Reira Akaba (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
soft_focus) wrote2019-01-24 05:10 pm
soft_focus) wrote2019-01-24 05:10 pm
Entry tags:
Daybreak App
PLAYER INFORMATION
NAME: Usagi
CONTACT:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
usagisquared
OTHER CHARACTER(S) IN GAME: Noboru Gongenzaka
CANON INFORMATION
CHARACTER NAME: Reira Akaba
CANON: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
HISTORY: Located Here- it should be warned and noted that Reira's wikipedia page is a mess pronouns wise, due to the series only revealing her to be a girl extremely late in.
STRENGTHS:
- Selfless/Prioritizing - This is a trait that toes the line between flaw and strength; it falls to strength only because it is (typically) balanced with the ability to determine where sacrifice is necessary. Through her series, Reira is shown to eventually be someone who cares more than she does not. She is someone who prefers the peaceful option, the understanding option- but is willing and able to employ force as needed.
More than that, she seems keenly aware that sacrifice can be necessary- the greatest example of course is end series where she is forced to acknowledge that the option she feels is the Only option to save everyone will still end in the possible death of four other girls- and then greater still in her personal sacrifice, made without hesitation to prevent tragedy from repeating. This is a trait that displays earlier on however as well; when Reira willingly accepts the task of retrieving and protecting another duelist, and does everything she can to do so- even at the cost of plunging herself into a PTSD attack.
A lesser form of this trait in general can be seen in how well Reira moves along with what occurs around her- seeing the bigger picture rather than focusing on the details of how real something may be. Various events escalate from mere duels to battles against soldiers, and then massive world destroying dragons- but Reira doesn't question these matters. The closest she gets is recoiling in fear at what she thinks are ghosts- but when it is explained they are merely shades of people from other realms, she simply takes it and moves along.
- Accepting/Forgiving - In addition to her ability to tackle a situation while welcoming the consequences for a necessary good, Reira is a very kind, and forgiving person. This can be difficult to tell given her tendency to take her own path of course- but the fact remains that even when the final enemy of the series comes about due to one man's actions, she insists that her brother needs to forgive that man. She is someone capable of seeing the good intentions of another- and despite the harm of those actions, is thus willing to accept and forgive those things very easily. She may certainly judge how someone does one thing or another- but at the end of the day, her goals and ideals focus on the happiness of others, and she will thus more likely give someone a second chance if she feels they truly care as well.
- Intelligent - One noted point through the series is that Reira's ability as a duelist is on par with, if not even beyond many of the Lancers she travels with. While literal programming can perhaps be sourced as the reason for her quick ability, it is clear through the series that Reira herself is intelligent without this. In addition to her impressive skill in dueling (which requires a fair amount of strategy and quick math calculation), she is the first and only one to successfully understand the intentions and words of Jack Atlas, and from this correctly assumes what these intentions mean in regard to another character- making certain to notify them so that things can be made right. She is thus not only a quick study for more academic matters, but also intelligent in general when it comes to understanding those around her over time.
FLAWS:
- Selfish - For all that Reira can be incredibly selfless, she can also be very selfish. While one might argue that the two traits replaced the other, the fact remains that her methods in pursuing a selfless act are still selfish in their own right. It extends far beyond merely refusing to face someone because they gave her candy (yes this happens- it's actually the first step toward her developing her own interests in the series). And farther still beyond wishing someone 'gone' so they can keep their social standing so to speak. It is the sort of selfishness that states 'I know better, even as you wave these facts in my face, therefore I will do it anyway'. This doesn't make her impossible to convince of course- but it does mean that however difficult a decision may be, if she believes her way is the Correct way, she'll still do it.
- Skittish/Avoidant - Reira has come a fair way from how afraid she was of others at the start of her series, becoming courageous enough to stand up for herself and pursue her ideals at times; but that doesn't change the fact that fear is still a very large aspect of her being. While not as common, if something terrifies her enough, or even vaguely seems to be too dangerous an option, she'll be reduced to a very fight or flight state- or worse, a state where she can't move at all. It is easier then, to just not face that matter at all. To work with others who seem to know what they're doing, when she doesn't- or to stick to herself, in a corner, and simply not talk to anyone no matter the prompting. (Naturally this results in a bit of shock when she Is prompted or approached, typically)
This can be seen to a point in her duel with Reiji late in the series: Reira faces Reiji over their disagreement regarding the situation surrounding Ray and Zarc. When Reiji wins, she willingly goes with him according to his wishes. It takes until she has since convinced Reiji to stop his father from sacrificing himself, and thus until they're separated, before she resumes her original goal of finding Ray. This is important, because Reira's fear is not merely a matter of if something could hurt her- she is afraid as well of rejection, and disappointing those she has grown attached to.
(Other examples through the series are more literally her running away from what frightens her- though to a minor extent, she is seen deliberately avoiding eye contact and communication at other early moments in the series when put on the spot to answer questions in matters she wants to stay out of for similar 'potential to disappoint the caregiver' reasons- such as Yuuya and Crow's argument on what children prefer)
- Presumptuous - Despite fear forming a large portion of Reira's interaction with the world, Reira is shown very early on (debut, even!) to just as often to immediately assume certain actions of other people, and place expectations upon them. She's very direct, yet vague in her intentions. In her very first episode, when it comes time for her to duel she immediately turns to a reporter near to her and hands them her bear, doing nothing and saying nothing until the confused reporter takes it (at which point she leaves to duel her opponent). She then, with just as little bother with words and interaction, takes the bear back and moves to her primary focus.
To a point, Reira's selfish actions later in the series reflect this. With Reira, making others angry is certainly a danger in her eyes- but if the anger isn't there, and if the coast seems 'clear'? Anything goes, whether someone else might not understand it, or even be upset by it. Reira doesn't understand that her experiences are not only not universal, but incredibly unique- she simply feels that what she knows is obvious, and thus acts and speaks as if it is.
CANON ABILITIES: It's Really Short rip
Reira's empathy is sort of a mess as can probably be noted from the description; supposedly it came into being as a result of her trauma, and it seems keen enough to allow Reira to track down Ray's spirit through the merging dimensions. It also seems to cause her actual pain when things grow intense enough (though this only really occurs during the RageFit from the dragons- so it takes a lot to get there).
There's the added question of what the heck is going on when her background episode states that she could obey literally any order...but. Anime, I guess.
AU INFORMATION
AU CHARACTER NAME: 'Reira' - No surname.
AGE: 9- Her birthday will be Oct. 12
GRADE: Grade 4; Part of Reira's recovering would have been spent testing and teaching certain academic skills, in particular language. As she was found to be a swift learner, she was placed within her age group for the most part. She may be enrolled in certain classes based on Outlands experience however.
AU BACKSTORY:
The exact nature of Reira's origins are unknown- even to her. She can remember having a home, once- vaguely and through the sort of haze most young memories are. They would have been the ones from whom she learned her first language. Her birth language- Russian.
But beyond that language, she cannot even remember her name.
She can remember people continuing to use that language with her- their appearances but a blur of clothing, the things in their hands never quite clear enough for her memory. Was there one person? More? She remembers at one point being made to sit down, and having something placed upon her...
And then the last thing she can remember before entering the Outlands is a bright, blinding light, and a lot of screaming.
At some point when Reira was about five years old, something went wrong in during a procedure- experimental or deliberate, she wouldn't know- she was part of. She- along with an older person who explained at least that much to her in a way where she could properly remember it back then- was caught in some sort of 'backfire' and summarily lost to the Outlands.
With no way out.
Reira's flame woke quickly while wandering with her older companion in the realms- it was a dangerous place, not only physically but mentally. Things that should not have been seen with mortal eyes were around them, and everything was unknown.
But Reira and the other wouldn't be able to travel together long. Reira herself doesn't know what became of them- whether they died, or simply left. But before either of these things happened, their temporary guardian made a deal in exchange for aid from four unique faeries- sprites, really- to last for until the end of Reira's days.
Protect her with everything in their power, they were ordered. And from there, they were bound to four small bracelets that Reira would come to wear. The sprites- with their powers in Flowers, Birds, the Wind, and the Moon- were hardly powerful. But they were creative, and that was enough.
Especially in conjunction with Reira's power. Reira's flame granted her an open heart. A sensitivity to those within a large radius of her being, her very heart and body affected by the moods of others. This same power left her vulnerable to possession.
So that is what the sprites did.
And that is how Reira survived for years. Wandering the Outlands, constantly on the move for a better, safer place to stay. For a place that didn't shift so much, or attract Creatures so much. And whenever something dangerous would draw near, Reira would black out- as one of the sprites took hold and used their power to spirit them away to some other place.
Why the sprites did not react to a team from Daybreak that had come near to rescue one of their own, is unknown. More than likely they sensed that Daybreak team wasn't a 'hostile' presence despite Reira's own initial fear. What matters is that they didn't react...
So Daybreak was able to return not only with the one they were rescuing, but with a curious 'wild child' of sorts.
Throwing someone like that right into a school would be madness, of course; but Reira was looked after on Daybreak's grounds, both physically (living in the outlands doesn't lend well to a healthy diet and upbringing), and otherwise. Though she could speak, she wasn't accustomed to regular conversation. Her own emotions were stunted, having spent so long doing little more than being afraid rather than anything else.
There was a lot of damage.
...But she was able to recover quickly.
Reira as she is when she's finally enrolled officially isn't 100% there of course. It takes more time than that to recover from that sort of lasting trauma- and there will always be scars. But between when she was taken out from the outlands, and the few months after she's taken the first key steps toward finding 'herself'.
The 'human' world is nicer than the 'other' world as it is.
It is worth noting that ICly, she will have been receiving some sort of care since October, prior game start- this is partly to give time for the IC recovery she required, and also to establish a reason for her 'birthday' (it would be the day she was recovered)
AU PERSONALITY DEVIATION: Naturally, Reira's AU personality lines up with a particular chunk of her canon self- there are however, a few very key deviations taken due to the shifts in background (among other things)
A notable aspect of Reira for the AU is the fact that she has been aged up slightly- from her canon of roughly 7- to 9. In addition to this, her original background has changed significantly, altering the exact sources of her trauma. The result of this is that the triggers for that trauma are also different- and indeed, less clear over all (though the trade off is that the reactions are less strong as well).
What is perhaps more notable is that Reira draws partly from her late series iteration, rather than early canon. Reira's series starts her on the path to recovery- but it never allows her to continue it. At the very moment she is allowed to express herself enough to choose what to do, and how to help others in the series, the plot itself hits a 'hard reset' on her; in using the magic of the En Cards, Reira is reduced to infancy, a blank slate. Because of this, and because of how much more room there is for her to grow from that budding moment of self-expression, Daybreak's Reira is at a similar point. She's someone who has started to rediscover emotions beyond fear, started to discover happiness, attachment, etc etc...so her AU personality in essence is picking up from that point in her canon.
Beyond this the most obvious difference is a lack of 'security blanket' so to speak. In canon, Reira is incredibly attached to her brother Reiji, to the point that she honestly wishes someone would 'disappear' so that she can remain 'useful' to him (as at that point in time, she believes the reason she's allowed near Reiji at all is because of her use as a duelist/'soldier'). But Reira doesn't have anyone like this in the AU- the closest thing she would have had, would be the unknown 'Guardian' in her backstory...and even then, if they were to show up now it would not be so extreme an attachment at all.
More minor points; Reira is somewhat less skittish compared to early series, due to having the sprites to lean on for safety- she's more used to having something that WILL save her, and thus has little reason to truly panic in most situations. She is, however, still very quiet and hesitant to interact over all. The sprites combined with empathy made sensing out safe creatures a walk in the park. But humans are changeable, and can lie- they can radiate positive emotions and still attack from behind, making things more touchy there. (Part of Reira's offscreen recovery is being at least open enough to other people that she'll not immediately assume everyone is a threat, on that note)
RACE: Human (Candle)
SECRET SOCIETY: Recovered from the Outlands during a recovery mission from Daybreak; she wasn't the target, but they weren't going to leave a kid out there either. Due to her state from living in the Outlands (and partly out of the desire to understand her time in the Outlands as a whole), and also due to her candle ability and connections to four sprites, it was determined that she would be enrolled at Daybreak once she was deemed physically and mentally fit enough.
Daybreak staff may have been able to determine one clue to what happened to Reira however; it appears that at one point, she did have potential as a mage, or some other magically gifted person. The potential seems to have been 'drained' somehow, which might explain her flame manifesting as it did.
POWERS: Due to Reira's connection to four small sprites, all five powersets will be noted here:
- Reira's ability is an 'Open Heart', the manifestation of her Candle Flame. In essence, she is a highly sensitive empath, capable of individually pointing out the emotions of those around her within a semi-wide radius- practically like a radar. The drawback to this however is that not only does she not necessarily have a word for what those feelings are, but the more negatively potent the emotion, the more it causes her physical pain. Hatred and Malice is by far the worst, followed by anger, then fear, and lastly sadness (it should be noted that for anything to create a verbal and/or serious response, one would need to be harboring enough genuine hate to wish the planet's destruction though...so she should be fine around people, albeit a bit overstimulated in crowds).
In addition to this open sensitivity, her own body and soul are more vulnerable to other forces. Most notably, it is easier for spirits and creatures to possess her- theoretically, it would also be easier to use other mind-related magic on her as well.
Curiously, creatures from the outlands using their magic through her during possession will find it becomes more potent; it appears Reira acts as a sort of conduit or conductor.
This empathy works on anything that experiences emotion- this includes animals. It DOES NOT read minds, or allow her to determine if someone is lying however; all she can do with regard to the latter, is make assumptions based on what she thinks 'fits' (expressions failing to match the emotions, in other words).
- Flower; The Flower sprite's domain is in plant growth. Specifically though, in flowering things. The farther away from being directly a flower, the less the sprite is able to simply grow it from nothing- so a field of tulips is plenty plausible. But a tree? No. Heavily flowering bushes or vines are a little more likely. While possessing Reira, they are capable of quickly blooming flora of larger-than-typical size, speeding through its life cycle; mostly this is used to do things like scatter petals or pollen as a distraction. The flower sprite is also able to identify most plants that flower in some way...though they tend to only do so insofar as to determine if something could be harmful when touched or ingested or not.
- Bird; The Bird sprite's domain is in birds- it can communicate with them, and summon (locally) avian species for aid. Unfortunately, birds are still their own being...so many birds, while theoretically useful as defenders or scouts and the like, will only perform such acts in exchange for something of use. What are they getting out of this? Your sandwich? Is it worth it? They may act as a flock for a quick assist, but detailed tasks are a whole other matter. Outlands-based-birds are trickier in this sprite's domain. If it looks and acts like a bird, her magic will probably work. If it's something like a griffon, with a bird head, it might or might not respond. If it's only something like a feathered serpent, it won't answer at all. Notably, the Bird sprite can only call birds in the surrounding area for aid, and they travel in real-time; they cannot call upon 'summons' from the outlands. Similar to the Flower sprite however, they can identify species of bird! Again similar, they tend to only bother giving information on how dangerous it is.
- Wind; The Wind sprite allows for very minor manipulation of the air- small gusts from the hands, or even feet, as necessary- or even brief shields. While possessing Reira, they are even capable of extending her jump length, or slowing her fall...and more astoundingly, turning her into a cloud of wind entirely. These abilities are fleeting however, and require energy on Reira's part- turning into wind, especially, is something the sprite reserves for a moment of absolute necessity. Notably, the Wind sprite's presence seems to guard Reira somewhat against the cold- potentially because the air manipulated by Wind is chilled.
- Moon; The Moon sprite is by far the oddest of the four, and at first glance doesn't seem to really be capable of much at all. What's the moon going to do, sit there? The Moon sprite however can actually illuminate dark places- as well, they can cloak Reira from 'Blighted' eyes (so 'unfortunately', a heck of a lot of students and staff can get around that)...provided she isn't directly under the light of the moon. They're also in general just a lot more cuddly and more likely to sit in their unsealed (non-bracelet) state with her.
All four of the sprites can use their own abilities for themselves, but in general only use these abilities through, and for, Reira- though not necessarily at her command. Without further training, use of powers will entirely be based on their interpretation of how much danger Reira is in. (Notably in Daybreak that...won't be very often, as the school is Pretty Safe) It is possible that with practice she could come to an agreement with them in order to use and hone their skills through cooperation instead.
(As well, with practice, she could potentially come to better defend against mental manipulation and possession. Which is probably a good idea.)
The sprites are each about the size of a typical rabbit when summoned in full. They look more like Moth-Rabbits though.
HOUSING: With Maddie, please!
RP SAMPLE
Ta-daaah- Provides a handy look at her reaction difference between human, animal, and Internet too.
NAME: Usagi
CONTACT:
OTHER CHARACTER(S) IN GAME: Noboru Gongenzaka
CANON INFORMATION
CHARACTER NAME: Reira Akaba
CANON: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
HISTORY: Located Here- it should be warned and noted that Reira's wikipedia page is a mess pronouns wise, due to the series only revealing her to be a girl extremely late in.
STRENGTHS:
- Selfless/Prioritizing - This is a trait that toes the line between flaw and strength; it falls to strength only because it is (typically) balanced with the ability to determine where sacrifice is necessary. Through her series, Reira is shown to eventually be someone who cares more than she does not. She is someone who prefers the peaceful option, the understanding option- but is willing and able to employ force as needed.
More than that, she seems keenly aware that sacrifice can be necessary- the greatest example of course is end series where she is forced to acknowledge that the option she feels is the Only option to save everyone will still end in the possible death of four other girls- and then greater still in her personal sacrifice, made without hesitation to prevent tragedy from repeating. This is a trait that displays earlier on however as well; when Reira willingly accepts the task of retrieving and protecting another duelist, and does everything she can to do so- even at the cost of plunging herself into a PTSD attack.
A lesser form of this trait in general can be seen in how well Reira moves along with what occurs around her- seeing the bigger picture rather than focusing on the details of how real something may be. Various events escalate from mere duels to battles against soldiers, and then massive world destroying dragons- but Reira doesn't question these matters. The closest she gets is recoiling in fear at what she thinks are ghosts- but when it is explained they are merely shades of people from other realms, she simply takes it and moves along.
- Accepting/Forgiving - In addition to her ability to tackle a situation while welcoming the consequences for a necessary good, Reira is a very kind, and forgiving person. This can be difficult to tell given her tendency to take her own path of course- but the fact remains that even when the final enemy of the series comes about due to one man's actions, she insists that her brother needs to forgive that man. She is someone capable of seeing the good intentions of another- and despite the harm of those actions, is thus willing to accept and forgive those things very easily. She may certainly judge how someone does one thing or another- but at the end of the day, her goals and ideals focus on the happiness of others, and she will thus more likely give someone a second chance if she feels they truly care as well.
- Intelligent - One noted point through the series is that Reira's ability as a duelist is on par with, if not even beyond many of the Lancers she travels with. While literal programming can perhaps be sourced as the reason for her quick ability, it is clear through the series that Reira herself is intelligent without this. In addition to her impressive skill in dueling (which requires a fair amount of strategy and quick math calculation), she is the first and only one to successfully understand the intentions and words of Jack Atlas, and from this correctly assumes what these intentions mean in regard to another character- making certain to notify them so that things can be made right. She is thus not only a quick study for more academic matters, but also intelligent in general when it comes to understanding those around her over time.
FLAWS:
- Selfish - For all that Reira can be incredibly selfless, she can also be very selfish. While one might argue that the two traits replaced the other, the fact remains that her methods in pursuing a selfless act are still selfish in their own right. It extends far beyond merely refusing to face someone because they gave her candy (yes this happens- it's actually the first step toward her developing her own interests in the series). And farther still beyond wishing someone 'gone' so they can keep their social standing so to speak. It is the sort of selfishness that states 'I know better, even as you wave these facts in my face, therefore I will do it anyway'. This doesn't make her impossible to convince of course- but it does mean that however difficult a decision may be, if she believes her way is the Correct way, she'll still do it.
- Skittish/Avoidant - Reira has come a fair way from how afraid she was of others at the start of her series, becoming courageous enough to stand up for herself and pursue her ideals at times; but that doesn't change the fact that fear is still a very large aspect of her being. While not as common, if something terrifies her enough, or even vaguely seems to be too dangerous an option, she'll be reduced to a very fight or flight state- or worse, a state where she can't move at all. It is easier then, to just not face that matter at all. To work with others who seem to know what they're doing, when she doesn't- or to stick to herself, in a corner, and simply not talk to anyone no matter the prompting. (Naturally this results in a bit of shock when she Is prompted or approached, typically)
This can be seen to a point in her duel with Reiji late in the series: Reira faces Reiji over their disagreement regarding the situation surrounding Ray and Zarc. When Reiji wins, she willingly goes with him according to his wishes. It takes until she has since convinced Reiji to stop his father from sacrificing himself, and thus until they're separated, before she resumes her original goal of finding Ray. This is important, because Reira's fear is not merely a matter of if something could hurt her- she is afraid as well of rejection, and disappointing those she has grown attached to.
(Other examples through the series are more literally her running away from what frightens her- though to a minor extent, she is seen deliberately avoiding eye contact and communication at other early moments in the series when put on the spot to answer questions in matters she wants to stay out of for similar 'potential to disappoint the caregiver' reasons- such as Yuuya and Crow's argument on what children prefer)
- Presumptuous - Despite fear forming a large portion of Reira's interaction with the world, Reira is shown very early on (debut, even!) to just as often to immediately assume certain actions of other people, and place expectations upon them. She's very direct, yet vague in her intentions. In her very first episode, when it comes time for her to duel she immediately turns to a reporter near to her and hands them her bear, doing nothing and saying nothing until the confused reporter takes it (at which point she leaves to duel her opponent). She then, with just as little bother with words and interaction, takes the bear back and moves to her primary focus.
To a point, Reira's selfish actions later in the series reflect this. With Reira, making others angry is certainly a danger in her eyes- but if the anger isn't there, and if the coast seems 'clear'? Anything goes, whether someone else might not understand it, or even be upset by it. Reira doesn't understand that her experiences are not only not universal, but incredibly unique- she simply feels that what she knows is obvious, and thus acts and speaks as if it is.
CANON ABILITIES: It's Really Short rip
Reira's empathy is sort of a mess as can probably be noted from the description; supposedly it came into being as a result of her trauma, and it seems keen enough to allow Reira to track down Ray's spirit through the merging dimensions. It also seems to cause her actual pain when things grow intense enough (though this only really occurs during the RageFit from the dragons- so it takes a lot to get there).
There's the added question of what the heck is going on when her background episode states that she could obey literally any order...but. Anime, I guess.
AU INFORMATION
AU CHARACTER NAME: 'Reira' - No surname.
AGE: 9- Her birthday will be Oct. 12
GRADE: Grade 4; Part of Reira's recovering would have been spent testing and teaching certain academic skills, in particular language. As she was found to be a swift learner, she was placed within her age group for the most part. She may be enrolled in certain classes based on Outlands experience however.
AU BACKSTORY:
The exact nature of Reira's origins are unknown- even to her. She can remember having a home, once- vaguely and through the sort of haze most young memories are. They would have been the ones from whom she learned her first language. Her birth language- Russian.
But beyond that language, she cannot even remember her name.
She can remember people continuing to use that language with her- their appearances but a blur of clothing, the things in their hands never quite clear enough for her memory. Was there one person? More? She remembers at one point being made to sit down, and having something placed upon her...
And then the last thing she can remember before entering the Outlands is a bright, blinding light, and a lot of screaming.
At some point when Reira was about five years old, something went wrong in during a procedure- experimental or deliberate, she wouldn't know- she was part of. She- along with an older person who explained at least that much to her in a way where she could properly remember it back then- was caught in some sort of 'backfire' and summarily lost to the Outlands.
With no way out.
Reira's flame woke quickly while wandering with her older companion in the realms- it was a dangerous place, not only physically but mentally. Things that should not have been seen with mortal eyes were around them, and everything was unknown.
But Reira and the other wouldn't be able to travel together long. Reira herself doesn't know what became of them- whether they died, or simply left. But before either of these things happened, their temporary guardian made a deal in exchange for aid from four unique faeries- sprites, really- to last for until the end of Reira's days.
Protect her with everything in their power, they were ordered. And from there, they were bound to four small bracelets that Reira would come to wear. The sprites- with their powers in Flowers, Birds, the Wind, and the Moon- were hardly powerful. But they were creative, and that was enough.
Especially in conjunction with Reira's power. Reira's flame granted her an open heart. A sensitivity to those within a large radius of her being, her very heart and body affected by the moods of others. This same power left her vulnerable to possession.
So that is what the sprites did.
And that is how Reira survived for years. Wandering the Outlands, constantly on the move for a better, safer place to stay. For a place that didn't shift so much, or attract Creatures so much. And whenever something dangerous would draw near, Reira would black out- as one of the sprites took hold and used their power to spirit them away to some other place.
Why the sprites did not react to a team from Daybreak that had come near to rescue one of their own, is unknown. More than likely they sensed that Daybreak team wasn't a 'hostile' presence despite Reira's own initial fear. What matters is that they didn't react...
So Daybreak was able to return not only with the one they were rescuing, but with a curious 'wild child' of sorts.
Throwing someone like that right into a school would be madness, of course; but Reira was looked after on Daybreak's grounds, both physically (living in the outlands doesn't lend well to a healthy diet and upbringing), and otherwise. Though she could speak, she wasn't accustomed to regular conversation. Her own emotions were stunted, having spent so long doing little more than being afraid rather than anything else.
There was a lot of damage.
...But she was able to recover quickly.
Reira as she is when she's finally enrolled officially isn't 100% there of course. It takes more time than that to recover from that sort of lasting trauma- and there will always be scars. But between when she was taken out from the outlands, and the few months after she's taken the first key steps toward finding 'herself'.
The 'human' world is nicer than the 'other' world as it is.
It is worth noting that ICly, she will have been receiving some sort of care since October, prior game start- this is partly to give time for the IC recovery she required, and also to establish a reason for her 'birthday' (it would be the day she was recovered)
AU PERSONALITY DEVIATION: Naturally, Reira's AU personality lines up with a particular chunk of her canon self- there are however, a few very key deviations taken due to the shifts in background (among other things)
A notable aspect of Reira for the AU is the fact that she has been aged up slightly- from her canon of roughly 7- to 9. In addition to this, her original background has changed significantly, altering the exact sources of her trauma. The result of this is that the triggers for that trauma are also different- and indeed, less clear over all (though the trade off is that the reactions are less strong as well).
What is perhaps more notable is that Reira draws partly from her late series iteration, rather than early canon. Reira's series starts her on the path to recovery- but it never allows her to continue it. At the very moment she is allowed to express herself enough to choose what to do, and how to help others in the series, the plot itself hits a 'hard reset' on her; in using the magic of the En Cards, Reira is reduced to infancy, a blank slate. Because of this, and because of how much more room there is for her to grow from that budding moment of self-expression, Daybreak's Reira is at a similar point. She's someone who has started to rediscover emotions beyond fear, started to discover happiness, attachment, etc etc...so her AU personality in essence is picking up from that point in her canon.
Beyond this the most obvious difference is a lack of 'security blanket' so to speak. In canon, Reira is incredibly attached to her brother Reiji, to the point that she honestly wishes someone would 'disappear' so that she can remain 'useful' to him (as at that point in time, she believes the reason she's allowed near Reiji at all is because of her use as a duelist/'soldier'). But Reira doesn't have anyone like this in the AU- the closest thing she would have had, would be the unknown 'Guardian' in her backstory...and even then, if they were to show up now it would not be so extreme an attachment at all.
More minor points; Reira is somewhat less skittish compared to early series, due to having the sprites to lean on for safety- she's more used to having something that WILL save her, and thus has little reason to truly panic in most situations. She is, however, still very quiet and hesitant to interact over all. The sprites combined with empathy made sensing out safe creatures a walk in the park. But humans are changeable, and can lie- they can radiate positive emotions and still attack from behind, making things more touchy there. (Part of Reira's offscreen recovery is being at least open enough to other people that she'll not immediately assume everyone is a threat, on that note)
RACE: Human (Candle)
SECRET SOCIETY: Recovered from the Outlands during a recovery mission from Daybreak; she wasn't the target, but they weren't going to leave a kid out there either. Due to her state from living in the Outlands (and partly out of the desire to understand her time in the Outlands as a whole), and also due to her candle ability and connections to four sprites, it was determined that she would be enrolled at Daybreak once she was deemed physically and mentally fit enough.
Daybreak staff may have been able to determine one clue to what happened to Reira however; it appears that at one point, she did have potential as a mage, or some other magically gifted person. The potential seems to have been 'drained' somehow, which might explain her flame manifesting as it did.
POWERS: Due to Reira's connection to four small sprites, all five powersets will be noted here:
- Reira's ability is an 'Open Heart', the manifestation of her Candle Flame. In essence, she is a highly sensitive empath, capable of individually pointing out the emotions of those around her within a semi-wide radius- practically like a radar. The drawback to this however is that not only does she not necessarily have a word for what those feelings are, but the more negatively potent the emotion, the more it causes her physical pain. Hatred and Malice is by far the worst, followed by anger, then fear, and lastly sadness (it should be noted that for anything to create a verbal and/or serious response, one would need to be harboring enough genuine hate to wish the planet's destruction though...so she should be fine around people, albeit a bit overstimulated in crowds).
In addition to this open sensitivity, her own body and soul are more vulnerable to other forces. Most notably, it is easier for spirits and creatures to possess her- theoretically, it would also be easier to use other mind-related magic on her as well.
Curiously, creatures from the outlands using their magic through her during possession will find it becomes more potent; it appears Reira acts as a sort of conduit or conductor.
This empathy works on anything that experiences emotion- this includes animals. It DOES NOT read minds, or allow her to determine if someone is lying however; all she can do with regard to the latter, is make assumptions based on what she thinks 'fits' (expressions failing to match the emotions, in other words).
- Flower; The Flower sprite's domain is in plant growth. Specifically though, in flowering things. The farther away from being directly a flower, the less the sprite is able to simply grow it from nothing- so a field of tulips is plenty plausible. But a tree? No. Heavily flowering bushes or vines are a little more likely. While possessing Reira, they are capable of quickly blooming flora of larger-than-typical size, speeding through its life cycle; mostly this is used to do things like scatter petals or pollen as a distraction. The flower sprite is also able to identify most plants that flower in some way...though they tend to only do so insofar as to determine if something could be harmful when touched or ingested or not.
- Bird; The Bird sprite's domain is in birds- it can communicate with them, and summon (locally) avian species for aid. Unfortunately, birds are still their own being...so many birds, while theoretically useful as defenders or scouts and the like, will only perform such acts in exchange for something of use. What are they getting out of this? Your sandwich? Is it worth it? They may act as a flock for a quick assist, but detailed tasks are a whole other matter. Outlands-based-birds are trickier in this sprite's domain. If it looks and acts like a bird, her magic will probably work. If it's something like a griffon, with a bird head, it might or might not respond. If it's only something like a feathered serpent, it won't answer at all. Notably, the Bird sprite can only call birds in the surrounding area for aid, and they travel in real-time; they cannot call upon 'summons' from the outlands. Similar to the Flower sprite however, they can identify species of bird! Again similar, they tend to only bother giving information on how dangerous it is.
- Wind; The Wind sprite allows for very minor manipulation of the air- small gusts from the hands, or even feet, as necessary- or even brief shields. While possessing Reira, they are even capable of extending her jump length, or slowing her fall...and more astoundingly, turning her into a cloud of wind entirely. These abilities are fleeting however, and require energy on Reira's part- turning into wind, especially, is something the sprite reserves for a moment of absolute necessity. Notably, the Wind sprite's presence seems to guard Reira somewhat against the cold- potentially because the air manipulated by Wind is chilled.
- Moon; The Moon sprite is by far the oddest of the four, and at first glance doesn't seem to really be capable of much at all. What's the moon going to do, sit there? The Moon sprite however can actually illuminate dark places- as well, they can cloak Reira from 'Blighted' eyes (so 'unfortunately', a heck of a lot of students and staff can get around that)...provided she isn't directly under the light of the moon. They're also in general just a lot more cuddly and more likely to sit in their unsealed (non-bracelet) state with her.
All four of the sprites can use their own abilities for themselves, but in general only use these abilities through, and for, Reira- though not necessarily at her command. Without further training, use of powers will entirely be based on their interpretation of how much danger Reira is in. (Notably in Daybreak that...won't be very often, as the school is Pretty Safe) It is possible that with practice she could come to an agreement with them in order to use and hone their skills through cooperation instead.
(As well, with practice, she could potentially come to better defend against mental manipulation and possession. Which is probably a good idea.)
The sprites are each about the size of a typical rabbit when summoned in full. They look more like Moth-Rabbits though.
HOUSING: With Maddie, please!
RP SAMPLE
Ta-daaah- Provides a handy look at her reaction difference between human, animal, and Internet too.