NAME: Shira
CONTACT:
Email: stitchmymouth[at]hotmail[dot]com
Plurk: whatinthefuck
AIM: shirasyndrome
PMs work, too!
OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE PINES: Nada!



NAME: Jack
CANON: Final Fantasy Type-0
CANON-POINT: Post-game.



HISTORY: Jack's wiki page.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S STRENGTHS?:

Foremost, Jack has an emotional and mental resiliency in the face of hardship that greatly belies his age. For context, his world has been at war as long as anyone can remember. After being orphaned when he was seven, he and a bunch of other children were drafted into a team of future soldiers, Class Zero. Combat training became their sole focus. To make them more efficient, the woman who adopted them, Arecia, provided them with a "reraise" effect, which in non-Final Fantasy terms means that any time they died--whether it be by being beaten, stabbed, or shot--she could bring them back to life. Even summons, the Eidolons that can be called into battle to help the party, require the summoner to sacrifice his/her life. Dying on their military campaigns was just as common an occurrence as wholesale slaughtering an enemy squad thanks to Arecia's ability to revive them. What would put a military veteran in a therapist's chair is pretty normal to Jack.

The by-product of this kind of A+ child rearing is someone with a soldier's discipline and an almost ruthless practicality to the point others refer to kids in Class Zero as demons, indifferent to death and steamrolling over anything in their way. Jack is no different; he can be as single-minded as a pit bull with a bone if a job needs doing. He'll lock his teeth around it and refuse to let go until it's done, even if costs him his own life or that of a comrade. This not only makes him an effective soldier, it makes him a strong pillar of support in hairy situations. Shit getting too real? Put some of the burden on him; he's trained to take it. This fortitude also plays into an incredible sense of obedience and loyalty. When he follows orders, he follows them unquestioningly. You want that person dead, boss? Done and done.

But his real talent is his uncanny ability to stay a good-humored kid despite the incredible demands put on him. He and his foster siblings each have a unique, defining trait that they draw strength from--for instance, Trey, their resident know-it-all, represents knowledge, and Nine, a loud-mouth punk itching for a fight, embodies action. Jack represents the power of ignorance.

This isn't quite the textbook definition of being unaware or unintelligent like you might think: it has to do with a determination to stay upbeat, to keep finding reasons to smile, to be the kind of guy who laughs at funerals to hold back the tears. Jack is collectively agreed to be the class clown, encouraging people to look on the bright side in the shittiest situations while never seemingly taking anything seriously. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction--the worse things get, the more carefree and lighthearted Jack will act, believing it to be his responsibility to keep Class Zero's morale up whatever way he can, dumb jokes and all.

Admittedly, oftentimes this "fake it 'til you make it" strategy comes off as just dicking around. The first time he's introduced in the game, he's goofing off over the comm line in the middle of a fight with imperial troopers and has to be reminded to focus. Life or death mission details get an excited "sweeeeet!" that makes you wonder if he's paying attention or just tone deaf to the mood. I could probably list "acting ability" under his list of strengths because he's so good at playing up this jokester persona that not even most of his siblings realize he's going the full monty on method acting. As a result, people sometimes have a hard time taking his words to heart, seeing his encouragement as just goofing around.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S WEAKNESSES?:

The flip side to everything above is that being an accomplished fighter at such young age means Jack hasn't really done anything else. His entire life has been dedicated to soldiering. Not only is his education in areas beyond combat and magic sorely lacking, he's ironically lived a very sheltered life, experience-wise. He hasn't really made connections outside of Class Zero, or gone on a date, or had a sleepover, or been to a mall. Normal kid things are a mystery.

By extension, co-dependency is another issue--Jack's identity is tied so closely to Arecia and Class Zero that he struggles with the concept of being his own person independently of them. He lived at an isolated facility with them for almost a decade, implied to have little contact with the outside world beyond the odd trip. Everything he is and everything he does has been for them, sometimes to an almost Norman Bates-y degree, so thinking for himself and his own wants is new territory.

Of all Arecia's children, he's one of the ones who has the hardest time accepting change. When the war's escalation means they must join a military academy, Jack questions having to move into the dorms with other cadets their age. Widening his horizons is met with doubt; he feels safe coloring within the lines of his comfort zone where things are familiar. (It doesn't help that his glib personality is a bit of an acquired taste and keeps him from making genuine connections with outsiders.) Growing up and growing out of the structure that saw him through childhood is, consequently, something that worries Jack. The status quo isn't great, but it's all he knows; if things stay the same they'll at least be familiar

In that vein, with his naivety toward other walks of life comes a limited appreciation for them. Until very recently, Jack didn't hold a ton of sentimentality toward human life--not his own or other people's. It's not that he didn't feel badly about lives lost, he simply hadn't had an opportunity to slow down and smell the proverbial roses and really see people as individuals instead of statistics or names on a list of KIA.

This narrow-minded view partly has to do with being raised to view sacrifice as necessary to achieve a goal, and partly to do with his world in general. Orience's Crystals wipe the memories of the dead from people's minds--meaning that when someone dies in Type-0 canon, they're forgotten about entirely. It takes the impact out of death, as you can't mourn for a person if you don't remember them. Jack and some of his siblings didn't even know what a cemetery was for until someone explained they're to respect the fallen. Jack has since learned to value his own life and the lives of others more than he would have a year ago, but even so, he's still a results-oriented thinker. Seeing people as expendable in the name of a greater good is a hard habit to break, and this can lead him to act recklessly, even immorally, if he feels benefits outweigh the costs. Sacrifice a daycare to protect a government building? He was raised to think that makes sense as an acceptable loss.

WHAT EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR CHARACTER'S PAST HAVE IMPACTED THEM THE MOST?:

There two sides to this answer: the events that had a direct impact, and ones in the background that had a less obvious influence.

Being orphaned at a young age and adopted by Arecia, along with the eleven other children who would become his brothers and sisters, was the biggest game-changer. During a conversation where Jack and the rest of Class Zero are struggling to imagine what they would do if life were different, one of the kid's bemused responses is "So what do we study? Is there anything that's not fighting?" It goes to show just how deeply entrenched their identities as soldiers are; it's the only thing Jack has ever done and embodies the foundation of his identity.

And now for the more complicated answer, which is that unbeknownst to Jack, the gods, aka the fal'Cie, have had their thumb in the pie of his life long before he was ever born. Like a macro version of Wayward Pines, the world of Orience was designed as an experiment with a script its people couldn't deviate from; the death of his family, his adoption, and his prodigy-level fighting skill were all predetermined from the beginning in order to orchestrate specific events in history. The fal'Cie watched and waited, and every time they felt the human population had "failed" the experiment, they would destroy the world, wipe everyone's memories of events, and start over again, forcing the souls under their care to relive the same time loop a grand total of... 600,104,972 times. Yeah.

So basically if someone were to carbon date Jack's soul, he'd read like a dinosaur that's been around the block a few times. His fighting skills are advanced because he's had millions of chances to practice them--and with each new incarnation, his soul got a little older and a little stronger. By the events of Type-0, some members of Class Zero have even become self-aware enough that they remember things they shouldn't, experiencing moments of deja vu from past lives, or dreaming about the dead (which canonically shouldn't happen as people have memories of the dead wiped from their minds). The fal'Cie's shenanigans haven't impacted him in a conscious way, but it's definitely impacted Jack in a subconscious way.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR CHARACTER?:

Arecia

Short answer: Jack does what she tells him to do, period. The longer answer is... well, being raised by Arecia was a trip given she was, in fact, secretly one of the fal'Cie pulling his strings. If you know anything about FF canon, you might know fal'Cie have a penchant for manipulating humans and seeing how they act, and Arecia was much the same. She instilled in him the idea that he's special, that he has an important destiny, and that he absolutely must fight alongside Class Zero, no exceptions. Almost everything Jack does is motivated by his desire to make her proud. "What would Mother want me to do" is and will continue to be a thought that follows him around.

Class Zero

If Arecia is his number one motivation, his unfailing loyalty to Class Zero is number two. His bond with them is rock solid, thanks in part to being reincarnated into their lives so many times to experience the same hardships that in a way they're more like very old friends than siblings. That kind of connection can't be understated; they stand as some of the most important influences in his li(ves) whether they're around or not. Wanting to reunite with them will stay a big motivator for Jack in-game, since he's never really been separated from them before.

Agito

Thirdly, Jack is groomed to become Agito, which in his canon means to become a savior that will prevent an apocalypse from destroying the world. (In reality, reaching Agito is the height of the fal'Cie's test. Become Agito and open the door to the Unseen Realm and you pass, hurray!)

Now, Jack didn't really believe there was truth in the myth until the apocalypse actually happened, and in the end he was still judged unfit to become Agito, but all cadets still strive to live up to the image, standing as peacemakers who will help all the people of the world regardless of race or class. Becoming the kind of warrior who can fight for those who can't fight for themselves are principles he's been brought up on. Jack wouldn't say he's heroic in any particular sense, but he's still willing to fight a hopeless battle with little chance of reward if there's a chance his skills can mean something good in a world with so much bad in it.

WHAT IMPRESSION DO OTHERS TEND TO HAVE OF YOUR CHARACTER?:

As mentioned in the strengths section, a big chunk of Jack's personality is built around projecting the impression of being happy-go-lucky; thus, most of what others see of him is deliberately and consciously put on for their viewing pleasure. Jack wants the world at large to think he's a standard issue class clown: peppy, optimistic, ready to fire off a joke or carefree remark at any moment. If you need someone to laugh off a serious situation and lighten the mood by acting the part of the comic relief (see what I did there, eh eh?), he's your guy.

That said, because it's mostly an act Jack can seem surprisingly contradictory at times if you happen to be paying attention. He's a disciplined swordsman with a high degree of patience and stoicism on the battlefield--how does an airhead manage the highest strength stat on a team of fourteen??? Hm. And if you talk to him one-on-one, his carefree remarks sometimes take on a sharper and more pessimistic edge than might seem "IC" for him. For instance, one of his siblings notes that Jack says unexpectedly "cold things" every so often and wonders if the war is bringing out a new side to him, which goes to show the cracks in the charade can raise eyebrows for those that pick up on his duality.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THAT IMPRESSION DIFFER FROM WHO YOUR CHARACTER REALLY IS?:

This sums it up nicely. Jack is someone who's noted to smile on the outside, but never on the inside. The positivity and good humor he leads by example with are in truth something he struggles with genuinely fostering in himself. Underneath the easygoingness exists a sober nature and a sense of responsibility to keep others motivated, regardless of what he's personally feeling.

While Jack may seem like he's Kanye shrugging his way through life, there are other sides to him that are more pragmatic, serious, and thoughtful that showcase his head isn't as far in the clouds as it seems. For example, he makes an offhand joke about tightening up security in case gorgeous spies steal their secrets, and lo and behold, this turns out to be a rather astute prediction when one of their female instructors under suspicion is eventually outed as an enemy spy. Underneath the poofy hair and goofball antics, there's a calm and collected side most people don't get to see.

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER HANDLE CRISIS OR ADVERSITY?:

By whining that he has to postpone a nap, probably. In all seriousness, "crisis" would probably be his middle name if he had a middle name. If it involves a physical attack, i.e. aliens invade, demon clowns rise from the depths, he's accustomed enough to that sort of threat to slip into "okay, let's fight this" muscle memory. We're talking about a kid who can step onto the front lines, kill without compunction, maybe get his head blown off, and step off again cracking jokes about it being a long day. He can be frightened, but if it comes down to fight or flight with a bunch of civilians around, he'll go into fight mode.

That said, if it's not a problem he can fight through, he's much more likely to defer to an authority, or whoever looks like they know what they're doing. He's definitely a foot soldier more than a strategist. When the pressure is taking its toll, however, he's guaranteed to take the lead in being the insufferably optimistic encouragement there to relieve tension and remind everyone to keep their chin up.

WHICH 5 THINGS WILL YOUR CHARACTER REMEMBER UPON ARRIVAL, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THEM?:

1. He has a red cape that's very important to him. Like, really important. He'll have the feeling it should stay within sight.
2. A memory of his commanding officer. He won't remember who he is or how they relate, only the strange feeling that he shouldn't be remembering this person (because he canonically died and Jack lost his memories of him).
3. Arecia giving him a physical check-up like a nurse would do.
4. The slaughter at Akademeia during the Rursus invasion. He'll have a distinct memory of bloody streets, rubble, bodies lying haphazardly, the whole shebang.
5. Sitting around a campfire with Class Zero.

Most of these will be tantalizing jigsaw pieces to a picture that won't make a heck of a lot of sense until all his memories return. In contrast, having a memory of being looked after in a doctor-y, hospital-y way will lure him into a more false of security with the nurses at the hospital. It'll be 500% confusing and befuddling my characters is how I like to roll.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU FEEL WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?: He's the man on campus with the abundant porn stash everyone borrows from.


SKILLS, ABILITIES, & PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES:

Swordsmanship

Jack's primary weapon is the katana. Physical strength and precise sword strokes make him the heavy hitter of the group--he can kill, or at the minimum disable, most enemies in the game with one hit. His specialty is reading and predicting opponents' movements until an opportunity arises to strike at their most vulnerable moment, using techniques like Reflex and Tranquility (counter-slashes), as well as Deliverance (a strike causing instant death). He also has a move called Transience that involves channelling his own life energy into his sword, turning it red with his blood. He can unleash a devastating attack, but the trade-off is that it weakens him to the point of near-death.

In terms of vulnerabilities, being the "slow and steady" type in close combat puts him at a disadvantage with quick opponents. His fighting style is based on long, powerful strokes; if he misses a hit or is in the middle of repositioning, a speedy foe can get inside his guard and be a real pain in the ass for him.

Magic

All members of Class Zero have gone through equally rigorous magic training that comprises both offensive and defensive magic.

Offensive includes fire, ice, and thunder magic that ranges in type from explosions around the caster to elemental projectiles. Jack also has the means to perform advanced magic, in the case of special attack spells (i.e. Ultima, Death, Bio, Quake, Tornado, Holy, and Meteor), all techniques that require greater magical expenditure. Fire spells are his best area by far.

Defensive includes healing magic that restores strength, heals ailments, protects against damage, and revives fallen allies. This also includes Wall, a spell that creates a magic barrier that blocks attacks until destroyed.

Eidolon summoning

A more advanced form of magic is the ability to summon Eidolons ("war gods"), powerful monsters that can fight on the summoner's behalf. Jack is capable of calling on Eidolons from six categories:

• Ifrit class
• Golem class
• Shiva class
• Odin class
• Diabolos class
• Bahamut class

Each class has its strengths and weaknesses, but there are some restrictions to their use. Eidolons can only be summoned one at a time and they can only remain in the physical world for a short time before disappearing. Most importantly, Eidolons can't be summoned unless the summoner sacrifices their life to do so. Fun. I don't know if this ability would be viable in the game, so let me know if this part needs to be nerfed!

Phantoma harvesting

HUMAN DEMENTOR. There's no 100% clear explanation of the process, but Jack has been the taught how to extract the life essence from life forms, what would roughly equate to a thing's soul. In FF Type-0 they call this "phantoma." When he kills an opponent, he can draw their phantoma (what looks like red orbs of light, or orbs of other colors) out of their body and absorb it into his own. Doing so will increase his power and replenish some of his magic.

INVENTORY:

On his person:

• Katana (summonable weapon)
• Cadet uniform
• Belt/sword holster
• Probably a few basic battle supplies like potions and ethers

Not on his person:

• His personal journal
• A Knowing Tag, which is basically a dog tag with his name on it
• A chocobo egg from the breeders