Application for Desmond Miles [Assassin's Creed]
Out of Character Information
player name: Kaz
player livejournal: collidoskope
playing here: None
where did you find us? Played here previously!
are you 16 years of age or older?: Heck yes.
In Character Information
character name: Desmond Miles
Fandom: Assassin's Creed (I, II, Brotherhood, Revelations, etc)
Timeline: At the very end of Assassin’s Creed 2, after the escape from the assassin’s hideout. Desmond’s hooked up to the van-imus (lol) and finds himself in Anatole instead of Ezioland. Crap.
character's age: 25ish?
powers, skills, pets and equipment:
Desmond’s coming here with no pets. MOVING ON
Does he have powers? Kiiiiind of. Nothing especially fancy, but he’s arriving after being fully “synced” with his ancestor, Ezio Auditore, so our boy here is primed and ready to do assassin-y things with both that and his adolescent training back on “The Farm”.
Like Ezio and Altair, Desmond possesses “Eagle Vision”-- the ability to alter one’s sight in such a way that exposes things around him for what they truly are. People with a blue aura are allies, gold folk are targets, red are enemies and white [whether emanating from a person or a place] represents a source of information, or an area to hide in/visit. Eagle Vision definitely comes in handy when moving around in crowds, or when strolling down a dark alley [because we know what happens in alleys], allowing one to get a pretty good idea of who to avoid, and who to stick near to. When fleeing a dangerous situation, it also exposes Pretty Damn Good hiding spots, which is always handy, yeah? For the purposes of this game, a permissions post would be tossed out there for people to reply to so they can say what color aura their respective characters would possess if/when Des views them in birdmode. Even a mixed or completely absent color is acceptable :3 Just to twist things up a little.
Moving on! Like his ancestors, Des also has the free-running/parkour ability, which I suppose is more of a skill than a power, since there’s nothing supernatural about it. Using this, Des is quite light on his feet, able to climb walls and leap from high places with ease and [usually] a dancer’s grace. He’s able to run long distances for extensive amounts of time, has fabulous cardio and a strong upper body, and can do really awesome flippy acrobatics. Seriously, that’s the best way to describe it. Free-running and parkour are probably -the- best ways to cover a lot of area in a short amount of time, using all aspects of your environment as vehicles for movement and momentum. It’s really nifty.
Now, weapons and combat! He enjoys both! Due to syncing with Ezio via the Animus, Des is able to use everything from swords to throwing knives to short blades to... nothing at all. Since childhood, our boy here has been exposed to all sorts of weaponry and their uses, so finally falling in line with his ancestor’s capabilities has more or less cinched things for him. He’ll use whatever he can get his hands on to dish out damage, of course, because assassins are bloody resourceful like that. Des is also adept in bare-handed combat, though this is used more often to merely incapacitate someone rather than actually kill them, unless he’s absolutely weaponless. Weapon of choice? The assassin’s trademark favorite: the hidden blade, of course! Easily concealed, easily retracted, and effective as all get-out when it comes to death on the run.
So these are his “main” abilities/skills. He’s also been Farm-trained in general information gathering, pickpocketing, stuff like that, though he probably doesn’t use them as much as he should. Des is a pretty decent guy, which we’ll see down in the Personality section.
Added Ability: Something “extra” I’m giving him is the Leap of Faith ability, which he’s only supposed to learn officially in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Nothing especially interesting, but it’s a standard assassin maneuver-- stand atop something tall, leap from something tall, land safely despite COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC FREE-FALLING into hay/water/something equally soft, live to tell about it. Great way to escape something/one, awesome way to impress the chicks.
As for equipment, Des is coming with his outfit from... Brotherhood, if that’s okay with you guys. It’s pretty well the same as his get-up from AC 1&2, but with minor differences and the addition of a backpack. So we’ve got a black t-shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers and a white, zip-up hoodie with red detail and wings embroidered on the back. Sort of a modernized version of the assassin’s traditional robes. He’s also arriving with the hidden blade he received from Lucy during the escape from their makeshift hideout, though once he realizes he’s not in Kansas anymore, he’ll likely be storing that in his bag just for the sake of maintaining a low profile. On that note, his bag won’t contain anything particularly odd-- some cash, bits and pieces of a first-aid kit, plus a little bit of food. Also, deodorant.
That’s all!
canon history:
Link to Desmond’s Wiki page! If you need more, feel free to request it! I touch on bits of his history throughout the personality section, albeit not much. There isn't much out there when it comes to his life prior to Abstergo, but I think this Wiki covers it pretty good for a guy with a sketchy upbringing. As far as post-Abstergo, we only really see/learn about Desmond himself when he's out of the Animus... which isn't very often, unfortunately :/ I think this section would be easier to expand on if we were talking about one of his ancestors, since they're who the series essentially focuses on.
On a side note, he will be returning to Anatole with memories of his previous stay there intact! Des didn't do a whole lot there, really-- he arrived when ogres and goblins and all that were running about, terrorizing people and looting the place. He attended the Ren Faire and placed pretty high in the sword fighting competition (I forget who won), and left Anatole shortly after. I believe he was employed at a pub, too!
personality:
Desmond starts off in Assassin's Creed as a [legitimately] cold character, having been scooped up by Abstergo Industries and more or less forced to take part in their affairs regarding memory mining. He takes it in stride, though, following orders with an odd complacency, a sort of indifference that follows him throughout the series. He adapts well to stressful, potentially dangerous situations, taking the term "go with the flow" more or less as a life mantra. Shaun Hastings -- one of Lucy's fellow "assassins" -- even remarks on the fact that when Abstergo takes Desmond into custody, he doesn't even attempt to fight back or escape. He simply goes, and though he challenges Vidic's overall goal to extract vital information regarding the Pieces of Eden from his memory, he continues to cooperate. Granted, being threatened with a permanent comatose state and eventual disposal helped... a little. But he does it, because the alternative isn't a good one.
So? Little throws the guy. He finds a way to deal, flushes out the possibilities when he's dropped into a bad position, and simply plows forward. He comes off as cold, as I mentioned before, though has his moments of light humour here and there while removed from the Animus, making jabs at himself and the Abstergo matter on a whole... likely with the intention to infuriate his captors more than anything, because there isn't much else he can do to them that wouldn't invite a strong reprimand. You can see that he's a serious guy, and that he understands the severity of the situation and the sheer importance of merely following along, but we also see that he knows how to balance out the angst most would feel when held prisoner and mentally violated. He can make it work, shrug it off. There's a strength, a control, even a ghost of whimsy in that that makes sense for someone of his lineage-- similar qualities can be pinpointed in both Altair and Ezio... though maybe more in Ezio. Altair was sort of a stick in the mud.
The first game really is a fantastic introduction to Desmond's true nature, and a testament to the effects his upbringing on The Farm have had on him as an adult. Living the majority of his life as a nomad of sorts has shaped him as well, which brings us back to that innate ability to adapt to his surroundings. It all ties in. One thing we know for sure is that he's a skeptical person, always questioning, always wanting to know the what and the why of things. He asked Vidic and Lucy everything he could about the Animus, Altair, themselves, their motives, and always in a way that came off more casually than hostile. Smart, that. The boy's no fool.
He's also adventurous, eager to move about, to see and experience new things. The fact that he left The Farm [and his family] in itself shows us that he held this trait from an early age, abandoning everything he knew and believed in to see what else was out there, and use the skills he learned from his assassin "family" [referring to Farm inhabitants as a whole, aside from his actual parents] to help him get by. He's resourceful, clever, working his way from nothing to supporting himself as a bartender. Laying low. Living.
In the second game, he's free from Abstergo, and carries with that freedom a new side to his personality. He's obviously more relaxed than what we first saw, joking around a little more, but still asking as many questions as he had originally. Innately curious, Desmond likes to know all the ins and outs of his environment, as well as the people milling about in it. He is, however, a little more cocky, a little more casual. In short, he's acting his age, and letting loose. Oddly, it almost seems as though he's also a tad... too trusting? I mean, when you think about it, Vidic was on the Templar's side, with intentions as evil and obnoxious as one would hope for in a batshit scientist. This is true. On the other hand, Desmond really just fell into the hands of another set of scientists [Rebecca and Shaun], though a bit more amateur. Information was fed to him about the assassin's cause and the importance of his bloodline, and he pretty well just ended up in their groove, allowing himself to be plugged into their machine and used again, as Vidic did, as a tool for the extraction of vital information. He went on their word, which isn't something most people brought up by assassins would be prone to doing. Possibly a little too eager to believe in the validity of people "like him"? Who knows. It worked out, obviously-- Lucy and her crew really are seeking to support the greater good, but I suppose it was just a little surprising that Desmond trusted them instantaneously, just because they sprung him out of Vidic's frying pan.
So, maybe a little naive. Definitely chill, and confident in himself. He's got a damn good head on his shoulders, and he's been around enough to be able to handle himself. Desmond adapts well when things get crazy, and definitely knows how to get through a tough situation without losing his cool. Hopefully we don't have to add "nutter" to this section as things progress, but we should be alright so long as no one in Anatole builds a goddamn Animus and locks the poor schmuck in it. :/
why do you feel this character would be appropriate to the setting?
Welp, he was here before and fared pretty well... ish? NO BUT SERIOUSLY... he’s pretty well used to the idea now of alternate realities, thanks to dicking around in the Animus as long as he has been. He’d definitely be a little confused when he arrives again, but once he figures things out and uses his Eagle Vision to comfort himself [unless he finds himself surrounded by red right off the bat], he’d be alright. Dude’s got the competency and physical prowess to handle himself if things get dangerous, so I wouldn’t worry about him there. Des is also pretty damn good at sniffing out info and allies, which I imagine he’d get to ASAP, just so he has something to fall back on if he finds himself in a sticky situation. I think he’d make friends easily, hopefully find his old ones, and really enjoy... you know... NOT being chased 24/7 by crazed Templars and power-hungry doctors.
Des might not be THE most outgoing guy out there, but he’s come a long way since the first game. He’s more personable, more social, but still has his head screwed on pretty straight. In a pinch, he can be there for anyone who needs him, and he’s pretty good about protecting people who really need the muscle.
Writing Samples
Network Post Sample:
[He’s figured it out. It took a little while, but after what he’s been through? Yeah. Technology’s not exactly the perplexing obstacle it is for most who find themselves unceremoniously dumped here.
Only thing he’s not sure of, though, is the transmission... if there is one. Does it just record, or does it broadcast? If the latter, who receives it?
Hopefully no one he doesn’t want receiving it. One name comes to mind almost immediately.
Whatever. Give it a go:]
Hello? Hellooooo...
[And the screen blinks on to accompany that voice, looking straight up the nose of a young, dark-complexioned individual. A scar sits across his lips, teeth worrying the bottom one a moment before he speaks his next words, raising the camera a little so he’s eye-to-”eye” with you-- ]
My name’s... [uh] ... not important. If anyone sees this, I don’t know where I am, and don’t think I’m supposed to be here. I’m hoping someone out there speaks English.
[... because I don’t know their languages, dammit, so this better not be a weird part of Italy or... the Middle East in general. This doesn't feel right. I don't feel right.]
So if anyone’s seeing this and isn’t psychotic, I’d really appreciate a bit of direction. ‘Fraid I’ve got nothing to offer in return, though.
[A glance to his right, hints of restlessness wrinkling slightly between black brows. He exhales, seemingly resigned to the fact that if he’s going to figure any of this out, he’s gonna have to start moving.]
Guess that’s it. Time to... go that way. Gotta start somewhere.
[Click.]
Third Person Sample:
[This sample takes place at the end of the second game, when Lucy and her fellow rebels help Desmond escape from Abstergo Industries. They load him into a van and immediately plug him into a sort of portable Animus-- the machine that sends Desmond into a "sleep state", allowing him to enter the memories of his ancestors. Blah blah blah, instead of waking in Italy somewhere, he wakes in Anatole.]
More than anything, it resembles that feeling you get in a dream when you suddenly fall. That lurch in your stomach, the sharp intake of breath, the strain in your jaw as terror envelopes you, and you brace yourself for that drop. Eventual impact. You squeeze your eyes tight, swallow your guts, and...
... and it’s over mere seconds after it began. You’re staring at that ceiling, gripping the sheets, releasing that cemented mass of breath you’ve been holding.
But this isn’t quite the same thing. Sure, it feels like he’s plummeted off the edge of the Earth, but it almost always felt like that when he entered the Animus. Everything had been such a rush-- the fight, the escape, screaming rubber beneath a beaten down van, carting him and that motley crew of assassins away from what likely wasn’t the best hideout in the world. Nope. He feels reasonably safe, though, faith in not only himself but his "accomplice" urging him on as distance grows [he hopes] between them and their pursuers. He knows it must be happening, somewhere on the other side. Reality. A far different place than where the machine drags him.
Abstergo sure as hell seemed determined to get him back, but Lucy seemed just as much so to retain him, and he very rarely entertained the thought of arguing with the headstrong woman. Especially not one who could snap his neck if she really, really wanted to. Judging from the fact that he was the only available descendant around [and the fact that she turned a weird sort of pink every time they found themselves in close quarters], he was pretty confident that she wouldn't be letting him out of her sights any time soon.
Plus, the cause was noble, right?
... but... okay... why sheets? Snap back now, Des.
Where are you?
Should be in a village. Somewhere. Anywhere. You could be... you're in bed, after all.
In a bed. In a van. You're in both. Keep it together. Abstergo's on your ass, but you're safe. They're keeping you safe. Kind of reminds you of the Matrix somehow, being stuck in stasis while everything falls to Hell around you.
But something doesn't feel right.
This isn't Roma. Not for damn sure.
And you're alone.
Anything else? Nope! That's about it.