dead from the neck up {TA}
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π πππ ππππ β Deveraux Jean Moroz
πππππππππ β Devπππ β 20
ππππππππ β 3 November
ππππππ β Scorpio βΌ | Gemini β½ | Capricorn βππππππ+ππππ β Bachelors + 3rd Year
πππππππ β Magdalen
πππππ β Classical Archaeology
πππππππ β Daemonπππππππ πππππππππ β His dexterity and minute attention to visual details comes from his daemon nature; they give him an almost photographic memory, and he's able to put any face to paper (or clay, or wood, or marble). In addition, he's able to see in low-light conditions with relative ease, thanks to that "undiagnosed genetic mutation" that caused one of his eyes to be a much darker shade of brown than the other.
πππππππ ππππππππππ β If Deveraux would train in self-discipline, he could use his gifts to actually finish some pieces; unfortunately, he has a tendency to become overwhelmed by too many details at once, and it seems impossible for him to take control of it. That genetic mutation also makes his eyes, especially his right one, prone to tearing and drying up quickly if he stays in too much bright sunlight. Because of this, he's usually seen in shades and prefers to stay up during evening or night hours.ππππππππππ β ChiΘinΔu, Moldova
ππππππ πππππππππ β In-campus, with a roommate that stays out so often that he feels that he virtually lives alone. (Not that he's complaining.)πππππππππππ β Earnest | self-sacrificing | inventive | restless | observant | ambitious | paranoid | impulsive | indecisive | reserved | kind-hearted | introspective | cunning
πππππππππ β Deveraux and his twin brother Julien were born under normal circumstances, but Deverauxβs arrival was enough to signal that something was slightly off. His right eye appeared to be slightly different from his left, thanks to the thick black ring around its iris. Every doctor waved this off as a genetic mutation that didnβt point to any physical ailments, so his parents moved on and focused on a more important issue: their failing marriage. Every argument pointed to mutual dissatisfaction with the unmoving state of their relationship, or the complete lack of trust shared between them, or, Mrs. Moroxβs case, claustrophobia brought on by a spouseβs controlling nature. Though Dev was only 6 during the last few of these clashes, heβs found it hard to forget that each of them ended with his mother collapsing in a quiet corner of the kitchen to cry alone.
She quietly left the family during the summer before Dev and Jules were set to enter middle school. The other twin was asleep, but Dev managed to catch his mother at 4 A.M., zipping up her bags and placing an enveloped note on the bed. When she realized that sheβd been discovered, she quickly shushed him so he wouldnβt cry out, then patted his head and whispered, βGoodbye, dear. Iβll make sure to keep in touch. Tell Jules the same and that I love you both.β She provided no clues on where she was going, only trusting her son to lock the door behind her as quietly as he could.
This incident gave him a frank reminder that his father was a complete mystery to him. In fact, he appeared to be more of a looming figure that fed him and his brother, paid the bills, took him to school each day, and did not do much else. But whenever he felt frustrated with this lack of attentive or caring parenting, his father would apologize for his shortcomings (usually with the assistance of an alcoholic beverage), which would lead to his two sons promising that he was the best dad in the world. Deveraux learned that the easiest way to stay on his fatherβs good side was to avoid prioritizing his own needs; as his father frequently reminded him, love was earned, not given.
In the coming years, though, he found it especially difficult to honor this notion. When his father accepted a job that was apparently top secret, Deveraux was confused; why werenβt he and his brother allowed to know about it? Why did it require them to make another move from Georgetown to France? Why did his father become so concerned with the possibility that someone could find out? None of these questions were answered, and more questions arrived when the moves became even more frequent. Soon, his family was traveling constantly, making it impossible for Deveraux to develop any close friendships in school; his twin brother was his saving grace. The two became eventually dependent on each other to get by.
With puberty came a crawling itch to create, create, create. Deveraux frequently reminds himself to thank the teacher that introduced him to sculpting so that he could make use of his dexterity and attentive eye. Soon, he was spending hours a day making miniature sculptures in his room. To him, all the lost sleep was worth itβ¦until he realized that his pieces werenβt as perfect as they seemed when his adrenaline was at its peak. Eventually, he developed a pattern thatβs stuck with him to this day: start a piece, get 65% of the way through, notice a flaw, lose patience, get nagged by Jules, complete it with a lack of enthusiasm, rinse and repeat.
Deveraux could not shake the feeling that he needed to escape this loop that he was stuck in. He hatched a plan to attend Oxford with his brother so they could both get away from their father, who, according to them, had to be a spy. Both of them consistently received high marks in school, so it would be easy for them to keep the streak going during high school to get in, right?
Unfortunately, the brothers were way in over their heads.
Only Deveraux received an acceptance letter to the university. They didnβt make a plan B.When they had an argument the day after, he noticed that Julien seemed to be arguing that Deveraux must go to the same college as him because itβd be the best way to pay him back for all the things heβs done for him over the years. Deveraux protested this, and Julien asked, βDonβt you care about me, though? My dadβs some sort of agent, I still donβt know where Mom is, and now youβre planning on going to university without me. What if you donβt ever come back? Will we grow apart, too?β
When Julien began tearing up, Deveraux knew that he had no choice but to set his first boundary.
βI donβt know,β he replied, βbut Iβm going to Oxford without you. Iβll make sure to write letters and all that. We will be fine. I promise.βOf course, he was wrong; their relationship has faltered since Deveraux decided to make the move to England while Julien stayed in Paris. With each year, they send fewer letters to each other, and face-to-face meetings have become somewhat stiff. Though heβs surrounded by people who supposedly have more in common with him, he could not feel more alone. More than anything, even companionship, Deveraux just wants all of his burning questions to be answered.
Thankfully, some of those answers will be arriving much sooner than Deveraux thinks.
πππππ β Mase Somanlall
πππ πππππ β Carmilla, Astion, Ramsey
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