l'arc bright ⍻ ｌａｇｏｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｃｕｒｓｅｄ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fictionalized2012-05-09 09:04 am
oaf) wrote in fictionalized2012-05-09 09:04 am
app; l'arc bright lagoon; somarium
[Player name] January
[Age] 18
[Personal Journal]acperience
[Other characters currently played]
Daichi Shijima | Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 |carfu
[Character name] L’Arc Bright Lagoon
[Age] 17 or somewhere between 17 and 517. Take your pick.
[Canon] Arc Rise Fantasia
[Point in time taken from canon] Pre-epilogue, during the timeskip.
[Background]
Born under an ill mother and a famous mercenary father who died when he was young, L’Arc has had an unusual but somewhat uneventful life. Due to his mother’s illness, the two live with a family friend: Zamuel, a master swordsman and ex-mercenary. Under his tutelage, L’Arc learned the art of swordsmanship and met two of his childhood friends: Adele, Zamuel’s surrogate granddaughter, and Alf, the second prince of the Meridian Empire, L’Arc’s home. At some point in his childhood, he also met Niko Bennex, a soldier working for the Empire.
By the present, L’Arc is a mercenary, due to having idolized the legendary Leon, the man who led his father and Zamuel. He spends most of his time carrying out missions as a legionnaire for the Empire, mainly concerned with getting by financially and supporting his mother. In fact, it’s on a mission that, by a stroke of luck, he meets the girl who would irrevocably change his life.
While on a Feldragon hunt, L’Arc falls off the ship, though he manages to survive with minimal injuries. It’s then that he meets Ryfia, who calls herself the Imaginal Diva from the Turemilian Republic—a country at odds with the Empire. As she’s exhausted, L’Arc brings her to the nearest town. There, they run into Alf, who came looking for L’Arc, and decide to escort to her destination: the town of Jada, where Niko resides. An attack there forces the three to flee into the Dragon Prison, where the main source of the Empire’s Ray—i.e. energy—is located. Specifically, it’s where the Rogress Simmah, whom Ryfia has come to meet, is being imprisoned. Due to being under pursuit by the assailant, L’Arc discovers that he is the “Child of Eesa”, allowing him to form a bond with Simmah and fend off the attacker.
The bad news, however, is that in doing so, Simmah becomes a part of L’Arc. Goodbye, energy source.
So needless to say, when they head to the capital, Alf’s brother, Weiss, is none too pleased. He orders L’Arc, along with Ryfia, to head to the country of Olquina, where the Verct Skywalk lies. The Olquinians use the Verct Skywalk to redirect the Ray streams, hence the Empire’s Ray shortage and reliance on the now-gone Simmah. Despite the Empire’s requests, they refuse to deactivate it, as the Skywalk is also a shrine. Therefore, L’Arc is to infiltrate the Skywalk and deactivate it himself. Ryfia is to accompany him as the Rogress Girtab is said to be guarding the Skywalk, and so her knowledge of Rogress is needed.
After their lovely meeting with Weiss, the three visit Adele, L’Arc’s mother, and Zamuel. Not long after, Zamuel’s martial arts school is attacked by a band of thieves. While heading to the scene, the three and Niko encounter a young girl named Cecille, who claims to have a message for Elena, L’Arc’s mother. When they arrive, they learn that Zamuel and Adele are pursuing the attackers, and so they decide to go after them to help.
Over the course of their chase, numerous things happen: first, Zamuel is found severely injured. There, they meet Rastan, a man who helped them previously at Jada. He informs them that this is the work of Ignacy, his “sworn enemy” and the one mentioned in the message. In any case, he and Cecille return to the capital with Zamuel, as the others continue forward to rescue Adele.
Secondly, the thieves they were chasing are then killed by two girls, who are after Adele’s pendant—an heirloom from the mother she never knew. Before they can kill her, though, L’Arc and co. intervene. Sadly, the two girls prove too strong—but this would be a very short story if they were to die now, so of course someone comes to their rescue. Namely, Serge, a surviving bandit who carries them away on the ship. Through either fortune or misfortune, the ship crashes into a coral reef, and heads up on the shore of Olquina. Not exactly how L’Arc and Ryfia were planning to get there, but hey, whatever works.
Despite the initial bump of the Empire no longer being very welcome in Olquina, due to the assassination of their own Diva—the priestess of their god Real—L’Arc manages to get the job done. Before the group can return to the Empire, however, the Olquinians kidnap Adele and take her back to the Skywalk. With the help of Leslie Ferrati, a woman who warned them previously about the Empire’s reputation in Olquina, they manage to re-enter the Skywalk to rescue the damsel in distress—
—who is perhaps not quite in distress. When they reach the top of the Skywalk, they find Adele with Dynos, the one who attacked Jada. From there, a chain of rather surprising events unravels. Not necessarily in order: Adele is the Real Diva, and, upon realizing that L’Arc does not love her romantically, snaps and decides to try and kill them all. The Meridian Empire invades Olquina—an act that Alf disapproves of, causing him to leave behind his country and go with Adele. As fate would have it, he also happens to be the second Child of Eesa, allowing him to calm down Girtab, whom Adele summoned. The two depart with it, along with Serge and Leslie who decide to accompany them.
Afterwards, L’Arc is obviously not in a stellar mood, but still goes to report to Weiss, who promptly informs him that, due to being the Child of Eesa, he’s fired—but before that, he wants L’Arc to deliver a letter to the Director of the Republic. Not being in a position to say no, L’Arc thanks him and so heads back to the Empire.
… Where, because things aren’t bad enough yet, he learns that Rastan, having thought Ignacy had captured them, left for the Republic—and that Zamuel is dying. After his funeral, L’Arc receives payment for the accomplished mission, ensuring his mother’s financial security for life. Afterwards, he heads to the Republic with Ryfia and Niko—who decided to quit the army and follow him—in tow, along with one (1) Cecille, who snuck aboard the ship.
Unfortunately for the group, the letter demands that the Republic surrender unconditionally; otherwise, the Empire will declare war. This plus L’Arc’s reputation ever since the attack on Olquina lead to Shelly Greenhill, the Director, ordering for L’Arc and Niko’s arrest—Ryfia and Cecille had been left behind due to not being part of the army. This, as it turns out, is a very good thing, as the two then break them out of prison. Rastan soon joins them, and they escape.
Since they’ve successfully fled the city, the group decides to head to Benetnasch, Ryfia’s hometown. L’Arc and Ryfia then meet with Hosea, the Patriarch, who explains to L’Arc his role as the Child of Eesa. The god, Eesa, fell into a slumber, but before doing so sent out a factor to determine its agent—that is, the Child of Eesa, who is to choose a Law and reach the Holy Land of Noire, thus awakening Eesa. He is then to present his chosen Law to Eesa. This Law will then determine the fate of the world. Real’s Law—what Alf has chosen—will crystallize the world, therefore destroying it. In order to reach the Holy Land of Noire, though, L’Arc must find and bond with all nine Rogress.
With that decided, the group heads off to the town of Batrachites to bond with Absin. Along the way, they run into Dynos, who turns out to be Cecille’s twin brother, despite Cecille being twelve and Dynos fifteen. Cecille explains to them the story after Dynos escapes—that they’re both members of the Divine Race, as is Rastan. They were born a thousand years ago, but put to sleep because after the Verct Skywalk fell, the land was filled with a toxin called Hozone, which exists even today. Upon waking up at whatever time, they could then choose to stay aboard the Lascarde Skywalk, safe from the Hozone, or be equipped with a Dragon Gem and head to the land of the Common Race—humans who chose to remain and thus adapted—below.
By the time they reach Batrachites, they discover that the Imperial Army has already taken over. Alf also happens to be in this town, having beaten them to Absin. He shows up to hijack the army Lightship and declares his intention to go against Weiss, earning the favour of the people.
Throughout the game, they encounter Alf’s group numerous times, both during the Rogress hunt and outside of it. An incident also allows them to finally encounter Ignacy, who not only was an acquaintance of Ryfia’s but also the one responsible for killing L’Arc’s father. This firmly places him as an enemy, leading Serge to join their group as they now have a common foe. However, there are other threads to clean up, as Ignacy had an accomplice when he killed L’Arc’s father: Rastan.
In the past, Ignacy blackmailed Rastan into betraying his friends. Consequently, after the incident, Rastan dedicated his life both to stopping Ignacy and finding L’Arc—so that the boy could kill him as revenge. However, L’Arc refuses, instead telling him to live and make up for what he’s done.
Leslie eventually joins them as well, after Ignacy tries to have her sister executed—an effort that is thwarted by L’Arc and co. Altogether, they have three things on their plate: stopping Ignacy, the war between the Republic and the Empire, and the Child of Eesa business, which includes the issue with Alf by association.
They manage to make some progress regarding the second, as Shelly proposes a peace treaty that Weiss, against all odds, accepts. During the meeting, he reveals that he and L’Arc are brothers, but before he can elaborate, Dynos and Adele strike. During the chaos, Shelly goes missing and Weiss escapes to his flagship, where he and Alf duel due to a misunderstanding on Alf’s part. Alf kills him, thus usurping the throne. On his deathbed, Weiss explains to L’Arc how they have a shared mother, who was the king’s mistress and had to flee the palace due to the queen. Because of an incident in his past, he lost faith in the gods and devoted his life to eliminating them—a goal that L’Arc decides to take up. Before Weiss dies, he tells them to find “Carlisle”, who can supposedly help them.
With any chance of peace ruined and L’Arc not exactly caring about being the Child of Eesa anymore, the group decides to speak with Hosea, suspecting that a church affiliate also tried to sabotage the treaty. However, by chance, they manage to overhear Hosea speaking with Ignacy, where they learn quite a few details—the most important being that the Common Race apparently can’t survive without Hozone. As Imaginal’s Law would remove Hozone from the world, that means that Law exists only to save the Divine Race, of which Hosea is a part of. As Alf, who has collected most of the Rogress, is a hindrance to their plan, they need to eliminate him. Likewise, they’ve realized that L’Arc is now suspicious of the church, and so decide to brainwash him. Ryfia interferes, however—but in doing so, falls into a coma. As per Simmah’s advice, the group heads off to the Zeifellt Tower to save her. There, they access her consciousness, where L’Arc manages to bring her back, and gain a lead on Carlisle.
After locating Carlisle, they devise a third Law—to neutralize the poison in the Hozone so that both races can survive on the planet. However, when they try to earn Alf’s cooperation, he and Adele believe that Eesa won’t accept such a Law, and so refuse to become allies with them. Their ensuing fight is soon broken up by the arrival of Ignacy, who ‘invites’ them to the Lascarde Skywalk. By the way, he just so happened to bring Niko there already. Perfectly innocent intentions, really.
As should go without saying, despite knowing that it’s a trap, L’Arc and his friends have no choice but to head to the Skywalk to save Niko. Although Alf initially refuses, Adele persuades him to go as well. There, Ignacy and Hosea try to steal the Eesa factor from within Alf and L’Arc. While it fails with L’Arc, Alf is nearly killed—were it not for Adele’s intervention, as she gives up her life to save his. There isn’t any time to mourn, however, as the group proceeds to fight and kill Ignacy. Afterwards, as Alf takes his wounded comrades back to his Lightship, L’Arc and co. go to deal with Hosea. To complicate things, though, Hosea sets off the Skywalk’s cannon upon his death, with the target being a certain capital city. Therefore, in order to save it, Niko flies out on his own and stops the cannon, at the cost of his life.
Having lost the girl he loved and a childhood friend, Alf finally snaps. L’Arc and the others are then forced to stop him, killing Dynos in the process. Fortunately, after his defeat, Alf sees the errors of his ways and decides to destroy Real. Before that, he gives L’Arc his Rogress—and so, with the nine Rogress in L’Arc’s possession, the Holy Land of Noire appears.
Having settled everything but the issue with Eesa, L’Arc and the others meet up with Carlisle again, who has created a program that will neutralize the Hozone in case Eesa denies their request. To use it, they have to destroy Eesa’s core and place the stone containing the program in its place. However, as Carlisle tells L’Arc in private, it’s not that simple. Without its core, Eesa’s processing power will be greatly reduced, to the point where the Hozone may not be neutralized in time. Therefore, it will need a new core—namely, L’Arc, who will be put to sleep until the neutralization is done. However, as that could take centuries, that means he must be prepared to part ways from everything—and everyone—he knows.
After speaking with his mother, L’Arc steels his resolve, though he keeps what he knows to be his fate from his friends. Sadly, this makes things a tad awkward, as Ryfia confesses to him, unaware that she’ll never see him again after the final battle. Still, L’Arc ignores it and continues ahead, defeating Eesa with Alf and his friends. It’s then, when he knows that it’s time to say goodbye, does he finally tell his friends what he has to do. Needless to say, they’re shocked and angry at him for hiding it, but he brushes off their reactions, forcing them to accept the reality of the situation.
Just before he loses consciousness, though, Ryfia gives L’Arc a parting message and promise: that she’ll be waiting for him in the future.
And with that, L’Arc sleeps—and wakes up in Somarium, whoops.
[Personality]
"You've seen right through him, Ryfia. He may put on a tough guy act, but he's really a gentleman at heart!"
At his core, L'Arc is your standard Jerk With a Heart of Gold. He's easily the rudest in his party, especially in contrast to the much politer Alf. L'Arc tends to say what's on his mind and isn't above making fun of others. There isn't really anyone safe from his attitude, with the exception of his superiors and his mother. Teacher, friends, the stranger he just met—they're all fair game. It's not to the point where he can't be civil, as he fully can be and will apologize, more often than not, if he feels he's gone too far or messed up. On the other hand, it's not uncommon for others to tell him to mind his manners. It's not him compensating for something, a means of defence, or anything like that, as so much as it is simply being a part of who he is. He's just naturally a jerk, really (even when little!).
He's also rather hot-headed. He tends to get frustrated and yell over small things, as he's not the most patient of people. It doesn't help that he often translates worry and fear into anger, as Ryfia notes, claiming that "[he's] scary sometimes...but [means] well". And so, he sometimes needs others to remind him to stay cool. Even when he's not angry, he can get rash in the heat of the moment. Fortunately, he's not usually worked up to the point where he can't be calmed quickly, meaning that his temper and whatnot, while occasionally causing him to act irrationally, doesn't normally get in the way or screw things up.
Of course, he wouldn't be a Jerk With a Heart of Gold without, well, the heart of gold. In L'Arc's case, it's fairly obvious to anyone who knows him for a decent amount of time, especially if one brushes off his insults and snark. L'Arc may grumble ("Protect the weak, blah blah", anyone?), but he'll still help others out and look out for their safety, even if he might need a bit of prodding at times. Overall, he's fairly supportive of all his friends and willing to help sort out their problems. He may not always know what to say (which he admits) and can thus come across as insensitive, but he does care. He's very devoted to Ryfia in particular, despite his initial annoyance at her quirks, being a bit like a rough, sarcastic version of her Prince Charming. His friends happily exploit this and tease him over it—and his soft side in general. While L'Arc doesn't deny most of the time that he's nicer than he seems, he's visibly embarrassed at having it pointed out and frequently ends the conversation right there and then.
On that note, as Alf puts it: "Always with the money with you, eh?" L'Arc's a bit of a money grubber, which isn't all that surprising, given that he's a mercenary. Whenever doing a mission, expect money to be a point of interest to him, whether it's negotiating his reward or making sure to collect it. He's also shown to be somewhat thrifty, with a dislike of gambling since it wastes money. However, it never gets to a truly greedy point in that he doesn't let it cloud his judgment. His pursuit of money doesn't lead to other things/people getting the short stick—he's not that obsessed. He also isn't as concerned with it as he used to be, since his reason for desiring it in the first place has been resolved (though old habits die hard, as he's still definitely not the type to forget to pick up his reward).
—And that reason ties in with why L'Arc's money issue is actually more proof of his noble side as well, rather than evidence against it. When you have an ill mother, you need a doctor. Unfortunately, doctors also cost money. In short, the reason L'Arc works so hard and tries to obtain as much money as he can is to pay for his mother's medical fees, as he loves her dearly. Before Ryfia came along, she was his main motivation, with Alf even commenting how he became a legionnaire for her, despite wanting to create his own mercenary group.
With that kind of independent lifestyle, it's no wonder that L'Arc grew up faster than others. Despite only being seventeen, he typically acts more like he's twenty. Aside from his temper, he's normally a serious and collected individual. That's not to say that he's a stick in the mud, though, despite him often complaining about the others' antics. In fact, he's very snarky, with a smirk often present on his face. On the other hand, his main idea of fun tends to involve teasing/bantering with others and a good fight. Otherwise, his work tends to be his life. He's glad to get new missions (because hey, more money!) and initially doesn't seem to have much of a social life. He isn't a complete loner, for he has his fair share of friends and acquaintances, but he's not one to make socializing a priority. Neither is romance, for that matter. If it weren't for his rather obvious chemistry and tension with Ryfia, he'd almost appear asexual, as he shows little interest in romantic or sexual affairs.
In any case, while he does have some of the traits, he's not your standard hot-blooded, rebellious hero. Instead, when he feels he has enough to go off (and isn’t annoyed to the point of irrationality), he does try to think things through carefully and logically, seeking information when he can. He also understands the need for chains of command and, as said, tries to be respectful to his superiors (though behind their back is a different story), knowing when to be informal and when not to be. As well as that, he's not idealistic to a fault. By no means does he hold anything against the world, but he acknowledges that it isn't an easy place and is indiscriminate in the way it treats people—old, young, girl, boy, it doesn't matter. He's also the kind of person who knows that "an enemy is an enemy", regardless of chivalry or any of those sorts of ideals. He even states that everyone "[gets their] hands dirty at one time or another"—right to the young Cecille, no less—demonstrating that he doesn't like to sugarcoat things or shelter others.
His maturity particularly shines through in his view of revenge. L'Arc is well aware that revenge is commonly an unwise choice and only starts a cycle of killing, hence why it's not a path that he pursues without thinking. He also takes into account their reasons for what they did (as said, he realizes that the world can be harsh), rather than blindly hating them for it. Furthermore, L'Arc has shown himself to be a rather forgiving person overall, rarely holding notable grudges. Though he doesn't have an explicit policy on this, he doesn't resent the many people who betray his trust and is willing to give his enemies a second chance if they desire it. Even though no one would blame him for wanting to desert his country, he continues to remain loyal to it, even if he can't entirely explain why. He's certainly not the type to abandon others simply because he was wronged. Needless to say, he's really not a bitter person.
That being said, mature or not, L'Arc can still be a child at times as well. He does have his moments of naivety, particularly regarding love or more 'mature' jokes, which he's occasionally the butt of from his older friends. He doesn't realize his own feelings for Ryfia, even when she admits to liking him, and never noticed that Adele had more than just familial feelings for him. Not only that, but it's fairly easy to toy with his emotions—and fairly easy to tease him, period. As 'cool' as he might normally seem, chances are he'll rise to the bait. In those kinds of situations, he can be somewhat awkward. He's also not above indulging in that teenage idolizing thing of people he respects a lot, despite his usual "I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU" exterior. It's because of this that he wanted to become a mercenary in the first place, as he admired the legendary mercenary, Leon.
... Granted, he'll probably think twice before idolizing someone now that his image of Leon has shattered to bits. Thanks, Serge.
He's also known for being ridiculously stubborn, even over petty things. No, he doesn't want to attach an Arm Force to his sword—he likes it just the way it is, thank you. No, he doesn't need to use magic (yes, you do, L'Arc). Generally, though, when it comes to those kinds of things, he'll eventually relent, but the fact he was so insistent to begin with tends to inspire exasperation. On the other hand, his obstinacy can also be a good thing. It means that he holds a firm stance in his beliefs, even though his situation calls for people trying to convince him of theirs. He isn't necessarily narrow-minded, but rather, he isn't so easily swayed by others' opinions. He knows what he believes in and sticks with it until he's given information that forces him to rethink things. This is part of why he admits to possibly disliking the gods, as he wants to decide his fate himself. Gods, Rogress, the like—as powerful as they might be, he's not impressed if they can't do anything to help him. Nevertheless, he realizes that he's not always in the right, even at one point dryly calling himself "the only real bad guy around here" after being played as a pawn. He's not stubbornly arrogant; he's just stubborn.
Again, he isn't narrow-minded, as he states that he likes hearing others' thoughts and opinions, but he is occasionally ignorant and apathetic. He has somewhat of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset and admits that he tends to only try hard once the goal's "dangled right in front of [his] face". This is especially blatant when, for much of the game, he doesn't pay much attention to the entire Child of Eesa issue because he doesn't believe in the gods and is more focused on the possibility of war. It's all religious mumbo jumbo, after all, and has nothing to do with him when he barely understands what it means to have chosen Imaginal's Law—at least, until he realizes that the gods do exist and most definitely affect his life, at which point he becomes more proactive in his role as the Child of Eesa.
However, it's this kind of attitude that lets him move forward with single-minded determination. He lives in the moment, and thus sometimes doesn't think about the consequences of his actions, but he never wastes time crying over his mistakes. He's not the self-doubting type, instead amending his plan if there's a problem and continuing from there. He believes that if you feel that you should do something, then do it and worry about mistakes once you've made one. If he needs more information and it's available, then he'll seek it. If not, then he'll act based on whatever leads he has now and go from there. Though he understands the need for a break every now and then (or at least a chance to think things over), he prefers to not spend his time being idle. It doesn't help that it's usually up to him to solve things, meaning that all he really can do is go around trying to find a solution, with everyone relying on him. He essentially needs this kind of personality to handle that kind of a burden.
Along that line, L'Arc isn't someone you'll often catch moping. While he does have his sad moments, they tend to be on the brief and mild side. Even when his life gets screwed over, he does his best to remain stoic and focus on the task at hand. Four of his friends, including his best friend and makeshift sister, just betrayed him? Well, he's finished his mission, so he still has to report to the prince. Two good friends just died? He knows that he doesn't have the time to mourn them now. There are no tears or breakdowns—just a grim acceptance of the facts as he moves on. This is how he reacts to just about everything: with a firm front. If he's going to be vulnerable, then he'd rather it be in private, and even then, he never lets himself cry. He continues to act the way he always does around others, even helping others out with their own problems if need be.
It gets to the point where it seems like he makes an active attempt to appear strong. He tries not to burden his friends with his problems, even when it concerns them. There are moments where he's too okay, crossing the line from being well-adjusted to either faking it or being perhaps a bit emotionally repressed. Even his mother tells him at one point that if he feels like crying, then it's okay to cry, and yet L'Arc still doesn't. However, he does occasionally seem more emotional when alone, indicating he might not always be as strong as he appears. Still, it's not like being upset will solve anything—and he's got his tough guy act to keep up, doesn't he?
In the end, L’Arc is, well, a protag, through and through. Despite how many times the world tried to kick him down and despite the prices that were paid over the course of his journey, he can say that he's satisfied with his life. He lost a lot, but he gained just as much in return, if not more. In a way, one could say that L'Arc truly loves the world. He didn't do what he did because he felt obligated by any duty, but because even he acknowledges that he can't really ignore world destruction. Still, if that were all there were to it, then one would expect him to be more bitter about his fate, but he isn't. It was a hard choice to make for him, but it's clear in the epilogue that he believes it to have been worth it, having protected everyone.
In short, he's kind of an asshole but still the saviour of the world, and so is no less than what you'd expect from a hero.
[Abilities]
Having trained under a legendary fighter, L'Arc is a talented fighter, though nothing superhuman. He's the jack-of-all-stats, not being the fastest, strongest, or most enduring, but also definitely not a slouch in any of those areas either.
He’s decent at magic as well, though he’ll only be carrying Fire Orbs with him—i.e. he’ll only be capable of Fire magic unless a canonmate feels like switching with him.
He also possesses Excel Acts, aka the ~power dormant within you~, which range from offensive attacks to stat boots, etc. Like magic though, there’s a limit to how often he can use them. Eesa’s Factor will be disabled as it’s a self-resurrection ability.
They’re all listed here, with this as a visual aid.
Finally, due to being the Child of Eesa, he has his Rogress, which normally exist as gem-like objects that reside within his body. His summoning ability is the most limited of all his powers, however. As it has its own energy (RP) and requires all of it, he can only summon one Rogress in battle (and for only one attack), making it his trump card rather than a regular ability.
At his canon point, L’Arc has all nine plus three miscellaneous ones. They can be all be seen here. Obviously, they’ll be powered down in Somarium, and summoning one will also greatly exhaust L’Arc, making it even more of a last resort. Additionally, Allul will not be available, as she could be considered a full character in her own right.
He's also a trained pilot, as a part of being a licensed mercenary.
[Other important stuff]
Yes, that is really his name.
He’s half-Divine Race, half-Common Race, though that doesn’t mean much in the long run. Technically-speaking, he can’t survive without Hozone, but that won’t apply in Somarium, obviously.
[Sample post]
[First Person]
- If you could go back home, would you? Why or why not?
… Yeah, I would. Long story about that, though. Let’s just say that I’ve got a few responsibilities to uphold.
- Someone is trying to rob you! What do you do?
Beat the crap out of them.
… Within reason, anyway. It doesn’t do me much good if I end up getting arrested for assault.
- Do you stand up against authority, go against all odds, and if you could, pierce the heavens with your fighting spirit? If not, would you if you could?
… That’s the stupidest way of putting it that I’ve heard.
But going back to the question, I just go with what I believe in. If that ends up pitting me up against authority, then it can’t really be helped, can it?
- Would you consider yourself a hero or a villain? Why? Neither is an option as well, but still tell why.
Hero or villain, huh? I don’t think the world’s so black and white like that. People are just trying to do their own thing, and sure, I think some things are wrong, but that’s just my own belief.
I’ve done some good stuff and I’ve done some bad stuff. That’s just how it is.
- Your country is in the middle of a war. What do you think of it? Do you support it or try to solve it yourself by going on an epic quest? Explain.
… You know, this question isn’t exactly all that hypothetical for me. And frankly, you don’t just ‘solve’ wars by yourself.
- You are a given a mission. Would you complete it effectively or would you goof off and do something else? Expand a little on the response.
Complete it. Come on, I’ve got standards—I do the job. I don’t goof off. I’m not some wannabe mercenary who can’t even get a single mission done.
- Murder. What is your opinion?
It’s a part of life. Not exactly the greatest part of it, but there’s not much you can do about that.
- Would you consider yourself a well traveled person? If so, what are some of your favorite places? If not, would you want to travel or is there some place you want to go?
Considering that I’ve pretty much been all over the world, maybe literally? Yeah, I’d say I’m a little well-travelled.
And I don’t really have a favourite place. Home, I guess.
- You see a bloody knife on the floor. What do you do or think?
Well, that’s pleasant.
- Am I asking too many personal or strange questions?
Oh, you noticed? Good.
- Can you surpass God?
Sure can and did. She was pretty damn powerful, but you’d be surprised at how far even humans can go.
- Do you believe you can fly? Do you believe you can touch the sky?
This sounds like something out of a bad poem…
- Do you believe in the magic of friendship?
… And here I was hoping that was the end of the stupid questions.
[Third Person]
“What the heck is this!?”
Of all the things that L’Arc expected to wake up to, being attacked by inanimate scarecrows wasn’t one of them. Not even close. If this was how the world somehow turned out to be like, then he was afraid to wonder just what the others had done.
There wasn’t much time to contemplate, though, as a scarecrow lunged for him. Not wasting any time, L’Arc swung his sword at it, cleanly slicing it in half. It wasn’t as good as a swing as he would’ve liked (and he was mentally glad that no one was around to see it), but all things considered, he wasn’t at his best, being asleep for years.
Unfortunately, any relief he might’ve had was short-lived, as more scarecrows approached. An annoyance, but at least he’d get some much-needed practice done to warm up.
“Nice welcome party, huh?” he said, readying himself. “Geez, how many friends did that thing have?”
… Ha. Friends. He sure would’ve liked to have his with him right now—but he knew that that was a foolish hope. He’d already said goodbye to them. He wasn’t going to see them again, save for perhaps Cecille, no matter how much he wanted to (which was one of the many, many things he’d never admit). That was the price of protecting the world and, above all, his own decision, so he had no reason to complain.
No use crying over spilled milk, after all, let alone milk he’d spilled himself.
Still, he wondered how Ryfia was doing—was she bitter that he’d left, even after her confession? No, she wasn’t the bitter type.
And what about his mom? L’Arc knew that she was one of the strongest people around, so he didn’t have to worry too much about her, but there was still a pang in his chest for having to leave her behind. At the very least, he knew that Alf would be taking care of the Empire—and as for Alf himself, though L’Arc knew that there’d been animosity towards him, he had faith in him. Regardless of how much of a tyrant he might’ve been recently, he was still once the beloved prince of the people.
As for Leslie, she was undoubtedly rebuilding the Republic with Shelly. He looked forward to seeing how that turned out in the future. That was one worry off his shoulders, at least, knowing that the others would look after the world while he was gone. And if there was anyone he trusted that task with, it was them.
(Again, one of the many things he was loathe to say outright.)
And the others—
“Whoa!” He ducked, narrowly avoiding a hit. He’d zoned out—definitely glad no one was around to see this. That was just plain amateurish.
[Why do you want to play this character in Somarium?] Because I’ve missed playing L’Arc and with Shari and Jae apping Leslie and Serge, I couldn’t resist sob.
[Which rule was your favorite and why?] … do I have to answer this again. Really.
[Any questions?] None!
[Age] 18
[Personal Journal]
acperience[Other characters currently played]
Daichi Shijima | Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 |
carfu[Character name] L’Arc Bright Lagoon
[Age] 17 or somewhere between 17 and 517. Take your pick.
[Canon] Arc Rise Fantasia
[Point in time taken from canon] Pre-epilogue, during the timeskip.
[Background]
Born under an ill mother and a famous mercenary father who died when he was young, L’Arc has had an unusual but somewhat uneventful life. Due to his mother’s illness, the two live with a family friend: Zamuel, a master swordsman and ex-mercenary. Under his tutelage, L’Arc learned the art of swordsmanship and met two of his childhood friends: Adele, Zamuel’s surrogate granddaughter, and Alf, the second prince of the Meridian Empire, L’Arc’s home. At some point in his childhood, he also met Niko Bennex, a soldier working for the Empire.
By the present, L’Arc is a mercenary, due to having idolized the legendary Leon, the man who led his father and Zamuel. He spends most of his time carrying out missions as a legionnaire for the Empire, mainly concerned with getting by financially and supporting his mother. In fact, it’s on a mission that, by a stroke of luck, he meets the girl who would irrevocably change his life.
While on a Feldragon hunt, L’Arc falls off the ship, though he manages to survive with minimal injuries. It’s then that he meets Ryfia, who calls herself the Imaginal Diva from the Turemilian Republic—a country at odds with the Empire. As she’s exhausted, L’Arc brings her to the nearest town. There, they run into Alf, who came looking for L’Arc, and decide to escort to her destination: the town of Jada, where Niko resides. An attack there forces the three to flee into the Dragon Prison, where the main source of the Empire’s Ray—i.e. energy—is located. Specifically, it’s where the Rogress Simmah, whom Ryfia has come to meet, is being imprisoned. Due to being under pursuit by the assailant, L’Arc discovers that he is the “Child of Eesa”, allowing him to form a bond with Simmah and fend off the attacker.
The bad news, however, is that in doing so, Simmah becomes a part of L’Arc. Goodbye, energy source.
So needless to say, when they head to the capital, Alf’s brother, Weiss, is none too pleased. He orders L’Arc, along with Ryfia, to head to the country of Olquina, where the Verct Skywalk lies. The Olquinians use the Verct Skywalk to redirect the Ray streams, hence the Empire’s Ray shortage and reliance on the now-gone Simmah. Despite the Empire’s requests, they refuse to deactivate it, as the Skywalk is also a shrine. Therefore, L’Arc is to infiltrate the Skywalk and deactivate it himself. Ryfia is to accompany him as the Rogress Girtab is said to be guarding the Skywalk, and so her knowledge of Rogress is needed.
After their lovely meeting with Weiss, the three visit Adele, L’Arc’s mother, and Zamuel. Not long after, Zamuel’s martial arts school is attacked by a band of thieves. While heading to the scene, the three and Niko encounter a young girl named Cecille, who claims to have a message for Elena, L’Arc’s mother. When they arrive, they learn that Zamuel and Adele are pursuing the attackers, and so they decide to go after them to help.
Over the course of their chase, numerous things happen: first, Zamuel is found severely injured. There, they meet Rastan, a man who helped them previously at Jada. He informs them that this is the work of Ignacy, his “sworn enemy” and the one mentioned in the message. In any case, he and Cecille return to the capital with Zamuel, as the others continue forward to rescue Adele.
Secondly, the thieves they were chasing are then killed by two girls, who are after Adele’s pendant—an heirloom from the mother she never knew. Before they can kill her, though, L’Arc and co. intervene. Sadly, the two girls prove too strong—but this would be a very short story if they were to die now, so of course someone comes to their rescue. Namely, Serge, a surviving bandit who carries them away on the ship. Through either fortune or misfortune, the ship crashes into a coral reef, and heads up on the shore of Olquina. Not exactly how L’Arc and Ryfia were planning to get there, but hey, whatever works.
Despite the initial bump of the Empire no longer being very welcome in Olquina, due to the assassination of their own Diva—the priestess of their god Real—L’Arc manages to get the job done. Before the group can return to the Empire, however, the Olquinians kidnap Adele and take her back to the Skywalk. With the help of Leslie Ferrati, a woman who warned them previously about the Empire’s reputation in Olquina, they manage to re-enter the Skywalk to rescue the damsel in distress—
—who is perhaps not quite in distress. When they reach the top of the Skywalk, they find Adele with Dynos, the one who attacked Jada. From there, a chain of rather surprising events unravels. Not necessarily in order: Adele is the Real Diva, and, upon realizing that L’Arc does not love her romantically, snaps and decides to try and kill them all. The Meridian Empire invades Olquina—an act that Alf disapproves of, causing him to leave behind his country and go with Adele. As fate would have it, he also happens to be the second Child of Eesa, allowing him to calm down Girtab, whom Adele summoned. The two depart with it, along with Serge and Leslie who decide to accompany them.
Afterwards, L’Arc is obviously not in a stellar mood, but still goes to report to Weiss, who promptly informs him that, due to being the Child of Eesa, he’s fired—but before that, he wants L’Arc to deliver a letter to the Director of the Republic. Not being in a position to say no, L’Arc thanks him and so heads back to the Empire.
… Where, because things aren’t bad enough yet, he learns that Rastan, having thought Ignacy had captured them, left for the Republic—and that Zamuel is dying. After his funeral, L’Arc receives payment for the accomplished mission, ensuring his mother’s financial security for life. Afterwards, he heads to the Republic with Ryfia and Niko—who decided to quit the army and follow him—in tow, along with one (1) Cecille, who snuck aboard the ship.
Unfortunately for the group, the letter demands that the Republic surrender unconditionally; otherwise, the Empire will declare war. This plus L’Arc’s reputation ever since the attack on Olquina lead to Shelly Greenhill, the Director, ordering for L’Arc and Niko’s arrest—Ryfia and Cecille had been left behind due to not being part of the army. This, as it turns out, is a very good thing, as the two then break them out of prison. Rastan soon joins them, and they escape.
Since they’ve successfully fled the city, the group decides to head to Benetnasch, Ryfia’s hometown. L’Arc and Ryfia then meet with Hosea, the Patriarch, who explains to L’Arc his role as the Child of Eesa. The god, Eesa, fell into a slumber, but before doing so sent out a factor to determine its agent—that is, the Child of Eesa, who is to choose a Law and reach the Holy Land of Noire, thus awakening Eesa. He is then to present his chosen Law to Eesa. This Law will then determine the fate of the world. Real’s Law—what Alf has chosen—will crystallize the world, therefore destroying it. In order to reach the Holy Land of Noire, though, L’Arc must find and bond with all nine Rogress.
With that decided, the group heads off to the town of Batrachites to bond with Absin. Along the way, they run into Dynos, who turns out to be Cecille’s twin brother, despite Cecille being twelve and Dynos fifteen. Cecille explains to them the story after Dynos escapes—that they’re both members of the Divine Race, as is Rastan. They were born a thousand years ago, but put to sleep because after the Verct Skywalk fell, the land was filled with a toxin called Hozone, which exists even today. Upon waking up at whatever time, they could then choose to stay aboard the Lascarde Skywalk, safe from the Hozone, or be equipped with a Dragon Gem and head to the land of the Common Race—humans who chose to remain and thus adapted—below.
By the time they reach Batrachites, they discover that the Imperial Army has already taken over. Alf also happens to be in this town, having beaten them to Absin. He shows up to hijack the army Lightship and declares his intention to go against Weiss, earning the favour of the people.
Throughout the game, they encounter Alf’s group numerous times, both during the Rogress hunt and outside of it. An incident also allows them to finally encounter Ignacy, who not only was an acquaintance of Ryfia’s but also the one responsible for killing L’Arc’s father. This firmly places him as an enemy, leading Serge to join their group as they now have a common foe. However, there are other threads to clean up, as Ignacy had an accomplice when he killed L’Arc’s father: Rastan.
In the past, Ignacy blackmailed Rastan into betraying his friends. Consequently, after the incident, Rastan dedicated his life both to stopping Ignacy and finding L’Arc—so that the boy could kill him as revenge. However, L’Arc refuses, instead telling him to live and make up for what he’s done.
Leslie eventually joins them as well, after Ignacy tries to have her sister executed—an effort that is thwarted by L’Arc and co. Altogether, they have three things on their plate: stopping Ignacy, the war between the Republic and the Empire, and the Child of Eesa business, which includes the issue with Alf by association.
They manage to make some progress regarding the second, as Shelly proposes a peace treaty that Weiss, against all odds, accepts. During the meeting, he reveals that he and L’Arc are brothers, but before he can elaborate, Dynos and Adele strike. During the chaos, Shelly goes missing and Weiss escapes to his flagship, where he and Alf duel due to a misunderstanding on Alf’s part. Alf kills him, thus usurping the throne. On his deathbed, Weiss explains to L’Arc how they have a shared mother, who was the king’s mistress and had to flee the palace due to the queen. Because of an incident in his past, he lost faith in the gods and devoted his life to eliminating them—a goal that L’Arc decides to take up. Before Weiss dies, he tells them to find “Carlisle”, who can supposedly help them.
With any chance of peace ruined and L’Arc not exactly caring about being the Child of Eesa anymore, the group decides to speak with Hosea, suspecting that a church affiliate also tried to sabotage the treaty. However, by chance, they manage to overhear Hosea speaking with Ignacy, where they learn quite a few details—the most important being that the Common Race apparently can’t survive without Hozone. As Imaginal’s Law would remove Hozone from the world, that means that Law exists only to save the Divine Race, of which Hosea is a part of. As Alf, who has collected most of the Rogress, is a hindrance to their plan, they need to eliminate him. Likewise, they’ve realized that L’Arc is now suspicious of the church, and so decide to brainwash him. Ryfia interferes, however—but in doing so, falls into a coma. As per Simmah’s advice, the group heads off to the Zeifellt Tower to save her. There, they access her consciousness, where L’Arc manages to bring her back, and gain a lead on Carlisle.
After locating Carlisle, they devise a third Law—to neutralize the poison in the Hozone so that both races can survive on the planet. However, when they try to earn Alf’s cooperation, he and Adele believe that Eesa won’t accept such a Law, and so refuse to become allies with them. Their ensuing fight is soon broken up by the arrival of Ignacy, who ‘invites’ them to the Lascarde Skywalk. By the way, he just so happened to bring Niko there already. Perfectly innocent intentions, really.
As should go without saying, despite knowing that it’s a trap, L’Arc and his friends have no choice but to head to the Skywalk to save Niko. Although Alf initially refuses, Adele persuades him to go as well. There, Ignacy and Hosea try to steal the Eesa factor from within Alf and L’Arc. While it fails with L’Arc, Alf is nearly killed—were it not for Adele’s intervention, as she gives up her life to save his. There isn’t any time to mourn, however, as the group proceeds to fight and kill Ignacy. Afterwards, as Alf takes his wounded comrades back to his Lightship, L’Arc and co. go to deal with Hosea. To complicate things, though, Hosea sets off the Skywalk’s cannon upon his death, with the target being a certain capital city. Therefore, in order to save it, Niko flies out on his own and stops the cannon, at the cost of his life.
Having lost the girl he loved and a childhood friend, Alf finally snaps. L’Arc and the others are then forced to stop him, killing Dynos in the process. Fortunately, after his defeat, Alf sees the errors of his ways and decides to destroy Real. Before that, he gives L’Arc his Rogress—and so, with the nine Rogress in L’Arc’s possession, the Holy Land of Noire appears.
Having settled everything but the issue with Eesa, L’Arc and the others meet up with Carlisle again, who has created a program that will neutralize the Hozone in case Eesa denies their request. To use it, they have to destroy Eesa’s core and place the stone containing the program in its place. However, as Carlisle tells L’Arc in private, it’s not that simple. Without its core, Eesa’s processing power will be greatly reduced, to the point where the Hozone may not be neutralized in time. Therefore, it will need a new core—namely, L’Arc, who will be put to sleep until the neutralization is done. However, as that could take centuries, that means he must be prepared to part ways from everything—and everyone—he knows.
After speaking with his mother, L’Arc steels his resolve, though he keeps what he knows to be his fate from his friends. Sadly, this makes things a tad awkward, as Ryfia confesses to him, unaware that she’ll never see him again after the final battle. Still, L’Arc ignores it and continues ahead, defeating Eesa with Alf and his friends. It’s then, when he knows that it’s time to say goodbye, does he finally tell his friends what he has to do. Needless to say, they’re shocked and angry at him for hiding it, but he brushes off their reactions, forcing them to accept the reality of the situation.
Just before he loses consciousness, though, Ryfia gives L’Arc a parting message and promise: that she’ll be waiting for him in the future.
And with that, L’Arc sleeps—and wakes up in Somarium, whoops.
[Personality]
At his core, L'Arc is your standard Jerk With a Heart of Gold. He's easily the rudest in his party, especially in contrast to the much politer Alf. L'Arc tends to say what's on his mind and isn't above making fun of others. There isn't really anyone safe from his attitude, with the exception of his superiors and his mother. Teacher, friends, the stranger he just met—they're all fair game. It's not to the point where he can't be civil, as he fully can be and will apologize, more often than not, if he feels he's gone too far or messed up. On the other hand, it's not uncommon for others to tell him to mind his manners. It's not him compensating for something, a means of defence, or anything like that, as so much as it is simply being a part of who he is. He's just naturally a jerk, really (even when little!).
He's also rather hot-headed. He tends to get frustrated and yell over small things, as he's not the most patient of people. It doesn't help that he often translates worry and fear into anger, as Ryfia notes, claiming that "[he's] scary sometimes...but [means] well". And so, he sometimes needs others to remind him to stay cool. Even when he's not angry, he can get rash in the heat of the moment. Fortunately, he's not usually worked up to the point where he can't be calmed quickly, meaning that his temper and whatnot, while occasionally causing him to act irrationally, doesn't normally get in the way or screw things up.
Of course, he wouldn't be a Jerk With a Heart of Gold without, well, the heart of gold. In L'Arc's case, it's fairly obvious to anyone who knows him for a decent amount of time, especially if one brushes off his insults and snark. L'Arc may grumble ("Protect the weak, blah blah", anyone?), but he'll still help others out and look out for their safety, even if he might need a bit of prodding at times. Overall, he's fairly supportive of all his friends and willing to help sort out their problems. He may not always know what to say (which he admits) and can thus come across as insensitive, but he does care. He's very devoted to Ryfia in particular, despite his initial annoyance at her quirks, being a bit like a rough, sarcastic version of her Prince Charming. His friends happily exploit this and tease him over it—and his soft side in general. While L'Arc doesn't deny most of the time that he's nicer than he seems, he's visibly embarrassed at having it pointed out and frequently ends the conversation right there and then.
On that note, as Alf puts it: "Always with the money with you, eh?" L'Arc's a bit of a money grubber, which isn't all that surprising, given that he's a mercenary. Whenever doing a mission, expect money to be a point of interest to him, whether it's negotiating his reward or making sure to collect it. He's also shown to be somewhat thrifty, with a dislike of gambling since it wastes money. However, it never gets to a truly greedy point in that he doesn't let it cloud his judgment. His pursuit of money doesn't lead to other things/people getting the short stick—he's not that obsessed. He also isn't as concerned with it as he used to be, since his reason for desiring it in the first place has been resolved (though old habits die hard, as he's still definitely not the type to forget to pick up his reward).
—And that reason ties in with why L'Arc's money issue is actually more proof of his noble side as well, rather than evidence against it. When you have an ill mother, you need a doctor. Unfortunately, doctors also cost money. In short, the reason L'Arc works so hard and tries to obtain as much money as he can is to pay for his mother's medical fees, as he loves her dearly. Before Ryfia came along, she was his main motivation, with Alf even commenting how he became a legionnaire for her, despite wanting to create his own mercenary group.
With that kind of independent lifestyle, it's no wonder that L'Arc grew up faster than others. Despite only being seventeen, he typically acts more like he's twenty. Aside from his temper, he's normally a serious and collected individual. That's not to say that he's a stick in the mud, though, despite him often complaining about the others' antics. In fact, he's very snarky, with a smirk often present on his face. On the other hand, his main idea of fun tends to involve teasing/bantering with others and a good fight. Otherwise, his work tends to be his life. He's glad to get new missions (because hey, more money!) and initially doesn't seem to have much of a social life. He isn't a complete loner, for he has his fair share of friends and acquaintances, but he's not one to make socializing a priority. Neither is romance, for that matter. If it weren't for his rather obvious chemistry and tension with Ryfia, he'd almost appear asexual, as he shows little interest in romantic or sexual affairs.
In any case, while he does have some of the traits, he's not your standard hot-blooded, rebellious hero. Instead, when he feels he has enough to go off (and isn’t annoyed to the point of irrationality), he does try to think things through carefully and logically, seeking information when he can. He also understands the need for chains of command and, as said, tries to be respectful to his superiors (though behind their back is a different story), knowing when to be informal and when not to be. As well as that, he's not idealistic to a fault. By no means does he hold anything against the world, but he acknowledges that it isn't an easy place and is indiscriminate in the way it treats people—old, young, girl, boy, it doesn't matter. He's also the kind of person who knows that "an enemy is an enemy", regardless of chivalry or any of those sorts of ideals. He even states that everyone "[gets their] hands dirty at one time or another"—right to the young Cecille, no less—demonstrating that he doesn't like to sugarcoat things or shelter others.
His maturity particularly shines through in his view of revenge. L'Arc is well aware that revenge is commonly an unwise choice and only starts a cycle of killing, hence why it's not a path that he pursues without thinking. He also takes into account their reasons for what they did (as said, he realizes that the world can be harsh), rather than blindly hating them for it. Furthermore, L'Arc has shown himself to be a rather forgiving person overall, rarely holding notable grudges. Though he doesn't have an explicit policy on this, he doesn't resent the many people who betray his trust and is willing to give his enemies a second chance if they desire it. Even though no one would blame him for wanting to desert his country, he continues to remain loyal to it, even if he can't entirely explain why. He's certainly not the type to abandon others simply because he was wronged. Needless to say, he's really not a bitter person.
That being said, mature or not, L'Arc can still be a child at times as well. He does have his moments of naivety, particularly regarding love or more 'mature' jokes, which he's occasionally the butt of from his older friends. He doesn't realize his own feelings for Ryfia, even when she admits to liking him, and never noticed that Adele had more than just familial feelings for him. Not only that, but it's fairly easy to toy with his emotions—and fairly easy to tease him, period. As 'cool' as he might normally seem, chances are he'll rise to the bait. In those kinds of situations, he can be somewhat awkward. He's also not above indulging in that teenage idolizing thing of people he respects a lot, despite his usual "I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU" exterior. It's because of this that he wanted to become a mercenary in the first place, as he admired the legendary mercenary, Leon.
... Granted, he'll probably think twice before idolizing someone now that his image of Leon has shattered to bits. Thanks, Serge.
He's also known for being ridiculously stubborn, even over petty things. No, he doesn't want to attach an Arm Force to his sword—he likes it just the way it is, thank you. No, he doesn't need to use magic (yes, you do, L'Arc). Generally, though, when it comes to those kinds of things, he'll eventually relent, but the fact he was so insistent to begin with tends to inspire exasperation. On the other hand, his obstinacy can also be a good thing. It means that he holds a firm stance in his beliefs, even though his situation calls for people trying to convince him of theirs. He isn't necessarily narrow-minded, but rather, he isn't so easily swayed by others' opinions. He knows what he believes in and sticks with it until he's given information that forces him to rethink things. This is part of why he admits to possibly disliking the gods, as he wants to decide his fate himself. Gods, Rogress, the like—as powerful as they might be, he's not impressed if they can't do anything to help him. Nevertheless, he realizes that he's not always in the right, even at one point dryly calling himself "the only real bad guy around here" after being played as a pawn. He's not stubbornly arrogant; he's just stubborn.
Again, he isn't narrow-minded, as he states that he likes hearing others' thoughts and opinions, but he is occasionally ignorant and apathetic. He has somewhat of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset and admits that he tends to only try hard once the goal's "dangled right in front of [his] face". This is especially blatant when, for much of the game, he doesn't pay much attention to the entire Child of Eesa issue because he doesn't believe in the gods and is more focused on the possibility of war. It's all religious mumbo jumbo, after all, and has nothing to do with him when he barely understands what it means to have chosen Imaginal's Law—at least, until he realizes that the gods do exist and most definitely affect his life, at which point he becomes more proactive in his role as the Child of Eesa.
However, it's this kind of attitude that lets him move forward with single-minded determination. He lives in the moment, and thus sometimes doesn't think about the consequences of his actions, but he never wastes time crying over his mistakes. He's not the self-doubting type, instead amending his plan if there's a problem and continuing from there. He believes that if you feel that you should do something, then do it and worry about mistakes once you've made one. If he needs more information and it's available, then he'll seek it. If not, then he'll act based on whatever leads he has now and go from there. Though he understands the need for a break every now and then (or at least a chance to think things over), he prefers to not spend his time being idle. It doesn't help that it's usually up to him to solve things, meaning that all he really can do is go around trying to find a solution, with everyone relying on him. He essentially needs this kind of personality to handle that kind of a burden.
Along that line, L'Arc isn't someone you'll often catch moping. While he does have his sad moments, they tend to be on the brief and mild side. Even when his life gets screwed over, he does his best to remain stoic and focus on the task at hand. Four of his friends, including his best friend and makeshift sister, just betrayed him? Well, he's finished his mission, so he still has to report to the prince. Two good friends just died? He knows that he doesn't have the time to mourn them now. There are no tears or breakdowns—just a grim acceptance of the facts as he moves on. This is how he reacts to just about everything: with a firm front. If he's going to be vulnerable, then he'd rather it be in private, and even then, he never lets himself cry. He continues to act the way he always does around others, even helping others out with their own problems if need be.
It gets to the point where it seems like he makes an active attempt to appear strong. He tries not to burden his friends with his problems, even when it concerns them. There are moments where he's too okay, crossing the line from being well-adjusted to either faking it or being perhaps a bit emotionally repressed. Even his mother tells him at one point that if he feels like crying, then it's okay to cry, and yet L'Arc still doesn't. However, he does occasionally seem more emotional when alone, indicating he might not always be as strong as he appears. Still, it's not like being upset will solve anything—and he's got his tough guy act to keep up, doesn't he?
In the end, L’Arc is, well, a protag, through and through. Despite how many times the world tried to kick him down and despite the prices that were paid over the course of his journey, he can say that he's satisfied with his life. He lost a lot, but he gained just as much in return, if not more. In a way, one could say that L'Arc truly loves the world. He didn't do what he did because he felt obligated by any duty, but because even he acknowledges that he can't really ignore world destruction. Still, if that were all there were to it, then one would expect him to be more bitter about his fate, but he isn't. It was a hard choice to make for him, but it's clear in the epilogue that he believes it to have been worth it, having protected everyone.
In short, he's kind of an asshole but still the saviour of the world, and so is no less than what you'd expect from a hero.
[Abilities]
Having trained under a legendary fighter, L'Arc is a talented fighter, though nothing superhuman. He's the jack-of-all-stats, not being the fastest, strongest, or most enduring, but also definitely not a slouch in any of those areas either.
He’s decent at magic as well, though he’ll only be carrying Fire Orbs with him—i.e. he’ll only be capable of Fire magic unless a canonmate feels like switching with him.
He also possesses Excel Acts, aka the ~power dormant within you~, which range from offensive attacks to stat boots, etc. Like magic though, there’s a limit to how often he can use them. Eesa’s Factor will be disabled as it’s a self-resurrection ability.
They’re all listed here, with this as a visual aid.
Finally, due to being the Child of Eesa, he has his Rogress, which normally exist as gem-like objects that reside within his body. His summoning ability is the most limited of all his powers, however. As it has its own energy (RP) and requires all of it, he can only summon one Rogress in battle (and for only one attack), making it his trump card rather than a regular ability.
At his canon point, L’Arc has all nine plus three miscellaneous ones. They can be all be seen here. Obviously, they’ll be powered down in Somarium, and summoning one will also greatly exhaust L’Arc, making it even more of a last resort. Additionally, Allul will not be available, as she could be considered a full character in her own right.
He's also a trained pilot, as a part of being a licensed mercenary.
[Other important stuff]
He’s half-Divine Race, half-Common Race, though that doesn’t mean much in the long run. Technically-speaking, he can’t survive without Hozone, but that won’t apply in Somarium, obviously.
[Sample post]
[First Person]
- If you could go back home, would you? Why or why not?
… Yeah, I would. Long story about that, though. Let’s just say that I’ve got a few responsibilities to uphold.
- Someone is trying to rob you! What do you do?
Beat the crap out of them.
… Within reason, anyway. It doesn’t do me much good if I end up getting arrested for assault.
- Do you stand up against authority, go against all odds, and if you could, pierce the heavens with your fighting spirit? If not, would you if you could?
… That’s the stupidest way of putting it that I’ve heard.
But going back to the question, I just go with what I believe in. If that ends up pitting me up against authority, then it can’t really be helped, can it?
- Would you consider yourself a hero or a villain? Why? Neither is an option as well, but still tell why.
Hero or villain, huh? I don’t think the world’s so black and white like that. People are just trying to do their own thing, and sure, I think some things are wrong, but that’s just my own belief.
I’ve done some good stuff and I’ve done some bad stuff. That’s just how it is.
- Your country is in the middle of a war. What do you think of it? Do you support it or try to solve it yourself by going on an epic quest? Explain.
… You know, this question isn’t exactly all that hypothetical for me. And frankly, you don’t just ‘solve’ wars by yourself.
- You are a given a mission. Would you complete it effectively or would you goof off and do something else? Expand a little on the response.
Complete it. Come on, I’ve got standards—I do the job. I don’t goof off. I’m not some wannabe mercenary who can’t even get a single mission done.
- Murder. What is your opinion?
It’s a part of life. Not exactly the greatest part of it, but there’s not much you can do about that.
- Would you consider yourself a well traveled person? If so, what are some of your favorite places? If not, would you want to travel or is there some place you want to go?
Considering that I’ve pretty much been all over the world, maybe literally? Yeah, I’d say I’m a little well-travelled.
And I don’t really have a favourite place. Home, I guess.
- You see a bloody knife on the floor. What do you do or think?
Well, that’s pleasant.
- Am I asking too many personal or strange questions?
Oh, you noticed? Good.
- Can you surpass God?
Sure can and did. She was pretty damn powerful, but you’d be surprised at how far even humans can go.
- Do you believe you can fly? Do you believe you can touch the sky?
This sounds like something out of a bad poem…
- Do you believe in the magic of friendship?
… And here I was hoping that was the end of the stupid questions.
[Third Person]
“What the heck is this!?”
Of all the things that L’Arc expected to wake up to, being attacked by inanimate scarecrows wasn’t one of them. Not even close. If this was how the world somehow turned out to be like, then he was afraid to wonder just what the others had done.
There wasn’t much time to contemplate, though, as a scarecrow lunged for him. Not wasting any time, L’Arc swung his sword at it, cleanly slicing it in half. It wasn’t as good as a swing as he would’ve liked (and he was mentally glad that no one was around to see it), but all things considered, he wasn’t at his best, being asleep for years.
Unfortunately, any relief he might’ve had was short-lived, as more scarecrows approached. An annoyance, but at least he’d get some much-needed practice done to warm up.
“Nice welcome party, huh?” he said, readying himself. “Geez, how many friends did that thing have?”
… Ha. Friends. He sure would’ve liked to have his with him right now—but he knew that that was a foolish hope. He’d already said goodbye to them. He wasn’t going to see them again, save for perhaps Cecille, no matter how much he wanted to (which was one of the many, many things he’d never admit). That was the price of protecting the world and, above all, his own decision, so he had no reason to complain.
No use crying over spilled milk, after all, let alone milk he’d spilled himself.
Still, he wondered how Ryfia was doing—was she bitter that he’d left, even after her confession? No, she wasn’t the bitter type.
And what about his mom? L’Arc knew that she was one of the strongest people around, so he didn’t have to worry too much about her, but there was still a pang in his chest for having to leave her behind. At the very least, he knew that Alf would be taking care of the Empire—and as for Alf himself, though L’Arc knew that there’d been animosity towards him, he had faith in him. Regardless of how much of a tyrant he might’ve been recently, he was still once the beloved prince of the people.
As for Leslie, she was undoubtedly rebuilding the Republic with Shelly. He looked forward to seeing how that turned out in the future. That was one worry off his shoulders, at least, knowing that the others would look after the world while he was gone. And if there was anyone he trusted that task with, it was them.
(Again, one of the many things he was loathe to say outright.)
And the others—
“Whoa!” He ducked, narrowly avoiding a hit. He’d zoned out—definitely glad no one was around to see this. That was just plain amateurish.
[Why do you want to play this character in Somarium?] Because I’ve missed playing L’Arc and with Shari and Jae apping Leslie and Serge, I couldn’t resist sob.
[Which rule was your favorite and why?] … do I have to answer this again. Really.
[Any questions?] None!