TAGGED BY: Instead of admitting openly that I tagged myself I’m gonna credit the indirect tag to @deathvow
TAGGING: Free for the taking!
— BASICS.
▸ IS YOUR MUSE TALL / SHORT / AVERAGE ?
In canon, Darwin is 175 cm tall, or about 5′9″. For an adult male of European descent, that’s basically right at average.
▸ ARE THEY OKAY WITH THEIR HEIGHT ?
His mother was a sickly and small waif of a woman, and Darwin went through periods where he wouldn’t eat for days on end due to poverty as a child. He considers himself lucky he managed to even get this tall.
▸ WHAT’S THEIR HAIR LIKE ?
Soft and effortlessly shiny, but a bit on the unpredictable side.
▸ DO THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HAIR / GROOMING ?
Oh, the time he spent trying to control that cowlick before realizing it was useless...but now, not so much. Bathing and basic grooming are a necessity, especially when one spends time training and getting all sweaty, but Darwin doesn’t require a whole lot.
▸ DOES YOUR MUSE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE / WHAT OTHERS THINK ?
He does, to a reasonable extent. Growing up, he didn’t have clothes that could even really be considered presentable until he started getting hand-me-downs from Orlando. He also takes good care of his fighting gear before heading into battle, finding that making his sword and armor shine gives him a bit of a confidence boost.
— PREFERENCES.
▸ INDOORS OR OUTDOORS ? He likes them both. He can spend time lost in his own thoughts in a quiet room or a spacious outdoor area.
▸ RAIN OR SUNSHINE ? He usually prefers sunshine because there’s more to do. In his younger days, he spent a lot of time reading exciting stories, and playing less active games with Orlando or Marie when it rained, but he could actually act out those stories outdoors with his friends on sunny days. Rain also decreases visibility in battle and can lead to slips and falls..
▸ FOREST OR BEACH ? He spent entire days outside in the woods behind the Crichton family home playing with Orlando and Marie until they were exhausted but happy. He’s never been to a beach, but the forest is special to him from so many memories.
▸ PRECIOUS METALS OR GEMS ? Gems tend to offer better stat boosts for speed and luck...
▸ FLOWERS OR PERFUMES ? Flowers.
▸ PERSONALITY OR APPEARANCE ? Many of his fellow mercenaries are rough around the edges but good people who share a sense of pride and brotherhood fighting to represent the strength of their country. Personality is key as far as he’s concerned.
▸ BEING ALONE OR BEING IN A CROWD ? Being alone. If he’s in a crowd, he usually prefers to have someone he knows with him. Crowds make him anxious.
▸ ORDER OR ANARCHY ? Order. He’s seen when places fall into anarchy and lawlessness, and there’s nothing but bloodshed and senseless violence. There needs to be an order to things.
▸ PAINFUL TRUTHS OR WHITE LIES ? He’s known his fair share of painful truths. He believes honesty is the best policy, but that doesn’t make the truth hurt any less at times.
▸ SCIENCE OR MAGIC ? Magic and science have close ties in Ornia, with magic being a source of power and technological advancement. It fascinates him, since he has a naturally curious mind. That, and one certain magic user has unquestionably gained his favor.
▸ PEACE OR CONFLICT ? Peace. Though conflict does grant him an income, that doesn’t mean he enjoys it.
▸ NIGHT OR DAY ? Day. The bad memories and nightmares tend to show up at night.
▸ DUSK OR DAWN ? He’s not a morning person by any means, so he’d almost certainly choose dusk.
▸ WARMTH OR COLD ? Warmth. He spent too many of Ornia’s winter nights outside as a very young orphanage runaway. Nowadays, he doesn’t mind the cold quite as much since he knows he’ll have a warm house to return to.
▸ MANY ACQUAINTANCES OR A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS ? He’s not socially inclined, and his closest friends mean the world to him. He would take them over every person on the planet wanting to be his friend.
▸ READING OR PLAYING A GAME ? Both. He’s always liked reading stories about adventure and heroism, getting lost in them easily, but it’s definitely amusing to see Orlando get furiously angry over losing a chess game to his “little brother.” Darwin can only hope to beat Marie someday.
— QUESTIONNAIRE.
▸ WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSE’S BAD HABITS ?
He’s not great about sharing his feelings and his worries even with the people he trusts, and it drives them crazy when they know something’s wrong and want to help. He just fears being a burden to those who have made him feel so accepted and loved. His tendency to bottle things up also leads to sudden outbursts of anger when under duress, and he always feels awful after doing that.
▸ HAS YOUR MUSE LOST ANYONE CLOSE TO THEM ? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEM ?
Yes. His parents both died when he was five years old, though he was only close to his mother. His mother passed away first after her fragile health began to decline rapidly, and his father died several months after because of a relapse into substance abuse. Years later, Orlando and Marie’s parents passed away unexpectedly, and that affected him on multiple levels. He had become fond of Mr. and Mrs. Crichton himself, but to watch Orlando and Marie experience the same unbearable pain as he had felt wrong and unfair. They had helped him out of such a dark place, and it didn’t seem like such kind people ought to have to suffer such a great loss.
Once he followed Orlando into the life of a mercenary, he saw much more death. It didn’t get any easier. And throughout the events of CR2, he witnesses deaths of allies as they tried to fight off monsters, and deaths that he had no choice but to inflict. Each death is harder than the one before it.
▸ WHAT ARE SOME FOND MEMORIES YOUR MUSE HAS ?
He tries not to let the memories of his loving mother fade with time, though it gets harder. For the most part, his happiest memories involve Orlando and Marie. They used to play together as children, calling themselves “The Unholy Trinity of Ornia” and having a great time. Even as they got older and playing pretend lost its appeal, his relationship with Orlando turned from a best friend relationship to that of brothers. Marie used to have to take drastic measures in order to put a stop to their prank wars. She wasn’t without her own mischievous streak, however, and she and Darwin would have wild pillow fights when he stayed over at their house, and she always managed to embarrass both of the boys when they had scary storytelling contests. She always managed to have them jumping out of their skin after delving into some old anthology of chilling tales in the name of victory. Those memories are only found in retrospect...back when they were actually occurring, Darwin was petrified.
▸ IS IT EASY FOR YOUR MUSE TO KILL ?
Not even a little. When he was recruited to the Ornian Guard at fifteen, he thought it would be easier to kill since he’d already experienced so much death, and since he was fighting to protect the people he cared about. The abundance of loss in his young life only made it that much harder, and it got to the point where he became so lost in regard to his purpose that he almost forgot why he took up the sword in the first place. Even after the game ends and he regains his sense of direction, killing isn’t easy...but he know that it’s necessary in his line of work. As long as he can be merciful and avoid senseless, unnecessary killing, and he can be sure that he protected his fellow mercenaries, eventually returning home to the people he loves, then he can keep his head held high.
▸ WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOUR MUSE BREAKS DOWN ?
Not many people see Darwin break down, because he keeps a sturdy and imposing wall around his heart. However, this ice-covered brick wall protects a warm and vulnerable heart that feels things very deeply, from anyone who can potentially cause him too much pain if he lets them in. He is shown as a man who cries when appropriate, and in the company of those he trusts...or if he’s under extreme emotional duress (such as when he cries in front of Lessica for the first time). His tears are so heartbreaking to behold that they can bring about a sense of melancholy in others, and because of his tendency to bottle things up, there are times when it’s hard for him to stop crying once he starts.
▸ IS YOUR MUSE CAPABLE OF TRUSTING SOMEONE WITH THEIR LIFE ?
He has to be, what with his line of work. The Ornian Guard is a group of unified mercenaries, so he has to rely on others to watch his back and let others do the same for him if need be. Darwin adapted to this perhaps a bit more slowly than your typical merc, due to the massive trust issues left over from his troubled past, as well as being a reserved and independent person in general. Still, he learned eventually for the sake of survival.
▸ WHAT’S YOUR MUSE LIKE WHEN THEY’RE IN LOVE ?
It’s unexplored territory for him...but he’s always been fond of exploring, and he’s eager to explore this. While he may not always say what’s on his mind in regard to his own worries, he will never hesitate to let his partner know she is loved. Whether by light squeezes of the hand or sweet kisses, by taking care of household chores, or saying “I love you” outright, it is always apparent. His eyes are more focused than ever before in battle, as what he has to return to once he goes home is of dual importance, but during his free time, he stares ahead, longing to hold her again. He is attentive and affectionate during intimacy, his utter devotion driving him to satisfy them both. Even as time goes on, the passion and attraction never fades, but the loyalty, affection, and companionship stays ever strong. He owes her that, and so much more than he can ever hope to give.
