Mint, often referred to by his nickname Lalamint (or sometimes his full name, Mint "Lalamint" Sphere), is a lalafellin black mage who resides in the realm of Eorzea.

To reduce confusion, he will be referred to as "Lalamint" in any (if not, most) instance(s).

Compared to any other rendition of Mint, he is by far the most unique one. He's far more cheerful and reactive一making jokes, giving advice, tossing playful reponses, and always radiating a friendly aura, even towards the strangest of strangers. As far as his adventures go, he has never been averse to trying something new and dangerous. His time as a black mage has taught him how to innately play with death, and he comes out unscathed and successful... for the most part.

The best way to describe Lalamint is that he has a talent for causing problems on purpose, but also fixing them when he can.

And then probably causing more.

Lalamint's story began in the citystate of Ul'dah, where he was indirectly introduced to the Thaumaturges' Guild and decided to give thaumaturgy a shot. Eventually, once he started getting his head around the magic of destruction, he registered into the Adventurer's Guild and joined a party of three others. Out of those he was paired with, he only recognized one: a friend by the name Beta Wes. However, during their patrols through the caverns of Sastasha, Mint had wandered away from the party, eventually falling downwards deeper into the depths of the caverns. He struggled to find his way out, but after several failed attempts, discovered that he had time to master the ways of thaumaturgy, and eventually black magic as a whole.

This process went on for nearly two hundred and forty days, until a warrior running through the caverns during a daily mission had eventually come across him. Their name was Meabh Edherhaur, and the only reason why they noticed Mint right away was because they (and a handful of others) had spent the last month looking for him. Mint, at this point, had mastered the ways of the black mage, though his attire did not send such a notion. So, in an effort to at the very least restore his standing, Meabh gave him a spare adventuring sweater they had lying around, and escorted them out of the mazes of Sastasha.

Once he had exited the caverns, something within Mint had aetherically shattered. He had basically naturally attuned himself to the ambient aether far in the recesses of Sastasha, and once he stepped away, he was aetherically broken, with all of what he learned forcefully locked within the recesses of his mind. Once he was taken back to a free company house in Ishgard to recover, he was told by a well-known scholar of the existence of an item known as the "Gem of Shatotto," and that it may be his only chance at regaining what he lost. Unfortunately, everyone's base knowledge of it only boiled down to legends, so he was left with only one way to figuring out where it was. Now, his goal would be to finish his trials and tribulations with the Thaumaturges' Guild, and do what no thaumaturge dared do: step further into the black.

Only then could his adventures as one following in the steps of the Warrior of Light begin...

A Cloud's Crusade [ 6.1: Newfound Adventure ]
Arc Playlist • Theme Song: Savior of Souls [ FINAL FANTASY XIII: LIGHTNING RETURNS ]

"Stories tell of a thaumaturge with a legacy lost to the caverns for years... until he was finally rediscovered. Now, he acts as the walking definition of 'chaotic neutral', causing and preventing problems while continuing to defy fate at every turn. The story of a black mage and his crusade across the realm of Eorzea..."

Lalamint's adventure truly begins, making his way through a realm awoken, ending many wars whether they be by heavens' fall or crimson skies, darkening his way home, and lighting the way through it all.
(the 240-day long break from the game ends. all events from ARR to EW happen, including Newfound Adventure. Black Mage is the only class to reach level 90 at this point, but side classes begin to develop)

Weight of the World [ 6.2: Buried Memory ]
Arc Playlist • Theme Song: Songs of Salt and Suffering [ STORMBLOOD: FINAL FANTASY XIV ]

"And yet, when the fate of the world rested on his shoulders, he let not one thing faze him on the path he tread. His past and his future were proof enough. For, no matter what he faced, it would be the terminus he would walk, and the end he would overcome."

Lalamint's adventure continues not only into the forays of Pandæmonium, but also into his lifetime goal of becoming a mentor. However, through it all, he re-learns the stories of all the trials he had overcome... and what final lesson he is to take from all of them.
(extra content. all events from Buried Memory happen. mostly doing/re-doing all raid sets, doing any leftover trial sets, trying out other classes, beast tribes, crafting/gathering, etc. a smaller "story arc" overall)

Dual Fates [ 6.3: Gods Revel, Lands Tremble ]
Arc Playlist • Theme Song: Labyrinthine [ FINAL FANTASY XV ]

"The truth is known to be ever so apparent, yet our fates still elude us. And while his stood to the ways of fire and ice, another stood alongside it. One way or another, the stars themselves would reveal to him more than what he knew. Only then would he truly be in control of both sides of the coin."

Lalamint's mastery of the Soul Crystals finally reaches the point where he can nearly make a copy of himself using the collective aether stored within the crystals. But, with the gates of Abyssos beckoning to him once again, he wonders which side of fate he must rely on.
(all events from Gods Revel, Lands Tremble happen. the second half to the mentor license is obtained. not only this, but the bread gang takes on the abyssos savage tier. also the first time any class has hit the current item level cap: 630. surprise surprise, it was astrologian...)

Sunset Wayward [ 6.4: The Dark Throne ]
Arc Playlist • Theme Song: Linking [ DNF Duel: Who's Next ]

"The threat of what lies in the Dark Throne looms over... but, before you rush out to answer the call to arms, let the sun set on your adventure, this one time. Once you finally cast away all your worries, a new sun shall rise over the wayward horizon. And it will tell its own story."

After the long-awaited clash on the Red Moon, and the extremely unprecedented resolution of the crises at Pandæmonium, Lalamint finally decides to take things slow for a while... but not before he personally gives a send-off to one of his dearest friends.
(all events from The Dark Throne happen from the POV of Mint (including the end of Pandaemonium), while Tero experiences the events of A Realm Reborn and Heavensward. from this point forward, both Mint and Tero go through story. basically the second playthrough)

Final Rush [ 6.5: Growing Light ]
Arc Playlist • Theme Song: Overdosing Heavenly Bliss [ The Legend of Heroes: Sora no Kiseki the 3rd ]

"Savage as the challenges may be, you will never waver. Scattered though your friends may be, you shall never falter. Remain vigilant, you two. Your moment of repose will come soon, for the final rush is within reach. Witness the end. Once again."

With a short-lived reprise, Lalamint must do what it takes to finish the job. Even when the border between worlds becomes threatened, or the very existence of the star become tested once again, it is through love and hope that he continues to fight for his destiny. His future, a light, although just over a year old, that never stopped growing.
(all events from Growing Light happen from the POV of Mint (including the end of Myths of the Realm), while Tero experiences the events of Stormblood and Shadowbringers onward.)

• Lalamint is one of the few OCs with multiple ways of being drawn. There are currently two designs:
  • The "Voidsent" way, resembling other Mints. Always seen with the hat.
  • The "Eorzean" way, resembling his in-game look. The hat is optional.
• Lalamint can mimic nearly any dance.
  • Out of the ones he knows, his favorite dance is the Moogle Dance.
• Lalamint is very proficient at photography.
• Lalamint's composure is different from that of the other Mints. Instead of being cloud-based, he acts similarly to that of jello mochi. This is best demonstrated when he's shaken around, performing what one would call an "obble" motion.
• Lalamint does recall being present before and when Dalamud fell, though he has a lot of trouble trying to correctly recall it.
• Lalamint is an Archon, though he does not recall receiving the mark, nor his choice of profession or field of study.
• Despite being uncertified for a long time, Lalamint is officially considered a mentor by the Adventurers' Guild.
• All of Lalamint's other soul crystals can take on separate physical forms. Since he always uses the Soul of the Black Mage, these copies are weaker due to their ethereal nature.
  • The strongest one is, of course, the Soul of the Astrologian.
• Lalamint's favorite drink is hot chocolate. Though he first had it in Gridania, he was not a total fan of it until he tried it more during his time in Ishgard.
• Lalamint's favorite flower is a cosmos, influenced mainly by his time being an astrologian.
• Lalamint enjoys rainy weather.
• By technicality, his "full name" does follow lalafell naming conventions... sort of? (Mint "Lala / Mint" Sphere)
• Lalamint has published a total of one book, titled: "So. You Want To Play Black Mage."
  • ...solely because his name is on it. For the sake of me not trying to figure out how to fit it into canon.
• Out of all the Mints, Lalamint holds the title for having the most character development given to a self-insert. I'm going to be completely honest with you一I did not expect him to get this far.
  • He's also the first Mint to actually worn a dress, if that counts for... anything.
• Sometimes, to avoid unwarranted attention, Lalamint sometimes hides his status as an adventurer by calling himself a Sharlayan artisan, versed in photography.
  • This originally began from a temporary retirement.
  • He intentionally rewords his story about being lost in Sastasha by saying it was due to an ambitious photo shot with more risk than he had realized. This, in turn, taught him to appreciate the smaller things in life (which may as well be true regardless).
  • Other than photography, he is well experienced with the craft of weaving.
• Ever since this fact was written (March 31st, 2023), Lalamint has held the title of "Longest toyhou.se Page" on this account, as well as the title of "Most Fun Facts". Those aren't actual awards I keep track of, but... Oops!