☆ APPLICATION.
Player Name: Ruto
Player LJ: iceberry
Contact: frostchime @ AIM
Character Number: 2
Character: Teddie
Fandom: Persona 4
Personality: Teddie
One of Teddie's most important aspects, I'd say, is his overall kindness. Teddie loves people, loves having friends, and it's plain as day to see. He adores his 'sensei', and is fiercely loyal to the entirety of the Investigation Team, as well as Nanako, Souji's young cousin. Though Teddie can be arrogant about things like his appearance (don't touch his fur if he doesn't want you to!), and a bit perverse (re: his quest to score hot studs--I'll elaborate on that later), Teddie is ultimately a gentle guy who really, really wants to be liked. When you win his trust... well, he's more like a dog than a bear. Devoted to the core, trusting to the bone. Loyal enough to even risk sacrificing himself for the sake of his loved ones, as was the case in Rise's dungeon.
If there's one thing that he hates, it's being alone. This is probably his greatest fear, too--being as lonely as he was before he met the Souji and the others. They were his first friends, and the absolute last thing that he could ever want is for them to come to harm. This too is showcased in Rise's dungeon--when Shadow Rise is about to kill everyone, Teddie's terrified that the only people he's ever known, the only friends he's ever had, are going to die. He was terrified that he was going to be left alone again, mourning them all by himself. So, in his 'last stand', as he put it, summoned all of his energy and OHKO'd Shadow Rise. What happens after that is something I'll leave for the next section, though.
Another thing that bothered Teddie was the fact that he's a Shadow. When he finally remembered what he was, it deeply depressed him. He was, after all, just the same as all the monsters they'd been fighting thus far. In fact, when Teddie first became self-aware, he was so troubled by the knowledge of what he was that he repressed his memories to the point that he could remember nothing about his past. When he was first gaining sentience, Teddie's biggest desire was to be liked by people. It's for this reason that he takes the form of a cartoony bear; if he looked harmless and not scary like the other Shadows, then surely, people would befriend him. Eventually, once Nanako is revived, he sort of comes to terms with what he is. Even if he's 'just' a Shadow, he knows that there must be something he can do to help Nanako and everyone else.
Promises--more specifically, keeping promises, is important to Teddie. Souji, Chie, and Yosuke promised to find the person who'd been killing people via the TV, and when the person that they all thought was the perpetrator was caught, Teddie felt that since the promise had been fulfilled, there was no reason for him to stay in the human world--even if he wanted to. He seemed to feel that returning would be his way upholding that promise. While the rest of his friends eventually got him to realize that it was okay for him to stay, it was still difficult for him. He couldn't seem to understand that they would want him here--similar to his surprise in Rise's dungeon at the 'revelation' that he wouldn't have to figure out his past and the nature of what he really was all on his own. Something that helped him realize that everyone wanted him to stay was when he first met Nanako. He ended up promising her that he would come back and play with her. And Teddie, being Teddie, was determined to keep his word.
Teddie's general demeanor is one of cheerfulness, and playfulness. He's also something of a flirt, oddly enough. When he learns about things like 'scoring' with girls and 'smooching' them, he becomes humorously determined to score with any (but preferably all) of the girls in the Investigation Team. He doesn't seem to object to smooching with boys either, though, if his scene in Club Escapade is any indication--that being, literally pouncing him for a kiss.
Shadow Teddie
Teddie, like the other playable characters, has a 'Shadow' self; a part of him that was repressed. While by the end of the game Teddie is no longer suppressing his knowledge of his true nature, it's still worth mentioning what his Shadow was like--note, however, that Rise mentions that it wasn't just Teddie's Shadow they were facing, and that something else was also intervening. When Rise mentions that "there's no real (her)", this strikes a bad chord with Teddie, and it pings his fears about there being no 'real' him. From this, his Shadow self emerges. His Shadow self tells that it's impossible to learn the truth about anything, and that searching for it is pointless; a reflection of Teddie's fears that he would never learn about who and what he really is. Shadow Teddie also tells Teddie that he is 'hollow' and 'empty', a fact that deeply troubles him. Shadow Teddie states that Teddie knows that he is hollow and empty, but is unable to accept it as truth, and so denies it, and that he sought out an 'alternate form' to help mask what he really is--that being, a Shadow.
However, once Shadow Teddie is defeated and Teddie gains a Persona, this is confirmation that Teddie has truly gained sentience. No one can create a Persona without being alive and more or less 'human', with human emotions and a psyche, and his Persona is proof of that.
Teddie's Arcana
The Arcana that represents Teddie in the game is the Star Arcana. Okay, so this part of the app is just because I'm a Tarot geek and want to talk about how the Star Arcana relates to Teddie.
The aspect of the Star which most relates to Teddie and his role in the game is the 'hope' aspect of the Arcana. A star is a light in the darkness, a sign of hope when everything else is dark and frightening. This corresponds to the scene at the end of the game, when Izanami is using her Thousand Curses attack to try and kill the entire team. When it's used on Souji, he sees visions of his completed Social Links speaking to him and telling him not to give up. If the player doesn't complete any of the available Social Links, well, the game automatically levels up Teddie's Social Link over the course of the game, and thus he will be the only character to appear during this scene if his is the only Social Link completed. Now, look at this; the Hope Spot trope, as described by, what else, TV Tropes. Teddie's role in this scene is to be a light in the darkness, to provide a Hope Spot for his Sensei, which is exactly what his Arcana represents.
The Star card fits Teddie's cheerful, loving nature. The game mentions over the course of his Social Link that the protagonist can sense Teddie's overwhelming trust of the Investigation Team--trust is also one of the aspects that the Star Arcana can represent. It is also a card of inspiration, which too fits Teddie's personality. Knowing that in some way he helped Nanako, knowing that despite what he was he could still do some good--it's this inspiration that kept him going and didn't let him give up around the game's climax. The love aspect is obvious enough to explain; after all, didn't Teddie follow the entire team to Tatsumi Port Island? The game itself mentions that he does this because of 'how much he genuinely likes everyone'.
Overall? The Star is the best fitting Arcana possible for Teddie, and he certainly does it justice.
History: Here~! He'll be taken from post-True Ending.
Abilities: Teddie's main abilities stem from the Persona that he can summon, Kamui. The list of skills that Kamui can learn are on this page--Kintoki-Douji is the initial form of Teddie's Persona before it transforms, and all of its abilities are relevant to Kamui as well. Teddie can also enter televisions and provide a way out of them. In terms of physical fighting, Teddie only fights while in his bear suit/form, and he uses the varying claw items for physical, non Persona attacks.
Link to an image of the character: Teddie's bear form, Teddie's human form.
Sample writing: To say that Teddie was frightened would have been an understatement, for Teddie was terrified. Rise's Shadow was going to kill them all, not a single person spared. And if, by some miracle, he survived (he wasn't human, of course, so he might be able to make it through this, he thought) then every person he'd cared about would be... gone. And he didn't want to be lonely anymore. He didn't want them to have to die.
His little bear legs were moving before he consciously realized, as deep within him, there was the courage to be brave and stand up to this ruthless Shadow. Still, he was frightened. How stupid he was, to think he could stand a chance--he was just a little bear, wasn't he? (His nose was dulling too... oh, he wasn't even useful for Sensei and the others, was he?) He was both awed and scared of the power he felt forming within him, but he just as quickly embraced it. If there was anything he could do to save the others, then he would do it. Even if he was just a hollow bear, if he could help in some way, anyway... he'd do it. And with determination, he unleashed the power within him.
When Shadow Rise was felled, and everyone saved, Teddie hoped his Sensei would be proud of him. And it seemed like he was. Kanji scolded him for being so reckless, told him he could have died--but he didn't, did he? Not only did he survive, but he saved everyone. All these strong emotions he felt, of happiness and relief, nearly overpowered the little Shadow, and there was always a part of him that thought it was a bit odd; he shouldn't feel so warm and happy inside when he didn't have insides. He'd checked, you know! But he didn't question it too much right now. It didn't matter. What mattered was that everyone was alright, and that was that.
Sample journal entry: [The text that appears over the feed is, well... It's misspelled terribly, and it looks like the writer has little knowledge of proper punctuation. Still, it's readable, if only barely. They may simply be new to typing in general.]
SNESEI!!!!! senseii were r u its me teddy and this isnt the tv world!!! i duno were ne1 is!! Ssensie ill find u doent worree. this teddie is gona do his best!!!!!
sense--
[and the feed turns to audio!]
I-it stopped writing? Well! That isn't very nice. Ohhh, I don't know how to work this darn thing...!
Look, you little whatever-you-are, if you don't start letting me finish my letter to Sensei right now, you're in for a world of trouble! I'm a little bear but I'm not as cute and cuddly as I look! Graaaaawr!
...Hrmph.
...Waaaaait, maybe it's like the 'cellphone' that Yosuke gave me!! I know, I'll just call Sensei, silly me! Alrighty, what happens when I press--
[And it turns off.]
Player LJ: iceberry
Contact: frostchime @ AIM
Character Number: 2
Character: Teddie
Fandom: Persona 4
Personality: Teddie
One of Teddie's most important aspects, I'd say, is his overall kindness. Teddie loves people, loves having friends, and it's plain as day to see. He adores his 'sensei', and is fiercely loyal to the entirety of the Investigation Team, as well as Nanako, Souji's young cousin. Though Teddie can be arrogant about things like his appearance (don't touch his fur if he doesn't want you to!), and a bit perverse (re: his quest to score hot studs--I'll elaborate on that later), Teddie is ultimately a gentle guy who really, really wants to be liked. When you win his trust... well, he's more like a dog than a bear. Devoted to the core, trusting to the bone. Loyal enough to even risk sacrificing himself for the sake of his loved ones, as was the case in Rise's dungeon.
If there's one thing that he hates, it's being alone. This is probably his greatest fear, too--being as lonely as he was before he met the Souji and the others. They were his first friends, and the absolute last thing that he could ever want is for them to come to harm. This too is showcased in Rise's dungeon--when Shadow Rise is about to kill everyone, Teddie's terrified that the only people he's ever known, the only friends he's ever had, are going to die. He was terrified that he was going to be left alone again, mourning them all by himself. So, in his 'last stand', as he put it, summoned all of his energy and OHKO'd Shadow Rise. What happens after that is something I'll leave for the next section, though.
Another thing that bothered Teddie was the fact that he's a Shadow. When he finally remembered what he was, it deeply depressed him. He was, after all, just the same as all the monsters they'd been fighting thus far. In fact, when Teddie first became self-aware, he was so troubled by the knowledge of what he was that he repressed his memories to the point that he could remember nothing about his past. When he was first gaining sentience, Teddie's biggest desire was to be liked by people. It's for this reason that he takes the form of a cartoony bear; if he looked harmless and not scary like the other Shadows, then surely, people would befriend him. Eventually, once Nanako is revived, he sort of comes to terms with what he is. Even if he's 'just' a Shadow, he knows that there must be something he can do to help Nanako and everyone else.
Promises--more specifically, keeping promises, is important to Teddie. Souji, Chie, and Yosuke promised to find the person who'd been killing people via the TV, and when the person that they all thought was the perpetrator was caught, Teddie felt that since the promise had been fulfilled, there was no reason for him to stay in the human world--even if he wanted to. He seemed to feel that returning would be his way upholding that promise. While the rest of his friends eventually got him to realize that it was okay for him to stay, it was still difficult for him. He couldn't seem to understand that they would want him here--similar to his surprise in Rise's dungeon at the 'revelation' that he wouldn't have to figure out his past and the nature of what he really was all on his own. Something that helped him realize that everyone wanted him to stay was when he first met Nanako. He ended up promising her that he would come back and play with her. And Teddie, being Teddie, was determined to keep his word.
Teddie's general demeanor is one of cheerfulness, and playfulness. He's also something of a flirt, oddly enough. When he learns about things like 'scoring' with girls and 'smooching' them, he becomes humorously determined to score with any (but preferably all) of the girls in the Investigation Team. He doesn't seem to object to smooching with boys either, though, if his scene in Club Escapade is any indication--that being, literally pouncing him for a kiss.
Shadow Teddie
Teddie, like the other playable characters, has a 'Shadow' self; a part of him that was repressed. While by the end of the game Teddie is no longer suppressing his knowledge of his true nature, it's still worth mentioning what his Shadow was like--note, however, that Rise mentions that it wasn't just Teddie's Shadow they were facing, and that something else was also intervening. When Rise mentions that "there's no real (her)", this strikes a bad chord with Teddie, and it pings his fears about there being no 'real' him. From this, his Shadow self emerges. His Shadow self tells that it's impossible to learn the truth about anything, and that searching for it is pointless; a reflection of Teddie's fears that he would never learn about who and what he really is. Shadow Teddie also tells Teddie that he is 'hollow' and 'empty', a fact that deeply troubles him. Shadow Teddie states that Teddie knows that he is hollow and empty, but is unable to accept it as truth, and so denies it, and that he sought out an 'alternate form' to help mask what he really is--that being, a Shadow.
However, once Shadow Teddie is defeated and Teddie gains a Persona, this is confirmation that Teddie has truly gained sentience. No one can create a Persona without being alive and more or less 'human', with human emotions and a psyche, and his Persona is proof of that.
Teddie's Arcana
The Arcana that represents Teddie in the game is the Star Arcana. Okay, so this part of the app is just because I'm a Tarot geek and want to talk about how the Star Arcana relates to Teddie.
The aspect of the Star which most relates to Teddie and his role in the game is the 'hope' aspect of the Arcana. A star is a light in the darkness, a sign of hope when everything else is dark and frightening. This corresponds to the scene at the end of the game, when Izanami is using her Thousand Curses attack to try and kill the entire team. When it's used on Souji, he sees visions of his completed Social Links speaking to him and telling him not to give up. If the player doesn't complete any of the available Social Links, well, the game automatically levels up Teddie's Social Link over the course of the game, and thus he will be the only character to appear during this scene if his is the only Social Link completed. Now, look at this; the Hope Spot trope, as described by, what else, TV Tropes. Teddie's role in this scene is to be a light in the darkness, to provide a Hope Spot for his Sensei, which is exactly what his Arcana represents.
The Star card fits Teddie's cheerful, loving nature. The game mentions over the course of his Social Link that the protagonist can sense Teddie's overwhelming trust of the Investigation Team--trust is also one of the aspects that the Star Arcana can represent. It is also a card of inspiration, which too fits Teddie's personality. Knowing that in some way he helped Nanako, knowing that despite what he was he could still do some good--it's this inspiration that kept him going and didn't let him give up around the game's climax. The love aspect is obvious enough to explain; after all, didn't Teddie follow the entire team to Tatsumi Port Island? The game itself mentions that he does this because of 'how much he genuinely likes everyone'.
Overall? The Star is the best fitting Arcana possible for Teddie, and he certainly does it justice.
History: Here~! He'll be taken from post-True Ending.
Abilities: Teddie's main abilities stem from the Persona that he can summon, Kamui. The list of skills that Kamui can learn are on this page--Kintoki-Douji is the initial form of Teddie's Persona before it transforms, and all of its abilities are relevant to Kamui as well. Teddie can also enter televisions and provide a way out of them. In terms of physical fighting, Teddie only fights while in his bear suit/form, and he uses the varying claw items for physical, non Persona attacks.
Link to an image of the character: Teddie's bear form, Teddie's human form.
Sample writing: To say that Teddie was frightened would have been an understatement, for Teddie was terrified. Rise's Shadow was going to kill them all, not a single person spared. And if, by some miracle, he survived (he wasn't human, of course, so he might be able to make it through this, he thought) then every person he'd cared about would be... gone. And he didn't want to be lonely anymore. He didn't want them to have to die.
His little bear legs were moving before he consciously realized, as deep within him, there was the courage to be brave and stand up to this ruthless Shadow. Still, he was frightened. How stupid he was, to think he could stand a chance--he was just a little bear, wasn't he? (His nose was dulling too... oh, he wasn't even useful for Sensei and the others, was he?) He was both awed and scared of the power he felt forming within him, but he just as quickly embraced it. If there was anything he could do to save the others, then he would do it. Even if he was just a hollow bear, if he could help in some way, anyway... he'd do it. And with determination, he unleashed the power within him.
When Shadow Rise was felled, and everyone saved, Teddie hoped his Sensei would be proud of him. And it seemed like he was. Kanji scolded him for being so reckless, told him he could have died--but he didn't, did he? Not only did he survive, but he saved everyone. All these strong emotions he felt, of happiness and relief, nearly overpowered the little Shadow, and there was always a part of him that thought it was a bit odd; he shouldn't feel so warm and happy inside when he didn't have insides. He'd checked, you know! But he didn't question it too much right now. It didn't matter. What mattered was that everyone was alright, and that was that.
Sample journal entry: [The text that appears over the feed is, well... It's misspelled terribly, and it looks like the writer has little knowledge of proper punctuation. Still, it's readable, if only barely. They may simply be new to typing in general.]
SNESEI!!!!! senseii were r u its me teddy and this isnt the tv world!!! i duno were ne1 is!! Ssensie ill find u doent worree. this teddie is gona do his best!!!!!
sense--
[and the feed turns to audio!]
I-it stopped writing? Well! That isn't very nice. Ohhh, I don't know how to work this darn thing...!
Look, you little whatever-you-are, if you don't start letting me finish my letter to Sensei right now, you're in for a world of trouble! I'm a little bear but I'm not as cute and cuddly as I look! Graaaaawr!
...Hrmph.
...Waaaaait, maybe it's like the 'cellphone' that Yosuke gave me!! I know, I'll just call Sensei, silly me! Alrighty, what happens when I press--
[And it turns off.]