SIXTH ITERATION APP

[wentnuclear]

BASICS

Your name or nickname: Ana
Your year of birth: 1987
A reliable DW account the mods can PM to reach you: ana or this account
Who you currently play at 6I: Blaine DeBeers
Link to your hold comment: Here
Referral: myself!

Character name: Raleigh Becket
Character type: fandom character + Reverie CRAU
Fandom/Canon: Pacific Rim
Character DW journal: wentnuclear
Does this character have previous CR?: Yes! Only a couple.

Frank Castle - Frank was the first person Raleigh met on Reverie station and they quickly became friends, relying on one another in a situation completely foreign to them, with no resources or knowledge of space. As the game progressed and they learned more about one another they became more like brothers, spending a lot of time together bonding over being damaged by loss. Frank helped Raleigh through some tough times — they were everything from sparring buddies to knitting bros, bitching about the shitty food and wondering what happened to their home worlds, how they’d gotten here and what they’d left behind. It was a horror game that threw a lot at the characters so they tried to adapt and support each other, with Frank one of the few people who believed Raleigh that he wasn’t “just” hallucinating his brother, that there was something there after all. Raleigh will be confused and saddened to realize that this Frank isn’t his Frank, but given the situations he’ll roll with it and just try to rekindle their relationship. (I have spoken to this player about playing a CRAU who knows them, and they're cool with it.)

Agent Washington - Wash was another person who seemed as damaged and wary as Raleigh himself, but he was completely on his own so Raleigh tried to befriend him in this frightening place. It turned out they had a great deal in common — feeling someone die in your head is an experience he’d never been able to share with someone before, and while it’s not a good thing to bond over, well. It’s kind of nice knowing you’re not the only one in the multiverse who’s been there. They were occasional drinking buddies but despite the shared experiences Raleigh didn’t get terribly attached. It’ll be less of a blow to start over with Wash. (I have spoken to this player about playing a CRAU who knows them, and they're cool with it.)

Wanda Maximoff - Wanda struck Raleigh from their first meeting as a kind, compassionate person who wanted to help him despite not knowing a damn thing about him, which instantly endeared him to her. He learned of her abilities later, and realized why she was initially so concerned — he didn’t deal well with discovering where he was, while he still thought he was alone. Her intervening during his near-breakdown on the observation deck was the key to ensuring that Wanda was always someone he checked on in a crisis, to return that favor. He'll be sad she doesn't know him, here, and doesn't assume to know her either but will hope she is at heart the same kind helpful person he met on the station and will be happy to start over. (I have not spoken to this player yet but am happy to selectively erase Raleigh's memory of Wanda if they're not cool with it.)

Mako Mori - Mako is Raleigh's co-pilot from home, a fellow Ranger and the only person he knew on Reverie station. In canon she was the first person he opened up to in five years so of course they were inseparable in a horror scenario, sharing a room and sticking together as much as possible until they developed an understanding of the situation and were comfortable wandering apart. Still, every crisis they sought each other out again, and their already deep bond (thanks to the Drift, and the "ghost drift" that gave them a lingering almost empathic connection) only grew. After several months and Raleigh having a conversation with his station-created brother that Mako overheard in which he admitted he was in love with her, they became a couple. This was news to no one, in fact several characters on the station had a bet going when they'd finally get together. Mako is generally Raleigh's priority, making sure she's safe and happy as much as possible even on nightmare station. (We are apping together as CRAU so an existing relationship is not an issue here!)

HISTORY

Raleigh's wikia page

What is your canon exit point?: near-end of movie, just after Raleigh ejects his life pod to exit the Breach + Reverie CRAU

PERSONALITY OVERVIEW

n/a

PERSONALITY QUESTIONS

What skills does your character bring to the situation?

Honestly, Raleigh's only useful skill in this particular scenario is that he can knit. He speaks a dozen languages, he can pilot a giant robot and kill monsters, he's pretty technologically/mechanically savvy... none of which will help him in 6i, aside from perhaps being in excellent physical condition. He can adapt his wall-construction skills to building other things if necessary and is very strong and a fast learner, and is always willing to help others. If he can learn a new skill to help someone with a particular project, he'll be there doing his best. If nothing else, the village will have plenty of cozy knitwear.

Why did you choose this specific character for 6I, and how do you picture them fitting into the game?

I wanted someone who was a Good Person at heart to contrast Blaine, and have missed playing Raleigh and have been looking for a home for him. He always bounced well off a wide variety of characters and several players expressed interest in playing with him here so it seems like an excellent match! As for fit, his best trait for this situation is going to be his willingness to help those in need. Be it with something they need done or just support, as Raleigh is a warm and caring person once he gets past his loss induced, self-imposed isolation. Often someone needing him to be a certain way is what gets him past that, what makes him reach out to others when his instinct is to hermit and not make connections he expects to lose. A lot of his relationships happen despite himself, but then he's always there for you whatever you need, usually with very few questions asked. He forms deep bonds but isn't afraid to challenge people when they go too far or endanger others. This (somewhat newfound, as he was more reckless five years ago) combination of caution and bravery generally serves him well in interpersonal relationships as well as fighting Kaiju, and works well in game settings where there's a wide variety of people to interact with.

How do you imagine your character will survive in 6I, and in what ways will they contribute to the settlement, if any?

Raleigh is someone who does what is necessary. If the village needs hunters, he'll learn to use a bow and head on out. If they need farmers, he'll get out in the mud and grow food or care for animals. If they need an electrician or something built, he's actually got experience and knowledge of those things and will volunteer to help. [expand on this]

How will your character react to...

Being separated, possibly permanently, from loved ones and their previous life, including loss of powers, if applicable?

Raleigh has next to no remaining connections in his home world -- the only person he cares for deeply left alive is his co-pilot Mako Mori, who he'll hopefully only be separated from for a short time. In Reverie they came to terms with the fact that they were in the future somehow and likely could not return to their world, but decided that since they'd saved the planet it would be alright on its own. As long as they had each other, they'd be fine. Being separated from Mako would be devastating to Raleigh, as he loves her more than life itself. He would withdraw from all human interaction again, similar to how he was when he lost his brother Yancy, existing as a hermit and drifting through the motions of life like a ghost. He'd wait at the fountain or bunker daily in hopes she would appear, because she can't just be lost in space without him. He's not immune to new connections, though, for all his efforts, and bonds deeply with others depending on circumstance. He's a survivor and won't do anything drastic, just will have to be pulled from his shell again.

Their environment being manipulated, possibly in strange or extraordinary ways, and possibly in ways which restrain them?

Although the environment changing around him will be familiar enough -- Raleigh is used to his world changing due to Kaiju attacks and experienced the stations manipulations and alterations in Reverie -- he will hate being restrained. Though so much of his life has been following orders, Raleigh always ultimately makes his own decisions and being unable to do so in any capacity will frustrate him to no end. [expand on this]

Being physically and/or mentally manipulated, such as having hallucinations or suddenly possessing special abilities they did not have before?

Raleigh is pretty used to this from his time in Reverie, which was a horror game (both psychological and body horror). Things being done directly to him that affect his mood or cause him to hallucinate -- this happened to him via action request in sample 2, the post with Mako -- are no longer foreign concepts and he will take it in stride. He once experienced copper growing under his skin, freezing his joints, as well, but came to accept that all these things pass and will believe instances such as this in 6i happen either as either some kind of sick bad luck (what he ultimately believed in Reverie) or are someone's experiment to see how he'd react. What will surprise him is the discovery of special abilities, and he'll wonder where they came from and what else has been done to him, in the interim. It'll likely be less traumatic for him, though, especially as (from the colors I believe are appropriate for him) he'll be able to use these new abilities to help others. To what end will matter less the longer the kidnappers fail to show themselves.

POWERS & SPECIAL ABILITIES

n/a, mostly. Raleigh is a normal human, but a side effect of Drifting is something called "ghost drift," a deep bond similar to empathy or a twin bond where a person can sense what their co-pilot is feeling outside of the Drift itself. If at all possible we'd like to keep Mako and Raleigh's ghost drift as it's a part of them, but if not that's fine too!

WRITING SAMPLES

SAMPLE 1
Why did you choose this sample? Since Raleigh is a CRAU, I thought it best to include a sample that was representative of how he coped with that situation, at least initially -- he did adjust in time but arrival was rough and set the tone for him in that game. Additionally it's a good example of how I write OTA starters.
Linked or pasted sample: Reverie TDM

SAMPLE 2
Why did you choose this sample? These threads represent Raleigh's most significant CR in Reverie also in this game, Frank and Mako, as listed above. I considered linking them there as examples but I think they can stand as samples of his mindset and my writing in their own right. The post above Mako's starter is also a good longer piece of writing to judge.
Linked or pasted sample: bonding with Frank; admitting he's in love with Mako

SAMPLE 3
Why did you choose this sample? I prefer to offer a sample that takes place in the game I'm apping to, whether threaded on a TDM or composed specifically for it -- [now you have to actually do the TDM, self]
Linked or pasted sample: Sixth Iteration TDM; another network thread