Post by Alfred F Jones on Sept 10, 2012 0:03:29 GMT -5
Alfred F. Jones
FULL NAME HERE Alfred Jones
NICKNAMES Al or Jonesy if you know me.
GENDER Male
AGE Nineteen
ETHNICITY American
NATION OF ORIGIN[/b] Americae
CLAIM TO FAME At face value? Well I’m a Lieutenant on the harshest ship sailin’ the seven seas, so I guess I’m scary? Accomplished? Hard-working? However, I’m also close to the royal family in Americae, so I guess I have the reputation as the Archduke’s son. Snooty, judgmental, heartless, inhuman trash. Or whatever those pirates call us.
WEAPON OF CHOICE The first thing I usually reach for is my saber, it’s quick and to the point if I need to get out of a bind. I also carry a flintlock pistol and dagger on me just in case. The pistol was a gift from my father. It’s considerably heavier than either of my other two weapons, and in more ways than one.
WHAT SHIP ARE THEY ON?[/b] The Lux
WHAT IS THEIR POSITION?[/b] Lieutenant
YOUR CHARACTER'S LIKES
Food
Alfred is to put it bluntly a glutton. He loves food with the passion of a thousand suns. This is not to be confused that he actually has a passion for food, but rather the royal will eat anything set in front of him. Like a human garbage disposal and a black hole all in one Alfred will eat one out of house and home and then still complain that he is hungry. He usually keeps a bit of food hidden away in his pockets for times when the Captain isn’t looking and he can sneak a snack.
Animals
Alfred, despite being quite the gregarious person has always been in love with animals. Call him a teenage punk who never thought he was quite understood, but animals he always found a safe haven with. Whether it is walking, playing, wrestling, or observing Alfred has always felt happier after interacting with the creatures he calls friends. That being said Alfred has spent a great deal of time learning to interact with these animals, and some would even call him an animal whisperer.
The Sky
Most people when you ask them why they love sailing, they will give you the answer: “The sea.” Alfred well he would point to the sky, and tell you that the view was right there above them. The vast empty space over their heads, blinking with little white dots he could only assume was stars. There was so much up there, and Alfred often dreamt of sailing up there amongst the stars and what he would see. What he could discover. It was all one endless possibility to him, one that he could never reach.
Mechanics
Although not a very common interest Alfred enjoys tinkering with grinds and gears. Taking on piece out to see if another works, replacing belts with chains, and creating pulley systems. You could even say the lieutenant loves making things that in essence would make lives easier. Watches, carriages, and (much less often) early cars are all things that he would spend hours trying to fix or even improve. Although it’s more of a peasants job Alfred simply loves getting his hands greasy. It’s a mental challenge he couldn’t pass up.
Innovation
A better word for it would perhaps be ‘technology,’ but in this day and time…Well that’s a flag no one carries. This last piqued curiosity of his is one that stays behind locked doors for the royal, for if anyone were to find out that he harbored such an interest he could only imagine it would be punishable by death. As an intellectual Alfred has always been observing life, it’s processes, what problems are in this strange world, and more importantly what could make it easier. If he could simply invent something to harvest cotton from the fields faster, or ways in which to communicate with more accuracy it would solve so many problems. However, there is a fear; a fear of this type of advancement that would forever damn his love for such things. The stories of the old world and what it had brought the people to would forever cage him.
YOUR CHARACTER'S DISLIKES
The Sea
Seems pretty contradictory for a sailor, eh? Alfred wouldn’t really say it’s the sea he dislikes, but that’s what it is. Prone to seasickness he’s not one to claim how beautiful the rolling waves are on a sunny day. The motion on a ship sends Alfred’s stomach flipping, and tumbling often toward retching off in some desolate corner of the ship. The land is the place for him! Nowhere else is safe, slow moving, tectonic plates. One can often find him holding a grimace on his face when he thinks no one is looking.
Uncleanliness
Perhaps the second most annoying thing to Alfred, is how hygienic he feels at any given moment. He does not like to feel dirty. The only time he complained about it though he was told that he was being a prissy little boy and that he needed to get over it. So he doesn’t really say much about it anymore. If he’s feeling grimy though Alfred has been known to change or even use the clean water barrel to find some relief from being dirty. He feels it’s not only uncleanly but unhealthy as well.
Impossibility
In the lieutenants mind there is no, impossible. There is no I can’t do this, or that can’t be fixed. There is always a way and unfortunately when there isn’t he is irritated to no end. Alfred will work his hands raw, and think himself into migraines to try and make anything work. It’s a good outlook to have, but when something truly is beyond his hands Alfred cannot accept it. He believes that if you work towards what it is hard enough that you will be rewarded. And if you aren’t, you haven’t tried hard enough.
Ignorance
People can be stupid, but they choose to be that way. They choose to live in the blissful ignorance of their little one family, one town lives. There is a much bigger picture to be worried about, and well if you’re choosing to remain unaware of that well be ready to hear a mouth full. Purposeful ignorance, being the haphazard scientist Alfred is, almost makes his blood boil. He believes no one should be able to live in their nice wonderful manor while others starve. Action should be taken, and the problem should not be ignored.
Evil
It is the simplest most obvious dislike of his. Evil. It is simply in theory, but so complicated when applied to real life. What is Evil? Well in his thoughts this naval officer thinks that anything that puts down another’s endeavors in order to reach your own. He likes to play the hero and will save anyone who he thinks is being crushed by evil. Often he thinks what it would be like if he were to simply become a crime stopper or someone who fought for the lower classes rather than living his easy life now.
FEARS
Failure
Being imperfect is unforgivable. Something that since Alfred was no more than a small child had branded to his thoughts. As the son of the Archduke of Americae being the example of a spotless son, heir, and citizen was his job. To fail meant that he had not tried hard enough; that he was not good enough to even handle the job he had been given. Klutzy as he is it is safe to say that this fear is one that he encounters often and is a source of anxiety for him.
Loneliness
Being alone all owns him too much time with his thoughts. Alfred prefers to be with others and communicate until ears bled. His fear runs much deeper than that though. Alfred is afraid of being completely deserted by those he cares about. With no partners to watch his back or friends to socialize with he feels the same human instinct most all do, that being alone is dangerous.
GOALS
Live
To say Alfred has a goal would be wrong. His life was practically planned out for him. Ha can do nothing but sit and wait for it all to play out in front of him. Like watching a train wreck it’s was something he couldn’t stop. Fighting it would only cause the snake around his throat to coil tighter until he choked. Perhaps on the lighter side of things. Alfred’s personal goals, if he had any would be ever changing. Like a child with ADD he tends to hop around subjects, caring for things for weeks or months at a time before changing his mind. Alfred is as ever changing as the sea itself, and in reality he only wants to get out of the mess he’s made for himself alive. The only person that could change that for him is long gone.
QUIRKS/ODDITIES/HABITS
Klutz
Alfred quirk, if you could call it that is his ability to remain unstable on almost any surface, flat or textured. The tall man has a habit of tripping over flat surfaces, falling down when he is standing straight up, dropping heavy pails on his feet, and almost always knocking his head on low hanging things. Most would call him a klutz, because he is just that. Alfred how likes to blame it on the fact that his mind is always buzzing with thoughts, important or otherwise the sailor can’t pay attention to the real world when he’s too busy with the one inside of his head.
Exploration
This oddity of Alfred’s is one he really doesn’t tell others about for; it was something that dealt with his childhood. However, when in port Alfred will often dress as different characters such as the citizen and meander with them, making conversation and gossiping about things that he could really care less about. Call it collecting intel, but Alfred really just enjoys being with people, listening to their stories, and sometimes being the hero if they need help. He explores the people of the port, and sometimes he finds out some interesting information.
Sleeping Under the Stars
Finally Alfred’s habit isn’t as odd and out of place as the rest, he prefers to sleep under the stars. When night falls, and the lieutenant grows tired instead of sleeping in his bunk he heads out deck to find a quiet spot to lay down under a blanket and observe the constellations before sleeping. Often it helps him navigate the ship, and he will record the stars in a diary of his own before drifting off into sleep. Once the sun rises he retreats back into his room and catches another hour of shut eye.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Alfred is searching for someone in his travels, someone he lost quite a while ago, but he has doubts about finding said person.
OVERALL PERSONALITY
Excitable.Boisterous.Impulsive.Talkative.
Alfred is one of those people who if you don’t watch out he’ll swiftly carry you away on something whether it be a topic or and actual adventure. He really has no concept of control and how it should be used. He’s easily excited, and will get carried away without even realizing it. Especially when talking about things he loves, Alfred has no problem talking for hours, and then if inspired to do something about it he will waste no time in following is one minute fantasies only to change his mind later. Often people get the impression that Alfred is a loud, attention grabbing character and some would even describe him as rough or unknowing of his own strength.
Optimistic.Ambitious.Progressive
When someone wanted to change the world they never just lazed about all day. As our prime example Alfred tends to be the type of person who, when he wants to get something done, it gets done. He doesn’t like to waste time. Alfred also looks at things in a brighter light and rather than complaining or getting worked up over something he gets it done. Often he believes he can get more done than is actually possible, but still none the less he tries. Alfred is persistent and will stop at nothing to complete something.
Creative.Dreamer.Idealist
The lieutenant is also someone of very high unreachable intentions, or at least unreachable to most everyone that isn’t himself. Alfred likes to create worlds, ideas, and inventions that are far beyond his time. His creativity allows him to imagine these things and his idealist nature allows him to see how what he creates would move and work. Thus effectively, he problem solves without actually having built his invention. However, this part of Alfred’s personality tends to stay hidden deeper due to social norms.
Courageous.Gregarious.
Alfred has a habit of being a bit too brave and people friendly for his own good. Always willing to talk with most anyone he gets to know people quickly, and from the moment you speak to Alfred he considers you his friend. He’ll have you back and defend you until death. You could say he’s selfless, but to the point of too selfless. He would save anyone on the streets even if he hadn’t spoken to them a day in their life. Alfred believes the justice must be served no matter how petty the crime.
Intelligent.Scientist.Inventive
Surprising to most, as his outward appearance gives off the air as more loud and obnoxious rather the than one of intellect Alfred is fairly intelligent about the things he loves. If one were to ask him about the stars, and navigation he could ramble for hours, spouting fact and fact off. He is an expert in his field. What is more is that Alfred tends to be very scientific about things when it is in the name of innovation. He observes, hypothesizes, experiments, and then concluded based on the data he gathers. In his younger years he also spent much time inventing things. Drawing up ideas, making things that would improve the world. He still does this today, but to a lesser extent.
Oblivious.Naive.Childish
Finally and perhaps some of the most unappealing aspects of Alfred are his innocence to the world. For having book smarts is one thing, but common sense is another realm entirely. One that is lost of the lieutenant. Alfred has something that most would dub selective. He often doesn’t know how to ‘read the atmosphere.’ And often resulting in saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It’s a lot like someone saying their cat died and then he would proceed on to say how kittens were always cuter anyway and maybe well, you need new cat. It’s offensive really, but being raised as he was Alfred only saw the outside world through the eyes of others, and now in experiencing it his social skills are a little less than perfect.
BACKSTORY/HISTORY
Alfred F Jones’ story? Well I’m surprised you don’t know he is pretty famous after all, and fame is everything around here.
Born to the Archduke’s family, he was of blue blood from the start. The prestigious Jones linage had been traced far back to the beginning of the end. Brought back single man, torn by the great war who swore to never let it happen again. Like many others this man joined those who would start the long process that would eventually eradicate all technology. His family followed in his footsteps, climbing up the ladder of status, making friends in all the right places, and soon they became one of the most powerful aristocratic families in all of Americea.
…But with great power comes great responsibility.
Or at least that was what little innocent Alfred was told. A golden spun tale of how his family was a proper example of what Americea-ians represented, and how he was the boy everyone else looked up to. Alfred was that poster child of all the monarchal subject’s hopes and dreams. It was a something most three year olds could not comprehend, but Alfred took it upon himself making it his duty to be the perfect child. It did exist, or at least it did for him. He would be everything that he thought all these people yearned for, and perhaps maybe their own children would follow his example he hoped in all his flamboyant optimistic musing. For all the little kids who didn’t know how to act properly Alfred would be that.
It did not mean though, that the heir would be anything less than a handful. With bright eyes and big smiles the hands of time passed him again and again. Alfred was an optimistic, bouncing boy. Active and infinitely curious about the world as all children are he was always questioning the processes in nature and why they were was done in that way. Everything was of interest to him, and there was never a moment, place, or person left unexplored. It was perhaps the beginning of a long downward spiral in his life, so young and so vulnerable, but yet unnoticed by those who would want to curb the inquisitiveness of his entire being.
Children would always be children they nostalgically quoted.
What kept an on the move Alfred sated however, was something that was far beyond his reach. Perhaps that was why he gazed at it longingly so. The sky. It was sometimes bright blue with wispy clouds fritting across in a dance of celebration on good days. Others it was looming, ominous with ashen walls barreling toward him promising the shrieking cries of rain sure to come. As variable as the boy himself, the sky never failed to awe Alfred who would lie under it for hours. Finally however at the end of each day, the sun would set. Leaving the dark heliotrope canvas fading into a gradient of indigo and charcoal splashed brightly with streaks of Milky Way and winking stars. This was what Alfred loved the most. Those blinking stars highlighted by the contrast of the midnight heavens. The constellations telling stories as old as time, and he lying there in the garden sometimes he would trace them across the sky. Naming them off one by one, and remembering the old superstitious tales his mother would rattle off from the deepest depth of her heart. He was happiest then with curiosity leading his way.
But curiosity killed the cat.
And a natural cat he was. The young child fell even more in love with the world as knowledge began to dance in his head about it. He excelled in everything, science, his tutors put before him and then some. Often after his classes a young Alfred would still be clambering amongst the trees of the forest or yellowing field grass, examining this and that, claiming he was completing an experiment that was important to more than the world itself.
Still as enamored with that which drifted light years away from him he began to ask questions. What were those bright spots that sprinkled the sky? Why were some brighter than others? What made them change place every night? He yearned for all the answers, but very few were the actually information he was seeking. So like any ten year old would he decided that it was time to take things into his own hands. He would create a device, something that would help him answer his questions. Little did the boy know that he was taking another steep step down the hill that would taper off into a barren wasteland that no one ever pondered on in these primitive times. He would become an inventor, he would begin a taboo art.
For Alfred his innovation would be aiding others, it would bring ease of life and daily tasks. It would bring new discoveries! They all could learn, and educate themselves. He had lofty dreams as always, and his first order of business was on his door step. Alfred wanted to examine the night sky, the stars, but with them so far away and miniscule in comparison to the rest of the vast atmosphere he would have to enlarge them, he would need them to seem closer to him. Hence his first creation would be the telescope. Something that still existed, but were rare in both use and in the markets. Sea captains would often use them, but for use amongst other things it was almost unheard of.
For his creation first he would need supplies. That meant leaving the manor that he had lived in so long and being sneaky about it. His parents, like most royalty didn’t particularly fancy the idea of their son adventuring around with the locals who lived in the surrounding area and they had forbid him from leaving the mansion. Alfred didn’t really understand why, but one warm sunny afternoon Alfred slipped away. Squeezing between two of the wrought iron fence posts he dashed off until his lungs felt as if they were going to burst.
The manicured trees and clipped bushes would give way to a dying wood whose wiry branches whipped his face and then on to a village teeming with activity and cobblestone streets. It was something that so new to Alfred he stopped for a minute simple awe-struck this new world. People pushing past him and hose carriages whizzing by as the mingled conversation of people haggling prices and children’s laughter filled his ears. To both his right and left were simplistic one story houses, some had signs denoting what they were while others people simply knew walking in as if it had been their home for years. It hadn’t be what he had expected, that was for sure.
After reeling for his initial shock Alfred would find the market, and he would learn of the corruption and hunger that ruled the country. He would meet a young thief and by way of chasing him down and demanding that he pay for what he stole. It wasn’t right to steal. Alfred had been taught that. Oh, but it wasn’t that simple. Nothing is ever black and white. After a few kicks to the ribs, and punch to the chest later Alfred was in considerable pain.
Not everyone has to money to pay for your high prices, was all he told him and then before the heir could get up again he had disappeared.
Alfred was left there confused, and wiping away the stray tears from his bright blue eyes. People couldn’t pay for their high prices? What? That day he went home, nothing in his hands and with a lot on his mind.
It was a week before he made up his mind to go again. He wanted to see that thief. He wanted to understand why he had to steal, and why he couldn’t pay for even the simplest necessity. When he arrived this time it wasn’t such a wonder to the boy. He now noticed that the people lying around in dark alleys, and sinister low conversations were being held all around him. The market was thriving, it was rotten and everyone around him held a strained expression. They weren’t as carefree as he.
They would meet again this time as well, and being as persistent and annoying as he was Alfred would get answers. He would suddenly understand that not everyone was as rich as his own family. No everyone lived in a manor on top of a hill far away from the evils of the earth. It was an interesting conversation, and by the end of it the child would feel like he had been on the wrong side all along. He was part of those evil bourgeoisies who lived comfortably in their homes eating far too much while others starved around them.
Although the thief had no idea who this naïve little boy was, Alfred thanked him and offered him a loaf of bread. This would be the beginning of their friendship. As cliché as it was. Over the following weeks Alfred would learn more about his new acquaintance, and every day he would bring them lunch. He also had an interest in science, and Alfred enjoyed having someone to talk to about his endeavors as a fellow craver of knowledge. They both wanted to create things that would help people and create things that would make life easier. Together they would decide to make these things. The first being what had brought him here all along, Alfred’s telescope.
Years would pass, time ticking, boys growing, and as they created and built they grew even closer. Partners in science and so much more. Bordering perhaps on the edge of romantic they would spend nights together simply gazing at what the celestial sphere above them held. They would chat for hours about theories, myths, tradition, and everything in between. They would continue to use their minds and stretch the realm of knowledge that had been since been explored, and before the morning sun rose Alfred would sneak back into his manor and into bed before his parents would notice him missing. It was on one of those nights that Alfred told him who he really was. The Archduke’s son hanging out with a petty thief? There was no way! Alfred only stayed stubbornly in what he had said and it was then that his partner believed him.
So he had been hanging out with someone so high above him all this time? It was mind blowing.
The rest of the night he questioned Alfred about life as a royal, and with laughter close by Alfred answered them all one by one remembering a time when he had interrogated him in the very same way.
Life moved on though, and they learned that it wasn’t class that mattered, but rather attitude. It was on Alfred’s seventeenth birthday that things finally moved from friendship. A rose-tinted moment that he wasn’t the one to initiate shocked him as the once again lying under the thing he loved the most. He almost missed him, nearly kissing his nose, but as Alfred froze there stunned beyond everything he listened to the person he had spent seven years knowing pour his heart out to him.
And…he didn’t know what to say.
Being oblivious as always Alfred had not noticed these feelings. His one true love was science after all…right? He loved everything analytical and numerous, observant and experimental. Could he love him?
It was like a warm cliché romance novel, the racing heartbeat, shaking hands. Everything telling him that he did know what to say, it was just right there, cue a hand over his heart. So after swallowing his pride in his stomach Alfred gave him a grin and kissed him back.
They had to hide their relationship that much was obvious. Life was the same for the most part, they continued their inventions and thier most recent project was their most important yet. In between there were hushed nights in ecstasy, quiet kisses, and supportive hands. They were still focused on what had brought them together, but they also now cared more than simply a innovative companion. They had made that step, the one that would leave a bleeding open wound down Alfred’s chest.
This experiment almost if ironically mocking them, was the creation of an artificial heart. There had been something close to that, long before the great war, they knew that much, but it was eradicated long ago with everything else that had been destroyed by people so afraid of technology. It was a fleshy thing, built from components that would not be rejected by the body. It also had a mechanical pumping system that replicated the contracting muscles of heart, compartments of each of the chambers in the heart, and valve stoppers for separation between them. It was the prototype, but Alfred was far more than excited for what they had created.
And he wanted to show it to the world.
It was his first mistake, but like all aspiring creators young and clueless. They approached a local doctor about what they had made offering the device to him and asking him to implant it into a patient if it was ever needed. He accepted the deal, hoping that it would make him some money on his business, but as it turns out fear runs deep. Those who were given the option to have the heart implanted fiercely rejected the idea, some even broke down into tears claiming it was witchcraft and that those who had made the offending object should have been hung. It was causing uproar in the city, and suddenly Alfred and his love were being accused of being warlocks planning to use the hearts to control everyone in the village.
Everything started going downhill, and Alfred was devastated. People did not want this innovation. They wanted to stay in their quiet homes, and continue to live in a world of hard labor, famine, and disease. His blood ran cold.
It was about this time, that his father started to notice all the commotion. It wasn’t much longer until he also started to connect the dots. For the past seven years his son had been gone, disappearing out to here and there every day. He never came back with anything to show for his trips, but simply a content smile and an accomplished spring in his step. He wasn’t going out, Alfred was meeting with this evil creator, and work with him to create these monstrous things. It was the final straw when the rumor mill began to churn our whispered lies about how the Archduke’s son and his lover were creating weapons and things to hurt people, and cause destruction on a massive scale.
It was the straw that broke the camel’s back and his father, and forbade Alfred to ever leave the manor again. It would not be his son that would be accused of this, not the Jones family.
Rather he would capture the man who had influenced Alfred all this time. He sent out the royal guard on a mission, and weeks passed before Alfred would see his partner again.
During the time between was a political mess of convince the public that it had not been Alfred they saw, but rather someone similar. More lies spun for the web of deceit than anything else, and using their status and right as royals they protected Alfred from execution. Someone from the Jones’ family would never do anything like that. They were for the people, and they would never hurt them. The accused could do nothing, but watch as his life was written out for him.
His spirit was crushed, forced to put on a happy façade, and deny every link to what he had spent his life working toward. People did not want a scientist he was informed, they would rather feed off the system they had created like parasitic worms. It would be impossible for Alfred to fight, for as soon as the family knew he never had a moment alone. No chance to escape or run away. The heir only wished that he was there, it was all he wanted just to go back and be beside him again. He would do anything to spend another night up late gazing into the heavens and making love under something so much bigger than they would ever know.
He wished for it every night, and prayed for his safety.
Every day he was forced to start studying for what his father told him would be corrective training. A few strings pulled here and there and Alfred was suddenly only a half a year away from joining the Lux as a Lieutenant, an understudy to the captain which controlled the meanest ship on the seas. Wonderful. It was just what he wanted. However, that kind of sarcasm gained him a swollen jaw and aching pain for days to come.
It did give him a chance to study astrology and astronomy once more, and Alfred lapped up the information trying once more to get something out of the worst of situations. His mind was still not completely there, but after four months of searching for his thief things had died down quite a bit. It had been announced to the public that his son would be part of the Navy to serve his country which he loved so much, and upon his return a young woman would be waiting for his hand in marriage. With that Alfred’s fate had been sealed.
There was still hope deep in his chest, but two more months passed, and at eighteen he was boarding the Lux. The love of his life missing, and marriage in his future.
A shooting star streaked across the sky.
Alfred who had been watching the sky upon a grassy knoll in his parent’s garden closed his eyes wishing that maybe one day he could be up there with all those twinkling beacons of hope. He wanted to be someone like that. A figure of hope, heroics, and bravery. Perhaps one day he could have his own have his own constellation in the sky.
“Alfred the Hero! He saved millions in one clean sweep of his sword across the enemy!” Pushed up on his elbows Alfred giggled lightly at the thought before jumping up on his feet with a streak of silliness filling him.
“He was once nothing more than a mere mortal, but! One day!” Alfred took a deep breath, leaping from his spot and grabbing a low lying tree branch in front of him. “He found a way into the heavens.” Alfred began climbing, continuing on with his lonely play no one watching but those above. As he climbed he continued his epic monologue not taking a break until he had reached the tallest branch that would hold his seventeen year old weight. “He found the tallest tree in all of the earth, and with little more than goodbye he climbed day and night. Never stopping until he reached the gods.”
A bright grin grew along his face and he pitched forward looking at the numerous feet between him and the ground. Ouch that would hurt.
“When he arrived there was nothing but silence between the millions of deities around him. And then taking a step forward he asked them.”
And then he looked toward the sky and yelled to them, the gods.
“Will you reward me for reaching you someday?”
Again silence followed. For no god would hear him down here so close to the earth.
“I’m no god, but I can reward you.”
The voice echoed up toward the heir and if it was possible his grin grew showing bits of white teeth, and elation at hearing the voice he knew so well.
YOUR NAME OR ALIAS Sam! :3
WHERE CAN WE CONTACT YOU?Either by PM, or email saviorofthehamburgersjonesy@hotmail.com~ I also have a skype I will give out if asked. :3
WHERE DID YOU FIND US?Lots and lots of searching through dead RP sites. ;-;
