application for capeandcowl
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: Hina
AGE: 25
JOURNAL: (no personal LJ)
IM: eyeslikemoonlite
E-MAIL: aitoanshin@gmail.com
RETURNING: n/a
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: Midii Une
FANDOM: Gundam Wing
CHRONOLOGY: Episode Zero manga
CLASS: anti-hero
SUPERHERO NAME: n/a
ALTER EGO: Midii Une, local resident at the city orphanage and sometimes-elementary student. When she feels like going.
BACKGROUND: Midii is the only daughter in an impoverished family of five, with three younger brothers and a father. Her mother is never mentioned; she either abandoned the family, or died. As the eldest child, Midii was forced to grow up before her time, taking on many of the household responsibilities. She had been shown to be an adequate cook and useful around the kitchen. Because of this, she both acts and speaks in a very mature manner, to the point where adults around her often forget she is only 10.
With her father unable to work due to a mysterious illness, it was up to Midii to put food on the table. She accepted a job with the Alliance--an organization that took on the role of universal government--as a child spy. Her mission was to infiltrate rebel soldier camps and gather enough intel for the Alliance to successfully extinguish any and all resistance.
Though it is never explicitly stated in the chapter, there are several pieces of evidence to support the notion that Midii received formal training in this area. Her attitude, for one. No child without experience in war or the battlefield would have reacted to things the way she did. Twice, she is forced to stare down the wrong end of a gun, and each time, is able to hold a calm, coherent conversation all the while. Even standing over the dead body of a man who had once cared for her--a man she was responsible for killing--drew no emotional reaction. Like she had been through this before. Gotten used to it.
She also seemed to possess certain skills that hint towards espionage experience. Her insatiable curiosity, coupled with the ability to recognize even the most subtle facial expressions, could be the result of training in observation and information gathering. The transmitter around her neck was disguised as a game console, allowing her to input information under the guise of playing a game...yet she was somehow able to hold conversations while doing this. Multitasking. Recalling desired Intel from memory. It therefore stood to reason that she had both a period of training and field experience prior to the events of Episode Zero.
...what she could not have expected, however, was how different this particular mission would be. This time, it wasn't some random squadron member who found her in the jungle, but a boy her age. A boy with no name, no family, and no past. Who knew nothing of life other than being a soldier.
He approached her with his weapon at the ready. Demanded to know who she was, and what she was doing there. Midii played her role perfectly, an innocent child who was simply lost. The boy had no reason to doubt her story, and so he brought her back to their base camp and introduced her to the Captain. Midii was welcome into their ranks, and in return, served as an additional helper in the kitchens.
She also soon found herself a casual companion to the young boy, who referred to himself only as "Nanashii" (lit. "no-name"). Maybe because of their mutual age. Maybe because she was drawn to his silence. For whatever reason, Midii often sat nearby while Nanashii quietly worked on his battle suit. Words were seldom needed between them, though it was usually Midii who initiated conversation.
One day, curiosity got the better of her. She asked why he had saved her.
"Because we're the same," was his cryptic reply.
She wondered what he meant by that, but he did not elaborate.
After a moment, she jumped down from her perch and handed him the golden cross around her neck. A present. A token of gratitude. She told him that if he wore it, then God would watch over him, just as he had watched out for her. Nanashii said nothing of the unexpected gift, but accepted it. From then on, he was constantly seen wearing the cross around his neck.
Midii watched him even more closely after that. As time went on, she began to notice little things. The look of nostalgia he gave when they passed by a traveling circus. The utter lack of sadness after having been forced to kill his traitorous comrades--not because he could not feel, as the others believed, but simply because he buried the emotion deep inside. Each time, she felt the need to comment. To make him react.
"I've seen enough sadness as a baby to last me a lifetime," he told her
"So you're just going to keep shutting down your heart, huh?" she asked. In many ways, her question was almost ironic, considering she had previously--and falsely--told him that she didn't like him.
"Until the day I die."
As they spoke, Nanashii noticed the game console around her neck. Recognized it for what it was. Realized the truth: Midii was a spy. The very reason why the Alliance seemed to know every move they made. And yet...he remained silent about his suspicions, not even informing the captain. Not saying a word to Midii.
Then, the day came when the entire squadron was ambushed, leaving only the two children alive.
Standing over the still form of his former captain and surrogate father, Nanashii calmly asked Midii how much 'they' had paid her.
She didn't bother to hide anything. Matching his tone, she explained that not only was she a spy, but the cross she had given him was also a transmitter. The only reason he had been left alive. (What she didn't say was that, in giving him her security blanket, she had effectively risked her own life so that his would be spared. That the only reason she had survived as well was because he had saved her. Again.)
Nanashii threw the cross away in disgust, raising his gun to shoot. Perhaps the first time she saw a genuine flash of emotion across his face, and it was anger. Anger directed at her, because of what she had done to him.
Unfazed by his weapon, Midii removed the came console around her neck. She brought up the conversation they had shared the day he told her they were the same: "...but that wasn't true. I'm not as fortunate as you." After all, he had no family, no past, and no anchor to the world around him. No name, no life, no guilt. He was truly empty. Free.
In her mind, she spoke the words she longed to tell him: I loved you. I longed to be like you. I wanted to be with you always.
But aloud, all she could say was that "I hate empty guys like you!"
Her eyes closed when Nanashi asked if that was all she had to say, tears welling in her eyes. She knew he would shoot. She didn't try to stop him.
And he did shoot...hitting the tiny, golden cross at her feet.
Shocked that he had spared her, she could only stare after the boy whose name she would never know as he turned his back to her, walking out of her life forever.
Soon after, there is a white light flashing before her eyes, and she feels a distinct pull....
PERSONALITY:
There are two sides to this seemingly innocent 10-year-old: the Child and the Spy.
Child Midii is well aware that she is considered pretty and uses this to her advantage. She has what many would call the face of an angel, a deceiving aura of innocence that keeps many from suspecting her until it's too late. She is also slightly selfish; when confronted with her crimes, her first reaction is to blame the universe for burdening her with the responsibilities and family ties that led her to do what she did. She is also insatiably curious with more than a little mischievous nature. There were times when she would ask questions that had nothing to do with her mission, just to gauge a reaction. She comments on what she observes just for the sake of commenting. Her emotional attachments--few as they may be--borderline on dependency, to the point where she would risk her own life to make sure the one she loves is safe. For all her flaws, she is fiercely loyal to those closest to her.
On the other hand, there is also her Spy persona. Cold, calculating, and distant. She almost never smiles, and focuses all her energy into whatever task she is given. Her motives are muddled, driven both by a sense of self-preservation and the desire to help her precious people. To the point where she would be able to justify indirect murder. This side of Midii refuses to get close to anyone out of fear that she will eventually be forced to betray them. Her worldview, thanks to a war-torn life that stole her childhood, is negative and suspicious. She has blood on her hands. Even if she was not directly responsible for all those soldiers' deaths, the cold, unforgiving truth is that she was the reason they died. That's not something one can easily forget, even without the burden of a photographic memory.
POWERS:
(✞) Empathy - the power to discern what a person is feeling at any given moment, and consequentially, know if they are lying. 99% accuracy.
(✞) Eidetic Memory - the power to retain information for an indefinite period of time. Whether it be a flash of a brutally violent scene, overheard voice, or vital piece of Intel, she will be able to recall every last detail with 100% accuracy. No matter how badly she may wish to forget.
(✞) Stealth/Disguise - the ability to effectively transform herself into any role the situation calls for. More so an inherent skill than a power, it combines acting and improvised thinking. Used mainly "undercover" to collect information.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
[[video]]
[The face of a young girl, smudged with dirt. Hair in disarray. Clothing worn, but durable. Shimmering, blue eyes that scanned every inch of the desolate backdrop with piqued curiosity.]
Il est comme la maison...excepté pas.
[There is a soft, neutral quality to her tone as she murmurs to herself. Neither afraid nor sad. Just...words.]
[She glances down at the dogtags hanging around her neck; the silver metal shimmers in the soft moonlight, obscuring whatever letters might be carved into its surface. Switching to English, the pitch of her voice noticeably heightens when she addresses the camera directly. A slight flash of fear and childhood uncertainty crosses her delicate features, making her appear even younger than she already did.]
I do not understand. Where am I? Why was I brought here?
[Her eyes dart about for a moment, nervous. She does not like this place. She does not like not knowing.]
If there is somebody out there who could help me...tell me what is going on..then please, please contact me.
[A pause.]
My name is Midii. Midii Une.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
She couldn't sleep.
This, in and of itself, was really nothing new. How many nights had she spent curled beneath a thin blanket on the cold, hard ground, simply because her latest batch of "rescuers" couldn't spare of cot? Staring up at the night sky with the knowledge of what she had been sent there to do. The circles beneath her eyes had become a permenant fixture long before she had been pulled to this...whatever place this was.
But this time was different. It wasn't discomfort or guilt that kept her dreams at bay. It was the feelings. Sensations that were not her own, muddled and half-formed through a haze of childish subconscious minds. The 7-year-old down the hall who was happy because he'd hit his first homerun at the park. That one teen who mourned the loss of her crush's favor. A little boy in the next room, no more than four, who still relived the day he witnessed his mother's murder. All of it, swirling around in her head. And it just wouldn't stop.
She cursed this strange power of hers. Her emotions were no longer her own, left at the mercy of those around her. For a girl whose life had been so private...who had been taught to bury the stronger feelings when the time came...it was like some form of cruel and unusual punishment.
And right then, it was was keeping her from sleeping.
Enough was enough. If she couldn't sleep, then she might as well go find someplace quiet. Isolated.
Throwing on her jacket, she grabbed her sneaks from under the bed and tip-toed out of the room. None of the other girls so much as stirred. It was quarter to two in the morning, and she was exceptionally light on her feet. Even the Mistress of the house wouldn't be able to catch her.
The cool night air greeted her as she slipped out the back door, shutting it behind her with a soft 'click'. For a moment, she hesitated on the stoop. Where exactly was she supposed to go? Where could she go? She had only really been here for a few days. Hardly enough time to get a decent grasp of the city layout.
Clearly, she hadn't thought this through.
...not that that had ever really stopped her before.
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
Midii is one of those characters that is neither a hero nor a villain. She is lost, confused, and angry at the world for putting her in the situation she finds herself. At first, she will appear to shut down completely. Focus on surviving by the only means she knows how: deception. As mature as she acts, however, she is still a heartbroken 10-year-old girl, and the events of Episode Zero will leave her open to influence by whomever invests enough time to get to know her.
It is also worth noting that Midii is bilingual, fluent in both French and English. The former is her first language, and the latter spoken with the faintest hint of an accent. Her name, uncommon but not unheard of in France, translates to "Midday."
NAME: Hina
AGE: 25
JOURNAL: (no personal LJ)
IM: eyeslikemoonlite
E-MAIL: aitoanshin@gmail.com
RETURNING: n/a
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: Midii Une
FANDOM: Gundam Wing
CHRONOLOGY: Episode Zero manga
CLASS: anti-hero
SUPERHERO NAME: n/a
ALTER EGO: Midii Une, local resident at the city orphanage and sometimes-elementary student. When she feels like going.
BACKGROUND: Midii is the only daughter in an impoverished family of five, with three younger brothers and a father. Her mother is never mentioned; she either abandoned the family, or died. As the eldest child, Midii was forced to grow up before her time, taking on many of the household responsibilities. She had been shown to be an adequate cook and useful around the kitchen. Because of this, she both acts and speaks in a very mature manner, to the point where adults around her often forget she is only 10.
With her father unable to work due to a mysterious illness, it was up to Midii to put food on the table. She accepted a job with the Alliance--an organization that took on the role of universal government--as a child spy. Her mission was to infiltrate rebel soldier camps and gather enough intel for the Alliance to successfully extinguish any and all resistance.
Though it is never explicitly stated in the chapter, there are several pieces of evidence to support the notion that Midii received formal training in this area. Her attitude, for one. No child without experience in war or the battlefield would have reacted to things the way she did. Twice, she is forced to stare down the wrong end of a gun, and each time, is able to hold a calm, coherent conversation all the while. Even standing over the dead body of a man who had once cared for her--a man she was responsible for killing--drew no emotional reaction. Like she had been through this before. Gotten used to it.
She also seemed to possess certain skills that hint towards espionage experience. Her insatiable curiosity, coupled with the ability to recognize even the most subtle facial expressions, could be the result of training in observation and information gathering. The transmitter around her neck was disguised as a game console, allowing her to input information under the guise of playing a game...yet she was somehow able to hold conversations while doing this. Multitasking. Recalling desired Intel from memory. It therefore stood to reason that she had both a period of training and field experience prior to the events of Episode Zero.
...what she could not have expected, however, was how different this particular mission would be. This time, it wasn't some random squadron member who found her in the jungle, but a boy her age. A boy with no name, no family, and no past. Who knew nothing of life other than being a soldier.
He approached her with his weapon at the ready. Demanded to know who she was, and what she was doing there. Midii played her role perfectly, an innocent child who was simply lost. The boy had no reason to doubt her story, and so he brought her back to their base camp and introduced her to the Captain. Midii was welcome into their ranks, and in return, served as an additional helper in the kitchens.
She also soon found herself a casual companion to the young boy, who referred to himself only as "Nanashii" (lit. "no-name"). Maybe because of their mutual age. Maybe because she was drawn to his silence. For whatever reason, Midii often sat nearby while Nanashii quietly worked on his battle suit. Words were seldom needed between them, though it was usually Midii who initiated conversation.
One day, curiosity got the better of her. She asked why he had saved her.
"Because we're the same," was his cryptic reply.
She wondered what he meant by that, but he did not elaborate.
After a moment, she jumped down from her perch and handed him the golden cross around her neck. A present. A token of gratitude. She told him that if he wore it, then God would watch over him, just as he had watched out for her. Nanashii said nothing of the unexpected gift, but accepted it. From then on, he was constantly seen wearing the cross around his neck.
Midii watched him even more closely after that. As time went on, she began to notice little things. The look of nostalgia he gave when they passed by a traveling circus. The utter lack of sadness after having been forced to kill his traitorous comrades--not because he could not feel, as the others believed, but simply because he buried the emotion deep inside. Each time, she felt the need to comment. To make him react.
"I've seen enough sadness as a baby to last me a lifetime," he told her
"So you're just going to keep shutting down your heart, huh?" she asked. In many ways, her question was almost ironic, considering she had previously--and falsely--told him that she didn't like him.
"Until the day I die."
As they spoke, Nanashii noticed the game console around her neck. Recognized it for what it was. Realized the truth: Midii was a spy. The very reason why the Alliance seemed to know every move they made. And yet...he remained silent about his suspicions, not even informing the captain. Not saying a word to Midii.
Then, the day came when the entire squadron was ambushed, leaving only the two children alive.
Standing over the still form of his former captain and surrogate father, Nanashii calmly asked Midii how much 'they' had paid her.
She didn't bother to hide anything. Matching his tone, she explained that not only was she a spy, but the cross she had given him was also a transmitter. The only reason he had been left alive. (What she didn't say was that, in giving him her security blanket, she had effectively risked her own life so that his would be spared. That the only reason she had survived as well was because he had saved her. Again.)
Nanashii threw the cross away in disgust, raising his gun to shoot. Perhaps the first time she saw a genuine flash of emotion across his face, and it was anger. Anger directed at her, because of what she had done to him.
Unfazed by his weapon, Midii removed the came console around her neck. She brought up the conversation they had shared the day he told her they were the same: "...but that wasn't true. I'm not as fortunate as you." After all, he had no family, no past, and no anchor to the world around him. No name, no life, no guilt. He was truly empty. Free.
In her mind, she spoke the words she longed to tell him: I loved you. I longed to be like you. I wanted to be with you always.
But aloud, all she could say was that "I hate empty guys like you!"
Her eyes closed when Nanashi asked if that was all she had to say, tears welling in her eyes. She knew he would shoot. She didn't try to stop him.
And he did shoot...hitting the tiny, golden cross at her feet.
Shocked that he had spared her, she could only stare after the boy whose name she would never know as he turned his back to her, walking out of her life forever.
Soon after, there is a white light flashing before her eyes, and she feels a distinct pull....
PERSONALITY:
There are two sides to this seemingly innocent 10-year-old: the Child and the Spy.
Child Midii is well aware that she is considered pretty and uses this to her advantage. She has what many would call the face of an angel, a deceiving aura of innocence that keeps many from suspecting her until it's too late. She is also slightly selfish; when confronted with her crimes, her first reaction is to blame the universe for burdening her with the responsibilities and family ties that led her to do what she did. She is also insatiably curious with more than a little mischievous nature. There were times when she would ask questions that had nothing to do with her mission, just to gauge a reaction. She comments on what she observes just for the sake of commenting. Her emotional attachments--few as they may be--borderline on dependency, to the point where she would risk her own life to make sure the one she loves is safe. For all her flaws, she is fiercely loyal to those closest to her.
On the other hand, there is also her Spy persona. Cold, calculating, and distant. She almost never smiles, and focuses all her energy into whatever task she is given. Her motives are muddled, driven both by a sense of self-preservation and the desire to help her precious people. To the point where she would be able to justify indirect murder. This side of Midii refuses to get close to anyone out of fear that she will eventually be forced to betray them. Her worldview, thanks to a war-torn life that stole her childhood, is negative and suspicious. She has blood on her hands. Even if she was not directly responsible for all those soldiers' deaths, the cold, unforgiving truth is that she was the reason they died. That's not something one can easily forget, even without the burden of a photographic memory.
POWERS:
(✞) Empathy - the power to discern what a person is feeling at any given moment, and consequentially, know if they are lying. 99% accuracy.
(✞) Eidetic Memory - the power to retain information for an indefinite period of time. Whether it be a flash of a brutally violent scene, overheard voice, or vital piece of Intel, she will be able to recall every last detail with 100% accuracy. No matter how badly she may wish to forget.
(✞) Stealth/Disguise - the ability to effectively transform herself into any role the situation calls for. More so an inherent skill than a power, it combines acting and improvised thinking. Used mainly "undercover" to collect information.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
[[video]]
[The face of a young girl, smudged with dirt. Hair in disarray. Clothing worn, but durable. Shimmering, blue eyes that scanned every inch of the desolate backdrop with piqued curiosity.]
Il est comme la maison...excepté pas.
[There is a soft, neutral quality to her tone as she murmurs to herself. Neither afraid nor sad. Just...words.]
[She glances down at the dogtags hanging around her neck; the silver metal shimmers in the soft moonlight, obscuring whatever letters might be carved into its surface. Switching to English, the pitch of her voice noticeably heightens when she addresses the camera directly. A slight flash of fear and childhood uncertainty crosses her delicate features, making her appear even younger than she already did.]
I do not understand. Where am I? Why was I brought here?
[Her eyes dart about for a moment, nervous. She does not like this place. She does not like not knowing.]
If there is somebody out there who could help me...tell me what is going on..then please, please contact me.
[A pause.]
My name is Midii. Midii Une.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
She couldn't sleep.
This, in and of itself, was really nothing new. How many nights had she spent curled beneath a thin blanket on the cold, hard ground, simply because her latest batch of "rescuers" couldn't spare of cot? Staring up at the night sky with the knowledge of what she had been sent there to do. The circles beneath her eyes had become a permenant fixture long before she had been pulled to this...whatever place this was.
But this time was different. It wasn't discomfort or guilt that kept her dreams at bay. It was the feelings. Sensations that were not her own, muddled and half-formed through a haze of childish subconscious minds. The 7-year-old down the hall who was happy because he'd hit his first homerun at the park. That one teen who mourned the loss of her crush's favor. A little boy in the next room, no more than four, who still relived the day he witnessed his mother's murder. All of it, swirling around in her head. And it just wouldn't stop.
She cursed this strange power of hers. Her emotions were no longer her own, left at the mercy of those around her. For a girl whose life had been so private...who had been taught to bury the stronger feelings when the time came...it was like some form of cruel and unusual punishment.
And right then, it was was keeping her from sleeping.
Enough was enough. If she couldn't sleep, then she might as well go find someplace quiet. Isolated.
Throwing on her jacket, she grabbed her sneaks from under the bed and tip-toed out of the room. None of the other girls so much as stirred. It was quarter to two in the morning, and she was exceptionally light on her feet. Even the Mistress of the house wouldn't be able to catch her.
The cool night air greeted her as she slipped out the back door, shutting it behind her with a soft 'click'. For a moment, she hesitated on the stoop. Where exactly was she supposed to go? Where could she go? She had only really been here for a few days. Hardly enough time to get a decent grasp of the city layout.
Clearly, she hadn't thought this through.
...not that that had ever really stopped her before.
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
Midii is one of those characters that is neither a hero nor a villain. She is lost, confused, and angry at the world for putting her in the situation she finds herself. At first, she will appear to shut down completely. Focus on surviving by the only means she knows how: deception. As mature as she acts, however, she is still a heartbroken 10-year-old girl, and the events of Episode Zero will leave her open to influence by whomever invests enough time to get to know her.
It is also worth noting that Midii is bilingual, fluent in both French and English. The former is her first language, and the latter spoken with the faintest hint of an accent. Her name, uncommon but not unheard of in France, translates to "Midday."