Irma (Chocobo's Dungeon)

Irma is a character in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. She is an ambitious, temperamental, and fierce treasure hunter alongside her chocobo companion, Volg. She and Volg are rivals to the treasure hunters Cid and Chocobo, often competing against them in races to treasures, such as Timeless Power. 
== History ==
=== Early life and meeting Volg ===
Irma met her treasure hunting partner, Volg, when she came across him lying on the ground after he had battled a hefty monster and been knocked out, though he was not yet known as Volg at the time. She told him to get up quickly, which caught Volg by surprise. When Volg told her he did not have a name, Irma introduced herself and explained she was aspiring to become a great robber. When Volg merely grunted from his injuries, Irma replied that he "must be an idiot". She questioned if he really thought he stood a chance against the big monster that had just knocked him down. Realizing that Irma had watched his fight, Volg explained that he spent his life fighting enemies, and that it was just the way he had always lived.
Intrigued by how "strange" Volg was, Irma decided to help him. She offered him plenty of days with exciting fights if he joined her. Volg was thrilled and Irma encouraged him to do his best and to try to keep up. When Volg grunted in pain again Irma exasperatedly told him to be a man, calling him Volg for the first time. When he asked what "Volg" was, Irma told him that the name was what she was calling, and that he would better get used to it. Volg went along with it. From then on, Irma and Volg were inseparable and went on to pursue their ambitions as treasure hunters and fighters.
=== Tracking down Timeless Power ===
At some point, either before or after meeting Volg, Irma became familiar with Cid and Chocobo, fellow treasure hunters. Cid complained about Irma always getting in their way and noted she had never helped them before. Cid and Irma have a competitive rivalry. Irma would also come to raise a herd of jailbirds, though almost all of them, except for one jailbird, bailed out on her and Volg. The sole jailbird who did not leave Irma served as her messenger. One day, while Irma and Volg were on vacation, she noticed that Cid had been acting suspicious. Irma was convinced she could smell a treasure coming her way, her ambition showing through. Volg was exasperated that Irma was talking about work already, but Irma was bored. Eager for more adventure, Irma was bursting to pursue this opportunity. Volg reminded their last job almost left her for dead, but Irma retorted there was no time for looking back, and a chance like this would not wait for them to seize it. She declared that as a treasure hunter, any treasure she set her eyes upon was hers. 
Irma and Volg tracked down a crystal that Cid and Chocobo were also after: Timeless Power. While Cid aimed to obtain the jewel for the airship that he aspired to build, Irma and Volg were hunting it as another treasure. They tracked down the Tower of the Sands and navigated to the topmost level, where the crystal was held. They were met by Chocobo and Cid, who were too late to get to the treasure. Irma mocked them for being a "tad too late" when a strange force from the sky lifted them high into the air out of the tower, sending all four falling up into nothingness. 
=== Life in Lostime and memory loss ===
The four were transported to the town of Lostime, a town plagued by the Bell of Oblivion, which could take away people's memories. Cid and Chocobo were transported together, while Irma and Volg were separated and would not see each other for a while. Because Irma was transported to the main town, she was vulnerable to the influence of the Bell of Oblivion, and she was affected by the bell, losing almost all of her memories. 
The loss of Irma's memories warped her sense of identity and purpose. She became a light-hearted, naive, and friendly girl with the false alias of Amouri. She wore a frilly skirt and acted very out of character with her original personality, being airheaded, bubbly, and quirky. Not long after Irma lost her memories and came under the impression that her name was Amouri, she came into contact with the various residents of Lostime. This included being generously given a house by Mayor Gale, cleaning the seesaw in Blue Sky Park so that the kids would not get hurt, getting into an argument with a boy named Deet, accepting an expensive gift from Pastor Roche, and accepting picture books as gifts from Dardola. She expressed particular joy at the gifts she received. She likely came across Volg again, but not remembering anything about him or any aspects of her real personality and life, when Volg asked her about Cid, she said that she didn't know what he was talking about. 
=== Recovery and reuniting with Volg ===
Sometime later, after the sky went dark and daylight did not return, Amouri (Irma) was visited again in her house by Volg and Chocobo. Having seen Chocobo before in town (after having lost her memory), Irma gave Chocobo a hug and started cuddling him and tickling as she crooned to him. Chocobo appeared to enjoy it at first, but after Irma complained about the "barbaric" commotion outside and about "meanies", Chocobo gave Irma a suspicious stare, almost as if he sensed something familiar about her. Volg then asked Chocobo what he thought about Amouri and if her resemblance to Irma was merely a chance resemblance. Irma then noticed Volg and took note of his thick armor, strong muscles, and cool deep voice. As Irma felt a strange sense of familiarity, the whirlpool of memories appeared over her head. Chocobo entered the whirlpool. 
After Chocobo returned, Irma was restored back to normal with her original memories and her original treasure hunter attire instead of the skirt. She was on her knees on the floor of the house as her memory recovered. Remembering both who she really was as a treasure hunter and her alter ego while in the town, Irma was disgusted and embarrassed with herself for how she had acted, adding in rage and exasperation that "that cutesy stuff makes [her] sick". Volg tried to cheer her up, telling her that her alter personality by itself wasn't really all that bad. Irma then stood up, glared at both Volg and Chocobo with a burning look, and yelled at them to get out of the house and wipe the image of her alter ego as Amouri out of their minds. This made Chocobo and Volg step back in fright from her rage as she swung her arms at them and yelled in embarrassment for them to leave her alone, which they did soon after. 
=== Return of the Destroyer and helping Cid and Chocobo ===
Irma later witnessed the return of the Destroyer to the town. Her reaction was not seen, but she was angry to find out that the crystal she had stolen, Timeless Power, was the key to his rebirth. While in Mayor Gale's office, she overheard the conversation that Chocobo and Cid had with Gale, and when Cid expressed his frustration that his airship couldn't fly, Irma approached Cid, which took him by surprise. She confided to the two of them that she was angry about the fact that the Destroyer had played her for a fool, but then added that Cid could use the Destroyer's own crystal against him. As she handed the crystal to Cid, Cid asked her in confusion why she would help them now when she had never helped them before. Irma irritably said that she didn't want to talk about it, adding that though she loved to steal, she despised being stolen from and yearned to get out of the town that stole her memory as fast as she could. Cid half-heartedly thanked her as she irritably told Cid and Chocobo in a heated voice to get going. 
=== Peace and departure from Lostime ===
With the help of Irma, Cid was able to get his airship powered, allowing Chocobo to fly to the Shrine of Darkness to confront the Destroyer and defeat him once and for all. Cid would later lend the airship to the reborn and reformed Raffaello to atone for his sins after Chocobo saved him. Thanks to Chocobo's final battle with the Destroyer, time had been restored to the town, and it was renamed to 'Foundtime'. The barrier surrounding the town disappeared, allowing Irma and Volg to leave the town. They set out to leave from Levia Point, which was no longer dark and plagued by lightning, but bright and peaceful with the slow sound of the flowing water. They were then met by Chocobo. In a final act of reconciliation and gratitude towards Chocobo, Irma turned to face him and genuinely admitted that she should thank him. Being genuinely friendly instead of treating Chocobo irritably as she normally did, Irma added that at least while he was with them, she didn't get bored with him around; though she would miss him, it was time they parted ways. She called to Volg for them to depart to hunt their next treasure. Before she left, she imparted helpful advice to Chocobo: to get a treasure, you have to really want it. She told Chocobo that he had a lot of potential and that when he found his next treasure, he'd better be ready to seize it. 
== Personality ==
Irma is a fierce, cunning, hot-headed, proud, courageous, and ambitious woman who never backs down from a challenge or quest, especially when it comes to treasure hunting. Her rivalry with Cid makes her competitive nature even more pronounced. Irma has traces of sarcasm in her, and acknowledges Cid and Chocobo's bravery and ambition. She likely respects them for these traits, but does not worry about them as threats to her ambitions. During her genuine interactions, Irma is impatient and blunt. When she met Volg for the first time, she had no qualms about calling him an "idiot" to his face after he had been struck down by a monster. She yelled at Chocobo and Volg to get out after she realized she was acting against everything she valued as Amouri, despite Chocobo having just done her a favor by recovering her memory. She was irritable with Cid when she gave him Timeless Power, knowing that Cid was surprised she helped them. 
When Irma was temporarily known as Amouri, she became the polar opposite of her original personality: bubbly, air-headed, sweet, and naive. She became interested in pretty dresses, was not too fond of boys, and acted cutesy towards the kids and Chocobo. Amouri detested violence, action, and conflict, complaining about "meanies" and the barbaric commotion outside, staying cooped up inside her house. After Chocobo recovered her memories, Irma reverted to her original personality and was disgusted and embarrassed with how she had acted earlier.
Irma is capable of showing gratitude and has a softer side. She had Jailbird write a letter on her behalf to express her gratitude to Chocobo to avoid telling him directly. After the Destroyer's defeat, as Irma and Volg were ready to leave the town, she said goodbye to Chocobo in a rare moment of sincere kindness. She has a moral compass and is willing to give up her pride and ambitions for the greater good. Knowing that the Destroyer had to be stopped, and influenced by her anger at having been played the fool by the Destroyer, Irma gave up Timeless Power, the very treasure that she stole, so that Cid and Chocobo could use the crystal to defeat the Destroyer. In the end, though she was often at odds with Chocobo and Cid, Irma helped Chocobo restore peace to Lostime and to the world.
== Etymology ==
Irma is a female given name that comes from the Old High German irmin, meaning "world." The anglicized form is Emma.
"Irma" is also a German short form of names beginning with the Old Germanic element ermen, meaning "whole" or "universal".
category:Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
Category:Characters in the Chocobo series