History and Personality

[falsepretences]

Character Name: Jordan Anthony Novak
Age: 25 [November 17, 1986]
Suit/Rank: Ten of Hearts

History: Jordan was born in Spades, the first son of Laureline Novak, a Ten and Medea's Head of Training, and Dwayne Novak, a Nine and the Queen's enforcer. He was raised from a young age to be a perfect Spade, learning both martial skills and manipulation at his parents' side and being trained to one day take down David as the King of Spades. But then disaster struck in the form of Dwayne Novak's murder.

In truth, the murderer was Jordan's own mother, Laureline, and the reason was to protect both Laureline and Jordan's younger brother Hadyn - who wasn't a Novak, but a Kattalakis, and the half-brother of Zoë Kattalakis - but both boys were told that Dwayne was killed to serve David's purposes. And it wouldn't be the first time, would it? After all, the Spade King had been the Court Assassin once, and wasn't above getting rid of obstacles to his vision for the Spades. Who was more of an obstacle than the mad queen's enforcer, after all? And with Athena rising fast to take Medea's place, the Spades was no safe place for Dwayne's remaining family. So the Novak fled the Suit and joined the Hearts instead. The plan remained the same; Jordan would be King, Hadyn would be Ace.

Of Hearts.

This knowledge wasn't much of a comfort to Jordan, though, who missed the father he wasn't permitted to grieve for, and missed his friends, and missed being able to actually be himself. As a result, he was a moody, vicious teenager who made no friends in the Hearts and felt constantly under suspicion, even as he grew up and took his place as a Two of Hearts. Eventually the moodiness gave way to a rather cynical charm, and Jordan began to excel at playing a Heart. He never let them in, though, just as they never let him in, and ultimately that was his downfall when the ailing King of Hearts told him he wouldn't be his choice of successors.

With his hopes dashed, Jordan is beginning, now, to wonder what the point of it is. He's spent his life scheming, after all, and striving upward, and it's gotten him nowhere. He's left a Ten of Hearts - an honorable rank, at least - but with few friends and no true confidantes except his younger brother and his uncle. The Hearts, he's come to believe, would never accept him as King. The Spades would never accept him back in their ranks, and he wouldn't be any more at home in either the Clubs or the Diamonds. So he's continuing along the path he's always been on, but for the most part it's because he doesn't see another path that's open to him.

Personality: Seemingly warm and charming - though with an undeniably sarcastic, sardonic and superior air - Jordan is nonetheless a ruthless man, willing to do what's necessary to get what he wants. Intensely goal-oriented, very little with distract him from achieving what he desires, and he's fiercely loyal to his family and his family goals. Jordan is a good soldier first of all, and he seldom questions his mother's plans and orders.

He's easily frustrated and disappointed, though, and doesn't handle it well when his plans are thwarted - whether he's angry that he was passed over for Jack in favor of Athena or disappointed with the knowledge that he will not be the King of Hearts. He has a fierce, vicious, violent temper, and spent much of his teenaged years bullying Hadyn and other Hearts his brother's age; in part this was because Laureline's favorite has always been her youngest, and with Dwayne dead, there wasn't a parent who preferred Jordan, and he knew it.

He still does know it, though his reaction these days is to seek his mother's approval by being the perfect Bernard-Novak.

Appearance: Jordan is tall, 6'0, and lean, build more like a swimmer than a body-builder. He's nonetheless very strong from years of training, and his slim appearance hides firm, developed muscles. Jordan has chocolate-brown eyes and brown hair, though a lighter shade than his younger brothers, and pale, even skin. He dresses something like a J.Crew ad - crisp button-front shirts in colors and patterns, sweaters, dress trousers and loafers and wingtips. His favorite accessory is a fedora, an affectation he picked up as a teenager, and maintains to this day; he has a fedora that coordinates with every outfit.

Character PB: Ed Westwick
Why this Suit? Jordan is a Heart because he was made to be a Heart. In truth, he still would fit better in the Spades, but he also has the - probably paranoid - belief that David would have him killed if he went home. He doesn't fit into the Clubs or Diamonds any better, so he'll remain a Heart.

And despite his own thoughts on the matter, Jordan does have a good heart, and he's not as cold and vicious a person as he likes to think, so if he ever does allow himself to open up, he'll make a good Heart - though sharper and more ruthless than the norm.

Challenges:

Age 15: Enters the Hearts as a Two and receives permission to challenge Reyes Martinsson (4♥) in fencing. He won decisively and was countered in wushu, which he was also judged the clear winner of.

Age 16: Challenged by Mykhaila Ishtar (3♥) in Where's Waldo. Linefaces forever Locates Waldo in two minutes, ending the contest.

Age 17: Challenges Deòrsa Lim (5♥) in Eight-Ball and wins. Deòrsa counters in darts, which Jordan wins with a score of 170.

Age 18: Challenges Alishia Liliya (6♥) in Go, wins with a score of 247. Alishia counters in chess, which Jordan wins.

Age 20: Challenges Nathaniel Lodewijk (7♥) in archery, wins with a score of 56-45. Nathaniel counters in badminton, which Jordan wins with a score of 16-14.

Age 22: Challenges Bernard Heidrich (8♥) in kickboxing, wins four rounds out of five. Bernard does not counter.

Age 23: Challenges Cassandra Devin (9♥) in knife throwing, wins with a score of 28-23. Cassandra counters in croquet, which Jordan wins with a score of 30-26.

Age 25: Challenges Blythe Merrick (10♥) in ping-pong, wins five games to three. Is not countered.