#i think Kaden can have a little she/he pronouns as a treat

[limesquares]

he’s like a girl to me <3

[auburnflight]

Why Rinkah is amazing and underappreciated:

Rinkah is such a wonderfully complex character, and I appreciate that. In terms of both appearance and personality, she creates a very strong, particular first impression, as a “hardened warrior” and as the sole representative of the Flame Tribe among the game’s major characters. The other characters and the game itself often view her through these two lenses, but I find it intriguing to delve into just how many layers are beneath that impression.

Keeping others at a distance by default and being cautious about the connections she forms, when she’s from a small, highly individual tribe that has also suffered marked breaches of trust in the past, makes sense. As she describes in her supports with Corrin, it tends to be outsiders who extinguish the eternal flame that her tribe keeps burning; sometimes these outsiders do so out of malice, and sometimes out of simple insensitivity. This policy of keeping outsiders at a distance is often described in dialogue as a “law,” but other times as more of a “guideline.” And indeed, Rinkah seems to understand it (even if not on a conscious level) as a way of framing one’s thinking, rather than an absolute to which one should adhere. She is described on the surface as “aloof,” but I think it’s more complicated than that: more that she dedicates her entire heart and being to whatever she does, wherever she decides to be, and she demands that same level of respect and seriousness from others.

Clearly, Rinkah has a very strong sense of self. And she invests a lot into whatever pursuits she’s focusing on, and into herself as a person. Whether it’s food (as in her conversations with Hayato), free time (in the overworld and one-on-one interactions), or other people (in her supports with Saizo), she doesn’t like wasting; once she decides something is important to her, she strives to treat it with the utmost value. As a result, she isn’t interested in idle chatter or superficial connections. Perhaps this is one reason that she is so cautious of Corrin at first, in spite of owing them a debt: the Nohrian noble has apparently earned a widespread reputation for being naive, and Rinkah reads their initial attempt at conversation accordingly. Maybe this means in some cases, she’s predisposed to forming preconceptions about other people, which may or may not prove true later. But part of this is also holding others to the same high standards to which she holds herself: she naturally invests considerable energy in wherever she decides to focus, and she wants to make sure this energy won’t go to waste on someone who is only interested in surface-level interaction, who won’t respect her for entire self.

And perhaps because she aims to be treated accordingly, she may not be comfortable with what she perceives to be her own weaknesses. For instance, her supports with Kaze reveal that she actively hides her sweet tooth, arguing that it’s not something everyone needs to know about, and she responds defensively when he shows concern. Even though her love for sweets isn’t inherently a weakness, she sees it as something that could potentially cause others to treat her differently from how she would prefer (for example, doting on her or seeing her as childish). Kaze points out that she seems focused on maintaining false appearances. But it’s not necessarily that Rinkah wants to lie to herself or other people. It may be that, opposite of her initial impression, she is actually quite sensitive to others.

Not so much in the sense that she would change who she is based on what others think. And in fact, as we see from supports such as Oboro trying to convince her to eat with utensils instead of her hands, she generally refuses to compromise on who she is just based on others’ ideas, unless they can frame this change as advantageous to her in some way. Rather than letting fear of others’ opinions control her, it’s more that she wants to make sure others understand who she is and how highly she thinks of herself (if this isn’t obvious from her very first instance of dialogue in the game, in chapter 3: “I am Rinkah! Daughter of the Flame Tribe’s honorable Chieftain!”). She sees herself as independent, unafraid and unwavering, and strives for others to have this same impression. She even admits this directly in her parent-child supports with Velouria, who is very physically affectionate: when Rinkah accepts a hug from her daughter Velouria, she says to herself, “I hope no one thinks I’ve gone soft...”

But as proud as she is, Rinkah is not entirely too stubborn to admit her own weaknesses when the situation prompts it. Contrary to her outward feelings about her flaws, for the most part, she demonstrates that she’s actually very good at confronting them. Like anyone else, sometimes she suffers lapses in judgment, acting impatient towards others when they don’t listen to her initial requests to leave her alone, responding quite defensively when others comment on her temper, or being more critical of others’ perspectives than maybe the situation warrants. But given space, she consistently realizes this: she returns to the issue, apologizes, understands others’ perspectives, and seeks to set things right. 

Therefore, her sensitivity also comes in the form of being an active listener and an excellent communicator. Exactly because she holds herself in such high regard, she knows when her actions are inconsistent with who she is. She knows when she needs to speak with others about overstepping boundaries, whether her own or someone else’s. And even if it means momentarily swallowing her pride, she uses her mistakes as opportunities for growth wherever possible. 

And I think that’s one of the most respectable things about her. She doesn’t let her strong ideas about herself keep her from growing--if anything, this only furthers her desire to constantly improve, to meet and expand her own expectations of herself. She’s painfully aware of her temper as one of her most immutable weaknesses, but even so, she’s able to obtain the skills to better grapple with it when, in their supports, Ryoma begins to teach her the art of meditation. Such developments occur not only emotionally, but in her physical self as well. Her support conversations (for example, with Hinata and Kagero) often detail her acutely picking up new ideas and fighting techniques from her allies.

How does this all interact with the values of her tribe that she so persistently upholds? The Flame Tribe is said to particularly value their individual identity and independence, and therefore to interact with outsiders as little as possible. But as one finds fulfillment and meaning in forming bonds with others, and as by nature it would be near impossible to participate in the war effort alone, does this mean that Rinkah’s involvement with her allies beyond what is necessary to fight is in opposition to her tribe’s policies? Not necessarily. Rinkah explains in her supports with Keaton that to the Flame Tribe, to be independent means “We are committed to walking our own path, despite what others say or do. We do not compromise, we do not beg for aid, and we do not sell our loyalty.” And thus, the ways in which she so rigidly maintains her sense of self in her interactions with the other characters closely follows these ideas. It’s not about refusing to interact with others or even preferring to be alone; it’s about knowing, at one’s core, who one feels they are as a person, and not going against that core sense of self for the sake of others. 

So I would venture that one of Rinkah’s primary motivations is creating a space where she can uphold that sense of self. This may also be why she potentially reads as closed-off and unwilling to show vulnerability: she places enormous importance on maintaining her own space, both physically and mentally. She does open up to others, given the trust that they will take her just as seriously as she takes herself and them, and given the space to make her own decision to do so. Going back to her conversations with Kaze, in their later supports, she is happy to eat the sweets he offers if left by herself in peace. (Kaze’s decision to go along with her blaming her obvious hunger on an imaginary “mouse,” by simultaneously taking Rinkah’s words seriously and finding an avenue to get her to her to listen to him, is very perceptive.) I think this is also the reason that being imprisoned in the prologue is one of the most significant challenges Rinkah could possibly face in her character arc: all of her power and freedom to make decisions for herself is taken away, no less as a result of obeying her father’s orders to join Hoshido’s war effort--something she had her own reservations about to begin with, and went along with anyway.

Kaze is also highly perceptive in realizing that Rinkah is concerned in keeping up an appearance of being independent and perhaps difficult to approach--though as I’ve already summarized, I would argue this is more just the facet that she wishes to show of herself foremost than it is entirely “false.” Though it’s only a subtle part of her initial read, there is kindness, even gentleness, in her greetings to Corrin as they travel around the castle, in the phrases that she uses when supporting other characters in battle (“No need to be afraid”), and in her concern for others’ safety (which is what starts off her supports with Subaki). And this kindness grows to be a more visible part of her mannerisms as she builds trust and grows closer to others. She’s more comfortable making light banter with the other characters, like Charlotte and Kaden, in their later supports. She goes from using the somewhat rough-mannered third-person pronoun omae to calling Corrin by their name. And if the player marries her and Corrin together, it’s clear that she speaks and uses other qualities of her voice in a completely different manner with someone she’s very close to: she speaks in a somewhat higher pitch, in contrast to the low-toned, sometimes almost growling voice that she favors in other contexts. Clearly, it’s not that she cares little for other people, as her outward demeanor might suggest to those who aren’t familiar with her. It’s that she’s very intentional about to where and to whom she dedicates her energy and trust. Realizing that some people may pose a danger to her tribe and that keeping her distance is one of their policies is a part, but not the only aspect, of this. 

(I think this makes her an interesting contrast to Corrin, who is freely kind to everyone; because of this trait, others fear that Corrin is far easier to manipulate or take advantage of. Corrin’s kindness is related to their sense of self in a very different way from how it is related to Rinkah’s.)

Clearly, Rinkah has a very impactful initial read as a character, yet she is also highly nuanced, and her psychology as a character certainly facilitates deeper exploration. I feel this complexity is particularly apparent in contrast to many characters in Awakening or even some others in Fates, who have distinctive quirks but can sometimes fall short of being developed further as characters beyond that initial read. (I delve more into why this might be the case in another piece linked to in the “source” section of this post.) Could she read as short-tempered, stubborn, and hard to approach? Of course. But she can also be seen as passionate, loyal, perhaps surprisingly sensitive, and dedicated wholly to maintaining her sense of rightness and her sense of self. She’s a formidable warrior with, like any other well-executed and likable character, her own moments of vulnerability and internal conflict, even if she doesn’t always readily allow them to surface.

[elysiumrp]

Congratulations NICCI! You have been accepted as Nicholas Johnson. Please go through the checklist and send in your account within 24 hours. If you need more time, make sure you send a message to the main.

I just went ahead and used your original application to post here since it’s finally time to bring Nick back into the fray with this new chapter we’re coming into. It’s a bit out of date, but we get the general gist, and I’m sure Nick will make his motives, reasonings, etc., etc. known very, very soon. You know what to do since you’ve done it before, but once again, Welcome to Elysium!!

OOC INFO

Name: Nicci Age: 22 Timezone: CET Preferred Pronouns: She/Her Previous RP Experience: [RFP] Activity Level: I’m really active, I’m on every day! Anything Else: I’m Dutch, so my first language isn’t English so when I’m tired I might make little errors now and then but most of the time it will be fine! If I continuously make the same mistake please feel free to tell me because in that case I might be under the impression that it’s correct!

IC INFO

Character Name: Nicholas Joseph Johnson Second Choice Character: Nathan Bowers or a Sophie Cookson FC :) Why did you choose this character: I think his character is so interesting because he switched sides. I love playing dark characters like this and can’t wait to explore his past/pain and how he feels about it.

Describe your plan for them: I would love for Nicholas to stir up some trouble in town. He would be on a mission to kill hunters but he might also try to stay in the same place for a bit longer than usual. He finally got himself a daylight ring which means he can start  experimenting with blending in with the population. He won’t start mindlessly killing hunters but he will be smart and patient about it. He will probably first try to gain people’s trust while making a list of people he is planning to kill. Though his temper might sometimes get the best of him.Describe your character’s feelings, reactions, and potential

Describe your character’s feelings, reactions, and potential involvement/want to be involved during/after the recent fall of the Council (At least a few sentences): Nicholas has been treated cruelly by his family in the past and the emotions that came with that betrayal have fueled him ever since. But there was a time that he did love them, so I feel that if he would allow himself to stop and think about it he would actually feel some sort of remorse and sadness. But these are emotions he no longer allows himself to feel. He is often sarcastic and cynic and rarely responds with his true feelings. At the same time he can be very charming, but this is hardly ever sincere. I think Nicholas would be a perfect candidate to have been involved with the fall of council. Without the council he is able to do as he pleases. So he might have been staying under the radar for last month and now pretends he is new in town while he actually was involved. Perhaps he even wants a spot in the council to gain control that way. And he is of course determined to finish the last of the Kingsman family.

Para Sample:

Nicholas glared at the youngest Kingsman like a hunter eyeing its prey, which was ironic because she was the actual hunter here. Though there were probably many who would beg to differ since he was the vampire in this scenario. She was actually quite beautiful. This wasn’t an emotional statement but simply an observation. He had been alive long enough to recognize and respect beauty when he came across it. He wondered if she would still look this pretty when she would be lifeless at his feet. But not yet. He had to be patient. One wrong move, one impulsive decision and he would ruin his long term plan. He had to be clever about it. It wasn’t just about the youngest Kingsman. He was planning on destroying the entire family line. He would simply start with her. Or continue with her, that was probably a better way of putting it. He remembered her parents all too well. It was time to finish what he had started.

There had been something about her parents that had reminded him of his own. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why he was so very determined to be the downfall of this family. All this anger, all this vengeance…it was strongest when he was around a Kingsman. It had become a mission, an obsession. Like he was killing his own family all over again. Taking it all out on simply another hunter family. All these feelings of betrayal, all the hurt and pain, it hadn’t faded after all these years. Little Kaden over there was just the beginning of his plan for them, for New York. He would be patient. He would wait. And when the time was right, he would strike.

Any questions/concerns/things you’d like to change: (siblings to add, pronouns, sexuality you’d like to specify, personality, face claim, history, etc., etc.)

Not yet so far!