we're burning down the highway skyline on the back of a hurricane

roleplay application for stedelweiss

2008-08-11T04:00:45Z

stedelweiss
cloud strife roleplay application

PLAYER
NAME: Fufu ♥
AGE: Umm Tam you already know. @_@
PREFERRED PRONOUN: She.
PERSONAL LJ: techno_beat
TIMEZONE: GMT -3:30
EMAIL: royal.sugarcube@gmail.com
AIM: Dances to Metal
EXPERIENCE RPing: Something like six years.

CHARACTER
NAME: Cloud Strife.
AGE: 16.
GENDER: Male.
ROLE IN CANON: Protagonist, but supporting character in Crisis Core.
FANDOM: Final Fantasy VII.
FANDOM MEDIUM: Game.
EXPERIENCE RPing THIS CHARACTER: Actively in rivelata, not so actively in a few other places oooo.
TIMELINE PERIOD: Near the end of Crisis Core; just after he defeats Sephiroth at the Nibelheim Reactor (so yes, he will be wounded and bleeding to death upon arrival).
ABILITIES: Without materia, he has no magical abilities. So since he is on his own here in St. Edelweiss, he has only his physical strength.

CHARACTER HISTORY:

Cloud was born in a mountainside village called Nibelheim. It was there that he spent his childhood, raised by his widowed mother and surrounded by children he thought he was better than.

But Cloud's real story begins after he leaves the quiet little village and heads for Midgar, a large city run by the Shinra Electric Power Company. It is there that Cloud planned to join Shinra and become a 1st Class SOLDIER just like his idol, the powerful Sephiroth. Cloud said he would return to Nibelheim as a hero.

But, sadly, his dream never actually came true.

He never made it past the rank of a normal Shinra guard, no matter what misleading illusions he would believe later on in his life. The blond was often sent on missions with 1st Class SOLDIER Zack Fair and even though Cloud served under him (considering his lower rank), the two country boys became quick friends. They trusted each other. Eventually, Cloud was sent on a mission with both Zack and the great Sephiroth himself to check out a malfunctioning mako reactor in none other than his hometown Nibelheim.

But Cloud was ashamed to go back there as just a lowly infantryman, so he constantly wore his helmet to hide his face. However, that shame would prove to be the least of his worries.

During their stay, Sephiroth discovered what he truly was by reading all the documents he could find in the basement of the abandoned Shinra mansion. As a result, he lost his mind, drove himself into his own madness... murdered everyone in Nibelheim and burned it to the ground. Cloud's mother was included in Sephiroth's onslaught.

Cloud was devastated, hurt and betrayed. He had trusted Sephiroth. He had admired him. But the old Sephiroth was lost now, and there was nothing left for Cloud but anger and sorrow. And after the insane general had cut down both Zack and Tifa at the reactor, Cloud took up Zack's fallen sword.

In the end, Cloud defeated Sephiroth. But he was heavily wounded, bleeding to death from the sword that stabbed through his middle.

And as he and Zack lay dying on the stairs, Professor Hojo appeared to inspect the damage. The two were then shipped off to the professor's lab where they spent the next four years as his test subjects, soaking in mako for the better half of their stay there. The two escaped -- but while Zack was alright (due to previously being exposed to mako), Cloud (who had never come in contact with mako before) suffered from a severe case of mako poisoning. He could barely move or speak.

It wasn't so easy to get help now, however, for both Cloud and Zack were wanted as escaped test subjects. And so, Zack spent months carrying the intoxicated boy around and fighting to protect both of them.

And when he finally started to emerge from his vegetative state? It was when Zack lay dying, gunned down by the Shinra, just outside Midgar.

So, Cloud arrived to Midgar alone and began work as a mercenary for hire. However, as a result of mako poisoning, the warrior's memories had become muddled and confusing -- and as his childhood friend Tifa noticed, he didn't know things that he should and he remembered things that he shouldn't. Cloud had replaced Zack with himself, and forgot all about his real past with Shinra. Even as he worked with AVALANCHE (an Anti-Shinra group), made new friends and pursued Sephiroth in hopes of defeating him and saving the world from meteor, he continued to believe and tell people the story as he had created it. It wasn't until after Aerith was killed by Sephiroth did his illusionary world begin to collapse. He was lost, and it took a while to repair -- but finally, Cloud was able to remember what had really happened.

With his memories and strength returned, Cloud and his friends joined together for one last battle: the deciding battle to defeat Sephiroth at the center of the Planet. Needless to say, they pulled through and together, defeated Sephiroth once and for all -- and saved the world in the process of doing it.

CHARACTER PERSONALITY:

Cloud is known as being depressed all the time amongst the fandom, but he actually wasn't always that way.

In fact, Cloud Strife is quite capable of laughing and smiling when he feels comfortable enough to do so. At least, he could before his life went all to hell -- and since I've taken him at the very beginning of that long, hard, road of problems he must travel, he will still retain some of his teenager personality. It will probably take a while to ease him out of his withdrawn, personal shell; but with help and gentle pushing in the right direction, Cloud should be able to smile again.

He is naive and easy to hurt, but he is also physically strong. He is very devoted to his friends, so while often doubts himself, he will still try his best to protect them and make them proud of him. That aspect of his personality has always stayed the same, as with his quietness. Cloud likes to keep to himself, but once he begins to trust someone, he'll begin to open up a little as well.

HOW IS THIS CHARACTER APPROPRIATE FOR THIS SETTING:

Even in canon, Cloud is one messed up kid. Everything he loved was viciously taken away from him by his personal idol. As if losing his mother and hometown wasn't enough on its own. And there's also no denying the effects of four years of Hojo's experiments. The severe mako poisoning he received there damaged his mental state, and so he spends over half of FFVII going through a major identity crisis.

The point at which I'm taking him is the beginning of all these problems, so I think he'll fit in nicely at an asylum from here. ♥

WHAT WILL THEIR DIAGNOSIS BE:

Considering the point at which I've taken Cloud, the most likely diagnosis he will be given is post-traumatic stress disorder. He literally just lost everything he loved, and the memories of how it was destroyed is still very fresh in his mind. The doctors will tell him that the trauma triggered psychosis, which immediately explains his canon past as nothing but the creation of a disturbed, broken mind.

Even besides having everything viciously torn away from him, Cloud is a rather weak individual. Mentally, at least. He blames himself for things no one else does and loses faith easily -- and, sad to say, he is actually very breakable.

PREDICTED PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS: Paranoia, amnesia, anxiety, depression, possibly hysteria at some point, insomnia, nightmares.

PREDICTED BEHAVIOR/PLANS:

As I'm taking him shortly after a traumatic event in his life, Cloud is likely going to miss his mother and Zack a lot. In canon, he then becomes Hojo's test subject, so I plan to sort of replace Hojo with St. Edelweiss. Perhaps he'll get those glowing mako eyes from something else here. And even though he defeated Sephiroth, he'll still be angry (and if we get a Sephiroth and the mun lets me, Cloud will probably try to attack him or something).

Other than that, Cloud will probably just be a lonely, confused teenager. Come what may, I suppose.

DANGER LEVEL: One. He's terribly harmless.

SAMPLES
THIRD PERSON:

Cloud was barely conscious.

Voices, faces, movement, they all blurred together. His chest ached with pain but his voice wouldn't scream -- the only noises he was making were low groans and heavy, uneven breathing. He was only vaguely aware of the crimson lifeline spilling from his wounded middle, vaguely aware of the way it made his clothes sticky with its sickly warmth, the way it crept down his arm and dripped from his fingertips as he was carried on a stretcher into a strange building.

"Ungh..." His eyes were half-open, unfocused. "Zack? ...Mom?" The faceless people were ignoring him, concentrated on working their way through the building. Where was he? What was going on?

"Mom..." No, no, no, Cloud, Mom is dead now. Sephiroth took her away without a thought, don't you remember? The blond groaned loudly, trying desperately to shake the thoughts away. Losing his mother, his home, everything... it was all too fresh in his mind. He wanted it to stop.

Finally, he was taken into a room.

Cloud was still making painful noises and murmuring names when he was placed on table. Even with a gaping hole in his chest, the blond still wasn't fond of needles, and he yelped when he felt one sharply pierce his skin.

"Don't worry." Said a voice; the voice that belonged to the doctor who had injected him with something. "We'll make you all better."

But before Cloud could figure out what was being said to him, everything went black.

FIRST PERSON:

Z-Zack? Zack! Where are you? Where am I? This isn't... I don't... I'm still -- ugh!

[sudden yelp of pain as he moves too quickly and irritates his still-healing wound]

I... I'd want to go home but he took it away! Then... am I supposed to stay here?

NOTES: lol setting up yet another cloudmuse in yet another roleplay.

remainingsilver @ 2008-07-09T03:43:00

2008-07-09T06:14:38Z

albergochiaro
cloud strife (alternate universe)

♦ Player Info
Name: Fufu ♥
Age: 17
Journal: techno_beat
AIM: Dances to Metal
Anything else: Uhh... me and teagueful already discussed the childhood friendship deal with Cloud and Zack, so yes.

♦ Character Info
Character Name: Cloud Strife.
Series: Final Fantasy VII.
Gender: Male.
Age: 16.
Canon Background:
Cloud was born in a mountainside village called Nibelheim. It was there that he spent his childhood, raised by his widowed mother and surrounded by children he thought he was better than.

But Cloud's real story begins after he leaves the quiet little village and heads for Midgar, a large city run by the Shinra Electric Power Company. It is in this city that Cloud planned to join Shinra and become a 1st Class SOLDIER like his idol, Sephiroth. He said he would return to Nibelheim as a hero.

But, sadly, his dream never actually came true.

He never made it past the rank of a normal Shinra guard, no matter what misleading illusions he would believe later on in his life. And with this rank, he was often sent on missions with and served under Sephiroth himself, and another 1st Class SOLDIER named Zack Fair. Cloud trusted and admired both men, considering them both to be personal friends -- so when Sephiroth lost his mind in Nibelheim, burned the village and killed everyone in it (including Cloud's mother), on top of being absolutely devastated, he felt utterly betrayed as well.

After Sephiroth cut down both Zack and Tifa at the Nibelheim Reactor, Cloud took up Zack's sword, confronted Sephiroth and, in a remarkable boost of strength, defeated him.

But Cloud was heavily wounded. And as he and Zack lay on the stairs dying, Hojo came along to inspect the damage. The two were shipped off to Hojo's lab where they spent years as his test subjects, literally soaking in mako. Eventually they did escape, but Cloud suffered from intense mako poisoning. He couldn't move or speak, so Zack carried him around for months, just running away from Shinra. And when he finally started to emerge from his vegetative state? It was when Zack lay dying, gunned down by the Shinra, just outside Midgar.

And so, Cloud arrived to Midgar alone, and began work as a mercenary for hire. However, as a result of mako poisoning, the warrior's memories had become muddled and confusing -- and as his childhood friend Tifa noticed, he didn't know things that he should and he remembered things that he shouldn't. Cloud replaced Zack with himself, and forgot all about his real past with Shinra. Even as he worked with AVALANCHE (an Anti-Shinra group), made new friends in his travels and pursued Sephiroth in hopes of defeating him and saving the world from meteor, he continued to believe and tell people the story as he had created it. It wasn't until after Aerith was killed by Sephiroth did his illusionary world begin to collapse. He was lost, and it took a while to repair -- but finally, Cloud was able to remember what had really happened.

With his memories and strength returned, Cloud and his friends joined together for one last battle: the deciding battle to defeat Sephiroth at the center of the Planet. Needless to say, they pulled through and together, defeated Sephiroth once and for all -- and saved the world in the process of doing it.

AU Background:
Although Cloud arrived to Albergo Chiaro from Paris, France, the unique city is actually not his birthplace. Cloud was born in a tiny, quiet little village in the Alps called Nibelheim. This was the place his father was from, and so the boy spent his earliest years in the village surrounded by relatives of his father.

However, their life in Nibelheim didn't last forever -- Cloud's father passed away when the boy was only three years old. Because of this, the memories of his father are vague ones, even though the memories of his mother crying for days are very vivid. The family tried to comfort the two remaining Strifes, but his mother just couldn't handle being surrounded by people who immediately reminded her of her deceased husband. Bags were packed, the house was sold, and within a mere three days, Cloud was moving in to his new home in Paris, France -- the city in which his mother's family resided.

But it was obvious, immediately, that he didn't fit in.

Cloud was a quiet, foreign child who sometimes had trouble with his French, and so the little attention he did receive from his classmates was (more often than not) of the negative variety. However! There was one boy who was nice to him. That boy's name was Zack Fair, and in a short amount of time, the two became inseparable best friends. Zack seemed to be protective of the younger boy, but...

As Cloud got older, he began to get into a lot of fights. When asked why, the little blond would never give a straight answer -- but his mother could tell. Cloud was different from the other children. He truly was more intellectual than the majority of them, but he was also silently arrogant about it. He thought he was better than them; but still he felt the child's need of acceptance.

His mother promptly decided that Cloud needed something else to occupy himself with. She enrolled him in piano lessons when he was about eight -- and he immediately took to it. He might not have been an outright prodigy, but it was clear to see that the boy had an ear for music. A few years later when Zack started guitar, Cloud picked up that as well. When he was about twelve, Cloud was also put into violin lessons. He did much better with violin than guitar, but it still didn't top his skill with a piano. It seemed his first instrument was his strongest.

It was this talent and intellectual mind that led him to be selected to attend Albergo Chiaro. However, unlike most of the other students there, Cloud was actually arriving by his own will (even though he wasn't too thrilled about the trip itself -- Cloud got motion sick rather easily). Zack had left for the place about a week before, and Cloud was very attached to his best friend.

Besides, how could going to such a prestigious school that fit his talents and needs so perfectly be bad?

Country of Origin: Paris, France.
Musical Instrument: I has a piano!!1!etc.

Third-Person (Log) Sample:
While Cloud was usually an adventurous teenager, and enjoyed bumming around the city with his few friends, he got motion sick rather easily. And the journey to Albergo Chiaro? Well, it wasn't an entirely pleasant trip.

Cloud spent the better half of the journey there just trying not to think about his upset stomach and (when it couldn't be ignored) either leaning over the edge of the ship or hiding away in one of the bathrooms.

Either way, Cloud was less than happy.

But finally, oh my god finally, it was over. He had arrived at Albergo Chiaro.

But he hadn't quite restored to normal just yet. His stomach needed time to settle, even though he was very hungry. And oh, what about his plan to find Zack and surprise him? Nothing seemed to have ended up quite the way he had envisioned. But, at least his room was on the first floor. He wouldn't have to fight lingering nausea over five flights of stairs.

Instead, he could just lug his suitcase down the hall, ignore everyone along the way (though that was something he would have done anyway) and promptly collapse onto his bed.

He missed Zack, but he didn't know how to go about finding him -- and to be quite honest, his body was asking for rest right now.

First-Person Sample:
Ugh, I really hate boat rides...

All I can say is, at least it was worth it. I think. Albergo Chiaro is really nice from what I've seen so far and even though it doesn't look like home at all, it's... well, interesting.

I'll have to try the piano later. I'll have to look for Zack later too, I don't, uh, really want to move from this spot right now.

At least I'm not on that boat anymore. Ughh, the rocking...