David

*Player: Isidarth
*Name: David Ulomoy
*Meaning: "Beloved". Obviously his mother didn't know what it meant.
*Nicknames: Dave
*Gender: Male
*Age: 26 (joined at 24)
*Nationality: half American, half Samoan
*Build: Heavy
*Height: 5'11'
*Weight: 265 lbs (120.5 kg)
*Team: BLU
*Job Class: Heavy
*Current Load-Out:
: Tomislav (obtained after M3)
: Shotgun (Sasa)
: Fists (If caught off-duty, he may have a carving knife, which he will use. However, he doesn't view it as a battle tool and leaves it put away when on duty.)
*Parents: Father deceased, mother's whereabouts unknown
*Siblings: only child
*Offspring: none
==Appearance==
David is huge - though not as tall as many of the other men on base, he is gifted with a large amount of muscle and a broad frame. His military training stripped any excess fat from his body; regular exercise and training on base have kept it that way. However, few actually get to see how defined his musculature is, as he prefers non-formfitting clothing.
His hair is kept short, just long enough to get a little scruffy on top, and is a dark, near-black color that his years in the sun in the Navy only just managed to lighten. Most of his physical attributes take after his Samoan father, including face shapes and coloring. His eyes are dark brown and deep-set, and his skin is a dark tan (approximately 24 on Von Luschan's chromatic scale). However, unlike a typical, rounded Samoan face, his jaw line is more rectangular.
Four years of military service doesn't leave you quickly, and David's appearance reflects this. Though he doesn't mind getting dirty, he prefers to maintain a neat appearance when possible. In public (ie, anywhere other than his room) he will wear all parts of his uniform unless temperature or movement considerations require otherwise.
==Personality==
Reclusive is not a poor choice for a word to describe David. He is extremely introverted, and is reluctant to form close bonds with anyone. He would rather sit on the sides of conversations and listen in than to participate. Much of this is emotional damage; between his home life and his shipboard experiences, David has formed the conclusion that opening up to others only gets you hurt. He thinks slowly, coming up with options and solutions quickly but searching through them for holes and drawbacks. Gut impulses tend to be correct in a combat situation (thanks to military training) and wrong in a social one.
As far as David is concerned, less is more. He rarely speaks without reason and has little to no concept of social gestures such as shoulder patting. On the surface, he rarely shows any emotion at all; he keeps anger bottled deep inside, and you will only realize you have gone too far after it is too late. Of all the emotions, annoyance is the one he most easily expresses. David is not fond of pushy, overbearing, arrogant, or clingy people as a general rule.
If you manage to convince him that you really are willing to be his friend, there is a personality shift. Though he is still very reserved, David reveals himself to be a deep thinker with a subtle sense of humor. Despite his disillusionment with people in general, he is willing to listen if you need someone to talk to and may perform small acts of kindness. He will not stand for bullying, whether or not he is friends with the aggressor or the victim, but his poor sociability often leaves his intent in the intervention unclear.
David tends to get along well with soldier-type personalities, as they share many of his opinions on efficiency and how life works. He feels a similar connection with engineers, who generally focus on solving problems and keeping things practical. He gets along poorly with scouts and pyros, who move quickly and impulsively, spies that fall into the smug and snobbish category, and medics who come off as bossy and entitled.
==History==
His American mother was on a service trip to Samoa when she met his father. They fell in love and decided to get married on a whim, but the sparks soon faded. The marriage was nearing an unhappy end when his father was killed on a fishing trip in a storm. His mother took the freedom from the mess gratefully, discovering only after returning to America that she was pregnant.
She was not enthused with the news (and the reminder of her poor marriage), but social stigma and the excitement of her aging parents caused her to keep the child. However, it was not long before her unhappiness with the situation had her trying new methods of keeping her mood up. After the baby came, she turned to drugs.
David was born in Southern California on March 4th, 1944. Shortly after his fourth birthday (1948), his mother lost her job. Desperate for money and fighting addictions to cigarettes, alcohol, and morphine, she attempted a robbery. She was caught and sentenced to five years in prison. In the absence of other family members (and after much debate), his paternal grandparents were appointed as his guardians, and David was sent to American Samoa.
As a nearly-five-year-old (early 1949), David had spent most of his life being looked after by his mother's friends as she worked to earn money, and so had little experience with individualized care. It took him quite a while to adjust to the outpouring of love he received from his grandparents. Being quite young, he grew to love them right back, but failed to extend that to the very close Samoan culture; as a result, he was always uncomfortable at gatherings. Despite this, he enjoyed exploring these new customs and quickly soaked up the language.
Just before his eleventh birthday (1955), his mother was released and, again for social appearances, sent for him. The return to minimal, impersonal care was stifling and he began to close off emotionally. His mother hadn't broken her addictions, and her criminal record made it hard to find a high paying job, so he lived off of very basic food. David lost a lot of weight, which stunted his growth (he could very well have grown to be over six feet tall). One of his few friends' mother noticed his underfed appearance and often had her son invite him over after school; she made the boys peanut butter sandwiches to eat as they did their homework. David's fondness for peanut butter probably stems from this memory.
As David grew, he got himself odd jobs to bring in additional food money (he took the responsibility for buying and cooking the food to prevent the cash from being used on his mother's addictions.) He scraped through schooling (and the multiple moves while his mom looked for work) until he turned eighteen, when he dropped out and joined the military (1962). David enlisted in the Navy, making use of the sailing skills he had learned in Samoa and practiced in California to keep out of trouble. He saw his military venture as an opportunity to change the things he did not like about his life and plunged in with a will. He excelled in basic training and made a few overtures that resulted in friendships.
Upon receiving his active duty assignment aboard the USS Hartford, David encountered his first opposition; most of the crew was from the midwest and southeastern parts of the States, and a handful of the sailors were not happy to find him held with equal status. These men refused to speak directly to him and made loud, disparaging comments about "that Islander." Outright abuse was rare, but none of the others spoke in his defense or tried to stop the slander that occured on a daily basis. David began to close off again, unwilling to let others learn about him for fear that they would use the information against him. He focused on his assignments and on doing a good job, speaking little.
Group training was especially hard. With nobody he could trust to spar against or to watch his back, David went from being good at hand-to-hand combat to being exceptional. After the first month, it was rare for any of his tormentors to physically assault him, even under the guise of "a friendly match." The insults and social shunning continued in the safety outside the fighting ring.
This went on for several years. Over time, the 'elitist' members of the crew began to respect David for his strength and work ethic, but he did not trust the relaxing of tension. He continued to keep himself apart, though he was more likely to respond to greetings or to appear at group activities. The addition of a black man to the crew in 1965 allowed him to relax even further, and he began to make a few connections with some of the other sailors.
In his fourth year of service (1966), the captain retired and a new man was appointed to the vacancy. This new CO was blatantly racist, singling out David and the black sailor for the hardest duties and public reprimands. David did not openly rebel, but complying with often nonsenical orders became harder and harder to do, especially once he learned that the new captain's social connections had earned him his position rather than his sailing abilities (which were lacking).
Things came to a head at a docking in November; upon being denied shore leave and being assigned to stand watch, David spoke out. A shouting match ensued, and the CO made the mistake of throwing a punch. David took the assault as justification and responded in kind, beating the man senseless. David was aware of the strict penalties for hitting an officer (let alone knocking him unconcious and breaking his ribs and jaw), and once the exhiliration of being able to retaliate faded, he packed his things. He was gone before the rest of the crew returned from shore.
David was AWOL for nearly six months before being found by a recruiter from BLU, and enlisted with the assurance that the organization would take care of his flawed record, beginning his training as a Heavy.
==Points of Interest==
*David's hobby of choice is carving. He can spend hours working on little sculptures, usually in wood and occasionally in other materials such as soap, bone, and even vegetables. His figurines are typically animals, made of stylized, smooth shapes and embellished with geometrical patterns. Occasionally, he will make a more realistic figure. This was something he learned to pass the time on long tours of duty, especially when the other crew members weren't very friendly. They are often given to teammates when he is finished.
*David is fluent in Samoan. Letters from his grandparents are usually written in the language, and he has been known to use phrases when relaxed or under extreme stress. He normally does not display this skill, as it made him an obvious target for racism aboard his ship.
*Having spent his childhood in American Samoa left its mark on David. He has a great love of music; when working alone, he will often sing in a pleasant, baritone voice. Since receiving a ukelele as a present for his 25th birthday, much of his off-duty free time is spent idly picking out tunes in various places around the base. Most of his teammates know about the ukelele; few, if any, know about the singing.
*David is a good cook, and often ends up on dinner duty for the base. Though his food isn't fancy, it is filling and doesn't taste half bad. He's been cooking for himself since age twelve.
*David is allergic to opiate-based medicine, such as morphine and codeine. This is part of why he avoids seeing a medic unless he is seriously injured. Symptoms include severe itching, nausea, and moderate to severe disorientation,
==Strengths & Weaknesses==
*Strengths
: + Physically and mentally strong. It takes a great deal of pressure to break David.
: + Dedicated worker. If he is assigned a task, he will follow it to the letter.
: + Skilled with his shotgun. He prefers it to the minigun, though he is aware that the main point of the Heavy is to have a large damage output.
: + Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, though not trained in any particular style. Being big and strong only helps.
: + Observant. Though not social, David makes it a point to know the default behaviors of his team. He can usually spot a spy by the holes in their knowledge, and will not trust you until he has confirmed your identity. Similarly, he makes good guesses on enemy responses based on people-watching.
: + Combat training. Fighting on land is different than fighting on a ship, but David still knows about strategy and where to hit to make you hurt.
: + Level-headed. He's not a green recruit and he knows how to keep his head in a fight. You're also unlikely to get a rise out of him unless you know which buttons to push.
: + Quiet. Though this hurts his chances at a social life, it is an asset on the field. You might not even know he's there. Until he starts shooting, anyway.
*Weaknesses
: - POOR. SOCIAL. SKILLS. David knows nothing of the arts of softening a statement or winning people to your side with flattery. He does not argue; he waits until you push him too far, and then he punches you in the face.
: - Trust issues. He's been on the base for two years and still hasn't talked to most of his teammates. This also hurts him in combat; unless he has spychecked, he doesn't trust that your are going to carry out your part of the maneuver. Heck, he might not even trust you then.
: - Tends to act alone because of those trust issues. He's a good target for a skilled spy.
: - Lack of self-worth. If putting himself into a risky situation to kill or distract an enemy will help a friend or the team as a whole, he will not hesitate to do it.
==Likes and Dislikes==
*Likes
: + Bright colors and geometric designs. This is not reflected in his choice of clothing.
: + Peanut Butter. It's the best way to get a second chance to impress him, since he'll stick around long enough to eat it.
: + Being on Duty. Things are simpler on patrols and missions; everything boils down to accomplishing a basic goal and survival. He thinks better with a simple task to do.
: + Animals. Though he's not one to show it, David is quite fond of cats and dogs. They return kindness with a simple affection that he finds refreshing.
: + Weather. David likes being in a climate with varied weather, and being stationed in arid regions doesn't make for a lot of change. He loves rain and cold weather, even if he'd rather be inside than out in it.
: + Fighting. David isn't sure why he likes going hand-to-hand with somebody so much, though it may be a release of pent-up emotion or simple pleasure in using his abilities. His grandparents raised him to be a good boy, so he rarely initiates the fight. Give him an excuse, however, and he will take every pleasure in beating you into an unrecognizable pulp. Most of his canon kills have been with bare hands.
*Dislikes
: - Racism and being called "stupid." Nobody likes having this directed at them, but because of shipboard experiences, it's an especially sore subject for David.
: - Injuries and illness. Again, not surprising, but David finds it very aggravating because it is enforced idleness.
: - Being in the spotlight. David would much rather be the one watching then the one everyone is watching. If singled out to perform any task that is not part of his job description, he will usually just refuse (and leave, if you won't drop it).
: - People. David doesn't automatically hate people, but they tend to come with annoying traits, like being loud or nosy. He especially dislikes the ones that think they are inherently better than others.
==Relationships==
RED
- Chad: Arrogant, nosy, and agressive, this scout rubs David all the wrong ways. He's even been seen to provoke the RED on occasion. Their spats usually end poorly for Chad, since David is enough of a tactician to corner him where his agility and speed are useless.
- Clark Ballard: After getting smashed in the face with a barrel and then having his throat cut, David has learned not to underestimate the RED team boss just because he is a non-combat class. Next time, he'll take backup that can keep a hold on their guns. (He's looking at you, Lucius.)
- Zachary Creedon: They've only had the one encounter, and David lost to his rockets. He's not precisely holding a grudge, but he will remember that.
- Zach Tailor: David honestly doesn't know what to think of the medic. Normally, he's content to leave the man alone unless he's on the wrong side of the line. After getting knocked out by his sedatives when on a foray into RED territory, he's been less complacent. He considers tranquilizers dirty fighting and dislikes the idea of being vulnerable like that.
BLU
- Andy Gorman: Initially, these two hit it off pretty well. Andy was willing to take the time to coax David into trying new things and wasn't deterred by the deadpan exterior. However, things have been rocky of late. Concerned about his friendships being used against him, David withdrew and actively avoided contact. With the removal of a close bond, their personalities tend to push each other's buttons.
- Christian Bangalter: The pyro isn't very outgoing or aggressive, and David likes that. He finds it easy to slide into a "protective" role for Christian, and is willing to lend a hand for nearly anything, so long as you don't expect him to talk. David carved a bee for him out of wood.
- Hahana: David doesn't often see the demolady, but she is one of the few people he trusts to not judge him on his skin color. She watched him carve a sea turtle out of wood, and he gave it to her when she seemed to like it.
- Lloyd Albertson: Probably the closest thing David has to a friend right now. David spends a lot of time with the engineer, and their relationship has progressed to the point where he will occasionally crack jokes. It amuses him when Lloyd isn't sure how to take these. He has one of Lloyd's bug robots, and when encouraged to take more, sent several to his cousins in Samoa.
- Matthew Weaver: Their military backgrounds make for a lot in common. David appreciates his ability to focus on duty when needed.
- Maxwell and Teddy: David made the mistake of trying to break up a fight between these two, and both lashed back at him. Use of his particular sore spots in the ensuing confrontation means he's not likely to be fond of these medics any time soon.
- Lucius Ruffin: David and Lucius arrived at BLU in the same wave of recruits, so they have at least met. They don't have much in common, but they occasionally use each other as workout or sparring buddies. Also, he has a cat.
- Ref and Tea: It's not unheard of for David to run into one of BLU base's resident cats and spend a few minutes petting them or tossing things for them to chase. But cats are cats, and he lets them be the ones to initiate contact.
Category:Blu
Category:Heavy
Category:David
Category:Characters