|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:05 am
 |
|
|
|
NAME Friedrich Grimm (the first) Friedrich Grimm (the last)
AGE 17
OCCUPATION thieves, smugglers, con artists, bully boys, etc
FAMILY The Friedrichs are the middle of a large brood of children belonging to an extensive crime family, whose largest operations are in smuggling. It's said that a branch of their family owns land on the coast and has links to actual pirates. Last is also now engaged to Rosalie Satre. (Who knows where this will lead .. but there'll probably be mischief along the way.)
POSITIVES Optimistic, determined, loyal
NEUTRALS Intelligent, perceptive
NEGATIVE Relentless, reckless, sadistic
APPEARANCE The Friedrichs -- generally referred to as just that -- are not just brothers, but identical twins. They share a sameness that many find eerie and that the twins themselves work deliberately to encourage. Both are long and gangly, stretched-out versions of normal young men. Both have what they cheerfully refer to as "mud-splattered" brown hair, with varying shades of light and dark brown. More than just lean, they both look underfed. Neither is ever still, and they both often fidget with restless energy. They seem to move and occasionally speak in concert, a trick they practice as a means of unnerving others. They take care to dress identically at all times, generally wearing clothing of very good make, outfits that would suggest they are the sons of a wealthy merchant. They are not stunning, but they are not unattractive either, and when looking for companionship are very likely to use their shared appearance to their advantage.
First Friedrich is slightly taller, with more freckles across the bridge of his nose. Last Friedrich is slightly shorter, with slightly darker hair.
PERSONALITY Nothing delights the Friedrichs more than playing what they refer to as 'The Game:' either fooling people who do not know that they are twins or trying to make others nervous with their sameness. 'Guess Who?' is another fun game, and they often allow those who are able to consistently guess which twin is which to skip out of loans or beatings -- or make punishments worse for those who guess wrong. Though to those unaware of their criminal background they seem naturally cheerful and just a bit silly, their joking behavior hides a surprisingly calculating coolness. Almost everything they do is planned ahead of time for the affect it will have on others; how they dress, how they speak, where they shop, how they bargain in the market -- it's all carefully thought out, either by the twins themselves or carefully passed on from an older family member.
This said, the Friedrichs are also fiercely loyal to each other and to their family: they do not do well when separated from each other for longer periods of time, and quickly become depressed. Even when they have each other they dislike being alone, and love having an audience for their pranks and shows of wit.
First Friedrich is more likely to immediately and physically confront problems or people who cause difficulty; he is quicker to laugh, louder when he speaks, and seems to smile more sincerely. Last Friedrich is more likely to indirectly confront problems and subtly work against people who cause difficulty; he is quicker to anger, less likely to shout, and seems more likely to scowl.
SKILLS Both Friedrichs have an uncanny ability to get past locks and guards, although they make most of their money as con artists and smugglers of both goods and information. They are quick-thinking and adaptive, and surprisingly perceptive regarding the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of those around them -- years of carefully watching others and planning their own reactions helps. They are renowned street-fighters, well known for their ability to fight as a team. Both are capable of writing, reading, and are especially quick with sums, a necessary talent for any 'businessman.'
HISTORY The Friedrichs are two of the eight children of the Grimm family, falling directly in the middle with three elder siblings and three younger. In the port town where they were born, there was a stirring of unease and rumors that twin births were cursed -- something their parents, as criminals, decided to capitalized on. Growing up the boys were praised and petted for their sameness, and it is from their family at large that they learned both their loyalty (family always comes first with the Grimms) and their calculating manner.
They have lived in the city for three or four years now, ostensibly operating a tavern that sits on the very street separating the wealthier sections of the city from the poorer ones. The tavern itself is a legitimate business, with all purchases being above board, but it is a meeting place for all connections of the Grimm family's smuggling ring -- the twins themselves are the citywide points of contact. Though they can at times be found working behind the bar, most of their time is taken up with family business; securing merchandise, contracts, and methods of transportation. They also operate a surprisingly efficient protection racket on the street where their tavern is located, not to extort money from the other shopkeepers, but because they allow no crime to take place near their business, as such crimes would have the potential to draw the attention of the city guard. Thieves, muggers, or arsonists are either beaten or made to disappear, as necessary.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:06 am
|
|
|
 |
Unwanted Unwanted very often lives up to his name, appearing wherever he will be most inconvenient, startling, or unexpected. He has an absolute knack for finding entrances into buildings that are supposed to be locked up, although this will grow more difficult as he grows larger. He is also, bless his crooked heart, something of a thief, prone to carrying off anything left within reach -- food, shiny things, things that might be food, things that smell interesting .. anything that fits in his mouth or can be bitten and dragged off. Those thefts that are not immediately consumed are brought and presented to his contrary Chosen, the only sign that Unwanted is hurt by his Chosen's neglect and resentment. Unwelcome Unwelcome has slightly better luck with her Chosen -- although First was heart-broken at her arrival, he is resigned rather than rebellious. As such Unwelcome has greater freedom to be affectionate with her hedge-witch, and constantly abuses it, often preening his hair or clothing. She seems to consider him her mate, although this does not prevent her from flipping her wings at any handsome male rook she might encounter. She is a horrible flirt, fond of being petted and admired, and First is training her to recognize coins so that she can be taught how to steal them from the unwary. Responsibility Being far more superstitious than normal, when the twins were given a sprig of mistletoe by another hedgewitch, they hung it on their door with shaking hands, dreading what it might bring. But the mistletoe only brought them a tiny little red bird, one much better suited to their colors than their current animals despite its diminutive size. After some discussion of warlike names reflecting its 'bloody' coloration, the twins finally decided on the ponderous word that it was offered to them with. They have yet to admit that they have no idea what the word 'responsibility' means. Responsibility has been adopted by Unwelcome, and can sometimes be found in her protective company. He is a bold little fellow with less fear than others of his kind, and absolutely loves to pick at buttons, beads, and loose threads. Fight and Frisk 
Although the twins keep their flat surprisingly clean -- it almost seems to be self defense, in light of Unwelcome and Responsibility -- now and then, their busy lifestyle sometimes prevents them from putting food away properly. Given Last's Choosing and First's acquiring Unwelcome, they have fallen into the habit of accepting the presence of animals in their lives, and so it has not even occurred to them to put out traps or poison for the inevitable pests.
In fact, they have taken to having favorites, and pitting the mice against each other in contests of speed and cleverness, to the point that two of the mice have ceased to be afraid of them. It is not yet clear which mouse is which. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:32 pm
|
|
|
|
The Choosings
" .. c'mon, this is stupid. It's not going to change anything." Despite the casual, almost childish words, there is a frightened sense of urgency to the words. The clouds have not come through with their promise of creating a properly dramatic background for this moment of their tale, but they have released instead a steady drizzle of skin-numbing rain that has made the last several hours into a torment. A hazy glow lights the unfamiliar forest landscape: the afternoon sun shrouded by clouds to an eerie circle of cool light. It will be setting soon, and the nearness of the evening hours frightens First. They lost their bedrolls this morning, when Last had fallen into the creek, and if they don't find somewhere to dry off, surely they're going to catch chill.
"I don't care." Last lies flat on his back in the mud, with rivulets of water swirling across him, soaking the bandage over his shoulder. He looks ghastly, lying there; like his brother his clothing is wrinkled and stained with mud, and the bandage on his head became wet enough to fall off some time ago, exposing the still-healing gash puckered over his eyebrow. His hair is plastered to his skin, and he is dangerously pale under his freckles, the pattern of which for once could be used to separate him from his twin. There were no dyes out here in the wood to stain their skin to match.
There was only the tree.
And the little wooden statue that seems to have broken his brother's heart. Or possibly, First thinks uncharitably, his mind.
"I don't care," Last repeats, with a death grip upon a now half-empty bottle, lifting his head only to drink determinedly from it before dropping back down into the mud. "I'm gonna just lie here until I die. I don't want no damned witch-deer. I don't!"
Exasperated, First digs both hands into his hair with a groan. "Or until you run out of wine, you mean! You can't just will yourself to death 'cause you got a Guardian! Look, I'll take care of it, you know I will."
"That don't matter!" Last's voice cracks on the last word, accompanied by a splash that fails to be melodramatic as he tries to thump his fist on the ground and ends up only with a fateful of mud for his troubles. Sputtering, he spits out mud and continues. "I still got it and you didn't! You wouldn't even touch any of 'em! You shoulda took one, First, you shoulda! I can't do this alone!" The last sentence is almost a wail, but one that ends abruptly as something comes singing out of the rain and lands with a loud, messy thwock! right in the middle of his forehead. "OW!"
Though the sound had been almost painful, the missile is nothing but an over-ripe berry, now smeared to a purple-blue mush across Last's forehead -- and First cannot help the snort of laughter that escapes him at the sight of his brother sitting bolt-upright in the puddle, muddy and now graced with a crown of squashed berry. Before Last can draw a breath to shout at his brother, whom he's sure is responsible, a second berry hits him from above, splattering across his already drenched hair. "Ow!" Another snort of laughter from First follows, much to Last's dismay, and he looks directly up to find the culprit.
It's a bird. A grayish white rook with a darker tail that looks stained, as if the bird sat down in the juice of the berries it is dropping with such accuracy. It watches Last first out of one pink eye and then the other, then qworks excitedly at the sound of First's laughter.
When First is finally able to pull his brother out of the muck and coax him into a stumble, the rook follows.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:06 pm
|
|
|
|
Oh, the Possibilities
Often Found
The Freds run a tavern that borders between the rougher and the nicer districts, in an area of other cookshops / taverns. There are no crimes on their street; they won't allow it. They can often be found in dark and shadowy places, cutting deals, breaking into places, or making payments / drops where required. Rarely they leave the city to meet with family, but it doesn't happen often.
Opportunities
They can be caught turning their hand at thieving, or giving someone a shakedown or a beating for attempting something they don't like. Recently they've learned to be especially wary of Chosen and their Guardians as well as hedgewitches and their familiars. Those down on their luck can go to the Freds for shady employment opportunities, and the Freds are always on the lookout for anything interesting (that they can make money off of).
The Freds are well-known amongst the lower class as smugglers -- they are admired by the people on their street for keeping order, and regarded as fair by most criminals in that they only give out beatings where it's deserved. Though they are the point men for a large smuggling operation, they are regarded in some quarters as being rather young and foolish; true assassins, spies, and criminal overlords would probably find them cute and bumbling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
