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ethyraia
Player;
Character;
CHARACTER NAME: Jonathan (Jack) Benjamin
AGE: 24ish
CANON: Kings
CANON POINT: Post series
BACKGROUND/HISTORY: NBC's Kings is a modernized retelling of the biblical story of David and King Saul, set in a world that is, technologically and culturally, much like our own circa 2009, but geographically much different. This world is ruled under an absolute monarchy, with Gilboa headed by King Silas Benjamin and his family. Religion is a controlling, central theme in the show, always prevalent and frequently referenced, often to Jack’s misfortune or frustration. Beyond that, he’s forever falling short of his father’s high expectations, while being mocked and insulted for his sexuality by the man.
There's restrictions and facades that have to be put up by the royal family to keep up with public image, and that’s been Jack's entire childhood. He exists in a bubble, separated from the rest of the world, must hide, or outright deny, who he is and what he really wants.
The series begins with David rescuing Jack from an enemy camp, earning David a place of honor in the sphere of the royal family. Jack takes that as a threat, especially once his sister takes romantic interest in him. The fear of being unseated as heir to the throne drives Jack to some underhanded scheming, to the point of condemning David’s brother to execution just to get David to leave Shiloh. A covert mission sees them isolated together and forced to talk about their issues, and Jack starts to see David as an honorable, noble person he comes to admire. In a sham trial later designed by the paranoid Silas, convinced David’s after his crown, Jack turns on his father to defend David. This earns him a death sentence, though after his involvement in a failed, bloody, coup, Jack’s punishment becomes “a living death”. He’s locked in a bedroom with the fiance he was pressured into choosing, and told he’s to produce an heir to replace him in the royal line.
PREVIOUS GAME HISTORY: n/a
PERSONALITY:
ABILITIES/SKILLS:
Major Benjamin — While his life isn't the military like it is for many officers of his station, Jack is a high ranking officer in the Gilboan army, and was likely put into it as soon as he was old enough. He's gained combat ability, marksmanship, leadership, survival skills and strategic thinking skill. He's no commando, and he isn't really the rough and tumble soldiers you typically think of, but he is still a soldier, and seemed to enjoy that life much more than he did the political one in Shiloh.
Prince Jack — Jack has been raised for something like 25ish years as an heir to the throne and bred just as that - to one day be a king. He's gained the etiquette and know-how that goes with navigating social and political situations with ease, as well as handling a body of government and being a strong leader, who can give commands and maintain authority. He can coerce and manipulate and twist words. He's skilled in diplomacy and acting charming when he's doing anything but. Michelle and Jack would have been given the best education all of Gilboa's gold could afford, Jack even more so given that he was to be Silas's legacy, so philosophies, arts, sciences, languages and all of the above would have been included. Jack is incredibly driven in acquiring all the advantages he can have, and education would have definitely been one.
The Prosecution — Given that Jack was raised to be King of his nation, eventually, he's also intimately familiar with their laws, and for about 2-3 episodes in canon, acts as the lead prosecution in a trail played out before King Silas. He does his job well enough that he manages to make the entire capital city come to despise David, who was previously the majorly celebrated national hero, and call for a ruling that would mean execution for him. While law under a monarchy would be drastically different from democratic law, Kings is set up to have a very modern feel to the monarchy as a whole.
Other than that, Jack is just normal baseline human in canon. No powers.
INVENTORY:
1. Flask of very expensive whiskey
2. Army fatigues
3. Rifle
4. Silas's crown, just to irritate him
5. 1 silver ring
Samples;
Character;
CHARACTER NAME: Jonathan (Jack) Benjamin
AGE: 24ish
CANON: Kings
CANON POINT: Post series
BACKGROUND/HISTORY: NBC's Kings is a modernized retelling of the biblical story of David and King Saul, set in a world that is, technologically and culturally, much like our own circa 2009, but geographically much different. This world is ruled under an absolute monarchy, with Gilboa headed by King Silas Benjamin and his family. Religion is a controlling, central theme in the show, always prevalent and frequently referenced, often to Jack’s misfortune or frustration. Beyond that, he’s forever falling short of his father’s high expectations, while being mocked and insulted for his sexuality by the man.
There's restrictions and facades that have to be put up by the royal family to keep up with public image, and that’s been Jack's entire childhood. He exists in a bubble, separated from the rest of the world, must hide, or outright deny, who he is and what he really wants.
The series begins with David rescuing Jack from an enemy camp, earning David a place of honor in the sphere of the royal family. Jack takes that as a threat, especially once his sister takes romantic interest in him. The fear of being unseated as heir to the throne drives Jack to some underhanded scheming, to the point of condemning David’s brother to execution just to get David to leave Shiloh. A covert mission sees them isolated together and forced to talk about their issues, and Jack starts to see David as an honorable, noble person he comes to admire. In a sham trial later designed by the paranoid Silas, convinced David’s after his crown, Jack turns on his father to defend David. This earns him a death sentence, though after his involvement in a failed, bloody, coup, Jack’s punishment becomes “a living death”. He’s locked in a bedroom with the fiance he was pressured into choosing, and told he’s to produce an heir to replace him in the royal line.
PREVIOUS GAME HISTORY: n/a
PERSONALITY:
SOFT, SQUISHY CENTER; { pure(ish) intentions, altruistic compulsion (cruelty learned, not inherent) }SUITABILITY: While he may not act like it, Jack is a decorated war veteran and commanding officer with experience on a war front, as well as covert ops. Survival, danger, and conflict he can definitely do, even if he'll spend most of the time bitching about it. He comes from a world where assassination is common place, and cruel punishment shouldn't be too surprising.
Jack believes his motivations are pure: being a good son, proving himself, being worthy of the crown, it’s the execution that gets him in trouble. Raised by distant, cutthroat parents, he’s fairly affection starved. While his impulses are generally morally sound, he regularly talks himself out of that morality. Many things his parents are capable of (betrayal, lying, murder, malice), Jack lacks the stomach for, but he’s trying.
RESILIENT; { force of will, driven (obsessive), enduring. }
Jack wants to believe - if you tell yourself something long enough, eventually it will become true, and he’s determined to prove it. He’s endured years of abuse and sacrifice to survive. Jack will drive himself into the ground trying to meet his goals.
CAPABLE; { charming, commanding, strategic, manipulative, intuitive. }
Jack isn’t incapable of empathy, but he is manipulative. He uses the soft things he understands about people to entirely fuck their lives sideways. The Queen raised him to use social graces as a weapon. Combining that with militant, regal authority makes him dangerous.
WAVERING; { conflicted, indecisive, self-deluding, hypocritical, fearful. }
Part of Jack genuinely wants to lead by virtuous example, right alongside the part that can shoot a man in cold blood. These parts are not mutually exclusive. Constantly in internal conflict, Jack’s consumed by fear - for himself, his place in life, his father, the public truly seeing him. He uses self-delusion as protection, to hide from fears he doesn't want to face.
EMOTIONALLY POISONOUS; { bitter, regretful, self-loathing, self-destructive, vitriolic. }
Plagued with regret, grief and self-loathing. He tells his sister - "Whatever it is you don't want him to see, or hear, or know. You can bury it so deep you won't find it yourself anymore, but you'll wish you hadn't." When overwhelmed with helplessness, he lashes out at whoever’s closest.
TORTURED VILLAIN SYNDROME; { dangerously ambitious, dishonest, a little bit brainwashed. }
His parents’ approval is held upon him like a threat. Desperate to win that approval, he’ll force himself to numbness, in favor of ruthlessness. The abusive things he’s told about his sexuality (“a disgrace”), and his character are ingrained in him, believing it on an innate, shameful level. Jack crafts a personality the public will respect and adore. The act of it leaves him feeling gross inside his skin, but accomplished.
STATUE PLAYS HUMAN; { desensitized to cruelty, detached, isolated, dissociated. }
Often cold and willing to get his hands dirty, he's become a little too comfortable with this mindset, finding horrific things to be acceptable losses. He’d claim that level of detachment works well for him, despite being crushingly lonely.
RICH BOI RUDE; { condescending, selfish, entitled, brutally frank, dismissive. }
Jack acts like he owns every room he enters, done in varying shades from roguish to straight up condescending. He's prideful, judgmental, and unconcerned about letting people know, if he doesn't think their opinion is worth sugarcoating himself.
ABILITIES/SKILLS:
Major Benjamin — While his life isn't the military like it is for many officers of his station, Jack is a high ranking officer in the Gilboan army, and was likely put into it as soon as he was old enough. He's gained combat ability, marksmanship, leadership, survival skills and strategic thinking skill. He's no commando, and he isn't really the rough and tumble soldiers you typically think of, but he is still a soldier, and seemed to enjoy that life much more than he did the political one in Shiloh.
Prince Jack — Jack has been raised for something like 25ish years as an heir to the throne and bred just as that - to one day be a king. He's gained the etiquette and know-how that goes with navigating social and political situations with ease, as well as handling a body of government and being a strong leader, who can give commands and maintain authority. He can coerce and manipulate and twist words. He's skilled in diplomacy and acting charming when he's doing anything but. Michelle and Jack would have been given the best education all of Gilboa's gold could afford, Jack even more so given that he was to be Silas's legacy, so philosophies, arts, sciences, languages and all of the above would have been included. Jack is incredibly driven in acquiring all the advantages he can have, and education would have definitely been one.
The Prosecution — Given that Jack was raised to be King of his nation, eventually, he's also intimately familiar with their laws, and for about 2-3 episodes in canon, acts as the lead prosecution in a trail played out before King Silas. He does his job well enough that he manages to make the entire capital city come to despise David, who was previously the majorly celebrated national hero, and call for a ruling that would mean execution for him. While law under a monarchy would be drastically different from democratic law, Kings is set up to have a very modern feel to the monarchy as a whole.
Other than that, Jack is just normal baseline human in canon. No powers.
INVENTORY:
1. Flask of very expensive whiskey
2. Army fatigues
3. Rifle
4. Silas's crown, just to irritate him
5. 1 silver ring