Medietas App

[noasark]

Player Information
Name: Usagi
Age: 24
Contact: usagisquared
Characters already in Medietas: NONE...
Reserve Link: HERE

Character Basics
Character name: Noa Kaiba
Character Journal: noasark
Canon: Yu-Gi-Oh! DM -> GAME AU: 'RYSLIG'
Canon Point: End 'Virtual World Arc'/'Post Pieces of Heart' (Ryslig)
Age: Physical -> 12, Mental -> 18 (Typically treated as 12 due to unique circumstances behind the Mental Age; details are in personality.)
Icon: Since his typical icons can be misleading for appearances, I made a thumbnail of that painting for this purpose....

Canon Character Information
Appearance: I CAN DO YOU ONE OVER I MADE A PAINTING- Noa typically wears something akin to a suit top these days; vest or jacket specifically, and a lot of his stuff he had to get tailored around those stupid Hand Things. He also wears glasses on a chain; this is because many of the abilities he has through his eyes are uncontrolled, triggering with eye contact. A barrier of glass prevents any unfortunate accidents.

The runes in the image are far brighter than they typically are; generally they seem to be paler scales...they only light up like that in the dark. (Does he realize they mirror Blue Eyes Alternative Dragon? NOPE AND HE'D SCREAM IF HE DID)

NOTE: If this form isn't humanoid enough for the standards of the game (a friend of mine in the game figured it'd be fine, but better safe than sorry), I am fine with giving him a human state again, provided it reflects certain changes sustained in Ryslig; ironically, such an image exists thanks to a recent 'dreamscape' event, monsters involved in one dream in particular had their monster traits represented by a pokemon... ...I would however, ask that Noa at the least retain the snakes in his hair if possible in any way; he'd miss them otherwise :[

History: Canon History is located here. Very minor points made on the Wiki's History are inaccurate; these are Dub-Sub differences. The only one worth focusing on however is that where the Wiki states Gozaburo abandoned his son after realizing he would 'always be a spoiled brat', the canon in Japanese was in fact that Gozaburo became aware of the psychopathic consequences Noa developed while in the Virtual World; he feared Noa's utter disregard for humanity, and thus abandoned him.

A short summary of Noa's history through Ryslig is below, as well as necessary game context.

• Ryslig is a bodyhorror game where characters are taken from their world by the 'Fog God' for an as of yet unknown purpose. These characters, over time, are mutated into a particular monster which feeds upon human beings in some way as a requirement-to ignore the hunger is to invite berserk insanity that will end in slaughter.
  
• Noa arrives in October of (OOCly) 2015, waking on 'Plaga's Peak'. He soon comes to secure himself an ally in 'Seto Rosenkreuz' (important largely because that's the closest thing to a canonmate he had), and they agree to share an apartment for a time. He also secures a job in the IT division of Liewen Labs, finding the work to be child's play as a former military computer.
  
• Soon after his arrival, Noa and numerous others are compelled to return to Plaga's Peak, where various holes have formed in their shape-after entering his own, he comes out a partially transformed arachne which completes its transformation moments later, leaving Noa to adapt to a lot of things. Curious runes also appear on his body.
  
• Soon after starting work, he follows a coworker through a door, due to their suspicious activity at the time-in accordance with how alignment operated at this point in the game, Noa finds himself in possession of a key to Dyster, signifying alliance with the Fog God that brought them there.
  
• The arachne form lasts only so long-worse, so does his agreement with Rosenkreuz. As November comes to its end, Rosenkreuz disappears. While the Fog Key does nothing new, Noa abruptly sheds his arachne body to enter the form the Fog intended for him; a 'naga', though only barely transformed. He spends the next few weeks travelling on crutches due to his lack of legs or lengthy tail, and eventually makes a trade with the sorcerer 'Tikbalang' for a living chair that can better aid in his travel.
  
• Soon after this, Noa makes a call for a new roommate, as his landlord is suspicious of a child living on their own, and he can only lie about the whereabouts of Rosenkreuz so long. He manages to secure a successful deal with 'Linden Tailor' (L from Death Note), and in exchange for L purchasing alcohol to feed the chair, Noa handles all matters of rent, grocery, and so on. As neither are particularly social, the agreement runs smoothly.
  
• At the end of December, Noa attents the 'Advent Celebration' hosted for monsters, and ends up suffering the Hallucinatory side effects of the masks in tandem with the Bloody Bones Attack. He manages to escape the event relatively unharmed, albeit shaken.
  
• While most are recovering from the attack in January, a greater attack hits various locations in Ryslig in a matter of weeks. Noa is caught in the attack on Pryda, the banking district of Bavan, mutating horribly under the effects of the airborne toxin released. He donates what he can toward curing the side effects with the help of a priestess named Mana, and as a result only one of the attacked locations (A hospital in Vandare) remains 'cursed'.
  
• As February begins, stronger desires to kill for the Fog begin to grow, but Noa focuses on his role with Liewen Labs, creating information packets to distribute among new arrivals. Among them is 'Touya', who he finds himself keeping an eye on.
  
• Further work in his role as information collector is distracted by the appearance of the name/word 'Vanitas' on his hand. Various others find names upon their hands, and begin to feel drawn toward those who have their own upon them. When Noa finally does encounter 'Vanitas' late in the month, the two urges to kill combine-when Vanitas attacks, Noa defends himself and then strikes back in full, tricking the shade into striking through a human host that he can therefore paralyze. By 'sacrificing' the human host involved, he banishes the Fog's demands to kill, becoming an 'Adept' follower of her fold. In killing the shade inside, he banishes the name on his hand, leaving him clearheaded...albeit paranoid that the shade will seek vengeance due to his nature.
  
• Following these events, Mana makes an announcement to the monsters of Ryslig when March begins-she herself had borne a name on her hand as well, as part of a centuries long curse experienced alongside Tikbalang. The end result was her killing and adopting his powers, as well as his role in trading with the monsters. Noa in particular is one of the first to trade with Mana after this, requesting a home for himself and 'Linden' to share that is safe from prying eyes. The result is a penthouse with an underground entrance and apartment; the lower half for Linden, the upper half for Noa, with that section in particular hidden with the use of mirrors.
  
• As April begins, a rush of child kidnappings from someone known as the Glass Witch begins; Noa does his best to investigate, eventually wandering through her labyrinth in hopes of finding and stopping her. While he does not succeed, the efforts were nonetheless appreciated by citizens whose children were taken. During this time, Noa becomes someone Touya considers a friend, the two finding themselves more often than not dealing with the same issues at the same time.
  
• As time comes to pass, Noa questions his loyalty to the Fog God-rather, why he hasn't simply abandoned his key. Before he can concretely determine much, the otherwise secluded village of Kulen extends an invitation to the monster populous to celebrate their Sun Festival with them. Noa finds himself going alongside Touya, using his chair to carry luggage now that his tail is fully grown in.
  
• As it seems, the Sun Festival has darker intentions-at the end of the festival, when everyone goes up to the temple for the final celebration, a great hole in the structure is opened-various insects fly out and begin to parasitically enter those there, and though Noa is protected by the magic within his runes, Touya rushes to protect him, becoming infected himself.
  
• When, in the aftermath, the Mayoress and High Priest discover not all of the monsters are infected and unconscious, Noa is among those to question their intentions. Shortly after this, the bugs beneath Ryslig extend an invitation to the monsters to explain their side as well; Noa requests Touya bring his laptop so they can attempt communication and studies (As he himself doesn't wish to risk infection)-resulting in an unfortunate game of 'Telephone'.
  
• In early June, the Fog God makes an appearance to Noa, questioning his loyalty herself. After what seems more like a stern parent's scolding, Noa finds himself with a stone, various 'gifts' of power to boost him, and the request that he visit Vandare-which is about to tear itself apart in Civil War after the death of their Mayor as a direct result of the insects in Kulen's Festival.
  
• The Bloody Bones, after the attacks in January, announced they were working with the Mayoress of Vandare, making the city a volatile location. With the Mayoress gone however, the Bones take control, throwing the city into chaos as two factions form. Noa travels to the city despite himself, during this time-and when the stone he was given breaks, enters a berserk, fog-ridden state of paranoia, attacking anyone he sees. He is successfully subdued by Touya, who uses his Fog Key to bring his broken and injured form into Dyster. This causes Touya to enter allignment himself, as while keys are no longer automatically granted, the citizens within Dyster request that only followers of the fog remain inside its domain. When Noa awakes to discover this (on top of the recent changes Touya's parasite infection has brought), he finds himself guilty, and begins to plot on a way to at the very least keep Touya safe.
  
• When July comes, Touya-though heavily infected-ends up celebrating the monster-run Tanabata Festival with Noa. Touya has determined that Noa is lonely, and gifts to the boy a puppy-causing a very mixed response that ends in Noa fleeing the festival for much of the night. He later returns to thank Touya however, before burying himself in his work again.
  
• Up to this point, alignment has started to cause tension between himself and another coworker, Marco. Marco aligned with the 4th, and began to adopt paranoid views of the Fog-now aware of Noa's own alignment, he thus stalks and follows the snake around, eventually spying the boy as he takes his small basilisk form in order to dig his way into his apartment entrance. Marco attacks him on the spot, triggering some of the new powers Noa had yet to realize in himself; this in turn throws Marco into panic, and the merman begins to strangle Noa while shouting accusations at the boy. The near-death experience causes Noa to snap; his understanding of which side causes the most trouble (as this is far from the only danger Marco has presented in the past) merges with Marco's words, and Noa furiously announces that if the mer wishes to say he has 'sold his soul to the devil' he'll show him what that means. He brutally turns on Marco with all his strength, beheading the mer and going so far as to stake the head in Dyster's streets.
  
• As a result of the display, the Fog God proudly announces that her 'child' has finally 'come home', thrilled that one of her followers has chosen to at last dedicate himself. She grants him additional strength and power, while Noa in turn dedicates himself to more subtle aspects of both winning the God War for the Fog, but also determining what the Fog's true role is.
  
• New arrivals come in August, and Noa finds himself in conversation with one in particular-Judai Yuuki. Aside from being from the same world, their conversation on gods goes astonishingly well, and Noa offers to remain in full contact with the other. He later on gives Judai his key, so that the teen can better protect himself during the evenings on his nomadic travels about Ryslig.
  
• As August progresses, monsters begin to rush for a cure to the parasite infection, due to the revelation that the Insect Queen proposed a solution that could spare the lives of the hosts. Noa uses his newly granted 'bakunawa' form to thus help dive for the eggs of Vandaran Cave Crabs, which will be essential in the cure. He then travels below into the tunnels with Touya, and the boy manages to eat the egg and safely expel the parasite without death. A few of his traits from the infection remain, but he is otherwise healthy and whole, leaving Noa to go back to his own 'normal life' as well.
  
• Noa seeks to find something about Ryslig to study around this time, making a trade with Mana for such a mystery. The result is an egg, which eventually hatches into a rather curious 'fungal' creature that Noa finds very mysterious indeed-biologically speaking at least.
  
• As September moves, a tribe of immortals who are able to use the faces and life energy of others strikes-Noa attempts to investigate the source, but in the end, no one is able to determine the impostors, and the kidnapped monsters are forced to break out on their own. As the tribe disappears from apparent existence, Noa grows worried for his 'friends'-he trades with Mana for a guest apartment in his penthouse garden, which Touya soon moves into permanently, its entrance connecting to the vents of the building below.
  
• October soon follows, with Noa working further into the 'mystery' of the Gods. His hunt is cut short however, when Marco and Fiddleford destroy the memorial obelisk erected by the Fog God. Ghosts of guilt begin to haunt other monsters, with Noa himself left haunted by a visage of 'Mokuba' until the time they fade away a few weeks later; a representation of his fear that the boy would not accept what he had become.
  
• A fellow follower of the Fog, Madoka, soon after reveals that the Fog is the sister to Day and Night, who tore themselves asunder over the whims of their human followers. The news helps Noa to regain footing in his belief for the Fog-particularly when various monsters, including both Touya and Judai-vanish from the streets. Their meat begins to appear in street food, further serving to prove the Fog's logic in turning monsters on humanity for their crimes.
  
• The monsters kidnapped for the meat-market break out; but as a great, hiveminded blob, struggling to determine where to go. The water-craving monsters within it begin to drive it for the lake, while Noa uses his lightning magic to try and herd it there himself, with hopes that they can quarantine the blob there and work to determine not only what it is, but how to 'fix' it. The water however pulls the blob apart; various monsters returning to their singular state, albeit injured and scarred from the events. Judai is fine-as he is a kelpie, he merely sinks to the bottom of the lake for 'air'. But Noa and Touya's pokemon, Squirt, realize that Touya is still in the lake as well; he uses his Bakunawa form to grab both the pokemon and trainer, and after a stressful bout of CPR, manages to successfully resuscitate Touya on the shore.
  
• The entire event of the 'Meat Market' leaves Noa livid-but focused. Liewen Labs begins the interview process for who will command their second division, which will spearhead God Research; as one of two candidates, Noa is interviewed before the Meat Craze (which the director of the labs was caught in, and therefore forced to recover from) and later offered a position near the end of December.
  
• To 'celebrate' the position (and the fact that his only hire is also a God Follower), he takes some time off from advertising the new building at Vandare's 'Snickensnatt Festival' (a Christmas fest, more or less), to gather things for a Christmas Party. Aside from a rage-filled chase over the Sniken that try to steal his dog, and a brief scare when his attempt to surprise both Touya and Judai with the party, Christmas goes without a hitch.
  
• At which point January figuratively runs him through the skull for becoming 'complacent'. Much of the month is spent going over the new lab to prepare it for necessary work. A pledge to the Fog is made from within his office that he will search for whatever he can inside Liewen Labs' original structure for a key to helping the fog-the fog approves greatly, but at the end of the month, as he accesses his laptop, the 4th God strikes.
  
• In an unfortunate parallel to what Noa himself did in canon, the 4th God wires anyone accessing the laptops into his system, launching them into realms representing various people's psyches. Touya, Judai, and Rin-a harpy that Noa has occasional acquaintance with-end up exploring Noa's own, while Noa himself travels through Judai's, Touya's, and even Marco's. The results of the meddling are...unique. Noa's very drive and dedications shift as a result. (Most for the better, thankfully-these are described in Personality)
  
• What does not change however, are his loyalties, and the further parallel between what Noa views as his greatest mistake and 'sin', and the 4th's actions, drive him to request of Mana one thing before he makes his move. He purchases the power to sense and view what lies in the earth, and from there moves to officially search the Liewen Building for 'assets'-keeping his more war aligned reasons hidden from the very 4th devoted Director as he, Amanda, and Judai make their search.
  
• It is before the start of this search that Noa is taken-before he enters the building, with all his tools and notes and bags-he's not a happy camper to say the least. ...But as with much of anything, he has little choice in the matter.
  
  Personality: NOTE: This personality comes in two 'parts'; the first is taken from his application to Ryslig, as it covers his pre-ryslig state. The second covers how Ryslig has altered this personality, and what the full sum of results is.
  
  Canon Personality
  
  A complicated sort, Noa can be described neither as a child nor as an adult, in any total sense. As one who was preserved mentally at the age of ten, his mind after all failed to mature beyond that state--while his intelligence grew exponentially, his supercomputer mind taking in as much as it could acquire, the spirit behind it could never mature.
  
  To see what sort of person this resulted in, one must thus look not only at who he was during the majority of his screentime in the series, but also who he was before this. Little is revealed about Noa from this time, but from what little there is, it is clear that he was a happy--albeit no doubt spoilt--child. His father had him take part in numerous activities for the sake of increasing his skill and knowledge, and unlike Seto Kaiba, the boy who would replace him, Noa enjoyed every moment of it. He would study his years-above-age-level work diligently, practice numerous sports, instruments... ...While one could argue that a boy in this position could be just as cruel as he was through the series, his attitudes immediately after his death say otherwise.
  
  Noa as a living child, and even recently dead child, was clearly polite--and even grateful--for what he had. He enjoyed all that he experienced, and was perhaps despite his intelligence even naive; wanting nothing more than the continued love of his father, he desired above everything, his approval. It is for this reason that when he was told that Seto had been adopted for the purposes of a mental challenge--a final test on his worth as the CEO's heir--he latched on intensely to the idea of surpassing the other. It is just before this however that we see Noa grow bitter to his situation; the limitations of the program his father created meant that what should have given him happiness was simply a continuous, unchanging record, a dream that could not be altered. His attitudes, veiled by his once sunny, polite demeanor, quickly sour, and this is first viewed with his rage within the program itself when he cannot so much as even make a different choice on his 'food', throwing stones at his gifted puppy and receiving no reaction. It becomes more evident however, during the very scene his father realizes the change Noa has undergone--after a 'birthday trip to space', wherein Noa first thanks his father for the experience, and then follows with 'Ah, but of course, you would have seen this data yourself while uploading it~'. Bit after bit, it becomes clear that in his bitterness, Noa has latched on even harder to his father's love, coming to view his existence within the computer as a gift to further this. In his efforts to appeal to him, he uses his growing abilities within the system to reveal to Gozaburo a strategy that could successfully annihilate all but 3% of human life, adding that, as a computerized existence, the matter of how many survive did not matter to him.
  
  His empathy, it seemed, had been swallowed by code--replaced only by dedicated obsession. It is here that he is presented with the challenge of defeating Seto; however, before he could do so, Gozaburo vanishes, already seeing the boy less and less within his computer home. Gozaburo, Noa discovers, is killed...sparking bitter rage in the boy for what he felt would have been all he needed to totally gain his father's approval. This results in the boy we see throughout most of the Virtual World. Throughout the course of the arc, it becomes clear that Noa is absolutely dedicated to his escape from the computer, and to 'surpassing' Seto as he rightfully should have. His vindictiveness has reached an absolute peak, his sights set on entering reality in a human body and taking over the company that his father intended for him to take. His dedication here, while unclear early on, is absolutely connected still to his father's ideals; in his eyes, there is only him, and there is only making him happy. As such, even without Gozaburo there, he must prove himself to the man in death, through whatever means are necessary.
  
  Noa, as noted, seemed entirely devoid of empathy through much of the series due to his existence as a computer program. He acts cruelly, seeming to be entertained by the suffering of others, and quite deliberately going out of his way to have the 'last laugh', as seen when he tells the Big 5 that he employed as his pawns that they could never have succeeded in escaping to the real world--sending them into a despaired rage right before deleting them without mercy. He plays memories of the past for Seto in particular, and hounds him continuously with the teen's history; but at the end of it it is clear that such actions are less for the sake of those actions, and more because of who they are in particular. The Big 5 had formerly joined forces with Seto to overthrow his father, sending Gozaburo to his death. Seto in the meantime had already become someone whom Noa had a personal vendetta with, believing him to be a thief of what was rightfully his; Seto, in Noa's eyes, should never have become CEO, certainly not without proving himself first. While Noa of course feels that it would have been impossible anyway, it is this fact that drives the stake further.
  
  While his bitterness and cruelty knows no bounds, using Seto's younger blood brother against him in a move of emotional manipulation when the opportunity arises even, he employs a curious sense of fairness in his methods. While he is certainly not above trickery and deceit (As noted by his aforementioned use of emotional manipulation, along with other examples, such as the repeated sight of painful memories and illusions), his limit becomes clear during the duel between Jonouchi Katsuya and the businessman taking the form of the 'Judgeman'. When it becomes clear that the Judge is rigging the dice rolls within their game, he not only steps in, but immediately announces that the duel has been cancelled, showing a Zero Tolerance attitude for blatant cheating. To him, using others as pawns to the advantage is simply using tools, something that was taught to him by his own father--therefore, it is only with immediate, rigged results, or underhanded tricks done by his own hands, that he cannot prove his own worth against Seto. This explains as well, why he viewed the use of Mokuba in all of this as 'fair'. Mokuba was not kidnapped by himself, but one of the Big 5 within the virtual world; he simply recovered him, and after manipulating the boy's memories, banked on the fact that Mokuba would come to him when he was in danger later on... ...Thus cementing his success against Seto in his eyes.
  
  The matter of Mokuba brings in a rather key part of Noa's personality--something that arguably shapes every aspect of his being. Within the computer after all, Noa had only one person to love, and that was his father. When his father ceased visiting, he was thus left alone, with no companionship at all. Because of this, Noa became desensitized to what it meant to have an attachment to another person. Repeatedly he is astounded by the strength of the connections between those who come into the Virtual World, despite his readiness to use those bonds against the others. It comes to the point that, after witnessing Mokuba's dedication to Seto, he openly craves the bond for himself. Arguably, he has been lonely the entire time, but it is only witnessing the connection between others that allows him to realize that loneliness and thus act upon it. And as the overpowered child he is, he thus uses all he has to get what he desires, just as he has dedicated everything to appeasing Gozaburo's memory.
  
  This need and craving for companionship is further emphasized in both desire and in a lack of understanding in the key duel of the arc; he clearly understands the importance of Yugi's friends when it comes to his opponent's resolve, turning them to stone one by one so that he can shake the other--however, he also states midway that if Yugi sides with him, and agrees to be loyal to him, he will save not only Yugi but all of his friends as well. From many others, such a deal could be seen as shallow. However, Noa has by this point already proved himself to up hold his sides to any bargain. He is not above making deals with even his enemy--and as the former heir to a CEO, is quite skilled when it comes to such discussions as well, bearing a very fluid speaking ability without any hesitance. While his zero tolerance policy toward things such as the deal with the Big 5 show clearly what he thinks of failure, discussions that fall outside the realm of pleading for a second chance.
  
  First with the Judgeman, we see him consider Jonouchi's request to continue the duel with the Judge even with the disadvantage the latter's cheating has left him at--and while Noa scoffs at the motion to take what is clearly the ticket to loss instead of success, allows it (albeit for the likely fact that Jonouchi's loss seems obvious, and the outcome in his eyes will not affect his own chances at success). This repeats when he faces Yugi, having only won his duel against Seto due to the previously noted manipulation; in using Mokuba as his shield, he prevented Seto from attacking, thus successfully winning the match. As the method through which Seto lost left him with lifepoints however, Yugi steps forward with a deal--he will use a combination of his deck and Seto's, with Seto's remaining lifepoints, in order to defeat Noa and prove the boy's loss a matter of trickery instead of skill. As he again feels there is no risk of loss, Noa thus once more accepts, feeling that there is no risk in accepting the offer. When it comes to Noa after all, he gauges the risks involved as well; and although he bears an incredible sense of superiority at this time, he continuously makes note of whether or not something is worth bothering with (as seen with his deals with the Big 5, where he remarks that he doesn't actually care who the men duel, as either way it will work in his favor).
  
  When it comes to his duel with Seto and then Yugi, there was the added notion of pride to consider. Noa is seen from the very start to be incredibly prideful, more than aware of the vast amounts of knowledge at his disposal. With that knowledge, he feels he surpasses everyone--with that knowledge, he might as well be a 'god' (directly stated himself during that duel with Seto in fact). He is therefore untouchable--his actions through the season a mere game, really, and for that reason when someone questions that intelligence, Noa snaps. A slight against his skill is one he does not take lightly at all, manifesting first as irritation, and then as he comes closer to outright loss, rage. He is a child, in the end, and when he is unable to hide behind a mask of intelligence and proper superior 'politeness', he thus devolves to that obvious state--his words losing their refined nature until he can do no more than scream for those in front of him to 'shut up!' and to 'stop looking at [him] with that face!'. Loss shakes Noa--and when he is at risk of losing at all, he becomes reckless and even 'damaged'. After his betrayal at the hand of his own father, the man to whom he had dedicated everything, we see this in full. First, there is the initial fallout of course; the faltering and even crazed statements to others that 'it isn't so bad' in the computer world show clearly how much love he had for the man, and just how deeply everything he worked on came to connect to his goals for Gozaburo. They show again as well his need for companionship, though perhaps in this case to a lesser extent.
  
  His destructive habits however, are something we see only after this. Noa is an incredibly vindictive child, acting on impulse toward those who have wronged him in his eyes. Soon after his breakdown he very quickly comes up with a plan to not only again escape the computer world but also destroy the computer itself...and therefore, the three who he detests so much at this time. His father, who betrayed him after all he had done for the man, and had even gone so far as to blatantly tell Noa that Seto had been intended as a body for the boy, only to declare that he would be taking Seto's body as his own using the systems Noa created. Yugi, the duelist who had defeated him. And of course, Seto... ...who at this time represented still everything he wanted and had lost.
  
  Noa's cunning combines here with his rage just as it did before the season began, as he formulates this plan. He tells everyone that, given his father's words, he will help them escape--instead tricking them into a program once again, and further fooling Mokuba into a trap that allows him to steal the boy's body instead of his brother's. With this, Noa moves to access the systems from the outside world, redirecting missiles that his father had set on the very destructive path he had told him about years ago (the plan that would eradicate most of the earth in 30 days) toward the base where the computer lay. The lives of all the others within do not come to mind at this point--only his desire for vengeance, and more importantly, survival.
  
  Time within a living body however allows Noa to regain the heart and empathy that he lost in his solitude--or perhaps more accurately, as hinted by his shock just before taking Mokuba's body, to fully realize it. Before he takes the boy's body, Mokuba voices sympathy and even empathy for Noa, causing the other to briefly falter before he mentally decides that Mokuba is simply being foolish--or perhaps more likely, is even still affected by the mind altering code he created. Though Mokuba offers to get his brother to build the other a body, Noa simply escapes, setting the path of destruction on course and allowing a certain other within the facility to destroy what he will. As he sets off on his escape route however, he thinks harder on Mokuba's words and actions--and in doing so realizes that Mokuba, unlike anyone else thus far, had cared.
  
  For the first time in years, Noa experiences regret, and remorse, breaking down in the cockpit of the helicopter he intended to escape with. This regret only intensifies when he returns to the controls of the facility to find everything destroyed; the missiles cannot be shut down any longer, leaving them twenty minutes to get everyone to safety. Noa here returns to the sort of boy he was before death in a sense, while retaining his intelligence gained over the course of the years. While capable of great cruelty and malice, he sets out to warn the others through the system of what is coming, helping them to escape one by one. It is implied of course, that he is doing this only for Mokuba--and indeed, his choice to save Seto after all the hatred he showed toward the other make things questionable--but his very words to Seto, as well as his words afterward, show that he has realized his own wrong doings regarding the teen. He apologizes completely for his actions, and switches places with Mokuba one last time, allowing the brothers to escape not only for Mokuba, but also for himself; for at this time, he wants nothing more for them to survive.
  
  And in his case, to die. Noa is ready to atone, and here accepts that he is dead. It is likely perhaps that he feels his father suffered the same emotionally crippling effects that he did within the system, though his love, blinding as it has been, could also be what binds him there. Noa at last states that he is "A human. Not a machine", and locks his father's mind within the system while stating that they will now die together, and be together in peace.
  
  While incredibly calm in his final moments, and kind, these final traits are only a fraction of who Noa is. Similarly, while it would be easy to refer to Noa as little more than a cruel and lonely child, those very actions show that this is far from the case. It is only in blending these sides of him together that one can see his full self. Noa is, at the core, an intelligent child, immensely so, who even within the computer world desired nothing more than to know more. It would likely have been something he pursued in reality once he escaped in fact, and there is no doubt that he would have sought out everything he had ever missed. He is intelligent, and as well as that, cunning--able to come up with and enact strategies and plots that are immensely difficult to overcome, while patient enough to set such plans into motion...and as shown in his final half hour, able to come up with equally crafty plans on the fly. His pride however blinds him--he is all too aware of his intellect, and lauds this over others, feeling as if there can be nothing that can face it in turn. What he finds obvious is obvious, and while he is absolutely able to hold a civil discussion with others for reasons beyond 'business', internally, he still clutches to this superiority. If he is proven wrong nonetheless, his first reaction tends toward irritation, and childish grumbling--or perhaps, in the case of more groundbreaking losses, absolute wide-eyed shock or fear.
  
  As a child, he is emotive--while he can restrain himself with great skill, and manages to withhold tears in most situations, he can be brought to them all the same, and openly lashes out when he is enraged. He laughs openly, he shouts--and loudly, easily upset as he is when it comes to what is personal. For the most part however, he attempts to hold himself 'maturely', something that was likely in part drilled into him through his living years. This results in polite (albeit still somewhat childish) speech, and in turn, many hidden barbs toward others when he feels particularly snippy--rather than break the facade of pleasantries, he tends toward emotional stings for as long as he feels he is truly in control. For all that he will openly manipulate and deceive however, he has a curious sense of honor to go with it all. For Noa, skill is not proven if it is achieved through lesser (cheating) means, and he has no tolerance for such actions, nor mercy as well. While it is likely now that he could perhaps show perhaps a little more forgiveness toward those he deems deserving of it, he holds no remorse for those he considers true 'failures', and if required, would very easily be able to dispose of them. The fact that he could deem others deserving however, connects well to what goodness he bears.
  
  As well as that core need for companionship. A connection to others is what brings out his kindness beyond mere 'fairness', beyond what side of him allowed for the decision to send those from the Virtual World back to reality. Desiring it as he does, he tends to follow those he interprets as being truthfully kind to him, and in turn, becomes absolutely vicious toward those who would take it from him. He is kind to those he feels deserving of kindness--sometimes for selfish reasons, certainly, but as shown with his actions toward Seto Kaiba himself, also because of an awareness of his own place in things. While it is likely that those more like him would be met with harsh bickering in any conversation, the chances of him thus becoming attached if things go even remotely well for him is absolutely there. It is, perhaps, a naive trait of his--but then after all, he is still in the end a child.
  
  He has much to learn, and much to develop in terms of maturity--his emotions must yet catch up to his knowledge of the world, just as his naive knowledge of human action must catch up as well. Noa after all, could never have predicted the nature of others, and their desire to protect what they love, not beyond manipulating them as tools--not until he experienced it himself.
  
  As such, in summary, Noa is a rather proud child, who while capable of absolute cold mercilessness, bears a sense of fairness and even kindness as well. His motivations in the end are somewhat lost as one who has accepted death, perhaps, but as one who craves knowledge and more importantly companionship beyond anything (save his father's love, which he feels he has anyway by the end of things), he will have no trouble adapting. Adapting after all, while something that doesn't suit him entirely, is still something he does well, being able to formulate plans of both vengeance and assistance within moments when need be. As a child, he can be rather selfish--thinking for himself before others, and thus using his polite words to weave his way around for what he wants before anything else, but should those he care about be caught in the crossfire, he shows not only remorse, but a great desire to rectify his actions at whatever cost. He is a man (or rather, boy) of his word, however much he can hold a grudge, and though he will work his way through whatever loophole and obstacle there is, at the end of the day he stands by what he says.
  
  He is, in the end, perhaps a rather sad child, in addition to it all...
  
  But then perhaps a second chance at life is thus what he needs in order to better realize himself beyond the realm of the computer.
  
  Ryslig Personality
  
  While in Ryslig, Noa certainly found more than a strong place in life beyond the virtual. When he first arrived in Ryslig he was confused, and alone; Noa was someone who accepted death when it met him for the 'last' time in canon. To be alive again was jarring and even frightening, forcing Noa to face sensations of guilt and upset that he never thought he would need to experience.
  
  Most of this guilt focused on the fact that he was alive at all; the guilt of murder, curiously, was easy to deflect. Most if not all of the humans Noa fed upon in Ryslig were killed by an outside party, and any murder he committed himself was either in the context of some sort of 'war', or self-defense. It is strange-but he is among the few monsters to abstain from 'cold blooded' murder. But let us focus first on the changes that were forced upon him simply by existing in Ryslig at all.
  
  The biggest point is that Noa forced himself to embrace what he would consider a more 'mature' lifestyle, having been thrown into adult living almost immediately after entering Ryslig. He had a stark awareness of what being alone could mean in that situation, which led him to seek out and hold a job. He clung and pursued all perceived necessities of adult life, preferring to do things himself rather than place trust into strangers. (While he did briefly room with Seto, the man's quick disappearance only increased this determined state of independence) Because of this, Noa's already existing tendency to cling to those that become fond of him took a uniquely 'protective' turn; he began to view those with more idealistic attitudes as those who were not so much 'lesser' (indeed, his initial conversation with Judai Yuki of all people leaves him pleasantly surprised at the other's intelligence in certain areas) but more in need of care.
  
  As much as he would time and again come to initially deny such feelings, close association with persistent acquaintances leads Noa to become something of a friendship focused 'tsundere', constantly shadowing his friends to make sure they stay out of trouble, while denying any actual care toward their wellbeing. He totally wasn't setting up this Christmas party because he heard you wanted one. Totally. (And it's absolutely coincidence he kept that puppy you gave him while he's at it!)
  
  While a side effect of this is that his 'humbler' nature became more depressed as well, there is the matter of how these attitudes were affected by the 'Pieces of Heart' event in late January. Before this can be explained, there is the matter of his identity as a monster, and his associations with the gods of the game setting-another set of attitudes twisted by the event.
  
  While a follower of the Fog God-the deity who brings almost all newcomers into the game-Noa was at one point driven beyond the brink of his calm thought. Formerly treating his alliance as little more than a back-up, nearly being killed over it and accused of being in association with the 'devil' herself finally caused Noa to snap for the sheer sake of survival; if his own actions were so horrific, then so be it, he would still be better than the one trying to kill him. The decision propelled him into loyalty to the fog-while leaving his morals, and his guilt toward killing at all, in the same place as before. He still abstained from it as much as he could, and still held himself a few notches higher than 'them'...while viewing his state as a naga as something of a reminder that he was still not quite untainted. (Snake in Eden gags galore, to say the least) It did not help that, with each passing moment of 'god war' afterward, more parallels could be drawn between Elias (The 'Fourth God' that Noa's near-murderer followed, and the Fog God's enemy) and Noa himself; Elias was a child who was hooked up to a computer system by his father, his very life force made into the network itself. He became locked in the state he was in, bodiless and 'dead', but more importantly with the actions of his followers appeared to care little for the lives of anyone in his way, creating a grim reminder of who Noa had once been, for Noa himself. ...To say nothing of the Pieces of Heart event.
  
  The Pieces of Heart Event had the 4th God connect everyone accessing in-game laptops to a massive dreamscape, where everyone's minds took the form of some sort of realm...ripe for manipulation. (No wonder Noa drew parallels to himself, to say the least) Three of Noa's friends ventured into his own-and while the base of his morals therefore remained the same, their actions concerning the Fog and also Noa's own monstrous form cause those morals to gain a sharpened edge. Noa's methods were allowed to embrace a cold bit of brutality-still a businessman at heart, but someone capable of taking a life if they proved themselves 'beyond justice' in his eyes. In this way, killing in self-defense no longer leaves a lingering edge of guilt-but more importantly, neither does killing to protect the ones he cares for. (Nor would killing for food, but, well. He's no longer going to be in Ryslig, so he won't BE killing for food any more.)
  
  In this way, his monster form has been embraced not as a monster, but in a more casual state as well; he has accepted the fact that he looks inhuman, the fact that he has lost his legs, the fact that he is cold blooded. In fact, once humans can be removed from the diet, it makes that acceptance all the easier. Noa can come to peace with his body-and more importantly, become more of the child he is.
  
  Noa in Ryslig was forced to focus on adult aspects of life, but by the time the new year came, was beginning to regrow a few guilty pleasures for games and toys as well; following the event, the enjoyment isn't coated in as much guilt, and his attachment to his friends easier to accept and acknowledge than deny. He is still, of course, a little touchy about making it obvious-but at the end of the day?
  
  At the core of his heart, even the guilt for the fact that he was still alive yet could be removed; leaving Noa under the impression that as he is alive, he is meant to enjoy it.
  
  He loves his friends, and his new 'family' as they became. He enjoys his games as much as he enjoys his work, and as much as he loves to simply learn. Above everything, by the time he makes the jump out from Ryslig, he has come to not feel guilty about clinging to life, but to instead Love it.
  
  ...even if still in a bit of a 'tsun' manner.
  
  Powers/Abilities/Talents: OH BOY.
  
  In Ryslig, all monsters can be...relatively equal by way of all being monsters. Next to the average man this is far from the case however, so I've taken the liberty of Nerfing The Heck Outta Noa; there's a lot of things that have the potential to be STUPIDLY OP otherwise. That aside, here is the (nerfed) list, open for Even More Nerfing if necessary. As a note, all powers that require the 'fog' to trigger have been removed entirely....since. Fog as it 'is' doesn't exist here.
  
  Basic & Physical Monster Abilities
  
  
• All monsters in Ryslig are noted to be about as strong as five men; Noa is similar, though it's probably more accurate to say he can probably lift a car with slight effort (and his weird wing hands because what is Balance)
  
  
• Naga, being based on snakes, are considered quicker than the average man by far, with quicker reaction times; the drawback is Noa has a 24 foot long tail and boy howdy THERE ARE LIMITS TO HOW YOU CAN MANEUVER THAT THING. He's also cold blooded, becoming more lethargic in cool weather. (He does, however, have greater resistance to heat as well)
  
  
• Noa is highly poisonous; he can inject venom with his fangs, as well as spit it. Naturally, he is immune to his own poison as well.
  
  
• Aside from the ability to 'taste' the air, he is also able to utilize a form of Heat Vision with focus.
  
  
• While unable to chew foods, Noa's venom can be used to dissolve solid objects from the inside out, and his mouth stretches to where the ears one were when fully opened; one can probably guess what these two points mean in tandem. (He can swallow a pig. That's what it means. He could probably swallow an entire pig.)
  
  
• In Ryslig, monsters craved and were forced to feed on human beings at least once a month. For the purposes of this game, this need has been replaced with Noa's secondary feeding method of 'energy'-and to a non fatal level. Details of how he 'eats energy' are under 'magical power', but beyond this, Noa prefers blended foods. He has the ability to sense to the moment how long he has to feed before he enters a starved, berserk state.
  
  
• Noa's 'wings' are, in fact, not wings; they are very flexible 'hand-like' structures, capable of about as much fine movement as expected from an enormous baseball glove. They can flare out with his hood as part of a threat display, however.
  
  
• There are four snakes growing from Noa's hair-Noa is able to very vaguely see through them, though it is difficult to be accurate with this unless he focuses on one in particular.
  
  'Magical' Abilities
  
  
• In the vein of Shapeshifting, Noa has a few different forms thanks to his alliances and time in Ryslig; first, he is able to turn into a standard 'sawscale viper'. This form is far faster than his typical state-but it is very vulnerable, and weak as a consequence.
  
  Second, his 'Basilisk' form; aside from lending an alternative, humanoid state (which is basically 'imagine if Noa had eight lizard legs along the tail, and also had spines), this form is also small...about the size of an iguana. Both forms are able to dig with great ease through the earth, but he can only take this form for 8 hours, and only once every 24...it takes considerable energy, and he needs to eat a full meal after doing so.
  
  Third, and similarly tied to a need for energy; the 'Bakunawa'. An enormous, 'winged' serpent, it cannot move on land due to its mass-it is able to swim, holding its breath to dive deep distances, and the size of the mouth allows Noa to carry others through the water in this manner.
  
  
• Noa has many eye-related powers, all of which may or may not work depending on OOC permission as well as IC 'flukes' (in other words, his powers are no longer guaranteed here); on a basic level, making eye contact with noa paralyzes people on the spot, and eventually turns them to stone (which can be cured by pouring his venom over them). If Noa wills it, and begins to speak, his eyes seem to shift, and the victim suffers hallucinations of their worst memories associated to the words Noa speaks. Noa needs to retain eye contact for all of these powers to work-or in the case of the latter, continue speaking the entire time it is in effect.
  
  
• There is a rattle at the end of Noa's tail, which when rattled, is capable of mesmerizing human beings. In accordance with his secondary feeding method while in Ryslig, it also saps the energy of those who hear it. This is how he will feed on energy in Medietas as well-though this aspect of his power requires focus.
  
  
• An uncontrolled power; when Noa becomes more irritated, or enraged, glass begins to shatter in his presence.
  
  
• His last and most impressive power; Noa has control over 'electric magic', able to both 'breathe' lightning, and create it. The easiest way is to pull it from sources near-by, but the electricity is strongest if he creates it from the natural clash of heat and cold around him (which is how Actual lightning is formed). The electricity is typically white-though if he uses it while wet, or in water, he runs the high risk of electrocuting himself! And so help him if ANYONE makes a burst stream joke in his earshot-
  
  AU/CR AU Addendum: OH THERE'S AN AU SECTION....
  
  Well. Noa being a CRAU, his 'au' is essentially 'he was apped to another game, things happened, and now he's coming out from there'. As such...everything relevant to that is sort of threaded above, oops. Game history is noted in bullets under history, changes to personality noted in personality, and most importantly, all obtained powers noted under POWERS. Hopefully this format works out for those reading this app!
  
  What 4 items would you like your character to have with them on the island during their stay? Because Noa is a HUGE DWEEB, 3/4 of his personal items are...alive.
  
  Hyde - Some sort of Fungus-like pet, it doesn't appear to do anything useful. Hyde is a unique creature that seems to inexplicably come back to life if somehow separated from Noa and killed-and it ALWAYS seeks him out, following him around. About the size of a turkey, it has many eyes, and sounds like a squeaky frog when it vocalizes. Noa still doesn't actually know how it eats. Or if it sleeps. Or anything, really. This is apparently what happens when you ask a witch for 'a mystery to solve'.
  
  Egle - A large chair formed of tree roots, which live and carry it around at will. It needs to be watered with alcohol to survive, and since Noa can no longer fit in the chair (it was originally used when he didn't have legs OR a tail), Egle generally acts as a small luggage transport. It's basically a magical AI chair...which is hopefully okay with water now since it'd be a shame if it died here.
  
  Tyst - Noa's norfolk terrier! It's a dog the size of a puppy, it looks like a puppy, and that is all she is. A p- well dog, but basically a puppy.
  
  The fourth and final item is thankfully Not Alive;
  
  Old Dusty Key - A now functionally useless key to Dyster, which represented his alignment. And now it just represents Bad Life Decisions oops.
  
  Samples
  First Person: Here and Here, + A Ryslig Inbox Thread in case those first two are more 'third person'-y.
  Third Person: [And Then Usagi Wrote Prose About If Noa Ends Up With Legs Again]
  
  He awakens in a pain not unlike when he found himself in Touya's dream-and yet, as he groans and strains to get over the numbness covering most of him, he finds that the sensation of severe weakness from that time is absent. He feels weaker, it's true-and as he hisses and pulls himself into a sitting position, the sight of legs instead of a tail once again makes him wonder if there's been another attack. But something feels wrong about this. Terribly wrong, too wrong in fact, and the boy squints as he gently peers under his glasses to test the theory. He feels cold.
  
  His eyes can tell. Squinting and focusing brings blue where his body lies, and a dull gold where the sun shines on wood around him. The focus is given up, and Noa replaces his glasses, a dull hiss in his ears-and he does have ears he realizes, briefly feeling around at those. "...Well. At least you're still here," he notes, sighing in relief as one of the snakes from his head flicks a curious tongue at him. The dopey, boa face stares about unblinkingly, blue eyes shining clearly against their white. All four are certainly there, he thinks, and quietly he rubs at his jaw. No teeth-only fangs, so that's the same...he can't really feel the lines of his mouth, but he decides against testing the theory that it's still just as flexible.
  
  Best not to scare whoever else is on this...boat?
  
  Noa grunts, and stands, legs wobbling from lack of use until he's forced to grab for the railing nearby for balance. It doesn't feel like he's on the water. Yet he could swear he's on some kind of boat, so where..? Where could he possibly be?
  
  His eyes move, and as they take in the sights of floating isles, he cannot help but gasp. Part of him still wonders if this is a dream.
  
  Another part feels himself grow colder than he already is, as the growing chance that he is no longer even in Ryslig occurs to him.
  
  Finally, out of the 4 words, pick one: Chimes, lake, gravel, or sun? WHITE WILLOW VILLAGE