Stephan Van Der Vos

Basic Information

• Stephan van der Vos is a 21 year old male human.
• Stephan was left at the doorstep of an orphanage, with a note that read, "The mother could not take care of the child anymore; neither can I". Stephan was left at a sizable orphanage in Regalia and was named by a nun who was a caretaker at the orphanage; due to her Alt Regalisch roots, she gave him a Regalisch name, Stephan meaning "crown" and "Vos" meaning fox, referring to his tawny hair.
• Stephan's current living situation is a tiny apartment in the Poor District of Regalia. It's disheveled but still kept clean. It is kept cozy with a tiny bed, a study desk and a variety of tiny bookshelves and cabinets. His bed is often left without being made and his trunk is usually left open, his clothes spilling out onto the bed and never folded. Books lay open on his study alongside pens and usually a mug of tea or coffee sitting on stacks of knocked over paper.
• Stephan is quite a dreamer and though he works multiple jobs (kitchen boy, market boy, librarian, baker boy, etc) he wishes to gain a decent education and move further then just his current lowly situation.

Visual Information

• Stephan is approximately 6'0 and weighs a little over 140 pounds. His arms are toned from the many days he spends between market and bakery/kitchen, hauling foodstuffs to and fro, though many heavier weights are harder for him to handle as he never carries more 30 or 50lbs of flour/rice/etc at a time. The rest of his body is also somewhat toned, as he spends many of his weekends out with his friends at the beach, swimming or just racing across the beach. Though he is athletic, he is slightly underweight, not being able to eat as well as others.
• Stephan's skin tone has a somewhat yellowish undertone (around the 15 skin tone) though it lightens and darkens depending on the amount of time he spends outdoors. Stephan only has a few freckles riddled across his nose and a little on his cheek.
• Stephan has a bit of hair on his arms and his legs and a faint, brownish trail down his abdomen.

Head Description

• Stephan has an angular, triangle face with prominent cheekbones and defining eyebrows.
• Stephan has dark brown eyes, a bit darker then the shade of his hair; his eyes seem to sparkle a bit, paired with his commonly seen casual, light-hearted smile; he often flashes a smile when he catches eye contact with someone and seems to always be smiling. He never seems to be quite composed and always seems to be disheveled and almost frisky.
• Stephan's hair appears to be a dark brown at first, but upon closer inspection it actually is a rusty, red-brown color. His hair a mop of messy curls and waves and usually just pushed to the side when he runs his fingers through his hair. When he picks up extra shifts and extra jobs, he often has a five o clock shadow, though he tries to keep it trimmed sometimes he just gets too busy.
• Though Stephan would quite enthusiastic about getting piercings, he just does not have the time or coin and he would not know where to get them, either.

Clothing and Accessories

• Stephan's clothes are simple and plain, usually a dark coat paired with basic shirt and pants when not working. On work days, it's also basic shirt or tunic with leather work pants; nothing too elaborate but definitely not rags. He does not shop often, as he does not have the extra coin to spend.
• Stephan has a brassy-bronze ring that he wears, with a signet resembling a fox, given to him by Sister Agatha, his caretaker.

Behavior Information

• Hard-working: Stephan is a hardworking kid and was taught that one earns what they work for and should only accept what they deserve. He works multiple jobs and tries to further himself, feeling that he should not be stuck as a "lower-class orphan" forever because of his origins.
• Good-natured: Though not totally innocent and oblivious to the world, Stephan is a warm, friendly and sweet boy. He warms up to people quite quickly and is almost always seen smiling, making friendships and sometimes, assuming people are his friends quicker then the opposite realizes. Often lends a helping hand to passerby even though he should have delivered that sack of rice half an hour ago.
• Frisky: Stephan is energetic and bouncy to the point where he is almost flighty, flitting about and sometimes rambling on and on about every little thing and not even listening to himself but instead just spouting anything about everything. He is almost too enthusiastic about life and too willing to try everything.
• Loyal/Clingy: Stephan's charming attitude to befriend everyone can quickly become something else. He tags along certain people like a loyal puppy but sometimes becomes clinging, constantly needing reassurance for his insecurities.
• Perfectionist: Stephan is quite controlling in certain situations, always having a "perfect vision" for how things will turn out, sometimes commenting and trying to force changes and tweak things. Often in the kitchen, he will order those around him to do better, even though he is just a kitchen boy and has other things to do, such as taking out the garbage.
• Whiny: Though optimistic, when a little thing comes up or if Stephan feels as if he isn't appreciated he can quite literally make someone's life hell. The tongue that usually spouts sunshine and happiness, suddenly rains down brimstone when he feels as if people don't appreciate him. Can throw quite a temper tantrum when things do not go his way or as planned.
• Avenging: When a loved one or friend, though Stephan tosses that word around quite loosely, is wronged, he becomes quite vindictive and tries to make things right. Often stands up for random strangers and gets himself into messes he usually cannot drag himself out of.
• Indecisive: Stephan makes minor decisions seem major and blow things out of proportion, making them seem like life or death and exaggerating certain situations.

Likes

• Thrills: His frisky personality makes him a thrill-seeker and a risk-taker; a wide-range of things, but mainly things like climbing the tall buildings of Regalia. Stephan always did crazy things at the orphanage out of boredom, attempting to find entertainment in a bleak place.
• Unwinding: Long walks by the beach or visiting it at night calms him down, or just sitting in bed with a nice book and some tea after a long day of work is good enough for him. Stephan's long hours and strenuous work makes a simple, cuddling up in bed with a book and tea seem like heaven.
• Reciprocation: His insecurities and clinginess make him especially clingy to people who reciprocate his clinginess and insecurities with affection and words of reassurance.
• Freedom: Stephan breaks barriers and boundaries and often breaks the rules, though without malicious intent. When he was still confined at the orphanage, he would often climb the walls and wander the city, taking in the sights and smells.

Dislikes

• High-Class: Stephan feels intimidated and self-coscious around those of higher standing, feeling inadequate in meaning of clothing and social standing and strays from any concentration of them and their events, though if approached, Stephan remains friendly and warm to them- he just doesn't approach them as often as he would to other commoners.
• Quiet People: People who are too quiet, or introverted, make Stephan feel as if he talks too much and even though he knows he does, he is in denial of his babble mouth.
• The Icky: Dark, dank places and certain races often set him off. Something about large reptilians and insects and musty places really get under Stephan's skin and he doesn't even know.
• Thieves: Stephan feels as if everyone has earned what they have and deserve it; everyone else works for certain things and why put the effort into taking something while that effort could have been spent on earning that something?

Abilities and Disabilities

Strengths

• Agile: Stephan is not trained in any weapons or magic, so he solely depends upon dexterity and his agility and get away from any danger; he will climb buildings and duck into small alleys, making tight turns to try and lose whoever is his pursuer.
• Charming: Though Stephan's flaw slowly emerge as you know him, his initial demeanor make it easy for him to make friends- his looks wouldn't be a setback either.
• Quick learner: Stephan has had to juggle many jobs just to make ends meet which has made him very adaptable; picking up new skills fairly quick so he can perform his duties and jobs.

Weaknesses

• Light: Stephan has a small frame and with his slim build, he can't take too much of a beating.
• Trusting: His puppy like demeanor and child-like approach to life make him susceptible to being taken advantage of.
• Bad at fighting: Stephan, having never received any real combat training, would be very vulnerable in a situation where the combatant was a trained fighter.

Combat Styles

• Evasive: If a direct encounter occurs, Stephan would likely try to distract or maim the enemy before running off to seek help.

Weapons of Choice

• Guerilla: A simple knife, branch, club or anything Stephan could get his hands on to fend himself, he would use, though he usually carries no weapons on his self.

Relationships

• Monsieur Jacques: The owner of the local bakery Stephan works at; though not extremely close, Jacques does look out for Stephan at times when he is desperately in need.
• Chef Darien: The chef at the nearby restaurant Stephan works at; with a terrible temper, he is often enraged by Stephan's attitude of helping out other people and minding business that isn't his.
• Sister Agatha: The mother figure in Stephan's life, he visits her often and writes to her, asking her for advice, guidance and wisdom in decision making.
• Scarlett: Another redhead from the orphanage, the two would often pretend to be siblings or even twins. Scarlett took quite an odd turn as a choice in career after she left the orphanage. She is one of those that Stephan often goes out with on their "weekend outings".
• Aldaric: An odd, silent blond teen who is a few years older then him. Stephan met him at the orphanage. Aldaric left the orphanage before he was supposed to be released out and eventually went rogue; Stephan often hears about Aldaric's many crimes and is sometimes tempted by the lifestyle Aldaric lives, but finds him distasteful.
• Mathieu: A brown-haired boy from the orphanage who is 4 years older then him; helped him through the orphanage and was a mentor and role model for him. After he left the orphanage, he died in an accident while working aboard a ship.
• Caleb: A male stout that Stephan keeps; can be often spotted trotting near or around Stephan or sometimes lying in a coat pocket. Stephan feeds Caleb tidbits of meat from fish or rabbits while Caleb himself will hunt small amphibians, lizards and insects. The two are inseparable and Stephan can be seen cooing to Caleb and playfully "talking" with him, too.

Life Story

On a cold day in December, Sister Agatha had packed her possessions, deciding that her calling was over and that it was time to head back to the Convent from which she was sent. As she waved goodbye and hugged the children that she had cared for, she stepped out into the cold night air of Regalia and found a child. Unlike the many children that were dropped off in blankets and baskets, this child was not a baby; he was already old enough to crawl. A tiny boy with brown eyes and a messy head of rusty curls sat there, and to her disbelief, whoever left him had tied his wrist to the fence post of a nearby plant. Sister Agatha hurriedly ran inside and after finding a kitchen knife, she proceeded to saw the leather cord that had kept the child there. The child had a little stuffed fox, the fabrics from which it was made obviously stated it was sewn together by left over fabrics from blankets and pillows. Agatha took the boy in and put him to rest in a cot in her room. She sang to him and stroked his hair, deciding to name him Stephan van der Vos; a child without parents still needed a name, no? Stephan van der Vos..an interested name indeed, as his hair color matched the fabric of the fox quiet well, too. As she set her bag down to unpack her belongings, she thought to herself What might be the reason for this boy's orphaning? Everyone has their story..


The other orphans had backed Stephan up to a tiny corner set at the back of the gardens where the caretakers never looked. Stephan bit his tongue as hard as he could and tried to not blink, holding back tears. They always made fun of him for the little things; last week it was his large eyes, messy hair and tiny frame. Today they made fun of his fox he carried around all the time. The biggest bully of them all, always threatened to ruin the fox by tossing it in mud or just ripping it apart. The children picked on him because the most of them were left at the orphanage, but they still had names as whoever left them had also left a note. Stephan was the only one their age that was left with completely nothing. Stephan was backed up against the stone wall and slid his back down the wall, pulling his knees up and hiding his face under his arms and covering his ears. The fox was snuggled against his face, to dry his tears as he waited for their verbal assault to end. As the kids kicked dirt and dust, a bell was rung for outdoor time to be over for the little one's. When the kids left, Stephan wiped his tears on his sleeve and sniffled a bit before tucking Fox under his arm and climbing the stone wall behind him, sitting at the top of it and looking down at the bleak, gray city and the tiny people in the streets below. As he looked around, he realized there was an older boy, around the age of 12 sitting atop the tree a few feet away from the wall. Knowing he could not jump from the wall to the tree, he gave the boy a little "pst" which he responded with an alarmed sound before turning around quickly to face Stephan. The boy introduced himself as Matt and jumped down onto the wall from the tree. Matt narrowed his eyes, noting Stephan's puffy eyes; he put the puffy eyes and the crowd of children together and realized that the boy in front of him was Stephan, the boy everyone picked on. Matt put his arm around Stephan and comforted him, telling him to ignore them and next time they came after him to climb to where they couldn't bother him and ignore them.


With Matt's encouragement, Stephan was no longer the shy, sad boy and had become more extroverted; smiling more often and making more friends. The caretakers especially favored Stephan, giving him extra privileges outside, which me spent exploring the city. The little 12 year old quickly made friends with the baker who would sneak him little sweets and tarts. As Stephan walked home later, he met a redheaded girl who was also his age. She was quite pretty and really friendly and the two quickly struck off in conversation. It wasn't until Stephan got home that he realized that the girl, Scarlett, had actually stolen a loaf of bread and 3 fruit tarts out of his sack bag. Stephan was upset, but slightly amused and made it his mission to find her again in the city. It wasn't until a few weeks later that he was to see her again and this time, he was able to bring her back to the orphanage after he realized she stole food from people just to sustain herself. When Scarlett settled in, she had to deal with many of the same issues Stephan dealt with when he first arrived at the orphanage. No matter what, the children would find something to hold against Scarlett and make fun of her for. Their favorite weapon to use against her were insults about her being a "thieving rascal", and the girls who were the harshest called her a boy because of her short hair. Stephan tried to solve the conflict, but realizing it would only turn them against him, he decided to call the help of the caretakers and to snitch all the bullies to them. Stephan made sure to comfort Scarlett the same way Matt had for him and tried to help new orphans fit into the orphanage and doing what Matt had done for the past years but couldn't do anymore because he had reached 16 and had been released from the orphanage.


It was quite a few years later (4, actually), that Stephan and Scarlett were let out of the orphanage. Stephan had trouble finding work serving a wealthy family as a servant and had to juggle multiple jobs to support himself and find himself an apartment. Stephan suffered quite a lot, often being the victim of scams and on more than one occasion, losing quite a sum of money. Stephan still saw the best in everyone and not realizing that many people had taken advantage of him and his susceptibility to take his hard-earned money. It would now be Scarlett's turn to help him get back on his feet after his charity cases; money was no big deal for her as she had decided to turn to prostitution as a "career". It was a year later that Stephan found out that Matt had recently died in a ship accident while working as a crewmen. It was then that Stephan left Regalia to avoid his problems and memories and has only recently returned to the same Regalia; at least for him things were still the same- work, work, work and more work.

 

Ooo yay, thanks a ton ^-^