Fall Knight is a variant of the Dark Knight job, personal to Vivienne Everlinger. Her commune with the darkness within was fueled by her trauma surrounding the massacre of her entire village, which happened at the height of autumn. What was once her favorite season as a child became the backdrop for the worst memories she had ever experienced. As a result, in her mind, she fully associates the vibrant nature of autumn with gruesome and gory imagery.To onlookers, each swing of her sword emits vivid, vibrant afterimages of deep autumn colors; meanwhile, in Vivienne's mind, those same weaponskills and abilities simply appear as those of a normal Dark Knight.Vivienne the Fall Knight can serve as either a tank or a melee DPS in trust duties. It is functionally a reskin and custom renaming of Dark Knight job actions.

“My name is Vivienne Everlinger. That's the name I've chosen for myself, for I will ‘ever linger’ in this life, this world. Because I wanna live. I want to be happy. And I fight for what I want. Everything I have, I fought for... and won. Will you?"

-Vivienne Everlinger, Main Scenario III:
Bloom III: Mutual Exclusivity

There was once a village with no name, made up of Shetona who still practiced the 'old ways' of the Viera, forever exiling all who leave the village. An unkind village, who hated only Tonawawta more than their own exiles.One morning, a baby mysteriously appears in the village square, immediately recognized by her ashen skin and the smallest leporine ears had ever seen on a babe as the child of an exiled Shetonan mother and her Tonawawtan lover. The child was begrudgingly fed and housed but not deemed anyone's child, being named Wiviyihe, meaning 'little devil child', in disgust of her parents' 'filthy union'.Spending her entire childhood bullied, ostracized, and isolated planted the dark seeds of rage, resentment, and hatred within her that blossomed and bloomed little by little, until one night, when she was fourteen, she was framed for the unfortunate death of a village hunter, and under threat of being lynched by her entire village in retaliation, she had embraced the darkness within, awakening as a Dark Knight, and, in a moment of insanity, massacring the nameless village, doing unto them what they would have done to her.In the present day, she works as a mercenary and adventurer in Eorzea. She makes a decent amount of money doing so, but finds herself still dissatisfied.All she wants is to live a happy, relatively normal life. However, she finds herself struggling to come to terms with her past and at worst, struggling to overcome the trauma of that fateful night.To her, each and every day is a battle, whether with an enemy or with her own mind. Each day, she fights for her right to survive. Each day, she struggles to form lasting interpersonal relationships, platonic or otherwise. Each day, she struggles to find the answers to the questions she always ends up asking herself:Does she deserve to live? Does she deserve to be happy?

Vivienne cowering behind Devoss upon meeting someone new.

Overview

Vivienne is extremely introverted, pessimistic, and paranoid; she is slow to befriend other people, let alone trust them. She is also quick to violence should anyone do anything to prove themselves untrustworthy or show any intent to harm Vivienne or her loved ones.However, when she does end up trusting someone, she becomes very attached to them, bordering on obsession. The closer you are to her, or namely, the more vulnerable she can be around you, the more likely she'll be willing to fight and even die for you.Vivienne is also incredibly loyal; she will always choose the people she has faith in, regardless of whether that choice is right or wrong, easily forgoing what she knows is the "right thing to do" if it means her confidants would benefit.

Traits

Miscellaneous Blurbs

(for the curious)

About Vivienne:

About all of Everlinger's characters:

You find your bearings, feeling uncomfortable in your own body, for the realm you have now entered is not meant for you. This realm is an afterlife for spirits, departed and alive, for those who ever linger.

In context:

The Ever Lingering spirit is an enigmatic force that persists throughout the universe that has the potential to manifest in any sapient being. However, it tends to manifest more often on the Source, becoming less likely to manifest in beings in other reflections of Etheirys, and far less likely to manifest in other realms in the Sea of Stars.Pariahs, in general, are far more likely to have the Ever Lingering spirit manifest within them. The only somewhat-known requirement of the manifestation of the Ever Lingering soul is that the affection person(s) come to their own conclusion that they shall 'ever linger' in a cold, cruel, or an otherwise unwelcoming environment.If the Ever Lingering spirit manifests within an individual sufficiently enough, it bestows upon them mysterious power, granting them more strength, agility, and stamina than their peers, and emboldens their will to 'ever linger' upon the star. It will also grant them the immense urge to name themselves 'Everlinger', either as a nickname, or replacing one of their names, even going so far as to abandon their worldly, family name (if they have one).

Out of context:

Everlinger is a very personal 'alias' that I thought up for myself to the point where I set it as my screen name for everything, and include it in the name for all of my characters, regardless of whether or not their stories intertwine.I lived in Japan for four years, between 2018 and 2022. Prior to that, I studied the Japanese language for more than seven years, on and off; that is to say, I was near-fluent when I moved to Japan. Despite this, one thing about living in Japan that everyone needs to know is: regardless of how fluent you are in the language, living in Japan is not for everyone, and how closed off people tend to be in Japan can make living in Japan a very isolating experience. (Of course, every situation is different, but this tends to be true more often than not.)I had already suffered from depression before I came to live in Japan, and the thing I would warn all people who aspire to live in Japan is this: I feel like to at least some degree, most people who want to live in Japan are under the impression that living in Japan will fix whatever is wrong with them; it will not. As they say, 'you bring all of your baggage with you', and if you suffer from any mental illness, it will stay with you in Japan, and even be exacerbated because mental health is not treated as seriously there as it is in the US.Despite my fluency, I struggled to form any lasting, meaningful relationships in Japan, platonic or romantic, in real life or in Final Fantasy XIV. That isolation, along with having almost no support network, being hated by my coworkers, as well as COVID-19 happening halfway through my stay in Japan was a near-deadly combination. To be blunt, living in Japan was the closest I had ever been to killing myself.Because I struggled with isolation and never really belonging anywhere not just in Japan, but my entire life in the States, I coped with it by concluding that the universe or whoever created me either hated me or was toying with me. It was then that I made a promise to myself to 'ever linger' in this world, that no matter how hard things get for me, I will never take my own life -- I would never 'let them win'. In this way, I motivate myself to keep moving forward, if not out of hope, then out of spite.Because of how personal this name is as well as its origins, I will not lie when I say someone else being aware of the above and nevertheless choosing to give the name 'Everlinger' to their character would irrationally upset me. However, should you identify with the 'Ever Lingering spirit', and especially if it brings you comfort, I won't stop you from naming your character Everlinger as well.

Devoss Sasaki

Beloved Friend, Chosen Sister

“Y-you just… you didn’t deserve any of that. What happened to you in that village. A-and I don’t want you to live the rest of your life so… p-paranoid."

Vivienne's best friend and chosen sister.In each other they found a kindred spirit and bonded over the loss of their respective communities. Devoss fled her village, exiling herself out of shame for her inability to hear the voice of the Wood, and Vivienne massacring her village in a moment of insanity during her awakening as a Dark Knight.They are nigh inseparable due to their mutual sense of responsibility to each other. Devoss feels responsible for helping Vivienne live her life to the fullest, while Vivienne feels responsible for being Devoss's family, as a substitute for her own, whom she can never return to.

Fiatra Forna

Beloved Friend, Font of Positivity

"That's not true! You're so much more than that... You're our friend, and you're someone worth caring about."

One of Vivienne's closest friends and confidantes.A social being, Fiatra is known for her cat-like charm, being able to seamlessly fit in to every circle she finds herself in the middle of.She is nothing if not a free spirit; she goes wherever and does whatever she pleases. Even so, when Vivienne is in need of a friend, Fiatra can always be counted on to lend a feline ear for listening (or petting).

Scarlet Migurdia

Beloved Friend, Font of Perception

"You're not in that village anymore. You're here, with friends who love and care about you. Never forget that."

One of Vivienne's closest friends and confidantes.Ever perceptive, Scarlet often knows exactly what Vivienne is thinking; if Vivienne even so much as makes the smallest exaggeration or mistruth, Scarlet will see right through it.She dubs herself a 'demon of the underworld'. No one knows if that's actually true, though the demonic wings on her back certainly do look real...

Corvan Beltardois

Doctor, Source of Widsom

"Do not view yourself through the eyes of old pain. Choose to view yourself through the way others do."

Vivienne's doctor and old friend from when she had worked odd jobs in Eorzea before becoming a full-time mercenary.Though they were both young when they worked together as fellow baristas, Corvan became maturer and wiser much faster than Vivienne did.As such, to this day, Corvan serves as Vivienne's psychological guide. Reliable for his direct approach (i.e. blunt advice), Corvan can always be counted on to guide Vivienne to her way forward.

Uah'shepya Everstriver

Passionate Brother of the Nameless Village

"I've been all over Tural, and... I cried a lot. Never been so used to people being so... nice to you, for no reason. The people in our village... they weren't kind."

One of the survivors of the Nameless Village of around the same age as Vivienne.He tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, and is the most passionate of the 'Nameless Remnants'.Unlike the other two in his group, Uah'shepya did not easily get over the massacre of the Nameless Village, and so he had made an attempt on Vivienne's life. Upon being spared by her, however, he finds himself unable to hate her and watches over her like a big brother.

Yyopya Everreaper

Caring Brother of the Nameless Village

"Sorry, baby. The Everreaper always get what he wants."

One of the survivors of the Nameless Village of around the same age as Vivienne.The most extroverted and fun-loving of the 'Nameless Remnants', Yyopya is the 'social butterfly' of the group, reliable for his ability to gather intel.The middle child of the three brothers, Yyopya is chiefly concerned with the well-being of his two brothers, and by extension, Vivienne, his sister.He is also known for being a fellow party animal with Dancing Green of Arcadion fame, and therefore, had the connections to recommend Uah'shepya as a competitor.

Oshce Everwonder

Withdrawn Brother of the Nameless Village

"Dammit...! Humanoid corpse was my fifth guess..."

One of the survivors of the Nameless Village of around the same age as Vivienne.Introverted and withdrawn, yet very technologically and academically intelligent, Oshce is the 'brains' of the 'Nameless Remnants'.He is handy with terminals and other modern technology. Solution Nine technology especially is his specialty, as he is able to repair dozens of terminals in the course of a single day, making him an asset among Solution Nine citizenry.

Nahueni Everhunter

Nemesis, Sister of the Nameless Village

"Hah. A damn shame. I SO wanted to see you enjoy that tea... and then write and squirm, like a bug."

One of the survivors of the Nameless Village of around the same age as Vivienne.Tormented Vivienne throughout their childhoods, and can be considered the direct cause of Vivienne's awakening as a Dark Knight.Twenty-eight years later, they have an unpleasant reunion in the form of a failed poisoning attempt. Both Shetona opt to engage in single combat to settle the score between them.

Wiviyihe Esteem

Living Shadow

"Stand tall. Move forward. Live."

A simulacrum that became bound to Vivienne at the age of fourteen.Due to its involvement in Vivienne's greatest sin, its name was inspired by Vivienne's very own birth name that was used to demonize her for her entire childhood.To this day, Wiviyihe Esteem shows itself when summoned, and is a reliable guardian and partner to Vivienne. Perhaps... too reliable.

Toashiua Everlinger

Exile, Loving Mother

"You still can't see me...? I'm still naught but an Esteem to you...? Gods... DAMN it all! Gods damn this magick! Let me speak to my child!! Vivienne!!"

The true identity of Wiviyihe Esteem: the soul of Vivienne's mother, sealed away within the body of her daughter.

Vivienne Everlinger, Main Scenario I

Bloom I: Awakening

~The Tragedy of the Village with No Name~^{開花I：暗黒覚醒  ～名もなき里の悲劇～}

"In that moment, every single Shetona in the village was, once again, of one mind, for they had all come to the same harrowing realization:
they had not sheltered a devil child; they had created one."

There was once a village with no name, and within it lived Shetona who still practiced the 'old ways' of the Viera, forever exiling all who leave their village. An unkind village, who hated only Tonawawta, the sworn enemies of the Shetona, more than their own exiles.One morning, a baby mysteriously appeared in the village square. Its ashen skin and incredibly small ears made it immediately recognized by the village as the spawn of a certain exiled Shetonan mother and a Tonawawtan she fell in love with.At the behest of the Wood, the village took the 'devil child', as they so named it, fed and clothed it... but never treated it as one of their own. The child would spend their entire childhood as a pariah, condemning it to a life of insecurity and nigh inability to connect with others.So begins 'The Tragedy of the Village with No Name', a fable that had recently begun to be told in modern Shetonan villages, as a grim warning that a child unloved by their village will burn it down to feel its warmth.

Vivienne Everlinger, Main Scenario III

Bloom III: Mutual Exclusitivy

~Justice vs The Right to Be Happy~^{開花III：排反のシェトナ ～正義VS幸せになる権利～}

"For Corvan's sage guidance and Devoss's sisterly love had nurtured something within Vivienne, a seed of empathy that blossomed and flourished, giving the 'devil' the capability to be considerate to even her worst mortal enemy."

The Tragedy of the Village with No Name may be a fable told in modern Shetona villages, though unbeknownst to most, it is a very true story -- the story of Vivienne Everlinger, who did indeed kill a hundred Shetona that fateful night, in a moment of insanity and in self-defense.To this day, Vivienne struggles to come to terms with her dark past; nearly every day, she questions whether she deserves to live at all, whether she deserves to be happy, whether she deserves to enjoy the blessings in her life, such as having someone to call Sister, going on trips to Sharlayan, eating delicious meals and sipping on fragrant tea.She would discover the answer to those questions that burned within her... upon a chance encounter with Nahueni, a Shetona from her village who had survived the massacre, and who had directly caused Vivienne's awakening as a Dark Knight.Both Shetona have every reason to seek the end of the other's life. In this story, a 28-year-old grudge is settled. Who will emerge victorious: Nahueni's justice, brought about by ending the life of Vivienne, the killer of her family and village; or Vivienne's right to life and her pursuit of happiness?

Vivienne Everlinger, Side Scenario
Main Scenario III Bad Ending

Bloom III-B: Justice Prevails

^{開花III-B：正義が勝つバッドエンド}

Uah'shepya Everstriver:
“That dream village of hers… and Vivienne herself… became my hope. My light. A light you’ve… snuffed out. And in its stead, you just bring… more death. More hate. I’m so sick of it…”

Vivienne's love for her friends, and the lessons she had learnt from them, had caused her to lower her guard, allowing Nahueni the ultimate chance to plunge her concealed daggers in the back of her family's killer.Vivienne, in her newfound sympathy for Nahueni, might have had no qualms of dying by Nahueni's hand. She, however, could not stop her faithful simulacrum, Wiviyihe Esteem, from coming out of its own accord to protect Vivienne and kill the one who threatened her life. And so, the unavoidable outcome of Nahueni's death came to pass.But what if Wiviyihe Esteem didn't, or couldn't, protect Vivienne of its own accord?This story, the alternate ending of "Mutual Exclusivity: Justice vs The Right to Be Happy", will explore what would come of Nahueni's successful revenge. What if... in the clash between Nahueni's justice and Vivienne's happiness, justice had prevailed?

Vivienne Everlinger, Main Scenario II

Bloom II: Sisters

~Our Home, Away from Home~^{開花II：絆で結ばれた姉妹  ～あたしたちの作った居場所～}

Vivienne Everlinger:
"Heheh, what a comforting thought... Even if we can't hear Her, the Wood thinks always of Her children... Even if… even if only half of me is of Her…"

Devoss Sasaki, born Lluv, is unable to ever return to her home village, as by decree of the Green Word, Viera who leave their village are forever exiled.Vivienne Everlinger, born Wiviyihe, struggles to come to terms with her dark past, for she massacred her village in a moment of insanity during her awakening as a Dark Knight.And so, from the night they met, they had known and accepted their role as each other's sisters, since then becoming nigh inseparable. Not only do they often run into each other in public places, at least once a week they have 'sister dates' to cafes or restaurants.To mix it up, one night, Vivienne decides to bring Devoss hunting in the Ja Tiika Heartlands in hopes of reminding her of home... only to come together to a realization that rocked both sisters to their core.

Vivienne Everlinger, Main Scenario II

Bloom IV: Tetelestai

~Her Inevitable Homecoming~^{開花IV：テテレスタイ（完了）  ～悪魔の子に相応しい帰郷～}

Oshce Everwonder:
"If I were to describe my feelings about what you did that night, twenty-eight years ago… I’d struggle to say I ‘forgive’ you. You killed scores of Shetona that night, Vivienne. Even if you weren't in full control. It was still you."

Two months ago, Uah'shepya had invited Vivienne to come to Solution Nine, where Yyopya and Oshce, who have also survived the village massacre, have come to reside. Although Vivienne had initially postponed this reunion due to needing more time to emotionally prepare, she finds herself now with another, more urgent reason to come to Xak Tural: the burial of Nahueni Everhunter.Vivienne finds herself struggling with the guilt of having killed yet another from her village and the plunge of despair she suffered after having lifted herself up with the hope of sparing Nahueni and starting anew. How will she break the news to her brothers, two of whom she had not seen since that fateful night? And how will they take it?

Vivienne Everlinger, Main Scenario V

Cage I: Re(birth/verse)

~The Dearly Departed Me~^{閉塞I：リバース（再誕／逆転）  ～亡くなった弱いあたし～}

Devoss Sasaki:
"This isn't like you! And above all... this isn't... Vivienne, this isn't how you treat your friends!!"

From her pilgrimage to Yyasulani, to where her village once stood before she decimated it in a single night, twenty-eight years ago, Vivienne had returned... a completely different woman.She left Eorzea the shy, introverted, but lovable Vivienne she always had been, only to return jaded, sullen, and closed-off. She stopped contacting her friends, [TW: self-harm] she started cutting herself behind closed doors, and began recklessly fighting at Ul'dah's coliseum, welcoming any and all challengers.Seeing Vivienne like this concerns everyone who knew her. It breaks the heart of her closest friends: Devoss, Scarlet, and Fiatra. And so the three girls steel their resolve to reach out to Vivienne... while having no other choice but to do so within the halls of the coliseum... on Vivienne's terms.

Little Sister

the emotional playlist

Fall Knight

the angsty playlist

"Bloom"

0:00 - 6:30

"I like to watch flowers die in reverse...
...I like to watch trouble grow like a curse...
...I like to hide sunshine in my pocket...
...but one line and my peace sign is a rocket...""Can't stop me now, I'm coming soon..."

"Cage"

6:30 - 13:25

"Spending hours and days throwing shovels full of dirt on the grave of the dearly departed Ver. 1 of me...""An invisible life, I guess, deserves an equally invisible death...""From the past, the baby cries...
...all grown up, bring him into the light...
...from here, you're on your own...
...from here, I'm on my own..."

"Spine"

13:25 - 20:00

"If we're lucky, we're raised under love...
...some of us starve, never get enough...
...though we carry that weight up...""We can choose to brave it alone, gain the world while we lose our souls...
...but to save is beautiful...""Lights out, I'm alone with the rush of blood in my veins...
...this time, no one else around, the hero and the pain..."

"Mun and Muse"
Art by White Dog Studios
(Discord: @VoidCachorro)

BASIC INFO:
I, Vivienne's pilot/mun, am an Asian-American male in his early thirties. I do prefer to also be called "Vivi", especially in-game, but if you feel the need to differentiate me from Vivienne, you may call me "Everlinger" or "DK". (I will not give my real name, first or last, to people I am not close with.)I do not use social media. My Carrds are my main repositories of all my FFXIV-related creativity.


LOGISTICS:
I operate in Pacific Time.
Also, even though I pride myself on being able to write on an academic level, please be patient with me regardless, as I am, and likely always will be, relatively new to RP.On that note, please know that I am not very good at live, in-game RP. You will find me boring.
Walk-up-and-tell at your own risk.


ON JAPANESE LANGUAGE USE:
I used to live in Japan for four years, and I started my FFXIV journey in Japan. I have also studied Japanese for more than seven years prior to that, so I can speak Japanese decently. Vivienne cannot speak it, however, as it doesn't make sense for her to have that knowledge. As long as it is OOC, please feel free to speak/practice Japanese with me.


FANTASY VS REALITY:
I have a bad habit of referring to Vivienne in the first-person OOCly, especially with people I become more and more comfortable RPing with. However, rest assured, I do understand that other people are not their characters. Similarly, Vivienne's feelings towards other players' OCs are NOT a reflection of my personal feelings towards whoever is behind the screen.