Character Spotlight 5: Vincent

Hello all.  Once again, no new chapter this week.  I've been crazy busy lately and until after April 12th, I will continue to be.  However, the chapter is done and now revisions are all that remain.  I hope to get it posted next week, though we'll have to see how that goes.  It is a very heavy story with some moral ambiguities and I want to get the dialogue all correct.  In the meantime, I've decided I'll try and alternate characters between Mina's group and Aeon's, though eventually I'll have to focus mostly on Aeon's group.  Since we did Celine last time, we're going to look at Vincent this time.  Again, sorry for the delays, but I hope this will at least tide you over.

Character Spotlight 5: Vincent

            This time, we're looking at Vincent.  Regrettably, I haven't been able to spotlight Vincent as much as I might have liked so far in the story because I think that he does have an interesting character, even though he doesn't seem to rock the boat all that much.  He is, essentially, Aeon's second in command and though his power does not match up to Gadius or Nerise, Vincent is more intelligent, strategic, and organized than the others.

            Vincent is a teythen, so he has a very pale complexion with bright crimson eyes.  His typical attire is that of a black cloak with red lining and a black and red suit, though he does have other styles which he sometimes wears, that have not yet been introduced.  Vincent is perpetually seen wearing a white bandana over his head which covers most of his hair, save for a few bangs which pop out of it near the top from time to time.  Aside from his bangs, his white hair is usually shaved very short, so that it fits comfortably under his bandana.  He has two fangs that jut out from his top jaw, and a muscular body, though this can change if he has been without sustenance, as his body withers without sustenance or if exposed to excess Void energy.

            Vincent can eat and drink food like a normal person for sustenance, but does have to drink human blood specifically to keep himself going.  Yes, he is in essence a vampire.  Now that that's out of the way, Vincent is very skilled with swordplay as well as with teythen blood arts.  Blood arts are the teythen's versions of magic.  Teythens do not take in Leyline energy like other living creatures.  They gain some from food, but most of their usable energy comes from blood.  Since this energy has already been processed, teythens warp it somewhat by processing it a second time after drinking.  This warped energy gives rise to blood arts, as it stems from their blood.  Void magic robs teythens of this energy and thus weakens their body.

            Powers revealed in the story to be related to blood arts are Vincent's telekinesis, the ability to spawn a familiar, a beast or an extension of Vincent's will, by sacrificing a portion of his body, the ability to break his body down into so many familiars that he is no longer present and functions instead as a hive mind like mentality over his creations, the ability to see and understand what his familiars see, super human strength, speed, and reflexes, and an enhanced sense of smell.  There are other powers and rules related to teythens, but these are all that have been revealed in the story thus far.

            Vincent is far more formal than the other members of Aeon's group, however he is also very personable and approachable.  Much of his mannerisms are taken from watching and working with Aeon over the years, who he respects beyond all others.  Vincent does not question Aeon, even though he knows much of what the lich does is not ethically right from a moral standpoint.  Despite this, Vincent will keep an eye on Aeon and the others to ensure that things do not become dangerous or out of control.  Vincent carries messages for Aeon when necessary, acts as his eyes in and out of Acacia, and is his primary enforcer, as Vincent is able to remain hidden due to his familiars, but is still powerful.  The lich and the teythen possess a strong bond and though it might not be apparent from their interactions, they do rely on one another heavily.  Vincent is the one person outside of Kinana in whom Aeon can confide.

            Vincent's sense of smell as well as his ability to observe people and deduce their moods, make him able to easily read emotions of others and empathize with them if necessary.  This is why he is approachable, as he can understand what others are going through and relate to them with relative ease.  Vincent sees those in Acacia very much like a family and his primary goal is the preservation of that family.  To this end, he is often a peace maker or will instigate change where necessary for the growth and survival of his friends.  Alongside that, Vincent is also open to making new friends or making additions to his family, thus he is welcoming once he begins to trust others.  Vincent will, however, sometimes meddle if he believes it is important for the aforementioned goals.  If it will help his family to grow or stay together.  Workaholic describes Vincent very well, as he tries to do many things and is usually able to function normally with only a small amount of rest and often does so.  However, even he can be worn down if forced to continually work without time for sleep or rest.

            Vincent's closest relationship is with Nerise, as she sees him as something of a big brother.  He treats her with respect and affection and is prone to worrying over her due to what he knows of her past.  Vincent has tensions with Weiss as they both compete for Nerise's attention/affection, at times, however Vincent's formal nature and closeness to the others allow him to sidestep drama with the Nihilon and work together without major problems.  They are moderately well acquainted but Vincent does not spend much time with Weiss.  Weiss does not spend much time with anyone but Nerise and occasionally Aeon or Kinana.  Despite this, they do respect each other and know they can rely on the  other for support.  That is enough.

            Aside from Nerise, Vincent is closest to Gadius and Dakon, who are all roughly the same age, if a little older, than Vincent.  They work well together and during their time as a group is one of the few moments Vincent is seen completely at ease and willing to relax, using nicknames or even telling lewd jokes of his own.  Gadius tends to be arrogant, lewd, and flippant most of the time while Dakon tends to play the straight man, largely due to his background as a family man.  Vincent falls somewhere in between when paired with these two and often has to be the bridge between them.  They have a history together and trust one another implicitly, even if they can aggravate one another.

            Vincent sees the younger additions to Acacia, Deminos and Yuka, as charges that he should set an example for, and will often look out for them or fret for them if they are overexerting themselves.  While not prone to pampering or babying others, he will do what is necessary to protect them.  He very much feels like a big brother to Yuka or Deminos.  While casual and familiar with Echidna, not much interaction has been shown between Vincent and her.  He is neighborly with her, but has not spent much time alone, so while he respects her and her children, Vincent has little to talk with her about.  Merkel and Vincent do not have a strained relationship, as neither seems to care what the other thinks.  Like with Echidna, Vincent respects and trusts Merkel, but due to the neeg's misanthropic nature, they are not close.

            Due to Kinana's perpetually playful nature, she and Vincent do not often get along.  He understands her closeness to Aeon and will not talk down to her, however his usually formal and composed personality will often clash with Kinana's lusty and uncaring whims.  Despite this, they can work together when it matters, be it on emotional or on tactical decisions.

            Vincent has been shown to have a connection with an empress by the name of Austarine, who is ruler of the kingdom of Ahri, briefly mentioned in the story.  The bandana he wears is a token from her and Vincent feels nostalgic or reflective when thinking about her.  I will not say any more than that on this relationship.

            Vincent is wary of Mina, Celine, and Daryl, for his own reasons.  This does not show very much outside of the first few chapters, but it does remain, as he must keep his eye on them and ensure their safety in order to protect his comrades.  Vincent understands that there is some tension and fear between himself and Daryl, but realizes that he cannot force her to accept him and as such remains unconcerned with her fears.  He does what is necessary and does not care about the reactions others have to him.  Mina and Celine have a more casual relationship with Vincent as he has welcomed them into Acacia before and treats them as friends.  Mina herself has earned Vincent's respect through her willingness to look past Aeon's appearance and for her actions in favor of protecting others.  However, Vincent is unsure she understands what being Aeon's comrade is the way he does.  Any reservations Vincent may have about the girls or any others are not born out of arrogance or the desire to look down on others, but from personal experience and observations during his time with Aeon.

            I would say Vincent is born from both the more dramatic sides of me and the more down to earth sides that I tend to show my friends.  While not as overtly silly or melodramatic as I am, there is clearly a bit of theatricality in his attire and his persona, as he is very formal and composed, but also capable of humor, nicknames, and silliness in the right situations.  I wanted to take a few of the tropes I'd seen in vampire stories and invert them somewhat.  Vincent as both spy and subordinate rather than master, while still having some authority as Aeon's second in command.  Having short hair that is shaved close to the head with a white bandana rather than long, flowing locks.  Showing that he can be tired, yawning, or even a bit manic rather than always in control.  These were meant to show that Vincent is both part of, but also somewhat satrical of the typical Dracula or Lestadt vampire tropes.

            There are far deeper parts of Vincent's personality that are going to be explored soon, such as his past and his belief in Aeon, as well as his ability for subterfuge, however this is just a look at Vincent up to the present and a general examination of his character.  We have only scratched the surface.

            I find Vincent a hard character to write for and to talk about because often he is in the background, working for the sake of others, but less showy as Gadius or Deminos, who make more of an impression, but who rely on Vincent being there to actually do what they do without consequences.  His role hasn't received a lot of attention this time around, but he does play a vital part in the story and in the Acacia dynamic.  Being one Aeon trusts to give orders to others and to manage his home is a great honor and responsibility and I'd like that reflected in the future.  Aeon may be in control of Acacia and always informed of what is going on, thanks to Vincent, but it is Vincent himself who keeps the gears turning.  That's what I want people to understand.