Official Character Review Thread

BANZAI!!!! · July 29, 2016

Never had the kid reviewed on the first go-round so here ya go.

[spoiler=Leo Vega]

"In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to be here fighting."

Name: Leo Vega

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Faction: SAF (TRAP)

Occupation: Frame Pilot

[spoiler= Appearance]

Leo stands at 5'10", and is a little bit on the thin side. Though he isn't bulky, Leo has a decent amount of tone due to a regular regimen of exercise, and since joining TRAP has gotten into noticeably better shape. His blonde hair is a bit long and generally unkempt, and Leo's bangs occasionally cover his eyes. He's good looking, though most people would describe him as 'cute' rather than 'handsome' due to his effeminate facial features and big, hazel eyes, which he inherited from his mother. He also has a small scar on the left side of his head, just above his hairline, from a battle wound he received during an engagement over the Atlantic Ocean. It isn't readily visible, though Leo will often absentmindedly run his fingers over the sensitive area. When not dressed in a SAF uniform or his flight suit (both of which he tries to avoid wearing as often as possible), Leo tends prefer comfortable, loose fitting clothing like sweatshirts and baggy jeans. When not actively engaged in activity, Leo's eyes tend to wander, with others often commenting that he looks lost in thought. He can often be seen admiring something (or occasionally someone) that catches his eye, writing song lyrics down on a notepad, or strumming a riff on his electric guitar during whatever free time he has.

[spoiler=Personality]Leo is kind, thoughtful, shy, and loyal, and possesses a great deal of intelligence, creativity, and sensitivity, as well as a couple eccentricities. Perhaps in part due to the loss of his parents early on in life, Leo has always been sympathetic to the plight of others. Helpful, sweet, and generally good natured, he can always be counted on to lend others a hand or be emotionally supportive. In addition, Leo is rather adept on picking up on emotional cues, and as such is often able to tell when something is bothering a person. Despite this, however, Leo himself is shy and withdrawn. He tends to avoid social interaction, and finds himself uncomfortable in a large group or with people he's unfamiliar with. Because of this, as well as a lack of self esteem, Leo tends to be self concious. He can be easily flustered, and some would even say bashful. With the onset of his puberty, this has become especially true when it comes to members of the opposite sex. Leo finds it very difficult to keep whatever cool he may have around someone he is attracted to; a reddening face and the stumbling of his words being a dead giveaway that this is the case.

Being a teenager with an introverted personality, it can be rather difficult to get Leo to voice his opinion or contribute to a conversation on his own. Instead, he prefers to listen to others around him. Though he's easy to read (Leo often wears his emotions on his sleeve) its often very difficult for Leo to express himself, both in the sense that he finds it difficult to articulate how he feels, as well as the fact that he finds it difficult to bring himself to do so. This often causes him to bottle up his emotions, which unfortunately have a tendency to abruptly and sometimes violently resurface when he is stressed, angry, or sad. Recent events have exacerbated this tendency, and as a result he has become despondent and brooding, making him that much less able to properly vent his frustrations. However, when push comes to shove, Leo can almost always be counted on to rise to the occasion. He's proven that he's more than willing to put his teammates before himself, and on some level feels personally responsible for TRAP's recent losses.

Though he isn't the most adept socially, Leo makes up for it with his intelligence. He is an excellent problem solver, and his ability to memorize facts and absorb information is remarkable. In addition, his mental faculties have allowed him to be very creative. Most often, this is expressed in his musical talents, be it singing, playing guitar, or writing lyrics and music. However, this creativity also extends to how Leo deals with everyday life. He often comes up with unorthodox solutions to problems, and can be counted on to find answers where others may be stumped. These traits, in addition to his high level of AMS compatibilty, make Leo a natural (if a bit methodologically unorthodox) frame pilot, as he has shown on quite a few occasions an ability to adapt to and out-maneuver enemy tactics. However, his creativity and intelligence, combined with his social difficulties and upbringing, have caused Leo to develop a few eccentricities as he has grown older. He spends an inordinate amount of time focused on his music, and is prone to fidgeting and daydreaming. He's also rather enamored with CF technology, having gotten up close with his ace pilot sister's machines several times growing up. Since becoming a pilot himself this has only increased, with Leo often using many of his on-duty hours assisting TRAP's mechanics.

Despite his oddities, Leo is still very much a teenage boy. He is emotional, and prone to the swinging moods that adolescence often brings. He longs to be accepted by his peers (and more currently his squad mates), and is prone to defiance and acting out in much the same way any other teenager would be. In short, despite the circumstances life has thrust upon him, Leo is still trying to find his place in the world. He is simultaneously confident in his abilities ( in the same foolhardy way that many teens are) and unsure of both himself and his future.

[spoiler=Biography]Born on Shell Avalon in 2203, Leo is the son of Michael and Cheryl Vega, a computer programmer and an artist, respectively. The youngest of two children, Leo's early childhood was a rather normal, albeit uneventful one. Leo began to display a high degree of intelligence from an early age, and as a result he often found himself bored with school work. As he began growing older, he developed a passion for music, and it wasn't long before he began learning how to strum out notes on his first guitar.

However, when Leo was 10 years old, both of his parents were killed in a traffic accident. With no other family to speak of, Leo ended up in the custody of his then-18 year old sister Lauren, who provided for the both of them by joining SAF as a frame pilot while Leo made his way through grade school. Leo spent an awful lot of time to himself during those years, preferring the company of his guitar and his few friends to having a wide social circle. Though she was oftentimes forced to be absent due to a SAF deployment, Leo stayed very close with his sister as he grew older, with the two often corresponding through letters. The siblings would often confide on one another, and it was Lauren that Leo turned to whenever he was having a problem, whether in school or life in general. As such, her disappearance has hit him rather hard, made no better by the fact that he's been forced to replace her as the pilot her Synchro Frame: Canis.

The past month and a half or so of Leo's life has been rather tumultuous. Though he's found some security in the daily training regimen forced on him, Leo has had a great deal of difficulty adjusting to military life. He's unable to properly cope with killing enemy soldiers in combat, and the physical stresses his high performance machine has been putting on his body have begun to take their toll with the loss of teammate Melissa Juniper in combat three weeks ago only exacerbating the situation. Thankfully, he's had help adjusting from one of his commanding officers, and so his mental health has not severely deteriorated as of yet.

Machine: SFS-09X Canis

[spoiler=Skills/Specializations]

High AMS Compatibility- Leo has the second-highest level of compatibility with the AMS on SAF's records, meaning that he is able to operate Synchro Frames with an extremely high level of synchronization. With enough training and a properly tuned AMS, Leo has the potential to become frighteningly effective with a Synchro Frame. Though each individual AMS must be permanently tuned to a specific pilot, Leo's brainwaves are similar enough to his sister's that he is able to operate the Canis at 95% compatibility, with no ill effects.
Natural Piloting Ability- Like his older sister, Leo possesses great reflexes, a high IQ, and superior situational awareness, giving him a large degree of natural skill with operating complex machines like combat frames.
Above Average Intelligence- Leo is extremely intelligent, and as a result is able to grasp concepts and learn information much faster than most people his age.
Piloting/Combat Training- In his first two weeks in the military, Leo was given an extremely basic crash course in military procedure and combat skills. Since joining TRAP, he's been training daily with CO Gavin Decker, greatly improving his combat skills and his knowledge of military protocol. Though he's still very much a rookie, Leo's skills have markedly improved, to the point that he is now able top keep up with the much more experienced members of TRAP.

[spoiler=Misc. Info]Theme- Shining

Misc. facts-

Leo is a rather talented guitar player, singer, and song writer, though he hasn't garnered enough practice and experience to make full use of his musical talents.
As far as his musical tastes are concerned, Leo mostly enjoys Punk Rock, though he dabbles in other styles such as alternative rock on occasion. He owns a rather extensive collection of antique music media.
Leo is self concious about the fact that he's never kissed a girl or been on a date.
His favorite color is white.
Leo adores Italian food, and is extremely fond of teammate Melissa Juniper's cooking.
His callsign in TRAP is Raven-9.

RP link for shiggles: http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/352272-synchro-frame-identity-ooc-under-constructionpg-16not-startedaccepting/?p=6872374

Dad · August 8, 2016

Review for Stalfos in a bit. Finishing my thoughts.

Dad · August 10, 2016

First of all, Stalfos. How dare you. Big as these God damn apps are, you will get one review outta me. How dare you attempt to make me work. You'll be receiving a strongly worded letter.

Second, I like to do these piece by piece. Bare with me.

[spoiler=Skyler Gallegos, Daughter of an Infamous Criminal Mastermind]

"Oh, no. What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

First thing that comes to mind, she doesn't seem to be very confident. Now granted, the look on her face isn't really discernible. So there's no real way of telling if--before I read the rest of the app--if she's actually confident or not. But that quote makes me feel like she's uncertain, maybe even weak minded or just--again--generally not confident of herself. I'm curious as to why you chose it. Also, red eyes? Get this woman some Clear Eye please.

[spoiler=Skyler Gallegos, Daughter of an Infamous Criminal Mastermind]

"Oh, no. What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Personal Information:

Name: Skyler Gallegos
Gender: Female

Race: Faunus - Snake

Age: 16
Reference: Herrerasaurus
Team: SRUZ

Her name's Skyler. Uncommon. Pretty. I really like it actually. Probably because the girl named Skylar (spelled 'ar' in the series) from Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was really hot, so that may or may not have an effect on why I like her name. Aaaaaand she's a snake. What the funk is going on. I really should've read the RP description but what did I just funking walk into.

[spoiler=Skyler Gallegos, Daughter of an Infamous Criminal Mastermind]

"Oh, no. What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Personal Information:

Name: Skyler Gallegos
Gender: Female

Race: Faunus - Snake

Age: 16
Reference: Herrerasaurus
Team: SRUZ
[spoiler=Appearance:]From the top of her scalp to the tip of her tail, Skyler's full body length measures out to be a massive 216cm (7' 1") long. However, she only seems to stand at a much less impressive 165cm (5' 5") tall, and she weighs 63kg (139lbs) all up. While not impressive, Skyler does sport a good figure, with a BWH ratio of 23-20-20 if measured in inches and 58-51-51 if measured in centimeters. Although it may not look it on the surface, Skyler has a vast array of scars all over her body. Only one of these scars, specifically the one below her left eye, is covered up by a bandage; one more can be found on the back of her left hand and another along her right wrist, but the rest are all covered up by her clothing. This consists of a black jacket with yellow insides and stripes, a burgundy tube top and a long blue skirt that falls low enough to cover the entirety of her tail, although not so low that she risks tripping over it. Skyler has a gas mask around her neck, in case she has an urgency to hide her face.

Seven foot--!? Girl you better go play basketball, get these rebounds. Oh, wait, that's total length, right, right, right. My bad. I'm actually really digging that jacket. Though I still don't get the mask. What would she have to hide her face for? She's a snake. Hiding her face wouldn't prevent someone from freaking out at a GOD DAMN SEVEN FOOT LONG SNAKE SERIOUSLY WTF. And I'm just gonna assume this skirt was made for her specifically. Cuz I ain't never heard of a skirt that covers seven feet. I do wanna know how she got those scars tho.

[spoiler=Skyler Gallegos, Daughter of an Infamous Criminal Mastermind]

"Oh, no. What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Personal Information:

Name: Skyler Gallegos
Gender: Female

Race: Faunus - Snake

Age: 16
Reference: Herrerasaurus
Team: SRUZ
[spoiler=Appearance:]From the top of her scalp to the tip of her tail, Skyler's full body length measures out to be a massive 216cm (7' 1") long. However, she only seems to stand at a much less impressive 165cm (5' 5") tall, and she weighs 63kg (139lbs) all up. While not impressive, Skyler does sport a good figure, with a BWH ratio of 23-20-20 if measured in inches and 58-51-51 if measured in centimeters. Although it may not look it on the surface, Skyler has a vast array of scars all over her body. Only one of these scars, specifically the one below her left eye, is covered up by a bandage; one more can be found on the back of her left hand and another along her right wrist, but the rest are all covered up by her clothing. This consists of a black jacket with yellow insides and stripes, a burgundy tube top and a long blue skirt that falls low enough to cover the entirety of her tail, although not so low that she risks tripping over it. Skyler has a gas mask around her neck, in case she has an urgency to hide her face.

[spoiler=Personality:]On the contrary to what one would believe the leader of any team (let alone the leader of Team SRUZ) to be, Skyler is a shy, timid and very submissive individual, who makes up for her lack of confidence and self-esteem... with a severe dose of paranoia and distrust around complete strangers, as well as a slight fear of crowds. The unfortunate thing is that she has the makings of a coward, and this is especially evident when any of her teammates get into a fight or when someone is after her. This isn't helped by Skyler's first instinct during each battle being to go hide, which seems to take priority even before she makes an attempt to command her team. Speaking of "team", Team SRUZ is somewhat of an unruly and anarchistic lot, and while they seem to be in agreement that Skyler is a shoddy leader, what they most definitely can't agree on is who should've taken her place. Skyler too doubts that she can be a competent leader, and insists that her Semblance and abilities are nothing special in the slightest.

While her grades for Mirage Academy had always been passable, Skyler has never truly excelled in her training to become a Huntress. A lot of that has to do with her naturally defeatist manner; when she witnesses a Team SRUZ member perform better in a mission than she has, Skyler automatically assumes that she herself had failed and is quick to do so. Skyler is also concerned that, should she unleash her full potential, she may lose control of herself out of blood-lust, and hurt innocent people as a result if not her own teammates. However, if there's any one thing at all that Skyler can do better than most, it's self-preservation. She can keep herself completely out of harm's way whilst her teammates do most of the tanking of Grimm or opposing Huntsman attacks, and although she loses out on chances to kill, she can still use her Semblance to detect hostiles and warn her teammates accordingly. But should any of her friends or teammates be in grave danger, Skyler may finally grow the stones necessary to go all in on her attempt to save them. This out-of-character act maybe enough for Skyler to gain some respect, even if it doesn't last. All in all, Skyler just wants to have a safe haven where she can have some friends and some fun, just like any other 16-year-old girl would want... yet her upbringing prevents her from thinking this is even possible for her.

Skyler doesn't like to talk about her past, and won't confide in anyone out of fear that it might bite her in the ass. She wishes she can open up more, but rarely does so for the exact same reason as why she won't confide in anyone. Unfortunately it's gotten to the point where she feels more comfortable lying straight to the faces of those that she's meant to trust than spilling the beans and telling the truth about herself; this is especially the case when she's desperate for a topic that she has personal issues with to be dropped. However, whether she realizes it or not, something about this gigantic facade that Skyler's putting on has to give...

So I was right. She has no confidence in herself. Which is what makes her interesting to me. A lot of characters written on YCM are bold, boastful, highly determined, yadayadayada. She's. . . a coward. She's afraid. But what's best about this is that she knows she has what it takes, but she's afraid to take advantage of this. Tho I can imagine as a teenage snake-girl, she's overcome with all KINDS of hormones, anxiety, fears, etc. God only knows what she has to deal with because of her physical make-up. And she's going through puberty too? Christ, how is she still alive?

[spoiler=Skyler Gallegos, Daughter of an Infamous Criminal Mastermind]

"Oh, no. What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Personal Information:

Name: Skyler Gallegos
Gender: Female

Race: Faunus - Snake

Age: 16
Reference: Herrerasaurus
Team: SRUZ
[spoiler=Appearance:]From the top of her scalp to the tip of her tail, Skyler's full body length measures out to be a massive 216cm (7' 1") long. However, she only seems to stand at a much less impressive 165cm (5' 5") tall, and she weighs 63kg (139lbs) all up. While not impressive, Skyler does sport a good figure, with a BWH ratio of 23-20-20 if measured in inches and 58-51-51 if measured in centimeters. Although it may not look it on the surface, Skyler has a vast array of scars all over her body. Only one of these scars, specifically the one below her left eye, is covered up by a bandage; one more can be found on the back of her left hand and another along her right wrist, but the rest are all covered up by her clothing. This consists of a black jacket with yellow insides and stripes, a burgundy tube top and a long blue skirt that falls low enough to cover the entirety of her tail, although not so low that she risks tripping over it. Skyler has a gas mask around her neck, in case she has an urgency to hide her face.

[spoiler=Personality:]On the contrary to what one would believe the leader of any team (let alone the leader of Team SRUZ) to be, Skyler is a shy, timid and very submissive individual, who makes up for her lack of confidence and self-esteem... with a severe dose of paranoia and distrust around complete strangers, as well as a slight fear of crowds. The unfortunate thing is that she has the makings of a coward, and this is especially evident when any of her teammates get into a fight or when someone is after her. This isn't helped by Skyler's first instinct during each battle being to go hide, which seems to take priority even before she makes an attempt to command her team. Speaking of "team", Team SRUZ is somewhat of an unruly and anarchistic lot, and while they seem to be in agreement that Skyler is a shoddy leader, what they most definitely can't agree on is who should've taken her place. Skyler too doubts that she can be a competent leader, and insists that her Semblance and abilities are nothing special in the slightest.

While her grades for Mirage Academy had always been passable, Skyler has never truly excelled in her training to become a Huntress. A lot of that has to do with her naturally defeatist manner; when she witnesses a Team SRUZ member perform better in a mission than she has, Skyler automatically assumes that she herself had failed and is quick to do so. Skyler is also concerned that, should she unleash her full potential, she may lose control of herself out of blood-lust, and hurt innocent people as a result if not her own teammates. However, if there's any one thing at all that Skyler can do better than most, it's self-preservation. She can keep herself completely out of harm's way whilst her teammates do most of the tanking of Grimm or opposing Huntsman attacks, and although she loses out on chances to kill, she can still use her Semblance to detect hostiles and warn her teammates accordingly. But should any of her friends or teammates be in grave danger, Skyler may finally grow the stones necessary to go all in on her attempt to save them. This out-of-character act maybe enough for Skyler to gain some respect, even if it doesn't last. All in all, Skyler just wants to have a safe haven where she can have some friends and some fun, just like any other 16-year-old girl would want... yet her upbringing prevents her from thinking this is even possible for her.

Skyler doesn't like to talk about her past, and won't confide in anyone out of fear that it might bite her in the ass. She wishes she can open up more, but rarely does so for the exact same reason as why she won't confide in anyone. Unfortunately it's gotten to the point where she feels more comfortable lying straight to the faces of those that she's meant to trust than spilling the beans and telling the truth about herself; this is especially the case when she's desperate for a topic that she has personal issues with to be dropped. However, whether she realizes it or not, something about this gigantic facade that Skyler's putting on has to give...

[spoiler=Biography:]Skyler Gallegos grew up with an older sister named Lillianna Gallegos and a single father named Malachi Gallegos, a man who'd later be infamously portrayed on news across the four kingdoms of Renmant. Of course, Malachi was hoping for a son, but considering the way he decided he'd "spray his seed", he doubted that he could conceive more than two children without troubles from the authorities... and unfortunately for him, probability wasn't on his side. As she was the last child born from Malachi impregnating another woman, Skyler felt as though she already failed her father, but she still wanted to try and prove her worth. Well... at least she thought she did.

As his two daughters grew up, Malachi put Skyler and Lillianna through a series of cruel tests; the first of which would supposedly test their will of self-sacrifice, as well as determine their pain threshold to some extent. Lillianna ended up gouging out both her eyes through this test, whereas Skyler had cut herself multiple times. The only good thing that came out of this accursed test was that Malachi allowed the two sisters to keep the weapons that they used to almost kill themselves with. However, the second and third tests combined were even worse. For the second test, Malachi presented two boxes with ring targets slightly above the center of them, which had both been sealed shut. He told them that there was something inside these boxes and tasked them to kill whatever it was that was inside; but what he didn't tell them was that each box contained an innocent woman that had been kidnapped, drugged and placed inside to rest. And as if the sudden revelation of this wasn't enough, Malachi revealed two more women that he kidnapped, this time of who were bound to a pole and able to do naught but scream bloody murder and try to plead the trio into letting them go.

Rather than listening their pleas, Malachi tasked Skyler and Lillianna into killing these two women in addition to the two they killed unbeknownst to them, and to make it easier for them to pass this third test, he cropped up an imaginary scenario in which the two sisters were leaders of their own team, and the two women, who were supposedly in that team, had betrayed the others and left their love interests and most formidable allies to be slain by the Creatures of Grimm. This seemed to work fine for Lillianna, who beheaded her target with little effort, but Skyler still couldn't bring herself to kill the other woman that Malachi had captured, and as a result, found herself conflicted between failing her own father... again she thought, or throw her conscience to the wind and potentially overwhelm herself with guilt. Tears streamed down Skyler's face as she was steering at the impossible, but after turning up the music that was playing through her scroll to its maximum volume so she wouldn't have to hear the poor woman's screams of suffering, Skyler through one of the many Mulligan Incisors at the woman's chest, the explosion putting the woman out of her misery.

That was the among the last of all the horrendous deeds that Skyler had to perform under Malachi's tutelage, as the latter was arrested by police after long and tiresome chase, and brought into court and tried for his actions. Malachi was originally charged with 6 counts of kidnapping and 6 of murder, until Skyler pleaded with the judge to letting her father go, confessing to 2 of the murders that he'd been charged with in the process. Lillianna, reluctantly, also confessed to 2 murders. However, the remaining 2 counts of murder, as well as the original 6 counts of kidnapping, were still more than enough for the judge to sentence Malachi with life in the Vacuo Correctional Facility without the possibility of parole. Had these figures not been altered, they would've actually been enough to sentence Malachi to death, but Skyler's desperate plea had moved the judge into revising these figures. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't enough, and she was left brokenhearted and without a father. Even to this day, this tragedy seems to have taken a grave toll on her confidence levels, but her hand was forced into moving on nonetheless.

Lillianna had been looking after Skyler and acted as her guardian for a time, as she was the only blood relative that could be at her side whenever she needed to be. She had gotten an invitation to attend Sanctum Academy which was all the way in Mistral, but she refused to go; not until Skyler would be in the care of capable hands. Thankfully, Lillianna managed to procure a face-to-face meeting with Levi Farrier, the headmaster of Mirage Academy within her home kingdom of Vacuo. This concluded in Levi personally enlisting Skyler into the academy itself. Within Mirage Academy, Skyler's grades proved to be passable, but a sudden influx of other students being scouted to join Shade Academy's ranks in place of her had her believing otherwise. Skyler asked Levi about this sudden influx, causing the latter to breath a heavy sigh before answering.

It turned out that Levi had been sending reviews of the higher talented students' grades to the headmistress of Shade Academy herself, as he had personally been informed that the White Fang had intended to perform a mass-recruitment that would specifically target the faunus students of Mirage Academy. He explained that this way, he could at least prevent the talents of those with exceptional promise from falling into the wrong hands, and that he sent reviews of some humans' grades as well as those of the faunus that he believed were too valuable to lose for... equality purposes. As he was explaining this, Skyler realized that she was vulnerable to the mass-recruitment as well, and begged Levi to send hers too, but he insisted that she wasn't ready. A heated argument ensued between the two, before Levi ordered Skyler to get out of the headmaster's office. On the way out, however, Skyler stealthily slipped out an application form while Levi busied himself with paperwork and took it with her, figuring that if he couldn't save her, then she'd have to save herself. So she filled it out, falsifying key fields that would prevent her from being accepted if she were to write them in an honest manner, and trying her best to keep her writing steady so it wouldn't raise any red flags. Skyler couldn't believe her luck that her lies were enough to get her through to Shade Academy, but unfortunately for her, this would end up being her biggest regret she ever had.

So. She was born into a broken home, abused by her father, mentally scarred for life, nearly died to her own father's hands, falsified information to go to school, and she basically regrets everything she's ever done. She's got a sister who's blind and as far as I'm concerned out of her funking mind, so she basically has no one. And Levi doesn't count. A lot of people would've given up and possibly succumb to depression, suicide, or even just living on the streets. The fact that she's still funking kicking and at least trying says to me she's either desperate, or has a stronger will than she lets on. Possibly the former, considering how poor her self-esteem and confidence is, but I guess it could even be both. Though, to be honest, I would like some more clarity. How does her mind work at this point?

Has she just been pushed and knows she has no other opportunity, or what? What the funk is she thinking? Honestly, I'm confused. She has no clear direction. But at least she's a badass snake. You still get points for that.