#1 cockblocker (衛宮 士郎) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
anti_altruisms) wrote2015-11-13 10:13 pm
anti_altruisms) wrote2015-11-13 10:13 pm
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futurology
APPLICANT INFO.
NAME: RW
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arrdubz
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER INFO.
NAME: Archer
CANON: Fate/Stay Night (Unlimited Blade Works)
AGE: Appears to be in his mid-20's/early 30's. Canon doesn't specify, but more than likely hundreds (maybe thousands?) of years.
APPEARANCE: This good-looking asshole.
CANON POINT: The very end of Unlimited Blade Works.
BACKGROUND: Wiki!
PERSONALITY:
Archer is, perhaps, one of the most complex characters in Fate/Stay Night. A lot of the things he says and does appear to contradict one another, but really, he has very good reasons for being the way he is. In order to understand him more fully, we have to consider where his story begins, in addition to how it ends...but first, let's take look at how he is in Unlimited Blade Works.
On the surface, Archer has a very laid-back, indifferent sort of demeanor. Very little seems to bother him, and even less gets under his skin, though it's very clear that he has a mind of his own and his own particular way of doing things. This is evident from the start, as his initial summoning is marked by a very cavalier attitude towards his new Master, Tohsaka Rin. Sprawled on a pile of destroyed furniture, he all but brushes her aside, saying that he'll take care of all battle-related decisions and that she should hide until the Holy Grail War is over. She manages to get the better of him in that exchange using a Command Seal, but it isn't until she establishes herself as someone worthy of respect that he actually changes his tune and becomes more amenable to working with her.
On that note, it should be said that Archer really doesn't play very nice with others. He can, and he will if he sees a reason to, but his tone often takes a sarcastic or cynical bent, with varying degrees of intensity. He banters frequently with his Master Tohsaka Rin, for example. He often makes offhand remarks on how bossy she is and even goes so far as to comment that her appeal as a woman is difficult to see, and some of that is simply him exercising his natural, snarky wit. Some of his commentary, however, is absolutely meant to be insulting. He has little patience for idealism or altruistic tendencies in those around him, and he doesn't hesitate to call others out on (what he considers to be) their stupidity. He mocks Lancer during their fight, saying he should forsake his hero's pride and that dishonor can easily be washed away with success. He tells Shirou that he should drown in his own ideals and die. He is clearly displeased with Rin over her support of Emiya Shirou during the Holy Grail War and repeatedly insists that she should change her tactics. He is a very stubborn, headstrong individual, and when he sets his mind on something, it's nigh impossible to change it.
That being said, it's important to note that Archer values results over whatever means may be taken to reach the outcome he desires. He tells Shirou quite bluntly after the initial confrontation with Caster, that if everyone in Fuyuki were to die in the Holy Grail War, it would still be better than allowing someone like Caster to possess it, which might cost many more lives. He does not personally like it and even says as much, but as far as Archer is concerned, the ends justify the means. Though he derives no personal enjoyment from killing, he is frighteningly efficient. Before Shirou and Rin ever allied with one another, during Saber's fight with Berserker, he targeted both Servants with every intent of eliminating both them from the war.
In that sense, Archer can most certainly be considered callous, if not outright cruel when he assesses certain situations and decides on his course of action. His betrayal of Tohsaka Rin -- whom by all rights, he appeared to have a mostly positive rapport with -- highlights just how ruthless he can be. He not only allowed Caster to break their bond as a Servant and Master, but he also mocked Rin and essentially rubbed his betrayal in her face afterwards. Granted, he did effectively stab Caster (quite literally) in the back before too long, but it was all part of his plan to achieve his own particular ends. Archer himself states that he only takes the option with the higher chance of success, however slight, and he is willing to accept any collateral damage necessary in order to do that.
It's this sort of behavior that prompts Lancer to call him a sly bastard, and really, it's true. Archer is a man who plays things very close to the chest, and it makes no difference to him how many people he alienates in the process. He is very analytical and cunning when it comes to tactical maneuvers, and given his status as a Guardian, he has a vast amount of experience to draw on combat-wise. He has fought in many wars, in many different eras, and in a battle where knowing your opponent's identity is everything, he is clearly in his element as he is very knowledgeable regarding the mythologies of other heroes and manages to identify Lancer and Caster with little difficulty.
And yet, in spite of all of the negative traits that would suggest a truly heinous person at the core -- a Servant who can be a betrayer, an assassin, an executioner, at will -- there is another side to him. Though Archer can hardly be considered a warm or considerate person, there was a time when he did believe in ideals such as justice and helping the others around him.
This ideal of helping others -- of becoming a hero of justice -- grasped and held onto by Emiya Shirou after he was rescued by Emiya Kiritsugu in the fiery close of the Fourth Holy Grail War is what defined Archer's life as a man, and afterwards as a Heroic Spirit. One might even go so far as to say that it was an obsession, and Archer even says during his battle with Shirou that it was, indeed, the only thing he ever felt any passion for in life. It's why he became a Heroic Spirit, why he made a contract with the World and sold his afterlife to become a Guardian -- the equivalent of an automatic defense mechanism, a counter-balancing force that would appear to save humanity every time it was on the verge of destroying itself.
By the time Archer is summoned back in time into the Fifth Holy Grail War, the ideals that shaped his life as a young man have officially been shattered and rejected. Having fought to clean up humanity's messes in more battles than he can count or remember, Archer effectively despises himself along with the beliefs that gave rise to someone like him. He is the epitome of the jaded, bitter idealist -- someone who believed and hoped he could somehow save everyone, only to be hit repeatedly with the harsh reality that doing so is impossible. It's why he holds people at arms' length and only very reluctantly answers Rin when she needles him about himself halfway through the series. He doesn't like himself, and being in the past, reminded of all his mistakes, a life he once had, is a painful experience. Even attempting to kill Shirou, a confrontation he orchestrated and wanted all along proves to be difficult, as he is forced to look into what he refers to as an "old mirror". He sees himself as he once was, a young man with hope, as opposed to his present self -- a mere Guardian trapped in a cycle he can never escape from.
Despite this and despite how much he vehemently denounces the ideals that shaped him, the wish he held in his heart, there is still some good inside him. His quieter moments with Rin reveal a softer side -- one that allows him to tell her that brilliant people shine brighter than others and that she can walk her path without regrets. Also, even though he was defeated by his past self, Archer still returns to help Shirou and Rin at the very end, expending the last of his power to save them. He smiles at Rin, a true smile, and he promises to do his best as he fades away, even as she promises him that she'll try to keep Shirou from following in his footsteps.
In the closing scene of Unlimited Blade Works, Archer claims to have found his answer.
Even though he will never be free of his regrets, he does come to the conclusion regarding himself and his ideals: that he was not wrong.
In short, Archer is very complex individual. He is a man without honor, without scruples, who will do whatever he thinks is necessary to reach the end he desires. However, above all else, he is a man who yearns to be free -- free of the shackles he imposed upon himself, from a fate he cannot escape.
ABILITIES: Archer is a Servant, which means he has a variety of abilities that stretch far beyond the limits of an ordinary human. In life he was a mage, and though he does not receive the blessings most Heroic Spirits do because of their fame and renown, he has perfected other techniques to make up for what he lacks.
INVENTORY: Nothing but the clothes on his back and all the weapons he keeps in hammerspace.
WRITING SAMPLES.
NETWORK SAMPLE: TDM Thread
LOG SAMPLE: TDM Toplevel | TDM Thread
NAME: RW
CONTACT:
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER INFO.
NAME: Archer
CANON: Fate/Stay Night (Unlimited Blade Works)
AGE: Appears to be in his mid-20's/early 30's. Canon doesn't specify, but more than likely hundreds (maybe thousands?) of years.
APPEARANCE: This good-looking asshole.
CANON POINT: The very end of Unlimited Blade Works.
BACKGROUND: Wiki!
PERSONALITY:
Archer is, perhaps, one of the most complex characters in Fate/Stay Night. A lot of the things he says and does appear to contradict one another, but really, he has very good reasons for being the way he is. In order to understand him more fully, we have to consider where his story begins, in addition to how it ends...but first, let's take look at how he is in Unlimited Blade Works.
On the surface, Archer has a very laid-back, indifferent sort of demeanor. Very little seems to bother him, and even less gets under his skin, though it's very clear that he has a mind of his own and his own particular way of doing things. This is evident from the start, as his initial summoning is marked by a very cavalier attitude towards his new Master, Tohsaka Rin. Sprawled on a pile of destroyed furniture, he all but brushes her aside, saying that he'll take care of all battle-related decisions and that she should hide until the Holy Grail War is over. She manages to get the better of him in that exchange using a Command Seal, but it isn't until she establishes herself as someone worthy of respect that he actually changes his tune and becomes more amenable to working with her.
On that note, it should be said that Archer really doesn't play very nice with others. He can, and he will if he sees a reason to, but his tone often takes a sarcastic or cynical bent, with varying degrees of intensity. He banters frequently with his Master Tohsaka Rin, for example. He often makes offhand remarks on how bossy she is and even goes so far as to comment that her appeal as a woman is difficult to see, and some of that is simply him exercising his natural, snarky wit. Some of his commentary, however, is absolutely meant to be insulting. He has little patience for idealism or altruistic tendencies in those around him, and he doesn't hesitate to call others out on (what he considers to be) their stupidity. He mocks Lancer during their fight, saying he should forsake his hero's pride and that dishonor can easily be washed away with success. He tells Shirou that he should drown in his own ideals and die. He is clearly displeased with Rin over her support of Emiya Shirou during the Holy Grail War and repeatedly insists that she should change her tactics. He is a very stubborn, headstrong individual, and when he sets his mind on something, it's nigh impossible to change it.
That being said, it's important to note that Archer values results over whatever means may be taken to reach the outcome he desires. He tells Shirou quite bluntly after the initial confrontation with Caster, that if everyone in Fuyuki were to die in the Holy Grail War, it would still be better than allowing someone like Caster to possess it, which might cost many more lives. He does not personally like it and even says as much, but as far as Archer is concerned, the ends justify the means. Though he derives no personal enjoyment from killing, he is frighteningly efficient. Before Shirou and Rin ever allied with one another, during Saber's fight with Berserker, he targeted both Servants with every intent of eliminating both them from the war.
In that sense, Archer can most certainly be considered callous, if not outright cruel when he assesses certain situations and decides on his course of action. His betrayal of Tohsaka Rin -- whom by all rights, he appeared to have a mostly positive rapport with -- highlights just how ruthless he can be. He not only allowed Caster to break their bond as a Servant and Master, but he also mocked Rin and essentially rubbed his betrayal in her face afterwards. Granted, he did effectively stab Caster (quite literally) in the back before too long, but it was all part of his plan to achieve his own particular ends. Archer himself states that he only takes the option with the higher chance of success, however slight, and he is willing to accept any collateral damage necessary in order to do that.
It's this sort of behavior that prompts Lancer to call him a sly bastard, and really, it's true. Archer is a man who plays things very close to the chest, and it makes no difference to him how many people he alienates in the process. He is very analytical and cunning when it comes to tactical maneuvers, and given his status as a Guardian, he has a vast amount of experience to draw on combat-wise. He has fought in many wars, in many different eras, and in a battle where knowing your opponent's identity is everything, he is clearly in his element as he is very knowledgeable regarding the mythologies of other heroes and manages to identify Lancer and Caster with little difficulty.
And yet, in spite of all of the negative traits that would suggest a truly heinous person at the core -- a Servant who can be a betrayer, an assassin, an executioner, at will -- there is another side to him. Though Archer can hardly be considered a warm or considerate person, there was a time when he did believe in ideals such as justice and helping the others around him.
"If I can, I'd prefer nobody be sad. If I can make people around me happy just by helping them myself. I think that would make the world a pleasant place to live in." - Emiya Shirou, Fate/Stay Night (visual novel)
This ideal of helping others -- of becoming a hero of justice -- grasped and held onto by Emiya Shirou after he was rescued by Emiya Kiritsugu in the fiery close of the Fourth Holy Grail War is what defined Archer's life as a man, and afterwards as a Heroic Spirit. One might even go so far as to say that it was an obsession, and Archer even says during his battle with Shirou that it was, indeed, the only thing he ever felt any passion for in life. It's why he became a Heroic Spirit, why he made a contract with the World and sold his afterlife to become a Guardian -- the equivalent of an automatic defense mechanism, a counter-balancing force that would appear to save humanity every time it was on the verge of destroying itself.
"Even though he did not have the power to save them when he was alive, he must have believed he could avert every tragedy if he became a heroic spirit. With that in mind, he made a contract with the world to give up his body after his death, and he saved a hundred people. …Believing that… He would be able to save tens of thousands of people afterwards. How… stupid of him." - Tohsaka Rin, Unlimited Blade Works (visual novel)
By the time Archer is summoned back in time into the Fifth Holy Grail War, the ideals that shaped his life as a young man have officially been shattered and rejected. Having fought to clean up humanity's messes in more battles than he can count or remember, Archer effectively despises himself along with the beliefs that gave rise to someone like him. He is the epitome of the jaded, bitter idealist -- someone who believed and hoped he could somehow save everyone, only to be hit repeatedly with the harsh reality that doing so is impossible. It's why he holds people at arms' length and only very reluctantly answers Rin when she needles him about himself halfway through the series. He doesn't like himself, and being in the past, reminded of all his mistakes, a life he once had, is a painful experience. Even attempting to kill Shirou, a confrontation he orchestrated and wanted all along proves to be difficult, as he is forced to look into what he refers to as an "old mirror". He sees himself as he once was, a young man with hope, as opposed to his present self -- a mere Guardian trapped in a cycle he can never escape from.
Despite this and despite how much he vehemently denounces the ideals that shaped him, the wish he held in his heart, there is still some good inside him. His quieter moments with Rin reveal a softer side -- one that allows him to tell her that brilliant people shine brighter than others and that she can walk her path without regrets. Also, even though he was defeated by his past self, Archer still returns to help Shirou and Rin at the very end, expending the last of his power to save them. He smiles at Rin, a true smile, and he promises to do his best as he fades away, even as she promises him that she'll try to keep Shirou from following in his footsteps.
In the closing scene of Unlimited Blade Works, Archer claims to have found his answer.
Even though he will never be free of his regrets, he does come to the conclusion regarding himself and his ideals: that he was not wrong.
In short, Archer is very complex individual. He is a man without honor, without scruples, who will do whatever he thinks is necessary to reach the end he desires. However, above all else, he is a man who yearns to be free -- free of the shackles he imposed upon himself, from a fate he cannot escape.
ABILITIES: Archer is a Servant, which means he has a variety of abilities that stretch far beyond the limits of an ordinary human. In life he was a mage, and though he does not receive the blessings most Heroic Spirits do because of their fame and renown, he has perfected other techniques to make up for what he lacks.
- Enhanced Strength/Speed/Durability: As a Servant, Archer is capable of physical feats far beyond the capabilities of even the best Olympic athlete. He is strong, can cover great distances in a short amount of time, and he can endure even after being wounded gravely by other Servants.
- Spirit Form/Mana Consumption: As a Servant, Archer is capable of de-materializing and taking spirit form. This is not only to conceal his presence from others, but also to preserve his mana. Though he is still visible to other Servants, he cannot be detected by those without magical ability. In addition, given that Servants are spirits who need magic in order to maintain themselves in the physical world, Archer is very attuned to the presence of magic in others around him. In the absence of a Master, he can find nourishment in one of four ways -- by consuming a very large quantity of food, drinking blood, soul-sucking, or sex. Given that he personally finds preying on people to be distasteful, he is very unlikely to ever resort to the second or third option, and certainly not without the permission of others.
- Experienced Combatant (Eye of the Mind): Even though Archer's stats are technically lower than other Servants, he can still go toe-to-toe with opponents that are stronger than he is because of his vast amount of experience in combat. As a human being, he pushed himself to and past his limits, and as a Heroic Spirit, he has fought in wars in past, present, and future eras. He is exceptionally adaptable on the battlefield, as he can not only dual wield with his favored swords, Kanshou and Bakuya, but he is also an exceptional marksman with his bow. Because of this, he has developed the Eye of the Mind ability, which is not so much a special power as it is "combat logic" -- being able to read his opponents movements in advance so he can successfully counter them, even if they are stronger or faster than he is.
- Archer Class Abilities (Clairvoyance & Independent Action): Though he defies certain conventions of the class, Archer's classification as an Archer grants him certain capabilities. Aside from being able to fire multiple arrows in rapid succession, magical or otherwise, he has the ability of Clairvoyance, also called the "Eagle Eye". This allows him to not only sight moving targets and fire upon them accurately from a long range (four kilometers), but it also allows him to scout from the high places with unnerving accuracy (he says he can count the tiles on a bridge from a distant building, for example). The Archer class also grants him the ability of Independent Action, which allows him to act without a Master (for two days in canon, though this will be stretched a little upon his arrival in the game).
- Archer's Bow (Broken Phantasm): While Archer does not have a true Noble Phantasm of his own in the typical sense, he is capable of duplicating the Noble Phantasms (i.e. weapons) of other Heroic Spirits and firing them from his bow. This ability is showcased during Saber's battle with Berserker as well as Archer's battle with Caster. Said replica is destroyed after it is fired and releases a great amount of energy, equal to an A-Rank Noble Phantasm.
- Reality Marble (Unlimited Blade Works): In life, the only magic Archer was capable of was Projection and Reinforcement. Unlimited Blade Works is the perfection of these two magics as it allows him to replicate any weapon that he sees and store it in his Reality Marble. Like Gilgamesh with the Gate of Babylon, Archer can summon weapons and fire them as projectiles, or he can use the Reality Marble itself and create a world that effectively looks like a wasteland of cogs and machinery with blades stuck in the ground. It should be noted that Archer is also capable of creating shields such as Rho Aias (a magical barrier capable of defending against Noble Phantasms), but it puts a much higher drain on his mana. There are also some limits to what he can and cannot create. For example, he cannot read weapons such as Gilgamesh's Ea, and he has himself stated that attempting to re-create holy swords like Excalibur are projections likely to end in his own destruction.
INVENTORY: Nothing but the clothes on his back and all the weapons he keeps in hammerspace.
WRITING SAMPLES.
NETWORK SAMPLE: TDM Thread
LOG SAMPLE: TDM Toplevel | TDM Thread