Aerius Destroven

WIP, man. "Everyone's got a secret. You wouldn't like mine." Background "It's not an interesting story. You can go read a book for one of those." Born an only child in the year 1552 to a middle-class Ul'dahn family, Aerius lived a pleasant, if not dull, childhood. His parents may have struggled here and there to support themselves and their beloved son, but they managed given what they had. Their home was nothing spectacular, especially in the seedy trade capital of Eorzea, and Aerius only recalls being robbed a handful of times. He was envious of some of his more wealthy friends, but he was content with what he had. He likes to think his attitude as a child helped him to appreciate the little things in life. He spent the majority of his time growing up living in his imagination, fantasizing about amazing, faraway lands and the exciting prospect of danger. The thought of leading an epic life was his only aspiration, even if it simultaneously terrified his mother and father. He knew one day he'd conquer those distant mountains and overcome any challenge that came his way. He would become a hero. This is what he will tell you. Personality "I'm excited. Are you excited? I'm excited." Aerius is not the kind of guy you meet often in Eorzea. Where some might be calm, cool, and well-mannered, he is unpredictable, cocky, and sarcastic. He doesn't take many things seriously, he deeply enjoys pushing people's buttons, and he can't stand staying in one place for too long. He's encouraging of others, and he tries to help where he can. There are, of course, just as many low points as there are high points for him, however, and some days the things he's seen and done take their toll on him more visibly than other days. It's times like these that a different side of his—one that he tries his best to keep to himself—rears its ugly head. It's times like these that he can become snarky, short-tempered, bitter, and impatient. It's times where he's not afraid to tell you exactly what he thinks of you and lash out at anyone who has a problem with him. It's a part of him that's far more telling of what he's been through than the one he tries to outwardly present himself as. It's a part of him that he's deeply ashamed of. It's one of the many things he hides. Weapon of Choice "If there's anything I'm good at, it's hitting stuff." For someone who so often finds himself on the business end of a blade, Aerius isn't as much of a fighter as he claims to be. He knows his way around hand-to-hand combat, at least enough to trounce your common beast, but when one considers how little he practices of other forms of combat, it's clear he isn't the strongest or the most skilled. Rather, he can be quickly and easily bested by the right opponent, beaten and broken with little resistance. But this isn't something he's shy about. While he may be incredibly prone to getting his ass handed to him, he's not the type to give up easily. His willpower is easily his finest trait, and no matter what pulls him down, he'll always find a way to get back up. More than anything, this is what he takes pride in. Behind His Back Frequent Rumors Scarce Rumors Player Rumors - "Seems like a right idiot to me. Loud, childish... needs to learn to just shut his mouth once in a while. Mm—maybe once every few minutes." - "Saw him coughin' up a storm behind a few crates one day. Shot me the stink eye once he caught me watchin'. Guy likes 'is privacy, I guess." - "...Why is it that all the men I meet along the way all seem to lack tremendous amounts of tact...yet are the most loyal people I ever encounter?" ~Lily Dawnsworn - "I don't think many people like that guy. This girl hooked him right in the head in the Quicksand the other day; he just got up, dusted himself off, and kept talking with her. Never seen that before." - "Yeah, Pearl Lane knows his name. He spends a lot more time around the thieves and cut-throats than I bet he'd like to admit. Oh, and I'm sure he wouldn't be happy I told you that." - "He is... something else. I think he is not a good man, yet all the same, he is almost too good. Oddly enough, I cannot seem to stay away from him." ~Trisselle Ganathain - "He owes me money—you seen him?" - "He walks and talks like a damned fool, but I've seen fire in his eyes. You just have to know when to look." - "I could never figure out if he was hopeless at dealing with women, or a master of the art. The fact that I've always been intrigued by him leads me to suspect the latter." ~Natalie Mcbeef - ((Feel free to add your own!)) Connections "Can you believe people still hang around me?" Aerius, for better or worse, is an attractive personality. He can bring people together because they enjoy his company, because they have no better alternative, because they want to beat his ass into the ground—the point is that he brings people together. And due to this trait, he comes across quite a variety of different people, some leaving more of a mark on him than others, others probably turned off by his temperament, and none any the wiser of what he really thinks of them. He prefers it that way. These are people that, whether he'd ever openly admit it or not, currently hold some form of significance to him—either as friends, enemies, or something more. Garrett Sancsaron: A young—or seemingly young—thaumaturge who aspires to be something greater. He's shy, introverted, skittish, coy, clumsy, friendly, responsible, loyal, and brave. He stutters almost any time he speaks and strives consistently to make himself a better person than he was the day before. He's prone to accidents, but he's committed to making things right. There are a great many traits of his Aerius knows he's hiding away somewhere, and they're remarkable and admirable in all their own rights, it's just that the man sorely needs to find his own way to bring them out. He has potential, he has the makings of an incredible man, but he's fumbling where he starts. Aerius is determined to help him along the way. Caelia Isularie: In a word: rival. This girl is exceptional in the art of making Aerius' blood boil. She's confrontational in much the same way Aerius is, and that combined with being entirely unafraid of speaking her mind is a perfect recipe for seemingly unending, vicious arguments that will always leave the two of them exhausted and bitter. Aerius can't stand her, and it's almost gotten to the point where just the sound of her voice has conditioned him to lock up and throw on his figurative boxing gloves. She's poked and prodded and dug at him enough that she's begun to uncover a side of him that he sequesters away only for himself. She's one of the few people he currently knows who has seen some of what he has to hide. It scares him. He refuses to let her get any closer, but she's just so stubborn. Lily Dawnsworn: To put it simply, Lily is a mystery to Aerius. Even after the first time they'd spoken to each other, she had piqued his interest. She carries herself like a born leader, someone who is more than confident in their abilities and who has a firm grasp on who they are, who they aspire to be, and where they intend to go. All things Aerius can respect. He admires her, and although she tries to exhibit an air of calm, steadfast collectedness, Aerius knows he's seen a glint of playfulness in her eye. He's grown close to her, closer than he ever intended to, and it terrifies him more and more every time he looks at her that one day he's going to have to push her away to maintain that same distance he'd keep with anybody else. Any feelings he has toward her simply cannot be expressed; he is far too careful to let himself be that vulnerable again, and too selfish to let anyone else into his head. He knows she cares about him; he's seen it in the way she looks at him. That will be her undoing. Trisselle Ganathain: An elezen girl Aerius had met almost through Garrett. She happened to be the unlucky woman Aerius immediately settled on when trying to help Garrett break out of his anti-social shell, and to Aerius' surprise, she's actually grown to befriend him since. She's immaculate, well-spoken, thoughtful, kind, and in Aerius' opinion, deeply conflicted about how she views herself and who she wants to be. She shares many of the introverted and shy traits of Garrett's, even if not for the same reasons, and he's consistently watched her struggle through many an internal conflict. Unfortunately, she's found a means of internal growth that he personally views as reckless and dangerous. She's made it clear that she's happier now than she ever has been, that she's closer to becoming the person she feels she should be, but he simply cannot shake the feeling that if she stays the course, she'll find that her choices have taken her down a far darker path than she could've realized. It isn't just that he's scared because he cares about her—he's scared because he's seen it before. And he's seen it on a much more intimate level than she realizes. Risheid Millen: He moved in and out of Aerius' life in the span of about a month, always speaking of himself in the third person and exhibiting an air of mystery in nearly every movement. He was polite, mindful, and intelligent, and although he never learned much about him, Aerius respected him. He was murdered by a crazed black mage at the tail end of a greater plot that had swept up Aerius, Risheid, Caelia, and several others. By the time Aerius had found him, he was too far-gone to resuscitate, and he slipped away before Aerius could even do anything to bring him peace in his last moments. To anyone else, he shouldn't feel any responsibility for what happened and what he could or couldn't do to stop it. But Aerius still regrets and blames himself for his inability to revive Risheid that day—yet another failure of his that he can never let himself forget. Lyse Crofte: She's precisely the type of person Aerius always knew never to involve himself with again. Her unwavering confidence in every word she speaks and every movement she makes only serves to accentuate that. She's always thinking, always observing, and always drawing conclusions about what she sees. When she speaks her mind, she speaks firmly and sagely, armed to the teeth with well-prepared retorts and criticisms on the subject. Aerius figures she fancies herself as someone who will know you within seconds of meeting you, who can already tell you exactly where you've gone wrong and what to do to change that. But he is walking proof that that isn't always possible. She's been wrong about him on all accounts, and he's watched her grow more and more frustrated with his reticence any time he becomes the topic of conversation. She's turning more and more into the same person he's befriended countless times in the past: someone who genuinely means well, but cannot handle his inability to tell the truth. As such, her tendency to so quickly draw conclusions based on her own assumptions becomes the sole reason they may never find even ground; she simply will not allow him the time to explain himself before storming off and hiding away. She wants the truth and Aerius could never give it. If she knew why, maybe she wouldn't be so upset with him, but to him it's clearer every day that she isn't interested. Unoriginal Sound Track Miike Snow - Animal Kennedy - Karate My Morning Jacket - Outta My System (Washed Out Remix) Shelter - Two of Us Coldplay - Viva la Vida Oceansize - Music For A Nurse Trivia Contrary to what he might tell you, he loves the rain more than anything. He has a weakness for kittens. He's been trained in ballroom dancing. He doesn't like eating in public. He loves magic tricks. Anything involving sleight of hand. If your character's done any kind of shady business in or around Ul'dah, they've probably met him! AAAAAAArtwork RPC page started on September 25, 2013.