❥ haven app.

[lighthealer]

Name: Ally
Contact Info: tenkai
Other Characters Played: None.
Preferred Apartment: 4.002

Character Name: Cheria Barnes
Canon: Tales of Graces ƒ
Canon Point: Post-Lineage & Legacies
Background/History: Graces & Cheria

Personality:

Boiled down to a just a few words, Cheria is kind and nurturing. Even at the age of eleven, this much is quite evident; when they were kids, she looked after Hubert and Asbel and did her best to keep them out of trouble. Of course, that is a very difficult task, when it comes to Asbel Lhant; there was no reining him in, the little shit. And it speaks volumes for her character that she cares for them as much as she did, as she herself was very ill as a child and needed to be taken care of more than anyone else. As Sophie puts it later, "Cheria was sick... but that didn't stop her from being cheerful and friendly." And her childhood was pretty sad: Asbel would constantly leave her behind because she was sickly, and even though his intentions were good, it still hurt her to be left out all the time. And then, after she finally gets to be friends with four other kids and hang out with them and be a normal kid, Sophie has to sacrifice herself to save their lives. After that, she can't see Richard because he's a prince, and Hubert gets sent away to be adopted by the Oswells, which leaves just her and Asbel — who then runs away and leaves Lhant to become a knight, leaving her all alone for seven years.

And even after those lonely seven years, she doesn't change very much. The cheerful and friendly aspect of her character fizzles for a little bit, because she's bitter about Asbel abandoning her, but once they make amends, she bounces right back to the same girl she'd always been. She completely embraces the role of Team Mom, taking care to prepare meals for everyone and make sure they're eating right and taking care of themselves — she even goes as far as reminding Sophie and Pascal to bathe and brush their teeth. She does her best to keep things running smoothly, both in practical matters like keeping the group's inventory organized, and in personal issues as well, acting as something akin to the group mediator and making sure everyone is happy and getting along. This, in addition to her occasionally short temper, causes her to come across as something of a nag, but it's still rather obvious that she cares for her friends and their well-being. She just doesn't take anyone's shit. Sophie, especially, receives this motherly treatment, as Cheria is essentially the mother to Asbel's father. She's more than happy to take on this role; she even gets all giggly and happy when Asbel refers to her as "Mom." But it's not just because of her relationship with Asbel that she acts as Sophie's parent — she really, genuinely cares for her like a daughter, expressing that she would happily stay on Fodra if it meant that she would be healthy again. If it's a question of priorities, her main priority is Sophie, period.

So it's safe to say that family is very, very important to her. After losing her parents at a young age, she cares a lot for the family that she has left — her grandfather, especially, and her friends. The idea of "friends are the family you choose" is especially poignant to her, all things considered. It's not just her companions that she tends to, however. Since discovering her healing powers, she's dedicated herself to helping anyone and everyone she can, completely without bias. No matter what, she will not hesitate to help a person in need. Although Raymond had her abducted in order to blackmail Asbel, when he stabs himself later, she immediately sets about healing him without so much batting an eye. It doesn't matter what he did to her; he needed her help, so she gave it. Selflessness is the name of her game: everyone else's feelings and well-being are always, always prioritized before her own.

Though many see her as an ~angel~, due to her healing skills and gentle personality, Cheria is far from perfect, of course. She's insecure. She is seen fretting over her weight and her hair on multiple occasions, seeking validation from others and quietly freaking out when her hair gets frizzy or she thinks that she might be gaining weight. It's not just her appearance that she worries about, though, but also her feelings. Especially her feelings about Asbel. Even though everyone else in the party (aside from the man himself, for a good, long while, because Asbel is Asbel) knows that she's in love with him, she vehemently denies it whenever the issue is brought up and gets really flustered. In Strahta, when they all lick the salt to find out who among them is a liar, she quietly freaks out when it tastes sweet to her and awkwardly tries to change the subject. No one must ever know the truth!! And it's not just because she's embarrassed that she hides her feelings, but also because she can't tell how Asbel feels about her, even though everyone else can, because they're both kind of stupid about this. That doesn't make her love him any less, but she continues to try and bury her feelings (even though she's not subtle about it at all), rather than risk ruining their friendship or distracting herself from more important things. They're on a mission to save the world, after all, and as selfish as it makes her feel, she has still has things she wants to do (specifically, her relief work) before she settles down.

Even though she's not very good about Asbel's feelings or her own, she is still pretty perceptive. On their way to the Fendel heat cannon, she notices that Malik missed a spot shaving and concludes that he must be nervous. She can also be very sympathetic — she and Asbel, for instance, are the only ones who sympathize with Emeraude and her wish to restore life to Fodra, despite the fact that she did some pretty terrible things. She'd been forced into doing those things because it was an awful situation all around, which, to them, is a pitiful thing. In addition to being observant to others' feelings, she's also very careful about them. When Hubert suggests that their team should include himself, Cheria, and Asbel when they're fighting monsters (because the light they possess is the most effective against them), Cheria wants to keep that a secret so as not to hurt or offend the others.

And her insecurity isn't just worrying about the way others perceive her, but the fact that she has very high expectations of herself. After being sick for her entire childhood, and then receiving a Miracle Cure thanks to Sophie, she's determined to become stronger and make up for the fact she was never able to do anything before. She pushes herself past her limits, to the point that she ignores her own well-being — when she falls ill with a cold, she stubbornly brushes it off and tells herself to be strong, because there's so much to do!

Near the end of the future arc, Lambda tells her that "few know the preciousness of life as [she does]," and it is a startingly accurate summation of her character. While she derives a lot of happiness from helping people in need, she would happily give it all up and lose her job with the relief organization if it meant that things were peaceful again, because she cares for other people above all else. Not just her friends, although she depends on them a lot and derives her strength from them, but literally everyone. It's this kindness and selflessness that not only make her a perfect match for Asbel, but a truly angelic figure in the midst of the war and strife that Ephinea suffers.

Abilities/Powers:

As her role in battle is more support than offense, Cheria is not much of a physical fighter, but she can hold her own in a fight! Her weapons of choice are throwing daggers, which allow her to remain mobile during combat and keep her distance. For the most part, though, she relies on her powerful artes, which primarily consist of healing magic and holy offensive spells, as well as a few buffs to boost her allies' stats.

A list of her artes can be found here.

Items/Weapons:

Daggers (Solbrights)

Armor (Amber Vestments)

a pressed Sopheria flower

Sample Entry:

Hello, Haven.

[Cheria isn't much of a public speaker. Not that she's bad at talking to people, not at all, but she's not a leader like Asbel or a respected military figure like Hubert and Malik, and she certainly isn't as outspoken as, say, Pascal. But this is important, so she'll smile and muddle through.]

We're clearly in a lot of danger here, so before things go south again, I want to put together some kind of relief effort. There are a lot of us here, so it doesn't have to be too complicated; just a directory of people who can help, an inventory of available supplies... anything that can help.

I just want everyone here to be able to get help as soon as they need it. We're all stuck here together, after all, so sooner anyone who's been injured gets the treatment they need, the better off we all are. So if you have any healing abilities, any knowledge in first aid, supplies to spare — or even if you just want to help, that's great! Just let me know.

My name is Cheria, and you can come see me in my apartment, if you wish. [She trails off, a little awkwardly as she realizes she's kind of been rambling, and smiles brightly.] Thanks, everyone.

Sample Entry Two:

The light that emanates from Cheria's hands is warm and soothing; more so, naturally, to the person actually being healed, but it's a pleasant feeling regardless. That she is able to help others, after being left behind, being the person who needed that help for so long, is refreshing. When she was a frail little girl lying in bed because she'd overexerted herself chasing after Asbel, she never expected that she would be the one tending to others' hurts and ailments, rather than the other way around.

It's but one thing that she enjoys about her relief work. It's rewarding, and she enjoys traveling all over Ephinea; to Barona and Richard, to Strahta and Hubert, to Fendel and Malik and Pascal. Though she and her companions have gone their separate ways since their journey — for good this time — she can still stay in contact with those people most important to her. ... Even if some of those people like to give her meaningful looks and waggle their eyebrows whenever the topic of conversation turns to Asbel.

Asbel. The thought of him makes her cheeks flush and her chest tighten, and it's enough to almost make her think that her illness had never been healed. But this is a different sensation, a sweet sort of pain, different from the wracking coughs that had so often left her bedridden for days on end. No, this is excitement and longing and happiness — and, dare she even think it, love.

And, you see, Cheria is of two minds about her relief work.

On one hand, she'd like to continue to travel and help whoever she can. Sophie had blessed her with this healing power, after all, and it feels... wrong, almost, to let that go to waste. But on the other hand, there's a part of her, a much bigger part of herself than she would like to admit, that wants to finish her relief work as soon as possible and return to Lhant. Now, unlike, all those years ago, Asbel is the one waiting for her. Sophie, too. But as much as she would like to go home and really, officially become a part of their family, and take care of them and cook them all of their favorite foods, she still does have her priorities. More important than her own selfish little wants, there are things yet to do, people who still need help...

"Miss Cheria?"

A small voice jerks her out of her reverie, brings her back to reality: a young boy, no older than ten or eleven, who'd been severely wounded in one of the recent monster attacks. Despite that, even after suffering through an infection and a whole lot of pain, he'd never failed to greet her with a smile whenever she stopped by to tend to his wounds.

The light fades away as she lowers her hands. "There. How does that feel?"

The boy shifts around experimentally, pushing himself to an upright position. After a moment, he seems to decide that he's satisfied, and he rewards Cheria with a winning smile.

"Better than ever!" he declares, and in one swift, sudden movement, he reaches out and pulls her into a tight hug. "Thanks a lot, Miss Cheria. I'll be as good as new in no time, thanks to you."

For a moment, Cheria only blinks and stares down at the small child, holding onto her as though he might fall off the edge of the world if he were to let go. It isn't long before she gingerly wraps her own arms around him, hugging him back and resting her chin on the top of his head, and she smiles.

"You're welcome," she says softly.

And in that moment, she can't regret her decision to stay with the relief organization. As much as she misses home, as much as she longs to fulfill all the promises that await her there, she wouldn't give up moments like this for anything in the world.