"people will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls.
one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."

GUIDELINES

disclaimer : I am an open-minded person who is willing to try out any type of RP or gposes within reason. I can and will put a stop to any interactions I am uncomfortable with, and will be sure to communicate when the boundary is (or is close to) being crossed. I will always respect your boundaries, so I expect the same respect in return. Feel free to suggest things! I'm open to adjusting scenarios as long as they don't break the lore I have written for my characters.

dossier: VOIDKNIGHT

^PERSONALITY : Upon first meeting her, Ane comes across as confident, positive, and energetic. Fortunately for most, what you see is what you get. Opinions are varied on whether or not her open-book personality is a good thing. Regardless, she always tries her best to keep her head held high and her best foot forward, and she is always ready to lend a helping hand whether it is deserved or not.

i.

  MINDSET   in ane's experience, if there's a problem, it can be fixed. she approaches most everything in life with this mindset, staying positive to keep morale high. no matter how difficult something may be, nothing is impossible, and no struggle lasts forever.

ii.

  ATTITUDE   despite her experience in the military, ane is a very casual person who only puts stock in manners and respect when it is returned in kind. in almost all cases she treats everyone as an equal, and at times can seem very lackadaisical when interacting with others.

  strength   
  dexterity    
   physique     
  intellect    
    wisdom      
     charm      
      faith        
      luck         

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ane is never one to back down from a challenge, especially if it seems impossible. she will stop at nothing to assist others in need, and tends to find unorthodox solutions to problems that may seem unsolvable. only occasionally is she seen without a smile, doing her best to bring joy to those around her.

growing up in the military as a special operative has contributed to ane's growing reckless streak. years of thinking on her feet has cultivated a habit of acting before thinking, which often lands her in hot water. her restlessness also contributes to impatience and an irregular sleep schedule.

ane grew up with frequent praise from many sources, lauded for her strength and intelligence. because of this, she feels justified in her morals to this day, and will bite back if they are questioned or derided. up against someone she truly feels is evil or immoral, she will fight with an almost manic zeal.

appearance.

Ane's sense of style can be described as a combination of military casual and elegantly dissheveled. She wears a lot of black and red, as they match her features well, but can sometimes be seen wearing white or mint. She tends to stick to whatever is easiest to move in, with some leather accoutrements mixed in.

Ane's first scar is the one across the bridge of her nose, earned from a fight with Jaq, who still to this day regrets what he did. Ane sees it as a badge of honor, cracking the shell of the man who refused to speak to her upon their first meeting. She has many scars along her arms and back otherwise obtained from battle, decorating her skin like terrain features on a map.

notable scars.

distinguishable marks.

Lacking any body markings or tattoos besides scars, the only notable marking Ane has appears when she has been enshrouded by her reaper avatar -- her sclera fade to pitch black, and a red, almost spiderweb-like pattern glows where her irises would be.

act  i.

Time takes it all whether you want it to or not, time takes it all. Time bares it away, and in the end there is only darkness. Sometimes we find others in that darkness, and sometimes we lose them there again.

⏾ - Born to a small and unassuming family who served the nobles of Yuzuka Manor in Doma, Ane Ichiro lived plainly, a life full of simple pleasures and calm days playing along the One River. Quite the curious toddler, she loved to explore the plains and woods beyond her village, much to her parents' worry. Already declining due to Garlean conscription, the village was on its last legs. The Ichiro family's deep-seated fear of the Empire kidnapping their child, as they had done to so many others, kept worry ever-forward in their minds.All the Garlean Empire did was take, take, take. They took Ane, too, in the end. No more than four summers old, her whole life ahead of her cut short by the whims of an Empire.The girl became their little conscript, but not before being adopted by one Cato van Juventus, legatus of the XIIIth Legion. Unable to have a child of their own, he and his wife Hadriana raised the young Ane as their own, sparing no expense for her education and martial training. As is standard with Garlemald, with education came indoctrination. Years of training blossomed the girl into a confident and faithful Centurion, commander of her own unit of specialized infantry. In time she was able to command the respect and admiration of those under her command, vowing to do good for everyone despite the reputation the Empire had made for itself while she climbed the ranks of its military.

We cast a shadow on something wherever we stand, and it is no good moving from place to place to save things; because the shadow always follows. Choose a place where you won't do harm - yes, choose a place where you won't do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine.

act  ii.

◐ - Nearer now to adulthood and solidly in command of her unit, Ane quo Juventus felt that she had a firm grip on how to fight, but she yearned for more. Her father agreed to teach her a more specialized combat style with a different weapon than the gunblade she was originally trained in, but only after she vowed to keep its technique secret. If ever she was in a situation where she may not make it out, the Reaper Arts could very well save her life. On the eve of her 18th winter, her training culminated in the summoning of her Avatar--a shroud of the void that, when possessed of her, felt like a piece of her that she'd always been missing. She held this Avatar close, summoning it in secret, communing with it to become closer to this being that felt like a lost piece of herself returned home. It was unfortunate that she couldn't show the world its beauty, but the Reaper Arts had been outlawed for generations. Her gunblade would have to suffice, for now.Ane never used the ties she had with her father to get ahead, instead choosing to sweat and bleed for her unit, to prove that she was better. As her father would say, "True commanders lead from the front." Some derided her for it, but she ignored them all the same, keeping her father's words close to her chest. Only once did Ane ask her father to pull strings on her behalf. She heard rumors about a special military unit called the Alaudae, an auxiliary force of conscripted imperial convicts used to capture defectors under their commander, former Pilus Prior Vitus quo Messalla. His methods were cruel, and he often used torture to get the convicts to bend to his whims. This clear abuse of authority disgusted her, and it ultimately was what led her to ask the boon of her father."Transfer his most recent conscripts into my unit, I can do better for them than he ever could!"After a week of back and forth, Ane managed to prove her conviction, and the necessary strings were pulled to transfer an allotment of conscripts from the Alaudae to her unit. Most of them were grateful for the change, but one man in particular, a Veena Viera named Aquilla aan Skatanius, refused to speak to her. He obeyed orders like any normal recruit, but was cold and contemptuous. Months would go by before he would even consider the offer for a sparring match Ane offered to all of her newest recruits, but his consideration only came after one of her unit provoked him into breaking their nose with a punch from out of nowhere. The man was so pent up and furious that the Centurion decided there really was only one way she could crack his shell: By letting him attack her with everything he had in a lethal sparring match--one that she would not come away from unscathed."Don't hold back. Fight me like you want to kill me, because I know you do."His speed and ferocity won the match, though just barely. Where he had power and fury, she had cunning and adaptability, but it wasn't enough. Blade met skin at the end of their dance. Other members of the unit who were previously eager to watch the bout held the Viera back as the Centurion lay on the ground, clutching her face, blood pouring from the gash across the bridge of her nose. If she hadn't moved in time, her head would likely have been shorn from her shoulders. Despite the pain, she smiled softly, watching as her unit hauled him away to confinement. Whispers of disdain, concern, and bewilderment murmured through the unit as Ane was helped to the infimrary. How could this happen? How could she let this happen?Days passed before Aquilla was hauled out of confinement and dragged to the Centurion's office. With time, it seemed that his previous indignation had lessened. Satisfaction from his win, perhaps? Or was there something else bubbling under the surface? For the first time, Aquilla spoke, perplexed at her behavior. Why would a Garlean Centurion let a member of her unit walk free after he injured her? What was she after, what was her game? He didn't need her pity."No game here, Aquilla. I just wanted to know who you were. It seems I was able to get a glimpse of it before you hit me."

act  iii.

People often believe they are safer in the light, thinking monsters only come out at night. But safety – like light – is a façade, and the leader who denies their shadow will one day wear its chains.

⬤ - Aquilla's trust for Ane or anyone else in the unit stayed stagnant in the coming months. Cracks began to show, however, just as the cracks in the Empire began to splinter and shatter further into the ranks of the Legions. Civil war was brewing, cold as ice but trending warmer as the vaunted Warrior of Light and the Eorzean Alliance fought back against the XIVth Legion's efforts to conquer them. Infighting amongst the nobility destabilized the region, and Legions who were not actively overseas became the target of scrutiny. The legatus of the XIIIth did all he could to quell the fomenting unrest with the help of his wife, but many administrative workers and civilians voiced their growing fear and mistrust as tensions further developed. When fighting finally broke out in the capital, Ane mobilized her unit to evacuate any and all willing citizens in their district, along with as many ration-filled cargo vehicles they could muster. She would not stand by while civilians were set to be trampled upon by the very government that swore to serve them.The journey out of the capital was an arduous one, and Ane struggled to keep the near five hundred evacuated souls calm in the bitter cold. There were enough rations to keep everyone fed for the journey to the nearest outpost, but the people were shaken. They were leaving their home, possibly to never return. With her parents staying behind in the capital, her authority was questioned time and again throughout the following week. Whispers traveled through the group like radio chatter:"Dear, are you sure this is a good idea? Following an unproven Centurion into the wilderness, headed to gods know where?"
"Hush now, it's more than just her. We've got the whole unit armed to protect us."
"I heard a soldier say she was given... preferential treatment because her father is the legatus of the XIIIth."
"Goodness, really? Maybe we shouldn't have come along so quickly then..."A soldier spreading rumors about supposed preferential treatment was new. None in Ane's unit had spread that lie previously... at least, not out loud. Following a thorough headcount of the unit, an extra soldier was found among the ranks. Surprisingly, he openly admitted his allegiance to another Legion once caught, stating his name and rank out loud for all to hear, civilians included. Titus pyr Fabius of the IIIrd Legion, Optio. What was another Centurion's subordinate doing here? The man approached any and all questions asked by Ane or her unit with contempt and arrogance, which only led the Centurion to press him harder. Continued smug reprisals and flippant evasion only pushed her buttons further. Despite the situation they were in, she was above him in rank no matter what Legion he swore allegiance to."Pureblooded Garlean or no, you have no right to act as you are to one of higher rank, pyr Fabius."The words dripped from her mouth as venom. Most soldiers in her unit would back off at this, but the Optio continued to spew his lies. daring to insult her further."You know... if your father wasn't so incompetent, I don't think these people would have followed you for... oh, how long has it been? An entire week now? Imagine being so stupid that your adopted mongrel of a daughter has to compensate to cover for your idiocy."A beat of silence was all the Optio had to enjoy the insult hanging in the air. Muscles coiled taut like engine springs finally snapped, and Ane descended upon him with the speed and force of a frozen river bursting forth from a shattered dam. Her Avatar's shroud draped over her shoulders like a comforting blanket, deafening her ears to the cries of surprise and terror from the citizens that witnessed what followed. Manifesting her scythe, Ane pressed the curved blade to the Optio's jugular, a reprimand bursting from her mouth in a snarl with a shadowed voice doubling it in stereo."How DARE you insult Cato van Juventus, and directly to a Centurion of his Legion! I'll cleave that lying tongue from your mouth!"

Without even a flicker of light, the mind begins to play tricks. There is a constant feeling that there is a wall before you, that you must stop. The eyes open as wide as they can, hungry for light. The only thing that helps is to shut them tight.

act  iv.

◑ - to be continuedLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec egestas facilisis elit id elementum. Suspendisse sed velit lorem. Maecenas convallis mauris eu enim vehicula ornare. Aenean id tellus augue. Quisque a lacinia tortor. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Pellentesque magna lacus, volutpat tincidunt elit in, luctus ullamcorper augue. Duis porta elit ligula. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Praesent tincidunt nibh eu massa mollis, eu commodo mi ultricies. Cras et dolor non nulla malesuada ornare. Integer vulputate eros est, nec venenatis nibh blandit convallis. Nullam cursus sapien erat, ut condimentum dolor tristique ac.Donec blandit eros efficitur orci porttitor elementum eu eget orci. Sed eu enim justo. Nunc vitae fermentum nisi. Ut posuere vel turpis ut consequat. Etiam scelerisque, nisi sed vehicula elementum, tellus metus cursus metus, sed pharetra metus nibh nec nisl. Donec finibus purus nisl, eget malesuada diam venenatis vel. Morbi fringilla nibh et iaculis porttitor. Vestibulum odio tellus, porttitor quis massa id, semper tempus ex.Quisque hendrerit purus non nulla cursus, sed laoreet tellus maximus. Quisque mi elit, pretium ac suscipit vitae, lobortis a tortor. Proin egestas ex sapien, ac porttitor purus suscipit pulvinar. Cras in convallis ligula. Cras in quam tellus. Vivamus non felis at leo laoreet consectetur ut sit amet ante. Mauris aliquet, massa sit amet condimentum bibendum, lacus risus hendrerit magna, eu pharetra velit odio ac lacus. Phasellus dignissim neque eu lacinia tristique.Nullam et facilisis nunc. Maecenas vel nulla aliquet, fermentum tortor sit amet, porta eros. Nulla eu diam maximus, pharetra diam scelerisque, consectetur augue. Aliquam sed nunc est. Vivamus tempor ex libero, ut tristique nunc accumsan sed. Duis sit amet dui risus. Maecenas maximus ligula quis sagittis consequat. Praesent facilisis interdum consequat. Vestibulum dapibus vestibulum sollicitudin. Integer egestas accumsan elit, quis ornare orci.Nullam vel ultrices leo. Fusce nec feugiat nunc. Aliquam in consequat lectus, eu euismod odio. Nulla molestie egestas mauris. Phasellus in mollis enim, accumsan convallis arcu. Donec tincidunt lobortis dolor et tristique. Vestibulum sollicitudin mattis massa, ac euismod turpis mollis sed. Maecenas vel orci nulla. Pellentesque pharetra dictum turpis, at feugiat turpis aliquet vitae. Nullam aliquet est egestas ex pulvinar pretium vitae non enim. Nunc quis sem eu odio lacinia mollis ut ut lorem.

BONDS

jaq  kestrel.

beloved

• account
• tag

The man who constantly pushes Ane to be the best version of herself she can be. She doesn't know where she would be without him, and is thankful for his love and care every day of her life.

sumire  awashima.

friend, charge

• account
• tag

The beautiful shrine maiden Ane looked up to as a child. She feels a personal responsibility to fix the damage that has been done to her by the Empire's occupation of Doma.

luna  octavia.

friend

• account
• tag

A sudden and unlikely friend, found during Ane and Jaq's forays into the Bozjan Southern Front. Though they are quiet and blunt, she sees them as a loyal friend she can rely on.

angelus  surana.

friend, cousin

• account
• tag

The son of Ane's aunt on her father's side, met a few days after her first return to Doma. She thinks of him as a respected rival, one who she can both compete against and confide in.

silas  osen.

rival

• account
• tag

The beloved of Sumire Awashima, wandering medic and unknowable shadow. He seems to hold Ane at arm's length, and she tolerates his presence for Sumire's sake.

a'ganos  tia.

mentor

• account
• tag

The former Warrior of Light, and Ane's mentor. She inherited the Crystal of Azem from him after the events of the Final Days, becoming the Warrior of Light in his stead.

WORLDS

• about
• threads

main verse name.

little verse quote here

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verse name.

little verse quote here

• about
• threads

  about verse   lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

verse name.

little verse quote here

• about
• threads

  about verse   lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

verse name.

little verse quote here

• about
• threads

  about verse   lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

verse name.

little verse quote here

• about
• threads

  about verse   lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

MEMOIR