Cloud Strife (21 years old) is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII. A former member of the elite fighting squad, SOLDIER, he projects a tough guy persona while deep down he's insecure, uncomfortable with emotions, and confused about his own past due to unreliable memory. He is recognizable for his spiky blond hair and wields an enormous sword, the Buster Sword. He has a fit, wiry build and an attractive, boyish face. He wears dark purple pants, a matching sleeveless turtleneck, and brown boots.
Jessie Rasberry (23 years old) is a tech expert for the eco-terrorist group, AVALANCHE, which hires Cloud as a mercenary for some sabotage missions against the Shinra Electric Power Company. She has an energetic personality, doesn't take herself too seriously, and can be excessively flirtatious, especially towards Cloud. She has a pretty face with big brown eyes and a narrow chin. She has the slender, limber physique of a dancer or gymnast. She's known for wearing green cargo pants, a blue short-sleeve spandex leotard, and a metal breastplate she wears for protection on missions. Her long, brown hair is usually in a ponytail, and she wears a red, revolutionary-style bandanna on her head. At this point in the story, Cloud has just assisted Jessie with a submission to help prepare for the next day's sabotage of a Mako energy reactor. They separated when fleeing the enemy, and Cloud is now arriving at her home to check on her. She'd requested Cloud's assistance as a favor and now wishes to repay him for his efforts.
Arriving at her house, Cloud braced himself for impact. Every interaction with Jessie was exhausting. It was like swatting at a wasp that wanted to smother him with kisses. He admired her confidence, at least. He could do with some of that.
Her house looked like crap - a rundown shanty home, just like all the other homes packed tightly together here in the slums, with graffiti covering the chipped concrete walls and a bent tin roof. There were bars over the window and her door looked sturdy, at least. He knocked. Within seconds, she flung open the door, a wide grin on her face.
"Well, if it isn't Cloud Strife!" she said. "Was wondering when you'd show up. Without further ado," she began, reaching her hand behind her back and drawing forth a shining piece of pearly green materia, "here you are. Thanks for stepping up, 'merc.' And now for the cherry on top."
He didn't know what she meant, but he was afraid to find out. "Okay, I get it," he interrupted. "Mind letting me breathe?"
"Depends," she said, undeterred. "Mind coming in for a bit? My roommates should all be out for a while."
He gave her a cold stare. "Are you seriously that desperate? Just let it go already."
"Only if you promise to come in for a minute. Deal?"
He hesitated. With her teasing tone, he was never sure if her flirtations were in earnest or were simply to annoy him. But hey - if she were telling the truth, if he gave her just a few minutes, perhaps she'd start to leave him alone.
"Fine," he said. "Whatever makes you quit."
"Really?" she asked, swooning with glee. "Come on in!" She flung the door open with enthusiasm, revealing a humble but tastefully decorated home. Grabbing him by the bicep, she pulled him into her house and closed the door. She shuffled him over to a worn but comfortable couch. He leaned his Buster Sword against the wall and then sat, and she sat down beside him. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "I make a mean pizza, I'll have you know! Marche, luche, black milly, red shelly - I use only the best ingredients. Sounds good?"
It actually did. During their mission, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie were all treated to dinner by Jessie's parents while Cloud snuck around the back to steal her father's Shinra ID card. He'd missed out on the meal, so pizza sounded fantastic. "Never heard of any of that stuff," he said, "but sure."
"Awww, you are so adorable," she gushed. "You just leave everything to me - it'll be great!" She sprung from the sofa, gliding light-footed to the kitchen area where she turned on the oven. "Can I grab you a drink while I'm over here?" she asked. "How 'bout a beer?"
"A beer is fine," he said.
She grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge and popped the caps. She brought them over to Cloud and handed him one. "To the planet," she said, extending her bottle.
"Right," Cloud replied. He clinked her bottle with his, she flashed another dopey grin, and she was back to the kitchen. She started grabbing ingredients out of the fridge and off shelves, moving at a manic pace and mumbling to herself as she went.
He glanced around the small living room. The home was a lot nicer from the inside with paintings of landscapes on the walls - fields of flowers, mountain-framed waterfalls - and shelves stacked with books by political philosophers and doomsday ecologists, with titles such as "The Cries of the Planet" and "When the Mako Well Runs Dry." Beside the books were picture frames filled with people with tired yet smiling faces. He spotted a photograph of Jessie, apparently recent, with her arms around two pretty young women about their age. Her roommates, maybe. It was cozy in here.
Jessie slid the pizza into the oven then turned to Cloud, dusting flour off her hands. "There," she said as she approached. "Pizza's up in 20 minutes." She paused before reaching the couch, reaching behind her to unbuckle her breastplate. "Forgot I was still wearing this!" she said. She grunted with exertion. "Hey, merc - think you can help a girl out?" She turned her back toward where he was seated.
"If I must," he said. He stood, and Jessie held her ponytail to the side. The horizontal buckles were tight against her back. He had to pull the straps tighter before he could slip them loose, the second one resulting in a tiny squeal of pain.
"Ahh," she said as the breastplate dropped free. "That's better." She tossed the breastplate on a nearby chair and dropped to the couch next to Cloud, her petite body causing hardly a ripple of vibration on the sofa. She smiled at him. "What now?"
His eyes darted down to her blue, skintight top. She had a nice physique, slender with modest yet perky breasts. Were those - the outlines of her nipples?
Fuck, did she notice me look?
He turned his face quickly away, hoping to hide a blush. He took a sip of his beer. "Dunno," he said. "Your house - it's actually kind of nice in here."
"Thanks for noticing," Jessie said with perhaps a sly hint in her voice. "We try to make it livable down here."
He thought about her parents who lived in a nice neighborhood atop one of the massive plates overshadowing the slums beneath. Jessie lived down here voluntarily - leaving her parents' home to join the resistance group AVALANCHE in the Sector 7 slums. Her father, a former Shinra employee, had been gravely disabled due to Mako exposure, which fueled Jessie's drive to fight for the planet. Of course, her background explained her nice possessions - she was poor, but unlike most people down here, she had a privileged upbringing and a reliable safety net above. Was she out of touch? Or just leveraging her advantages to do good? Maybe there was some substance beneath her prurient exterior.
"Hello, earth to Cloud," her voice cut in. "I asked if you'd like another beer."
"Uh, sure," he said. The beer tasted good after a long and challenging day. Jessie bounced up off the couch to oblige him and he watched her walk back to the kitchen, noticing a cute and playful sway in her hips. As he snapped back to his senses, he detected the aromas of hot bread, melting cheese, and sizzling tomato sauce in the air. His stomach grumbled in response. He hadn't expected to enjoy himself this much. This all felt eerily comfortable.
He flashed back to something his mother once said, back in their hometown in Nibelheim. "You should have... an older girlfriend, one that'll take care of you. I think that would be the perfect type for you." But really, what did mom know?
"So," Jessie said as she returned. "Think you'll join up with AVALANCHE long-term?"
He snapped back to the present. "So that's what this is all about," Cloud said, accepting the beer.
"Oh, no," she protested, reclaiming her spot on the couch. "Just thought I'd ask! Having you join up would be a bonus. But - don't you care about the planet, Cloud?"
He paused. "I respect what you're doing," he said. "But the lifestyle isn't for me." He felt a tinge of guilt, though he ignored it. "Besides," he said, "I think I'm out of your price range."