oracledriven | Application: RYSLIG

OOC INFORMATION
Name: Kri
Contact: Posolutely on Plurk; virtualresonance on AIM (does anyone even still go there?)
Other Characters: n/a

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Noel Kreiss
Age: 18
Canon: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Canon Point: Post-game
Character Information: Final Fantasy Wikia

Personality:
Let's just get the basics out of the way first: Noel is very good at what he does, which is fighting and hunting, and not only does he know it, he enjoys it. Being useful, being strong, being able to fight for people and protect them: that's been his goal for as long as he can remember. He's quite confident in his abilities, but I wouldn't say he's overly so. Sometimes the way he talks can border on cocky, to be honest, but it's a good-natured, reassuring kind of cocky. He's very self-reliant and, while he takes on a lot of heavy burdens, he doesn't let them bring him down. He's not a martyr, he just wants to make things better.

The thing you really need to understand about him is that he comes from a place and time where basically all hope (ahaha...ha...hah...) is lost. The world has been dying since before he was born; his parents are dead, his whole tribe has been slowly dying out since he can remember...and by the start of the game, one of his best friends (Yeul, a seeress whose power has slowly been killing her from a young age) has died as well. His other best friend, Caius, has disappeared. Noel is left alone, very probably the last human left on earth. He has two options: die alone, or try to do something impossible about it. He goes for impossible.

That's just who Noel is. Yeul said, at the end of her life, that they would meet again, and even though it seems impossible and crazy to hold onto that promise, he does. In a strange way, he's an optimist, or he tries to be: even when he and Serah are faced with a task that seems impossible (and incomprehensible, thanks Squeenix for your convoluted plots), they encourage each other because they both know that that's the only way to grasp the slim chance of a happy ending -- for both of them, for everyone. Like Serah, Noel is driven to complete his goal. Because if he doesn't, what else is left for him to return to?

Since he comes from a time where human interaction is relatively limited, Noel tends to speak very directly: he doesn't shy away from confronting people that need it, and he's very upfront and honest with his opinions when asked. This can cause problems when he clashes with a person like Snow, because Snow's self-sacrificing (and, in Noel's opinion, stupidly brash) ways are something that Noel feels fundamentally opposed to. On the flip side, this kind of practical point of view allows him to see Serah, previously a damsel-in-distress type of character, as an equal and a formidable ally. Aside from speaking his mind when it's necessary, he tends to be a little quieter than some people in the series (Sazh and Snow, I'm looking at you); while he's capable of (and interested in) listening to other people, he doesn't open up to others very easily about himself, unless he knows them relatively well. It's not really about keeping things bottled up, exactly, he just doesn't feel like he needs to go to other people for his problems. He's been self-sufficient for a very long time, and doesn't feel a need to change that. Despite the heavy burden on him, he remains level-headed; I wouldn't say he's immune to panic or rage, but he doesn't usually act rashly or let his emotions get the best of him.

That said, there is a loneliness in him that makes him become attached to people. He befriended Serah very quickly, and while a lot of that was due to her friendly personality, it's also because for the first time in a while, he shares a goal with someone. Despite growing up with relatively human interaction (or perhaps because of it), he feels a compassion for humanity that drives him to protect and treasure life if ever possible: he would rather protect than kill. Even when his own future is at stake, for instance, he doesn't kill Caius; he can't. Additionally, while I wouldn't call him a broody person, he does have moments where he can get lost in his past. Which is fair, since it's kind of ridiculously tragic. It takes Serah to pull him out of the dream that Caius traps him in, because at that point it feels like there's no hope left in the world. This doesn't happen often, but it has happened before.

I would say that being passionate is a positive quality, but I do want to add that being too passionate, too driven, can be a problem for him. Noel goes over that edge sometimes, fighting desperately to make things turn out alright. He nearly does kill Caius in their final battle, despite knowing (but perhaps not remembering) that doing so will destroy the goddess Etro and unleash chaos upon the world. He stops himself of course (which unfortunately doesn't do any good, since Caius does the deed for him), but that sort of hot-headedness, while uncommon with him, isn't unheard of. And of course there's always the possibility that going to the past to fix the future could ruin everything, which he knows, but he does it anyway.

I also want to add a few notes about his personality and the way it changes between XIII-2 and Lightning Returns. I'm taking him from 2, but since it's post-game and most of his personality in LR is based on what happens in 2, I think it makes sense to define just what he is capable of turning into when given 500 years to brood. Noel blames himself for Serah's death at the end of the second game, and while no one else does, he still becomes kind of consumed with it. His initial reaction is to team up with Snow, Hope, and Sazh to eradicate monsters and save people, but his guilt over Serah's death, and feeling like he had caused the world to fall into decay, means that doesn't really last. He strikes out on his own, earning the title of "Shadow Hunter," although despite his deadly reputation I don't think he actually killed anyone. Still, when he's lured into believing that killing Lightning will bring about a new world where he and Yeul are reunited, his drive to succeed and make the world better gets ahold of him. He seems obsessed with it, to the point of actually killing Lightning...but in the end, he comes to his senses before that can happen. Despite his crushing guilt, he renews his determination to help people.

5-10 Key Character Traits:

Optimistic - "You're wrong, Yeul! I believe in hope!" Despite the state of his world and the daunting task ahead of him, he thinks he can change his fate.
Driven - "A world without you is no world at all." He is determined to change the future.
Protective - "So, what do you think? Will you search for answers with me?" Looks out for his friends, and feels a compassion for life that drives him to protect the weak.
Level-headed - "Humans aren't strong. They die easy." Keeps his cool in stressful situations.
Competitive - "There's no way, Caius. I want to fight you, not kill you." Spent his adolescence competing with Caius. Always trying to become stronger.
Distanced - "Can you see me now? Standing here in this place..." Doesn't always share what he's thinking or feeling, keeps some secrets to himself.
Confident - "One more thing...Don't ever lay down and wait to die!" He knows what he's good at and he's not ashamed to say it. Not bragging, but honest.
Guilty - "I wanted to protect her...I thought had. I thought she was safe." Blames himself for Serah's death and the demise of the goddess Etro.
Lonely - "I lived at the end of days. I've seen how we end." The last living human? You bet he is.

Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, or EITHER? Fits, please!
Opt-Outs: kelpie, wendigo, minotaur, manticore, arachne

Roleplay Sample:
((OOC: I hope it's okay to just use the intro log as a prompt!))

[First Day: The Hospital]
Caius. Yeul. Serah. Etro is dead. The chaos...

Noel's eyes snap open. Four walls...and a lightbulb? It wasn't what he expected to find. Hope and Mog -- where had they gone? What about the chaos? What happened to Bhunivelze? He stands, wincing a little at the stiffness in his back, and pushes open a door in front of him. An orderly walking by eyes him cautiously, a small warning: "You can't leave yet. Stay, and the doctor will be right with you."

"But I have to--" he starts...but she's already walking away busily. He glances around; a hospital, maybe? It looks busy. Maybe there's been an accident.

He doesn't heed her advice, doesn't stick around waiting for an explanation; instead he stumbles out of the hospital, trying to get his bearings. This place doesn't look familiar at all, and while there are a few people around, none of them look terribly like they want to give him directions.

Well, that's just tough for them. He starts to flag down someone close. "Excuse me--" ...but she continues walking. He quickens his pace to get to her. "Hey! Wait! ...Please." She stops, a reluctant look on her face, and he quickly catches up. "Thanks. Sorry about that. Do you...could you tell me where I am?"

She answers, kind of methodically: the Ryslig peninsula. Vandare. "You must have been pulled out of the water," she says thoughtfully, "...like the others." His eyes widen, almost imperceptibly. Has she seen someone he knows? Has the chaos dumped them all into this place? Being dragged out of the water seems...kind of plausible, although "Vandare" isn't a place he's ever heard of. Maybe the same thing happened to other people he knew.

"What does that mean? What others? From Pulse?" She looks a little confused at the question, but goes on, explaining that many people have arrived the same way. It doesn't sound like she'd know any of them even if he asked for names. And, he notices, she looks like she very much wants to stop talking to him. He pauses before asking, "...Could you tell me where to find these people? I'm hoping one of them's someone I know." It doesn't matter who: Hope, Sazh, Snow. At this point, he'd be glad to see anyone.

[Carnival Rides]
[After being here a few days, Noel is starting the process of trying to piece together everything he knows. The cuts and scratches have healed, though he doesn't really know where they came from. His final battle? Falling into the water? That last one makes him nervous, though; some of them looked suspiciously like bites.

It's frustrating, trying to investigate a place where the townspeople don't want to be anywhere near you, much less talk to you. So after several days of investigating and trying to get his bearings, he's decided to take a break to look at the festival he heard about. To be honest, it reminds him a little of Serendipity, and the thought brings a small, wistful smile to his face.

...The moment's over quickly, though; the rides look interesting, and he finds himself in a cart with a few strangers on a "roller coaster." He's heard of them, but never been on one. To be honest, it's kind of exciting.

The roller coaster is pulled backwards up to its starting point, and when the ride actually begins, he sucks in a sharp, surprised breath. Other than that, though? He's enjoying the wind, the rush, and the excited screams of the people sitting to either side of him.

(He won't admit that he feels a little dizzy when he's actually back on his own two feet.)]

Hm. Not bad. It's no Etro's Gate, but if you add some flips and make it spin, it might be close.

[He's not smirking, exactly, but he's close enough that someone who was also on the ride, who appears to be nauseous, is giving him a dirty look.]

[The Beach]
[It's quiet -- much quieter than Noel was used to after everything he had been through. The carnival is fun but a little overwhelming, and he's come to the beach to get away for a few minutes.

The waves crash on the sand. The sun peeks out from behind a cloud. A breeze blows. He crosses his arms over his chest.]

You know, I could get used to this.

[It's not exactly a lie, really, but he knows he shouldn't. If this really is another world, then his own is still being consumed by chaos. It's almost as if the sun knows it, too, as it hides behind a particularly large, thick cloud, casting a shadow over his face. A sigh; he rubs a hand along the back of his neck.]

...Yeah, yeah. I get it. Now's not the time to take a break.

[I also have this thread from the test drive meme as a supplement!]