Application: Executor/Expatriate Darkleer
[x]
How old are you IRL?
21
What character are you applying for?
Darkleer (Darius Eskandar Zahhak)
Why are you interested in this character?
I find Zahhaks in general interesting, and Darkleer is no different. He is the character I play most confidently next to Equius. I was wondering how one might be able to translate his canonical character arc into a humanstuck college AU, so I made the attempt.
What is your personal interpretation of this character? How would you describe their personality?
While Darius was very interested in technology in his youth and took up robotics and fiddling with other machinery as a lifelong hobby, he sought a career in law. Part of it was the expectations of his parents, but it wasn't just that; he wanted to pursue justice. At first (not counting the portion of his childhood in which he aspired to be Batman) he considered going into police work, forensics, or private investigation, something more out in the field, but he was pushed more toward a career as an attorney. But either way, he was content going into some work in which he could ensure that wrongdoers get their comeuppance. Years later, he would gradually become disillusioned with his work, but it didn't come to an end until a case involving forged evidence and a defendant he knew personally resulted in his disbarment.
The incident sent the once outgoing man into a reclusion, barely speaking to anyone but those closest to him and just quietly wallowing in his own regrets. It's only more recently that he would once more begin to come out of his shell, as he started attending college again, this time seeking to expand his mechanical hobby into a degree and possibly a job. Following the slump, he feels a resurgence in optimism, though it may still dip at times.
Into middle age, he still keeps very active, often through archery, horseback riding, or weightlifting. He swears that he's going to live to be at least a centenarian, and if he doesn't manage to do it through fitness, he'll just have to become a cyborg, he supposes. Even he's not sure if he's entirely serious about that or not, but he's considering looking into certain fields of engineering to see if that is indeed a viable pursuit. Even if it's not, he may just go down the biomedical route anyway, because it seems like a field in which he can assist others. He wants to make himself useful.
What would be your character's major or occupation? It's fine to be undecided, and you can change it later if you like!
He's going for an engineering doctorate. He previously worked as a prosecutor, was disbarred, and is now pursuing another career.
Give a physical description of your character.
He is 5'10”, sometimes boosting his height a little more with boots, and has light brown skin. His physique is muscular and his shoulders are broad, with long hair flowing down far past them, dark with a smidge of silver setting in. He's meticulous in making sure his hair is brushed every day. He tends to wear business attire while out of the house.
Give an example post of your character in this AU. It was strange stepping onto a college campus again. Darius Zahhak had only expected to go through higher education a single time and be done with it once he had a degree. Unfortunately, that degree was next to useless to him now. There were so many young faces around, kids fresh out of high school and a few years beyond that, and among them he felt out of place. He wasn't that old, or at least didn't look it, but he certainly felt pretty ancient around all these whippersnappers. Could they taste the failure on him, he wondered, sense that this was a man who screwed up his career? He brushed those thoughts aside. He assured himself that his classmates were likely not to care, and surely there were plenty of other older adults attending classes here as well and for a variety of reasons. Maybe he could even get to know some of them. This wasn't the time for self-doubt. He was done with that, or at least he was supposed to be.
Now where was he again? From his jacket pocket, he pulled out his phone and brought up the campus map he had bookmarked and a typed copy of his class schedule. Fiddling with it one-handedly with a textbook tucked under his other arm, he gave it a glance over and had a look at the layout of his surroundings to pinpoint where he was standing. He made a mental note to study the map more often. Or possibly just get an optical head-mounted display computer; he heard about one in development. Back on track, he strode his way over to his upcoming class with confidence, rechecking the map every so often along the way. When he arrived and opened the door, the lecture hall was still mostly empty. At least he got there early. Sliding into a row, he took a seat behind another already-present student. Perhaps he could strike up a conversation in the time before class began.