Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2021 23:15:42 GMT
CLOUD STRIFE
MALE -- 21 -- BISEXUAL -- LOYAL -- ABRASIVE
OVERVIEW
Cloud is a troubled young man with a mysterious past. Hailing from the planet Gaia, Cloud is unaware of the depths of amnesia he suffers from, having created an illusionary life for himself in which he was a member of SOLDIER and the partner of Sephiroth. The truth is that he never made it into SOLDIER and the memories that he thinks are his own are in fact Zack Fair's - the man who he looked up to as a friend and a mentor, who died to save him. Zack passed down to Cloud the Buster Sword and named him as his living legacy, sending Cloud onto the path that fate itself had deemed destined.
Unbeknownst to Cloud, this time he was to defy the history that had been written, even though many of his steps took him along the same battered path. He met AVALANCHE, defied Shinra, encountered a mysterious young woman known as Aerith... he fought against Shinra, lost friends and learned to open up to others a little more. All the while, haunted by hallucinations of Sephiroth who called out to him continuously. It all came to a head after escaping Shinra headquarters after saving Aerith and they discovered that they had the chance to change history. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that Cloud was ripped away from his world...
Although he's made progress in being less abrasive and aloof, Cloud still struggles a lot when it comes to social situation. Thanks to Tifa and Aerith's help (and insistence) he's gotten better about seeking out jobs to make a name for himself as a mercenary but his customer service skills could probably do with a bit of polishing. He's quiet, hard to approach and when pressed, he either becomes stiff or rude. Still, he's very capable when it comes down to it so if you can get past his attitude, you'll find someone who sticks with it until the job is done and dusted. ...Just don't be surprised if property damage winds up occurring.
If you manage to ignore his abrasive personality and poor people skills, Cloud is a surprisingly thoughtful, kind and loyal person, whose desire to become a hero is a large motivation for his actions. Although the call of Reunion and the desire to find out if his friends are okay does take up a large amount of his focus, he's still willing to throw himself into the fray for larger causes when called upon. Juuust expect him to tell you that he's only doing it for the gil and he has no real interest in it outside of that.
Unbeknownst to Cloud, this time he was to defy the history that had been written, even though many of his steps took him along the same battered path. He met AVALANCHE, defied Shinra, encountered a mysterious young woman known as Aerith... he fought against Shinra, lost friends and learned to open up to others a little more. All the while, haunted by hallucinations of Sephiroth who called out to him continuously. It all came to a head after escaping Shinra headquarters after saving Aerith and they discovered that they had the chance to change history. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that Cloud was ripped away from his world...
Although he's made progress in being less abrasive and aloof, Cloud still struggles a lot when it comes to social situation. Thanks to Tifa and Aerith's help (and insistence) he's gotten better about seeking out jobs to make a name for himself as a mercenary but his customer service skills could probably do with a bit of polishing. He's quiet, hard to approach and when pressed, he either becomes stiff or rude. Still, he's very capable when it comes down to it so if you can get past his attitude, you'll find someone who sticks with it until the job is done and dusted. ...Just don't be surprised if property damage winds up occurring.
If you manage to ignore his abrasive personality and poor people skills, Cloud is a surprisingly thoughtful, kind and loyal person, whose desire to become a hero is a large motivation for his actions. Although the call of Reunion and the desire to find out if his friends are okay does take up a large amount of his focus, he's still willing to throw himself into the fray for larger causes when called upon. Juuust expect him to tell you that he's only doing it for the gil and he has no real interest in it outside of that.
FRIENDSHIPS
Back home, Cloud only had a small group of people that he truly considered to be his friends, namely those that he had battled against Shinra with. His childhood friend Tifa, the flowergirl Aerith, AVALANCHE's leader Barret, Wedge, Biggs and Jesse. These were people that he fought alongside and who stuck by him no matter what, earning his trust and loyalty. Although he doesn't always express it, he would do anything for them and would ask for nothing in return. He's greatly worried about what happened to them ever since he was torn away and is searching for any information on their whereabouts.
If you're stubborn enough to decide to befriend Cloud, you've got a fair bit of work ahead of you convincing him to open up. Just like a hedgehog defends itself with its spikes, Cloud protects himself from people by acting aloof, cold and even rude. That's not to say that he's entirely unfriendly, it's just that it can be hard to see the softer side of him when you first meet him. It takes a good bit of time for Cloud to get used to someone's presence and personality and in the time before they officially become friends, he will be increasingly awkward around them.
If you do manage to get through to this stubborn chocobo-head, you'll find a steadfast friend who might not say a lot with words but whose actions speak for everything. He might not be good at showing it all the time but he really is a thoughtful person who cares about the health and safety of his friends. He works best with more extroverted people who are willing to help pull him out of his shell and force him to confront his own awkwardness. Not that he doesn't do well with fellow quiet, introverted people, sometimes it's nice to just have someone who understands that sometimes he just doesn't want to be talkative and social.
If you're stubborn enough to decide to befriend Cloud, you've got a fair bit of work ahead of you convincing him to open up. Just like a hedgehog defends itself with its spikes, Cloud protects himself from people by acting aloof, cold and even rude. That's not to say that he's entirely unfriendly, it's just that it can be hard to see the softer side of him when you first meet him. It takes a good bit of time for Cloud to get used to someone's presence and personality and in the time before they officially become friends, he will be increasingly awkward around them.
If you do manage to get through to this stubborn chocobo-head, you'll find a steadfast friend who might not say a lot with words but whose actions speak for everything. He might not be good at showing it all the time but he really is a thoughtful person who cares about the health and safety of his friends. He works best with more extroverted people who are willing to help pull him out of his shell and force him to confront his own awkwardness. Not that he doesn't do well with fellow quiet, introverted people, sometimes it's nice to just have someone who understands that sometimes he just doesn't want to be talkative and social.
HATESHIPS
Back home, Cloud had no shortage of enemies and people who either didn't like him or just outright wanted him dead. He's well used to making enemies and in some ways, he finds it easier to deal with people who dislike or hate him over people who don't. Although he initially had no real interest in the fate of the Planet, his time with AVALANCHE fighting against Shinra has shown Cloud the depths of corruption of the company. Now his battle against Shinra has become much more personal, especially after the fall of Sector 7's plate and Aerith's kidnapping. Hojo and Rufus in particular have earned his ire.
Let's not even get started on the topic of Sephiroth. Just know that if the topic comes up, he's very likely to immediately hyper-fixate on it. Not entirely his fault since he's still under the effects of Reunion. (For context, the JENOVA cells in his body are still trying to reunite with Sephiroth and thus influence Cloud to seek him out.)
He has issues with authority and if you come at him expecting respect right off the bat, you're going to find yourself sorely mistaken - Cloud only gives his respect to people who have earned it. The more you demand of him, the less he's willing to give and the more likely he is to start a fight. People who don't react well to his abrasive sort of personality are also likely to wind up butting heads with Cloud and he's stubborn enough that he rarely backs down from a fight.
Those who are corrupt, who harm others without cause or who put themselves above others are all people that are likely to earn a grudge from Cloud. He doesn't forget and forgive easily and he has a fast temper that's slow to cool. Although he doesn't go around calling himself a hero, that childhood dream still influences his actions.
Let's not even get started on the topic of Sephiroth. Just know that if the topic comes up, he's very likely to immediately hyper-fixate on it. Not entirely his fault since he's still under the effects of Reunion. (For context, the JENOVA cells in his body are still trying to reunite with Sephiroth and thus influence Cloud to seek him out.)
He has issues with authority and if you come at him expecting respect right off the bat, you're going to find yourself sorely mistaken - Cloud only gives his respect to people who have earned it. The more you demand of him, the less he's willing to give and the more likely he is to start a fight. People who don't react well to his abrasive sort of personality are also likely to wind up butting heads with Cloud and he's stubborn enough that he rarely backs down from a fight.
Those who are corrupt, who harm others without cause or who put themselves above others are all people that are likely to earn a grudge from Cloud. He doesn't forget and forgive easily and he has a fast temper that's slow to cool. Although he doesn't go around calling himself a hero, that childhood dream still influences his actions.
LOVESHIPS
"Not interested." As he is right now, I have a hard time seeing Cloud getting into a relationship with anybody. At best he's demisexual which means it would take a lot of time and chemistry before he decided to date somebody and right now he's really not in the right headspace for a relationship. Any kind of romantic relationship would probably be pretty unhealthy and not recommended. So for right now, romance is off the table for Cloud in terms of shipping.
Both home, Aerith and Tifa were both possible romantic interests (Jesse's thirst nonwithstanding) but Cloud was too busy to put any real time or thought into pursuing anything. That's not to say that he's solely interested in girls - Cloud is bisexual which means he can appreciate men too, not that it comes up very often. Right now however he has no interest in men or women. Any attempt at flirting would probably just lead to a very awkward situation where Cloud either retreats or rejects their advances.
Both home, Aerith and Tifa were both possible romantic interests (Jesse's thirst nonwithstanding) but Cloud was too busy to put any real time or thought into pursuing anything. That's not to say that he's solely interested in girls - Cloud is bisexual which means he can appreciate men too, not that it comes up very often. Right now however he has no interest in men or women. Any attempt at flirting would probably just lead to a very awkward situation where Cloud either retreats or rejects their advances.
PLOT HOOKS
As far as plotting goes, I'm a super friendly person so I'm happy to write with anyone, generally about anything! Cloud is a brand new muse for me so I mainly just want to write in order to explore his headspace and understand him as a muse better. For long term plots, helping Cloud confront his memory loss and rediscover his true past is definitely an ideal I want to work towards. Although obviously the plot of FF7 itself can't be recreated here, I'd love to try to get Cloud into a healthier mind space where he's more established as his own person and mentally well, instead of haunted by his forgotten past. Well, either that or lean into his personal struggles and see where the development leads when he doesn't receive the support he desperately needs.
1.) Mercenary jobs: Well obviously Cloud needs to somewhere to live in Metis and that requires money. Also food and clothing and all those other things are important too. So a thread where somebody is willing to buy Cloud's services would be fun! He can do just about anything, from monster slaying to deliveries and escorts. He's well-versed in combat so he definitely leans towards jobs that'll utilize those skills but he's definitely got experience in more mundane tasks too... whether its delivering things, finding missing pets or even doing things like repairs.
2.) Making friends: Despite the fact he would deny such heartily, Cloud actually does get lonely and wants the companionship of others. It's difficult for him to make friends however so he can wind up in unhealthy spirals where he continuously pushes people away, even when he needs someone to talk to. Finding those who would be willing to earn Cloud's trust and loyalty would be awesome. We could do cute threads where Cloud learns about how to live a more normal life and is awkward in a wide variety of social situations! It'll be fun - for us, not Cloud.
3.) Making enemies: This is most likely something that will occur a lot for Cloud. It doesn't have to all be mortal enemies, deadly serious all the time either. Rivals or just people that he doesn't mesh well with can be fun to write too. Glaring, huffing and making the atmosphere awkward when they're forced into a small space or situation together is a lot of fun. Enemies having to work together is another great trope - they don't like each other but they have to cooperate in order to get something done. Naturally, the title of arch nemesis is already taken for Cloud by Sephiroth but he can definitely hold grudges against other people too and it could be fun to think up plots where they clash.
1.) Mercenary jobs: Well obviously Cloud needs to somewhere to live in Metis and that requires money. Also food and clothing and all those other things are important too. So a thread where somebody is willing to buy Cloud's services would be fun! He can do just about anything, from monster slaying to deliveries and escorts. He's well-versed in combat so he definitely leans towards jobs that'll utilize those skills but he's definitely got experience in more mundane tasks too... whether its delivering things, finding missing pets or even doing things like repairs.
2.) Making friends: Despite the fact he would deny such heartily, Cloud actually does get lonely and wants the companionship of others. It's difficult for him to make friends however so he can wind up in unhealthy spirals where he continuously pushes people away, even when he needs someone to talk to. Finding those who would be willing to earn Cloud's trust and loyalty would be awesome. We could do cute threads where Cloud learns about how to live a more normal life and is awkward in a wide variety of social situations! It'll be fun - for us, not Cloud.
3.) Making enemies: This is most likely something that will occur a lot for Cloud. It doesn't have to all be mortal enemies, deadly serious all the time either. Rivals or just people that he doesn't mesh well with can be fun to write too. Glaring, huffing and making the atmosphere awkward when they're forced into a small space or situation together is a lot of fun. Enemies having to work together is another great trope - they don't like each other but they have to cooperate in order to get something done. Naturally, the title of arch nemesis is already taken for Cloud by Sephiroth but he can definitely hold grudges against other people too and it could be fun to think up plots where they clash.
MADE BY ★MEULK