prince of denmark

Name: Robert Moriarty Dansworth

Age: 32

Gender: male

Type: Aspect

Appearance:

With dark curly hair, sharp cheekbones and piercing eyes Robert cuts a striking figure, add to that his slim build, the fact he stands over six feet tall and incredibly expressive hands that always seem to be moving when he speaks, he tends to leave a lasting impression. He carries himself with purpose and moves with more grace than one might expect from a man and is quite strong given despite his slight appearance.

He dresses well, as befits a man of his social standing and profession, and is rarely seen out of a suit; his only concession to casual dress is to forgo wearing a tie. He also carries an antique pocket watch with him at all times which was left to him by someone very dear to him but if asked he will say it came from his father.

Personality:

Erudite and charming with an acerbic wit, Robert is the sort of person who immediately comes across as likeable. Smart without being condescending, passionate but never preachy, he excels at his job and is a regular fixture at society functions where he’s considered to be quite the catch. Beneath all that however, lies a depressed, lonely man, frustrated with his life who sees no way of changing it. Deeply envious of other people’s happiness, this side of him only really surfaces in private or when he’s drinking which results in erratic mood swings and unpredictable behaviour.

Sexuality:

Gay and very much in the closet; his sexuality is a closely guarded secret and is known by only a couple of people.

Constants:

~Hamlet~

Haunted by his father ~ Raised to be his father’s successor in every possible way, even after the senior Dansworth’s death, the man continues to cast a shadow over Robert’s life as everything he does is compared to his father.

An actor ~ The dutiful son, the relentless lawyer, the effortless ladies man; Robert is seemingly all of these without actually being any of them. Each part played beautifully without anyone being aware of the real man behind them.

Indecision ~ A life of having decisions made for him and the one time he tried to make one for himself a disastrous experience that forever damaged his relationship with his mother has left Robert hideously indecisive. It only applies to things affecting him directly but the simplest of decisions can take hours and even when they’re made, he is forever second guessing his choices and so he is often reliant on other people to make them for him, this job primarily falls to his valet Arthur.

City History:

From the cradle Robert was brought up to be the next in a long distinguished line of Dansworth men, specifically to follow in his father’s footsteps of laying down the law in Eidolon City and become a judge. An only child, he was doted on by his mother Vivienne, a socialite and daughter of a well-to-do and influential family in her own right and from a young age he was devoted to her.

Robert was sent to all the right schools where he received the best education money could buy, including a stint at boarding school and two years studying around Europe. It was there he discovered two important things about himself; the first was a passion for the theatre and acting, the second was that he was gay when he fell in love with a classmate. When he returned home that summer, he confided in his mother what had happened and his dream of becoming an actor. That was the first and only time Vivienne ever raised a hand to her son, striking him in a fit of impassioned tears as she spoke bitterly about family duty and how she would sooner die than have her son turn away from the illustrious path that was planned for him to live a penniless life of sin.

Banned from returning to Europe, Robert was devastated and without the means to get back there under his own steam or the courage to go against his mother for the first time in his life, he retreated into himself. Unsure of how he was meant to be this perfect son instead of who he felt he was, when he returned to school instead of interacting with people, he began to watch them, to learn from them. By the time he graduated from the Ivy League school his parents had picked out for him, he had the act down but he never lost the habit of watching other people.

Law school followed and it was there he met the man who made his life enjoyable again. Tim was a year older than him and like Robert had been educated in Europe - the two of them hit it off immediately. It was only a matter of time before friendship turned into love and to his amazement the feeling was reciprocated. They were both aware of the need for discretion and were careful enough that no-one ever discovered the true nature of their relationship and after Tim graduated, there was talk about opening a firm together once Robert had finished his own studies. However it was not to be; the Dansworth name had opened doors and a place was waiting for Robert at the District Attorney's office as soon as he’d passed the bar, a position his parents were adamant that he would accept. Robert was prepared to fight them but fate conspired against him as that winter news reached him that Tim had fallen through ice and tragically drowned.

Heartbroken, the one saving grace that befell him was the death of his father only weeks later so his grief was never called into question and his coming into possession of an antique pocket watch went unremarked on. With his mother’s sole focus coming on him and with no reason to protest it anymore, he took the position working for the DA and as the years passed, he moved up through the ranks. Now the assistant district attorney and an excellent lawyer in his own right, the only pressure on Robert now is to find a wife, something he is putting off for as long as possible but he knows is just a matter of time.

Special Skills and Abilities:

Fencing, can speak French fluently and an accomplished actor with a particular flair for accents.

Weaknesses:

~ Robert’s life is not one of his own choosing and it has been that way since his birth, his whole life governed by the expectations of others, trapping him in place and stopping him from being the man he wants to be. He still dreams of becoming a free man, of living a life free of the constraints placed upon him but he has no idea of how to achieve it.

~ The major controlling influence in his life, Robert’s relationship with his mother Vivienne is a complicated one. While he still resents the path she forced him on to, he knows she only acts in what she feels are his best interests and he is unable to hate her for that as much as he might want to. Her influence can be seen in every facet of his life, she is his compass and gives his life direction and as liberating as it would be for him to be free of that, he would also be completely lost.

~ Forced to keep who he really is a secret given the society he lives in and the fact that he always playing one role or another means that no-one truly knows what Robert is like and as a result he lives a very solitary existence despite frequently being surrounded by other people. He craves genuine company with whom he can relax and be himself but as yet there is nobody he trusts enough to open up to.

~ All of these factors teamed with a demanding job that brings him in contact with the worst criminals that the city has to offer has left Robert battling with depression. He is becoming increasingly reliant on the tablets prescribed by his doctor to function and is already displaying side-effects, most notable intermittent tremors in his hands and insomnia.

Strengths:

~ With an actor’s eye for observation combined with a lifetime of keeping his own secrets, Robert has a real knack for reading and understanding human behaviour. While his intelligence is not to be underestimated, it is this knowledge of people that makes him such a good lawyer.

~ Robert knows exactly what he’s capable of and what his weaknesses are so it’s rare that he gets himself in a situation he is unable to deal with. It also means that when trouble hits, he has the confidence to take the action required, knowing exactly what his limitations are.

Family or Connections:

Cousins ~ Arienne and Max DiGiovanni
ECPD ~ Brett

Residence:

A luxury apartment uptown

Career:

Assitant DA

PB: Benedict Cumberbatch