Post by Cloud Strife on Aug 13, 2010 18:16:05 GMT -5
”Let's mosey.”
BASICS
[/font][/center]NAME[/font]
Cloud Strife
RACE
Mako Enhanced Human
TITLE[/font]
Broken Puppet
AGE[/font]
23[/blockquote]
PERSONAL
[/font][/center]PERSONAL APPEARANCE[/font]
Cloud is by no means a big guy -- at just standing at a height of 5’7’’, most other male characters tower over him -- but he's a strong guy. He's small, but he's lean. His hair is a blonde color that spike in every single direction, defying gravity. His face is rather androgynous and with the right clothing, and hair, can be mistaken as a very pretty woman. One of Cloud’s more defining features would be his eyes. They are a defining sapphire blue that seems to have a eerie glow to them, when he gets more emotionally distraught, a sickly green with leak into his eyes that continues to grow the more unstable he becomes.
His clothing are black in color mostly with a small amount of silver as well. A black zipper, sleeveless turtle neck with a wrap around his left shoulder and a metal carving of a wolf's head holding a ring in its mouth, he has another similar piece in his left ear lobe. A sleeve covers his left are, and on both hands he has black leather gloves covering them, he has a belt around his waist which is actually his sheath for his sword. His pants are, not surprisingly black in color, completing this look is black combat boots.
PERSONALITY[/font]
In the beginning, Cloud came off as someone, cool, confident, and cocky. He didn’t care anything for the world around him as long as he got a job to do and proceeded to run through with it, but this Cloud was not the true Cloud. This first persona was eventually shattered away as the course of his adventure moved forth.
A big part of Cloud's character -- one that is often overlooked even by Cloud himself -- is just how genuinely nice he is. For all his craziness and attempts to feign indifference, Cloud really is a sweetheart, and the fact that he feels pressured to hide it is unfortunate. Even if he doesn't know how to express his affections, he constantly -- almost unconsciously -- puts the people around him before himself. He is willing to subject himself to total humiliation to make sure his friends are alright. He sacrifices AVALANCHE's advantage to protect Barret's young daughter, and eventually steps in as a -- admittedly clumsy -- substitute father figure when Barret is unable to stay with her. Although his logic is not particularly sound, protecting the people he loves is the first thing on his mind--even as he dies.
Cloud's need to be the protector is nothing short of a complex stemmed from years of abuse in his adolescence. Such harsh origins might make his intentions appear to be warped at first. The fact that this desire consumes him so much that he feels completely useless if he isn't protecting something is not healthy, but it doesn't change the fact that such a desire drives him. Protecting someone makes him feel needed, like he's doing something to justify his existence, and -- occasional doubts aside -- it's something he does very well. With his training in battle and sincere love for those around him, such a role is certainly fitting.
However because of his past, Cloud has a tough time interacting with others, he bursts out with awkward and just downright ill-timed statements ("Let's mosey!") because he doesn't know how to act. Even if he trusts his companions with his life, he's uncomfortable -- especially with his leadership position -- so he says the first thing that comes to mind, whether it makes sense or not. Above anything else Cloud fears becoming a failure. He has been branded one all too often; the people of his town knew he would go nowhere, and not even Hojo considered his endurance to be a success. It's not long before he believes it himself. Cloud more often than not, believes himself to be a failure like all others that believed him to be, because of this, no matter the achievement he will always brush it aside as something someone else could’ve done just as easily as himself.
Cloud is a caring, strong individual that wants to protect those that he cares about most but he also subconsciously pushes others away, for in his eyes for their own protection. He knows that he’s not the most stable individual, but his need to protect them, is what usually draws people to him.
Cloud's smile is rare enough that it's considered something really special; it's a completely unguarded and true expression of his emotions. Cloud is a compassionate individual, only he doesn't really know how to communicate it. His smile, however, does all the talking for him; for that reason, it looks completely natural on his face despite being so rare. Cloud has one of the best smiles; it lights up his entire face, and it's more than a little contagious.
ITEMS[/font]
Special: Cloud has a small normal colored chocobo chick that follows after him that seems more then content on following him on foot or resting on his shoulder when its tired. Cloud doesn't push it away, but nor does he encourage it. This little chick just seems content on following after him.
HISTORY[/font]
Cloud was born in a small village called Nibelhiem on Gaia. Cloud only had his mother with him growing up, there was no father figure in his life, and in such a small town as such, with a single mother raising a child, it was greatly frowned upon. As a result Cloud became more or less a scapegoat for the town. All fond memories that he has of this town are usually of his mother, her gentle hands stroking his hair, placing on a salve for all the injuries he got. Parents did not approve of his mother being alone, this passed down to their own children, who in turn picked on Cloud.
He always would come home with some kind of injury and yet he did not fight back mostly because of his mother's sad eyes when he spoke of wanting to defend himself. She did not want him to solve violence with violence. Because of this, Cloud was very much stunted from human interaction, but that didn't stop him from trying to be nice, but he was massively shy as a result thinking that most interaction with another person, will result in him getting hurt as a result.
Growing up though there was somethings that he couldn't help, and getting a crush was one of them. He developed a crush on the Mayor's daughter, Tifa Lockheart, and it was understandable that he would like her, she was one of the few that did not pick on him, that actually spoke to him with words that were not coated in hate or sarcasm. As a result, he wanted to be close to Tifa, but with the friends she hung around, his usual bullies, never allowed him anywhere close to the girl.
That changed when one day Tifa decided to go up to the mako reactor in the Nibel mountains, her friends tried to convince her otherwise, before flat out abandoning her as she stubbornly continued on her way up the path. Worried, Cloud followed after her, but when both of then went on the bridge, the old ropes snapped, causing both of them to tumble down. When he came too, every part of his body seemed to ache and Tifa laid not too far away from him, looking very much like a doll someone had tossed away. Hurrying over to her, he tried to stop the blood flow from her head with his shirt. And that's how her father found them. Instead of being grateful, he full out blamed Cloud for the condition that Tifa was in, claiming that if he was trying to be friends with his daughter, he would've never brought her to her condition. Cloud that day was hit from an adult, and it was the scariest thing of his life.
Tifa remained in a coma for about a week, everyone seemingly eager to blame Cloud just as easily as their mayor had, the bullying had gotten so bad, Cloud refused to leave the house, and when he did, refused to leave his mother's side. He began reading more and more 'ShinRa' books and idolized Sephiroth, he was the man that Cloud wished he could become. He made up his mind that he was going to go to Midgar someday and join SOLDIER, that way no one would pick on his ever again.
When he turned 14 he decided to make that a reality, despite him mother's pleading he packed up his things to go to Midgar, but not before requesting to see Tifa at the water tower, there he told her of his dream, and was surprised with her request that if she would to ever be in trouble, he would come and save her, when he became a SOLDIER. Cloud promised her that he would.
Training in Midgar was tough, he seemed to make more mistakes than anything else, and as such remand a grunt mostly. Bullying here didn't seem to change as it was in Nibelhiem, only this time the adults made no effort to hide there dislike from him. But it was here, that he met him. Zack Fair, aka, The Puppy. The man was easily excitable and very friendly, Cloud was more then surprised when the both of them hit it off so well, and when the older black haired male actually...was the first friend Cloud had ever experienced.
When the SOLDIER testing came around, Cloud was heartbroken that he had failed. His body was much too sensitive for Mako, and as such could never be in SOLDIER. But Zack, Zack refused to let that fact stop Cloud from being a hero. During his few years in ShinRa, it was alright with Cloud, he could handle the bullying, the training, as long as he had Zack grinning at him by the end of the day.
However, this all changed when Zack brought him on a mission to Nibelhiem, his home. His world shattered apart on this mission. So many things happened, Nibelhiem was burnt down by the man he idolized, his mother was personally killed by him, Sephiroth was now insane and had hurt Tifa and Zack. His muscles were straining as he hefted up the large Buster Sword and ran the bastard through, only to have that returned to him over the pit of Mako.
However Cloud was victorious as he used his head. While in training his physical abilities where lower then normal, his mental abilities where something that he was good at. So in this situation, being raised above the ground on Sephiroth's Masamune, he used gravity to his advantage as he switched the positions they were in, and tossed Sephiroth over the bridge. From there Everything hazed as he fell unconscious.
They were later found by Hojo, who had taken Cloud and Zack as Specimens to create a new Sephiroth. Cloud was submitted to torture, abuse, experiments, for 5 long grueling years, being introduced to Mako, and Jenova cells over and over again, his memories, slowly corroding over, until Cloud had no idea who he was. Freedom was something that he was able to taste, but at the cost of Zack's life. Kneeling beside his only friend, he couldn't help but blink in so much confusion at the older males words until he watched the life bleed out of him. The pain was so great that he just...wanted to forget.
Be careful for what you wish for.
Dragging the Buster Sword behind him, he made his way to Midgar, making his way through the slums, memories that were his and not merging and mixing together creating a personality that is a combination of cold aloof from war hero's and Zack. It was here in his slump that Tifa found him and brought him back to her bar. 7th Heaven. It was there that Cloud was hired for a terriost activity but not before some major convincing from Tifa to Barret that he was a good man and would be a lot of help because of his SOLDIER training.
After blowing up the reactor, he was seperated from everyone else, but met a girl in pink that was selling flowers. Something that was rare in Midgar with its polluted skies, he bought some for her before heading back to 7th heaven, and giving on flower to Marlene, Barret's child and Tifa. Here he was hired onto for another reactor mission, that not without some haggling accepted.
However this one did not run as smoothly as the others, after an explosion, Cloud was hanging onto the metal catwalk with who knows lay below him, but he knew that he had to let go, unless he wanted to drag Tifa down with him. Cloud did not die, but rather crashed through the roof of a church and landing in a bed of flowers, ultimately saving his life. It was here that he met the flower girl once more, her name was Aerith and after a discussion, hired him as her body guard to escort her home. Her mother was less then pleased to have a former SOLDIER in her house, but allowed him to stay the night anyway.
Cloud tried to sneak away in the morning so not to drag her along with him, but Aerith was persistent and even snuck out early to get a head start on him. Unable to abandon her, they walked, fought and talked together, he eventually learned of her boyfriend that was a 1st Class SOLDIER and asked if he knew him, which Cloud replied he had no idea. It was then that he saw the doors to the Sector open and a carriage stroll out...With Tifa on board! Quickly Cloud and Aerith followed after it to the Wall market, and learned that Tifa was going to see Don Cornelio, but the only way to get into his mansion, one had to be female and Cloud was not going to have Aerith enter that mansion alone so the pink dress woman suggested the first thing on her mind.
That Cloud pose as a girl as well.
At first Cloud absolutely refused but gave in as a result of wanting to help Tifa. This was one of most embarrassing things Cloud has ever done in his life, it did not help matters that when he was done, men stared at him with actual LUST in there eyes. Getting in the mansion was easy now, finding Tifa though was another matter entirely. Don Cornelio had information that she needed, so the three of them were...'inspected' by him and much to Cloud's...horror, he was chosen to grace the Don's bed.
Luckily Aerith and Tifa busted into the room, and Cloud could finally take off the humiliating clothing and begin to grill the fat bastard for information while threating a certain part of his anatomy. However just as they thought they were in the clear, the Don pushed a hidden button and they fell into the sewer below. There they fought a monster down there then proceeded to escape and head back to 7th Heaven, however on there way back they learned that ShinRa was planning on destroying a plate, in hopes to kill Avalanche, the terriost group. Aerith went on to the bar as Cloud, Tifa and Barret headed up to the securing of the plate to stop them from dropping it.
However that was a trap. A special group of ShinRa called Turks were waiting for them at the top. When they tried to disable the bomb it was a time one, so Cloud could not stop it, and to make matters worse, they had captured Aerith. They failed to stop them from blowing up the plate as they escaped, but they knew there destination. The ShinRa building, to rescue Aerith. The snuck in through the side, climbing the stairs, Cloud wasn't easily out of breath because of his mako enhanced body, but Tifa and Barret did not have those same blessing as he did.
Once they reached the highest floor they could they make way across the floor, listening in for any clues on Aerith until finally, they got to the labs. So many things happened, peering into a pod, Cloud looked at the headless being inside of it, his cells singing as they recognized the creature within. Jenova. They found Aerith, but she was lowered into the lower level so they gave chase, only to find Hojo and another experiment, one called Red XIII, a large creature of unknown species that could talk. It turned against Hojo easily, but as they tried to escape with Aerith and there new companion, they were captured and thrown into holding cells.
When Cloud woke up next, the doors were open, and there was a trail of blood smeared across the ground, following it, lead them to the President, who was pierced with the Masamune, Sephiroth's Sword, which lead to only one conclusion...Sephiroth...was alive. Encountering Rufus, the Presidents son, he sent the others away for that they could escape as he fought the other blond, before he escaped, wasting no time he followed after them, stealing a Shinra class motorcycle, while Tifa stole a truck for everyone to pile onto. There they broke out onto the highway and followed it as far as it would allow, fending off ShinRa goons in the process.
After fighting and defeating the large robot that was after them, they left Midgar to head for a near by town, Kalm, splitting up into two groups and regroup there. Cloud told them what he remembered, of the day that Sephiroth lost his sanity, but most of that was not through his own eyes. Tifa knew this as well, but did not voice against it.
Perhaps it was that action that sealed Cloud's fate later.
Cloud decided to follow after Sephiroth and stop him, and the other decided to follow him to. As his quest to stop Sephiroth continued they encountered many things, that left Cloud questioning who he was, met new companions that would join them on their journey. Saw the horror of ShinRa as them made a town that was burnt to the ground, rise up from its ashes as a perfect replica, much to Tifa and Cloud's horror.
However, nothing shattered him more then when they got to the temple of Black Materia and Cloud had willingly handed over the Materia to Sephiroth when he appeared. After that, the tradgedy seemed to continue, Aerith went missing, so they traveled to the Forbidden City, where Cloud like a puppet on strings, drew his weapon and almost struck down Aerith himself, however Sephiroth was the one to place the killing blow, much to Cloud horror.
“Because Cloud...you are...Just a Puppet.”
This confusion for who he really was continued to struggle forth and reached its peak of conflict at the reunion. Here Cloud was positive that he was just a clone, a failed clone at that, not Cloud Strife from Nibelhiem as all his memories that he was so sure was his own were shattered beneath him. When they met up with Shinra in the crater, he begged Hojo for a number as he was a clone, but the man refused saying that Cloud was just a failure.
Again, Cloud handed over the Black Materia that they had gotten back, straight to Sephiroth in a cocoon on Mako. Cloud fell into the Lifestream as the planet's WEAPONS awoke from there slumber. Cloud washed ashore a small town called Mideel a week later with severe Mako poisoning. The group finds him and Tifa stays behind with him to take care of Cloud as the other go to fight ShinRa who were planning something with the approach of Meteor to the planet.
However the Ultima Weapon attacks Mideel and as Tifa is trying to escape with Cloud, fall into the Lifestream and somehow, Tifa lands in Cloud's subconscious. Here she helps Cloud regain his memories, helping him realize that he is not just a clone. Emerging from the Lifestream Cloud still had many holes in his memory, however he decided to move from that, as the approaching threat to the planet was more important that his memories right now. With Bugenhagen's guidance, they learn that Aerith had managed to summon Holy just before Sephiroth killed her. The spell was strong enough to stop Meteor, but Sephiroth was holding it back.
After they battled with ShinRa one final time they head to the Northern Crater and descend into its depths to find Sephiroth. They fight was long and grueling, always watching each other's back as they fought the monster. Defeating him, the place began to fall apart, however Sephiroth was not yet dead, and one last duel was in order between the two of them. With Cloud coming out as the winner. Leaving the crater they could only watch as Holy and Meteor collide, the latter winning, until the lifestream seeped up and helped pushed it back. Saving the planet.
Two years after the fight with Sephiroth a new threat emerges. During this time Cloud had started a delivery service, while Tifa reopened her bar, both of them adopted an orphan, named Denzel that, like many others were infected with Geostigma, a condition that ate away at the host's body, causing thick black sludge to he rejected from it. He learns of three clones, Loz, Yazoo and Kadaj looking for Jenova, or her head at least. Kidnapping children that were infected, as Geostigma was caused by Jenova herself. During this Cloud had contracted Geostigma as well and was dying, he saw it fit to distance himself from his friends, so that when he finally died, they would not feel pity, nor would they have to see him waste away because of the disease.
In his mind, Cloud was doing the right thing.
But thanks to a little kick from a little girl, Cloud overcame his depression and took her home where he would confront Kadaj and the other for a third time. Fighting Kadaj's summon Bahamut SIN and with the help of the other with him, defeats it. Chasing after Kadaj as it leads them back to Aerith Church, the water there, cures him of his Geostigma. As he continues to battle Kadaj, he cannot stop the small clone from fusing Jenova's remains with him, and thus bringing back Sephiroth. They fight was hard, resulting in much blood being spilt but he manages to defeat Sephiroth once more and cradle the form of Kadaj in his arms.
”I...Will never be...just a memory.”
Watching as Kadaj disappears, thinking that he can be at peace is interrupted as he is shot from behind by Yazoo, both him and Loz setting of an explosion to kill all three of them. However Aerith intervened and healed Cloud, and he awoke, floating on the water in the church. Helping Denzel into the water to cure his Geostigma, he watched as the children rushed into the water with eagerness.
During this, he looks up just to see Aerith and Zack in the doorway, her green eyes alight with happiness, while Zack's were with pride, striking his heart deeply.
”You see? Everything....turned out ok...”
“That's right...because I'm not alone anymore.”
He watched them fade from view, knowing he would never see them again.
However fate was a fickle whore.
As Calamity happened, panic was everywhere as Cloud tried to get Tifa and the kids to safety. He failed as he woke upon a desolate wildness filled dangerous monsters that Cloud has never seen before...And his memories filled with so many more holes now then ever before. He does not remember Denzel, nor living with Tifa or numerous of things, most people now in his memory are silhouette’s against the back ground.
[/blockquote]
ARBITERS
[/font][/center]ARBITER[/font]
Only achieved once a character meets the requirements and the staff is notified. Who is your character's Arbiter once they've been chosen? [Here place the actual name of the Arbiter/Aeon/Summon etc.]
FOCUS[/font]
Only achieved once a character meets the requirements. Every focus is different and will be based off each character.
MARK[/font]
Arbiters mark their chosen ones with their symbol to signify loyalty. Only received when a character has been chosen by an Arbiter.[/blockquote]
BATTLE
[/font][/center]WEAPONRY[/font]
First Tsurugi: A large weapon that is composed of six other swords that can interlock together. The main blade of the sword is one that Cloud usually has out by itself and gradually adds the other's to make the sword its massive length, rivaling the Buster Sword not only in that but weight as well.
STOCKED ABILITIES[/font]
Launch:
Launches the foe into the air and follows up with an attack that does normal damage to an opponent. - 1 post cooldown - 10 LP
Blitz:
An attack that does moderate damage to all enemies within five feet of the attacker. - 2 post cooldown - 10 LP
Darkness:
Sacrificing a 10% of their max HP, the user will inflict Significant damage to all enemies within a forty-foot radius. - 2 post cooldown || Cost: 35 LP
BREAKING LIMIT[/font]
When he activates his Breaking limit, his swords will glow and shoot out, forming a circle around the two opponents, that's about 6 feet wide, leaving Cloud with the main sword in his hand. When fighting the opponent if he wants to add another sword into the fight, or is even disarmed after about 4 posts of this, the sword will glow once more before raising out of the ground and aiming for the opponent, it will not pierce their skin but rather trap them and press close to their body. Cloud then runs towards them for the final blow, he can either aim for skin or a blade, as the result of connecting with his sword causing a deep and powerful vibration that can crack bones as a result. 5 post cooldown. [/blockquote]
FACE CLAIM
[/font][/center]FINAL FANTASY VII --Cloud Strife
