| Name |Malcolm Priest, and just Malcolm works fine.
| Date of Birth |June 12, 1999
| Gender |Male
| Sexuality |Ace-Demi. Sex isn't on his radar.
| In-Depth Appearance |Malcolm's deep grin screams “apple-pie life” if you’re able to find it. In front of his parents and neighborhood, he’s the wistful blue-eyed boy that you hope your conservative children marry, even as his blond hair is consistently in a wavy mess. Adding to this image is his shyness that permeates both within the quick scuffle he’s developed to travel from place to place and the way he somehow always manages to avoid eye-contact despite being already six feet even before he reaches the ripe age of seventeen. His body is always turned in. From hands-in-pockets to how he stands with his body tightly managed and held together.
Long-sleeved shirts and simple jeans are the go-to. He’s known for buying sweaters a size bigger than him, or anything with a collar that can be brought up to cover his face. Winter is his preferred season because he can hide behind scarves or other things that keep him from becoming this bright beacon his blond hair might suggest. Otherwise, the deep v-neck or the deep hoodie are enough to keep him hidden in plain sight. Those thin hoodies that people can still wear in the summer are ideal for his slim, lanky form. His shoes are ripped and gray and they look like they’d been picked up at a nearby thrift shop (which they were). When he access the Tome of Light and uses his power, his eyes glow completely white, and the suns on the back of his hands ignite with the same glowing light.
Lastly, a metal cross pendant always dangles from his neck, and the black suns burned into the back of his hands are still as black and firm as they were the day they first appeared.
Who Am I?
♦ Quiet ♦ Pensive ♦ Compassionate ♦ Nervous ♦
"I-I am so sorry for everything... Is it possible for me to make it up to you?"
Malcolm always tries to find the path of least resistance through his simple life. Do what his parents ask; do what his teachers ask; do what his friends ask… He’s made himself known as a pushover since day one, and he’d prefer if people just didn’t confront him at all. Yes, he’s quite the nervous type around almost everyone out of fear that he might push someone’s buttons or start some kind of confrontation. Malcolm listened to what other people told him to do for a long time, down to the idea of “keeping a smile on your face” in the view of friends and guests. This is due to the fact that he has a crippling fear of disappointing people, and distancing himself makes that much easier. Even in the presence of his friends, a simple mistake could lead to a long, drawn out apology, and Malcolm often does whatever he can to please someone.
For Malcolm to make a decision for himself, it could take days or weeks to work up the nerve to even ask for something. Numerous “questionable” experiences with friends have been shut down before they get off the ground because his parents would say no. There is no backbone to hold him up unless something actively denies his trust or his integrity. Because beyond everything else that scares him and his fear of confrontation, he is a good kid. The fastest way to get him to make a decision is to show him some form of malice, then decision making becomes quite easy. Not enough to confront someone, but it might actually get him to make some kind of action against it.
Those that have gotten beyond his anxiety and fear know that his heart is truly made of gold. He assists in the nursery a lot at the church and the children adore him, and most of his friends know that Malcolm would be the first one to take a bullet for you in your time of need.
So, in summary, he’s a strong moral compass held up by a strand of grass.
| Likes & Dislikes |✔ Early sunrises.
✔ The large smiles of little kids
✔ Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream.
✔ winter
✔ "contraband" books
✔ fresh fruit
✔ golden retrievers.
✘ Lies
✘ Loud assemblies or concerts
✘ conflict
✘ burns
✘ insects
✘ smoking
✘ plants without flowers
| History |December 18th, 2016
The party was filled with the awkward laughter of neighbors and friends as the Priests held their traditional after-church lunch. Malcolm had spent the appropriate amount of time with his father’s arm around his shoulder and his mother at his other side with a fake smile plastered on his face.
“Malcolm, sweetie,” his mother finally spoke.
“Yes, Mother?”
“Can you go find the punch bowl? I think it’s in the basement with your father’s old books.”
“Sure thing.” He grinned.
"Malcolm," his father spoke up.
He froze, "Yes father?"
"Do not forget that we are meeting up with my colleagues next week, and it is a family affair."
Malcolm thought over for a second... Oh, right. Every year their family went to meet with who his father referred to as his "colleagues". There were usually some other kids there around his age, but he would generally find a quiet corner to himself between being shown off by his father like a trophy and the time it would take for them to leave. Maybe a conversation had happened once or twice? He couldn't quite remember.
His father let him go as he moved to shake the hands with one of the church’s other pastors before Malcolm disappeared from sight and back into the house. He took a deep breath, then stumbled down the stairs.
These picnics had been going on ever since his father had become the lead pastor of the small-town church known as Sunlight’s Chapel, which had been since around the time that Malcolm could walk. Their family was the light of the town, and as such they always demonstrated themselves at the best of their behavior. Their town didn’t need to know about his father’s angry ranting about “secular music” and the “secular schools brainwashing their children”. Those were arguments to be addressed at home and condemned in the church, not shared in the public eye of their small community. Malcolm, close to seventeen, had no phone or computer of his own, and every piece of media he had was closely monitored so that at least the pastor’s son could avoid being brainwashed by the toxic world.
“For your own good,” his father would say as he pulled his eight-year-old son over his knee when he caught him watching the Power Rangers on television.
And Malcolm believed him.
Malcolm shook his shoulders as he descended the stairs, flicking a light switch as he rounded the corner. Shelves of books rounded the walls on the way to his Father’s study, which was hidden behind a heavy, bolted door to which his father held the only key.
Malcolm scanned the shelves, searching everywhere for that crystal punch bowl.
“Where is it…” he muttered under his breath, “C’mon mom, where…”
He paused at his father’s door. The bolts were unhinged, and the door slightly ajar.
Still no punch bowl in sight.
He scanned the room. No one watching him or following behind him. Going into his father’s study did not come without serious consequences.
The last time he even approached the door left him unable to sit comfortably for weeks, but his friends’ words were still in his mind.
December 26, 2015
No more secrets.
In his pocket was a small, silver key that had been attached to pictures inside that one file folder. It slid carefully into place, and he could hear a series of nuts and bolts start to move away from each other, though part of him was still in denial. Sacrifices to a Sun God? It couldn't be serious. No one was a stronger Christian than his father... The door moved with a little force, and he immediate had to hold off from gagging as he was hit with a horrific scent.
His hand felt along the inside of the door, and it found a light switch only a few moments later, though he really didn’t like what he saw.
A circle was drawn in the middle of a concrete room. Blood splattered across the symbol of the Sun, a mark that matched the ones in his church, and bones… bare bones, bones with rotting skin, and whole skeletons were piled in the center circle, and a tall altar stood at its edge. The altar appeared to be a hooded figure, holding what appeared to be the globe of the sun in its hands, and a bright golden book sat under its statue.
The book seemed to be glowing. Malcolm couldn’t hold back the stream of bile that came from his disgust as he threw up into the corner of the room. It was only morbid curiosity that got him off his knees and moving towards the book. He could feel warmth emanating from the text, and it stole his attention away from the gruesome scene.
At this point: he’d found one truth.
His father was a vicious, dangerous man.
He felt as though his hands were being called to the book. A moment later and his hands were grasping at its binding and opening to its center.
Light glimmered from within it, warmth blew through his body, and he squealed in agony as the same sun mark became burned into the back of his hands with fire he couldn’t see. Yet there was more. Malcolm suddenly knew things he’d never known before. The knowledge from all his father’s sermons suddenly came clear.
Except his father’s words were twisted. He always spoke of the evils that twisted the planet. That the world’s horrors would be stomped out by their God’s light.
The rhetoric was all wrong, and the constant use of “their God” made a lot more sense.
It wasn’t the Christian god, but Lunara. A pagan deity of the sun. His father was purposefully using the church in an effort to summon and bind the deity to his own will.
“You’re different…” a voice whispered in his ear, a voice beyond human understanding.
“D-different?”
“You… you are WORTHY of my power.”
Malcolm stared at the suns burned into the back of his hands and gagged at the scent of burnt flesh.
“The Goddess Lunara?” Malcolm finally stuttered.
“YES… take my book, child of the Sun.”
He was compelled. His hands grasped the book and rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He shoved the book under his hoodie and his hands into his pockets.
Malcolm felt emotions he’d never felt in a long time. Rage. Frustration. Sadness. Betrayal.
Every action, every word his father had said was a lie. Malcolm lived under his tyrannical father just so that he could sacrifice a member of his community every solstice in hopes of ruling over the Goddess Lunara.
This book was the gateway, and it was two sacrifices away from bringing his father eternal power.
Words of power danced across his mind as he shoved whatever he could grab into a duffle bag. In the middle of the day, as his father and mother attended a party, he snuck out the back door and rushed towards his friend’s place.
From there, he could get the heck out of this small town. The whole time he learned the strength of Lunara from the voice of the book. Words of healing, of protection, of hope, became part of his common vernacular.
It was only as the sun set that the words became silence.
Then he resorted to reading, for it was the only distraction he had now. Maybe if he ever found the time to settle down…
He’d have some Power Rangers to catch up on.
| Family |Arthur Priest - Father
A determined man with a constant visage of kindness among his community, and a personality that makes everyone want to rally around him. He's a highly respected member of the community due to his presence as Pastor and somehow struck fear into the hearts of Man with his vicious, angry sermons. This is because he's purposefully misguiding the church into following his own personal belief system. On every solstice, he would pull someone away from his congregation and invite them to a personal meeting in his study.
Where his words in his sermons could act as enough to prevent their escape from their destiny. They would be sacrificed to call to the neutral Sun Goddess through the Tome of Light, in hopes that he could one day claim her power for his own.
He rules his family with an iron fist and offers his protection to them unconditionally, as long as it is on his own terms. Within his soft outside exists a harsh shell of a heart which feels only love for his family and lust for divine power.
His position in the church is a great boon to the Syndicate, as it provides numerous human resources. There are always people looking for penance, or deals that need to be struck, and by going through their Pastor, they can find work and other things under-the-table. As an expert of acting and expression, he is always great at covering things up behind staggeringly phenomenal PR.
"I promise you, your sacrifice will mean great things for this world, for I will call Lunara to this planet, and together we will smite the darkness from the Earth."
Lucille Priest - Mother
Their marriage forced, but their cause united, Lucille and Arthur were married in the temple of Lunara, a place buried deep into the great American Outdoors. Their goal from the beginning was to trick a community into becoming offerings for their Goddess, but they became distracted for a little while as they grew to love each other. A child was never planned, but they loved Malcolm more than life itself. Malcolm became their rekindled passion for their cause because neither parent wanted their child to live in a dark, disgusting world. She was the Scion, not her husband, and as such she could also cast spells with assistance from the golden book. She loved her husband enough to take the lead, though she always had a backup plan if things were to go wrong...
Having a better understanding of magic made it easier for her to authenticate certain objects for the Syndicate's purposes. She is also much stronger in the ways of the Tome of Light, and has seared many of the words of power into places on her body where her close could hide them easily. This is probably why she dresses so conservatively all the time - to hide the marks.
Malcolm doesn't know this about her, but because of the seared words, she can still use their power despite not having direct access to the Tome, though they still possess the same restrictions.
"Everything we've done, we've done for this family. In the end, us and our God is all we have. So we
must cherish it."
| Abilities | Blessed with the power of Lunara and a chosen Scion, Malcolm can cast the spells from his book given that he has the energy for it. Each spell puts a certain level of strain on his body, but this does not prevent him from looking out for his friends and allies.
- Blessed Protection - he focuses his energy into a barrier around allies which can protect them from many dangerous sources.
- Healing Light - exactly as it says, the light can heal small wounds if he touches them, and greater wounds over longer spans of time
- Restrictive Bonds - Light energy binds foes and renders them immobile for short periods of time.
- Hand of the Sun - light in the shape of a hand exits from his own hand and smashes into opponents in hopes of rendering them unconscious
There are many other spells within the massive tome, but these are the easiest ones to use and the most common, though there are several conditions to his use of these spells:
One, it comes at great expense to its user. For a spell to become stronger he must sear it into his own skin, and the words of Power never stop emanating through his mind as long as there's light. This has led to serious insomnia due to the words waking him at the crack of dawn, and the respite given being only as short as the night. Also, the tome stops speaking to him at night, leaving him without access to his power when there is no sunlight.
The tome is the center of his power. As a chosen scion, it is his job to guard the book. Despite its supernatural power and appearance, it can be destroyed just as any other book could. A spike through its pages, a paper-shredder, a chain saw, water damage... the only things to which the book is immune is fire and sun damage. If the book is damaged, it can be repaired by one method only.
A human sacrifice at the peaking sun before a solstice.
| Strengths |- Perception - Being used to hiding in plain sight and having to learn how to always be ready for his father's words, Malcolm is an excellent listener, and he can pick out threats very quickly from a crowded room. He rarely puts himself first, and as such it is easy for him to listen to the plight of others and read their body language easily.
- Compassion - Malcolm quickly trusts the people he meets that he doesn't deem awful, and this can help him learn more about the world to which he's been sheltered. A person's religion, political stance, and personal understanding of right and wrong mean little to Malcolm if they've proven to be good friends. He is initially kind, and little can sway him from his kindness.
- Intuition - Malcolm is quite the clever fellow, and since he couldn't really do much that interacted with the outside world, his one distraction was often word puzzles or other logic puzzles provided by his parents. They both believed that a sharp mind was very important. This is one of the few things Malcolm still agrees with on the terms of his parents.
- Self-sacrifice - Malcolm does not know how to take care of himself very well, and often will ignore his own problems and suffering for the sake of others. He keeps his insomnia mostly a secret and ignores how hard it is for him to walk with so little sleep. This also comes from his parents' out-dated parenting methods and belief that reminded Malcolm that he was nothing compared to those around him.
- Lack of Confidence - Malcolm has little to no confidence in his ideas and/or opinions. He's quicker to apologize and call himself stupid than suggest a brilliant plan. This can even apply to situations which he may be required to stand up to others. He's quick to break under pressure, and let's just say there's still a few times people make fun of him for pissing himself during a 7th Grade Science presentation because he was so afraid.
- Atelophobia - the fear of disappointment and imperfection - Every little mistake Malcolm makes can weigh on him forever. He's so used to being punished for every less-than-stellar grade or every simple accident or mishap that he actively fears disappointing people or making mistakes. This can lead to a complete breakdown sometimes, especially if he's left to his own devices.
| Theme Song |Black Sun – Death Cab For Cutie”There is fear in the eyes of your father
and there is yours and there is mine
There is a desert veiled in pavement
and there's a city of seven hills,
our debris floats to the ocean
To meet again, I hope it will." | Extra Information |Malcolm tends to flinch at any inappropriate language, and his form of swearing hasn't really evolved past the fourth grade. One of his closest possessions now is a copy of 1984 that he snatched from his father's library after it had been taken away from him.
Malcolm still considers himself religious, though his view of religion is incredibly skewed, seeing as he was raised thinking he was praising one thing when in reality he was praying to something completely different. Having a godly voice in his head constantly does not make that any easier.
