#and honestly (this is kind of the part that's the most unpopular) i don't looove that w*ll is gay

[ebbarights]

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[durotoswrites]

HM64 Cliff versus HM/SoSFoMT Cliff

Hehe, I guess I shouldn't be surprised I had a couple asks about Cliff. I'll combine them here, including the other anon ask for my unpopular opinion on him. I'll address HM64 and Mineral Town Cliff, so this should cover everything for both asks. ^-^

Thank you so much for your patience on this. I spent a good part of the week resting up and rehydrating, and I'm starting to feel a little more like myself. I'm grateful that our tests came back negative, but we caught something nasty. Anyway, thank you all again for waiting on this. Without further ado, here are my many thoughts on Cliff!

Character Breakdown Ask Game - Still Accepting! ;)

How I feel about this character

Overall, Cliff is probably my favorite character in the series. I genuinely feel like the writers put a little more time into his characterization, and I love watching him grow in both versions of the game.  I feel that he is really relatable in a lot of ways, especially for people who have been through a traumatic event in their lives or deal with depression.  When I see a lot of his events and pick them apart, I can relate with my own struggles, and I really appreciate this kind of representation, especially in a male character, as it’s been so commonly accepted for men to push back their emotions.

HM64 Cliff is a little rougher around the edges, and I honestly like that about him. He's socially awkward (not to the point of HM64 Gray, though) and he's uneasy about trusting others. He's been betrayed in the past and it affects his relationships with those around him – he's too afraid to get close again, and it leaves him very depressed. He strikes me as really lonely and wanting to join society again, but is too afraid to do so. I really like that he has Cain/Kane as a partner that he does trust, so he's not completely alone. The fact that the two of them are living off the land is so dang cool to me – the idea of being able to sustain yourself and your best friend. I love that he's Karen's cousin, and I have more opinions on it that I'll address later.

While HM64 Cliff is traumatized by betrayal, (SoS)FoMT Cliff is traumatized by guilt. He spends most of his waking hours in the church, unable to form complete sentences as he sits in the pew, trying to sort through his feelings. Again, he seems very depressed in this game and he has a fear of getting too close to people, as shown in his heart events with both the farmer and Ann. Carter tries his best to act as a wingman (which I looove the dynamic between the two of them) and just encourage him to try to open up a little bit. Once he starts working at the winery, we really get to see Cliff blossom into the person he really is, and I find it so heartwarming. That, along with his winter time event where he passes out in the snow leave me very soft for his character.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

HM64 Cliff:

I don't really ship him with anyone. He needs to overcome his worries of being betrayed before jumping into romance, and I feel like he never really gets that closure during the game, unless he marries Ann and has a toxic marriage with her for years. Cliff warms up to Ann as their child grows into a toddler. I hate the idea of having a child to save a marriage – it's such an awful trope and isn't healthy. (Might fall under unpopular opinions, but I stand by it).

Story of Seasons/Mineral Town Cliff

Cliff x Claire – My OTP, no surprises here, haha. I really like the idea of them viewing each other as equals and helping support each other when they are in need. <3 Plus, their heart events are super cute.

Cliff x Kai – I feel that Kai's easygoing attitude and his own issues with his family would allow him to help Cliff open up about his own problems. I could see them being really sweet together.

Cliff x Gray – Honestly, I think that these two have so much in common and are both a bit shy by nature. They are also verrry different, but I think their chemistry would be a lot of fun.

Cliff x Mary – I could imagine Mary spending time at the church and bonding with Carter and Cliff. Cliff and Mary could play with Stu and teach him more about insects and wild plants while they're outside. So cute! They're both shy by nature, so I imagine them being really soft and sweet together.

Cliff x Rick – Cliff could help Rick process his abandonment issues and also help with the farm with his previous knowledge of birds (see unpopular opinions regarding his experience with birds, haha). Cliff and Rick could be steady partners for one another, and I could see Cliff being very doting toward Lillia, since he never got to say goodbye to his mother.

Cliff x Popuri – A lot of similar things I just pointed out for Cliff x Rick, only I feel like Popuri could help Cliff embrace his more lighthearted side, like in the later heart event in the remake where they play with the kids. I also feel like Cliff could teach Popuri some bird keeping tips that her father never taught her. Again, I'm also soft for Lillia taking in Cliff like another son. <3

Cliff x Elli – I headcanon that Cliff spends a lot of time at the church and sees Stu and May there a lot. Cliff could help take care of Stu and Ellen and I feel like it could help him get some closure on his own family situation. I could see them going on picnics together.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

HM64 Cliff:

Cliff/Greg: You can't tell me these two aren't sharing fish, rabbits, and foraged goods around a campfire together. I feel like they'd have stories to share, and Greg would be one of the few people that Cliff feels like he can trust.

Cliff/Elli – Elli loves to fish and is friends with Greg. I feel like on occasion, she might join the two of them at their campfire, and Cliff would slowly open up to her as he hears stories from her about the people in town.

Cliff/Cain – Best buds for life! Enough said! <3

Cliff/Farmer – Cliff does go out of his way to share things that he's caught with the farmer. I think it's really sweet, as he doesn't have much himself. I can see the farmer spending some time cutting wood and taking a break to see what Cliff is up to out in the woods with Cain.

Mineral Town Cliff:

Cliff with Duke and Manna – I adore this found family. It gives me such a case of the warm fuzzies, and I'm delighted at how the dynamic of Duke and Manna's marriage grows healthier as they accept Cliff as part of their family. Cliff also gains a sense of belonging and it's so wholesome and heartwarming. <3

Cliff and everyone at the inn – Seriously, they're one big dysfunctional family and I'm living for it. There are so many fun personalities and they mesh and clash so well. The characters at the inn are admittedly among my absolute favorite. <3

Cliff/Carter – I love thinking of Carter as a gentle source of guidance in Cliff's life and headcanon that they regularly share tea and biscuits in a little apartment Carter has behind the confessional. They share stories and while Carter is Cliff's mentor, the two of them have enough in common to become really good friends.

Cliff/Saibara – Probably an odd one, but I love it. Saibara respects Cliff for trying to forge his way in life, much to Gray's envy. Jealousy ensues as Cliff tries to maintain both friendships, and it causes all three of them to grow a little.

Cliff/Gotz – I headcanon Cliff as foraging quite a bit, and I can't imagine him not running into Gotz on occasion. They might share things they've found in the woods. Short on words, but they watch out for one another.

My unpopular opinion about this character

As I mentioned in the ask regarding Ann/Ran, I don't think that the two of them have the healthiest chemistry, especially in HM64, where Ann uses physical violence against him. Cliff is not completely innocent, though – he talks badly about her during the Flower Festival in HM64 (“Now I can see her as a girl” when she's wearing a dress) and his post-marriage event with her in FoMT is not cute. I hate that he goes after Ann's insecurities – it feels so out of character for someone who started out so meek and desperate for reassurance. I think maybe the writers were trying to bring back that same chemistry from HM64, but it didn't work then. Gah, I just don't like them being so cruel to one another. I don't find it funny or cute. Ann and Cliff are both such great characters, but they were so toxic to one another in HM64. I don't get why they didn't get shuffled in with the rest of the mixed up couples when Mineral Town/BTN came out. And even though they kept them the same and improved Ann's character– why did they make Cliff pick on my girl like that?

Another unpopular opinion - I actually like Cliff's new outfit in the Mineral Town remake. I like them both fine – I'm just lamenting the loss of his ponytail. It's slowly growing on me, but I still feel longer hair suited him better. While I didn't mind his sprite or model, I never cared for his super chunky bangs that stuck out at odd angles in some of his poses. His expressions were amusing, but he never initially struck me as handsome in-game – he was like this baby-faced DBZ-haired character, but that's where fan art comes in, heheh. I do think HM64 Cliff looks a little older and I appreciate that. But, gosh, he looks like a child in the Mineral Town remake – along with a majority of the dating pool, even if some of his expressions are dang cute. I've seen lots of gorgeous interpretations of his design in fan art, though. Keep doing your thing, you talented artists! You are so appreciated! As I've written my fics, I've made it no secret that I've, er, embellished on Cliff's hair a bit, making it long, flowy, and shiny. What can I say?  I like long hair on guys, and I'm gonna let Claire fawn over it.

A more serious unpopular opinion – over the years, I've seen a lot of people refer to Mineral Town Cliff in particular as lazy or a hobo. He is paying for a room at the inn just like Kai or Gray – he's not bumming off of anyone. As far as the player not seeing him looking around for work, I have a strong opinion on that as well, and I’ll tie it in with the complaint I’ve seen that he’s whiny (again, these are just general opinions I’ve read through the fandom for the past 20 years or so). My interpretation is that the guy is traumatized from his whole ordeal with his family. He hasn't been able to function beyond reliving his worst memories and drilling them into his head. He's very depressed and doesn't see himself as having a place in town, especially one that reminds him of his hometown (he mentions how similar the two towns are to Doug when he leaves town for good).  So I see him as struggling just to catch his footing, and learning to interact with people again - finding an income really isn’t the first thing on his mind, at least not at first.  

Was he selfish for leaving his home because he was unhappy? That's open to interpretation, as he never really gives any more details on what caused him to leave in the first place. Maybe his family was horrible and treated him badly. Maybe he was a spoiled brat. We don't know these things as canon. I do think he sees himself as selfish, though. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve to forgive himself and move along. I do like that Carter is a constant for him here and he has that support, and that he finds that in the player and his found family in Duke and Manna as he starts working for the winery.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish they had never gotten rid of Cain/Kane! Deep in my heart, I like to head canon that he's still out there and that Cliff keeps him offsite. That's what fanfic is for, I suppose. I just really thought they were so great together. <3

I would love to learn more about Cliff's sister, especially if you decide to marry him. She's rarely mentioned, and it would be awesome to hear more about her. I don't mind that his backstory is vague, but little snippets are so exciting to find!

I wish the fact that Karen and Cliff were cousins was touched down on a little more in HM64. I'd love to see Cliff come to the winery to meet his uncle and aunt and spend time with his cousin. Karen doesn't seem too keen on him, though, and I'm curious if that's because Ann's talked about him to her (Ann and Karen do have some friendship events in-game).

Phew, and there we have it. If you've read all the way to the end, I congratulate you. Thank you for the asks, anons, and I hope you enjoyed reading! <3

Character Breakdown Ask Game - Still Accepting! ;)