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OOC INFO;
Player Name: Teresa
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lycanthropy101
Current Character: n/a
IC INFO;
Character Name: Lord John Grey
Canon: The Outlander Series
Canon Information: Lord John’s page on the Outlander Wikia
Canon Point: Mid "Voyager" (Book 3); After his marriage to Isobel, before leaving for Jamaica
Age: 36
God Houses:
1) HEIMDALL: My first choice for Lord John because he is first and foremost a career soldier. His father was a soldier before him and his brother a soldier as well, and as it is described in the books, at age sixteen John earns his commission himself when he discovers he has "the family taste" for it. He resigns from his position in the army for the sake of his foster son, but with no family to speak of in Asgard he might very well enlist here again. Beyond that, he has an overwhelming need to see justice done. As one friend tells him, "The world is chaos and death and destruction. But people like you -- you don't stand for that. If there is any order in the world, any peace -- it's because of you, John, and those very few like you. [...] What is it the Bible says? Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied? I hunger, John. And you thirst. You won't fail me." And indeed he does not, and is often the man his friends come to in their time of need.
2) TYR: My second choice for Lord John because he does take the step later on to become a diplomat. It's based somewhat again on his strong sense of justice and right and wrong. His career as a soldier also gives him the courage to stand up tall in the face of what he believes in. He was born the son of a Duke, and has lived in London society his entire life, which is a dance in and of itself. His father's supposed suicide and following scandal thrust him into an awkward situation, and then there is the matter of his own sexuality in a time when homosexuality is outright condemned. It takes a great deal of courage, to know who he is and stay strong in such knowledge, without shame.
Personality: Lord John is a kind and sensitive man who loves his family and friends deeply and without prejudice. At any given time, when visiting his brother's house, he can always be talked into playing knights and dragons with his nephews, or coaxed into holding his cousin's baby, even though he is less than enthusiastic on the matter. He values honor above all things and holds a strong sense of duty to the regiment in which he serves, and his king and country. He would do just about everything in protection of these people, and in service of the army, up to and including sacrificing his own life.
Being a homosexual man in the 18th century, he is very skilled at keeping secrets, as that one in particular would have him hanged. As such, he is particularly skilled at uncovering the secrets of others, whether they are revealed in their manner and conversation, or through gathering facts and information about them. He is in fact frequently assigned to investigate matters for the army for this reason while not stationed abroad. Recognizing the secrets of others, however, he knows when it is best to keep them to himself, as is the case when he realizes that Jamie Fraser has fathered a child with Geneva Dunsany. The family's reputation is on the line, after all, and they have all but adopted him as their own. He would do nothing to jeopardize their honor, regardless of the truth of the matter.
Despite his kind nature however, he does have a ruthless streak (he is a younger brother, after all), though he is generally fairly good at keeping this in check. He can be particularly violent when he needs to as well, though usually only in circumstances as it is merited, such as the battlefield. Percy goes so far as to describe him as a "beast" in battle, for this reason. He is also fairly impulsive, and can be known to mouth off sarcastically when it's not quite advisable (in front of a military inquisition), participating in a bet he knows he does not have the money to pay off if he loses, etc. He describes himself in fact as a gambling man, claiming that this fact helps him recognize other men's tells.
Lord John is somewhat easily attracted to other men, especially if there is some aspect of danger in their acquaintance. Perhaps this is part of the reason he falls in love with Jamie Fraser, a man who upon their first meeting takes him prisoner, breaks his arm, threatens to kill him, and leaves him tied to a tree. A man who later becomes his prisoner, openly dislikes him, but Lord John ends up looking out for and slowly befriending regardless.
It is of course hard to talk about Lord John without mentioning Jamie Fraser in at least some capacity. John is intensely aware of the other man, of his desire for him, of the fact that Jamie will never want him, the fact that it's wrong for him to want Jamie, and the fact that he does regardless. At the point which I am taking him from in canon, the pair of them have yet to reconcile their differences. But they will eventually go on to become great friends -- whose friendship John will treasure above all others.
John does not pine, however. He finds love and affection where and when he can, from what sources he may. He does not feel compelled to find a partner in another, content to focus more on his career and his duties therein. He understands that to love is to be able to give his own love as much as it is to ask it of another. And therefore this is difficult for him, while his heart largely finds itself stuck on Jamie Fraser. One might say in fact that he is unlucky in love, as his first lover had been killed in battle, another nearly had John killed himself, a third betrayed him and required John to break the law to save his life, and then there is Jamie who would never love him beyond friendship anyway.
When he was younger in the army, one night Lord John was raped by another man. Because of this, he has taken to carrying a dagger about his person wherever he goes, and he also has a hard time allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of other men, especially in sexual situations. He very rarely "offers himself", because it reminds him too much of that night, and even when his partner is particularly gentle with him, that too makes him feel uncomfortable as well. Similarly, because he has spent so long in the army now, manning the cannons, he has a touch of what would probably be called PTSD in these days. Any time there are sounds of explosions around him, his heart starts pounding faster, he starts sweating, and especially after the cannon explodes on him, he feels nauseous and sometimes physically ducks at the sound, throwing himself down on the ground as though ducking from the cannon blasts, even if there is no danger to be had.
One final fun little fact about John is that he is a magpie of sorts, always playing with things in his hands wherever he goes and then inevitably sticking them into his pockets and taking them with him when he leaves. It means he has the unfortunate habit of accidentally stealing or collecting things that do not necessarily belong to himself. At any given time, his pockets are guaranteed to be filled with any number of items from where he's been throughout the day.
Writing Sample:
Lord John sits on the edge of the bed in his nightclothes. His bed, he's come to think of it, rather foolishly he supposes. In the Blue Room, they called it, for the patterned wallpaper. Various scenes, painted in blue on cream. A bachelor's room. He has stayed in this room every time he has visited, since the early days of his commission. When Gordon had invited him along. So much has changed since then, with Gordon Dunsany dead and gone, and Geneva to follow a few years later. And now with Lord Dunsany's health in decline and the promise he had given to the man to look after Willie...
It seemed the best conclusion, in the end. To ask for Isobel's hand. They cannot keep the farm on their own, and he is Willie's guardian. After that incident with the man in town, he knows that Isobel has an eye for him as well. Which is another odd thought, when he remembers lying with her together in this very room. Isobel sneaking into his bed when she was naught but a child, confused and frightened with the pain and loss around her. Stroking her hair and offering her comfort through the night.
The sound of a child wailing from elsewhere in the house cuts through his reverie and brings him back into the present day. John's heart goes out to the little boy. Would that he could weep as openly himself, at the loss of his friend, and everything that they had together, that might have been, and that never will. He understands why Jamie must go, for Willie's sake. That it is safer for the child if he leaves, when every day he risks the discovery of his secret and the ruin of Willie's future. It does not stop John's selfish heart from breaking at the knowledge of it, however. What they had here, it was good. It was -- never so much as John might have liked, but he respects the other man, and he would never have thought he'd have gained even so much as his friendship.
These few years at Helwater were a luxury. And Jamie must leave now, but he is trusting him with his son. And in the end, John has to suppose that must count for something. (Even if Willie is not, in truth, Jamie's to entrust to anyone.) But he had asked. And he knows that the other man would be willing to give him just about anything in return for the favor.
He smiles slightly at the thought. No, he would not ask for that. It is not Jamie's to give, and to accept such an offer would cheapen the moment, the friendship, for both of them. It is better this way, he tries to tell himself, as he listens to Willie wailing, contemplating the thought of sharing a bed with a woman -- and not only that but one he has loved as a sister since she was but the age of five. Wondering if the only sight of Jamie Fraser he will ever see again is in the slanted blue eyes of his only son.
It is for the best, he tells himself. The taste of ale and fresh-baked bread lingering on his lips as he resigns himself to another long and sleepless night.
Player Name: Teresa
Contact Info:
Current Character: n/a
IC INFO;
Character Name: Lord John Grey
Canon: The Outlander Series
Canon Information: Lord John’s page on the Outlander Wikia
Canon Point: Mid "Voyager" (Book 3); After his marriage to Isobel, before leaving for Jamaica
Age: 36
God Houses:
1) HEIMDALL: My first choice for Lord John because he is first and foremost a career soldier. His father was a soldier before him and his brother a soldier as well, and as it is described in the books, at age sixteen John earns his commission himself when he discovers he has "the family taste" for it. He resigns from his position in the army for the sake of his foster son, but with no family to speak of in Asgard he might very well enlist here again. Beyond that, he has an overwhelming need to see justice done. As one friend tells him, "The world is chaos and death and destruction. But people like you -- you don't stand for that. If there is any order in the world, any peace -- it's because of you, John, and those very few like you. [...] What is it the Bible says? Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied? I hunger, John. And you thirst. You won't fail me." And indeed he does not, and is often the man his friends come to in their time of need.
2) TYR: My second choice for Lord John because he does take the step later on to become a diplomat. It's based somewhat again on his strong sense of justice and right and wrong. His career as a soldier also gives him the courage to stand up tall in the face of what he believes in. He was born the son of a Duke, and has lived in London society his entire life, which is a dance in and of itself. His father's supposed suicide and following scandal thrust him into an awkward situation, and then there is the matter of his own sexuality in a time when homosexuality is outright condemned. It takes a great deal of courage, to know who he is and stay strong in such knowledge, without shame.
Personality: Lord John is a kind and sensitive man who loves his family and friends deeply and without prejudice. At any given time, when visiting his brother's house, he can always be talked into playing knights and dragons with his nephews, or coaxed into holding his cousin's baby, even though he is less than enthusiastic on the matter. He values honor above all things and holds a strong sense of duty to the regiment in which he serves, and his king and country. He would do just about everything in protection of these people, and in service of the army, up to and including sacrificing his own life.
Being a homosexual man in the 18th century, he is very skilled at keeping secrets, as that one in particular would have him hanged. As such, he is particularly skilled at uncovering the secrets of others, whether they are revealed in their manner and conversation, or through gathering facts and information about them. He is in fact frequently assigned to investigate matters for the army for this reason while not stationed abroad. Recognizing the secrets of others, however, he knows when it is best to keep them to himself, as is the case when he realizes that Jamie Fraser has fathered a child with Geneva Dunsany. The family's reputation is on the line, after all, and they have all but adopted him as their own. He would do nothing to jeopardize their honor, regardless of the truth of the matter.
Despite his kind nature however, he does have a ruthless streak (he is a younger brother, after all), though he is generally fairly good at keeping this in check. He can be particularly violent when he needs to as well, though usually only in circumstances as it is merited, such as the battlefield. Percy goes so far as to describe him as a "beast" in battle, for this reason. He is also fairly impulsive, and can be known to mouth off sarcastically when it's not quite advisable (in front of a military inquisition), participating in a bet he knows he does not have the money to pay off if he loses, etc. He describes himself in fact as a gambling man, claiming that this fact helps him recognize other men's tells.
Lord John is somewhat easily attracted to other men, especially if there is some aspect of danger in their acquaintance. Perhaps this is part of the reason he falls in love with Jamie Fraser, a man who upon their first meeting takes him prisoner, breaks his arm, threatens to kill him, and leaves him tied to a tree. A man who later becomes his prisoner, openly dislikes him, but Lord John ends up looking out for and slowly befriending regardless.
It is of course hard to talk about Lord John without mentioning Jamie Fraser in at least some capacity. John is intensely aware of the other man, of his desire for him, of the fact that Jamie will never want him, the fact that it's wrong for him to want Jamie, and the fact that he does regardless. At the point which I am taking him from in canon, the pair of them have yet to reconcile their differences. But they will eventually go on to become great friends -- whose friendship John will treasure above all others.
John does not pine, however. He finds love and affection where and when he can, from what sources he may. He does not feel compelled to find a partner in another, content to focus more on his career and his duties therein. He understands that to love is to be able to give his own love as much as it is to ask it of another. And therefore this is difficult for him, while his heart largely finds itself stuck on Jamie Fraser. One might say in fact that he is unlucky in love, as his first lover had been killed in battle, another nearly had John killed himself, a third betrayed him and required John to break the law to save his life, and then there is Jamie who would never love him beyond friendship anyway.
When he was younger in the army, one night Lord John was raped by another man. Because of this, he has taken to carrying a dagger about his person wherever he goes, and he also has a hard time allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of other men, especially in sexual situations. He very rarely "offers himself", because it reminds him too much of that night, and even when his partner is particularly gentle with him, that too makes him feel uncomfortable as well. Similarly, because he has spent so long in the army now, manning the cannons, he has a touch of what would probably be called PTSD in these days. Any time there are sounds of explosions around him, his heart starts pounding faster, he starts sweating, and especially after the cannon explodes on him, he feels nauseous and sometimes physically ducks at the sound, throwing himself down on the ground as though ducking from the cannon blasts, even if there is no danger to be had.
One final fun little fact about John is that he is a magpie of sorts, always playing with things in his hands wherever he goes and then inevitably sticking them into his pockets and taking them with him when he leaves. It means he has the unfortunate habit of accidentally stealing or collecting things that do not necessarily belong to himself. At any given time, his pockets are guaranteed to be filled with any number of items from where he's been throughout the day.
Writing Sample:
Lord John sits on the edge of the bed in his nightclothes. His bed, he's come to think of it, rather foolishly he supposes. In the Blue Room, they called it, for the patterned wallpaper. Various scenes, painted in blue on cream. A bachelor's room. He has stayed in this room every time he has visited, since the early days of his commission. When Gordon had invited him along. So much has changed since then, with Gordon Dunsany dead and gone, and Geneva to follow a few years later. And now with Lord Dunsany's health in decline and the promise he had given to the man to look after Willie...
It seemed the best conclusion, in the end. To ask for Isobel's hand. They cannot keep the farm on their own, and he is Willie's guardian. After that incident with the man in town, he knows that Isobel has an eye for him as well. Which is another odd thought, when he remembers lying with her together in this very room. Isobel sneaking into his bed when she was naught but a child, confused and frightened with the pain and loss around her. Stroking her hair and offering her comfort through the night.
The sound of a child wailing from elsewhere in the house cuts through his reverie and brings him back into the present day. John's heart goes out to the little boy. Would that he could weep as openly himself, at the loss of his friend, and everything that they had together, that might have been, and that never will. He understands why Jamie must go, for Willie's sake. That it is safer for the child if he leaves, when every day he risks the discovery of his secret and the ruin of Willie's future. It does not stop John's selfish heart from breaking at the knowledge of it, however. What they had here, it was good. It was -- never so much as John might have liked, but he respects the other man, and he would never have thought he'd have gained even so much as his friendship.
These few years at Helwater were a luxury. And Jamie must leave now, but he is trusting him with his son. And in the end, John has to suppose that must count for something. (Even if Willie is not, in truth, Jamie's to entrust to anyone.) But he had asked. And he knows that the other man would be willing to give him just about anything in return for the favor.
He smiles slightly at the thought. No, he would not ask for that. It is not Jamie's to give, and to accept such an offer would cheapen the moment, the friendship, for both of them. It is better this way, he tries to tell himself, as he listens to Willie wailing, contemplating the thought of sharing a bed with a woman -- and not only that but one he has loved as a sister since she was but the age of five. Wondering if the only sight of Jamie Fraser he will ever see again is in the slanted blue eyes of his only son.
It is for the best, he tells himself. The taste of ale and fresh-baked bread lingering on his lips as he resigns himself to another long and sleepless night.