Axel

[Axel]

Let’s get the basics down first.

Name: Axel
Nicknames: The Flurry of Dancing Flames, Number VIII, Eight
Age: Unknown; appears to be mid-to-late twenties
Gender: Male
Race: Nobody
Homeworld: Radiant Garden/The World That Never Was; currently doesn't claim a permanent residence
Alliance: Shadow

You’re just a puppet aren’t you?

Played By: Aerith
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Contact: PM
Audition Link: Here
Other:

• Theme Song – Attacker by Secret and Whisper
  
• Battle Theme – Against the Rest remixed by BrainCells; original track composed by Hidenori Maezawa and Motoaki Furukawa for the game Super C
  
• Tarot Arcana – The Magician
  
• Voice – Quinton Flynn

So tell me a little bit about yourself.

Physical Aspects: Axel is in the middle of the pack when it comes to the heights of Organization members. Standing at about 5'10”, he may be taller than members such as Zexion or Larxene, but he can't compete with the likes of Xaldin or Vexen in the height department. He is not only tall but lean as well, much preferring the advantage of speed over the brute strength afforded by a heavily muscular build. His most distinguishing features are his striking emerald eyes and his shoulder-length, bright red hair, which is brushed back into spikes. He also has a purple reverse teardrop mark beneath each of his eyes. While he does wear the standard Organization boots and gloves, his cloak is distinct from the other members' in that his sleeves are closely fitted to his arms, probably to avoid any resistance that might hinder the speed at which he can attack.



Persona:

• Façade: Axel has several facets to his personality that he shows depending on whatever his current situation is. Most of the time, he displays a laid-back attitude and seems content to go with the flow of things, though he does take himself slightly more seriously than, say, Demyx or Xigbar. He has no problem with exchanging banter if the circumstances call for it. He is usually very approachable, which can make him seem friendly. Though, anyone thinking that Axel views him or her as a friend should be wary.
  
  True to the nature of the fire he controls, he possesses an explosive temper if provoked. While he may have been protective toward Roxas and Xion, he does not typically show such brotherly concern for anyone else. He looks out first and foremost for himself and his own interests, and if those interests happen to align with those of the Organization, Axel is willing to go along with any orders he receives. But the events leading up to his death made him very distrustful of Xemnas in particular and the Organization in general. Therefore, he is content to exist apart from his fellow cloak-wearers.
  
  Axel can be very manipulative when it suits his purposes, especially evidenced by his past actions in Castle Oblivion. He is a skilled liar and is able to easily gain the trust of people in a short amount of time if necessary. Because he is primarily concerned with his own interests, the only allegiance of his that is ever clear is his allegiance to himself. He does not bat an eye at playing both sides of a conflict, and he is certainly not afraid to employ violence to achieve his agendas. The absence of a true heart within him is most distinctly seen in the way he is sometimes cold, distant, and merciless. When this side of his personality emerges, he is truly the picture of an assassin.
  
  
  
  
• Inner Mind: He claims that Roxas and, by extension, Sora make him feel as though he has a heart. Though the influence of Sora's heart may evoke feelings in Axel, they are still not evidence that he has found a heart. The self-confidence (even over-confidence) he projects is usually mirrored in his mind, but he can be prone to spells of extreme loneliness now that Roxas is gone. Because he has chosen to avoid the other Organization members if at all possible, he often has trouble figuring out what to do with himself. Having lived so long in the mission-oriented routine of the Organization, it will take some time to adjust to a new existence free from obligations to superiors.
  
  Axel is aware that his propensity to lie and betray affects his ability to have close friends, but that does not mean he is going to abandon his methods for self-preservation. Therefore, he lives in a constant state of inner conflict. He finds it extremely difficult not to believe that everyone has private agendas. Yet, a part of him desperately wants to trust someone long enough to develop true companionship.
  

Empty your pockets and show me what you got

Items: (List any items you wish to purchase)

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Inventory: Any items such as keychains, and Synthesis materials, as well as plot items go here.

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Stand up and fight.

Weapon(s): Axel wields a pair of large chakrams (or, more accurately, wind-and-fire wheels) called Eternal Flames. Each chakram has a circular main wheel with a black, cross-shaped handle. The edge of the main wheel sports four spikes resembling those on the Nobody sigil and a small ring that is bisected by the main wheel. Another spike identical to the other four is attached to each of these rings, making a total of eight spikes. The interior of the main wheel and the outer edge of the half of each of the four rings that are on the interior of the wheel are red, as are the inner edges of the other halves of the rings. The rest of the chakram is silver.

ABILITIES SECTION:

Flamecraft
As a master of fire, Axel can use his element to boost his attack power and speed in a rather unique way. Whenever an opponent takes a blow from one of his chakrams, an additional explosion of fire results, effectively raising all of his attacks by x2 damage. This applies when the chakrams are both thrown and swung while being held. When throwing the weapons, Axel's pyrokinesis enables him, if he so chooses, to form little bursts of flame along the weapons which propel the chakrams forward at a much greater speed.

Range: Self, specifically his chakrams, which normally travel up to 25 feet before returning to his hands; the burst of fire that results from contact with his weapons extends about a foot from the ends of the spikes
Speed: When thrown, the chakrams achieve a speed boost from the usual 25 mph to 50 mph.
Cooldown: N/A
Uses: Passive
Strength: Strong

Solar Flare
Calling on the power of fire, Axel can enchant his two chakrams, wreathing them in flame and making them even more deadly. With his weapons in this enchanted state, he hurls the chakrams against his opponent four consecutive times, then rapidly juggles the chakrams twice more against them. For the combo finisher, he puts a little distance between him and his opponent and swings both his chakrams toward the ground, which causes two pillars of fire to explode upward. If a target is well within 40 feet of Axel, they could potentially be hit twice by every throw, once by the initial attack and once again as each chakram returns to its owner's hand.

Range: The flames are confined solely to his chakrams, extending perhaps only a few inches beyond their blades, and they enchant his weapons only for the duration of one post. The weapons can travel up to a distance of 40 feet before they return to his hands. The two pillars of fire reach a height of eight feet and are about three feet apart, in a perfect line with wherever Axel is.
Speed: The enchanting process is instantaneous, and when thrown, the weapons can achieve speeds of roughly 40 mph.
Cooldown: 5 posts
Uses: 4 times per thread
Strength: Strong

Pyre Shock
When desiring some distance between him and his opponent, Axel tosses both of his chakrams a couple of feet in front of him. While those cause damage in and of themselves, he also creates a stream of fire between the weapons that can send an opponent flying backwards a good several yards. Axel can summon either a single stream of fire or three that rotate, along with his chakrams, around him that can prove especially effective against groups. As a side-effect, anyone hit by this ability's flames suffers a burn that inflicts constant Weak-strength damage for that person's three following posts.

Range: An opponent must be within eight feet of Axel for the brunt of this attack to hit.
Speed: Once Axel releases his weapons, the fire stream explodes within about one second; when used as a rotating attack, the streams and chakrams spin around Axel at a speed of roughly 25 mph for about five seconds.
Cooldown: 6 posts
Uses: 3 uses per thread
Strength: Strong

Inferno
When especially provoked, Axel summons a large circle of flames, effectively creating a sort of closed-off arena. Within this arena, he can turn the floor into a charred mess coated in fire by calling forth a spiral of flames around himself that explodes outward. In such a place, he is truly in his element, and he can use the flames to his advantage by choosing to disappear outside of them and, from there, launching a couple of different attacks. He can burst out of the upper portion of the flames, hit the ground, and cause a circular explosion of fire over the ground around him. Or he can dash out of the flames along the ground, leaving a burning trail in his wake, and immediately jump back outside the circle. Once summoned, the arena of flames persists for the duration of his three following posts, unless Axel dismisses it prematurely.

Range: The circle itself is roughly twenty feet in diameter, and the flames can reach heights of up to eight feet.
Speed: Whatever area Axel is in can burst into flames almost instantaneously; when attacking from outside of the fire, he moves at a speed of roughly 30 mph.
Cooldown: N/A
Uses: 1 use per thread
Strength: Strong

Everybody’s got a weakness or two; what are yours?

Elemental Weakness: Water
Other Weaknesses: Axel's current state of loneliness could make him prone to more erratic behaviors.

What’s your story?

Though it is clear that he was known as Lea before he became a Nobody, the exact circumstances surrounding Lea's descent into darkness and the birth of Axel are unknown. Soon after Lea's darkness produced the Nobody, Axel was found and recruited by Organization XIII. He joined alongside Saïx, the Nobody of Isa, who had been best friends with Lea. The two retained somewhat of a friendship after entering the ranks of the Organization. And it wasn't long before they decided to plan a takeover.

When Roxas first joined the Organization, Axel wasn't sure what to make of him and the way he shuffled around like a zombie. He expressed his disdain for getting stuck with babysitting duty, as he called it, but once Roxas broke out of his quite lifeless state, Axel began enjoying the company of Roxas more and more. The two spent as much time together as they could outside of work, usually meeting up at the Twilight Town clock tower after missions to talk and eat sea-salt ice cream.

The progress they were making in their budding friendship was brought to an abrupt halt when Axel was sent off to Castle Oblivion to act as double-agent. Luckily for him and Saïx, the situation worked very nicely into their plans to overthrown the Organization. In the process of gaining the trust of Marluxia and Larxene, he assassinated Vexen, and he later persuaded the Replica Riku to kill Zexion in order to keep the other members from discovering the takeover plans of Saïx. He would have been able to take out Marluxia as well had Number XI not used Naminé as a shield long enough for Sora to arrive on the scene and, unfortunately, hear Axel say he would not hesitate to kill Naminé to get to Marluxia. After the inevitable second fight with Sora, Axel retreated back to the World That Never Was.

Roxas was glad to see Axel return, but his newly-formed friendship with Xion made Axel a little jealous at first, strangely enough, considering Number VIII's inability to feel anything. However, the three soon became friends, with Axel acting as somewhat of an older brother to the other two. On several occasions, he stuck up for Xion and Roxas, even when it directly contradicted orders from Saïx. He had, as Number VII pointed out, changed greatly since becoming so close to Roxas. This friendship was strained, however, when Roxas found out that Axel had been keeping Xion's true origins from him. He left the Organization, much to the dismay of Axel, who then was ordered to go retrieve Xion from the mansion in Twilight Town. Even though Xion had at that point absorbed most of Roxas's power, Axel was able to overpower her and bring her back to the castle in the World That Never Was, though it took all of his strength to do so. Of course, now that Xion has returned to Sora, no one, including Axel, remembers her.

After Roxas was trapped within the virtual Twilight Town, Axel was sent to bring him back to the Organization. His first attempt to do so was thwarted by DiZ, who restarted the Twilight Town program. Under pressure from Xemnas, Axel again tried to recover Roxas without having to kill him, even though his orders were to eliminate Roxas or be eliminated himself. Again, he was thwarted by DiZ, and he was forced to track Roxas to the basement of the Twilight Town mansion. He fought Roxas but lost the fight and disappeared without fulfilling his mission.

Later, Riku entrusted him with the protection of Naminé, but Axel had his own agenda. He sought out Kairi, hoping to kidnap her so that Sora would turn back into a Heartless and cause Roxas to be reborn. However, Kairi managed to elude him through a Corridor of Darkness provided by Riku. Axel followed Kairi to Twilight Town and stole her away again, but she was soon taken off his hands by Saïx. When Sora and Axel talked in the aftermath of the battle in Radiant Garden, Axel confirmed to Sora that he was Kairi's captor and suggested that the Organization was planning to do something with the hearts released by Sora's Keyblade. However, when Saïx showed up, Axel hastily retreated.

When Sora, Donald, and Goofy became embroiled in a massive fight against hordes of Dusks in Betwixt and Between, Axel arrived to help them. But the number of Dusks was overwhelming, and Axel decided that the only way to clear the path to the World That Never Was required him to sacrifice himself in one last desperate attack. In his last moments, before fading completely into the darkness, he confessed to Sora that Roxas made him feel like he had a heart and that Sora made him feel the same way.

The darkness, however, could not take him utterly, and the strength of his memories and perhaps even the residual effects of Sora's heart summoned him back to life. He was sent to the Dark Margin first. But when he decided that he didn't want to be alone, he opted to travel to the World That Never Was to see if the Organization—in whatever state it was—still existed and would take him back. When he learned that Xemnas was seeking out “loyal” members, Axel decided it would be in his best interest to steer clear of the Organization for the time being.

It all comes down to this: make your choice.

You are presented with three weapons: a sword, a staff, and a shield. The sword represents the power of the warrior; invincible courage comes with this weapon as well as horrible destruction. The staff represents the power of the mystic; inner strength comes with this weapon as well as wonder and ruin. The shield represents the power of the guardian; kindness to aid friends comes with this weapon as well as a shield that will repel all.

Which one will you choose?

Chosen Weapon: Axel scratches the back of his head and then chooses the Sword.

Guard Break
The ability to slash through any defensive abilities of Weak strength, Guard Break symbolizes the destructive power of the Sword at its peak.

Range: Melee
Speed: Normal swing speed
Cooldown: 3 posts
Uses: 2
Strength: Weak

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[Fate]

First and foremost, this is called for.

*WHACKS AXEL WITH THE LEXICON*

This is a beautiful profile and very well done. I especially enjoyed reading the persona section and his story. Your abilities look good to me, so you are all good to go!

Accepted, Locked and Moved!

Just don't kill me again.

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