Post by lithle on Jan 11, 2011 21:22:37 GMT -5
Jaden
Name: Jaden
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Prisoner: Yes
Crime: Dust Possession, Dust Manufacture
Craft/Rank: Sr. Apprentice Healer
Appearance:
A glance at Jaden shows that he was once a very attractive man. Maybe, in the view of some, he still is. First, his good points. He's tall, with broad shoulders and strong, well muscled arms. He clearly works out and works out hard. He's got a strong face with a heroic chin and vibrant green eyes. His skin is a warm brown and his hair is thick, black, and curly. He keeps it fairly short.
But, that's not what people tend to notice about Jaden. Mostly they notice the scar. Well, one of the scars. The one that covers most of the left side of his face. It's a burn scar and it starts at his chin and claws its way up his cheek. As to what caused it, well, nevermind that. He has other scars as well. Some are burns. Others cuts. They cover a significant amount of his flesh, though most are hidden by his jumpsuit. Indeed, were it not for the one his face, he'd look perfectly normal in a long sleeved shirt and long pants. He does limp, a little, favoring his left leg. It's not particularly noticeable, except when he's tired.
Personality:
Jaden as he is exists only in contrast to Jaden as he was, yet there's little enough point in lingering on the past. Suffice to say that he was happy once and strong. But insecurity has always haunted him, as it haunts him still. He believes himself to be dumb. This isn't the case. He isn't a fast learner but he was once quite good with people.
Jaden, now, in a single word? Fragile. He is a house of cards, a butterfly wing, a spun glass ornament. He wears this fragility openly. He's soft spoken and shy of people. But it's not mere shyness. There is a tension about Jaden, a sense that something is waiting to snap. Only around Spins does he ease at all and then only marginally. Spins is Jaden's avatar to the world and often his voice. He often speaks his thoughts to the other man, and allows Spins to voice them to the world at large.
Yet, with Spins, there's an echo of who he once was. Each man mother's the other, scolding and teasing. Spins is Jaden's wall, but Jaden is Spins's anchor. He reminds Spins that the world is more than a collection of toys. He tells jokes, for Spins. He laughs. He points out beautiful things. Perhaps because his own looks are so marred, Jaden is fascinated by beautiful things. He hates his own marred appearance and seeing over much of himself is not good for him.
Jaden desperately needs friends and affection. Yet, it's very difficult for him to relate to strangers. Often, Spins hand picks people he think will be safe for Jaden to interact with and introduces them. It rarely goes well. While Jaden desperately wants and needs to be loved, he hates himself too much to allow any bonds to form. And all to often, strangers set off attacks.
Because Jaden is extremely prone to panic attacks. He has many triggers. Being restrained is a trigger, so Jaden tries to be very good to avoid shackles. Being yelled at is a trigger. Violence, even when not directed at him, is a trigger. Certain appearances are a trigger, Jaden is deathly uncomfortable around men with runner-tails or gold firelizards. Spins tries to protect him from these things but it can be difficult in a prison. On the bright side, Jaden recovers relatively quickly from panic attacks. He generally recovers enough to function after a few hours, though the fog they leave him in tends to linger for a day or so.
History:
Jaden was born to kitchen workers who were employed by the Healer Hall. His parents, while not abusive to him, did not get along particularly well with each other. Jaden was neglected enough to notice but the Hall as a whole tended to pick up the slack. He was a good looking kid and a favorite of many.
He met Spins when he was very young. The sickly bed was always locked away in bed or being picked on. Jaden felt bad for him and besides, Spins made him laugh. He became the smaller, younger boy's protector. It rarely came to fights. Jaden was liked among the other children as well. He could depend on smiling his way out of situations. Spins became rather central to his world, perhaps because he was so central to the other boys. Spins needed him. Would literally have died without him on more than one occasion. Perhaps this is why he became interested in healing.
When Spins left for his Hall, Jaden was left at loose ends. For a couple turns, he worked in the kitchen. Then, his interest in healing overcame his conviction he wasn't bright enough to learn. He joined the healing hall at seventeen turns. It was extremely late for an apprenticeship, but he was determined.
He wasn't, however, very good. His mind simply didn't work along the lines that were required of him. Jaden wasn't dumb, but he wasn't a natural healer. He learned slowly, advanced through classes slowly. The teachers encouraged and helped. Jaden was a likable guy.
Then he met Krair. Krair was a journeyman healer in his mid-thirties. Jaden was nineteen. It was a wonderful relationship. They were happy together. Krair doted on Jaden. Jaden worshiped Krair. Krair understood him. Knew he wasn't as bright as the others. Knew he needed help. Was always reminding of these facts. Krair introduced him to Dust. To help him focus, of course. It didn't help him focus. It did help him become all the more dependent on Krair.
Krair who didn't like him talking to other people. Krair who got angry if he wore the wrong clothes. Krair who wouldn't be so angry if Jaden wasn't always so sharding dumb.
Krair who started hitting him. Hitting him and... other things.
It was a slow downward spiral. Jaden hardly noticed at first. The Dust helped dull the sense of it. And then classes fell to the wayside. He stopped leaving Krair's rooms. He stopped doing anything without Krair's permission. It was never enough. Finally, when Krair burned his face to punish him for talking to one of the Journeyman's friends, Jaden ran.
He ran to the only person he knew. Spins. It's blurry after that. He was detoxing. He was afraid of everything. He was terrified of Krair finding him. It was probably that terror that drove Spins to do what he did. That's what Jaden believes, anyway. A turn after Jaden came to live with him, Spins killed Krair. Jaden was twenty-four. A turn later, the Watch found Spins and took him away. After that, Jaden slipped back to dust use. It took less than a turn for the watch to catch him. Shortly afterward, he found himself in Wardens.
And back with Spins, who could protect him.
Name: Passith
Color: Gray
Flower: Passionflower
Hex Code: FFDDBB
Appearance: Passith is a gray - and a small one at that. He is also slender, and doesn't have all that much to look scary about. His limbs are long, and his muscles wiry, but this little man will never be an awe-inspiring sight like some of his siblings. His right hindleg is shorter then the other, enough to be noticable but he can still run if need be. Like hatching. He needed to get to him, after all! His tail is also quite the length, slim as the dragon himself, but exceedingly strong. He is a stamina flyer, not made for speed.
As for his color, Passith just looks happy. Pale gray with nearly pink-white markings swirling over his body, coal-gray contrasting swirls on his tail and his wings, they are as decorative as he is pleased with life. He likes to think the pale circle around his eyes does not make him look as sinister as Juarth.
Personality: Passith sounds like the word 'passive', meaning 'accepting what happens or what others do without active response or resistance'. Fortunately (or not, depending on which person you speak with), Passith takes on the other sort of word: passion. He is a firm and quick on his feet dragon, oftentimes throwing his entire self into any task set forth by Jaden. If Jaden has no goals, Passith will make them. The best way to care about the world is to care about what is around you. Being the best may not be the goal, but trying their best is.
Even with his determination to be awesome, Passith is not a dragon version of Spins. He'd shudder at the thought. 'Fun' is not a good reason to cause havoc, and he is content to be still when needed, energy to be stored until needed. One does not need to run around like a ferret on speed at all times. Passith is fond of Spins for Jaden's sake, tolerating his antics until his rider becomes distressed. He is the sort to help deter chaos because His has been worried enough in life. Passith does not want him to have more grief - he wants him to heal.
And he is a good Healer. Passith attempts to not coddle (exactly), but rather to nurture. Jaden has an opinion? He will listen, and discuss, but never let it be said he tries to push his opinion onto the prisoner-weyrling. The little gray will do anything in his power to try and mend some of the broken parts of his rider. Oh, he loves those broken parts just as much as the unbroken, but it would make Jaden happy. And that, to Passith, is the most important thing.
Why Me? Jaden doesn't need a carbon copy of the major influences in his life: an abusive boyfriend, his broken self, or Spins and his twisted persona. Jaden already has those. Yes, Spins want him to be okay, but is he equipped to help with the process? Probably not. Passith is. He is very much into being alive, not just doing things because or hiding in the shadows. He will try to socialize Jaden while being a constant support and listening to the man. From Jaden, Passith is able to nurture while being nurtured in kind, finding a bosom companion to tolerate and love him even when at his most enthusiastic. Passith wants to experience what he can in life, and give Jaden that same joy.