OOC - Application
Out of Character Information
player name: Akai
player livejournal: fontech
playing here: N/A
are you 16 years of age or older?: Yep!
In Character Information
character name: Guy Cecil
canon source and the point from which they're taken: Tales of the Abyss; time period = Just prior to meeting Luke in Aramis Springs
character's age: 21
canon powers, skills, pets and equipment:
Guy is trained in the Sigmund-style of swordmanship; he wields a katana and its sheath, effectively using both in battle. He is extremely athletic/acrobatic and can move at high speeds, though he has a fairly limited defense. His reflexes are pretty exceptional as well- he's stopped bullets with his sword and dodged attacks before most people would even notice they're coming. He has no real magical skills or abilities, though if the environmental conditions are right, he can add certain elements to specific attacks utilizing an energy field (aka Field of Fonons), but it's doubtful they'll work very well anywhere but on his home world. Additionally, at this point in time he's from, he is afflicted with a curse slot on his right arm (basically an infused scar/tattoo that glows when activated) which under certain circumstances causes him to lose all sense of reason or control and act on what would normally be suppressed inhibitions. Not so much a power as a handicap, but important enough to note.
A full list of his techniques and abilities are here.
Guy's equipment is basically just a simple katana and sheath, nothing special. He doesn't need much in the way of armor or anything like that.
non-canon powers: The only thing I can really think that would be not so much a power but a side-effect... I'd like to have the ability to utilize the curse slot if the opportunity ever arises, but in canon it requires the presence of a certain character that hardly anyone ever plays. Would there be any way around that? If not, I'll deal, I just find it a really interesting aspect of his character that could be explored. Otherwise, I can't think of an ability he'd need or want. Okay'd by mods, provided character permission is given.
canon history:
Once named Gailardia Galan Gardios, the son of a count and born on the island of Hod (part of the territory of the country of Malkuth), Guy lost everything when a war broke out, causing the deaths of his entire family and literally destroying the island. As in it sunk. During the invasion, his sister, Mary, and a number of the household maids, attempted to shield him from enemy attacks, and as a result he was buried under their dead bodies for some time. When he was found and rescued, his memory of that time was gone and the trauma of his experience left him with a severe case of gynophobia- he can't touch or be close to women at all.
Orphaned at age five, Gailardia spent a few years in a small Malkuthian town (St. Binah) with his guardian, Pere, who was once a soldier of his father's household and the one who rescued him from the island, during which time he received training in the secret art of Sigmund-style swordsmanship, and over time developed a thirst for revenge against the people responsible for the deaths of his family, particularly Duke Fabre, who directly attacked the island by command of King Ingobert of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. Within a few years he and Pere managed to infiltrate House Fabre as servants, his main responsibility being to look after and be a companion for Fabre's son, Luke. The servant bit was just a ruse to get him close enough to take his revenge- namely, killing Luke and forcing the duke to experience the same loss as he did. Still, killing a little child is a tall order for an 11-year-old, so Guy didn't plan on doing it right away. He hides his identity well, however, and the entire household is none the wiser.
During this time, Commandant Van Grants, an official of the Oracle Knights, offered to train Luke personally in the art of using the sword. Upon meeting him at the manor, Guy recognizes him as Vandesdelca Musto Fende, once the son of a servant in House Gardios and Guy's childhood friend. It turns out that Van, too, has his own plan going on beneath the surface, and he and Guy pledge to one day take revenge for Hod together.
A few more years passed, and Luke was kidnapped at age 10, only to be rescued and returned with no memories whatsoever. Since Guy was too much of a softie to kill what is essentially a newborn, his revenge plot got a few more setbacks. He spent the next seven years teaching Luke how to be human again: how to walk, talk, and re-learn everything he knew before. Raising Luke personally caused Guy to rethink his own life, and as a result became a much better and more honest person. Of course, it turned out that the Luke he raised wasn't the Luke from his childhood, and that was in fact Asch. Naturally Guy was not aware of that fact, and welcomed the change. Though he considers Luke to be somewhat spoiled, Luke is his best friend, and he's devoted to his master's safety and happiness.
From the beginning of Tales of the Abyss to Guy's current timeline, Guy acts as a support for Luke and the other members of his party during their journey. When Luke disappears to Tataroo Valley with Tear, who attacked the manor in order to kill Van, Guy is sent to find and retrieve Luke, joining the group on their route back to Luke's hometown. Due to a secret prophecy written 2000 year prior to the game's beginning, Luke is then sent to the stricken mining town of Akzeriuth with the rest of his companions as an ambassador of peace and a rescue team. Naturally Guy travels with him, since every nobleman needs a servant, right?
Unfortunately, due to Van's careful manipulation of Luke over the years since he was created, Luke wound up unintentionally destroying Akzeriuth instead of saving it, killing thousands of people and sending the party into the Qliphoth, an empty, toxic land beneath the surface of the world. He suffered a mental breakdown and was then defeated by Asch as a result, and was left behind in Yulia City, the only safe place in the Qliphoth. Meanwhile Asch took over as the leader of the group for a while, dragging them back to the surface and around the world as he investigated what Van was planning. Guy went with him for a little while, but before long he opted to leave the group and wait for Luke's return in Aramis Springs, the passageway between Yulia City and the surface world. He believed in Luke and didn't really want to stay with the "real" Luke, stating that the replica is his best friend, not Asch. It is just prior to his reunion with Luke that he'll be taken from.
personality:
For the most part, Guy is very laid-back and confident. Cheerful, fun, and friendly in just about any situation, he likes to keep an optimistic view on life. He's also very kind, never hesitating to toss in an encouraging word if he feels someone needs it. This is not to say he's a pushover; he's also an accomplished swordsman and very intelligent, and can also say what needs to be said even if it could be thought of as cold to the receiver. He's not one to hold a grudge when it's undeserving, though, so if someone angers him and then later feels badly for it, he's the first to forgive and forget. Guy has been a servant since childhood, so he's used to taking orders, though he's not always as serious about it as he probably ought to be.
Beneath the surface, there is a great deal more to Guy than he lets on; his kind nature is not so much a facade as a comfortable image he's created for himself and for others in order to keep his past hidden. There are some who can recognize this mask for what it is, but they are very rare, and unless they reveal him, Guy will merrily continue to lie and stay quiet about all things concerning his past.
Guy is extremely matter-of-fact. Even when describing the deaths of his family, or the fact that he planned to commit murder as a child, he'll hardly hesitate or offer any explanation besides the truth, whether it could be regarded as cruel or otherwise. The times where he'll tell the truth right off the bat are few and far between, however; he's a master of evasion, and can steer a conversation away from himself and his past with hardly any effort. He doesn't fuss or angst or cry about anything, not because he doesn't feel bad about it, but because he sees no purpose in dwelling on the past. He'll say what has to be said and not pussyfoot around the issue. On occasion he'll even go out of his way to state a contrary or even cruel situation in order to make a point before taking it back (usually by saying something along the lines of, "That's what might have happened if things were different"). He's not one to hold back from playing the devil's advocate when the need arises.
When it comes to House Fabre, deep down Guy has an unshakable contempt for the duke. He serves faithfully, and thanks to Luke he's lost his desire for revenge, but that doesn't change the fact that Duke Fabre cut off his father's head and brought it home as a trophy, once upon a time. That doesn't offer up much room for forgiveness. He also treats Asch, the original Luke, very coldly, despite the fact that they spent part of their childhood together as well. Guy is not beyond cruelty, especially when it comes to those who have wronged him or who threaten Luke. He's extremely protective of his young charge.
When things aren't all srs bzns, Guy is right back to being, in short, Mr. Nice Guy. He's charming, he's sweet, he's flirty. He will sweet-talk anyone whom he deems worthy of it, and the most curious thing about it is that it's honest; he has no motive for his behaviour except a desire to make the recipient feel better about themselves. If they walk away from their conversation with a smile, Guy will consider it a success, and rarely does he consider it anything further. He's sweetly clueless in such matters. If someone returns the flirtatious favour, however, he's not so naive that he won't notice. He just doesn't recognize his own behaviour as flirty unless it's pointed out to him.
He likes to harmlessly tease at times, and on the flipside, it's ridiculously easy to tease him if you know how to do it. This is because Guy has gynophobia- he has a terrible fear of women. If any female, whether they be young, old, beautiful, ugly, whatever, comes too close or tries to touch him, Guy will flail and flee, shrieking protests and barreling into things, sometimes hiding behind people if necessary. Women are one of the few things that can break Guy's normally unbreakable calm. He's very apologetic about it- he knows it can be disquieting for women to see him flinch away from them, and since he prides himself on making people happy and at ease around him, his gynophobia is a source of struggle for him. His inability to remember exactly why he has the affliction also bothers him, but there's not much he can do about that, so he tries not to dwell.
Guy is also something of a closet geek. He absolutely adores mechanics (called 'fontech' on his world) and he gets rather hyper when he's around innovative or interesting machinery. He has fontech all around his bed in his room in Fabre Manor, and whenever the party needs to work with unfamiliar fontech, he's the one who steps up and can make it work. It's just a hobby for him, but he seems to have quite the knack for it. His interest on it borders on obsession at times, but it's not as bad as he could be. Mostly he rambles about the details that no one else really gives a damn about.
if your character is 13 years of age or younger, please post requested information here: N/A.
why do you feel this character would be appropriate to the setting? Guy's very hard to ruffle or shake up; he's well-suited for just about any situation that might be thrown at him. He's a tough fellow, both independent and self-motivated, and he can deal with difficult situations. I doubt he'd have any major problems dealing with the place.
Anything else? I can be contacted via AIM at guynophobic if need be. Also this is Nami's fault. Just wanted that out there. :|