*THE APPLICANT*

Name/Handle:Maus
Contact Details:e-mail:s.tartan@yahoo.com
Personal LJ:

fliegenmaus


*THE CHARACTER*

Fandom:The Desert Peach
Character Name: Manfred Pfirisch Marie Rommel (Goes by “Pfirisch Rommel” though)
Background/History Link:Pfirisch Rommel was born in 1900 in Heidenheim, Germany, in the Kingdom of Württemberg (this area is also known as a part of "Swabia" or "Schwabia" in German.) He may have very well lived a normal, boring life ( as much as he could despite being homosexual) if his older brother hadn’t been the Desert Fox; Erwin Rommel. From the time they were young the two brothers were very close, and when ambitious Erwin joined the army at the onset of World War I Pfirisch dutifully followed him.


Both brothers survived the war, back home Erwin concentrated on his career as a teacher at a military academy and writing a famous book on strategy and Pfirisch went to college to become an engineer and also attained a teaching credential. He also traveled extensively and made friends wherever he went; to France, to England, and Greece. At this time he became engaged to an unfortunate young woman and while still doing his best to be discreet about his sexuality he in the end broke off the engagement knowing he could not destroy her life by lying to her and himself. His brother was less than pleased about the entire affair.


At the outbreak of World War II once again Erwin and Pfirisch were drafted. Erwin was solicited by the fuehrer himself for strategic advice and soon became one of his top generals. Pfirisch was less than pleased with his brother’s new found friendship with “Adolf” though Pfirisch as well mannered as ever invited the man into his home for tea occasionally. He followed his brother on his military campaigns through Poland and later France. It was after the fall of France, in Paris, Pfirisch met quite possibly the love of his life; Luftwaffe pilot Oberleutnant Rosen Kavalier.


In 1940 Erwin Rommel was given charge of two panzer divisions during the campaign in Africa. His brother, now a Colonel, or “Oberst” in his own language, was given charge of the Corps’ dregs and misfits. However undaunted Pfirisch began to construct something of his own reality within the desert. He invited over the local English Commanders to tea and negotiated a "no fighting" zone around his camp. Thus his camp, most likely unintentionally, becomes a safe place for soldiers on all sides of the conflict.

Through his air of a mannerly school teacher Pfirisch begins to civilize and care for his men, while they in turn come to care for him; even bestowing him the affectionate name of "Der Alte" (The Old Man). Pfirisch's escapades in the desert range from diverting negative attention from high-ranking nazis via one of his men accidentally ingesting drugs and putting on a "swastika rally", dressing as a woman to retrieve plans for his brother in England, rescuing one of his men from the local arabs after the man steals their camels, and many other amusing things he may tell you about after a little beer.

That is, until one day after becoming ill after a corpse is split with a spade near him as his unit is a grave-digging unit, and he falls into a deep sleep and awakes somewhere very far away.

Personality:Pfirisch is someone who believes good etiquette and fancy manners are absolutely indispensable in any social stituation; including war. As for war he is reluctant to participate in armed combat. Not because he is a coward, indeed Pfirisch is rightfully called "stupid with courage" as through-out his career in the second world war he found loopholes in nazi policies and often acted upon them to help those the nazis targeted. Not to mention the whole sleeping with a MALE pilot thing. No, Pfirisch is loathe to take human life at any cost, not that he does not have the ability to do so though.


Pfirisch has hidden his sexuality or years behind the facade of being a "dandy". However one must understand Pfirisch is vain about his appearance and as he is now forty is sensitive about his age. Pfirisch may indeed seem like a vain airhead at times; he is idealistic, walks like a virgin school girl, and is "old fashioned". However, the man has been through one world war and involved in another; he does indeed know things. He also does posses a mean streak as well, however one must really gall him before it comes out though.


Preferred Army:New Utopia Ex Favila

Non-Military Job:

Math teacher of children.(His main post-ww1 career) Engineer


*SAMPLES*

First-person Sample:

After a few drinks

"My brother is the reason I have a bad hip you know. Not that he ever takes this into account whenever he wants to drag me across Europe so he can have another headline in the newspapers. We were both fresh out of the army after the first war and had just come back home to Schwabia. He says one day to me, 'Pfirisch let's saddle up ol' Fridl and Madl and have a good gallop!'

"However one must understand except for myself and Erwin no one in my family rides! Fridl and Madl were terribly barn sour, as I pointed out to him. He told me, and I quote, 'Pfirisch we served in Romania together and you're scared of a little mare? Tja, your balls get shot off when I wasn't lookin'?'


"Himmel, the man is so crass, so Schwabian, that I just knew he was going to do something foolish so of course I had to come along! So of course at the first river bank Fridl shies, and dumps me right into the water and on top of an underwater boulder! My hip was totally smashed! I couldn't get out of bed for weeks! And do you want to know what that little man said to me?

'Jesu Pfirisch, maybe you should have stayed home, your riding skills have certainly gone down.'

"...As angry as I was then if I had known I was going to come here, I wouldn't have told him I couldn't hear him with his head between his legs. Gott, how I miss him."


Third-person Sample:

Sometimes I wonder if I am not walking in a dream. Pfirisch thought to himself as he gazed outside his window. New Utopia had sounded like a perfect name for this place he had come to. It was so peaceful, too peaceful in fact. He could not help but to wonder if he was not only having a particularily vivid fever dream. The last thing he remembered was Udo bedding him down in his tent.

He had read the letter, attempted to make sense of the strange metal box that opened into some sort of type writer. It was unfortunately broken though, he had hit the keys and they had not worked. The letter had said he had been summoned here to rebuild a decimated population. Decimated by a war that sounded like it surpassed even The Great War in causalities. Well perhaps there was some small comfort that not only people of his world fought. It was a greater comfort though to have come to the apparently pacifist state.

He smiled, he had already decided; he would do everything he could to help these people.