Skin

Ren wanted for nothing in life. The only son of wealthy, distant parents meant he could do what he wanted when he wanted. Only the disapproving eyes of the servants watched him, unable to scold or tell him he did wrong. For if they did, one whimper toward his mother would send them scurrying for a new job.

Matters only get worse when he begins to bring home animals that he found dead or dying. His rather unusual hobby of trying to save some and figure out why the others died leads to him being kept away from society as a whole. Despite the fact that he could have excelled as a doctor considering his in depth studies. His parents don’t push him to do anything other than stay inside away from others and if he is to go out, he’s to have a detail of two personal bodyguards. They’re more to drag him home should he get himself into trouble.

Of course, he does go out. It’s why when he’s thirty-two, he comes across a teen being beaten up and it all falls into place. Animals can’t tell him anything while he’s working on them. Another human being can. It’s why he orders his bodyguards to take care of the bullies and bring him the petite form on the ground.

Ren takes the boy of fifteen home and tends to his bruises, cuts and scrapes. Each time he flinches, Ren is more intrigued by the reactions. When he finds out the boy’s name, Adrian, and that he has no family, Ren takes him in despite his parent’s wishes. While he never lays a hand on Adrian, it ignites a spark that he desires to go further and test his limits as well as others.

Asking for nothing in return, Ren takes care of Adrian’s every want or need. No different than the strays he would bring home when he was younger. He’d heal them up if he could and the servants would make sure they lived a good life in the house or find a home for them. The only thing is that Adrian is usually the one that’s on lookout when Ren sneaks out to find willing people or animals that he can work on.

Everything goes rather well for about four years. Until a young woman comes to him asking for help. That she knows he’s not a real doctor, but she doesn’t wish to have the baby she’s just found out she’s pregnant with. Worse yet, it’s looked down upon for her to do this. Illegal even. He takes the job, so to speak, on one condition. He needs time to figure out the best way to do it.

Upon helping her, it goes well and yet she doesn’t recover. When she passes, the trail leads back to him and a man that claims to own her comes knocking. While Ren can’t fathom what went wrong and the man won’t answer, Adrian tries to defend him from the attacking man. In the end, the man wrestles away from Adrian and stabs Ren several times with the dagger he brought. As Ren lay there dying, he looks over and for once, he does feel a bit upset as Adrian crumples to the ground next to him.

Marrow

Arriving in Solis, Ren adapts quickly as he always has. He harnesses his magic and learns it’s limitations. As well as the lack of uses. It’s watching Charmilla train others that he finds himself a bit underwhelmed at his own abilities. Noticing that Ren is always watching and never participating, Hax is the one that alludes to Ren’s magic being more than meets the eye.

Under Charmilla’s supervision, he’s given blood from several willing Dark Stars and he trains with her. During this time, he runs into Adrian who happens to be one of those willing to donate some of his blood for Ren. It allows them a chance to reconnect and at the same time, they don’t truly hang out like friends do. They link, but only to help each other out. Specifically when Ren gets in over his head and runs out of blood during a mission.

It’s some time later that Charmilla asks him to go on a mission for her. Undercover, tell no one, and do whatever it takes to blend in and gain favor with the leader of this Dark Surge. He eagerly accepts seeing as her offer is one he can’t refuse. The chance to work with her to a larger extend is all he wants.

And he does his job well. He befriends Soren, aligns their goals, and steps on whoever he needs to to stay in Soren’s good gracious. It also happens to be an excellent chance to gather more blood than he could ever hope for. His only obstacle is Ayre and her unrivaled devotion to Soren and his cause. While he can’t be sure, he knows she sees through him and his mask of working together. It’s exactly why he takes Zye’s offer without hesitation.

Bloody

Out with the old and in with the new, much later on once things have settled, Ren is given a station in one of the newly built rooms. From there he can research, catalog, and store blood of every Dark Star and Star. Of course, under the pretense that he’s only to use it with permission. Something he’s allowed more often than not if he has extra given. Regardless, it satiates his need to test the powers of others while stretching how far he can push his own.

Naturally, he’s allowed this freedom until he crosses a line.