application ❀ exsilium

[moskva]

» PLAYER INFORMATION
Player NAME: Ophelia
Current AGE: 23.
Personal JOURNAL: 616
IM & SERVICE: aim | telepathing
Player PLURK: mutants
Current CHARACTERS: Azrael, Charles Xavier

» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Ivan Braginski ❨ Russia ❩
Canon & MEDIUM: Axis Powers Hetalia ; non-linear manga (webcomic "strips") and anime series.
Canon PULL-POINT: Ivan will be pulled from the present day, meaning he is currently the present representation of the Russian Federation—and his canon point will be from the strips taking place in present day.
Character AGE: Unknown — Approximately 1,150 years.
Character ABILITIES:

❀ Super physical strength.
❀ General Winter lends him a (though haunting) connection to the season of winter, though he can't control it so much as it strengthens him.
❀ Supernatural inclinations—there is a strip where England is attempting to summon something with which to frighten America using a dramatic pagan circle and ends up getting Russia in his attempt. Additionally, England attempts to use a haunted chair (said to bring swift death to anyone who sits in it) to harm another nation and when Russia takes a seat in it, it shatters.

Character HISTORY:

❨ RUSSIA [ Hetalia Archives ] ❩ ❀ ❨ RUSSIA [ Wikipedia ] ❩ ❀ ❨ HETALIA [ Wikipedia ] ❩ ❀ ❨ OFFICIAL HETALIA TIMELINE [ Hetalia Archives ] ❩

Character PERSONALITY:

❝ A varied and huge northern country. He loves Vodka.
He has the simplicity of a country bumpkin and the cruelty of a child mixed together.
A young man that, even without saying anything gives off an intimidating air.
He pulls out water pipes and puts stuff that you shouldn’t normally put in there inside them, like rice balls, which he then eats like its ordinary.

A long time ago, under the warmth of the sunlight, he spent his time surrounded by sunflowers.
When will be the day that he realizes how he yearns for this lifestyle…? ❞

I'll preface this personality section by explaining that Ivan is a personification of the country of Russia in all its forms. The way that Axis Powers Hetalia "works", for lack of better phrasing, is that these characters—these countries—have experienced all of the aspects of their history, which manifest in personality traits, behaviors, goals, and motivations. Essentially, the very history of the nation of Russia is this character's canon. As is the nature of the Hetalia fandom, there are generally accepted "fancanon" interpretations of different historical events that have not been touched upon in Hetalia canon as of yet. I will be trying to steer clearer of those situations, and work with Ivan as though he's all that has so far been represented in canon primarily. However, Russia's history as a nation functions as the background and the source with which to pull additional portions of his backstory and experiences from in cases where there is no canon interpretation available.

In Axis Powers Hetalia canon, Ivan Braginski appears as a quiet and childlike character. His voice is soft and his intonation reflects that he is meant to be a "cute" character—which he is, though not without its deeper faults. Ivan is presented as so childlike that it is eerie, and he is canonically creepy and rather a loner in canon. On the outside, he is an unassuming and cute character, while on the inside he is needlessly cruel and mentally unstable; often displaying sociopathic behavior. Hidekaz Himaruya, the creator of Axis Powers Hetalia, has stated that Ivan is mentally unstable due to the nature of his war-ravaged history and turbulent past. He has stated that Ivan is cruel in a childlike way as an after-effect of this history, and that Ivan himself truly does not realize how his actions and desires can be malicious and haunting.

To give you an example of Ivan's nature, there is a scene during the anime (which has been adapted directly from strips of the webcomic) where France stops him to ask him why he is so quiet during meetings. He replies that he is used to being alone, and having grown up in a country where everyone is always quiet about being mad at each other, it is fun to listen to everyone argue and be loud and obnoxious. France begins to seem understanding of this, remarking on Ivan's past, before Ivan stops—a foreboding clash of music and dripping background imagery accompanying—and informs France that it makes him happy to watch all of their "stupid faces" and know that he will ultimately crush them all in their future.

Because of the above-mentioned behavior and varying repeats of said behavior, Ivan does not have very many friends. As the Soviet Union, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are represented as living in his house with him—in a situation where they are all three completely terrified by him while he tries to pass it off as just being their friend. Still, Ivan does not realize the depth of his frightening and cruel behavior to a comical degree. At one point in a strip, he sends a letter into France's radio show to ask how to get people to like him and how to make friends (of course, France's assistance is hideous and ultimately unhelpful). On the loner front, the only two nations that do consider themselves close to him are Ukraine and Belarus—his sisters. The latter of whom is completely obsessed with him to the point that he is terrified, and the former of whom is hardly able to speak to him. It's thought that she harbors feelings toward him as well, though hers are much quieter and not obsessive.

There is an important scene in one strip representing Bloody Sunday, wherein Ivan is seen crying and grasping a rifle, ready to assault the protesting citizens. Lithuania comes to hesitantly ask him what's wrong, and Ivan replies with "We don't want children who can't play nice, right?"—a moment wherein Ivan goes mad, orchestrating the event and kicking off the revolution of 1905. It is a scene wherein we truly realize: "He is one broken, frightening character, holy shitballs." It is a turning point in the narration of Ivan's mental state, and it gives you an idea of his desperately misguided and childlike desire for everyone to get along. Unfortunately, Ivan's way of "forcing everyone to get along" is by attempting to assimilate them into the nation of Russia and forcibly eliminating their culture; it is said that he isn't capable of realizing why that's terrible, like a child. "Everyone is friends now, okay? No more fighting because everyone is friends!"

In the shortest of shorts: Ivan is childlike, appearing sweet and kind, and he desires sweet and delicate things. His life isn't one that's facilitated this, and instead he's left broken, dangerous and confused—a loner without many friends, who is more intimidating and frightening than cheerful and friendly, though he is capable of being both.

» EXSILIUM INFORMATION

Chosen WEAPON: Ivan will choose to bring his water pipe with him from canon. As it evolves, it will become able to shift into more (and less) useful tools for fighting. For example, it will eventually be able to become a blade or a whip—but sometimes it will pitter out and shift itself into a kerchief or a bottle instead.
Chosen SKILLSET: Ivan could work both as a fighter and a diplomat, and will choose his role in accordance with necessity.
Character INVENTORY: He will come into the game with everything that he's wearing (scarf included, since it doesn't come off), as well as his water pipe. Also a bottle of vodka. From some convenient Mary Poppins pocket.

» SAMPLES
First PERSON:

❨ DEAR MUN POST [ and subsequent threads ] ❩

Third PERSON:

Ivan did not enjoy the process of being shuffled around through the Initiative Hold, but its decorum suited him, and he spent his time through its corridors with a broad smile on his features. It was only when he was released into the courtyard with his tablet and his money that he blinked and looked around. Raining. It was like his home. Was it always raining? As he walked, he rolled up the tablet device—she'd said he could!—and put it safely in his pocket while he surveyed the area. There was much to learn and she had said it all so fast!

Most notably, though, Ivan was comfortable. The smile on his face was a genuine one, even with his displeasure at the rain; which was forgivable. He did not want to be taken from his home, but it had not been a good time. His friends at home were gone, after all. He did not really have anyone who was left behind, save for perhaps some bears. Taking in the sights was secondary to him while he considered his thoughts. Where was he? Why did the fighting matter to him? He did not like fighting, not always. Hopefully there would not be the fighting always, he found himself thinking. But overall... something was comfortable, even in the wet, cold courtyard.

It was comfortable, and he was pleased; but he ought to go out and find himself some much-needed vodka.

» ADDITIONAL NOTES

Due to the sensitive nature of playing a character like Ivan from a canon like Axis Powers Hetalia, I would like to notate here that I am 100% aware of the implications and potential issues that could arise with him. As a player, I intend to come at him with sensitivity in mind, and it's important to me that I do a good job of playing him while at the same time maintaining respect for the nation of Russia and its vast history.