Luceti Application

[fragileghost]

PLAYER

Name: Sarah
Journal Username: agkelikos
E-mail: blueseraph28@gmail.com
AIM/PLURK: AIM: BlueSeraph28 / Plurk: Bratja
Current Characters at Luceti: Eleytheria | winds_voice


CHARACTER

Name: Gin
Canon: Hotarubi No Mori E / Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light
Gender: Male
Age: His real age is unknown as he ages more slowly than humans but he appears about 17
Wing Color: Silver

Canon Point: During the winter before his final summer with Hotaru

Canon Point Explanation:

I want to play him during a time when he still has the possibility of seeing Hotaru again as he has a lot of conflict surrounding her. About this time he would be realising his feelings for her but also knows that they can never touch. However he would definitely like to see her again and this would give him incentive to try to escape Luceti and return home. As he’s a bit of a loner, this would also give him more reason to approach people and fish for information. I also wanted to preserve the consequences of being touched by a human as a possibility in Luceti, perhaps even undertaking some kind of plot to see if his spell can be altered or lifted.

History:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotarubi_no_Mori_e (plot summary)
As an expansion to this, Gin’s back story isn’t described in great detail, however there are a few things established. He was abandoned in the forest as a baby though it isn’t specified why. Here he was found by the spirits of the forest who adopted him as one of their own and gave him the fox mask he usually wears. Though he would have died if left alone, the Mountain God who protects the forest took pity on him and cast a spell to allow Gin to carry on living. However, the spell made his body fragile and if touched on the skin by a human, Gin would disappear forever.

Personality:

Due to his condition, Gin is a bit of a loner and spends most of his time in the forest in which he was raised. The spirits there are his only friends and family prior to meeting Hotaru and he chooses to avoid the nearby human city and crowded places in order to preserve his safety. Though he was once human, Gin identifies himself more closely with the spirit world and describes himself as a ‘ghost’. He usually wears a fox mask which was given to him as a baby, not only due to its significance as a gift from his adoptive family but also because it makes him appear more like a spirit. This can also help to keep humans away from him as they are often afraid of him. It surprises Gin when Hotaru doesn’t seem to show that same fear.

Though he does choose to avoid humans whenever possible, that doesn’t mean he enjoys being alone. Gin is very curious and though he might keep his distance, he will come forward to speak to those who seem in trouble, as he did when he discovered the six-year old Hotaru lost and crying in the forest. In the second chapter of the story told from Gin’s perspective, he is seen agreeing with spirits about how complex the human world seems and while he seems aware of some human constructions such as trains, the way he refers to it as ‘that thing called a train’ suggests that he isn’t familiar with them. The human world likely fascinates him, though he seems reluctant to admit it – Hotaru offers him some human food which he seems to like, but when asked if there is anything else he wants to try he responds with a simple ‘not really’.

Gin does have a longing to be close to people and his main conflict comes from that desire alongside his need to live in isolation in order to ensure his survival. After his death, the spirits thank Hotaru for giving him what he wanted despite their protective nature over him and for being able to love him and touch him as he wished. Gin may not have openly spoken about this with Hotaru but he didn’t need to. This provides an interesting dilemma for him as he gradually falls in love with the aging Hotaru knowing that he would disappear if they ever touched and that she would grow older and die before him. There is a great sense of relief as he realises he is dying and that even if it might be in his final moments, he can feel Hotaru’s embrace at least once in his life.

Due to his rather idyllic life in the forest, Gin is generally laid-back in his demeanour and spends a great deal of time relaxing and reflecting on the world around him. He seems generally resigned to his fate of living alone and takes each day as it comes. Even when he realises that he doesn’t have a future with Hotaru he tries to keep her away to protect the both of them, fully prepared to live alone again if he has to, though naturally she refuses to allow them to part ways without promising to remember him.

He likes to wander and is also seen fishing. Hotaru also shows him how to fly a kite so he isn’t closed off to trying new ideas either, even gaining a liking for sweet food after the girl shares pudding with him. The activities he used to do alone become more difficult as he falls in love with Hotaru and Gin realises that he can’t wait to see her during the summer any longer. She obviously plays on his mind a great deal and he likely finds it frustrating that he’s trapped on his own. While he might seem somewhat serious and a man of few words at first, he is shown to have a rather dry sense of humour, engaging in playful banter with Hotaru as they grow closer to one another.

Despite his rather chill personality, Gin will strike out if anyone comes too close to touching him and thus ending his life, hitting Hotaru repeatedly with a stick to stop her from hugging him. He even strikes her as a child and seems to have no problem doing so in order to preserve his life. Because of this, people should be wary of acting too impulsively around him as he’s likely to lash out. At some point however, Gin seems open to the idea of Hotaru acting on her feelings – she jokes that she wants to hug him but Gin answers seriously that she should. In this regard it seems that strong emotions such as love will lead Gin to become less interested in continuing his life, opting for a perfect moment of happiness rather than a long life spent in solitude. Strong emotions are likely to cause him to take more risks.

Strengths

Physical:

Gin is rather nimble as seen whilst constantly dodging the rather excitable child Hotaru. He seems to have grown up with great agility which is useful for his survival. Living in an area surrounded by trees and tall rocks which he likes to perch on (as seen in canon), he is likely a good climber as well. While he’s only ever seen swinging a stick as a weapon of sorts, he probably could learn to handle something like a sword if trained well. He seems to have good aim, knowing when to strike a fast target to avoid being touched.

Gin ages physically more slowly than humans as well and years can pass with him still looking the same. While he might consider this a weakness due to having to live alone for such a long time, some may consider it a strength that he doesn’t have to worry about death being so imminent, at least not from old age.

Other than that he has the capabilities of an average human with no real superpowers or abnormal abilities.

Mental:

Since he’s grown up among them Gin possesses some knowledge about the various spirits of Japan, at least those who live in his forest. While it is isn’t explicitly shown, he likely has experience of surviving in the wild as well as this is what he must have had to do as he got older – skills such as starting fires, fishing/hunting, foraging and finding shelter are all likely something he knows about.

Emotional:

Generally, Gin is a patient person and is quite happy to let time pass without becoming too frustrated or destructive. He is friendly towards those he meets, though also secretive, knowing how to treat acquaintances differently to friends and likely finding it difficult to trust strangers straight away. He’s never particularly crass or rude though and seems open to helping others if he feels they need it.

Weaknesses

Physical:

Due to the spell the Mountain God placed on him, Gin describes his body as being fragile. If touched by a human on any part of his skin, he will begin to disappear until he is no more. Even when not touched it could perhaps be gleaned from this information that he isn’t particularly strong of body and is in fact somewhat frail. While he seems to cope well enough over winter, it’s possible he might be prone to illness as well and should be sure to protect himself accordingly.

Gin also doesn’t have any experience in battle, keeping to himself for much of the time and avoiding conflict. Because of this and his fragile nature due to the spell, he wouldn’t be particularly useful in battle. He is built for speed and agility rather than power.

Mental:

Gin isn’t very knowledgeable about the human world and everything he knows seems to come from his meetings with Hotaru. This can naturally lead to confusion for him and potential embarrassment for both himself and others as he needs to learn about new technologies or other aspects of the human world. His isolated life has left him with limited knowledge of the world outside the forest and as such he might not be as fast or witty as most humans when it comes to conversation and problem-solving. After all, he has lived a simple life so far and has a lot to learn.

Emotional:

Sometimes Gin may appear cold and aloof when meeting others, giving the appearance that he is always distant and prefers to be alone. He has a slightly creepy presence too – his mask was specifically designed to be a cross between a fox and monkey to give an eerie vibe. This behaviour will lead to him feeling truly isolated, which will keep him safe but not necessarily happy. He likely finds it hard to make friends, particularly those who are human (or human-like) as he finds it difficult to put trust in others, especially regarding his condition.

When a bond is formed however, things can change. After Gin realises he is falling in love with Hotaru he takes greater risks with her and also for her. In the second chapter of his story he climbs a mountain in order to try and find a flower for Hotaru as a symbol of his feelings for her and ends up badly hurt from the struggle. He also nearly ends his life when trying to stop Hotaru from falling from a tree, running to catch her, but at the last minute he pulls back. Still, it is clear that strong emotions can make him act more impulsively which could ultimately lead him to slip up if he’s not careful and cause harm to himself, perhaps even fatally.

Anything else?:

As it isn’t specified, I decided that the conditions for Gin’s spell would only apply to those who identify themselves as 100% human. During the festival in his story the spirits disguise themselves as humans but he can still touch them. Therefore to make things a little more clear and easier I decided that anyone who is of mixed blood or who isn’t technically human, even if they appear so, can touch him with no consequences. Of course Gin won’t know this if they look human so an element of trust will have to come into play!

Gin’s story is based on a short film and one-shot manga which are pretty much identical, with an additional chapter that I’ve only managed to read a summary of as it hasn’t been translated. I’ve tried to take out as much information as I can from this so I hope it’s enough. :’3

SAMPLES (ALL SAMPLES MUST BE SET IN THE LUCETIVERSE)

First Person:

[Voice]

[There’s an uneasy pause before a gentle voice finally cuts through the sound of rustling leaves.]

Hey, Luceti. Let me ask you something. If you only had one more day left to live, what would you do with it? How much of a risk would you take to get what you wanted before your time was up? If you were going to die anyway then that risk would be worth it. Right? You could throw it all away just for that one moment of happiness.

[There’s a sigh as Gin realises the futility of that question.]

Not that it really matters when we’re all trapped here anyway. There’s only so much you can do in this enclosure and I’m not sure any of it is really important enough to mean throwing your life away. At least... not to me.

Forget what I said. I guess... it really wasn’t all that important.

Third Person:

Gin wasn’t sure what to make of this place. On the one hand he was thankful for the forests which reminded him of home and of the people who seemed generally helpful considering he was a newcomer. On the other, he was still faced with the same problems that plagued him on Earth. Entering the village was a somewhat daunting task with all the people around – people he had no way of knowing whether or not they were human or just something that looked like it. The threat of death hung over him in a world full of strangers... but he knew that he had to keep living, if only for the chance to see that young girl again. The girl he had left behind.

For the most part, Gin was quite happy to stay on the outskirts of the village or to wander the forest as he would have done at home. He didn’t know this place though and so spent a great deal of time scouting out the area, trying to remember landmarks. He was pleased to see that there was a good source of water beneath the trees too. Perhaps he would try some fishing if he could procure a rod from somewhere.

Ah, yes... there was that shop that seemed to hold many strangely useful items. All right, perhaps the boy would brave civilisation and try and find the tool he was after, if only to make him feel even more at home. He walked through the festivals his spirit friends held without so much as a nudge from even one of them, so he was sure he could do this.

Hoping the strange mask he wore might help to keep those who were easily unnerved at bay, Gin stepped out of the forest and headed in the direction of the village. He barely took any notice of what was around him, only so much so that he could avoid direct contact. Before long he had made it to the shop. He only hoped it wasn’t too busy in there or things would get awkward.