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[ranoutofbuts]

Player Information

Name: Ranoutofrun
Age: Way old enough
Contact details: ranoutofbuts, Plurk: ranoutofbuts, I have a discord, but I prefer to keep my two lives separate unless really necessary.
Other characters: None.

Character Information

Name: Faux / (CLU)
Canon: Tron
Canon Point: N/A
OU/AU/CRAU/OC: AU where CLU met Tron before the events of the original 1982 Tron movie, and survived the first 5 minutes of it. CRAU imported from grid_lined.
Age: About 1500 cycles in computer runtime, which equals to roughly 30 years and a bit.

World Information:


Canon Tron World
Canon Tron Legacy World
Grid_Lined DWRP

The world of Tron originated inside an 80’s computer server network from a company called ENCOM.

Each computer system, from the smallest of home desktop, to the largest of private military networks, all consisted of unique worlds unto themselves filled with life, unbeknownst to human eyes. Outside of the digital realm where humans resided in, is an everyday 1980’s era Earth (Later on in Tron Legacy, 2010s). The only means of getting into any digital realm was through an experimental digitizing laser, created by two employees of the ENCOM company. Kevin Flynn, who by the end of the Tron movie, somehow acquires another for his own personal use in secret soon after.

Within these secret digital realms lived anthropomorphized computer programs who inhabited surreal technological environments. Their worlds could be bright, abstract and otherworldly, or dark, rugged and cemented more on a human's concept of everyday reality, but with a few more glowing lines involved. Regardless, visitors would always find something slightly alien about them, even if they looked back at you with familiar eyes.

Programs typically took on the appearance of their programmer, and sometimes even a part of their personality. They would come into being wearing a bodysuit covered in a unique pattern reminiscent to circuitry on a board. They typically saw their creators above all else in their lives, however when one did not know or had multiple users running their applications, programs would have great reverence for any that gave them user input, and served them diligently and faithful. Typically.

There were the outliers who did not hold users in high regard, and caused trouble for the rest. Which is how the main events of the Tron movie kick off.

More in-depth World Summary (if you want more)


Personal History:


The canon basics on him (He lives a little longer.)

Complete History (If you want to go down the rabbit hole)

CLU, was a Hacking program created by Kevin Flynn in 1980, with the intention of performing illegal acts of; tax fraud, espionage, file editing, and finding and stealing data relevant to his users personal needs. He was imported into different computer systems, avoiding security when possible, while he went about performing one of those various activities. His function was dangerous, and getting caught typically meant termination.

Flynn, having had his best selling games he created, stolen by the current CEO of ENCOM two years prior, deployed CLU into the ENCOM system to locate and requisition the source information as proof of his authorship over them. CLU searched all of the low priority access memory for this key data, only to come up empty handed.

This is where CLU's story branches off from canon.

CLU, not wanting to fail his mission, he planned to jump into a higher priority memory location by ‘hitchhiking’ with another program that had access. CLU had inadvertently stalked Tron, a security program. CLU got caught, but they held a truce and teamed up, a seemingly ironic duo as literal enemy functions, and both caused difficulty for the MCPs gathering forces.

They destroyed a hidden MCP tank script production facility, and accessed high priority memory, CLU’s mission still proved a failure, as the data moved. And even having developed an understanding for one another, he and Tron did not part on good terms. Though CLU still tried to warn Tron he was being duped by his teammates unsuccessfully.

The rejection hurt, though he had after all expected it for what he was.

A few weeks later, CLU initiated his second attempt, now with a clearer idea of where to check. Flynn, no longer happy with taking the subtler approach, upgraded CLU with a Tank script, and a more brute force method to get his data. CLU was hesitant in this approach, and did not see this as a good idea, even though he would trust his user with his life. CLU would be proven right. He had been rapidly rushed by a swarm of recognizers and soon crashed his tank script, separating from his lone companion, Bit, and was captured by a program far worse than any security Tron had been a part of. The MCP.

As per the events of his canon counterpart, CLU refused to give any details about his user and what he was after, even knowing that this would lead to his death, this to him was always the inevitable conclusion for an intruder caught.

And that never happened.

Instead he was sent down to the gaming pits, from an extra salty MCP who recognised CLU as one of the programs who destroyed his tank script production facility and held his plans back.

A few hours later in real world time, CLU would meet his user, Flynn, now kidnapped by the MCP using the digitisation laser, and brought into the ENCOM system after breaking into the ENCOM building in rl to go at the data himself. It wasn’t long until CLU’s user completely derailed the MCP’s plans. After a key opportunity presents itself, Tron, Flynn, Ram and CLU race out of the game grid and off into the direction of the MCP. They then manage to defeat Sark and the MCP, and with Flynn succeeding in finding his game data.

Flynn then pulled CLU out of ENCOM, placing him into his new personal system designed for interacting with the digital world, where it was built from the ground up.

As a way to give CLU a role that better fit his new home, Flynn upgraded CLU to perform some of the administrator duties that he knew he could leave him to tend to unaided. CLU thus became The Grid’s first system administrator. Though CLU truthfully knew he was not cut out for the role ‘gifted’ on him, he performed his new duties to the best of his ability.

Tron and Ram made their way to the new system, and not soon after his brother program, Clu2.0 was created to manage the system administration proper, and to give CLU a hand in dealing with the weighty responsibility of maintaining a system.

CLU was largely happy now with friends and his user beside him, sure he couldn’t go and explore other systems like he used to but it was a good deal. And so, that’s when things started to go downhill. The spontaneous generation of new non-written programs of unknown origins, who came into existence with no function, called ISO’s.

Clu2.0 and the ISO’s did not get along, and he and his friends had to watch as relations between programs and ISO’s destabilized and turned violent. And after many rl years, his brother had had enough of them. He engineered their destruction and his betrayal of their own user, Flynn, slowly and meticulously. Chipping away until a sudden and complete betrayal through a coup and genocide.

Just before said coup, CLU was tricked into delivering a vital piece of incriminating data to a recently reprogrammed friend with five blackguards loyal to Clu2.0 waiting for him, as his brother knew that he could actively undo anything he had set up in preparation. CLU had been immediately apprehended and sent to his brother for a final ‘confrontation’ aboard a new airship destined to destroy the ISOs. They had choice words, but it ultimately resulted in CLU’s complete reprogramming, via rectification.

Now having his personality repressed and fully modified, like all the rest of the rectified programs, CLU had been re-designated Faux. There he spent the remainder of his runtime obediently following Clu 2.0’s commands. Then, one-thousand cycles later, at the End of Line Club, a fight broke out. Faux was sent after Flynn, where he followed them down to the solar sailor simulation docks. There he attacked both Flynn and Sam (Flynn’s biological son) before they could enter the solar sailor transport, while they had tried to escape the city. This untimely confrontation ultimately failed and resulted in his deactivation by Flynn.

Grid_Lined log of events

Faux awoke and spent part of his time in this strangely familiar, yet not, rendition of his own Grid. He went on to cause some small amount of confusion, panic and damage. Though he would only be on the slighter side of threats, when he had a bone to pick with a program, they usually ended up underestimating him. This had kept him alive throughout his run in this system.

Unknown to him at the time, Faux would eventually learn that his user, Flynn had done more than shut him down when he had been deactivated in the missing timeframe, right before he had awoken on the shore. Faux had started to glitch, becoming unstable, and progressively it became worse. He had initially sought out a recompiler (medic) to see if they could fix his problem, only for him to have the unfortunate luck in having said program betray his trust enough for Faux to swear off any help from another program entirely, and thus any potential cure to his steadily worsening problems.

Only after having attacked an original duplicate version of himself that backfired and resulted in fatal damage to himself, had he managed to be chased down and finally looked at by proper eyes, by a user named Roy at his alternate’s behest. In no position to ignore their words, Faux was then given the news Flynn had initiated an live automated reroll of his code to a prior state before the rectification edits had been made. Perhaps even earlier. Unfortunately, this had only been partially implemented, and it hadn't been fully completed by Flynn for some unknown reason. The glitches would remain and progressively worsen as long as Faux remains rectified. With this news hanging over his head, Faux had no choice regardless of what he chose, now, or later. All Faux could have done is put it off and suffer more for it. So he chose for Roy to repair the broken roll back and meet his ‘end’ by his own choosing.

Repaired and rightfully horrified at what he had been made into, and what he had done under his brother's rule, Faux went off with his duplicate to lick his wounds.There he attempted to reassemble some sense of himself, and contemplated how best to approach living as a program from a thousand cycles ago.


Personality:


Originally designed to breach and interact with other computer systems and networks as an intrusion program, CLU has always had a degree of freedom and flexibility in his code. He loves to explore, and has an insatiable need to see what's behind a locked door, or the path just to the side. As a mischievous lawbreaker, he may not perfectly uphold to the rules, trying to find some loophole, or downright ignoring what he may think of as silly obstacles. Nothing is off the cards, as long as he doesn’t get caught. He also has a degree of creativity, whether that be formulating some offbeat plan for success, or simple artistic pursuits, like flower making from unused code. It helps that Flynn had modified and expanded his programming to accept and perform a more diverse role as a sysadmin, as he does not need to fall back onto the simplicity of his original function if it does not serve him to do so.

While working, CLU is dutiful and diligent, and a very competent program while performing his set functions. He will perpetually be needing something to do, even if it’s chores. CLU does come with his users' confidence and absurdness in the things he knows he can do, and do well. It helps that a program is their job, and Flynn declared CLU to being his best program. His expressed competence and confidence in his abilities could appear boastful to others. He runs on data, and as such, the math is situational. He is quite capable of telling others when something is not possible or may be hard to accomplish, though that is begrudgingly so. It’s not ego per se, more CLU not wanting to let someone down with his perceived failure, on the reverse, he cannot let them down by giving them false information or pretense. Overall, CLU is aware of his own limits and dangers. However, that doesn’t stop him from occasionally falling prey to his own stubbornness.

Yes. Flynn also gifted CLU a not so wholesome aspect from his determined nature, stubbornness. Flynn programs are notoriously stubborn, as was his user. And usually about things that can bite them back later on. Often this shows up in one of two ways. As he pursues a task with a machine-like focus to reach the end, he may have trouble disengaging, especially if he’s on the cusp of success. The latter affects his relationships, and is a struggle to let his friends know about his problems and true feelings. He hides away a lot, a carryover from his time as a loner intrusion program, and having to rely on himself solely.

On a lighter note, CLU can get competitive, in an oddly exaggerated way. All in good fun though. Probably a hallmark of his creators' games developer side. If it's something he fancies, he can be goaded into performing competitions he would otherwise deem pointless.

As for first impressions, CLU can initially appear keeping to himself and out of the way, but otherwise friendly when spoken too, and with a steady consideration for others. He’ll observe unless otherwise drawn out by something, possibly with a question or five asked in an oddly inflected voice, and a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. He doesn’t mind attention, and will happily converse, but it’s entirely dependent on who it's with.

When with friends, or those he is comfortable enough around, his demeanor can shift, relaxing into a more open, playful tone and behaviour. Those who earn his trust, he will show them a surprising amount of loyalty, perhaps even to his own detriment. He holds a ferocious protective streak of those he’s close with, willing to meet or fight odds far greater than his own. He told the MCP to stuff it to protect Flynn’s identity at the potential cost of his own life, and he learned how to battle with his disk despite his utter revulsion at the prospect, so he could better protect his friends when needed. To him it's his duty, and he is loyal to those that are loyal to him.

With a strong sense of integrity, CLU has always abhorred pointless violence, hatred and oppression, preferring programs to keep destruction to a minimum. This has doubled since CLU had been strapped with sysadmin functions as he has had responsibility thrust upon him, not just for himself, but for everyone else on his system. That said, he is no pacifist and will do what needs to be done when no other way is attainable.

But hidden inside is also a mean streak if you go hunting. Reserved only for those who deserve his contempt. Others will know when they’ve gone too far, as he does not hold back on making sure they know about his feelings on the matter.

As the reprogrammed Faux, CLU had been made into a program incapable of properly thinking for himself, his choices limited. His memories were locked out and he had limited emotions to run on. But parts of CLU’s true personality did breakthrough, as he was still insatiably curious, had a penchant for breaking the rules, and still pursued creative endeavors. It’s why Faux, though oppressed under Clu 2.0 still found ways to defy his strict rules under the guise of choosing to interpret them differently, yet legally. Similarly, Faux was also unable to lie, technically. He found that simply adjusting what parts to tell someone could alter the meaning entirely. Thus he was notorious for deceit. Faux had not been outwardly cruel, not usually, but he was capable of it. However, unlike CLU, he did not hold back on his destructiveness, nor his primarily sarcastic derisive responses. He was everything that CLU hated and more.


CRAU developments:


As he was pulled into this world during his time still reprogrammed, Faux spent most of his time with his attention curiously divided on trying to figure out; how he got there, how to get back, attempting to map and assess this system for Clu2.0, and occasionally getting into other programs business, with the occasional reversal of unwanted programs getting into his.

Now free of his rectification, CLU is something he can’t quite put a thumb on. He is free now of the corruption of his brother's interference, but removing that goes only so far to comfort his troubling anxieties, deep seated guilt and crumbling self worth. He has been Faux for longer than his entire runtime as his true self, and just because you can roll back all that code, doesn't mean you can roll back all the damage it’s brought. CLU now has to deal with the knowledge and repercussions that he’d served a genocidal totalitarian dictator who abused those underneath him and he was one of those, diligently, loyally obedient. And he’d let it happen.

But what’s worse, is that he still has those lingering habits in him. Of being Faux. His memories are rife with him, and he recognises he’s just that much more dark. It's going to take some time to overcome and assimilate how to be a better program. To get over betrayal of this magnitude, and to let others get close again and fill in the spaces.

And for the first time, he has no idea what to do. He has no user, no input, no reason, and he has done so very much wrong.

The user Roy hadn't changed his name either. CLU has to wonder if he deserves to be just Faux.


Key themes:


Loyalty. Even to his own detriment.

The ironic hubris of being designated an independent program, and yet never having an independent moment in his entire runtime.

Finding oneself and ones place.


Main Motivation:


His main motivation throughout all of his runtime has always been to be useful, perform his function, and do the best he can. After CRAU in the Grid_Lined Free system, by finally having his reprogramming undone, this hasn’t changed in any significant way, except the underlying reason behind it now. CLU does the best he can to atone for all the horrible things he did, even though he may not acknowledge them yet as forced upon him. He still feels guilty and responsible, and thus he needs to do even better in compensation.


Skills:


Natural skills:
-Performing the role of a literal lightsource.
-Does not breathe. Can exist in places where there is no oxygen or atmosphere, like submerged areas (depending on pressure), space, deadly/toxic atmosphere, ridiculously smelly areas.
-No sense of smell. Additionally, he doesn’t produce any either.
-Can see in the dark far better than a regular human as he practically lives in the dark.
-Limited sensation of elements. He operates more efficiently in a cold climate or temp range.
-Tough skin. He is made of code and therefore is moderately tougher than normal average flesh and bone. He can resist decently strong blows (as he is solid and not composed of mostly water), but will fracture and shatter if hit hard enough. He can resist cuts slightly better than an average human but these go through him far more easily if energy based or with enough force behind it. Falling from large heights still damages him.
-Better than average reflexes: Programs naturally are slightly faster and agile than an average human. Additionally training speeds a program up even more. Being cold gives an efficiency boost on top of that. Being hot can slow him down though.
-Hacking Program subroutines: Scouting, espionage, theft, breaking and entering, spotting weaknesses, all of course largely based around being inside a computer. However, these are transferable skills. And he still has a compulsion to want to do those things because it’s his function. Can be retrained and optimised for physical world application if given the chance.
-Administration subroutines: Transferable administration skills. (Just don’t ask him to do spreadsheets.)
-Code manipulation: if in a digital realm or around non-living data or code material, he can manipulate it and change its shape and sometimes it’s function. Eg. Delete the floor from under you, create a wall where a door was, add spikes, or transform glass cups into flower sculptures.
-Phasing through objects/walls: if in a digital realm or around non-living data or code material, he can phase through some non-living or stationed objects. They specifically have to not be moving or at least be going the same velocity he is. This is energy intensive and can only be done a limited amount of times in a period of time.

Learned Skills:
-Combat training: Enough to survive everything so far. Also taught how to fight dirty.
-Competency at using certain weapon types: such as knives, staves, swords and begrudgingly his own identity disk. Additional specialisation in lobbing said knives and swords as projectiles at people.
-Used to living a life of danger. He has a dangerous function after all.
-Complete memorisation of ‘Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids, ed 2 1985’. It’s a tome.
-Can drive/fly a diverse array of vehicles with a mastery at using tanks or their equivalent. He likes big guns.
-Crafts: He likes making flowers out of spare code. He’ll have to relearn this the old fashioned way though outside of the digital realm.
-Stealth/Invisibility: He was upgraded to be able to go invisible. As this acts somewhat like holding your breath, it can’t be done for long periods of time and can be damaging to his code if left on too long. Anything that's on him or touches can also gain this effect, but if it's an additional person this would speed up the draining process significantly.
-Can pick up games pretty fast. Debatable if this is a natural skill, due to his creator being a game developer.
-Everyone lies. Paranoia is a skill.


Item:


Identity Disk: CLU would have his disk on him, which straps onto his disk dock on his upper back. His identity disk is a vital part of him, and is used as an interface to check out his code, do repairs when damaged, any edits or updates, change his loadout, check out his memories and make sure those memories are in sync, and also to make sure he doesn’t de-fragment over time. Unlike other programs, he won’t enter a stray state, as he has a parallel data cache backup running in his body (due to not originally needing one), but errors will eventuate after a prolonged amount of time without his disk being docked to maintain code integrity.

His Identity disk has a 1980s strength password on it. It’s REINDEER FLOTILLA. Not hard to bust by today's standards.

Additional functions of disk:

Acts as Clothing: This includes cycling his 3 ‘clothing’ options. The first two are coded into him, and a part of his performative function:

-1st is his default ‘born into the world’ black skin tight grid suit with his unique circuit pattern on it that strongly glows an off-white to very light blue hue.

-2nd is Faux’s Scout armour bodysuit that has a little more protection than his default, and more critically, makes it easier to use his stealth/invisibility skill with more ease as it is optimised for this configuration. It can also suppress/mask his circuit shine or black it out completely when performing scouting or on a mission where he needs to not stick out like a literal flashlight.

-3rd piece of clothing is an additional jacket piece that he typically has worn through most of his runtime. It was given by Clu 2.0 as a present. Whether or not CLU will actually wear it now is debatable.

Acts as Weapon: When removed it can be used as a weapon both in a close combat or thrown capacity. (though he absolutely hates using his disk as such, as it's literally throwing his being at someone, but will if necessary). If thrown it will return to him. The live disk blade does not affect his own self.

[Note: I was told the Disk could count as an extra as it is technically his being.]

Baton: CLU had his last baton in hand at the last thread of CR from Grid_Lined. It had the name Faux engraved on it. It’s just a normal baton apart from that detail, and operates in the same way. Has access to a light cycle, a light jet (Uprising style, cause they look cooler), a LightTank: Game Grid custom, and the various weapons he has been trained to use written in the skills section. The actual vehicles can be locked out in game, or only relegated to the digital realm, if that is what you would prefer. I'm only after the weapons and feels.


Sample:


Grid_Lined Sample thread 1 (Old)

Grid_Lined Sample thread 2 (Old)

TDM 31 (short)


Notes:

*To allay any confusion on the naming side of things. The character is CLU however at the end of my CRAU time spent in Grid_lined, CLU was still referred to as Faux, as his name had not been changed back when he was repaired (I only realized this after I wrote this all out. Also it was 8 years ago). Originally the reason for this was because there were too many characters named Clu in the last game so I kept it as Faux to save confusion referring to him. So he will be referred to as Faux in game as he acknowledges himself as that, at least at the start, but the app will refer to him as CLU. I Guess I have a minor plot goal set now.

*I haven't done any DWRP since 2013, it shows. I know I have written a lot, If there are any issues with this, please let me know thanks <3 I wanted to wipe away the abomination that was my original 2012 Grid_Lined app/reference. [For your own safety, I have removed it. Good riddance.] I may have gone a bit too far though. Sorry.

*He does come with some definite weaknesses but I thought it was long enough so cut them out.