There is only one King

[Kannagara Voicemail Post]

kingwithwings — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 22:30:02 GMT

Hmph. You've reached Jack Atlas. Lucky you. I'm probably doing something more important than whatever it is you want to talk about. Leave a message and I'll get back to you if I feel like it.

[OOC - Player/Character Meme]

kingwithwings — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:32:18 GMT

Player Name: SilvorMoon, aka Beth

Age: 30

Time Zone: US Eastern

Characters Played: Jack Atlas

How long have you been roleplaying?
Oh, geez... a long time? Gotta be five or six years, on and off.

Is there a style of writing or point of view that you prefer?
I tend to prefer third-person past tense over "action" style present tense, but I can adapt to just about anything.

Do you have any goals you wish to accomplish in this game? (i.e. Improving writing, making friends, experimenting with writing styles, etc.)
I'm hoping to meet some new people and generally be a bit more sociable. This will be my first try playing this particular character, so that will be a learning experience, too.

Any weird/interesting quirks, as a writer/roleplayer?
None that I know of...

Do you have any squicks or things you absolutely would not do with your character?
I'm not too good at doing hardcore sex/violence type things.

Are there any things in particular you want to explore with your character?
Jack's always struck me as straddling a fine line between good and evil. Despite being one of the heroes and basically well intentioned, he always seems to be straying a little towards the dark side, and the dark side always seems to be hanging around him and offering him cookies. This seems like a pretty good venue to play around with that tension.

What kind of themes/tropes interest you as a writer?
I must admit that I've always enjoyed doing prophecies and dreams. So this should be fun.

Anything else we should know about you? Nothing I know of...

Character Name: Jack Atlas

Canon: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Heterosexual, tending towards asexual. All things considered, he'd rather play cards

Relationship Status: Depends on whether you ask him or Carly. He's still probably a bit in love with her, in his way.

1. Is your character religious or believe in gods?
Religious? No. Believe in gods? Yes. Really, what choice does he have when they keep popping up in front of him wanting him to do stuff for them? His particular patron god is the Crimson Dragon, an Incan star dragon entity who he served as one of its chosen warriors, and who occasionally does him favors in return (like sending him one-use-only magical cards or resurrecting dead girlfriends). Not that he's particularly worshipful of it (he's more in favor of being worshiped) but they have a good working relationship most of the time. Given that he consideres his soul to be a red demon, you can guess that holiness and sanctity aren't high on his list of values.

2. How affectionate is your character/receptive to affection?
Not very. Jack does not do affection - not of the hugs and cuddles kind. If someone he loves is in danger and it's a choice between them dying or him dying in their place, he'll take the latter option without a second thought, but don't expect him to get all mushy about it. He is willing to tolerate a certain amount of affection from other people, though that varies on a person-to-person basis, so if you try it you're taking chances and your odds aren't that great.

3. Bad habits
Pretty much everything he does? He's arrogant, self-centered, reckless, lazy, has a hair-trigger temper, not very good at getting along with other people... the list goes on.

4. Biggest fear
Being powerless or insignificant.

5. Biggest regret
Jack Alas does not do regrets! ...Okay, he is kind of sorry he turned his back on Satellite and took Goodwin's deal. And he does wonder if things might have been better if he had allowed Carly to come and fight evil with him instead of thinking she'd be safe if he left her behind. In retrospect, those seem like pretty stupid things to have done. Don't expect him to admit any of this out loud.

6. Your character has three wishes. What do they wish for? Why?
The last time someone offered him a wish, he wished for total overwhelming crushing power. And got it. So he's pretty happy on that score, for the moment, though that's not the sort of thing you're liable to run out of uses for so he might accept more if you offered it to him. Oh, and coffee. Given that he has literally been known to spend thirty thousand yen on coffee in one day (well, not spend, so much as run up a bill for that someone else is going to have to cover for him eventually), having an unlimited supply would be very handy. But really, Jack's pretty independent - anything he really wants, he'd want to get for himself.

7. Name something your character would never do.
Violate the sanctity of the laws of dueling. Under the right circumstances, he'll use violence or even kill, and he's definitely been known to take things he has no intention of paying for, but screwing around with a duel is blasphemy and will not be tolerated.

8. What would be the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen to your character?
Losing. What else? Really, any situation where he's forced to admit failure or weakness. Also, having to talk about his feelings in public.

9. Name up to five superpowers you wish your character could have, and explain why.
Pyronkenisis seems like a logical choice. He is strongly associated with demons and fire, so control over fire seems like it would come naturally. Really, though, he'd give almost anything a shot.

10. What kind of deity would you like your character to encounter, and why? See Deities for more information. Here is another list of deities.Tempermentally, he's closest to Susano-o-no-mikoto. Wild, bad tempered, ambiguous morality, ruler of the underworld, mama's boy... yeah, they'd get along just fine. It would be interesting to introduce him to Amaterasu-ou-mikami as well. He tends to respect strong women. He'd be rather amused to meet Fudo, not just because of the aforementioned fire business but because it would remind him of Yusei.

[OOC - Player contact info]

kingwithwings — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:25:56 GMT

PLAYER INFO

Name/Nickname: SilvorMoon. Also answers to Beth
Age: 30
Journal: silvormoon
AIM/MSN/IM: MissTracyVilla (AIM)
Email: silvormoon@hotmail.com

Also available on Plurk as SilvorMoon

[OOC - Application]

kingwithwings — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:24:49 GMT

CHARACTER INFO

Character Name: Jack Atlas
Canon: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds
Point taken from canon: Shortly after the main events of canon, but several years before his flash-forward where he becomes World King.

Age: 22
Gender: Male

Appearance: Jack is, by most yardsticks, a handsome guy. He is a tall man, in the neighborhood of six feet, give or take a couple of inches, with the lean but muscled build of an athlete. He has a narrow, sharp-featured face with intense violet eyes. His hair is blond, worn short and somewhat spiky except for two longer locks on either side of his face, which are held in place with metal beads. He usually wears a certain amount of jewelry, in the form of earrings and a pendant in the shape of his trademark A for Atlas, along with a matching belt. He likes dramatic clothing, particularly in the form of long swishy coats, and he favors the colors white and violet.

Background: Please provide a link to a good source/wiki of your character's history.You do not have to write a detailed history, unless you would like to do so of your own accord.

A comprehensive history is here: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Jack_Atlas

Personality:

If there is one word that describes Jack, it is proud. Jack firmly believes that the world revolves around him, and that anyone who isn't paying attention to him is not doing their job. He spends much of his time posturing and posing, showing off for an audience that possibly exists only in his head. It follows naturally from this that he's more than a bit self-centered, and tends to behave as though the only thing that matters is his own personal comfort and enjoyment. For example, while living with his friends in the garage, not only did he fail to get a job to help cover their collective costs, he spent much of his friends' savings on frivolities like new clothes and expensive coffee. He is easily moved to anger, and it's hard to know what will set him off at any given time, though he's particularly sensitive against slights to his abilities or jibes about losing his position as King. Messing with his friends is another good way to get on his bad side. Despite his fiery temper, he tends to spend a lot of the time inert - he seems perfectly happy, most of the time, to sit drinking coffee and gazing off into space. Don't let the act fool you, though: Jack is a warrior through and through, and is happiest when he's fighting against something. Dueling is his passion in life, and gets his interest like nothing else, but he's always up for a good old-fashioned fistfight or even just a good argument. In fact, he seems to get along best with people who are willing to stand up to him and tell him what he can do with his bad attitude. Which is not to say that he doesn't enjoy some flattery when he feels he's earned it - just don't expect him to respect you for it. All things considered, it would probably be a mistake to consider him a nice person, but that shouldn't confuse anyone into thinking he's not a good one. He has a sense of justice and honor underneath it all, and has been known to voluntarily step into danger to protect others, particularly in cases of powerful and wealthy people preying on the poor and weak, or any time someone violates the sanctity of the unwritten laws of dueling. Despite being patently not a people person, for those who have worked their way past his prickly facade to get to know his good side, he can be passionately loyal, willing even to give up his own life if necessary to protect someone else.

Just don't get between him and his ramen noodles. It won't be pretty.

Abilities/Strengths: What are your character's strengths and abilities? We are not asking for you to list all of your character's fighting abilities here, but it would be good to have an idea of how well they fight if they do, and what other strengths they might have. Note that non-combat skills should also be included here: if your character is a genius, or a musician, or a doctor, it can be noted here.

Jack is a capable hand to hand fighter, though he hasn't got any formal training. He has never been shown using any weapons, though he would probably catch on fast enough if the chance was offered, simply because he likes fighting. His primary skill is in the realms of riding duels, where he's considered one of the best in the world. Though there probably isn't much call for the game over here, the skills it requires of courage, strategy, fast reflexes and physical fortitude would probably carry over to other pursuits. Emotionally, he's a very determined person, and rarely gives up once he's set his mind on a course of action. Having grown up on the slum island of Satellite, he is used to fending for himself, even in a hostile environment. Jack also has a power known as the "Burning Soul", the exact uses and limits of which are somewhat vague, though he has used it in canon to overpower hostile magical beings (see the "other information" section below).

Weaknesses: Every character has character flaws and weaknesses. What are some of your character's? This section also covers personality weaknesses and flaws.

Includes most of the personality section above. To reiterate: Jack is, in short, a jerk. He is short-tempered, frequently lazy, usually selfish, and has an exaggerated idea of his own importance. He frequently puts his own welfare above that of others. He is very stubborn, and doesn't easily change his mind or admit that he's in the wrong. He is not very good at subtlety and tends to deal with problems with some literal or figurative variation of "jump on it and hit it until it submits". He seems to consider power to be the answer to all problems, and at times displays a power-hungry streak in which he'll do almost anything to attain more. He is not good at working with others, even when cooperation would be of more benefit to him than working alone. He also appears to have next to no practical skills that aren't related to dueling or brawling (and the preparation of instant ramen). In other words, he is extremely good at what he does... and almost totally useless at everything else.

Defining Quote(s): "There is only one King!" - Jack's catchphrase

Other: Anything else we should know about your character? Any pertinent/important headcanon information should go here.

A bit about the Burning Soul, since canon gives next to no informaiton about it works: for my purposes, the Burning Soul is a manifestation of Jack's will, particularly his will to conquer and subjugate. In practical gameplay terms, it allows him to resist magical/psychic/spiritual powers leveled at him by beings roughly as powerful as he is. (So no using it to get around scrolls or other forms of divine meddling.) The effects will last only a short while - a minute or two at most, but probably only a few seconds the first time he tries to use it in a battle situation. Using it requires mental and emotional focus - it can't be used instantly or effortlessly, nor could it be used many times in succession. He won't initially know it can be used in a non-card-related battle, and will need time and practice to learn to use it effectively.

Action Writing Sample: Also known as "first person" by some games, we would like to see how you would represent your character in action tags. A good way to write this sample would be to have your character making a post to the Hitomi network.

[Here we see Jack, swearing savagely under his breath, using words that would make Martha wash his mouth out with soap if she heard him. He is expressing his opinion of trees, grass, dirt, leaves, bugs, and nature in general. A country boy he is not.]

If this is some sort of reality show publicity stunt, my agent is fired. From everything. Forever.

All right, first, I want some answers. Where am I? What is going on? And most importantly, whose stupid idea was this? This is no way to treat a future King. The media will hear about this. I have contacts, you know! If this little jaunt is making me miss any important duels, there is going to be hell to pay - and trust me, I know exactly what that entails.

[He is pacing now, his long coat flapping behind him, swirling in dramatic arcs with each turn.]

Right. Here is what I want. I want transportation back to where I came from. I want compensation for the time I've lost.

And while we're at it, someone get me a cup of coffee!

[He turns again, and this time the hem of his coat catches on a prickly shrub and hangs there. Jack's monologue ends in a fresh round of snarls as he attempts to untangle himself from the vicious plant life.]

Third Person Writing Sample: At least three solid paragraphs that will give us a good idea of how your character generally acts. We do not want to just see descriptions of actions and scenery, as that doesn't tell us anything about who the character is, only what the character is doing. Internal exposition is very important here. Incorporating imagery, sensory description, etc. is also helpful! Note: This is the section that we put the most weight on. Something that might help is to take a look at the applications of some of the other players that have been accepted - these are linked in the taken page, and are a good indication of what we are looking for.

"Jack, look over here!"

"Smile for me, Jack!"

"You're my hero, Jack!"

"I love you, Jack! Marry me!"

Jack smiled slightly and raised a hand in salute. There were few things in life he enjoyed more than the adulation of his fans... just as long as they weren't too adulating. They could love him from a distance all they wanted, but if he'd wanted to marry someone, he could have done that at home and saved himself the bother. There were plenty of women back there who would marry him in a heartbeat - and what's more, be faithful to him. He knew from hard experience how quickly the most devoted fans could lose interest when he stopped being on top...

But he was not going to stop, this time. He was going to make it all the way to the top, and then start building. He was going to set records that no one would be able to beat in his lifetime, if ever. No one would ever forget him or question his kingship ever again.

He reached the end of the walkway and turned to wave to his fans one last time before stepping into the waiting car. He would have preferred to travel by D-Wheel, but that wasn't an option anymore - his Wheel of Fortune was far too recognizable, and driving it through a crowd like this would be well-nigh impossible. These days, unless the bike was being used for dueling, it traveled in its own custom-outfitted truck. Cruising around the city on it just for the enjoyment of it was a thing of the past. Jack missed that.

He stared out the tinted window of his limousine and watched the city roll past him for a while. Then he took out a phone and began pushing buttons, looking up the results of his latest tournament. Yusei had written an app for him that would keep track of his progress and rank him according to a variety of factors - not just his overall standing in the league, but also things like number of consecutive wins, total amount of prize money, number of life points lost, and a lot of other things he never would have even thought to keep track of. It was the kind of toy Yusei had always liked, and Jack was becoming obsessed with it now, too. Now he brought up his lists of stats to see if they had updated yet. He was pleased to see that he had moved up the ranks - up several slots, in some cases.

Not even in the top one hundred, yet, he reminded himself. When he had first joined the league, he had moved up the ranks in leaps and bounds, but now he was at a level where the people he was competing with had actual skill and experience behind them, and it was taking more effort to move ahead. Still, every bit was encouraging - one step closer to his goal. And when he was done...

There was a time when he would have said that there was nothing in the world he loved more than being a duelist. The rush of the wind, the roar of the crowd, the vibration of the D-Wheel's engine humming through him until he felt that he had become part of it, the exhiliration of conquering his opponents. It was like a drug, that rush of power, and he would have done anything for it. If you'd asked him, he would have said he'd gladly spend the rest of his life doing nothing else. Now he was here, and everything he did focused around dueling, and yet even in his moments of victory he found his thoughts turning towards home. Maybe it was only to be expected. He had lived his whole life within the confines of Neo Domino City, and the world outside it felt very large.

His driver delivered him safely to the place that he was, for the sake of convenience, calling home. It was really more along the lines of a luxury apartment, a place where he could put his feet up when he wasn't traveling to one tournament or another, somewhere people could address his mail and a place to put his things when he wasn't using them. It was small but well-equipped, with a television the size of a pool table and hot tub that could seat at least six but never did. There was a well-stocked bar to serve guests he never had and a bed that only he had ever slept in no matter how many adoring fans flung themselves in his path. There was also a balcony. It looked out over the city. Jack's apartment building was on a hill, so on nights like this, he could stand on his balcony and see the whole world spread out at his feet, which was where it belonged. Now he entered his apartment, and he went into the kitchen to fix himself a snack. The stresses of the duel had left him in dire need of refueling, and at times like this, there was only one thing that would satisfy him. Moments later, he was sprawled in a chair on his balcony with a steaming cup of ramen noodles on the table next to him. He gazed up at the stars as he waited for it to cool.

Could he give up and go back to Neo Domino? It wouldn't be very difficult - he had managed before. He could find a sponsor easily enough when he was a hero to everyone in the city. He could play in the local tournaments and be content with being King of Neo Domino City, and let the rest of the world do as it would. He could buy a home on the island that had once been Satellite and enjoy the company of his old friends. Maybe he would even get married. It wouldn't be so bad. It would be easy.

It would be impossible. He'd never be able to live with himself. If he went back, he would spend every free moment thinking of what he had left here, just as he spent his free moments here dreaming of what he'd left there.

Then I'll just have to get both. Once I've become the World King, everyone else will seek me out wherever I go. And then I'll keep my promise. I will go back.

He smiled a little, thinking of that. He raised his cup of ramen towards the stars, and he drank a toast to Neo Domino.