application :: saïx [au] :: betenoire_rp

[strikeraids]

Note: Because of the nature of this character's Alternate Universe, I filled out the Original Character Supplement section.

1. Player Information
Name (or internet handle): Malathyne
Current characters in Bete Noire: n/a

2. Character Information
Name: Saïx
Livejournal Username: bringthefates
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Image: [here]
Reserve: [here]

3. Character Information II
Age/Appearance:
Canonically, it's difficult to pin down Saïx's age because we aren't given any hard numbers. However, it can be assumed that, in Birth by Sleep, Isa and Lea were not much older than Ventus, so they could be put in the 15-17 range. Add ten years on to that (the time between Birth By Sleep and the rest of the events of the series), and that would put Saïx at an estimated 25-27 age range. (He may be from an Alternate Universe, but the timelines still match up.)

Saïx, who stands at six foot even, has cold golden eyes and long light blue hair which reaches just past his shoulder blades. Though most of it is kept tucked behind the hood of his Organization coat (a long black affair with a large zipper, a hood that can entirely obscure the face, and a chain clasp stretching between the hood's drawstrings), in the front it frames his face in long locks. At the top, it feathers, and in the back of the top it even stands away from his head. His ears are pointed and occupied by simple white studs. There is also a prominent scar in the shape of an “X” on his face crossing directly between his eyes and stretching out halfway up his forehead and partly down onto his cheeks. The origin of this scar is canonically unknown. ([reference picture])

History:
[wikia]
What makes this Saïx Alternate Universe is the change of only one game in the Kingdom Hearts series. Saïx's actions in 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts II are the same, but his Somebody is not from Radiant Garden. Instead, he is from an original world, and instead of being named Isa, Saïx was originally known as Aïs. Axel's Somebody, too, originates from the same world, and he was named Lae instead of Lea as in Birth by Sleep.

Personality:
Saïx is a solitary person. He doesn't like to be around people, and, to be honest, he's kind of socially awkward. He hasn't had a lot of experience with people outside of controlling and/or using them for his own goals for the past ten years, so he simply doesn't know what to do with them outside of that scope. He's typically not a great conversationalist, but if someone gets him on the right topic (such as his beliefs), he talks a surprising amount. It isn't that he has trouble figuring out what to say; there's something elegant about the way he talks, but when it comes to personal topics, that's where he flounders and gets frustrated. (English/Kingdom Hearts Common is not his first language, so when it comes to personal things, he wants to default to his native tongue, with which he finds easier to express himself.)

When it comes to work, he prefers to do it alone. He can work with others if he absolutely must, but it isn't uncommon for there to be tension. He's not the easiest person to get along with, after all. He is independent and stubborn, preferring (and needing) to take care of himself and his own. He'll accept help, though... but only grudgingly. He's smart enough to recognize when it'd be most beneficial to work in a group, and he will do so if it's the best course of action. He's very intelligent and observant. He takes in everything, details and big picture, and he saves it all in his memory so he can calmly pick and choose from this arsenal which weapon is best to use for his desired effect.

An introvert, he needs the space to sort himself out, and the space to think, and to be by himself, and to recharge after being with people, and to lick his wounds, and... so on and so forth. When it comes to personal issues, he closes himself off; it doesn't typically occur to him to turn to others for help, and when it does, he doesn't want to ask for help. They're his problems and his alone; it's nobody else's business what he's struggling with thinking about.

One of the first things people notice about Saïx is that he is quiet, aloof, detached. He just gives off an air of being unapproachable; he's intimidating without trying to be, which suits him just fine, as it means people are going to keep their distance. Underneath his icy calm, though, is the memory of a lot of passion. Saïx was once a person who felt emotions very strongly, to the point that they could (and, in the case of the especially powerful emotions such as anger, often did) overwhelm him. Though that was many years ago and before he was a Nobody, it means that he is an intense person, even without emotions. Anger was a key emotion (and his darkness) for him, one that he had difficulty keeping in check. He would easily get caught up in and act on it maliciously, relentlessly, with no mercy, regardless of who it was, both physically and verbally (whichever fits the circumstances, whichever would hurt more).

He is the type of person who would, if he had emotions, act entirely on impulse and little restraint while and after being overwhelmed. This is the complete opposite of his normal (and his personally desired) behavior. This is the main reason why control became such an important concept to him at a young age that it stayed with him even when those overwhelming emotions are gone. In the end, everything comes down to control for him. So help him, he will have control of every situation he's involved in; at the very least, he will have control over himself.

This is also where it becomes the most obvious he is a bully. If you don't go in a direction he wants you to, he will make you go. He will find some way to herd you where he wants you to go, even if he has to pull out all of his arsenal to do so... unless he decides you're just not the effort, and in that case, you're in luck; he'll ignore lost causes and people useless to him. Failing that... well... He'll try to get rid of you. He'll find some way to get you out of the situation.

It wouldn't be a stretch to call him underhanded and manipulative, because he is -- not in his eyes, though, of course. He has no qualms about hitting below the belt; in fact, he often aims low. Being observant the way he is, he knows just where it hurts most (and if not, he can hazard a few guesses until he finds it), and if it will get the reaction/end result he wants, he’ll rarely hesitate to do it. It’s not a question of morals to him: The ends justify the means. This further proves that he is goal-oriented to a fault; if something does not relate to his ambitions, he discards and degrades (but does not forget) it, and he will not put out any effort into something like that. This often applies to people and conversations as well, only adding to his anti-social nature.

He is opportunistic and flexible when it comes to his plans; surprisingly, despite his issues with control, he is not the type to micromanage. He instead has the mindset of someone playing a game with pawns. He looks at his goal and he looks at what he has to work with. He analyzes the people around him to see how they think, what they want, what they're willing to do to get it. He steps in, talks to people, does what is necessary to set up the pieces... then steps back and says "go." He watches as it all acts out, only making adjustments when problems arise. He is more than willing to sit back and watch events unfold. In fact, in many ways he prefers this, as it's less stressful and less work for him. This way, he can tweak things here and there without having to dictate the whole situation.

He plans everything ahead, even in the midst of conversation: he predicts your reactions and plans, and while you're getting riled up by his sniping, he’ll stay calm and collected, cool as you please. You lunge at him and he’s got you where he wants you, and it only takes a sidestep and a well-placed extended foot and he’s got you tripping and falling headlong into the result he desires.

Of course, if he doesn’t get his desired reaction, he’ll try again until it’s clear it won’t work, and then changes tactics, finally abandoning subtlety for blunt, uncensored honesty. This sniping is more than second nature to him; he just does it reflexively, sometimes without being aware of how cruel he’s acting until afterward (not that he cares anyway)... And no one is exempt from it. Even if he means to simply make a joke, it will often come across as him mocking someone.

Despite all of this, he rarely outright insults someone. He may think “fool” or “weak,” but he isn't likely to say it in so few words, unless he's putting on a show. When he insults you, you know it; it’s clear what he’s saying when he says it. When he wants his message to be understood, he'll make sure it is understood, though he thinks he is being overtly obvious when he does so.

This is because so, so much of him is subtle. What he really means when he speaks, the true message behind his tone and body language, the conclusion he wants you to draw from his actions… It’s all there, if you can figure out what he’s driving at. Though he’s often awkward in his social interactions, there’s something elegant and calculated in every little thing he does and says. He thinks before every word he speaks and movement he makes, and everything he does has reason. This also means, though, that often he's too subtle for his own good; most of the time, his underlying messages go unnoticed or are misunderstood. Thinking that the little details are obvious (or should be to those he believes know him well), he expects people to read his mind, and he scorns those who don't understand what he says and does.

Hierarchy is important to him. Saïx keeps a mental track who ranks where; this is basically his way of saying "this person takes priority over this person" and "I interact this way with this person for maximum effect." Around those who rank high in his system, he acts more cautiously and with more respect. Those who rank low, on the other hand, are largely ignorable. There are three factors that determine their rank: how much Saïx respects them, how powerful (and dangerous) they are, and of how much use they are or could be. While he keeps a keen eye on the obvious hierarchy (who runs the company and who does the grunt work), he just makes sure to keep such things in consideration of his own hierarchy. While he may seem to adhere to an existing hierarchy, in reality, he's just using it to further his own cause.

Along those lines, while he is mindful of rules, what's really important to him are the people who enforce the rules. The following metaphor fits his mindset here: "If the sign says 'Don’t Walk on Grass,' you’ll do it anyway if it’s on your grandmother’s front lawn. If it’s on your paranoid neighbor’s lawn, you won’t because you know he’ll call the cops. It’s all about what you can get away with and who you aren’t afraid of disobeying" (credit here). Because of this attitude, he can seem fearless and even careless at times, where in his mind, he is simply saving time (and, sometimes, showing off, for he is very prideful) by cutting corners and obeying the true rules. When he needs to be, he is incredibly perceptive about the way he is viewed, and he will use this to his every advantage. However, he cares very little about what other people think about him; if someone dislikes him, it won't so much as bruise his (metaphorical) heart. They can think what they want; what he thinks of himself is much more important to him, and that is all the validation he ever needs.

This heavily contrasts many of the protagonists of Kingdom Hearts, who rely on their friends for their validation. Another aspect of his personality that mirrors the protagonists' is the issue of trust. Where the trust of Sora, Roxas, etc. is fairly easy to earn, Saïx is much more difficult to win over. Respect is something he is willing to give out to those who prove themselves, but trust gives someone a pass to his weaknesses and grants them the power to hurt him. Respect is safe; respect designates that someone is worthy of his attention, and likely that they are (at least potentially) dangerous. Trust is not something he is often willing to risk; he ultimately values himself and his well-being above all else, and he will stop at nothing to protect himself. He keeps the most important parts of who he is locked close to his chest until you’ve done something -- usually you won’t know it, and it will catch him off-guard -- that makes him feel comfortable enough to take the risk.

Like his respect, his trust is not something he freely gives out; it is something that must be earned. There are tests, basically, to earn and keep his trust, though he does not typically set them up (they are very situational) and sometimes even he doesn’t realize it’s a test until he finds himself waiting for someone to “make the right decision” or “give the right answer.” These are pretty much sink or swim tests. Sink, and so does his level of trust; swim, and it increases. Between these tests and his difficult personality, getting close to him a pain and a half, and, to be honest, that's exactly how he likes it. It is possible, but it takes someone very determined and special to break through the walls he's built around himself.

Once someone passes the level of "tolerance" to "friendship," though... It's not so much a whole new side of him opens up, it's more like he extends to them the privileges he keeps for himself -- His protection, his protectiveness, and his loyalty. His attitude around His People is more relaxed, and this is when he can be seen as almost friendly. He’s always calm, but when he trusts you and is in a good mood, he’s almost… peaceful. These are the people he's comfortable around, so they're the ones he trusts with all of himself.

Once he’s relaxed, his other sides can be lured out -- the hidden ones that are still very much him. His behavior when he's with His People in private can actually be shocking if someone who knows him otherwise manages to stumble upon it. The ease with which he conducts himself in such situations is completely unseen or unheard of elsewhere. He can be gentle, even playful and affectionate, if you can believe it. These secret sides harken back to another day, back before he lost his heart.

However, Saïx has changed immensely since those days, and it shows even when he's with His People. He's still not so good at playing nice, so his teasing can be rougher than he means for it to be. He doesn't mean them any harm. The playful bite just winds up being harder than he intends. He'll mean to tease and joke instead of cut down, but he’ll say what he’d normally say if it was a normal snipe… (It’s usually with the people he cares about that he doesn’t realize he’s sniping because he doesn't mean to snipe them, and then only maybe sometimes he regrets it. If they're really, really upset, maybe.)

He looks after His People. This can be an obsession point of his if there's nothing else for him to do or take care of, which... just makes things worse when His People get crossed. The safety and happiness of His People comes first and foremost, right up there along with his own. In his mind, they are in some ways an extension of himself; their well-being is his and visa versa, all collectively as a unit. (This is also why Saïx needs to be able to be proud of His People, and he needs to be able to work with them and trust them to follow orders.)

His controlling nature shows its face here in that Saïx makes sure he knows what's going on in their lives so he can protect and support them if necessary, but everything he does (save for his asking His People outright what's going on), all the reconnaissance and observing, is kept under wraps. It's easy to not see him coming, and he likes to keep it that way. Contradictorily, he is also not the type to interfere in the personal lives of His People; he'll keep tabs on what's going on, but that's just so he can help when they need it. Oh, he lets them make their own mistakes so they can learn from them. He just doesn't allow anyone to mess with them. (His controlling nature, like his sniping, has foundation in his days as a human, but being a Nobody for so many years have only made it worse.)

He is also territorial and possessive; what's his is his, though he doesn’t lay claim to much (he can make do with very little, but that “very little” is essential to his stability). His subtlety comes into play here, too. He will rarely come out and declare something his, but he will do little things to mark what’s his and tie it closer to him (these “little things” can often be considered underhanded because of how subtle and difficult to notice they are; again, he expects people to read his mind). Do not try to take what’s his or encroach on his personal space, because that is one of the triggers of his angry, vengeful side, and he will hold on to grudges until the ends of the universe. This goes doubly so if someone betrays his trust after they have earned it; the closer someone is to him, the harsher the backlash. His anger and wrath will know no bounds. He may not strike out immediately, but he will be out to get revenge, have no doubt.

Sexual Preferences/Orientation:
Saïx doesn't put a label on his sexuality; to him, that simply doesn't matter. He is attracted to who he is attracted to, and he doesn't think twice about it. He doesn't care about sex; he is a virgin, but he has no interest in it. Sex has never had anything to do with his goals in the past, so he has pretty much ignored it, as well as any sexual urges he has had. (Some may call him repressed... and they might be right.)

Powers:
Saïx has high endurance (read as: hit points) and strength, and an even higher chance to hit where it hurts the most (read as: do even more damage when he lands a critical hit). His defense and attack speed are less than average, and he is not very skilled with spells at all.

He wields a weapon called a claymore (even though it is very obviously nothing like a real claymore). The signature - and his preferred - form of his weapon is the Lunatic. He can summon his weapon out of nothingness and dismiss it similarly. He can channel his magic through his weapon to draw out another form, one with extended blades of energy, and to create shock waves of moon magic to puncture the ends of his attacks. When he externalizes his magic in this way, blue-gray auras are formed around himself and his weapon.

There is a reserve of magic he keeps just in case his health drops to extreme lows and he needs to fight his way out of a corner. When he taps into this reserve, he activates his Limit Break, Berserking. In this state, he uses the magic of the moon to enhance his body (his strength, defense, and speed increase, he shrugs off pain unless it is in large quantities, his fingernails grow to claws, his teeth sharpening to canines, his eyes turning pure yellow, his scar mutating hideously), and he rampages. Everything about him seems to change then; his calm, cool attitude explodes into relentless fury as he tears into his enemies, and it is during this time that he adds shock waves to the ends of his attacks. In the presence of extraneous moon magic (such as that exuded by the Kingdom Hearts created by the Organization), he does not need to drop to low health to activate his berserked state; all he needs to do is refill his magic with that radiating from the moon, and once he is recharged, he can rage anew. (This does not work nearly in the presence of the regular moon; the replenishing of his magic moves at a much slower pace.)

This berserking is something he has always been able to do, ever since he was a child, though he hardly knew how to refine the moon magic surging through him, as young as he was. When he had a heart, it was a very passionate one, and so this state was often triggered by heightened emotions (anger being the most common), and he had difficulty controlling it. As he grew older and received training, he learned how to reign in his emotions and his power, thus figuring out to save the restore of magic for him to activate in times of need. As he slowly regains the ability to feel emotion, he will have to remaster them again, and it will once again be more likely that his berserking will be triggered by extreme emotion. (More information regarding his berserking can be found in the World History section.)

Saïx also has the ability to open pathways to the Realm of Darkness. These pathways are called Corridors of Darkness, and he used these in canon to travel between worlds and smaller distances. However, within the restraints of Bete Noire, he will only be able to use them within the city (and, should he leave to explore the rest of the world around it, that limitation will extend to only that world; he cannot, however, leave the city using a Corridor). He wears the Organization's signature black coat to protect himself from the Darkness while he travels it. Canonically, he can also summon Lesser Nobodies and Heartless, but this power can be nerfed if the mods wish it so.

Reason for playing:
Saïx, despite being a Nobody and thus not having emotions, is a complex, imperfect character. He is solitary, goal-oriented to a fault, manipulative, and cruel if it so suits him. This Alternate Universe version of him also has a deep past that gives him a surprisingly elegant outlook on life, one that provides him a sense of belonging and certainty in his position in the universe. His duality is what draws me to him: he is emotionless, but his Limit Break relies on an appearance of rage; he is manipulative and controlling, but doesn't micro-manage; he speaks words of cruelty as encouragement... and he has issues regarding trust and his past that he refuses to believe he has. Bete Noire is the perfect setting for exploring this AU Saïx and his deeper nature, for making him face it as well as his past, and I'm curious to see how he will handle it.

I am also interested in playing him here for the fact that he is a Nobody and the city will slowly, through a character arc, rectify that he cannot feel emotion. I imagine it will give him whatever emotions will allow him to have darker desires (and those that will urge him to give into them), and from there it would just snowball (as one emotion always leads into another) until he has, in essence, a fully-formed heart. Upon so recently regaining emotions again, he will still think he has the ultimate control over them. He doesn't understand the heart or emotions at all, and he has trouble identifying a lot of them. This will be the source of a lot of frustration for him, because he'll be confused as to what he's feeling and why he can't control any of it. He has a lot of learning to do, and this kind of character development really interests me, as it would let me explore different facets of his personality (as he deals with those emotions) slowly.

4. Original Character Alternate Universe Supplement
World History:
In this alternate universe, the main events and players of the Kingdom Hearts series exist as they do in canon. The primary difference in Saïx's story is that Ventus did not meet Isa and Lea in Radiant Garden, as they were not there to encounter. Instead, the Somebodies of Axel and Saïx were on another world, and they were known as Lae and Aïs, respectively. Their home world was different, and this, in turn, changes the way they look at the universe and themselves.

Their home world was a simple one, not unlike Earth. Maybe the colors of things were different; Saïx remembers prairies of silver grass, for example (though it was that particular species of grass that was silver), and, let's face it, Saïx has (and had) blue hair. But the atmosphere, the more-water-than-land, the humans -- all the same. The main difference was the existence of magic.

The typical Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy spells exist, of course, but the usage of magic was a matter of culture. Whereas the civilizations across the sea utilized that kind of magic, the people of Aïs's tribe did not, instead calling to and communing with the spirits around them for guidance.

Aïs was born into a tribe of sedentary people who lived on the plains. The culture of these people was similar to that of the Native Americans, especially in their respect for all things on the world."A principal tenant of our belief is that all things are connected and we are related to all things in the circle. All things on Earth Mother and all things in the Universe are capable of being Spirit Guides. Why? Because [all things in creation have spiritual energy]. All things are connected and worthy of our respect and reverence. All things of creation are equal and necessary, worthy of respect and honor. Our way is to seek balance and harmony within the complex tapestry of life called the Great Circle of Life. As we move within the circle, we emphasize these truths:

Everything on earth is alive;
Everything on earth has purpose;
Everything on earth is connected;
Everything on earth is to be embraced.

Each thing on Earth Mother and each thing in the Universe has its own particular appearance, traits and other distinguishing qualities. In a general way, we can draw certain lessons from these traits and qualities for each object or thing in the universe. Truly, the intellect of animal is different from that of man. Animals are taught differently and speak in different ways. When intelligence is measured in human terms, the animal does not fair well, but if the test were reversed, humans would fail to measure up to animal standards."

(credit)
Aïs's people did not believe in a god or a creator. They did not believe in a beginning of existence or an end of time. They believed in an All had always existed and would always exist. When someone died, their spirit did not leave and transcend or fall to another plane of existence; they are a part of All, as much as everyone is a part of All. (They did, however, believe in an "otherworld" of sorts, one where spirits are visible as they truly are. Often, this otherworld is visited in dreams and by shamans in meditation.) "Everything on earth is connected." "Everything on earth has purpose." There is nothing of nature that is inherently evil or inherently good; it is all about balance. It was possible to become disconnected from All to varying degrees for many many reasons, and that was the true source of wrongdoings in the world; where there is imbalance, there is suffering. These were teachings heavily stressed to the people of Aïs's village.

However, this also means that they did not believe that concepts traditionally considered "evil" by other cultures truly were evil... such as darkness. Unlike the cultures of the colonies moving in, they saw nothing to be feared of the darkness. To them, darkness was associated with the night, and thus it was linked to the passage of the sun and the moon. "The sun disappears in the west, sinking behind the western mountains and so slipping into the mythic darkness of the [other]world," wrote Clyde W. Ford in his book The Hero with an African Face. "The [other]world journey of the sun is, then, specifically related to the cycles of death and renewal in life: the daily round of human consciousness from the light world of day to the dark world of dream and back again; the planting of seeds in the fertile darkness of the earth, or the female womb; or the journey of the human soul must take on its way to realizing its own divine nature." This leads to Aïs's belief of darkness not being a thing of evil, not a thing to be feared; it, too, is a part of All, and is to embraced and accepted.

All the same, the people of his tribe associated the darkness with the unknown. At night, one cannot see the predators sneaking up to attack. It is easy to lose one's way and wander in the darkness, to fall off the path one means to walk upon. It is in those times that one must follow one's heart and one's spirit guide. In Aïs's case, he was taught to look to the sky, where there was indeed still light to see by: the light of the moon and the stars. Aïs's tribe saw the progression of night and day as a story of survival and balance, one that people are meant to draw strength from. It was a lesson used to explain how all must work together to make it through life, through the night and the day.The sun illuminates the world, and gives it warmth, life, and protection from the cold and the darkness. But the sun tires, it, too, can grow weak, like we mortals, and so it must rest. In its absence, the darkness comes and takes the world, disguised as the harmless night, which hides from our eyes all that is familiar to us. But in the deepest darkness, the moon shines. It shines the brightest where the sun has gone away. But, as the sun does, as the mortals do, the moon, too, weakens, slowly, and will withdraw upon itself into its shell to recover. But the darkness is not complete, not even then, for there are the stars. They are small lights, yes, but they are many in number, and draw strength and power from one another. Together, the stars provide enough light for the weary and the fearful so they may find their way back.

And, just as the sun rises to return to the sky, just as the mortals pick themselves up and dusts themselves off to walk again, the moon, too, returns. Slower, perhaps, to come out of its shell, but it will shine again, bright as ever, when its time comes. The sun, the moon, and the stars take their turns. They are all weak, they all falter, just as we do, but when they work together, they provide the balance to help those who are lost and support for their fellows so they may rest to shine again another day. The sun is bright, but it can only light the world for so long. The moon is shy, the moon is slow to trust, but it is reliable for it is there when the darkness is deepest. The stars are consistent, the stars are small, but together, they find strength.
Important to his tribe, also, was the guidance of the spirits. Every person in the tribe had a spirit guide, usually an animal, but occasionally there would be those who would be bonded to others, such as the celestial bodies (like in Aïs's case). This spirit was more than just something to identify with; it was more about learning from it life lessons, finding guidance from its wisdom during difficult times. There were many ways to follow spirit guides. Some people would stay with one their whole lives; the guides of others would change throughout their life as they grew and changed; there were those who had one main spirit guide and then another that would change depending on the challenges they faced. There was no right or wrong way, as it was all about what worked for the individual, what helped them adjust to life changes, what helped them become better people as time went on.

A person's name reflected the stage of life they were at and the relationship they had with those around them. When a child was first born, their parents would give them two names: a birth name, one they would be called by family and close friends, and a tribal name, one the community would know them as until their coming-of-age ceremony in their teenage years. In this tribe, a person came of age when they found their spirit guide, typically after a dream, meditation session, or life challenge. At their coming-of-age ceremony, a true name would be chosen for them (either by themselves or by someone close to them), one that suitably reflects the core of who they are and often relating to their magic. Their tribal name would then be discarded (used sometimes as a surname of sorts, an identifier, because sometimes names are repeated throughout history and within the tribe), and their true name was would be the name they were called for the rest of their life, unless they become someone highly acclaimed. In such cases, a title was bestowed upon the person, and with it, a kind of "crown name."

A person's crown name is the most formal of the types of names, a sign of respect; a person's birth name is the most personal of the names, only used by close family (usually parents and siblings) and the closest of friends. To use someone's true name when they have a crown name is extremely disrespectful (except in the company of loved ones), but not nearly as much as using someone's birth name without permission. The latter case is the worst insult one can do any person. (Saïx never reveals his birth name.)

The language of his people was a deeply complex thing and hard consonants were not as common as soft ones. It was an artful language, one that takes the concepts of connotations and context to an extreme not found in, say, English. Each word is vague, with one or two main meanings and then layers upon layers of connotations. In order to specify a certain definition, one would string together several words with the same or similar connotations. One can also define many words at once this way, and this is how one sentence can mean many, many things at the same time. For example, a word for “light” would also mean the sun, fire, stars, knowledge, realization, and awakening. Where in English there are separate words for these things (sunlight, starlight, to dawn), in Aïs's language, it would all be one word. The context and tone of that word would specify which meaning is intended.

It took Saïx a long time to adjust to Common; to him, it is very confining, and there are times where he would be very frustrated with it if he could be. To use a friend's analogy, for Saïx, speaking Common is like playing a piece meant to be on violin on a piano. The notes are the same, but the feel is different, as is the sound and the emotion of it. The language of the Silver Plains Tribe is meant to be a symphony. If one wants to get a certain meaning -- a certain chord -- across, one has to have several instruments placing certain notes.

His native language has shaped his thought patterns to be fluid, descriptive, and often times metaphorical. His conversational speech patterns, on the other hand, are blunt and straightforward; though he speaks few words, they are ripe with meaning. But if he is asked to describe something, it will lengthen again, returning to the flowing and symbolic style in which his thoughts are in.

As mentioned above, Aïs's tribe was very peace-oriented. This was because they believed in the proverb, “I am because we are, we are because I am.” Basically, as summarized in The Hero with an African Face, "For when I see that my existence is predicated on others' and their existence is predicated on mine, then I must also see that doing violence to others is doing violence to myself." (This is why a selfae's violent nature - explained below - stands out so much and causes so much concern to his people.) They did not believe in war, but that did not mean they wouldn't defend themselves if they were attacked. Their strategy, however, was to incapacitate their enemy by delivering non-lethal blows and then holding them prisoner until a peace arrangement was made with the other side.

Aïs's people also believed that, should someone die with unfinished business or strong unresolved feelings, their spirit could be weighted by it and kept from properly connecting with All. If these are especially negative, they become spirits called aera, which plague the people the spirit once knew in life. It is a shaman's responsibility to bring aera to peace so they may return to All's embrace and move on in the Great Circle. After the arrival of Heartless on their world, the tribe believed that they were physical manifestations of the aera of the tribal and colonial people who were dying in the battles against each other. The strength of their agony while dying was so great that it led to their taking of physical form.

Everything in All has magic. People are born with magic, and it is part of what helps tie them to All; even if they never use their magic, it is still there. They believed there are those who are born with "chaotic" magic, for where there is peace and stability, there is chaos to balance it. Instead of helping connecting these people to All, it pushes them away from it, making them disconnected from the start. These people are called selfae, as children they are called selfaerayel. Once a selfaerayel is identified, usually as a toddler due to episodes of violence and skill in magic beyond their age, they are given to an elder specially chosen to raise them. This elder is given the title oba-sey and is responsible for helping the child learn to control themselves, connect with All, and generally grow into a happy, productive adult. Aïs was a selfaerayel, which was why, if he had to explain himself as a child, he would say he was a "troubled youth." Aïs's -- and thus Saïx's -- "chaotic magic" is the source of his berserk mode.

The truth behind his chaotic magic is that it's unstable. Whereas the magic of most people remains steady and constant except for when it's being used or replenished, the chaotic magic of a selfae jumps back and forth from very high points to very low points, often with little to no warning. These jumps can be triggered by strong surges of emotions, which is what causes his issues as a child. However, if he replenishes his magic regularly, these jumps are lessened and even neutralized, depending on how recently he "fed." All magic needs to be replenished; the average person uses it gradually over time just in day-to-day living, but other people who actively use their magic must replenish it more often. The sources by which magic is replenished differs from person to person, and what determines the source is their soul and what it identifies with. (Some manufactured items can replenish this energy as well; for example, the Ethers of the Kingdom Hearts universe enable characters to use magic when their allotted spells have been used up.)

Saïx identifies with the moon, and because of his unstable magic, the moon is the best source when it comes to replenishing it. Because of this, he finds a special kind of serenity while basking in the moon's light, and at times it even registers to him as words or as a song (which is why Xemnas gave him the title of “Luna Diviner,” as it seemed he could divine meaning from the moon). His magic takes in the moon's, adding it to his own, thus giving him a power boost that allows him to activate his Limit Break for extended periods of time without having to be in low health, as he did during his final battle with Sora. As a Nobody, he could turn his berserking off and on at will, due to the fact that he didn't have a heart and therefore no emotion to trigger it. This is why it only happens during battle, when he needs it most when his health is low.

Character History:
The plains did not belong to the tribal peoples alone. There were people from across the sea moving into their lands in search of survival, freedom, and riches, establishing small towns that were slowly growing in size and branching out into tribal territories Other tribes had met and clashed with these new people, but, having heard the stories, Aïs's tribe had stayed away as much as they could, preferring to keep to their own. As a peace-loving tribe, they were wary of the possible conflicts and hoped to avoid them.

Aïs's mother died in childbirth, and his father, a hunter, knew he was going to have to rely heavily on the tribe for help in raising his son. But when his nature as a selfaerayel was realized, his father knew that he would not be able to guide him to finding peace with All, and so he accepted the custom of the child being given to an elder to raise. This elder, given the title of oba-sey, was better suited for handling the selfaerayel's tumultuous behavior and teaching him the ways of All than a newly widowed father, unprepared for such tribulations. While the child would live and be ultimately brought up by the elder, Aïs's father visited regularly to play with and bring him gifts.

Aïs struggled to fit in with his peers and keep himself under control. He kept people at a distance, never making any true friends, worried that his emotions would get the better of him and lead him to commit acts of violence against those he cared for. Oba-sey suggested that Aïs take the path of the hunter, like his father before him, and, after considering his strengths, the boy dedicated himself to learning the way of the hunter. Being so observant and in tune with his surroundings made him perfect for that role, and he embraced it readily. The teacher he was to learn under? His own father. (This, as well as the fact that the path would give him one to call his own, is why Oba-sey thought it would be best for Aïs.)

One summer day, Aïs, age fourteen and freshly given his true name, was practicing his tracking skills in the forest, and it turned out he was tracking a boy from a nearby settlement. In his surprise, he gave himself away, startling the colonist, in turn startling Aïs himself... and they both fled. Later on in the same week, they encountered each other again in the forest, this time at a stream. Both had decided to take advantage of the cool water, but this time, the colonist was the one who stumbled upon selfae, and neither of them fled.

Driven by curiousity, they attempted to talk with each other. Though the barrier of language got in the way, after working at a bit, they figured out a way to communicate, largely through body language and drawing in the dirt. They agreed to meet back there again, and so began a friendship that would define the both of them. The colonist, Lae, returned because he was bored and didn't like being home (his knack for fire magic beyond the categorized spells used by his people made others weary of him). Aïs returned because he was bored and didn't like being home (and this strange boy actually seemed to understand him on a level he didn't usually find).

Over several months, Aïs and Lae grew to know each other, and they quickly became best friends. They began to teach one another their languages (though Lae understandably struggled with Aïs's, and Aïs felt Lae's was too constrained) and developed their own code where language got in the way. Due to Lae's bright, vibrant personality, Aïs came to see him as the sun to his moon. To Lae, Aïs was someone who embraced not only his magic, but his overbearing personality (though he countered it with plenty of snark, Aïs's own sense of humor). Lae became Aïs's most important person, and visa versa.

Come fall, the colony's harvest was unfruitful, and with the upcoming harsh winter, they were concerned they would not be able to make it through. When Lae shared this with Aïs, the selfae couldn't sit by and let his friend's settlement starve. Aïs decided to teach Lae the hunting and foraging techniques he himself was learning from his father so that Lae could in turn share the skills with his colony.

During this time, the peace talks between the other colonies and tribes were not going well. War loomed closer and closer on the horizon like a formation of pitiless storm clouds. Aïs and Lae grew to be concerned. What if the war spread to Lae's colony, and Lae (age fifteen) was sent to fight? What if it came to the point where Aïs's tribe, despite how devoted to peace they were, could no longer quietly stand by? What if they had to battle one another? In an early attempt to fend off the war from reaching them, Aïs and Lae decided to have their people meet and become friends. After all, if the two of them could bond, surely the adults could as well, right? Besides, if the tribe and settlement began to trade, it would help the latter survive the winter. Thanks to this (as well as Aïs occasionally “anonymously” sharing the hunts he scored), the settlement managed to scrape by. They weren't fat and full come spring, but they survived.

However, several years later, war broke out. Both the tribe and the settlement became anxious and paranoid, and though Aïs's people decided they would sit out of the war and only defend themselves should the need arise, they still eyed the colonists suspiciously and visa versa. Along with the emergence of the war, though, came the arrival of strange black creatures - the Heartless - that began attacking tribes and settlements alike. The Heartless had been attracted to this world because of the amount of darkness in people's hearts born from the war.

Aïs's people, though, called them aera, believing them to be the souls of those who fell in battle, unable to rejoin All due to the horrible manner in which they died. As the war continued, the number of the creatures also increased. Aïs's people contacted the other tribes and tried to call for a stop to the war, but the tribes could not as long as the colonists attacked them (and some of the tribes didn't want to stop until all of the colonists had been driven away or killed).

One day, when Aïs, now age seventeen, was walking in the woods (and taking refuge in the peace and escapism they provided), he came upon a handful of Heartless that were also on the hunt. He tracked them and their prey (a terrified deer) until the black creatures surrounded it. Aïs charged in, then, distracting the Heartless and allowing the deer to escape. The Heartless turned on him, but instead of freezing up or fleeing in fear, Aïs stood his ground. He lashed out at one with his knife (the only weapon he had on him), and then, after defeating it, shouted at the others to back down or suffer the same fate. To his surprise, the “aera” were cowed. Curious and not knowing what else to do, he demanded they leave - and, after a moment of silence in which they seemed to process his words, they vanished in black-and-purple smoke.

Aïs was stunned. He didn't understand how or why, but they had followed his orders. On his way back home, he surmised that it was because those souls died as warriors fighting under a commander, they instinctively followed the orders of one strong enough for them to deem their leader (when in reality, it was because his heart was strong and had enough darkness that he could direct them). Then, he had an idea.

When he next met with Lae, Aïs described to him his encounter, and then his plan. Obviously, they would operate under his control. What if he used them to stop the war? If the “aera” were directed to attack both tribe and settlement in more concentrated forces, the two peoples would have no choice but to join together to fend off the third enemy. In this way, he would be able to bring them together, and then they would all know peace. Lae, however, was uncertain about the idea, correctly thinking that it could get out of hand quickly. The colonists had no definition for the black monsters that attacked them, so Lae wasn't as sure as Aïs was about what they were. What if they weren't really aera? What if they were something else? And, besides, if Aïs carried out this plan, then he would be the one responsible for more death, and Lae didn't want that weight on his shoulders; he didn't want his friend to change, and if anything was going to, it would be human blood on his hands.

This is when Aïs employed his first act of bullying Lae into something. This is the only way to stop the war, he insisted. You don't want this to keep going, do you? What if we have to fight each other? What if you die in battle? I will not let that happen! Will you? Startled at his friend's ferocity (the like of which he hadn't seen), Lae backed down, despite his unease, and Aïs was satisfied.

But Lae was right. Just like all others who attempted to control the Heartless, Aïs began to change. The more he ruled over the Heartless, the more the darkness in his heart grew. It eventually became so bad that Aïs began to change physically; like others who walked too close to the darkness, his ears came to a point and his eyes changed from passionate, piercing green to bright, empty gold. Despite Lae's attempts to persuade him to stop, Aïs did not back down, and he continued to pursue his path with abandon. In the end, though, Aïs could not handle the Heartless. He only fed their numbers and added to their strength. The situation spiraled out of his control, and the Heartless located the heart of his world, and ate it. Aïs and Lae's homeworld fell to the darkness and, consequently, they lost their hearts.

That wasn't the end of their story, however. Because of the strength of their hearts, they survived as human-shaped Nobodies. Rejected by both the Light and the Dark, embraced only by Nothingness, Aïs and Lae lived on. Though they had been separated by the destruction of their world, the fledgling Organization found them. Aïs was discovered first, located on Traverse Town, and then Lae, who found himself on the world of Twilight Town. Xemnas inducted them into the Organization as numbers VII and VIII respectively, giving them the titles of the Luna Diviner and the Flurry of Dancing Flames - and a purpose. By working for the Organization, they would eventually regain their Hearts. The newly born Saïx believed that if they got their Hearts back, all would be right again, even if he didn't trust Xemnas in the least. Together, Saïx and Axel formed a plan (which canon does not go into, but may yet cover, so it will be left ambiguous until that time), and then, after many, many years of hard work, the events of Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, and Kingdom Hearts II occurred as they did in canon.

5. Samples
First-Person: (note: this is a private journal entry Saïx wrote in another game. The Interloper and the Watcher were the big NPCs of the game, being the ones responsible for the jamjar, and the Interloper gave Saïx a Heart.) It is clear that the Interloper fancies himself a god, but there is evidence that he has the powers of one. Whether or not he has succeeded in instilling in me what he has attempted to lead me to believe he did, that has yet to be seen. I will remain a skeptic until I have irrefutable proof, though so far all signs have proven my caution to be needless. If he does indeed possess the power to give me a Heart...

I do not know if this is my original Heart or a new one altogether. I do not know if there is a way for me to tell. How would one determine the difference between such things? A Heart is a Heart; that which I have worked so hard to regain is now mine, although not by my own hand. But this matters more than one would think; for if it is not my own Heart or that of another, it is one that has been freshly created. I would not expect him to hold such a power, as it has been told that only Kingdom Hearts can do such a thing, but it was also said that only Kingdom Hearts could return to us what we lacked. If we were wrong once, we can be wrong again.

What are the Interloper's intentions? Does he mean to exert influence over me? Or does he merely desire to watch this pawn play whatever part he wishes it to? Regardless of the answer, he is a threat. I came far too close to death than I ever desire to; I will not allow this to happen again, not now that I finally have that which I sought. If he has the power to give and perhaps even create Hearts, there would be no stopping him should he tire of his game and destroy us all.

Whether the Watcher is also this powerful is unknown. I could scour the network for answers, but I feel this would simply waste more time. It would be a better course of action to seek out those who may know and draw the information from them, through alliance or otherwise. It is time I stepped from the shadows and into the sun's sight. These threats must be dealt with, and I cannot bring them down alone.
Third-Person: (note: the italicized lines in-between paragraphs are quotes from Kingdom Hearts II.)Saïx is walking down a road he does not know.

It's a situation he isn't unfamiliar with. He has never known where his path would lead, try as he might to direct it and dictate where he will turn. He has had his goals and ambitions, yes, this is true, but ever since he was young, his future has always been uncertain. Now, more so than ever. He has fallen to the Keyblade, he knows, and he is far from the first and doubtlessly not the last of the Organization to do so. Nobodies... The non-existent ones. Disowned by both the Light and the Dark, they have nowhere to go when their time has come.

It doesn't matter. All he got was nothingness.

So why is he walking?

The sky is clear and midday blue. The sun is bright, and Saïx can see all around him, as far as the eye can see. On either side of him, there is tall, vividly green grass. The road stretches on, seemingly without end. There are no branches or forks; it only continues straight on. This place... It is both familiar and strange, like something he once knew in a dream from years and years ago. He stops walking to tilt his head skyward, a gentle breeze brushing by him, whispering against his skin and tugging on his hair. This place... It is truly peaceful. He doesn't know where he is or how he got here, but he isn't sure he minds.

And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist.

Something is urging him to walk, and so he does.

His coat should be ripped and bloody, he knows; between the assaults of the Keybearer and his companions, it (he) should not be whole. And yet, it appears to be as it was when he first received it. He does not feel bruised or injured; it is as though he truly did pass through Kingdom Hearts itself and is now traveling to reincarnation. Saïx remembers reaching for Kingdom Hearts, for the golden light of its pseudo-moon, desperate. He had worked so hard... (He had given up so much...) All of it, for naught? He strove to be truly himself again, to restore what was once rightfully his. He fought against the darkness and the light, against the so-called inevitable fate of a Nobody to fade into nothing, and yet...

He continues to follow the illusion of a friendship he cannot feel. He still believes he can recover what he's lost. Give him the regret he deserves.

Saïx is walking down an unfamiliar road, and he does not know why.

The sun is setting, and the sky, swathed in the oranges and reds of dusk hours ago, begins to sink into subtle violets and inky blues. Saïx pauses to watch the sun lower and the first stars twinkle faintly. He knows that soon, now that the sun has tired and is going to rest, the moon will shine in its place. But, just as the sun touches the horizon, everything changes.

He realizes that he has finally reached his destination. He does not know how he knows, only that he does. Before him is a great city, one unlike the World That Never Was or any other he had seen thus far. He can feel all about him a strangeness, a shifting, but it does not bother him. (It cannot.) It does not matter what is different; this is where he was meant to come, and this is where he will stay. He knows nothing of this city, he does not know where he is, but, to his mind, this is clear.

Saïx walks into the City of Sin.

In the depths of his confusion, he will begin to hate even himself. And in attempting to dispel the confusion, he will become even more determined to continue.

Third-Person #2: When Saïx dreams that night, it is of blood.

It is of blood, red as fire-like hair; of bones, bird-like, phoenix-like, crunching and splintering in his grip; of organs, pink and throbbing and so soft, so soft, so easy to tear into with fingers and nails and force what lies within to spill forth like stolen gold from a thief's torn bag --

It is of screams, agonizing and feral, his victim's and his own; of copper, heavy and slick in the air just as it is on the ground, on his clothes, on his skin, under his fingernails; of salt, from the neck's pliable skin as he sinks his teeth into it, rips it forcibly from the body --

He watches with predatory yellow eyes, licks the blood from his fingers, curls his lips in a snarl. The moon, bright and full and as red as fire-like hair, shines down on him, surrounding him with the most beautiful music. It sways and dances, whispering in his ear secrets only for him to know, pumping him full with its magic, filling him to the brim so his entire body thrums, tingles, and he has never felt so warm and so right in his entire life --

Except for those nights, calm, peaceful, with the sounds of the forest all around them as they lay on their backs in the dirt, staring up at the night sky. So many stars, so many, and the moon was bright and full, then, too, but its (her) song was different, then. Gentle, sweet, caressing his face, crooning to him a lullaby. His hand grasped another's, their fingers intertwined, and next to him spoke a hushed voice, then stifled laughter (so as to not break the moment). With the moon above him, the sun beside him, and All enveloping all three, he thought that surely, this is where he's meant to be, this is what he was born for --

No! No! No! All shall be lost to you!

The claymore comes to his hands now, its heavy weight reassuring in his hand, to his arm, to his entire being as he swings it forth, spikes extending (like teeth, like claws) from its blade. His eyes are yellow, his teeth are sharp, he knows no pain, no pain, even though his chest is tight, he knows no pain because he knows that chest is empty because what was once there was torn from him long ago --

All shall be lost to you, just as all has been lost to me!

When Saïx wakes the next morning, his ears ring with echoes of the past.

Calmly, coolly, ignoring the sweat on his brow and the race of his pulse, he decidedly gets out of bed and prepares for the day. It seems it will be cool out today, he thinks. Winter is coming soon. I will have to purchase a scarf today. Perhaps he will choose a red one.