs are usually spiked back (like a cockatiel |D), with two tails of loose hair in the front (one on each side of his face) and the rest at his back. Since they're the mark of nobility and the pride of the royal line of Kimlasca, his hair is insanely soft and flowy and jdsfk it's his best feature, it really is.

9. What color are his eyes?
Bright green. Disturbingly so, really. They're practically neon in-game.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Besides the fact that he's ALWAYS ANGRY?

Okay, that's a lie. But it seems true a lot of the time. Otherwise... not really. But he looks like a cockatiel.

11. What are his chief tension centers?
EVERYWHERE. ...Yeah, probably the corners of his lips and his forehead, because he's always going >:[ He's a very intense person, so getting him to relax is a bit of a chore.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
He usually wears his Oracle Knight uniform and is armed with his Maestro sword. Since it's a uniform, it's kinda stiff and militant; he keeps it as clean as he can (he has no excuse for being dirty and he's a bit of a neat freak anyway). Depending on the weather and his mood he could be without the tabard or wearing something else entirely. Other clothes/colours are probably dark, blacks and greens and greys. Nothing too revealing, probably covers a lot of skin. Lately he's been trying new outfits, though they still have the same overall style- comfortable yet formal wear, sometimes long, flowing robes. Stuff he's used to. Good examples would be this, this, this, or this.

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes and no to the first; the undersuit of his uniform is kind of tight, but the tunic and tabard are loose and somewhat concealing. He's worn it for years and he's used to it, so it's easy to assume that he's comfortable enough with how he feels in it.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
A bit of both. He likes to stay prepared for whatever comes his way, but there are days when he likes to dick around and relax. ...Yes, he does actually relax sometimes.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
...ffff probably briefs, if only because how in gods name would you fit anything else under those tights. And not wearing underwear is unsanitary and he is a noble.

Speech

1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Asch is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal in English, the version I prefer on account of the fact that Japanese!Asch sounds like an elderly chainsmoker. He speaks more gruffly than Luke, presumably to make himself sound older. He doesn't do that as much as he used to, though. You can hear it here.

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He's blunt and to the point. Usually loud but not really shouting, though he does raise his voice often enough. Asch talks like he's giving orders D|

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
No noticable accent, but he does deepen his voice a lot to sound older/tougher. The louder he gets, the less smooth his voice becomes.

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
The normal dialect of Auldrant (what is that, modern-day Ispanian or some language without a name? >_>;) and Ancient Ispanian; he's fluent with both.

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Not really either, but Asch is a bit schizophrenic about his speech patterns. He was partially raised as a noble and partially as a soldier, so he sort of acts like both. In a single exchange he can switch between explaining things calmly like a good nobleman, and a soldier giving orders or reprimands to incompetent men.

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He's usually good for on the spot stuff- he was supposed to be king one day, so he was tutored during childhood to speak, act, and think like one. On top of that, he's a God-General - a Locrian Colonel - of an elite group of religious knights, commander of the Special Operatives faction. He knows how to earn respect and power as well as support from people when he needs it. Despite his gruff attitude, people genuinely enjoy working for him most of the time. It's when you have to work with him that it gets tricky.

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Understandable for the most part, if kind of vague when he doesn't feel like explaining things. He gets more inarticulate the angrier he gets, however. He can go from a logical conversation to retorting with nothing but "shut up!" or insults in a heated argument.

Mental and Emotional

1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Both. He has the learning of Luke fon Fabre's youth (as well as years spent in Daath) and the military training + the life of an orphan in a big city, though he had Van to keep an eye on him. He's got plenty of smarts under his belt despite House Fabre having very stupid genes.

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Again, both, depending on the situation. Asch is usually rash and quick to act without giving it much thought; his assumption of not having any time (as he constantly claims) is probably the main reason for that, but really, he's just an irrational person. If it's for something really important, however, he can think on the move and let himself ponder. After Van was defeated at the Absorption Gate, he spent a month traveling the world and investigating the new situation before getting in contact with Luke's group again, and even then it wasn't by his choice, but rather by circumstance and the fact that Luke is an overprotective stalker.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Well... uh. Hard to say? He's logical until it's unconvenient for him, at which point he goes "SCREW IT" and throws logic to the wind. He's definitely practical, though. Idealisms aren't something that can sway his decisions anymore.

4. What kind of education has the character had?
He was home-schooled on the basics of numerous subjects from early childhood until age 10 by private tutors, learning languages, reading and writing, history, geography, etc. As an adult he seems learned enough to have self-taught himself on all of these subjects in Daath (or he had a tutor there, which is possible). He's not a specialist in any particular area, but he's well-rounded.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Swordsmanship and fonic artes. He has control over his hyperresonance (which isn't easy by far) though not to the extent that he can use it in battle, since it's too powerful to contain. If he had more time to sit down and research it himself, he'd probably have attempted to learn as much about fomicry as possible, in an attempt to save himself from dying.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Deeefinitely introvert. You're damn lucky if he lets you in.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
MOOD-SWINGS, MELANCHOLY, DRIVEN. Good words to describe him. ...Well, actually, he's not so much melancholy as broody most of the time. He dwells on the bad and has trouble even considering the good, but he never does it so much that it gets in the way of his goals. Bad things happen, but you move on or you lay down and die. That's the way of the world.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Wary, more like. His normal reaction to new people/surprise encounters tends to be calm and cautious dismissal. If you're not useful to him, you get ignored. If you're useful, you get ordered around. If you don't follow his directions, get out of his way.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Both? Depends on the situation. If it's a social thing, he'll keep to his corner and react accordingly if people bother him. if it's more physical or confrontational, he'll act first and deal with the consequences later. Even if "dealing" = ignoring/wandering off.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Definitely fight. He never retreats and he refuses to back down, even from a life-threatening situation.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
...None of the above? :| He rarely (if ever) laughs, and any of the jokes he makes in canon are at the expense of his replica. Caustic and ironic humour is his forte, and even then it's only during the right circumstances that he'll take a crack at amusing himself.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
The most logical one would be Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, honestly. He has the classic symptoms- flashbacks/nightmares, avoidance (he wouldn't go anywhere near Choral Castle, where he was replicated), disinterest in the past, hyperarousal (tense behaviour, angry outbursts). His lack of desire to connect with anyone indicates that he had difficulty dealing with what happened to him. Additionally his childhood replication fits into four of the numerous causes that can lead to PTSD: kidnapping, torture, being a hostage, and physical assault. Hell, even as a result he was technically diagnosed with a life-threatening illness so that's five.

As for dealing with it, he... mostly just ignores it. He's not the type to seek help.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
-His promise to Natalia was a huge factor in his devotion to the world.
-His kidnapping/replication was what caused his problems and began his spiral of hatred, resentment, and anger.
-The moment where he saw his family replace him with the replica, accepting Van's plans for him and taking on the name of "Asch", is when he started to become angry and bitter about his life.
-His argument with Luke in Grand Chokmah before Eldrant made him begin to doubt his and Luke's roles in each others' lives; it was also the first time Asch was really honest with Luke about his feelings, despite how the fight ended.
-His battle with Luke in Eldrant and his subsequent (fatal) encounter with the replica Oracle Knights helped him finally acknowledge Luke as more than just a copy, and at the same time he was able to reclaim his identity, if only for himself, in the last hour of his life.

14. What does he fear?
I'd say complete rejection; he's already experienced the loss of his family and friends, and he has difficulty making new friends or reconnecting with the past.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He doesn't have either, really. He has goals, but they're not the same thing. He used to dream about becoming king and making his father acknowledge him (and be proud) but their strangled relationship and Asch's change of heart has really ruined that dream for him.

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
fff. Besides everything? ...Okay, probably the main thing he won't tell most people is that he was dying; the idea that his body - and his power, the thing he treasured so much - is deteriorating really grinds his gears, but also it stressed him out a lot over the course of canon. Being a teenager with frequent heart attacks just can't be good for one's physical or mental wellbeing.

Relationships

1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Not good. As a child Asch sought the love and respect from his father, but never really got it; Fabre refused to love his son out of fear of losing him to the Score, not that he bothered to tell the poor kid until their last meeting ever. His mother was sick often during his childhood, but she loved him and he still adores her (he's a total momma's boy and will do anything for her).

Currently his relationship with them both is practically nonexistent, though he did visit them under duress and sort of made amends with his father. It's awkward and strained and he doesn't like to talk about it.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
None officially. The closest he has is Luke, his replica. Their relationship is strained and far from brotherly, though Asch has come a long way from their first few meetings, during which Asch's main goal was "death to the dreck".

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
The main branch of the royal family- namely, King Ingobert and Natalia, his uncle and cousin, respectively. He's not particularly close to Ingobert as far as we've seen (in the manga he gives the man one hell of a nasty look for trying to have Natalia executed) and it's obvious that he favours Natalia over his uncle.

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Not so much family, but worth noting:

-Ramdas is the family butler, someone who had been with the Fabres since before Asch was born. He took care of the household affairs, and with Fabre often acting as Ingobert's advisor (judging by how often he's leaving to go to the castle in-game) and Susanne frequently ill, it's likely that Asch saw an awful lot of Ramdas during his childhood.

-Guy was Asch's personal servant from the day he was employed until the kidnapping; though he didn't know it at the time and Guy didn't reciprocate his feelings, Guy was very precious to Asch during those few years, a constant companion and brother upon whom he could depend. More on them below.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Natalia and Guy are probably tied for this one. Natalia is very precious to him, someone he grew up with, shared a special promise with, and was engaged to. He found her bossy and chose to play with Guy instead sometimes, but in the end he still accepted her as his wife-to-be, and after seven years of separation he carried a continual fondness for her, so she does mean a great deal to him. Guy was his servant, and to Asch, a friend, someone close to his age to hang out with and rely on within a stern and sometimes unfriendly household.

6. Does he have other close friends?
In my fanon he was relatively close to Ginji- not exactly friends (though it's very likely on Ginji's part, considering how much he canonly supports him) but Asch trusted him and cared about his wellbeing. They were definitely allies, otherwise Asch would not have traveled with him constantly and slept in his presence. That takes trust.

Additionally the Dark Wings are those rare types where he'll actually put up with their teasing and abuse the hell out of their resourcefulness. They have a definite affection for him- why else would they tolerate his behaviour? He's a terrible employer.

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
HAHAHAHAHA no. No, he does not make friends easily, yes he has trouble getting along with people. This is why there's only a handful of people he'll actually work with in canon, and half the time getting him to cooperate with anyone is like pulling teeth. Many, many of his social interactions with people involve teeth-clenching, bitching, and stomping off after the fact.

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
They both are pretty equal in their non-importance compared to The Mission. However, Natalia, his mother, and Guy (due to all the Luceti development) are three people he would do absolutely anything for.

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
He was engaged to Natalia, but he's more or less broken off said engagement. Dead men don't marry princesses, and murderers don't become kings, in his opinion.

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
He's in a complicated relationship with Guy right now. It definitely makes life interesting. :|;;

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Natalia was obviously the first. Guy would be the most obvious for "latest" but since they've been hooked up for a while now, idk. He doesn't really do casual crushes.

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Oh lordy. Asch doesn't actively look for a partner, nor does he expect one. But what suits him is the following:

Patience. Above all else, patience. He knows that he's a handful; he's rude, inconsiderate, rash, bad-tempered. He insults people, disrespects or outright ignores nearly everyone, and bristles like he's been electrocuted if you tease or insult him. He's stubborn, he's needy, he clams up under pressure. He's a brat. He doesn't understand the sort of basic social behaviour that everyone with a normal childhood ought to know. He has the countenance of a soldier. Asch needs someone to balance all his faults and show him what it means to be normal. He needs someone who will push him, but not too far, someone who can understand him and accept him for who he is.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
lol no. He has a replica that he abuses at all opportunities. Whether or not he wants kids... well, it's not something he puts much thought into. He has no desire to continue the Fabre line, and he doesn't want to burden Natalia with dealing with his bullshit anymore, plus he's already with Guy... he's resigned to not having any, and it's probably for the best. His confidence in his ability to be a decent father is pretty much nonexistent.

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Luke is as close as it gets to a rival; his equal in all things physical (even hyperresonance, with the way his own powers have degenerated), his superior in social skills... yeah, he resents everything Luke is, even after learning to tolerate (and sometimes appreciate) his existence.

Van is his real enemy, the man Asch wants to kill, since he knows that's what it'll take to stop him. It pisses him off whenever anyone (eg. Luke) implies that he deserves anything less.

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Honestly, Asch is pretty straight. Guy is this bizarre exception, the crafty devil. Between one and two I guess?

16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
He... likes it? Well, he learned to. Also learned a number of things about himself he likes bottoming lolol. It's not exactly crucial, he can easily live without it and didn't give it much thought while he was growing up, since he had other things to stress about without bringing relationships into the equation. But if he gets blueballs he's liable to defenestrate a baby, so it's better to just smut him up and send him on his way.

17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
His neck is pretty sensitive, and he likes getting his ear nibbled, he's weird. Also if you pamper and play with his hair he'll fuss and melt like a chocolate bar in the sun. It's his true weakness, that.

Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Astrological and zodiacal stuff doesn't fit the TotA world very well because of the 13 month calendar, 58-60 days per month. The general belief is that he's a December baby (since his birth is the latter half of the last month), which puts him in the following:

Capricorn - listed as practical, prudent, ambitious, discliplined, careful, reserved, pessimistic, fatalistic, miserly, grudging. ...Well, some fit and some don't :|;; but for the most part, it's actually pretty accurate.

Rat - quiet, aggressive, self-contained and don't confide in people, mean and narrow-minded, stubborn, confident, protective. Yeah, the rat is definitely Asch's type.

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
He was a part of the religious military, but not really a devout believer- he was fine with overthrowing it and completely destroying the entire religion of his world; I think it's safe to assume he's not very religious. He was prophesized to die thousands of years before he was even born, and that puts a slight damper on any desire he might have to worship the Score.

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Despite the fact that he's essentially a professional killer, Asch is surprisingly a just and moral person. He's a bitch and a total hypocrite, but he's so damn noble sometimes, I want to smack him upside the head for being so bipolar. He promised to sacrifice thousands of replicas and kill himself in order to save the world from death. It's noble and stupid and horrible and prejudiced- goddammit, Asch. You're such a bad person sometimes. But in a good way at the same time jaskhdsf SEE.

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He thinks that anyone who devoutly believes and follows the Score is an idiot, mostly because of his personal experience- the fact that the Score can be so easily broken by replication, for one. He also disagrees vehemently with following any law or rule that might conflict with someone's personal feelings, such as, say, killing your only daughter (whom you love very much) because she's not biologically yours or something :| He's not the least bit tolerant of anything he disagrees with, and he won't hesitate to say as much. Otherwise, he's pretty much indifferent. Don't ask, don't tell, that sort of thing. Religion and moral issues don't interest him much.

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
He has an irrational hatred of replicas- all of them. He wouldn't go on a killing spree or hurt/abuse them or anything (except Luke, he can abuse his own replica all he likes), but he's tolerant at best. He was fine with letting ten thousand of them die with him on the Tower of Rem and he was the only one who didn't seem to give a damn that they were dying.

Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Asch probably made a decent living as one of the top-ranking generals of the army, but since he was dismissed for his conduct, he's been living on the go without any way of making money for a year or so, and he's been paying a mercenary group to work for him, it's safe to assume money is a little tight for him.

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
Over the course of his life, he's been:
-a duke's son and the tertiary heir to his kingdom's throne
-an Oracle Knight trainee
-a general of an entire squad of trained soldiers
-a rogue warrior on the run and informant to the "main heroes"

Yeah his status has been all over the place. As for how it's affected him... the replication business has been pretty much covered already. There doesn't seem to be much of an adverse effect on him in regards to the whole murder lifestyle, but with Asch it's difficult to tell. He has issues to spare, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if he has a number of skeletons in his closet in relation to his career.

3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
In Auldrant, Asch doesn't really have a home. He lives in and out of the Albiore III and sleeps during travel time. His old room in Daath was probably neat and mostly empty; it was never home for him, just a spot to sleep and live in between missions and training.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Paying for his expensive mercenary threesome and their cool car :| And fuel for the Albiore III I guess. idk.

5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He used to be a professional killer/spy, essentially. He was very good at it. He doesn't enjoy it, but what can you do? Mind you, he doesn't do it anymore, and he wouldn't go back to it if he had the choice. Honestly he'd rather have grown up properly and become king, but he doesn't want that now, either.

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
...Training. And more training. He wanders and explores quite a bit, spies around and lurks in the journal system. Dammit Asch get a real hobby.

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He eats regularly enough, or as much as possible with the sort of life he lives. If he were to skip any meal it'd be lunch, and he drinks occasionally but only when Guy lets him |D

For foods, he likes chicken and desserts (cherries), hates carrots and seafood.

Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:

1. Color? Red
2. Smell? Campfire
3. Time of day? Dusk
4. Season? Autumn
5. Book? Don Quixote. The tale of the noble idiot D|
6. Music? Promise. Guh. So pretty and sad. Even with the intro because he's chaotic like that.
7. Place? Baticul, because it's where he belongs.
8. Substance? Blood. It was a given.
9. Plant? Poinsettias. Red and green and Christmasy, woo.
10. Animal? COCKATIEL. 8|

END
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