APPLICATIONS | 2012; 01

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alviss ( mär: märchen awakens romance ) ☆ 1/?

[irrigo]

Player nickname: Ichi
Player DW: irrigo
Way to contact you:
Plurk: unspeakingly
Are you at least 15?: Y
Current Characters: Minatsuki Takami, Celty Sturluson, Miharu Rokujo

Character: Alviss
Fandom: MÄR: Märchen Awakens Romance (anime)
Character Notes:
History:

In the fantasy world of MÄR Heaven, there one day rose a team called the Chess Pieces who wished to destroy the land and the lives of the people there. They were led by the immortal Phantom - a man who had turned himself into a living corpse using his own Zombie Tattoo - and challenged the citizens of MÄR to a series of War Games; tournament-style battles for the safety and freedom of MÄR Heaven. All those able and willing volunteered to fight in the War Games, most notably the Cross Guard, who became honoured soldiers for their war efforts. The people of MÄR were so desperate to win that they summoned a stranger from another world, hoping that he would be a great hero and lead them to victory. He was known to all as Boss, from Earth.

Alviss' life prior to the War Games is unknown, but he comes to the Cross Guard as an orphan at the age of ten. (Much of MÄR is poverty-stricken and without law; there are a number of ways he could have lost his parents and home.) Although he is too young to join the fight, Boss admires his love for MÄR and his tenacity, so he lets Alviss join the Cross Guard. Unfortunately, this exposes Alviss to an awful tragedy - towards the end of the War Games, Phantom presumably becomes bored with the lack of challenge and slaughters most members of the Cross Guard. Alviss is witness to this, and the only one left alive at the end of the massacre; he faces Phantom and demands that he stop killing his comrades. Phantom takes an interest in Alviss' bravery and strength, and bestows a "gift" upon him - the Zombie Tattoo. Over time, it will spread across Alviss' entire body and eventually turn him into a living corpse like Phantom. Despite his initial grief, he is persuaded by his fellow Cross Guards Gaira and Alan to fight against Phantom's curse rather than give in and despair.

The War Games end in a tie. Phantom and Boss kill each other in a final battle, and the Chess Pieces disband - but as an immortal, Phantom's death is only temporary, and they warn that they will return when Phantom eventually revives. MÄR Heaven returns to normal.

Alviss trains with Gaira for a long time, building up his strength and abilities to prepare for Phantom's revival, but also in the hopes of slowing the progress of the Zombie Tattoo. During this period, he meets the fairy Bell, who becomes his best friend, and eventually the two of them leave Gaira's care and take off on their own. They train, gather ÄRM - powerful weapons strewn across MÄR Heaven with varying degrees of rarity, each requiring magic strength to use - and generally keep an eye on the state of things in the world. Alviss waits for the return of Phantom, desperate to cure himself of the Zombie Tattoo before it can finish its cycle.

Six years after the end of the first War Games, the Chess Pieces begin to regroup, anticipating Phantom's resurrection. Alviss - with the Zombie Tattoo close to completion by now - takes this as his cue to act, and unleashes what he has been waiting for; he uses the same ÄRM that had brought Boss into their world, the Gate Keeper Clown, and calls for another hero from Earth. Unfortunately, the Clown chooses the hopeless fourteen year-old Ginta Toramizu, who is in fact Boss' son. After this summoning, Alviss follows Ginta around to gauge his skills and usefulness to the people of MÄR. They eventually clash, when Alviss steps in to save Ginta from a group of bandits and then demands that Ginta destroy the sentient ÄRM he has picked up, Babbo, because it was Phantom's greatest weapon in the previous War Games. However, Babbo has no recollection of that time and has developed a personality of his own, as well as a strong bond with Ginta, so the two of them fight Alviss.

Alviss wins, but he is impressed by Ginta and the friendship he seems to share with Babbo, so he leaves them be, and instead ends up going to fend off the Chess Pieces, who are attacking cities across MÄR to announce their return. Soon after, the call for the Second War Games takes place, and Alviss makes his way to Reginlief Castle alone, where they will be taking place. At this point, he stands there as a Cross Guard instead of a member of Ginta's Team MÄR - a group which now consists of Ginta, Princess Snow of Lestava, the witch Dorothy, Jack the farmer, and the thief Nanashi.

The preliminary round of the War Games is catastrophic. MÄR is short on numbers to begin with, still suffering from the blow dealt by the Chess Pieces six years ago, and almost all of its volunteers are wiped out by this trial battle. Alviss and all of Team MÄR come out victorious, but even Gaira is (unfairly) defeated. So, it is a team of six teenagers up against the entirety of the Chess Pieces, but they have no choice if they want to save MÄR Heaven. The rules of the War Games are simple: both sides send out a randomly decided number of members per round, and they fight in one-on-one battles. Whoever wins the majority of battles in that round is the winner, and all of its members can compete in the next round, no matter the outcome of an individual's battle. Every member who wins their individual match can also compete in the next round. However, if the Captain - who they choose to be Ginta, hoping that he will measure up to Boss - loses, then the War Games are over.

Round one of the War Games goes well for Team MÄR (and Alviss). Alviss volunteers to go first, being the only participant with any experience in the War Games; as he demonstrates throughout the series, he remembers many of the Chess Pieces from the fights he watched as a child, and so he often knows what to expect. He takes out his opponent in a matter of seconds with his bare hands. Jack loses his battle against Pano to a groin hit, and Ginta unleashes some of the powers that Babbo has been developing on their adventures, winning his fight and making it an overall win for Team MÄR (and Alviss).

Jack and Ginta go off to train during the next round, and Alviss sits out, so the other three members of Team MÄR get their turn to fight. Nanashi comes close to winning an impossible battle but his inability to strike a girl causes him to throw the fight. However, Princess Snow wins and Dorothy annihilates her enemy, so it is an overall win. They take a break before the next round, and it gets revealed to everyone that Ginta is Boss' son.

Team MÄR gets a surprising new member on the morning of the third round; Alan, the old Cross Guard, had been cursed in the previous War Games to share a body with Snow's dog servant Edward, only appearing after Ed has slept three times. He finally emerges, and the Chess Pieces allow him to join because they think it will be more entertaining that way. The next round is five-on-five, and Alviss competes again because the enemies are more highly ranked within the Chess Pieces now. Alan kills his opponent, Jack wins his rematch against Pano, Snow loses due to the volcanic battlefield, and Ginta wins thanks to his opponent's curse backfiring. Although Alviss' match doesn't technically matter towards the final score, he gives it his all anyway, and it is one of the most significant battles in the War Games for him.

In his battle, Alviss goes up against Rolan, who is the first Knight-class that Team MÄR has had to face, and also an opponent that Alviss had clashed with briefly prior to the beginning of the War Games. It is a close fight the whole way, but the real moment of importance is when Rolan sees Alviss' Zombie Tattoo, and reveals his own. They have a heated argument about this; Rolan's love and gratitude towards Phantom make them polar opposites, and later rivals. Alviss manages to survive the strongest attack that Rolan unleashes upon him, but in the end, he is satisfied with merely proving his abilities instead of risking his life to win a meaningless battle, and surrenders the match. He says to Rolan that he only lost because of Rolan's superior magical stamina, and that they will fight again in the future.

After the fight, Ginta decides then to try curing both Alviss' and Alan's curses using Babbo's new power, a Sacred Guardian with healing abilities called Alice - and although he manages to separate Alan and Edward, Alviss is unable to be cured by anyone other than Phantom. Phantom also comes to congratulate them on their victory, and announces that he is upping the quality of the soldiers; it is entirely Bishop- and Knight-class from here on out. Because of this, Team MÄR is sent into the Training Gate and everyone has a training montage of sorts. Snow stays behind for longer because she worries that she's too weak, and Alan refuses to fight in the next round because he wants to see that the others can win without him, so round four is five-against-six.

Alviss fights first and wins against Mr. Hook - however, his victory reveals the murderous nature of the Chess Piece Knight Rapunzel. She challenges Hook to rock-paper-scissors, and when he loses, she slits his throat. Jack wins, and she kills his opponent too. Dorothy wins her match in a matter of seconds, and Rapunzel kills him immediately. Nanashi is, unfortunately, up against the young girl Aqua, so although he could have easily won, he throws the match and it ends in a draw, which Nanashi hopes will save her from Rapunzel's wrath - but Rapunzel is so enraged by this that she challenges her to rock-papper-scissors, and even when Aqua wins, Rapunzel's little brother Girom kills her anyway. This leads into Ginta's fight against Girom, which he wins, and finally, Dorothy's match against Rapunzel, which she wins once again.

At the end of the fourth round, Dorothy finds out from Rapunzel that her traitorous older sister Diana is the Queen of the Chess Pieces, so she takes all of Team MÄR back to Caldea, the country of magic. While Ginta is doing important things like fighting Phantom when he decides to show up unexpectedly, Alviss and the others are all gifted with new and powerful ÄRM. The Caldean law states that when someone is charged with a crime, their family member must kill them, and so Dorothy returns to Reginlief with the cruel task of finding and murdering her own sister.

Team MÄR begins struggling in the fifth round, a five-on-five. Snow and Alviss win against two Bishops, although Alviss doesn't win nearly as easily as he had in previous matches - mostly because he goes out of his way not to use the ÄRM he received in Caldea. The next three opponents are of Phantom's elite, the Zodiac Knights; Jack narrowly draws with Candice, Ash surrenders to Ginta, and Nanashi defeats his old friend and ex-thief Galian. Despite all of their victories, though, every match is frighteningly close and everyone has a lot of difficulty.

Thankfully, they get a few days of rest after those tiring battles; the War Games are temporarily put on hold by the Chess Pieces, and filler episodes take place until they continue. On the first day, Team MÄR decides to have a costume party for a change of pace. On the second day, Alviss' fairy Bell flies off in a fit of jealous rage and gets kidnapped to power an ÄRM that creates a monster. Alviss furiously hunts down her kidnappers and risks his life to defeat the monster and rescue her. He spends the third day training with Alan while everyone else continues to relax.

On the fourth day, Team MÄR regroups for a training session to get them back into the spirit of battle before the War Games can resume; they each pair up with a random partner and head into the Training Gate with that person. Alviss goes with Nanashi, and the two of them don't get along at first. However, they're forced to cooperate when an extremely violent group called the Zonnen infiltrate the Training Gates. The Zonnen were exiled from the Chess Pieces for their aimless bloodthirst, and they feel that Phantom's War Games are too monotonous, so they want to kill Team MÄR and finish the Games. Venus and Jupiter are sent to kill Alviss and Nanashi, and Venus begins by using an ÄRM that causes Nanashi to turn on Alviss; when Alviss outwits her, Jupiter traps the two of them in a moving labyrinth, but together, Alviss and Nanashi finally beat them. They spend the rest of their time in the Training Gate bonding while they wait for it to open.

The War Games start up again, and the sixth round is another five-on-five. Alan loses the first match pathetically against the catgirl Chaton because of his crippling fear of cats, so Alviss becomes anxious and snaps that they absolutely need to win the next matches. Thankfully, Alviss wins his match, and reveals his new Caldean ÄRM to be a Guardian, Á Bao A Qu. Dorothy beats her sister's old toy Pinocchion to put them at a 2-1 lead, but Snow's battle against her old caretaker Magical Roe ends with him kidnapping her and taking her to Lestava, where the Queen Diana awaits. However, Ginta still needs to fight Ian before they can follow her; if he doesn't, Team MÄR loses. Naturally, Ginta wins.

There is a break of several days before the final round of the Chess Pieces, against Phantom and his highest Knights. Both Snow and the world of MÄR Heaven are at stake in this last battle, so everyone goes into the Training Gate again - however, instead of taking them to the training dimension, everyone lands in an alternate Tokyo, Earth. Ginta soon finds that the others have all had their memories altered by something strange; Jack is a delinquent, Nanashi is the leader of a bike gang, Dorothy is a maid, Alan is a detective, and Alviss is a hospital patient with a terminal illness. Ginta helps them to get their memories of MÄR back one by one, and through Alviss' fake story, Ginta begins to understand that there's something wrong with the world they're in - Kotomi, the young girl that Alviss is friends with in this world, was actually a childhood friend of Ginta's that died of illness. He realises that there are a number of inconsistencies that don't match up with the home he left, and everything unravels.

When Ginta confirms the world as a fake, it turns on them. While Ginta is trapped in a series of illusions, Alviss and the others are suddenly hounded by hundreds of police. When the team finally reunites, Alan calls out Lilith, a woman who was trapped in the Training Gate six years ago, as he believes that she is the culprit behind the fake world. She appears only to summon the unclassifiable ÄRM, Plenu Ryunu, which has the ability to manifest people's thoughts, and then escapes. Alan tells the story of Lilith - how she joined the Cross Guard, and used a Dimension ÄRM whilst inside the Training Gate, disappearing forever.

Plenu Ryunu creates an army of knights to protect the gate that Lilith escaped through; knowing that the only way to end this is to get Lilith and find out what she wants, Alviss, Nanashi and Jack all stay behind to fight the enemies while Ginta, Dorothy and Alan go on ahead. While they're split into the two teams, Alan tells Ginta and Dorothy more of Lilith's story; he explains that after she joined the Cross Guard, the Chess Pieces wiped out her village, and she has created an illusionary dimension for herself so that she can relive her peaceful memories. When they find her, they discover that she had altered her own memories, too, so that she didn't know about her village's tragedy, and the dimension had fuelled itself with her remnant magical power; she had given up on life long ago. Ginta destroys Plenu Ryunu, Lilith is put to rest, and the illusion dimension collapses. Team MÄR splits up again and goes back to training in separate Training Gates.

alviss ( mär: märchen awakens romance ) ☆ 2/?

[irrigo]

They come back out just in time - Phantom wants to begin the final battle on the next day.

Jack fights first against Weasel, the man who killed his father in the first War Games, and he wins. Alviss is next, and he goes up against Rolan for a rematch. This time, the fight is more intense; they both feel that they are fighting for the sake of their ideals; Alviss treasuring his mortality, and Rolan idolising eternity. Alviss spends the beginning of the match refusing to fight, hoping that Rolan will be convinced to see the reality behind Phantom's "eternity", but the battle finally turns serious, and they put all of their efforts into winning. Although Alviss tries again to lure Rolan to his side, and he comes very close to succeeding, in the end they're unable to reconcile, and they each use their Guardian ÄRM in a final attack - and Alviss emerges the victor, without killing Rolan.

The battles continue, each taking place on a separate day. Dorothy defeats Chimera, Alan wins against Halloween after drawing with him six years ago, and Nanashi gets his revenge on Peta for killing the thieves of Luberia. Finally, the last match comes - Phantom vs Ginta. Even though the score is 5-0, this is the only battle that actually matters, because they are both captains. The fight is long, intense, and close on both sides, but in the end, Ginta wins, and the Chess Pieces lose the War Games for good. They reluctantly retreat, and Team MÄR's next target is Lestava Castle, where Snow is being held captive by the Queen. However, before that, Alviss, Ginta and Dorothy have to go to Caldea to repair a crack that Phantom made in Babbo. While they're there, Ginta asks the Caldean Elder about a key-shaped ÄRM he got from a ghost at the start of his journey; the Elder explains that it's Purific Ave, and it is the only thing capable of killing Phantom for good. Alviss asks to keep the Ave, wanting to kill Phantom himself.

Finally, Team MÄR makes it to Lestava Castle to save Snow and kill the Queen. They split up when they make it inside; Alviss and Dorothy deal with the guards so that they can beat Phantom and Queen Diana separately, but they're attacked by Rolan and Candice before they can reach Phantom. When they finally win after a long struggle, a new opponent shows up, and he hits Alviss with a Ghost ÄRM called the Rondo of Time, which speeds up the progress of Alviss' Zombie Tattoo significantly. The newcomer uses a Dimensional ÄRM to transport them all to a desert - where they all have to fight to restrain Alviss, who is being driven mad by the pain from his now near-complete Tattoo. Snow and Ginta use their Sacred ÄRM to suppress the pain, but the Rondo of Time cannot be stopped, and as another side-effect of the Tattoo's progress, Alviss experiences a connection with Phantom, who commands him to come to his side, although for the moment, Alviss resists.

Team MÄR soon learns that the man who used the Rondo of Time is one of the Ghost Chess, a group that exists only to please Phantom, and it just so happens that what will please Phantom most is to have Alviss, so they move out to capture him. Unfortunately, the others have to fight back on their own, because Alviss is incapacitated by the effects of the Zombie Tattoo. When the head of the Ghost Chess comes to retrieve Alviss, he appears to have been completely taken over by Phantom's influence, and he submits to the summons. However, once inside the castle, Alviss manages to overcome the possession, and he attempts to stab Phantom with the Purific Ave - unsuccessfully. Phantom deflects him, and he uses the bond he has with Alviss to put him under a sort of mind control. He collars Alviss and chains him to his side.

Alviss is self-aware for half of his time in captivity, but for the rest, he is completely under the control of the Zombie Tattoo and Phantom. The influence is so strong that he attempts to kill Team MÄR when they come to retrieve him, and barely manages to control himself for long enough to let them escape. As he is left in isolation, though, his determination allows him to direct his violent urges elsewhere - he breaks out of Phantom's tower and attacks the Ghost Chess who were attacking Ginta and Dorothy before turning on his friends, hoping that they will kill him. Thankfully, Snow hits the Rondo of Time with ice, freezing it and allowing Alviss to recover his sanity and control.

However, the Tattoo is extremely close to completion, and he still suffers bouts of madness, but Team MÄR refuses to let him give in, and they take him to the Misty Castle, Clavier, in order for him to acquire the Almetici ÄRM that is capable of granting any wish. When he reaches it, he encounters a younger version of himself, who says that he needs the ÄRM to save all of MÄR Heaven. Alviss feels that this is more noble than his current wish, and he gives up the ÄRM, but when the child receives the ÄRM, he finds that it is only a dagger - the same dagger that Alviss used to break open the gates of MÄR Heaven when he summoned Ginta. He hands the dagger to the child and tells him to hang onto it before he goes back down to the others, the Rondo of Time beginning to tick again.

Alviss returns from Clavier just in time to help everyone after the defeat of the last member of the Ghost Chess, but he is in a critical state due to the Zombie Tattoo, and Ginta carries him to Phantom's castle, where they find Rolan. Alviss allows Rolan to take him to the throne room, and when they see that Phantom is missing, Rolan assumes that he died in Alviss' absence; he promptly commits suicide in front of Alviss, who takes a moment to mourn him before they go on to find Phantom. (It's revealed in the ending of the series that Rolan survived, but Alviss remains unaware of this.) When they reach him, he has changed - he appears to be terribly ill, barely capable of movement, and he has lost his love for immortality, regretting the things he has done in his life. Phantom welcomes his own death, going so far as to help with the killing strike when his sudden kindness causes Alviss to hesitate. Alviss lays Phantom's body to rest and asks Jack to grow a field of flowers around it, so that Phantom might rest in peace.

Finally, they make their way to Lestava Castle to kill the Queen and King at last, but both have already moved on, and instead, they meet Snow's father, the King of Lestava, and have a party to celebrate the defeat of the Chess Pieces. In the middle of their celebrations, there are suddenly reports of catastrophes in surrounding towns, and when they go to investigate, they find that famous Earth landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower are being dropped from the sky. When they return, they learn that the King attacked Lestava while they were gone, and Alan was killed in the ensuing fight.

Ginta and Dorothy go to Caldea to ask the Elder about what is happening to MÄR Heaven, while Alviss and the others go to look for information in town. They encounter the King there; Nanashi is killed trying to protect his friends, and when Alviss tries to escape with Snow, she is also mortally wounded. However, the King leaves Alviss alive, so he immediately escapes to Caldea with Snow, Jack and Jack's girlfriend Pano, and Snow dies in Ginta's arms when they arrive.

Abnormalities continue to happen all over MÄR Heaven, and the remaining members of Team MÄR do what they can to help villages and citizens, but they continue to lose friends to the King. Alviss, Dorothy and Ginta go to an island in order to activate an ÄRM that will take them to where the Queen and King are, and while they're there, Alviss runs into the King, and he fights him. While the King initially appears to be Boss, Alviss comes to the conclusion that it is only a resemblance, and fights with all of his strength; he does a lot of damage to the King, but is badly wounded, and he sacrifices the last of his life to complete the activation of the ÄRM that Dorothy and Ginta had worked on. He sees the two of them off, and dies once they have gone.

Dorothy kills Queen Diana before getting killed herself by the King, and Ginta takes a last stand against the King. In the process, he finds out that while the Orb of Caldea - the sentient concentrated evil of everyone in MÄR Heaven - took his father, Boss', body, Boss' soul was transferred into Babbo at the same time. Ginta defeats the King, which ejects the Orb from Boss' body, and he puts Boss' soul back into it before he heads off to destroy the Orb. The bonds with all of the people he has met in MÄR Heaven give him the strength to win, and he creates a new power for Babbo that revives all of his dead team-mates. With the Orb gone, MÄR Heaven is finally at peace, and Ginta spends some time helping to rebuild the world with the rest of Team MÄR.

Even though everyone wants Ginta to stay with them in MÄR Heaven, he and Boss have to return to Earth, where their old lives are waiting for them. Dorothy finds another Gate Keeper Clown to take them back, and after exchanging farewells with everyone, they head home. The series' ending montage implies that Alviss goes on to live with Bell, keeping contact with the friends he has made during the War Games and training in case the peace of MÄR Heaven is ever threatened again.

alviss ( mär: märchen awakens romance ) ☆ 3/3

[irrigo]

Personality:

Judging by first impressions, Alviss appears to be the "loner" or "cool" character that is typical of an average shōnen series. He is stoic, and gives an impression of being extremely cold-hearted; he doesn't seem to have much sympathy for Ginta and Babbo when he first meets them, and in fact comes off as very cruel in the way he treats them. Although this isn't his entire character, it is actually the backbone of it - Alviss is the serious member of Team MÄR.

He doesn't joke around or take things lightly, and doesn't have a lot of patience for those that do; he's rude to anyone he perceives as wasting his time, and tends to scold the others often for not taking things seriously enough. He is quick to judge those around him who don't have his respect, quick to condemn everyone, and he's very cynical about people, tending to focus on their worst traits. He's distrusting towards most people, and both his respect and his trust are things that have to be earned through hardship. He is harsh and even merciless in battle. He's willing to manipulate both his enemies and friends to get the result he wants. His usual solemn attitude is most likely a result of his experience in the first War Games, and his understanding of the harsher realities of MÄR Heaven. He is a self-contained person, and seems to expect everyone else to be as well. "I'll fight my own battle," he says, and he clearly believes that others should do the same, even outright telling Ginta to deal with his own problems. He doesn't tell anyone about his Zombie Tattoo, or talk about it after its existence is revealed to his friends - not out of a desire to keep it secret, but because he sees it as his problem and doesn't think anyone else should be involved in it.

As far as social skills go, Alviss' aren't exactly stellar, but that is mostly because he has no desire to improve them. He doesn't care about trivial things, and since socialising will neither win the War Games nor cure the Zombie Tattoo, he feels that he can do without it. He's fairly blunt and rude and doesn't see any problem with it. When Nanashi cooks takoyaki for everyone, Alviss leaves and says, "I don't want any. Anything that looks like that can't be considered food." However, he is actually polite on some occasions; he'll apologise if he knocks someone over (provided they aren't at fault in any way) and he graciously thanks people for helping him on a number of occasions, including some talking rocks.

Alviss is extremely tenacious. After being cursed with the Zombie Tattoo as a child, he had lost the will to continue and wanted to abandon MÄR; Gaira and Alan persuaded him to resist the Tattoo and fight against Phantom, and since then, he has not once given up throughout the series. He is a determined and driven young man, and pushes on through every obstacle that he encounters, even when a situation appears to be hopeless, and even when he has long since reached his own limits. This stubbornness often makes him reckless, as seen in the battle with Rolan wherein he refused to surrender until the very last moment, when he had proven his ability to hit back. It also plays a part in his diligence with training; his tenacity means that he can train constantly without tiring of it, because he simply refuses to give in to his fatigue and stop. It joins with his tendency to scold his teammates, too, because he insists that they train with him, to the point that he outright attacks Nanashi in an attempt to make him train. "Once you say something, you never give in," teases Alan.

Alviss is a warrior first and foremost, who has a great deal of (rightful) confidence in himself and his own abilities, and he carries himself with dignity and pride - to such a point that it can become arrogance. He genuinely enjoys fighting, and he's happy to rise to a challenge. He looks down on most others and treats them with disdain, taunting weaker opponents and mocking his teammates in the beginning, but when someone is worthy of his respect, he feels the need to prove himself to them, which is once again demonstrated in his first fight with Rolan; it is not only his stubbornness, but also his pride that will not allow him to surrender until he has struck back at Rolan when everyone assumed that he was done for. On more than one occasion, he refuses to fight with any ÄRM, both to prove his personal strength and to insult an enemy that he sees as inferior and unworthy of his effort. Respect is the most important thing in order for Alviss to form a good relationship with someone, and he will not speak to them as an equal until they have it. He doesn't judge unfairly, though; he holds everyone to the same standards as he holds himself, which means that what he values most is a strong heart.

Alviss' confidence in himself is not unfounded, because not only is he a very capable warrior, he is also intelligent and very aware in battle situations. Despite his recklessness, he backs off when his life is seriously endangered; he knows his own limits, even if he does like to push them. When he is cornered, he often uses ingenuity instead of brute strength, and he is good at taking advantage of his surroundings. He has an excellent grasp of timing, and can wait an entire fight under a barrage of attacks for the right moment to attack. Rather than jumping into the fray and attacking an enemy senselessly, he will also allow himself to be put at a disadvantage (or a perceived disadvantage) if he must in order to observe and analyse his opponent, so that he can devise the most efficient battle strategy available to him. He also proves to have a very good understanding of people as a whole, often stepping in to explain someone's motivations or thoughts when others fail to catch on.

More than the hardened warrior that he is, Alviss often seems like a noble knight. He really values honour and dignity, in both himself and in others. He loves MÄR despite all of its faults, and he wants more than anything to protect it and its people from any misfortune or malice. He is willing to give his life for the safety of his world. This is why he fights, and it is what fuels his will to continue living even with the progress of the Zombie Tattoo hanging over his head. When he confronts his child self in Clavier, he gives up his wish to remove the Zombie Tattoo, even knowing that it is only a vision - he still feels that this wish is much more noble than his own selfish need, and he reflects on it, saying, "I'm sorry I wasted all of your efforts, everyone. But, if what I'm thinking is right, even if I were to die because of this, it won't be for nothing. This life will gain a meaning."

And it really does haunt him. Alviss is always aware that he is living on very limited time, and he fears the possibility that he could fail to cure himself of his curse; he doesn't want to live forever, to see MÄR and its people suffer and perish over time, and he especially doesn't want to become the same as Phantom, who is cruel and bitter. This pushes his determination to an extreme, because he simply does not have time to waste. However, while it is almost constantly on his mind, Alviss uses his curse to motivate himself rather than dwelling on the past or wallowing in self-pity. When Babbo's Alice form is unable to heal him, Alviss admits that Phantom's death is the only path to a cure, but thanks Ginta for his concern; Jack asks how they're going to kill an immortal, and Alviss just smiles and says that he's sure they'll find a way. This shows not only his determination not to give into despair, but his genuine faith in Team MÄR and the optimism that they give him. Despite this, falling to the Zombie Tattoo is his worst fear, and Alviss outright asks Ginta to kill him if it should progress any further; he would honestly rather die than become immortal.

Although it is usually disguised by his sternness and soldier-like seriousness, Alviss does have a kind heart. He is extremely protective of Bell, who has been his friend since childhood, and does all that he can to take care of her. He is not only willing to sacrifice himself for the peace and safety of MÄR, but also for his friends. He worries about his teammates just like any other member of Team MÄR, despite being less vocal about it and more understanding of the dangers they have to put themselves into for the War Games - and when they worry about him, he tries to brush off their concerns and reassure them with optimism and confidence, whether it is genuine or fake. Even when he is under the influence of the Zombie Tattoo, he uses the last remaining shreds of his sanity to beg them to run, because he would prefer that they leave him behind than get hurt by him. Becoming friends with Team MÄR does cause him to open up a little, too, and they leave an impact on him. After becoming closer to Nanashi in the Training Gate, he even tries to take Nanashi's advice and relax a little, and he shows a more playful side, willing to joke around with him.

He has a lot of fearlessness and bravery, and in fact, Alviss is only ever shown to fear two things in the series: the effect of the Zombie Tattoo, and losing the things he has vowed to protect. He never backs down from a fight, no matter his opponent. He is willing to walk right into Phantom's castle and pretend to be under the influence of the Tattoo, knowing Phantom's intentions and the danger of being stranded in the middle of Chess Piece territory - although this also showcases both his intelligence (a plan relying on talented manipulation) and his recklessness (he is willing to do anything to get his chance at killing Phantom once and for all). Even as a child, Alviss was courageous beyond the norm; he stood amidst the bodies after the massacre of the Cross Guard and screamed at Phantom to stop killing his comrades, and it is this bravery that Phantom took an interest in.

But it is also Alviss' rage that Phantom enjoyed. The look in Alviss' eyes following the massacre could be called nothing less than murderous intent, and to this, Phantom remarks that Alviss "has good eyes". Alviss is capable of a frankly frightening rage, and with his tenacity and recklessness it is a dangerous combination. Unlike Dorothy, however, who annihilates her enemies, Alviss has never killed an opponent in the war games; his honour and his respect for life prevent him from doing so, and he considers unnecessary death to be "monstrous". This means that, while he does fight without compassion for his enemy, he has a capacity for mercy in that he will not take a life - and this even applies to Phantom, once he has changed towards the end of his life. As soon as Phantom shows Alviss kindness, Alviss finds himself unable to land the killing blow, and he hesitates to such an extent that Phantom has to take his hand and help him.

His experiences after the War Games - the progression of the Zombie Tattoo, his exposure to Phantom's loneliness, his ensuing conversations with Rolan, and the kindness he receives from Phantom just before killing him - all help Alviss to develop, and give him a strong sense of closure. Because of his close brush with immortality and the incident in Clavier, he develops an even greater respect and understanding for life, especially for his own - something which will have meaning, even in death. While he had previously been driven by a desire for revenge and his desperate need to save himself from immortality, he finally understands the importance of everything else, and he lets go of the fear that had gripped him. He also reaches a warm conclusion with Phantom, something which would have been otherwise impossible; after laying him to rest, Alviss acknowledges that, "Phantom will continue to live. Within us," and even says later that he misses both Phantom and Rolan. He is removed of all conflict, bitterness and fear that he had held up to that point, and in the end, it leaves him with a sort of peace.

Other:

Fun fact! A number of characters in MÄR are altered or twisted versions of popular fairy tale characters; although he shares fewer similarities with his counterpart than some others do, Alviss is Peter Pan. His favourite weapon (Thirteen Totem Poles), his fairy Bell and his imminent state of eternal youth are all references to Peter - Alviss is just a Peter Pan that is not particularly happy about the whole "eternal youth" gig.

First Person (entry type):

[ the sphere that usually records alviss is floating around today, to get a better look at what appears to be a large stage - and that's exactly what alviss wants it do to. he catches it in one hand and speaks directly to it: ]

I thought the community might want you all to see this, so I saved it the trouble of finding its own way. You're also guaranteed a better view than the one the Chess Pieces are broadcasting to the rest of MÄR.

This is the first match in the first battle of the Second War Games, and I'm going to show you how it's done. You may not have anything to learn from this, like Ginta does, but I want to be sure that everyone understands that we are going to save this world from destruction at Phantom's hands, without a doubt. I want everyone to see that if you're going to save anything, this is the kind of conviction you really need.

And maybe some of you will learn something anyway. Maybe it's going to teach you how to fight in a serious battle. Or, just maybe, it's going to teach you how to win.

So watch. This is the reality of the War Games.

[ he releases the sphere, it takes off into the air, and the fight begins. ]

Third Person:

The world of MÄR has changed in six years.

Alviss has always known that it would; he has travelled through enough cities to see the impact of the First War Games on the people, on their families and their land. But he hadn't realised the severity of it as a child, and from then he had grown amidst it, never taking notice. The real impact of it hits him when he sets foot in Reginlief Castle for the first time since he was ten years old, and he really sees the damage done by the Chess Pieces. There are so few men here, and they are frail and meek. The courtyard is neglected, crumbling, and the castle itself is the same; it doesn't seem at all like the proud and majestic place that once stood here, back when Alviss was one of the croud, cheering for the Cross Guard and so fiercely believing that MÄR would be saved.

Maybe he was naïve in those days.

But while his understanding of the reality may have changed, while his perception may have become sharper, Alviss has not abandoned that belief. He has not abandoned his love for everything in this world. MÄR will be saved - and when he looks at the unlikely team this otherworlder Ginta has amassed, he feels some spark of hope even through his anxiety. They are strong. They aren't soldiers, and it could be that they're better. Every one of them is here for their own reason. They will fight for themselves. They will fight for MÄR. They will drive the Chess Pieces out and bring peace back to the world, and it will flourish in its freedom. Even if he has to carry this burden himself, MÄR will be saved.

When he steps out into the arena, Alviss doesn't feel fear, and he isn't anxious any longer. He will fight, and he will win. He'll claw his way through the Chess Pieces' army, and he'll find Phantom. He'll rid himself of this accursed mark and he won't ever have to see MÄR Heaven fall again. He will live as a human in the world that he loves.

Alviss will fight to save MÄR, and he will fight to save himself.

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[thekidsare0kay]

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[guardiss]

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