Luxord

Player
Name: San
Personal Journal: fanfictionming
E-mail: mingrps@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: fanfictionming@Plurk
Timezone: GMT+8
Current Characters in Route: Rude, Dante Alighieri, Leon Kuwata.

Character
Name: Luxord
Series: Kingdom Hearts series
Timeline: Post-KH 2
Canon Resource Links: Links explaining Luxord and Organization 13.

Personality: Member number 10 of Organization 13, Luxord is known as the Gambler of Fate and it's not just because of his fancy card tricks. At his very core, Luxord is a man who views life as a whole, big game. And with his mastery over time magic, he's sure that he'll have all the time in existence to win it. This philosophy of his makes him confident in his abilities and allows him to make bold and daring actions that might seem reckless to some, but are actually strategic moves carefully calculated and weighed against the odds. His confidence is rightly earned; like all professional gamblers, Luxord applies both careful planning and luck to win his games. He's got no problem facing off against the Keyblade Master and co alone at Port Royal after having his first batch of Nobodies destroyed, because he calculated that he could use the pirate code of parlay to provide not only a distraction for his escape, but a decoy as well while he made off with the real reason for his attack on Port Royal.

Luxord's also quite a smooth talker. There's no denying the guy's got something of a silver tongue what with all the flowery language and metaphors in his speech. It's all part of his charm though because for how...dramatic he can get, Luxord's one of the more pleasant members of Organization 13, engaging his colleagues in card games and taking somewhat of an interest in the two younger Nobodies. The line between interest and concern is very blur but Luxord has demonstrated something of a friendly nature with his fellow Nobodies. He takes on something of an eccentric uncle role to Roxas during the latter's Wonderland missions, providing advice and support when necessary. And he has engaged in card games with the other members of the group as well. Again, whether it's because he actually feels something akin to friendship is debatable or if he's really simply just bored and looking for something to catch his interest, but there's no denying that upon his death in Kingdom Hearts 2, he was rather taken aback, almost betrayed, by the fact that it was in some way Roxas who dealt him his death blow. It's a contrast to his previous conversations where he displays a rather cool and uncaring personality, if still suave and carefree.

The fact remains that once the chips are down and the stakes are up, Luxord really just cares about his own well-being more than anyone else's. Sure he can be a nice chap to have a game or two with, but there's no safe bet that he'd still be on your side if you end up in the way of his goals. Luxord's drive to win can make him very selfish; he's not adverse to giving a hand every now and then but only so long as it doesn't disadvantage him. For all his fondness over children he's quite comfortable with killing Sora to achieve the Organization's goals nor does he step in to help when Xion's true nature is revealed; unlike Roxas and later Axel who were both willing to defect and put their lives on the lines for their friends, Luxord prefers to hang back and watch, unwilling to place his own goal at stake.

Luxord may not be able to feel anything, but one thing he cannot abide by is boredom. Any lull in the game called "Life" is undesirable, and Luxord's quite willing to spice things up a little if it'll provide him some entertainment. Whether it's provoking a little argument between his fellow Nobodies or taking Sora on one-on-one, Luxord's willingness to put even his existence on the line for the sake of some excitement is a testimony to both his title as The Gambler of Fate and his dislike of monotony.

It takes a good control of emotions and patience to be a good gambler. While Luxord has a distinct lack of the former by his very nature as a Nobody, he's definitely got heaps of the latter. Luxord plays the role of a strategist quite well; his plans are mostly long-term ones which require a good deal of patience to succeed. With time magic being his preferred branch of magic, it's not any surprise that his entry in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 states:

"Life, to him, is just a game to be won... and he has all the time in the world to do it."

Betting his chips on Xemnas's plans for Kingdom Hearts, Luxord was willing to go along with Xemnas's sometimes convoluted and long-winded plans so long as it translated to a high pay-off at the end. No matter how long it'd take, Luxord would stick to his game plan.

As life is but a game to him, Luxord recognizes that just like in games there are those who must play the role of pawns. And he is quite aware that he is one of them. Number 10 signifies that he is one of the last few members of Organization 13 and he recognizes that in terms of hierarchy he's pretty low on the list. But if the rules of the game requires pawns, then he's quite willing to play the role fate assigned to him. The Gambler of Fate himself recognizes the power of Fate; he accepts the cards he's drawn, but he'll play them to the best of his ability. He gets that he started out with a bad hand, is resigned to the fact even, but he chooses to make the best of his situation and play the game as best as he can.

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Strengths
Minusing all the magical and physical abilities that come with Kingdom Hearts, Luxord's strengths include:
1. A calm head. He's not going to make any decision on impulse. Luxord will consider the odds carefully before he carries out any of his moves. And like in gambling, sometimes you just happen to be unlucky enough to draw a bad hand. Rather than just throw in the towel Luxord's calm enough to view his position objectively, enabling him to make game-chaging decisions even with terrible cards.
2. Patience. There's no point rushing into decisions if it's going to result in a loss. Luxord's willing to take tiny set-backs, but he always has his eyes on the end goal and he's willing to patiently wait for the right time to ensure victory.
3. Social. Luxord gets along well enough with Axel, Xigbar and Roxas, and he can be pleasant when approached.
4. Opportunistic. No matter the situation Luxord will find a way to work it in his favor even if his position is an undesirable one.

Weaknesses
1. Heartless; in the sense that he's quite selfish and can be ruthless if needed. Luxord loves winning so much that he's willing to kill for it.
2. Uncaring. Luxord can be nice to talk to but he does not empathize very well with others. He doesn't feel anything when his fellow Organization members are killed one by one and converses in a matter-of-fact manner about it.

Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Togepi
Password: Ginger Snaps

Samples
First Person Sample:

It's getting boring lately, hasn't it? I would've thought a world filled with such colorful creatures could offer me some amusement but there's just too much that's predictable. Too routine. I suppose as matters stand this world is rather quaint but I'd prefer to have some elements of risk at play, just for the sake of a little variability.

So for the sake of keeping things fresh, let's have a spin on the usual questions posed on this network. Enough of evolutions, clumsy introductions and expostulations. Let's focus on something fun.

What would you do to win a game? Whether it's a simple night of cards, or the biggest gamble of your life. And for a twist, if you are one of the unfortunate few who have had your life's flame extinguished before receiving fate's reprieve here, if you were given the option of selecting a point in time to return to, would you choose to return from whence you came and change your fate? Knowing what comes next only begs the question of what comes after, and whether it can be any better than what we enjoy here...that's a risk you'll have to take, isn't it?

Third Person Sample:

Luxord watches his opponent, careful to keep up the front of serenity and calmness. Never mind that he has a terrible hand; the cards you're dealt are only one part of the recipe required for victory. You could even say that in the grand scheme of things, drawing a good hand is rather inconsequential. It's how you play it, and play your opponent, that's how you win the game. And Luxord's definitely the one in control.

It's no surprise to him when his opponent reluctantly folds and fails to call his bluff. Luxord spares him the embarrassment of knowing exactly how poor the cards he had were; a simple sleight of hand to swap the two with a King hidden in his sleeve is enough to ease the man's humiliation and give him the fake impression of making the right call. It'd just be simpler for Luxord to trick him again in the future.

No, what surprises him as he packs the cards up and prepares to call it a night, is the singular beat that resounds in his chest. A drum that had long remained silent, still and dead until he resurfaced into this world.

Occasionally when he's by himself, he has to check if it's really there. His heart, beating along with every step he makes. And some nights he just lays there on his bed in the silence, content to feel and enjoy the sensation of a heart beat. It's familiar, yet foreign, old, yet new. For a man who loves uncertainty and the excitement it brings, there's something soothing about the dull, constant beat in his chest.

Being in a strange new world is old hat to him by now; he's done enough world travel to learn how to quickly assimilate with the local population. But now that he's got his heart back...that's the end game, isn't it? He's won, by some fluke he's done it. But now he's left without a goal; mastering this world and all its creatures was an idea he quickly discarded for its monotony, after all it was merely training the creatures, and he did not really have the time for that. Or rather, he didn't want to waste his time. Seeing the world is something he's doing on his leisure, but soon enough he'll have marked every city and town on his map.

With an exaggerated sigh, he flops back on the coach and pulls out his Pokegear. A long-term destination was missing, but perhaps he could fill the void for the time being by engaging with some of the other travelers through the Network. After all, he's got all the time in the world to figure out what he's going to do now that he's got his heart back.