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needleandinkName: Adrian Smith (not his real last name but no one knows that)
Physical: 6'3, dark hair, dark eyes
Ink: Various - but the only ones visible are a black panther the length of his left forearm, and, if he's in a tank top, his shoulder
BACKGROUND & HISTORY: Adrian was born to a normal, upper class Chicago family. His mother is a whiz with numbers and works for the family corporation as COO, and his father is a thoracic surgeon. Because of their careers, they didn't have much time for the token child they had. They didn't want the stigma of abandonment that sending him to boarding schools would have raised, but he was pretty much left to raise himself just the same. He felt closest with his crazy grandfather, whom he visited every weekend until he died when Adrian was twelve.
He had a very vivid series of dreams when he turned sixteen, dreams of running as an animal. He paid no attention to them until he woke up one morning with the taste of blood in his mouth. Desperate for answers, and afraid he was going as crazy as his grandfather, Adrian tried to talk to his parents, both of whom waved his questions off as attention seeking. Then, while walking in the woods on his family estate, he found the carcass of a partially consumed fox and remembered. He shifted on the spot and spent a few hours running in his panther form. When he returned to human form, he renewed his search for answers. He finally found them while searching the attic, a series of journals his father had kept. The journals held all the answers he needed. Adrian discovered that his grandfather had been a shifter as well, but that when his grandmother found out, she forbid him from ever doing something so unnatural again. His grandfather, loving his wife more than life, agreed to stop rather than risk losing her. After five years, he'd tried again when he started to feel madness creeping into him - hallucinations, voices, paranoia - but hadn't been able to shift. The journal lapsed into less coherency and more madness as the years passed, and stopped altogether three years later. The date coincided with his grandfather's commitment.
After one of his Chicago clients killed herself because of his actions, Adrian packed his things and left, deciding to head East on the flip of a coin. He ended up in Siren Cove when he felt a magical pull to the place. He knew he wouldn't be using magic, but that the odds of anyone finding a black panther prowling the woods and shooting first/asking questions later might be lower there and maybe he could start again, doing it right this time. So far, he's been proven correct.
PERSONALITY: Adrian isn't what anyone would call garrulous. He's soft spoken, humble, and dedicated to his craft and helping people display their desires for personal expression through body decoration. He's a good friend, loyal to a fault, and envious of anyone who has a close, supportive family. While he might envy them, though, its not a destructive feeling, though he might get a little disgusted with them for not appreciating what they have. He's not a party sort of guy, but he doesn't mind a night out every now and then. He's also just as happy sitting in the loft over his studio with a book, a glass of wine, and the sight of snow falling out over the town. Adrian smokes when he remembers, but he can take the habit or leave it, and feels close to the same way about sex. It's a good release and not much more to him because he won't let it be.
OPINION OF THE RIVALRY: He's been in Siren Cove long enough to hear the stories and thinks both sides are supremely stupid for trying to enforce their own thoughts on other people. He might not be easily swayed to share that thought - mostly because he's trying to run a business and isn't about to alienate anyone - but that's where his head is.
LIFESTYLE: Adrian is a homebody. He has his work, he shifts, he cooks, and occasionally stops at a bar for a drink. He's not a loner and enjoys the company of friends, but he doesn't go looking for social events. He enjoys running - both in human and animal form - and has run both the Boston and New York marathons. He isn't covered in ink, but the five tattoos he has are there for a reason. Because he lives over his own shop, he's almost always there and it works for him. Outside of the chef's kitchen, his apartment is pretty spartan and outfitted in just the basics. He tends towards dark colors when he dresses, and his usual uniform is jeans and t-shirts, the occasional thin leather bracelets, and two earrings in his left ear, one in his right.
Adrian was adopted by a stray black cat he calls Shadow. He found her as a kitten when he was in panther form and she followed him home, mewling all the way. He fed her, kept her, and she's the closest thing he's ever had to a relationship.
Money isn't a problem for him - he's a trust fund baby from his mother's side - but he rarely touches that money. He used it to buy the building in Siren Cove, and to set up his new apartment, but lives off the money from his shop. Even buying the building, he barely made a noticeable ripple in the bottom line.
POWERS & ABILITIES: As far as anyone in Siren Cove knows, Adrian's only ability is that of a shapeshifter. That's the only thing he'll acknowledge. He can turn into a black panther at will but prefers to spend his time human. He does, however, have magic in him. The power is genetic, a recessive gene passed from the paternal line. The shapeshifting is the main power, but with it comes an ability to influence the minds of others - a trait brought about to make others forget seeing the shifter shift - and quicker than normal healing, especially in animal form.
When he was young and stupid, he started using that magic to help people - he started putting his coercion into his tattoo work - giving confidence to the timid, calm to the scared, influencing feelings. He thought he was helping people, but what he didn't find out until later was that the magic wasn't as permanent as the ink. His customers would be left with situations brought about by his magic, but that they couldn't cope with without it. When one of his former clients killed herself, turned his back on magic altogether. He only keep shifting because he has to or he'll end up like his grandfather.
Physical: 6'3, dark hair, dark eyes
Ink: Various - but the only ones visible are a black panther the length of his left forearm, and, if he's in a tank top, his shoulder
BACKGROUND & HISTORY: Adrian was born to a normal, upper class Chicago family. His mother is a whiz with numbers and works for the family corporation as COO, and his father is a thoracic surgeon. Because of their careers, they didn't have much time for the token child they had. They didn't want the stigma of abandonment that sending him to boarding schools would have raised, but he was pretty much left to raise himself just the same. He felt closest with his crazy grandfather, whom he visited every weekend until he died when Adrian was twelve.
He had a very vivid series of dreams when he turned sixteen, dreams of running as an animal. He paid no attention to them until he woke up one morning with the taste of blood in his mouth. Desperate for answers, and afraid he was going as crazy as his grandfather, Adrian tried to talk to his parents, both of whom waved his questions off as attention seeking. Then, while walking in the woods on his family estate, he found the carcass of a partially consumed fox and remembered. He shifted on the spot and spent a few hours running in his panther form. When he returned to human form, he renewed his search for answers. He finally found them while searching the attic, a series of journals his father had kept. The journals held all the answers he needed. Adrian discovered that his grandfather had been a shifter as well, but that when his grandmother found out, she forbid him from ever doing something so unnatural again. His grandfather, loving his wife more than life, agreed to stop rather than risk losing her. After five years, he'd tried again when he started to feel madness creeping into him - hallucinations, voices, paranoia - but hadn't been able to shift. The journal lapsed into less coherency and more madness as the years passed, and stopped altogether three years later. The date coincided with his grandfather's commitment.
After one of his Chicago clients killed herself because of his actions, Adrian packed his things and left, deciding to head East on the flip of a coin. He ended up in Siren Cove when he felt a magical pull to the place. He knew he wouldn't be using magic, but that the odds of anyone finding a black panther prowling the woods and shooting first/asking questions later might be lower there and maybe he could start again, doing it right this time. So far, he's been proven correct.
PERSONALITY: Adrian isn't what anyone would call garrulous. He's soft spoken, humble, and dedicated to his craft and helping people display their desires for personal expression through body decoration. He's a good friend, loyal to a fault, and envious of anyone who has a close, supportive family. While he might envy them, though, its not a destructive feeling, though he might get a little disgusted with them for not appreciating what they have. He's not a party sort of guy, but he doesn't mind a night out every now and then. He's also just as happy sitting in the loft over his studio with a book, a glass of wine, and the sight of snow falling out over the town. Adrian smokes when he remembers, but he can take the habit or leave it, and feels close to the same way about sex. It's a good release and not much more to him because he won't let it be.
OPINION OF THE RIVALRY: He's been in Siren Cove long enough to hear the stories and thinks both sides are supremely stupid for trying to enforce their own thoughts on other people. He might not be easily swayed to share that thought - mostly because he's trying to run a business and isn't about to alienate anyone - but that's where his head is.
LIFESTYLE: Adrian is a homebody. He has his work, he shifts, he cooks, and occasionally stops at a bar for a drink. He's not a loner and enjoys the company of friends, but he doesn't go looking for social events. He enjoys running - both in human and animal form - and has run both the Boston and New York marathons. He isn't covered in ink, but the five tattoos he has are there for a reason. Because he lives over his own shop, he's almost always there and it works for him. Outside of the chef's kitchen, his apartment is pretty spartan and outfitted in just the basics. He tends towards dark colors when he dresses, and his usual uniform is jeans and t-shirts, the occasional thin leather bracelets, and two earrings in his left ear, one in his right.
Adrian was adopted by a stray black cat he calls Shadow. He found her as a kitten when he was in panther form and she followed him home, mewling all the way. He fed her, kept her, and she's the closest thing he's ever had to a relationship.
Money isn't a problem for him - he's a trust fund baby from his mother's side - but he rarely touches that money. He used it to buy the building in Siren Cove, and to set up his new apartment, but lives off the money from his shop. Even buying the building, he barely made a noticeable ripple in the bottom line.
POWERS & ABILITIES: As far as anyone in Siren Cove knows, Adrian's only ability is that of a shapeshifter. That's the only thing he'll acknowledge. He can turn into a black panther at will but prefers to spend his time human. He does, however, have magic in him. The power is genetic, a recessive gene passed from the paternal line. The shapeshifting is the main power, but with it comes an ability to influence the minds of others - a trait brought about to make others forget seeing the shifter shift - and quicker than normal healing, especially in animal form.
When he was young and stupid, he started using that magic to help people - he started putting his coercion into his tattoo work - giving confidence to the timid, calm to the scared, influencing feelings. He thought he was helping people, but what he didn't find out until later was that the magic wasn't as permanent as the ink. His customers would be left with situations brought about by his magic, but that they couldn't cope with without it. When one of his former clients killed herself, turned his back on magic altogether. He only keep shifting because he has to or he'll end up like his grandfather.