AlteredTundra
|| Pɪᴋᴇ || "Bᴀʀᴏɴ" || Vᴇʀᴛɪʀᴏɴ ||
|| 26 || Mᴀʟᴇ || Bɪsᴇxᴜᴀʟ ||
ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ☾
Pike considers himself to be attractive. If others don't agree well, that their problem, right? With his high features, perfected posture, and well-maintained hair, Pike finds it absolutely impossible that anyone would not be ever the slightest bit attracted to him. Perhaps his narcissism is unfounded. Perhaps that is for others to decide.
Pike is a slender silhouette, standing at a decent 5'11", and he dresses to show off his angles and height. His skin is a warm brown, and freckles stand out on the bridge of his nose and his shoulders in the right light. Elven features and conniving brown eyes make his resting expressions out to be much more focused than he usually is. A quick growing beard is often trimmed daily to ensure it remains neat and tidy-looking. His hair hangs down to his lower back and is often pleated in intricate braids or held together in a low ponytail. When let loose it is wild and wavy and often manages to get everywhere.
Being neat and tidy is one of Pike's specialties, as is his ability to accessorize. He dresses wonderfully when given the chance, always wishing to look impressive when surrounded by the glamour and glitz of courts and ballrooms. He leans towards darker colors, usually blues or greens, and he often accents those colors with silver and gold hair beads, eyeshadow, and jewelry. Beneath all his fancy layers is a body built from years of hard work. He is lean, built for speed instead of strength, and he works out to maintain this status whenever given a moment to breathe. Besides that, he has an intricate tattoo on his back, and a few piercings not many have had the chance to see.
Pike is a slender silhouette, standing at a decent 5'11", and he dresses to show off his angles and height. His skin is a warm brown, and freckles stand out on the bridge of his nose and his shoulders in the right light. Elven features and conniving brown eyes make his resting expressions out to be much more focused than he usually is. A quick growing beard is often trimmed daily to ensure it remains neat and tidy-looking. His hair hangs down to his lower back and is often pleated in intricate braids or held together in a low ponytail. When let loose it is wild and wavy and often manages to get everywhere.
Being neat and tidy is one of Pike's specialties, as is his ability to accessorize. He dresses wonderfully when given the chance, always wishing to look impressive when surrounded by the glamour and glitz of courts and ballrooms. He leans towards darker colors, usually blues or greens, and he often accents those colors with silver and gold hair beads, eyeshadow, and jewelry. Beneath all his fancy layers is a body built from years of hard work. He is lean, built for speed instead of strength, and he works out to maintain this status whenever given a moment to breathe. Besides that, he has an intricate tattoo on his back, and a few piercings not many have had the chance to see.
ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛs
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ☾
Pike has a proclivity for all things hedonistic. He is a fan of drinking, flirting, smoking, sleeping, eating—— basically if you can imagine a cat would like it Pike would as well. He likes to feel things, be it happiness or pain, and will go out of his way to do brash and exciting things so long as it does not hinder his work. He has been known to be a bit of a daredevil due to this, and may often show off to sirs and ladies alike if an exciting opportunity presents itself.
In order to do all these strange and exciting things, though, one must come into quite a bit of coin, and Pike knows this better than anyone around. He enjoys doing work in order to garner some money, and in turn he is known to be rather generous with what he pays for. To call earning money an "interest" may be rather dull, but to Pike it is an integral part of his life and personality. He would do countless things for money because he is quite interested in offering the people he cares for a comfortable life in the future.
His other interests are occult in nature. Pike is a rather talented fortune teller, and he has a way with cards and stones. He collects items most might find to be unnerving, such as tarot decks, runic stones that may or may not have been stolen from Lygarthien, animal bones, and natural herbs. He grew up surrounded by the idea of magic and fate, and as such he practices his upbringing to remain closer to his heritage.
In order to do all these strange and exciting things, though, one must come into quite a bit of coin, and Pike knows this better than anyone around. He enjoys doing work in order to garner some money, and in turn he is known to be rather generous with what he pays for. To call earning money an "interest" may be rather dull, but to Pike it is an integral part of his life and personality. He would do countless things for money because he is quite interested in offering the people he cares for a comfortable life in the future.
His other interests are occult in nature. Pike is a rather talented fortune teller, and he has a way with cards and stones. He collects items most might find to be unnerving, such as tarot decks, runic stones that may or may not have been stolen from Lygarthien, animal bones, and natural herbs. He grew up surrounded by the idea of magic and fate, and as such he practices his upbringing to remain closer to his heritage.
ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ☾
Brave men stand up for what they believe in. Kind men help those in need even if they are in pain themselves. Intelligent men know how to manipulate the others into doing what they all desire. Pike likes to consider himself to be an intelligent man—— someone who takes in the ideals and wishes of others and uses them to his advantage if need be. Perhaps this is why he is so talented at his given profession; he is aware of what to say and do in order to garner favor or information. Pike is best described as "observant". He oversees the people around him and works out their personalities with as much knowledge as he can collect. With this skill in mind, Pike has taught himself to be an eccentric extrovert with an obvious love of conversation and riddles. He can speak for hours on end, jabbering about nonsense, and by the end of the conversation he will have hopefully pieced together the fabric of information he has gained from his partner.
Without people he would perhaps be useless, as people truly make up the foundation of himself. Pike does not do well in tight, quiet places. He finds such things to be frightening. If a room is silent he will work his way around, trying to make as much noise as he can, and if a room is small he will throw open all the windows just to let in the slightest bit of air. Pike has worked hard to find these open areas, surrounded by wines and people and food that is far too rich for his meager tastes, and he wishes to keep his (albeit fake) status no matter the cost. Due to this, he is rather morally gray and has no issue following the orders of someone higher up so long as it allows him to remain content.
Despite his self-interest, Pike very easily finds himself attracted to others, It is truly the hedonist in him that seeks out the warm pleasures of another body. Attraction and love are two very different things, though. He tries to avoid "The L-Word" at all costs, though it is hard when he is a hopeless romantic at heart. Perhaps he gained it form his mother, the poor widow, who read him stories of daring adventurers and true love. Pike always wanted to be a dashing rogue or sparkling knight, rescuing the damsel in distress, but Mother Fate presented him with a life of dark deeds and secrets. He is fine with it. Fate works in mysterious ways, after all, and he trusts his cards more than his own gut sometimes.
Without people he would perhaps be useless, as people truly make up the foundation of himself. Pike does not do well in tight, quiet places. He finds such things to be frightening. If a room is silent he will work his way around, trying to make as much noise as he can, and if a room is small he will throw open all the windows just to let in the slightest bit of air. Pike has worked hard to find these open areas, surrounded by wines and people and food that is far too rich for his meager tastes, and he wishes to keep his (albeit fake) status no matter the cost. Due to this, he is rather morally gray and has no issue following the orders of someone higher up so long as it allows him to remain content.
Despite his self-interest, Pike very easily finds himself attracted to others, It is truly the hedonist in him that seeks out the warm pleasures of another body. Attraction and love are two very different things, though. He tries to avoid "The L-Word" at all costs, though it is hard when he is a hopeless romantic at heart. Perhaps he gained it form his mother, the poor widow, who read him stories of daring adventurers and true love. Pike always wanted to be a dashing rogue or sparkling knight, rescuing the damsel in distress, but Mother Fate presented him with a life of dark deeds and secrets. He is fine with it. Fate works in mysterious ways, after all, and he trusts his cards more than his own gut sometimes.
ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ☾
Pike only truly remembers his mother and sister when he recounts his childhood. Edith was a strong but lovely lady, and most of her free time was spent caring for her two children while juggling her failing bakery and odd jobs. When Alexander was born, he was often looked after by his elder sister Emma. She was a mere five years older than him, but she quickly grew accustomed to stopping his cries and helping mom change him when Edith requested. Alex wasn't always well fed, or warm, or content, but he was happy with his small family. Even if they were poor, at least they had their cards and their prayers to Lady Fate. He never asked about his father, as he never had a reason to, but some nights he used to stay up wondering if he even had one or if his mother was just cursed with two lonely pregnancies by Fate herself.
Alexander grew up quicker than most simply because he had to. His family was often reliant on doing odd jobs and menial labor for money, and so he quickly took it upon himself to find the most well-paying work that also suited his need for being the center of attention. From the ages fifteen onward he worked as a fortune teller, a cryer, and a messanger for the capital of Vertiron. It was the final job that garnered him attention from one of the highest eyes in the land. His days of trafficking letters to and from the palace eventually came to an end on the eve of his twenty-first birthday, as he was gifted with an unsigned letter instructing him to meet in the lower gardens of the palace.
It was that fateful night he met the Queen Regent Theresa. Surrounded by the thick perfume of spring flora, the Queen Mother confessed to admiring him from afar and offered him work at her side as a spy and confidant. Alexander, even back then, was a well-versed businessman at heart, and this opportunity laid itself bare with coin and a comfortable future for his family. He would only agree to her terms if his family was paid handsomely for his work, and he was given a surname to masquerade as a noble among the court. Terms were eventually agreed upon, and Alex left that night with a new name; Pike. Alexander Pike, a "baron" of the court of Vertiron.
Needless to say, the next five years of his life were a whirlwind of change. He quickly adopted the mannerisms of the elite class and worked to not only redo his exterior but his interior as well. His plucky confidence bloomed into a suave and almost charming narcissism, and his natural way with words earned his keep as Queen Theresa's newest secret.
Alexander grew up quicker than most simply because he had to. His family was often reliant on doing odd jobs and menial labor for money, and so he quickly took it upon himself to find the most well-paying work that also suited his need for being the center of attention. From the ages fifteen onward he worked as a fortune teller, a cryer, and a messanger for the capital of Vertiron. It was the final job that garnered him attention from one of the highest eyes in the land. His days of trafficking letters to and from the palace eventually came to an end on the eve of his twenty-first birthday, as he was gifted with an unsigned letter instructing him to meet in the lower gardens of the palace.
It was that fateful night he met the Queen Regent Theresa. Surrounded by the thick perfume of spring flora, the Queen Mother confessed to admiring him from afar and offered him work at her side as a spy and confidant. Alexander, even back then, was a well-versed businessman at heart, and this opportunity laid itself bare with coin and a comfortable future for his family. He would only agree to her terms if his family was paid handsomely for his work, and he was given a surname to masquerade as a noble among the court. Terms were eventually agreed upon, and Alex left that night with a new name; Pike. Alexander Pike, a "baron" of the court of Vertiron.
Needless to say, the next five years of his life were a whirlwind of change. He quickly adopted the mannerisms of the elite class and worked to not only redo his exterior but his interior as well. His plucky confidence bloomed into a suave and almost charming narcissism, and his natural way with words earned his keep as Queen Theresa's newest secret.
|| Qɪᴜ || Cᴏᴜɴᴛᴇss || Eᴜʜᴊɪᴀɴ ||
|| 25 || Fᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ || Bɪsᴇxᴜᴀʟ ||
ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ✾
Qiu is not one of renowned beauty; in fact, she considers herself to be quite plain. Not one for caring much about the usual artistry of makeup and fine clothing, she often relies on the helpful hands of friends or family to aid in her extensive dressing up, and by the end of it all she is usually too exhausted to consider herself anything more than "average". Qiu is not an intimidating figure, standing at a mere 5'2" and weighing just over 120 pounds, though to be fair she is often swallowed by thick and vibrantly colored garments. Her skin is smooth and peachy, though quickly tans if she is present in the sun for more than a day.
Makeup is Qiu's biggest enemy, and at the same time she would never be caught dead without it. She often annunciates her usually thin brows and small lips, and after that leaves the rest of her face to fate as she quickly finishes up whatever is left to cover. Despite this, she rarely looks horrible, just perhaps a little messier than other ladies of the court. The only thing she does truly love about her appearance is her hair. Jet black and hanging lower enough to brush the back of her thighs, it is Qiu's pride and joy. She often puts it up in intricate knots and buns, decorating her locks with gorgeous hair pieces and pins.
If she happens to care about her clothing, it usually thick in layers and bright in color. Her favorite color is red, and she often accents it with golds and pinks. Beneath all those layers, though, Qiu is lithe and full of restless energy. She often runs in the early morning and used to exercise along with her brother, back when he was able to. Due to this she has a well-built body and is able to hold her own in single combat if so needed. She works best with a shortsword in hand and an arena that allows her to breathe.
Makeup is Qiu's biggest enemy, and at the same time she would never be caught dead without it. She often annunciates her usually thin brows and small lips, and after that leaves the rest of her face to fate as she quickly finishes up whatever is left to cover. Despite this, she rarely looks horrible, just perhaps a little messier than other ladies of the court. The only thing she does truly love about her appearance is her hair. Jet black and hanging lower enough to brush the back of her thighs, it is Qiu's pride and joy. She often puts it up in intricate knots and buns, decorating her locks with gorgeous hair pieces and pins.
If she happens to care about her clothing, it usually thick in layers and bright in color. Her favorite color is red, and she often accents it with golds and pinks. Beneath all those layers, though, Qiu is lithe and full of restless energy. She often runs in the early morning and used to exercise along with her brother, back when he was able to. Due to this she has a well-built body and is able to hold her own in single combat if so needed. She works best with a shortsword in hand and an arena that allows her to breathe.
ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛs
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ✾
In a world of vices and virtues, Qiu favors the former. She is perhaps built on vices, and she loves to indulge in them at any chance she can. Her favorites include drinking and smoking, and boy can you tell. If she isn't even a little tipsy she can be rather hard to deal with, and sweet or sour smokey smells seem to follow her around no matter how much perfume she tries to use to cover it. To generalize, Qiu likes to have fun and enjoy herself, but she will also let her title get in the way if it so suits what needs to be done.
Qiu, besides the smoking and the alcohol, also enjoys exercise. It gets her energy out and aids in her wish to grow stronger not only of body but of mind as well. She often practices swordplay in an effort to garner some attention that is not only singled around her title. Besides that, Qiu partakes in games like xiangqi and shogi, liking the mental elements of it. Despite this, Qiu dislikes anything that involves reading and arithmetic. Her other hobbies include gossiping, gardening, calligraphy (which she is quite good at), and bird watching.
Qiu, besides the smoking and the alcohol, also enjoys exercise. It gets her energy out and aids in her wish to grow stronger not only of body but of mind as well. She often practices swordplay in an effort to garner some attention that is not only singled around her title. Besides that, Qiu partakes in games like xiangqi and shogi, liking the mental elements of it. Despite this, Qiu dislikes anything that involves reading and arithmetic. Her other hobbies include gossiping, gardening, calligraphy (which she is quite good at), and bird watching.
ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ✾
Qiu is a woman restrained. She lives in a society built around titles, built around boxes, and she just can't stand that. If not for her brother Que she would be running through the streets, wild and free. In the end, Qiu can't really fight for anything more than what she's been given. Sometimes she appears fine, content even, to sit with her title and wait for the next exciting thing to happen. She knows how to act prim and proper when need be, and she uses it to her advantage.
When comfortable enough around a certain person, she really lets loose. She relaxes, enjoys some casual touching and flirting, and gossips about whatever rumors are spreading throughout the lands. She can be quite sweet to her friends and has a strong overprotective quality about herself that can be seen especially when she is with her brother. However, as of late, the two have been on tense terms.
Qiu is quite excitable and has a fascination with relationships just because she has never really experienced one before. In love she can be quiet and a bit unorthodox, but this is because she really doesn't have much of a basis for it. Romance stories bored her as a child, and her mother was always a stronger individual, so talk of the birds and the bees never really came up. In the end, Qiu is simply useless with pink-colored emotions, and for now she's okay with that.
Qiu is hard to manage under casual circumstances, but she can quickly switch to being an unseen member of the courts if in the right mood. If not, she is known to be rather rebellious and sneaky. She will often slink off to smoke hand-rolled cigarettes if given a chance, and she has been known to challenge men and women alike to duels over petty matters. She is a lady, yes, but underneath it all she is selfish, sweet, and just a little high strung.
When comfortable enough around a certain person, she really lets loose. She relaxes, enjoys some casual touching and flirting, and gossips about whatever rumors are spreading throughout the lands. She can be quite sweet to her friends and has a strong overprotective quality about herself that can be seen especially when she is with her brother. However, as of late, the two have been on tense terms.
Qiu is quite excitable and has a fascination with relationships just because she has never really experienced one before. In love she can be quiet and a bit unorthodox, but this is because she really doesn't have much of a basis for it. Romance stories bored her as a child, and her mother was always a stronger individual, so talk of the birds and the bees never really came up. In the end, Qiu is simply useless with pink-colored emotions, and for now she's okay with that.
Qiu is hard to manage under casual circumstances, but she can quickly switch to being an unseen member of the courts if in the right mood. If not, she is known to be rather rebellious and sneaky. She will often slink off to smoke hand-rolled cigarettes if given a chance, and she has been known to challenge men and women alike to duels over petty matters. She is a lady, yes, but underneath it all she is selfish, sweet, and just a little high strung.
ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ
▔▔▔▔▔▔ ✾
Qiu was born one chilly autumn night a few minutes before her brother, wailing and bloody and being praised for her luck of being the first half of a pair of twins. Her mother did not hold her that night, as she was rather busy working out the second half of a pair, so Qiu's first view of the world was from the arms of a frantic nursemaid, backlit by the flickering light of hooded lanterns. The first words she heard were, "Lady Fen has been blessed with lucky twins. They are destined to be great."
Oh, how wrong that woman was.
Qiu was a spoiled child, gifted treasures and secrets from her rather distant parents and all too close nannies and maids. She spent countless days buried in silk dresses she could not fit in to yet, ignoring the books she was left to leaf through in favor of sitting in the gardens and watching the sparrows and swallows dip and dive through the air above her. Some days, she would watch Que exercise and train his body, gearing towards becoming a soldier like their father. Other days she would catch mom away from work, smoking a long cigarette and sighing as she combed through her zen gardens, and Qiu would walk silently at her side and admire her regal beauty endlessly.
As she grew older, her boredom with the courts grew to dramatic heights. Learning her manners and her duties dragged her once quiet days into droning, white-noise filled hellscapes she dreaded. While her brother went off to battles and treks to defend the border, Qiu was trapped in history and etiquette lessons. Her only reprise came during her afternoon tea breaks, where she taught herself how to beat one of her closer servants at chess and learned how to hand-roll her own tobacco cigarettes.
Que would often tell Qiu of his various times away, but he was often vaue about their outcomes. Perhaps he did not want to infect her with the thought of death or, maybe, he was keeping the fun to himself. She didn't care enough to ask for more details.
By her eighteenth year she was groomed enough to sit beside her mother's side in complete silence and aid in bills and letter writing. Early in the morning and late at night she would join her brother uproariously in sword training and exercise. This was the time when they were closest, until the accident which took Que's future out from under him.
Depression and injury claimed her time with him, and Qiu grew bitter with abandonment or, perhaps, guilt. Guilt that she can't help him. Guilt that she wasn't there to stop it. She has been cold to him ever since.
When their father retired, Que gained his title of Marquis, and mother granted Qiu the title of Countess as the time to gather in Vertiron grew closer. Her mission now was simple: marry into riches and power. A life without men or women courting her left her at a disadvantage, and with Que at her side she imagines she won't get many askers, but Qiu was finally free form her usual duties and released in to a new land with a romantic seed in her heart. Perhaps something exciting would come out of this. Or, perhaps, she will return home with nothing gained.
Oh, how wrong that woman was.
Qiu was a spoiled child, gifted treasures and secrets from her rather distant parents and all too close nannies and maids. She spent countless days buried in silk dresses she could not fit in to yet, ignoring the books she was left to leaf through in favor of sitting in the gardens and watching the sparrows and swallows dip and dive through the air above her. Some days, she would watch Que exercise and train his body, gearing towards becoming a soldier like their father. Other days she would catch mom away from work, smoking a long cigarette and sighing as she combed through her zen gardens, and Qiu would walk silently at her side and admire her regal beauty endlessly.
As she grew older, her boredom with the courts grew to dramatic heights. Learning her manners and her duties dragged her once quiet days into droning, white-noise filled hellscapes she dreaded. While her brother went off to battles and treks to defend the border, Qiu was trapped in history and etiquette lessons. Her only reprise came during her afternoon tea breaks, where she taught herself how to beat one of her closer servants at chess and learned how to hand-roll her own tobacco cigarettes.
Que would often tell Qiu of his various times away, but he was often vaue about their outcomes. Perhaps he did not want to infect her with the thought of death or, maybe, he was keeping the fun to himself. She didn't care enough to ask for more details.
By her eighteenth year she was groomed enough to sit beside her mother's side in complete silence and aid in bills and letter writing. Early in the morning and late at night she would join her brother uproariously in sword training and exercise. This was the time when they were closest, until the accident which took Que's future out from under him.
Depression and injury claimed her time with him, and Qiu grew bitter with abandonment or, perhaps, guilt. Guilt that she can't help him. Guilt that she wasn't there to stop it. She has been cold to him ever since.
When their father retired, Que gained his title of Marquis, and mother granted Qiu the title of Countess as the time to gather in Vertiron grew closer. Her mission now was simple: marry into riches and power. A life without men or women courting her left her at a disadvantage, and with Que at her side she imagines she won't get many askers, but Qiu was finally free form her usual duties and released in to a new land with a romantic seed in her heart. Perhaps something exciting would come out of this. Or, perhaps, she will return home with nothing gained.