Application for the_devils_see.

[not_his_date]

P L A Y E R
☓ Name: Emma
☓ Personal journal: xrainbowcloud
☓ Age: 24
☓ Other characters in The Devils See: N/A
☓ Email: rebelledagainstheaven [at] gmail [dot] com
☓ AIM/MSN/Yahoo! Messenger: xRainbowCloud

C H A R A C T E R
☓ Name: John Watson
☓ Series: Sherlock
☓ Reference: Here, here, and here
☓ Canon point:
☓ Age: Unknown, but mid-thirties at a guess (the actor is 39)

☓ Personality:
"The bullet they just dug out of the wall is from a handgun. A kill shot over that distance, from that kind of a weapon, that's a crack shot you're looking for. But not just a marksman, a fighter. His hands couldn't have shaken at all, so clearly he's acclimatized to violence. He didn't fire until I was in immediate danger, though, so strong moral principle. You're looking for a man probably with a history of military service. And nerves of steel." -- Sherlock, A Study in Pink

      John is a well-rounded man. He is sarcastic and dryly witty, but friendly. He might not be the loudest member of a group, or the most confident, but he enjoys being sociable when he finds the time. He rarely lets anything hold him back, though having been on the brink of death might have made him more determined to live life to the full in spite of risks and danger. In fact, it’s the only way that he can manage to get by from day to day after returning from the war.

He is intelligent, as he did well enough in school to go on to university. And having trained at Bart’s Hospital, he gained a full medical degree. After that he went on to join the army where he trained in basic skills along with other soldiers who were starting out and passed the test to become an officer. He tended to the injured in various environments, which made him a better doctor and more able to cope under any circumstance.

As a medical officer, he not only led a small group of soldiers, but also offered advice on all kinds of matters. He is both able to give and receive orders, remaining calm and collected in the most stressful of situations beyond the abilities of an average person, and is good at taking initiative in order to fulfil the orders that he’s been given at any means. He has great patience and tolerance where others might not, though at times, especially with Sherlock, he does start to crack, but never when it really counts.

After being shot in the shoulder and coming close to death, John was sent home to London. But, after the initial wound had begun to heal, he was left with a limp and a tremor, both of which are believed to be psychosomatic symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by professions. But when he meets Sherlock, someone who is able to know instantly John’s recent life’s offerings, he slowly comes to realise that he isn’t traumatised by the events he witnessed and experienced during his time serving in the war, but he misses them, he longs to return to them.

Chasing around London alongside Sherlock Holmes after criminals isn’t the perfect substitute for what he truly desires, but he knows it’s the closest he’s going to get to it, and, for the most part, it provides him with adventures full of danger and excitement that are enough to keep him going. He did apply for a GP position at the local surgery and successfully gained the job, but as he spent all hours solving crime with Sherlock he was soon fired for being unprofessional when he did manage to turn up. It was during this time that he met Sarah, a potential girlfriend, but with Sherlock taking up the majority of his life it seemed unlikely to have the chance to work out.

☓ Abilities:

      John is an average human being from a world where supernatural power is merely that of fantasy. However, he is an ex-military doctor and has a full medical degree, as well as being trained in self-defence. He is able to work under extreme pressure, in the most stressful of situations, and through the rush of adrenaline. He is also trained in the use of basic firearms.

☓ Weaknesses:

º Physical:

      John is mortal, and therefore has all the usual weaknesses of a human being. He was shot whilst on duty in Afghanistan and returned home to London to recover after coming close to death, which has put further emphasis on the point as far as he is concerned.

º Mental/Emotional:

      As a consequence of being wounded at war, John has developed a psychosomatic limp and a tremor. The therapist that he sees concerning both of these believes them to be symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, thinks that he is haunted by what happened to him and what he has witnessed happen to friends of his, but it becomes apparent that it is quite the opposite. He isn’t haunted by the war; he misses it. After meeting Sherlock and being put into unusually dangerous situations, chasing after villains around London, the limp and tremor both begin to lessen until they disappear altogether. However, if he becomes restless for too long and goes without the rush of danger similar to that of the battlefield, the limp and tremor both begin to resurface, which weakens him both physically and mentally. He becomes angry, frustrated, and depressed, at times being withdrawn and somewhat anti-social. But trapped on an island with no safe place to retreat to, John might be in his element and thrive on the constant unknown and danger, though how this will affect him in the long-run is uncertain.

º Social:

      John doesn’t appear to have any real social problems, but being reunited with people that knew him prior to the war brings him great discomfort and frustration. The man that returned from war is no longer the same man that left. He may struggle to recount experiences from the battlefield, however, because they are memories that words can never do justice, and because they are the only thing that he has left of his time with the army, and being probed on the subject will be difficult for him to discuss. The fact that he longs for the rush of adrenaline that the danger of war brought him is proof of the damage done to him over the years, but constantly being around injured and dead soldiers, friends, and being responsible for their care has also left its mark on him.

☓ Strengths:

º Physical:

      As a medical officer, John is trained in basic self-defence and is therefore familiar with firearms and how to use them both safely and correctly. He is also in relatively good physical shape.

º Mental/Emotional:

      Due to basic military training and years of experience in the battlefield, John is able to function under the worst imaginable circumstances. He is good at working under pressure, manages to function well under stress, and because of this makes for a great doctor. Because of the army, he is also able to treat patients with the minimal of tools and is able to take advantage of the environment to aid him. He is aware of basic military tactics and basic fieldcraft abilities, which will prove handy on an island, as well as good map reading skills. He is both able to give and receive orders, as being an officer in the British army saw him leading small bands of soldiers, and is able to use his own initiative when there’s no other choice as well as offering advice to fellow comrades.

º Social:

      John’s social skills are well-rounded. He might not be overly confident or incredibly social, but he does like to keep a balance when possible. He makes friends easily enough and is able to maintain friendships. He is able to tolerate and sustain a fair amount of patience with Sherlock and the bizarre things that he does, though the drama and danger that he often creates and/or finds and brings their way isn’t exactly unwelcomed in John’s case. But nevertheless, he does have time for people despite irritating traits that they may have. He’s keen on visiting the local pub and socialising over a pint or two, as any average man of his age is, and doesn’t seem to hold back for fear of doing things, though this may be because of his time in the army and witnessing life-threatening events.

☓ Intranet post sample:

[Audio]

[The sound of someone moving can be heard over the Intranet, which happens to be John waking up, dazed but alert, and climbing to his feet. He is unaware that he can be heard.]

What the…? [His voice is confused but strong, and, though he is more than mildly irritated, that’s how it comes across, as if it’s a bluff. The accent that carries is clearly English.] Sherlock, this isn’t funny. Did you drug me again? Because there really are laws against this, you know, and I’m not beyond reporting you. In fact, I’m sure Lestrade would be delighted to hear about your extracurricular activities.

[Footsteps can be heard as he slowly wanders around, looking at the foreign surroundings he’s woken up to.] For God’s sake, Sherlock, stop pissing about. Where the hell are we? Afghanistan was more homely than this.

[The somewhat calm sounding voice begins to grow in decibel level.] Why do I always let you drag me into these things? If I’m not being kidnapped and tortured in a case of mistaken identity, I’m being arrested or shot at. Oh, and the last time I checked, I had a bomb strapped to my chest.

[There’s a silence as John stands with his hands on his hips, shaking his head in disbelief, but at the same time not entirely shocked at all. He takes another look around and finds no signs of where he is or how he got there. A heavy, audible sigh can be heard, and though you can’t see it, he holds his hands up in surrender sounding more put out by the inconvenience of the situation rather than the situation itself.] Okay, Sherlock, you win. I give up. Fill me in on the case? Since I’m already here, I might as well cooperate; the sooner we solve the mysterious, the quicker I can get home.

[When Sherlock fails to appear, John can be heard groaning in frustration.] Come on, Sherlock, let’s not play silly buggers. What are we, seven? I’m not playing Hide-and-Seek with you, so just…reveal your hiding spot that I’m sure I’m far too stupid to discover on my own and let’s get cracking, shall we?

☓ Log post sample:
John woke up sweating and screaming, sitting bolt upright in the bed with the sheets sticking to his damp skin. It took a moment for reality to set in, and he used the time to catch his breath. But when he realised where he was, lying in the oversized bed on the top floor of 221B Baker Street, it didn’t calm him; instead, it pulled a dry sob from his throat and he collapsed back onto the tangle of sheets.

There had been so much blood. It covered his hands, the soldier and friend with the gaping wound, and their clothes as well as the ground around them. The deafening sound of constant gunfire rang out around them, the cries of the other soldiers going unheard. And as a bullet caught him, hard, and in the shoulder, his own blood began to pour down him. He was scared and in pain, desperately trying to put as much pressure on his shoulder as was possible. And then he’d woken up.

Another nightmare. It had been days since Sherlock had presented him with a case, and since he’d lost the job at the GP’s surgery he had little to occupy his time with. He gave his mind time to wonder, and he could already feel the tremor returning to his limbs as the mundane life without action was all he had to look forward to.

He pulled himself out of the bed, willing himself not to think, choosing to ignore the pain in his leg. He wiped the tears from his face; Sherlock was bound to notice, he always did, but it made him feel better to at least pretend he was fine. His flatmate rarely mentioned John’s state when things were slow, and John had to give him credit for being tactful for once, but it left him walking on egg shells, watching every word that he spoke. He grew angry and frustrated when he didn’t manage to get a fix, and it was hard enough to deal with Sherlock as it was without things getting heated.

John hated it. He knew that he shouldn’t crave something like the battlefield, longing to be amidst the damage and destruction that it created. But he did. He hated himself a little for that. He’d lost good friends to the war, been unable to help them in time or lacked the right equipment. And it wasn’t the thrill of getting to help the wounded, of successfully saving lives – he could quite easily apply for a job at the hospital if he wanted to and get that there. But, no, it was definitely the adrenaline that he desired.

And, though he sat solemn and sombre in his armchair, holding a newspaper up and failing to actually focus on it, the second that Sherlock announced that they had a case, he shot up from the chair, ready and willing, with a smile on his face. And everything else, the torment, the pain, and the limp and tremor, were gone.



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