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Apr. 4th, 2016 11:15 amPlayer: Sheepy
Contact: Here
Age: 29
Current Characters: N/A
Character: Aerith Gainsborough
Age: 22
Canon: Final Fantasy VII
Canon Point: Post Advent Children
Background: Character and various game wikias
Personality:
- Outgoing, vivacious, caring, and positively motherly, Aerith is a seemingly simple woman. Between her rosy disposition, her rosy-colored dress, and a smile that seems ever present on her face, it is easy to discount this flower girl as, at best, normal or, at worst, underwhelming and uninteresting. In actuality, this is how she prefers it. On the surface, she is like a swan, gracefull skating across the water; underneath, however, there is a much more complex dance taking place to keep her afloat.
Aerith knew from a very young age that she was different. As a young child, much of her early years were a blur of memories and, while she almost never speaks of it, pain. Truly, her life began when she was taken in by Elmyra Gainsborough, and do this day her memories of her birth mother, Ifalna, are muddled. Even still, Aerith always knew, even as a young child, that she was somehow different. Hearing the gentle whispering of the planet, it was hard to ignore that somehow, in some way, she was strange. Whether or not her strive to be--or at least appear--normal stems from this is hard to say, but, unlike when she was a child, she no longer denies her differences but, rather, embraces them, albeit subtly.
Her happy, bubbly disposition is no act, Aerith truly is a kindhearted, and, at times, silly person. But, more to the point, she wants to try to bring joy to those people around her. This can be seen in small ways, such as selling flowers in the slum for a single gil, or in more selfless fashion. Aerith is not beyond acting in what she believes would be the most beneficial to her friends or, for that matter, the general populous. This has the unfortunate side-effect of tossing aside some of her own feelings about certain matters, which she keeps very firmly caged away. Not one to ask for much for herself, she places others' happiness far above her own, insofar as disregarding her own livelihood as a result. She will not give up on someone, no matter what, even after years of ambiguity and absence. She cares and loves deeply, completely, and for years to come.
If she can make just one person smile, that will make her happy.
This is not to say that Aerith isn't a happy individual--not by a long shot--nor that she has no capability for self-preservation. But there is a feeling of fulfillment from helping others live what she deems as a normal, happy life; perhaps because, even if she may not realize, she wants to be able to give that to someone, if she herself can't quite grasp it. She is extremely observant, keeping most of what she sees to herself until she feels necessary to speak, or to act. In some ways, she may see herself having something of a stacked deck, given her connection to the planet, but this is hard to say.
Despite a serene, sunny disposition, there are things that can make her angry, and while rare and not nearly as heated as others, this one can have a bit of a temper. Truth be told, she can come off as quite chilling when angered (like during the confrontation with Don Corneo), although she hardly ever lets that part of her be seen. She might huff and puff a bit, but outside of a few situations--usually concerning her friends being in danger--she is relatively harmless.
She is, however, more than a bit of a tease, and is prone to a sillier side when the mood takes her. This can be interpreted as being somewhat flirtatious (such as telling Cloud she would be his girlfriend if he acted as her bodyguard), but is almost always harmless. Certain people--particularly those she thinks or knows she can get a rise out of--elicit that sort of response, although her teasing is almost never in bad taste. Being the observant woman that she is, she can read a situation quite well, and knows when to be serious, or when she can afford to be just a bit more playful.
Peeling back all these layers, underneath everything, is an inherited sense of duty. Aerith is the last of an ancient race of people, and, as such, has very important responsibilities because of that. Connected to the Lifestream, she, like the rest of her people, has the ability to control it, and through that, communicate the wishes of the planet itself. For many years, she denied, ran away from this responsibility. However, after coming to understand that this heavy burden did not have to be carried alone (although she did opt to do the heavy lifting herself), she came to terms with it, accepting this duty. Even in death, her duty to the planet was not done, and, in subtle ways, she continues to affect the planet. As a Cetra, and as one of the few sentient souls remaining that could cause change, she doesn't question her actions.
In many ways, she is happy that she was given this gift. While she may not be able to walk side-by-side with her friends, she can still help them along the way. She can support them how she might, if she still stood beside them, and while her touch is relatively subtle for the most part, there are times she has felt it necessary to intervene.
It always comes back to Cloud. And, to that effect, Zack.
Her feelings for him are surprisingly complicated, but at the same time startlingly simple. He is so much like Zack, and yet, at the same time, a completely different person. A bit of a lonely soul--although she would never admit it--she took solace in that while she was still alive. But, at the same time, it saddened her. Even after writing so many letters to Zack, and getting what she thought was closure, there was still that part that missed him. But time and distance changed things, and perhaps that was why she clung so firmly to Cloud, in the hopes that maybe, with him, she could have those four years that she lost. But what blossomed there wasn't a romantic love but, rather, the kind of love that a sister has for a brother, a familial connection that could not be severed, even in death.
She still has a sweet spot for that chocobo-headed dork, even after all this time. While her feelings for Zack are still extremely complicated, even after being reunited, there is something about his younger friend that was like coming home to her. Where Zack was certainly her first love, Cloud's was much more, even if theirs was strictly platonic.
In so many words, Aerith is a complex flower, whose true beauty--and thorns--are very rarely seen, but most certainly always felt in one way or another. She is kind and nurturing; playful and vivacious; observant and dutiful to her friends and her people. She is much more than just a flower girl in the slums.
Abilities: Scroll down to Gameplay
- Aerith is a full-support character in Final Fantasy VII, acting as the party's healer for the first leg of the adventure. She is able to use healing-type magic through Limit Breaks in battle, and, with the help of materia, has the ability to use a number of different types of spells. With a strong aptitude toward magic, she is a natural spell caster, although she is able to use staffs and staves in battle.
As a Cetra, she is inherently connected to the world, often said to be able to hear its "voice." This is through a heightened connection to the Lifestream, which, in its most extreme forms, allow for control and manipulation of this spiritual force. She has been shown to have that potential, after becoming a part of the Lifestream herself, although her personal influence is usually fairly benign. The fact that she was able to maintain some semblence of sentiency while existing within the Lifestream (we see instances of her influence both in the ending of the mainline game and at the end of Advent Children. She also appears to Cloud at times during Advent Children, although this can be interpretted as a bit of wish fulfillment on his behalf) shows that her power as a Cetra is indeed quite strong.
Alignment:Peromei
Other: N/A
Sample:
- There was something therapeutic about getting one's hands dirty. A trowel in one gloved hand, and her knees rested on a kneeling pad, Aerith wiped a bead of sweat from her brow with her arm. It was hard work, but it was good work.
"All right," Setting down the trowel, she pushed herself up to her feet, looking over the work done. She wasn't the only one here, busy toiling away in the soil, and though they were planting a few of these starters fairly late in the season (by her guess, at least; things may work differently here), she had faith that they would be ready for harvest with well enough time.
The workforce, however... They looked a bit overtaxed.
Brushing off a bit of dirt from her knees, the young woman walked to stretch her legs, and spread a bit of encouragement to those still busy working. Her hands clasped behind her back, the brunette stopped almost abruptly over another worker. "Hmm?" She mused gently, bending slightly at the waist and looking over their work. "You look pretty tuckered out. Are you feeling okay?"
The plants there seemed happier for her cheerful and warm presence, at the very least. Though subtle, they began to move, craning toward her. If she noticed, Aerith did not say a word--the seedlings and starters she tended to seemed to do the same thing as well.
Questions: Not that I can think of!
