Tobias Bailey

OOC Info
Username/Nickname: Tobias Bailey
How did you find out about StC? It was in a dream.
Have you read our rules, and do you agree to abide by them? If I said no, this would not be accepted. So yes. :p

Character Info
Canon/Original: Original
First Name(s): Tobias
Surname: Bailey
Nicknames:
Age: 15
Sex: Male
Place of Birth: Plymouth, England
Occupation: Midshipman, formerly helping his father in his profession
Family:
Parents: William and Margaret Bailey
Siblings: Isabel, Henry, William
Description: A boring brown mop of hair, neither curly nor very long covers the lad's head, ending bound in a tight ribbon at the back. A few freckles adorn the youthful cheeks and nose, his lips thin and rather indistinct. Baileys eyes are a simple dull brown in colour. He is about standard height for his age and with a constitution that promises to have his shoulders somewhat broader once fully matured. He has a few small old cuts from a bet that ended in a handful of broken glass imbedded in his skin on his left arm. Barely visible and even less important.

Fairly obedient. He isn't the best of students, though this should be attributed mostly to him not being very industrious and hardworking rather than daft. He does tend to be somewhat 'deaf' when he isn't interested. When time is at hand, which in a life of a midshipman might not be too often, he can be found either gazing at the sea, waiting to spot a new creature to describe and observe, or with a book of questionable content which surprisingly on the outside reads to be a most fascinating book of education on navigation and sailwork. He has enjoyed a late prank or two, and once an argument had been exchanged with one of the other middies, the latter was found terribly late as were his friends, who had to free him from a fine ropework applied during the lad's sleep.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: Due to his father having been a shipwright he has a good knowledge of ship's structures and building. His knowledge extends to the distinguishing the quality of rope as well as wood, and the different variety of knots, from possibly ornamental to ones completely fit for general and more specialized use. He is also quite an agile climber, being able to bend a fair amount to reach the places that are harder to get to.

Weaknesses: He is rather superficial and quick to distract, a trait that is most obvious when he is to do mathematics. He does not believe an inch more or less would make much of a difference. If a number is five instead of two in the end, the calculation was good enough, if he might be off by a hundred, it can't be that bad. To add to his careless attitude towards precision is the sad fact that if there's too much information he might, instead of processing it, choose to blank out and just stare at it. Having not faced battle before, he has yet to learn whether this might affect his actions during the first and the battles to follow.

He is not very apt in keeping his feelings under control, such as lying without any visible sign that he is not telling the truth. A twitch of a lip, an improper glance, or even the blatant – I have not seen you doing this, where nobody could see you – all easily done by mistake. If one adds the fact that he is nosy to no end, it would be best if he isn't caught and questioned.

Background: He has been born as the child of four, as the last boy of three. His early childhood consisted of time spent playing and helping with various jobs his father was trying to teach and do. From chasing amongst the piles of wooden planks, to having to climb a particularly high trunk of wood to see whether there had been any damage suffered by the elements or a recent event, accident or similar, he was raised amongst the ships before they were even deserving of such a title. He'd seen some being launched and others sailing off in full sail. He met a Tar in his time, or lead a lieutenant to be met with his father, a captain to be introduced and his ship's building statistics considered.

It was once that he fell in conversation, as a young child can with a younger sort, a midshipman met at the dock. They observed one of the ships, a three masted sort and he smiled and turned to the other and spoke with all certainty that he could master. ''That one, it has four masts.'' Startled the midshipman asked which he was meaning and confirmed that old Dolphin had but three masts on her. Bailey had his head shaking and insisted that there were four, going as far as to say that each three masted ship had four of them on her. It took them a while even up to counting a mast each and naming it, but only the three – fore, main and mizzen, that Tobias scowled and shook his finger. ''You are forgetting one.'' The middie clad in a fine blue woolen coat arched a brow at the young upstart and challenged him to name the fourth.

''Simple... it's the ...'' He made a wave with his hand and had it point right at the front of the ship. '' See that?'' He asked.

''Aye, the bowsprit.'' The young midshipman answered and Tobias grinned. '' Well there you have it. The fourth mast.''

While he and Henry (older - came out first heh - identical twin) were often found together, there was a great distinction between the two. Henry was a kind spirited soul, gentle and timid. Though as any child he was more eager to play than he was to help, he did it more often and more willingly than the young Tobias. The leader of their adventures was often the younger of the two. Before either had cared to think of what they might one grow up to be their father had already decided. Henry's temperament befitted a priest though he had yet to learn to hold books in interest as much as he did numbers.

His eldest brother was to remain at home to continue with their family's tradition and lead its business. He was thus one to make acquaintances with the people which were to supply, with all sorts of craftsmen men of the ship building industry. Of the three choices, it was that of the military that befell Tobias, and the navy looked the most logical. A captain had done the man a favor of taking the lad for his first voyage and the years that followed under his wing as midshipman. It was later, with more experience of sailing and discipline but none of fighting, that William Bailey, the father, decided to call on another favor. As the fate would have it however, he was to leave Defiant, and in the company of Mister Deverel, arrive at H.M.S. Terpsichore. The prospects of prize money however at present seem good..

Anything Else: Sleep is a pleasant past time.
Writing Sample/Past Roleplay: ''Mr. Bailey.'' There was no answer. The boy of fifteen stood by the railing, clutching his sextant securely in his hands. His gaze rested on the horizon and the spray of white that appeared there every so often, never lasting more than a moment before it had gone. The sea was relatively tame that day, the wind so light that sails had to be taken in for fear that they would do themselves more damage than there would be use of them.

The little group of midshipmen was made to test their skill and accomplish more practice in the use of their rather complicated device, the sextant. While most were attentive to the lesson, Mr. Bailey had gotten distracted by the spray. He counted the intervals in which the bursts appeared and made a mark on the tablet, held secure at his knees.

''Mr Bailey.'' The call was repeated though the young man did not seem to notice. A third call and the youth hadn't even flinched in recognition of the sound. It was not that he did not hear his name called, merely that he chose to prolong his time of observation for a few minutes more.

It was the third time, and a smack on his shoulder later, that he even turned to look at the source of the calls. ''Mr. Bailey! If you wouldn't mind..!'' He lifted his gaze a most pleasant and guilless expression on his face, his sextant lowered an inch. ''Sir, yes sir? So what you are saying is that we should align this glass with...''

Code Phrase: Admin edit

Accepted!