application (info)

[gunbreaking]

PLAYER

NAME: Vivi
PREFERRED CONTACT: PM
OTHER CHARACTERS: N/A

CHARACTER

NAME: Squall Leonhart
AGE: 18
CANON & CANON POINT: Final Fantasy VIII, post game
RESERVATION LINK: HERE.
HISTORY: Here.

PERSONALITY: Squall, at a glance, is the picture perfect image of a soldier: reserved, brusque, obedient, efficient and solitary. For the vast majority of his life, Squall has lived rigidly and by the principles of an insitution: Balamb Garden. Having grown up an orphan with little to no friends, Squall found solace in discipline rather than the company of other people—

Or this is what he thinks, rather. In reality, Squall is a deeply vulnerable, empathetic and sensitive young man who'd forced himself to repress his more "human" desires in an attempt to mold himself into the ideal mercenary. More specifically: the ideal "SeeD", a former student and soon-to-be subordinate at Balamb Garden. SeeDs are mercenaries who are hired for combat, be it political intervention or personal affairs, through Balamb Garden. For Squall, being able to fight and follow the instructions he was provided regardless of the circumstances was what he aspired to be equipped for. This is evidenced by his devotion to the academy which would ultimately result in him not only being regarded as the top student of his class but in him being one of the few to graduate. Later, he would be saddled with the burden of becoming commander despite his young age.

As mentioned prior, Squall's empathy and sensitivity inspire a struggle in him. He is prone to experiencing depressive lows and bouts of severe anxiety, constantly wracked with fear over his fate and how people perecive him. As a child, Squall had remained unadopted as the few friends he had would go on to find families of their own — it is implied that this was largely due to how needy he was. Squall was an extremely meek and overtly emotional child, having latched onto an older girl named "Ellone" who he'd referred to as "Sis" at the time. He'd been so dependent on her that Irvine remarks that Squall always "hogged her for himself", having been desperate for a guiding figure in his life. One day, she'd been taken from the orphanage for what would be for her own safety; Squall, having been left in the dark, assumed she'd abandoned him. Heartbroken by the loss, Squall became determined to become "strong for Sis" and survive on his own. From then and onward, Squall begins to adopt the mentality that needing another person is remiss; in order to survive, you rely on yourself and only yourself. To steel himself properly and cope with the loss of "Sis" alongside the rejection he faced by both his peers and any potential parents, Squall withdrew into himself and put his feelings on a tight lock. He hides behind a veneer of disinterest and apathy, but it's a defense mechanism and nothing more. He quite literally testifies to an unconscious Rinoa that he "cares too much about what other people think" of him, and that he "hates that side of" himself. His cold and taciturn nature is driven by insecurity above all.

...Of course, this veneer crumbles into nothingness throughout the game. Squall's empathy and concern for other people always manifests against his own will, even if he brushes off Quistis by telling her that other peoples' problems are not his business — his poor attitude comes from a place of fear rather than malice. During his mission in Galbadia, Squall is the first to run towards a soldier being dragged away by a monster. His relationship with Rinoa Heartilly, as an extremely pivotal example, serves to humanize him further; despite her having been his client and not much more, he often times finds himself going the extra mile to keep her safe. He protects her from the fake President, promises to not leave her alone with her father (and subsequently very subtly threatens him), saves her life during the Parade and tells her to "stay close" to him, his quiet selflessness and concern for her wellbeing slowly winning her heart by extension. Most notably, Squall tells Irvine that he doesn't believe true evil exists: when faced with the Sorceress Edea, Squall tells Irvine that right and wrong do not seperate people. It's their lived experiences that do. His empathy manifests once more, as does his understanding of people at large.

While Squall is certainly on the rougher and blunter side in terms of demeanor, his ability to lead comes from a desire to protect other people. When Irivine is incapable of killing Edea due to his own anxiety, Squall comforts him and Rinoa respectively — before charging in by his lonesome. This is important within the context of his own mental health: Squall is far from fearless. He lashes out at the party over the prospect of him dying and runs across the school in a panic earlier in the game, at Galbadia Academy. But in moments like these, where the going gets tough, Squall always does what has to be done — especially when others can't. It's why he assumes the mantle of commander, and why he leads the battle against Galbadia Academy despite his anguish over the situation.

Additionally, Squall is a brash thrill seeker, contrary to popular belief. He aspires to be like a lion: proud, dangerous, ruthless and capable of protecting his own. As much as he complains about the tumultuous nature of his life, he considers pacifism "trite and dull" and derives enjoyment from the concept of adventure. This is what draws him to Rinoa initially: her loud, unfamiliar personality and love for freedom.

On the most basic level, Squall is...awkward. He's as ineloquent as it gets when it comes to expressing his feelings, if not incapable of it approximately half of the time. It's mostly due to inexperience and a desire to remain invulnerable in the face of others. However, Final Fantasy VIII is a story about Squall's journey to personhood and emotional availability. Rinoa Heartilly's attempts at getting Squall to open up gradually succeed, and he finds that her constant support and comfort are integral to his ability to succeed. Squall desperately needs the support of someone — someeone who cares for him, unconditionally, and is willing to weather the storm that is his volatile and difficult personality. Underneath it all is the young boy who latched onto his sister's leg and sought the affection of another human being.


ABILITIES/SKILLS:
Squall specializes in the Gunblade, a special kind of sword with the manpower of a gun.
Draw and Stock/Cast: Absorbing the energy from another being to either use their ability on them or become resistant/immune to it.
Junction: Strengthening himself through stealing energy from his own opponents. It's a stat increase. This also allows him to use Guardian Forces, which will be detailed later.
Renzokuken (Sequential Sword): An offensive attack where he deals an incessant series of slashes. The amount of damage he deals is proportional to the amount of danger he's in.
Fated Circle: A circular, airborne strike that releases a shockwave.
Blasting Zone: Strikes all of the enemies in the area with an airborne energy blast.
Lion Heart: A 17-strike attack that culminates in an explosion.
Guardian Forces: Guardian Forces are mythological creatues that Squall can summon in combat. The ones he can summon in canon are: Ifrit, Shiva, Carbuncle, Bahamut, Leviathan, Brothers, Odin, Doomtrain, Cerberus, Alexander, Eden, Diabolos, Siren, Quetzalcoatl, Pandemona and Phoenix.
Magic: Squall can utilize fire, ice, thunder, healing, holy, dark and status afflcting magic. He uses this magic extremely frequenetly.

INVENTORY/COMPANIONS:
- Griever, his lion shaped necklace and ring
- His Triple Triad deck, otherwise known as a recreational playing card set from his world
- Revolver, his gunlade
FACTION CHOICE: The Moon Temple
REASON: Squall is the commander of Balamb Garden: the entirety of his personality has been developed around proactivity and leadership. Squall is always at the frontlines, and has been trained to rely on what he thinks rather than what he feels. Constantly thrust into circumstances where the odds are against him and he's forced to assume responsibility on the behalf of others, Squall makes for an ideal problem solver.

TATTOO: Waning gibbous on his shoulder. Either is fine.

SAMPLES

NETWORK: Hey.

I don't know if any of you are awake right now—but there was something I wanted to know. About where you all came from. If there's a common thread here.

They brought us here to fulfill some kind of purpose, right? Then that means they had to have chosen us for a specific reason.

I guess I'd never considered...that all of our universes were connected, somehow. We have to consider what that means for us — when we leave. If we leave, that is.

Tch. I'm guessing things here don't make anymore sense over time either, huh?

LOG: Here!

NOTES, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS: For my nerf proposals, given that Final Fantasy is an absolutely insane canon: Squall shouldn't be able to cause collateral damage that can take down more than a house. Junction/draw/cast can be limited to once a day. /If/ his ability to summon a Guardian force is kept, it should be limited to one. As for his magic, you can pick which abilities he can keep. They're all listed here. Some of these are instant death so I fully expect them to be a no-go.