A Part, and yet Apart

[JeniLinsky]

Oh hey, actually a good discussion going here!

I agree! I'm sorry to be slow getting back to this; I've had a really rough few days at work, and barely had time to sleep.

I can see how Alphinaud can be grating to people.

He really is. I followed your line of reasoning about his character arc, and it's not that I disagree with you per se... everything you wrote was true, and accurate, and yet. When we first meet him, he's too busy sleeping to participate in the conversation; he does nothing to help protect the merchant's carriage against the beastie attack. (I don't remember if they're on the ship in the Limsa intro, but I figure they must be, since they're in the other two). He doesn't seem to even remember that meeting, which implies that he slept right through the beast attack!

When we meet him and he's awake, he's snarky about his elders. Even at the end of the 2.* storyline, he clearly reveals his disdain for the player when he tells someone, "well, if they make trouble, I'll just have my warrior of light punch them in the face!" (emphasis mine, quote not exact, but gives the idea of what he says).

Now, I'm still running my alt through the content, so I'll have to wait and see what the second viewing brings me by way of understanding of his character in 3.*, but my first run through, with Melly, suggests that he's still an arrogant prick; that he learned neither humility nor humanity by being betrayed by Illbred.