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!paradisa; character information
CHARACTER NAME: Luca Macken
SERIES: Kuroshitsuji 2
CANON POINT: Just before Hannah eats his soul, pre-canon.
LOSS: The memory of his brother’s identity.
This was a little hard to decide, because if I went full on with “the loss of the memory of his brother”, it would essentially take away all of Luca’s motivation up to his canon point, and severely impact his personality. Alois/Jim is a vital part of Luca’s character.
So instead I’ve chosen for Luca to forget who his brother is, as opposed to forgetting him completely. He’ll remember he has a brother, and that things he did (such as selling his soul to Hannah) were for him, but he won’t be able to recall who his brother is nor his name or appearance. Instead, it will be like remembering someone he hasn’t seen in years. He knows the things they did together and their time together, but he’s got no clue who he actually is outside of ”my brother”.
Because of how close Alois/Jim and Luca are, this will be terrible for him without altering his character too much. Luca’s brother is his world, and to be unable to recall his face or voice or such things will be devastating. The idea that he’s actually forgotten will be even more so.
ABOUT THE CHARACTER:
History:
(Just a note: all ages herein are speculated. I have placed Luca's age at about 6, and Jim's/Alois's at about 8 for when everything actually goes down.)
Luca was born in a small village on Arachnohill, the second child and son of the Macken family.
His family was poor, and judging by the treatment the villager’s bestow on Luca and Jim, looked down on within the village. (There is a distinct difference in Jim/Alois and Luca’s skin tone, implying mixed race parents, which would have been heavily scorned in the 1800’s.) However, the small family must have carried on with life, as difficult as it was. Luca and Jim were very close growing up, born only a few years apart, and best friends. Luca soon came to hero worship his brother, believing with all his heart that Jim could do absolutely anything. And Luca would do anything for him.
The devotion turned out to be their undoing.
Sometime after Luca was four, their parents died, possibly of illness, possibly of something else. Whatever it was, the two brothers were orphaned, and food became hard to obtain. Unable to find work due to age and the village’s dislike of them, the brother resorted to stealing, be it secretly, or publicly knocking someone down to steal a bag full of medicine and valuables. They survived like this for a while, Jim much better at it than Luca was.
Luca hesitated too much, perhaps more reluctant to rob others of their things, and shied away instead of being charming and deceptive. Despite the clear disregard he shows for the villagers later, he showed concern for an old man whose medicine they stole, wondering if he’d die without it. But Jim just continued to wave these concerns off, reassuring his brother that it didn’t matter since the villagers all deserved to die regardless.
Now, Jim had never been shy about expressing his hate for the villagers to Luca. In fact, Luca heard about it quite a lot, as it was Jim’s most fervent wish. And Luca always listened. Listened and swore that one day he would grant his brother’s wish.
What summoned the demon Hannah Annafellows isn’t told. Perhaps Luca found a way to call her down, or perhaps it was through sheer force of well.
Whatever it may have been, on the moonlit night she was summoned, Luca Macken made a deal with that demon. She would grant his brother’s wish, the village’s destruction and annihilation of the people that lived within it, and in return she would eat his soul. Jim’s wish being granted was more important to Luca than his own life, perhaps because he was too young to truly understand the long lasting consequence this would invoke in multiple lives.
Not much happened within the few days between Luca’s wish and it being carried out. He was saved from some older kids bullying him by the village prostitute, and decided to spare her for her kindness. He played with his brother.
And then the day came, and he stood at Hannah’s side watching the village burn and the people within it die. He returned with Jim one final time shortly later, to laugh and dance among the bodies and run off to finally meet the demon and give her his soul.
With the last of his life, Luca thanked the demon for making his brother’s wish come true and finally died.
Personality:
Luca Macken (is/was/will always be) a good child.
Despite the villager’s treatment of him, and his own disdain for them because of it, Luca’s initial reaction to anyone is wary but earnest openness. Due to a lack of positive attention from anyone but his brother, Luca craves the approval and affection of others, especially adults around him. It’s why he warms up to the prostitute so quickly when she shows him the smallest bit of kindness by driving bullies off and telling him he’s not weak. He's friendly and trusting, and unless given a reason to feel otherwise, usually likes everyone he meets.
He's a young child, and behaves accordingly. He'd rather run around or climb trees over sitting and doing, say, math. (Not that he can do it, but!) He’s got more energy than the energizer bunny and enjoys pretending to be girls with his brother. Everyone's a friend and every small thing is some new adventure. That isn't to say he wouldn't love to learn if given the chance. He's never been taught to read or write, and so hasn't been able to express any kind of interest in them. But it’s something he’d greet with the same energy and enthusiasm he has for anything else.
In the face of a pretty terrible life, he remains playful and upbeat.
Naturally, this open and amiable behavior, is completely and totally contradictory to his past actions of demon contracting and village slaughter. So, let's talk about that.
Behind all of this is a single person: Jim Macken, Luca's older brother. When they were orphaned, Luca had only Jim to learn from. Jim's behavior shaped what Luca believed was and was not "okay". And considering Jim was nine shades of crazy, this didn't end well.
Just as Jim taught Luca happiness and loyalty and love, he taught him hate and anger. There are definite signs they both had all sorts of issues, but any of Luca's were exacerbated by Jim, the fuel on an unseen fire.
Because Luca is absolutely devoted to his brother. Jim has served as parent, protector, friend, and provider. He's been the supplier of affection and safety. And in return, Luca loved him unconditionally, practically worshiped the ground he walked on. He calls him "Your Highness", a nickname later shown to be important to Jim/Alois when Claude Faustus picks it up to get Jim (now Alois) even more enthralled.
He was taught to depend on Jim. That he was the only person Luca needed (and vice versa) and everyone else should just die. That if someone was old and sick, well too bad, because they were going to die anyway. And Luca listened and learned, and some things he retained. Survival of the fittest, Brother only needs me and I only need him, fairy tales are real and wishes come true.
Jim hated the town, hated the people, and wanted them gone. And Luca wanted it because, more than his own hatred for the village, Jim wanted it.
One might want to say in the face of the villager’s hate and mistreatment, he came out (seemingly) relatively unscathed. But this isn’t true. When he is with Hannah and two boys run over to simply play on the swing he was telling her about, he merely turns to her and asks if they’ll be killed soon. When they are, he does nothing more than watch passively as they run screaming in terror. His immediate reaction to a villager approaching him, even after she drives off the boys attacking him, is some pretty eerie anger, though it disappears as soon as it shows up.
He’s good at hiding it, but looking at the brief flashes we get, Luca is just as damaged as his brother. He’s not all there himself, but is able to cover up any issues he has by just being a normal six year old boy. He was raised by an angry brother amidst of village of people who saw him as nothing more than dirt on their shoes. It left its mark on him, for certain. He holds little regard for the life of the villager’s, and only does one when she shows him kindness no one else will. He was willing to kill for Jim, and still is. The level of devotion and dependence between the Macken brothers is fairly unhealthy. But it can be glossed over by most who know him for the simple fact that he hides it so well, acts so normal in a normal setting. He’s curious and cheerful and sweet. But also a little crazy.
But beyond that appearance of normalcy, beyond the issues and unhealthy devotion, is simply a lonely child. It's a particularly striking line in the finale, when Luca and Jim/Alois finally reunite that shows this. "We won't be lonely anymore!" Luca asserts cheerfully.
Because though Luca had his brother, though he loved him more than anything else, there was something missing. There were no friends to play with, no parents to be love and be loved by. Instead there was hate and mistreatment, cold eyes and hurtful words. And it was lonely.
This, of course, does not justify him being a cheeky brat like he can be, but it's an endearing quality?! Sometimes.
ABILITIES: Luca is just a normal little boy, and so has no abilities of his own. He’s decent-ish at stealing and lying because of him and his brother doing so to survive. However, he has a contract with a demon (marked by a demon’s seal on his person) which, while not giving him abilities himself, allows him to essentially control the demon Hannah Annafellows.
SERIES: Kuroshitsuji 2
CANON POINT: Just before Hannah eats his soul, pre-canon.
LOSS: The memory of his brother’s identity.
This was a little hard to decide, because if I went full on with “the loss of the memory of his brother”, it would essentially take away all of Luca’s motivation up to his canon point, and severely impact his personality. Alois/Jim is a vital part of Luca’s character.
So instead I’ve chosen for Luca to forget who his brother is, as opposed to forgetting him completely. He’ll remember he has a brother, and that things he did (such as selling his soul to Hannah) were for him, but he won’t be able to recall who his brother is nor his name or appearance. Instead, it will be like remembering someone he hasn’t seen in years. He knows the things they did together and their time together, but he’s got no clue who he actually is outside of ”my brother”.
Because of how close Alois/Jim and Luca are, this will be terrible for him without altering his character too much. Luca’s brother is his world, and to be unable to recall his face or voice or such things will be devastating. The idea that he’s actually forgotten will be even more so.
ABOUT THE CHARACTER:
History:
(Just a note: all ages herein are speculated. I have placed Luca's age at about 6, and Jim's/Alois's at about 8 for when everything actually goes down.)
Luca was born in a small village on Arachnohill, the second child and son of the Macken family.
His family was poor, and judging by the treatment the villager’s bestow on Luca and Jim, looked down on within the village. (There is a distinct difference in Jim/Alois and Luca’s skin tone, implying mixed race parents, which would have been heavily scorned in the 1800’s.) However, the small family must have carried on with life, as difficult as it was. Luca and Jim were very close growing up, born only a few years apart, and best friends. Luca soon came to hero worship his brother, believing with all his heart that Jim could do absolutely anything. And Luca would do anything for him.
The devotion turned out to be their undoing.
Sometime after Luca was four, their parents died, possibly of illness, possibly of something else. Whatever it was, the two brothers were orphaned, and food became hard to obtain. Unable to find work due to age and the village’s dislike of them, the brother resorted to stealing, be it secretly, or publicly knocking someone down to steal a bag full of medicine and valuables. They survived like this for a while, Jim much better at it than Luca was.
Luca hesitated too much, perhaps more reluctant to rob others of their things, and shied away instead of being charming and deceptive. Despite the clear disregard he shows for the villagers later, he showed concern for an old man whose medicine they stole, wondering if he’d die without it. But Jim just continued to wave these concerns off, reassuring his brother that it didn’t matter since the villagers all deserved to die regardless.
Now, Jim had never been shy about expressing his hate for the villagers to Luca. In fact, Luca heard about it quite a lot, as it was Jim’s most fervent wish. And Luca always listened. Listened and swore that one day he would grant his brother’s wish.
What summoned the demon Hannah Annafellows isn’t told. Perhaps Luca found a way to call her down, or perhaps it was through sheer force of well.
Whatever it may have been, on the moonlit night she was summoned, Luca Macken made a deal with that demon. She would grant his brother’s wish, the village’s destruction and annihilation of the people that lived within it, and in return she would eat his soul. Jim’s wish being granted was more important to Luca than his own life, perhaps because he was too young to truly understand the long lasting consequence this would invoke in multiple lives.
Not much happened within the few days between Luca’s wish and it being carried out. He was saved from some older kids bullying him by the village prostitute, and decided to spare her for her kindness. He played with his brother.
And then the day came, and he stood at Hannah’s side watching the village burn and the people within it die. He returned with Jim one final time shortly later, to laugh and dance among the bodies and run off to finally meet the demon and give her his soul.
With the last of his life, Luca thanked the demon for making his brother’s wish come true and finally died.
Personality:
Luca Macken (is/was/will always be) a good child.
Despite the villager’s treatment of him, and his own disdain for them because of it, Luca’s initial reaction to anyone is wary but earnest openness. Due to a lack of positive attention from anyone but his brother, Luca craves the approval and affection of others, especially adults around him. It’s why he warms up to the prostitute so quickly when she shows him the smallest bit of kindness by driving bullies off and telling him he’s not weak. He's friendly and trusting, and unless given a reason to feel otherwise, usually likes everyone he meets.
He's a young child, and behaves accordingly. He'd rather run around or climb trees over sitting and doing, say, math. (Not that he can do it, but!) He’s got more energy than the energizer bunny and enjoys pretending to be girls with his brother. Everyone's a friend and every small thing is some new adventure. That isn't to say he wouldn't love to learn if given the chance. He's never been taught to read or write, and so hasn't been able to express any kind of interest in them. But it’s something he’d greet with the same energy and enthusiasm he has for anything else.
In the face of a pretty terrible life, he remains playful and upbeat.
Naturally, this open and amiable behavior, is completely and totally contradictory to his past actions of demon contracting and village slaughter. So, let's talk about that.
Behind all of this is a single person: Jim Macken, Luca's older brother. When they were orphaned, Luca had only Jim to learn from. Jim's behavior shaped what Luca believed was and was not "okay". And considering Jim was nine shades of crazy, this didn't end well.
Just as Jim taught Luca happiness and loyalty and love, he taught him hate and anger. There are definite signs they both had all sorts of issues, but any of Luca's were exacerbated by Jim, the fuel on an unseen fire.
Because Luca is absolutely devoted to his brother. Jim has served as parent, protector, friend, and provider. He's been the supplier of affection and safety. And in return, Luca loved him unconditionally, practically worshiped the ground he walked on. He calls him "Your Highness", a nickname later shown to be important to Jim/Alois when Claude Faustus picks it up to get Jim (now Alois) even more enthralled.
He was taught to depend on Jim. That he was the only person Luca needed (and vice versa) and everyone else should just die. That if someone was old and sick, well too bad, because they were going to die anyway. And Luca listened and learned, and some things he retained. Survival of the fittest, Brother only needs me and I only need him, fairy tales are real and wishes come true.
Jim hated the town, hated the people, and wanted them gone. And Luca wanted it because, more than his own hatred for the village, Jim wanted it.
One might want to say in the face of the villager’s hate and mistreatment, he came out (seemingly) relatively unscathed. But this isn’t true. When he is with Hannah and two boys run over to simply play on the swing he was telling her about, he merely turns to her and asks if they’ll be killed soon. When they are, he does nothing more than watch passively as they run screaming in terror. His immediate reaction to a villager approaching him, even after she drives off the boys attacking him, is some pretty eerie anger, though it disappears as soon as it shows up.
He’s good at hiding it, but looking at the brief flashes we get, Luca is just as damaged as his brother. He’s not all there himself, but is able to cover up any issues he has by just being a normal six year old boy. He was raised by an angry brother amidst of village of people who saw him as nothing more than dirt on their shoes. It left its mark on him, for certain. He holds little regard for the life of the villager’s, and only does one when she shows him kindness no one else will. He was willing to kill for Jim, and still is. The level of devotion and dependence between the Macken brothers is fairly unhealthy. But it can be glossed over by most who know him for the simple fact that he hides it so well, acts so normal in a normal setting. He’s curious and cheerful and sweet. But also a little crazy.
But beyond that appearance of normalcy, beyond the issues and unhealthy devotion, is simply a lonely child. It's a particularly striking line in the finale, when Luca and Jim/Alois finally reunite that shows this. "We won't be lonely anymore!" Luca asserts cheerfully.
Because though Luca had his brother, though he loved him more than anything else, there was something missing. There were no friends to play with, no parents to be love and be loved by. Instead there was hate and mistreatment, cold eyes and hurtful words. And it was lonely.
This, of course, does not justify him being a cheeky brat like he can be, but it's an endearing quality?! Sometimes.
ABILITIES: Luca is just a normal little boy, and so has no abilities of his own. He’s decent-ish at stealing and lying because of him and his brother doing so to survive. However, he has a contract with a demon (marked by a demon’s seal on his person) which, while not giving him abilities himself, allows him to essentially control the demon Hannah Annafellows.