BUTLERBARROW ,

* ⅋ rules.

001. standard roleplay ettiquette applies — be nice, no god-modding, try to match my length & I'll try to match yours, etc, etc. I won't tolerate any form of sexism, racism, homophobia or transphobia here.002. this blog is 18+, minors dni. mun is over 25.003. I format and style my posts with icons, small text, and additional italics, bold, and some strikethroughs to show character thought process. you do not need to match my styalisation. if any of my formatting is difficult to read then let me know and I will adjust for our threads.004. there will likely be some triggering content on this blog (including, but not limited to, mentions of alcohol, self harm, suicide, death, violence and injury). these will be tagged as cw: content. I am okay with writing darker themes with partners that I trust, but there has to be an open dialogue about the thread first. I will not rp r#pe or s/a, although am fine with it being a part of a character's backstory.005 along that same train of thought, there will be mentions of period-typical homophobia on this blog. thomas is gay in a time when that was not an acceptable thing to be and, as such, I will occasionally be using some outdated terminology when refering to the idea of queerness in the early 20th century. (i.e deviancy, sexual inversion, etc).
see this post for some more info.006. if nsfw content appears on this blog, it will be tagged as such, and anything graphic will be placed under a 'read more'. this includes, but is not limited to smut. I will not rp graphic smut with anyone under the age of 21.007. ㅤthis blog is multi-ship, although thomas is quite guarded due to past experiences, and tends to hold people at an arms length. he is a difficult person to get close to, but it's not impossible - he just requires a lot of care and patience when it comes to emotions. ships won't be forced and rely on plotting & building things organically. chemistry is important between both the muses and the writers.DISCLAIMERS. mun =/= muse. there are aspects of thomas that are rather unsavory, he is a complicated person and has done some questionable things in his life, for a plethora of reasons. mun does not excuse his bitterness, his attitude, or condone some of his more problematic actions, but it is this complexity that makes him such a compelling character in my opinion.
in regards to that kiss scene; it was incredibly stupid of him and, even if jimmy kent had returned his feelings, kissing someone while they are sleeping is extremely inappropriate. this interpretation sees that thomas deeply regrets these actions. even though he had been led on and tricked into believing that jimmy liked him in that way, he wasn't thinking clearly and acted out of desperation, and acknowledges that it was not okay.CREDITS. I do not claim the rights to the character of thomas barrow or to downton abbey. this blog is just for personal entertainment purposes. faceclaim is robert james-collier, whom I have no affiliation with, nor represent. all icons and graphics used were made by me unless otherwise stated. psd used is "hunter" by anniexoxos.slow to respond, but usually lurking. also found over on @fcknzombies

* ⅋ dossier.

# name : thomas barrow
# date of birth : 5th august, 1890
# location : downton abbey, yorkshire. occasionally grantham house, london, when required.
# species : human
# gender : cis male
# orientation : homosexual
# social status : working class
# occupation : butler, under-butler (former), corporal, later lance sergeant (former), first footman (former)
# hair : black, short, neatly slicked over and styled with pommade. greying temples as he gets older.
# height : 6' 2 (1.88m)
# eyes : grey, sharp.
# vices : smoking.
# other : significant scarring on his left hand, a gunshot wound, hidden with a white half-glove. healed-over self harm scars on his wrists.

FATHER
clock maker from lancaster, difficult relationship. estranged.MOTHER
deceased.SIBLING
older sister, distant relationship. will occasionally exchange letters, but essentially estranged.FRIENDS
jimmy kent, sybil crawley, sarah o'brien (formerly), phyllis baxter, george crawley, sybbie branson.ENEMIES
sarah o'brien.ROMANTIC INTERESTS
sir phillip villiers - the duke of crowborough (former), lieutenant edward courtney (potentially), jimmy kent (unrequited), richard ellis (former), guy dexter.

APPEARANCEstanding tall, with sharp, angular features, and always smartly dressed, thomas cuts an imposing figure. the appearance of male domestic workers like himself were considered important - since a footman was for show as much as work, his good looks were highly prized, including a tall stature and well-turned legs. all this to say, thomas is good looking and he knows it.
maintaining a clean-shaven jaw, his dark hair most commonly slicked back and to the side, held in place with pommade, and cut to a neat and professional length.his livery, his uniform, is fit to size and cut to emphasise broad shoulders and slender hips. these clothes are treated with the upmost care, cleaned daily and his shoes are always polished. even his casual clothes are bought to the highest standard his wages can afford. after all, thomas's position in the household staff means that he is a physical representation of the house and of his employers, even in his own free time he cannot be seen to dress or act in a way that may bring unsavoury attention to the Crawley's.
this preening also comes from a place of personal pride. thomas likes to look good, and wants to excel in his life, his career - the first step is to dress the part.an odd addition to barrow's wardrobe is the half-glove that he wears near-constantly on his left hand. made of sturdy a white leather and is both a practical and aesthetic item, acting as a support for his weaker hand and additionally hiding the ugly mess of scars from his war wound. he is never without it.PERSONALITYsly, conniving and smarmy, thomas has a reputation both downstairs and upstairs as being a bit of a schemer. he's intelligent, yes, but he believes himself to be cleverer than he actually is, which often lands him in trouble - the various plans he puts in place to escape a life in service, or land the promotion he seeks, often backfiring entirely. more than once, his job has been on the line due to his actions.
he is an ambitious man, who's main priority is himself, and thomas is not above pulling other people down to get ahead in life. he isn't afraid to ruin other people's lives if they deserve it, and if it lands him what he wants.he is rather reserved around other people and keeps himself to himself, although always happy to inject a little snarky comment into a conversation.
thomas is a difficult man to get close to, emotionally, and highly values his privacy. this is, in part at least, due to his sexuality. thomas' homosexuality is a relatively open secret - even the family he serves have indicated that they know about his 'deviance' - but even so, it is forbidden in the early 20th century, highly illegal. the wrong information in the wrong hands, and a meer accusation of homosexuality would ruin thomas' career, his life, and wind up with him in jail.
thomas longs for love, although it is a difficult thing to achieve as a homosexual man in the early 1900s. he has had some flings, although they too often backfire and end poorly, which only adds to his resentment of others.people knowing him is a danger he cannot risk, so he keeps everyone at an arms length. but this leads to him becoming quite a lonely, bitter person. and he doesn't help himself - making more enemies than friends with his constant plotting, standoffish nature, and bullying of some of the other servants.underneath it all, however, there is a shred of gentleness and kindness to the man. he is good with animals, and children. he's brave and if you get on, and stay on, his good side, he can be loyal to a fault.likes reading, music, dancing, smoking, playing cards, sports (particularly cricket, but he is also good at football, boxing, horse racing, rugby and tennis)dislikes the class system, being overlooked & underappreciated, unnecessary work.BIOGRAPHYwip.link to the fandom wiki in the meantime.