Character meme / Brief fanon coverage
Taken from gardenerofgaia which proves he's a creepy stalker both in and out of character orz.
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Japan would like to try and tell you he's somehow this giant towering beast of a man, at least a head taller than everyone else, but then they also go and list his height as 6'0". Draw what conclusions you like of that. (As of the 10th Anniversary Ultimania however, his height is now listed "Unknown". Go figure.) As for build, he's muscled; thickened wrists of a swordsman, powerful arms, washboard abs, a rider's legs. All in all, the body of a man who comes by it through his profession, rather than that of an athlete or professional weight-lifter.
2. How old is he?
Unknown, really. A bunch of different sites peg his age between 25 to 39. Some wikis give me conflicting information like this one which states his age as 25 during CC, 30 in FFVII which... you know, begs the question of how you can age when you're dead and locked in stasis in a lump of crystallized Lifestream. Furthermore, it lists his birth year as 1977, while the timeline it links to states it as 1970.
Of all these choices, I decided on 27 being a good medium as the age he was at time of (his first) death, and then stopped the counting there.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Left to his own devices, he runs the gamut between ramrod straight (it's all that military training, you see) to... not necessarily slouching, as it is leaning against anything conveniently there.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Healthy. Or as well as you can be when you're locked in time, in a state somewhere between true death and real life.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
It depends greatly on his mood and what he happens to be doing. Canonically, he is seen stalking around a lot, with what I suspect are pretty tense shoulders. But when he's fighting, grace and fluidity really reach a state of the gravity-defying.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
I say "very," but this may well be the bias of a decade-long game-crush on the man. In any case, he's aware of his looks in the same way abstract way that he's aware he doesn't really need to breathe--that is, it's not something he thinks about. It was Shinra and Shinra's perennial love of good publicity that made much of his looks, not himself.
Really, the thing that probably strikes him the most when he looks in the mirror is probably godsall, he has to go and brush out his hair again.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Light, he won't ever be anything but pale. His face his clear, but he has his fair share of scars running along his body. Death and rebirth change some things, but not much when it comes to this man.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
It's silver, it's soft and heavy, like weighted strands of silk, and he leaves it loose unless it really is that hot or Ana's bullied him into building her another stable, idk.
9. What color are his eyes?
Green.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
His pupils are more akin to snakes and cats than anything human. Not to mention the fact that they glow, particularly brightly when casting.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
...Um. The base of his neck? Shoulders?
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
For the most part, he goes about in Luceti and out of it in his uniform. After his death, the clothes and the Masamune are now as much a part of him as his hair or his hands. Occasionally, he may choose to change out of them, but the thought just doesn't occur to him often, unless he happens to be out of his mind or somesuch.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes. They're made for him after all, and Shinra just doesn't spare much expense when it comes to dressing up their property to look pretty. And now... now, well, he's as comfortable in it, in all of it, as he is in his own skin.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
The same. He might leave off the pauldrons, the sword... on a good day he might even leave aside the coat and gloves and cover those abs with a shirt instead.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxer briefs. He jumps around too often, and leather pants can get just too uncomfortable if you're freeballing.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Deep. I've always imagined it as silk over velvet. Smooth speech, darker promises, that sort of thing. You could also say "creepy," he has that effect too.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He speaks quietly, evenly, every word chosen carefully. Whether he talks easily or hesitates depends largely on subject matter, and his familiarity with it.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
He has a tendency towards the old-fashioned, sometimes.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
He speaks common, and, if his occasional eloquence has anything to say, fluently. He's also picked up the knowledge of old languages, most of them dead, from Jenova (as in the case of the Ancient hieroglyphs).
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Not really. Everything's up in the air if he happens to be way off his rocker of course, but even then it's unlikely.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He's careful with his words, and does have to think on them, but if it's a speech you want, he can deliver one with little difficulty. He wasn't made General entirely because of family connections, you know.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
For the most part, eloquent. He really only reaches that stage of inarticulate rage when he's really, really angry.
...Or you've gone and dumbfounded him/confessed your undying love. That'll get you flabbergasted!Sephiroth pretty quickly, because really, there is no established protocol for that sort of thing.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Book-smart definitely, and street-smart only to a degree. Street-smart also implies a working knowledge of how to deal with people, not just how to camp out in jungle for years on end, which he doesn't really have. A snowball fight? Way over his head, man.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
It depends on the situation, doesn't it? In battle, intuition stands him in good stead (most of the time... godsall, Cloud has a way of weaseling around that all the time) without the need to stop and deliberate. But in regular conversation? Sure, he'll think before he speaks.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
He leans more towards the logical side than the intuitive, although he has plenty of that too--how else can he know how to get under everyone's skin so well? He is practical, even when it comes to his idealism, as he'll amply explain to you if asked in-depth as to his reasons for wanting to be as a god.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
General schooling, military training, the works. Most of the 'fluffier' knowledge, that is, myths and legends and the sort, he filled in for himself later on in life. Libraries are his friend, few and far though they may be between missions.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Warfare. Materia use. Hunter/survival. And he's interested in learning more about everything else. Really. There's a lot he doesn't know, but all knowledge is worth the knowing.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Mostly an introvert. He can make his grand speeches, but for the most part, it's all about what goes unsaid. Show, don't tell, right?
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
He leans closer to mood-swings, mostly because he can be easily angered if the right buttons are pressed. What existence he lives now is a near-constant constant state of ennui and solitude, but that doesn't make him melancholy, most of the time, just more and more ambivalent.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
It depends on the situation. For the most part, he does not make the first move, not unless something really catches his attention enough to make comment. A lot of time, this culminates in some confusion because all you crazy people, he just doesn't get you sometimes.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
He is a man of action, but not necessarily one of impulse... most of the time. When he does a thing, there are reasons behind why he does them, even if they aren't apparent from the first. Not a lot of what he does is truly random.
In Luceti though, a great deal of what he has to go through is in reaction to what the Malnosso do to him. Not entirely a pleasant experience.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fight. Definitely fight. He's a cocky sunuvabitch, and if it comes to it, you'll find your head cut off and/or mounted on a pike like the motherfucking snake on the motherfucking plane. What old joke is old?
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
He has an... odd sense of humor. A great deal of things amuse him, although getting to a state and comfort level where you can actually banter with him takes some time and effort.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
What, you mean besides going batshit? Um, sure, the usual: sociopath, delusions of grandeur, etc. Although for that last, really, can they be counted as delusions if they may well prove true? He asks you.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Er... let's see. Moments, huh? The injection of Jenova cells directly into his fetal self would probably be a big one. There's the Wutai War that probably indelibly left its marks on a young 1st Class, fresh from the labs. Meeting/knowing the people he would thence-on count amongst his friends. Zack's seemingly innocuous comment in the Nibelheim reactor that sent him on a spiraling quest for the truth. Jenova's waking. His death. Killing Aerith. Calling down Meteor. Tasting what it is like to have all seven wings at last. Losing himself in the Lifestream, piece by piece. Coming back, in Luceti, whole.
14. What does he fear?
Being forgotten. Why do you think he keeps coming back?
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He wants to be as a god. As a god, because he only wants the power, the title is useless to him. And he wants the Planet for his own, not Jenova's. In his own way, he cares about it too. This line of thinking blurs a little by the time of Advent Children (On the Way to a smile: Case of the Lifestream Black chapter.)
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
Headcanon detected, proceed with caution.
Even now he's a little conflicted. From the beginning there was always a small part of him, perhaps the most human part, that knew what he was doing and what it would all mean. If it all went wrong, there had to be some way to stop it... him. They had to be strong enough. They had to hate him enough.
In the beginning, he thought that person would be Zack. And... he almost succeeded. Certainly, Zack fought him at the reactor. But it wasn't quite enough to make Zack hate him forever and forever, like he thought it would. Then Cloud proved himself once... and has been doing the same ever since. Zing! new target. (Of course there's pride mixed up in their too... if he's a worthy enemy, it will make the sting of being defeated by the 'rookie soldier' that much less.)
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
HAHAHAHA. What parents? Seriously, he likes to think his father never exists, and has ever been slightly disappointed he didn't get around to killing him himself before Cloud & co. He doesn't know the first thing about Lucrecia, and certainly doesn't know that she's his biological mother. As for Jenova... well, that relationship is a complicated can or worms complete with power struggles, mental terrorism and mindfuckery, partial mindmeld, and just a smidgen of a Jocasta Complex. Go figure.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
We'll stick with the simplest answer for this one: biologically, no.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Hahaha, well relationships with his Remnants have to go somewhere. And with them he's both close... and not at all. Really, he can't help the former... they are still a part of his self, after all, and there's no helping it the links, especially the mental ones, that they share. From the first, he looked on them like he did his clones... tools, and, when they failed, useless ones. He's learned since then that they are more than that, but it still doesn't stave off disappointment completely. Kadaj bears the brunt of that, especially.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Um. Not really. He has very straight-forward textbook ideas about family, and what they are do not include friends.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Angeal and Genesis. Perhaps to some extent, Zack, since, well, he's the only one that's ever really lasted. And they all met because of Shinra, and its love of making new toys.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Not really.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Neither, actually. He doesn't make friends, that implies letting them in that far. But he can get along fine with people... at least to a certain polite extent.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Both. He has few enough of them as is, he's not particularly willing to lose any more of them, no matter how strained the relationship.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single. Definitely single.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Uh... Scarlet. I don't know... Zack, maybe?
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Qualities he admires. Just having good looks just never cut it, even back then.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
No, no, and no. He's had enough pleasant experiences growing up as a lab rat, he's not keen on sharing the experience with blood.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Certainly. Have you seen the size of Cloud's (extended) crew?
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Talking strictly canonically, I'd probably slap him with an X and be done with it. As is, probably a 3. Gender, really, doesn't matter, especially when you've had you moments being neither.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
It's pleasurable but not necessary. Certainly something he can live without. Some more of that asexual rearing its head, I guess.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
...I'll think on those later. Eesh, after writing all that porn, I still got nothing. But one not-so-weird habit is never to fall asleep while the other person's still around. It made sense. They've always been strangers, for the most part, and he just doesn't trust anybody.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Nope. Too many unknowns.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
A little bit of both. I mean, their gods are right there--memories locked in crystal, and unleash loads of whoop-ass on anything and all they happen to be fighting. And the Lifestream... well, there's no arguing that, is there?
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Sure. And... I like to think as a child. Personal integrity--don't tell lies. And Mother, for all her faults, Mother believed the same. There's more, but a lot of that gets all twisted and complicated. But nothing compromises telling the truth, though half-truths and verbal side-stepping are fair game. He's never heard the words "half a true is a whole lie," and if he did? He'd have no truck with that.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Tolerant and curious, especially in Luceti. What reason does he have not to believe?
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
He doesn't really care for scientists. At all. Usually with good reason, all the ones he's ever known have used him in one way or another. And he's got his problems with authority, especially when it's not his own. Being made to do something, without his own choice, infuriates him.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Back when he cared about finances? Comfortable. Hell, he could have been rich if he wanted to, but he didn't. Just the basics were enough--for a while, even that felt like freedom in comparison with the labs.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He was a star General, and worshiped by millions of little boys who sat by water towers and dreamed of joining SOLDIER. Now he's the man that tried to destroy the world. Has this changed him? Not really, it was a result of how he changed, not the reason.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
Right now? House. He used to have a private room in one of the Shinra towers, which he stayed in when he wasn't out on mission. After that? A lump of crystallized Lifestream.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Books. Equipment. He never really had the time.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He was a soldier. And he was good at it. He took to the fields alongside his fellows and led the way real leaders are supposed, not in the back lines directing troops from a tent. Did he enjoy it? Well... it was good to be good, and better to have a purpose. For a while, that'd been enough.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Reading, for the most part. He's also traveled around the confines of the Luceti barrier a great deal. And... hmm, he should probably do something about training. It's been awhile.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He doesn't really eat. It's not that he can't... he just doesn't need to, and so generally doesn't. If and when he does, he can really pack it away. SOLDIER metabolism, you see. He could probably drink you under the table, and then some.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Silver.
2. Smell? Winter.
3. Time of day? Morning star.
4. Season? Winter.
5. Book? ...Nope, got nothing.
6. Music? Tarja Turunen - I Walk Alone (and, I guess, the rest of his FST)
7. Place? Sky.
8. Substance? Steel.
9. Plant? Mint.
10. Animal? Panther.
END
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Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Japan would like to try and tell you he's somehow this giant towering beast of a man, at least a head taller than everyone else, but then they also go and list his height as 6'0". Draw what conclusions you like of that. (As of the 10th Anniversary Ultimania however, his height is now listed "Unknown". Go figure.) As for build, he's muscled; thickened wrists of a swordsman, powerful arms, washboard abs, a rider's legs. All in all, the body of a man who comes by it through his profession, rather than that of an athlete or professional weight-lifter.
2. How old is he?
Unknown, really. A bunch of different sites peg his age between 25 to 39. Some wikis give me conflicting information like this one which states his age as 25 during CC, 30 in FFVII which... you know, begs the question of how you can age when you're dead and locked in stasis in a lump of crystallized Lifestream. Furthermore, it lists his birth year as 1977, while the timeline it links to states it as 1970.
Of all these choices, I decided on 27 being a good medium as the age he was at time of (his first) death, and then stopped the counting there.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Left to his own devices, he runs the gamut between ramrod straight (it's all that military training, you see) to... not necessarily slouching, as it is leaning against anything conveniently there.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Healthy. Or as well as you can be when you're locked in time, in a state somewhere between true death and real life.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
It depends greatly on his mood and what he happens to be doing. Canonically, he is seen stalking around a lot, with what I suspect are pretty tense shoulders. But when he's fighting, grace and fluidity really reach a state of the gravity-defying.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
I say "very," but this may well be the bias of a decade-long game-crush on the man. In any case, he's aware of his looks in the same way abstract way that he's aware he doesn't really need to breathe--that is, it's not something he thinks about. It was Shinra and Shinra's perennial love of good publicity that made much of his looks, not himself.
Really, the thing that probably strikes him the most when he looks in the mirror is probably godsall, he has to go and brush out his hair again.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Light, he won't ever be anything but pale. His face his clear, but he has his fair share of scars running along his body. Death and rebirth change some things, but not much when it comes to this man.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
It's silver, it's soft and heavy, like weighted strands of silk, and he leaves it loose unless it really is that hot or Ana's bullied him into building her another stable, idk.
9. What color are his eyes?
Green.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
His pupils are more akin to snakes and cats than anything human. Not to mention the fact that they glow, particularly brightly when casting.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
...Um. The base of his neck? Shoulders?
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
For the most part, he goes about in Luceti and out of it in his uniform. After his death, the clothes and the Masamune are now as much a part of him as his hair or his hands. Occasionally, he may choose to change out of them, but the thought just doesn't occur to him often, unless he happens to be out of his mind or somesuch.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes. They're made for him after all, and Shinra just doesn't spare much expense when it comes to dressing up their property to look pretty. And now... now, well, he's as comfortable in it, in all of it, as he is in his own skin.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
The same. He might leave off the pauldrons, the sword... on a good day he might even leave aside the coat and gloves and cover those abs with a shirt instead.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxer briefs. He jumps around too often, and leather pants can get just too uncomfortable if you're freeballing.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Deep. I've always imagined it as silk over velvet. Smooth speech, darker promises, that sort of thing. You could also say "creepy," he has that effect too.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He speaks quietly, evenly, every word chosen carefully. Whether he talks easily or hesitates depends largely on subject matter, and his familiarity with it.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
He has a tendency towards the old-fashioned, sometimes.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
He speaks common, and, if his occasional eloquence has anything to say, fluently. He's also picked up the knowledge of old languages, most of them dead, from Jenova (as in the case of the Ancient hieroglyphs).
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Not really. Everything's up in the air if he happens to be way off his rocker of course, but even then it's unlikely.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He's careful with his words, and does have to think on them, but if it's a speech you want, he can deliver one with little difficulty. He wasn't made General entirely because of family connections, you know.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
For the most part, eloquent. He really only reaches that stage of inarticulate rage when he's really, really angry.
...Or you've gone and dumbfounded him/confessed your undying love. That'll get you flabbergasted!Sephiroth pretty quickly, because really, there is no established protocol for that sort of thing.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Book-smart definitely, and street-smart only to a degree. Street-smart also implies a working knowledge of how to deal with people, not just how to camp out in jungle for years on end, which he doesn't really have. A snowball fight? Way over his head, man.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
It depends on the situation, doesn't it? In battle, intuition stands him in good stead (most of the time... godsall, Cloud has a way of weaseling around that all the time) without the need to stop and deliberate. But in regular conversation? Sure, he'll think before he speaks.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
He leans more towards the logical side than the intuitive, although he has plenty of that too--how else can he know how to get under everyone's skin so well? He is practical, even when it comes to his idealism, as he'll amply explain to you if asked in-depth as to his reasons for wanting to be as a god.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
General schooling, military training, the works. Most of the 'fluffier' knowledge, that is, myths and legends and the sort, he filled in for himself later on in life. Libraries are his friend, few and far though they may be between missions.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Warfare. Materia use. Hunter/survival. And he's interested in learning more about everything else. Really. There's a lot he doesn't know, but all knowledge is worth the knowing.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Mostly an introvert. He can make his grand speeches, but for the most part, it's all about what goes unsaid. Show, don't tell, right?
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
He leans closer to mood-swings, mostly because he can be easily angered if the right buttons are pressed. What existence he lives now is a near-constant constant state of ennui and solitude, but that doesn't make him melancholy, most of the time, just more and more ambivalent.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
It depends on the situation. For the most part, he does not make the first move, not unless something really catches his attention enough to make comment. A lot of time, this culminates in some confusion because all you crazy people, he just doesn't get you sometimes.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
He is a man of action, but not necessarily one of impulse... most of the time. When he does a thing, there are reasons behind why he does them, even if they aren't apparent from the first. Not a lot of what he does is truly random.
In Luceti though, a great deal of what he has to go through is in reaction to what the Malnosso do to him. Not entirely a pleasant experience.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fight. Definitely fight. He's a cocky sunuvabitch, and if it comes to it, you'll find your head cut off and/or mounted on a pike like the motherfucking snake on the motherfucking plane. What old joke is old?
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
He has an... odd sense of humor. A great deal of things amuse him, although getting to a state and comfort level where you can actually banter with him takes some time and effort.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
What, you mean besides going batshit? Um, sure, the usual: sociopath, delusions of grandeur, etc. Although for that last, really, can they be counted as delusions if they may well prove true? He asks you.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Er... let's see. Moments, huh? The injection of Jenova cells directly into his fetal self would probably be a big one. There's the Wutai War that probably indelibly left its marks on a young 1st Class, fresh from the labs. Meeting/knowing the people he would thence-on count amongst his friends. Zack's seemingly innocuous comment in the Nibelheim reactor that sent him on a spiraling quest for the truth. Jenova's waking. His death. Killing Aerith. Calling down Meteor. Tasting what it is like to have all seven wings at last. Losing himself in the Lifestream, piece by piece. Coming back, in Luceti, whole.
14. What does he fear?
Being forgotten. Why do you think he keeps coming back?
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He wants to be as a god. As a god, because he only wants the power, the title is useless to him. And he wants the Planet for his own, not Jenova's. In his own way, he cares about it too. This line of thinking blurs a little by the time of Advent Children (On the Way to a smile: Case of the Lifestream Black chapter.)
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
Headcanon detected, proceed with caution.
Even now he's a little conflicted. From the beginning there was always a small part of him, perhaps the most human part, that knew what he was doing and what it would all mean. If it all went wrong, there had to be some way to stop it... him. They had to be strong enough. They had to hate him enough.
In the beginning, he thought that person would be Zack. And... he almost succeeded. Certainly, Zack fought him at the reactor. But it wasn't quite enough to make Zack hate him forever and forever, like he thought it would. Then Cloud proved himself once... and has been doing the same ever since. Zing! new target. (Of course there's pride mixed up in their too... if he's a worthy enemy, it will make the sting of being defeated by the 'rookie soldier' that much less.)
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
HAHAHAHA. What parents? Seriously, he likes to think his father never exists, and has ever been slightly disappointed he didn't get around to killing him himself before Cloud & co. He doesn't know the first thing about Lucrecia, and certainly doesn't know that she's his biological mother. As for Jenova... well, that relationship is a complicated can or worms complete with power struggles, mental terrorism and mindfuckery, partial mindmeld, and just a smidgen of a Jocasta Complex. Go figure.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
We'll stick with the simplest answer for this one: biologically, no.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Hahaha, well relationships with his Remnants have to go somewhere. And with them he's both close... and not at all. Really, he can't help the former... they are still a part of his self, after all, and there's no helping it the links, especially the mental ones, that they share. From the first, he looked on them like he did his clones... tools, and, when they failed, useless ones. He's learned since then that they are more than that, but it still doesn't stave off disappointment completely. Kadaj bears the brunt of that, especially.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Um. Not really. He has very straight-forward textbook ideas about family, and what they are do not include friends.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Angeal and Genesis. Perhaps to some extent, Zack, since, well, he's the only one that's ever really lasted. And they all met because of Shinra, and its love of making new toys.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Not really.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Neither, actually. He doesn't make friends, that implies letting them in that far. But he can get along fine with people... at least to a certain polite extent.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Both. He has few enough of them as is, he's not particularly willing to lose any more of them, no matter how strained the relationship.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single. Definitely single.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Uh... Scarlet. I don't know... Zack, maybe?
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Qualities he admires. Just having good looks just never cut it, even back then.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
No, no, and no. He's had enough pleasant experiences growing up as a lab rat, he's not keen on sharing the experience with blood.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Certainly. Have you seen the size of Cloud's (extended) crew?
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Talking strictly canonically, I'd probably slap him with an X and be done with it. As is, probably a 3. Gender, really, doesn't matter, especially when you've had you moments being neither.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
It's pleasurable but not necessary. Certainly something he can live without. Some more of that asexual rearing its head, I guess.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
...I'll think on those later. Eesh, after writing all that porn, I still got nothing. But one not-so-weird habit is never to fall asleep while the other person's still around. It made sense. They've always been strangers, for the most part, and he just doesn't trust anybody.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Nope. Too many unknowns.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
A little bit of both. I mean, their gods are right there--memories locked in crystal, and unleash loads of whoop-ass on anything and all they happen to be fighting. And the Lifestream... well, there's no arguing that, is there?
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Sure. And... I like to think as a child. Personal integrity--don't tell lies. And Mother, for all her faults, Mother believed the same. There's more, but a lot of that gets all twisted and complicated. But nothing compromises telling the truth, though half-truths and verbal side-stepping are fair game. He's never heard the words "half a true is a whole lie," and if he did? He'd have no truck with that.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Tolerant and curious, especially in Luceti. What reason does he have not to believe?
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
He doesn't really care for scientists. At all. Usually with good reason, all the ones he's ever known have used him in one way or another. And he's got his problems with authority, especially when it's not his own. Being made to do something, without his own choice, infuriates him.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Back when he cared about finances? Comfortable. Hell, he could have been rich if he wanted to, but he didn't. Just the basics were enough--for a while, even that felt like freedom in comparison with the labs.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He was a star General, and worshiped by millions of little boys who sat by water towers and dreamed of joining SOLDIER. Now he's the man that tried to destroy the world. Has this changed him? Not really, it was a result of how he changed, not the reason.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
Right now? House. He used to have a private room in one of the Shinra towers, which he stayed in when he wasn't out on mission. After that? A lump of crystallized Lifestream.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Books. Equipment. He never really had the time.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He was a soldier. And he was good at it. He took to the fields alongside his fellows and led the way real leaders are supposed, not in the back lines directing troops from a tent. Did he enjoy it? Well... it was good to be good, and better to have a purpose. For a while, that'd been enough.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Reading, for the most part. He's also traveled around the confines of the Luceti barrier a great deal. And... hmm, he should probably do something about training. It's been awhile.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He doesn't really eat. It's not that he can't... he just doesn't need to, and so generally doesn't. If and when he does, he can really pack it away. SOLDIER metabolism, you see. He could probably drink you under the table, and then some.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Silver.
2. Smell? Winter.
3. Time of day? Morning star.
4. Season? Winter.
5. Book? ...Nope, got nothing.
6. Music? Tarja Turunen - I Walk Alone (and, I guess, the rest of his FST)
7. Place? Sky.
8. Substance? Steel.
9. Plant? Mint.
10. Animal? Panther.
END
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