Lt David Long (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
contentwithoutcommand) wrote2013-05-01 11:00 pm
contentwithoutcommand) wrote2013-05-01 11:00 pm
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luceti
PLAYER
Name: Lynn
Journal Username:sepiaephiphany
E-mail: dreamsofharlequin@gmail.com
AIM/PLURK: celia0sword [AIM]/ harlequindream [Plurk]
Current Characters at Luceti:
Clove -shenevermisses
Faith Long -charitylovehopefaith
CHARACTER
Name: David Long
Gender: male
Age: 34
Wing Color: Navy blue
Physical Appearance: David Long is a tall, thin man in his early thirties. He has green eyes and dark brown hair. Because of the exceptional amount of curl in his hair and its shoulderblade length, David keeps his hair tightly wrapped in a queue of black ribbon, only two inches visible at the bottom. He has a good deal of lean muscle, well-trained for life at sea, and his skin is deeply tanned from service in the Caribbean. He has a few scars -- most of which are from action in the service. Most noticable when he allows them to be seen (which is rare) are a half dozen bullet scars on his chest and back, a gash on his left leg, a thin but deep scar around his neck, and a burn on his right wrist.
World History:
David is an English-born sailor in the British Royal Navy in the year 1805. England is at war with France, led by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
David lives by not only the laws of England but also the harsh Articles of War, which calls for death as the maximum punishment for many offenses. He is a well-born gentleman and an admiral's son, which offers both the restrictions of society and the freedom of privildge and wealth.
Personal History:
CONTENT WARNING: This character history contains sexual abuse.
As the son of a wealthy and successful admiral, David grew up never knowing want. He and his sister Faith were well cared for, even spoiled. David was given a fine education, and he excelled at most subjects, partly becaue his father had the money to find as many tutors as necessary. David was allowed to go to sea with his father a few times and loved it.
David's father, William Long, wanted his son to understand hardship, too, not just plenty. The best school to turn a boy into a man, he felt, was the Royal Navy. David liked the idea. So, when David was fifteen, William sent him off. He secured him a position as a midshipman on board the twenty-two gun sloop Elizabeth Rose, captain by William's long-time friend Jacob Ross.
The other officers of Elizabeth Rose took well to David and kindly overlooked the captain's obvious favouritism. A friend of the family and the son of an admiral, David could be forgiven. He worked hard, too, and caused no trouble for his superiors or the ratings. He studied diligently and helped his fellows where they struggled. In arguments, he never used his father as a trump. They repaid his efforts by picking on him no worse than any other newcomer, and they helped him learn the ways of the sea that not even a thousand books could have taught him.
After a year, David was transferred to the fifth-rate frigate Glory. Captain Ross encouraged David to celebrate in port. He plied the sixteen-year-old with much alcohol and coerced him into sex. This happened two nights in a row. On the third night, Ross kept David drinking before introducing a third party, a friend of Ross by the name of Lawrence Cork. Cork was the sergeant of the marines for Glory. The two men passed David between throughout the night, either ignoring any hesitation or attempt to protest David showed or dismissing it by praising his "skill."
On Glory, Cork continued to force David into sex, often involving one or more of the other marines. He showed a definite sadistic streak, none of the coaxing of Ross. David served six months on Glory before inventing a bitter feud with another midshipman and writing home about it to give his father cause to transfer him.
Two months later, David was stationed on the third-rate frigate Indomitable, under Captain James Wallis. With Cork and Ross now only an issue if the ships were all at the same port at the same time, David adjusted well. He minded his duties, showed courage in action, did not quarrel with his fellows, and was quick to obey orders; Wallis was suitably impressed. Enough so that he ignored the rumors that began only about three months after David had come aboard, rumors about his midshipman (both on the ship and at port) being seen in close company with other men in ways that others found suspicious. He could guess the truth behind them, but unless the young man made trouble or got caught, he could turn a blind eye.
When David was twenty, he was tested by a panel of captains and passed his examination for lieutenant. Wallis was quick to take him as the junior lieutenant for Indominatable. David retained the post for a year.
David transferred to the sixth-rate frigate Arabia at twenty-one, when Wallis was promoted to admiral. there, David met Gregory Hawke. It took Gregory two months (and seeing David's conduct during a sea battle and boarding party) to warm up to David, but they were fast friends after that. After a year in service together, the two became sexually involved. Gregory was, originally, just one more in a string of partners David had, but the man proved attentive and considerate. Gregory saw the hesitations David never voiced and respected them. A careful, unsteady relationship began.
For three more years, David and Gregory served on Arabia together. Then, they were transferred to Revelation, a fifth-rate frigate captained by Thomas Orr. Edward Burr was third lieutenant on the ship. Orr proved a capable captain, and the lieutenants kept the crew in line easily. After a French ship, Nymphe was captured, Burr left their company to take the prize to England, as they were bound for the Caribbean. Gregory and David were unable to take command of the prize, having both been injured in the battle to win it.
Revelation was assigned to the Caribbean for a fairly quiet seven months, disrupting Spanish trade and colonies. Upon its return to Gibraltar, its captain, Orr, received news that he was at last in line to be promoted to admiral, as soon as he reported to London with his ship. However, he was not assigned a ship, so the promotion would force him ashore and effectively retire him. Orr concentrated his fury on David, who represented the Admiralty by way of his relations, and Edward Burr (newly returned to Revelation after duties elsewhere), who was poised to start a new career as his own ended.
The harshness of command and the unfairness of the fixation against David and Edward stirred Gregory, driving him near mutiny against Orr. Especially jarring was the accusation that David had been duelling on deck, when he had actually been giving swordfighting lessons to Edward and sparred once with Gregory In punishment, David was given a twenty-four watch. The culimination was when Midshipman Craig, a favourite of Edward's, became entangled in the rigging of a falling mast, struck by lightening, after Orr refused to listen to his lieutenants' concern about a coming storm. The only thing that prevented a mutiny at that point was the loss of the mainmast from the lightening and the injury to the foremast, caused by the main's falling.
Just outside of Portsmouth, a French frigate, Amour, took advantage of the wounded vessel and attacked. The only course that could be taken was -- Revelation surrendered without trying to fight or run. They were saved after only a few hours by the English frigate Spectacle.
From Portsmouth, on orders from the admiral they were now assigned to, Edward, Gregory, and David travelled together by land to London. During a lavish dinner paid for by the admiral upon their arrival, it was revealed that the admiral was no less than David's father. The day after the dinner, Admiral Long tried to convince his son to take command of a sloop, Grace of God, but David demurred.
Shortly into their service on Elegant under Captain Wright, the crew came across a burned French ship. Only one survivor was found, a man who spoke of a ship called Native attacking them. The men aboard were killed before the blaze was set and all the women taken prisoner. The man was too badly injured to survive but remained in agony for several hours until David and Joseph Clay, the ship's surgeon, conspired to overdrug him and let him slip into a peaceful sleep that would lead to death.
David soon learned of Aaron Cork, the son of his long-dead tormentor, and his courtship of Faith, David's sister. He considered how best to intervene in the matter without making Faith more resolved to marry the man, since conflict might make her more stubborn. He came to a simple solution: attempt to provide his sister with an alternative.
To that end, he invited Edward to dine with his family when they arrived in London. As their duties kept them near for some time, he encouraged Edward to visit. His efforts were rewarded by a friendship between Edward and Faith slowly growing. When they were at last to sail away, Edward managed to secure permission to write to Faith, though he was insistent he would not dare court her properly until he was a commander.
When in port again, the admiral promoted Gregory Hawke to commander. Because Admiral Long enjoyed throwing parties, David assisted in getting Edward invited again. At the party, however, Faith and Cork strayed off together, and David, out in the garden for his own tryst with a guest, came upon them. They were arguing fiercely, and Cork struck Faith twice and was about to do further harm before David intervened. David was struck, too, and he retaliated by demanding a duel. The day before the duel, however, Admiral Long attempted, while entertaining a few officers for dinner, to place David under the command of Ross again, but Gregory, also present, requested (his own lieutenant having fallen and done himself harm) the use of David's service upon his sloop. Mindful of the social implications of choosing a commander over a senior captain, David managed to make a case for his career being stronger in Gregory's service and secured his position in that manner.
David and Cork met for a duel, and the terms were clear. There would be no quarter asked for and none given. It was a fight to the death. Though he got a scar on his face for the effort, David prevailed.
On board Grace of God, David and Gregory were assigned a convoy mission alongside Bright Dawn, another sloop on which Edward was the first lieutenant. On their way to Gibraltar, they found another burned ship, this one the English Requiem. Like before, a few lone survivors among the wreckage spoke of Native, the death of most of the men on board, and the kidnap of the women.
On the return from Gibralter, Bright Dawn spotted and engaged Native, followed shortly by Grace of God. The battle was long and bloody, the pirates of Native knowing they would be hanged if taken, so they fought to a man. Since Edward was injured, David went below when there seemed to be a row. He found one of Edward's crew, one salvaged from the prior victim of Native screaming at a girl -- the lone surviving prisoner. The man, grief-striken, blamed her for the deaths of the other women. David separated them and took the young woman, Abigail Darling, back to Grace of God.
For the voyage back to England, David devoted himself to seeing to Abigail's comfort. He could deduce what she had suffered at the hands of the captain and crew of Native, and he was keen to put her at ease and make sure she recovered physically from the malnutrition she was starting to show. When they were back in London, David convinced his family to resume care of Abigail, and he learned that Edward, thanks to his actions against Native, was made commander and given a small sloop, as well as receiving permission from Admiral Long to court Faith.
David continued to serve on Grace of God until just before the official peace was settled. After the ship was decommissioned, David convinced his father to promote Gregory to post-captain before the treaty was final, knowing Gregory refused to marry his patient sweetheart until he had at least that position and could provide for a family.
When David's family hosted a dinner party in light of the official peace, David used the opportunity to announce his engagement to Abigail. They had agreed to a chaste marriage between themselves, Abigail terrified of the bridal bed and David with no interest in bedding a woman. It made a romantic story, marrying the girl he'd saved from pirates, and it provided Abigail with financial security and protection from others, while it allowed him to have a wife to his name. At the same dinner, Edward proposed to Faith and was accepted.
David married Abigail without trouble, and he learned of Gregory's official engagement to Mona Donnelley. Mona cornered David alone at the wedding breakfast and begged him to keep his distance from Gregory. She had figured out their association and did not want it to threaten her marriage. David agreed to her terms with full sincerity, not wanting to ruin the relationship and Gregory's obvious happiness.
A month later, David attended the party of Colette Astin, a French emigre married to an English gentlemen. Among the guests were Edward and Joseph and Jean-Remington Martineau, a French captain David had met years ago after a prize ship he had command over was taken by the ship Martineau was a lieuenant on. After a slight confortation with Gregory, David accepted an invitation to Martineau's room after the party.
After two weeks, Edward approached David for advice. He had begun an affair with Martineau, and he looked to Faith's brother for what to do. David gave him the advice he would have held to: enjoy his time with Martineau but marry Faith anyway. There was no reason she needed to know. Abigail, however, warned David that it might be more than that.
Only a few days later, David was approached by Martineau. Edward had broken his engagement to Faith, and Martineau wanted David's help is leaving London. After speaking with Abigail (and being torn between anger at Edward for hurting Faith and envying him for having the courage to do it), David offered to allow the two to stay with him in the country.
In December, David received an invitation to Gregory's wedding. He agreed to go, Abigail with him, and he travelled with Edward and Joseph to attend the ceremony in Dublin. Before they could reach their destination, their ship Bird of Heaven was attacked by a ship under the command of Irish rebels, the Henry Joy. With Edward demanding command over the boat's captain, Bird of Heaven managed to run from Henry Joy, though not after distressing Abigail greatly. The party managed to make it to the wedding without further disaster, and David suffered only the ache of seeing the proceedings.
By the time David returned to Crawford Manor, his country estate, he found Martineau had gone, taking a horse with him. However, as the political situation seemed to hint that war with France was coming, he was not surprised.
On the first of April, David met with his father in London. Edward had somehow regained Faith's favour on getting Martineau out of the country, and his father had accepted the renewed engagement. Gregory, also present, was given command of Radiance, and David was offered, by Gregory, the position of first lieutenant on Radiance, which he accepted. When Edward married Faith a short while later, he was also promoted to post-captain as a wedding present and given command of Galatea.
Gregory proved an even more energetic captain than a commander, and Radiance engaged the French as soon as war was declared. For his part, David kept to himself as much as he could, intent on not giving into temptation as far as Gregory was concerned. They served for two years along the coast of France with various trips back to England, as they were mostly concerned with the Channel.
In early 1805, Gregory received news. In giving birth to her third child, Mona had died in childbirth. Abigail took all three children under her care with Gregory's blessing. David, unsure what to do and not trusting himself, finally agreed to his father's constant wish: to take command. He was given the rank of commander and given a small sloop called Pious and sent to the Caribbean, where he focused again on the French and Spanish colonies, proving himself a quick, intelligent, and daring commander quite good at taking prizes. Despite his reluctance to ever take command, he was given to it rather well.
Personality:
Lieutenant David Long is a different man in his professional life than in his personal life.
The most Long will raise his voice when on a ship is the exact amount he needs to for his orders or replies to be heard and understood. In conversation, his voice is usually quiet. Even at the captain's table he shows reserve, no matter how free others are with their talk.
Long is quick to act. If there is a problem orders will not fix but work will, David will be halfway done by the time it is commented on. When a ship appears on the horizon, Long will hurry to the place with the best view, be it aloft or halfway out on the bowspirit. In close action, Long is seemingly fearless, preferring swords to pistols and willing to challenge any enemy. During a gun battle, his eager calm example keeps the men motivated without making them restless.
In anything other than simple routine or emergency situations, Long will pass word via a crew member to request orders. This includes sudden shifts in wind or apparently neutral ships come into sight. Because of his disinclination for independent action, Long's name has never been put forward for promotion to commander. David prefers it that way.
As an officer, Long treats every man with the respect his rank and demeanour requires. He is polite to the ratings and junior officers and as friendly or rigid as the situation allows. However, he makes sure to retain his sense of command. He will be a benevolent leader, but he never lets it be too far from their minds that he does outrank them and they cannot take every liberty they could with an equal. To his superiors, he is alert and deferential, offering his opinions only when specifically asked.
As a man, interpersonal relationships are much more complicated for David. He appears friendly enough, speaking and listening freely. However, he reveals little and is much more guarded than he seems. His family and career, he will discuss at length, but political opinions, opinions on others, or emotional responces are rare topics for him.
Despite his time, David is a fairly overt flirt with other men. Those uninterested usually dismiss it as friendliness expressed oddly. Because of his status as an admiral's son, only concrete evidence would see David court martialed for sodomy. Even then, an accuser would risk the wrath of David's father and any seaman on friendly terms with David. This security allows David to persue numerous sexual encounters. he is often the one to initiate such talk, preferring to offer the option before it is forced on him, as he invariably thinks it will be if any interest is shown. Most men are one-time partners, and David keeps them as far emotionally as he lets them close physically. He has one true relationship, but it started entirely based on sex. It took a year of frequent sexual encounters and constant demonstrations of kindness and understanding for David to open up emotionally to Gregory Hawke. It took two years after that for David to reveal the bare bones of the abuse he endured. Gregory is the only person he has ever told.
In most situations as a civilian, David will politely refuse anything that goes against his morals. He is also fast to challenge those he suspects of hurting others. He has duelled and killed Roger Young, a bosun's mate he heard rumors about forcing the ship's boys in sex, and Aaron Cork, the son of Lawrence Cork who struck David's sister while courting her. However, placed into sexual situations himself, David will never protest or resist. Easier to go along than fight and be forced anyway. When he dislikes a situation, he will fall silent and move more mechanically, to varying degrees. He usually looks dazed and distracted, a hundred miles away mentally while it happens.
Strengths
Physical:
David is physically very fit from an active life at sea. He can brawl and is capable of sophisticated fencing thanks to training from a tutor at his admiral father's behest. He is also a crackshot with a pistol.
Mental:
David has had a young gentleman's education, both on land and sea. He speaks French and Spanish fluently as well as Latin, and he is familiar with the Classics. He has moderate navigation skills and is a good seaman.
In high pressure situations involving war, David thinks fast. He can be wreckless, often diving in without considering all the cons to a proposed course of action, but fortune sometimes favours the bold in his case.
Emotional:
David typically prefers a level-headed response in social situations. He tries to remain polite no matter what the circumstance. Only when deeply morally offended on behalf of someone else will he show his temper.
When David cares deeply about someone, he will do anything for them. When Gregory decides to get married, David cuts all contact with him so he won't be tempted to ruin Gregory's relationship with his wife and his happiness. Abigail, a young woman David saves from pirates, proves a good companion for him, and he marries her, saving her from a penniless state and giving her a manor to run and safety from the world as long as she wants it.
Weaknesses
Physical:
David is entirely human. He has no special resistance to injury, illness, or fatigue.
While quite capable about a ship, David is still of wealthy birth and entered his career as a midshipman, an officer-in-training. Therefore, he has never had to really weave lines, take in sails, or row boats for long periods of time, leaving him with less strength than a topman of the same years at sea would have.
Mental:
David is, in battle, impulsive. He feels somewhat invincible at sea, and, for instance, can often be found on the bowspirit in moderately rough waters. He will run almost any risk as long as there's a chance he can carry off a victory. Using an 18-gun ship, for instance, in the Caribbean, he sailed between two 40-gun ships in the dark and fires on both, only to keep sailing until their shots at one another crippled both of the vessels sufficiently to claim them as prizes. This can also cost him, as happened when he was a lieutenant with a prize brig and he attempted to out-sail a French corvette rather than immediately surrender, despite the odds against him. His ship was eventually badly battered, several of his crew killed, and the remainder (himself included) taken prisoner.
Out of battle, David suffers severely from the trauma inflicted on him as a young man. When he feels threatened, David will try to placate the situation. If that fails to work and hositilies continue, he will cease to respond, allowing whatever is going on around him to happen seemingly without taking notice of it. If, however, someone else is being severely threatened (particularly in a sexual manner), David will quickly try and provoke an argument so he can be "justifed" in making a challenge to be settled via duelling.
David, while decently educated, is still bound by his time. His knowledge of history and politics is coloured by being raised in the wake of Republican revolutions (the American right after his birth, the French in his youth, and the failed Irish a few years after), and his basic knowledge of things like medicine (learned from years of service and a few dealings with the surgeons in the navy) is extremely dated. Bleeding, purging, and the idea of bodily humours are still prevalent in his way of thinking.
Emotional:
As part of the manifestation of his trauma, David is both hypersexual (prefering to semi-openly offer sex rather than have it forced from him, as he expects to happen more often than not) and emotionally detached. He has a string of lovers constantly, but he does not form deep bonds with them or nearly anyone. His friendships are slow to form, and they often remain shallow, David refusing to open himself too greatly for fear of reactions and judgements if he shares too much. The best way to describe David's emotional investments in other people is as follows: he is friendly to almost everyone and friends with almost no one.
Despite David's apparent congeniality, he is prone to harsh judgements of other people. In some cases, he will accept the lesser of two evils. For example: When his sister Faith seemed prepared to accept a proposal from Aaron Cork, the son of Lawrence Cork, David arranged to bring Edward Burr (a bastard son, but one who had been distinguished as a war hero and earned a sizable fortune) into her circle as a prospective suitor. He also agrees to help Martineau and Burr leave London before their scandal can break while nursing a deep jealousy of their daring in that situation.
David rarely thinks strongly ill of people, but on the rare occassions where his morals are entirely offended and there is no immediate satisfaction to be gained, such as in a duel, the resentment and anger will stew and make him increasingly bitter. When Burr (spurred by the actions of a friend, which made it, to him, necessary) steals a ship of war from the Admiralty and essentially turns to piracy, David makes it his personal mission to hunt Burr down, as he had vouched for him in regards to Faith. This temper and sense of personal vendetta leads him on a bitter, bloody chase, costing his ship and Burr's ship several lives in the process, none of which weigh heavily on David's conscience.
David's top (and sometimes only) priority is himself. There are a few people who can overcome this (Gregory Hawke being one), but, in general, if an action does not somehow benefit David, he is unlikely to do it, especially in a personal setting. In a professional one, it is usually in his interests to do what he can for his captain and crew, as it looks better for his service record. When there are deaths under his supervision, however, they generally do not bother him unless the operation went so poorly as to reflect badly on him. David is concerned with serving his interests and wants at any given mind, and he does not bother to consider the harm or good they might do to another person. When Burr seeks advice regarding his growing involvement with Martineau in light of his engagement to Faith, for instance, David offers the advice in accordance to how he would act: he would have his affair, keep the engagement, and see that the fiancee is none the wiser about the bit on the side -- even though he is encouraging Edward to cheat on his sister.
If David believes a course of action needs to be taken, he will do it the extreme. When he wants to make sure Abigail is protected, he does not seek to find her a suitable husband, he marries her himself. When he fears ruining Gregory's happiness by continuing their relationship, he does not simply refrain from having sex with Gregory. He cuts contact entirely for nearly a year then proceeds to be exceedingly formal and professional when they are called on to serve on the same ship again at the end of the Peace. When Mona dies, rather than simply transferring to another ship away from Gregory, to prevent himself from acting on temptation, David takes command of a ship bound for the other side of the world. He is a man of sudden and dramatic action, rather than considered and rational decision.
David refrains from conflict in social situations where he is the focus. Where others are concerned, he will rally to their aid, eager to prevent his trauma from being repeated on them, but it is more an act of revenge than of selflessness. When he is the target of hostility, however, David is extremely complacent and will apologise even where he's offered no offense. He will do nearly anything he's told to when confronted with a strong personality (unless it involves physically harming someone else). If he cannot get out of the situation, David will respond by shutting down. His expression becomes impassive, and he puts up no resistance physically to whatever comes.
David spent many, many years insiting he did not want command of a vessel. He enjoyed, when it came, the opportunity to be first lieutenant on ships, but he never desired to be the highest ranking officer. This comes from an intense self-doubt and a great desire not to bear the responsibility of a commander and captain. So long as he has someone else on whom he can, ultimately, blame failure, he is content. He accepted his current command out of desperation to leave England, and he had begun to prove to even himself that he can command efficiently, but he self-doubt is still deeply engrained in his mind.
Special Powers/Abilities: N/A
Anything else?: I am aware it may prove a little awkward to play both Long siblings. I believe I can manage to keep most interaction off-screen without causing too many problems. If it proves to be too much of a hassle, I will be willing to drop one of them. If necessary, I can drop Faith before David's approved, but I'd prefer not to do that.
SAMPLES
First Person:
Training wings thread!
Third Person:
Watch and watch; four hours standing watch, four hours off. Over and over again. At the end of the first watch-- eat. At the end of the second-- inventory supplies. Third-- discuss tactics. Fourth-- sleep. Still, it was something he knew, something he understood.
In this world of wings and experiments and flying ships and talking creatures, standing watch and watch was normal. It grounded him, offered David Long something familiar to base his world around. Here, in the darkness, he might be on the coast of France or Spain or somewhere in Africa. Maybe even South America, standing just inland. He could pretend it was so, certainly.
He could imagine there was a fort just over the next few hills, a fortress that needed to be captured. Spanish enemies, with their red and gold flag. They would fight using cannons from a shore battery and muskets and pistols and pikes and sabres. The colours would eventually be run down, and he would enter into negotiations with their most senior surviving officer. Their supplies could be raided, and the post could be held by him until he received word from the Admiralty about what to do. It might even become an English base. Following that fantasy, there would be ships at anchor around the fort, all forced into equal surrender. They would become prizes, sold into the service and their cargo optioned. As a captain, his share with three-eights of that money, minus one-eighth to his admiral.
It was a good dream, one that made him smile.
However, he knew it wasn't true. What really waited for them, somewhere out in the darkness, was the Third Party. (What were the first and second? He wondered if anyone would ever be able to answer him that.) They were giant men of no nationality with huge, protected wings. Some of them had magic, others just weapons, but they could fly, both by themselves and by ships. He and his party would go as quickly as they came, and there were no rewards to be gotten for all this. Not even a salary, as the army did. They would contend with the men-like cultists and their creatures, and their efforts would likely scarcely be acknowledged, which stung more here than when the Admiralty and Gazette overlooked worthy officers and good action in order to write about those with higher-born interests to solicit attention for them.
David frowned and shuddered against the other, raising his head to look not straight ahead but at the sky, desperately trying to make out of there were any shapes against the black, moonless night.
Name: Lynn
Journal Username:
sepiaephiphanyE-mail: dreamsofharlequin@gmail.com
AIM/PLURK: celia0sword [AIM]/ harlequindream [Plurk]
Current Characters at Luceti:
Clove -
shenevermissesFaith Long -
charitylovehopefaithCHARACTER
Name: David Long
Gender: male
Age: 34
Wing Color: Navy blue
Physical Appearance: David Long is a tall, thin man in his early thirties. He has green eyes and dark brown hair. Because of the exceptional amount of curl in his hair and its shoulderblade length, David keeps his hair tightly wrapped in a queue of black ribbon, only two inches visible at the bottom. He has a good deal of lean muscle, well-trained for life at sea, and his skin is deeply tanned from service in the Caribbean. He has a few scars -- most of which are from action in the service. Most noticable when he allows them to be seen (which is rare) are a half dozen bullet scars on his chest and back, a gash on his left leg, a thin but deep scar around his neck, and a burn on his right wrist.
World History:
David is an English-born sailor in the British Royal Navy in the year 1805. England is at war with France, led by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
David lives by not only the laws of England but also the harsh Articles of War, which calls for death as the maximum punishment for many offenses. He is a well-born gentleman and an admiral's son, which offers both the restrictions of society and the freedom of privildge and wealth.
Personal History:
CONTENT WARNING: This character history contains sexual abuse.
As the son of a wealthy and successful admiral, David grew up never knowing want. He and his sister Faith were well cared for, even spoiled. David was given a fine education, and he excelled at most subjects, partly becaue his father had the money to find as many tutors as necessary. David was allowed to go to sea with his father a few times and loved it.
David's father, William Long, wanted his son to understand hardship, too, not just plenty. The best school to turn a boy into a man, he felt, was the Royal Navy. David liked the idea. So, when David was fifteen, William sent him off. He secured him a position as a midshipman on board the twenty-two gun sloop Elizabeth Rose, captain by William's long-time friend Jacob Ross.
The other officers of Elizabeth Rose took well to David and kindly overlooked the captain's obvious favouritism. A friend of the family and the son of an admiral, David could be forgiven. He worked hard, too, and caused no trouble for his superiors or the ratings. He studied diligently and helped his fellows where they struggled. In arguments, he never used his father as a trump. They repaid his efforts by picking on him no worse than any other newcomer, and they helped him learn the ways of the sea that not even a thousand books could have taught him.
After a year, David was transferred to the fifth-rate frigate Glory. Captain Ross encouraged David to celebrate in port. He plied the sixteen-year-old with much alcohol and coerced him into sex. This happened two nights in a row. On the third night, Ross kept David drinking before introducing a third party, a friend of Ross by the name of Lawrence Cork. Cork was the sergeant of the marines for Glory. The two men passed David between throughout the night, either ignoring any hesitation or attempt to protest David showed or dismissing it by praising his "skill."
On Glory, Cork continued to force David into sex, often involving one or more of the other marines. He showed a definite sadistic streak, none of the coaxing of Ross. David served six months on Glory before inventing a bitter feud with another midshipman and writing home about it to give his father cause to transfer him.
Two months later, David was stationed on the third-rate frigate Indomitable, under Captain James Wallis. With Cork and Ross now only an issue if the ships were all at the same port at the same time, David adjusted well. He minded his duties, showed courage in action, did not quarrel with his fellows, and was quick to obey orders; Wallis was suitably impressed. Enough so that he ignored the rumors that began only about three months after David had come aboard, rumors about his midshipman (both on the ship and at port) being seen in close company with other men in ways that others found suspicious. He could guess the truth behind them, but unless the young man made trouble or got caught, he could turn a blind eye.
When David was twenty, he was tested by a panel of captains and passed his examination for lieutenant. Wallis was quick to take him as the junior lieutenant for Indominatable. David retained the post for a year.
David transferred to the sixth-rate frigate Arabia at twenty-one, when Wallis was promoted to admiral. there, David met Gregory Hawke. It took Gregory two months (and seeing David's conduct during a sea battle and boarding party) to warm up to David, but they were fast friends after that. After a year in service together, the two became sexually involved. Gregory was, originally, just one more in a string of partners David had, but the man proved attentive and considerate. Gregory saw the hesitations David never voiced and respected them. A careful, unsteady relationship began.
For three more years, David and Gregory served on Arabia together. Then, they were transferred to Revelation, a fifth-rate frigate captained by Thomas Orr. Edward Burr was third lieutenant on the ship. Orr proved a capable captain, and the lieutenants kept the crew in line easily. After a French ship, Nymphe was captured, Burr left their company to take the prize to England, as they were bound for the Caribbean. Gregory and David were unable to take command of the prize, having both been injured in the battle to win it.
Revelation was assigned to the Caribbean for a fairly quiet seven months, disrupting Spanish trade and colonies. Upon its return to Gibraltar, its captain, Orr, received news that he was at last in line to be promoted to admiral, as soon as he reported to London with his ship. However, he was not assigned a ship, so the promotion would force him ashore and effectively retire him. Orr concentrated his fury on David, who represented the Admiralty by way of his relations, and Edward Burr (newly returned to Revelation after duties elsewhere), who was poised to start a new career as his own ended.
The harshness of command and the unfairness of the fixation against David and Edward stirred Gregory, driving him near mutiny against Orr. Especially jarring was the accusation that David had been duelling on deck, when he had actually been giving swordfighting lessons to Edward and sparred once with Gregory In punishment, David was given a twenty-four watch. The culimination was when Midshipman Craig, a favourite of Edward's, became entangled in the rigging of a falling mast, struck by lightening, after Orr refused to listen to his lieutenants' concern about a coming storm. The only thing that prevented a mutiny at that point was the loss of the mainmast from the lightening and the injury to the foremast, caused by the main's falling.
Just outside of Portsmouth, a French frigate, Amour, took advantage of the wounded vessel and attacked. The only course that could be taken was -- Revelation surrendered without trying to fight or run. They were saved after only a few hours by the English frigate Spectacle.
From Portsmouth, on orders from the admiral they were now assigned to, Edward, Gregory, and David travelled together by land to London. During a lavish dinner paid for by the admiral upon their arrival, it was revealed that the admiral was no less than David's father. The day after the dinner, Admiral Long tried to convince his son to take command of a sloop, Grace of God, but David demurred.
Shortly into their service on Elegant under Captain Wright, the crew came across a burned French ship. Only one survivor was found, a man who spoke of a ship called Native attacking them. The men aboard were killed before the blaze was set and all the women taken prisoner. The man was too badly injured to survive but remained in agony for several hours until David and Joseph Clay, the ship's surgeon, conspired to overdrug him and let him slip into a peaceful sleep that would lead to death.
David soon learned of Aaron Cork, the son of his long-dead tormentor, and his courtship of Faith, David's sister. He considered how best to intervene in the matter without making Faith more resolved to marry the man, since conflict might make her more stubborn. He came to a simple solution: attempt to provide his sister with an alternative.
To that end, he invited Edward to dine with his family when they arrived in London. As their duties kept them near for some time, he encouraged Edward to visit. His efforts were rewarded by a friendship between Edward and Faith slowly growing. When they were at last to sail away, Edward managed to secure permission to write to Faith, though he was insistent he would not dare court her properly until he was a commander.
When in port again, the admiral promoted Gregory Hawke to commander. Because Admiral Long enjoyed throwing parties, David assisted in getting Edward invited again. At the party, however, Faith and Cork strayed off together, and David, out in the garden for his own tryst with a guest, came upon them. They were arguing fiercely, and Cork struck Faith twice and was about to do further harm before David intervened. David was struck, too, and he retaliated by demanding a duel. The day before the duel, however, Admiral Long attempted, while entertaining a few officers for dinner, to place David under the command of Ross again, but Gregory, also present, requested (his own lieutenant having fallen and done himself harm) the use of David's service upon his sloop. Mindful of the social implications of choosing a commander over a senior captain, David managed to make a case for his career being stronger in Gregory's service and secured his position in that manner.
David and Cork met for a duel, and the terms were clear. There would be no quarter asked for and none given. It was a fight to the death. Though he got a scar on his face for the effort, David prevailed.
On board Grace of God, David and Gregory were assigned a convoy mission alongside Bright Dawn, another sloop on which Edward was the first lieutenant. On their way to Gibraltar, they found another burned ship, this one the English Requiem. Like before, a few lone survivors among the wreckage spoke of Native, the death of most of the men on board, and the kidnap of the women.
On the return from Gibralter, Bright Dawn spotted and engaged Native, followed shortly by Grace of God. The battle was long and bloody, the pirates of Native knowing they would be hanged if taken, so they fought to a man. Since Edward was injured, David went below when there seemed to be a row. He found one of Edward's crew, one salvaged from the prior victim of Native screaming at a girl -- the lone surviving prisoner. The man, grief-striken, blamed her for the deaths of the other women. David separated them and took the young woman, Abigail Darling, back to Grace of God.
For the voyage back to England, David devoted himself to seeing to Abigail's comfort. He could deduce what she had suffered at the hands of the captain and crew of Native, and he was keen to put her at ease and make sure she recovered physically from the malnutrition she was starting to show. When they were back in London, David convinced his family to resume care of Abigail, and he learned that Edward, thanks to his actions against Native, was made commander and given a small sloop, as well as receiving permission from Admiral Long to court Faith.
David continued to serve on Grace of God until just before the official peace was settled. After the ship was decommissioned, David convinced his father to promote Gregory to post-captain before the treaty was final, knowing Gregory refused to marry his patient sweetheart until he had at least that position and could provide for a family.
When David's family hosted a dinner party in light of the official peace, David used the opportunity to announce his engagement to Abigail. They had agreed to a chaste marriage between themselves, Abigail terrified of the bridal bed and David with no interest in bedding a woman. It made a romantic story, marrying the girl he'd saved from pirates, and it provided Abigail with financial security and protection from others, while it allowed him to have a wife to his name. At the same dinner, Edward proposed to Faith and was accepted.
David married Abigail without trouble, and he learned of Gregory's official engagement to Mona Donnelley. Mona cornered David alone at the wedding breakfast and begged him to keep his distance from Gregory. She had figured out their association and did not want it to threaten her marriage. David agreed to her terms with full sincerity, not wanting to ruin the relationship and Gregory's obvious happiness.
A month later, David attended the party of Colette Astin, a French emigre married to an English gentlemen. Among the guests were Edward and Joseph and Jean-Remington Martineau, a French captain David had met years ago after a prize ship he had command over was taken by the ship Martineau was a lieuenant on. After a slight confortation with Gregory, David accepted an invitation to Martineau's room after the party.
After two weeks, Edward approached David for advice. He had begun an affair with Martineau, and he looked to Faith's brother for what to do. David gave him the advice he would have held to: enjoy his time with Martineau but marry Faith anyway. There was no reason she needed to know. Abigail, however, warned David that it might be more than that.
Only a few days later, David was approached by Martineau. Edward had broken his engagement to Faith, and Martineau wanted David's help is leaving London. After speaking with Abigail (and being torn between anger at Edward for hurting Faith and envying him for having the courage to do it), David offered to allow the two to stay with him in the country.
In December, David received an invitation to Gregory's wedding. He agreed to go, Abigail with him, and he travelled with Edward and Joseph to attend the ceremony in Dublin. Before they could reach their destination, their ship Bird of Heaven was attacked by a ship under the command of Irish rebels, the Henry Joy. With Edward demanding command over the boat's captain, Bird of Heaven managed to run from Henry Joy, though not after distressing Abigail greatly. The party managed to make it to the wedding without further disaster, and David suffered only the ache of seeing the proceedings.
By the time David returned to Crawford Manor, his country estate, he found Martineau had gone, taking a horse with him. However, as the political situation seemed to hint that war with France was coming, he was not surprised.
On the first of April, David met with his father in London. Edward had somehow regained Faith's favour on getting Martineau out of the country, and his father had accepted the renewed engagement. Gregory, also present, was given command of Radiance, and David was offered, by Gregory, the position of first lieutenant on Radiance, which he accepted. When Edward married Faith a short while later, he was also promoted to post-captain as a wedding present and given command of Galatea.
Gregory proved an even more energetic captain than a commander, and Radiance engaged the French as soon as war was declared. For his part, David kept to himself as much as he could, intent on not giving into temptation as far as Gregory was concerned. They served for two years along the coast of France with various trips back to England, as they were mostly concerned with the Channel.
In early 1805, Gregory received news. In giving birth to her third child, Mona had died in childbirth. Abigail took all three children under her care with Gregory's blessing. David, unsure what to do and not trusting himself, finally agreed to his father's constant wish: to take command. He was given the rank of commander and given a small sloop called Pious and sent to the Caribbean, where he focused again on the French and Spanish colonies, proving himself a quick, intelligent, and daring commander quite good at taking prizes. Despite his reluctance to ever take command, he was given to it rather well.
Personality:
Lieutenant David Long is a different man in his professional life than in his personal life.
The most Long will raise his voice when on a ship is the exact amount he needs to for his orders or replies to be heard and understood. In conversation, his voice is usually quiet. Even at the captain's table he shows reserve, no matter how free others are with their talk.
Long is quick to act. If there is a problem orders will not fix but work will, David will be halfway done by the time it is commented on. When a ship appears on the horizon, Long will hurry to the place with the best view, be it aloft or halfway out on the bowspirit. In close action, Long is seemingly fearless, preferring swords to pistols and willing to challenge any enemy. During a gun battle, his eager calm example keeps the men motivated without making them restless.
In anything other than simple routine or emergency situations, Long will pass word via a crew member to request orders. This includes sudden shifts in wind or apparently neutral ships come into sight. Because of his disinclination for independent action, Long's name has never been put forward for promotion to commander. David prefers it that way.
As an officer, Long treats every man with the respect his rank and demeanour requires. He is polite to the ratings and junior officers and as friendly or rigid as the situation allows. However, he makes sure to retain his sense of command. He will be a benevolent leader, but he never lets it be too far from their minds that he does outrank them and they cannot take every liberty they could with an equal. To his superiors, he is alert and deferential, offering his opinions only when specifically asked.
As a man, interpersonal relationships are much more complicated for David. He appears friendly enough, speaking and listening freely. However, he reveals little and is much more guarded than he seems. His family and career, he will discuss at length, but political opinions, opinions on others, or emotional responces are rare topics for him.
Despite his time, David is a fairly overt flirt with other men. Those uninterested usually dismiss it as friendliness expressed oddly. Because of his status as an admiral's son, only concrete evidence would see David court martialed for sodomy. Even then, an accuser would risk the wrath of David's father and any seaman on friendly terms with David. This security allows David to persue numerous sexual encounters. he is often the one to initiate such talk, preferring to offer the option before it is forced on him, as he invariably thinks it will be if any interest is shown. Most men are one-time partners, and David keeps them as far emotionally as he lets them close physically. He has one true relationship, but it started entirely based on sex. It took a year of frequent sexual encounters and constant demonstrations of kindness and understanding for David to open up emotionally to Gregory Hawke. It took two years after that for David to reveal the bare bones of the abuse he endured. Gregory is the only person he has ever told.
In most situations as a civilian, David will politely refuse anything that goes against his morals. He is also fast to challenge those he suspects of hurting others. He has duelled and killed Roger Young, a bosun's mate he heard rumors about forcing the ship's boys in sex, and Aaron Cork, the son of Lawrence Cork who struck David's sister while courting her. However, placed into sexual situations himself, David will never protest or resist. Easier to go along than fight and be forced anyway. When he dislikes a situation, he will fall silent and move more mechanically, to varying degrees. He usually looks dazed and distracted, a hundred miles away mentally while it happens.
Strengths
Physical:
David is physically very fit from an active life at sea. He can brawl and is capable of sophisticated fencing thanks to training from a tutor at his admiral father's behest. He is also a crackshot with a pistol.
Mental:
David has had a young gentleman's education, both on land and sea. He speaks French and Spanish fluently as well as Latin, and he is familiar with the Classics. He has moderate navigation skills and is a good seaman.
In high pressure situations involving war, David thinks fast. He can be wreckless, often diving in without considering all the cons to a proposed course of action, but fortune sometimes favours the bold in his case.
Emotional:
David typically prefers a level-headed response in social situations. He tries to remain polite no matter what the circumstance. Only when deeply morally offended on behalf of someone else will he show his temper.
When David cares deeply about someone, he will do anything for them. When Gregory decides to get married, David cuts all contact with him so he won't be tempted to ruin Gregory's relationship with his wife and his happiness. Abigail, a young woman David saves from pirates, proves a good companion for him, and he marries her, saving her from a penniless state and giving her a manor to run and safety from the world as long as she wants it.
Weaknesses
David is entirely human. He has no special resistance to injury, illness, or fatigue.
While quite capable about a ship, David is still of wealthy birth and entered his career as a midshipman, an officer-in-training. Therefore, he has never had to really weave lines, take in sails, or row boats for long periods of time, leaving him with less strength than a topman of the same years at sea would have.
Mental:
David is, in battle, impulsive. He feels somewhat invincible at sea, and, for instance, can often be found on the bowspirit in moderately rough waters. He will run almost any risk as long as there's a chance he can carry off a victory. Using an 18-gun ship, for instance, in the Caribbean, he sailed between two 40-gun ships in the dark and fires on both, only to keep sailing until their shots at one another crippled both of the vessels sufficiently to claim them as prizes. This can also cost him, as happened when he was a lieutenant with a prize brig and he attempted to out-sail a French corvette rather than immediately surrender, despite the odds against him. His ship was eventually badly battered, several of his crew killed, and the remainder (himself included) taken prisoner.
Out of battle, David suffers severely from the trauma inflicted on him as a young man. When he feels threatened, David will try to placate the situation. If that fails to work and hositilies continue, he will cease to respond, allowing whatever is going on around him to happen seemingly without taking notice of it. If, however, someone else is being severely threatened (particularly in a sexual manner), David will quickly try and provoke an argument so he can be "justifed" in making a challenge to be settled via duelling.
David, while decently educated, is still bound by his time. His knowledge of history and politics is coloured by being raised in the wake of Republican revolutions (the American right after his birth, the French in his youth, and the failed Irish a few years after), and his basic knowledge of things like medicine (learned from years of service and a few dealings with the surgeons in the navy) is extremely dated. Bleeding, purging, and the idea of bodily humours are still prevalent in his way of thinking.
Emotional:
As part of the manifestation of his trauma, David is both hypersexual (prefering to semi-openly offer sex rather than have it forced from him, as he expects to happen more often than not) and emotionally detached. He has a string of lovers constantly, but he does not form deep bonds with them or nearly anyone. His friendships are slow to form, and they often remain shallow, David refusing to open himself too greatly for fear of reactions and judgements if he shares too much. The best way to describe David's emotional investments in other people is as follows: he is friendly to almost everyone and friends with almost no one.
Despite David's apparent congeniality, he is prone to harsh judgements of other people. In some cases, he will accept the lesser of two evils. For example: When his sister Faith seemed prepared to accept a proposal from Aaron Cork, the son of Lawrence Cork, David arranged to bring Edward Burr (a bastard son, but one who had been distinguished as a war hero and earned a sizable fortune) into her circle as a prospective suitor. He also agrees to help Martineau and Burr leave London before their scandal can break while nursing a deep jealousy of their daring in that situation.
David rarely thinks strongly ill of people, but on the rare occassions where his morals are entirely offended and there is no immediate satisfaction to be gained, such as in a duel, the resentment and anger will stew and make him increasingly bitter. When Burr (spurred by the actions of a friend, which made it, to him, necessary) steals a ship of war from the Admiralty and essentially turns to piracy, David makes it his personal mission to hunt Burr down, as he had vouched for him in regards to Faith. This temper and sense of personal vendetta leads him on a bitter, bloody chase, costing his ship and Burr's ship several lives in the process, none of which weigh heavily on David's conscience.
David's top (and sometimes only) priority is himself. There are a few people who can overcome this (Gregory Hawke being one), but, in general, if an action does not somehow benefit David, he is unlikely to do it, especially in a personal setting. In a professional one, it is usually in his interests to do what he can for his captain and crew, as it looks better for his service record. When there are deaths under his supervision, however, they generally do not bother him unless the operation went so poorly as to reflect badly on him. David is concerned with serving his interests and wants at any given mind, and he does not bother to consider the harm or good they might do to another person. When Burr seeks advice regarding his growing involvement with Martineau in light of his engagement to Faith, for instance, David offers the advice in accordance to how he would act: he would have his affair, keep the engagement, and see that the fiancee is none the wiser about the bit on the side -- even though he is encouraging Edward to cheat on his sister.
If David believes a course of action needs to be taken, he will do it the extreme. When he wants to make sure Abigail is protected, he does not seek to find her a suitable husband, he marries her himself. When he fears ruining Gregory's happiness by continuing their relationship, he does not simply refrain from having sex with Gregory. He cuts contact entirely for nearly a year then proceeds to be exceedingly formal and professional when they are called on to serve on the same ship again at the end of the Peace. When Mona dies, rather than simply transferring to another ship away from Gregory, to prevent himself from acting on temptation, David takes command of a ship bound for the other side of the world. He is a man of sudden and dramatic action, rather than considered and rational decision.
David refrains from conflict in social situations where he is the focus. Where others are concerned, he will rally to their aid, eager to prevent his trauma from being repeated on them, but it is more an act of revenge than of selflessness. When he is the target of hostility, however, David is extremely complacent and will apologise even where he's offered no offense. He will do nearly anything he's told to when confronted with a strong personality (unless it involves physically harming someone else). If he cannot get out of the situation, David will respond by shutting down. His expression becomes impassive, and he puts up no resistance physically to whatever comes.
David spent many, many years insiting he did not want command of a vessel. He enjoyed, when it came, the opportunity to be first lieutenant on ships, but he never desired to be the highest ranking officer. This comes from an intense self-doubt and a great desire not to bear the responsibility of a commander and captain. So long as he has someone else on whom he can, ultimately, blame failure, he is content. He accepted his current command out of desperation to leave England, and he had begun to prove to even himself that he can command efficiently, but he self-doubt is still deeply engrained in his mind.
Special Powers/Abilities: N/A
Anything else?: I am aware it may prove a little awkward to play both Long siblings. I believe I can manage to keep most interaction off-screen without causing too many problems. If it proves to be too much of a hassle, I will be willing to drop one of them. If necessary, I can drop Faith before David's approved, but I'd prefer not to do that.
SAMPLES
First Person:
Training wings thread!
Third Person:
Watch and watch; four hours standing watch, four hours off. Over and over again. At the end of the first watch-- eat. At the end of the second-- inventory supplies. Third-- discuss tactics. Fourth-- sleep. Still, it was something he knew, something he understood.
In this world of wings and experiments and flying ships and talking creatures, standing watch and watch was normal. It grounded him, offered David Long something familiar to base his world around. Here, in the darkness, he might be on the coast of France or Spain or somewhere in Africa. Maybe even South America, standing just inland. He could pretend it was so, certainly.
He could imagine there was a fort just over the next few hills, a fortress that needed to be captured. Spanish enemies, with their red and gold flag. They would fight using cannons from a shore battery and muskets and pistols and pikes and sabres. The colours would eventually be run down, and he would enter into negotiations with their most senior surviving officer. Their supplies could be raided, and the post could be held by him until he received word from the Admiralty about what to do. It might even become an English base. Following that fantasy, there would be ships at anchor around the fort, all forced into equal surrender. They would become prizes, sold into the service and their cargo optioned. As a captain, his share with three-eights of that money, minus one-eighth to his admiral.
It was a good dream, one that made him smile.
However, he knew it wasn't true. What really waited for them, somewhere out in the darkness, was the Third Party. (What were the first and second? He wondered if anyone would ever be able to answer him that.) They were giant men of no nationality with huge, protected wings. Some of them had magic, others just weapons, but they could fly, both by themselves and by ships. He and his party would go as quickly as they came, and there were no rewards to be gotten for all this. Not even a salary, as the army did. They would contend with the men-like cultists and their creatures, and their efforts would likely scarcely be acknowledged, which stung more here than when the Admiralty and Gazette overlooked worthy officers and good action in order to write about those with higher-born interests to solicit attention for them.
David frowned and shuddered against the other, raising his head to look not straight ahead but at the sky, desperately trying to make out of there were any shapes against the black, moonless night.