Saul Goldblatt

[Saul Goldblatt]

The Basics

Name: Saul Eugene Goldblatt
Nicknames: He had the misfortune of his professors calling him 'Sal' when he was in college, but beyond that, none. And while we're on the subject of names, he prefers not to be called Eugene or Gene.
Age: Fifty (Almost 51)
Orientation: Homosexual
Desired Rank/Job: Law Clerk
Powers: Non-powered.
Play By: Billy Crudup

The Details

Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Any Piercings? None.
Any Tattoos? None.
Any Scars? A few small scars that came about over the years, but nothing that significant. He has telling scars on his fingers from cooking... He isn't careful enough with a knife.
General Appearance: Although Saul does not worry overmuch about his appearance, he does always look well-put together. He has been in his job so long that it is second nature to make himself presentable. When he is in the court room he wears his best suits. Outside of work, he normally wears business casual clothing. Button up shirts, slacks, and nice shoes. It somewhat looks out of place, but during the colder months he has taken to wearing a brown leather jacket over his casual wear. Saul is never without a silver watch. He is known for it, because when he's impatient with another person, or if he is nervous about something, he checks it almost obsessively. At home, he could wear t-shirts and sweats, but it's not something that he wants people outside of his comfort zone knowing.

Saul is actually pretty average looking, standing at 5'9”. His weight has fluctuated throughout the years, depending on how well he is doing in other areas of his life. Being in a stable relationship, with a mostly stable job, has been good to him. He takes better care of himself physically and mentally so that he can be there for Simon. He used to wear glasses, but has since switched to contacts. When he does have his glasses, which he sometimes does when he is at home, he resembles a professor or a doctor.

If he has any facial hair, it's just stubble. He's noticed in the past two years that when he lets it go, it is coming back in grey. He may not care that much about his appearance, but it still makes him nervous to think that soon, the hair on his head might start coming in grey as well. It is a worry that somewhat surprises him, as Simon went grey and looks all the better for it. Maybe it is the fact that the years are finally showing on him in a definite way... All the wasted years! He has always looked a little younger than his age. He has an often contagious smile that makes others trust him easily, and though he might not realize it, his emotions always show in his eyes.
Personality: One's first impression of Saul is usually that he is friendly, genuinely kind, and sympathetic. He likes to listen to the problems of others and offer them solutions. Making a difference in the world has always been a driving force in his life... It's hard for him to turn away from someone that's in trouble. On the downside, Saul is also seen as being a bit of a stick in the mud, and boring, by people that don't know him all that well. Ever since he was young he has put his work ahead of his social life, with the exception of a few people. Now that he's older and more settled down, he has put aside his ambitions to spend more time with his husband.

He doesn't like to put himself and others at undue risk, and hates dealing with conflict. Not only the violent sort, but disagreements that become uncomfortable. Especially when it is two people that he cares about that are having a disagreement, or himself and the person that he loves. He would cave in such situations if it wasn't for his pride, and his need to be in control. That makes him a bit stubborn about most things. And he often believes that he knows what is best for someone else. He doesn't mean to push people to act a certain way, but sometimes he does. It seems to be in contrast with his ordinarily gentle nature. He is the sort of person that seems he would never hurt a fly, let alone another person. He is often good at reading people, but there are some obvious downfalls to that way of thinking. It drives him crazy when he can't get into the mind of another person and understand them.

When he is with people that he cares about Saul can be downright silly, and can find humor in most things. It's not really a good thing, but Saul tries his best to keep things light most of the time. That means that he'll hide things that are bothering him until they are too great a problem to be ignored. By then, it is usually too late to fix them. That was one of the main things that made his relationship with Simon work. While normally Saul would let things fester, Simon is the sort that insists that they talk about things. Saul has gotten better about talking about things that are bothering him because of it.

Your Vices

Likes:
- Challenging himself :: He does not like taking the easy way out if he can help it.
- Bagels :: They were a staple for him when he was a busy law student.
- Tying his lover up :: and letting him do the same. It's an exercise in trust, and of course, control.
- Children :: Despite his sometimes 'boring' nature, they tend to like him and he likes caring for them.
- The smell of coffee
- Spending time alone with his husband
- Meeting with his sister for drinks.
Dislikes:
- Prejudice :: He has dealt with it his whole life; being poor, being gay, being Jewish, even not having powers. It seems that one can be looked down on for any number of reasons that are stupid.
- Chaos :: He prefers more serene environments, and handling things as close to the old-fashioned way as is possible.
- Flings :: While he's had a few of them, commitment is much more appealing to him.
- Places without distinct seasons
- Driving :: It's more that he prefers walking. It relaxes him.
- Conflict :: Particularly between himself and someone that he cares about... Or if two of his friends are at odds.
Strengths:
- He is always on time, no matter what the occasion
- Hates to break promises with people. This goes hand-in-hand with his strong work ethic.
- Baking and making desserts in general. It was something that he just kind of tried and found he enjoyed.
- Saul has great communication skills, and is able to speak with people of different temperaments easily.
- He has a good memory
- His handwriting is both beautiful and legible.
Weaknesses:
- He is a bit of a control freak
- Simon, who could probably get him to do most anything by now
- While he can forgive, he forgets nothing, and something that he thought didn't bother him anymore might make a come back in an argument.
- Is not always calm under pressure. He hates being in a situation where there is a lot of tension, but it's all under the surface... and still obvious.
- He has his own 'organization system'... He knows where everything is, but no one else understands it.
- He can get so caught up in projects and working that he forgets to take care of himself. This was at its peak following a certain break up.
- A small part of him resents those who were born into wealth.
Fears:
- Losing Simon; He feels that he came close enough to that once, he never wants to experience that again.
- Ending up paralyzed. He would hate not being able to do things for himself.
Secret: Well, he did wet the bed for about ten years... Really, he doesn't have that many secrets. He isn't super open about his sexuality when he first meets people. Not because he's ashamed of it, but more because he'd rather they see him for all that he is before they make assumptions based on that one thing.

Family Ties

Father: Elias Goldblatt (Deceased at 68)
Mother: Julia Abigail Goldblatt (75)
Siblings: Ayla Samson nee Goldblatt (45)
Any Other Important People: 
- His husband, Simon Fournier (53)
- Adopted nephew James (14)
- High School Best Friend Gordon Page.

History

Saul was born to a rather poor family in New York. They had each other, they had their faith, but little more than that. When he became an older brother at the age of five, he took on the responsibility quite seriously. He and his sister were quite close all throughout their childhood, and he needed her support. His parents were hard on him, and more strict to him than Ayla, due to the fact that he was their only son. He didn't really need the extra incentive. Saul had been living in a pretty bad neighborhood, and he wanted out of it. He wanted to help his whole family into a better place, so he was always at the top of his class.

As they grew older, Ayla tried unsuccessfully to set him up on dates with her friends because she thought that he was lonely, and needed someone to take care of. With most it would be the other way around, but Saul's nature compelled him to be the nurturer.

Of course, there was a reason that these dates never quite worked out.

Ever since he was a child, Saul knew that he was gay. But he never wanted to be defined by that, or have people make assumptions about other areas of his life based on this. He was a very honest person, especially to those that he cared about, so keeping the secret would have been difficult if not for the fact that he was just not that interested in dating when he was younger. He was attracted to men, but he didn't think that he wanted to spend time on someone if it wasn't going to work out. In the beginning, he was an 'all or nothing' kind of guy, wanting relationships that meant something and weren't just physical. Out of curiosity, when he was seventeen, he did have a one night stand with an older man, but the whole experience left him feeling kind of uncomfortable and drained, so he didn't repeat it.

Following high school, Saul decided to pursue a career in the law. He had always been a very law and rule-abiding young man, but that wasn't the main reason that he took it. He wanted to be challenged every day, and take on a career in which he had to keep his wits sharp. He was excellent with words, and despite the fact that he was always at or near the top of his classes, he'd also always been good at making friends. He never seemed to have a lot of free time in college, but he stayed in contact with Ayla. He had a bit of a scare one weekend when he learned that she had been involved in an accident. She was able to make it through, but was wheelchair bound. He spent his free time in the hospital with her while she was recovering, and somehow, they got on the subject of the secret that he'd long hidden. To his surprise, Ayla's response, that she always knew, took him off guard, but made him a bit more confident somehow. His best friend from high school, Gordon, reacted in much the same way. Maybe he hadn't hidden it as well as he'd thought? His parents were less accepting, and despite his success in other areas, basically wrote him out of their lives.

Getting his judicial clerkship was the proudest moment of Saul's life to that point, though that joy was somewhat reduced due to the fact that his parents wouldn't share in the moment. He had worked hard to be someone that others wanted on their team, and his social skills hadn't hurt, either. He and the judge that he worked for disagreed sometimes, but in the end that turned out to be a good thing, as they saw the bigger picture better. When his clerkship ended, he decided that he would rather stay in the firm because he thought that he made a difference.

Saul's life was relatively simple. He dated a bit more than he used to, but never past the first date, and it never ended in the bedroom. As with his work, he didn't want to pursue something that didn't lead him to a place he wanted to be. That one night stand in high school had been his proof that it just wasn't for him. But his sister had definitely been right about the fact that he needed someone to take care of. Being single worked for him just about as well as a meaningless fling did. He wasn't completely happy with the way things were. That was about the time that Joshua Bernstein entered his life.

When Josh presented a case to the judge that Saul worked for, Saul could immediately tell how seriously he took the work. Most people who had been working in law for more than a few years seemed to lose what they started for, but that didn't seem to be the case with Josh. Maybe he saw a little of himself in the older man, and maybe he just found him fascinating. Either way, he took a chance and put the charm on, though a bit more awkwardly than usual. After all, this was the first time that he actually cared whether or not he succeeded. It was worth it, because soon enough, they were seeing more of each other.

The relationship definitely had its problems, probably more problems than it did positives. But Saul was good at not seeing what he didn't want to. And besides, the good times were pretty damn good. He felt more at ease with himself and the world when they were together. And he had someone that he could take care of, try to even out. However, while Saul admired the way that Josh got into his work, there were... other things. He couldn't quite understand how Josh's brain was wired. And as time went on, he got the feeling that Josh didn't take the relationship as seriously as he did. And, like most of Saul's bad feelings, this one ended up being quite right in a way that he didn't expect.

At a new year's eve party, less than a year after they had started dating, Saul was introduced to one Sean Neville, Josh's best friend. At first he was pleased to meet him. After all, it must have been an extension of trust that Josh wanted him to meet someone that was so important to him. But it soon became clear that there was more to it than that. Saul spent the rest of the night milling through a group of people that he didn't know while trying not to notice the way that his boyfriend was looking at the so-called best friend. Every doubt that he'd shoved to the back of his mind came out at once, and he confronted Josh at the party. It probably didn't help that he had been drinking more than usual with nothing better to do... And the truth came out, carrying more meaning than the actual words did – that Sean would always be important than anyone else to Josh. And Saul could read the hidden layers, and he knew that Josh's heart was always going to belong to Sean, and that their whole relationship was an exercise in futility. The argument ended with Saul breaking things off.

He was lost for a while after that. Even though he was in his mid-thirties, it was his first real break up. It was hard at first not to call Josh and try to make things right, but he had a feeling that it would be pointless. If anything, he would be a place-holder again for the person that Josh really wanted. Had he not even realized himself what was so obvious to everyone else? He did stay away from the dating scene for quite a while after that, feeling bitter. When he did get into dating again, it was the pointless kind of flings that he'd long avoided.

That was the way that he'd originally been thinking when he approached Simon the first time. But it didn't take long for him to realize that though he had thought he wouldn't go for a relationship again, Simon had no trouble at all breaking through the thin walls his history with Josh had built. There was always the fear that it was going to fall through, but he held his breath for a fall that never happened.

Life had gotten to just about everyone, so on the day that he and Simon got married, only his sister was able to attend of his family. But that was alright, as his best friend had also made it... In Simon, Saul had found someone that would let him take care of him, and who seemed to care about him, too. In the end, perhaps the break up with Josh was one of the better things that had ever happened to him, though it had certainly been a blessing in deep disguise! Over the years, he's gotten to a point where he thinks he can forgive him, as no relationship failure could be just one person's fault. But he wouldn't know, as he's not seen him since that day.

Simon and Saul only two short years ago moved to Vermont after a scare with a gun in the court room. He wouldn't have left behind his sister and his nephew for just about anyone else for any other reason, but he knew how close he had come to losing Simon. And if he was to be honest with himself, a change of scenery might have been just what he needed. And Saul wanted a more peaceful place to raise a family. Fatherhood is just in his nature... But he does feel the years weighing on him, and no time better than the present!

Roleplay Example

It was rather difficult for Ardin to behave as the gentleman he was trying to be. He had been quite the pervert pretty much his entire life, and he didn't think that most people deserved the restraint that he was showing now. And she didn't seem to be entirely opposed to the way he was looking. “You... trust me?” That brought him right out of those thoughts. On one hand, she shouldn't trust him or anyone else enough to let them into her hotel at first meeting, and on the other, he had meant it when he said that she had nothing to fear from him. He reached his hand out once again, tentatively, then lightly brushed his fingers along her shoulder. It was hard to believe that she was real, but the feeling was real enough.

He felt rather like a virgin suddenly. He had been with women before, but he had never truly thought about them when doing so. It wasn't like he was going to jump into something right away with Madalyn, but he was definitely testing the waters. It sent a jolt through him at the lightest of touches, something that he hadn't experienced before. Maybe he never had been close with someone that he really trusted before. It was almost absurd that a person like him should feel this way. With some effort he brought his eyes to hers.

“I don't want you to pity me,” he said. He wasn't sure that was the way that she felt, but it seemed to be what her words implied. “I want you to want me around because of who I am, not in spite of who I am.” It seemed like the words would hang there for a time, because it wasn't the sort of thing that he said often. He didn't normally care that much what people thought of him, perhaps because it was never anything good. He laughed a little bit, feeling foolish for saying that when he could simply have let the moment continue on however it might have. Instead, he had to get all sensitive on her.

That wasn't like him... None of this was like him. And he was not ashamed to admit at least to himself that he liked this man better than he liked the usual him.

What About You?

Name: Shalie works =]
Age: 24
Experience: 5 years on paragraph sites.
How Did You Find Us? RPG-D... I may be telling others about this magical place in time.
Ready To Play? YEAH.

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