Player Info ››
Name: Avali
Age: 18+
Time Zone: Mountain Time (MT)
Contact Information: CLU2flynn » AIM + ladyavali » plurk
Other Characters Played: NA
Character Info ››
Name: Chloe Frazer
Canon: Uncharted
Age: mid thirties
On the surface, Chloe Frazer is exactly what you'd expect from your typical movie-brand con artist/thief/driver/real advice dispenser: slight, of average height, toned for dexterity over bulk with a fashion sense that just screams 'rendezvous at the Louve in 3 hours: bring glass cutter'. As for where she comes from, that's not all that easily pinned down. Her accent is a distinct mix of Australian with a touch of British influence, and the occasional dash of American terminology; literally a walking roadmap of the places she's been. Appearance-wise, the developers have nodded towards India on occasion, though her eyes are an unmistakable silvery shade of blue, and it's likely her bloodline's just as diverse as her travels.
Those adventures don't come without their fair share of nicks and scrapes, though, and while for the most part Chloe doesn't look like a grizzled war vet, anyone close enough to pay attention to details can spot a myriad of scars (Chloe's initial concept had a Squall Lionheart scar running the full length from forehead to cheek) peppered across her skin. (Most noticeably one thicker gouge across the top right shoulder from an old, close-range grazed bullet.)
Canon Point:
CR AU from Exsilium: during snowpocalypse period close to the end of the game, just after a nasty run-in with a little black magic of sorts. (Initial canon point is her last appearance in Uncharted 3, leaving both Syria and Nate behind.)
Like most in the Uncharted series, Chloe Frazer's occupations of choice don't often include anything legal (even the most reputable on the list is treasure hunting, and her techniques don't involve permits, digs or museums unless forging or robbery's involved) which is exactly why her initial appearance is more antagonistic than anything else: she attacks Nathan Drake (the series darling and main protagonist) holding him up at gunpoint to talk him out of the treasure hunt he's currently trampling his way through - her work is delicate, her job already in the bag, and his interference? Not so much a delight knowing it might ruin all of that. The two scuffle briefly (Chloe gains the upper hand thanks to a literal low blow involving her knee and his parts while Nate wins thanks to his own version of a low blow: throwing dust in her eyes) and part ways, colliding inevitably as their rivaling-- near identical-- plans progress. When the Doughtys (the brother and sister pair that hired Nathan Drake for his end of things) turn on him, Chloe takes the opportunity to rescue Nate and his mentor/ pseudo-adopted father, Victor Sullivan, proposing the idea of their duo becoming a trio. When Victor expresses an open dislike of that notion, Chloe emphatically reminds them that she just 'saved their asses'. They cave.
Not that it matters much later when a failed hijacking of the Doughtys' plane leads to all three of them getting captured at gunpoint and playing nice on one very long, awkward plane ride. Nate and Chloe pass time via chit-chatting about the sort of unconventional lives they lead, forming something of a mild bond. As is the case with just about any Indiana Jones-esque franchise, the arrival at the supposed entrance to Agartha means one dangerous expedition: Nate and Chloe splinter off and escape, fall through corroded floors, cross paths with deadly, near-invisible monsters, and wind up right back in the hands of their captors. In an underground paradise, of course, but still captured. Not much of a win.
Of course, ever the opportunist, Chloe snaps a brief snapshot with her phone of what looks like a crashed bit of ancient technology (closely resembling Leonardo's flying machine) just before the Doughtys turn on one another and unseal one barely contained wall of lava. Also not good. It's only thanks to some sharp flying by Victor that they manage to outrun-- and outfly-- that particularly unnatural, natural disaster.
Later, on some warm, tropical beach under the shelter of palm fronds and hotel roofing, it's revealed that Chloe's payoff had come from the photo she'd snagged in Agartha. Her end goal all along. Neither Victor nor Nate anything close to being wise to her having a paycheck where they lack one, Nate and Chloe polish off their adventure's end with some recreational boot-knocking before Chloe slips off presumably before dawn, leaving behind a note that reads: 'no regrets, cowboy.'
Chloe turns up years later in Nate's life yet again (though thanks to a nice bit of eventual banter and one very sappy entry in Nate's diary it's evidently not the first time they've run into one another since their Agartha escapade) when Nate is contacted by an old, old friend named Harry Flynn who wants to cut him in on a particularly enticing heist for what appears to be a shoddy old oil lamp. He refuses-- stating that it's a job for three people, not two-- to which Harry nods towards an approaching Chloe as their remarkably talented third and she (putting on a show for the blatantly unaware Harry Flynn) introduces herself to Nate as if they've never once met before in his life. The pitch is offered up properly shortly thereafter: Harry's working for some nutty old collector who believes the lamp is worth a ridiculous sum of money. Too much, actually, until Harry and Chloe pass off a bit of historic data they've acquired that leads Nate to believe the lamp will show the way to Shangri-la. Shambhala. Paradise, essentially, and specifically one massive blue sapphire held there known as the Cintamani stone. The three decide to go ahead with the heist, screw Harry's employer, and take the money for themselves.
Or at least that's what they agree to in public, as Chloe turns up on Nate's doorstep (literally knocking at the door to his hotel room) later on that evening. He demands to know what the deal is, she explains, wryly, that she and Harry are partners and that the moment she realized he was onto something she decided to cut Nate in on the action-- a discussion derailed moments later when Nate expresses mild jealousy over an assumed relationship between the two of them that she doesn't particularly deny, though she does eventually assuage him by confessing her plan is for both herself and Nate to split the earnings three ways as initially planned, but leave together instead. For realsies this time. No more ducking out on her and presumably the same in turn, given their past. It's about as serious a proposal as most thieves ever manage, honestly, and he accepts, though Nate does note that Harry won't be anything short of pissed about it. A concern Chloe's quick to brush off: Harry's a big lad; he'll be fine.
So on they go, proceeding with the plan of having Harry and Nate break in, nab the treasure and head out to where Chloe'll be waiting in the getaway vehicle. It rides along without a hitch, but a great deal of sass and camaraderie between old mates (and one short moment of waiting where Chloe's meant to switch off a generator: Harry has nothing but faith that Chloe will get the job done, Nate, on the other hand? Not so much. Says as much till the lights go out as planned.) till they reach the oil lamp and Nate decides smashing it on the ground is what will lead them to the treasure. Cue him being right because he's a cocky genius, uncovering a map and resin that burns a bright blue, revealing the clue they're after ought to be somewhere in Borneo. Which is the precise moment that Harry turns on Nate: setting off the alarm and trapping him without a rope to climb back out with armed guards rushing in just a few feet off. Doesn't really go well for Nate as you'd expect, and he winds up trapped for three months in a Turkish prison before Victor Sullivan shows up to pay his bail.
Well, at least he thinks it's Victor. Because Chloe had been the one to tip him off to Nate's predicament, and he's quick to confess this truth when Chloe walks in moments later to Nate's very obvious dismay. Naturally he thinks she betrayed him-- naturally she anticipated that reaction, which is why she had decided to rope in Victor in the first place. Chloe explains that Harry's insane old collector? Definitely insane, but not innocuously so: his name's Zoran Lazarevic, a Serbian war criminal presumed to be dead and known the world over for being a mass murderer amongst other repulsive things. He's been after the Cintamani stone for years, and unsurprisingly enough, Chloe's not so happy about having spent three months under his heel alongside Harry. Incompetent Harry, who for all his boasting hasn't been able to meet the sort of Scooby Doo mystery solving skill that Nate has tucked under his belt. Knowing this, Nate's more than ready to get back into the fray, and they head off for Borneo for attempt # 2 at dicking over Lazarevic.
Chloe plays double agent while the boys sneak into camp, setting up an explosive diversion (though not her first choice) long enough to ensure they can catch a glimpse of everything Lazarevic's amassed. Nate pulls together the pieces within a matter of minutes, and the trio ditch camp for the sake of ducking into some grizzly old ruins coated with blood and littered with skeletons-- skeletons all bearing nothing but black teeth. At the heart of the centuries old slaughter they find a map pointing to Nepal's expanse of golden temples and one ornate golden dagger said to be the passport to Shambhala. Score one at last for the home team. At least until Chloe hears approaching soldiers once they exit the ruins and decides to call out to Harry that she's found Nate and Victor and holds the displeased, grumbling pair at gunpoint. He preens a bit over their capture, Chloe supports it and then leaves with a pair of guards to take them to Lazarevic.
Until Harry's out of earshot, that is, when she shoots both soldiers (taking a hard graze to the shoulder from one poorly aimed shot on their end) and returns the jeweled dagger to Nate with the promise that she'll see them in Nepal. Victor comments on the fact that he likes her as they run off to make their escape.
Which of course leads to Nepal. Chloe retains her double agent status as she and Nate trek through the war-torn ruins of the city (Lazarevic's men pushed the local forces into an all out civil war with little effort) getting off on the thrill of adventure and the smell of gunpowder and too much parkour because-- let's face it-- they're immature enough for that adrenaline rush high to be listed neatly under 'kinks'. Charting a course for a temple bearing an identical seal to the dagger (known as a phurba) before bumping into Nate's previous flame: a small, bright-eyed, blonde journalist with a fierce heart named Elena Fisher, there with her cameraman in search of proof that Lazarevic is still alive and kicking. Nate, worried about her safety, insists she goes with them. Chloe and Elena refuse for different reasons, but the appearance of a gunship in search of Nathan Drake's location means the entire group has to give up on the idea of going separate ways and head out together for sanctuary inside their target temple. Sanctuary Chloe decides she sorely needs when Nate stops paying attention to her or the treasure hunt they'd come for in the first place: she drags Nate off, leaves Elena and her cameraman sitting at the entrance while they dig in to search for signs of Shambhala.
Nate spends the first half of that search worrying about whether or not Elena's in a relationship with her coworker. Out loud. In front of Chloe. Real classy.
But they move past that, cracking a few romantic and unromantic jokes as they find a hidden stone carving depicting the location of Shambhala: stuck away in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. Their makeout session of victory is shortly interrupted by Lazarevic's men, and the pair fight their way outside only to find Elena unharmed but visibly upset over the gut wound cameraman Jeff's managed to soak up in the fray. Knowing full well it's fatal, Chloe suggests they leave him to make their escape. It's a selfish plan that Nate and Elena vehemently object to, but it is-- for the sake of survival-- the correct one, as after one short, wounding attempt at escape the trio are trapped: the only exit left to take is the one Jeff can't make. Distraught and frustrated, Chloe apologizes before attempting to rely on the same tactic that'd served her in Borneo, aiming her gun at them the moment Harry turns up-- but he's not stupid, and he's not falling for it this time. The gears in his head finally start turning and he realizes she's been aiding Nate most likely from the start, foisting Chloe off on the soldiers at his side and sending her off via armed escort towards the train stashed away nearby just seconds before Lazarevic shows up.
Like the heroes they are, Nate and Elena avoid execution via one daring escape after Lazarevic brutally puts an end to Jeff, but Nate insists on turning back to rescue Chloe. Elena doesn't follow it at first (honestly, what sane person would) though they eventually do turn back and devise a plan that gets Nate onto the train heading for Tibet. A plan he soon regrets upon reaching Chloe and finding her in little more than emotional distress: she believed they were together in their plans, and-- feeling abandoned in the face of his concern for both Elena and Jeff to the point that it nearly got the lot of them killed-- tells him to get off the train. He protests, but is unfortunately interrupted when Harry shoots Nate in the side, stepping into the scene from well behind Chloe. Wounded Nate attempts to limp off, Harry goes in to fire again, and Chloe intervenes, stepping in front of the line of his gun for the sake of dissuading him-- which fails. Miserably, even, when Harry takes hold of her and throws her aside into a nearby wall, ordering the soldiers at his back to finish the job. But Nate's the daring hero: daring heroes survive, and he does just that holding out long enough to escape and make friends in Tibet before meeting up with Elena again.
On the opposite end of the coin, Chloe's back with Harry and Lazarevic. Far from paradise, as Lazarevic's idea of motivational team building exercises involve nearly putting that golden phurba through the bulk of Harry's skull, demanding results after too much time wasted with Shambhala literally in front of them. It's the first point in game where we have the unpleasant chance to see what it's like dealing with a testosterone infused madman the size of a WWE wrestler, and once Lazarevic's left the room, Chloe's quick to comment on what a cock he is. Despite everything leading up to this point, Harry shakes off any remaining jitters and passes the dagger-- the key to practically everything-- off into Chloe's hands, trusting her with it while he goes after Lazarevic to ask for more time. It's bad choice #37865286, because Nate drops in just a few moments later demanding that she give it to him. Initially, she doesn't. It's not an easy decision to make, and not just because there aren't any more aces up her sleeve (any attempt to lie at this point would be beyond transparent, and she'd pay for it) but ultimately she does give in on the condition that Nate takes down Lazarevic: whatever it means for her, it's evident she doesn't want the bastard to win.
And it isn't good for her. Doesn't lead to anything but her allegiances being uncovered no matter how good she is at lying, and when Nate finds the door to Shambhala, Lazarevic has her dragged in at gunpoint to keep Nate cooperative. Nate gives in for both her sake and Elena's when Lazarevic offers to kill one of them should he fail to comply. The door's unlocked, puzzles are solved, and upon setting foot in paradise Lazarevic orders Chloe, Nate and Elena to get on their knees for execution. The guy's got a lot of hangups about traitors, okay, meaning he aims for Chloe first-- and Harry immediately interjects, citing the fact that they had a deal. A deal Lazarevic is clearly fussed about honoring, because he keeps the barrel of his gun jammed up against her for a few seconds longer until Harry reminds him that he's the one capable of finding the Cintamani stone. A few extra beats, and Lazarevic finally shoves Chloe off, unharmed, into Harry's arms. Nobody's happy but Harry about this.
Fortunately--or unfortunately-- before the others are shot, the group is attacked by Shambhala's immortal guardians: former humans that've been sort of hulk-ified into nothing but pale, undead looking muscle, white eyes and sharp teeth. They tear into Lazarevic's men, Chloe tears into Harry and steals the gun he had aimed at her, and bolts with Nate and Elena. The three catch their breath and Chloe suggests in her usual fashion that they take the exit while it's unguarded, but Nate and Elena insist on staying and attempting to stop Lazarevic from using the stone to become immortal. Mad as it is, Chloe realizes the depth of their sincerity in wanting to put an end to his plans, and at last she concedes, agreeing to help them. Lengthy journey through monster infested, beautiful ruins goes here, preceding the trio stumbling at last upon one unguarded Cintamani stone.
But it isn't a sapphire. Isn't even a gem, and while Chloe's first instinct is to smash it so that Lazarevic can't use it to achieve his goals, Nate interrupts to tell her that it's not right. That they were wrong, and it was never a gemstone or a sapphire: it was sap. Blue resin turned to blue amber from the massive tree of life growing in the heart of Shambhala. The tree itself was the key to immortality, it corrupted men and shifted them into those monstrosities, turned their teeth pitch black like the skeletal remains they'd found in Borneo, and Lazarevic clearly intended to drink the sap and gain the invincibility it offered.
A fact that when stated, Harry Flynn, bloodied and fatally wounded, applauded. Stumbling in to collapse against one of the pillars not far off, he admitted that Lazarevic knew all along. That he'd been smarter than he looked, and that this was likely his intended outcome for all of them. That Lazarevic was kind enough to leave Harry with a grenade sans pin, intended to kill everyone in one final go. Which is what Harry attempts when Elena edges in close enough, wounding all three and bringing Elena to near death. And in contrast to the scene that had played out in Nepal, when Chloe had insisted on leaving Jeff behind, Elena's demand for them to leave her prompts nothing but dismissal from Chloe as she goes in to lift the other woman and carry her out to safety rather than abandon her.
Nate confronts Lazarevic, bests him via luck and the volatile nature of the sap itself, resulting in the collapse of Shambhala. He, Chloe and Elena barely make it out alive, and for a few brief moments the both of them worry that Elena's succumbed to her wounds and died. The game closes months later, Nate and Chloe attending while prayers are being said for the deceased. Nate compliments Chloe on how she's grown and she-- well, she rebuffs it, gently. Mildly, even, with a grin, before asking if he loves her while nodding off in one recovering Elena's direction. He stutters, which is as much of an answer as she needs, and Chloe cuts him off by telling him to tell her that. Nate tries again to explain, and she shakes her head, stating that it's 'her turn to walk away'.
Years later, after Nate's marriage to Elena falls through, he's back at his usual game of treasure hunting to make ends meet. Calling in favors to a couple of old friends (one Charlie Cutter and, of course, Chloe Frazer) he sets up a quick scam to rip off one underground Golden Dawn-esque cult in the heart of London. It's easy enough, and Chloe does what she-- literally-- does best: known for being the best driver in the business, she tails the Order's town car to a shady looking garage not far from the pub where their plan was hatched. When the crew meets up to head in, it's not a remake of the old interactions of Uncharted 2; Chloe keeps her distance from Nate, batting at Victor or Charlie instead, and fails to suppress amusement at the mention of Charlie getting carried away and headbutting Nate a bit too hard for comfort. The near childish infatuation's clearly gone, replaced by nothing bitter while she teases him affectionately for his misfortune and gets down to business so the lads can head down into the depths of the London Underground while she mans the getaway vehicle.
And it's a good thing she does, because the Order isn't playing about when they send fully armed agents running out after Nate, Charlie and Victor. Safe and scot free in the safety of Charlie's flat hours later, the crew uncovers the knowledge that the Order's after a vast treasure hidden in the Rub al' khali desert, rumored to be the Atlantis of the Sands. In order to unlock the old Templar legends they'll need to split off into two separate teams: one to heading off to France, the other to Syria. Chloe immediately shoots her hand up to volunteer for France with all the enthusiasm she can manage. She's also immediately shot down and sent to Syria with Charlie. Sad face.
The pair do all right, though they soon realize the Order's goons are lurking about in the Syrian ruins hoping to find them, but Nate and Victor-- fresh off the flight from France and looking fairly awful from the ordeal they'd faced there-- find the duo first and chastise them for not answering their phones. Charlie sheepishly confesses he forgot to top off the minutes on his pre-paid phone, and Chloe (not-sheepishly at all) admits hers is broken. But hey, they're alive and not being tortured or worse, so that's something. From there they do the usual adventure search, find clues and note locations, and it goes well enough until the Order's second in command, Talbot, shoots Charlie with a poisoned dart that not only has him hallucinating to the point of being useless, but effectively controls his mind to the point of making him actively believe Nate is out to get him. Charlie turns on Nate not long after, nearly killing him by choking him out and Victor (unwilling to risk losing his adopted kid) pulls a gun on him with the intention of shooting in the head right then and there. Chloe, refusing to let that go down on her watch, does a repeat of her leaping in front of a gun for the sake of someone she cares about routine to deter Victor at least a few moments longer before she sets her hands on Charlie and talks him down from the nightmare. He releases Nate just in time.
From there they make progress, finding the seal they need before Talbot is once again on them. Retreating via jumping off a massive tower onto maintenance catwalks that soon collapse, Nate, Chloe and Victor escape only to realize the collapsed section has made it impossible for Charlie to follow: he's left behind at the mercy of the Order who quickly take the seal and light the tower on fire, leaving him to jump or burn to death. He jumps.
And breaks his leg, which admittedly is better than breaking his neck. The trio reach him and offer whatever assistance they can in trying to get him out before they're all killed, and Chloe tugs a tarot card (the Tower) from his coat pocket, which makes it seem as if his fall had been scripted all along. Between that and the fact that Charlie had shot Talbot dead only to watch him stroll up moments later alive and well painted an eerie picture that was plain enough to see: they were outmatched. Easily. This wasn't a normal cult and the risk, Chloe states with concern once they narrowly escape the Syrian ruins, far outweighs the reward. Treasure isn't worth dying for. A fact that Nate is unwilling to hear, which leaves a frustrated Chloe ready to draw the line and back out of the deal. She bows out, and his story goes on without her.
It's the precise moment that precedes Chloe's abrupt abduction into the alternate reality that is Exsilium: a desiccated world brought to a near miserable end by one cruel regime known as the United Earth. The resistance (named the Initiative, completely self-titled) uses a bit of mysterious technology to tug in people from other universes to help aid their cause. Probably because the United Earth is actively destroying those other universes for the sake of gathering more resources, but the bottom line is that conscripts don't get to go home on their terms. Which initially sits-- well, not fine with Chloe, but it's a city in need of supply: she sets up shop with Victor running item retrieval/ treasure hunting as usual with every intention of just waiting out the storm till she's sent back home. Plus the apartments they get? Totally posh. It's cushy enough to make adaptability a cinch, and it'd have stayed that way if Harry Flynn hadn't turned up not too long after, still sporting life-ending wounds that get patched up in the nick of time. But nearly dying's something of an eye-opener for him and he and Chloe reconcile. Mostly, anyway. Years spent growing the hell up have granted Chloe enough sense to know she had a hand in what happened to him, but it doesn't make her trust him in the slightest: Harry gets added to the team, but Chloe sends him off to run the dirtier, less fun jobs. Like siphoning gasoline from cars.
And from there it's fairly constant: Nate and Charlie turn up, the Initiative sends its conscripts on time traveling missions (because that's how one tiny little resistance manages any progress against the entire world) that involve some shady dealings for the greater good. Chloe even manages to see eye-to-eye with magic wielders which canonically? Really not her thing in the slightest. Furthest thing from it, actually. With good reason, seeing how Lazarevic's supernatural nonsense nearly did them in, and the Order's tarot card brainwashing special nearly did them in, and Agartha-- well, you get the picture. But for all the progress she does make it's all put on the backburner when Talbot shows up, sporting memories from well after the point that Chloe's familiar with. Well after the point that even Nate or Victor are familiar with, and it's at that point that Chloe strikes up a truce with him: Nate and Victor have no memory of any slights against the Order, so with no treasure to fight over, they'll just keep their distance from one another. My side, your side, etc. Shaky solution at best, but better than fanning at the flames. She then tells Charlie about the arrangement, and the two argue (briefly) about whether or not it'll work. Where Chloe prefers a more defensive stance on things, Charlie's aggressive: wants to skip the risk entirely and take Talbot out to solve their problems before it starts. She agrees-- can't help but agree, actually-- that he's right. Talbot won't sit idle forever, so they'll keep Nate and Victor in the dark about the threat until she and Charlie can put a bullet in him.
Doesn't really work out like that, though. Because Talbot isn't keen on sitting around on his heels, either, and noting Chloe as a risk, pegs her with one of his drugged darts intending to have her off herself and frame the entire thing as a suicide. It fails at the last possible moment when one of Chloe's newer friends (an undead elf named Koltira) happens to catch her aiming to tug on the trigger, but there's damage done in the disconnect that is Chloe Frazer, survivalist of the year, attempting to turn a gun on herself. With Chloe unable to recall anything out of the ordinary aside from going off the deep end, Talbot wins himself a second chance to succeed when he drugs Nate instead, convincing him to shoot Victor and then finishing Nate off not long after-- just days before Chloe and Charlie had intended to finally go on the attack. Knowledge that does more than sting when they uncover the scene; when Charlie lunges at Talbot with every intention of beating him into a bloody pulp. But in a that livid rage he does more harm than good: Chloe can't get a shot off, and Talbot jams a drugged dart into the vein beneath Charlie's jaw to make a quick, bloody escape. When Charlie collapses in a stained heap on the pavement Chloe thinks-- briefly-- that he's dead or on his way to it as well before the realization that his wounds are non-fatal sinks in up close. Guilty as anything, she helps him limp back to the apartment complex and leaves him in Elena's care, ducking out as is par for the course for most Uncharted characters when they've completely screwed up (see: Nathan Drake).
And being completely screwed up means she's still stuck searching for an easy out-- an easy way to cope with feeling responsible for the deaths of two of her closest mates-- when the Initiative hosts a fancy soiree in ye olde Versailles thanks to the magic of time travel. Harry turns up offering his arm, the pair steal too many bottles of wine, and run off stupidly into the gardens to drink and talk about literally anything but recent events. It works. Too well, actually, because when a still-injured (emotionally and physically) Charlie Cutter crosses their path and sees Chloe laughing with some prick in the wake of everything that just went down-- when he bitterly strolls up and finds out it's Harry Flynn of all people-- things go downhill. Fast. Harry pretends to be the better man while Charlie's spitting vitriol in their direction, the two scuffle, and Chloe has to pull a gun on them to get the damn thing to end. Nobody's happy. Everybody loses. Chloe sends Charlie off to rinse off the blood on his own, returning to Exsilium not long after and (because when it rains it pours) finds Koltira in a complete frenzy. He attacks her, she nearly bleeds out, and Harry Flynn (being the only bridge she hasn't burned) is the one to patch her up and keep her alive while she heals.
And it stays that way for a while: Nate and Victor come back, but it's awkward going having to confess having a hand in their deaths, which means she opts not to see them at all, meaning a newly revived Nate thinks Harry+Chloe=danger and busts in to save the day. Again. Unnecessarily again. After the train to Tibet it's just embarrassing at this point.
Chloe explains that she owes Harry for what he did, Nate can't fathom Harry ever changing his stripes, and-- hurt-- says screw it. Uncharted-style ducking out follows where he washes his hands of both Chloe and Harry, and the completely alive cast is divided.
That is until Harry's sent home by the Initiative's machine, leaving Chloe 100% lone wolf with the knowledge that he was sent back essentially to die. Not the most encouraging thought, and it's one that sticks: Chloe begins to despise the Initiative, not just for their carelessness or lack of concern for the people they abduct, but the unethical missions they send transports out to complete in order to create 'a better world'. Still, skeptical or not, there's nothing to be done about it. Particularly not when the Initiative de-ages her back to the days of Agartha and does Charlie the favor of skipping to the precise moment that he broke his leg. Stuck in an odd predicament, the two team up to accomplish one particularly dangerous mission, and are returned to normal shortly thereafter-- with the addition of memories of their escapades.
It leads to bandaging up that tired, burned bridge between them, which in turn leads Chloe to patch things up with Victor and Nate.
From there it's an odd shuffle: Chloe and Charlie get close and stay that way, opting to make up for past mistakes while running the usual deal in Exsilium until things go a bit critical. The United Earth decides it's had enough of the Initiative's nonsense and razes one of the transport's worlds before destroying it. Terrible as it is, Chloe's wary. Too wary to get in close enough to lend a hand. The UE's no joke or anything close to it, and saying they could wipe out the Initiative's forces in one go is an understatement. For someone dedicated to survival, getting into the heart of the city to contribute means risking her neck for a bunch of people she honestly doesn't know-- doesn't have any reason to want to protect. Charlie, on the other hand, wants to fight and sincerely wants to help. The two argue, unable to see eye-to-eye on what ought to be done, and it's a rift that's slow to heal.
Chloe's not wrong, though. Eventually the UE does get its way and effectively wipes out the populated city of Exsilium. All but the barest handful of its natural inhabitants are killed in a nuclear blast, and only via one hasty exit in a spaceship are the transports and Initiative staff able to escape to an old United Earth base on the moon. This goes down while Chloe and Charlie are away on a gold-pilfering mission in ancient Egypt, having a grand old time, and when the two return they find-- well, they find themselves in space with their home, contacts and personal belongings completely erased. Angry over deaths brought about thanks to carelessness on the Initiative's part in addition to everything else before, Chloe's cynicism hits an all time high. Higher than Shambhala or Syria. The Initiative's piss poor decision making skills are backing the entire transport community into an inescapable corner, and in her eyes it's only a matter of time before the UE finishes the job.
And Charlie, as luck would have it, feels the same. After a month spent frothing bitterly over recent tragedies the two decide enough is enough: if transports don't have a certain amount of control, then they'll take the bloody machine from the Initiative and win control for themselves. Being a con artist, Chloe's naturally capable of swaying more than a handful to their cause, and at the end of the month they've got a plan in place for staging an all out mutiny. No deaths, no violence, just a lock-in with the Initiative's precious machine while the staff are out.
Or at least it was supposed to be, because unfortunately for them, the staff are very much in, meaning their non-violent sit in turns into a non-violent hostage scenario. One they can't exactly go back on once they break through the doors. For days the group attempts to address the transport community via the base's PA system while staying defended via barricaded doors and keeping the network down but the other conscripts aren't willing to listen, and continue to bring those functions back online one by one while many of the other transports publicly threaten the mutineers: demanding a hanging or that they be airlocked, etc. It's not pretty, and it's a task the self-appointed transport police force struggle to keep locked down even well after the mutiny's concluded. And it is, of course, brought to a close. A destructive one that leaves Chloe on edge and ready to shoot while the others stay just as guarded. It's not until they're promised a fair trial and adequate protection that Charlie gives the go-ahead for the mutineers to surrender, and unfortunately for them 'adequate protection' equates to sitting in makeshift jail cells-- four to a room each with Chloe and Charlie naturally separated considering they're the leaders of the entire affair. It sucks, to put it plainly, but they've got limited network access and keep sane via putting it to good use whenever possible.
Which doesn't keep Chloe (practically a professional nomad) from going stir-crazy in lockup. Doesn't keep her from snapping when one of the other mutineers (a close friend at that) is attacked on the police force's watch, or keep her from making a break for it which, of course, leads to her losing those network privileges and getting thrown in solitary for a few long, restless weeks.
But those weeks do end, eventually, and they end with news that Exsilium's been (mostly) fixed, brought back to a different state than it was before despite being perfectly inhabitable. Is currently inhabited already, actually, by a city tucked away in the snow of a nuclear winter where the Initiative no longer exists as anything more than a small, underground resistance with next to no power. It means the transports have control again of where they go and what they do, but it also means they need to establish ties to the new Initiative, and it means-- for Chloe and the rest of the mutineers-- entertaining the idea of staying committed to the cause. Something Charlie takes to just fine, while Chloe doesn't. Latching onto the idea of fighting for a cause with her back against the wall? Easy. Saving her own neck lined up with saving everyone else's, after all. Doing it again without things looking dire, though? Tricky business. Because her investment in the well being of the other mutineers stays constant (they're her mates; they had her back) but Victor and Nate don't see things Charlie's way, and their concerns about her going legit or playing the hero hit on her own fears re: settling into any sort of commitment. And repeating the majesty of Nate's previous poor life choices when it comes to settling down in any capacity, or her own awful choices in general, Chloe spooks.
Without some warm tropical beach to run to or a Moroccan cafe where she's known only by reputation, she's stuck attempting to discern whether or not she's in too deep or whether adapting to her current state is staying true to herself in a different fashion. It's not an easy thing to follow or understand, particularly not for someone so emotionally constipated. So she puts it off. Ignores it. Meets a fellow conman known as Doctor Facilier whilst assessing whether or not he has the skills to run gambling tables for Victor's new business idea and winds up walking out with a talisman that'll supposedly fix her indecision. Which it does, in a way, by making her go full on Stepford over time before the spell's finally undone. She gets brief payback at least, before she and Facilier conclude their final meeting, landing a shot to his arm and leaving it at that.
Leaving everything behind, actually.
Personality:
Despite one calm, casual exterior, Chloe isn't in the game to pick up pennies on sandy beaches: 'go big or stay home' might as well be her motto considering the sort of scores she makes and the risks taken to get them. And while some might say only the reckless gamble, there's a method to her preferred brand of madness; her bets are calculated, tactics laid out in her favor so she's confident she's running with the upper hand whether it's talking business with a pack of Russian mobsters in her youth as an eager go-getter, or sabotaging that one maniacal Serbian warlord right underneath his nose. It's her comfort zone, stacking lies or smooth grins like aces up her sleeve, and it comes in handy given how often she walks away from jobs with money in her pocket where Nathan Drake...well, doesn't. Proves even more useful when dealing with the supernatural-- something Chloe clearly and avidly despises, considering how loathe she is to believe the reality of Shambhala even when standing inside its gates, or how bothered she is by the Order's mind controlling tarot card nonsense. Enough to bring up dusting their hands of the whole deal. It's unpredictability, plain and simple, in the eyes of someone that needs to count cards.
Truth be told, though, in spite of her perpetual desire to keep one firm hand on that safety net, Chloe's been shown reluctantly letting it go multiple times for the sake of those she values most or the causes they stand for. And sure, in Uncharted 2 her willingness to give in has more to do with that ridiculous crush on Nate and just about every string of words that comes out of his mouth at first, but by the end of the game it's evident her choices are being made for a number of factors (his well being over her own, setting herself up for a fall if it means Lazarevic taking a hit, the conviction and sincerity shown by Elena and Nate in regards to stopping Lazarevic from achieving his goals) that aren't anything short of loyal or self-sacrificing. Breaks in a pattern of selfish behavior that carry on to Uncharted 3 where Chloe's attempts to drag Nate back to his senses collapse, and in contrast to Shambhala, where for a greater cause she was willing to risk her neck, Nate's suicidal dedication to treasure was the line in the sand. That said, her loyalty (considering the risks taken to get that far) is unbreakable once it's given-- and it's not given easily, or for anything less than action over words-- for all her cynical talk of what it means to stick your neck out for someone, Chloe throws herself in the line of fire, figuratively and literally, when her friends are in danger. It's not a matter of debate: she never wastes a second. Didn't waste a second when Harry's gun was trained on Nate, or Victor's on Charlie. It's another glimpse beneath the surface of her usual cavalier facade, and it once again shows that even with the disreputable career path she favors, the traits she admires-- clearly values most-- are the more heroic ones: things like trustworthiness, selflessness, loyalty and compassion.
Odd, for someone so dedicated to sensibility and survival. Two things that've kept her alive in a chosen profession with an exceedingly short lifespan. There's a very clear line drawn between what she values in those around her and what she believes she's capable of, and whether it's a matter of doubting her own worth in comparison or not wanting to let old, bitter habits lie, or even a heavy, pressing need for control, the bottom line is that she does see herself as something different. Operates on a level of selfishness that touches on Harry's willingness to screw someone else over if it means getting away (easy enough to draw lines between Harry's self-serving actions and Chloe's insistence on letting Jeff die in the street if it meant the rest of them escaping) but aspires to hit much higher notes like the sort of nonsensical heroism Nate seems to vomit out at every opportunity (and then is subsequently frustrated when she has to deal with said heroism. Chloe, please what are you doing???). Those disconnects, those uneven tracks are what lead to issues like the train to Tibet where Chloe's tripwire temper hits hard. Because when you admire what's one step above you (Harry chases Chloe, Chloe chases Nate, Nate chases Elena) there's a much greater risk of slipping and hitting the ground hard in one rude awakening. The realization that Nate was willing to risk his life and hers, setting aside everything they'd planned for the sake of 'the other two' didn't sit well at all, to the point that Chloe was willing to shove Nate off entirely and say screw the deal: she'd rather sit in on the world's worst gig with Lazarevic and Harry.
That, though, leads into the endgame where Chloe shrugs off-- completely and without hesitation-- all the bitterness that'd been there on that unfun train ride. Where she hands the phurba to Nate knowing it'll be her head, where she has the chance to repeat Nepal and leave Elena to die the way she'd insisted they leave Jeff, and she doesn't. Argues against the suggestion and carries Elena through gunfire muttering encouragement as they go, sincerely worried about the woman at her side. It's the second time Chloe's shown being downright chivalrous to another woman (the first being in the comic when Rose Doughty is mauled by one of the shadow creatures, and her brother leaves her behind to die. Chloe turns back and picks her up, dragging her enemy out to safety before Rose... attacks her and slams her head into a wall. Not a smart thing to do, rescuing the bad guys, but still) and her graceful bowing out to give Nate and Elena a chance to be happy, coupled with her less Nate-centric behavior in Uncharted 3, shows how far that maturity stretches when her temper and insecurities aren't briefly (lividly) in play.
That said, for all her swagger and emotional maturity, her sense of humor tends to hit on the teenage level. She swears like a sixteen year old boy ('sweet' and 'balls' being common ammunition in her usual repertoire) tosses out fistbumps and sarcasm as often as possible, and does her best to invade most everyone's personal space whenever opportunities arise. Pet names are a given, whether she knows you or not, and she's as likely to steal what you've got in your wallet (if it's remarkable enough) as she is to call you 'darling'.
She's a thief. A dirty, lying, con-loving thief that would bleed in a heartbeat for the ones that matter in her life.
Abilities/Powers/Skills:
Guns people down like a pro at any range. Skilled with explosives, hand to hand combat, stealth, free running and dodging the sort of grisly, overblown explosions you can expect from any action movie. Chloe's fought a few less than natural things herself, but she's certainly not one of them, and though the characters from the Uncharted series do bend and push the limits of human capabilities, they're still just humans. If she's outmatched, she's outmatched.
Weaknesses:
N/A
Special Items:
Name: Avali
Age: 18+
Time Zone: Mountain Time (MT)
Contact Information: CLU2flynn » AIM + ladyavali » plurk
Other Characters Played: NA
Character Info ››
Name: Chloe Frazer
Canon: Uncharted
Age: mid thirties
Appearance:
On the surface, Chloe Frazer is exactly what you'd expect from your typical movie-brand con artist/thief/driver/real advice dispenser: slight, of average height, toned for dexterity over bulk with a fashion sense that just screams 'rendezvous at the Louve in 3 hours: bring glass cutter'. As for where she comes from, that's not all that easily pinned down. Her accent is a distinct mix of Australian with a touch of British influence, and the occasional dash of American terminology; literally a walking roadmap of the places she's been. Appearance-wise, the developers have nodded towards India on occasion, though her eyes are an unmistakable silvery shade of blue, and it's likely her bloodline's just as diverse as her travels.
Those adventures don't come without their fair share of nicks and scrapes, though, and while for the most part Chloe doesn't look like a grizzled war vet, anyone close enough to pay attention to details can spot a myriad of scars (Chloe's initial concept had a Squall Lionheart scar running the full length from forehead to cheek) peppered across her skin. (Most noticeably one thicker gouge across the top right shoulder from an old, close-range grazed bullet.)
Canon Point:
CR AU from Exsilium: during snowpocalypse period close to the end of the game, just after a nasty run-in with a little black magic of sorts. (Initial canon point is her last appearance in Uncharted 3, leaving both Syria and Nate behind.)
History:
U n c h a r t e d (c o m i c) :
Like most in the Uncharted series, Chloe Frazer's occupations of choice don't often include anything legal (even the most reputable on the list is treasure hunting, and her techniques don't involve permits, digs or museums unless forging or robbery's involved) which is exactly why her initial appearance is more antagonistic than anything else: she attacks Nathan Drake (the series darling and main protagonist) holding him up at gunpoint to talk him out of the treasure hunt he's currently trampling his way through - her work is delicate, her job already in the bag, and his interference? Not so much a delight knowing it might ruin all of that. The two scuffle briefly (Chloe gains the upper hand thanks to a literal low blow involving her knee and his parts while Nate wins thanks to his own version of a low blow: throwing dust in her eyes) and part ways, colliding inevitably as their rivaling-- near identical-- plans progress. When the Doughtys (the brother and sister pair that hired Nathan Drake for his end of things) turn on him, Chloe takes the opportunity to rescue Nate and his mentor/ pseudo-adopted father, Victor Sullivan, proposing the idea of their duo becoming a trio. When Victor expresses an open dislike of that notion, Chloe emphatically reminds them that she just 'saved their asses'. They cave.
Not that it matters much later when a failed hijacking of the Doughtys' plane leads to all three of them getting captured at gunpoint and playing nice on one very long, awkward plane ride. Nate and Chloe pass time via chit-chatting about the sort of unconventional lives they lead, forming something of a mild bond. As is the case with just about any Indiana Jones-esque franchise, the arrival at the supposed entrance to Agartha means one dangerous expedition: Nate and Chloe splinter off and escape, fall through corroded floors, cross paths with deadly, near-invisible monsters, and wind up right back in the hands of their captors. In an underground paradise, of course, but still captured. Not much of a win.
Of course, ever the opportunist, Chloe snaps a brief snapshot with her phone of what looks like a crashed bit of ancient technology (closely resembling Leonardo's flying machine) just before the Doughtys turn on one another and unseal one barely contained wall of lava. Also not good. It's only thanks to some sharp flying by Victor that they manage to outrun-- and outfly-- that particularly unnatural, natural disaster.
Later, on some warm, tropical beach under the shelter of palm fronds and hotel roofing, it's revealed that Chloe's payoff had come from the photo she'd snagged in Agartha. Her end goal all along. Neither Victor nor Nate anything close to being wise to her having a paycheck where they lack one, Nate and Chloe polish off their adventure's end with some recreational boot-knocking before Chloe slips off presumably before dawn, leaving behind a note that reads: 'no regrets, cowboy.'
U n c h a r t e d 2 :
Chloe turns up years later in Nate's life yet again (though thanks to a nice bit of eventual banter and one very sappy entry in Nate's diary it's evidently not the first time they've run into one another since their Agartha escapade) when Nate is contacted by an old, old friend named Harry Flynn who wants to cut him in on a particularly enticing heist for what appears to be a shoddy old oil lamp. He refuses-- stating that it's a job for three people, not two-- to which Harry nods towards an approaching Chloe as their remarkably talented third and she (putting on a show for the blatantly unaware Harry Flynn) introduces herself to Nate as if they've never once met before in his life. The pitch is offered up properly shortly thereafter: Harry's working for some nutty old collector who believes the lamp is worth a ridiculous sum of money. Too much, actually, until Harry and Chloe pass off a bit of historic data they've acquired that leads Nate to believe the lamp will show the way to Shangri-la. Shambhala. Paradise, essentially, and specifically one massive blue sapphire held there known as the Cintamani stone. The three decide to go ahead with the heist, screw Harry's employer, and take the money for themselves.
Or at least that's what they agree to in public, as Chloe turns up on Nate's doorstep (literally knocking at the door to his hotel room) later on that evening. He demands to know what the deal is, she explains, wryly, that she and Harry are partners and that the moment she realized he was onto something she decided to cut Nate in on the action-- a discussion derailed moments later when Nate expresses mild jealousy over an assumed relationship between the two of them that she doesn't particularly deny, though she does eventually assuage him by confessing her plan is for both herself and Nate to split the earnings three ways as initially planned, but leave together instead. For realsies this time. No more ducking out on her and presumably the same in turn, given their past. It's about as serious a proposal as most thieves ever manage, honestly, and he accepts, though Nate does note that Harry won't be anything short of pissed about it. A concern Chloe's quick to brush off: Harry's a big lad; he'll be fine.
So on they go, proceeding with the plan of having Harry and Nate break in, nab the treasure and head out to where Chloe'll be waiting in the getaway vehicle. It rides along without a hitch, but a great deal of sass and camaraderie between old mates (and one short moment of waiting where Chloe's meant to switch off a generator: Harry has nothing but faith that Chloe will get the job done, Nate, on the other hand? Not so much. Says as much till the lights go out as planned.) till they reach the oil lamp and Nate decides smashing it on the ground is what will lead them to the treasure. Cue him being right because he's a cocky genius, uncovering a map and resin that burns a bright blue, revealing the clue they're after ought to be somewhere in Borneo. Which is the precise moment that Harry turns on Nate: setting off the alarm and trapping him without a rope to climb back out with armed guards rushing in just a few feet off. Doesn't really go well for Nate as you'd expect, and he winds up trapped for three months in a Turkish prison before Victor Sullivan shows up to pay his bail.
Well, at least he thinks it's Victor. Because Chloe had been the one to tip him off to Nate's predicament, and he's quick to confess this truth when Chloe walks in moments later to Nate's very obvious dismay. Naturally he thinks she betrayed him-- naturally she anticipated that reaction, which is why she had decided to rope in Victor in the first place. Chloe explains that Harry's insane old collector? Definitely insane, but not innocuously so: his name's Zoran Lazarevic, a Serbian war criminal presumed to be dead and known the world over for being a mass murderer amongst other repulsive things. He's been after the Cintamani stone for years, and unsurprisingly enough, Chloe's not so happy about having spent three months under his heel alongside Harry. Incompetent Harry, who for all his boasting hasn't been able to meet the sort of Scooby Doo mystery solving skill that Nate has tucked under his belt. Knowing this, Nate's more than ready to get back into the fray, and they head off for Borneo for attempt # 2 at dicking over Lazarevic.
Chloe plays double agent while the boys sneak into camp, setting up an explosive diversion (though not her first choice) long enough to ensure they can catch a glimpse of everything Lazarevic's amassed. Nate pulls together the pieces within a matter of minutes, and the trio ditch camp for the sake of ducking into some grizzly old ruins coated with blood and littered with skeletons-- skeletons all bearing nothing but black teeth. At the heart of the centuries old slaughter they find a map pointing to Nepal's expanse of golden temples and one ornate golden dagger said to be the passport to Shambhala. Score one at last for the home team. At least until Chloe hears approaching soldiers once they exit the ruins and decides to call out to Harry that she's found Nate and Victor and holds the displeased, grumbling pair at gunpoint. He preens a bit over their capture, Chloe supports it and then leaves with a pair of guards to take them to Lazarevic.
Until Harry's out of earshot, that is, when she shoots both soldiers (taking a hard graze to the shoulder from one poorly aimed shot on their end) and returns the jeweled dagger to Nate with the promise that she'll see them in Nepal. Victor comments on the fact that he likes her as they run off to make their escape.
Which of course leads to Nepal. Chloe retains her double agent status as she and Nate trek through the war-torn ruins of the city (Lazarevic's men pushed the local forces into an all out civil war with little effort) getting off on the thrill of adventure and the smell of gunpowder and too much parkour because-- let's face it-- they're immature enough for that adrenaline rush high to be listed neatly under 'kinks'. Charting a course for a temple bearing an identical seal to the dagger (known as a phurba) before bumping into Nate's previous flame: a small, bright-eyed, blonde journalist with a fierce heart named Elena Fisher, there with her cameraman in search of proof that Lazarevic is still alive and kicking. Nate, worried about her safety, insists she goes with them. Chloe and Elena refuse for different reasons, but the appearance of a gunship in search of Nathan Drake's location means the entire group has to give up on the idea of going separate ways and head out together for sanctuary inside their target temple. Sanctuary Chloe decides she sorely needs when Nate stops paying attention to her or the treasure hunt they'd come for in the first place: she drags Nate off, leaves Elena and her cameraman sitting at the entrance while they dig in to search for signs of Shambhala.
Nate spends the first half of that search worrying about whether or not Elena's in a relationship with her coworker. Out loud. In front of Chloe. Real classy.
But they move past that, cracking a few romantic and unromantic jokes as they find a hidden stone carving depicting the location of Shambhala: stuck away in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. Their makeout session of victory is shortly interrupted by Lazarevic's men, and the pair fight their way outside only to find Elena unharmed but visibly upset over the gut wound cameraman Jeff's managed to soak up in the fray. Knowing full well it's fatal, Chloe suggests they leave him to make their escape. It's a selfish plan that Nate and Elena vehemently object to, but it is-- for the sake of survival-- the correct one, as after one short, wounding attempt at escape the trio are trapped: the only exit left to take is the one Jeff can't make. Distraught and frustrated, Chloe apologizes before attempting to rely on the same tactic that'd served her in Borneo, aiming her gun at them the moment Harry turns up-- but he's not stupid, and he's not falling for it this time. The gears in his head finally start turning and he realizes she's been aiding Nate most likely from the start, foisting Chloe off on the soldiers at his side and sending her off via armed escort towards the train stashed away nearby just seconds before Lazarevic shows up.
Like the heroes they are, Nate and Elena avoid execution via one daring escape after Lazarevic brutally puts an end to Jeff, but Nate insists on turning back to rescue Chloe. Elena doesn't follow it at first (honestly, what sane person would) though they eventually do turn back and devise a plan that gets Nate onto the train heading for Tibet. A plan he soon regrets upon reaching Chloe and finding her in little more than emotional distress: she believed they were together in their plans, and-- feeling abandoned in the face of his concern for both Elena and Jeff to the point that it nearly got the lot of them killed-- tells him to get off the train. He protests, but is unfortunately interrupted when Harry shoots Nate in the side, stepping into the scene from well behind Chloe. Wounded Nate attempts to limp off, Harry goes in to fire again, and Chloe intervenes, stepping in front of the line of his gun for the sake of dissuading him-- which fails. Miserably, even, when Harry takes hold of her and throws her aside into a nearby wall, ordering the soldiers at his back to finish the job. But Nate's the daring hero: daring heroes survive, and he does just that holding out long enough to escape and make friends in Tibet before meeting up with Elena again.
On the opposite end of the coin, Chloe's back with Harry and Lazarevic. Far from paradise, as Lazarevic's idea of motivational team building exercises involve nearly putting that golden phurba through the bulk of Harry's skull, demanding results after too much time wasted with Shambhala literally in front of them. It's the first point in game where we have the unpleasant chance to see what it's like dealing with a testosterone infused madman the size of a WWE wrestler, and once Lazarevic's left the room, Chloe's quick to comment on what a cock he is. Despite everything leading up to this point, Harry shakes off any remaining jitters and passes the dagger-- the key to practically everything-- off into Chloe's hands, trusting her with it while he goes after Lazarevic to ask for more time. It's bad choice #37865286, because Nate drops in just a few moments later demanding that she give it to him. Initially, she doesn't. It's not an easy decision to make, and not just because there aren't any more aces up her sleeve (any attempt to lie at this point would be beyond transparent, and she'd pay for it) but ultimately she does give in on the condition that Nate takes down Lazarevic: whatever it means for her, it's evident she doesn't want the bastard to win.
And it isn't good for her. Doesn't lead to anything but her allegiances being uncovered no matter how good she is at lying, and when Nate finds the door to Shambhala, Lazarevic has her dragged in at gunpoint to keep Nate cooperative. Nate gives in for both her sake and Elena's when Lazarevic offers to kill one of them should he fail to comply. The door's unlocked, puzzles are solved, and upon setting foot in paradise Lazarevic orders Chloe, Nate and Elena to get on their knees for execution. The guy's got a lot of hangups about traitors, okay, meaning he aims for Chloe first-- and Harry immediately interjects, citing the fact that they had a deal. A deal Lazarevic is clearly fussed about honoring, because he keeps the barrel of his gun jammed up against her for a few seconds longer until Harry reminds him that he's the one capable of finding the Cintamani stone. A few extra beats, and Lazarevic finally shoves Chloe off, unharmed, into Harry's arms. Nobody's happy but Harry about this.
Fortunately--or unfortunately-- before the others are shot, the group is attacked by Shambhala's immortal guardians: former humans that've been sort of hulk-ified into nothing but pale, undead looking muscle, white eyes and sharp teeth. They tear into Lazarevic's men, Chloe tears into Harry and steals the gun he had aimed at her, and bolts with Nate and Elena. The three catch their breath and Chloe suggests in her usual fashion that they take the exit while it's unguarded, but Nate and Elena insist on staying and attempting to stop Lazarevic from using the stone to become immortal. Mad as it is, Chloe realizes the depth of their sincerity in wanting to put an end to his plans, and at last she concedes, agreeing to help them. Lengthy journey through monster infested, beautiful ruins goes here, preceding the trio stumbling at last upon one unguarded Cintamani stone.
But it isn't a sapphire. Isn't even a gem, and while Chloe's first instinct is to smash it so that Lazarevic can't use it to achieve his goals, Nate interrupts to tell her that it's not right. That they were wrong, and it was never a gemstone or a sapphire: it was sap. Blue resin turned to blue amber from the massive tree of life growing in the heart of Shambhala. The tree itself was the key to immortality, it corrupted men and shifted them into those monstrosities, turned their teeth pitch black like the skeletal remains they'd found in Borneo, and Lazarevic clearly intended to drink the sap and gain the invincibility it offered.
A fact that when stated, Harry Flynn, bloodied and fatally wounded, applauded. Stumbling in to collapse against one of the pillars not far off, he admitted that Lazarevic knew all along. That he'd been smarter than he looked, and that this was likely his intended outcome for all of them. That Lazarevic was kind enough to leave Harry with a grenade sans pin, intended to kill everyone in one final go. Which is what Harry attempts when Elena edges in close enough, wounding all three and bringing Elena to near death. And in contrast to the scene that had played out in Nepal, when Chloe had insisted on leaving Jeff behind, Elena's demand for them to leave her prompts nothing but dismissal from Chloe as she goes in to lift the other woman and carry her out to safety rather than abandon her.
Nate confronts Lazarevic, bests him via luck and the volatile nature of the sap itself, resulting in the collapse of Shambhala. He, Chloe and Elena barely make it out alive, and for a few brief moments the both of them worry that Elena's succumbed to her wounds and died. The game closes months later, Nate and Chloe attending while prayers are being said for the deceased. Nate compliments Chloe on how she's grown and she-- well, she rebuffs it, gently. Mildly, even, with a grin, before asking if he loves her while nodding off in one recovering Elena's direction. He stutters, which is as much of an answer as she needs, and Chloe cuts him off by telling him to tell her that. Nate tries again to explain, and she shakes her head, stating that it's 'her turn to walk away'.
U n c h a r t e d 3 :
Years later, after Nate's marriage to Elena falls through, he's back at his usual game of treasure hunting to make ends meet. Calling in favors to a couple of old friends (one Charlie Cutter and, of course, Chloe Frazer) he sets up a quick scam to rip off one underground Golden Dawn-esque cult in the heart of London. It's easy enough, and Chloe does what she-- literally-- does best: known for being the best driver in the business, she tails the Order's town car to a shady looking garage not far from the pub where their plan was hatched. When the crew meets up to head in, it's not a remake of the old interactions of Uncharted 2; Chloe keeps her distance from Nate, batting at Victor or Charlie instead, and fails to suppress amusement at the mention of Charlie getting carried away and headbutting Nate a bit too hard for comfort. The near childish infatuation's clearly gone, replaced by nothing bitter while she teases him affectionately for his misfortune and gets down to business so the lads can head down into the depths of the London Underground while she mans the getaway vehicle.
And it's a good thing she does, because the Order isn't playing about when they send fully armed agents running out after Nate, Charlie and Victor. Safe and scot free in the safety of Charlie's flat hours later, the crew uncovers the knowledge that the Order's after a vast treasure hidden in the Rub al' khali desert, rumored to be the Atlantis of the Sands. In order to unlock the old Templar legends they'll need to split off into two separate teams: one to heading off to France, the other to Syria. Chloe immediately shoots her hand up to volunteer for France with all the enthusiasm she can manage. She's also immediately shot down and sent to Syria with Charlie. Sad face.
The pair do all right, though they soon realize the Order's goons are lurking about in the Syrian ruins hoping to find them, but Nate and Victor-- fresh off the flight from France and looking fairly awful from the ordeal they'd faced there-- find the duo first and chastise them for not answering their phones. Charlie sheepishly confesses he forgot to top off the minutes on his pre-paid phone, and Chloe (not-sheepishly at all) admits hers is broken. But hey, they're alive and not being tortured or worse, so that's something. From there they do the usual adventure search, find clues and note locations, and it goes well enough until the Order's second in command, Talbot, shoots Charlie with a poisoned dart that not only has him hallucinating to the point of being useless, but effectively controls his mind to the point of making him actively believe Nate is out to get him. Charlie turns on Nate not long after, nearly killing him by choking him out and Victor (unwilling to risk losing his adopted kid) pulls a gun on him with the intention of shooting in the head right then and there. Chloe, refusing to let that go down on her watch, does a repeat of her leaping in front of a gun for the sake of someone she cares about routine to deter Victor at least a few moments longer before she sets her hands on Charlie and talks him down from the nightmare. He releases Nate just in time.
From there they make progress, finding the seal they need before Talbot is once again on them. Retreating via jumping off a massive tower onto maintenance catwalks that soon collapse, Nate, Chloe and Victor escape only to realize the collapsed section has made it impossible for Charlie to follow: he's left behind at the mercy of the Order who quickly take the seal and light the tower on fire, leaving him to jump or burn to death. He jumps.
And breaks his leg, which admittedly is better than breaking his neck. The trio reach him and offer whatever assistance they can in trying to get him out before they're all killed, and Chloe tugs a tarot card (the Tower) from his coat pocket, which makes it seem as if his fall had been scripted all along. Between that and the fact that Charlie had shot Talbot dead only to watch him stroll up moments later alive and well painted an eerie picture that was plain enough to see: they were outmatched. Easily. This wasn't a normal cult and the risk, Chloe states with concern once they narrowly escape the Syrian ruins, far outweighs the reward. Treasure isn't worth dying for. A fact that Nate is unwilling to hear, which leaves a frustrated Chloe ready to draw the line and back out of the deal. She bows out, and his story goes on without her.
CR AU - E x s i l i u m :
It's the precise moment that precedes Chloe's abrupt abduction into the alternate reality that is Exsilium: a desiccated world brought to a near miserable end by one cruel regime known as the United Earth. The resistance (named the Initiative, completely self-titled) uses a bit of mysterious technology to tug in people from other universes to help aid their cause. Probably because the United Earth is actively destroying those other universes for the sake of gathering more resources, but the bottom line is that conscripts don't get to go home on their terms. Which initially sits-- well, not fine with Chloe, but it's a city in need of supply: she sets up shop with Victor running item retrieval/ treasure hunting as usual with every intention of just waiting out the storm till she's sent back home. Plus the apartments they get? Totally posh. It's cushy enough to make adaptability a cinch, and it'd have stayed that way if Harry Flynn hadn't turned up not too long after, still sporting life-ending wounds that get patched up in the nick of time. But nearly dying's something of an eye-opener for him and he and Chloe reconcile. Mostly, anyway. Years spent growing the hell up have granted Chloe enough sense to know she had a hand in what happened to him, but it doesn't make her trust him in the slightest: Harry gets added to the team, but Chloe sends him off to run the dirtier, less fun jobs. Like siphoning gasoline from cars.
And from there it's fairly constant: Nate and Charlie turn up, the Initiative sends its conscripts on time traveling missions (because that's how one tiny little resistance manages any progress against the entire world) that involve some shady dealings for the greater good. Chloe even manages to see eye-to-eye with magic wielders which canonically? Really not her thing in the slightest. Furthest thing from it, actually. With good reason, seeing how Lazarevic's supernatural nonsense nearly did them in, and the Order's tarot card brainwashing special nearly did them in, and Agartha-- well, you get the picture. But for all the progress she does make it's all put on the backburner when Talbot shows up, sporting memories from well after the point that Chloe's familiar with. Well after the point that even Nate or Victor are familiar with, and it's at that point that Chloe strikes up a truce with him: Nate and Victor have no memory of any slights against the Order, so with no treasure to fight over, they'll just keep their distance from one another. My side, your side, etc. Shaky solution at best, but better than fanning at the flames. She then tells Charlie about the arrangement, and the two argue (briefly) about whether or not it'll work. Where Chloe prefers a more defensive stance on things, Charlie's aggressive: wants to skip the risk entirely and take Talbot out to solve their problems before it starts. She agrees-- can't help but agree, actually-- that he's right. Talbot won't sit idle forever, so they'll keep Nate and Victor in the dark about the threat until she and Charlie can put a bullet in him.
Doesn't really work out like that, though. Because Talbot isn't keen on sitting around on his heels, either, and noting Chloe as a risk, pegs her with one of his drugged darts intending to have her off herself and frame the entire thing as a suicide. It fails at the last possible moment when one of Chloe's newer friends (an undead elf named Koltira) happens to catch her aiming to tug on the trigger, but there's damage done in the disconnect that is Chloe Frazer, survivalist of the year, attempting to turn a gun on herself. With Chloe unable to recall anything out of the ordinary aside from going off the deep end, Talbot wins himself a second chance to succeed when he drugs Nate instead, convincing him to shoot Victor and then finishing Nate off not long after-- just days before Chloe and Charlie had intended to finally go on the attack. Knowledge that does more than sting when they uncover the scene; when Charlie lunges at Talbot with every intention of beating him into a bloody pulp. But in a that livid rage he does more harm than good: Chloe can't get a shot off, and Talbot jams a drugged dart into the vein beneath Charlie's jaw to make a quick, bloody escape. When Charlie collapses in a stained heap on the pavement Chloe thinks-- briefly-- that he's dead or on his way to it as well before the realization that his wounds are non-fatal sinks in up close. Guilty as anything, she helps him limp back to the apartment complex and leaves him in Elena's care, ducking out as is par for the course for most Uncharted characters when they've completely screwed up (see: Nathan Drake).
And being completely screwed up means she's still stuck searching for an easy out-- an easy way to cope with feeling responsible for the deaths of two of her closest mates-- when the Initiative hosts a fancy soiree in ye olde Versailles thanks to the magic of time travel. Harry turns up offering his arm, the pair steal too many bottles of wine, and run off stupidly into the gardens to drink and talk about literally anything but recent events. It works. Too well, actually, because when a still-injured (emotionally and physically) Charlie Cutter crosses their path and sees Chloe laughing with some prick in the wake of everything that just went down-- when he bitterly strolls up and finds out it's Harry Flynn of all people-- things go downhill. Fast. Harry pretends to be the better man while Charlie's spitting vitriol in their direction, the two scuffle, and Chloe has to pull a gun on them to get the damn thing to end. Nobody's happy. Everybody loses. Chloe sends Charlie off to rinse off the blood on his own, returning to Exsilium not long after and (because when it rains it pours) finds Koltira in a complete frenzy. He attacks her, she nearly bleeds out, and Harry Flynn (being the only bridge she hasn't burned) is the one to patch her up and keep her alive while she heals.
And it stays that way for a while: Nate and Victor come back, but it's awkward going having to confess having a hand in their deaths, which means she opts not to see them at all, meaning a newly revived Nate thinks Harry+Chloe=danger and busts in to save the day. Again. Unnecessarily again. After the train to Tibet it's just embarrassing at this point.
Chloe explains that she owes Harry for what he did, Nate can't fathom Harry ever changing his stripes, and-- hurt-- says screw it. Uncharted-style ducking out follows where he washes his hands of both Chloe and Harry, and the completely alive cast is divided.
That is until Harry's sent home by the Initiative's machine, leaving Chloe 100% lone wolf with the knowledge that he was sent back essentially to die. Not the most encouraging thought, and it's one that sticks: Chloe begins to despise the Initiative, not just for their carelessness or lack of concern for the people they abduct, but the unethical missions they send transports out to complete in order to create 'a better world'. Still, skeptical or not, there's nothing to be done about it. Particularly not when the Initiative de-ages her back to the days of Agartha and does Charlie the favor of skipping to the precise moment that he broke his leg. Stuck in an odd predicament, the two team up to accomplish one particularly dangerous mission, and are returned to normal shortly thereafter-- with the addition of memories of their escapades.
It leads to bandaging up that tired, burned bridge between them, which in turn leads Chloe to patch things up with Victor and Nate.
From there it's an odd shuffle: Chloe and Charlie get close and stay that way, opting to make up for past mistakes while running the usual deal in Exsilium until things go a bit critical. The United Earth decides it's had enough of the Initiative's nonsense and razes one of the transport's worlds before destroying it. Terrible as it is, Chloe's wary. Too wary to get in close enough to lend a hand. The UE's no joke or anything close to it, and saying they could wipe out the Initiative's forces in one go is an understatement. For someone dedicated to survival, getting into the heart of the city to contribute means risking her neck for a bunch of people she honestly doesn't know-- doesn't have any reason to want to protect. Charlie, on the other hand, wants to fight and sincerely wants to help. The two argue, unable to see eye-to-eye on what ought to be done, and it's a rift that's slow to heal.
Chloe's not wrong, though. Eventually the UE does get its way and effectively wipes out the populated city of Exsilium. All but the barest handful of its natural inhabitants are killed in a nuclear blast, and only via one hasty exit in a spaceship are the transports and Initiative staff able to escape to an old United Earth base on the moon. This goes down while Chloe and Charlie are away on a gold-pilfering mission in ancient Egypt, having a grand old time, and when the two return they find-- well, they find themselves in space with their home, contacts and personal belongings completely erased. Angry over deaths brought about thanks to carelessness on the Initiative's part in addition to everything else before, Chloe's cynicism hits an all time high. Higher than Shambhala or Syria. The Initiative's piss poor decision making skills are backing the entire transport community into an inescapable corner, and in her eyes it's only a matter of time before the UE finishes the job.
And Charlie, as luck would have it, feels the same. After a month spent frothing bitterly over recent tragedies the two decide enough is enough: if transports don't have a certain amount of control, then they'll take the bloody machine from the Initiative and win control for themselves. Being a con artist, Chloe's naturally capable of swaying more than a handful to their cause, and at the end of the month they've got a plan in place for staging an all out mutiny. No deaths, no violence, just a lock-in with the Initiative's precious machine while the staff are out.
Or at least it was supposed to be, because unfortunately for them, the staff are very much in, meaning their non-violent sit in turns into a non-violent hostage scenario. One they can't exactly go back on once they break through the doors. For days the group attempts to address the transport community via the base's PA system while staying defended via barricaded doors and keeping the network down but the other conscripts aren't willing to listen, and continue to bring those functions back online one by one while many of the other transports publicly threaten the mutineers: demanding a hanging or that they be airlocked, etc. It's not pretty, and it's a task the self-appointed transport police force struggle to keep locked down even well after the mutiny's concluded. And it is, of course, brought to a close. A destructive one that leaves Chloe on edge and ready to shoot while the others stay just as guarded. It's not until they're promised a fair trial and adequate protection that Charlie gives the go-ahead for the mutineers to surrender, and unfortunately for them 'adequate protection' equates to sitting in makeshift jail cells-- four to a room each with Chloe and Charlie naturally separated considering they're the leaders of the entire affair. It sucks, to put it plainly, but they've got limited network access and keep sane via putting it to good use whenever possible.
Which doesn't keep Chloe (practically a professional nomad) from going stir-crazy in lockup. Doesn't keep her from snapping when one of the other mutineers (a close friend at that) is attacked on the police force's watch, or keep her from making a break for it which, of course, leads to her losing those network privileges and getting thrown in solitary for a few long, restless weeks.
But those weeks do end, eventually, and they end with news that Exsilium's been (mostly) fixed, brought back to a different state than it was before despite being perfectly inhabitable. Is currently inhabited already, actually, by a city tucked away in the snow of a nuclear winter where the Initiative no longer exists as anything more than a small, underground resistance with next to no power. It means the transports have control again of where they go and what they do, but it also means they need to establish ties to the new Initiative, and it means-- for Chloe and the rest of the mutineers-- entertaining the idea of staying committed to the cause. Something Charlie takes to just fine, while Chloe doesn't. Latching onto the idea of fighting for a cause with her back against the wall? Easy. Saving her own neck lined up with saving everyone else's, after all. Doing it again without things looking dire, though? Tricky business. Because her investment in the well being of the other mutineers stays constant (they're her mates; they had her back) but Victor and Nate don't see things Charlie's way, and their concerns about her going legit or playing the hero hit on her own fears re: settling into any sort of commitment. And repeating the majesty of Nate's previous poor life choices when it comes to settling down in any capacity, or her own awful choices in general, Chloe spooks.
Without some warm tropical beach to run to or a Moroccan cafe where she's known only by reputation, she's stuck attempting to discern whether or not she's in too deep or whether adapting to her current state is staying true to herself in a different fashion. It's not an easy thing to follow or understand, particularly not for someone so emotionally constipated. So she puts it off. Ignores it. Meets a fellow conman known as Doctor Facilier whilst assessing whether or not he has the skills to run gambling tables for Victor's new business idea and winds up walking out with a talisman that'll supposedly fix her indecision. Which it does, in a way, by making her go full on Stepford over time before the spell's finally undone. She gets brief payback at least, before she and Facilier conclude their final meeting, landing a shot to his arm and leaving it at that.
Leaving everything behind, actually.
Personality:
Despite one calm, casual exterior, Chloe isn't in the game to pick up pennies on sandy beaches: 'go big or stay home' might as well be her motto considering the sort of scores she makes and the risks taken to get them. And while some might say only the reckless gamble, there's a method to her preferred brand of madness; her bets are calculated, tactics laid out in her favor so she's confident she's running with the upper hand whether it's talking business with a pack of Russian mobsters in her youth as an eager go-getter, or sabotaging that one maniacal Serbian warlord right underneath his nose. It's her comfort zone, stacking lies or smooth grins like aces up her sleeve, and it comes in handy given how often she walks away from jobs with money in her pocket where Nathan Drake...well, doesn't. Proves even more useful when dealing with the supernatural-- something Chloe clearly and avidly despises, considering how loathe she is to believe the reality of Shambhala even when standing inside its gates, or how bothered she is by the Order's mind controlling tarot card nonsense. Enough to bring up dusting their hands of the whole deal. It's unpredictability, plain and simple, in the eyes of someone that needs to count cards.
Truth be told, though, in spite of her perpetual desire to keep one firm hand on that safety net, Chloe's been shown reluctantly letting it go multiple times for the sake of those she values most or the causes they stand for. And sure, in Uncharted 2 her willingness to give in has more to do with that ridiculous crush on Nate and just about every string of words that comes out of his mouth at first, but by the end of the game it's evident her choices are being made for a number of factors (his well being over her own, setting herself up for a fall if it means Lazarevic taking a hit, the conviction and sincerity shown by Elena and Nate in regards to stopping Lazarevic from achieving his goals) that aren't anything short of loyal or self-sacrificing. Breaks in a pattern of selfish behavior that carry on to Uncharted 3 where Chloe's attempts to drag Nate back to his senses collapse, and in contrast to Shambhala, where for a greater cause she was willing to risk her neck, Nate's suicidal dedication to treasure was the line in the sand. That said, her loyalty (considering the risks taken to get that far) is unbreakable once it's given-- and it's not given easily, or for anything less than action over words-- for all her cynical talk of what it means to stick your neck out for someone, Chloe throws herself in the line of fire, figuratively and literally, when her friends are in danger. It's not a matter of debate: she never wastes a second. Didn't waste a second when Harry's gun was trained on Nate, or Victor's on Charlie. It's another glimpse beneath the surface of her usual cavalier facade, and it once again shows that even with the disreputable career path she favors, the traits she admires-- clearly values most-- are the more heroic ones: things like trustworthiness, selflessness, loyalty and compassion.
Odd, for someone so dedicated to sensibility and survival. Two things that've kept her alive in a chosen profession with an exceedingly short lifespan. There's a very clear line drawn between what she values in those around her and what she believes she's capable of, and whether it's a matter of doubting her own worth in comparison or not wanting to let old, bitter habits lie, or even a heavy, pressing need for control, the bottom line is that she does see herself as something different. Operates on a level of selfishness that touches on Harry's willingness to screw someone else over if it means getting away (easy enough to draw lines between Harry's self-serving actions and Chloe's insistence on letting Jeff die in the street if it meant the rest of them escaping) but aspires to hit much higher notes like the sort of nonsensical heroism Nate seems to vomit out at every opportunity (and then is subsequently frustrated when she has to deal with said heroism. Chloe, please what are you doing???). Those disconnects, those uneven tracks are what lead to issues like the train to Tibet where Chloe's tripwire temper hits hard. Because when you admire what's one step above you (Harry chases Chloe, Chloe chases Nate, Nate chases Elena) there's a much greater risk of slipping and hitting the ground hard in one rude awakening. The realization that Nate was willing to risk his life and hers, setting aside everything they'd planned for the sake of 'the other two' didn't sit well at all, to the point that Chloe was willing to shove Nate off entirely and say screw the deal: she'd rather sit in on the world's worst gig with Lazarevic and Harry.
That, though, leads into the endgame where Chloe shrugs off-- completely and without hesitation-- all the bitterness that'd been there on that unfun train ride. Where she hands the phurba to Nate knowing it'll be her head, where she has the chance to repeat Nepal and leave Elena to die the way she'd insisted they leave Jeff, and she doesn't. Argues against the suggestion and carries Elena through gunfire muttering encouragement as they go, sincerely worried about the woman at her side. It's the second time Chloe's shown being downright chivalrous to another woman (the first being in the comic when Rose Doughty is mauled by one of the shadow creatures, and her brother leaves her behind to die. Chloe turns back and picks her up, dragging her enemy out to safety before Rose... attacks her and slams her head into a wall. Not a smart thing to do, rescuing the bad guys, but still) and her graceful bowing out to give Nate and Elena a chance to be happy, coupled with her less Nate-centric behavior in Uncharted 3, shows how far that maturity stretches when her temper and insecurities aren't briefly (lividly) in play.
That said, for all her swagger and emotional maturity, her sense of humor tends to hit on the teenage level. She swears like a sixteen year old boy ('sweet' and 'balls' being common ammunition in her usual repertoire) tosses out fistbumps and sarcasm as often as possible, and does her best to invade most everyone's personal space whenever opportunities arise. Pet names are a given, whether she knows you or not, and she's as likely to steal what you've got in your wallet (if it's remarkable enough) as she is to call you 'darling'.
She's a thief. A dirty, lying, con-loving thief that would bleed in a heartbeat for the ones that matter in her life.
Abilities/Powers/Skills:
Guns people down like a pro at any range. Skilled with explosives, hand to hand combat, stealth, free running and dodging the sort of grisly, overblown explosions you can expect from any action movie. Chloe's fought a few less than natural things herself, but she's certainly not one of them, and though the characters from the Uncharted series do bend and push the limits of human capabilities, they're still just humans. If she's outmatched, she's outmatched.
Weaknesses:
N/A
Special Items:
- A somewhat modified M-9 long gun; upgraded via Initiative tech to be more lightweight and efficient than your average M-9. Cannot perform magic or summon Final Fantasy Eidolons or anything else along those lines. It's just a good gun.
- One 2007 two Euro coin. Nothing special about this, either. Looks badly banged up and seems pretty much worthless.
RP Sample:
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