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A P P L I C A T I O N
Feb. 7th, 2016 12:11 amAPPLICANT INFO.
NAME: Avali
CONTACT: CLU2flynn on AIM or ladyavali on Plurk
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER INFO.
NAME: Finn (FN-2187)
CANON: Star Wars (Star Wars: Before the Awakening; The Force Awakens)
AGE: 23
APPEARANCE:
CANON POINT: after Kylo Ren hits him with a lightsaber which isn't cool bruh
BACKGROUND: Taken from his family at too young an age to remember them, Finn was raised to be an unthinking, unquestioning soldier for the ruthless First Order. wiki link!
PERSONALITY: Torn between the life he was forced to lead and the freedom he craves, Finn is, at his core, unknown even to himself. The First Order was born from the ashes of a dead Empire, and its rules and regulations limit nearly everything: recreational videos, games, reading material-- all of it is approved (specified in Before the Awakening, which also includes the addition of daily motivational speeches to keep loyalty and morale high) and carefully screened so as not to expose their troops to any unsanctioned ways of life. And yet Finn-- then known as FN-2187-- is shown in Before the Awakening to have an unprecedentedly strong moral compass. Where his fireteam (the FN squad of cadets in training) and their mission should be his only priority, his attention constantly drifts towards the individuals of his team rather than thoughtlessly sacrificing squadmates during VR exercises, much to the dismay of two of his teammates in particular, 'Zeroes' (FN-2000) and 'Nines' (FN-2199). Finn was consistent in fostering the weakest member of their squad, FN-2003, known as 'Slip' for his tendency to fail nearly every test or trial presented before him. Captain Phasma, leader of the stormtroopers, saw incredible promise in Finn (his ability to tactically coordinate, his raw skills as a marksman) but warned General Hux multiple times that Finn was purposefully weakening himself out of compassion, a trait no member of the First Order should possess.
Where he acquired it could be hypothesized as a byproduct of the affection he felt for Slip in looking after him for so long as a leader, coupled with his thorough knowledge of the heroes of the Rebellion (recognizing Han Solo almost immediately, referring to him as 'General Solo'): forming his own conclusions as to right and wrong regardless of what the First Order opted to enforce, and thinking the two somehow ran parallel. The bottom line, however, is that they aren't-- and they never were.
His first field mission standing side by side with vetted troopers came on Jakku, after Finn had already been forced to witness Slip (desperate and pressed to the brink from weeks of being ignored and battered in an effort to strengthen him under duress) firing on unarmed mining workers at Phasma's Command. The rift between what he wanted to be and what was expected of him had reached a critical breaking point, then driven home by Slip's death (at the hands of the pilot Poe Dameron in the midst of a firefight) and the order that followed to execute every unarmed civilian still breathing. That he then freed the First Order's captive prisoner and fled alongside him would seem like some unshaking sign that Finn is the picture of a heroic protagonist, but instead what follows is a selfish urge to just keep running, despite what it means for the friends he makes along the way. On Takodana he opts to abandon both Rey and BB-8 out of fear for what might happen to him if the First Order recaptures him (something he sees as inevitable as long as he's near the Resistance and its known allies) which comes after his decision to lie to Rey, BB-8 and Han Solo, protecting his own well-being by stating that he's a member of the Resistance and not a former stormtrooper. He's young, he's lived within the confines of a system that fosters half-truths and fear, and that worry for his own survival comes first is shown as being part of what kept him alive for so long. It tempers the softness of an otherwise bleeding heart willing to give itself up for the people that matter in his life, and it provides a stark contrast to the way that Finn consistently is shown having no issues with killing stormtroopers-- the brothers and sisters he'd left behind, knowing full well they're hardly any different. Slip was an exception, and Slip was dead, and even Nines isn't spared the full brunt of Finn's fury when they face one another in combat on Takodana.
Where someone else would flinch, Finn doesn't. He's shown to essentially cherry pick his morals and who matters most in his life, and with the rest-- potentially runoff from being trained as a soldier with the ability to mentally switch off sympathy in VR scenarios-- it's all collateral. He lies to the Rebellion, telling them he's capable of lowering the shields on Starkiller base: the entire core of their entire assault that could easily wipe them off the face of the galactic map should they fail, when in actuality he only wanted to rescue Rey, and had no idea how the shields even worked. That it could have exterminated everyone on base that had placed faith in him was a revelation met with an unblinking stare - he intended to wing it, and he was so committed to the only course that mattered in his eyes that the consequences were never fully considered outside of the moment.
He is reactive, in essence. Every scenario is over his head, every experience new. That said, however, when he cares, it's an all-encompassing commitment. He eventually risked everything to go back for Rey, abandoning the freedom he'd dreamed of, knowing full well that it might cost him his life-- his only chance to be free. He infiltrated Starkiller Base, he fought Kylo Ren with no hope of success brimming on the horizon, and he paid dearly for it. And if his past is any sign of his future, it's a sacrifice he'd consider worth it.
ABILITIES: He shoots really super great, you guys. Trained soldier; carries all the skills you'd expect from it, can function as a gunner but is not a pilot.
INVENTORY: Poe's damaged jacket, his old trooper fatigues, some melted snow.
WRITING SAMPLES.
NETWORK SAMPLE:
[He's sitting cross-legged on the floor of his room, a mess of papers scatterd around him, though from the way he's managed to paw through them it doesn't seem as if he's really read any of it-- or if he has, he's since decided rolling around on them was a really, really good idea.]
Hey, uh. [He scuffs his palm across his cheek, scrubbing idly in consternation, about as stern as someone his age could ever really manage to look.] I was thinking about how a lot of people get to keep all their crazy junk from back home - powers and stuff. Whatever you call it, I don't know.
I'm not an expert on the Force. I don't even know if I believe in it-- [Which isn't true. Not after everything Han had said, the look on his face; Finn bites down on the denial as soon as it's exhaled, chewing actively on his own lip. No, he believes it. Somehow, on some level, he does.] but I figure if it really is linked up to everything out there, maybe it can help us out. All of us. Not just the Jedi or the First Order but everybody here that wants to make a difference.
[Aaaand then he's lost it. Whatever train of thought he was going to end on? Gone. His hand falls, there's just an awkward beat of silence before he adds, nodding:] That's uh, yeah. So that's it, that's all I got.
[Cool, Finn. Good job.]
Anybody else with any ideas, hit me up - I'll be around. Down time, am I right?
LOG SAMPLE:
Hey, hey, hey-- [It's quiet, Finn keeps his voice low from where he's crouched beneath the cover of low-lying brush, signaling with a flick of his hand. The jacket he wears is dark and muddy, and it blends too well with his surroundings to be immediately obvious: times like these he sometimes misses the glare of his old kit - it got attention when it needed to, and he knew damn well how to mask it underfoot.] Don't go that way.
[A worldly person he is not. In fact, most of his training was done via VR simulations or on the snowy fields of Starkiller Base, where the trees ran thick, but Finn's seen enough sinkholes and pitfalls for ten lifetimes in the last few months, and without knowing the person at his side he'd still prefer not watching them stumble blindly into a den of sleeping forest-- things with remarkably sharp teeth (they yawn a lot, okay). And sure, their objective might sit right at the far end of the cavern that looks surprisingly clear, but he's been here for the better part of ten minutes scouting out the worst of it; he knows better. He's got this.] Lot of sleeping guys in there that'll tear you to pieces before you clear the cavern, I'm telling you.
Better to split up: I can draw their attention, you go high, scale down over their heads.
[Not that he's exactly thrilled about having to play decoy at all. It's still better than the alternative, and he trusts himself these days. Knows his skill like the scar across his spine.
A beat:] You can climb, right?
NAME: Avali
CONTACT: CLU2flynn on AIM or ladyavali on Plurk
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER INFO.
NAME: Finn (FN-2187)
CANON: Star Wars (Star Wars: Before the Awakening; The Force Awakens)
AGE: 23
APPEARANCE:
CANON POINT: after Kylo Ren hits him with a lightsaber which isn't cool bruh
BACKGROUND: Taken from his family at too young an age to remember them, Finn was raised to be an unthinking, unquestioning soldier for the ruthless First Order. wiki link!
PERSONALITY: Torn between the life he was forced to lead and the freedom he craves, Finn is, at his core, unknown even to himself. The First Order was born from the ashes of a dead Empire, and its rules and regulations limit nearly everything: recreational videos, games, reading material-- all of it is approved (specified in Before the Awakening, which also includes the addition of daily motivational speeches to keep loyalty and morale high) and carefully screened so as not to expose their troops to any unsanctioned ways of life. And yet Finn-- then known as FN-2187-- is shown in Before the Awakening to have an unprecedentedly strong moral compass. Where his fireteam (the FN squad of cadets in training) and their mission should be his only priority, his attention constantly drifts towards the individuals of his team rather than thoughtlessly sacrificing squadmates during VR exercises, much to the dismay of two of his teammates in particular, 'Zeroes' (FN-2000) and 'Nines' (FN-2199). Finn was consistent in fostering the weakest member of their squad, FN-2003, known as 'Slip' for his tendency to fail nearly every test or trial presented before him. Captain Phasma, leader of the stormtroopers, saw incredible promise in Finn (his ability to tactically coordinate, his raw skills as a marksman) but warned General Hux multiple times that Finn was purposefully weakening himself out of compassion, a trait no member of the First Order should possess.
Where he acquired it could be hypothesized as a byproduct of the affection he felt for Slip in looking after him for so long as a leader, coupled with his thorough knowledge of the heroes of the Rebellion (recognizing Han Solo almost immediately, referring to him as 'General Solo'): forming his own conclusions as to right and wrong regardless of what the First Order opted to enforce, and thinking the two somehow ran parallel. The bottom line, however, is that they aren't-- and they never were.
His first field mission standing side by side with vetted troopers came on Jakku, after Finn had already been forced to witness Slip (desperate and pressed to the brink from weeks of being ignored and battered in an effort to strengthen him under duress) firing on unarmed mining workers at Phasma's Command. The rift between what he wanted to be and what was expected of him had reached a critical breaking point, then driven home by Slip's death (at the hands of the pilot Poe Dameron in the midst of a firefight) and the order that followed to execute every unarmed civilian still breathing. That he then freed the First Order's captive prisoner and fled alongside him would seem like some unshaking sign that Finn is the picture of a heroic protagonist, but instead what follows is a selfish urge to just keep running, despite what it means for the friends he makes along the way. On Takodana he opts to abandon both Rey and BB-8 out of fear for what might happen to him if the First Order recaptures him (something he sees as inevitable as long as he's near the Resistance and its known allies) which comes after his decision to lie to Rey, BB-8 and Han Solo, protecting his own well-being by stating that he's a member of the Resistance and not a former stormtrooper. He's young, he's lived within the confines of a system that fosters half-truths and fear, and that worry for his own survival comes first is shown as being part of what kept him alive for so long. It tempers the softness of an otherwise bleeding heart willing to give itself up for the people that matter in his life, and it provides a stark contrast to the way that Finn consistently is shown having no issues with killing stormtroopers-- the brothers and sisters he'd left behind, knowing full well they're hardly any different. Slip was an exception, and Slip was dead, and even Nines isn't spared the full brunt of Finn's fury when they face one another in combat on Takodana.
Where someone else would flinch, Finn doesn't. He's shown to essentially cherry pick his morals and who matters most in his life, and with the rest-- potentially runoff from being trained as a soldier with the ability to mentally switch off sympathy in VR scenarios-- it's all collateral. He lies to the Rebellion, telling them he's capable of lowering the shields on Starkiller base: the entire core of their entire assault that could easily wipe them off the face of the galactic map should they fail, when in actuality he only wanted to rescue Rey, and had no idea how the shields even worked. That it could have exterminated everyone on base that had placed faith in him was a revelation met with an unblinking stare - he intended to wing it, and he was so committed to the only course that mattered in his eyes that the consequences were never fully considered outside of the moment.
He is reactive, in essence. Every scenario is over his head, every experience new. That said, however, when he cares, it's an all-encompassing commitment. He eventually risked everything to go back for Rey, abandoning the freedom he'd dreamed of, knowing full well that it might cost him his life-- his only chance to be free. He infiltrated Starkiller Base, he fought Kylo Ren with no hope of success brimming on the horizon, and he paid dearly for it. And if his past is any sign of his future, it's a sacrifice he'd consider worth it.
ABILITIES: He shoots really super great, you guys. Trained soldier; carries all the skills you'd expect from it, can function as a gunner but is not a pilot.
INVENTORY: Poe's damaged jacket, his old trooper fatigues, some melted snow.
WRITING SAMPLES.
NETWORK SAMPLE:
[He's sitting cross-legged on the floor of his room, a mess of papers scatterd around him, though from the way he's managed to paw through them it doesn't seem as if he's really read any of it-- or if he has, he's since decided rolling around on them was a really, really good idea.]
Hey, uh. [He scuffs his palm across his cheek, scrubbing idly in consternation, about as stern as someone his age could ever really manage to look.] I was thinking about how a lot of people get to keep all their crazy junk from back home - powers and stuff. Whatever you call it, I don't know.
I'm not an expert on the Force. I don't even know if I believe in it-- [Which isn't true. Not after everything Han had said, the look on his face; Finn bites down on the denial as soon as it's exhaled, chewing actively on his own lip. No, he believes it. Somehow, on some level, he does.] but I figure if it really is linked up to everything out there, maybe it can help us out. All of us. Not just the Jedi or the First Order but everybody here that wants to make a difference.
[Aaaand then he's lost it. Whatever train of thought he was going to end on? Gone. His hand falls, there's just an awkward beat of silence before he adds, nodding:] That's uh, yeah. So that's it, that's all I got.
[Cool, Finn. Good job.]
Anybody else with any ideas, hit me up - I'll be around. Down time, am I right?
LOG SAMPLE:
Hey, hey, hey-- [It's quiet, Finn keeps his voice low from where he's crouched beneath the cover of low-lying brush, signaling with a flick of his hand. The jacket he wears is dark and muddy, and it blends too well with his surroundings to be immediately obvious: times like these he sometimes misses the glare of his old kit - it got attention when it needed to, and he knew damn well how to mask it underfoot.] Don't go that way.
[A worldly person he is not. In fact, most of his training was done via VR simulations or on the snowy fields of Starkiller Base, where the trees ran thick, but Finn's seen enough sinkholes and pitfalls for ten lifetimes in the last few months, and without knowing the person at his side he'd still prefer not watching them stumble blindly into a den of sleeping forest-- things with remarkably sharp teeth (they yawn a lot, okay). And sure, their objective might sit right at the far end of the cavern that looks surprisingly clear, but he's been here for the better part of ten minutes scouting out the worst of it; he knows better. He's got this.] Lot of sleeping guys in there that'll tear you to pieces before you clear the cavern, I'm telling you.
Better to split up: I can draw their attention, you go high, scale down over their heads.
[Not that he's exactly thrilled about having to play decoy at all. It's still better than the alternative, and he trusts himself these days. Knows his skill like the scar across his spine.
A beat:] You can climb, right?
