Simon Blackquill (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blackquillsays) wrote2015-07-26 09:38 pm
blackquillsays) wrote2015-07-26 09:38 pm
Ryslig application
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Simon Blackquill
Age: 28
Canon: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
Canon Point: Case 2 - The Monstrous Turnabout, the day before the trial
Character Information: Wiki page with run-down of his character/history.
Personality:
'Samurai' is the first word that springs to mind while trying to describe Blackquill. He is introduced to us as a ruthless murderer: blunt, intimidating, and possessing the frightening skill of being able to use his fingers in a cutting technique known as iaijutsu (a tactic to scare the opposition). His archaic mode of speech harks back to the days of the samurai, reinforced by his numerous allusions to swordplay in the courtroom. Notably, he'll ask whether the defence's 'blade' (evidence or theory) is sharp, criticise them when their arguments are 'dull' or weak, and treat his court trials like a face-off between two swordsmen.
In court, Blackquill displays an arrogant but businesslike attitude towards proceedings. He rarely speaks out of turn and is surprisingly respectful of his opponents (the suffix '-dono' is added when he addresses Apollo, Phoenix, and others by name; everyone else receives an unflattering nickname) despite his rough manner of speech. Unlike other prosecutors, he does not resort to bullying the defence team. Instead he casts his influence over the judge, witnesses, gallery, and sometimes the defendant of a case by use of persuasion and manipulation. While he stops short of manipulating proceedings to get a desired outcome, he uses his way with words to apply pressure to the defence team as the trial goes on.
Like other prosecutors, he tries to make his cases seem clear-cut and decisive from the opening statement. However, he is patient enough to let a trial run its course as long as the defence is willing to keep fighting for their argument. (Gods forbid it turns out to be a giant bluff though, because he will see that as a massive waste of his and the court's time.) In addition, Blackquill doesn't seem to care for the verdict of his cases: he is either shown with his back to the courtroom or standing indifferently during the celebratory confetti that accompanies a 'not guilty' verdict. The pursuit of truth is not as high a priority to him as it is to people like Edgeworth or Klavier, but nor is obtaining a 'guilty' verdict his reason for prosecuting, as it is for the von Karma family. Whatever his reason is for becoming a prosecutor, he has come to be fixated on one target: 'the phantom'.
'The phantom' can be said to define his entire, early career. He first began pursuing them in his 20s, while he was a young prosecutor, and his pursuit would eventually lead to the death of his mentor, Metis Cykes, and his imprisonment for her murder. Known as the UR-1 incident, Blackquill's conviction was the second tipping point which plunged the legal world into a dark, corrupt age - the first being Phoenix Wright's disbarment for presenting forged evidence.
Blackquill spent almost seven years in prison for Metis Cykes' murder. During that time, he cultivated the dark, morbid humour and frightening presence which defines him during the game. This is a drastic change from his initial self, described by the game's creators as a 'quiet, polite, and generally upstanding man'. It was necessary, Blackquill thought, to become the way he did in order to catch the true culprit, and he went so far as to spread rumours amongst the inmates and change his personality wholly so as to fit the role of 'remorseless killer'. He played this role without fail, with barely a slip-up, and it would eventually pay off - although not without ingraining some behaviours into him that would remain even after being found innocent of his mentor's murder.
The reason 'samurai' is an apt description isn't only because of his apparent ruthlessness. He displays an incredible discipline and loyalty that encompasses his dedication to Metis Cykes and her daughter, Athena. Much like how a samurai attaches himself to a liege, Blackquill's entire reason for pleading guilty to murder, for hardening himself in prison and changing his core personality, for all of the hardship he took upon himself at risk of his own life, was to protect Athena by catching the true killer, 'the phantom'. Athena's presence at the scene of her mother's murder would have heavily implicated her if he hadn't stepped in and taken the blame, ensuring the case was not probed too deeply into. Such is his dedication that he also quietly accepted his imminent execution since it meant taking his secret to his grave. It would take threats and a hostage situation by his sister in order to force a retrial of the case, but even then, he would continue to insist that he was the culprit until it was irrevocably proven that he wasn't.
It can be said that his dedication to the capture of the phantom is the reason he allows trials to proceed as they will. The verdicts of cases not related to himself or the phantom matter little to him, although he of course performs his duties as a prosecutor seriously and impeccably. It is worth noting that he does have a sense of fair play and does appear to accept his losses graciously. You won't find him leading a witness on for his own purposes, and in fact, he can become angry if he discovers a witness has lied to him because it shatters the premise of his own arguments.
That said, Blackquill almost allowed himself to incriminate an innocent man because he believed them to be the phantom. Having his prey within reach caused him to narrow his focus to the exclusion of inconsistent evidence, causing him to present a less solid case than in previous trials. Though small, it shows a crack in his otherwise perfect armour. He, an extremely disciplined and controlled man, let himself become reckless for that span of time because he thought he could see an end to his seven-year pursuit and prove Athena had had no part in her mother's murder.
Since much of Blackquill's personality is what he allows people to see, believe, or infer, it's hard for anyone to get close to the true man behind the hardened convict mask. It can probably be said that his twisted humour is not wholly genuine (he shows a tamer sense of humour during post-game credits), he possesses a concerned side to him that manifests when a person is on the verge of breakdown (as almost happened to Athena), and he is capable of being considerate to others in that he refrains from blatant intimidation of them. The flip side of that last one is he may push people away and insist they don't concern themselves with him.
In short, when one takes away the persona that he has built for himself, one finds a man who is devoted, determined, and protective to a fault. He is not someone who throws his life away for a cause, but he is someone who is willing to sacrifice it to ensure another's happiness. He has no time for people who try to stall, bluff, lie, or cheat, and he doesn't practise such tactics either. To him, the courtroom is a battleground where lawyers test their blades against each other's, which means that he respects mettle and a keen mind in his opponents above all else. People who waste his time with idiocy will find themselves at the sharp end of his scathing wit (and Taka's talons).
5-10 Key Character Traits:
= Loyal
= Persistent
= Disciplined
= Self-aware
= Caring
= Single-minded
= Methodical
= Reclusive/solitary
= Manipulative
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, or EITHER?
Either; gimme something challenging for him that's also disgustingly appropriate somehow? WHATEVER, I TRUST MODS' JUDGEMENT
Opt-Outs:
= Goblin (excluded because of Kaito)
= Faerie
= Nymph
= Merperson
Roleplay Sample:
Zombie 4th wall event, threads with various
Original app link: for my reference
Character Name: Simon Blackquill
Age: 28
Canon: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
Canon Point: Case 2 - The Monstrous Turnabout, the day before the trial
Character Information: Wiki page with run-down of his character/history.
Personality:
'Samurai' is the first word that springs to mind while trying to describe Blackquill. He is introduced to us as a ruthless murderer: blunt, intimidating, and possessing the frightening skill of being able to use his fingers in a cutting technique known as iaijutsu (a tactic to scare the opposition). His archaic mode of speech harks back to the days of the samurai, reinforced by his numerous allusions to swordplay in the courtroom. Notably, he'll ask whether the defence's 'blade' (evidence or theory) is sharp, criticise them when their arguments are 'dull' or weak, and treat his court trials like a face-off between two swordsmen.
In court, Blackquill displays an arrogant but businesslike attitude towards proceedings. He rarely speaks out of turn and is surprisingly respectful of his opponents (the suffix '-dono' is added when he addresses Apollo, Phoenix, and others by name; everyone else receives an unflattering nickname) despite his rough manner of speech. Unlike other prosecutors, he does not resort to bullying the defence team. Instead he casts his influence over the judge, witnesses, gallery, and sometimes the defendant of a case by use of persuasion and manipulation. While he stops short of manipulating proceedings to get a desired outcome, he uses his way with words to apply pressure to the defence team as the trial goes on.
Like other prosecutors, he tries to make his cases seem clear-cut and decisive from the opening statement. However, he is patient enough to let a trial run its course as long as the defence is willing to keep fighting for their argument. (Gods forbid it turns out to be a giant bluff though, because he will see that as a massive waste of his and the court's time.) In addition, Blackquill doesn't seem to care for the verdict of his cases: he is either shown with his back to the courtroom or standing indifferently during the celebratory confetti that accompanies a 'not guilty' verdict. The pursuit of truth is not as high a priority to him as it is to people like Edgeworth or Klavier, but nor is obtaining a 'guilty' verdict his reason for prosecuting, as it is for the von Karma family. Whatever his reason is for becoming a prosecutor, he has come to be fixated on one target: 'the phantom'.
'The phantom' can be said to define his entire, early career. He first began pursuing them in his 20s, while he was a young prosecutor, and his pursuit would eventually lead to the death of his mentor, Metis Cykes, and his imprisonment for her murder. Known as the UR-1 incident, Blackquill's conviction was the second tipping point which plunged the legal world into a dark, corrupt age - the first being Phoenix Wright's disbarment for presenting forged evidence.
Blackquill spent almost seven years in prison for Metis Cykes' murder. During that time, he cultivated the dark, morbid humour and frightening presence which defines him during the game. This is a drastic change from his initial self, described by the game's creators as a 'quiet, polite, and generally upstanding man'. It was necessary, Blackquill thought, to become the way he did in order to catch the true culprit, and he went so far as to spread rumours amongst the inmates and change his personality wholly so as to fit the role of 'remorseless killer'. He played this role without fail, with barely a slip-up, and it would eventually pay off - although not without ingraining some behaviours into him that would remain even after being found innocent of his mentor's murder.
The reason 'samurai' is an apt description isn't only because of his apparent ruthlessness. He displays an incredible discipline and loyalty that encompasses his dedication to Metis Cykes and her daughter, Athena. Much like how a samurai attaches himself to a liege, Blackquill's entire reason for pleading guilty to murder, for hardening himself in prison and changing his core personality, for all of the hardship he took upon himself at risk of his own life, was to protect Athena by catching the true killer, 'the phantom'. Athena's presence at the scene of her mother's murder would have heavily implicated her if he hadn't stepped in and taken the blame, ensuring the case was not probed too deeply into. Such is his dedication that he also quietly accepted his imminent execution since it meant taking his secret to his grave. It would take threats and a hostage situation by his sister in order to force a retrial of the case, but even then, he would continue to insist that he was the culprit until it was irrevocably proven that he wasn't.
It can be said that his dedication to the capture of the phantom is the reason he allows trials to proceed as they will. The verdicts of cases not related to himself or the phantom matter little to him, although he of course performs his duties as a prosecutor seriously and impeccably. It is worth noting that he does have a sense of fair play and does appear to accept his losses graciously. You won't find him leading a witness on for his own purposes, and in fact, he can become angry if he discovers a witness has lied to him because it shatters the premise of his own arguments.
That said, Blackquill almost allowed himself to incriminate an innocent man because he believed them to be the phantom. Having his prey within reach caused him to narrow his focus to the exclusion of inconsistent evidence, causing him to present a less solid case than in previous trials. Though small, it shows a crack in his otherwise perfect armour. He, an extremely disciplined and controlled man, let himself become reckless for that span of time because he thought he could see an end to his seven-year pursuit and prove Athena had had no part in her mother's murder.
Since much of Blackquill's personality is what he allows people to see, believe, or infer, it's hard for anyone to get close to the true man behind the hardened convict mask. It can probably be said that his twisted humour is not wholly genuine (he shows a tamer sense of humour during post-game credits), he possesses a concerned side to him that manifests when a person is on the verge of breakdown (as almost happened to Athena), and he is capable of being considerate to others in that he refrains from blatant intimidation of them. The flip side of that last one is he may push people away and insist they don't concern themselves with him.
In short, when one takes away the persona that he has built for himself, one finds a man who is devoted, determined, and protective to a fault. He is not someone who throws his life away for a cause, but he is someone who is willing to sacrifice it to ensure another's happiness. He has no time for people who try to stall, bluff, lie, or cheat, and he doesn't practise such tactics either. To him, the courtroom is a battleground where lawyers test their blades against each other's, which means that he respects mettle and a keen mind in his opponents above all else. People who waste his time with idiocy will find themselves at the sharp end of his scathing wit (and Taka's talons).
5-10 Key Character Traits:
= Loyal
= Persistent
= Disciplined
= Self-aware
= Caring
= Single-minded
= Methodical
= Reclusive/solitary
= Manipulative
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, or EITHER?
Either; gimme something challenging for him that's also disgustingly appropriate somehow? WHATEVER, I TRUST MODS' JUDGEMENT
Opt-Outs:
= Goblin (excluded because of Kaito)
= Faerie
= Nymph
= Merperson
Roleplay Sample:
Zombie 4th wall event, threads with various
Original app link: for my reference