application for route_29
Player
Name: Ara
Livejournal Username: mangosherbet
E-mail: flutterspark@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: Sickie Beaver
Timezone: GMT +9
Current Characters in Route: usedroar and holdsleftovers
Character
Name: Nero
Series: Devil May Cry (4)
Timeline: During the credit roll, because I'm a bitch.
Canon Resource Links: Nero and his game.
Personality:
At first glance, Nero is your pretty average, modern teenager. He's got a nasty attitude, he cusses, he listens to blasting rock music in church to piss people off. Nothing out of the ordinary, if you'll disregard the flashy fashion sense; it, too, can be attributed to youthful rebellion. He's vitriolic, provocative, and incredibly temperamental, but surprisingly open with his state of mind. His emotions are readily available on his face: hurt, sadness, satisfaction, anger. (Mostly anger. Actually, anger is the default.) That said, he isn't entirely standoffish; he doesn't really like people, but he'll tolerate them and be relatively personable until he's made a better opinion of them...unless they piss him off. Then he'll just flip out. Someone meeting him for the first time might be tempted to disregard him as nothing more than a potty-mouth teen with a bigger-than-average chip on his shoulder. They might be right! But as a demon hunter for a very strict, religious Order, Nero's got a little more going on just under the surface.
Nero's not entirely human, himself. His connection to Dante, Vergil and Sparda is uncertain, but it's also undeniable. It's not something he likes to dwell on, and not something he fully understands. He's learning to deal with it, slowly, but he remains uncertain of himself and his place in the world. He hides it, of course, hides it under a powerful facade of cockiness and practised nonchalance. Growing up in a small, conservative town has made him incredibly aware of all the ways he's different, so he went to the extreme and 'embraced' the fact that he'd never fit in. Everything from his choice of music to his wardrobe tells the world what an independent thinker he styles himself as. Of course, there are only so many ways he can rebel: he has a job to do, one that he's very good at (which is about the only thing that keeps him in the ranks), but his smart mouth tends to get the better of him, even around his superiors. He has a lot of problems with authority stemming from his issues with his origins. As a child, he was probably the type to react quickly with violence to taunting, because to this day, his first answer to any obstacle is to physically tear it down. Attack first, ask questions later is Nero's policy, and he's even known for his rash behavior. He enjoys violence and fighting, and moreover, enjoys provoking a reaction. Both of these are why he prefers to work alone, which makes a lot of sense when you factor in that tinderbox temper.
With a fuse as short as his, his temper isn't the only volatile thing about Nero's feelings: in canon, he's seen breaking down more than once when things get too hot to handle. His lack of control over his emotions makes him immature, and his cockiness makes him childish; he has a hard time thinking rationally about problems. (It takes a lot to get him to that point, but he's not above shedding tears, either. Best Marlon Brando impersonation.) Nero's emotions are all or nothing: he is never neutral. The best way to get him to tear you a new one? Easy! Threaten his friends or loved ones, or better yet, prevent him from saving his friends and loved ones. (His first day in Johto is going to be a blast.) Nero is incredibly protective, and when the chips are down and the stakes are high, there really isn't much he won't do, not even harm himself, to help the people who are 'his' in some way. This extends, to a lesser degree, to people who are strangers: there's a reason he's a demon-slayer, beyond just his craving for a good fight, and that's because he's actually got a decent set of morals. He wants to protect civilians; he wants to do the right thing; he wants to be, at the core, a good person, even if he doesn't necessarily believe that he is. Ethics, if nothing else, was something good that Fortuna gave him.
Strong emotions and an impulsive streak a mile wide don't make for a guy who does well in school, or even likes books very much. As a result, Nero can't be said to be particularly well-read or even exceptionally intelligent. He's smart, though, clever in that way of people who get themselves into scrapes without really realizing it. He's a physical thinker; he's exceptionally good at strategizing on the fly during battle, for instance, or figuring out the fastest way out of a sticky situation. He's unable to talk himself out of things, though, a combination of poor social skills and an inability or unwillingness to read people very deeply. Other people's motivations aren't things that occur much to Nero, at least not beyond whether or not they affect him. He is not manipulative, nor is he calculating; that would require more forethought than Nero has ever displayed. In all the things he does he is single-minded and bullheaded, and like a rhinoceros, won't stop charging until he's met by an unstoppable force going in the opposite direction.
In essence, Nero's a cocksure, emotionally stunted brat without an iota of common sense and a lot to prove. Make a friend and he's yours forever; make an enemy and he will mow you down.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
[+] Strong: Nero's something of an accomplished fighter; he makes quite a bit of acrobatics and fancy footwork look easy. As such, Johto's harsh terrain shouldn't pose a problem for him.
[+] Independant: He isn't much of a cook, but he was able to take care of himself living with Kyrie and Credo back in Fortuna. He can do laundry and other basic menial tasks, and with Fortuna surrounded by demon-infested forest, he can handle himself in the wild, too.
[+] Focused: Once he gets an idea into his head, he'll pursue it just about forever. So while Nero might not be the most practical person, once he decides to start training properly, he'll really give it his all. He always tries to get the job done right.
[+] Personable: So when he actually bothers with people, Nero isn't an unfriendly guy! Travel buddies? He prefers to go it alone, no doubt, but he'll manage. Pokemon? He'll be unsure at first, but they'll grow on him. Johto is a much kinder place than Fortuna.
[+] Adaptable: In a pinch, Nero's a quick thinker. He's clever when he needs to be, so trouble never becomes too much to get out of. Not only that, but once you've punched god in the face with your glowing astrally-projected demon arm, nothing much fazes you anymore. Strange dimension where no one dies and you fight with magical creatures? Whatever.
[-] Immature: Nero's volatile temperament means that he's prone to flipping the fuck out over the most mundane things. In a strange world, far away from home, that's going to be a problem. He's bratty, petulant and emotionally raw, and he tends to leave bad first impressions.
[-] Aggressive: This ties into the former, but deserves its own category for just how common it is. Nero can be overbearing and a bully, unintentionally, just because he's angry and can't put a lid on it. Most importantly, he's physically violent; he probably won't think of using his pokemon first if someone or something gets in his way.
[-] Provocative: Nero likes to fight. As a result, he's a bit of a shit-stirrer. Badmouthing bosses? Insulting friends? Flipping the bird at everyone over the gear? Best social skills. He's going to keep all of his jobs, just you watch. Sob.
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Bagon
Password: Taco Bell
Samples
First Person Sample:
[ See Nero. See Nero frowning, his mouth like a wire-thin slash across his face. He adjusts the gear for a moment before speaking. ]
Got fired.
[ Come to think of it, this is probably why he and Buster are prowling on the road in the middle of the afternoon, when Nero would usually be working; he lets the little creature weave around his legs as he walks, hardly off-balance despite the fact that his attention in on the 'gear. He's taking long strides; he's got steam to let off.
Keeping his job back home had never been much trouble; even with his smart mouth, dubious origins and aggressive behavior, there was simply no denying that he was the best swordsman the Order had to offer. No one killed demons quite like Nero. In Johto, on the other hand... ]
The lady ran into me, what was I supposed to do? Say 'thanks for knocking my fucking boxes over'? Yeah right.
Anyway.
Anyone know if there's jobs in Violet that don't involve dealing with dumbasses? 'Cause I'm not much of a team player.
[ Click. Gee, Nero. We hadn't noticed. ]
Third Person Sample:
He wakes to the strident call of an alarm clock.
The bed is not his bed, the room is not his room. The clock finds a new home against the wall, where it splinters. He's left propped up on his elbows, blinking away sleep, feeling some kind of inexplicable, harried emergency rise up in his chest. From downstairs:
"Honey, you're going to be late!"
The call makes him start. The voice is no one he knows, and certainly no one's called him honey since Kyrie and Credo's mother was alive. His skin crawls as his eyes snap open as wide as saucers, his pupils shrinking to nothing but black pinpricks.
"Kyrie...shit, Kyrie!"
The last time he'd seen her he'd been defending her from a swarm of demons. Where is she? Is she safe? The need to hurry only intensifies, aching, demanding. He has to move.
He rolls deftly out of bed, reaching for his gun; not there. His blade is similarly absent. He feels vulnerable, naked, clenches his demon arm in frustra-
"What the hell...?"
Wide eyes fall to his completely human right hand. A second ticks by before he flexes it, tentatively, pulling the sleeve of his shirt up the elbow to check for broken skin, scar tissue, anything to indicate a graft; but no, this is his arm, from before the accident, as good as new. The world tilts briefly, but he shakes away the feeling. He needs to find Kyrie, before anything else.
His boots thunder down the stairs. A woman is in the kitchen; she gives him the emptiest smile he's ever seen on a human being. He doesn't even try to talk to her, just takes the bag she offers and heads for the door. He slams her sing-song goodbye behind him and doesn't care when he hears the twist of the lock. His teeth are grit shut; is this one of Sanctus' traps? Inside this bag, will he find instructions? Is this a game? He pauses only long enough to check the contents: finding three pairs of boxers is only mildly embarrassing. There are other things, too: a strange red-and-white ball and some kind of tiny computer, beeping out a prerecorded message. Nero has never been good with the sciences, so ball and device are flung aside. He's so busy scouring the landscape for clues that he almost doesn't notice the glow where the ball landed, and the creature that emerges. He's abruptly hyper-aware that he has none of his weapons, and he whirls, stance widening for battle. Out of his throat pours a growl.
The lizard just flattens itself in the grass, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Moments pass. Realizing he isn't going to get attacked, Nero loses interest in the animal and turns away. Out on the horizon is the tallest building in town, its white walls marking it out as perhaps a hospital-or a laboratory. Nero's thoughts flash to Agnus. He wants answers, and there's a likely chance he'll get them there...the people in the white building won't know what hit them.
As he stalks down the road, he hardly notices the animal following, dashing after him on stubby feet.
Name: Ara
Livejournal Username: mangosherbet
E-mail: flutterspark@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: Sickie Beaver
Timezone: GMT +9
Current Characters in Route: usedroar and holdsleftovers
Character
Name: Nero
Series: Devil May Cry (4)
Timeline: During the credit roll, because I'm a bitch.
Canon Resource Links: Nero and his game.
Personality:
At first glance, Nero is your pretty average, modern teenager. He's got a nasty attitude, he cusses, he listens to blasting rock music in church to piss people off. Nothing out of the ordinary, if you'll disregard the flashy fashion sense; it, too, can be attributed to youthful rebellion. He's vitriolic, provocative, and incredibly temperamental, but surprisingly open with his state of mind. His emotions are readily available on his face: hurt, sadness, satisfaction, anger. (Mostly anger. Actually, anger is the default.) That said, he isn't entirely standoffish; he doesn't really like people, but he'll tolerate them and be relatively personable until he's made a better opinion of them...unless they piss him off. Then he'll just flip out. Someone meeting him for the first time might be tempted to disregard him as nothing more than a potty-mouth teen with a bigger-than-average chip on his shoulder. They might be right! But as a demon hunter for a very strict, religious Order, Nero's got a little more going on just under the surface.
Nero's not entirely human, himself. His connection to Dante, Vergil and Sparda is uncertain, but it's also undeniable. It's not something he likes to dwell on, and not something he fully understands. He's learning to deal with it, slowly, but he remains uncertain of himself and his place in the world. He hides it, of course, hides it under a powerful facade of cockiness and practised nonchalance. Growing up in a small, conservative town has made him incredibly aware of all the ways he's different, so he went to the extreme and 'embraced' the fact that he'd never fit in. Everything from his choice of music to his wardrobe tells the world what an independent thinker he styles himself as. Of course, there are only so many ways he can rebel: he has a job to do, one that he's very good at (which is about the only thing that keeps him in the ranks), but his smart mouth tends to get the better of him, even around his superiors. He has a lot of problems with authority stemming from his issues with his origins. As a child, he was probably the type to react quickly with violence to taunting, because to this day, his first answer to any obstacle is to physically tear it down. Attack first, ask questions later is Nero's policy, and he's even known for his rash behavior. He enjoys violence and fighting, and moreover, enjoys provoking a reaction. Both of these are why he prefers to work alone, which makes a lot of sense when you factor in that tinderbox temper.
With a fuse as short as his, his temper isn't the only volatile thing about Nero's feelings: in canon, he's seen breaking down more than once when things get too hot to handle. His lack of control over his emotions makes him immature, and his cockiness makes him childish; he has a hard time thinking rationally about problems. (It takes a lot to get him to that point, but he's not above shedding tears, either. Best Marlon Brando impersonation.) Nero's emotions are all or nothing: he is never neutral. The best way to get him to tear you a new one? Easy! Threaten his friends or loved ones, or better yet, prevent him from saving his friends and loved ones. (His first day in Johto is going to be a blast.) Nero is incredibly protective, and when the chips are down and the stakes are high, there really isn't much he won't do, not even harm himself, to help the people who are 'his' in some way. This extends, to a lesser degree, to people who are strangers: there's a reason he's a demon-slayer, beyond just his craving for a good fight, and that's because he's actually got a decent set of morals. He wants to protect civilians; he wants to do the right thing; he wants to be, at the core, a good person, even if he doesn't necessarily believe that he is. Ethics, if nothing else, was something good that Fortuna gave him.
Strong emotions and an impulsive streak a mile wide don't make for a guy who does well in school, or even likes books very much. As a result, Nero can't be said to be particularly well-read or even exceptionally intelligent. He's smart, though, clever in that way of people who get themselves into scrapes without really realizing it. He's a physical thinker; he's exceptionally good at strategizing on the fly during battle, for instance, or figuring out the fastest way out of a sticky situation. He's unable to talk himself out of things, though, a combination of poor social skills and an inability or unwillingness to read people very deeply. Other people's motivations aren't things that occur much to Nero, at least not beyond whether or not they affect him. He is not manipulative, nor is he calculating; that would require more forethought than Nero has ever displayed. In all the things he does he is single-minded and bullheaded, and like a rhinoceros, won't stop charging until he's met by an unstoppable force going in the opposite direction.
In essence, Nero's a cocksure, emotionally stunted brat without an iota of common sense and a lot to prove. Make a friend and he's yours forever; make an enemy and he will mow you down.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
[+] Strong: Nero's something of an accomplished fighter; he makes quite a bit of acrobatics and fancy footwork look easy. As such, Johto's harsh terrain shouldn't pose a problem for him.
[+] Independant: He isn't much of a cook, but he was able to take care of himself living with Kyrie and Credo back in Fortuna. He can do laundry and other basic menial tasks, and with Fortuna surrounded by demon-infested forest, he can handle himself in the wild, too.
[+] Focused: Once he gets an idea into his head, he'll pursue it just about forever. So while Nero might not be the most practical person, once he decides to start training properly, he'll really give it his all. He always tries to get the job done right.
[+] Personable: So when he actually bothers with people, Nero isn't an unfriendly guy! Travel buddies? He prefers to go it alone, no doubt, but he'll manage. Pokemon? He'll be unsure at first, but they'll grow on him. Johto is a much kinder place than Fortuna.
[+] Adaptable: In a pinch, Nero's a quick thinker. He's clever when he needs to be, so trouble never becomes too much to get out of. Not only that, but once you've punched god in the face with your glowing astrally-projected demon arm, nothing much fazes you anymore. Strange dimension where no one dies and you fight with magical creatures? Whatever.
[-] Immature: Nero's volatile temperament means that he's prone to flipping the fuck out over the most mundane things. In a strange world, far away from home, that's going to be a problem. He's bratty, petulant and emotionally raw, and he tends to leave bad first impressions.
[-] Aggressive: This ties into the former, but deserves its own category for just how common it is. Nero can be overbearing and a bully, unintentionally, just because he's angry and can't put a lid on it. Most importantly, he's physically violent; he probably won't think of using his pokemon first if someone or something gets in his way.
[-] Provocative: Nero likes to fight. As a result, he's a bit of a shit-stirrer. Badmouthing bosses? Insulting friends? Flipping the bird at everyone over the gear? Best social skills. He's going to keep all of his jobs, just you watch. Sob.
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Bagon
Password: Taco Bell
Samples
First Person Sample:
[ See Nero. See Nero frowning, his mouth like a wire-thin slash across his face. He adjusts the gear for a moment before speaking. ]
Got fired.
[ Come to think of it, this is probably why he and Buster are prowling on the road in the middle of the afternoon, when Nero would usually be working; he lets the little creature weave around his legs as he walks, hardly off-balance despite the fact that his attention in on the 'gear. He's taking long strides; he's got steam to let off.
Keeping his job back home had never been much trouble; even with his smart mouth, dubious origins and aggressive behavior, there was simply no denying that he was the best swordsman the Order had to offer. No one killed demons quite like Nero. In Johto, on the other hand... ]
The lady ran into me, what was I supposed to do? Say 'thanks for knocking my fucking boxes over'? Yeah right.
Anyway.
Anyone know if there's jobs in Violet that don't involve dealing with dumbasses? 'Cause I'm not much of a team player.
[ Click. Gee, Nero. We hadn't noticed. ]
Third Person Sample:
He wakes to the strident call of an alarm clock.
The bed is not his bed, the room is not his room. The clock finds a new home against the wall, where it splinters. He's left propped up on his elbows, blinking away sleep, feeling some kind of inexplicable, harried emergency rise up in his chest. From downstairs:
"Honey, you're going to be late!"
The call makes him start. The voice is no one he knows, and certainly no one's called him honey since Kyrie and Credo's mother was alive. His skin crawls as his eyes snap open as wide as saucers, his pupils shrinking to nothing but black pinpricks.
"Kyrie...shit, Kyrie!"
The last time he'd seen her he'd been defending her from a swarm of demons. Where is she? Is she safe? The need to hurry only intensifies, aching, demanding. He has to move.
He rolls deftly out of bed, reaching for his gun; not there. His blade is similarly absent. He feels vulnerable, naked, clenches his demon arm in frustra-
"What the hell...?"
Wide eyes fall to his completely human right hand. A second ticks by before he flexes it, tentatively, pulling the sleeve of his shirt up the elbow to check for broken skin, scar tissue, anything to indicate a graft; but no, this is his arm, from before the accident, as good as new. The world tilts briefly, but he shakes away the feeling. He needs to find Kyrie, before anything else.
His boots thunder down the stairs. A woman is in the kitchen; she gives him the emptiest smile he's ever seen on a human being. He doesn't even try to talk to her, just takes the bag she offers and heads for the door. He slams her sing-song goodbye behind him and doesn't care when he hears the twist of the lock. His teeth are grit shut; is this one of Sanctus' traps? Inside this bag, will he find instructions? Is this a game? He pauses only long enough to check the contents: finding three pairs of boxers is only mildly embarrassing. There are other things, too: a strange red-and-white ball and some kind of tiny computer, beeping out a prerecorded message. Nero has never been good with the sciences, so ball and device are flung aside. He's so busy scouring the landscape for clues that he almost doesn't notice the glow where the ball landed, and the creature that emerges. He's abruptly hyper-aware that he has none of his weapons, and he whirls, stance widening for battle. Out of his throat pours a growl.
The lizard just flattens itself in the grass, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Moments pass. Realizing he isn't going to get attacked, Nero loses interest in the animal and turns away. Out on the horizon is the tallest building in town, its white walls marking it out as perhaps a hospital-or a laboratory. Nero's thoughts flash to Agnus. He wants answers, and there's a likely chance he'll get them there...the people in the white building won't know what hit them.
As he stalks down the road, he hardly notices the animal following, dashing after him on stubby feet.