Diederik van Aemstel

((No time to actually rp, but I figured I'd go ahead and post this. B) Only a few days, left, though, and then I will be home--))

Human Name: Diederik Van Aemstel
City Representing: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Human Age: 37
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Birthday/Zodiac: (God, I don't know. NEXT QUESTION. /shot)
Carnival Alliance: Mistique (though he is more like an associate of the carnival)
Special Skills or Talents: Human (specifically, 'Freak') Trafficker, and general supplier of various goods to the crew.
Role in Carnival and how it relates to the history of your character:
(Besides the supplier thing--) Captures and transports the freaks (particularly the 'exotic' ones), utilizing his extensive network over the seas to reach faraway places. Is paid for his services, but isn't directly employed by the carnival. Because of this, he does not stay with the carnies regularly, and is more closely acquainted with the freaks. 
(Represents the Dutch East/West India Trading Companies & colonies, and the fact that 50+% of Amsterdam is immigrants; the Netherlands has a history of attracting foreign workers and refugees. Also, the Dutch were the first to bring the slave trade to America; notable, considering that's where this rp takes place. XD)

Appearance:

6'8"; the Dutch are the tallest people in the world (still, you might think this is exaggerating, but the article I got this info from interviewed a man who was 6'10.5". :I). Smokes a pipe--no, it's not pot. I KNOW YOU WERE THINKING IT. (Everyone in Holland smokes, it seems. I am told that kids start as young as ten, even.) His teeth are pretty crooked, and one is badly chipped. ("How you can spot an American on holiday: their perfect white teeth." /shot)

Special Personal Items: Pipe, Metronome
Anything Else: Extremely stingy; he has a saying that "Only the sun rises for free." He won't do anything for anyone without getting something out of it. Tends to not care how other people conduct themselves, so long as it doesn't affect him. ("Leef en laat leven.")
No-nonsense person. Even when he was wealthy, he was modest about it, and looks down on showiness and avoids non-essentials. He values hard work and is very much a self-made man.
Very direct (has no problem saying 'no' to someone's face) and always keeps steady eye contact, which may be intimidating to others. Avoids superlatives and compliments.
Does not appreciate jokes.
Respects privacy and personal space, and doesn't ask intrusive questions. May come off as being distant or impersonal as a result.

AU Background History:
Started out as a diamond and pearl merchant (symbolizes Kiliaen van Rensselaer, and Girl with a Pearl Earring/"the Mona Lisa of the North"). Sailed under a Spanish captain (Hapsburg/Spanish rule of Netherlands), but grew tired of the poor leadership. Went out to sea for eighty days with him, and lead a mutiny within that time (80-Years War). 
Took over control and founded a highly successful monopoly (which was what the DE/WITC was, in reality) that set up an international network of trading (Dutch colonies). Was so powerful by the age of 20 that, for a time, he could coin his own money, separate from the Netherlands (True facts. The famous British trading companies never eclipsed the Dutch, btw.). But ultimately went bankrupt (eventual fate of the DE/WITC) with the worldwide economic crash. 
Went from being the richest man in the world (Amsterdam's Golden Age = richest city in the world) to so poor that he had to eat dogs and mashed tulip bulbs to survive (the Dutch during WWII). Consequently became tight with money from then on. Has since built his company back up a bit, but nowhere near to the extent that it once was.
He also has nightmares of trying to hide some people from something, and failing (while Amsterdam was taken over by the Nazis, many of the Dutch tried to hide members of the Jewish community, but were found out and deported to the camps, as well). He does not understand what they mean. He plays a metronome (very important invention for the music world, from Amsterdam) at night to avoid these dreams.

Accepted~ B)

Mmmm, loving this man already. B) Amsterdam seems like such a neat place to rp, so I'm really glad someone like you is rping it. (I feel a lot of people often just look at the LOL POT aspect of it instead of anything else really.) SO VERY GLAD SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS DOING HIM. You understand and interpret things so well. <3

OF COURSE, BEATS ME WHY AUGUSTE WOULD EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM A DUTCHMAN. :l (Except for Tulips.) /shottt

@babby: Ty~ <3

@Oppy: Amsterdam is so, so cool. I always loved Holland in general, but especially now that I've seen it. <3 And fffff thank you--I agree, I've seen a few Amsterdams/Hollands/whatevers on the tag before, and it's usually some loser guy addicted to pot and whores. :\ I mean, most of the Dutch people don't even do that shit; it's usually the foreign tourists. And it completely escapes people the reason why they have such laws. :I

OBV because the second best option is the British trading company, so it's a case of the lesser of two evils--/SHOT