Steknik, Arizana (WIP)

[Arizana Steknik]

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CASE FILE: Alchemist/Amestrian Militant


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FULL NAME:
→ Arizana Steknik

AGE:
→ 19

SEX:
→ Female

BIRTH PLACE:
→ Orlando, Creta

RACE:
→ 1/4 Ishvalan, 1/4 Amestrian, 1/2 Cretan

DATE OF BIRTH:
→ August 9, 1993

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HEIGHT:
→ 5' 7 1/2 in."

WEIGHT:
→ 108 pounds
PICTURE:
→

Spoiler:

DESCRIPTION:
→ Ari has long, flowing hair that is quite dark brown, a few shades from raven black. The pattern is wavy, but she likes to wear it straight when she can. However, her locks are almost always hidden within the oversized beanie that she wears day in and day out; they have been ever since she started dressing as and acting like a boy. One of the things that may betray her attempt at masculinity are her large, tear-drop shaped eyes, which are almost as dark brown as her hair. They are framed by long, thick lashes, set below equally thick eyebrows which she never grooms. Her bangs are situated to hide as much of her eyes from view as possible. She often finds this irritating and itchy, hence why she often tosses her head to ease the discomfort. Her nose is rather round with wide nostrils and a short bridge; her lips are pink and in the middle of the fullness spectrum. She has a rather long, oval-shaped face with a rounded chin.

The young woman's body is thin and slender, with a light peachy skin tone that was once a bit more tanned, sporting modestly sized breasts. Not much curve is found as it dips down to her torso, nor along her hips. Her legs are long and slim, stretching down to rather large feet; a size 10, to be exact. While she once kept her nails long and thick, much like the fingers on her hand, she has sacrificed that in order to maintain her ruse of being a boy. Her arms have a though they are still thin. The aforementioned features are usually hidden underneath a light hooded sweater and cotton drawstring pants in the warmer months, substituted for a heavy jacket and jeans during winter. If she were to go to the beach, she could get away with wearing a tank top- so long as the material would be thick enough to hide her chest- and shorts, thanks to the fact that she never shaves her legs. Pretty much any color on the spectrum is fine with her in terms of clothing, except for perhaps something solely burnt yellow or green, but she usually defaults to wearing neutral, dull colors. Her movements are rather stiff, strides quick and long, and she tends to drag her feet. Though she may start out with a good amount of energy, she gets weak quickly.

Her voice was rather deep even before she made her identity switch, but when she's shy, nervous, or excited, it can go extremely high. At the same time, when enraged or just joking around, she can get it quite deep. It puts a strain on her throat to pull off a true soprano singing voice; rather, she manages pretty well as a mezzo-soprano. Often, she speaks quickly and in a mumbled fashion, and she is often asked to repeat herself.

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PERSONALITY:
→Ari, by nature, is a very shy and reserved girl, preferring to stay to herself, not bothering anyone and hoping others will do the same. This does not mean by any account that she always wishes to be alone. When it is needed, she can be a very adaptive person. Sometimes, it seems like she can change from one kind of person to a completely different one given the situation, which confuses and even alarms the girl. She often worries if she's doing or saying the right thing, what others are thinking of her, and in general believes that she tries so hard for nothing. While this feeling has greatly improved from previous years, it continues to linger and affect her.

With this lack of morale has come a decreased capacity to focus and function, particularly where studies and academics come into play. She has always been one to soak up any knowledge on topics she enjoyed like a sponge, and prided herself in becoming well-versed and intelligent as possible. She thinks that the majority of humans beings are idiots who do not understand nor appreciate the vast wealth of material given to them, as well as the capacity granted to be able to retain it. That is why it hurts her so much to not be able to study like she used to. She still tries to stay bright as possible, and lately her thoughts have strayed to psychology. Chances are she would never study it in-depth; rather, she looks to understand how people feel the way they do, act the way they do, and why. It has become surprisingly easy, whereas it was all but a mystery to her. Ari strongly believes that a deep level of human compassion and understanding are all we really need to get along, co-exist, and be happy, and she tries to show this in everything she does. She always tries to do the right thing.

And yet, sometimes, it simply seems impossible to do that. Just the light side of her personality has grown and expanded, so has the dark. When you've had to hold your tongue your whole life, trapped inside, things are bound to explode sometime. Annoyance, confusion, desperation...they all erupt in a flurry of screamed voices and harsh, devastating words. The more time passed on, the worse her temper became, sometimes turning physical. Afterwards, she is always left with a sinking feeling of guilt and worthlessness, wishing she could turn back the clock and take back the scars she created, both physical and emotional. Many a day has come where she wished that her eyes would never open upon the morning.
But we cannont help but make progress. It is in our nature to make strides, move forward, and rise above, even if we can't seem to realize it, even if we refuse to see it because staying in the darkness is the place we know the most, the place we are "comfortable" with and afraid to leave. And Ari has done just that. Despite her tendency to be moody- especially upon just waking up- sarcastic, stubborn, uninterested, and sometimes blunt to a fault, she is not without good traits. Despite all that's on her mind, she tries to keep it to herself and not bother anyone with it; if she does, she worries that she's just annoying them. She is a loyal friend, and has promised to lay down her life for anyone in need; in fact, it is her preferred method of going out, the way she wishes to die. Whether it be petty or life-threatening, she will always try to help someone through their problems, even if she herself is mentally and/or physically spent. She can't stand it when nothing she does seems to help; she'd rather be alone in the darkness than have someone else join her there. A person who accepts her for who she is, who listens to her and makes her feel special, will be as if they were her own family. She will return the favor to them, sacrifice her hesitation and shyness, and occasionally erupt into the hyper, vibrant girl she once was, sharing all her secrets. And if you ever insult one of her friends, prepare to get your feelings hurt right back. When she speaks of something that she holds passion for, her eyes light up, her spirit soars, and she could ramble on for hours if allowed. Perhaps the one thing that she most reveres, most seeks after, is the truth. Amidst all the confusion she has seen, she is determined to find the knowledge, wisdom, and strength, to know the truth in people's actions, in what is right and wrong, in everything, because that is the answer TO everything. She has hope that one day, it will be all right.

LOVE:
→ Animals, each and every one of them. The manatee is her favorite, has been since she was little.
→ Writing. Though the process is more tedious, she prefers to write with a pen and paper on the first draft rather than beginning on the computer.
→ Art. Out of all the dreams and aspirations she's ever had, this remains the strongest. She wants to write her own manga one day and turn it into an anime.
→ Manga and anime. It not only serves as relaxation and comedic relief, but as great inspiration for her own stories and her life in general. The deeper the story and character relationships, the better.
→ Novels. Mystery and sci-fi are her favorite genres. She can never seem to solve the cases though. If it's got "Star Wars" on it, chances are she'll read it.
→ Her laptop and the Internet. Ari spends the vast majority of her day on her faithful companion, or Buu as she affectionately calls it, doing everything from chatting with friends to researching and practicing her drawing and writing, watching AMVs, and looking up random, weird things on Google.
→ Her mother. No matter what differences the two might share, no tie will ever be greater than the one they have shared.
→ The night sky. Her eyes could become lost in a clear, starry night forever.
→ Eating. She'll probably never decide whether pizza or chocolate milkshakes earn the place as the most heavenly food on Earth.
→ MMOs. She swears one day she's going to be a high-leveled pro, but so far no luck. Just don't get in her way when she's gaming.
→ Music. Classical, reggae, Dubstep


HATE:
→ Alcohol, smoking, and drugs. She just doesn't get why people would so willingly throw away their health- and possibly others- with such disgusting vices. What's more, the smell of alcohol instantly makes her nauseous and smoke quickly irritates her lungs. Though, secretly, there have been times where she desired such just to numb her mind.
→ Trolls/mean people. While she has her own fiery tendencies, she's never been able to stomach people who don't even know each other acting so cruel towards their fellow man.
→ Cough syrup. Just no. She'd rather stay sick.
→ Being told how to do something, even if she doesn't have the best idea of it herself. She'd rather find her own way, on her own.
→ People repeating themselves.
→ Fighting, unless it's on TV or in print.
→ Loud, obnoxious, talkative people.
→ Feeling trapped or stuck.
→ Male chauvinist pigs.
→ Feeling left out.
→ Being wrong.
→ Loud noises.
→ Death.

DEEPEST SECRET:
→ Ari is afraid that she'll never find who she truly is. She's changed so much and continues to, that she doesn't know if she's doing it simply to adapt, to fit in, to cope, or if its just natural, or if she's going crazy or what. She fears her life will always be a tumultous whirlwind of confusion and climbing so high just to be knocked down again. She's absolutely terrified that one day, everyone will up and abandon her, and she'll die with her memory forever erased from the world. Will she snap one day from the pressure? Will she go insane and do something unforgiveable?
IDOL:
→ Steve Irwin. Even though her focus has strayed from wanting to work with animals, he was always a great source of wonder and inspiration to her. She strives to be as brave, perseverant, compassionate, and determined as he was.

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HISTORY:
Oh...the swans weren't eating the grass she'd picked. Just as well, she'd have hated for their

beautiful white feathers to turn green. Arizana stood with her parents, Elise and Danzan, watching

the water foul swimming and dipping and waddling about, giggling with sheer delight. She was three

years old, and this was her earliest memory. At this time, the greatest joys in her life were

animals, mommy, her dolls, and of course, sweets. Such a simple, happy time...her future was

already planned out. She would become a veteranarian, take care of all sorts of cute critters, and

buy a huge house big enough for her entire family to live in together. As she stared at the

ripples made by the paddling of the swans, the diving of the geese, the streaming of the water

from the marble fountain, and even from her breath as she peered into the pool, how could she have

possibly known that waves much like these would crash through her life? Some events spread close

together, some far apart, some lasting for a while and some flashing by like a ghost...just like

the ripples in the water. Just like the powers she would one day call her own.

Skip forward five years. Curious about the world as ever, Ari had grown particularly fond of

Xingese culture. So how lucky it was for her that a Xingese New Year celebration was being held at

the zoo! Snacks, activities, animals, and people dressed as though they had emerged from a fairy

tale...what more could a little girl ask for? Perhaps something new and completely foreign to her

altogether. As she walked with Mom and Dad, her attention was diverted from the otters' squeaking

and splashing to a stage lined with maidens whose clothes seemed to have been snatched right from

Mother Nature's most beautiful, delicate works. They were hanging lanterns to add to the

ambience...but what blew Ari away the most was how the illuminated paper works were created. A

line of children stood in front of a man in a mask, who knelt before a circle with several

markings drawn on the stage. They placed the drawings they had done at a table nearby onto the

drawing, and he placed his hands on the edges of the circle. A bright light ensued, and when it

cleared, a perfect lantern with the child's drawing on front was born. Needless to say, it was

alchemy. But little Ari knew nothing of this, nor did she have a chance to ask or watch the rest

of the show. She only caught a small bit before her father pulled her along after him. But as he

would learn, hiding the truth from Ari only made her that much more determined to find it.

And indeed, she soon found out all about the strange, not-so-uncommon phenomenon. She positively

fell in love. But as were many great romances, this one was forbidden. Danzan, Ari's father, was

half Ishvalan, and while he had somewhat assimilated to more common ways of thinking, his beliefs

on alchemy remained firm. It was not to be learned, discussed, not even thought of. His ways of

thinking in general clashed with those of her Cretan mother, and when Ari was 12, her parents

divorced. Her mother gained custody, and Danzan moved back to Amestris. Ari had been practicing

alchemy here and there in secret before, but now her studies could truly flourish. And so they

did; not only that, but she found a practical use for them. Her mother had to work two jobs to

ensure that they had a decent life, and she often came home with various aches and pains that

sometimes made moving unbearable. Ari had also been practicing the flute, another thing she

greatly enjoyed, and had thusly been looking for a sound-related application of alchemy. By

lowering the pressure in the air, she was able to create ultrasound which she then applied over

the affected areas. The two grew quite close over this time, and Ari couldn't have been happier.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Three years later, Ellise was murdered by a serial

killer who claimed that Doomsday was nearing. His method of saving humankind? Kill seven people

who he found to embody the seven sins. And what better way to do that then by getting close to

people of interest, like a certain woman who cheated on her husband with him before finally

divorcing the man? The killer turned out to be her own boyfriend. He was caught after the murder-

or sacrifice, as he called it- of Ellise mother -of Lust- but at the greatest price possible to

Ari. She barely ate enough to survive, often going two days without eating, all the way up to the

funeral. On the plane to Amestris, she all but passed out. But before she had a chance to get

settled at her new house, Danzan made her pizza with cheese and barbeque sauce, her favorite that

Ellise always used to make. Ari ate half of it, then retreated to her room and cried herself to

sleep.

It took her a long time to warm up to her father again, but the two overall got along peacefully.

He made enough money for them to live comfortably, and she spent a while getting herself back

together, trying to piece back her future. It was during this time that Ari discovered art as more

than just a hobby. Once a way to pass the time as she was little and a means of airing out her

toxic emotions out in more recent years, it had become a passion. Whenever she improved, whenever

the image on the paper grew closer to the image in her head, a now-rare smile lit up her face, and

she felt new hope all over again. Yes...she would chase this dream the rest of her life.

But of course, no one was likely to hand her an illustrator or director position on a silver

platter. So when Ari turned 17, she began to search for a job. She hadn't bothered to enroll in

highschool once she got to Amestris, and she got her certification early. Still, in a big place

like Central, employment wasn't the easiest thing to find. So she was grateful for the break when

Danzan took her to the Central City Festival. Everything was so colorfully decorated, people were

bustling everywhere...just like that day back at the zoo, when she had first discovered alchemy.

She wondered if she would ever tell her father the secret she'd so carefully kept from him. For

now, she tried to focus on having fun. After eating a burger or two and a bit too much cotton

candy, they boarded the Ferris wheel. Squeezing in with the giant, blue plushy bunny he had won

for her at the ball toss, Ari sat next to her father and stared out the window. The car's slow

ascent was a little nerve-wrecking, but the view was worth it. A butterfly fluttered past, a

child's balloon drifted into the air to soar who knows how high, a man went flying past the

window...wait, what? By the time Ari got over the soreness of hitting her head on the ceiling and

had gotten the bunny's fuzz out of her way, Danzan was staring down at the ground, wide-eyed in

disbelief.

Before either had a chance to speak, a series of loud explosions rocked the Ferris wheel to its

very foundation. Her father quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling them to the ground and

away from the window. Screams sounded from below, and the rattling of the car was getting worse.

"Stay put," he said firmly, peering out once again. His breath hitched in his throat. A tornado. A

massive, swirling vortex made of ice. Danzan grabbed Ari without a second thought, hoisting her

over his shoulder. "Hold on tight."

"W-what are you doing?!" Ari screamed as her father gripped the door of the car, leaping like a panther 10 feet through the air. He took off running the instant he landed. Ice shards were flying everywhere, breaking through windows and human flesh alike, so he pulled Ari into his arms, using his body as a shield best as he could. Though he had put some distance between them and the tornado, he felt something tugging him back, something exponentially stronger. He turned to see a void ripped into space in the path of the tornado. Impossible...it couldn't be...all he could do was run faster.

The ice shards embedded in his back and shoulder were the least of his concern when they got home. He paused to wince in pain only once as he tore through his closet, taking out clothes and stuffing them into a travel bag. "Amestris has been taken over by demons," he addressed Ari, who was insistent on mending his wounds. "We're leaving, on the next possible boat, train, plane, station wagon, I don't care."

"But Dad, you're hurt! You need to see a doctor first--"

"I said, now. While I pack, go online and find the quickest route to Xing."

And so it was that twelve hours later, Ari found herself on a boat, sailing into the land of her dreams.

Who knows how long they drifted across those salty currents, but when Ari's tired eyes flickered open, she woke up faster than she ever had in her life. The tops of modest yet architechturally

rich fang zi situated on a hill poked through a veil of thin fog as they pulled into port. She leaped down from the boat before the landing ramp was placed, causing Danzan to open his mouth in protest, then close it and facepalm. She'd gotten it from him, he supposed. As he made some arrangements, Ari explored the area with awe and wonder radiating in her eyes. For a moment, she felt like a little kid again...no worries, her only responsibility absorbing each and every new sight and cherishing it.

All too soon, it was time to go. They would be staying in a house just down the river for an indefinite amount of time. As they set out walking through the mist, Ari could've sworn she saw a figure slipping away from behind a sakura tree that was, one by one, losing its petals to the wind.

That evening, Ari must've eaten at least three bowls of rice with fresh stir-fried chicken. She slept surprisingly well on the rather hard bed provided for her, and she rose early as possible to take in the sights. Not, of course, before devouring some congee and yu za kuei for breakfast.

Full and content, she wandered out to that same sakura tree, laying out on the grass with her arms spread behind her head. It was nothing but her and the rustling of grass, the trickling of water, for the longest time. This place was everything she had imagined...hell, so much better than she'd imagined. The scenery, the food, the guy standing over her--

Ari stumbled back so quickly she nearly fell right into the river. A soft tug on her thin robe pulled her back, accompanied by a soft yet serious pair of brown eyes. "You're pretty...brave to be out this close to the other side of the river," said the young man, keeping his grip on the front of her garment.

Jerking back, Ari pulled her clothes tighter around her. "G-get away from me, you pervert!" she shouted, backing away from him.

"Oh, my sincerest apologizes. I forgot I was a necrophilist, guess I should've let you fall in, right?"

Ari blinked, then grunt, rubbing her arm. "Thanks," she mumbled. She was lost for words- as usual, it seemed- so the girl just stood there silent for a short while.

"Well then, if the only Xingese you learned is how to tell creeps away, which usually doesn't work by the way, I guess I'll be on my way."

"Hey! Who says I'm not Xingese myself?" she asked, proudly puffing out her chest. She'd been practicing the language diligently ever since she was a child, and she rather thought she'd gotten it down.

"Please," retorted the young man with a wave of his hand as he studied her closely. "Anyone who listened hard enough could easily pick up your Cretan accent. And when you're quite used to distinguishing fakers, it becomes all the more simple. So...just what were you doing out here anyway?" He narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ari folded her arms, trying to look just as tough as him. Her heart was probably beating loud enough for him to hear. "What does it look like? Just relaxing. Don't you know what that is, or are you people more hard-working than I'd heard?"

He chuckled slightly. "Ah, a joke. I get it. I'll just be on my way." He turned to leave.

Ari groaned, running her hand over her face. She hadn't meant it like that..."My name's Ari. Arizana if you wanna be technical about it." She rubbed the back of her neck, looking slightly away.

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TRIVIA:
→ Her first language is Cretan.
→ Peaceful by nature, but when she snaps it's hard to control her.
→ Has a tendency to spend her money quickly, and can be easily swayed into buying something more expensive. Especially if it's food.
→ Ari chooses to ignore the various cultures she was born into, in terms of tradition, and just does what pleases her.

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ALIAS:
→ Your online alias. Just put down ONE name, please, and use this name in the c-box so there's no confusion over who you are.

OTHER CHARACTERS:
→ First character

CREATOR'S COMMENTS:
→ Do you have anything to say yourself? As long as it doesn't sound stupid, you can put anything in here really. Just no autobiographies about your last journey to the toilet, please, because seriously, NO ONE CARES.

CUSTOM RANK:
→ Insert the customized rank name that you wish for your character here. It can be anything within reason. If you are claiming a canon character (like Head of Central Head Quarters for example) usually 'Head of Central HQ' would be your custom rank. This would replace where is says: 'PENDING'.

OFFICIAL TITLE:
→ Insert your official Alchemist's title here - such as 'Full Metal' or 'Flame' - you do not need to be a State Alchemist to have this title, this is more for instant recognition of abilities, and the like. Also a chance for you to get creative! If you don't create one for yourself, we'll do it for you and believe me, we can come up with some awesome titles... Be sure not to put 'alchemist' or 'alkahestrist' after your title because some people are both and honestly it's too much.

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[Reila Tsukino]

No worries you have plenty of time since your archive date is the 30th!