Gareth Corrigan

"I’m not going to die here. Not today."

A life spent fending for himself has left Gareth lean and defined. He weighs in at 175lbs and stands at 6’ 1’’, a smile almost always on his face, but the slight slump of his shoulders gives the illusion of a shorter, wearier man. Short, dark brown hair stands disregarded on his head, left in whatever position it finds itself in. Icy blue eyes stare out into the world, his cold gaze taking in every detail; but in rare moments, one can see the warmth he tries so hard to hide sneak back in, if only for a little while.

Age:
24

Gender:
Male

Rich or Poor?:
Gareth is from the poorer end of the spectrum, having lived most of his life trying to support himself and his younger brother.

Sector:
2

For the Battle or Opposed?
Gareth’s opposed, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing he won’t do to get back to his brother.

Power Description:
Gareth has the ability to shape, increase, form, and manipulate ice. He can use this in a variety of different ways: creating cryokinetic constructs, freezing things to the near atomic level, temporarily healing wounds, and even entering into cryostasis. He has some control over water in its liquid form, but rarely does he access this part of his power, preferring ice. The cold never bothered him anyway.

Power Weakness
For his power to work, Gareth needs a source of water nearby. While he can form ice through condensation, this requires a lot more effort on his part, draining him considerably.

There’s also the more obvious issue of heat. If temperatures are hot enough, his ice will melt, rendering his power useless.

Weapon of Choice:
Trident and combat knife.

Fighting Skills:
Life in one of Sector Two’s rougher districts has hardened Gareth into a formidable brawler, able to hold his own and even dominate in a fight, given the right opponent. He’s also quite competent with a trident and a knife, having used both weapons time and time again to protect himself and his brother.

Personality:
Quiet and reserved, Gareth is a cautious man, made so by years spent in Aquanatic City’s streets. He’s untrusting, always suspicious of one’s intentions, never letting anyone get close; no one but his brother. Pride is something he can’t seem to let go of, never asking anyone for help. The way he sees it, if he can’t do it, no one can. Love is an emotion he rarely allows himself to feel, but when he does, he loves strongly. His brother means the world to him, the only family he has left, and he’ll do anything to protect him, no matter the cost. Hate, however, is something he feels often, and passionately. The Council has earnt his utmost enmity, as he believes they killed his mother, an innocent person, for all the wrong reasons: to make a point. The last thing he’d do is fight for their entertainment. But life, it seems, has other plans.

Biography:
Gareth Corrigan was a child of Sector Two, born and raised. He and his family lived in one of Aquanatic City’s poorer districts; his father worked a low-income job, and his mother was unemployed, opting to stay at home and raise him. His father, often away at work, rarely had time to bond with Gareth. As such, the boy developed a much stronger connection with his mother.

At the age of six, his brother, Daniel, was born. The moment he saw him, Gareth knew that he’d do anything to protect him. An instant connection was made, and from then onwards Gareth never let Danny out of his sight.

However, while Gareth and his mother felt only love for Danny, his father felt nothing but contempt. One morning, Gareth woke up to find only his mother and brother in the house, his father absent. While this was usually the case, as the nature of his work demanded it, Gareth knew that this time it was different.

His father had abandoned them.

The following years were a blur. His mother had managed to find a job, at the expense of her time at home. To help her, Gareth forsook his education in order to raise Danny, staying at home with him as she worked to keep food on the table. This carried on until he was thirteen. It was then that everything changed.

It was an evening like any other. His mother was due back home in less than half an hour, and Danny couldn’t wait to see her. But half an hour passed, and she didn’t come. An hour, and she was still nowhere to be seen. Another hour. Then another. Before he knew it, a sleepless, worry-filled night had passed, with no mother to show for it. Desperate for information, he switched on their television, searching for anything that might give him a clue to her whereabouts.

Much to his horror, his prayers were answered. On the screen was the unmistakable form of his mother, flanked by two of the Council's enforcers. They were addressing the camera and the crowd beyond it, speaking of a betrayal so huge that she could never redeem herself. She’d been caught plotting against the Council and charged with high treason, punishable by death. Her last words would forever stay in Gareth’s memory.

“Live, Gareth. Live.”

The enforcers pulled out their firearms, firing as one. She died instantly. From then onwards, life was never the same.

Gareth had to act quickly. He knew that within a day at most, the Council would come and reacquire his home, taking him and Danny away. With no time to lose, he packed as many things as he could, grabbed Danny and ran out into the city. They would drift without a home for many years to come.

Life on the street was rough. Days spent scavenging for food, looking for shelter and fighting the other homeless exhausted Gareth, deprived him of hope. But there was one thing that kept him going: Danny. No matter what, he decided, his brother would have a life.

He unlocked his powers one year later, at age fourteen. He’d managed to incur the wrath of a baker, having stolen and eaten some chocolate cake, and fled to the riverbank, diving in to swim to safety. However, the baker was quite the swimmer, and caught up quickly. Enraged, he took hold of Gareth, pushing him beneath the flowing current, depriving him of air. Panicked and slowly losing consciousness, Gareth thrashed out with his hands, hitting nothing; but all of a sudden, the man’s hands felt cold. Freezing, even. Rising above the water, he was shocked to see that the man was frozen from head to toe, just bobbing on the surface, covered in ice. As Gareth quickly swam to shore, a single thought nagged him in the back of his head: he was a Leviathan.

And now, at age twenty-four, Gareth has honed his control over his power, using it to help him and his brother get by. He feels good, for the most part. Danny’s happy, so he’s happy. But the Choosing Ceremonies are getting closer by the day, and two champions need to be chosen… and Gareth hopes to god that it won’t be him.

Likes:
The quiet.
Spending time with his brother.
Swimming.
Chocolate.
Engaging in a conversation; intelligent or not.

Dislikes:
Fighting.
Loud/arrogant/mean-spirited people.
Cherries with chocolate.
Living in poverty.
The Council.

Fears:
Gareth’s brother is all he has, just as Gareth is all Danny has. To lose Danny is unthinkable. To have Danny lose him is unfathomable. Making sure this doesn’t happen is what keeps Gareth going.

Being helpless, just as he was the night he lost his mother. To be unable to do anything, to be deprived of his power, to be weak; that is what he truly fears.

Weaknesses:
Calm and collected on the outside, Gareth is just a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Years and years of struggle and pain have piled themselves inside, ready to burst in a fit of emotion. The only question is: when?
He only trusts his brother, anyone else be damned. This extends to his next weakness: his pride. No matter what situation he finds himself in, he will never ask for help. If there’s anything life has taught him, it’s that it will never come.
He’s had no education, other than what his mother had taught him before her death.

Other:
Like @Mach2, I’m in a weird timezone. Living in Australia does that to you. I’m generally 10+ hours ahead of everyone, so when you guys are having a party in the OOC, I’m sound asleep.

Theme Song:
"No One’s Here to Sleep" by Naughty Boy, ft. Bastille