Simple Unicycle
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Age: 34
Profile: Soldier
DOB: 2151 CE
Homeworld: Earth
Sex: Male
Age: 34
Profile: Soldier
DOB: 2151 CE
Homeworld: Earth
Appearance:
Clyff is built like a brick shithouse and probably just about as attractive. He’s a tall man, but not overly so, standing above six foot. But that’s not the physical attribute that would make him stand out in a crowd. He’s broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, with muscular arms and a stout middle. It’s more than apparent that he doesn’t keep to military routine as tight as others would have. Drinking and genetics have led him to being stockier and paunchier than his other teammates. Or at least that is what he tells himself, it’s definitely genetics. Genetics that have been tampered with by the Alliance. His natural affinity to gain mass easier left him a mixture of muscle and girth.
He has red hair--naturally a ginger--that is cut short on the sides and longer on the top. He styles it because he only has to run his hands through it in the morning. Pale green eyes sit underneath a strong brow, but the more eye-catching attribute is his nose. It probably, at one point time, wouldn’t be so prominent, but it’s been broken so many times that scarring, on the skin and into the cartilage, is more than evident. Strong jaw, usually peppered with a five o’clock shadow that doesn’t seem to go away or get any longer, compliment his handsome lips. They’re usually drawn into a shit-eating grin. He has another scar across them, and a piece of his right ear is missing. There’s a couple of staples in the earlobe.
His attire is that of the Andromeda Initiative Military uniform when he’s on duty. He usually leaves the collar unbuttoned, only to frantically snap it into place when he needs to. It is obvious, considering the way he stands and the grimace on his face, he’d rather be dressed in anything else. Hell, he’d probably be more comfortable in the buff or wearing an asari dress. On off days, he’s fond of t-shirts, loose-fitting pants, combat boots, and usually some tasteless button-up with said buttons unbuttoned.
Background:
Clyfford Ward was an accident between Ciara Brennan, a first-generation Irish American, and a man that Clyff would only ever know as ”your father” said will all the aggression and disdain two words could muster. He was the product of a night of drunken awkwardness between Ciara and a man that she met at the bar. She’d been celebrating because her architecture firm had landed a large deal, and she was to head it. Surprisingly, Clyff’s father did stick around for awhile. Ciara was thankful, but only for a short time. The night of Clyff’s birth, the man stumbled into the operating room drunk and disorderly. A brief argument ignited about the spelling of Clyff’s name. What was supposed to be Clifford ended up as Clyff.
They formed a nuclear family for a short period of time before everything became as nuclear as one might imagine. One evening, when Clyff was about three, he suddenly had half-twin-sisters that were about the same age him. On that night, their family grew and shrunk like the ebb of a wave. If Clyff ever asked about his father, his mother stared long into her son’s eyes and told him that he currently lived under the bridge, wrapped in a tarp. She never let him verify that.
Clyff knew very little about the discovery of alien ruins or a Mass Relay, as he was young and all these things compiled before and after his birth. He may have been told about it, but he never remembered it. So, when he was six, the idea of aliens--far beyond the human’s comfortable space--became something he could easily accept as the norm. He still remembers snippets of news reports, and the words “First Contact War.” They became the event that his life anchored on.
Sometime after that, his mother remarried. Nelson Ward was a very good man. He was an officer in the military, and while he would disappear for long stints, the warmth he emanated when he was home would make it feel like he never left. Nelson Ward adopted Clyff and his half-twin-sisters Rebecca and Anna. His mother would have three more children with Nelson. Those children would never be as tight as him and Anna and Rebecca were. Still, James, Kyle, and Ryan were family. And like any family with a male-heavy population, they fought. Clyff would always win. It was an odd thing he was proud about.
Clyff was not the best student, but he did excel in sports and math. The latter being a surprise to his Algebra teacher when he misspelled “algerbra” but managed to get the bonus question right that she usually asked her older students to handle. He was pushed to apply for some scholarships regarding his talent in advanced math, but he enlisted in the Alliance--like Nelson Ward, a man he truly came to respect.
In 2169 he joined the Alliance. He wasn’t a prodigy, and he, unfortunately, was reprimanded more than his fair share. While Clyff didn’t have a horrible childhood, he was quite the spitfire--a trait his mother assured him that came from his biological father, even if she could hold grudges for a small eternity. Clyff didn’t excel enough for someone to consider raising his rank and recommending him to special programs, but he was trained in demolitions and breaching. A man that enjoyed running into situations and tearing things up--in a way that sometimes spurted a wild laugh--was a certain niche that needed to be filled.
Clyff’s training had him handle riot and hostage situations where he had to get in, suppress hostiles, save people, and get out with them unharmed. By no means a negotiator, he became talented at handling demolitions learning where weak points were in buildings, vehicles, ships, and other structures. This was especially helpful considering how volatile the galaxy was. When a lot of the aliens looked at humans, they saw the aggressors. They didn’t see those that were thrust accidentally into the theater of battle. So, as such, he figured he had to return that aggression. That only reaffirmed his mindset when the Skyllian Blitz happened. He heard about it, far away and not able to be deployed to help due to the situation.
Eventually, in 2177, he was promoted to Service Chief and given his own squad. There Clyff and his team showed up anywhere that needed help. One of his teammates was adamant about code names. So, they all participated in giving them to each other. Clyff received "Red Dog" as his. He agreed to it. Red was the color anger, and dogs were very loyal creatures. He never got the joke.
Shortly thereafter, he ended up in the Citadel, during leave. Rebecca and Anna had shown up to not only see their big brother, by a few months, but they’d also been chosen to study abroad by a corporation--one that Clyff didn’t pay attention to the name of--to learn more about alien culture and technology. So, he ferried them around. One night they ended up at a club. His sisters, being wide-eyed and excited about the experience, drummed up a conversation with a Blue Sun mercenary, unknowingly. Clyff was not paying attention, having run into an old friend from boot camp. Things turned quite hostile with the mercenary, as his advances were rebuffed by the sisters. That led to him trying to pressure them. Clyff butted in immediately. Not really a man for words, he punched the mercenary. That caused half of the club to stand up. Drunk, and very disorderly, he challenged them all to a fight. It was fair to say, for all the training and pent-up anger he had, he ended up in the infirmary.
It was there that he met Isabella Espinoza. She was a doctor tending to him. He’d had his arm broken, his nose broken, and gotten a rather nasty concussion. She berated him, saying that he could have lost his life. High on pain medication, he just winked at her--with both eyes--and said that he was more man than anyone could handle. Isabella rolled her eyes. She informed him had it not been for his friend, who was a high-ranking Alliance officer, he’d probably be dead. As time went on, and he was on less and less pain medication, Clyff managed to reign in his hair-trigger gruffness and became somewhat romantic.
Maybe Isabella enjoyed them somewhat handsome and dumb, or maybe he was actually quite dashing. The story changed with the person telling it. They ended up married within a year, a child on the way. It might have been a shotgun wedding, but it was nothing like his father. Clyff truly cared for his wife and child--Sofía Ward. Still, being in enlisted in the Alliance, he wasn’t always around for his family.
In 2178, he participated in the Alliance’s retaliation again the batarians on the Torfan moon. Considering the massive underground structure, knowledge of breaching and proper demolitions were helpful. It was a bloody, nasty battle, and he lost a few of his squad. Something that he'd remember on quiet days or in his sleep. He also ended up being caught up in an explosion that forced him and his team to withdraw. To this day, his ear still hasn’t managed to heal and he suffers from brief moments of tinnitus. He was more fortunate than many. That gave him a promotion to Gunnery Chief.
In 2182, Isabella Espinoza-Ward died. Stabbed to death by a patient she was attempting to sedate. The species and the makeup of the perpetrator was never given to him, but he was assured that it was not a human. Clyff was pulled back to the Citadel almost immediately. He was given a formal position there to take care of his daughter. It was mostly sitting at a desk or instructing various Alliance factions. It was boring. Still, it is what he and his daughter needed.
In 2183, the Citadel was attacked. Clyff and Sofía managed to find shelter and survive, but among all the turmoil and death--an ultimatum was made in Clyff’s head. He was tired of this.
So, in 2184 he signed up for the Andromeda Initiative. His experience, rank, and specializations were reviewed. Given his impeccable, though not entirely agreeable, service in the Alliance military, he was given a place on the Nexus ship. His daughter was also allowed admission, though she was placed on the human ark. Assured there would be a brief gap between their awakening from cyro, Clyff agreed. Anything would be better than this galaxy. He had to protect his daughter at all costs. It might be hard, but at least it would be away from the political conflict of the Milky Way. He said goodbye to his mother, step-father, and his siblings. Sofía's grandparents were no longer in the picture. So, he didn't have anyone else contesting his decision. Unfortunately, Isabella had been disavowed by them due to her beliefs. Clyff never knew if it was due to religion, medicine, sexuality, or otherwise. He just knew that. Sofía was fine with the cryo. She was actually elated to see the future. Clyff was scared, but he also knew that chances of survival were better.
When he was awoken to deal with Sloane Kelly and the others that rebelled, he heard that the human ark hadn't made it yet. Every day he thought about Sofía, and every day he rubbed the old-fashion, Earth locket she had given him. It had a picture of his daughter and his late wife in it. When the Hyperion Ark with humans showed up, Clyff became elated. That was quickly snuffed out, though, as the insufficient support systems of the Nexus meant his daughter couldn't be released from cyro.
So, his reasoning for joining APEX was simple, to help stabilize enough living areas so the entirety of Hyperion can be unfrozen, and so he could see his daughter again.
Personality:
Clyff is about as agreeable as sandpaper across the skin. He’s the sort that acts impulsively first and then tries to soak up the repercussions later. Blunt, honest, and to the point--he’s never one to mince words. While many might appreciate honesty, it is the sort that is given with a shot of vinegar. He doesn’t try to play to people’s needs or emotions.
Still, he sometimes channels his father and can be a bit of a swarthy braggart. This is usually greeted with eye-rolling or gagging noises. Some people might find him charismatic, but honestly only due to the fact that his hard-headed idiocy leaks through the cracks with his dumb lines and a sly smile. And also because his positive personality traits are worth hanging around for.
Clyff will stand between those that he cares about and danger any day of the week. He’ll throw himself into battle, and beat the ever-living-shit out of anyone that bad mouths someone he cares about. He’ll also show up for your drunk, depressed call. He might call you an idiot, but he’ll make sure you’ll to head to bed with a better opinion of yourself. He’s also that guy you see at parties that bring their own fifth and finishes it in a night, not dying from it.
He’s the worst sort of person if you don’t know him, but he can be a genuine friend.
As a marine, he’s quick to throw himself into the fray. He’ll lead the marching order to protect others. His answer to most things is a gun, but only if they deserve it. If you point a gun at him, he’ll do the same to you. He loves explosions probably a bit too much, but he isn’t overly crazy with them. Mildly crazy--maybe. He wants to get in, do his job, and get out.
If he's underneath the command of someone, he's very verbose about what is going on. Still, he has enough military training to know when to shut up and go.
Reason for being awoken from Cryo (Specific jobs, skills, and Initiative Application):
Considering that one of Clyff’s major skills is riot suppression, he was brought in when the aggressions escalated, and Sloane Kelly led a team against the Nexus hierarchy.
Equipment:
Armor:
Jormangund Technology Heavy Hazard Armor
Weapon:
M-22 Eviscerator
M-15 Vindicator
Grenade
Jormangund Technology Heavy Hazard Armor
Weapon:
M-22 Eviscerator
M-15 Vindicator
Grenade
Powers:
- Fortification
Proximity Grenade
Incendiary Ammo
Carnage
Adrenaline Rush
Concussive Shot
Font Colour: Marigold-ish; #B77600
