when priest is not in his standard work uniform (the three-piece suit) he can usually be found at home wearing a black sleeveless shirt, black sweatpants, and the occasional house sweater to accompany it.
but on the off-chance you happen upon him in very certain circumstances ... you can find him in colorful tee-shirts with funny images or captions on them. he usually wears each of these shirts just once, otherwise they live in an unpacked box in his living room, pushed off to the corner. however there is one shirt her wears often enough:
just wrap your mind around that. he’s quite fond of this one. ---it’s not often, it’s a rare occurrence ... but it’s the only shirt he’s worn more than once from the collection.
he doesn’t speak of the time he was called into work on emergency business and didn’t have the chance to change before he made it into the building. it was a long lift ride down to the basement wearing his pineapple slut shirt, black sweatpants, and work boots.
one of the most obvious points of contention in the final fantasy seven world centers around platefall and the massive affect it took with each of the characters within the realm of the game. as a turk it’s important to note what priest’s stance on platefall was / is:
he has none.
this is a man whose spent the better part of his life being carved down to the bare bones of a human: a cog, replaceable if he breaks or falls in any fashion, and this continues into his service as a turk. any semblance of personality he had was knocked out of him in the junon military academy. now, obviously you might say but kay, soldiers have personality. and you’re right, they do. perhaps it’s not fair to say that priest doesn’t have one, when he very much does ... but bootcamp and military training serve to beat all sense of individuality out of the soldier. they’re not there to be cheeky or cute, to give opinions ---they’re there to be a weapon, and to do what they’re told.
that shapes an entire person, and it shaped priest to this very day. since his retirement from active duty he’s obviously gained back some semblance of himself, and there are certainly people who will tell you that he was never anyone other than himself, even if it was slightly diminished. but when it comes to following orders and doing his job, priest turns all parts of himself off. it’s not his business to have an opinion.
so when it comes to the events of platefall and the plans surrounding it, priest turned on that old military training and simply shut off his brain. there’s no connection to what the turks were meant to do, there’s no direct impact on the thousands of innocent lives lost. one can argue priest wasn’t even there, he wouldn’t be as affected by it. and maybe you’re right. he wasn’t there. he didn’t input the code, he didn’t hit the switch. but he didn’t stop it, either. he knew about it ---he probably knew about it before tseng informed reno or rude about it because of his position with PR. who do you think had to make the statement? who do you think went on TV and announced shinra’s stance and plans thereafter? who do you think was the face that publicly pointed the finger at avalanche and absolved shinra of their crime to the rest of midgar?
priest.
somewhere down the road he’ll have some emotion about it. someday when he allows himself to feel something other than apathy or rage or a sense of duty to his work, he’ll realize he’s honestly no better than his ex-wife for being a passerby in that massacre. or for lying to the faces of anyone who watched the statement because it was his job. but until that moment happens?
apathy. nothingness. not even a flicker of anything human regarding it. just ... emptiness.
full name: REDACTED.
nickname(s) / alias(es): priest.
age: thirty-nine (39) as of 0007.
date of birth: august 27, 1968.
hometown: midgar, under plate, sector 6 slums.
current location: travels frequently, base of operations is shinra headquarters in midgar.
ethnicity: caucasian.
nationality: midgardian.
gender: cis male.
pronouns: he / his.
orientation: demiromantic heterosexual.
religion: faithless.
political affiliation: to the public eye he is pro shinra. privately he doesn’t give a shit.
occupation: turk --- sniper specialist, public relations for shinra electric power company.
living arrangements: formerly a large penthouse apartment topside midgar, closer to edge. currently a topside smaller scale apartment ten minute’s walk from the shinra building, but still too spacious for one man.
language(s) spoken: common, wutai.
Physical Appearance
face claim: charlie weber in seasons 1 & 2 of how to get away with murder.
hair colour: light brown.
eye colour: light blue.
height: 5′11″.
weight: 175 lbs.
build: athletic / muscular. mesomorph.
tattoos: none.
piercings: none.
scars: many small scars that are typically not noteworthy. a network of scars along his knuckles in varying thickness and notability. a bullet wound on his lower right abdomen, above the belt line, that appears like a thick cigar burn. a long, thick line running horizontal on his left bicep about half way around. it’s jagged in some parts -- from a knife slash.
clothing style: typical turk dress attire: a three-piece suit and usually a cobalt blue or black tie. the vest of his suit is black when he’s doing turk business and varies in a slew of darker colors and accents when he’s working pr instead. off duty he tends to wear thermal shirts or under armor, flannels, and sweaters.
usual expression: neutral or apathetic. slightly amused at times.
distinguishing characteristics: well-kept and full beard, slicked back hair, icy blue eyes. he’s a large man, so his size is also notable, specifically the width of his shoulders.
Health
physical ailments: his body is pretty beat from the years of service he’s endured. his knees are susceptible to pressure changes in weather systems and his lower back is prone to throwing out if he’s not careful in warming himself up before severe physical exertion. he also has a torn rotator cuff on the right side, but he won’t do anything about it --- he just lets it grind.
neurological conditions: ptsd.
allergies: soy.
sleeping habits: he can function well off of four hours, but usually sleeps six a night.
eating habits: Lots of protein, well-balanced.
exercise habits: cardio and weight training. priest uses working out as a means to relieve stress, so he does it incredibly frequently.
emotional stability: he’s incredibly poised around others, especially when it comes to dealing with the public. but the man’s a mess. a clean 2-3/10 for emotional stability with the primary ruling being anger and apathy which are somehow balanced out by patience ... a trait only learned and mastered because of his specialized training during his time in the military.
sociability: if he knows you, and he’s comfortable around you, he’s social. if he doesn’t know you, or he’s not fond of you ... he’s a “k” kind of person.
body temperature: average, if not slightly warmer.
addictions: nicotine, caffeine. there’s speculation if he’s becoming an alcoholic.
drug use: none.
alcohol use: frequent. perhaps a bit too frequent.
Personality
label: type 3: the achiever.
positive traits: adaptable, charismatic, focused, loyal, methodical, observant, resourceful, steadfast.
negative traits: apathetic, blunt, cynical, faithless, greedy, indulgent, scornful, vague.
goals / desires: at this point in his life priest just wants to do his job and be left the fuck alone. any goal he once had is either too lofty for him by now, or dead in a ditch.
fears: commitment.
hobbies: anything that keeps his hands or head busy. he whittles in his spare time, but he’s quite fond of puzzles too -- like sudoku or crosswords. something engaging. he’d fuck with a rubik’s cube all day if it meant he wasn’t just sitting idle. otherwise, he quite likes shooting.
habits: smoking and drinking are chief among them. otherwise he bites the inside of his cheek a lot, and taps on things: be it himself (arms crossed, tapping his arm) or drumming his fingers on the meeting table in the turk board room when tseng is debriefing.
Favourites
weather: chilly, light jacket weather. overcast.
colour: cobalt blue and anything steely.
music: little bit of everything, but he always leans into heavier rock.
movies: psychological thrillers.
sport: none anymore, but he used to have one hell of a throwing arm when he was younger.
beverage: cognac.
food: black and blue steak.
animal: he doesn’t have a favorite animal per say, but he’s fond of cats.
Family
father: unknown.
mother: cora (deceased).
sibling(s): none.
children: none, and it’ll stay that way if he has anything to say about it.
pet(s): none.
family’s financial status: lower class, hovering just above the poverty line.
Extra
zodiac sign: virgo.
mbti: istp - the crafter.
enneagram: type 3 - the achiever.
temperament: melancholic.
hogwarts house: slytherin.
moral alignment: chaotic neutral
primary vice: wrath.
primary virtue: patience.
element: water.
RULES: Look up “YOUR NAME + CORE + AESTHETIC” on pinterest and choose images to use as a moodboard. feel free to add a little drabble about your character!
tagged by: @chasiingrain
tagging: do it and tag me, bih.
you wander through the world, desperately seeking attention and intimacy, but are ultimately never fully satisfied with the sphere of human connection. you enjoy your relationships, but never truly feel as though you belong the way others seem to. you spend half your time wondering if you have enough friends and whether they like you; and the other half pondering the strange detachment from everyone you know that descends on you more often than it should. everyone who meets you is blessed by having done so, but ultimately you must move on. In the end, your destiny lies in the natural world, the sea, the grasses and stars, and in the act of wandering itself. as a deity, you're the patron god of travel, of weather, of the sea, of ending relationships, of loneliness and of dreams.
you want to consume love. literally. to cut it up with a knife, then stab it with your fork and eat it and let it gather in your belly. to know what it feels like inside of your mouth. and your grandmother always showed it best - food is love is food is love. this is emotion, but represented in a way you understand. a way that you can relate to and, again, consume. it is temporary, but essential. we eat to live, and then we love, but that part can get confusing. but we eat, we all eat. and you might not be able to say 'i love you' in words, but if someone brings you a pie, you can cut yourself a slice and swallow it down and tell them that it tastes really good. you can make sure that they also share a slice. you can see them smile and know that they know that you know. that you did it right this time. i hope you know you're worth a love that exists for longer than the time it takes to eat something. you're worth the words, both said and heard.
