Application || Brave New World

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PLAYER INFO


Name: Daine
Contact Information:
AIM: radianceend
Plurk: purikura
Time Zone: GMT+10
Characters Played: n/a




CHARACTER INFO


Character Name: Ventus (last name Tate because hella originality yeah!)
Character Canon: Kingdom Hearts


History:
Wiki link!

I usually also follow along with the canon shown in the Birth By Sleep novels. A summary of which is found here, and a partial translation is also available. Predominantly the most important aspect of the novels is the fact that Ven is canonly an orphan.


AU History:
Ventus is the youngest son of a family of six; with three eldest sisters, he’s the baby of his close family, however certainly not in his extended- within Union he had an aunt and two uncles with their families- growing up in Union, he was always surrounded by relatives of some manner, and became quite the sociable child because of it. He maintained that attitude in his schooling, receiving warm reports in regards to his mannerism and willingness to involve himself in practical activities, even if he sometimes fell short in his academic studies.

It became apparent quite early that he had a fascination and curiosity towards anything new, as well as a clear capability of working with others or on his own that allowed him to be favoured towards more physically demanding careers, and he quickly became infatuated with the ideals of becoming a Ranger. Being the exploratory spirit that he is, as Ventus grew older his wanderings led him further and further round the city, giving him a large understanding of the cities’ layout and the limitations of its amenities.

At the age of ten, his primary haunts became the Outpost, where he allowed himself to be regaled with tales of (somewhat over exaggerated, at times) heroic achievements that consolidated his desires to be one of their ranks, and whilst traversing the city, Ven began to use his time wisely in charting and observing the people around him, leading him to re-explore plentiful locations he hadn’t spent much time in during his initial wanderings.

This practice continued up till the age of fourteen, when Ventus came across an elderly man introducing himself simply as Xehanort. A superb Analyst, Xehanort saw in Ventus what no one else had so far- his Enlightened capabilities, and offering a sense of approachability, he was capable of befriending the young teen. Eventually, he was capable of getting Ventus to join him in a "short excursion" outside of Unions walls, and took the opportunity to spirit Ventus much further away than initially proposed.

With such a large family unit spread across the city, it was a matter of days before anyone realized that Ventus had not been seen by any of the older children or adults of the family, and their alarm set off a city-wide search that led to no results. Seemingly overnight, the young teen had vanished.

Given his nature, it couldn’t be taken out of the question that the youngster had somehow found himself outside of Union and been involved in a dire situation. With no sightings of the blond, hopes that he may yet come back home diminished within a month, and his family was once again stuck in a stage of mourning as urgency wore down into grim acceptance.

What Ventus experienced during that time was intense training and intimidation. Xehanort was recluse, and outside of Union's walls there was no authority to answer to in regards to his methods. He attempted to train Ventus as one might train a Pokemon, though his reasons were never revealed.

Despite best efforts, Ventus remained non-responsive to attempts to condition him in a similar manner to those rumoured to be used in olden times, and Xehanort was forced to concede that Ventus was not capable of the feats he wanted.

Ventus was abandoned as dead weight, and without any real knowledge of how to survive in the wild, would have been lost entirely. It was a wild shinx that found and connected with him. Initially, their contact was mostly attempts to help Ventus survive, but due to his confused and traumatised state, he wasn't capable of taking in the necessary skills to survive. Eventually, he was lead back to Union.

From second hand reports of the medical staff, Ventus simply wandered through the doors of the Medical Center himself, a shinx at his side. Any attempts at pushing questions appeared to cause severe emotional and physical strain, and the dazed and sometimes distressed state that the blond was experiencing was registered as trauma to whatever had happened during his absence. With the Puppy line, definitely nothing as hardcore as that! The extent of it is essentially Ven being less likely to be detected in a lie, rather than pushing a sense of belief onto someone. Whether they believe him is entirely up to the person in question, but depending on the actual extent of the lie, Ventus may come across as more genuine than he actually is.

It would take several more months for Ventus to be back to his usual self, or close enough to it to go back to his loving family. Despite treatments and therapy, there are still plentiful gaps in Ventus’ memory of his life up till this point- the places he’s been, the people he’s met… and the more serious gap in his later education that placed some strain on whether Ventus would be capable of applying to the Rangers, particularly with his new medical history.

Another revelation made during this time was Ventus’ Enlightened state. The shinx he had arrived with stayed at his side consistently, and through it, the blond was capable of explaining his own return to Union as ‘being guided by Scint’. Being a Kindred Soul, Ventus now finds himself in the thick of catching up with his studies- torn between the initial, lifelong dream of becoming a Ranger, or following the recommended and safer route of Caretaker, which would allow for his own natural abilities to still be utilised in a safer environment.


Canon Personality:
Typically, it’s easy to denote Ventus as being entirely similar to Sora, and leaving him at that. They’re both young and cheerful, with an easy acceptance in helping everyone that crosses their path and the ability and courage to sacrifice themselves for others in times of need. The quirks cross over even into certain gestures, such as holding their hands behind their head in the same easy going mannerism that’s infamous for the both of them.

Though the similarities don’t end there, there’s much more to Ventus than his connection with Sora. From the night that their two hearts connect Ven grows and develops quirks and emotional standings that are all of his own, including several flaws to character that are key to his eventual downfall.

Ventus is an extremely empathetic character. He doesn’t like seeing other’s looking downtrodden, and does his best to resolve their issues even when it means putting aside his own. This comes into play throughout practically every world he visits, from rescuing Snow White from the nightmarish trees, to helping Hercules train, even when he can’t be a part of the games himself.

He also isn’t above being side-tracked from the bigger picture. Ven exhibits a great amount of sensitivity to personal issues and worry over the ties he has with friends. Whenever he encounters problems where he finds no resolution or viable way to solve it without others getting hurt, Ventus will show a certain amount of resignation and evasion--such as with Terra and Aqua, when their feud at Radiant Garden causes the three to separate once more. In addition, instead of asking for help or protection when the revelation of his ties to Vanitas come to light, he instead asks for Terra and Aqua to 'just… put an end to him.' Ven’s reactions to such situations shows a lack of confidence in himself, his abilities and his worth to those around him.

Viewing Ven’s story in three arcs- from Land of Departure to Radiant Garden, Radiant Garden to Yen Sid’s tower, and from thereon till the ending of the game- we see three stages of his development. Throughout the first arc comes in a love for adventure and an eagerness to try new things whilst being shown some, but not all of the darker sides in nature that can occur. Ventus’ naivety shows through most during this time, when everything is a question, a game-- with an underlying surety of catching up to Terra and continuing their journeys together. It’s within the second arc, after witnessing Terra and Aqua fighting in Radiant Garden, that the difference between Sora and himself really comes into play.

Ventus' second arc is namely him questioning his place with Terra and Aqua whilst seeking out new ties in the hope of understanding the old. Though there’s a constant and clear understanding that he will always be tied to the older Keyblade wielders, Ventus seeks clarity in defining this; in establishing just how strong these ties are, and fearing that their bonds may be more breakable than first thought.

By the ending of his time in Neverland, Ven is yet to uncover the darker aspects of his past, but the scene in which he puts aside the wooden Keyblade given to him by Terra is one of the very last points in which Ventus shows a clear confidence in himself and what he has in his life. It’s at this point when his maturity has come to a more natural and even level- he regains the surety of his friends he once had without the oblivious nature he held onto prior. Unfortunately from there, Ventus is pushed back into his evasive role and seeks martyrdom over faith in his own connections and abilities, leading to the fate that befalls him by the end of the game, and leaves him comatose for well over ten years.

That being said, the ties he does have with Terra and Aqua are consistently important throughout his timeline. It’s his fear for Terra after speaking with Vanitas-- ’the Terra you know will be gone forever’-- that prompts him into leaving the Land of Departure, giving him a greater purpose beyond merely seeing the sites. It’s indicated in Xehanort’s reports that Terra is Ventus’ weak point; he does seem to hold the elder boy in extremely high regard, constantly denying his faults to the point where he will point out Aqua’s flaws in an argument with no mention of Terra’s own. The two are best friends, close enough to the point where Aqua jokingly refers to them as brothers, and Terra does treat Ventus from the aspect of an elder brother, whilst Ven himself looks up to him greatly.

Aqua is a powerful influence on her own, although it’s greatly her doing which causes Ventus to doubt himself and the ties between the three of them. Aqua can consistently be described as mothering when it comes to Ventus- whilst she doesn’t look down upon him, there are many times where she puts his feelings aside in light of his safety- Ventus is treated at a much younger level than the other two, which causes much of his self-doubt and his determination to be as good as them in levels of fighting and indeed, allows him to succeed at this.

Another important aspect to Ventus is his light. As stated above, he’s the type of boy to put things aside for others, help them in any manner he can- he rarely exhibits anger, and never for anything but the most dire of threats and circumstances. But this light has come at the price of having his heart literally torn apart, developing Ventus into one of the two keys which will create the X-blade. Vanitas, the darkness of his heart made physical, is the opposing key, and yet another influence in Ventus’ travels that urges him onwards.

He is the first out of a very small handful of characters to which Ventus clearly exhibits anger, a reaction that remains stark throughout all of their meetings. It’s at Vanitas’ words that Ven leaves the Land of Departure, drawing out a sense of fear within him of losing Terra for good, prompting him to search until he finds him. The second time they meet, Ventus’ confusion peaks from Vanitas’ words—‘consider yourself on probation’. The entirety of Ven’s journey relied on Vanitas to actually make him take the first step- although this step is unknowingly to his own demise. Vanitas proves exactly how manipulable Ventus is by constantly pushing him into corners; he uses the blond’s fears to push him out into the worlds rather than seeking help, and in time, forces his hand by ensuring Ventus cannot run any longer, with Aqua and Terra’s lives being on the line.

None of this would have occurred at all without the schemes of Master Xehanort; Ventus’ prior Master, and also the man who separated Ventus and Vanitas from one another. Though the two had only met the once in Ventus’ perspective, there is a clear onset of intimidation in Ventus’ stature during that meeting which provides insight into a repressed fear of the man himself. It is also through Xehanort’s actions that Ventus connects with Sora for the first time, leading us in a round robin of just how and what makes Ventus tick.

To bring this down into Ventus as a whole, the ending argument is that you’re plainly looking at a bright and capable teen. He fights for everything he considers right, stepping obliviously towards a horizon that provides painful tragedy- but he isn’t there yet. What we have instead is a teen with enough life experience to provide a comfortable outlook on the more important aspects of his thinking, with many ties to others that have helped develop him in positive ways. Although Ventus is flawed, at the end of the day it really does come down to putting his friends and others above himself, and in this aspect he clearly flourishes in growth and confidence.


AU Deviation:
Ven’s personality in how he approaches people is predominantly the same- one could even argue that he has a better handle on approaching others due to a greater variety and exposure than in canon. His signature curiosity and love of exploration still come into play when defining his long term goals and wants, such as becoming a Ranger, and due to his disappearance we also see a parallel in his almost zombie like state aforementioned prior to the beginning of Birth By Sleep.

With a larger support base, Ventus is much less liable to run from his problems, however at this current stage his memories are affecting those bases, meaning that there is a greater uncertainty about the influences in his life and what is best for him in regards to his future. The gaps in his memories have led to a certain amount of insecurity in his current beliefs and thought patterns, and being so heavily babied after the incident (as well as prior in his close family) means that there’s still a lot of things were Ven’s naivety still shines through; he doesn’t have a large grasp on the darker aspects of life that would allow him to come to life or death conclusions.

There is also an aspect of disconnection between Ventus as he is now and who he was before. With a greater amount of people around who knew him as a child, he feels some pressure to regain or prove himself as a person, more specifically showing a clear link between past and present. This pressure means that he’s somewhat more inclined to relax around people he doesn’t know, because there’s no fear of certain expectations not being met.

Ventus is still, all in all, a very determined character, with set goals and a bright outlook on life that isn’t usually outshone by some continued faults in self-confidence. He approaches each day with a smile and a fierce determination to do right by himself and others, even while his future remains in question.


Canon Abilities:
Ventus is a Keyblade Wielder, so first and foremost, he knows what he’s doing around a sword. Even magical ones. With four years of training and constant travelling after that, his endurance is excellent, and his main attacking style has to do with his speed, rather than strength. Magic wise, Ventus knows a variety of spells from those that deal some serious damage, to those that heal. Most of his magic is elemental based, though time and healing are two which lay outside the norm.

On top of this, Ventus also has access to a series of attacks that may be signature to himself or inherent of keyblade wielders. This can vary from basic motions such as flinging his blade at an opponent to incredibly powerful magic based attacks such as Faith, which causes damage from great bursts of light whilst healing Ventus at the same time, to Tornado, which creates its namesake to devastating affect. Many of the signature moves specific to Ventus only are wind or light based.

Command Styles are based on the Drive system shown in kh2; once a gauge has been filled up, this power can be unleashed in specific forms that can be both individual and more common use. Ven’s initial Style, Fever Pitch, concentrates on speed with wide ranged attacks, ending with five beams of light. Each Command is activated by using particular sets of attacks or magic; for example, when using a string of fire based attacks, Firestorm would usually be activated. Given enough enemies to attack, a new and more powerful Command could be activated, offering a wider range of abilities or physical advantages.

Also specific to the Birth By Sleep verse is Shotlocks, an intensely versatile series of move sets that either fire a barrage of projectiles at multiple enemies, or cause the wielder to rush enemies whilst cloaked in a certain type of elemental magic. Uniquely Ventus is the only character with a counter Shotlock, entitled Dark Link. It only comes into play during his final fight with Vanitas, and relies on the D-Link connection to function.

Dimension Links allow Ventus to take upon himself the abilities of others, such as Terra and Aqua, through the strength of their friendship. This allows him to use certain styles and elements that are not generally Ven’s strong points; activating a D-Link with Terra, for example, provides a greater boost of strength. Depending on which character the D-Link is with, the effects vary, but generally provide a focus to some extent on a particular skill or magic.

As far as items go, Ventus has a fairly extensive stash of goods that he can use. The usual motley crew of potions, ethers and elixirs are available to him in regards to replenishing health and magic, however there are also a series of ice creams and their ingredients that go towards allowing him to reach certain Command Styles faster.

And in case that’s really not enough, here’s some handy links to all Commands, D-Links, Shotlocks and Command Styles available within BBS.

Enlightened Abilities:
While describing this section, a good format would be to describe initial abilities and the way the abilities will develop after the first and second evolutions.


Ventus’ typeset belongs to flying and fairy. Flying matches best with Ven’s canon Wind styled capabilities, whilst the Fairy type goes best with his healing abilities, a key component in any Kingdom Hearts game.

He is also a Kindred Spirit, coinciding with the D-Link from his original canon. It also ties in smoothly to his character as a whole, as his story is predominantly friendship based and looks closely into the connections he has with other people.

Starter

-Gust: A brief but strong gust of wind, capable of taking lighter opponents off their feet.
-Sweet Kiss: His kisses cause confusion no seriously it’s a fairy move think of the children
-Puppy Eyes: based off the move Charm; people are less likely to be antagonized by him.
-Fleet Foot: Ventus puts on a burst of speed which lasts for a short period. Alternatively, it boosts his endurance for several hundred feet.

First Evolution

-Whirlwind: Ventus can now make smaller whirlwinds, striking at opponents for up to 10 seconds.
-Puppy Pout: there’s a 50% chance a teacher would believe him if he said shinx ate his homework.
-Roost: Ven’s healing rate is faster whilst sleeping.
-Cheetah: Ventus puts on a burst of speed rivalling that of a cheetah for a short period. Alternatively, it boosts his endurance for a few miles.

Second Evolution
Hurricane: Ventus can create a tornado capable of damaging buildings and ripping up vegetation, lasting up to 15-20 seconds. potentially causes exhaustion afterwards to ensure it can’t be used excessively
-Puppy Power: 100% chance a teacher will believe a shinx ate his homework.
-Birth by Sleep: Ventus can fully heal himself through sleep; however, he’s comatose for up to 48 hours, depending on severity.
-Fever Pitch: A much longer lasting hit of speed which allows him to throw wind punches. potentially causes exhaustion afterwards to ensure it can’t be used excessively


As far as his move set goes, I’m generally basing him off the Pidgey line of evolution. Ventus would be capable initially of the move Sand Attack, which after a short period of levelling, would be followed by Gust, allowing him to create brief gusts of wind strong enough to knock an opponent around. During his development, he would then be capable of learning stronger wind based attacks, such as Whirlwind just prior to his first evolution. His strongest move by far would be Hurricane, which would reflect his canon command Tornado, only achieved after his second evolution.

Most of his Fairy move set is blatant trolling. Its things he likely won’t or could potentially use in an adverse manner- for example, to ensure people stop worrying about him, he convinces them he’s fine when he’s not, ect. Essentially I’d just like to keep Ven in the line of Universal Wind Boy with a few effects of cuteness and healing, mhmm.

Physically, Ven’s skeletal structure is lighter than most humans, and whilst he won’t be capable of flying, he initially starts with a typical double jump, twice the height of his own body. First evolution would introduce glide, the length of which dependent on how high he is- he’s still constantly dropping lower, just at a much slower rate than most. Second evolution would be reminiscent of http://www.khwiki.com/Doubleflight Doubleflight; midjump, Ventus can use the wind to go to twice the original height.



Starter Pokémon:
Shinx because Shinx, named Scint- spark in Latin because hey KH likes giving us these sort of names

Notes/Special Considerations:
Ventus’ au history has a very obvious blank spot in it, details of which he is currently not aware of. This is due to the fact that there are obvious castmates yet available who had a significant effect on his canon personality, and if characters such as Vanitas, Xehanort, or Xigbar were to be apped in, more information about what happened during Ventus’ disappearance could potentially become much more detailed.


SAMPLES



First-Person:

-What would you say the most important occupation is within Union?
Oh! Well, it’s um-- [A pause as he considers it, rubbing his nose sheepishly.] You know, I don’t think there’s one that’s most important. Farmers are really important, because we need food, but without the Guard we wouldn’t have a safe place to farm. And the Guard needs Researchers to help them improve, and Rangers to forewarn them….

Everyone plays their part, right? We wouldn’t get by on one without the others.

-What do you think your Pokémon respect most about you?
[Ventus makes a face, though the image is slightly ruined by the blossoming smile.] Scint doesn’t respect anyone, really. But… I know he likes it when we get to do stuff. Things have been pretty busy since I got out of hospital, but we’ve worked really hard to get back out there. So I guess he respects the way we help each other.

I know he really doesn’t respect staying inside all day, that’s for sure.

-A human has attacked a wild Pokémon who retaliates in defense. How do you respond and whom do you defend?
Well, I’d have to get them to stop fighting, first! [Weird question. The blond looks concerned, leaning forwards in his seat.] There’s got to be more to the story- maybe something bad happened, or the person didn’t really mean to attack. That’s pretty important stuff to know.

But…if I couldn’t set the record straight, then I’d try to get some distance between them. It’s not really about taking a side…

-When encountering a rare and powerful Pokémon, what is most important? Researching it, bonding with it, or defeating it? Why?
Easy; bonding, of course. [A bright grin.] Just because it’s rare and powerful doesn’t mean it won’t be scared, or even angry. I’d want to know they were okay with me being in their space. Humanity is way different than it used to be, but sometimes, it seems like Pokemon don’t always know that.

[A laugh.] It’d be great to show them!



Third-Person:
Potentially, he was relying on his old journals way too much.

Of course, he vaguely remembers writing some of them. Certain entries stand out more than others, and a few have even brought back memories, though there’s a frustratingly large amount that hadn’t, yet. Was it because the memories were lost to him? Or was it just the past blurring together a little, until it was impossible to tell what really happened on that day?

Ventus’ lip purses, knee bouncing in a rather agitated motion as Scint sprawls across his lap, clearly wanting attention. It’s such a bright day out, not a cloud in the sky.

He’d written about this particular street. In the early hours of dawn, or so his scribbles said. He’d watched the Farmers and their pokemon shuffle to work, counting them all religiously. There were little notes at the edges about what types of pokemon they were, who looked tired and who walked particularly fast, and the best part was, he’d acknowledged that he really didn’t know any of the faces.

Maybe that’s why this particular street was so appealing to him, now.

A loud yowl catches the blond’s attention, and he looks down with a smile as he runs his fingers through rough fur, murmuring soothingly. “I know. We’ll go somewhere else soon.”

After all, he still has hundreds more entries to experience for himself.