#inferno:intro

[monsieur-reyer-blog]

all about

about the player

NAME: bri

PRONOUNS: she/her

AGE: 28

TIMEZONE: EST

FULL NAME : Mathieu Reyer

CURRENT AGE : forty

GENDER AND PRONOUNS : cis male, he/his

LOYALTY : Chaney

OCCUPATION : company director of le théâtre de nuit

CRIMINAL OCCUPATION : emissary for the Chaney crime organization

FACE CLAIM: Cillian Murphy

INSIGHT :

To the casual observer, Mathieu is easy to know. Overbearing sometimes to the point of being tyrannical, he is not one to cross and one that most wouldn’t dare to challenge. And to some degree, this is true. Mathieu likes what he likes and as long as others can understand and accept that, he can be agreeable. As long as everything goes in his favor, he can even be, on rare occasions, amiable. Over the years that he’s invested not just in Le Théâtre personally but in the other theatres that populate Paris, he has come to command respect and have his opinions demanded to be heard. Having no need for theatrics or  exaggeration (though he does love both equally) to warrant others’ attentions, Mathieu doesn’t need a headpiece to be heard. Instead, people will listen to him just by the quiet understanding that he is the boss, that he is the one in charge, and that what he says goes.

Through this way, though Mathieu can characteristically be a quieter individual, it is a strength on its own. When he speaks, it’s because he has something to say. As director of the theatre, he has no time for frivolity - especially with those who aren’t his favorites, those lacking in work ethic, or others he deems too weak either by their economic privileges and pampering or by their simple inability to handle his demands. That having been said, Mathieu has also been known to have a temper when things don’t go his way. And in this way, being quieter doesn’t make him a doormat and silence his opinions. Goodness knows he’s got plenty of those and he is all too happy to share them with others whether them want them or not, whether they work for him or not.

And so this is what Mathieu is known for - going to work, reigning others with his absolutist ways, and then slipping to the bars to drink himself unconscious. And why wouldn’t people think of him that way? After all, Mathieu has worked hard to ensure that people know nothing else of him or would believe anything different.

In actuality, how Mathieu portrays himself is just the tip of the iceberg for what lies beneath. A man of secrets, Mathieu is a hoarder of not just others’ secrets but his own. Though he profits off of learning the valuable secrets of others, it is his own that he guards most preciously. As it is, his acts of “inebriation” are just that - acts; a talent that he’s long fostered through his many years in the theatre industry. In fact, this is one reason that the Chaneys value him as his private, disingenuous ways appealed to Annabella from the start. Not often privy to being brash and unnecessarily chatty, the Chaneys know that he can be trusted to obtain and hold their secrets.

HEADCANONS :

At his core, Mathieu is a theatre kid through and through. Despite his father’s frequent protestations growing up, Mathieu would often ignore the other neighborhood children and instead opt to sit indoors and listen to his mother’s opera records on repeat. Similarly, athletic team try-outs were neglected in favor of auditions for the school and community theatre plays. And at fourteen, Mathieu’s young dreams came to fruition as he accepted his first job as an usher at Le Théâtre de nuit, using it as a chance to ingratiate himself with the directors and actors as well as see all the productions for free. The fact that Mathieu is now the company director of the Théâtre is a surprise to none and came from years of him knowing with absolute clarity that his place is and always will be with the theatre.

Just after Mathieu had started to climb the ranks at Le Théâtre, he was devastated when it closed in 2002. Not wanting to give up in the industry, however, Mathieu came armed with his experience gained at Le Théâtre to other Parisian and French theatres. In those 14 years of Le Théâtre’s closure, Mathieu became incredibly well known in the industry and sought after. For this reason, he was eagerly welcomed back with open arms as Le Théâtre’s company director once it re-opened.

There are a plethora of secrets to uncover at the Théâtre, not only those revealed by the cast and crew but also those of its patrons. As a quieter and oftentimes introspective individual, Mathieu picked up on the art of eavesdropping and exchanging said secrets for cash in his pubescent days as an usher. Being one of the theatre’s youngest employees, he was believed to be innocuous; their beliefs were a mistake that opened doors for Mathieu. And that ultimately gained him an opportunity into the Chaney organization. Though his methods of extracting secrets have altered and matured with age, Mathieu is still one not to be crossed as he can usually always be expected to be privy to valuable information and have a trick or two up his sleeve.

In retrospect, though it worked out for the best for Mathieu, his initial introductions to the Chaneys could’ve ended in his demise. After all, Lisette was a company member of the Théâtre. And with the recent police notes of the missing woman linking Lisette to the casino as a footnote (a fact that he picked up from another one of his “inebriated” chats with a cop), Mathieu took it as his own personal duty to uncover more information. It didn’t take much for him to fake drunkenness as his per usual and gather enough intel to hazard a bet as to why Lisette might have been frequenting the casino recently. Armed with this knowledge and deciding whether the police or press would be most profitable, Mathieu was stalled by Annabella’s men. Though he was pressed and, for a short while, thought that his days on earth might be dwindling, Annabella was ultimately impressed by his resourcefulness, gall, and the opportunities he could afford to the Chaneys - he could be one of their emissaries, especially as it concerned the theatre, but also could help gather valuable intel.

If pressed for honesty, Mathieu would stubbornly insist that the theatre was the love of his life. However, buried beneath his insolence is Mathieu’s vulnerability and embarrassment at being forty and having no true understanding of himself in regards to romance. Though he is pansexual homoromantic, this is a fact that Mathieu has yet to comprehend. Aware that he will sleep with any individual for the right price and pleasure, it is the “romance” aspect of his life that Mathieu continues to have issues grasping.  

QUESTION ONE :

What was your childhood like?

The question itself was simplistic. Though it was a common foundation for small talk and a barefaced attempt to form a tenuous connection, it seemed to be a markedly inappropriate and probing first query to Mathieu. Running his tongue along the inside of his upper teeth, he looked heavenward, praying to a god he didn’t believe in for patience he knew that he’d never possess. As he did so, he let his breath out in a sharp, short burst of a laugh, punctuating the sound with an amused snort as he shoved an unlit cigarette into his mouth. “Sure you want to start with that one?” he murmured, his enunciation dampened by the click of his lighter. “Or would you rather want to know which religion I subscribe to? Hm, politics, maybe? Whether I think Trump is a good leader for the colonials or if I supported Brexit?”

Through a deep drag of his cigarette, Mathieu reveled in the heavy, uncomfortable silence that lingered. If these were the questions to start, he had some questions of his own that demanded answers. Not bothering to turn his face, he pushed the smoke through his nose, his cold, blue eyes staring straight ahead. “Next question.”

QUESTION TWO :

Where is your favorite place in Paris?

There were plush, cherry seats in rows, as far as the eye could see, capable of seating hundreds. In a canopy above them, gold-plated balustrades were supported by colossal columns covered in elaborate filigree. Secured to the ceiling hung a brilliant chandelier, the lights surrounding it thrown off from its crystals in kaleidoscopic festivity. The best of it all, red velvet curtains parted on a black, inky stage. And to make it a home, the people that filled it; not just the cast and crew but the audience, the patrons, that made all of his stress, aggravation, and hard work worth it.

All of this Mathieu imagined, the answer coming to him well before he spoke it aloud. A soft smile playing at his lips, he cleared his throat abruptly, an attempt at a casual dismissal to try to bely his obvious sentimentality. “Le Théâtre,” he mused quietly, the light on his cigarette burning low, temporarily forgotten. “I suppose it’s always been.”

QUESTION THREE :

What would you say is your purpose in life? If not something permanent or long-lasting, what is it at the moment?

The butt of Mathieu’s cigarette glowed incandescent as he ground it flat beneath the heel of his shoe. It was times like these that he embraced being a chain smoker as he fished inside his coat for another smoke only to be met by disappointment. Long, pale fingers rifled through the empty cigarette box and Mathieu paused, sighing heavily as he braced himself. Moments passed in contemplation before he trailed his fingers through his hair, resigning himself to the question.

“Mother always said to tackle the dread,” he stated curtly. “To take on our greatest challenges with a brave face. And I suppose that’s what I’m doing, isn’t it?” As always, Mathieu was a dealer in secrets and there was always a question for a question. “I enjoy what I do and I suppose that’s more than I can say for most. But there’s always going to be obstacles, always going to be people to try to stand in my way and keep me down. And my purpose is to make sure that I accomplish all that I’ve in mind. With the theatre, the Chaneys, and everything else. ‘Cause if I don’t fight for what I want, then nothing will ever happen. If I’m not my biggest advocate, who will be?”

EVERYTHING ELSE :

As Mathieu raised the baton and held it, Carlotta’s voice rang true and clear across the stage, rising effortlessly over the exhausted, tremulous notes of the choir. As always, she was the only one in this scene to hold her end, to deliver her side of the promise without fault or deterioration despite working through lunch, despite the fifth run-through in a row, despite everyone else’s lack of perfection. He sighed, forcing his breath through clenched teeth, suspending the baton unwaveringly as he considered the entirety of the scene, the totality of the disaster in front of him.

There were faults to be acknowledged everywhere, his steel blue eyes leaving nothing unnoticed. The throaty gasp of Piangi’s understudy, the trip of a dancer downstage, the stitches of Carlotta’s seams fraying at the edges of her sleeves, and the not-so-subtle whispers and chewing of stagehands in the rafters. And behind it all, in the very back of the stage, where Mathieu had expressly told them not to cross during rehearsals, was Acel. Though they were carrying the documents he’d told them to bring him, they were clumsy and out of place, a sore thumb in the midst of his rehearsals. Mathieu snapped.

Dropping his baton abruptly, the choir shorted and wheezed in blessed relief at the same time his voice pealed out, sharp and succinct. “Stop, ladies and gentlemen!” he shouted, a simple request that everyone was eager to follow. “Everybody stop and look what Acel is doing! See what he’s doing, in the middle of a scene?” He paused for emphasis, made sure all eyes were on him. “Don’t fucking do that, he is an idiot!”

Though he meant it in all seriousness, he allowed everyone to laugh; there was nothing quite like humiliation to drive a point home. Casting his gaze toward Acel’s, he locked eyes with them, let the anger between them drive an electric thrill down his spine. Once Acel deviated off stage, Mathieu allowed himself a moment to collect himself before readdressing his stage. “Once more, from the top!”

[theyoungpa-blog]

ALL ABOUT US

ABOUT THE PLAYER

name: red prounouns: she/her age: 22 timezone: pst

FULL NAME with maiden name, if applicable : Acel Tremblay

CURRENT AGE : tweny-tive

GENDER AND PRONOUNS : amab / they/them ( though is fine with people using he/him )

LOYALTY : neutral

OCCUPATION :  personal assistant to mathieu reyer

CRIMINAL OCCUPATION : none

FACE CLAIM please include any second choices if you have them : preferred fc is miles mcmillan

INSIGHT :

acel isn’t the stereotypical theatre kid in that they aren’t particularly loud or rambunctious. in fact, they are often described as quiet or INTENSE. but that isn’t to say they’re shy. acel gets along fairly well with their peers, and if they don’t it’s not because they’re shy. it’s simply because acel can come off as very blunt. they don’t do this to be cruel, they just simply believe honesty is the almost always the best policy, something they’ve found can be shockingly absent in this industry that they’ve chosen. acel can also come off as fairly aloof, as they don’t often immediately offer up their opinion or speak out loud. and as they’re usually writing in their notebook, it seems like they’re not paying attention, but acel is always very observant. it’s just rare they’re speak their observations. however, when they do speak, they come off as somewhat soft-spoken but charming, easy to talk to, and certainly a very good listener.

HEADCANONS :

HEADCANON 1: though you wouldn’t know it by observing them, but acel actually has adhd. they manage it well, though the most common expression of they’re adhd is HYPERFOCUSING. it’s actually what makes their attention to detail on sets and script errors so accurate. usually when they watch a scene rehearsal once, they’ll know almost exactly how it’s supposed to go every time.

HEADCANON 2: acel drinks a lot of coffee. they can almost always be seen with a coffee cup in one hand and a pen in the other, hair tucked behind their ears. they say it keeps them calm and focused.

HEADCANON 3: acel’s sexuality can be described as demisexual panromantic. it’s— not extremely often that acel feels sexual attraction to someone. they can appreciate a pretty face, but rarely are they actually interested in any sort of sexual or romantic connections. however, when they do feel a sexual attraction, it is absolutely after they’ve already developed feelings for someone.

INSTRUCTIONS :

Please answer the following questions in-character, and in para form. You can find a sample response here, should you need it. There is no minimum or maximum word count for your response. You may format these answers as dash replies if you so choose, including a gif or static icon after each one.

QUESTION ONE :

What was your childhood like?

they tilt their head for a moment, considering. it wasn’t remotely a bad childhood. not by any stretch of the imagination. in fact, one could have even called them spoiled. but—–

    ❝ i was loved, ❞ they answer after a moment. ❝ and my parents have always been supportive of everything i’ve ever tried to do. i just— i think sometimes they confused that with affection and parenting. i don’t know, ❞ they sigh with a hum. ❝ it’s hard to put into words. there isn’t much i would change though. i got lucky really lucky, at the end of the day. so. ❞

QUESTION TWO :

Where is your favorite place in Paris? We recommend looking at the locations page to see if any of those places stand out to you as a starting point. If your answer isn’t to be found on that page and isn’t so simple as their own home or a generic type of location, we do ask you to refrain from selecting real life locations in Paris.

the laugh they give is almost awkward, if only because they know how telling this is about to be of their ADDICTION.

    ❝ the yellow room cafe, ❞ they say with a soft little laugh and a glance down. ❝ i just really like the smell of the coffee and the sounds of the people. it helps me when i’m transferring all my notes on my notebook into my laptop and the coffee keeps me focused so— it’s nice to have a constant supply at hand. ❞

QUESTION THREE :

What would you say is your purpose in life? If not something permanent or long-lasting, what is it at the moment?

eyes widen for a moment at the enormity of the question. if they’re being honest, it’s actually really something acel has tried not to think about often in life. mostly when everything felt like it was going wrong, before they’d found their calling as a director. but even now, even though they’re happy where they’re at, there’s still some of that left over. that fear of focusing too hard on the future.

    ❝ um- ❞ they start, none too eloquently. ❝ right now, i’d like to say it’s just getting this show out and making it the best one that’s ever been seen at la nuit. PROVING to myself that i deserve to be here. ❞

EVERYTHING ELSE :

You can put here whatever else you’d like us to know about the character. A mock blog, a Pinterest board, character templates, graphics, an in character writing sample, a name analysis. Anything you’d like. Just use this space to make us see this character how you do in ways that you haven’t shown us already. All we ask is that everything is labeled and organized clearly. In addition, you can use this section to request changes or clarification for anything you’d like about the character. Within reason, of course.

PINTEREST: HERE PLAYLIST: HERE

[ratsseau-blog]

AN INFO POST

ABOUT THE PLAYER :

name: Mason pronouns: he/them age: 28 timezone: central

TRIGGERS :

Spiders

In this post: child abandonment and abuse, prison trauma, gender trauma.

ABOUT THE CHARACTER: 

FULL NAME : lucien rousseau CURRENT AGE : 27 GENDER AND PRONOUNS : trans male he/him LOYALTY : destler OCCUPATION : museum tour guide CRIMINAL OCCUPATION : destler emissary FACE CLAIM: Lee Soo Hyuk

INSIGHT :

Lucien’s childhood is little more than a blurred series of images that flash behind his eyelids while he sleeps at night. Home movies on deteriorated film, the sound coming distorted and unnerving to his ears. Surely he must have had parents at some point. He doesn’t remember the transient gamblers who brought him into this world. He doesn’t remember the deal they struck when they handed him over to a missionary couple, a man and woman who then left him in the care of an army of stern Irish nuns. He doesn’t remember their name for him, not that it matters. He chose his own name a long time ago.

What Lucien does remember is tarnished metal grating on the inside of a confession booth. He remembers that mildewed metallic smell that would forever remind him of broken skin and the thwack of a wooden ruler on the back of his hand. He remembers the clothes they made him wear, the bare handed spankings hen he refused. What Lucian remembers is the man with a beard of fire and a voice like hundred year old whiskey. Running away with the first person who promised him something better than the church’s promise of eternal damnation. He remembers stained sheets and peeling wallpaper that changed only in color in every cheap motel across Europe. What Lucien remembers is learning to listen, to gather. To aim, and to fire. He doesn’t remember the day he chose to be The Ratcatcher, but he will always remember the satisfaction at finally finding his calling.

Lucien is an odd combination of loyal and opportunistic. He is not a leader, instead, he is looking for someone to pull him into their inner circle. His services are easily bought with money. His loyalty, however, is only available to those who can offer him both purpose and protection. Ever observant, if it feels like Lucien is watching you, it’s because he is. Just because you’ve bought is loyalty and silence doesn’t mean you’ve squashed the natural curiosity and the compulsion to always have a back up plan. The life he has lead has taught him to always anticipate betrayal.

Efficient and meticulous are the best ways to describe the way Lucian works and the way he lives. Jobs are done promptly, evidence eliminated methodically, reports filed immediately. He has more than earned the reputation that brought him to the Destlers’ radar. There is an obsessive quality to the minimalism he practices. The inside of his home is nearly bare. The only things Lucien owns in excess are files, containing an endless collection of secrets, and books, an interest he picked up in prison and one that had helped him develop a profession that involves a little less blood than his primary source of income.

Lucien is a man of few words. He prefers listening and observing over actually participating in conversation. He has a gaze that can border on disturbing for those who catch him focused in their direction. He can be a difficult man to get to know, but he is not without his social and sexual proclivities. If you catch him on a good day, he can carry a witty conversation with an ease that most would not expect. If you can strike up a conversation about art or history, you will find a man shockingly in his element. And while he is a man who is difficult to get intellectually and emotionally close to, there is nothing easier than getting physically close to him. Lucien’s social interests are driven largely by by physical desire and sexual curiosity. There is very little he won’t be willing to try in that department.

HEADCANONS :

Lucien has obsessive compulsive disorder. This doesn’t manifest itself in a fear of germs or necessity to be clean—he is not a particularly clean person. But he does become easily overwhelmed by clutter. He is prone to throwing things away if he cannot find a place for them. The minimalism of his life is driven by neuroses rather than conscious choice.

Lucien has the faint remnants of an Irish accent. Because he is a man who rarely speaks, this can catch people off guard when they hear him speak for the first time. Generally, he makes an effort to hide it, keeping his voice neutral and level. But it has been known to seep through despite his best efforts.

Lucian’s only real interest, aside from his work, is art. It is an interest he picked up in prison, where there was little else for him to do than to flip through the pages of the three art books available in the prison library. Part of the appeal for him of working for the Destlers was the opportunity to work for the museum. Art books, histories, and memoirs are the only things he truly owns in excess. The walls of his home are lined with stacks of books. Later, he developed a lesser interest in general history and biographies. He almost never reads fiction.

INTERVIEW :

QUESTION ONE :

What was your childhood like?

Sitting straight in his chair, Lucien shifts his posture. Resting his right ankle over his left knee. The hem of his slacks rise above his ankle and he resists the urge to tug it back into place. The suit—more expensive than anything Lucien had ever owned—felt alien against his skin. But he supposed it made sense to look the part. His eyes, wide and vacant, settled on a shadow in the corner of the room. “Unremarkable,” he said simply. It was a lie he told so easily he could almost believe himself. Almost. If not for the hands resting on the leather arms of his chair, baring the long straight scars that marked all of his childhood sins. “I was the only adopted child of two very devout Catholics. Naturally, I was a happily spoiled child.”

QUESTION TWO :

Where is your favorite place in Paris?

“I don’t get out much,” Lucien answered honestly. His words were measured, refusing to allow the brogue that bubbled behind his teeth betray him. He would not be made to look foolish by those atrocious sounds. “My work keeps me very busy.” He drummed his fingers against the rich leather, wondering what he was meant to add in order to keep this conversation moving. “I work for the Lake. I suppose that might be my favorite place.”

QUESTION THREE :

What would you say is your purpose in life? If not something permanent or long-lasting, what is it at the moment?

“I don’t have a purpose.” Lucien’s eyes shifted back into focus, piercing in a way that he knew left people quite unnerved. “None of us do. The lie of self-fulfillment is meant to keep everyone moving along with their lives. It’s quite a relieve to accept that purpose is a myth.” His answer was morbid, he knew. But it was a rare opportunity to be presented with a moment to be honest without betraying himself and others. Catholics believed in purpose. And the lessons the nuns tried to beat into him never did quite stick.

EVERYTHING ELSE :

I made a Pinterest board: https://pin.it/awsemzfhqxu4rq