User Name/Nick: Laus.
Method of Contact: blackspire or PM.
Other Characters Currently In-Game: Steve Harrington, Lestat de Lioncourt.

Character Name: Tim Gutterson.
Series: Justified.
Age: 32.
From When?: End of series.

Warden Justification: First and foremost, there's the obvious answer in that Tim is a member of federal law enforcement and deals with criminals on the daily. While the extent of his job is mostly to wrangle the bad guys and not actually interact with them during their sentences, he knows how to handle himself around inmates of all threat levels. Being a Deputy US Marshal also means Tim's got training in de-escalation methods, giving him a leg up when it comes to potentially high-strung inmates. Then there's also the fact that Tim was not only in the military, but he was an Army Ranger, things that require team cooperation as well as stepping up into leadership roles and taking charge of situations. His professional background has helped him become quick thinking while remaining calm under pressure.

In fact, Tim seems to always exude calmness. It takes a lot to throw him off his game, and even in situations where he has every right to lose his cool, he keeps his level-head. Inmates that might like to rile people up would have a hard time getting a rise out of Tim. He also isn't worried about speaking his mind. Tim's not the sort to sugar coat things, and he isn't the sort to launch into lectures. Most things he has to say are delivered as bluntly and clearly as possible. If an inmate's behaving badly, Tim's not going to be afraid to call them out on it. Sometimes you just need to tell a person they're being an asshole for them to realize it themselves, and he's the sort of man to expect this to go both ways. He doesn't mind a taste of his own medicine and his cool nature means he won't over-react if someone gives him shit right back.

He's not just a tough-and-quiet ex-soldier-turned-Fed who dishes out tough love, though. Despite all the fugitives and criminals he encounters, Tim never appears to pass judgment at face value. He fully believes they should answer for their crimes, but he knows that, behind those charges, there are real people with real problems. Being a veteran means he's known a lot of people who might have gone down the wrong path when they lost purpose in their lives. One of his closest friends, Mark, is a drug-addicted veteran and Tim is glad to go out of his way to try and help Mark out. He has a real conversation with a female inmate he's helping transport, showing interest in getting to learn more about her than what it says on paper. He even opts to play a game of Scrabble with Public Enemy Number One to pass the time, and talks to a fellow veteran about life during and after the war despite knowing they're on opposite sides of the law (in this case, too, Tim extended the offer to help the man get himself on a better path). He'd rather exchange conversation in the form of banter and quips, letting people decide how much they want to tell him instead of demanding information. At the end of the day, while Tim has the resume of a good warden, he won't treat inmates any differently for the choices that put them where they are. He's also got a knack for patience. Being a trained sniper, Tim talks about spending several days just watching targets before taking any action, so it's easy for him to commit to something for the long run.

Item: A pair of aviator sunglasses.

Abilities/Powers: Apart from being a crackshot with basically any fire-arm you might put in his hands and having all those good skills that come with being in the military and the Army Rangers, Tim's just a normal guy with normal guy stuff.

Wardening Strategies and Philosophies:

Coming to the Barge will definitely be a mental challenge for Tim more than anything. His skepticism will be something that'll linger for a few months, but more than that, Tim very likely suffers from PTSD. While it's speculated by other characters that this is the case, there are moments where it's teased on screen as well (for example, the way the filming is done when he discovers the death of his friend and how Tim seems to be checked out mentally for the first time in the series). The abrupt shift in day-to-day life, combined with the confines of being on a ship, will likely put some stress on that condition that he'll have to learn to cope with. He'll seek out familiar comforts of reading, snacking, and using the Enclosure, but ultimately the excitement of the events will pull focus from his mental state and give him something to focus his energy on.

In regards to being assigned the role of warden, for Tim that will make sense. It's a logical extension of his job back home, he's good at his job back home, and he doesn't consider himself to be a bad person. He's used to being there for people, too. The army obviously drilled the idea of no man left behind into him, but he extends this to people on the other side of the law just as easily. If Tim is charged with prisoner transport or protecting them for any reason, he takes that role seriously. Even if it's brief, it's what's right and what's expected of him. He'll view his warden assignment this way, too.

Tim won't view his inmate as strictly an inmate. While the knowledge is there that his inmate will have done something to warrant this situation, Tim doesn't see the point in constantly reminding them of that. Obviously his inmate won't need him pointing it out. At the start, engagement will be a lot like any new acquaintanceship. Tim will rely on his laid-back demeanour and own stubbornness to lay the foundations of the warden-inmate relationship, using as much small talk or shooting-the-shit as needed to keep things low pressure at the start. Given that he keeps his own cards close to his chest, Tim's plan would be to give up details about his own life here and there. He's not looking for a life story right away, but he also isn't the type of person that would ask someone to do something he's not willing to do. The hope would be that if he can be open about himself, his inmate would follow suit. He'd especially focus on his own struggles and being open with dealing with those, from a rocky home life that eventually pushed him to follow a military career to learning to deal with his PTSD on a daily basis to the times when he really wanted to make the bad choice but chose the good one. The way Tim sees it, people don't usually get second chances like this, and usually the best way to help someone is to show them that at least someone out there isn't giving up on them. Mistakes and relapses happen. It won't give cause for Tim to ditch them. If his inmate expresses even the smallest interest in wanting to find their redemption, Tim will be all-in with them.

Tim's wardening strengths are echoed in his warden justification. It takes a lot to flap him. While things will certainly surprise him, he's got the experience and mindfulness to keep himself collected. Even when people might attempt to verbally or physically get under his skin, Tim's not going to let faze him. His first response to potentially bad situations is to try and talk all the involved parties down, meaning he won't act impulsively or rashly to situation his inmate may be in or cause. He'll be honest and upfront about things, he won't be judgemental about the actions that gave his inmate that status, but he'll also provide tough love if his inmate needs someone to point out that maybe they need to rethink the choice they're about to make. His considerable patience is also an ideal strength when it comes to wardening. He can put up with things for a long time and play the waiting game easily. Tim won't feel the need to rush the process and won't mind doing things the "right way", and he won't get easily annoyed if his inmate is dragging their feet on something. And while it might be easy to say his easy-going attitude can be a strength, too, it's that same nonchalantness that may present a big weakness in his wardening. It wouldn't be hard for someone to interpret him being laid back as being disinterested. Whether he means to or not, if he comes across as disengaged it could provide some friction with his inmate. More sensitive inmates may also have hard time with Tim's forwardness. His method of speaking both bluntly could come off as abrasive, not to mention his usually sarcastic tone of voice as well. His other weakness is his own mental health. His probable PTSD, along with signs of potential alcoholism to deal with it, could cause rifts between him and others. While he has a good handle on these issues in his daily life, the unique situation of the barge puts this condition under abnormal stress and he'll need to re-evaluate his own coping habits and self-awareness. His response would, of course, be to put all that focus and energy on his inmate, but leaving his own issues unaddressed leaves some room for potential conflict down the road if he isn't careful. Tim also holds himself to a high standard and could unintentionally enforce those standards on someone else.

When it comes to pairings, Tim would be best suited to someone considered to be more of a "problem inmate." He's dealt with people who have committed all sorts of offences, so he won't be intimidated by or take issue with an inmate who comes from a serious criminal or totally wild background. Judging by the fact he chose the Marshal service as his civilian career, it's easy to say that he likes to maintain a degree of excitement in his life that most people would prefer to avoid. An inmate that makes him put in the work and keeps him on his toes would be his ideal candidate. He'd also be better paired with someone who doesn't take things personally and who can handle sarcasm along with honesty, because that's who Tim is and he won't go changing himself just to coddle someone. With that said, inmates on the sensitive side, or inmates that are more compliant and quiet, wouldn't be the best fit for Tim. While he respects that everyone needs help, an easier-going inmate could cause frustration because there's not an element of a challenge. For this reason, he also wouldn't be keen to be partnered with someone close to the end of their inmate journey. The best inmate for him would be able to go toe-to-toe with him in wits and sass, be able to take a joke while dishing them out, and, on a deeper level that Tim will never acknowledge, be someone who can help him learn how to navigate his own issues, too.

Deal: Tim would like his friend, Mark, to get the proper help he needed (and thus rectify Mark's untimely and unfair death).

History: Here.

Sample Network Entry: Here.

Sample RP: Here (TDM post and threads).

Special Notes: I've spoken to Arma about bringing in a Justified cast-mate, and I've gotten the go-ahead from other players in game who had CR with the previous Tim and who were CR adjacent.