the_true_historian | The Wake App

Personal Information
Name: Mags
Age: 30
Personal Journal:

magharabi
Email / AIM / MSN / Plurk: magharabi(at)gmail(dot)com; AIM: OharasChild, magharabi;

magharabi
Current Character(s): N/A

Character Information
Character Name: Nico Robin
Fandom: One Piece
Source: Wikipedia

Character History: (Note: I have only written her history up to the canon point I am pulling her from. There are a few more story arcs and a two year timeskip afterwards.)

The island of Ohara used to be known throughout the world as the hub of intellectual and academic activity. It hosted the world's greatest and oldest library, and produced the finest minds, known to be consistently at the forefront of science and history. Robin was born on this island, the child of archaeologists. Her father is only mentioned as having possibly died by the time she was two, when her mother, Olvia, left her in the care of her uncle in order to take to the sea and continue her father's studies. Like Cosette with the Thenardiers, Robin's presence in the household rankles with the rest of the family, who treat her like a slave and a burden. As Robin grows, she longs for her own family- specifically, her mother. She learns to read, and studies hard, passing her Doctoral exams at the age of eight. She hopes that, if she can prove useful when her mother returns from the sea, the woman will take her along on the next expedition. During the course of her studying, she finds out that the other scholars have been hiding and translating an ancient monolith, called a Poneglyph. The World Government has banned study of these particular artifacts, as well as any inquiry into what is now called the Void Century- a span of 100 years during which there are no known or openly acknowledged record. It is believed that the Poneglyphs hold the key to unlocking the Void Century, but also contain a dark secret, the locations of three ancient superweapons which have the ability to destroy the world. After Robin passes her exams, she admits to the other scholars that she knows about the Poneglyphs, and has taught herself to read the language found thereon. Professor Clover, the leader of the scholars, forbids her from further study of the Poneglyphs, and refuses to let her join them. Upset, Robin runs to a secluded area of the beach, where she meets a shipwrecked ex-Marine, Jaguar D. Saul. Over the next few days they become friends. Saul tells Robin about the world outside of Ohara, and talks to her about nakama, or the people with whom you share a bond similar to that of a family. A few days later, Olvia returns on a stolen Marine ship to warn the other scholars that the World Government is on its way to destroy them for their crimes. Not long afterwards, her warning comes to fruition. Robin finds a way to speak with her mother just once before the Marines open fire on the island, in a devastating maneuver called the Buster Call. The ancient library and all the knowledge it held goes up in flames, the ship designated for refugees, those who lived on the island but were innocent of the scholars' crimes is also destroyed, and there are no survivors but one. Saul pleads with one of the Marine officers, Kuzan, to let Robin escape, and Kuzan agrees because of the respect he has for Saul.

After Robin's escape, not much is known about her life. The World Government learns of her survival, and issues her a bounty high enough to tempt any citizens who might take her in. Eventually, Robin realizes she cannot trust civilians, and that she will never be able to lead a quiet life on some remote island. So she turns to pirates- people already living outside of the law, and oftentimes with bounties of their own, in order to survive. During the next twenty years, Robin joins and betrays an undefined number of pirate crews in order to stay one step ahead of the World Government.

Eventually, she is approached by Crocodile, a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, which is a group of pirates sanctioned by the government and tasked with keeping upstart pirates from getting too powerful. He promises to shield her from the World Government, in return for her leading him to one of the ancient weapons spoken of on the Poneglyphs. Robin agrees, and they travel together to an island nation called Arabasta. They set up an organization which fronts as a company of bounty hunters, Baroque Works, though its true purpose is to undermine the king's power so that Crocodile can take his place and gain access to information on where the Poneglyph is kept. Behind Crocodile's back, Robin allows Arabasta's princess, Vivi, to learn of their plans to topple the kingdom. When Vivi joins with the Strawhat Pirates, Robin offers them directions to an island near Arabasta which is unknown to the members of Baroque Works. Luffy, the captain of the Strawhats, refuses, and Robin returns to her duties as Vice President of the organization. Once the Strawhat Pirates arrive in Arabasta, Robin acts as their enemy, though from time to time she does still help them out when neither they nor Crocodile would know about it. In the end, Crocodile and Robin successfully start a civil war, kidnap the king, and force him to show them the tomb where the Poneglyph has been hidden. Robin lies about the contents of the Poneglyph, claiming that in the end, it says nothing about a weapon. Crocodile calls her bluff, and she tries to kill him but fails. Crocodile stabs her in return, and she falls unconscious. Soon after, Luffy arrives to fight Crocodile, who poisons him. By that time, Robin has regained consciousness, and she gives the antidote for the poison to the king to give to Luffy. Once recovered, Luffy carries both the king and Robin out of the tomb.

Robin has nowhere to go, having made herself an enemy of the kingdom, having no crew, and having no home, so she stows away on the Strawhats' ship until they are well away from the island. Once safely out at sea, she reveals herself to the crew, and demands that Luffy allow her to join them as penance for not allowing her to die in Arabasta. Luffy agrees, much to the chagrin of his crew. Over time, however, Robin earns their trust and their friendship. They travel together to an island in the sky called Skypiea, where she finds yet another Poneglyph, and realizes that her dream is not lost to her. During the course of their adventures on Skypeia, Robin comes to care for the other members of the Strawhat Pirates deeply, at last having found the nakama Saul had promised her existed. After leaving Skypeia, the crew returns to the Blue Sea, where they are challenged by a rival pirate crew to a Davy Back Fight, and she proves to be a valuable asset. Afterwards, they have a run-in with Kuzan, nicknamed Aokiji, who has risen to the rank of Vice-Admiral in the Marines. Kuzan tells the crew that Robin will be a liability to them, and that every pirate organization she has ever joined has been destroyed by her hand. He uses his Devil's Fruit Ability to freeze both Robin and Luffy, then leaves. The Strawhat Pirates thaw them out, then make their way to Water 7, a shipbuilding island modeled after Venice, Italy.

On Water 7, Robin is passed by a man in a mask, who whispers the word, "CP9". Robin disappears down an alleyway, and the Strawhats have no idea where she went. Early the next morning, the news is passed around that a member of the Strawhat Pirates attempted to assassinate the mayor of Water 7. Robin had betrayed them, and framed them for the murder while working with a secret government agency. However, the Strawhats can't accept it, and decide there must have been an ulterior motive. The mayor tells them what he knows, that the Marines had granted the leader of CP9 the ability to use a Buster Call against the Strawhat Pirates, and Robin had traded her life for theirs. CP9 used her to try and kill the mayor, who they suspected had the blueprints for one of the ancient weapons spoken of on the Poneglyphs, and they were taking Robin to Enies Lobby for judgment, and then execution. The crew follows her through a tsunami to Enies Lobby and beg her to return to them. At first, Robin refuses, telling them that they have no idea how heavy a burden she will become to them, and she could not stand to have them turn their backs on her. Luffy orders the World Government flag burned- a declaration of war- then tells Robin to say that she wants to live. With the whole world now recognized as the Strawhats' enemy, Robin does so, pleading with them to take her out to sea with them once again. The Strawhats storm the fortress at Enies Lobby, laying waste to the organization of CP9 and eventually freeing Robin. The Buster Call is initiated against them, and the Marines ultimately destroy their own island in an effort to finish the Strawhats off, but they are unsuccessful. The Strawhats return to Water 7 with the help of the shipbuilding crew Galley-La, as their own ship cannot make it, and they give it a funerary pyre rather than allowing it to sink in disrepair. Once returned, the Strawhat Pirates host a huge celebration while a new ship is being built for them. Kuzan arrives, and speaks with Robin quietly, telling her that he trusts her to not awaken any of the ancient weapons, and that he's glad she found her nakama.

Character Personality: Please be as detailed as possible. Minimum three paragraphs.

Nico Robin is a straightforward woman of mysteries. If that seems a contradiction, then good, because she's full of them. This is a woman who will fell entire armies with the simple crossing of her wrists- without changing expression or breaking a sweat- then go on to lecture some villain about how terrible the loss of a single life is. Her background as the sole survivor of the destruction of Ohara is widely known throughout the world, yet the events between then and her betrayal of the Shichibukai Crocodile are, for the most part, lost in shadows. We know she was driven to piracy by the relentless hunt of World Government officials, we know that ultimately, she wound up bringing utter destruction to those who offered her asylum during that period, but we do not know why or how- and truth be told, the why is possibly the most important thing to keep in mind with Robin. Very few people truly understand her. Even her own crew, the only family she's ever known, are often baffled by her movements. The key is, they trust her. They have learned that the reasons why she does things are more important than the things she does.

Robin has a strong desire to live her life to the fullest. She was not always physically strong enough to protect herself. Robin had to have learned that sometimes, saying the things people want to hear will allay their suspicion just long enough to make a move. By hiding in shadows, perpetually unnoticed, she found it was easier to move about freely. She rarely takes the spotlight. When she wormed her way into the Strawhat Pirates, their easy-going demeanor, lust for adventure, and genuine love of living every day to its fullest re-ignited a spark within her. She also wished to outwardly manifest those same feelings, which she had buried years before- and with the Strawhats, it was not only an option, but expected. Robin was finally free to do and act as she pleased. They have earned her trust, as well, and she has proven willing to betray herself and the memory of her people for their sakes- even if the world itself would be consumed by the ravages of an ancient super weapon that only she can bring to life as a result.

Robin's fighting style is focused more on creativity and using her intellect rather than brute strength. Many of her attacks involve knowing just where to twist a human body to produce a desired effect, and she isn't above playing mind games, either. In Arabasta, for instance, after she and Crocodile had taken the king hostage in his castle, she sprouted a bunch of hands from the castle doors, which she waved around ominously. The image of disembodied hands coming out of the door creeped out the castle guard and made them hesitate long enough for Crocodile and Robin to move to the next phase of their plan. She could have taken a more brutal approach, but chose psychology over strength in order to get the job done.

Habitually, Robin reads. All. The. Time. She serves as a storyteller and guide for the crew, often having some bit of information about the island or the people they come in contact with. She's generally succinct in speech, though this tends to fade as she becomes more comfortable with those she's conversing with, or if she has relevant information that requires a bit of explanation. She's a curious person by nature, often asking more questions than giving answers. Most of the time she comes off as being a distant person, and this is true to some extent. It takes Robin awhile to truly warm up to others, partially due to having been called a monster since her childhood, partially in order to keep herself from getting hurt. However, she is a warm and fun-loving person once her trust is earned. During the Davy Back fight, for example, she is shown getting cotton candy with Chopper, then holding his hand as they walk to the stand to watch the rest of their crew fight. Later, after her talk with Kuzan on Water 7, she rejoins the party by offering to join Luffy in sticking chopsticks up her nose.

She's lead a hard life, marked by death, abuse, and deception. It is not odd, therefore, that she would develop a sarcastic, morbid sense of humor. After all, if one cannot learn to laugh at the tragedy around them, one will ultimately never cease crying. Concepts or even physical things that will generally give others the creeps, Robin takes in stride. But she does have her limits. Apparently the slimy, soapy substance excreted by the mangrove trees in the Sabaody Archipelago has a texture she does not appreciate, though later in the series she's shown purposefully and without issue exploring the same substance after it has been coated over the entirety of the Strawhats' ship.

Robin shows very little concern for the personal space of others, possibly due to the nature of her Devil's Fruit ability. She herself has physical limits that others may not breach, but they are determined by circumstance and propriety, rather than proximity. While she is capable of grabbing a self-proclaimed pervert by the balls without even the barest hint of a blush, she will not allow herself to be cajoled into overly sexual positions.

Robin's likes can be described as adverse. She is often shown seeking solitude and quiet, but also fully enjoying the noise associated with living among the Strawhats. She likes big parties, but participates from the sidelines- content to observe the goings on rather than create them for herself, though she can and sometimes does join in the festivities when the mood takes her. She likes coffee, and things that go with it. She likes "cute" things- which can mean anything ranging from genuinely and understandably cute to disturbingly alarming things such as zombie dogs. She likes books and history, obviously, and has an extensive background in the varied languages of the One Piece world, as evidenced by her ability to translate just about anything to some degree of accuracy, even if the characters shown are vastly different from anything previously seen in the series. Robin does, actually, like people in general as well. It's part of her curious nature. It isn't uncommon to find her intrigued by those who not only agree with her and her way of thinking, but also those who differ from her. She's also a self proclaimed thrill seeker, which can have both good and bad consequences.

Powers and Abilities:

Most notable of Robin's powers would be those granted to her by a Devil's Fruit, the Hana Hana no Mi, or Flower Fruit, which she ate at an indeterminate time between her birth and the age of eight. It is the mun's headcanon that she partook of the fruit prior to her mother leaving her at the age of two, since some members of the village imply that her mother abandoned her because she was a "Devil's Child". How she came to eat such a rare and powerful fruit at such a young age is not explained. The Flower Fruit allows Robin to "sprout" various parts of her body from any surface that will support the weight, and within a certain (also unspecified) distance. She also must be able to see where she's sprouting from, or be familiar with the area. She primarily sprouts hands and arms, but often uses eyes, legs, and ears. The mun has a general permissions post which will be advertised in the ooc comm if the app is approved, wherein other players can learn more about Robin's ability and the ways she is likely to use them, as well as give certain, specified permissions if they so choose. At the canon point Robin is being taken from, she has a limit of cien fleur, though in some instances that seems to be more of a designation of difficulty rather than an actual count.

In addition to her supernatural Devil's Fruit Ability, Robin is a skilled linguist, archaeologist, spy, and assassin. She has a love of learning and can find a way to make almost any bit of knowledge useful.

Samples
Network:

Waking can be a disconcerting experience. It takes quite a bit to fully process and understand the all the information given at that time. And to believe it...

It all seems a bit far-fetched, no?

Though I suppose it takes time to get accustomed to any new phase of life. It's important to not allow yourself to be carried away by emotion in those first few days after Waking, as you can never take them back, and you will never have the chance to establish so clearly who you are to others. As the ancient wordsmith Don Juan Manuel once wrote, "If at first you do not demonstrate who you are, you won't be able to when you want."

....

The saying loses a bit of its punch in translation, it seems.

Still, there's an interesting story behind the phrase. A poor young man marries a nobleman's shrew of a daughter and, knowing her reputation as having a strong and fierce character, immediately sets out to establish which of them is boss. Their first night together in their home, he sits at the table and, before she can say a word, demands that the dog bring him water to wash his hands. When the dog does not comply, he chases it around the room with his sword, and finally decapitates the creature, swearing that he'll do the same to all who anger him. He then makes the same request of the cat and his only horse, which inevitably meet a gruesome end.

The nobleman's daughter, having watched all of this in silence, comes to the determination that her new husband is insane, and not to be crossed. From that moment onward, she gives up her contrary ways and becomes an obedient, demure wife- which at the time was considered the ideal- and they live a happy life together ever after.

After a time, the nobleman asks his son-in-law what was done to change his daughter, and in a similar manner kills a rooster in front of his wife. The nobleman's wife calls him a fool. She tells him he can't intimidate her even if he kills a hundred horses, as she already knows his character.

[Robin giggles.]

So. Short of massacring animals, how do you establish who you are with others? Consider me curious.

Third Person:

A hot wind blows, and Robin scrunches her hat down more firmly over her ears, grateful she'd brought the white one rather than the deep purple. White reflects light, and therefore heat, away from the body, dark colors absorb it, keep it close. Her face is sweating enough as it is, without her hat trying to hoard heat. She hasn't been in streets this dusty since Arabasta. It seems a world removed from the bustling, springy metropolis where Sanji's Dream of the All Blue is located. Robin finds it odd to think that weather from a Summer Island could exist in the same city as weather from a Spring and Winter Island. Yet it seems all four seasons are represented in each of the different quadrants of the city- she's been checking, not because she disbelieves what others have said, but because she's curious to experience it for herself.

There's the key to it all, she thinks. Robin smiles, keeping her head down so the hat will block some of the sand from flying into her nose and eyes. She's experienced so much of this city before, this so-called truth, that she can't dismiss off-hand the reality of the dream. Each quadrant reminds her of some aspect of the dream-world. Each person familiar in their own way. Though she's never met them, the personality types were consistent. People she passes on the street still make way or sidle past or bump, just as they did in the Grand Line. She'd bled, in her dreams. She'd bled here, when she cut her finger with a knife. Were they really any different, in the end? Whether on Nautilus or Vearth (as the Skypeians called it), daily experiences seemed the same. Sometimes life threw challenges, sometimes people went a little crazy. In the end you live or you die by the choices you make.