OOC: Cape and Cowl Application

[egohalfempty]

[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: Felinephoenix
AGE: centuries old
JOURNAL: felinephoenix
IM: effpeenix
PLURK: felinephoenix
E-MAIL: felinephoenix@gmail.com
RETURNING: Returning, but no characters in the game at the moment.

[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: Cyd Sherman aka Codex
SERIES: The Guild
CHRONOLOGY: After Season Five.
CLASS: Hero

BACKGROUND:
The Guild is set in a world exactly like ours -- except that a game actually called The Game can become a cult classic MMO and no one thinks that's weird! And in this world a former child prodigy turned sad sack adult, Cyd Sherman (online name: Codex), plays said game. A lot. Like, oh, about eight to ten hours a day.

As you might have guessed, her life sort of sucked. She'd just been fired from her dream job turned dead-end job as concert violinist. Why? Well, see, she kind of... um, set her ex-boyfriend's cello on fire. Yeah. To be fair, though, he totally deserved it. Trevor was a cheating scumbag who would use anyone and everyone to help his music career. A fact poor Cyd only wised up to after she caught him cheating on her. Insert frowny face emoticon here! Anyway, so there she was: no job, no boyfriend, and basically no life. Unless you counted her gaming habit. Sure, she'd never met any of her fellow gamers face-to-face. But they hung out all the time! Sort of. Online. Still, that counted, right? No matter what her therapist kept saying about needing to connect with "real" people.

Little did she know her fantasy life was about to get a lot more real. One of her Guild members had gone missing... only to show up on her doorstep.

See, Zaboo (real name Sujan Balakrishnan Goldberg) had mistaken their in-game chats for real flirting. Which it wasn't! No way! That's not the point — the point is that now Cyd had found herself basically being stalked from her own apartment. Lucky for her (and only her) the guild was dealing with a major dilemma -- their youngest member, Bladezz (real name: Simon Kemplar) had just gotten himself temporarily banned from The Game for being a trolling teenager. Perfect excuse for Cyd to start doing what her therapist always said she should do: build a socially approved support system!
And she does. Very, very slowly. Don't judge her, okay, it's not easy! In the first season, she has to stop Bladezz from destroying The Guild. Which he can do easily thanks to some really dumb decisions by their leader, Vork (real name: Herman Holden). On top of that, she has to deal with her second surprise visitor -- Zaboo's Mom. Who apparently greets every girl her son dates (or... thinks he's dating...) by punching them in the face. See, his Epic Quest for Love could also be classified as an Epic(ally Bad) Quest to Run Away From Home. As Cyd found out after saving Zaboo from... Zaboo... after he dealt with all this drama by trying to strangle himself with an ethernet cord. I'm pretty sure that's not physically possible! Don't worry, though, this strange tale has a happy ending! The Guild comes together -- even Bladezz -- and downs their first "real life" boss by booting Zaboo's Mom from his life.

Of course, that's only the start of her Friendship Quest! Cyd spends most of season two acting as her Guild's confidante and problem-solver. All while trying to get her flirt on with her super cute new neighbor, stuntman Wade Wei, with tons of encouragement and dubious advice from Tink (real name: not actually Tinkerballa) and Clara (real name: Clara... Clara Beane). Oh, did I forget to mention that Zaboo's Mom got her revenge by getting Cyd evicted? Yeah. That happened. She's terrible. Anyway, although she gets some good results -- namely, finally getting Zaboo to move in with Vork and out of her apartment -- Cyd's attempts to foster Guild Harmony don't go so great. It all ends in a housewarming party at Cyd's place where all this drama happens, in order:

- Vork finds out that Clara has been killing him non-stop with her alternate avatar as revenge for him giving Tink an item she wanted.
- Bladezz finally gets his head out of his ass long enough to realize that Tink has been using him all season, promising him a relationship in exchange for buying her a bunch of expensive stuff.
- Zaboo finds Cyd making out with Wade and challenges him to a duel. I'm serious. But it's okay, the guys end up becoming bros in the end! And then... Wade reveals that he's kind of a huge asshole. Whoops, maybe it's not okay after all?
- Cyd finally “breaks up” with Zaboo by making it 110% clear that she will never, ever like him as more than a friend.
- Tink finds out that Bladezz deleted her character in revenge.
- Cyd catches Clara making out with Wade!
- Aaaaand then she catches Zaboo making out with her season-long rival, Wade's Roommate, Stupid Tall Hot Girl (real name: Riley... that's just what Cyd calls her).
- Then she kind of has a weird out of body experience where she fantasizes about running away from it all.
- BEST NIGHT EVER!

Cyd spends the next season desperately trying to keep her Guild together after the Most Dramatic Housewarming Party in the History of Housewarming Parties. Unfortunately for her, she's screwed from the start. Tink immediately defects to join the Axis of Anarchy, an elite group of assholes -- I mean players -- who vow to help her get payback on Bladezz. Vork, after all this, resigns as guild leader and poor Cyd basically gets forced into the position. The rest of her guildies start dropping like flies. First, Clara tries to save her marriage by getting her husband Mr. Wiggly (real name: George Beane) to start playing with them but he's... well. To say he's terrible would be too complimentary. So they quit. And Cyd's attempts to make up with Tink only get her in conflict with the Axis' douchey kilt-wearing leader, Fawkes. Speaking of the Axis, they start their revenge scheme against Bladezz. They spread his embarrassing modelling photos around his school, plant weapons in his locker, and send one of their Guild to bang his recently divorced Mom. NO, REALLY. So he's out -- which is the last straw for Cyd, who convinces Zaboo to help her break into one of the Axis' workplace to interrogate him. Then things get dark, fast. Or at least as dark as they get on this show. Zaboo snaps and "digitally waterboards" the Axis guy, venting all his pent-up frustration about his increasingly abusive relationship with Riley by deleting all of his equipment. Horrified by... himself... he bails on Cyd too.

Then Vork comes back and not a moment too soon! He and Cyd round up the rest of The Knights of Good, sans Tink, and head to an internet cafe to take on the Axis of Anarchy. With the agreement that, if they lose, Cyd’s guild will disband. Forever. At first, the battle is in the Knights’ favor -- heck, Clara’s husband takes out a professional gamer by accident! But then they all begin to fall. Except for Cyd, who is left facing Tink and Fawkes... with only one hit point. She handles the situation in a sane, mature manner. No, I’m kidding. She hallucinates a pep talk with her avatar. Codex tears into Cyd for playing her so poorly, advising our deluded gamer to play as “her fairy godself” for a minute. You know, with all the confidence and strength she lacks in real life. So she does. Within a few minutes, she’s slaughtered Tink – with her guildie’s permission, as it turns out she was done siding with such big douchebags – and is, in his words, skullfucking Fawkes.

So, The Guild is back together! Yay! What could go wrong now? Wellllll, Cyd could wake up next to Fawkes with no memory of how that happened. I guess that’s a possibility, but hey, the odds are really—

Yeah, okay, the odds are really likely. Because that’s exactly what happened. Cyd has no idea what to tell her friends. So she decides to tell them everything. Whoops. They all judge her pretty hard. Except Zaboo, who... decides to give his unconditional support? Whoa, seriously? Then Codex's computer explodes. Just as Zaboo’s Mom shows up on Vork’s doorstep. WHAT A COINCIDENCE. Meanwhile, Cyd is crushing pretty hard on Fawkes. Unfortunately, for her, Fawkes doesn't really do dating. He is a self-proclaimed Epicurian, determined to "sample" every kind of woman in the world. However, upon finding out about all the drama he's causing in their guild, he agrees to enter a fake relationship with Cyd. So that she can save face. And cause more drama, of course.

She doesn't take it, or her computer crash, well. Out of pity, Bladezz offers to help her get a job with him working at Cheesybeards. (I told you it’d be important! What I didn’t tell you is that after season two, Bladezz had to get a job there, thanks to Tink’s schemes.) Then he quickly turns on her when their manager, Ollie, hires Cyd to run social media for the restaurant. Naturally, Cyd winds up gaming on the job instead, which Bladezz continuously tries to expose. Until she agrees to help him put together a viral video for the restaurant -- featuring him, of course, and guest-starring a ton of terrible edits.

Meanwhile, she ends her fake relationship with Fawkes after an outing with Vork, Zaboo, and Zaboo’s Mom in which he manages to insult all of her friends! Such a nice guy! Alas, after this, Tink realizes she’s been lying to them all the whole time and chews out Cyd. Luckily, Zaboo shows up to cheer her up by... trying to reunite her with Fawkes. Which does the total opposite of cheering her up. Whoops. So now it’s Clara’s turn to come up with a plan to help Codex and... holy shit, it actually works! She and the other guildies set up an event at Cheesybeards and invite as many gamers as possible. Of course, just as Cyd is celebrating her sudden streak of good luck, she turns into Fawkes and the rest of the Axis. The he begs her to take him back. For once, Cyd puts her foot down and tells him no. No way.

Then two terrible things happen. One, Vork proposes to Zaboo's Mom in a desperate attempt to drive her away -- and she accepts. What happens next? Bladezz, while doing a magic trick, ACCIDENTALLY BURNS DOWN THE DAMN RESTAURANT. Surprise, surprise, both he and Codex are fired. At least she finally got a new computer! To make up for screwing up things between her and Fawkes, Zaboo buys her an apology computer. In return, she agrees to try and help him stop his Mom from marrying Vork. They... fail. And... sort of succeed at the same time? Mid-matrimony, Cyd helps Zaboo finally make up with his Mom, convincing her to call off the wedding after all. As for her? No matter how many times she tries to talk herself out of it, she finds herself facing a horrifying fact. She kind of likes Zaboo now -- and he's totally oblivious.

Whatever, it doesn't matter, because thanks to Bladezz's fifteen minutes of viral video celebrity they're all off to MegaGame-O-RamaCon for a weekend they'll never forget!!! Partly because the six of them are crammed into one tiny room for the duration of the trip. To the surprise of no one, this leads to a big fight on the very first day and our Dysfunctional Fellowship goes their separate ways. Cyd winds up at the booth for The Game, where she winds up trashing all the changes for the newest release to some random dude on staff -- who turns out to be Floyd Petrowski, The Game’s creator. Best con ever! He promptly flips out and decides he's going to sell The Game to a sleazy corporate dude whose company will totally ruin it.

Oh, and no one has her back on the whole Zaboo thing. Including Zaboo, who shoots her down. Twice. In the midst of all this, Cyd is starting to freak out over The Game's presence in her life. Can she quit being Codex? She's pretty sure she needs to. But what about her friends... is gaming the only thing keeping them together? It's starting to look that way. Desperate to prove that her friendships aren't fake, she hatches a scheme to help Tink. Who has been acting strange all weekend because, as she tells Cyd, her adoptive family is at the con. And she’s... sort of been lying to them about her major (fashion design, NOT medicine) for the past two years. The most awkward family reunion ensues but, surprise, it’s actually kind of a success! Tink (real name: April Lou) lets Cyd know that she really does consider her a friend, even if she does decide to give up gaming. Then the girls wind up taking down the foxy stalker that’s been following Cyd the whole con. Who turns out to be none other than Fawkes! In a fursuit. Kicked out of his own guild. Pleading for a spot in her own. She... rejects him. Again. But this time, at least, they part on good terms. Refocused on her mission, Cyd decides she'll do whatever it takes to convince Floyd not to sell The Game. There's no way she'll stop being Codex. Why? Because for all the grief her Guild has given her... she's realized she loves these assholes. Awwww. So the gang hatches a plan and, of course, it all falls apart. At first. Just in time, though, Cyd gets a chance to talk to Floyd -- thanks to Zaboo, Tink, and a surprise assist from Fawkes. She tells him how much The Game has meant to her and her friends. Floyd decides, okay, he won't sell. On one condition.

She works for him. For The Game.

Now, here she is: still no boyfriend, but she sort of has a job, and kind of a social life! At least until she gets pulled in, anyway.

PERSONALITY:
So let's start with the negatives because... well, there are a lot of them. Cyd is non-confrontational to the point of self-sabotage. She's a walking, talking human doormat. She's getting better about this as the series goes on, but... still. This is a lady whose reaction to being STALKED FROM HER OWN APARTMENT was not to immediately call the cops. Just sayin'. Standing up for herself is not Cyd's strongest skill.

Maybe it's because she's really, really, really, really, really neurotic and insecure. Even the way she speaks emphasizes it -- she's super prone to stuttering, rambling, muttering, and awkward pauses. Aaaand occasionally crying. Which reminds me, have I also mentioned that she's shy and awkward? Such a shock, I know! Because spending all your time online is such a great way to build your social skills.

She also has a tendency to get a little passive-aggressive sometimes, particularly towards people she doesn't like. For example, there’s the way she keeps making snide remarks about Riley and Zaboo’s Mom. She mocks the Axis pretty thoroughly in her webcams, too, but of course she doesn’t have the guts to say any of this to their faces! Not to mention the way she’s perfectly willing to let Wade and Zaboo fight over her, because... it’s really flattering! Even though she knows it’s not going to end well for her Guildie. To her credit, though, she does feel guilty about all of this. Does that stop her from being petty? Do you really have to ask?

Then there's what happens when she stops being passive and goes into full aggressive-aggressive mode. She can get scary when she snaps. Not using her fist, because they’re weak and breakable, but she’ll start tearing people apart with her words. Loudly. Just ask any of her friends -- they’ve all had to bear the brunt of some downright brutal speeches. And if that doesn’t work? She’ll burn your cello. Kick you for publicly dissing her and making out with your friend. Destroy you in PVP -- with only one hit point.

Now, I almost didn’t say anything about her tendency towards escapism because it... sort of speaks for itself. She games for, like, at least eight hours a day. According to the comics, when she’s not staring at a computer screen? She usually has her nose stuck in a book. Then there’s what happens when the stress really gets to her: fantasies about running away from it all and having conversations with her “fairy god-self”. Wow, gee, I wonder why her therapist was concerned about her gaming.

Okay, I’m done being sarcastic. Let's look at the good stuff! For all her whining and wailing, Cyd has a pretty awesome ability to remain optimistic. She may be a chronically underemployed, anxious, depressed wreck but she’s quite cheerful about it. Sure, her hopes are almost always crushed, but she still keeps trying! In the first issue of the comic, she tries to put a positive spin on a shitty night by battling a dinosaur. It’s an exercise in futility, but she never stops, until a more experienced gamer (Vork) steps in to help her defeat the dino. It’s a pretty good metaphor for how she handles things. Her problems are practically impossible for Cyd to handle on her own, and yet, she spends the whole evening trying. No matter how many times she “dies”. Then, with a little help from her friends, she finally manages to slay the damn thing. If only she could slay her real monsters so easily. Or fought for herself even half as hard as she fights for her friends.

For a chick who's terrible at standing up for herself, Cyd is surprisingly good at stepping up to the plate for her Guildies. She does things for them she would never do for herself. Even if those things are terrifying or, at the very least, not exactly legal. Like leading the world’s least-stealthy office infiltration to try and thwart the Axis’ campaign against Bladezz. Or helping Tink by risking the wrath of, well... Tink. Or offering Zaboo an assist in his battles against his Mom. Or confronting the creator of The Game if she thinks it will help keep her Guild together! Which is not actually that scary when you think about it, sure, but for Cyd it’s the equivalent of facing down the biggest, most dangerous dragon. Of course, this big plus comes with a big negative -- a pathological need to solve other people’s problems while ignoring her own. Ooops.

Which reminds me: she's a terrible leader, sure, there's no denying that. Over time, though, she has sort of become her guild's second-in-command. Why? Because she's the Guild Mom. When her friends needs a helping hand, a sympathetic ear, or simply someone to stop them from doing something stupid... they turn to Codex. She's the glue that holds their guild together and, deep down, I think they all know it. Of course, it helps that she's also the sanest one of them all. Aside from that one memorable mental break.

POWER:

Magic Staff: Specifically, this magic staff, the same one she has in game! However, there's going to be one slight catch -- it is powered by Cyd's confidence.

So let's just say the staff's effectiveness is going to be sporadic at best.

Spells will also cost her some HP. The more she practices (or levels up), the better she'll get at this, but Cyd won't be able to just spam spells non-stop. It's an exhausting activity! A big confidence boost can help a lot, but still, she'll have to deal with an energy crash sooner or later.

Now, what kind of spells can she cast? (When she can cast spells.) The shows and the comics haven't given us any specifics on Codex's stats, unfortunately, but her magic seems to fall into three categories:

1. Healing Spells: She IS her Guild's healer, come on. In theory, she can cure any ailments up to and including death, but with her (lack of) belief in herself? Codex is going to be lucky if she can cure a papercut.


2. Protection Spells: She also doubles as her Guild's main defense! So she can casts shields, which is pretty freaking cool, except for the fact that their strength is now dependent on her fragile self-esteem and the endurance of her weak human body.


3. Holy Spells: The one thing we know about Priests in The Game is that they're not very strong, but... they do have some self-defense spells. In the comics, Codex tries to take down a dinosaur with blasts of bright light and these are presumably the same spells she used to (metaphorically) skullfuck Fawkes into defeat during the LAN Battle. Whose character does look a lot like a Dark Magician, come to think of it, which reminds me -- these are HOLY spells. Sodemons, vampires, zombies and other forces of darkness beware! Cyd's spells can pack quite a punch. If... anyone but her was casting them, anyway.

[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (VOICE) SAMPLE:

[ There's a wide-eyed woman staring right into the camera. She's taking deep, calming breaths but they don't seem to be doing her much good judging by all the other tell-tale signs of anxiety: they way her hands are running through her red hair at a rapid rate, how's she biting her lip so hard it's about to bleed, and then when she does speak? It sounds like the poor thing is on the verge of tears. ]

This— can't— what—

[ Another deep breath. One that seems to work this time. Followed by a wide, nervous smile. ]

Hey, whoever is out there... hopefully there's someone... my name is Co- er, Cyd! Cyd Sherman. Um, I'm wondering if anyone could tell me how to get home? I mean, I was about to head home from MegaGame-O-RamaCon, but now I'm... here. Wherever here is. And I'm supposed to start my new job tomorrow, so obviously, this is really not a good time and I– I'm very flattered and all, but—

[ She turns the camera towards a magic staff that's lying on the floor of the Porter Room. The view's a little shaky since her hands are, well, trembling. ]

Okay, what is that doing here?! Guys, is this just your idea of a prank?! Because if it is, I— okay, okay. We all know I'm going to cry. But then I'm going get to really mad! I mean, seriously, I expected better of you. Yes. Even you, Bladezz.

And, uh — Vork, Clara, Tink, Zaboo? Y- you guys are starting to scare me with this total silence thing. I mean, I'm mad at you and all, but... still. Say something.

LOGS POST (PROSE) SAMPLE:

Okay. So she was trapped in another world, but this could be a good thing!

Cyd remembered reading, like, at least three romance novels with that plot and those ladies always came back from their adventures with a ton of hard-earned wisdom, newfound confidence and enough courage to make any warrior look like a total wimp! Because, you know, they had slayed a dragon with just a laser pointer or something. Caused the poor, confused creature to crash into its own mountain or whatever. (They weren't well-written books.)

But they were books about people doing good. Using a strange turn of events to their advantage — to turn their lives around. Why couldn't she do the same?

As if to answer that question, the sound of police sirens put a sudden stop to her contemplation. Cyd let out a very heroic squeal of fear and surprise and ducked under her new bed. Just in case. So sue her if she was still a little jumpy around cops after the whole Burning My Ex-Boyfriend's Cello Incident! And after dating that dude who stole a traffic cone. And basically everything with Bruiser -- how messed up was it that a cop was okay with planting fake evidence on a kid over a video game?!

So. Yeah. There she stayed, gripping her Magic Staff, waiting for the cars and ambulances and whatever else to drive far, far away.

Maybe she wasn't cut out for this whole hero thing after all.

FINAL NOTES: nope.