:PROFILE&CONTACT
Name: Rufus Shinra
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Position & Ship: Passenger, Silvana
Appearance: Rufus stands on the small side at around five foot seven inches, with a fairly narrow build to match. He's got blond hair, which is generally kept short and slicked back. He's fair-skinned, and doesn't show any signs of having spent a great deal of time outdoors or doing manual labor in the past. He tends to dress in light colors, as they make him seem bigger and more imposing, and the cut and quality of his clothes shows off his wealth. Light blue eyes and a cold expression complete the look - he doesn't reveal much he doesn't intend to in his body language.
Personality: To those first meeting him, Rufus comes off as cold. He's generally polite unless pushed, but instead of this politeness being genuine and respectful, it's a way of distancing himself from others. Politeness is a weapon in his hands, and he is fairly open about his disdain for those he considers below him. He's capable of faking interest and friendliness if necessary, but he usually doesn't bother unless he stands to gain a lot from it. He's also known for having a bit of a short temper, although he's gotten better at controlling it as he's gotten older. Aside from the moments where he visibily loses control of his temper, he tends not to show his feelings - if he's smiling, it's entirely devoid of any actual happiness and generally means trouble for someone. His very dry sense of humour occasionally makes itself known, but at best you'll get a sort of distant amusement - any laughter is reserved and not particularly genuine.
From the way he acts, it's also very clear Rufus is three things - proud, stubborn, and a control freak. He'd never admit a fault or apologize for something, even if he was in the wrong. He's smart, handsome, and wealthy - and he knows it. He doesn't strive to make himself the center of attention, but he's extremely self-confidant. He's precise in everything he does, and his appearance and accommodations, while somewhat austere, are always in perfect order. He may not be the one visibly in charge of a given situation, but he's quick to spot lines of power, and won't ever let others control or use him - everything he does is because /he/ wants to do it.
To those few individuals who manage to get past the wall of chilly politeness - which requires equal parts pure stubbornness, and being skilled enough to earn his respect - there is actually some humanity to be had. He still won't show sadness or fear, but you may catch a genuine smile or laugh, or an honest opinion rather than the one that favors his situation the most.
I believe in the wonder
I believe this new life to gain
Like a God that I'm under
There's a drugs running through my veins
Abilities/Weapons: Rufus is fairly fit, even considering his illness and position, a fact that he prides himself on. Before getting sick, his physical traits across the board were slightly above average. Currently, though, while he's still fairly agile, his endurance has decreased a great deal. He is, however, an excellent shot, both with pistols and rifles, and tends to be armed with a well-made revolver holstered under his jacket.. His main strength is his intellect - while not superhuman, it's above average, and he has a knack for planning and seeing patterns below the surface of things.
Weaknesses: When it comes down to it, he's a squishy average human with no real self-defense abilities aside from his skill with firearms. On top of it, while his illness is well-managed enough that it causes him very few problems most of the time, he does have bad days, and going without medication for a few days will increase both the frequency and severity of those flare-ups. Mentally he's a lot better off, but while he's gotten better at controlling his temper, if you really want to get a rise out of him, it's not that hard, and when he actually gets angry all that cool planning goes right out the window.
Medical Notes: For doctors who have access to his medical records - it probably actually is a fairly complete medical history as he is rich and the family has had the same doctor for his whole life, which means the beginning will cover random childhood illnesses and a few injuries - depending on how perceptive the doctor is they might realize that some of them are consistent with abuse, though not many and they're not recorded as such. The more recent stuff is the bulk of it - sometime around six months before joining the game, he had a grand mal seizure (as is noted in his history section), which would be the first record of his current illness. The notes following this are generally a lot of tests and probably additional symptoms (as lupus manifests a lot of ways) - rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis in his wrists and hands, photosensitive rashes, possible heart complications. He had a second grand mal seizure about two months after the first (mostly because he's stupid and didn't learn the 'sleeping four hours a night every night is a bad plan' lesson after the first one). There'd also be a medication list - mild opiate (something T3-equivalent) and an antimalarial (a quinine-derivative) for everyday, which keeps the symptoms mostly under control, and then stronger opiate (Vicodin strength or stronger - possibly just straight up morphine) and a corticosteroid for the bad days. Notably, he's /not/ taking any anti-epileptics.
For people not privy to the above information, what they're most likely to notice that Rufus frequently has a sort of a tired, drawn look about him that comes from dealing with pain/fatigue on a near-daily basis. On his bad days, his movements seem a lot stiffer, and he's a lot more apt to fumble stuff like pens or utensils.
Take a look what you've started
In the world flashing from your eyes
And you know that you've got it
From the thunder you feel inside
History: Rufus was born in Bellcius, the only son of Edgar and Eleanor Shinra. The Shinras were a new money family, having started to accumulate their wealth in Rufus's grandfather's time through weapons manufacture. Edgar expanded the family's trade into steam power, and while not particularly technically savvy himself, he had a talent for picking people who were, and as a result the family became quite rich. Eleanor died of illness when Rufus was six and as a result he remembers very little of his mother. He had a somewhat sterile childhood - he was groomed to take take his father's position in managing the family fortune from a young age, and had very little contact with children his own age. He was also raised in the intrigues of high society - with the family's wealth being so recently acquired, their position was somewhat tenuous among the old money families, making careful political plays and a certain amount of manipulation necessary. As a result, Rufus learned how to manipulate others rather than how to actually related to them, as well as how to hide all weaknesses - a lesson his father was quick to drive home.
Rufus's relationship with his father was chilly at best - Edgar tolerated no weakness in his son, and in his eyes, Rufus, as good as he was, could always be better. They clashed frequently, and the combination of stubbornness and short tempers led to a number of fairly epic shouting matches, which on occasion turned physical. As a teenager, Rufus chose a more subtle form of rebellion than most of his peers. He continued to play the role of the dutiful son, while cultivating ties with some of the rougher elements in both Bellcius and other major cities, most notably labour organizations and street gangs, including the Shin-Ras in Kropmork (the name being, to him, a deeply amusing coincidence). He used the knowledge gained through his society and business connections as barter with the organizations, maintaining a certain amount of anonymity in his dealings, and using the organizations themselves as pawns to help increase his family's status. When he was seventeen, he funded a small group of the more radical, fringe elements, to kill his father, knowing he would inherit the family's wealth. The scheme was ultimately a failure, and Rufus's dealings were exposed to his father, who retaliated by putting him under what was essentially house arrest for three years. Rufus, however, used this time to his advantage - with his major source of outside information being radio broadcasts and transmissions, he gained a certain amount of aptitude with difference engines.
His confinement ended with his father's death - the dangers of technology had accomplished what Rufus had failed to, with the elder Shinra meeting his end in an automobile accident. Rufus took over his father's business affairs, and ran them even more ruthlessly than his father had. He drove himself just as hard as well, re-establishing many of his old contacts and putting long hours into working to increase his own power and decrease that of his competitors, securing a name and reputation for himself. Between this and the constant travelling he did for work, it was easy for Rufus to brush off increasing fatigue as simple sleep deprivation, and muscle and joint aches as the result of overwork and stress. Illness was a weakness, and weaknesses were not something that happened to Rufus Shinra. He was forced to confront the reality that something more serious was going on when, after several days of very little sleep, he suffered a seizure in his office, prompting his secretary to send for medical help. Forced bed rest, with no constant distractions of work, made it clearer exactly what he had been pushing himself through. Several weeks away from work, as well a diagnosis (for once, it actually /is/ lupus) and appropriate medication helped to stabilize his condition and improve his health, but Rufus realized he couldn't continue you to work at the pace he had been going at. He made the decision to sell off most of the manufacturing interests, and move the money into investing. He also decided to take a general leave of absence from most of the day-to-day managing of his assets to give himself time to reorganize his life.
I believe in the feeling
All the pain that you left to die
Believe in believing
In the life that you give to try
Player: Cocoa
LJ: momijizukamori
AIM: momijizukamori
E-Mail/MSN: cocoa[at]tokyo-tower[dot]org
Layout: thrashmetal
The world is mine
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Position & Ship: Passenger, Silvana
Appearance: Rufus stands on the small side at around five foot seven inches, with a fairly narrow build to match. He's got blond hair, which is generally kept short and slicked back. He's fair-skinned, and doesn't show any signs of having spent a great deal of time outdoors or doing manual labor in the past. He tends to dress in light colors, as they make him seem bigger and more imposing, and the cut and quality of his clothes shows off his wealth. Light blue eyes and a cold expression complete the look - he doesn't reveal much he doesn't intend to in his body language.
Personality: To those first meeting him, Rufus comes off as cold. He's generally polite unless pushed, but instead of this politeness being genuine and respectful, it's a way of distancing himself from others. Politeness is a weapon in his hands, and he is fairly open about his disdain for those he considers below him. He's capable of faking interest and friendliness if necessary, but he usually doesn't bother unless he stands to gain a lot from it. He's also known for having a bit of a short temper, although he's gotten better at controlling it as he's gotten older. Aside from the moments where he visibily loses control of his temper, he tends not to show his feelings - if he's smiling, it's entirely devoid of any actual happiness and generally means trouble for someone. His very dry sense of humour occasionally makes itself known, but at best you'll get a sort of distant amusement - any laughter is reserved and not particularly genuine.
From the way he acts, it's also very clear Rufus is three things - proud, stubborn, and a control freak. He'd never admit a fault or apologize for something, even if he was in the wrong. He's smart, handsome, and wealthy - and he knows it. He doesn't strive to make himself the center of attention, but he's extremely self-confidant. He's precise in everything he does, and his appearance and accommodations, while somewhat austere, are always in perfect order. He may not be the one visibly in charge of a given situation, but he's quick to spot lines of power, and won't ever let others control or use him - everything he does is because /he/ wants to do it.
To those few individuals who manage to get past the wall of chilly politeness - which requires equal parts pure stubbornness, and being skilled enough to earn his respect - there is actually some humanity to be had. He still won't show sadness or fear, but you may catch a genuine smile or laugh, or an honest opinion rather than the one that favors his situation the most.
I believe in the wonder
I believe this new life to gain
Like a God that I'm under
There's a drugs running through my veins
Abilities/Weapons: Rufus is fairly fit, even considering his illness and position, a fact that he prides himself on. Before getting sick, his physical traits across the board were slightly above average. Currently, though, while he's still fairly agile, his endurance has decreased a great deal. He is, however, an excellent shot, both with pistols and rifles, and tends to be armed with a well-made revolver holstered under his jacket.. His main strength is his intellect - while not superhuman, it's above average, and he has a knack for planning and seeing patterns below the surface of things.
Weaknesses: When it comes down to it, he's a squishy average human with no real self-defense abilities aside from his skill with firearms. On top of it, while his illness is well-managed enough that it causes him very few problems most of the time, he does have bad days, and going without medication for a few days will increase both the frequency and severity of those flare-ups. Mentally he's a lot better off, but while he's gotten better at controlling his temper, if you really want to get a rise out of him, it's not that hard, and when he actually gets angry all that cool planning goes right out the window.
Medical Notes: For doctors who have access to his medical records - it probably actually is a fairly complete medical history as he is rich and the family has had the same doctor for his whole life, which means the beginning will cover random childhood illnesses and a few injuries - depending on how perceptive the doctor is they might realize that some of them are consistent with abuse, though not many and they're not recorded as such. The more recent stuff is the bulk of it - sometime around six months before joining the game, he had a grand mal seizure (as is noted in his history section), which would be the first record of his current illness. The notes following this are generally a lot of tests and probably additional symptoms (as lupus manifests a lot of ways) - rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis in his wrists and hands, photosensitive rashes, possible heart complications. He had a second grand mal seizure about two months after the first (mostly because he's stupid and didn't learn the 'sleeping four hours a night every night is a bad plan' lesson after the first one). There'd also be a medication list - mild opiate (something T3-equivalent) and an antimalarial (a quinine-derivative) for everyday, which keeps the symptoms mostly under control, and then stronger opiate (Vicodin strength or stronger - possibly just straight up morphine) and a corticosteroid for the bad days. Notably, he's /not/ taking any anti-epileptics.
For people not privy to the above information, what they're most likely to notice that Rufus frequently has a sort of a tired, drawn look about him that comes from dealing with pain/fatigue on a near-daily basis. On his bad days, his movements seem a lot stiffer, and he's a lot more apt to fumble stuff like pens or utensils.
Take a look what you've started
In the world flashing from your eyes
And you know that you've got it
From the thunder you feel inside
History: Rufus was born in Bellcius, the only son of Edgar and Eleanor Shinra. The Shinras were a new money family, having started to accumulate their wealth in Rufus's grandfather's time through weapons manufacture. Edgar expanded the family's trade into steam power, and while not particularly technically savvy himself, he had a talent for picking people who were, and as a result the family became quite rich. Eleanor died of illness when Rufus was six and as a result he remembers very little of his mother. He had a somewhat sterile childhood - he was groomed to take take his father's position in managing the family fortune from a young age, and had very little contact with children his own age. He was also raised in the intrigues of high society - with the family's wealth being so recently acquired, their position was somewhat tenuous among the old money families, making careful political plays and a certain amount of manipulation necessary. As a result, Rufus learned how to manipulate others rather than how to actually related to them, as well as how to hide all weaknesses - a lesson his father was quick to drive home.
Rufus's relationship with his father was chilly at best - Edgar tolerated no weakness in his son, and in his eyes, Rufus, as good as he was, could always be better. They clashed frequently, and the combination of stubbornness and short tempers led to a number of fairly epic shouting matches, which on occasion turned physical. As a teenager, Rufus chose a more subtle form of rebellion than most of his peers. He continued to play the role of the dutiful son, while cultivating ties with some of the rougher elements in both Bellcius and other major cities, most notably labour organizations and street gangs, including the Shin-Ras in Kropmork (the name being, to him, a deeply amusing coincidence). He used the knowledge gained through his society and business connections as barter with the organizations, maintaining a certain amount of anonymity in his dealings, and using the organizations themselves as pawns to help increase his family's status. When he was seventeen, he funded a small group of the more radical, fringe elements, to kill his father, knowing he would inherit the family's wealth. The scheme was ultimately a failure, and Rufus's dealings were exposed to his father, who retaliated by putting him under what was essentially house arrest for three years. Rufus, however, used this time to his advantage - with his major source of outside information being radio broadcasts and transmissions, he gained a certain amount of aptitude with difference engines.
His confinement ended with his father's death - the dangers of technology had accomplished what Rufus had failed to, with the elder Shinra meeting his end in an automobile accident. Rufus took over his father's business affairs, and ran them even more ruthlessly than his father had. He drove himself just as hard as well, re-establishing many of his old contacts and putting long hours into working to increase his own power and decrease that of his competitors, securing a name and reputation for himself. Between this and the constant travelling he did for work, it was easy for Rufus to brush off increasing fatigue as simple sleep deprivation, and muscle and joint aches as the result of overwork and stress. Illness was a weakness, and weaknesses were not something that happened to Rufus Shinra. He was forced to confront the reality that something more serious was going on when, after several days of very little sleep, he suffered a seizure in his office, prompting his secretary to send for medical help. Forced bed rest, with no constant distractions of work, made it clearer exactly what he had been pushing himself through. Several weeks away from work, as well a diagnosis (for once, it actually /is/ lupus) and appropriate medication helped to stabilize his condition and improve his health, but Rufus realized he couldn't continue you to work at the pace he had been going at. He made the decision to sell off most of the manufacturing interests, and move the money into investing. He also decided to take a general leave of absence from most of the day-to-day managing of his assets to give himself time to reorganize his life.
I believe in the feeling
All the pain that you left to die
Believe in believing
In the life that you give to try
Player: Cocoa
LJ: momijizukamori
AIM: momijizukamori
E-Mail/MSN: cocoa[at]tokyo-tower[dot]org
Layout: thrashmetal
The world is mine