Personal Skills
Innocent Monster (B)
The "curse of the audience" that made her manifestation as an Alter-Ego possible. Normally, it's highly unlikely for someone as recent as her to be summoned as a Servant. Even with her fame as a ballerina, such a thing should be impossible. At the same time, it's equally impossible for Odette to be summoned as anything more than a phantom spirit, a character from Pyotr Tchaikovsky's ballet. A certain miracle managed to accomplish the impossible, however.
Anna Pavlova was best known for her solo performance, The Dying Swan. While the show was initially inspired by a flock of swans she saw at a public park, as well as a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson, it subsequently influenced modern depictions of Odette in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Its initial depiction of a swan's final moments at death's door was gradually conflated with the princess' final moments in the latter's final act. This created an unbreakable connection between the two figures, allowing them to barely surpass the threshold required to manifest as a single Servant. The two cannot be separated, an any attempt to forcibly summon one without the other will most likely result in stranger irregularities (such as Pavlova summoned as a Faker convinced that she is Odette, or Odette summoned as a Lover in Pavlova's body). Incidentally, due to this Skill, the ballerina has also manifested at a younger age, roughly in her early twenties. Rather than the peak of her fame as a performer, her connection to Odette has seemingly summoned her at the peak of her beauty, when her audience believes her to be the closest in appearance to a hypothetical real-life Odette.
"I did watch Swan Lake a few times back when I first enrolled at the academy. It was... a masterpiece. There's no other way to describe it. The screenplay, the choreography, the accompanying music... everything about it was flawless. It was the ideal that every ballerina in the country- no, the world- aspired to be at the time. It really inspired me, even if I never did feature in that show in my entire life. Still, a real-life Odette, huh... Is that how they saw me? I'm honored, but I think they're mistaken..."
Pas de Deux (A)
One of Alter-Ego's specialties as a ballerina. A ballet-term meaning a duet performed by two dancers, typically male and female. In a single suite, the two performers move perfectly as one, synchronizing each step to their partner's movements and creating a magnificent spectacle for the audience. In Alter-Ego's case, this Skill represents her ability to understand another individual's "rhythm" and synchronize her movements accordingly after a brief period of observation. This is achieved by temporarily weakening her sense of self and following the target's lead, creating an effect visually similar to Instinct and Eye of the Mind. Through this Skill, her audiences may be treated to a sight where an enemy aggressively tries to attack her, only for her to turn it into a dance as she gracefully dodges every blow, as if knowing exactly where said enemy would strike next... in theory, at least.
In truth, there is a clear limitation to what this Skill can do. While it does allow her to "predict" an enemy's movement to a certain extent, it doesn't come with the necessary stats required to dodge or block the attack. In videogame terms, it's like knowing exactly what the enemy will do next turn, but not necessarily having enough agility to dodge or MP to cast a defense spell. It's technically possible for her to pull off a perfect "show" without a scratch, but it's much easier said than done. It's also possible for her to increase this Skill's range, affecting more than one target in exchange for accuracy, as she would be forced to constantly juggle her focus between the different targets.
"One, two, step and turn. One, two, step and turn. One, two, step, turn, and... bow. There. You see, every creature possesses a certain 'rhythm', whether they know it or not. Once you learn to grasp it, you grow one step closer to understanding them. My most famous show may be a solo performance, but ballet- and maybe showbiz as a whole- is not a one-man show. That's why it's important to surrender yourself to their whims from time to time. It's important for the sake of friendship and understanding, yes!"
...
"To what extent should you surrender, you ask? ...Ahaha, I don't think I know the answer to that, unfortunately..."
Weak Constitution (D)
The curse of frail health, which persistently followed Alter-Ego from her life to her manifestation as a Servant. Throughout her life, it was said that she had a "frail, sickly appearance", which only supported her image as a gentle, otherworldly beauty. Unbeknownst to the general public at the time, her condition brought her much hardship in life. It was due to this appearance that she was first rejected by the Imperial Ballet Academy at the age of nine. Even after she was accepted one year later, this weakness continued to plague her for the rest of her life, arguably limiting her potential as her instructors forbade her from performing more taxing shows (or even more energetic movements in general) out of concern for her health. Unlike a certain Shinsengumi swordsman, she does not have a specific illness that stayed for a significant portion of her life, save for a case of pneumonia which claimed her life at the age of 49. While there is no risk of a sudden status drop, it's easier for her to accumulate fatigue, wounds take slightly longer to heal, and she has a conceptual weakness against disease-based magecraft, Skills, and/or Noble Phantasms, especially those that restrict her movement, similar to a human with weak immune system.
"Back when I was diagnosed with pneumonia, there was actually one way to save me. A surgery. The success rate was high, and money was not a problem, but... I didn't want to. The doctor said that I'd never be able to dance again afterwards. That's why I refused. I spent my entire life onstage, I invoked smiles and tears in equal measure, and every night I could hear the audience's thundering applause in my dreams. Just... what would my life be like without the one thing that made me 'me'? That's why I danced. I danced as my lungs burnt up and my throat felt like it was swallowing broken glass with every breath. I danced until every last organ failed me, until I could dance no more."
Swan Lake (A)
The final act to Tchaikovsky's legendary ballet. Turned into a swan by an evil warlock and heartbroken after the prince was deceived into declaring his love towards the warlock's daughter, Odette chose to take her own life by drowning herself in a lake. The prince profusely apologized, but his actions could not be undone. Finally, the prince chose to die alongside his love and jumped into the lake, where they would stay together forever. Their pure love broke the warlock's spell, turning the princess' spirit into a human before the two ascended to heaven. At the same time, a flock of swans- fellow victims of the warlock who accompanied the princess- mourned the couple's deaths, gracing the stage with a beautiful dance before returning into humans one by one and leaving the stage, concluding the performance.
A Skill usable by temporarily increasing the princess' influence within Alter-Ego's Saint Graph, allowing feats similar to
Illusionism and
Mana Burst, esentially releasing mana and illusions in the form of swans. Examples include dissolving into a flock of mana-based swans to avoid damage upon being attacked, conjuring swan apparitions to surround and confuse enemies, conjuring their feathers and using their softness to minimize physical impact or hardening them to use as projectiles, and more. At her best, Odette can manifest a pair of wings using their feathers, temporarily allowing her to fly. As a downside, however, manifesting this form and all its effects for too long gradually reinvokes the curse of "drowning" on her Saint Graph, causing chest pains and difficulty breathing which could end poorly combined with her
Weak Constitution. Thus, this Skill is more akin to a special power-up she can only use in short bursts.
"
I still have questions on the nature of 'Odette' in my Saint Graph. I mean, is she the same Odette as the one in the play? A real individual with the same name who inspired Tchaikovsky? The people's perception on 'what the character Odette should be like if she truly exists'? It's all very vague, but one thing for sure... she regretted that part. That's what she told me. She doesn't want to sacrifice anything anymore. She wants everyone to be happy without sacrificing herself and losing those she held dear. That's her wish."
...
"Ah, it's wonderful to have such a goal in mind, huh? As for me, I don't know... There's so many things I'd like to wish for, so many new things I'd like to experience and different performances I'd like to try out, but... it just doesn't feel right. I'm nowhere as decisive nor determined as that princess. That's why I believe it's a mistake for the world to cast me in this role."
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Originally Posted by DelRey
