User Name/Nick: Chase
User DW: N/A
Alternate method of contact: whitespire
Other Characters Currently In-Game: Roman Roy (betacuck)

Character Name: Daniel Molloy
Series: AMC's Interview With the Vampire
Age: 70
From When?: Post season 1

Warden Justification: For as blunt and judgemental as Daniel comes across as, he knows exactly how people work and why. Due to the nature of his job as an investigative journalist and his skills as an interviewer he has the uncanny knack for picking people apart. Daniel provides the perspective of someone older and wiser than most, and his self loathing has tipped so far into his self awareness category they're basically the same thing. Since he has the inability to get out of his own way, his job and career are very much his life and that lends him to be an excellent warden: Daniel's so passionate and stubborn (rightly so, as he's won two Pulitzer prizes) because his job is who he is. It's almost solely his identity, to the detriment of two failed marriages and daughters who no longer speak to him. He doesn't care if he's liked, nor does it matter to him if what he writes or tells people is unpopular or something they'll take umbrage with: he's here to get the job done and he's here to do it well.

Daniel's also got a knack for observing others and being unafraid to speak his mind. He's not a monster, and he has quite a lot of empathy despite his prickly exterior. It even shows in his work--all of his books, with the exception of his memoir are either very critical of big, overarching and oppressive systems or documenting on-the-ground responses to things the government or majority have ignored, like his debut novel covering the AIDS crisis. This critical line of thinking, often to the point of playing devil's advocate, makes him well suited for the barge and its myriad of characters.

For the most part, Daniel is also unflappable. Driven with three parts integrity, stubbornness, and spite, Daniel refuses to back down when he feels like he's cornered something that doesn't sit right with his natural intuitiveness. He's not a human lie detector, nor does he have any special or magical powers, but his years of experience have honed his bullshit meter by an exorbitant amount. Combined with his ability to simply be unphased by other people's intimidating presence or natural charisma--he has no qualms with slapping a hundred year old vampire for getting into his head just to prove a point--Daniel is absolutely well suited for picking things apart, from stories to people, and he has no problems telling people exactly how, why, and where they've gone wrong.

Much like his empathetic side, Daniel isn't constantly brutish, nor is he mean for the sake of being mean, he's just a curmudgeon. He can absolutely be kind in the right circumstances, especially to those types who have suffered or are as immensely lonely as he is. He isn't needlessly aggressive, he just wants to be left to his own devices when he's not doing his work--although it's impossible for him to shut off that part of his brain.

He's been through a lot and has put himself through a lot, and he's fairly open about it at this point in life--his memoir may have most likely been written just because he needed the money, but all the ugly parts are true--and that gives him experience in dealing with people similar to him. As former heroin addict, he's understanding of other's plights and how difficult it can be to pick yourself back up, especially when your biggest enemy is yourself.

Daniel's extremely motivated due to his wish and is a workhorse in general, and while he is stubborn, he's willing to play with others and get along if he knows he's going to be around for a while. Just because he has a general dislike for things like small talk and people giving him the run around doesn't mean he doesn't like people. It's the opposite: he's secretly a big romantic at heart and genuinely thinks the world and humanity has the potential to do better. He's very, very aware that it all starts with one or two people making a difference, and he'll absolutely find himself willingly helping others to achieve their goal in graduation.

Item: His reading glasses, which will annoy him endlessly.

Abilities/Powers: Other than the usual powers old people get in our world (inability to care what other people think and being viable for a senior discount), Daniel's just a regular human.

Wardening Strategies and Philosophies:
He's famous in his world for getting to the core issues of a person with just a few days of talking to them and is a bit of a human can opener of sorts: he'll be perfect for closed off characters or those who are stubborn about allowing themselves to be vulnerable. Daniel's almost never described as nice, but he does understand that people (and vampires, given his canon) crave human connection above all else. That's something Daniel knows he can get with just about anyone, and isn't afraid to dig his heels in no matter how closed off his inmate may seem.

Daniel is a patient person, and that will only continue on the barge and extend to whoever inmate he's paired with: he's learned a lot since his young, brash reporter days in San Fransisco and is now extremely adept with navigating other people. He'll work great with inmates who don't necessarily tell the truth, especially do themselves: Daniel can spot that sort of thing a mile away and has no qualms pressing about it. In canon his latest interview with Louis is a perfect example of this. Daniel happily calls out all of Louis' bullshit, but never blames him for it. He's not here to guilt the people he's trying to get the truth from, or in this case, help, but he values other people being honest with themselves, and that's the crux of a lot of what he can offer to help an inmate graduate.

He'll also have a soft spot for people like him, be it workaholics or addicts and their ilk. As mentioned previously, Daniel is a former addict and knows exactly the type of turmoil someone like that is going through. He's not one to coddle, but he's also well aware of how easy it is to destroy oneself. The more self destructive and death wish seeking his inmate is the more Daniel will be able to read him like a book and, hopefully, help. He'd also be great for those who fall on the more repressed side of the spectrum: he's lived through a lot of history and spent most of his youth in San Fransisco prowling gay bars for smack and doing whatever it took to get some, including sexual favours. While he sees no shame about it, he does know what it's like to have to lie to yourself, even if he's not ready to recognize it in himself.

Daniel's not in the business of holding hands and singing songs in order to help his inmates, though he won't exactly prescribe to the 'tough love' deal either. Instead, he'll most likely pick apart at stories--like addicts or those self destructive mentioned above, Daniel knows exactly how to navigate inmates and people who have wound themselves up in their own narratives in order to serve their agendas, ease their guilt, and justify their actions. Again, his work with Louis in the show is a prime example. It's important to note that despite his personality, Daniel won't judge: he's concerned with getting to the truth, not forcing someone to atone. He values honestly above all when it comes to his interviews, and that will extend to his charge as a warden.

While he has immense strengths in terms of wardening, he does have some weaknesses: while body counts don't necessarily bother him--he's well aware vampires exist and has no qualms reading atrocious men for filth--he most likely won't be as compatible for people who value power above all else, those who teeter on sociopathy or those who are completely remorseless. He does his best work when he can connect with someone or tap into their way of thinking, regardless of whether it's reporting or his new job as a warden.

Deal: At his canon point, Daniel is completely at peace with the fact that he's going to die soon: Daniel's deal isn't that he'd still live, but rather to get rid of this Parkinsons so he can go out in a less painful manner.

History: fandom wiki

Sample Network Entry: TDM

Sample RP: TDM

Special Notes: Goes without saying I'll warn and check opt-ins re: Daniel's past addiction, and current disease!