Application for The Wake
Sep. 26th, 2013 05:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bears_his_sinsPersonal Information
Name: Wei
Age: 26
Personal Journal:wei_jiangling
Email / AIM / MSN / Plurk: jiang1ling2@gmail.com, AIM: weijiangling, Plurk: weijiangling
Current Character(s): n/a
Character Information
Character Name: Kaworu Nagisa
Fandom: Rebuild of Evangelion
Character History: There's some debate as to whether or not the original series matters when talking about the movies, but there are several things to imply that it could be something along the lines of time repeating and that he remembers what happened the first time around, so I'll include the original anime as part of his history.
Kaworu's history starts with Adam, the progenitor of all Angels. 15 years before the series, experiments were conducted on Adam, and this ultimately led to the Second Impact. During this time, Adam's soul was separated from its body. SEELE then salvaged whatever pieces they could. Kaworu was born the same day. Kaworu's origin is never precisely defined, but it is widely believed that he is Adam's soul inside a human body.
Kaworu first showed up in the series after being sent by SEELE to serve as a replacement pilot after Asuka could no longer pilot her Eva. He first met Shinji while he was sitting on a beach humming to himself. He abruptly struck up a conversation with Shinji, who he recognized, by commenting on how beautiful music is, and then asking Shinji whether he agreed. Shinji was confused upon realizing a stranger knew who he was, but Kaworu reminded him that he was a bit famous in certain circles. Kaworu then introduced himself as another pilot. After that, he and Shinji spent time together and quickly grew close, to the point where Kaworu declared that he loved Shinji (much to the latter's confusion) Shinji said it was time to go to bed, and Kaworu replied by wondering if that would be together. Shinji blushingly corrected him, though ultimately they did end up sleeping in the same room and talking more.
Not long afterward, Kaworu infiltrated NERV's secret area where he believed Adam's body was being kept, his goal being to reunite with Adam. When he got there, he discovered it wasn't Adam that they were keeping there, but Lilith, the progenitor of humans. Shinji piloted his Eva and chased Kaworu, feeling betrayed. When he got there, Kaworu simply let Shinji capture him. He felt that his life was more complete after meeting Shinji, and he also had decided that Shinji and the rest of the human race were worth saving. He requested that Shinji kill him, explaining that it would be a choice between Kaworu and humanity. With some hesitation and a lot of guilt, Shinji fulfilled his request.
In the current timeline, Kaworu awoke out of a coffin-like box on the Moon, apparently with full knowledge of who Shinji was and what he had been up to. He spoke to a representative of SEELE and said that Shinji was progressing as expected, was the same as always, and that he couldn't wait to meet him. He became the pilot of Eva-06, and declared that this time, he would bring Shinji happiness. (This, among other lines, is what leads me to believe he has full memory of the above.) After this, Shinji inadvertently started the Third Impact and spent the next 14 years in a coma. It's unclear what Kaworu did during that time, though it apparently involved learning to play the piano.
When Shinji woke up, he was confused by his surroundings. Many of the people who knew had broken off from NERV to become a rebel group called Wille. They put a choker around Shinji's neck that would kill Shinji if he piloted an Eva and started to cause another Impact. Perplexed and upset by this turn of events, Shinji left Wille and went back to NERV. Kaworu was waiting for him there, though he never gave any indication after they met that he had any prior knowledge of Shinji.
After being formally introduced by Gendo, the two started to become close. Kaworu invited Shinji to play the piano with him. Even though Shinji had never played before, he instructed Shinji on how to play a simple accompaniment and they managed to play together. Shinji then invited Kaworu to watch the stars with him. After a while, Shinji wondered what had happened to the city and everyone else he had known. Kaworu asked him whether he really wanted to know, then took him outside the NERV base to show him the current state of the world. After Third Impact, practically everything had been destroyed. Kaworu told Shinji that whether he intended to or not, he was the cause of Third Impact, and humanity holds him responsible for it. He then suggested that they could repair the damage to the world by piloting the Eva together and using the lances Longinus and Cassius. Shinji worried about piloting Eva because of the things Wille had said, and claimed he couldn't trust anyone. In response, Kaworu took the collar off of Shinji and placed it on himself, saying he would shoulder the responsibility if something went wrong.
As it turned out, something did go wrong. Kaworu was expecting to find two different spears, but when he got there, both spears were the same. He told Shinji to abandon the plan, but Shinji was so intent on getting the spears and fixing the world that he grabbed them anyway, and Kaworu became the Thirteenth Angel, thus inadvertently starting the Fourth Impact. He comforted Shinji, saying this hadn't been Shinji's fault, and that he would fix it. He apologized to Shinji for being unable to grant him the happiness he desired. Just before the choker killed him, he told Shinji they would meet again.
Character Personality:
Kaworu is an Angel soul in a human body and that simple fact defines a lot of things about his personality. It wouldn't be immediately apparent that he isn't human, but that said, he doesn't go out of his way to hide it, either. For example, there's a scene where Shinji needs to wear a protective suit, and Kaworu justs wanders along with him in his normal shirt and pants. When talking about humans, he often makes sweeping statements as if he's speaking from an outside perspective. He also generally refers to humans as "Lilin," indicating they come from Lilith, as opposed to Angels, who come from Adam. He seems to have a keen understanding of people, but it's much more as an observer than as part of the group. It seems like he has never been especially close to anyone other than Shinji and even then he keeps more distance than one might expect considering how much of his life seems to revolve around Shinji. This may have something to do with his AT Field—In the series, Kaworu explains that every living being has an AT Field that separates them from other individuals, and that Angels' are only noteworthy because theirs are significantly stronger than most. In this case, it makes sense that it would be generally be difficult for him to get very close to people.
In terms of how he deals with things, he is very calm and able to take everything in stride, up to and including his own death. That might make him sound emotionless, but in truth he's anything but. It's obvious in his words and actions that he cares deeply for Shinji (outright saying in the original series that he loves him), and he also shows very obvious worry when he feels that Shinji is about to make a big mistake. Even then, his feelings are always quiet, and never particularly explosive or passionate. Emotion for Kaworu is probably best summed up by the phrase "still waters run deep." He is very philosophical, often coming up weighty explanations for things. When Shinji says he's always felt better looking at stars and imagining the vast expanse of the universe, Kaworu provides an interpretation--"Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world. It's just like you." And that statement is very much just like Kaworu.
Kaworu also shows himself to be kind, compassionate, and self-sacrificing. In the original series, he observes how easy it is for a person to be emotionally wounded, and how Shinji's heart is especially fragile, but that just makes him deserving of love. In the movie, he is the one to explain to Shinji that Shinji himself had inadvertently caused the Third Impact, but he also assures Shinji that there is no such thing as an unforgivable sin. He spends a lot of time comforting Shinji, and finally suggests a way that the two of them can try to restore the world to the way it was. In both versions, he ultimately chooses to die so that others may live. He knows he is a trigger for an Impact, so he opts to sacrifice himself rather than let all of humanity be destroyed. It's obvious that his first concern is Shinji, but it seems that these decisions also take into account all Lilin, of which Shinji is representative. In the case of the movie, his death results from taking the DSS choker from Shinji, saying that he would take on the responsibility himself if anything went wrong. He explains that things like that choker exist because Lilin are afraid of him in the first place, so it's already his burden to bear.
Kaworu is very musically inclined and talented, as represented in the original series by his humming and in the movies by playing piano. He also is apparently capable of fixing electronics, since he somehow repairs Shinji's tape player. He is generally intelligent and seems to be knowledgeable about a great number of things. Since he seems to be distant from everyone other than Shinji, it's likely that he's spent most of his time up until then just observing and studying things, including people themselves. So while it may be difficult for people to relate to him, at least at first, he would be an excellent resource if one needed a problem solved.
Now a few notes on his relationship with Shinji, since he's such an overarching influence in Kaworu's life. Kaworu has been fascinated by Shinji prettymuch since he first met the boy. Kaworu grew up under the watch of SEELE, so chances are he didn't have the most normal childhood, and he was generally around a lot of hard, calculating, and often pretty messed up people. Not to say that there weren't people who were relatively normal--after all, some of those work for NERV, so why not SEELE?--but the point stands. Shinji was a contrast; someone with a kind and caring heart who retained a level of innocence even after all the horrible things he'd been through, who insisted on holding onto his own conception of how things should be even after being shown over and over that no, the world doesn't actually work the way he wants it to. He keeps people at an arm's length to protect himself, but he still remains, as Kaworu put it, "fragile as glass." Shinji was horribly emotionally beaten down when Kaworu met him, and Kaworu immediately decided that this was a person who deserved love and appreciation--something Shinji very desperately needed at the time.
From there on out, there's no question that Kaworu loves Shinji, and that this love is absolutely, completely unconditional. It can be romantic or not, depending on what it is that Shinji wants and needs. He would literally give up anything for Shinji (and has given up his own life so Shinji could live--twice). So there is a definite level of obsession here, to the point where Kaworu has outright said that Shinji is always on his mind. That said, he isn't possessive at all, and actually gives Shinji a good amount of space most of the time. He wants to be around Shinji and he wants Shinji to trust him, but he has never asked for anything more than that. Kaworu would be happy if Shinji returned his feelings, but he doesn't require it. He's much more focused on Shinji being well and being happy. If that would require Shinji being with someone else, Kaworu would be okay with that.
Powers and Abilities:
Piloting an Eva-- Evas are designed with souls that are compatible with pilots (usually having the pilot's mother's soul as a basis), so there are very few people who can sync with any given Eva enough to safely act as a pilot. Because Evas are derived from Angels and Kaworu is an Angel himself, he is able to produce a 100% sync rate with any Eva he enters automatically.
AT Field-- All angels have an ability to generate an energy shield that thoroughly protects them from any sort of physical attack. The only things that can get through an AT Field are another AT Field or a very high powered energy weapon. The field is usually invisible, unless something collides with it.
Floating-- I can't really explain this one, other than as another thing showing he's really not human, but he does it in the original episode.
Samples
Network:
I had always wondered why the Lilin never needed a word for what they call an AT Field until they met others like me. Now, I'm not surprised they never noticed it. It's almost impressive that they can maintain as much individuality as they do, but of course nothing would change the core concept. It's interesting, though, being able to experience this.
This place has been more enlightening than I might have expected.
[Up to this point, it's unclear whether any of this was addressed to anyone or whether he was talking to himself. Now, he is addressing the audience.]
It's come to my attention that there are other sorts of beings here, too. Up until now, I had only been familiar with the descendants of Adam and Lilith. Being able to meet others is a unique opportunity to say the least. If any of you see this, I'd like to talk to you.
[With that, the message cuts off.]
Third Person:
Kaworu sat with his eyes closed, focused purely on the sound as his fingers picked out notes on the piano. The duet he had played with Shinji before was lively and upbeat. This song was slower, and sadder sounding. Perhaps that was a reflection of his own soul, lonely without his playing partner. Or perhaps it just seemed better to play something like this without his companion there to hear it. A fragile heart deserved the comfort of lively music. Either way, it was true that it seemed a little lonely. It always had, even years before. That's why he had learned a duet in the first place. But maybe it was even moreso now. He spent so much time playing alone over the years, when Shinji wasn't even nearby. Now he was and they had played together, and playing by himself only seemed more solitary. It was amazing how short a time it took for the lack of Shinji's presence to become quite so noticeable.
Still, he didn't mind. He knew he could find Shinji here whenever he wanted to, and that in itself was comfort enough. Alone or not, Kaworu loved the sound of the piano. He loved the ability of music to relax and uplift and reflect such a range of emotion. It was part of the reason he had chosen to protect the Lilin even over his own species—a culture that could create such beautiful things was certainly worth saving. He reached the end of the piece and simply sat still for a moment, letting the last notes fade away before he opened his eyes, a small smile on his lips.
What next? Maybe it was time for one he didn't know quite so well. He reached into a bag he had brought with him and dug out a few pieces of sheet music, studying them for a moment before setting them up on the piano. He played the first few measures without issue, but even with that reference in front of him, it wasn't long before he hit a sour note. His smile faded just slightly at the misstep, and he paused, glancing over the music one more time before starting over from the beginning. Shinji was still under the impression that Kaworu knew everything already, but even he needed to learn and practice. It would be a while before he could play this one with his eyes closed.
Name: Wei
Age: 26
Personal Journal:
wei_jianglingEmail / AIM / MSN / Plurk: jiang1ling2@gmail.com, AIM: weijiangling, Plurk: weijiangling
Current Character(s): n/a
Character Information
Character Name: Kaworu Nagisa
Fandom: Rebuild of Evangelion
Character History: There's some debate as to whether or not the original series matters when talking about the movies, but there are several things to imply that it could be something along the lines of time repeating and that he remembers what happened the first time around, so I'll include the original anime as part of his history.
Kaworu's history starts with Adam, the progenitor of all Angels. 15 years before the series, experiments were conducted on Adam, and this ultimately led to the Second Impact. During this time, Adam's soul was separated from its body. SEELE then salvaged whatever pieces they could. Kaworu was born the same day. Kaworu's origin is never precisely defined, but it is widely believed that he is Adam's soul inside a human body.
Kaworu first showed up in the series after being sent by SEELE to serve as a replacement pilot after Asuka could no longer pilot her Eva. He first met Shinji while he was sitting on a beach humming to himself. He abruptly struck up a conversation with Shinji, who he recognized, by commenting on how beautiful music is, and then asking Shinji whether he agreed. Shinji was confused upon realizing a stranger knew who he was, but Kaworu reminded him that he was a bit famous in certain circles. Kaworu then introduced himself as another pilot. After that, he and Shinji spent time together and quickly grew close, to the point where Kaworu declared that he loved Shinji (much to the latter's confusion) Shinji said it was time to go to bed, and Kaworu replied by wondering if that would be together. Shinji blushingly corrected him, though ultimately they did end up sleeping in the same room and talking more.
Not long afterward, Kaworu infiltrated NERV's secret area where he believed Adam's body was being kept, his goal being to reunite with Adam. When he got there, he discovered it wasn't Adam that they were keeping there, but Lilith, the progenitor of humans. Shinji piloted his Eva and chased Kaworu, feeling betrayed. When he got there, Kaworu simply let Shinji capture him. He felt that his life was more complete after meeting Shinji, and he also had decided that Shinji and the rest of the human race were worth saving. He requested that Shinji kill him, explaining that it would be a choice between Kaworu and humanity. With some hesitation and a lot of guilt, Shinji fulfilled his request.
In the current timeline, Kaworu awoke out of a coffin-like box on the Moon, apparently with full knowledge of who Shinji was and what he had been up to. He spoke to a representative of SEELE and said that Shinji was progressing as expected, was the same as always, and that he couldn't wait to meet him. He became the pilot of Eva-06, and declared that this time, he would bring Shinji happiness. (This, among other lines, is what leads me to believe he has full memory of the above.) After this, Shinji inadvertently started the Third Impact and spent the next 14 years in a coma. It's unclear what Kaworu did during that time, though it apparently involved learning to play the piano.
When Shinji woke up, he was confused by his surroundings. Many of the people who knew had broken off from NERV to become a rebel group called Wille. They put a choker around Shinji's neck that would kill Shinji if he piloted an Eva and started to cause another Impact. Perplexed and upset by this turn of events, Shinji left Wille and went back to NERV. Kaworu was waiting for him there, though he never gave any indication after they met that he had any prior knowledge of Shinji.
After being formally introduced by Gendo, the two started to become close. Kaworu invited Shinji to play the piano with him. Even though Shinji had never played before, he instructed Shinji on how to play a simple accompaniment and they managed to play together. Shinji then invited Kaworu to watch the stars with him. After a while, Shinji wondered what had happened to the city and everyone else he had known. Kaworu asked him whether he really wanted to know, then took him outside the NERV base to show him the current state of the world. After Third Impact, practically everything had been destroyed. Kaworu told Shinji that whether he intended to or not, he was the cause of Third Impact, and humanity holds him responsible for it. He then suggested that they could repair the damage to the world by piloting the Eva together and using the lances Longinus and Cassius. Shinji worried about piloting Eva because of the things Wille had said, and claimed he couldn't trust anyone. In response, Kaworu took the collar off of Shinji and placed it on himself, saying he would shoulder the responsibility if something went wrong.
As it turned out, something did go wrong. Kaworu was expecting to find two different spears, but when he got there, both spears were the same. He told Shinji to abandon the plan, but Shinji was so intent on getting the spears and fixing the world that he grabbed them anyway, and Kaworu became the Thirteenth Angel, thus inadvertently starting the Fourth Impact. He comforted Shinji, saying this hadn't been Shinji's fault, and that he would fix it. He apologized to Shinji for being unable to grant him the happiness he desired. Just before the choker killed him, he told Shinji they would meet again.
Character Personality:
Kaworu is an Angel soul in a human body and that simple fact defines a lot of things about his personality. It wouldn't be immediately apparent that he isn't human, but that said, he doesn't go out of his way to hide it, either. For example, there's a scene where Shinji needs to wear a protective suit, and Kaworu justs wanders along with him in his normal shirt and pants. When talking about humans, he often makes sweeping statements as if he's speaking from an outside perspective. He also generally refers to humans as "Lilin," indicating they come from Lilith, as opposed to Angels, who come from Adam. He seems to have a keen understanding of people, but it's much more as an observer than as part of the group. It seems like he has never been especially close to anyone other than Shinji and even then he keeps more distance than one might expect considering how much of his life seems to revolve around Shinji. This may have something to do with his AT Field—In the series, Kaworu explains that every living being has an AT Field that separates them from other individuals, and that Angels' are only noteworthy because theirs are significantly stronger than most. In this case, it makes sense that it would be generally be difficult for him to get very close to people.
In terms of how he deals with things, he is very calm and able to take everything in stride, up to and including his own death. That might make him sound emotionless, but in truth he's anything but. It's obvious in his words and actions that he cares deeply for Shinji (outright saying in the original series that he loves him), and he also shows very obvious worry when he feels that Shinji is about to make a big mistake. Even then, his feelings are always quiet, and never particularly explosive or passionate. Emotion for Kaworu is probably best summed up by the phrase "still waters run deep." He is very philosophical, often coming up weighty explanations for things. When Shinji says he's always felt better looking at stars and imagining the vast expanse of the universe, Kaworu provides an interpretation--"Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world. It's just like you." And that statement is very much just like Kaworu.
Kaworu also shows himself to be kind, compassionate, and self-sacrificing. In the original series, he observes how easy it is for a person to be emotionally wounded, and how Shinji's heart is especially fragile, but that just makes him deserving of love. In the movie, he is the one to explain to Shinji that Shinji himself had inadvertently caused the Third Impact, but he also assures Shinji that there is no such thing as an unforgivable sin. He spends a lot of time comforting Shinji, and finally suggests a way that the two of them can try to restore the world to the way it was. In both versions, he ultimately chooses to die so that others may live. He knows he is a trigger for an Impact, so he opts to sacrifice himself rather than let all of humanity be destroyed. It's obvious that his first concern is Shinji, but it seems that these decisions also take into account all Lilin, of which Shinji is representative. In the case of the movie, his death results from taking the DSS choker from Shinji, saying that he would take on the responsibility himself if anything went wrong. He explains that things like that choker exist because Lilin are afraid of him in the first place, so it's already his burden to bear.
Kaworu is very musically inclined and talented, as represented in the original series by his humming and in the movies by playing piano. He also is apparently capable of fixing electronics, since he somehow repairs Shinji's tape player. He is generally intelligent and seems to be knowledgeable about a great number of things. Since he seems to be distant from everyone other than Shinji, it's likely that he's spent most of his time up until then just observing and studying things, including people themselves. So while it may be difficult for people to relate to him, at least at first, he would be an excellent resource if one needed a problem solved.
Now a few notes on his relationship with Shinji, since he's such an overarching influence in Kaworu's life. Kaworu has been fascinated by Shinji prettymuch since he first met the boy. Kaworu grew up under the watch of SEELE, so chances are he didn't have the most normal childhood, and he was generally around a lot of hard, calculating, and often pretty messed up people. Not to say that there weren't people who were relatively normal--after all, some of those work for NERV, so why not SEELE?--but the point stands. Shinji was a contrast; someone with a kind and caring heart who retained a level of innocence even after all the horrible things he'd been through, who insisted on holding onto his own conception of how things should be even after being shown over and over that no, the world doesn't actually work the way he wants it to. He keeps people at an arm's length to protect himself, but he still remains, as Kaworu put it, "fragile as glass." Shinji was horribly emotionally beaten down when Kaworu met him, and Kaworu immediately decided that this was a person who deserved love and appreciation--something Shinji very desperately needed at the time.
From there on out, there's no question that Kaworu loves Shinji, and that this love is absolutely, completely unconditional. It can be romantic or not, depending on what it is that Shinji wants and needs. He would literally give up anything for Shinji (and has given up his own life so Shinji could live--twice). So there is a definite level of obsession here, to the point where Kaworu has outright said that Shinji is always on his mind. That said, he isn't possessive at all, and actually gives Shinji a good amount of space most of the time. He wants to be around Shinji and he wants Shinji to trust him, but he has never asked for anything more than that. Kaworu would be happy if Shinji returned his feelings, but he doesn't require it. He's much more focused on Shinji being well and being happy. If that would require Shinji being with someone else, Kaworu would be okay with that.
Powers and Abilities:
Piloting an Eva-- Evas are designed with souls that are compatible with pilots (usually having the pilot's mother's soul as a basis), so there are very few people who can sync with any given Eva enough to safely act as a pilot. Because Evas are derived from Angels and Kaworu is an Angel himself, he is able to produce a 100% sync rate with any Eva he enters automatically.
AT Field-- All angels have an ability to generate an energy shield that thoroughly protects them from any sort of physical attack. The only things that can get through an AT Field are another AT Field or a very high powered energy weapon. The field is usually invisible, unless something collides with it.
Floating-- I can't really explain this one, other than as another thing showing he's really not human, but he does it in the original episode.
Samples
Network:
I had always wondered why the Lilin never needed a word for what they call an AT Field until they met others like me. Now, I'm not surprised they never noticed it. It's almost impressive that they can maintain as much individuality as they do, but of course nothing would change the core concept. It's interesting, though, being able to experience this.
This place has been more enlightening than I might have expected.
[Up to this point, it's unclear whether any of this was addressed to anyone or whether he was talking to himself. Now, he is addressing the audience.]
It's come to my attention that there are other sorts of beings here, too. Up until now, I had only been familiar with the descendants of Adam and Lilith. Being able to meet others is a unique opportunity to say the least. If any of you see this, I'd like to talk to you.
[With that, the message cuts off.]
Third Person:
Kaworu sat with his eyes closed, focused purely on the sound as his fingers picked out notes on the piano. The duet he had played with Shinji before was lively and upbeat. This song was slower, and sadder sounding. Perhaps that was a reflection of his own soul, lonely without his playing partner. Or perhaps it just seemed better to play something like this without his companion there to hear it. A fragile heart deserved the comfort of lively music. Either way, it was true that it seemed a little lonely. It always had, even years before. That's why he had learned a duet in the first place. But maybe it was even moreso now. He spent so much time playing alone over the years, when Shinji wasn't even nearby. Now he was and they had played together, and playing by himself only seemed more solitary. It was amazing how short a time it took for the lack of Shinji's presence to become quite so noticeable.
Still, he didn't mind. He knew he could find Shinji here whenever he wanted to, and that in itself was comfort enough. Alone or not, Kaworu loved the sound of the piano. He loved the ability of music to relax and uplift and reflect such a range of emotion. It was part of the reason he had chosen to protect the Lilin even over his own species—a culture that could create such beautiful things was certainly worth saving. He reached the end of the piece and simply sat still for a moment, letting the last notes fade away before he opened his eyes, a small smile on his lips.
What next? Maybe it was time for one he didn't know quite so well. He reached into a bag he had brought with him and dug out a few pieces of sheet music, studying them for a moment before setting them up on the piano. He played the first few measures without issue, but even with that reference in front of him, it wasn't long before he hit a sour note. His smile faded just slightly at the misstep, and he paused, glancing over the music one more time before starting over from the beginning. Shinji was still under the impression that Kaworu knew everything already, but even he needed to learn and practice. It would be a while before he could play this one with his eyes closed.
