app for songerein

[darkcharge]

Player: Seraph
Age: 30+
Contact: verthunder#9612
Current Characters: N/A

Character: Vanitas
Canon: Kingdom Hearts || End of KH3 ||Note: aefenglom CRAU
Age: 16-17 (canon) || 18 ( crau )


Background Information: Vanitas Wiki

Aefenglom CRAU: The setting itself focuses on bonds between witches and monsters. Characters have their abilities stripped away and are either a witch or a monster. Vanitas came in as a witch and avoided bonding with anyone for about the first four months he had been in game - an act that nearly resulted in his own death since witches cannot sustain themselves without a bond. Sora had been the first person he had bonded with along with several others over the course of his year and a half in game. Other bonds included: Mira ( FFXIV WoL ), Marie Antoinette ( FATE series ), Lavi ( DGM ), and Lio Fotia ( Pomare ).

One of the most important things about the setting for Vanitas is that the bonds that he shared with others actually did serve to also repair his fractured heart. This meant that the pieces of "light" that he had been missing due to Ventus' disappearance started to fill in. He could experience things other than negative emotions as well as share in the positive emotions of those that he held bonds with. This is a pretty big deal for Vanitas who has always longed for his other half, to be complete. It had been a way to get what he wanted without needing to merge with Ventus. No one had expected him to really change who he was, so Vanitas was free to figure out exactly who he could be apart from Ventus. There were people that accepted him for who he was and required nothing of him and it had a pretty big impact on in game developments.

He's had a lot of his beliefs challenged. Vanitas has had to face a lot of things about himself that he hadn't really wanted to confront. Truths that he's always known, but ignored.

Don't get him wrong... He still largely dislikes people. However there are a few that one could say that he had grown attached to. However for Vanitas this attachment can be sort of possessive and obsessive. He's still not a nice person and is willing to do whatever he believes is necessary - whether that be murder, humiliation, cruelty, or being manipulative. Vanitas still doesn't really help people unless there's something in it for him. Vanitas also just likes a good fight and every now and then just demands that he gets that aggressive energy out of his system.

Overall, Vanitas had taken to doing quests out of boredom or because he doesn't want people messing with what he considers to be "his." He hadn't really cared about healing the blight ( the Cwyld ) on the land or really having anything to do with the Coven. Vanitas never really trusted them to the fullest, but had been using them to get stronger himself and to heal his heart. Nothing more. However he had found "friends" ( a term that still makes him frown and he'll deny it ) and a reason to at least want to continue to exist. He knows that Sora wants to find a way to bring him back and whole, but Vanitas doesn't think it's possible. It's something that they still argue about.

Personality:
When Ventus' heart had been shattered by the hand of Xehanort, Vanitas was born. It is implied in the novel that Vanitas had started out much like Ventus, confused and questioning why he had been born - why he exists. At the time he doesn't understand why Vanitas and Ventus are separate and that's what causes his first crisis. It's why he had come to hate Ventus. His confusion, as in most cases, became irritation which blossomed into hatred and anger. In his anger, Vanitas had tried to finished Ventus off. This is what causes Xehanort to take Ventus away.

While he has a heart of pure darkness, canon has proven time and time again that being dark doesn't mean he's evil or even has evil intentions. However, it is Vanitas' choice to feed on that darkness. Unversed, the embodiment of negative emotions, are created from the dark turmoil inside Vanitas. As they are connected to him, he actually feels pain when they are struck down or when they return to him. Vanitas' initial fear for his own existence and what it could mean melted away into a desperate need to get away from the constant agony. This is why Vanitas is who he is - why he became the type of person that he is. All of his goals and desires focus around ridding himself of that which he hates: his own pain and weakness.

He is cruel and calculating. Manipulative and condescending. Part of this is because that's exactly the type of person that he has to be to survive. There is some part of him that derives pleasure from hurting others because it means that he isn't the one hurting. While he does work with “Master” Xehanort, this is not a true relationship of master and apprentice. Vanitas may or may not have a real sense of loyalty ( Vanitas could simply be using Xehanort in order to reach his goals and nothing more but this is hard to say ), but he will do as he sees fit to in the end. There are numerous times in the game where Vanitas disobeys orders - or intends to.

That being said, the novel states that the reason that Vanitas first struck out at Unversed because he had been disgusted by them. This implies that he is also disgusted with himself - or parts of himself. Again, Vanitas is also disgusted by weakness and not just his own, but another's weakness as well. Which is yet another reason why there had been some contention between himself and Ventus. Since Ventus is the half that "couldn't" take it clearly that means Ventus is weaker and inferior. Then, by Vanitas' logic, all the things that Ventus does must also breed weakness. Thus those soft things like friendship, love, and other more positive qualities are just things that are going to bring him down. To rely on others is weakness to Vanitas and that is exactly what Ventus does.

This means that Vanitas also has one big ego. He really does think that he is better than everyone else, or stronger. He constantly brags about how he doesn’t need Ventus or Aqua and thus their usefulness has run out. It doesn’t matter how many times he has lost, he still thinks that he is above them. That he doesn’t need them. Everything will succeed and in the end, he will obtain the power that he needs. At the end of it all he will, eventually, become one with Ventus once more. This is even in the way that he speaks and how he carries himself. Every step that Vanitas takes is surrounded with an air of confidence and judgment.

Head games are what Vanitas uses to get at people. Not only does he use people, but he also uses their emotions to get the better of them. He does this multiple times throughout the series, spurring people to act just with a few words. In that sense, Vanitas is actually pretty chatty. He doesn't mind talking and allowing secrets to slip here and there, especially if it means that people are unnerved or thrown off balance by it.

Ironically, despite all of the inner turmoil and all of the negativity that is clearly inside of him, it's actually not so easy to get in Vanitas' head. He presents himself as calm and poised in most cases. In the face of defeat, he doesn't falter nor does he ever truly get upset at his losses. Even in his very final confrontation with Sora and Ventus, Vanitas doesn't seem to throw a fit that he's lost. He merely says his piece then continues to fade away, undisturbed by how events have turned out. Whether this is because the X-Blade is being forged regardless or because Vanitas himself wishes to fade away is unknown. Or maybe it could be because he is satisfied with Ventus finally accepting Vanitas' existence. Either way, it is a rare thing for Vanitas to completely lose his head.

So, all in all, he's overconfident, cruel, and manipulative. However his fear and very existence is what disgusts him the most. Perhaps that is what more accurately sums up Vanitas - a petulant child that is irritated with everyone and every world at large. That includes himself and his very existence. It should come as no surprise that the most common of the Unversed are the Floods, which are born from feelings of irritation.

Abilities & Inventory:

Keyblade: He has Void Gear, which is his Keyblade and can do all the things a Keyblade does. Enhance magic. Open locks. Beat things to death. It's stored in some magical pocket dimension. Void Gear can be dismissed or recalled at Vanitas' whim.

Dark Magic: Vanitas has the ability to cast magic like Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga. As a being of darkness, his magic is laced with darkness.

Dark Enhancement: He can imbue his Keyblade with darkness, giving a temporary power boost.

Corridors: Essentially using portals to move about from world to world, location to location. It opens up pathways from two different locations and Vanitas is unharmed by the darkness. In game this would only be used to travel within the game setting itself and not outside of it.

Teleportation: Short-distances, like flash stepping. Can some times leave an after-image to confuse his opponent.

Combat: Vanitas has an extraordinary amount of stamina. He can take a beating and get right back up looking perfectly fine. He has a great deal of agility and can move about in battle quickly. Vanitas is unique among keyblade wielders in that he can combat he can chain both physical and magic attacks together. Vanitas is also physically strong.

Unversed: Because of Vanitas' separation from Ventus, the negativity that resulted in the split gave Van an unusual ability. His emotions can be separated from himself and essentially they become monsters. These creatures, when defeated, just cycle back into Vanitas. They can collect negative energy to empower Vanitas and even helped restore his heart in one case. According to the novels, the process actually hurts him in return. Note: Usually he can spawn an infinite amount of Unversed, but for in-game purposes I have always reduced this number to 6-7 small ones or 1-2 medium ones, but never any larger ones. NOTE: THOUGH IT WOULD BE FUN TO USE THEM AS AN IN GAME PLOT AT SOME POINT?


Suitability & Plans:
Over all, my plans for Vanitas are minimal if I am being honest. What I seek to do is actually continue his character growth in game. He really started to develop in his previous one and I want to see how much further he can "grow" and how it could potentially change things up. Additionally, with this game's setting and what I was provided with on the FAQ? I definitely want to play around with the idea of Vanitas being this negative energy sponge and cleansing areas instead of just creating havoc. I'm not sure if he will like it or not, but let's see!

As far as suitability? It's Vanitas, a being that had been born of Darkness and negative emotions. He even creates monsters from his own fledgling feelings. If there is ever a game that is perfect for him, it's one that deals with bonds and emotions. He's got so many of them - a different Unversed is born from a different emotion. Additionally, traversing from world to world is sort THE THING for the Kingdom Hearts franchise over all. The series definitely does not shy away from darker themes. Vanitas has been through a lot himself in the series and still continues to strive for just one goal: becoming whole.

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Questions:

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