Thorns: Uprising - View topic

Merry Fitzborough · July 27th, 2009, 4:40 am

'''Name:''' Imp
'''Age:''' anywhere from 10-12
'''Race:''' Human
'''Place of Origin:''' somewhere in the Dives

!!!Backstory

The streets of any city are always home to the homeless; this is the only life Imp has ever known. Born to parents he never knew (and has never known), Imp was abandoned or orphaned (he’s not sure which) at a very young age in the Dives. He was pitied and fed by a rare few of the kindlier vagabonds that also frequented the streets, but he otherwise raised himself, picking up on the actions and mannerisms of other street urchins he came in contact with, learning from the start that you either worked for your food or starved.

He never had a real name that he could recall, so he refers to himself as “Imp,” since that’s what anyone calls him anyway, whether in sport or in anger (the latter being if they catch him fleeing with stolen goods). He’s a smooth operator of pick-pocketing; he has been caught on more than one occasion, but never with the goods, ironically. Imp knows the Dives (as well as much of Vienda) like the back of his hand, so he has many hidey-holes scattered around that he can quickly toss his loot into before he’s hauled off to prison. And, with no evidence to convict him, he is usually set free within a few days (to the ultimate chagrin of the Seventen, as well as the victim). He therefore has something of a reputation within the Seventen, and makes sure to keep an eye on them when they’re around, just as they do of him.

Imp is also self-taught tumbler/street performer, and quite proficient in what he calls “wall-jumping,” otherwise known as parkour. Through much trial and error, he first learned the fast-paced skill in order to reach his current home, an abandoned vent hole on the upper side of an old warehouse in the Dives. Dubbing it as his “nest,” Imp sleeps and hides there, as well as simply staring out beyond the clouds of the Soot District and dreaming of the one thing in his young life that he wants the most: to join Balder’s Circus.

The traveling troupe had come to Vienda some years back, when Imp had finally mastered wall-jumping. Sitting atop one of the buildings lining Crosstown Court, Imp watched the entirety of “Cirque de Vienda” each day for an entire month with wide-eyed wonder. By the time the troupe left, the boy realized he now had a purpose in his life besides trying to stay alive. He would perfect his own meager, self-taught skills, earn enough money for travel, and join the performers he so idolized. Perhaps Imp’s goal was not only for the life of a performer, but to have what Balder’s Circus seemed to have beyond their stardom – a sense of kinship and family. But who really knows the innermost thoughts of a young, homeless boy?

Currently, young Imp has taken up running errands for the shopkeepers that know (and trust) him, as well as serving as a tour guide to newcomers in Vienda, or simply giving reliable directions to any who’ve lost their way. He does the occasional street performing as well, if he has nothing else to do – people seem to pay good money to watch a young boy vault himself off of walls and rooftops. It has been slowly earning him money, though he is yet far from a suitable amount; either way, he might have the chance of seeing the troupe again in Vienda sooner than later.

!!!Personality

Over the years, Imp has perfected a sure-fire way of earning both coin and trust that many of the other homeless waifs seem to neglect: genuine politeness and amiability. Maybe it’s always been a part of him – Imp isn’t sure – but it comes natural, despite the hardships he’s had to endure in his life. He’s made a few friends amongst the vendors in Hollow Street (due to running errands and keeping an eye out for thieves), as well as enemies, and he tends to keep to himself when it comes to interacting with others of his age, having learned that many street children can be vicious and gang oriented.

On the whole, he’s a cheerful, cheeky sort you wouldn’t mind sparing a coin or two for, if you treat him fairly, that is - if you’re otherwise rude, he won’t hesitate to rob you blind without you knowing it. He has his own saying for it: “What others do unto you, you do right back.” He’s not a bad kid – he’s just trying to stay alive in a hostile city.

!!!Physical Description

Imp is as his name implies: he’s a scrawny little thing, standing at about 4’5” despite his age (which he’s not too sure on). His muscles, however, are tough and sturdy from his wall-jumping, and though he never has consistent meals, he manages to keep healthy with his constant exercise.

His skin is normally tanned during the sunnier seasons, whereas in the colder ones, the tan fades to a pale peach color. He has a mop of golden curls that he tries to keep somewhat clean and trimmed for his job as a guide (he didn't have many customers before attending to hygiene). His voice is a hoarse, sometimes squeaky tenor. His eyes (or rather the one) cause many to stare: one is a brilliant blue, where the other is a mottled slate gray. Imp’s explanation: one of many falls from his first attempts at wall-jumping, resulting in him landing face-first against a drain pipe. Amazingly, there was no damage, save for the discoloration and a few weeks with a whopping shiner.

His attire consists of a workman’s jacket he salvaged (his fingertips just barely peek beyond the cuffs when his arms hang down), a sleeveless tunic, a kilt he made on his own, and a pair of boots he earned from a cobbler after ridding the man’s shop of rats.

!!!Inventory

Weapons:
*one half of a pair of long scissors (uses it as a knife)

Stuff:
*rope
*an old advertisement for Balder's Circus
*odds and ends - the usual things a young boy keeps in his pockets

In "the nest":
*a few scrappy and patched blankets
*makeshift pillow (burlap sack stuffed with old leaves)
*cold-weather clothing, all scrounged (pants, socks, etc.)
*several posters of Balder's Circus stuck on the walls

!!!Career

Street Rat
*pick-pocketing (only falls back on this when very desperate, or very irked)
*city guide
*errand runner
*tumbling, acrobatics, street performing
*“wall-jumping” (parkour); used for entertainment, making quick routes, and even quicker escapes

!!!Goals

To join Balder’s Circus and be a professional tumbler/acrobat, and to learn the bagpipes; he figures the latter would be another useful talent for the circus, and besides, he thought they sounded amazing.

…of course it's random. He’s a boy, remember?

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