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Player
Name: Xae
Age: 29
Personal Journal: [personal profile] xaetel
Contact: Plurk: Tsukeru
Other In-Game Characters: N/A

Character (Original Universe)
Name: Claire "Lightning" Farron
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Canon: Final Fantasy XIII Compilation
Canon Point: Final Fantasy XIII: Chapter 13: The Cradle Will Fall - Just before fighting Orphan the final time.
History: "Off to hell we go."
Personality:
”My parents died. I had to be strong for Serah, so I thought I needed to forget my past. And I became Lightning. I thought by changing my name, I could change who I was. I was just a kid. Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys.”

Lightning is a force to be reckoned with – not just on the battlefield but also off of it. At the beginning of the story it’s clear that Lightning appeared to be an independent person, not needing support from anyone else – especially not a clumsy, joking man. Of course, she had to be since she was responsible for taking care of her sister from the age of fifteen when they were left without parents. That was when she cast aside her name and became Lightning. It was meant to push aside her own feelings of pain in order to take care of the one important person in her life. Light grew up faster than most teenagers did and learned to stand on her own feet while looking after someone else. When it was ripped out from under her and Serah was gone, there was a time when she didn’t know what to do with her life. However, her world opened up and she learned that she could lean on other people. In the end, she may have come to rely on her newly-acquired friends but it also means that Light can entrust the safety of her sister to those people and keep her independence.

Take one look at Light and it’s clear that this is one serious woman who doesn’t take crap from anyone. Some might even think that she’s a cold person and it is true to some extent. She had to grow up after the death of her mother at an early age and take on the role of guardian to her sister. That meant she had little time for anything but that role and threw herself into it. Yet it’s not the only layer there is to Lightning, it just means that it takes a lot to see anything underneath. Out of the group, Light is the blunt one. She may not be a woman of many words but when she does speak then it’s straight to the point. That can simply add on to the sense of coldness she gives off as Light isn’t one to mince words or even lie. Instead, she cuts straight to the point and tends to say what’s on everyone’s mind that they can’t bring themselves to say or points out the worst part of a person. Of course, this makes her seem downright standoffish at times and someone people would avoid after a first initial conversation.

It really doesn’t help that there’s an aggressive side to Lightning that shows itself on occasion. Sometimes it’s simply easier to just attack than it is to talk about emotions so she can lead with her fist – or end with it. She doesn’t even attempt to hide this part of herself and can let go when she feels the need. Though some of this aggression can be misdirected towards the people she dislikes the most, such as Snow. At times Light would rather blame other people than taking on her own share of it. She also isn’t the sort to shy away from a fight, especially if it’s a physical one though her fits of rage are rare. Instead she’s the sort to bottle it up until it emerges in the form of an outright attack both physical and emotionally. After these outbursts, Light is the sort to clam up and turn a cold shoulder towards the target. She’s perfectly fine not having the final word just so long as they still feel the sting of her rage.

At first she has no interest in the other l’Cie and abandons them without so much as batting an eye but one person stuck with her anyway. They both had different feelings towards each other and Light even tried to get the young boy named Hope to go back to the others. It was part of the doubt she had in herself – the one job she had – and wanted to do well – to protect Serah had failed. If she couldn’t protect the person she loved the most, then it seemed impossible to protect anyone else; even herself. It was that self-doubt that brought Odin to her. Clearly the Eidolon was completely focused on attacking the young boy she had attempted to push away and forced Lightning to protect him and show her that she could protect someone else. It’s through Hope that Lightning is able to come to care for the rest of their companions. Suddenly her world no longer consists of just her and her sister; instead she’s become part of this weird family. She had more people to not just care for but who also cared for her in return. While it didn’t turn her into a soft person, it did allow people to see past her cold exterior to the part of her that could care for another person.

Hope: Wait, but I don't get it. If you're not PSICOM, then why did you board the train?
Lightning: For Serah. I had to rescue Serah before they transported the Vestige to Pulse, and out of my reach. My only chance to save her was to join the Purge.
Hope: You're telling me that you got on that train so you can save your sister? That's crazy. I could never do something like that.
Lightning: It's not a question of can or can't. There are some things in life you just do.

That being said – Lightning is fiercely protective of the people she does care for. She may not always truly listen when they talk, especially when terrible things happen but there is one thing they can count on her for: trust. It may take her a little time to realize that the other person was right but even when Serah had become a l’Cie and announced her engagement to a man Light despise, she did come to rescue her sister. Light would do this for anyone she comes to care for, even if it means throwing away everything she ever knew and had. Though apologizing is difficult for her and it’s rare to hear her actually say the words “I’m sorry”. Even when talking to Snow about her treatment of him and her attitude to Serah, she never uttered the words. Instead she simply gave her blessing and told him that he was right.

Sazh: You like to keep it simple, don't you?
Lightning: I stick to my goal
Hope: As long as you have a goal, you can fight?
Lightning: You can stay alive.

This protective nature can make her very impulsive and cause her to do things that she either regrets later or something dangerous. Combined with her forceful nature it always leads to trouble. When Lightning has a goal, there is absolutely nothing that can stop her and she will plow over anything that gets in her way. And Light always has a goal, no matter if it seems small or impossible like taking on an entire world. Some of her goals do come to her in snap decisions but it’s merely Lightning’s impatient side peeking through. Sitting around doing nothing just isn’t her style, especially when there trouble in the days to come. Even where there isn’t trouble, Light is the sort to put a lot of hard work into the things she wants. Most tasks she sets herself to do are done with every bit of her ability and it helps that she has the determination to see it through almost all of the time. That doesn’t mean Light doesn’t have the rare tendency to drift off-course or get distracted by something, though it takes a big something to derail her.

Lightning has sort of a realist point of view, often seeing the world for the way it is and not the way she thinks it should be. This can be temporarily changed by the people around her and Light can dream of a future where everyone is happy because of them or she can even become lost because of them too. When it comes right down to it she’s just pragmatic. She’s the most practical of the group and tends to do the things that need to be done even if others don’t agree. This sets her apart from the rest of her companions as they would rather stick together – especially at first. By the end, Light still holds true to this way but she’s no longer alone in her practical goals and stands together with her comrades.

Anyone who knows Lightning for even the briefest amounts of time would believe her to be fearless. There aren’t many who’d face down enemies three times their size or jump from heights that would kill a person normally. And it’s mostly true, she is pretty fearless. There is nothing that she wouldn’t face down in battle, or no being she would cower to and no danger she would not conquer. However everyone has something they’re afraid of and Lightning involves the people she cares for. Without them in her life and possibly not in her future, she can become lost and unsure of what to do with herself. This comes from a life of looking after her younger sister and having her life almost wholly tied into it. For Lightning, nearly everything revolved around the care of her sister at the beginning. That circle has widen to cover the rest of her companions as well but there will always be a hint of fear and a sense of loss if they were to ever disappear from her life. After her initial sudden shock of losing Serah, she has a better understanding of these feelings. However, Lightning does still need to gain the comprehension of how to put herself first rather than the care of others.

Lightning: Once we're home, what's you plan? You're getting married, right?
Snow: What’s that?
Lightning: Serah wants to know.
Snow: Don't scare me.
Lightning: You are getting married, aren't you? Don't let her down, you hear me?

It may be hard to believe this about Lightning but there is a sassy side to this very serious woman. She may not show it often and not always directed at people she knows well but it is there. Most of the time it’s a small remark such as telling an enemy that he has a nice gun while it’s pointed at her or even teasing Snow. The more she knows someone or dislikes them, the more likely they are to see this side of her. Light tends to save it for when it matters the most. Of course sometimes it’s more of a dry humor that nobody but her finds funny. It helps that she’s pretty confident in her own abilities, especially when facing down an enemy. Though when people she does like compliment her skills, she can lean towards the humble side.

There’s a side to Lightning that she’s completely aware of and it’s the charismatic side of her. Despite all of her coldness, Lightning seems to draw people towards her whether she likes it or not. Or perhaps that’s the reason why they’re drawn to her. The devil-may-care attitude and nonchalant way she handles certain situations can be seen as a good thing – especially if there’s trouble. Lightning always seems to give off these vibes that says that she knows what she’s doing when there’s something bad happening and most of the time, she does know. Fighting is something she can do without even putting too much effort into thinking about and people would rather have her on their side instead of against them. And Lightning is something of a natural-born leader when it comes to certain situations. From an early age she was looking after her sister and it kicked up a notch when they lost their remaining parent. This translates pretty well into leadership qualities, though Light might not want to accept it.

Lightning: Keep running—it's die or turn Cie'th. There's no place for l'Cie to hide. No…they want a fight? Let's take it to the Sanctum's door!
Sazh: This isn't a game!
Lightning: No. That's for damn sure. It started with Serah. The fal'Cie took her. Now I'm a l'Cie. And the Sanctum's hunting me, an enemy of the state. But who's pulling their strings? A fal'Cie. Eden. Cocoon's sustainer and guiding light. It probably ordered the Purge, too. Pulse and Sanctum fal'Cie? They're all the same. And we're all the same to them: expendable. I'm not dying a fal'Cie slave.

Her entire life, Lightning has been living off of the fal’Cie. All of Cocoon relies on them for food, water and even the very light to see and they have for hundreds of years. People stop seeing just how much the fal’Cie controlled their lives, even Lightning. It wasn’t until she became a l’Cie that she realized that. Before the events that took Serah away, Lightning was completely lost in this kept way of life. The Sanctum pointed to a target and she would kill it without question, they said jump and she would have done it. She may not have been happy about doing these sorts of things and done it with reluctance or internal sass but still it got done. After she lost everything and had the entire world against her, Lightning realized how life had been. It turned her against everything she had once done and believed in. She suddenly saw things from a different point of view and that created a rebel. Now Light is against everything the fal’Cie stand for, she fights the destiny that had been planned out for her and instead works to forge her own path. It’s one of the most major changes for Lightning in the game and something that will continue to carry over after all is said and done. She will make her own choices and live the way she wants to rather than the way someone else thinks she should, even if that means an early death.


Third-Person Sample:
A lot of her time was spent in Aqures Ixen those first few weeks, especially hanging around the museums and libraries. On occasion she would make the trek out to the fourth district observatories both the one with the working and non-functioning telescopes. Somehow she felt that the broken one had a different purpose since it never showed the sky she was learning about. Everything she did was in preparation for leaving the city to explore the less populated areas of this new world. Something was going to happen if the reason for them being here was to be believed. The Moogle that followed her around had told her of the Legends and she'd already confirmed that everyone else had been told the same story. Even the natives she had spoken to had said the same, that included the elderly that she had specifically sought out. So it was her goal to search for proof that either confirmed or the denied the story while also seeking out other information. Never again would she blindly place her trust in the words others fed to her.

The only thing that kept her in the city was Serah.

Her sister was currently in crystal stasis at the hospital and it prevented her from leaving. Lightning didn't know when it would happen but her sister would return and she wanted to still be in the city when it happened. Twice a day the ex-soldier went to the hospital to see Serah. Sometimes she would talk to her even if she didn't know if her sibling could hear here. After she would head over to the long-term center to see Fang. The healers there told her that they didn't know when the other woman would wake up.

It was why Lightning stayed. She kept herself busy between researching, learning the stars and heading out to fight monsters near the borders of the city. The sun had fallen beneath the horizon, light from the blue moon filtered in through the window between the curtains and she sat in a chair in front of her sister's crystallized form.

"After my trip to Aqures Tosf, I think I'll go south to Esdham. I want to see the war with my own eyes, to hear from the people who live in the middle of it. This time I won't let myself be blinded by the words of the government," Lightning fell silent for a moment. "I heard that there was an amusement park up north. We should go there one day soon - all of us. We could spend a few days there and maybe even catch a game that they call Blitzball. That would be nice."

When she continued a minute later her voice was quieter. "So you have to wake up, Serah. Then we can start planning to go there. You know I'm no good at that kind of thing. If you leave it to me, no one will do anything together. And you know that you can't leave me alone with Snow. We'll drive each other crazy eventually."

A poor attempt to wake her sister up considering she was on much better terms with Snow, but her words drift off into silence and fall empty in the room anyway. There's no response from the crystal and Lightning closed her eyes while taking in a deep breath. She stood from the chair, reaching out to touch Serah's cold cheek. "I'll be back in the morning, Serah."

Anyone watching her walk away might think she was trying to escape considering the pace she set off at but it was anything but. Right now she had notes on crystals to study in hope of finding a solution to free her sister. This was Lightning on a mission and nothing was going to stand in her way.


Mognet Sample:
TO: All
RE: Aqures Tosf

I'm heading out to Aqures Tosf to explore the island. Natives say that it once held the Crystal of Fire which means there could be more information about it. Anyone who wants to come along, meet me at the civilian airport in the twelfth district. Be prepared to spend a while out there.

Everyone else should try to not get too excited about the trip out there, I'm not guaranteeing that we'll find anything of use. If we do find anything then I'll send the information back.

-Lightning


Crystallis
Moogle Name: Cosmog
Moogle Gender: Male
First Job: Warrior
Second Job: White Mage
Limit Break: Army of One

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