IMPEDIO SOCIETY. MARSTEN, DOMINIC

Male

Bisexual

Thirty Seven

March 8, 1975

American and Western European Descent.

Mostly English.

Dom, but mostly Dominic or "Sir".

0.50
(1.00 Replaceable)

Impedio Society

n/a

The Sawfish Sword

8/27/13 by Jess

Cathal

Atticus Jaeger
Mirach Dia
Elena J. Anderson


No. I like him strictly I.S. please. c:

Walter Dornez from Hellsing

Impedio Society Awakened Hunter—Dominic might have begun his early career as a soldier (and ended it with a few decorations and honors), but he is now an established and well respected Hunter under the employ of the Impedio Society instead. For the better part of a decade, he’s been honing down his monster hunting capabilities, and has since, for an extra five, been promoted to the status of an Awakened Hunter and further intensified his training and discipline. He is extremely well versed in hand-to-hand and has adapted his combat style accordingly to suit the needs of owning and using his artifact: the Sawfish Sword (see below for detailed information). Though adept in battle, Dominic is also valued highly for his cunning; his eye for weak spots, for improvisation and a creative means to undercut an opponent make him extremely dangerous to others, especially his targets. Needless to say, as an experienced I.S. soldier, he is also a teacher from time to time. New recruits—young or otherwise inexperienced initiates—might find themselves assigned to take a few lessons from him or accompany Dominic in the field as spectators. This doesn’t happen on a day-by-day basis, as his primary job for the I.S. isn’t exactly to teach, but it never hurts to have the older members impart lessons. He’s considered a hard ass when it comes to job training, but most importantly, he scarcely hesitates on the battlefield—and is very capable of killing.

For Hire Bodyguard—In his free time Dominic has one foot in the bodyguard business. He specifically rents his talents out to the rich—individuals or large companies—and also keeps an eye on the higher class of society for potential “awakened problems” to report or eliminate. While Dominic keeps his artifact with him on these jobs, he usually also packs one or two guns for good measure. Pending upon the person and his past experiences with them, he can be hired on and off frequently, so long as it suits his schedule. The Impedio Society and its needs come first.

He may or may not also be considered a fun toy to troll with by the Dia family. He hates all of you.

Build Basics—Dominic is 6’6” tall, healthy, and muscularly lean; while his body posture commonly leads one to believe he is non-threatening or otherwise at ease, the assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. The man’s ex-military, a hardened soldier, an experienced Impedio Society Hunter, and he has no trouble defending or asserting himself on a daily basis. On a side note, Dominic has dull, amber-like brown eyes and black (typically tied back) hair that falls a little past his shoulders. He wears glasses and typically likes to indulge in nice, luxurious suits and clothes that he really shouldn’t invest time or money in, as they often inadvertently get ruined anyway on missions or around the office. Thankfully, Dominic isn’t above attempting to blend in with the crowd either when it’s necessary, but the sooner he can go back to his old routine and styles, the better.

He would also prefer that idiots with superpowers and ugly monsters stop bleeding all over his nice clothes but there’s not much he can do about that.

Other—Dominic often totes around a hardback cello case with him. The straps on it allow him to wear it in the same way one might sling a backpack over their shoulders (granted, a towering backpack). Dominic can not only play this instrument rather well—he frequently refers to her as Clara—but she often provides the means to carry his other girl, Sasha, around in public. [See Sawfish Sword below for details.] It is also not uncommon for him to have a gun or two hidden out of sight for emergency situations as well. This habit is directly attributed to his time spent in the military and you are unlikely to break him of it.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

— J.R.R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Even Dominic’s off-duty days are filled with routine that he’s adopted from his early years in the military. In the mornings he subjects himself to rigorous workout sessions; he benches and weight lifts primarily, though of course military grade speed runs, pushups, pull ups and sit ups are all part of this process. Some days have an easier routine than others—in his mind the goal isn’t to needlessly bulk up like a bear, it’s to stay fit. He would much rather be a threat than outwardly look like a tank. After the follow up showers and prepping for the day, he follows up with basic T.L.C of his artifact weapon and at least an hour of cello practice before starting his work for the I.S. In short: Dominic’s disciplined and organized and has a strong preference to keep to the detailed schedules he makes. The slightest upset in his early morning routine is especially irritable to him. Typically, someone so dedicated to being organized hates surprises and misinformation about his missions and targets with the passion of thousand burning suns and might hurt you if you deliberately lie about it, but he is adaptable enough to know how to improvise and react to a new situation. That does not mean, however he’s going to forget about it.

Fortunately, he won’t chew your ass out verbally for grievous mistakes (unless you are in a training session with him) but Dominic has a tendency to talk more with his looks and expressions than he does with his mouth when it comes to anger, annoyance and disappointment. Simply put, he’s notorious for speaking more through body language than words when you’ve done something wrong. In fact, if he’s not talking to or acknowledging your presence in a room, you are in all likelihood, on his unofficial shit list. An icy stare from the man seems to be enough to scare most into backpedaling furiously and apologizing, but if that doesn’t work, his back up for an extreme, continuous annoyance is Sasha. And nobody wants to meet her or hear about the lessons she imparts. As long as you don’t screw up constantly, interfere on a mission, play the hero (when in reality you’re just stupid) or fail to obey orders, most people wind up in the clear of his silent treatment and ugly tension. Simply think before you speak or act—that’s really the key to avoiding his wrath. Truth be told, Dominic’s hard ass reputation is partly caused by how seriously he takes his job and the training sessions he teaches, but on off hours, he’s not a bad guy. He’s respectful toward others (short of a Dia, he’s extremely unlikely to curse in your presence or sling an insult) and notably calm, and more than anything likes his peace and quiet—though that seems to be in short supply around the office.

Dias, he’s judging you.

A stranger will find that he’s a decisive man, adept and cunning on the battlefield but remarkably levelheaded under pressure. In and out of situations of duress, it obviously takes a lot to shake him, but Dominic has seen and done enough in life that he’s reached a point of near indifference. As such, enemies or targets looking to impress, startle or otherwise frighten him might find him a rather boring opponent because he just does not care about you and your super special superpowers. That said, his fierce determination to see a job through gives him a lethal edge—particularly when paired with the patience he’s developed from years of hunting Fate Monsters and well, people. While some might joke his sense of humor died when he was born (he’s prone to give sarcasm and smart remarks a flat expression or an icy glare), this is only really true when he’s actually on duty. Dominic can hold casual conversation just like any other human on earth and he might—try not to gasp—joke about something once or twice. The fact is, he’s just a very serious man who has too much work to get done to actually have casual conversation most of the time, so most people don’t get to see it. His personal sense of wit and sarcasm—when it surfaces—has a hardened, tough edge to it that saps it of its potential humor and makes it seem more like a flat retort.

Interestingly enough, people with attitudes and a strong sense of humor might find Dominic vaguely amusing—and for some reason he has a bad habit of not chasing them off when he should—but to cool his head he often retreats to his room to play his cello, take care of Sasha or briefly unwind before resuming his work. Admittedly, he does have a problem exposing his feelings toward others, whether it be showing a spark of pride or the faintest sense of “I care about your safety.” This is reflected in his tumultuous relationship with his daughter and how he never seems to involve himself with emotional drama. The indifference mask is especially prevalent when he is sent on a mission to kill someone. Dominic does not enjoy the slaughter of people for the sake of slaughter—but the decision is often cemented beforehand in his head, and what must be done, must be done. It should never be an easy task to kill—but it is not a surprise to a man that has done it many times either.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view."

—To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Growing up was hectic for Dominic. He was the youngest in a set of seven brothers, and for much of his life that meant he had to learn to dodge attention or manipulate his surroundings—and others—to his benefit. He really was the runt of the litter, and these early years with his lumbering family members and their rough-and-tumble lifestyle taught him to be calculating and observant for the sake of avoiding that age old scenario of youngest-brother-as-metaphorical-punching-bag. Back then, Dominic was engaged in learning and books, not on bulking up and beating the Neanderthals at their physical games. He had a distinct amount of intellectual discipline as a kid that would follow him into adulthood, but it would work against him in his youth, constantly painting a target on his back for his brothers to exploit. This situation was made worse by the Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde complex that their father suffered from, a condition otherwise known as alcoholism. The man was a heavy drinker, an unintentional lout and vicious thug when the bottle touched his lips a little too much, which meant on bad days, he had an unfortunate tendency to take it out on his wife and kids. It was a confusing period in Dominic’s life—he would eventually learn that this was not how family dynamics worked, the tyrant father, the abused mother, the terrified children—and perhaps, as such, Dominic never formed very deep ties with any of his siblings or his parents. When opportunity came knocking and offered him a chance to get the hell out as a young man, he took it.

Though it was, admittedly, the last place he expected to go: the military.

Enlisting in the Marines took some effort, actually. Dominic had to have his father’s signature for going in so early, and naturally that required cunning, an understanding of his father’s drunken stupors to determine the right atmosphere, and an iron will to see it done. It’s a rather insane thought to most that he came out of this bad family situation with relatively no issues whatsoever—just a dead set determination not to think about it and a slight problem forming committed, especially lasting, relationships. But the military was great for making the past seem irrelevant. He would stay in the service for ten years, until he was twenty seven, and that time would mold him into a capable, confident soldier while simultaneously keeping him so distanced, emotionally and physically, from his family that they would never bother him again. The concept of “home” was not what it should have been. In many ways “home” became his work, and therein perhaps, was where Dominic’s seriousness began to solidify—work became something substantial, more than meaningless labor. The intellectual part of his personality would continue to flourish, but it would do so with a strong sense of discipline driving it. He supposed he might have spent the rest of his life in the Marines—grateful for it too—were it not for the odd coincidences that always seem to string together to turn a life of contentment into something more than simple satisfaction.

And of course, the men and women on the end of those strings belonged to the Impedio Society, for not even the military was immune to sleeper agents. After his ten years of service he was quickly considered for recruitment, tested with a group of other potential candidates vying for what was first rumored to be a top grade military project, and then finally inducted when the dust settled. Admittedly, being inducted into the Impedio Society (rather than born into it) requires a grace period of attempting to wrap your head around all the fantastical crap you are suddenly forced to deal with. Some people take weeks, or months. Dominic took a few days. As part of his initiation, he and his team were required to have dealt with one monster already, a fact which cost more than half of the candidates their lives. As one of the few remaining, with no signs of trauma and both physically fit, healthy, and prepared to keep moving forward with this project, of course the Society considered him a potential gain.

He would spend the next ten years of his life further honing his combat skills (which were already at their peak due to ten years worth of Marine training) and finding even more enjoyment with his new job. As with most tasks he set himself to, he set himself to achieving perfection—or as close as possible to it—and thus rose through the ranks quickly and efficiently. He began his Impedio Society career learning the basics of the Society’s history and accompanying a well trained team out in the field to deal with nuisance monster cases. Loyalty and sheer skill would earn him respect and reputation—and he would be assigned The Sawtooth Sword as a personal weapon.

Throughout his ten years with the Society, he would endure many battles and slowly gain the experience and indifference he’s just so popular around the office for. For a few years, Dominic was considered a masterful monster slayer, one of the few that were often entrusted to take on solo missions with the full expectation of returning victorious from whatever battlefield was assigned him. True, he bore the brunt of many scars and bruises over this time, but he scarcely lost a quarry once the orders for its execution fell into his hands. To date he’s still an excellent monster hunter, but was promoted during the latter half of his ten years to the esteemed—and intimidating—rank of Awakened Hunter. Dominic’s no nonsense executions have been piling over the years, be they monsters or a shoddy excuse of a super powered psycho. He’s been transported across many Impedio Society locations, but for the last five has been stationed in California, perhaps permanently.

It is strange to think that the skills he carries with him and the experience he’s gained over the course of a lifetime can be both admiring and downright terrifying at the same time. His gray sense of morality might appear ruthless, or cruel, but the simple fact of the matter is that once Dominic makes up his mind—once the Society has issued orders—they cannot, should not, be disobeyed for the good of all. A threat is a threat, and his job in life is to eliminate or subdue it. If the thing itself can’t or shouldn’t be killed, it must be caught. He’s come to see that the Impedio Society, for some of the hatred it might inspire, is actually beneficial to the whole of society. It became for Dominic the ultimate military service—and the only one worth following and fighting for. To date, his skills are still put to the test in the field, however, he’s also been teaching, hardening younger or inexperienced members (some of the I.S. kids grow up with a silver spoon in their mouth and think they can be soldiers without training, ha, that’s a good one) into something the Society can actually use and be proud of.

Unfortunately, Dominic did make sacrifices for all of this. Never once did he have a serious, committed relationship or consider the possibility of easing his workload to settle down. There were any number of people he booted in and out of his life as a result, but the bitterness that stemmed from those relationships was often enough, short lived. Most seemed to understand that it was in his nature—that he had never once been the sort to “settle down”—and therefore could not understand why anyone was so upset over it. In fact, an affair that began when he was still in the Marines ended with the birth of his daughter; he would float in and out of her life, known only as this silent but somehow fierce presence that visited, left, and supported her from a distance, but they would never really connect. Instinct and perhaps a twinge of regret has made him want to correct this recently (perhaps caused by all the contact he has with younger members in the I.S.), and to his credit, he is trying to repair their relationship. But handling his own 17 year old and keeping her away from the I.S. has turned out to be a stressful affair, and having barely paid attention to all those years of parenting, he’s ill prepared to deal with the fallout.

Like any practiced executioner however, he has a way of killing an argument (especially one she makes in favor of becoming move involved with his work) dead before it’s even begun to become fully aware and dangerous. Time will tell if it lasts. But then, time will tell if anything does.

[History is glossed over mostly for the sake of saving as much space as possible because this app is getting long enough. =-=’’’’ ]

“I have been bent and broken, but—I hope—into a better shape.”

— Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

The Sawfish Sword—Lovingly referred to as “Sasha”, this ‘sword’ actually hails from the Indo-Pacific regions of the ocean and has had a long history of ‘choosing’ its master. I.e., it’s an extremely finicky artifact and demands a lot of attention, and therefore does not play well with inconsiderate owners. It is in fact, the lingering nose of an ancient, intelligent creature—known as Garuunga [Gah-Rune-Gah]—that dwelled in the veins of the estuary rivers and oceans long ago. Once the great fish was slain, the nose of the animal was cut away and fitted to a hilt to form a crude sword. Though made entirely of bone and the black, stretched fish skin of its ancient owner, this weapon is nothing to joke about or underestimate. From pommel to tip, the Sawfish Sword easily stretches at least four and half feet and is edged with dozens upon dozens of 3-5 inch, white teeth. As if in memory of the creature it came from, the sword seems to understand when it loses one of those teeth, and as if it were still alive, frequently grows them again when they snap off or embed in an enemy. It’s a process that requires recharging later, but it keeps the sword efficient and deadly. The weapon itself is durable and has lasted many years without retaining a single scratch, which has led to the suspicion that it might never break. Though quirky, this sword has an interesting power attached to it: it can rust and corrode any metal it comes into direct contact with, instantly. This does not affect things that can’t rust (like people, wood, ect), but if a person is creative, it can come in handy. Studied for many years, it has been determined that the Sawfish Sword’s incredible ability to turn metal into rusted, brittle junk that falls apart at the slightest touch, stems from the saltwater and the innate magic inherited from the original creature. It remains to be seen if the sword can evolve further.

But in short, the Sawfish Sword “cries”. The white teeth have drops of water fall away from its surface—like dabs of venom off the fang of a serpent. Folktales and indo-pacific lore once said that the soul of the beast it belonged to was embittered with sorrow upon its death—and would not let the men that had killed it ever forget that fact. Other legends speak of how Garuunga instead mourns its inability to return to its ancestral home, cursed to dwell on land and exposed to the open air. It is debatable if this has any truth to it, but the Sawfish Sword’s constant “crying” has been referred to as the “tears of Garuunga”. It never stops, though its ability to rust through metal instantaneously will only work if it has been well taken care of. This means it must spend a fair amount of time each day in water—preferably salt water. Most barely have the patience to put up with such a finicky object, but since falling into Dominic’s hands, she’s become something of a treasure, and gained something of a reputation as well. A very deadly reputation.

“You’ve some stories left,” he said. “I can smell them on your skin.”

—The Story Giant, Brian Patten

-Dominic has named his sword “Sasha” and his cello “Clara”. It is very clear that unless you want a few broken fingers or a completely shattered hand, you do not touch either of them without his say so. Especially if your rank is inferior to his own.

-Sasha constantly accompanies Dominic everywhere he goes, even if outwardly, it doesn’t seem like it. In public settings she is stored away in Clara’s hard back cello case, and any problems he has in attempting to tote her around or pass security checks are often solved through simple clipped phone calls from high end Impedio Society members, bribery, or his own methods of intimidation. The way he sees it, that weapon’s half of who he is and Dominic simply does not go anywhere without it. You’d be more likely to convince him to strip buck ass nude and stroll down the street than to go anywhere without Sasha.

-Dominic can afford some rather nice things due to rank, years of experience in the I.S and his second job as high end security for fat cats and companies in need of an immediate bodyguard. He pretty much lives and breathes in his office at the headquarters, which is remarkably large and well kept. There is a large, salt water aquarium that stretches the full length of the back wall; it is filled with dozens of exotic, colorful fish like snowflake eels, lion fish, wrasse and even a few black banded sharks and fiddler rays. It’s a gorgeous ecosystem, complete with rock beds, fine sand and bright, well cared for corals that come in a rain of colors. A natural filtration system hidden below the main aquarium works in conjunction with machines to keep the tank consistently clean and the fish happy and healthy. It is clear that Dominic takes its upkeep very seriously. There is also a second, smaller tank on the right side of the room. This tank is built specifically for Dominic’s sea horses, as they are finicky eaters and can’t survive in the same tank with the other fish. Typical furniture found here includes a large, red cherry wood desk (his work area) that stands out against the glowing, regal aquarium behind it, a computer set up, black leather couches, a book shelf with texts relevant to his missions, and a few filing cabinets for his own reports and organization purposes. Most nights and early mornings The Sawfish Sword is seen jutting out of the aquarium at the back of the room, locked between coral faces, so that is has time to rest and rejuvenate its abilities in saltwater. Barring the main office area, there is also a room where Dominic sleeps when he can’t be assed to return to the apartment he rents in the city as a backup. There’s weight lifting equipment in there as well—he prefers to use his own—and a number of extra weapons (a mixture of handguns, combat knives, military grade tomahawks, and various materials he sometimes requires on a mission). The way he sees it, he’d rather have it and not need it, than need it, and not have it.

-Dominic is very fond of his military career, almost appreciative of it. He still keeps his old uniform, his service decorations and items associated with the Marines under lock and key in his main office. It’s not often he speaks of it, but that is the source of his rigid sense of discipline.

-Dominic’s relationship with his older daughter (17 years old now) is strained at best; he is, however, attempting to regain some form of a friendly acquaintance with her after being absent for most of her childhood. Part of what’s undermining their reconciliation is his refusal to involve her in his work—even though she has her own assumptions of what it’s like and wants to prove herself capable, he won’t allow it. He is adamant that his family not be involved with the Impedio Society (particularly the stabbing, shooting and killing things part at the risk of your own health), and that has all but strained their relationship by falling into that inevitable role of ironclad, no negotiations parenting. It seems the more he attempts to become involved in her life without mixing it with the crap the Society has to deal with, the more difficult it is for them to reach an understanding. They’re both hard headed and stubborn on this topic as well, making the situation all the more uncomfortable.

-As a side note, Dominic doesn’t swear, and he’s infamous around the office for his swear jar, which he will make you donate money to if you attempt to abuse the english language with your ugly words in his presence. Especially young people—as they seem ridiculously prone to using curse words more than necessary.