America | Alfred F. Jones
Oct 25, 2013 20:28:03 GMT -6
Post by Alfred F. Jones on Oct 25, 2013 20:28:03 GMT -6
Alfred Franklin Jones
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Ethnicity: American
Sexuality: Pansexual
Occupation: Astronomy student
True Name: Reckless - This may not be one of Al's best qualities, but it is an overpowering one nonetheless. Alfred is ruled by his disregard for danger and consequences, often choosing to act before he thinks. Sometimes this work to his advantage - One does not always have time to think before a crisis scenario, and the ability to act on a moment's notice can be a strength. However, other times it can lead to dangerous consequences - hence the very definition of the word. The Reckless mark appears on the left side of his chest, on top of his ribcage.
Role: Fighter
Appearance: His looks are actually rather average. He's moderately tall, standing at 177cm (which he rounds up to 5'10", because he never really got the hang of that whole metric thing). Though he frets over his weight, he's actually pretty fit, most of his so-called 'excess weight' actually going toward muscle. This isn't to say that his diet hasn't affected him at all - He does have a little pudge around the middle, though it's nothing too terrible. He also wears glasses.
He nearly always has some sort of grin on his face, accentuating just how youthful his features actually are. His remaining feline features do this job as well, much to his chagrin. He wouldn't mind losing those soon. His ears and tail are both the same color as the hair atop of his head, though perhaps a shade or two lighter. Regardless, they hardly stand out as a different color overall.
Personality:
Hero complex - Probably one of the FIRST things you'll note about Alfred is his glaring hero complex. If he sees someone in trouble or in need of help, he'll jump in immediately. The inherent problem with this is the fact that he fails to understand when people actually want him there and when he's simply poking his nose where it doesn't belong. He just knows that whenever there's a problem, he wants to help, and he doesn't understand why anyone wouldn't want his help. His intentions are good, but his actions don't always convey this. He has a wild imagination, which probably doesn't help matters.
Materialistic - Alfred loves things. He loves to follow all of the latest trends, but doesn't mind getting caught up in a bit of nostalgia too at times. He's amassed various collections over the years. His most prized would be his comic book collection, but he's also collected state quarters, stamps, and video games. He also has a secret love of Disney movies and has quite a few of those as well (but shh, that one's a secret). It also must be noted that every time a new I-phone comes out, Alfred tries to be one of the first in line to get it. He hates to have any of his electronics "out of style".
Bossy - Alfred likes to be in the driver's seat whenever anything is going on. Unfortunately, as with many other things, he often doesn't take others' opinions into consideration before he acts.
Optimistic - One of Alfreds better qualities is his ability to look at the glass half full. If everyone is feeling down and out, he'll probably be the last person left cheering for what little hope is left. It's not always a realistic attitude, mind, but at least he's not liable to give up easily. Even he has his limits, though, and the flip-side of this is that, if he DOES happen to shift to a pessimistic viewpoint on something, it's difficult as hell to get him out of his funk.
Insecure - He's a lot more insecure than he likes to let on. Much of his boasting and arrogance is actually bravado. He's a young kid who's into some pretty big stuff, and though he finds it exciting, it is a bit nervewracking at times. More so, he's terrified of being given that responsibility only to let someone down. He hasn't screwed up badly yet, but that doesn't mean the worry isn't ever present in his mind.
Loud - If you're in a room with Al, chances are, you'll know he's there. He has some very attention-whorish tendencies, and loves it when the attention is focused on him. He's the one who, even as an adult, you have to constant remind to use their inside voice inside of a library. As expected, many people see him as obnoxious and bigmouthed as a result (not that they're entirely wrong). Sometimes he will also say things without thinking of the consequences, further complicating matters.
Easily distracted - While he's a force to be reckoned with when he's serious about something, in every day life Alfredis easily distracted, especially if the subject matter is something he's not particularly interested in. In other words? He could carry on a conversation all day and night about space and aliens, but if you want to talk about global warming? Unless you want to listen to him ramble on about Globa-Man, a superhero he made up (and most don't), he's liable to drift off very easily.
Likes:
Hamburgers - His favorite food. Not the only food he eats, contrary to popular belief, but even if he doesn't eat one every day, he probably eats one every other day.
Food in general - The guy likes food, what can he say?
Guns - He grew up with an interest in them. His father was in the military and would often talk about the various weaponry with his son. Once he was old enough, he learned how to shoot as well.
Space - Another interest he's had since he was a kid. He actually wanted to become an astronaut for several years in his youth, before he realized that being cooped up in a rocket for a long period of time would drive him nuts.
Aliens - Like space, aliens have been an interest of Alfred's as well. Yes, the boy watched a lot of ET growing up. He actually hopes to meet an alien some day, and isn't shy about telling others about it. He has already decided that he will name said alien Tony.
Coffee - This stuff gets him going every morning.
Video games - Especially now that they're portable!
Superheroes - He always fantasized about being one when he was a kid. He's still sad that it never came true.
Competition - Alfred is very competitive in nature. If he seems reluctant to do something, you can often convince him to do it by posing it as a competition.
Dislikes:
Feeling stifled - Alfred doesn't like to feel like he's being kept down in any way
Silence - It's nice when he's laying down and trying to sleep, but he can't stand awkward silences, to the point where he'll say anything (no matter how ridiculous) just to break it up.
Tea - He just...really doesn't like it for some reason.
Ghosts - Something that he can't fight, and can't see? Yeah, that scares him immensely. If he's in danger, he likes being able to do something to defend himself.
Being ignored - Alfred, being an extrovert, loves attention...and when he doesn't have some degree of attention it frustrates him.
Fears:
Being forgotten - Alfred wants to leave a legacy. He does not want to be a nobody his entire life. He wants to make his name known, hopefully for years to come.
Marmite - There was a, uh, bad experience when he was a child...we'll leave it at that. He won't touch the stuff to this day.
Claustrophobia - Alfred has an intense fear of enclosed spaces and being trapped. This goes for legitimate enclosed spaces, but also in a metaphorical sense. You'll probably only get a panic attack out of him if you shove him in an actual small space, but if he feels helpless or trapped in another situation, he'll often fidget or move around a lot. He shows his discomfort, it's just not as obvious.
Strengths:
Determination - No one can accuse Alfred of not having determination. When he's determined to do something, he'll do everything in his power to make sure he succeeds at his goal. Doesn't always mean he'll succeed, but he'll try.
Optimism - His habit toward optimism is something he would consider a strength. Alfred is usually a positive sort of guy. It takes a lot to actually bring him down for the count (though mood swings are more common than most think - he tends to bounce back extremely quickly though).
Physically fit - He was the type to play several sports in high school, mainly because he had energy to burn and needed an outlet. Though he's not quite as active in college as he was in high school, he still enjoys physical activity, helping him to maintain a decent weight even though he eats a lot of junk food.
Weaknesses:
Impulsive - Acting without thinking? Well that describes Alfred pretty well, doesn't it? It's not that he doesn't think, it's just that the thinking tends to come after the acting. Alfred is very excitable when he gets an idea in his head, which usually results in a 'do now, think later' sort of attitude. Which is great when it actually works out, but often times causes more harm than it does good. It's one thing when you jump into making the next I-phone purchase, but another when you jump to conclusions in investigations before taking everything into consideration. It can also lead to trouble in a fight.
Reading the atmosphere - Reading the situation is one of Alfred's main weaknesses. It's not that he can't, because he can and will if the situation calls for it, but rather that he chooses not to, because he's generally happier that way. Willful ignorance, if you will.
History:
Born on the 4th of July as one of two children, Alfred's temperament was discernible almost as soon as he left the womb. He was a loud baby, though one who clearly knew how to communicate what he wanted. His mother managed to figure out his cries within the first couple of weeks. He was also on the move even from this young age, often squirming in his parents' arms as if he wanted to climb right out of them and explore.
Once Alfred learned to walk, he did just that. He was also into just about everything he could get into. His parents were ever grateful for the extra effort they'd put into childproofing the house. Once he learned to talk in full sentences, he was constantly bombarding his parents with questions. Even though Alfred was turning out to be quite a handful, it was clear that he was at the very least a precocious little boy, and one that had big dreams.
Alfred had a good childhood. His family was neither rich nor poor, the quintessential American family. His father was involved with the military, his mother a paramedic. Another interest Alfred held from a young age was in superheroes, and heroes in general. Helping people just always appealed to him in general, and superpowers on top of that? Well, that would be the bomb! By the time he was in high school he realized that he had yet to develop any mutant abilities, nor had any visitors from another planet revealed that he was the long lost relative of some alien king or queen.
As superpowers were clearly in short order, he needed to find another way to follow in the footsteps of his heroes in the comic books.
From a young age, Alfred had an interest in space that went beyond the fact that Superman happened to hail from Krypton. He would look out the window at the stars, and imagine all of the things that were supposedly up there. He wanted to go up there some day. He wondered if there was another child like him glancing out of his own window on another planet, the same thoughts racing through his head. As he grew older, his interest in astronomy grew with him, and by high school he knew that he wanted to do something dealing with space.
After high school, Alfred decided that he wanted to do a bit of traveling, and landed at a school in Lancashire, England. There, Alfred decided to major in astronomy. He would love to become an astronaut, but has come to the realization that he has a major hurdle to overcome before he can go hurtling into space inside of a small vessel closed off to anything on the outside - His own claustrophobia. Perhaps his interest in space will be enough to allow him to work through his fears slowly but surely...or, perhaps, he'll be stuck on the ground. Regardless, Alfred knows where he belongs, and hopes to make his mark in the field in one way or another.
And hey, meeting an alien wouldn't hurt!
RP Sample:
He was at the White House when it happened.
He thought it was all over. He thought that the fall of the Soviet Union meant the end of this. Little did he realize that it was only the beginning.
The iceberg resembling the Cold War had recently grown to larger proportions than ever. Alfred's boss and Ivan's boss were at a fierce standoff, leaving Alfred and Ivan waiting on tenterhooks. Did they really want this? Wasn't this enough of a headache the first time around? Game pieces were placed into their positions, neither Alfred nor Ivan willing to make a move to end this stalemate.
Someone wasn't content to leave the pieces in their current arrangement. Someone opted to move a piece forward.
And then all hell broke loose.
Alfred had been called to his boss' office for an emergency meeting. He had never heard a boss so frightened in his life. He threw on his best clothes and practically sprinted down the hall. He threw open the doors to his boss' office. Then he collapsed to the ground at once, a burning sensation radiating through his chest.
Pain. He wasn't new to pain. Brief flashes of the Civil War, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11 flashed through his head. No, this pain was different somehow. Worse. This realization made Alfred slightly nauseous. What could be worse than the Civil War?
It was only the beginning.
Sensations, much like the one in his chest, began to creep throughout his body. It was all he could do not to cry out in pain, though as hard as he tried, he could not help but writhe a little on the floor. Alfred was no longer slightly nauseous. He felt a warm liquid bubbling up in his throat. Though it hurt to move, Alfred was able to roll himself to his side before vomiting. If Alfred wasn't disconcerted before, he was upon seeing the color of his vomit. Red. Red, red, red. He was vomiting blood. Something was eating him apart from both the inside and out. What was capable of doing such a thing? He was a nation, not a human. What force could be this powerful, this frightening, that it had him at his knees at one fell swoop?
Alfred felt another burning sensation sweep down his forearm. Wide eyes darted down to his arm, mostly covered by the suit. With some effort, Alfred was able to rip his suit upward. Another wave of nausea hit, but this one was not from the effects of the unseen force wreaking havoc on him. No, this came from the sight of the burn on his arm. He recognized it. He'd seen it before, on a human. A human woman who was present for the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Alfred couldn't recall exactly which. All he knew was that this was no ordinary burn. This was a radiation burn.
Nukes.
Checkmate.
Alfred covered his ears as the screams started. He knew it was only a matter of time. He could see his people suffering, hear them, feel them. He closed his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks, a familiar wave of guilt coming over him. Was this what Kiku felt at the end of World War II? Had he really put another being through this? He wouldn't wish this on his worst enemy.
His worst enemy.
His worst enemy was standing against the opposite wall. Alfred's vision was blurred, so he could not make out the features at first. But he would recognize that scarf anywhere.
"You..." He hissed.
He was the one who'd done this. It was Russia. He was responsible for it all. And he had the nerve to show his face at the White House? On Alfred's land? If Alfred had more strength, he would have lunged for Ivan at once, to wipe the creepy smile off of the dirty commie's face once and for all. As it was, though, a slight jarring caused Alfred to vomit once more. He was in no condition to do much of anything.
Besides, he soon became aware of something else.
Ivan was smiling, but it wasn't even his usual smile. There was something present in Ivan's eyes that Alfred had never seen before, in the hundreds of years that he'd known Russia. It was fear, desperation. Pain. Ivan was clutching at his chest. He had a familiar looking burn across his face. His skin was red, cracked, peeling, blood escaping from cracks in the skin. Alfred knew at once that he looked just like that. And then, before Alfred's eyes, Ivan collapsed on to the floor.
Alfred tried to scream, but all he could force out was a strangled sounding groan. Alfred was the one who emitted it, yet it didn't even sound human to his ears. It sounded like a wounded animal on his last limbs.
Mutually assured destruction.
He found himself asking why. No...he knew why. Who. He wanted to know who. Who had dropped the first bomb. His boss...the President of the United States of America...obviously misread his face. "You want to know who won?"
"There are...no winners..." Alfred stammered out. "Who?"
A wry smile came across the President's face. "We did, of course."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He cried out as his eyes flew open.
Alfred slowly became aware that he was no longer in pain. In fact, he was no longer in the White House. He was no longer anywhere resembling where he'd been before. It had all been a dream, one horrific nightmare. And it most certainly wasn't the first.
Alfred had fallen asleep on a bench in the hallway. This was the first time he'd had such a dream in the public eye. With this realization, Alfred also became aware that he wasn't alone. Fortunately, if he'd cried out, it hadn't attracted a crowd. Alfred didn't know if he would be able to live with that.
There was someone there though. Were Alfred in a normal mood, he would have laughed and tried to play everything off. Were no one there, Alfred would have gone on with his day as though nothing happened...as though his heart weren't still racing, as though the tearstains on his cheeks were from something ridiculous like too much dust in the air or something.
Alfred found that he didn't care, though. He didn't even care the identity of the person there with him. He just pulled them close to him, closing his eyes tightly, grateful for the feeling of a warm body to provide comfort to him. He felt like a small colony all over again, seeking refuge from a fictional monster under the bed.
Only in this case, the monster was real. And he could strike at any time.
"No...no..." Alfred muttered, perfectly aware that whoever he was with would likely have questions. Questions that he wouldn't want to answer. He knew he was behaving in a way that would make him want to kick himself later on. He was the hero, he wasn't supposed to be acting like this. None of that mattered in this particular moment, though. What mattered was that someone was there with him.
He thought it was all over. He thought that the fall of the Soviet Union meant the end of this. Little did he realize that it was only the beginning.
The iceberg resembling the Cold War had recently grown to larger proportions than ever. Alfred's boss and Ivan's boss were at a fierce standoff, leaving Alfred and Ivan waiting on tenterhooks. Did they really want this? Wasn't this enough of a headache the first time around? Game pieces were placed into their positions, neither Alfred nor Ivan willing to make a move to end this stalemate.
Someone wasn't content to leave the pieces in their current arrangement. Someone opted to move a piece forward.
And then all hell broke loose.
Alfred had been called to his boss' office for an emergency meeting. He had never heard a boss so frightened in his life. He threw on his best clothes and practically sprinted down the hall. He threw open the doors to his boss' office. Then he collapsed to the ground at once, a burning sensation radiating through his chest.
Pain. He wasn't new to pain. Brief flashes of the Civil War, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11 flashed through his head. No, this pain was different somehow. Worse. This realization made Alfred slightly nauseous. What could be worse than the Civil War?
It was only the beginning.
Sensations, much like the one in his chest, began to creep throughout his body. It was all he could do not to cry out in pain, though as hard as he tried, he could not help but writhe a little on the floor. Alfred was no longer slightly nauseous. He felt a warm liquid bubbling up in his throat. Though it hurt to move, Alfred was able to roll himself to his side before vomiting. If Alfred wasn't disconcerted before, he was upon seeing the color of his vomit. Red. Red, red, red. He was vomiting blood. Something was eating him apart from both the inside and out. What was capable of doing such a thing? He was a nation, not a human. What force could be this powerful, this frightening, that it had him at his knees at one fell swoop?
Alfred felt another burning sensation sweep down his forearm. Wide eyes darted down to his arm, mostly covered by the suit. With some effort, Alfred was able to rip his suit upward. Another wave of nausea hit, but this one was not from the effects of the unseen force wreaking havoc on him. No, this came from the sight of the burn on his arm. He recognized it. He'd seen it before, on a human. A human woman who was present for the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Alfred couldn't recall exactly which. All he knew was that this was no ordinary burn. This was a radiation burn.
Nukes.
Checkmate.
Alfred covered his ears as the screams started. He knew it was only a matter of time. He could see his people suffering, hear them, feel them. He closed his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks, a familiar wave of guilt coming over him. Was this what Kiku felt at the end of World War II? Had he really put another being through this? He wouldn't wish this on his worst enemy.
His worst enemy.
His worst enemy was standing against the opposite wall. Alfred's vision was blurred, so he could not make out the features at first. But he would recognize that scarf anywhere.
"You..." He hissed.
He was the one who'd done this. It was Russia. He was responsible for it all. And he had the nerve to show his face at the White House? On Alfred's land? If Alfred had more strength, he would have lunged for Ivan at once, to wipe the creepy smile off of the dirty commie's face once and for all. As it was, though, a slight jarring caused Alfred to vomit once more. He was in no condition to do much of anything.
Besides, he soon became aware of something else.
Ivan was smiling, but it wasn't even his usual smile. There was something present in Ivan's eyes that Alfred had never seen before, in the hundreds of years that he'd known Russia. It was fear, desperation. Pain. Ivan was clutching at his chest. He had a familiar looking burn across his face. His skin was red, cracked, peeling, blood escaping from cracks in the skin. Alfred knew at once that he looked just like that. And then, before Alfred's eyes, Ivan collapsed on to the floor.
Alfred tried to scream, but all he could force out was a strangled sounding groan. Alfred was the one who emitted it, yet it didn't even sound human to his ears. It sounded like a wounded animal on his last limbs.
Mutually assured destruction.
He found himself asking why. No...he knew why. Who. He wanted to know who. Who had dropped the first bomb. His boss...the President of the United States of America...obviously misread his face. "You want to know who won?"
"There are...no winners..." Alfred stammered out. "Who?"
A wry smile came across the President's face. "We did, of course."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He cried out as his eyes flew open.
Alfred slowly became aware that he was no longer in pain. In fact, he was no longer in the White House. He was no longer anywhere resembling where he'd been before. It had all been a dream, one horrific nightmare. And it most certainly wasn't the first.
Alfred had fallen asleep on a bench in the hallway. This was the first time he'd had such a dream in the public eye. With this realization, Alfred also became aware that he wasn't alone. Fortunately, if he'd cried out, it hadn't attracted a crowd. Alfred didn't know if he would be able to live with that.
There was someone there though. Were Alfred in a normal mood, he would have laughed and tried to play everything off. Were no one there, Alfred would have gone on with his day as though nothing happened...as though his heart weren't still racing, as though the tearstains on his cheeks were from something ridiculous like too much dust in the air or something.
Alfred found that he didn't care, though. He didn't even care the identity of the person there with him. He just pulled them close to him, closing his eyes tightly, grateful for the feeling of a warm body to provide comfort to him. He felt like a small colony all over again, seeking refuge from a fictional monster under the bed.
Only in this case, the monster was real. And he could strike at any time.
"No...no..." Alfred muttered, perfectly aware that whoever he was with would likely have questions. Questions that he wouldn't want to answer. He knew he was behaving in a way that would make him want to kick himself later on. He was the hero, he wasn't supposed to be acting like this. None of that mattered in this particular moment, though. What mattered was that someone was there with him.
OOC Alias: Mandee
Contact: Skype - mandee.bo.bandee
Time Zone: EST
Favorite Pairings: AmeIs, RusAme, AmeViet, AmeLiet, AmeIre, AmeBel, FrUS, Open (no USUK or AmeCan)
Rule Check: I think it's so groovy now that people are finally getting together
Contact: Skype - mandee.bo.bandee
Time Zone: EST
Favorite Pairings: AmeIs, RusAme, AmeViet, AmeLiet, AmeIre, AmeBel, FrUS, Open (no USUK or AmeCan)
Rule Check: I think it's so groovy now that people are finally getting together
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