Reverend Steve Newlin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
vampireamerican) wrote2012-07-16 10:28 pm
vampireamerican) wrote2012-07-16 10:28 pm
Entry tags:
OOC: Application [Last Voyages]
User Name/Nick: Ros
User DW: N/A
AIM/IM: pyrocornflakes @ AIM
E-mail: rosloops at gmail
Other Characters: Arthur
Character Name: Steve fuckin' Newlin
Series: True Blood
Age: 31 years as a human, 4 months as a vampire
From When?: Season 5, Episode 11, when he gets zapped by the fairy elder.
Inmate/Warden: Inmate. Steve's obsessed with power, deeply cynical, and manipulates (and tries to outright buy) people to get what he wants. Before he was a vampire, he tried to start a war between humans and vampires, and was perfectly happy to try to kill Sookie, Jason and any other human he saw as a vampire sympathizer.
As a vampire, he murdered a fuckton of people because he started palling around with the Sanguinista-run Authority and then with Russell Edgington. And he participated in the kidnapping of a (werewolf) child and kept her as a pet.
Item: N/A
Abilities/Powers: Steve has the vampire abilities that are standard to his world. He has increased/supernatural speed and reflexes (as in: he can move so quickly it looks like it's all a blur), as well as greater agility, strength, and endurance than a human being. Being a new vampire, he's not that strong, and Steve isn't a skilled fighter... at all... so this is largely useless on him.
In addition, he can also 'glamour' people. Glamour can range from minor mind control/hypnosis (convincing somebody to hand something to him, for instance, or invite him inside) to complete and extended mind control that can keep an unlucky individual under vampire thrall for hours, with no drive to think or act for themselves. In order to glamour somebody, they typically have to make eye contact and listen to his voice as he talks them into obeying him-- either through calming them down with lies of serenity and peace, or by straight up giving his orders in an authoritative voice. Basically, a glamoured individual will have to tell him the truth, do his bidding, and can have their memories wiped by him. Glamour works best on weak-minded individuals and children; however, telepaths and other supernatural creatures are completely immune to glamour. It's unlikely that glamour would work very long-- if at all-- on strong-willed or genius-level individuals. As a vampire, Steve is also immune to telepathy and mind control. Should somebody attempt to read his mind, they'd get silence.
Steve can also regenerate from injury-- not instantaneously, but fairly quickly. For severe injuries or poisoning, he needs to feed to heal to his full capacity. His blood also carries regenerative properties for those who drink it and will allow them to heal from life-threatening injuries, as well as bring them such side effects as: increased senses, increased sex drive, hallucinations, and increased sexual attraction to him (vampire blood affects different people differently, so what you end up really depends on the sort of person you are/plot devices). If somebody drinks his blood, he's also able to sense their feelings and know when they're in danger, and they will feel a certain closeness with him. In short, he and the person who drinks his blood become intertwined for the rest of their lives.
If he were to turn somebody, Steve would have control over his progeny. They would have to obey direct orders, and he would have an emotional connection to them-- however, he's not going to turn anybody, so it's a moot point.
Steve's also got some bitchin' fangs. Vampire bites seem to vary between pleasant and painful in the show, and how painful/pleasurable his bite is depends on the context: SEXY BITING FOR SEX, PAINFUL BITING FOR FIGHTS. His fangs are usually retracted, so that he looks like a normal man. When angered or aroused, the fangs come out. Also, if he cries, it's blood. Which is gross. His skin's cold, and he has no heartbeat.
Now, onto vampiric weaknesses. Like most vampires, Steve's weak against the sun. He has to sleep during the day, otherwise he begins to feel physically weaker, sluggish, and begin bleeding from his orifices-- such as the ears and nose. Given that he's a young vampire, he can withstand the sun longer than an old one, but it's still horribly painful. He's also extremely weak against silver; just a few thin silver chains draped along his wrists, feet, and neck is enough to burn his skin and completely incapacitate him. He can't move against the silver, and he has to wait for somebody to remove it. Afterwards, he can begin healing.
Also, a stake through the heart will make him deteriorate and explode. It sucks. And, as a vampire, Steve can't enter a residence (in this case, any character's cabin) unless invited-- HOWEVER, he can glamour people into agreeing to let him in, so it's not a fool-proof method of keeping him out. An invitation can be verbally rescinded, and he has to walk out immediately after the invitation is revoked.
As an inmate, he won't have full vampire strength or speed, although he'll be stronger and have better reflexes than he would as a human (his strength won't equal that of a person in peak physical condition, however). He can only glamour for a brief period of time-- a minute, tops, and not on anybody particularly strong-willed (or telepathic). He can still heal faster than a human, but he's got standard Barge limitations on that trait, so a minor injury will heal in a matter of minutes (instead of seconds), and a major injury may take up to hours or days. Feeding can accelerate the healing process. Still immune to mind reading/control, due to the fact that he's still a vampire. Also, he will retain all vampire weaknesses, as well as his blood's bonuses/addictive/emotional bonding properties.
Personality: There are two main sides to Steve: his public persona and his true self. On the outside, he's like every 'hip' youth group pastor you've ever met. He's chipper and wholesome, loves country music and Christian rock, is just a little too preppy and square, and is unnervingly pleasant, even if he's talking about killing all vampires or starting a war. Even as a vampire, this public persona doesn't really change-- except that he replaces all talk of how vampires are evil monsters who don't deserve human rights to explaining that no, really, Jesus loves vampires. In his own words, he's a Christian first and a vampire second. Publicly, he never swears, and it can be difficult, but not impossible, to make him lose control of his bubbly demeanor.
For such a "devout" Christian, Steve doesn't really "get" Christ's teachings, and he's not above deliberately misinterpreting the Bible to spread whatever message he's trying to sell. It's stated by another character that whatever he preaches rarely even makes sense; he just waves the Bible around enough until people believe him. He's more of a propagandist than a preacher, and he'll jump through logical hoops to explain how hatred is good and just in the eyes of the Lord. This is how he cultivates his own Westboro-like following of violently hateful anti-vampire bigots, which in turn may bite him in the ass now that he's, whoops, a vampire. However, the fact of the matter is: Steve doesn't really believe in most of what he preaches. He just says what he needs to in order to gain power, influence and followers.
Behind the big, creepy smile, Steve's a total snake in the grass. Prior to becoming a vampire, he was consumed with obsessive hatred, blaming (correctly, as it turns out) vampires for the death of his father, stepmother and baby sister, which was made to look like a car accident. The few times he starts to lose control publicly, it's usually when the subject of his family's death comes up. While Steve uses the Bible to support his allegations that vampires are evil and deserve to be wiped out, it's clear that he's coming from a deeply personal and selfish place. It's likely that he doesn't really believe in all that he preaches; he just wants revenge.
Underneath his wholesome appearance, Steve is actually deeply unhinged and unstable-- a trait that's more pronounced now that he's a vampire. As a young vampire, he's basically like a hormonal supernatural teenager: he's all about fucking, feeding and killing (the vampire version of sex, drugs and rock and roll). When he's not putting on an act for anybody, he'll often swear and he can become violent. He's not much of a fighter, though, (and is a hair puller) and can be pretty easily bested if he doesn't have some muscle on his side. When his declaration of love is spurned with a side of pity, he immediately snaps and lets his fangs out, demanding that the object of his affection love him, not quite understanding that you can't just make somebody do what you want. Steve doesn't really "get" love. He also thinks that (attempted) biting is a good way to force somebody to love you. He also thinks it's acceptable to outright buy people (luckily, the "seller" didn't agree and wouldn't actually give Jason up to him).
As is probably no surprise to anybody, given how he uses religion, Steve's a deeply cynical individual. After he becomes a vampire, he immediately begins mocking his own faith as a ridiculous fantasy (saying people just want to believe in a nice heaven with fluffy clouds) and mocks the entire human race as being motivated by fear. He claims that he can sell people just about anything. The "good Christian" act is shown to be just that and nothing more. It's hard to say if he ever really believed, or if he simply stopped after being turned.
Going hand-in-hand with that, Steve is a manipulative fellow. He's not above making up outright lies, faking crying and putting together sob stories to get people to let their guard down around him. When Jason refuses to look at him, he makes up a story about how his Maker turned him and then abandoned him, getting Jason to look at him long enough to work some glamour mind whammy. Steve's shown to be pretty skilled at glamouring, in fact, likely due to his manipulative nature. He's able to get Jason to not only invite him in, but to let him duct tape his mouth shut and act completely calm about it, even after Steve releases him from the glamour.
Steve is obsessed with being special, better than everybody else. This is why vampirism has, if anything, given him an even sunnier outlook on life, instead of driven him off a cliff of self loathing. It's another way for him to be special, stronger, more powerful and, bonus, immortal. It's difficult to say whether he was turned willingly or not (he claims it was a "punishment," but he's not the most trustworthy source. Another character refers to him as being "recruited"-- of course, they could have meant that he was recruited into this particular cause post-turning), but either way, he's taken his turning in stride and has used it to his advantage, referring to his current state as a gift and a blessing.
Although he's a bit more unhinged now, vampirism seems to be an improvement for Steve. He's immediately changed his tune and backtracked on all of the hate, crafting a more tolerant public persona and becoming the new face of "mainstreaming" vampires in America. He's also more relaxed and seems to have less baggage. Of course, this could be another act-- in private, he can still be snide and demanding-- but all in all, he seems to be embracing his unlife to the fullest. Another change he's undergone from his transformation into a vampire is he's no longer in a leadership position-- now he takes orders from others, and he doesn't seem to mind it so much. In a sense, it's in keeping with his newfound relaxation. As a very young vampire (only four months, compared to those in their hundreds and thousands), he's nowher near the top of the pecking order anymore; however, he's still trusted with a significant amount of power and influence, being deemed the "new Nan Flanigan" (the former spokesperson for the American Vampire League who has since been killed).
Given the intolerant brand of Christianity he grew up with, Steve's just now coming to terms with his sexuality, proudly proclaiming himself a "gay Vampire-American" in private, but he's not willing to state that in public yet. He was in a loveless (but affectionate) marriage for an unknown amount of time, and it recently blew up in a messy public divorce, thanks to both parties falling for the same man (and one party sleeping with that man and the other party turning into a murderous prick). Steve's reaction to his budding feelings for Jason Stackhouse was to turn all "murderous and whatnot," becoming even more focused on killing all vampires and any humans (including Jason) who tried to stop his crusade. Becoming a vampire helped him to begin to come to terms with his sexuality, and he's starting to admit his feelings, at least to himself and a handful of others. This coming to terms has made him less murderous... but he's still a manipulative prick.
Romantically, Steve is a bit of a child. He's largely inexperienced, likely only having been with his wife and maybe one or two other people before that (since he's not the most devout Christian, it's possible he didn't wait til marriage for his first time), and he's never been in a position where he's been the one who's pursued. When Russell Edgington, older, sophisticated and immensely powerful, takes an interest with him, Steve's completely smitten. It's possible he reciprocated at first because he liked the attention and he wanted to position himself near the most powerful vampire around, but after spending some time together, kidnapping were-pups and murdering fraternities, Steve begins to feel something special for Russell. He's easily taken in by the charm, and he clearly revels in being wooed. For Steve, it's a nice change from having been pursuing somebody wholly uninterested in him. Despite his love for Russell, however, he's still attracted to Jason, whom he considers his first love.
Ultimately, Steve is a survivor, and he'll go with whatever he thinks will gain him the most power and influence while keeping himself safe. When the Authority turns Sanguinista (or, to put it in non-True Blood terms: when the vampire 'government' gets overthrown by zealots and changes their tune from 'mainstreaming' to 'all humans are food; kill them'), Steve is right there with them, stating that he's just so happy to be included. As much as he once was a leader, now he realizes that it's in his best interest to follow. And, since his youth (in vampire terms) makes him all about his basest desires and instincts, he finds that he really enjoys the Sanguinista way of doing things, and thus goes along with the slaughter of humans with gusto. All while keeping his chipper public persona.
On the Barge, Steve will be doubling down on his wholesome Christian persona, acting as though he's just a righteous fellow who, well, may have strayed a few times, but that's for Jesus to judge, not the Admiral. He'll likely keep it up until he doesn't see a benefit in continuing to lie anymore, or until somebody manages to get him to lose his temper, whichever comes first. He won't be a violent inmate, most likely, but if he develops a crush on anyone, he can become obsessive, possessive and manipulative. Mostly, he'll just try to be pleasant and charming while secretly wanting to eat people and looking down on all the humans. He'll also be quietly pining for Russell.
Path to Redemption: Contrary to his good Christian act, Steve's religion isn't actually the best way for a warden to get through to him. He's not the most devout believer, and he's a cynical liar who'll twist the Bible and faith and all that to suit his needs whenever he needs to. What a warden needs is to help him understand how to get by in the world without lying or manipulating others, and to get Steve to see other people as valuable individuals, rather than pawns or things he can possess. His warden will need to fix his disconnect with humanity (as a young vampire, he's got less control over his impulses to feed and kill). A worldier warden who isn't naive and won't fall for his various acts is the best bet, as is a patient warden who'll try to establish trust and a connection with him, rather than try to dominate him.
History: Little is known about Steve Newlin's early history except that his mother died when he was young, and he grew up in a very restrictive household with no pets, since his father was allergic to everything but God. Beyond that: Wiki
Sample Journal Entry: Well hey there, Barge! [He flashes a WHOLESOME SMILE.]
You know, I admire what you do, Wardens. Admiral. Really. It's inspiring work, putting people back on the path of righteousness. [He chuckles good naturedly.] Only I think there was a teeny tiny mistake in sendin' me here. You see, it's not a crime to be a God-fearing, law-abiding vampire American. After all, I'm still a Christian. [He touches his heart.] I still have Jesus Christ in my heart. Now, sure. [He holds up a placating hand.] I know I once strayed from His light and may have acted juuuust a touch, ah, murderous. But I have repented, I have prayed, and the Good Lord has forgiven me.
So! [He claps his hands together.] Who do I talk to about this little mixup?
Sample RP: Well, isn't this just the darnedest thing. Zapped by a fairy, a freaking fairy! The way she smelled, oh, like sex and cotton candy. He could almost taste her blood, even now, even though no trace of her intoxicating scent lingered in the air. The only reminder he has left of his brief encounter is the tingling he feels, right down to his fingertips, from that light of hers hitting him.
It takes Steve a moment to realize where he is. On his bed, in his room at the Authority compound. He's laying on his side, face to face with a picture of him and Russell and their adorable little puppy on his bedside table. He blinks stupidly for a few seconds, then sits up.
"...the fuck...?" he murmurs, eyes slowly scanning the room for anything strange, anything out of the ordinary. How did he end up back here? Did Russell take care of things and bring him all the way back to the Authority? That wouldn't make sense, considering the little... disagreement Russell'd had with them earlier. Maybe he took care of things, swept it all under the rug.
Right, and maybe they all joined hands and sang Kumbayah.
Quickly, Steve shoots off the bed. "Russell?" he calls out, hoping for an answer. There's nothing. He flings his door open and is about to start down the hall, when he realizes that the corridor looks completely different. With a yelp, he slams the door shut. Then, slowly, he tries it again, half-expecting something different.
Still the same strange hallway. What on Earth... How could he be in his room and somewhere else at the same fucking time?
"Oh, lordy," he groans, shutting the door again and leaning back against it. It's then that he notices something strange, a device on his bedside table, just beside the photograph. Maybe it's a clue. Well, might as well see what it is...
Special Notes: N/A
User DW: N/A
AIM/IM: pyrocornflakes @ AIM
E-mail: rosloops at gmail
Other Characters: Arthur
Character Name: Steve fuckin' Newlin
Series: True Blood
Age: 31 years as a human, 4 months as a vampire
From When?: Season 5, Episode 11, when he gets zapped by the fairy elder.
Inmate/Warden: Inmate. Steve's obsessed with power, deeply cynical, and manipulates (and tries to outright buy) people to get what he wants. Before he was a vampire, he tried to start a war between humans and vampires, and was perfectly happy to try to kill Sookie, Jason and any other human he saw as a vampire sympathizer.
As a vampire, he murdered a fuckton of people because he started palling around with the Sanguinista-run Authority and then with Russell Edgington. And he participated in the kidnapping of a (werewolf) child and kept her as a pet.
Item: N/A
Abilities/Powers: Steve has the vampire abilities that are standard to his world. He has increased/supernatural speed and reflexes (as in: he can move so quickly it looks like it's all a blur), as well as greater agility, strength, and endurance than a human being. Being a new vampire, he's not that strong, and Steve isn't a skilled fighter... at all... so this is largely useless on him.
In addition, he can also 'glamour' people. Glamour can range from minor mind control/hypnosis (convincing somebody to hand something to him, for instance, or invite him inside) to complete and extended mind control that can keep an unlucky individual under vampire thrall for hours, with no drive to think or act for themselves. In order to glamour somebody, they typically have to make eye contact and listen to his voice as he talks them into obeying him-- either through calming them down with lies of serenity and peace, or by straight up giving his orders in an authoritative voice. Basically, a glamoured individual will have to tell him the truth, do his bidding, and can have their memories wiped by him. Glamour works best on weak-minded individuals and children; however, telepaths and other supernatural creatures are completely immune to glamour. It's unlikely that glamour would work very long-- if at all-- on strong-willed or genius-level individuals. As a vampire, Steve is also immune to telepathy and mind control. Should somebody attempt to read his mind, they'd get silence.
Steve can also regenerate from injury-- not instantaneously, but fairly quickly. For severe injuries or poisoning, he needs to feed to heal to his full capacity. His blood also carries regenerative properties for those who drink it and will allow them to heal from life-threatening injuries, as well as bring them such side effects as: increased senses, increased sex drive, hallucinations, and increased sexual attraction to him (vampire blood affects different people differently, so what you end up really depends on the sort of person you are/plot devices). If somebody drinks his blood, he's also able to sense their feelings and know when they're in danger, and they will feel a certain closeness with him. In short, he and the person who drinks his blood become intertwined for the rest of their lives.
If he were to turn somebody, Steve would have control over his progeny. They would have to obey direct orders, and he would have an emotional connection to them-- however, he's not going to turn anybody, so it's a moot point.
Steve's also got some bitchin' fangs. Vampire bites seem to vary between pleasant and painful in the show, and how painful/pleasurable his bite is depends on the context: SEXY BITING FOR SEX, PAINFUL BITING FOR FIGHTS. His fangs are usually retracted, so that he looks like a normal man. When angered or aroused, the fangs come out. Also, if he cries, it's blood. Which is gross. His skin's cold, and he has no heartbeat.
Now, onto vampiric weaknesses. Like most vampires, Steve's weak against the sun. He has to sleep during the day, otherwise he begins to feel physically weaker, sluggish, and begin bleeding from his orifices-- such as the ears and nose. Given that he's a young vampire, he can withstand the sun longer than an old one, but it's still horribly painful. He's also extremely weak against silver; just a few thin silver chains draped along his wrists, feet, and neck is enough to burn his skin and completely incapacitate him. He can't move against the silver, and he has to wait for somebody to remove it. Afterwards, he can begin healing.
Also, a stake through the heart will make him deteriorate and explode. It sucks. And, as a vampire, Steve can't enter a residence (in this case, any character's cabin) unless invited-- HOWEVER, he can glamour people into agreeing to let him in, so it's not a fool-proof method of keeping him out. An invitation can be verbally rescinded, and he has to walk out immediately after the invitation is revoked.
As an inmate, he won't have full vampire strength or speed, although he'll be stronger and have better reflexes than he would as a human (his strength won't equal that of a person in peak physical condition, however). He can only glamour for a brief period of time-- a minute, tops, and not on anybody particularly strong-willed (or telepathic). He can still heal faster than a human, but he's got standard Barge limitations on that trait, so a minor injury will heal in a matter of minutes (instead of seconds), and a major injury may take up to hours or days. Feeding can accelerate the healing process. Still immune to mind reading/control, due to the fact that he's still a vampire. Also, he will retain all vampire weaknesses, as well as his blood's bonuses/addictive/emotional bonding properties.
Personality: There are two main sides to Steve: his public persona and his true self. On the outside, he's like every 'hip' youth group pastor you've ever met. He's chipper and wholesome, loves country music and Christian rock, is just a little too preppy and square, and is unnervingly pleasant, even if he's talking about killing all vampires or starting a war. Even as a vampire, this public persona doesn't really change-- except that he replaces all talk of how vampires are evil monsters who don't deserve human rights to explaining that no, really, Jesus loves vampires. In his own words, he's a Christian first and a vampire second. Publicly, he never swears, and it can be difficult, but not impossible, to make him lose control of his bubbly demeanor.
For such a "devout" Christian, Steve doesn't really "get" Christ's teachings, and he's not above deliberately misinterpreting the Bible to spread whatever message he's trying to sell. It's stated by another character that whatever he preaches rarely even makes sense; he just waves the Bible around enough until people believe him. He's more of a propagandist than a preacher, and he'll jump through logical hoops to explain how hatred is good and just in the eyes of the Lord. This is how he cultivates his own Westboro-like following of violently hateful anti-vampire bigots, which in turn may bite him in the ass now that he's, whoops, a vampire. However, the fact of the matter is: Steve doesn't really believe in most of what he preaches. He just says what he needs to in order to gain power, influence and followers.
Behind the big, creepy smile, Steve's a total snake in the grass. Prior to becoming a vampire, he was consumed with obsessive hatred, blaming (correctly, as it turns out) vampires for the death of his father, stepmother and baby sister, which was made to look like a car accident. The few times he starts to lose control publicly, it's usually when the subject of his family's death comes up. While Steve uses the Bible to support his allegations that vampires are evil and deserve to be wiped out, it's clear that he's coming from a deeply personal and selfish place. It's likely that he doesn't really believe in all that he preaches; he just wants revenge.
Underneath his wholesome appearance, Steve is actually deeply unhinged and unstable-- a trait that's more pronounced now that he's a vampire. As a young vampire, he's basically like a hormonal supernatural teenager: he's all about fucking, feeding and killing (the vampire version of sex, drugs and rock and roll). When he's not putting on an act for anybody, he'll often swear and he can become violent. He's not much of a fighter, though, (and is a hair puller) and can be pretty easily bested if he doesn't have some muscle on his side. When his declaration of love is spurned with a side of pity, he immediately snaps and lets his fangs out, demanding that the object of his affection love him, not quite understanding that you can't just make somebody do what you want. Steve doesn't really "get" love. He also thinks that (attempted) biting is a good way to force somebody to love you. He also thinks it's acceptable to outright buy people (luckily, the "seller" didn't agree and wouldn't actually give Jason up to him).
As is probably no surprise to anybody, given how he uses religion, Steve's a deeply cynical individual. After he becomes a vampire, he immediately begins mocking his own faith as a ridiculous fantasy (saying people just want to believe in a nice heaven with fluffy clouds) and mocks the entire human race as being motivated by fear. He claims that he can sell people just about anything. The "good Christian" act is shown to be just that and nothing more. It's hard to say if he ever really believed, or if he simply stopped after being turned.
Going hand-in-hand with that, Steve is a manipulative fellow. He's not above making up outright lies, faking crying and putting together sob stories to get people to let their guard down around him. When Jason refuses to look at him, he makes up a story about how his Maker turned him and then abandoned him, getting Jason to look at him long enough to work some glamour mind whammy. Steve's shown to be pretty skilled at glamouring, in fact, likely due to his manipulative nature. He's able to get Jason to not only invite him in, but to let him duct tape his mouth shut and act completely calm about it, even after Steve releases him from the glamour.
Steve is obsessed with being special, better than everybody else. This is why vampirism has, if anything, given him an even sunnier outlook on life, instead of driven him off a cliff of self loathing. It's another way for him to be special, stronger, more powerful and, bonus, immortal. It's difficult to say whether he was turned willingly or not (he claims it was a "punishment," but he's not the most trustworthy source. Another character refers to him as being "recruited"-- of course, they could have meant that he was recruited into this particular cause post-turning), but either way, he's taken his turning in stride and has used it to his advantage, referring to his current state as a gift and a blessing.
Although he's a bit more unhinged now, vampirism seems to be an improvement for Steve. He's immediately changed his tune and backtracked on all of the hate, crafting a more tolerant public persona and becoming the new face of "mainstreaming" vampires in America. He's also more relaxed and seems to have less baggage. Of course, this could be another act-- in private, he can still be snide and demanding-- but all in all, he seems to be embracing his unlife to the fullest. Another change he's undergone from his transformation into a vampire is he's no longer in a leadership position-- now he takes orders from others, and he doesn't seem to mind it so much. In a sense, it's in keeping with his newfound relaxation. As a very young vampire (only four months, compared to those in their hundreds and thousands), he's nowher near the top of the pecking order anymore; however, he's still trusted with a significant amount of power and influence, being deemed the "new Nan Flanigan" (the former spokesperson for the American Vampire League who has since been killed).
Given the intolerant brand of Christianity he grew up with, Steve's just now coming to terms with his sexuality, proudly proclaiming himself a "gay Vampire-American" in private, but he's not willing to state that in public yet. He was in a loveless (but affectionate) marriage for an unknown amount of time, and it recently blew up in a messy public divorce, thanks to both parties falling for the same man (and one party sleeping with that man and the other party turning into a murderous prick). Steve's reaction to his budding feelings for Jason Stackhouse was to turn all "murderous and whatnot," becoming even more focused on killing all vampires and any humans (including Jason) who tried to stop his crusade. Becoming a vampire helped him to begin to come to terms with his sexuality, and he's starting to admit his feelings, at least to himself and a handful of others. This coming to terms has made him less murderous... but he's still a manipulative prick.
Romantically, Steve is a bit of a child. He's largely inexperienced, likely only having been with his wife and maybe one or two other people before that (since he's not the most devout Christian, it's possible he didn't wait til marriage for his first time), and he's never been in a position where he's been the one who's pursued. When Russell Edgington, older, sophisticated and immensely powerful, takes an interest with him, Steve's completely smitten. It's possible he reciprocated at first because he liked the attention and he wanted to position himself near the most powerful vampire around, but after spending some time together, kidnapping were-pups and murdering fraternities, Steve begins to feel something special for Russell. He's easily taken in by the charm, and he clearly revels in being wooed. For Steve, it's a nice change from having been pursuing somebody wholly uninterested in him. Despite his love for Russell, however, he's still attracted to Jason, whom he considers his first love.
Ultimately, Steve is a survivor, and he'll go with whatever he thinks will gain him the most power and influence while keeping himself safe. When the Authority turns Sanguinista (or, to put it in non-True Blood terms: when the vampire 'government' gets overthrown by zealots and changes their tune from 'mainstreaming' to 'all humans are food; kill them'), Steve is right there with them, stating that he's just so happy to be included. As much as he once was a leader, now he realizes that it's in his best interest to follow. And, since his youth (in vampire terms) makes him all about his basest desires and instincts, he finds that he really enjoys the Sanguinista way of doing things, and thus goes along with the slaughter of humans with gusto. All while keeping his chipper public persona.
On the Barge, Steve will be doubling down on his wholesome Christian persona, acting as though he's just a righteous fellow who, well, may have strayed a few times, but that's for Jesus to judge, not the Admiral. He'll likely keep it up until he doesn't see a benefit in continuing to lie anymore, or until somebody manages to get him to lose his temper, whichever comes first. He won't be a violent inmate, most likely, but if he develops a crush on anyone, he can become obsessive, possessive and manipulative. Mostly, he'll just try to be pleasant and charming while secretly wanting to eat people and looking down on all the humans. He'll also be quietly pining for Russell.
Path to Redemption: Contrary to his good Christian act, Steve's religion isn't actually the best way for a warden to get through to him. He's not the most devout believer, and he's a cynical liar who'll twist the Bible and faith and all that to suit his needs whenever he needs to. What a warden needs is to help him understand how to get by in the world without lying or manipulating others, and to get Steve to see other people as valuable individuals, rather than pawns or things he can possess. His warden will need to fix his disconnect with humanity (as a young vampire, he's got less control over his impulses to feed and kill). A worldier warden who isn't naive and won't fall for his various acts is the best bet, as is a patient warden who'll try to establish trust and a connection with him, rather than try to dominate him.
History: Little is known about Steve Newlin's early history except that his mother died when he was young, and he grew up in a very restrictive household with no pets, since his father was allergic to everything but God. Beyond that: Wiki
Sample Journal Entry: Well hey there, Barge! [He flashes a WHOLESOME SMILE.]
You know, I admire what you do, Wardens. Admiral. Really. It's inspiring work, putting people back on the path of righteousness. [He chuckles good naturedly.] Only I think there was a teeny tiny mistake in sendin' me here. You see, it's not a crime to be a God-fearing, law-abiding vampire American. After all, I'm still a Christian. [He touches his heart.] I still have Jesus Christ in my heart. Now, sure. [He holds up a placating hand.] I know I once strayed from His light and may have acted juuuust a touch, ah, murderous. But I have repented, I have prayed, and the Good Lord has forgiven me.
So! [He claps his hands together.] Who do I talk to about this little mixup?
Sample RP: Well, isn't this just the darnedest thing. Zapped by a fairy, a freaking fairy! The way she smelled, oh, like sex and cotton candy. He could almost taste her blood, even now, even though no trace of her intoxicating scent lingered in the air. The only reminder he has left of his brief encounter is the tingling he feels, right down to his fingertips, from that light of hers hitting him.
It takes Steve a moment to realize where he is. On his bed, in his room at the Authority compound. He's laying on his side, face to face with a picture of him and Russell and their adorable little puppy on his bedside table. He blinks stupidly for a few seconds, then sits up.
"...the fuck...?" he murmurs, eyes slowly scanning the room for anything strange, anything out of the ordinary. How did he end up back here? Did Russell take care of things and bring him all the way back to the Authority? That wouldn't make sense, considering the little... disagreement Russell'd had with them earlier. Maybe he took care of things, swept it all under the rug.
Right, and maybe they all joined hands and sang Kumbayah.
Quickly, Steve shoots off the bed. "Russell?" he calls out, hoping for an answer. There's nothing. He flings his door open and is about to start down the hall, when he realizes that the corridor looks completely different. With a yelp, he slams the door shut. Then, slowly, he tries it again, half-expecting something different.
Still the same strange hallway. What on Earth... How could he be in his room and somewhere else at the same fucking time?
"Oh, lordy," he groans, shutting the door again and leaning back against it. It's then that he notices something strange, a device on his bedside table, just beside the photograph. Maybe it's a clue. Well, might as well see what it is...
Special Notes: N/A