And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
GENERAL
Name: Jude Oliver Tobin
Nickname(s): He'll tolerate friends calling him Judy, but would never invite someone to use it.
Gender/Pronouns: Jude would rather not examine this, and for now prefers he/him/his.
Birthdate/Age: February 10th, 16, Aquarius
Grade: Junior
Sexuality: You're probably not up to his standards and he's going to make sure you know it.
Major Arcana: The Empress
Minor Arcana: Cups
Concept: Mean-spirited armchair psychologist learns to love people as much as animals.
APPEARANCE
| Height: | 5'11" | Hair Color: | Black |
| Build: | Athletic aesthetic | Eye Color: | Brown |
Look but don't touch. Jude loves being an object or admiration, or even desire, but only at a distance. He exercises just as much for his appearance as he does his athleticism. He has a round, handsome face, with high cheekbones, strong eyebrows and thick, dark hair with a natural curl.
Jude dresses well, mostly in fitted shirts and sweaters in his off time, and adopts button downs, sweaters, cardigans and turtlenecks for special occasions. He wears his uniform smartly and to code. Despite his resentment towards academia, he does look a bit like a miniature English professor a lot of the time. The effect is multiplied tenfold when he wears his glasses. Jude has contacts, and will use them sporadically, particularly during training and Shadow World explorations.
PB: Gavin Leatherwood
PERSONALITY
Likes: The book more than the movie, Shakespeare, any and all animals, fat cats but then he feels bad because it's not good for them, fat cat exercise videos because then there's less guilt, natural sciences, fashion, being outdoors, the cold, zoos, bingeing feelgood animal rescue videos on YouTube, witty banter, deep sea creatures, when a new animal species is discovered, attention
Dislikes: Hunting for sport, summer heat, punching and being punched, roughhousing and horseplay, kissing, uninvited physical contact, sensitive people, accidentally upsetting someone, most teachers, school, what he deems "worthless" subjects, pranks, being psychoanalyzed, movies where the dog dies, losing control of his emotions
Jude knows he's hard to like. He's been well aware of it for years, and only since coming to Finchwood has Jude considered it to be a problem.
Jude is one of those people who proudly announces that he likes animals better than people. He's much more upset watching the death of a pet in a movie than the death of one of the heroes. He's standoffish at best, with sharp, prim mannerisms that feel "cultured". He's eloquent and verbose, but it doesn't soften that Jude is remarkably unfriendly. Unfortunately, he's not shy, and his extroverted, opinionated personality is hard to swallow.
On top of this, Jude's a complainer. He doesn't seem to enjoy very much or like very many people, and he's incredibly pretentious. He disdains traditional schooling, but he's well read enough to hold it against those who aren't. He's always got his eyes open for something to one-up people he feels threatened by, and loves to be seen as smart. He has a dry, somewhat mean sense of humor and a sharp tongue to match. It's clear that Jude is extremely guarded and nervous around others, but he makes it difficult to feel bad him.
Jude's communication skills are broken. The only way he knows how to interact with people is by analyzing them in a fairly aggressive, presumptuous way. This was how his parents handled him, and Jude wasn't given any other tools for dealing with conflict. Often times there's no real desire to be mean, but it comes off as rude and invasive. His armchair psychologist schtick has made friendships and dating a little dicey, because he sees human behavior as something to pick apart. Now that he's a leader, Jude is trying to work on this. He promises.
With a haughty, authoritative air, Jude took to being second in command with relative grace. He doesn't mince words, though, and refuses to hide his opinions. He doesn't mind not being in charge, but he does want his opinions to be listened to, and his orders to be obeyed. He also wants everyone to make sure they eat well. And wear practical shoes into the Shadow World. And tie their ties properly. If you can't do it, he'll do it for you.
Jude is more bark than bite. The snotty pretentiousness isn't a front, per se, but Jude is not the lone wolf he claims to be. He's a soft touch with people he feels are his responsibility. Sometimes that's younger students, sometimes it's a peer who seems particularly soft and vulnerable, and often it's his squad. Jude has a kneejerk reaction to take care of these people like he does his animals. He's still not very good at projecting warmth, though, so his kindness feels brusque and condescending to those with a lot of pride.
If you can deal with his sharp personality, Jude will eventually, inevitably, lower some walls. Jude's been lonely for a long time, and it's worn him down. At his core, he is a deeply loyal friend, ready to sit up with you complaining about your breakup until 3 AM... or stab someone in the back when possible. It's rare he'll ask permission first if he wants to do the latter. Jude is independent and self-contained, and if he discusses a plan with you, it's not because he wants feedback.
Jude's manipulative and underhanded in his dealings, even when it's for a good cause. He lies as easily as breathing, and can come up with pretty solid excuses on the spot. It worked for a while at Finchwood, but by now teachers are wise to the fact that fast-talking Jude is not the lovely young man he tried to sell them. He's a neglectful, lazy student and sometimes a bit of a bully. But if someone can get him to focus and dedicate himself, Jude is a very driven problem solver. Often times the problem he's trying to solve is how to avoid work, but he's undeniably clever. Jude has a notable lazy steak, and loves to luxuriate on a couch with a cat in his lap, doing nothing, after finding the shortest path to a win.
His solutions lean towards the underhanded, and he'd rather go around than through an obstacle. He's very practical, though, and hates frivolous complications or gambling. Caution and care are important, and he likes to call himself a realist with pessimistic leanings. He's someone who wants to wait and see, moving carefully both in the real world and the Shadow World. Jude doesn't want to risk himself, nor his teammates.
Unfortunately, this is undermined by the fact that Jude simply isn't a very logical person. He wants to be and he thinks that's the ideal, but Jude is driven by his emotions. He can stay cool in the Shadow World, but is prone to blow-ups in his every day life. He talks as though he'd sacrifice another team for his own, but it's doubtful he could go through with it. His emotions are deep, complicated, and mostly negative. He tries so hard not to be emotional, but's left to trudge through the day largely feeling miserable.
All of his complaining is for show, as Jude is actually quite resilient and willing to put up with a great deal of discomfort and unhappiness without slowing down. He's incredibly difficult to intimidate or frighten, and deals with his personal problems by keeping a stiff upper lip. This helps with the drudgery of getting up every two hours to feed kittens, as well as the unstable, dangerous day-to-days of Finchwood. Jude does take it seriously, really, but his attitude says "Ah, another one already?" Their loves as magical heroes seems unimpressive to him by now.
It's not shocking to realize that Jude has very poor self-esteem. It's a broad and unfocused self-loathing, that often leads to him lashing out, as well as self-punishment. It's the background noise of his life, and goes a little deeper than average teenage angst. Coming to Finchwood has done some good reversing the damage, and entering junior year, things feel less bleak. Unfortunately, blustery pretentiousness and snide words are still his armor of choice.
MISC.
Has been a vegetarian for a year and is considering becoming a vegan. Dislikes being touched and gives very unsatisfying hugs. Volunteers at the Haling Cove animal shelter every once in a while, or during special events. Due to Finchwood being Finchwood, he doesn't have a regular shift, as he must be on call and the academic requirements are too intense. He's known for taking a liking to very difficult cases.
SKILLS
- Armchair Psychology: Jude grew up in a household where the language of psychology was all around him. For better or worse, he has a keen eye for motivations and breaking down peoples' issues. To be fair, Jude's psychoanalysis of others is not always right, and and it's rarely charming. Even though he hated this environment, it's the only way he knows how to handle people.
- Marksmanship: Jude's never shot a living thing but he's a crack shot on the range. The first time he picked up a rifle it was at Finchwood, but he's shown a real gift for in and out of combat. He's considering going competitive with it after graduation, just for fun.
- Classical Acting: Jude is surprisingly good performer, but specializes in Shakespearean acting. With modern material, he's a little out of his comfort zone. Jude loves the bard, and has a number of monologues memorized. A lot of his belongings have Shakespeare quotes on them.
- Music: Jude plays the piano well, and has a pleasing tenor voice. He's not about to become a professional musician, but if there's a piano nearby, he has a hard time resisting sitting down and playing. It's usually a grab for attention. He has a passing interest in jazz piano.
- Natural Science: Jude has an affinity for natural science, particularly geology and biology. He's subscribed to a lot of relevant magazines, ans his social media feeds are more science than friends. It's the one area where his "school is a waste of time" attitude starts to break down.
- Snow White: Jude loves animals, and he's very good with them. His favorite TV consists of animal rescue and behaviorist reality shows, and by now he's accumulated a wealth of knowledge on the subject of dealing with domestic pets. It's a much better use of his psychoanalyzing inclinations. Jude's also fostered neonatal kittens and a number of special needs animals, and has some rudimentary veterinary skills.
- Cooking: Jude is a vegetarian flirting with veganism, and had to get used to making meals for himself when others couldn't accommodate. He's no master chef, but knows his way around a kitchen, so long as none of the ingredients are carnivorous.
HISTORY
Family:
Hometown: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Phillip and Helen met at work, which just so happened to be at Harvard where they both taught and studied psychology. They'd been in classes together when they were getting their doctorates, but hadn't spoken much before. But this time they made a connection, and three years later, they were married.
First they had Demi, and the couple navigated the waters of parenthood uncertainly. She was a spitfire, and delightwd to learn that at the age of 7, she'd be getting a baby brother. This time Phillip and Helen were more prepared for raising a child, and had some ideas about how they should handle their second. As a specialist in child development, Phillip had been excited and fascinated watching Demi grow up, and his interest in the subject hadn't lessened by the time Jude was born.
And so Phillip and Helen often performed psychological experiments on Jude. Most of them were fairly innocuous, even playful, but it still frayed Jude's trust in his parents. As he grew up, he learned to be suspicious, expecting strange behavior from adults, who would test his reactions to a myriad of staged events. Teachers reported that Jude was sullen and resentful, and often mean to his peers. To his parents, was just more material to analyze. Helen and Phillip had a difficult child on their hands, which was a rich vein to mine.
Jude became an unpleasant, antisocial preteen. The language of psychology was all around him, and every tantrum was picked apart by his parents who would explain his own motivations to him. He openly claimed to hate them, and his academic performance began to suffer. It was clear that while Jude was clever, he was going through a rebellious phase. His parents told him that he was just acting out in an attempt to get a reaction out of them, or maybe he was jealous of Gabriel. She was the new baby in the house, and perhaps Jude was afraid of being replaced. They were right, but Jude dug his heels in, desperate to disobey and make himself inexplicable to them.
This "rebellious phase" continued into freshman year, but now with more anger issues. Jude's trust in other people was rock bottom, but he had an affection for animals that his parents tried to encourage. They allowed him to start fostering litters of kittens in his bedroom, but didn't let him adopt any permanently. He volunteered at the nearby animal shelter instead of making friends, and spent most of his time there or shut up in his room, reading and looking after his latest foster. Most interactions with his parents turned into bitter arguments, as the dislike between parents and child had become mutual by now. His little sister hated the tension, and blamed Jude for it. Demi, the oldest sister, was the only family member to maintain a civil relationship with him.
Jude started getting attention from girls, and he liked it... but only in an abstract way. Touching and hugging, let alone kissing, made his skin crawl, but he enjoyed feeling wanted. And anyway, he was curious. He started paying more attention to his hair and his clothes, and asked for weights for Christmas. This wasn't safe from his parents' scrutiny either, but he got what he wanted.
When Jude discovered Finchwood, he didn't hesitate to apply. The idea of boarding school seemed archaic, but it was an excuse to get out. His parents were similarly relieved, and looked forward to a more peaceful home without their angry son and a revolving door of needy animals and sick kittens. They hoped that distance might start to mend things between them and Jude. Jude, even more frustrated than the average teenager, just wanted to escape.
It was a shock when he learned what Finchwood really was, and the idea of exploring peoples' psyches in such a literal way was both alluring and repulsive. However, the choice between going back home or staying and helping people with magical powers was an easy one.
Jude's first year at Finchwood was hard. He was inherently dislikable, and didn't try very hard to bond with anyone, student of staff. But eventually, loneliness won out, and the time away from home had relieved a lot of stress. Jude's grades improved for the first time in years, he made a few friends, and proved to be very adept with his rifle. Jude opted to stay over the summer, and his parents didn't fight it. Phone calls home still resulted in arguments half of the time.
When it was announced he'd been named as squad 6's second, most of Jude's skepticism had faded. While no one would call Jude a particularly friendly person, there's a sense that he's finally trying.
COMBAT
Persona: Ariel, Lion of God, angel of protection and nature.
Element: Ice
ACADEMICS
Core Classes: English, Mathematics, Science*, Social Studies, Training.
Elective Classes: Leadership, Life Skills, Music, Philosophy
Clubs: Athletics, Choir, Community Outreach, Drama
General Performance: Jude tends to underperform. As a child he neglected his homework and his study habits are still inconsistent. His parents have deemed this a cry for attention, and Jude hates that they might be right, but also has no intention of correcting his behavior. Jude isn't invested in grades or academia, and will tank a test just to spite someone for trying to engage him. All the same, he's curious and opts to sign up for a relatively large number of classes.
Teachers at Finchwood have had a bit more success getting Jude to participate in school, but he's openly disdainful of grades. He's one of those kids who thinks he's clever to point out the uselessness of most high school classes. However, he can easily be tempted by biology and natural sciences, where his curiosity wins out over his pretentiousness. Suggesting he could aspire to be a veterinarian has piqued his interest. He's insufferably unpleasant in Philosophy, though, and is barely passing it.
OOC
Player: Meggie
Email: what.it.seems AT gmail.com
CDJ:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swashbucklerOther Contact: Dropbox me!
Time Zone: Mountain
BATTLE STATS
Date: 2018-10-16 06:23 pm (UTC)Squad: 6
Squad Position: Second
Primary Weapon: Vintage hunting rifle (Winchester Model 1895 lever-action)
Combat Style: When an enemy is encountered, the first thing Jude does is withdraw and look for a vantage point. He's a sniper at his core, and prefers to observe the action from a distance. He's solidly focused on defense, and watches for Shadows that might be sneaking up on or otherwise threatening his teammates. He's distant and calculating, and remains exceptionally calm and level in a fight. Jude sees his job as a protective one, taking shots to clear the way for the rest of the squad. The downside is that Jude is so focused on the safety of his teammates that he rarely watches his own back. He often assumes he's safe because he doesn't enter the fray, but a clever shadow could sneak up on him with relative ease.
Attribute: Balance
Persona Name: Ariel
Persona Appearance: Ariel is a lean, feminine figure dressed in the exaggerated garb of a musketeer and her navy blue uniform is embroidered with a motif of rampant lions. She's covered in a fine dusting of frost, as though she were just in a snow storm. Between her large, feathered hat and the tattered scarf and bandages wrapped around her face, only her eyes are visible. Her eyes are so blue they seem to glow, and even her eyelashes are frozen and icy. Her skin is pale and frostbitten, with visible blue veins. Long black curly hair spills out from under her hat. Compared to some other Personas, Ariel's not very tall, standing at a modest 7'.
Ariel's footsteps leave frost and ice in their wake, and swirls of snow kick up around her when she runs or lunges. She's armed with a rifle just like Jude, except hers looks much older. Ariel moves with grace and poise, saluting the enemy at the beginning of battle, and bowing deeply to Jude and his teammates once it's over. (References)
Affinity: Ice
Weakness: Thunder
Ailment Susceptibility: Charm
MISC
Date: 2018-10-16 06:43 pm (UTC)Research.