The BLU Sniper (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zero_charisma) wrote2014-05-01 04:38 pm
zero_charisma) wrote2014-05-01 04:38 pm
Route 29 app
Player
Name: San
Personal Journal:fanfictionming
E-mail: mingrps@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: N/A
Timezone: GMT+8
Current Characters in Route: N/A
Character
Name: The BLU Sniper (Canon surname has only been revealed as "Mundy", so head canon name is Robert Mundy.)
Series: Team Fortress 2
Timeline: After the RED and BLU teams were dissolved following the takeover by Grey Mann, during the first issue of the Ring of Fired comics.
Canon Resource Links: Official Sniper Biography, Meet the Sniper and Wiki page. Sniper responses in game also highlights a lot of his personality.
The following are a list of comics where Sniper makes an appearance up till the Ring of Fired comics; the first two are particularly important to Sniper's character: Introducing Jarate, Meet the Director, A Fate worse than Chess and Shadow Boxers.
Admittedly the "Meet the team Videos" and the comics showcase the RED Sniper, but the BLU Sniper is very much similar to his RED counterpart as he shares the exact same voice responses, comments and taunts as the RED Sniper in game.
Lastly for some background on the Australians in the Team Fortress 2 universe, there's this comic page.
Personality:
"In his former life as a tracker of dangerous game in the unforgiving Australian outback, the Sniper would spend months by himself. Prolonged isolation taught him a valuable lesson: You don't have to rely on other people if you never miss."
The BLU Sniper is a man who is perfectly content and able to function without human company for prolonged periods of time. Most of the BLU team will be guns a-blazing and charging the front line together as a team (or in the Engineer's case, providing ammo and health pack support), but the Sniper's Modus Operandi will have him camping alone at isolated spots far away to pick off his enemies. It's definitely a lonely job, but he's never been bothered by the solitary nature of it. You could argue that he actually prefers to act on his own actually, because the Sniper has a fiercely independent streak in him. There is no I in Teamwork, but there is an I in Sniper and he would rather work by himself without depending on anyone's help. Having lived alone for a long time in the dangerous Australian outback, he's learned to be self-sufficient and to rely on no one but himself, and that hasn't changed since he's become a member of BLU. Out of all the BLU members he and the Spy are the two BLUs who require the least assistance from their team mates because the nature of their job requires them to strike it out solo.
The fact that he's managed to survive so long by himself in difficult conditions is due to his incredible marksmanship. Sniper takes a lot of pride in his ability to take down anything within his rifle's sights with a shot to the head. He's not shy about his deadly aim either; if asked, he will brag to the high heavens about what a great shot he is. He's very passionate about sniping, and he will defend his choice of profession to his dying breath as a perfectly respectable occupation. People could accuse him of being a crazed gunman, but he's very insistent that he's a professional with standards, and that he doesn't kill with his emotions. In a sense that's true; it's not the blood or the killing that gets him excited. It's the challenge of the hunt and proving himself as the better man that drives him to such an extent. It's all about being polite, being efficient, and having a plan to kill every single person you meet.
And speaking of how good he is at his job, he loves to establish his superiority to the other classes. His insults are very harsh and cutting, specifically crafted based on each individual's traits to hit where it hurts the most. Sniper likes running people down especially after he's taken them down; it's like the cherry on top of a bloody sundae, the final touches to a well-timed and aimed shot. He doesn't just insult people on their looks either; his insults are meant to make their recipients feel inferior , unloved and unwanted by their own team mates. For Sniper, nothing is sweeter than winning and making sure the other person knows it.
It's hinted by the Director in the Meet the Director comic that Sniper has had a tough time fitting into the role expected of him as an Australian. Given what the stereotypical Australian is in TF2's canon, it's not surprising that it raises his hackles then when people remind him of how he's failed in that regard (and rather miserably too. The typical Australian is shown to be muscular and prefer to handle their problems directly with their fists, while Sniper opts to take his shots from far away and is as skinny as a twig). He starts getting increasingly ticked off at the Director as the man continues to remind the Sniper on how he's viewed as an Australian and as a crazed assassin, and it's only because Miss Pauling quickly brings up that they've arrived at their destinations that the situation is diffused. It's very possible that both his desire to be the best at sniping and his penchant for tearing others down stem from the fact that he feels some level of inferiority to 'dinkum Australians', and why he certainly makes it a point to establish, loud and clear to anyone who will listen, that he's just as true-blue as any other muscle-headed moustached idiot who can't aim to save their life. In fact, he'd claim he's even better than they are and he loves bringing this point up when faced with his RED counterpart. It's also possible that he decided to pick up sniping because he wanted some leg-up against the other Australians, something that makes him superior to all of them. I'd say that he loves the power that the rifle gives him, and that it does make him feel stronger and better than those who mock him for his scrawny stature.
His profession has certainly lead to much friction between him and his parents, his father in particular. While Sniper does care very much for his parents and he does make it a point to keep in touch with them through phone calls, he hates the arguments that he gets into with his dad and he does try hard to justify his choice and his life to them. Despite his tense relationship with them though he is very protective of their well-being, and threats to them will get him riled up quickly and baying for blood, as he made clear in the Meet the Director comic. I do think that Sniper views family as important, because they're quite frankly speaking the only people he can trust. Especially after the Director debacle, where he's learned about the dangers of even discussing his personal life to seemingly innocent parties.
Sniper's also got quite a temper on him despite his insistence that he doesn't act on his feelings while at work. He yells at his team mates a lot when they're losing a match, and he's not afraid to make treats and carry them out on people who cross him or threaten to hurt his parents. However he does adhere to some standards that he imposes on himself. Namely that there's nothing, or there should be, nothing personal when he takes someone down. It's true that he enjoys feeling smug and superior, but for for all his yelling and insults he doesn't really hold a grudge towards the REDs. He does get angry when the BLUs lose a match, but that's because he views it as more of a failure at winning the match rather than any actual ill will towards his team mates. I personally think that he hates the idea of losing because it brings back his insecurity about himself, and that he lashes out at the BLUs because he'd rather pretend it's their fault rather than any short-comings of his own.
He hasn't got a high opinion of other human beings either. As he mentions in the Meet the Sniper video, "-'cause at the end of the day, long as there's two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead.". To me this shows that Sniper is more likely to see the worst in others, and is a strong reason why he prefers to work solo. He assumes that human nature by default will seek to establish dominance over others and that you either fight back and become number one, or you get swallowed up by the competition. It's a very, "the strong will survive and thrive" mentality, which would not be amiss in the Australia in the TF2 canon (Australians choose their king by having the candidate engage in a boxing match with a kangaroo. Those critters are cute, but you don't want to be at the receiving end of a kick from them.) This pessimistic outlook on humanity further cements his belief that he can trust no one but himself as everyone else is out to get you.
On a normal day-to-day basis though, Sniper can hold perfectly civil conversations with people. He's capable of being polite and even helpful on occasion. But he is far from a law-abiding citizen and has rather neutral views on good and evil. He's really just there to do his job, and to do it well. He doesn't care about the moral or ethical aspects of assassinations. Whether it's an animal or a human being, Sniper will shoot'em all just to prove that he's truly the Number #1 Sniper.
Also, he pees in jars and uses that as a weapon against pesky Spies. Make of that what you will, but Sniper insists that it's a perfectly reasonable and extremely strategic tactic and anyone who criticizes him on that is welcome to experience the horrors of Jarate, first-hand.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Strengths
1. Sniper has amazing aim, and is capable of taking out his enemies with deadly accuracy and in quick succession, be it with his bolt-action rifle or with a bow and some arrows.
2. He's also quite attuned to his surroundings. Having lived by himself in the wilderness for so long, he's had to be very alert to keep himself alive.
3. Despite how much the team tends to laugh at him for being a far-range support class member it's foolish to assume that he's a coward that's unable to handle direct confrontation. Sniper is pretty brave and will prefer to stand his ground and fight despite him being at an obvious disadvantage.
4. A harsh environment with extremely hot temperatures and dangerous animals the Australian Outback can prove to be merciless to the unprepared, but Sniper has proven that he can take care of himself without any help from anyone. He is very self-sufficient and he adapts to difficult and/or unfamiliar situations quite fluidly. You won't see him on the network asking for help anytime soon.
5. He doesn't trust easily but Sniper's proven himself to come through when it comes to those he cares about. His mum and dad are two very important people to him and anyone who threatens them will be dealt with. His Pokemon may find him grouchy and difficult to get along with at the start (the man isn't exactly a smiley guy), but once they prove their loyalty and obedience Sniper will go through hell and highwater to protect them from any harm. He'll probably find it easier to open up to Pokemon and trust them too, by virtue of the fact that they're not human beings and will be raised by him. He'll get to know them very well and will eventually come to view those who trust in him as family members that he needs to protect. It's an odd stroke of luck for him, but Sniper will actually be able to develop a strong level of loyalty with his Pokemon team; a surprising feat for a man as distrustful and distant as he is.
6. A professional who abides by a code of conduct, Sniper does as he's told so long as he's being paid. It doesn't matter if things look bad or if robots are taking over the world; if he's got a contract he will make sure to keep to the terms, so long as the other end of the bargain is upheld.
7. For a man with a bad temper the Sniper is capable of being extremely patient. His job sometimes requires him to sit on hours on end just waiting for the right moment to take that perfect shot. The feeling of a job well done is definitely worth the wait though, and will serve him well as he tries to adjust to the Pokemon world.
8. Lastly, he's a very determined and strong-willed individual. Sniper doesn't give up easily despite all the hardships he's gone through in life. Adjusting to his new life in Route is definitely going to be tough on him as he's lost the main source of his pride, but despite the speed bumps along the way he'll definitely pull through at the end out of sheer stubbornness and pride. He refuses to bend or break under pressure. He'll craft arrows out of wood and cardboard if he has too; if there's a way for him to bend the rules about weaponry, you can bet good money that he'll find it.
Weaknesses
1. An immense distrust of people and a preference to be alone makes Sniper a distant man at best, and a very anti-social one at worst. Communication is definitely a key issue with him, and it is very difficult for him to build any form of positive relationship with other people.
2. His tendency to run other people down probably won't adhere him to people either. Sniper's tongue is sharp and cuts deep just like his knife, and he doesn't hesitate to speak out his mind and let people know exactly what he thinks about them for good or bad.
3. The man isn't built to take a punch. At 125 hit points Sniper has the second lowest health in the game. He's tough and wiry, but out of the entire team he's the worst at close combat.
4. A bad temper also means that Sniper retaliates to slights. He won't hesitate to get into a bar brawl and pushing him far enough will have him out for the culprit's blood, literally.
5. He buries it deep inside but he does feel insecure about himself and his identity as an Australian. It's very important to Sniper to prove himself to the world, sometimes at the cost of common sense and logic. This is a guy who will poke a sleeping Gyrados if someone challenged him to do so to prove his Australian-ness.
6. He's not exactly crazy but neither is he a good guy. Sniper doesn't hesitate to kill and he doesn't feel any guilt or remorse about it. He does his job as he's asked to do and that's that. He is aware though that not many people view this as a 'normal' opinion, and that just further strengthens his resentment against those who view him as a bit of a nutjob. Call him a killer, but don't call him crazy.
7. His pride renders him stubborn as heck. Even if he's in danger and in need of assistance, Sniper would prefer to go down swinging then seek help from anyone else. And given that a huge proportion of Route's population are teenagers? He'd rather die than ask them for help of any kind, and you can bet that any who try to tell him what he can't and can't do will be told to bugger off.
8. Lastly, he's going to be in a bit of a bad place when he wakes up without his sniping rifle. He doesn't even get bow and arrows! A lot of Sniper's identity is tied to that of his job, and the shift away from that will be disorientating and frustrating for Sniper in the first few weeks. He's going to be far more irritable and easier to provoke, and coupled with his stubborn nature and bad temper? That's a recipe for sure disaster. He's also likely to push other people away and keep to himself a lot more as the emergence of his insecurity will tie back to his distrust of people. It's a good thing that he's pretty good at surviving on his own because he's going to pretty much retreat into himself and avoid as much human contact as possible.
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Breeder
Starter: Cubone
Password: Caramel Popcorn
Samples
First Person Sample:
[It's three o clock in the morning but a video call goes out to every person with a functioning Pokegear. A frantic Cubone knocks at the screen with his bone, squeaking his name out in panic; it's quite clear that something's gone terribly wrong.
There's not much light save for a torch nearby and sharp listeners can hear stifled gasps of pain coming from the direction of the beam, along with a flash of blue cloth stained with blood. The Cubone pleads with whoever who's listening on the other side. They need help, his trainer is injured and they're alone in the mountains with no one around to help them and things look bad-
-...abruptly, the Gear is plucked off the ground and away from the stuttering Pokemon. Sniper's brow is beaded with sweat and the line-face he usually carries as his default expression has a grim touch to it. There's a cut on his forehead with dried blood smeared around it, but that's not the reason why his Cubone had made this call out.
His voice is calm, but there's a forced casualness to it that's not normally there. Sniper apologizes to the watching crowd though, despite the now unseen squeaking Cubone that's out of the Gear's view.]
Awfully sorry to have disturbed you lot. Courage here's just a little twitchy; don't think the little tyke's seen blood before. I-
[There's a sharp inhale of breath and a pause for a second or two as pain flashes across his face briefly. It takes him but a quick moment to compose himself though.]
-...had a small fall. It's nothing to worry about, just scratched me leg a little, it's all. I'll be fine.
[His insistence is all said through gritted teeth; something's gone horribly wrong, but Sniper's not telling.]
G'night, and sorry again for troubling you.
[And with that one last quick word of apology he's switched off the feed.]
Third Person Sample: With a loud gasp of pain, Sniper just about flung the Gear down to the ground as his hands scramble down to press against his bleeding leg. What he had just described as 'a scratch' was actually a long and deep gash that had torn his pants leg to tatters, and streaming blood all over the place. Unable to stand any longer, he collapses onto the ground from pain and takes deep breaths, trying his best to overcome the waves of agony emitting from his injured leg.
Nearby, Courage whimpers and holds his head in his hands, but makes no further attempt to help out after Sniper cut off the Cubone's SOS. The two of them are alone on a ledge, and the only sounds that could be heard are Sniper's wheezing and the Cubone's sad sounds.
Eventually though, Sniper leans back against the rocky wall and shuts his eyes tight, trying to figure out a plan to get them both out of this mess. His leg was a mess and he could barely place any weight on it, but he wasn't so damaged to the point that he couldn't move. From what he could tell the sharp edges of the mountain side he had fallen down on had carved into his leg, but the bone was miraculously untouched. He can still manage this. He doesn't need help from anyone, especially some nosy kids who wouldn't survive two days in the Bush without running their mouths on the network, begging for someone to save them.
Reaching over blindly, his fingers brush against the strap of his back pack. Gritting his teeth, he quickly heaves himself forward, strangling that yell that nearly burst out from his throat. His hand wraps around the rough fabric though and he feels the back pack towards him. Dumping everything on the ground, he ignores the Breeder's guide and the Pokechow he'd bought at the last town and looks for the spare shirt he'd found in the pack when he first arrived here. He'd be able to do a neater job with his knife, but beggers can't be choosers. His fingernails dig into the threads and he rips the shirt into shreds.
As he works to wrap his leg up proper, he starts to feel more in charge of the situation. He's patched himself up before with worse injuries; what's a little cut like this? He must've gotten soft since joining the BLU team, what with the Medic and the Engineer around to help fix him up whenever he needed healing. Scolding himself for slacking, it's the familiarity of bandaging an open wound, of managing himself and surviving in unfamiliar territory by himself, that actually does help him feel better if only because it's a routine, and one that he's done many times before.
He hears a sniffle; looking up, he sees his Cubone standing apart from him, head still held low and unable to look at his trainer. With a sigh, Sniper knots the makeshit bandages in place and extends a hand.
"Oi, Courage. Look at me when I'm talking to you."
The Cubone peeks out through his fingers, full of sorrow and fear. Sniper sighs again and beckons towards the Pokemon.
"Come here. Do as you're told now, that's a good boy." Reluctantly, the Cubone creeps forward until he's within grasp. Sniper glances down at the tiny thing and carefully takes hold of the Cubone, bringing it close to his chest for a hug.
"You gotta be more careful mate," he whispers softly. The Cubone starts whimpering again, but Sniper keeps his tone gentle, revealing a side of him not very well-known to others. "I'm not mad at you, ya silly thing. But you gotta watch your step more, alright? I might not be able to get to you fast enough the next time you slip off a mountain." Courage makes a weak nod, and mutters soft apologies in his native tongue. Sniper knows he's sorry, knows that he's apologizing for being weak and troublesome and for getting his trainer into trouble. One hand pats the back of the sad Cubone gently and Sniper stays mute, waiting for the Pokemon to stop clutching him tightly. It's only been a few months, but there's something to be said about a bond between a Breeder and his Pokemon. Sniper just needed to spend a day with the Cubone to see that there's no guile or meanness in Courage, and while that makes battles a prolonged and often difficult affair, Sniper's glad that somehow in a world where monsters and teenagers roam hand in hand, he's found someone he can actually trust.
The walk down the mountain is going to be long. It's going to be arduous, and it's going to hurt like anything. But like hell will Sniper sacrifice his pride; he'll make that long journey back to town without any help from anyone. He doesn't need some ankle-biters poking their nose into his business.
"It's just you and me, Courage. Just the two of us against the world, and we'll show'em all."
Name: San
Personal Journal:
fanfictionmingE-mail: mingrps@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: N/A
Timezone: GMT+8
Current Characters in Route: N/A
Character
Name: The BLU Sniper (Canon surname has only been revealed as "Mundy", so head canon name is Robert Mundy.)
Series: Team Fortress 2
Timeline: After the RED and BLU teams were dissolved following the takeover by Grey Mann, during the first issue of the Ring of Fired comics.
Canon Resource Links: Official Sniper Biography, Meet the Sniper and Wiki page. Sniper responses in game also highlights a lot of his personality.
The following are a list of comics where Sniper makes an appearance up till the Ring of Fired comics; the first two are particularly important to Sniper's character: Introducing Jarate, Meet the Director, A Fate worse than Chess and Shadow Boxers.
Admittedly the "Meet the team Videos" and the comics showcase the RED Sniper, but the BLU Sniper is very much similar to his RED counterpart as he shares the exact same voice responses, comments and taunts as the RED Sniper in game.
Lastly for some background on the Australians in the Team Fortress 2 universe, there's this comic page.
Personality:
"In his former life as a tracker of dangerous game in the unforgiving Australian outback, the Sniper would spend months by himself. Prolonged isolation taught him a valuable lesson: You don't have to rely on other people if you never miss."
The BLU Sniper is a man who is perfectly content and able to function without human company for prolonged periods of time. Most of the BLU team will be guns a-blazing and charging the front line together as a team (or in the Engineer's case, providing ammo and health pack support), but the Sniper's Modus Operandi will have him camping alone at isolated spots far away to pick off his enemies. It's definitely a lonely job, but he's never been bothered by the solitary nature of it. You could argue that he actually prefers to act on his own actually, because the Sniper has a fiercely independent streak in him. There is no I in Teamwork, but there is an I in Sniper and he would rather work by himself without depending on anyone's help. Having lived alone for a long time in the dangerous Australian outback, he's learned to be self-sufficient and to rely on no one but himself, and that hasn't changed since he's become a member of BLU. Out of all the BLU members he and the Spy are the two BLUs who require the least assistance from their team mates because the nature of their job requires them to strike it out solo.
The fact that he's managed to survive so long by himself in difficult conditions is due to his incredible marksmanship. Sniper takes a lot of pride in his ability to take down anything within his rifle's sights with a shot to the head. He's not shy about his deadly aim either; if asked, he will brag to the high heavens about what a great shot he is. He's very passionate about sniping, and he will defend his choice of profession to his dying breath as a perfectly respectable occupation. People could accuse him of being a crazed gunman, but he's very insistent that he's a professional with standards, and that he doesn't kill with his emotions. In a sense that's true; it's not the blood or the killing that gets him excited. It's the challenge of the hunt and proving himself as the better man that drives him to such an extent. It's all about being polite, being efficient, and having a plan to kill every single person you meet.
And speaking of how good he is at his job, he loves to establish his superiority to the other classes. His insults are very harsh and cutting, specifically crafted based on each individual's traits to hit where it hurts the most. Sniper likes running people down especially after he's taken them down; it's like the cherry on top of a bloody sundae, the final touches to a well-timed and aimed shot. He doesn't just insult people on their looks either; his insults are meant to make their recipients feel inferior , unloved and unwanted by their own team mates. For Sniper, nothing is sweeter than winning and making sure the other person knows it.
It's hinted by the Director in the Meet the Director comic that Sniper has had a tough time fitting into the role expected of him as an Australian. Given what the stereotypical Australian is in TF2's canon, it's not surprising that it raises his hackles then when people remind him of how he's failed in that regard (and rather miserably too. The typical Australian is shown to be muscular and prefer to handle their problems directly with their fists, while Sniper opts to take his shots from far away and is as skinny as a twig). He starts getting increasingly ticked off at the Director as the man continues to remind the Sniper on how he's viewed as an Australian and as a crazed assassin, and it's only because Miss Pauling quickly brings up that they've arrived at their destinations that the situation is diffused. It's very possible that both his desire to be the best at sniping and his penchant for tearing others down stem from the fact that he feels some level of inferiority to 'dinkum Australians', and why he certainly makes it a point to establish, loud and clear to anyone who will listen, that he's just as true-blue as any other muscle-headed moustached idiot who can't aim to save their life. In fact, he'd claim he's even better than they are and he loves bringing this point up when faced with his RED counterpart. It's also possible that he decided to pick up sniping because he wanted some leg-up against the other Australians, something that makes him superior to all of them. I'd say that he loves the power that the rifle gives him, and that it does make him feel stronger and better than those who mock him for his scrawny stature.
His profession has certainly lead to much friction between him and his parents, his father in particular. While Sniper does care very much for his parents and he does make it a point to keep in touch with them through phone calls, he hates the arguments that he gets into with his dad and he does try hard to justify his choice and his life to them. Despite his tense relationship with them though he is very protective of their well-being, and threats to them will get him riled up quickly and baying for blood, as he made clear in the Meet the Director comic. I do think that Sniper views family as important, because they're quite frankly speaking the only people he can trust. Especially after the Director debacle, where he's learned about the dangers of even discussing his personal life to seemingly innocent parties.
Sniper's also got quite a temper on him despite his insistence that he doesn't act on his feelings while at work. He yells at his team mates a lot when they're losing a match, and he's not afraid to make treats and carry them out on people who cross him or threaten to hurt his parents. However he does adhere to some standards that he imposes on himself. Namely that there's nothing, or there should be, nothing personal when he takes someone down. It's true that he enjoys feeling smug and superior, but for for all his yelling and insults he doesn't really hold a grudge towards the REDs. He does get angry when the BLUs lose a match, but that's because he views it as more of a failure at winning the match rather than any actual ill will towards his team mates. I personally think that he hates the idea of losing because it brings back his insecurity about himself, and that he lashes out at the BLUs because he'd rather pretend it's their fault rather than any short-comings of his own.
He hasn't got a high opinion of other human beings either. As he mentions in the Meet the Sniper video, "-'cause at the end of the day, long as there's two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead.". To me this shows that Sniper is more likely to see the worst in others, and is a strong reason why he prefers to work solo. He assumes that human nature by default will seek to establish dominance over others and that you either fight back and become number one, or you get swallowed up by the competition. It's a very, "the strong will survive and thrive" mentality, which would not be amiss in the Australia in the TF2 canon (Australians choose their king by having the candidate engage in a boxing match with a kangaroo. Those critters are cute, but you don't want to be at the receiving end of a kick from them.) This pessimistic outlook on humanity further cements his belief that he can trust no one but himself as everyone else is out to get you.
On a normal day-to-day basis though, Sniper can hold perfectly civil conversations with people. He's capable of being polite and even helpful on occasion. But he is far from a law-abiding citizen and has rather neutral views on good and evil. He's really just there to do his job, and to do it well. He doesn't care about the moral or ethical aspects of assassinations. Whether it's an animal or a human being, Sniper will shoot'em all just to prove that he's truly the Number #1 Sniper.
Also, he pees in jars and uses that as a weapon against pesky Spies. Make of that what you will, but Sniper insists that it's a perfectly reasonable and extremely strategic tactic and anyone who criticizes him on that is welcome to experience the horrors of Jarate, first-hand.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Strengths
1. Sniper has amazing aim, and is capable of taking out his enemies with deadly accuracy and in quick succession, be it with his bolt-action rifle or with a bow and some arrows.
2. He's also quite attuned to his surroundings. Having lived by himself in the wilderness for so long, he's had to be very alert to keep himself alive.
3. Despite how much the team tends to laugh at him for being a far-range support class member it's foolish to assume that he's a coward that's unable to handle direct confrontation. Sniper is pretty brave and will prefer to stand his ground and fight despite him being at an obvious disadvantage.
4. A harsh environment with extremely hot temperatures and dangerous animals the Australian Outback can prove to be merciless to the unprepared, but Sniper has proven that he can take care of himself without any help from anyone. He is very self-sufficient and he adapts to difficult and/or unfamiliar situations quite fluidly. You won't see him on the network asking for help anytime soon.
5. He doesn't trust easily but Sniper's proven himself to come through when it comes to those he cares about. His mum and dad are two very important people to him and anyone who threatens them will be dealt with. His Pokemon may find him grouchy and difficult to get along with at the start (the man isn't exactly a smiley guy), but once they prove their loyalty and obedience Sniper will go through hell and highwater to protect them from any harm. He'll probably find it easier to open up to Pokemon and trust them too, by virtue of the fact that they're not human beings and will be raised by him. He'll get to know them very well and will eventually come to view those who trust in him as family members that he needs to protect. It's an odd stroke of luck for him, but Sniper will actually be able to develop a strong level of loyalty with his Pokemon team; a surprising feat for a man as distrustful and distant as he is.
6. A professional who abides by a code of conduct, Sniper does as he's told so long as he's being paid. It doesn't matter if things look bad or if robots are taking over the world; if he's got a contract he will make sure to keep to the terms, so long as the other end of the bargain is upheld.
7. For a man with a bad temper the Sniper is capable of being extremely patient. His job sometimes requires him to sit on hours on end just waiting for the right moment to take that perfect shot. The feeling of a job well done is definitely worth the wait though, and will serve him well as he tries to adjust to the Pokemon world.
8. Lastly, he's a very determined and strong-willed individual. Sniper doesn't give up easily despite all the hardships he's gone through in life. Adjusting to his new life in Route is definitely going to be tough on him as he's lost the main source of his pride, but despite the speed bumps along the way he'll definitely pull through at the end out of sheer stubbornness and pride. He refuses to bend or break under pressure. He'll craft arrows out of wood and cardboard if he has too; if there's a way for him to bend the rules about weaponry, you can bet good money that he'll find it.
Weaknesses
1. An immense distrust of people and a preference to be alone makes Sniper a distant man at best, and a very anti-social one at worst. Communication is definitely a key issue with him, and it is very difficult for him to build any form of positive relationship with other people.
2. His tendency to run other people down probably won't adhere him to people either. Sniper's tongue is sharp and cuts deep just like his knife, and he doesn't hesitate to speak out his mind and let people know exactly what he thinks about them for good or bad.
3. The man isn't built to take a punch. At 125 hit points Sniper has the second lowest health in the game. He's tough and wiry, but out of the entire team he's the worst at close combat.
4. A bad temper also means that Sniper retaliates to slights. He won't hesitate to get into a bar brawl and pushing him far enough will have him out for the culprit's blood, literally.
5. He buries it deep inside but he does feel insecure about himself and his identity as an Australian. It's very important to Sniper to prove himself to the world, sometimes at the cost of common sense and logic. This is a guy who will poke a sleeping Gyrados if someone challenged him to do so to prove his Australian-ness.
6. He's not exactly crazy but neither is he a good guy. Sniper doesn't hesitate to kill and he doesn't feel any guilt or remorse about it. He does his job as he's asked to do and that's that. He is aware though that not many people view this as a 'normal' opinion, and that just further strengthens his resentment against those who view him as a bit of a nutjob. Call him a killer, but don't call him crazy.
7. His pride renders him stubborn as heck. Even if he's in danger and in need of assistance, Sniper would prefer to go down swinging then seek help from anyone else. And given that a huge proportion of Route's population are teenagers? He'd rather die than ask them for help of any kind, and you can bet that any who try to tell him what he can't and can't do will be told to bugger off.
8. Lastly, he's going to be in a bit of a bad place when he wakes up without his sniping rifle. He doesn't even get bow and arrows! A lot of Sniper's identity is tied to that of his job, and the shift away from that will be disorientating and frustrating for Sniper in the first few weeks. He's going to be far more irritable and easier to provoke, and coupled with his stubborn nature and bad temper? That's a recipe for sure disaster. He's also likely to push other people away and keep to himself a lot more as the emergence of his insecurity will tie back to his distrust of people. It's a good thing that he's pretty good at surviving on his own because he's going to pretty much retreat into himself and avoid as much human contact as possible.
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Breeder
Starter: Cubone
Password: Caramel Popcorn
Samples
First Person Sample:
[It's three o clock in the morning but a video call goes out to every person with a functioning Pokegear. A frantic Cubone knocks at the screen with his bone, squeaking his name out in panic; it's quite clear that something's gone terribly wrong.
There's not much light save for a torch nearby and sharp listeners can hear stifled gasps of pain coming from the direction of the beam, along with a flash of blue cloth stained with blood. The Cubone pleads with whoever who's listening on the other side. They need help, his trainer is injured and they're alone in the mountains with no one around to help them and things look bad-
-...abruptly, the Gear is plucked off the ground and away from the stuttering Pokemon. Sniper's brow is beaded with sweat and the line-face he usually carries as his default expression has a grim touch to it. There's a cut on his forehead with dried blood smeared around it, but that's not the reason why his Cubone had made this call out.
His voice is calm, but there's a forced casualness to it that's not normally there. Sniper apologizes to the watching crowd though, despite the now unseen squeaking Cubone that's out of the Gear's view.]
Awfully sorry to have disturbed you lot. Courage here's just a little twitchy; don't think the little tyke's seen blood before. I-
[There's a sharp inhale of breath and a pause for a second or two as pain flashes across his face briefly. It takes him but a quick moment to compose himself though.]
-...had a small fall. It's nothing to worry about, just scratched me leg a little, it's all. I'll be fine.
[His insistence is all said through gritted teeth; something's gone horribly wrong, but Sniper's not telling.]
G'night, and sorry again for troubling you.
[And with that one last quick word of apology he's switched off the feed.]
Third Person Sample: With a loud gasp of pain, Sniper just about flung the Gear down to the ground as his hands scramble down to press against his bleeding leg. What he had just described as 'a scratch' was actually a long and deep gash that had torn his pants leg to tatters, and streaming blood all over the place. Unable to stand any longer, he collapses onto the ground from pain and takes deep breaths, trying his best to overcome the waves of agony emitting from his injured leg.
Nearby, Courage whimpers and holds his head in his hands, but makes no further attempt to help out after Sniper cut off the Cubone's SOS. The two of them are alone on a ledge, and the only sounds that could be heard are Sniper's wheezing and the Cubone's sad sounds.
Eventually though, Sniper leans back against the rocky wall and shuts his eyes tight, trying to figure out a plan to get them both out of this mess. His leg was a mess and he could barely place any weight on it, but he wasn't so damaged to the point that he couldn't move. From what he could tell the sharp edges of the mountain side he had fallen down on had carved into his leg, but the bone was miraculously untouched. He can still manage this. He doesn't need help from anyone, especially some nosy kids who wouldn't survive two days in the Bush without running their mouths on the network, begging for someone to save them.
Reaching over blindly, his fingers brush against the strap of his back pack. Gritting his teeth, he quickly heaves himself forward, strangling that yell that nearly burst out from his throat. His hand wraps around the rough fabric though and he feels the back pack towards him. Dumping everything on the ground, he ignores the Breeder's guide and the Pokechow he'd bought at the last town and looks for the spare shirt he'd found in the pack when he first arrived here. He'd be able to do a neater job with his knife, but beggers can't be choosers. His fingernails dig into the threads and he rips the shirt into shreds.
As he works to wrap his leg up proper, he starts to feel more in charge of the situation. He's patched himself up before with worse injuries; what's a little cut like this? He must've gotten soft since joining the BLU team, what with the Medic and the Engineer around to help fix him up whenever he needed healing. Scolding himself for slacking, it's the familiarity of bandaging an open wound, of managing himself and surviving in unfamiliar territory by himself, that actually does help him feel better if only because it's a routine, and one that he's done many times before.
He hears a sniffle; looking up, he sees his Cubone standing apart from him, head still held low and unable to look at his trainer. With a sigh, Sniper knots the makeshit bandages in place and extends a hand.
"Oi, Courage. Look at me when I'm talking to you."
The Cubone peeks out through his fingers, full of sorrow and fear. Sniper sighs again and beckons towards the Pokemon.
"Come here. Do as you're told now, that's a good boy." Reluctantly, the Cubone creeps forward until he's within grasp. Sniper glances down at the tiny thing and carefully takes hold of the Cubone, bringing it close to his chest for a hug.
"You gotta be more careful mate," he whispers softly. The Cubone starts whimpering again, but Sniper keeps his tone gentle, revealing a side of him not very well-known to others. "I'm not mad at you, ya silly thing. But you gotta watch your step more, alright? I might not be able to get to you fast enough the next time you slip off a mountain." Courage makes a weak nod, and mutters soft apologies in his native tongue. Sniper knows he's sorry, knows that he's apologizing for being weak and troublesome and for getting his trainer into trouble. One hand pats the back of the sad Cubone gently and Sniper stays mute, waiting for the Pokemon to stop clutching him tightly. It's only been a few months, but there's something to be said about a bond between a Breeder and his Pokemon. Sniper just needed to spend a day with the Cubone to see that there's no guile or meanness in Courage, and while that makes battles a prolonged and often difficult affair, Sniper's glad that somehow in a world where monsters and teenagers roam hand in hand, he's found someone he can actually trust.
The walk down the mountain is going to be long. It's going to be arduous, and it's going to hurt like anything. But like hell will Sniper sacrifice his pride; he'll make that long journey back to town without any help from anyone. He doesn't need some ankle-biters poking their nose into his business.
"It's just you and me, Courage. Just the two of us against the world, and we'll show'em all."