Character
Cain Darlite
Race: Human
Age: 27
Sex: Male
Sexuality: Bisexual
Relationship: It's complicated
Height: 6'1''
Build: Sinewy and Chiselled
Reference: Here
Player
Danielle Song
Nationality: Chinese-American
Age: 22
Sex: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual
Relationship: It's complicated
Height: 5'3''
Build: Toned and Curvy
Reference: Here
Personality
Cain Darlite.
He set off in the world with grand intents. His mind raced at doubletime, and his love for stories expanded into a love for lore, a love for the world. But things, perhaps, got out of hand.
The bard met a knight, and they grew close. And yet, she fell, mired by a rose.
The bard met an adventuress, and they grew close. And yet, she fell, leaving naught but snow.
The bard met a saviour, and they grew close. And yet, she fell, as her shadows bloomed.
The bard met a hero, and they grew close. And yet, she fell, locked now in an impossible world.
He kept up his eccentricities, of course. His flamboyance. The role that he played to enjoy himself. He sang his songs, his Harmonics growing ever stronger. Songs to touch the hearts of sinners. Songs to make the firmament brighter! Songs and stories, battle hymns to match the clashing blades, expressing and expressing and EXPRESSING!
But still, things got out of hand. He cradled a child’s head in his hands, having killed her himself for a ploy that should have been reversible. He bled himself dry, seeking meager treasures whilst risking deathly curses. He raged against monstrosities, tearing out his throat against the void that swallowed the stars. And he watched as his life-granting magic, as his near-peerless mastery, failed him again and again and again.
Things.
Got out of hand.
And now, the only thing genuine about him was his tenacity.
…
Because while Danielle has built herself a home in the real world, surrounded herself with the financial stability that she had always dreamt of, the return of Terrasphere reminded her of unfinished business, of friends whom she still remembered so brightly, of every single debt that she had yet to pay, all those years back.
She can still smile. She can still sing. She can still dance. She can still be dashing and handsome, a heartstealing debonair.
But playing this game for fun?
Banish the fucking thought.
Positive: Tenacious, Charming, Good-Intentioned
Negative: Conniving, Wrathful, Self-Indulgent
Background
An immigrant whose parents worked around the clock just to keep them afloat, Danielle Song's life was one that was always lacking. Rice and water filled her stomach as a child, with cheap vegetables and fruits giving some degree of variety to her otherwise lackluster meals. Playgrounds were a constant escape from the sheer lack of nothing there was at home, while half-hour access to the Internet through library computers was all that kept her connected to her well-off relatives back in China. Her childhood was nothing easy, and the difference between her and her classmates served as a constant reminder of what she lacked.
But instead of jealousy, Danielle embraced her 'uniqueness', facing her hardships with an implacable, sometimes incomprehensible smile. She made do with what she had, worked to get what she didn't have, and her optimistic tenacity struck a chord with the individuals that would soon become her friends. Perhaps hatred and envy could have spurred her on as well, caused her to excel in order to let her look down at those around her one day, but that wasn't the sort of life she sought. Her life was unique. Her life was her own. Her life allowed her to see things differently from everyone else.
And though her grades made her eligible for scholarships, for a higher education, what she sought was to see the world and to record the transient experiences that came and went like a summer shower. Her parents gave her their blessings. Her friends gave her their encouragement. She was young. If this was a mistake, it wasn't too late to change it later on, but for now...
...she was willing to go all in on her photographic passions.
And if that meant plunging into a virtual world that was no doubt illegally maintained for the sake of seeing the post-apocalyptic scenery that would never exist in her lifetime?
Well, Danielle was nothing if not reckless.
...
But Terrasphere offered only scenery that she could not record, and only people she could not save. It fucked her up, gradually. The hatred and envy that she once held at bay turned into a spite that ate away at her. Her parents could see it reflected in her eyes, reflected in her actions. A more forceful gait. A more direct tone. A smile that turned more easily into a sneer. And, on occasions that were no longer occasions, a period of melancholy as she ruminated over events that were not real, and yet were wholly experienced as such. The recklessness of youth had lead her astray, and the shutting down of Terrasphere, right as she realized that her friend, Raina, was actually, entirely, dead for real, sent her down a place deep and dark.
Two years passed before she could stomach visiting that grave. Comrades in-game. Friends in reality. But the family didn't recognize her as anything more than a stranger. That stung, but so what?
She deserved it.
...hah, fuck that. She never settled for what she deserved. Danielle lied through her teeth at the cemetery's office, got the location of Raina's gravestone, had a big laugh at how grossly ornate it was, and gave her tomb a song. A shitty song, performed by a woman who only ever pretended to be a singer. But a song that settled things enough that she could think a little bit more about the future.
All those who were left behind probably wouldn't be happy with where she was now, huh? Except for Magi, maybe. Probably'd be cackling up a storm over how fucking wasted she became over the years.
So for that little pink-haired chaos gremlin, Danielle'll spite the fuck outta her and live to the fullest. And for that dumbass hero-wannabe, Danielle'll work her ass off and build up an odyssey to amaze her.
First thing, though, was to get rid of this gross ass mass of hair on her head.
...
Two more years passed, and Danielle was happy.
She became a photographer after all. Learned to paint as well. It had been a regret that she could never capture her memories of that twisted game, of the lovely people within it, but she could amend that now. Work was good, and she kept in contact with other former-TS players, making a personal effort to check in on how they were doing without their affliction of choice. Managed to finally move out of her parent's room, settling in at a studio apartment on the sketchier but more vibrant part of town. Heartache became a dull pain, one distracted by the efforts of living independently, one withstood by the oath she made by the grave.
Danielle was moving on.
Bullshit.
Danielle grew roses on her windowsill.
And when the link came out, Danielle was ready, for the last two years had always been for this eventuality.
But instead of jealousy, Danielle embraced her 'uniqueness', facing her hardships with an implacable, sometimes incomprehensible smile. She made do with what she had, worked to get what she didn't have, and her optimistic tenacity struck a chord with the individuals that would soon become her friends. Perhaps hatred and envy could have spurred her on as well, caused her to excel in order to let her look down at those around her one day, but that wasn't the sort of life she sought. Her life was unique. Her life was her own. Her life allowed her to see things differently from everyone else.
And though her grades made her eligible for scholarships, for a higher education, what she sought was to see the world and to record the transient experiences that came and went like a summer shower. Her parents gave her their blessings. Her friends gave her their encouragement. She was young. If this was a mistake, it wasn't too late to change it later on, but for now...
...she was willing to go all in on her photographic passions.
And if that meant plunging into a virtual world that was no doubt illegally maintained for the sake of seeing the post-apocalyptic scenery that would never exist in her lifetime?
Well, Danielle was nothing if not reckless.
...
But Terrasphere offered only scenery that she could not record, and only people she could not save. It fucked her up, gradually. The hatred and envy that she once held at bay turned into a spite that ate away at her. Her parents could see it reflected in her eyes, reflected in her actions. A more forceful gait. A more direct tone. A smile that turned more easily into a sneer. And, on occasions that were no longer occasions, a period of melancholy as she ruminated over events that were not real, and yet were wholly experienced as such. The recklessness of youth had lead her astray, and the shutting down of Terrasphere, right as she realized that her friend, Raina, was actually, entirely, dead for real, sent her down a place deep and dark.
Two years passed before she could stomach visiting that grave. Comrades in-game. Friends in reality. But the family didn't recognize her as anything more than a stranger. That stung, but so what?
She deserved it.
...hah, fuck that. She never settled for what she deserved. Danielle lied through her teeth at the cemetery's office, got the location of Raina's gravestone, had a big laugh at how grossly ornate it was, and gave her tomb a song. A shitty song, performed by a woman who only ever pretended to be a singer. But a song that settled things enough that she could think a little bit more about the future.
All those who were left behind probably wouldn't be happy with where she was now, huh? Except for Magi, maybe. Probably'd be cackling up a storm over how fucking wasted she became over the years.
So for that little pink-haired chaos gremlin, Danielle'll spite the fuck outta her and live to the fullest. And for that dumbass hero-wannabe, Danielle'll work her ass off and build up an odyssey to amaze her.
First thing, though, was to get rid of this gross ass mass of hair on her head.
...
Two more years passed, and Danielle was happy.
She became a photographer after all. Learned to paint as well. It had been a regret that she could never capture her memories of that twisted game, of the lovely people within it, but she could amend that now. Work was good, and she kept in contact with other former-TS players, making a personal effort to check in on how they were doing without their affliction of choice. Managed to finally move out of her parent's room, settling in at a studio apartment on the sketchier but more vibrant part of town. Heartache became a dull pain, one distracted by the efforts of living independently, one withstood by the oath she made by the grave.
Danielle was moving on.
Bullshit.
Danielle grew roses on her windowsill.
And when the link came out, Danielle was ready, for the last two years had always been for this eventuality.
Occupation: Freelance Photographer, Model, Tutor
Special Skills: Photography, Outfit Coordination
Out of Character
Played by: @Ashifili
Player tag: @Cain Darlite
UI-locked? No
Year 8
IG (Symphogear AXZ) Adam Weishaupt
RL (The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls) Senzaki Ema
As your life fled you, the silhouette of the witch doctor against her walls of potions, tinctures, and vials loomed in your vision. Now the glint of glass, the shine of liquid, and her mad smile haunt the dark behind your eyes. You are compelled to drink all potions, vials, and glasses of liquid in a desperate attempt to find one that makes her dark visage vanish.
The world is wide and the paths are many. At each crossroads you come to, be it physical or metaphorical, all possibilities must be considered. You can see every way it can go oh so right and oh so wrong. Should you charge ahead without thought, you feel the burn of rope curling tight around your ankle. The weight on the other end is the weight of the world.
