Adwin Antares

Another day passed. Another moment carried ever forward, dwindling time into separate packets of fate that pushed onward and onward. Passion met the bristles of a brush and the wire of his cutters as he sowed clay and plied his brush across a stretched canvas. He tousled his shoulder-length mop of chestnut hair and lifted his right thumb to gauge the distance between a portrait's eye and nose when a thunderous clap roused his artistic focus. Jarred by the noise, Adwin took a moment to realize that it was the basement door. "Come in?" He said quietly to the room, not wanting to speak too loudly for fear that the person in his piece would hear him. A few shuffles later, followed by scuffling, and Adwin's father hurried down the stairs. "Yes, Captain?" Adwin stated, unsure whether this was a professional meeting or simply the attention of a concerned parent. Captain Aurelius Antares straightened his back and sneered ever so slightly at the use of rank, but released the sneer when he realized he was addressing his son. "Nothing quite so formal, Adwin. Actually... It is, but not really." The Captain stammered slightly - something he never did - and looked a little nervous; anxious notes tickled the edges of his face and drew Adwin's suspicion until Adwin he set aside his craft materials and gave his father his full attention. "What?" "Well, m'boy! ... uhh... I signed you up for a charity. It's going to be a combination slave relief and Carida relief fundraiser and your art pieces are going to help with it." Captain Aurelius smiled from ear-to-ear. But Adwin's face was ashen and wide. "Y-y-y-ou what?" Adwin said, incredulously. "I signed yo-" Captain Antares began. "IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION." Adwin snapped back. "Why? Why did you do it?" The anger in Adwin's voice was hard to place. HIs expression seemed more frustrated than angry. "I did it," Captain Antares started, "to give you an opportunity to help people and get your art out there. You have an amazing gift. You should show it to the galaxy." Reddish tints colored the pallid tones of his son's face at his compliment, and the Captain knew he struck a chord. "You need to realize that like I have." Captain Antares showed his son the messages and some of the requirements they would need to follow, which seemed to calm some of the fire in his young son's face. But it took an hour or two of back and forth before Adwin swallowed his nerves and did what negotiating he needed to do in order to organize the event. "Might as well get started. After all, what's the worse that could happen?"

Transmission from Captain Antares to Raven Zinthos

When dinner was over, the leftover food was dropped into the micro-incinerator and the dishes were stacked up in the sink. Adwin and his family were eerily quiet for the remainder of their meal and the clean up was similarly silent. It was as if all of them had swallowed their tongues and were too afraid to mention the tense falumpaset in the room. Arana scurried upstairs as soon as she found a break in the awkward silence and Adwin headed straight to the basement door, eager to continue work on his project. But, a soft hand found the top of his right shoulder before he could key in the door code. He turned, wary of the physical contact, and found his father's puffy red face staring back at him. Splotches of tear stains matted his formal attire and his face was a mess of grief. “I… I miss her too.” Captain Antares said, choking out sobs. With his father’s tears falling freely on his face, Adwin felt his own tears tickling the small hairs of his upper cheek. Hot salty liquid marred the fair white skin of his face and ran down to the floor with inelegant haste. The two of them closed into a warm embrace that only exacerbated the water that fell from their icy blue eyes “I just want you to know, my Son. I’m never going to give you up. I’m never going to let you down or run around and desert you.” Captain Antares chuckled a little in the midst of his sobs. “I’m never going to make you cry and never going to say goodbye. And, I’m never going to tell a lie and hurt you. I love you and always will. To the force and back again, I will do everything in my power to stay by your side in all of your endeavors.” The two of them stood like that, sobbing together, for a few moments. Pain melted at the strength of their embrace. The whole world seemed to stop around them. And both of them let everything out. An entire year of bottled emotions rolled out onto the floor of their house and crashed onto the tile beneath their feet.

Looking at the Kaffezzar fish steaming on his plate, Adwin watched galaxies roll by. Stars and clouds of cosmic dust brushed across the skin of his forehead and raked through the mop of chestnut that fell down to the tops of his shoulders. His eyes lingered for a moment on the wiry greens that sat beside the fish, freshly shorn from local fields, before drifting back to the entree. The savory taste of seared meat stole his focus and his palate, but the rest of his mind wandered aimlessly. Worries, fears, stressors, and mindless diversions were not strangers to the canvas of his mind, filling it until he had little else to think about; smudges and smears that drew from the clarity of his lifetime masterwork. Captain Antares, troubled in his own way, looked over at his son with concern etched into the weathered edges of his face. His brow furrowed, hard lines framing sad, icy blue eyes. And he tilted the crown of his head, biting hard at tears that fought to surface. He lifted his right hand to wipe fresh steam from his brow and cleared his throat. “Arana, how are your studies?” Captain Antares said, turning his gaze from the sullen edge of the table to look at his beaming teenager. “I hear 'Evar Evangelists and Marketers' is sponsoring you now. Where do you hope to go after you graduate?” He paused for a moment, allowing himself time to spoon a bit of fish into his mouth. “Oh!” Arana exclaimed, mid-bite, before turning to face her father with a wide glittering smile. She too had been eyeing Adwin with slight concern before devouring her fish with gleeful haste. “I’m thinking of going straight into my career. I’m not sure which direction I want to go yet, but I plan on researching a bit before I jump into the Graphic Design track. I have a plan, I just need to work out which company best serves that plan.” Arana said with admirable zeal. And it would have been even more impressive had she not been trying to speak through a mouthful of fish, which made all of her words sound more like: “Bluh bluh bluh bluh.” Captain Antares tried not to laugh at his daughter’s hilarious display but managed a chuckle before resuming his fatherly expression and knowing glance. With eye contact alone, Arana bowed her head in apology and swallowed her food. “Thank you, Arana.” The Captain said, before making sure his own mouth was empty. “No thoughts to furthering your art studies in local universities or holo-net programs?” Captain Antares raised a curious eyebrow, noting Adwin’s mutual interest in the subject of his sister. Arana shook her head slowly. “No Dad, you remember Addy’s friends? The ones who went abroad to art school?” Arana replied, resisting the urge to add more food to her mouth. “They attended the most prestigious art school in the region and had very little future waiting for them when they got out. They’re working as statistical analysts for the Imperial war-machine.” Adwin’s silent nod was enough to confirm Arana’s response. And, despite a concerted effort, Captain Antares acknowledged her reasoning. His own university experience had been the cornerstone of why he became involved in the political sphere. But he could understand why, with a number of graphic design companies chomping at the bit for her work, that she wouldn’t want to push them away when her potential future was at stake. “Fair enough Arana. Just, keep your eyes open. It never hurts to have backup plans.” Arana smiled warmly and, from that point on, the rest of them continued to eat their food in relative silence. On the surface, the interaction was mundane and very little was said for the remainder of the evening. But tension hung in the air. Drama threatened to rain down upon them and neither of them wanted to bring that drama to bear. Paralyzed with causing continued strife, all of them ate with as much deliberation as they could.

One more stroke and… Gah!? Adwin growled at the stale basement air, looking at the smudge he wore across the paper. His right hand shook with bitter impotent rage, almost breaking the stick of charcoal that he still held there. But, the longer he stared, the more the cloud of dusty charcoal mocked him. It was smug, sitting on the corner of his work and laughing at the obsessive compulsion that tugged at Adwin’s brain. Yeah, you just sit there thinking you had the last laugh! Adwin’s head drooped and he sighed to the empty room. He shifted his gaze. Pictures hung everywhere. Charcoal renderings, colorful period pieces, majestic battlefields and peaceful landscapes with a touch of his creative flair, all lay in different positions around the cluttered room. When his eyes fell back to his work in progress, he sighed again. Under the smudge, a young woman stared back at him. A monochromatic vision of strawberry blonde hair and green eyes bored into his mind as the familiar lyrics to one of his favorite songs played in the background. The quality was a little bad because the song was ripped from a shaky holocast, but the vocal and instrumental parts were still recognizable. Fear is the Mindkiller… yeah… Adwin dropped his charcoal on a nearby desk and planted his face in the welcoming - albeit very dirty - embrace of his hands. The charcoal dust worked its way into his nose, but he was too distracted to care. His mind was full of limitless possibility, many paths to follow and many options to take, but he wasn’t sure of any of them. There was a sea of bountiful roads. Yes, many of those roads could lead to disaster and push him right back to where he was. But, if that was the worst thing that could happen, what did he stand to lose? Memories of his mother came roaring into his charcoal stained eyes and fragile tears hung on his cheeks. Images of her long cornsilk hair playing over his infantile face warmed the cold edges of his melancholy heart and broke open the sluice gates, releasing the welled up glass in his eyes. His hands trembled against his face and Adwin hunched further, ignoring the pads of moisture falling on unfinished roughs on the floor. Tender words, comforting glances, and protective warmth filled the ambiance of Adwin’s thoughts for the next second or two. Then a sharp knock roused him from his fetal reminiscing, almost knocking him to the floor. “Come in!” Adwin said, choking back the moment and trying to wipe away the tears in his eyes with a charcoal covered handkerchief. Stinging dust met his vulnerable eyes and he cursed silently to himself, trying to remedy the problem with the bulk of his forearm instead. It was a shoddy solution and he turned, red faced and puffy, to see his Father coming down the stairs. “Adwin, you’ve been in here for two hours. What could you possibly be working on that’s more important than dinner? Oh… Adwin! Are you okay?” Captain Antares’ voice changed immediately when greeted with the stains on his son’s face. He rushed down the remaining steps and spanned the dirty room to Adwin’s side. He took a clean kerchief from his breast pocket and started to wipe the charcoal away from his son’s irritated eyes. When he could once again make out the icy blue of his boy’s beautiful eyes, he welcomed his son in a hearty embrace. He settled his chin on the top of his boy’s brown hair and closed his eyes, rocking gently back and forth. “It’s okay Adwin. It’s all okay.” His Father didn’t elaborate. He didn’t have to. The two of them just sat there, rocking back and forth for a blissful minute before reality reasserted itself. The smell of seared Kaffezzar fish wafted into Adwin’s nostrils and his stomach broke the silence with a thunderous roar. Quite startled, Adwin’s father’s eyes widened. Then the both of them just laughed. “It appears you ARE hungry. Well, food is waiting for you upstairs when you’re ready.” The Captain bent over and gently kissed the top of Adwin’s head amidst the strands of his greasy chestnut hair. He gave one final squeeze before returning the way he came. But a thought stopped his foot on the last step, just before the door. “I miss her too. Just remember, I'm here if you ever want to talk about it.” His parting words echoed in the silence of the basement. Then, after a small look to Adwin, his Father left. Adwin’s eyes met the charcoal woman and his face hung low again. I should get some food at least…

Identity Real Name: Adwin Antares A.K.A: Addy, Adwin, Adwhine Homeworld: Carida Species: Human Physical Description Age: 19 [Autumn baby; early in the season] Height: 5’9” / 1.8 meters [inherited height from Father] Weight: 158 lbs / 71.66 kg [Thin with notes of additional musculature] Hair: Chestnut brown hair Hair Length: Shoulder Beard : Medium-thick full beard Skin: Fair Face/Facial structure: – A medium button nose, round face with hints of square at the edges, and a semi-defined jaw Eyes: Icy blue Sex: Male [Right Handed/Light Ambidexterity] Equipment Clothing: Vest/Jacket – He wears a basic dark brown, five-button, leather vest. He usually wears it over his dress shirt with the buttons undone. Top – He prefers his cream colored long-sleeve dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. There are charcoal and paint stains on the edges. On other days, he likes to wear T-shirts that aren’t noteworthy; comfort over style. Belt - He wears a darker brown – almost black – beaten and worn utility belt [“You can never have enough pockets”] Pants – He loves his loose-fitting brown slacks. But, when he needs to go out, he’ll put on slightly cleaner but still comfortable slacks. [usually the same color, but he also wears khaki and black] Shoes/Boots – He wears custom made dark brown leather shoes. Due to his flat feet, he compensates with adequate arch support. Weapon: Armament - DL-44 sidearm [He is a fair shot, but needs improvement] Martial Arts – He took a few classes when he was younger at the behest of his mother. He can defend himself, but he is by no means a master of anything. Common Inventory: He never goes anywhere without his C-1 Personal commlink device and his trusty brown colored synthetic-bound sketchpad. Other than that: Bag [Made with sub-standard Corellian Leather, his bag has lasted him for quite some time. It has a large main pocket, a medium-sized pocket in front of the large one, and two side pockets. One side pocket is used for his water capsule, and the other side pocket is stabilized to prevent the cracking or crunching of his charcoal and pencils] - 32oz. water capsule, snacks in a plastic sealable bag, a personal data pad, spare paper, spare charcoal, spare pencils, an easel that can attach to any mount or surface with extra small sheets of canvas, his paints, and his portfolio. Digital Wallet [a Small device that he carries in his front-right pocket] - High School Student ID [Expired], Intergalactic ID [Landspeeder Driving Authorization: Approved], 50-100 cred., several business cards and vendor cards. [including a few cards with his name and contact info for anyone that would like to hire him for art things] Wrist [A black synthetic mesh tool-holder, designed to latch onto small tools and keep them near the hand] - His favorite paintbrush [The handle is burnt mahogany, and the brush is synthetic durni fur, given to him by his late mother], his main pencil, and a spare eraser. Hip [A beaten leather-bound side-holster (hand-me-down from his mother)] - DL-44 Faction Information Force Sensitive Alignment: Chaotic Good Current Faction Affiliation: N/A [Although an Imperial Citizen, he is not currently involved in the Remnant Faction] Current Faction Rank: N/A History Known Skills: “I just have an eye for things…” Following the age-old tradition of painting and drawing on canvas and paper, Adwin loves to create. And, despite his own misgivings, he has an incredible eye for composition and artistic construction. His art is leaps and bounds further than he believes and although he can recreate the same level of talent with digital instruments, he favors the real thing. “There’s nothing quite like the feel of pencil on paper.” “I put my arm where now?” He has… very little skill with martial arts. He knows just enough to defend himself and possibly defend others. But his routine and methods start to stick out and get stale if the fight wages on too long. He has very little confidence in his combat aptitude and would not wish to step onto a battlefield. “I think art is everywhere, even in the force!” Adwin participates in more than one art form. He sculpts, sings, and dances; although, he is not very coordinated in the latter. With gleeful enthusiasm, he digests all creative ways to explore the galaxy. And he thinks art is everywhere. He thinks that, even creation, has a certain degree of creativity and that the force has its own creative whim. “If I put my hand to it, I get used to it pretty quick...” Adwin prefers hands-on learning. If someone takes the time to explain things to him and show him how he can get involved, he will jump at the chance and be a fair hand at whatever it is. Background: Born on Carida, Adwin had a relatively simple childhood; a bratty younger sister, a doting father and a mother that often left due to military obligation. This led to many days and nights where Adwin had to take up responsibilities once delegated to the stay-at-home parent while his father was engaged in political business. His father was a small figure in Imperial Politics and his mother fought with the Imperials since the days of Emperor Deton Rustic. She didn’t always see eye to eye with the way things were going and would always find subtle ways to rebel when she could, but she understood duty and would do whatever it took to protect the future of her family. When Head of State Zinthos took over, however, a prideful zeal swept through the Antares household that never left, even when Raven left the Galactic Alliance and formed the Remnant. Adwin’s mother was gung-ho for Raven’s idealistic bend and would put whatever she could into the fight whenever it came time to it. Adwin’s father felt much the same but never fought to change his political position. Adwin suspects that he might by staying under the radar to avoid the political insanity that takes place in the higher levels of government, but Adwin isn’t sure. Adwin’s little sister grew into maturity and eventually came to depend on her big brother’s artistic expertise. It was by his hand of inspiration and instruction, that she stepped into the expansive world of marketing and graphic design. And, with confidence and passion, she became an aspiring graphic designer. She even had a few companies sponsoring her education. Adwin couldn’t be prouder of his little sister and would give anything to see her have the best career she could. Adwin, however, still lives with his Father. He draws and paints every day. He sings to himself and does sculptures that litter the first floor of his Father’s home, but Adwin hasn’t made the next big step into the art world. His aspirations beg him to step out the door and make something of himself, to be the next big thing, but he doesn’t know where to start. He doesn’t know where to make his name and he refuses to get a job doing something that he doesn’t like doing. When his mother died in the line of duty, Adwin receded further into his activities and went for a time without talking to either his sister or his father. And, although he had sufficient outlet, he stopped doing art for a time as well. But, that was a year ago. Now, with the past in the past and Adwin’s mind on other things, he is on the lookout for that next big opportunity. He’s keeping his eyes peeled for anything that would strike his creative bug and take him down the long winding road to whatever fate has planned for him. Landspeeder – Registration http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/V-35_Courier Name: Dirt Chaser Class: Landspeeder Model: [Certified Pre-Owned] V-35 Courier Manufacturer: SoroSuub Length: 3.9 meters Max Speed: 105 - 120 km/h Max Altitude: 0.5 meters Passenger Capacity: 2 Cargo Capacity: 50 to 120 kg Fuel can last three-quarters of a day on full-burn Appearance: Lightly painted and maintained with a lot of upkeep, this dark brown speeder was given to Adwin on his eighteenth birthday in celebration of taking his Landspeeder certification test. https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/3/3c/V-35_Courier.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/500?cb=20081101203419 _____________________ Personality Test: 16personalities.com Results: “The Advocate” (INFJ-T) Diplomat Constant Improvement 74% Introvert 81% Intuitive 80% Feeling 68% Judging 65% Turbulent Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness… “To Advocates, the world is a place full of inequity – but it doesn’t have to be. No other personality type is better suited to create a movement to right a wrong, no matter how big or small. Advocates just need to remember that while they’re busy taking care of the world, they need to take care of themselves, too.”