Post by Ellwood on Apr 27, 2012 9:39:22 GMT -5
Player: Josiah
Contact: PM account
Intentions: Hero
Background
Name: Elijah Wood Gray
Race: Were
Species: Sabertooth Tiger
Age: 21
Tier: 2
Social
Place of Birth: Columbia, Alexandria
Allegiances: To his brother
Aspirations: Defend the defenseless, help the helpless, and become strong enough to protect Josiah
Nicknames: Ellwood, the saberwere, Chompy the Two-Fanged Asskicker
Titles: None
Relatives: Josiah Gray (Twin), Abraham Gray (older brother, deceased), James and Esther Gray (parents)
Significant Other: None
Mental
Personality: Ellwood's default expression is an analytical gruffness that makes him seem a little angry at all times - and he might just be - if not leaning towards emotionlessness. But anger itself hardly means he's a bad guy, or even a jerk. He just handles things more ... aggressively. His attitude is such that he doesn't really get depressed, and rarely gets sad. For him, it's much easier to get angry and/or do something about a problem, then to actually let the problem exist or try to endure it. There are enough people battling with depression in this messed-up world and he'd rather see that number go down, not add to it himself. He is not without compassion, or kindness. Indeed, because of growing up with his brother, he's become a little (read: very) codependent, and he readily responds to other people's fears and concerns ... and then moves to take care of them himself.
Likes: Being snarky, spouting witty one-liners, saying how he really feels or thinks about something, doing what he wishes, helping people accomplish great things, protecting people, fighting to protect people, letting people make their own decisions, dark clothes, looking tough, being a big brother, steak
Dislikes: Seeing people suffer, people being downtrodden, ignorance, hatred, insensitivity, judgement, classical music
Strengths: Fearlessness is the order of the day. When he stands before a threat, it is with all the raw courage a person could possess. After all, it's a rather encouraging when fighting monsters, to know that you're a monster too. He will not hesitate to fight, or even kill, wrongdoers if it means protecting others in the long run. He has great inner strength.
Weaknesses: El often thinks too highly of himself and overestimates his abilities. He'll back off if he realizes he's at too much of a disadvantage - he's not foolhardy - but his attitude is usually "weaker than me unless proven otherwise," which leads him to taking unnecessary risks. He still struggles with increased aggression and general anger issues after all these years, but since being made a Were ... well ... He tries not to get angry as much. He's had marginal success. There's a soft spot in his heart for children and the meek of the world, and he'll attempt to aid them at great personal sacrifice. Though he tries not to outright enable anyone with his assistance, sometimes he goes too far with those he especially cares for.
Physical
Major Details: Tan skin, brown eyes, shoulder-length dark brown hair, full beard, 5'10" in human form - thick dark brown fur, two oversized fangs, 7'6" in were form.
Appearance: Ellwood looks like a wild man, untrimmed and unkempt and something just short of animalistic in his features. Between the martial training growing up and the bleed effects of the Were curse, his body is densely, and largely, muscled, not to mention broad-shouldered and hairy. Dark khaki cargo pants and a grey vest jacket are enough for him to get by most places. A cloak isn't hard to come by for the rest. His hands and feet are both large and thick - the former in fingerless gloves, the latter, barefoot, leaving his soles dirty. His beard is dense, wraps all around his jawline, connected to the mane of wavy hair cut just above the shoulders. His expressions have a perpetual rough, violent look about them, owing in part to the fierceness in his eyes. When transformed, broad shoulders become even broader, and sharp canines elongate into massive fangs, each like a dagger. His coat in this form is the same color and density as his hair, and quite warm.
Natural Abilities: El has the abilities of a well built man of his size, capable of lifting several hundred pounds without factoring in his Enhanced abilities. He has the skill and dexterity of limb that comes from training, armed or unarmed, and is a proficient long distance runner.
Natural Traits: El has the usual human traits untransformed. As a Weresabertooth-tiger, he gains retractable claws on his hands and feet, and powerful jaws to go with all his sharp feline fangs - including the two largest ones that jut from the sides of his muzzle.
Strengths: Ellwood is more than a capable warrior. It's everything he's trained for. His fighting style is a hodgepodge of whatever he thinks works mixed with what actually has worked, and he brings a bodybuilder's powerful physique to empower that skill. Training with the sword has likewise given him a greater reaction time than the average human and his general agility has also been bettered accordingly. That all of his special abilities and the Were curse itself have boosted this physical nature have made him downright superhuman.
Weaknesses: Ellwood goes by the philosophy of "The best defense is a good offense." However, while his offense is assuredly great, his defense is passable at best. A deflection here and a dodge there, sure, but actively protecting the people around him is something his overly-aggressive style tends to lack in - and in fact, can put such people in jeopardy. That he wields two swords, not a sword and shield, leaves him open to many attacks that were otherwise blockable (and for that matter, he's still not fully ambidextrous). He's tough enough to survive more than his share of punishment, but anyone he is trying to defend may not be so lucky. There's a reason he's actively trying to fix this. In general, he tends to fight too straight forward, and his footwork is lacking.
Magical
Specializations:
- Tier 1: Mental (Plants), Proficiency 2. Ellwood is able to create, alter, and manipulate plant life with his magic.
- Tier 2: Written (Kanji), Proficiency 2.
- Tier 3:
- Tier 4:
- Tier 5:
Visual Display: Plant magic is associated with an earthy green glow. His Written magic has a different glow, depending on the spell.
Special Abilities: Enhanced Strength 1, Enhanced Speed 1, Enhanced Speed 2
Bonus Special Abilities: Enhanced Toughness 1, Enhanced Recovery - Enhanced Toughness 2, Enhanced Strength 2
Unique Abilities: None
Strengths: Trained by Sakuya to combine his magical abilities with his martial ones, Ellwood uses Plant magic as a surprisingly lethal toolbox, sledgehammer included - especially the sledgehammer, with magically-augmented wood made iron hard. But in a real fight, that's really his secondary recourse. His swords provide him with greater range and threat, as fire and lightning tend to be more deadly. He's gotten very good at switching swords out for different situations, and even using them in concert for stronger, compound effects.
Weaknesses: In battle, Ellwood's magical powers are fundamentally rigid and narrow in their function. He only has so many enchanted items, and his use of plant magic is more bark then leaf. His focus on the practical and violent application of Plant magic has left him unskilled in its indirect utility. He simply doesn't use Plants to attack for him - he uses Plants to augment his own attacks. His usage of Kanji may be broad, but it's a time consuming art, and he doesn't have the patience to use it when he could just punch something in the face instead. But of course, the angrier he gets, the less precision with his magic he has - which means the more collateral damage he'll cause. Suffice to say he tends to cause a lot of that.
Inventory
Mundane: Dark khaki cargo pants, grey vest jacket, harness for swords and backpack for traveling necessities
Magical:
Flame - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a blast of fire from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of fire instead.
Frost - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a blast of frost from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of frost instead.
Breeze - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a blast of wind from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of air pressure instead.
Bolt - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a burst of lightning from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of lightning instead.
Stun Gloves - Written (Charged). A pair of black, fingerless gloves with Kanji stitched into the palm. When the Written mage wills their magic into the gloves, it emits a spark of magic to incapacitate or paralyze the victim for a short time.
Warding Band - Written (Perpetual). An arm gauntlet strapped to the left forearm, with steel plate. Underneath the gauntlet is the spell to ward against detection and scrying magic, and specifically against his brother, Josiah.
History
The story of Elijah's life is as much the story of his brother, Josiah. Twins to a family that already had an seven-year-old son, the pregnancy was rough for their mother. Elijah was born a few minutes ahead, a healthy baby boy despite it all. Josiah, on the other hand, was born small and unhealthy - and would have died, if not for all the work poured into keeping him alive by doctor first, and healers second.
Alive, the younger twin was still far from well. The doctors presumed it was Elijah who had received more nutrition in utero, leaving Josiah under-nourished. The near loss, coupled with Josiah's comparative fragility to the other two, led to some spoiling by both parents. The once-only child, Abe, became keenly aware that he was not the focal point of his parents' attention over the coming weeks.
As weeks turned into months, Josiah's health turned into more visits to doctors and healers, concerned at every runny nose and the hidden consequences thereof. Bills were racked up, always tolerable enough for their living conditions, but it left little for the extra expenses a young teen is told by society to expect from his parents - which Abe was, and did, to his great dissatisfaction.
By the time the twins were walking around, the worst happened: their mother, Esther, lost her job. Suddenly down a major source of income, "making ends meet" was dashed into "struggling to pay the next bill." James was already working most of the day, and Esther had to work two jobs to make half of what she had been before. Overtime was piled on even as they continued to worry over their often-sickly child.
No money for a babysitter meant the twins were prime targets for Abe's frustration. There were more than enough opportunities for him to make it clear to the younger boys that they were poor because of Jo, that they lost their old house because of him, that they barely got any presents because of him, that every time Jo got sick and had to go to the doctor was just digging them deeper into debt. The teasing went from mischievous to malicious fast.
Jo and El, as similar as "identical" twins usually are, had always acted differently from birth, but it was Abe's emotional abuse that cemented the difference in their personalities. Jo took the words to heart. Elijah got straight-up indignant. The former found his way into a book and crawled inside, trying to bother anyone and everyone as little as possible. The latter started copying the nearest source on martial arts he could find and got to punching his aggression out.
As the three got older, their dynamics evolved further along those lines. Abe got bigger, and rougher, and fell in with increasingly darker crowds in high school. Josiah got quieter, more nervous, and kept to his books - books more suitable for someone several years older. Elijah became more determined, more stern, and more aggressive. Abe and El fought on more than one occasion, when an easy target's twin brother came to his defense. As the oldest by almost twice their age, the (im)balance was firmly in Abe's favor. Yelling and getting grounded was never punishment enough to act as a deterrent.
And then the unexpected happened... Maybe it was because of all the magic Jo had been exposed to growing up... Maybe it was a side effect of being so sickly, a way of his spirit reacting to his physical weakness... Maybe, he was just always meant to be a mage. It started as telepathy when they were only nine. Elijah started hearing his brother's silent thoughts, and Josiah heard his in return. Not wanting to seem different, Josiah asked Elijah to keep it as the twins' little secret. Ever his protective brother, Elijah kept it with admiration.
It wasn't until El and Abe had started physically fighting again that the secret slipped. Abe had pinned the older twin, and was preparing to do ... something. He didn't get that far. Josiah separated them. Forcefully.
There was more than a little rage behind Abraham's eyes then, as he realized the small, useless, pampered wimp of a brother was spoiled by the universe as well. Throwing El to the side, the eldest at his most furious went after Josiah instead, and abandoned all pretense of control. A broken arm from the pounding was met with discordant sobs before Elijah moved back into the fight and struck their older brother with more force than a ten-year-old has a right to put out.
The investigators said Elijah had hit him with a telekinetic blast of his own. They hypothesized - but didn't say - that Elijah's use of magic was likely due to Josiah, and that the pair had inadvertently become mage and familiar. But that didn't change the fact that Abe had a broken neck before he even hit the ground. Elijah was remorseless. Even under the circumstances, a lethal use of magic was grounds for required enrollment at a magical boarding school, for training as much as isolation from the nonmagical community. An emotional argument between parents, children and law enforcement eventually led to the conclusion that separating the twins would be an unnecessary cruelty.
It was a hard transition for everyone. Growing up in a magic school was an entirely different world from their small house. They went from being mostly alone and self-sufficiently left to their own devices, to a rigid curriculum of guidance and conformity.
As a nervous, unhealthy bookworm, Josiah was a prime target for bullying even there. Even magic schools have them - and though the teachers were more alert, the threats were more malevolent. Outed as a killer, such individuals gave El a wide berth. The fact that he was seen as a threat to them was a sort of unspoken encouragement to the older twin, who every day looked a little less identical to the younger. More than once, a person had started teasing the younger only for the older to step in. Elijah got used to being sent to detention and doing extra chores. The Infirmary got used to repairing telekinetically broken limbs.
The school gave them no end of opportunities to train their magic, but it wasn't "home." The atmosphere was designed to teach them discipline and control. For El, it was absolutely stifling, and it wasn't long before El had become determined to get back home - Josiah safely in tow. The bookworm was no fan of the place either, even if he was easier to placate and didn't complain about his treatment. He was for escaping, in as much as El was for it. The pair spent half their time training, and the other half trying to get away from the school. They even had a few "successes," but it was getting home afterward that was the problem. They were caught shortly after leaving the premises each time.
- each time, except the last. They made it outside, and were running (read: El was running, and pulling Jo along like a flailing kite behind him) through the forest when they were stopped by a woman they'd never seen before. It was more surprise to find anyone out so late than anything she'd done that stopped them. They thought she was one of the teachers, come to turn them back around. She was a teacher ... but not one of theirs. Yet.
But she was there about going back.
Young and impulsive and desperate to get "home," they were in vital need of a talking-to and the Fey was the one to give it. Two telepathic conversations were divulged concurrently to each of the boys in the relative privacy of their mind.
"El, can't you see you're not thinking this through? You're so focused on getting you and your brother home that you still haven't realized that you can't stay home. They'll take you back, again and again. There are some things you can't fight, no matter how many times you try. You cannot protect Josiah, and take him home. Isn't it time you find a different way to fight?"
An offer to leave the school and all it represented was taken by both. All they had to do was agree to be her students instead, though she wasn't much of the classroom teaching kind. "We'll survive."
One argument between the school's administration and Sakuya was ended with, "It's funny that you still think this is up to you."
"Training" with the ancient Fey, if it could even be called that, was an entirely different experience. They never stayed in one place for long - Sakuya was whimsical like that - and so half of everything they learned was from hands-on experience. ("No, no; it's much better to swing your fire sword closer to their heads." "To blind them?" "Three words, Elijah: Hair. On. Fire.)
Something she said must have clicked in Josiah, because it was quickly apparent in their journeys that Josiah was becoming the stronger mage, and was rapidly outstripping his brother even further with his talents. A psychic herself, she was able to further Josiah's awareness of so many different mental abilities, and Josiah's natural aptitude for magic had him learning and growing with rapid ease.
The necessity of telekinetic magic had dwindled by then, as Ellwood's own strength and skill grew. He called on it less and less, and so he wasn't really sure how long it'd been gone, when he finally realized it. Sakuya had her theories about its absence, but thought they should worry less about that, and focus more on replacing it. Ellwood wanted a sledgehammer of a magic under his belt. He had to settle for an ironwood mallet one instead.
Bouts of training went on and off throughout their many adventures as the pair of boys grew up under the ancient one's tutelage. The time went by fast, considering how the weekly lull of school had been replaced with "what crazy thing will happen next." They were in their late teens when The Accident happened. An investigation into a small town's disappearing livestock turned into something worse as they stumbled upon a pack of feral Werecreatures running together on the outskirts. The three tracked their movements to a cave where they transformed. Sakuya decided they should confront the pack the twilight before, where "they'll all be in one spot." She was hoping to end things diplomatically - or as diplomatically as they could.
A good idea in theory, it went horribly wrong. When the pack, angry and afraid at being outed, eventually attacked, the two telepaths tried to contain them all with non-lethal measures. Elijah was injured defending the more vulnerable of the two. More specifically, Elijah was bitten defending him. It wasn't as horrible as it could have been. The bite was to his arm, Sakuya had experience aiding weres, and since he was already a mage, it was easier for him to control the transformation experiences.
The fact that he could unwillingly transform into a raging monstrous beast whenever his emotions got the best of him didn't mean much at all, oh no.
For the first time in his life, Elijah's aggression was a serious problem, not to himself, but to Josiah's safety... and their lifestyle left him with no lack of material to feed that aggression. There were several occasions where he almost transformed in public, with the imminent intent of punching someone in the face, through the window, onto something probably breakable. It wasn't until the saber-were had lost control after being injured in a fight with a bunch of goblins, lashing out at everyone - his brother and teacher included - that he realized how deep the rabbit hole went.
It left a shard in his heart - not literally, of course. The self-preservative nature of the curse would have healed something physical. An emotional wound like that one only made him more frustrated with himself, providing more anger and ... it galvanized him to make a decision he absolutely hated to even consider.
"You won't say goodbye to him?"
"He wouldn't let me... so I'm not giving him a choice. You'll explain it to him?"
"He'll understand. Eventually. Take care of yourself. You still favor your right side."
"Hey, this is me we're talking about. I'm here to kick ass and take care of Josiah - but I'll be back for Josiah."
Contact: PM account
Intentions: Hero
Background
Name: Elijah Wood Gray
Race: Were
Species: Sabertooth Tiger
Age: 21
Tier: 2
Social
Place of Birth: Columbia, Alexandria
Allegiances: To his brother
Aspirations: Defend the defenseless, help the helpless, and become strong enough to protect Josiah
Nicknames: Ellwood, the saberwere, Chompy the Two-Fanged Asskicker
Titles: None
Relatives: Josiah Gray (Twin), Abraham Gray (older brother, deceased), James and Esther Gray (parents)
Significant Other: None
Mental
Personality: Ellwood's default expression is an analytical gruffness that makes him seem a little angry at all times - and he might just be - if not leaning towards emotionlessness. But anger itself hardly means he's a bad guy, or even a jerk. He just handles things more ... aggressively. His attitude is such that he doesn't really get depressed, and rarely gets sad. For him, it's much easier to get angry and/or do something about a problem, then to actually let the problem exist or try to endure it. There are enough people battling with depression in this messed-up world and he'd rather see that number go down, not add to it himself. He is not without compassion, or kindness. Indeed, because of growing up with his brother, he's become a little (read: very) codependent, and he readily responds to other people's fears and concerns ... and then moves to take care of them himself.
Likes: Being snarky, spouting witty one-liners, saying how he really feels or thinks about something, doing what he wishes, helping people accomplish great things, protecting people, fighting to protect people, letting people make their own decisions, dark clothes, looking tough, being a big brother, steak
Dislikes: Seeing people suffer, people being downtrodden, ignorance, hatred, insensitivity, judgement, classical music
Strengths: Fearlessness is the order of the day. When he stands before a threat, it is with all the raw courage a person could possess. After all, it's a rather encouraging when fighting monsters, to know that you're a monster too. He will not hesitate to fight, or even kill, wrongdoers if it means protecting others in the long run. He has great inner strength.
Weaknesses: El often thinks too highly of himself and overestimates his abilities. He'll back off if he realizes he's at too much of a disadvantage - he's not foolhardy - but his attitude is usually "weaker than me unless proven otherwise," which leads him to taking unnecessary risks. He still struggles with increased aggression and general anger issues after all these years, but since being made a Were ... well ... He tries not to get angry as much. He's had marginal success. There's a soft spot in his heart for children and the meek of the world, and he'll attempt to aid them at great personal sacrifice. Though he tries not to outright enable anyone with his assistance, sometimes he goes too far with those he especially cares for.
Physical
Major Details: Tan skin, brown eyes, shoulder-length dark brown hair, full beard, 5'10" in human form - thick dark brown fur, two oversized fangs, 7'6" in were form.
Appearance: Ellwood looks like a wild man, untrimmed and unkempt and something just short of animalistic in his features. Between the martial training growing up and the bleed effects of the Were curse, his body is densely, and largely, muscled, not to mention broad-shouldered and hairy. Dark khaki cargo pants and a grey vest jacket are enough for him to get by most places. A cloak isn't hard to come by for the rest. His hands and feet are both large and thick - the former in fingerless gloves, the latter, barefoot, leaving his soles dirty. His beard is dense, wraps all around his jawline, connected to the mane of wavy hair cut just above the shoulders. His expressions have a perpetual rough, violent look about them, owing in part to the fierceness in his eyes. When transformed, broad shoulders become even broader, and sharp canines elongate into massive fangs, each like a dagger. His coat in this form is the same color and density as his hair, and quite warm.
Natural Abilities: El has the abilities of a well built man of his size, capable of lifting several hundred pounds without factoring in his Enhanced abilities. He has the skill and dexterity of limb that comes from training, armed or unarmed, and is a proficient long distance runner.
Natural Traits: El has the usual human traits untransformed. As a Weresabertooth-tiger, he gains retractable claws on his hands and feet, and powerful jaws to go with all his sharp feline fangs - including the two largest ones that jut from the sides of his muzzle.
Strengths: Ellwood is more than a capable warrior. It's everything he's trained for. His fighting style is a hodgepodge of whatever he thinks works mixed with what actually has worked, and he brings a bodybuilder's powerful physique to empower that skill. Training with the sword has likewise given him a greater reaction time than the average human and his general agility has also been bettered accordingly. That all of his special abilities and the Were curse itself have boosted this physical nature have made him downright superhuman.
Weaknesses: Ellwood goes by the philosophy of "The best defense is a good offense." However, while his offense is assuredly great, his defense is passable at best. A deflection here and a dodge there, sure, but actively protecting the people around him is something his overly-aggressive style tends to lack in - and in fact, can put such people in jeopardy. That he wields two swords, not a sword and shield, leaves him open to many attacks that were otherwise blockable (and for that matter, he's still not fully ambidextrous). He's tough enough to survive more than his share of punishment, but anyone he is trying to defend may not be so lucky. There's a reason he's actively trying to fix this. In general, he tends to fight too straight forward, and his footwork is lacking.
Magical
Specializations:
- Tier 1: Mental (Plants), Proficiency 2. Ellwood is able to create, alter, and manipulate plant life with his magic.
- Tier 2: Written (Kanji), Proficiency 2.
- Tier 3:
- Tier 4:
- Tier 5:
Visual Display: Plant magic is associated with an earthy green glow. His Written magic has a different glow, depending on the spell.
Special Abilities: Enhanced Strength 1, Enhanced Speed 1, Enhanced Speed 2
Bonus Special Abilities: Enhanced Toughness 1, Enhanced Recovery - Enhanced Toughness 2, Enhanced Strength 2
Unique Abilities: None
Strengths: Trained by Sakuya to combine his magical abilities with his martial ones, Ellwood uses Plant magic as a surprisingly lethal toolbox, sledgehammer included - especially the sledgehammer, with magically-augmented wood made iron hard. But in a real fight, that's really his secondary recourse. His swords provide him with greater range and threat, as fire and lightning tend to be more deadly. He's gotten very good at switching swords out for different situations, and even using them in concert for stronger, compound effects.
Weaknesses: In battle, Ellwood's magical powers are fundamentally rigid and narrow in their function. He only has so many enchanted items, and his use of plant magic is more bark then leaf. His focus on the practical and violent application of Plant magic has left him unskilled in its indirect utility. He simply doesn't use Plants to attack for him - he uses Plants to augment his own attacks. His usage of Kanji may be broad, but it's a time consuming art, and he doesn't have the patience to use it when he could just punch something in the face instead. But of course, the angrier he gets, the less precision with his magic he has - which means the more collateral damage he'll cause. Suffice to say he tends to cause a lot of that.
Inventory
Mundane: Dark khaki cargo pants, grey vest jacket, harness for swords and backpack for traveling necessities
Magical:
Flame - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a blast of fire from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of fire instead.
Frost - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a blast of frost from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of frost instead.
Breeze - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a blast of wind from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of air pressure instead.
Bolt - Written (Charged). A durable double-edged longsword with Kanji engraved near the hilt. When the Written mage wills their magic into the weapon, it emits a burst of lightning from the blade. Continuous use can make a stream of lightning instead.
Stun Gloves - Written (Charged). A pair of black, fingerless gloves with Kanji stitched into the palm. When the Written mage wills their magic into the gloves, it emits a spark of magic to incapacitate or paralyze the victim for a short time.
Warding Band - Written (Perpetual). An arm gauntlet strapped to the left forearm, with steel plate. Underneath the gauntlet is the spell to ward against detection and scrying magic, and specifically against his brother, Josiah.
History
The story of Elijah's life is as much the story of his brother, Josiah. Twins to a family that already had an seven-year-old son, the pregnancy was rough for their mother. Elijah was born a few minutes ahead, a healthy baby boy despite it all. Josiah, on the other hand, was born small and unhealthy - and would have died, if not for all the work poured into keeping him alive by doctor first, and healers second.
Alive, the younger twin was still far from well. The doctors presumed it was Elijah who had received more nutrition in utero, leaving Josiah under-nourished. The near loss, coupled with Josiah's comparative fragility to the other two, led to some spoiling by both parents. The once-only child, Abe, became keenly aware that he was not the focal point of his parents' attention over the coming weeks.
As weeks turned into months, Josiah's health turned into more visits to doctors and healers, concerned at every runny nose and the hidden consequences thereof. Bills were racked up, always tolerable enough for their living conditions, but it left little for the extra expenses a young teen is told by society to expect from his parents - which Abe was, and did, to his great dissatisfaction.
By the time the twins were walking around, the worst happened: their mother, Esther, lost her job. Suddenly down a major source of income, "making ends meet" was dashed into "struggling to pay the next bill." James was already working most of the day, and Esther had to work two jobs to make half of what she had been before. Overtime was piled on even as they continued to worry over their often-sickly child.
No money for a babysitter meant the twins were prime targets for Abe's frustration. There were more than enough opportunities for him to make it clear to the younger boys that they were poor because of Jo, that they lost their old house because of him, that they barely got any presents because of him, that every time Jo got sick and had to go to the doctor was just digging them deeper into debt. The teasing went from mischievous to malicious fast.
Jo and El, as similar as "identical" twins usually are, had always acted differently from birth, but it was Abe's emotional abuse that cemented the difference in their personalities. Jo took the words to heart. Elijah got straight-up indignant. The former found his way into a book and crawled inside, trying to bother anyone and everyone as little as possible. The latter started copying the nearest source on martial arts he could find and got to punching his aggression out.
As the three got older, their dynamics evolved further along those lines. Abe got bigger, and rougher, and fell in with increasingly darker crowds in high school. Josiah got quieter, more nervous, and kept to his books - books more suitable for someone several years older. Elijah became more determined, more stern, and more aggressive. Abe and El fought on more than one occasion, when an easy target's twin brother came to his defense. As the oldest by almost twice their age, the (im)balance was firmly in Abe's favor. Yelling and getting grounded was never punishment enough to act as a deterrent.
And then the unexpected happened... Maybe it was because of all the magic Jo had been exposed to growing up... Maybe it was a side effect of being so sickly, a way of his spirit reacting to his physical weakness... Maybe, he was just always meant to be a mage. It started as telepathy when they were only nine. Elijah started hearing his brother's silent thoughts, and Josiah heard his in return. Not wanting to seem different, Josiah asked Elijah to keep it as the twins' little secret. Ever his protective brother, Elijah kept it with admiration.
It wasn't until El and Abe had started physically fighting again that the secret slipped. Abe had pinned the older twin, and was preparing to do ... something. He didn't get that far. Josiah separated them. Forcefully.
There was more than a little rage behind Abraham's eyes then, as he realized the small, useless, pampered wimp of a brother was spoiled by the universe as well. Throwing El to the side, the eldest at his most furious went after Josiah instead, and abandoned all pretense of control. A broken arm from the pounding was met with discordant sobs before Elijah moved back into the fight and struck their older brother with more force than a ten-year-old has a right to put out.
The investigators said Elijah had hit him with a telekinetic blast of his own. They hypothesized - but didn't say - that Elijah's use of magic was likely due to Josiah, and that the pair had inadvertently become mage and familiar. But that didn't change the fact that Abe had a broken neck before he even hit the ground. Elijah was remorseless. Even under the circumstances, a lethal use of magic was grounds for required enrollment at a magical boarding school, for training as much as isolation from the nonmagical community. An emotional argument between parents, children and law enforcement eventually led to the conclusion that separating the twins would be an unnecessary cruelty.
It was a hard transition for everyone. Growing up in a magic school was an entirely different world from their small house. They went from being mostly alone and self-sufficiently left to their own devices, to a rigid curriculum of guidance and conformity.
As a nervous, unhealthy bookworm, Josiah was a prime target for bullying even there. Even magic schools have them - and though the teachers were more alert, the threats were more malevolent. Outed as a killer, such individuals gave El a wide berth. The fact that he was seen as a threat to them was a sort of unspoken encouragement to the older twin, who every day looked a little less identical to the younger. More than once, a person had started teasing the younger only for the older to step in. Elijah got used to being sent to detention and doing extra chores. The Infirmary got used to repairing telekinetically broken limbs.
The school gave them no end of opportunities to train their magic, but it wasn't "home." The atmosphere was designed to teach them discipline and control. For El, it was absolutely stifling, and it wasn't long before El had become determined to get back home - Josiah safely in tow. The bookworm was no fan of the place either, even if he was easier to placate and didn't complain about his treatment. He was for escaping, in as much as El was for it. The pair spent half their time training, and the other half trying to get away from the school. They even had a few "successes," but it was getting home afterward that was the problem. They were caught shortly after leaving the premises each time.
- each time, except the last. They made it outside, and were running (read: El was running, and pulling Jo along like a flailing kite behind him) through the forest when they were stopped by a woman they'd never seen before. It was more surprise to find anyone out so late than anything she'd done that stopped them. They thought she was one of the teachers, come to turn them back around. She was a teacher ... but not one of theirs. Yet.
But she was there about going back.
Young and impulsive and desperate to get "home," they were in vital need of a talking-to and the Fey was the one to give it. Two telepathic conversations were divulged concurrently to each of the boys in the relative privacy of their mind.
"El, can't you see you're not thinking this through? You're so focused on getting you and your brother home that you still haven't realized that you can't stay home. They'll take you back, again and again. There are some things you can't fight, no matter how many times you try. You cannot protect Josiah, and take him home. Isn't it time you find a different way to fight?"
An offer to leave the school and all it represented was taken by both. All they had to do was agree to be her students instead, though she wasn't much of the classroom teaching kind. "We'll survive."
One argument between the school's administration and Sakuya was ended with, "It's funny that you still think this is up to you."
"Training" with the ancient Fey, if it could even be called that, was an entirely different experience. They never stayed in one place for long - Sakuya was whimsical like that - and so half of everything they learned was from hands-on experience. ("No, no; it's much better to swing your fire sword closer to their heads." "To blind them?" "Three words, Elijah: Hair. On. Fire.)
Something she said must have clicked in Josiah, because it was quickly apparent in their journeys that Josiah was becoming the stronger mage, and was rapidly outstripping his brother even further with his talents. A psychic herself, she was able to further Josiah's awareness of so many different mental abilities, and Josiah's natural aptitude for magic had him learning and growing with rapid ease.
The necessity of telekinetic magic had dwindled by then, as Ellwood's own strength and skill grew. He called on it less and less, and so he wasn't really sure how long it'd been gone, when he finally realized it. Sakuya had her theories about its absence, but thought they should worry less about that, and focus more on replacing it. Ellwood wanted a sledgehammer of a magic under his belt. He had to settle for an ironwood mallet one instead.
Bouts of training went on and off throughout their many adventures as the pair of boys grew up under the ancient one's tutelage. The time went by fast, considering how the weekly lull of school had been replaced with "what crazy thing will happen next." They were in their late teens when The Accident happened. An investigation into a small town's disappearing livestock turned into something worse as they stumbled upon a pack of feral Werecreatures running together on the outskirts. The three tracked their movements to a cave where they transformed. Sakuya decided they should confront the pack the twilight before, where "they'll all be in one spot." She was hoping to end things diplomatically - or as diplomatically as they could.
A good idea in theory, it went horribly wrong. When the pack, angry and afraid at being outed, eventually attacked, the two telepaths tried to contain them all with non-lethal measures. Elijah was injured defending the more vulnerable of the two. More specifically, Elijah was bitten defending him. It wasn't as horrible as it could have been. The bite was to his arm, Sakuya had experience aiding weres, and since he was already a mage, it was easier for him to control the transformation experiences.
The fact that he could unwillingly transform into a raging monstrous beast whenever his emotions got the best of him didn't mean much at all, oh no.
For the first time in his life, Elijah's aggression was a serious problem, not to himself, but to Josiah's safety... and their lifestyle left him with no lack of material to feed that aggression. There were several occasions where he almost transformed in public, with the imminent intent of punching someone in the face, through the window, onto something probably breakable. It wasn't until the saber-were had lost control after being injured in a fight with a bunch of goblins, lashing out at everyone - his brother and teacher included - that he realized how deep the rabbit hole went.
It left a shard in his heart - not literally, of course. The self-preservative nature of the curse would have healed something physical. An emotional wound like that one only made him more frustrated with himself, providing more anger and ... it galvanized him to make a decision he absolutely hated to even consider.
"You won't say goodbye to him?"
"He wouldn't let me... so I'm not giving him a choice. You'll explain it to him?"
"He'll understand. Eventually. Take care of yourself. You still favor your right side."
"Hey, this is me we're talking about. I'm here to kick ass and take care of Josiah - but I'll be back for Josiah."