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Name: Nemo!
Journal: nemoded
Contact: AIM: Nemoded
Character Name: Hope Estheim
Series: Final Fantasy XIII
Gender: Male
Age & Canon Point: 14, Post-Orphan Pre-Crystal Stasis
Requested Sponsor: Carbuncle
Entry position (Cadet, SeeD, Instructor, other): Cadet
History: Here!
Abilities & Physical Abnormalities:
Hope is a powerful magic user. His brand granted him the ability to use magic, and while his is far physically inferior to everyone else in the party, he is in fact magically superior in most ways possible. He knows a vast array of spells, including all of the elemental spells to their most powerful incumbent, buffing status effects and the most powerful healing spells (In FFXIII, The Curaga not there because it's Eidolon only.)
Ravager SynergistMedic Fire Protect Cure Fira Shell Cura Firaga Haste Curasa Water Bravery Curaja Watera Faith Raise Waterga Veil Esuna Thunder Bar- Water /Fire /Thunder /Frost Thundara En- Water /Fire /Thunder /Frost Thundaga Bizzard Blizzara Blizaga
His only real physical abnormality other than his old man hair is the large blue brand on his arm.
Personality: Hope starts the game as a typical teenager amidst a world of turmoil as he's sucked into the brutal purge, the governments idea to slaughter those who were in the town where a pulse Fal'Cie was discovered hiding amidst the people. The first we see of Hope is him refusing to aid the resistance by not taking a gun. He mutters “I'm sorry, I can't.” Fiercely under confident in his ability to protect people he watches his mother as she takes the gun to assist Snow. Moments later, his mother Nora uses a rocket launcher to blow up a Sanctum machine advancing upon them. Seconds after that, she dies. Sending Hope into a world of seething hatred for the man he sees responsible for the death of his mother. This hatred of Snow drives him forward, and under the tutelage of Lightning, he focuses on becoming one who can survive the terrible ordeal he's been put through.
Partway through the story Lightning, the woman who became his mentor, has a realisation that she was angry at the world for all the wrong reasons. She was focusing on fighting to not focus on the facts. She announces to Hope that “Operation Nora” (Which is what he named his mission for revenge) was over. And apologises for leading Hope down this path too. For Hope, his entire support system has just shattered. So he stares at the woman who he thought cared, an emotional turmoil rising through him surfacing in anger, feeling betrayed he listens to Lightnings advice but doesn't allow it enter his mind. He decides later to carry on with his revenge plan, showing that the grief is blocking his ability to see reason and that he has trouble hearing what's "right" sometimes. It also shows that when he's angry, sometimes he can't see reason and would rather blot out the
During a confrontation with the Sanctum in his home town of Palumpolum he challenges Snow after being saved from certain death asking Snow about his actions, saying “And what if that gets people around you involved? What happens when your actions end up ruining someone's life? What if someone dies? What then, Snow? How do you pay for what you've done ” He then goes on to attack Snow, but shortly afterwards after speaking with Snow he lets go of his anger and realises that Lightning was right, revenge wouldn't get you anywhere. After speaking to his father, he realises that there are better ways of dealing with grief. This little spat shows that, though he's rash and rather predictable when he's angry he's never truly closed off to reason.
The story continues and Hopes grief lessens. He meets with his father reluctantly and talks through his mothers death with him. He tells his father that he shouldn't worry about him, that he is okay and he can handle himself. His confidence begins to grow and when the group is reunited upon the Sanctum home ship “The Palmecia” Hope and the gang fight the Fal'Cie Barthandelus, who as the party attempt to escape after the skirmish sends them to the Fith Ark (an area in which L'Cie like Hope, are forced to develop their powers to survive). During this event Hope makes a powerful speech about “always moving forward” and promising his father that he'd continue and his father saying that only he would know what to do. He continues to say that he's sick of the lies, and that the world is full of them. He says that from now on, he's going to trust his own mind and that as long as he is the one making the decisions he'll have no regrets even though he knows he won't always make the right ones. This promise he makes to himself, becomes his core belief as he shapes himself into the young man he is by the end of the game It's at this point, that he matures and begins to think more stably and sensibly.
The next we see of Hope, he is picking fruit alone, while his brand pulses. He looses consciousness as the party find him and bring him back to camp. Once awake he tells them to leave him there, that he'd only slow them down and they couldn't afford to wait for him. This moment of insecurity calls forth the mighty Eidolon Alexander. In Final Fantasy XIII-verse an Eidolon is a beast which is summoned from a brand of a L'Cie, to end their suffering or, as the party discovers, to put them on the “right path” to their destiny. With the self doubt banished by realising that he has the power to call forth such a powerful ally, Hope renews his faith in himself and continues on his quest.
The party realises that they can change their destiny, but this shaky belief is tested when the Fal'Cie Barthandelus turns innocent people into Ceith, a horrible monster caused by a L'Cie not completing their assigned Focus. Hope sees through Barthandelus's cruelty, saying that he's doing this to deter them, and stop them from attempting their plan to rid themselves of their brands, and give in and become Ragnarok the beast that will destroy the world of Cocoon. This shows that Hope has gained the ability to think clearly and look beyond the obvious, importantly because pre-game he was a member of the society being force-fed propaganda about another world.
Hopes personality fluctuates throughout the game due to the traumatic events that happen throughout the story's course. Though he maintains an air of seriousness due to the dire nature of their plight, Hope can be quite light hearted and funny. In a cut scene we see Hope and Vanille talking about Gran Pulse, Vanille remarks that “We promised eachother we'd see Gran Pulse together!” To which Hope replies “I don't remember that.” Vanille giggles and replies that he promised “in another life.” To pay her back for her trick Hope smiles and says “You should smile. When you smile, it makes me feel happy.” Vanille, shocked at Hope's admission of his feelings for her replies that she didn't know he felt that way. Hope grins and says “now we're even” before running away laughing. This little snippet shows that Hope still retains some of his playfulness even in the events of the main game.
By end-game, we see that Hope is a confident young man who worries about the welfare of his friends. Saddened by the fact that his two companions Fang and Vanille are still in crystal stasis, he comments that he's okay and that they've changed their destiny before. To that he smiles and joins the others in welcoming back Serah, Lightnings sister, and Dajh, Sazh's son. His personality is mainly friendly and quite open, he has a slight tendancy to be underconfident in his own abilities but will always to his best to not be a burden. Since the events of the game have exposed so much deceit he has become more observant of other possible truths in any given situation.
What are your plans for the character in-game?
Hope will be working hard as a cadet. His “big Sister” Lightning is here, and he'll be working partly because he wants to be part of a solution to the worlds problems, and admittedly he'd want to feel as if he belonged to a group of people after he was outcast.
Anything else?
BEING BRITISH, THE SCHEDULE SYSTEM THREW ME FOR QUITE A LOOP. BUT IT'S OKAY. I GOT OVER IT WITH HELP FROM CERTAIN PEOPLE. ♥♥♥
IC QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you prefer to be known as?
Hope is fine. [He shuffles a little uncomfortably]
How old are you?
Fourteen.
Do you have any history in combat?
Yeah. Uhhhh... Kind of a lot actually.
If so, have you ever killed?
[A brief pause.] Yeah. I mean... Yes.
i) How do you feel when you get involved in some project that calls for immediate and rapid activity?
I'm kind of used to having to think on my feet and make decisions quickly. So, I don't think it'd be something I couldn't do. So uhhh... I'm okay with it.
ii) Do you organize and initiate leisure activities?
I used to. Before... what happened back home. I used to go Swimming with the local highschool team and I used to do athletics in the summer.
iii) What role do you take when working in a group?
I'll be a support. Making sure everyone who is in the group is doing their best and if I can see a flaw that no-one else is mentioning I'll point it out. I also don't mind taking point if I have too.
iv) How talkative are you around other people?
I'm not shy. I'm not overly talkative, but if something needs to be said I won't hesitate to say it. I don't mind talking in front of people either.
v) What three things would you want to have with you on a desert island? State your reasoning.
A Survival knife. You could use it to skin an animal, peel fruit and also to be able to use it to defend yourself if there are any things on the island with you. I'd take a container of water so I could use it to store water for cooking and obviously drinking. And I'd like to take a solar powered communication device. So I could use it to get off of the island if I had too. [He pauses a moment and looks at the interviewer.] Is that okay? I'm not breaking the rules right?
vi) Is it important to be liked by a wide range of people?
… No. Because being liked isn't the same as doing the right thing.
vii) When the odds are against you, is it worth taking a chance?
It depends on the situation. If there is a reasonable chance it will work, yeah. Sometimes it's the only option.
viii) Do you consider yourself to be an impulsive person?
Not... Not really.
ix) Would you agree that planning things ahead takes the fun out of life?
No. It's smart to have a plan. You have to be prepared for it to go wrong though. No plan is ever perfect.
x) Do you like surprises?
Good surprises? I guess. Otherwise I'd prefer to know about it ahead of time... [Stupid military and their popping out machines.]
xi) Do you sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with you?
… [His hand goes over his brand, a subconscious movement.] No.
xii) Do you consider yourself to be smarter than your superiors, and disagree with their decisions?
… I don't consider myself to be smarter. But... sometimes people don't see things from a perspective different then their own. If... If I think the superior is going to do something that's dangerous or not worth the casualties it could result in? I'll put forward my opinion.
xiii) Lastly, how do you feel about cabbages?
… They're... They're great? [ .. Wat. ]
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