raging bull.

Hello, all! Here's some info on Carina.

She's a knight of Ast, also known as "The Bull", charged to support and protect Prince Kurt as he gathers the power and resources to one day reclaim their kingdom, which has been invaded and occupied by the Empire allied with Fenris.

As such, she is post-Book 1 of Shadows, having arrived at Garreg Mach after taking refuge in the kingdom of Holtz, in the hopes that working with the Knights of Seiros will give her the strength and experience she needs to one day help in crushing the Empire, and liberating Ast.

And as she is from a live service game, I will be updating her information, portrayal, and headcanons accordingly, as new details and plot developments come to light.

That's about it! Hope to have a good time with you all.

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(Mun guidelines below the cut!)

BARE BONES. ( no longer accepting! )

There's so much that motivates her. Prince Kurt. Alberta. All of the friends she has now. Seeing her homeland restored. Seeing the Empire crushed. But I think more than anything? It's the memory of those she's lost, and the weight of the mission they carried before her.

The last thing her father left her with before his death was telling her to protect Kurt. And Gotthold? The commander she always aspired to be like, and admired so deeply... he sacrificed everything for Kurt's protection.

It's the devotion and loyalty to their liege that they both shared, prioritizing that above all else. And even though Carina would gladly protect Kurt with her life, because she believes in her prince's cause, and sees him as a dear friend, it's the will of her father and Gotthold that adds a new layer of gravity to that duty.

BARE BONES.

For Carina, I don't think it's so much humor as it is optimism—she doesn't really play the role of joker or funny guy. She's peppy. Upbeat. A sort of uplifting presence for those around her, and it's simply who she is!

As for whether she uses it as a weapon or shield? A shield, I think.

Whether consciously or not, Carina uses her optimism as a shield to lessen the blow of the cruelties of the world. She's not quite protecting anyone from them, and certainly not herself—it's too late for that. But maybe she can make the pain of it all a little better by lightening the mood, and still trying to focus on what's good in the world.

BARE BONES.

Alberta.

Her ride or die. Her partner. Her best friend. The Panther to her Bull!

I'm sure this—standing by Carina, no matter what—also applies to Kurt, but it's clear her connection with Alberta is a bit more personal. There's no separation of lord and knight between them; they're both knights on the same playing field. Just two women who befriended each other in their days as apprentices.

While I won't speak too much on Alberta's perspective, it's clear from her support with Carina that her initial act of kindness—reaching out to befriend Alberta, when the other people of Ast treated her as someone suspicious, like a pariah—is something Alberta feels deep gratitude towards Carina for, and holds closely to her heart.

Carina: No, not at all! I've just decided that we don't need to catch up to the commander. We need to surpass him. That's why I'm not the Axe—I'm the great Bull that will trample all of Prince Kurt's foes! Alberta: Hehe, I see. Still the same, after all. You've never really changed, have you? From the moment we met, when I was nothing but a pariah... Carina: Hm? What was that? Alberta: Oh, nothing. I just decided that I'd like to be the crafty Panther, hunter of the prince's enemies. — Carina & Alberta A Support

And Carina specifically cites Alberta as being the one to have helped her in controlling her strength, as the other woman's presence is one of the few things that can bring her calm. (And you can see this in several moments throughout Book 1, where she is always there to bring Carina back to earth whenever she gets worked up.)

Kurt: I'm sorry. I can't imagine what that must have been like. I don't remember hearing about such incident in the castle, though. You must've learned to control it. Carina: Yeah, it was tough. Alberta helps, but when she's not around I feel so bored, so suffocated, so— Eh? — Carina & Kurt B Support

Carina brings up Alberta quite a bit in her dialogue, always worrying what she'll think. Even in her shadow conversation, Carina exhibits an acceptance towards her aggressive nature, and the inevitability of her turning to shadow... her only regret? Is what Alberta would think of her falling to darkness.

Shadow Alberta wonders this about Carina, as well.

Their bond is a strong one, and the two not only hold high opinions of each other, but a dependence—Carina needs Alberta's calm to stay centered, and Alberta uses Carina's courage as inspiration to keep pushing forward.

BARE BONES.

The struggles that came with her strength, and how that all affected her growing up. Sure, she's excitable and bubbly has no qualms about charging into battle. But Carina DOES hold a certain anxiety towards using her power in daily life.

She could break something (as she often does, while training), especially cherished trinkets or important treasures, and even worse—could hurt someone she cares about.

Carina very clearly showcases this concern when she's training with Kurt. She's less worried about denting his shield (though she knows Alberta won't be pleased by it either way) and more towards the physical harm she could have caused Kurt.

Carina: Oh no! I've really done it this time! Are you OK, Prince Kurt?! Kurt: I'm fine, but this shield sure isn't. Looks like you bent it out of shape. That's pretty impressive. Carina: I'm so sorry! Leave it to me to put the prince I'm sworn to protect in harm's way... — Carina & Kurt C Support

Which stems from her childhood experiences. How being such a strong girl made her an outcast of sorts, someone to avoid and fear.

Carina: As a child I tried wringing out my father's cloth armor... He wasn't too happy when he saw it in tatters. Kurt: I'm a bit jealous. To be that strong at such a young age... People must've held you in pretty high regard. Carina: Not exactly. The other kids were scared of me, and I'd often destroy the things I cared about. — Carina & Kurt B Support

BARE BONES.

A tough one, because Carina truly holds nothing back. If she's angry about something? She'll let you know. If she's upset about something? She is definitely going to cry about it. (The amount of times she *sniffles* in the text... oh, sweet girl.)

Carina emotes so freely, not at all the type to suppress what she's feeling in any given moment.

Even when it comes to her strength, which IS a point of self-consciousness for her. She fully embraces and leans into it, because she's using it for Kurt's sake. To mow down Kurt's enemies. To fulfill her responsibility as his 'Bull' and complete her duties as a knight to the best of her ability.

But I do think one aspect of it that she doesn't want to admit is how much of a rush using that strength gives her. How much she enjoys it, even if it ends in the harm or slaughter of the foes on the other end of her axe.

Carina doesn't want to kill people, of course. But when her enemies are primarily shadow beasts and soldiers of the empire, when they're forces that took her kingdom and family from her? The need for vengeance and retribution runs deep. Not... exactly a knightly virtue.

Then there's the freedom it gives her. Carina's had to spend so much of her life learning how to control her strength so as not to harm or scare people, that when she finally has the opportunity to let loose? It's an amazing, liberating feeling.

(if this is in your inbox twice whoopsies. Tumblr did a weird)

BARE BONES.

She's got plenty of regrets when it comes to Ast's invasion. Namely, having to escape the castle to leave her father and the other knights behind, as well as the king and queen—especially with how brutally they were all murdered. It's the loss of her family in particular that's cited as the source for her rage, and inability to keep her emotions under control in the aftermath.

Gotthold: It's no good—your axe swings are out of control. You've left yourself wide open. Carina: *huff* *huff* Sorry... Gotthold: Let your emotions take over and the only person you'll defeat is yourself. Let's take a break. Carina: I'm really sorry! Whenever I start fighting, I just see red. Gotthold: That's understandable. It's no easy task staying coolheaded, given what the empire did to your family. Carina: Hmph. — Carina & Gotthold C Support

During the escape to Holtz, she's made aware of the state of Ast's citizenry under occupation from the empire, a reality she was naive to.

Gotthold: Yes. Followers of shadow may come for us, but there are still others we must be wary of. The empire set a hefty bounty on the prince, and word of that will spread quickly throughout the kingdom. For now, we should assume enemies lurk even among the citizens of our kingdom. Carina: You can't be serious! The people of Ast could never be enticed to betray Prince Kurt! Alberta: Carina, compose yourself. With our homeland in ruins and the empire in control, people have lost everything... Facing such tragedy, some among them may well yield to the lure of the shadow in their desperation. — Book 1, Chapter 1, Light: On Black Wings

The people are left in despair, slaughtered and sold off by the empire and its bandits (gestures to Bartolomeus) while Ast's royals lie dead, and its knights are unable to help them.

BARE BONES.

Despite her somewhat hotheaded nature, Carina is actually very compliant. It all stems from her knighthood, of course—she's perfectly used to taking orders and following the lead of those more senior and experienced than her. She even says it outright in one of her menu lines:

Uh, you lead! I follow.

Carina is not the authoritative, strategic, or leadership type, and doesn't really want to be. Supporting is a role that she excels at, and is comfortable in.

It's reflected in her battle abilities, and how they not only boost the strength of her allies, but also heals and/or pulls them out of harm's way. It's shown in the way she's caring for others in the story and her supports, usually through things like cooking. Gotthold even says it himself—that she's always 'thoughtful'.

Carina: You must be exhausted, Commander! I've brought you some of my special handmade berry juice! Gotthold: Thank you. I worked up quite a sweat. You're always so thoughtful, Carina. Carina: This is part of my job too! I'm just happy I can put my grandfather's recipes to good use. — Carina & Gotthold B Support

BARE BONES.

Carina is a pretty headstrong, fearless person—she notably contrasts her partner Alberta in that way, who is deeply driven by her fears. But I don't think Carina is without them, either. She's the sort to always push forward, singlemindedly and directly towards a goal.

But to do that? She needs a goal to chase.

Right now? It's restoring Ast. It's protecting Prince Kurt. These are her sworn duties as a knight of the kingdom, and the responsibility left to her by her father just before his death.

Despite the personal grief she's faced in the destruction of her country, the slaughter of her fellow knights, king, and queen... and the death of her family? Carina continues to be the mood-maker, the uplifter, the support for those around her; she continues to have an optimistic (unrealistic, at times) view of her situation and the world.

They'll succeed in liberating their home, as long as they try and fight. They have no choice. They HAVE to win.

I think the thing that would break her resolve is if she loses those goals, and has nothing left to fight for. Losing Kurt? That scares her. Losing Alberta? Even more.

Even if she were to get her home back, she no longer has a family to go back to. Kurt and Alberta (perhaps even Zasha and Rose) are the closest thing she has left, and if they're gone...

BARE BONES. ( also asked by @princessmacedon! )

It's definitely a mix, but Carina absolutely leans more towards excitement when it comes to her future as a knight. On the one hand, it's probably something she feels is expected of her—her grandfather was a part of the knighthood, as was her father. Not only that, but they were both high ranking officials in the army. I wouldn't be surprised if that came with a lot of expectation. Possibly from her family, but especially from her peers in the knight order.

But being a knight isn't something just imposed on her by others. She carries the desire and pride within herself to become a strong soldier of the kingdom, with Gotthold—the commander of Ast's knights—being a mentor and goal for her to reach.

Even then, she is well aware that her own emotional nature can sometimes be at odds with that goal of knighthood.

Her lack of foresight causes Carina to be reckless on a number of occasions (with Alberta often having to calm or scold her), and her heightened aggression during battle can pose a threat to her safety. But she has chosen to actively lean into this nature, and the strength it brings, in order to protect Kurt; even if it conflicts with the ideal of a proper, disciplined knight.

Kurt: To be honest, you're not your usual self lately. If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here to listen. Carina: It's just... I've realized something. It's not that I can no longer control my power, it's that I don't want to. For your sake, I would hold nothing back. But that makes me a terrible knight, doesn't it? — Carina & Kurt A Support

(And this willingness to embrace that lack of control? Is mostly definitely a vice that feeds into her shadow side.)

Once I start fighting, I lose control of myself. That's just how I am. I am untamed. My nature wants nothing more than to trample my enemies! The dark goddess Fenris wants us to struggle. But that's not what the light wants. Maybe it was inevitable that I would sink into shadow... — Carina Shadow Rapport

Carina is determined to become a knight worthy of upholding her family's legacy, to be comparable to Gotthold and his feats—but in that determination to pursue her goals, in the newfound pressure brought on by the invasion of Ast and the loss of her mentors, she gives in to the instincts that could also jeopardize that dream.

BARE BONES.

I don't think Carina's ever had an issue leaning on her family when she needed to, but I do think there was pressure there. Her grandfather was a deputy commander of the army, and her father was captain of the Ast royal guard; being a knight is clearly something deeply ingrained in Carina's family, and thus her upbringing.

With such high ranking knights as examples to follow, there were probably things she held back in order to appear capable and strong. Gotthold is someone she deeply admires, but also a commanding officer. Kurt is a friend, but her liege.

But there is one person she seems to trust above all else: Alberta. They are fellow knights and consider each other partners, sharing a deep bond with each other. Alberta seems to foster a level of calm and comfort in Carina that she gets from nowhere else.

Kurt: I'm a bit jealous. To be that strong at such a young age... People must've held you in pretty high regard. Carina: Not exactly. The other kids were scared of me, and I'd often destroy the things I cared about. Kurt: I'm sorry. I can't imagine what that must have been like. I don't remember hearing about such incident in the castle, though. You must've learned to control it. Carina: Yeah, it was tough. Alberta helps, but when she's not around I feel so bored, so suffocated, so— Eh? — Carina & Kurt B Support

BARE BONES.

Battle. Particularly the rush of adrenaline she gets during it. Carina's always had a pretty loose handle on her emotions—very much a "heart on her sleeve" person. But it reaches a whole different level when she's fighting, as she uses her anger in particular to fuel her strength.

Carina: When I need to push myself, I think about the empire. It gets me angry. Furious, even. Grr... Raaah! Whoops! Oh, uh, wow... That's a big hole. See what I mean about the empire? Alberta is not gonna like this. Do you, uh, know any exercises I can do to calm myself down? — Carina Light Rapport

This, of course, stems from the fact that her family—her father, we know for sure—was killed in the Empire's invasion of Ast. Her strength is something she's learned to control over the years, but with the rage and grief she feels, as well as her determination to a be a knight that can protect Kurt, she is in a state where she doesn't bother to keep herself in check the way she used to.

Carina: Prince Kurt... Kurt: To be honest, you're not your usual self lately. If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here to listen. Carina: It's just... I've realized something. It's not that I can no longer control my power, it's that I don't want to. For your sake, I would hold nothing back. But that makes me a terrible knight, doesn't it? — Carina & Kurt A Support

Her emotions are her strength just as much as they can be her downfall, and to do her duty, she's willing to lean fully into them and the power they bolster.

BARE BONES.

I don't think any particular area comes to mind for Carina, but she would want it to be a place where she could just... let loose, you know? Have the space to express her emotions, to break a few things, to let off some steam and relieve whatever stress she's feeling.

Because of the problems her strength has caused her since childhood, she's extremely self-conscious about controlling it and harming the things and people around her.

So a place where she can fully express all of herself, without having to worry about any of that? Would be ideal.