Anthony Desmonda

Written by Reallifeisfiction

The Earl of Atropine/Comte du Atropine Anthony Marcus Desmonda (a.k.a. Tony)

'Not so with the second man, who had darker hair, brighter eyes, broader shoulders, better features: as if the obvious wealth he carried had bought him a bit more of everything. [...] Up close, two assumptions Jakab had about the count were immediately corrected. One, the elaborate mechanical fastenings running down the front of his jacket meant he had far more money than Jakab had initially assumed. Two, the subtle ruby embroidering and tailored cut of his suit meant that he was someone’s beloved, not a lover at all.'
~ The Honourable Assault, Chapter 1

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Healthy and fit for his age, handsome and broad-shouldered. Unknowingly developing lung issues due to smoking. Amazingly, has no venereal diseases to speak of.

Body Features

Carefully keeps the Aristocratic pallor of someone who doesn't need to go outside. Has freckles, which he covers with powder.

Facial Features

Often and begrudgingly described as handsome, frequently cited by older acquaintances to resemble his mother. A definitely noble kind of handsome -- no one has ever described the count as 'rugged'. Was definitely seen as 'pretty' in his youth.

Physical quirks

Right-handed. Pinches the bridge of nose when stressed. Kisses foreheads as a calming mechanism. Keeps his cane tucked under his left arm.

Apparel & Accessories

Dresses in the style of a fashionable beloved, with tailored suits and luxurious fabrics. Some might say the count never stopped wearing mourning clothes. Primarily seen in a dark, velvet suit jacket with ruby embroidery. Keeps a silver pocket-watch. Wears his first wedding ring on a chain around his neck, tucked inside his shirt.

Specialized Equipment

Carries the traditional rose-wood cane with the Desmonda family crest, containing a sword inside.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Anthony was born quite by accident to his parents, who thankfully decided that since they'd already gone through the trouble of having him, they might as well raise him. He was mostly raised and completely spoiled by his adoptive grandparents: head maid Fifi Lacroix and head butler, Pierre Le Roux.
His closest childhood friend was Miss Vanessa Amour, the daughter of his parents' bosom friends. He harboured a childish infatuation for her for an entire decade. He notably never attempted to propose to Vanessa in their youth, which she still cites as proof of his fickle nature. They remained close while he was away for school.
His parents had him tutored on their estate before sending him to a boy's boarding school in London when he was twelve. While there, he earned the nickname 'the jockey' for some unsavoury roommates about his activities with the other students. He graduated with academic distinction in history and athletic praise in fencing, but not much else. When he was thirteen, he attended a party held by his life-long love, Vanessa. Here he had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting another voracious hunter, Lady Arabella Carnall, heiress to the Carnall Tea Empire, age fourteen. The two took an immediate and visceral disliking towards each other and began sabotaging each other's efforts whenever they interacted. Their rivalry became so viscious that most of their mutual acquaintances began conspiring to keep them as far apart as possible -- ideally in different countries.
He spent most of his youth indulging in hedonistic pursuits: reading poetry, hunting, cavorting with various nobles, and making a nuisance of himself on his parents' estate. He celebrated his twentieth birthday with an orgy involving nineteen other people. In a surprising turn around, when he was twenty-eight, he heard word that the daughter of one of the noble families, the Williams, was pregnant out of wedlock, and was set to be thrown out. Anthony immediately married the girl to save her from certain death on the streets. Later that same year, Verity Williams gave birth to a son, who she named Patience.
Anthony spent the next four years as Patience's primary parent before Verity finally died of consumption. Anthony took to parenthood immediately and spoiled his new son with everything he'd even thought about asking before. As he worried about Patience's health taking the same turn as Verity's, he decided to finance an airship, so that Patience could be kept out of the pollution rampant in Paris or London. Together, they spent the next decade flying around the world, and pursuing Anthony's side-passion of hunting.
Some years later, Anthony (now 45) set out to hire a new, extensive medical staff for his ship. He was hunting in the Canadian wilderness when he sprained his ankle and found himself under the care of the Caras family, primarily the family's eldest daughter and newly certified AMD, Dr. Eileithyia Sinclair. Her application included a surgeon, her elder brother; and an apothecary, her younger sister. Anthony found them to be more than suitable, and hired them aboard his ship.
A very short time after his decision to hire the crew, the young doctor approached him and announced that she'd like to court him, despite all social convention dictating that he should be the lover, and not the beloved. Perhaps it was this bold announcement that attracted his attention, or perhaps the blame can rely on the doctor's hips. Either way, Anthony quickly found himself enamoured with his new doctor, despite her being only two years older than his own son. At fifty, he was blessed with a twin son and daughter, and soon after married the doctor.

Gender Identity

Male

Sexuality

Pansexual

Education

Private tutors, English boarding school

Mental Trauma

Occasionally afflicted with severe​ existential dread

Morality & Philosophy

Anthony considers himself a good person, though he fully admits that doing what he thinks is right has not always coincided with what is legal, moral, or polite.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Aspires to keep his son safe and have as many more children as possible.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Talented with most forms of rifles and swords, next to useless in a hand-to-hand combat scenario, low physical strength

Likes & Dislikes

Likes: puns, ballet, the theatre, romance, sex Dislikes: cryptozoology, politics

Virtues & Personality perks

Incredibly paternal and caring, excellent with children, sincere and understanding towards romantic partners, charming, generous, confident. Perceptive to deception. Has a way of making others feel wonderful about themselves.

Vices & Personality flaws

Overprotective, prone to assumptions, patronizes those younger than him, shuts down in a crisis, carries grudges for the entirety of his life, moody, prone to melodrama, easily swept up in passions, easily infatuated, not particularly loyal to any family/institution/person other than his own children.

Hygiene

Clean, extremely​ manicured, wears vanilla perfume

Social

Family Ties

Count Arthur Desmonda (paternal grandfather, deceased) Countess Victoria Desmonda (paternal grandmother, deceased) Pierre Beaulieu (maternal grandfather, deceased) Mirabelle Beaulieu nee Bellerose (maternal grandmother, deceased) Count Henry Desmonda (paternal uncle, deceased)
Count William Desmonda (father, deceased) Countess Belladonna Desmonda nee Beaulieu (mother, deceased) Viscount Edward Desmonda (younger brother)
Verity Williams (1st wife, deceased) Patience Williams-Desmonda (son, adopted)
Dr. Eileithyia Sinclair (2nd wife) Prometheus Sinclair (brother-in-law) Pythia Sinclair (sister-in-law) Persephone Sinclair (sister-in-law)
Edward Sinclair (son, biological) Elizabeth Sinclair (daughter, biological)

Religious Views

Dread-weather Catholic

Social Aptitude

Extremely charismatic. Sincerity allows him to say what others would write-off as melodrama or empty flattery. Nearly completely shameless. Fond of flirting for flirting's sake. Overindulgent towards his own children, to their detriment and the detriment of others. Can be callous when children are in danger.
High opinion of the arts due to his parent's past times. A frequent patron of the theatre and ballet.

Hobbies & Pets

Pursues big-game hunting of man-eating animals, excellent marksman, talented fencer

Speech

English accent while speaking English due to his father, French accent while speaking French due to his mother.
Excessively fond of endearments and bestows them liberally and inappropriately (ie. 'lapin' for Patience, 'sweetheart' for Eileithyia, 'sunshine' for Theodore, 'sweetie' for Edward and Elizabeth, 'darling' for nearly everyone else).
Tends to say 'it's alright' when things are desperately not alright.

Relationships

Patience Williams-Desmonda

Son (Vital)

Towards Anthony Desmonda

2

Honest

---

Anthony Desmonda

Father (Vital)

Towards Patience Williams-Desmonda

5

Honest

---

History

Patience and Anthony were introduced to each other when the midwives deposited the newborn Patience into his step-father's arms and chased them both from the room. Ever since the death of Patience's mother, Anthony has been endlessly devoted, indulging, and overprotective of his son. The whole reason The Honourable Assault is in the air is because of Anthony's desire to keep Patience away from the polluted air of London and Paris.

Nicknames & Petnames

"Papa" - Patience to Anthony "Lapin", "mon coeur" - Anthony to Patience

Commonalities & Shared Interests

Fencing, global exploration, shooting, horseback riding

Shared Secrets

Both are aware that Patience is a member of the Order of the Sunstone

Anthony Desmonda

Brother-in-law (Important)

Towards Persephone Sinclair

5

Honest

---

Persephone Sinclair

Sister-in-law (Important)

Towards Anthony Desmonda

-4

Subversive

---

History

Anthony and Persephone met when he interviewed her older siblings for a job aboard his ship. Even though Persephone had no intention of working, Anthony invited her along as his personal guest so that she wouldn't be left alone. He introduced her to his own son, in the hopes the two might become friends.
Persephone soon discovered Anthony's adoration of children, and realized that he was intending to court her older sister. These two facts combined meant that she only had to ask to receive nearly anything she desired, from clothes to toys to lavish pastries. She frequently jokes that how much she likes Anthony is directly tied to how much money he's giving her at any given time.
Outwards, Persephone maintains a strong dislike of Anthony, as she doesn't approve of his relationship with her older sister, with Eileithyia being only half his age. Inward, she doesn't care much either way. Occasionally she lapses in her ruse and shows Anthony daughterly affection, such as tilting her head up for a kiss on the cheek, or inviting him to her numerous tea parties. She would deny it all, of course.
Anthony, however, makes no effort to hide his fatherly adoration for Persephone. He sees her as the daughter he never had, and is too happy to dote on her. While she pretends otherwise, Anthony realizes that she never had a father growing up, and is happy to fill the role. He is, admittedly, softening her for the day he proposes to her sister. But if Eileithyia were to break off their relationship, Anthony would hope he would still be able to spend time with Persephone.

Nicknames & Petnames

CC to Anthony: 'Old man', 'Tony', 'Grandpa', 'You there, in the jacket' Anthony to CC: 'Seph', 'Persephone, darling', 'sweetie'

Relationship Reasoning

Both are filling the role of a family member the other had long desired, as well as using the other for an ulterior purpose: Anthony needs her to like him before he can propose to Eileithyia, and Persephone can use his inexhaustible wealth as she likes.

Shared Acquaintances

Eileithyia, Patience, Jae-yon, and everyone else on the Honourable Assault

Legal Status

Related by marriage

William Desmonda

Father (Important)

Towards Anthony Desmonda

-1

Honest

---

Anthony Desmonda

Son (Important)

Towards William Desmonda

0

Honest

---

History

Anthony's birth was not something William expected or particularly wanted, and the pregnancy caused him and his wife to have their first and only serious argument, straining their relationship in a way that nothing had before or since. Still, upon his arrival, William found that he did deeply love his son, and wanted to be a far, far better father to him that his own father had. He also worried that Anthony would face the same treatment William had -- or worse, dispense it -- if he had a sibling, and therefore meant to keep him an only child. Once Edward was born, William was on high-alert for any destructive behaviour from either sibling, but neither displayed it.
William grew very proud of his son, and happily let him and his family live with William and Belladonna at their estate. When William died, he left the estate, half the fortune, and most of his personal effects to Anthony.

Nicknames & Petnames

William to Anthony: 'Love' Anthony to William: 'Papa'

Commonalities & Shared Interests

Mutual love of acting and both finance educational institutions.

Shared Secrets

Anthony is aware that his father and aunt worked together to murder his uncle.

Belladonna Beaulieu

Mother (Important)

Towards Anthony Desmonda

5

3

Honest

---

Anthony Desmonda

Son (Vital)

Towards Belladonna Beaulieu

5

5

Frank

---

History

Anthony's birth was neither planned nor particularly wanted, and Belladonna had never considered herself as meant for motherhood. Her pregnancy was tinged with distrust and animosity, which affected how she felt about it herself. When Anthony was born, she had a hard time adjusting. She resented what having a baby had done to her body, her confidence, and her sex life, and relegated him to the care of his nanny and the maids. As Anthony grew from a baby to a toddler, she began to open up to the idea of him, and by the time he was six she decided she loved him after all.
After that, things were a little smoother. Anthony loved his mother, and he loved the moments here and there where he'd get to spend time with her. While her affections were somewhat distant, and her gestures a little formal, he felt the love in all of them. As he grew older, his devotion to his mother only strengthened, and by the time he was in his teens, he would have done anything for her. To him, she was the most beautiful, the most elegant, and the most accomplished woman in all of France.
After his father died, Anthony tried his best to console his mother, but was unsuccessful. Her death three days later, coupled with the death of his father, sent him into a deep depression for months on end.

Nicknames & Petnames

"Lapin" and "Maman"

Commonalities & Shared Interests

Anthony took after his mother in looks, with her pretty features, dark blue eyes, and gentle swooping hair. They looked so alike that his father used to joke he had no part in creating him.

Shared Acquaintances

William Desmonda

Legal Status

Mother and Son

Eileithyia Sinclair

Lover (Important)

Towards Anthony Desmonda

5

4

Frank

---

Anthony Desmonda

Beloved (Vital)

Towards Eileithyia Sinclair

5

5

Honest

---

History

Lord Atropine and Dr. Sinclair met when the former spent a month at her family's boarding house, recuperating from his sprained ankle. While observing Eileithyia's pregnant sister-in-law, Anthony remarked offhand he'd love to have a dozen children, but had never met the woman who'd allow it. Eileithyia, that very woman, suddenly realized how attractive the count really was. They spent the month side-stepping their mutual attraction for various reasons (age difference, social status, professionalism) before Anthony was well enough to head back to his hotel. A week later Eileithyia showed up to 'check on him', and after managing to confess their mutual attraction, Eileithyia began stripping, announcing he'd either have to debauch her, or throw her out in the nude. They began formerly courting moments later in the opposite fashion as expected. Eileithyia (younger, less-tilted, less-wealthy, less-experienced) decided to court Anthony, who happily, if bemusedly, accepted her proposal. While it's not a traditional lover/beloved relationship, they're very happy with it.
 After spending months on separate continents before their voyage to Russia, Anthony invites Eileithyia to his estate in Beaulieu, France, which she accepts. Both have a wonderful time 'playing house', but it isn't until later, once they've already set sail for Russia, that Eileithyia begins to consider that she might be pregnant. It's confirmed soon after, and she contemplates either hiding or terminating her pregnancy due to the dangers of their extended stay in the Siberian steppes. She eventually decides to tell Anthony, who is ecstatic at the prospect of finally getting married and starting their family, which they've discussed at length. However, Eileithyia is less enthusiastic, since she knows it means the end of her career as physician aboard the ship. The two have a fight, and the ship is grounded in Siberia shortly after. 
 Eventually Eileithyia gives birth to twins: Elizabeth and Edward. She and Anthony are married, and she moves the family into the Beaulieu estate. She finds herself pregnant with only their third child, Ever, when Anthony meets his untimely demise, cutting their dreams of a large family short.

Nicknames & Petnames

Anthony to Eileithyia: 'Sweetheart' Eileithyia to Anthony: 'Honey'

Relationship Reasoning

Anthony and Eileithyia have one main shared interest: a love of children. Both want an enormous family, and often joke that only six children would be far too few. Anthony is rich enough to support a family of that size, and Eileithyia is young and strong enough to birth it. In addition, they balance each other's temperaments. Anthony is slow to anger and quick to hold a grudge, whereas Eileithyia lets her anger flare and die in quick bursts. Where Anthony is a romantic in regards to their relationship, Eileithyia is a pragmatist.

Legal Status

Courting

Wealth & Financial state

His primary source of wealth comes from the Desmonda family estate, millions of pounds from questionable sources, and the disgustingly nouveau riche family fortune of his mother's family. He's never had to work a day in his life.
The Desmondas have their hands in a bit of everything in England and France, and Anthony is no exception. Several trusted employees run his various businesses while he personally funds and manages a home for orphans in London, and in Paris.
Anthony's main patronage is the funding of The Honourable Assault, which he employs near year-round as a transportation vessel for his hunting pursuits.

Current Location

Beaulieu Estate

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Earl of Atropine/Comte du Atropine, Viscount of Solanaceae/Vicomte du Solanaceae

Currently Held Titles

• Count of Atropine, Viscount of Solanaceae

Year of Birth

1828 47 Years old

Circumstances of Birth

Anthony's parents weren't aware he existed until about seven months into his mother's pregnancy, and a misunderstanding about his parentage nearly led to his parent's split.

Birthplace

Beaulieu Estate

Spouses

Eileithyia Sinclair (Lover)

Siblings

Current Residence

Beaulieu Estate

Gender

Male

Eyes

Dark blue

Hair

Black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Aristocratically pale

Height

6'2''

Quotes & Catchphrases

To Eileithyia: "We’ll have four children and a manor in the countryside. [...] Oh, just think of it, darling: a colicky baby shrieking at three am and waking all our older children, who now – of course – refuse to go back to sleep no matter how you boss, beg, or bribe them. Next thing you know the dog’s barking, the lights are all on, and the maids are awake and judging us for not hiring a nanny. We’ll never feel less dignified or in control in our entire lives." ~ The Honourable Assault, Chapter Three
To Patience: "You’re my baby. Papa waited his whole life for you." ~ The Honourable Assault, Chapter Twenty-Three

Owned Vehicles

• The Honourable Assault

Known Languages

English (fluent), French (fluent), German (conversational), Latin

Ruled Locations

• Beaulieu Estate