Detective Sullivan

### Physical Description

Long graying hair, a little scruffy, gray-blue eyes, long sleeve shirts and suspenders

## Family and Relationships

### Relative(s)

Unnamed father (deceased), unnamed mother

### Affilations

The Yard

Detective Sullivan is the captain of The Yard force and de facto leader in most situations. Raised incredibly religious, Sullivan lost his faith after finding his father's body floating in a stream, instead choosing to dedicate his life to linguistics and codebreaking. He has a knack for finding young new additions to the force, and he cares for each member like they're his own flesh and blood, though he might have difficulty expressing that sometimes.

## Appearance

Sullivan has long, dark hair that has begun to turn gray with age (and from The Yard's shenanigans). He has sharp grayish-blue eyes, pale skin, and a roman nose. He is partial to wearing button-down shirts with long sleeves and suspenders, usually accompanied by a dark jacket. He also wears wire-frame glasses and appears well-groomed. Sullivan is very tall and has a tendency to loom behind people, not recognizing his own size or serious resting face.

## Personality

Sullivan believes in logic more than he believes in anything else. He has an analytical mind, and finds joy in unraveling puzzles and codes. He has a strong sense of justice, and firmly believes in doing what's right no matter what. Sullivan is very stoic on the outside, but he cares deeply for others, especially the other members of the Yard. He's much more reserved now, but in his past he was very rebellious.

## History

### Childhood

Sullivan’s life was governed by strict rules. His father was a religious man, and demanded strict obedience in the home. Sullivan’s time was filled with either prayer or studies, he was guided by his god and his father, and at times they felt one and the same. He went to catholic school, where he discovered his love of learning. So much of religion was blind faith, so much of his life was blind faith, and finally for once there were clear answers. He loved languages especially. There was an order to them, a logic that he could puzzle out. Something completely incomprehensible could be deciphered with enough work.

When Sullivan was sixteen, his father disappeared. He left for business and never returned. It was like a void opened up. His guiding force was gone. Looking for answers, Sullivan dived into research. People don’t just disappear. There had to be a logical reason. There had to be evidence. Well, Sullivan found evidence. He found dozens of crimes with his father's name and fingerprints attached to them. Then, he found the body of his father floating in the river. Looking down at the blood stained corpse, Sullivan gave up on God that day. He convinced his mother to transfer him to a prestigious academy, and left for college with a promise to never have anything to do with his father or his dirty money ever again. With no father pressuring him to succeed, no higher power to dedicate his life to, Sullivan put the pressure on himself. His life was now filled with study. He had to be the best. Sullivan became obsessed with mysteries. He studied more languages, mastering codes and ciphers.

### 1920-present

When Sullivan graduated, top of his class, he joined a detective force, where he met Washington. Washington was a firecracker, bright and loud and powerful. He had big dreams and the energy to get him there. Sullivan saw himself in the kid. When he broke off to make his own force, to do things his own way, he asked Washington to join him. After that, he grabbed other detectives who showed that same love for the chase, that same drive for answers, that he had as a child. They became his family, he’ll do anything to keep them safe.

## Relationships

### Washington

Washington and Sullivan worked for a few years at the same detective agency, and became friends. Washington was passionate and brilliant, and Sully enjoyed working with him, even if he wasn't always happy with the agency as a whole. When Washington convinced him to start his own agency, Sullivan was happy to have Washington as his first (and only) employee, even if it was more work for both of them. Sullivan loves Washington like a son, and when he hit rock bottom, Sully was there to pick him back up. In turn, Washington was one of the few people Sullivan had met who understood him, a good teammate, and a fantastic companion. Sullivan is frequently proud of Washington, both for the work he does and how far he's come.

### Finn

When Finn showed up at the door of the Yard, asking for a job, Sullivan gave him a chance. Upon discovering Finn was illiterate, Sullivan took him in. Finn spent a few months sleeping on Sully's couch, learning to read and write, and Sullivan found him a good person to live with and an eager student. He admired Finn's dogged determination and curiosity, and was happy to encourage his growth and learning. He's very proud of Finn, though he worries that his almost-son is going to get himself killed one of these days with his dangerous work.

### Lenny

Sullivan had worked a few cases with Lenny, and found him to be incredibly intelligent and skilled as a detective. Though Lenny has fallen more off the deep end at this point, Sullivan treats him with the respect he deserves. Lenny, while sometimes crazy, is a dependable teammate in times of crisis, and Sullivan knows he can trust him when it's important. Though Lenny is a little too old to be like a son to Sullivan, he is a friend.

### IT

Sullivan discovered IT, observing his fantastic mind and hiring him on the spot. He worries about the young man and his strange clothes and behaviors, making sure he isn't in financial troubles with his torn pants, but has generally found IT to be fully capable of taking care of himself. Though he can never really wrap his head around Ian's tech, Sullivan thinks his work is incredible and tries to encourage and support him as best as possible.

### Intern

Sullivan found Intern in the midst of a breakdown one day, and offered her a position to help her get back on her feet. However, as soon as she started the job, she proved herself as an invaluable member of the team. Sullivan sees himself in Irenelle, and while he does not know her past, tries to encourage her unlearning whatever likely religious ideology she was taught and developing her own identity, just like he did. Though he is not very good at communicating his affection, he tries to be gentler with her than he is with the other members of the force.

### Nicole

Nicole proved herself to be an absolute powerhouse in her interview, and Sullivan was happy to add her to the team for some much-needed firepower. He knows she is very capable of handling anything thrown at her, though he is starting to grow worried about her well being and children as he learns more.

### Oisin

Oisin Sacre-Bleu is an old college friend of Sullivan. He was a rebellious punk, and introduced Sullivan to many experiences, usually incredibly wild ones. After college, they both became detectives, and Oisin became a foreign contact in Europe. Though Oisin has always been more wild than Sullivan, they are close friends, and they bonded even more during the France Case.

## Trivia

* Sullivan is really good at card games, though he prefers strategy over speed based ones.
* He is fully capable of smooth talking his way into things, but does not enjoy doing it.
* Though he doesn't have the words for it, Sullivan is asexual aromantic.
	+ The closest thing he has ever felt to romantic attraction is a particular fondness for Ella Fitzgerald.
* Some things Sullivan did in his rebellious phase in college include:
	+ Cocaine. A lot of cocaine. And any other drug he could try
	+ Drank and partied on a regular basis
	+ Survived several days on only cigarettes
	+ Dated multiple women (more trouble than it's worth)
	+ Had gay sex (it was okay)
* Sullivan has a tattoo (it's a Sherlock quote on his leg)
* Sullivan is deathly terrified of deep water, something he shares in common with Nicole.