Profile
SORREL
- RACE Awoken
- GENDER Trans man; he/him
- SEXUALITY gay
- HEIGHT 5'2" (157 cm)
- Class Warlock; Dawnblade | Shadebinder
- Original verse Destiny 2
Profile
Despite having been resurrected barely six months before the onset of the Red War, Sorrel has since proven time and again, for better or for worse, that he has a penchant surviving whatever is thrown at him. Surviving it--and coming out victorious. Though he insists the spotlight shouldn't only be given to him, he alone is often made to shoulder the praise and the hopes of the Vanguard and the City--and the crushing expectations that come with them.
PERSONALITY
Intense and short-tempered, Sorrel can often be intimidating, if not outright difficult, to deal with. Despite his short stature, he tends to have a strong, commanding presence whenever he enters a room, made even more so by how willing he is to offer his opinions and speak his mind. Sorrel has little patience for much of anything, always preferring to go the most direct route to a solution. Reckless and heavy-handed, he has no qualms about putting himself in danger, much to his Ghost's dismay.
His temper is one of the more well-known things about him, even to those who only really know him by name or deeds. He has made marked progress towards having better control of his anger and frustration, but he's still quite susceptible to (often violent) outbursts. While he's not nearly as prone to taking out his anger on fellow Guardians as he used to be, it's not exactly unheard of in recent times, and most tend to give him a wide berth. In addition to being temperamental, he's also quite prideful, which causes about as much problems for him as his anger does.
Even when not acting out of anger, Sorrel is often terse with others, and quick to fall back on sarcasm and scathing remarks. His sense of humor tends towards being playfully rude, though he's not always poking fun at people; he's more liable to crack jokes than most people would assume, and rather enjoys making people laugh.
Sorrel's anger and his belligerent nature belie his good heart; much of his harsh mannerisms are born from trauma, and underneath it all, he's still kind and compassionate. While he often tries to deflect credit for doing nice things, he won't hesitate to lend a hand where it's needed, often going above and beyond what's expected of him. Even outside of his duties as a Guardian, he does what he can for others--he can hardly stand seeing someone in a bad way if he knows there's something he can do about it. With those he cares about, he's fiercely protective and will do absolutely anything for them.
MISC
Sorrel's weapon loadout is pretty varied, but he prefers hand cannons above all else--the heftier the better.
Scarring from heavy, self-inflicted burns covers his back, shoulders and neck, even trailing up onto his cheeks and over his chest. Dense as it is, he doesn't have much feeling in those areas.
Even in his past life, Sorrel was always a fit, physically active person. This hasn't changed a bit in the present, and his strength in relation to his size often takes people off guard.
Not the greatest Sparrow driver; he's always too in a rush to get where he's going and drives very recklessly as a result. Sorrel will crash into you full force if you're in the road and he will not be sorry about it.
ADHD king!
Terrified of anything even vaguely resembling a dog. Even just sounds can make him feel sick from stress, even if it's obvious there aren't actually any dogs nearby.
STORY
Past life
Prior to becoming a Lightbearer, Sorrel (then named Asrien) was an Awoken living in the Distributary. When Mara and the rest of her fleet left, he went with them, accompanied by his younger brother, Damir. Not long after reaching the Sol system and hearing about the state of humanity back on Earth, however, he threw in with the other Awoken who wanted to venture out and offer aid. His brother protested, insisting he remain behind with him, but Sorrel wouldn't be swayed from doing what he believed was the right thing to do. Their relationship suffered for it, and his brother would never even know of it when he ultimately dies.
resurrected
Sorrel's Ghost, after searching for quite a long time, would finally find him buried in ice and snow in the North American tundra. Though understandably surprised by his circumstances, Sorrel immediately put his trust in the Ghost, who would intoduce himself as Valence. The two had much time to get to know each other as they wandered through the frozen landscape, and although it wasn't the easiest or smoothest start to a new life, Sorrel still kept his chin up.
After two weeks of walking, barely surviving, and dodging crews of Eliksni scavengers, the pair finally scrounged up a barely-functional jumpship and made a...rather memorable first impression in the City.
Life as a Guardian seemed a natural fit for Sorrel, and he took well to all the new things thrust upon him. One of the first Guardians he met after getting settled in the Tower was Albatross-9, a friendly, jovial Titan who was happy to accompany him on his first few patrols and show him the ropes. The two became fast friends, and before long were practically inseparable.
the red war
The beginning of the Red War would prove to be a pivotal time for Sorrel. Scarcely more than a year out of the grave, he suddenly finds himself with the hopes of just about everyone, Lightbearer or not, dropped squarely on his shoulders--and his alone.
After narrowly escaping the initial attack on the City--and not even close to being unscathed--the following weeks spent wandering the wilderness gave rise to an anger and a hatred he'd never felt before. Alone, terrified, and having no idea if anybody he had come to care about, Albatross most of all, were still alive, his anger was all he had to cling to. It would drive a wedge between him and his Ghost. Valence worried that his rage would burn him up beyond recognition, but ultimately was too afraid to make his opinion known. Regaining his connection to the Light did little to soothe him--if anything, his fury burned brighter with his flames returning to back it up.
Though the events of the Red War took Sorrel and Valence all across the system, demanding more and more from him every step of the way, he refused to waver--though if his iron resolve in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds was more out of a desire to protect the City, or for revenge, he's still not sure. When his journey took him to Titan, however, he was granted a fleeting moment of respite from the near-constant anger--Albatross survived the attack on the City, and was just about as safe as he could be, given the circumstances. While Albatross stayed behind on Titan with Zavala and Sloane, the two remained in contact as much as they could, and having Albatross back to (metaphorically) lean on was an immense help.
After Ghaul was defeated in a gruelling battle and the City was retaken, it took Sorrel some time to recover. Even with Albatross at his side again, taking it easy was almost more overwhelming than the constant running and fighting. Downtime was agonizing, but before long, he was back on his feet, desperate to throw himself back into anything the Vanguard would give him. Sorrel and Albatross went right back to being joined at the hip, if not more so than before after finally having the time to properly reconcile with their feelings for each other. Other Guardians filtered in and out of their fireteam for various strikes and operations, but at the end of the day, they were mostly left on their own, which suited them just fine.
curse of osiris & warmind
The campaigns on Mercury and Mars go just about the same as they do in-game. So..... yep.... Albatross and Sorrel go beat up a really big Vex and a really big Worm the end :)
forsaken
Following Cayde's death, Sorrel was immediately chomping at the bit for revenge, but before he could drag Albatross off to the Tangled Shore, a new annoyance presented itself. Faron, a frosty, standoffish Hunter, quite literally blocked their path. Somehow, he knew what they were up to, and insisted they allow him to join them--even going as far to say that they needed his help. On the one hand, it was true that the pair could use such a skilled, experienced scout and tracker, but on the other, the implication that he and Albatross were in any way inadequate was infuriating. Initially, Sorrel refused to have anything to do with him, only relenting after some gentle persuasion from Albatross. Though Faron was, for now, a part of the team, Sorrel wouldn't make it easy on him, often going out of his way to argue with or belittle him.
Despite clashing personalities and butting heads, the three of them would prove to work very well together all throughout their pursit of Uldren and the Barons. After claiming their victory--and, more importantly, their revenge--Sorrel had to begrudgingly agree that Faron proved a valuable asset, and potentially, maybe, you didn't hear it from him...a trusted friend. The few times he and Albatross had to go without him, it just wasn't the same, and eventually it would even be Sorrel himself asking if the Hunter wanted to be a more permanent part of their fireteam. Faron (pleasantly) surprised him by agreeing to his offer, and has been an integral part of the group ever since.
shadowkeep
Sorrel's experiences on the Moon would prove much more unsettling than he cared to admit. After aiding Eris, and with close brushes with the Darkness, his solution to the uneasy thoughts these experiences brought him was to throw himself that much harder into more tangible problems that presented themselves over the following year. Despite being a Warlock, sitting around and thinking about things still never sat well with him, and remaining active was about all he could do.
That was all well and good, until the Season of Arrivals, when there...really was nothing he could do. With Pyramid ships looming over the system, he simply continued doing what he was best at--fighting anything that he found in front of him with reckless abandon. Sorrel applied himself as much as he could, helping Eris and the Drifter in their efforts wherever possible.
A few months down the line, however, he and Albatross suffered a loss when Faron seemed to vanish. Physically absent and refusing to answer any attempts to contact him, the longer he was silent, the more difficult it was to assume much more than the worst. Though Faron had a tendency towards solitude, something about this particular bout of silence felt off to Sorrel, and try as he might to ignore it, he couldn't shake a terrible feeling. Their fears were all but confirmed when Mars disappeared--a favorite haunt of Faron's, his continued absence was resounding. Sorrel refused to believe he was gone, spending hours and hours arduously searching for even the smallest scrap of information that might tell them where he had gone, or at the very least, confirmation that he was still alive--all to no avail, forcing him to accept the fact that Faron was, really and truly, lost to them.
beyond light
Sorrel's grief gave rise to a even greater need to put himself into something else as a distraction, and between the Darkness and House Salvation, the rising issues on Europa were as good an outlet as any. Though their fireteam was weaker for Faron's absence, Sorrel and Albatross pushed on, still just as willing to do what needed to be done--if not more so, given how potent a motivator even a vague semblance of catharsis or vengeance was.
The Eliksni of House Salvation would prove to be tenacious adversaries, and it didn't take long for Sorrel to recklessly lead them into a confrontation where it seemed they might not come out on top--or at all, for that matter. Just when things got down to the wire and the pair began to feel real desperation, an unlikely, unexpected ally would present himself--Faron, appearing seemingly out of nowhere and with the help of his own new Stasis power, resurfaced in the heat of battle to help them push back and ultimately emerge victorious. Sorrel's relief at seeing him alive very quickly coalesced into anger at how he had just let them both think he was dead, and for a time he refused to so much as speak to him. It wasn't something he could hold a grudge against for long, however, and he ultimately welcomed him back into the fold.
With Faron already wielding Stasis, convincing Sorrel to take the leap himself wasn't difficult. Though he doesn't exactly know what to make of Elsie upon first meeting her, his history with and trust in Eris, the Drifter and Faron was enough for him to put his initial wariness and misgivings to the side. The further he delved into it, the more difficult it became to resist the temptation to fully embrace it, rather than using it impartially as a tool. For the vast majority of his short life, Sorrel has been constantly fighting, always faced with a new crisis, a new battle to fight, rarely ever getting a moment to catch his breath. As much as he insists it doesn't bother him, and that he prefers to be on his feet anyways, the Darkness offering a promise of resolution with the use of its power was much more alluring than he was prepared for. Resolution--the idea that everything might finally stop, come to rest, be quiet--is a practically alien concept to him by this point. The lapses in his usually single-minded focus the temptation inflicts on him are almost immediately apparent, no matter how hard he tries to keep it to himself; knowing him as well as they do, Albatross and Faron notice right away.
Though the trio continues in their efforts against Eramis, Sorrel's struggles with Stasis put an extra layer of strain on the group. Too prideful to listen to anyone's concerns, he refuses to stop using it, convinced he can handle himself even as he slides further down a slippery slope. As Europa reveals more and more of its secrets, especially those pertaining to the nature of Exos, the fireteam suffers the loss of a member once again--while physically fine, the stress proves to be too much for Albatross. Between grappling with his identity as an Exo and having to watch two people he cares about carelessly put themselves in so much danger with Stasis, he finally has to throw in the towel. Even despite Albatross repeatedly reassuring them that it wasn't a final, immutable thing, and that he was sure he would be back, Sorrel initially doesn't take it very well.
[WIP]
witch queen
[WIP]
DYNAMIC
Directly contrasting Sorrel's personality, Valence is methodical, analytical, and one hell of a worrywart. While they tend towards arguing and butting heads, the two have an immense trust in each other and have, over the years, learned just how valuable the other's insights are. While Valence generally takes issue with Sorrel's approach to problems, he can sometimes see the value in simply bludgeoning one's way through to a solution, while Sorrel accepts that sometimes, Valence's more carefully thought out ideas might be more effective in the long run than just turning the issue at hand into fine ash.
Even despite the other relationships he has developed, Valence is still the one Sorrel trusts the most above all. He confides in his Ghost for practically everything, even if it sometimes backfires on him--Valence is very chatty and sociable, and has never learned how to filter himself or withhold much of anything he tells him. It's not a rare occurence for Valence to (unintentionally) expose or embarrass Sorrel, always only ever realizing maybe he shouldn't have said that after the fact.
Regardless of how frustrating he can be sometimes, Sorrel holds his Ghost in very high esteem and cares deeply about him. As much as Valence jokes that he's not much of a factor in all the triumphs Sorrel has under his belt given that he just lives in his pockets, Sorrel insists he take equal credit for everything they do. He'd do just about anything for him--including, yes, silly things like helping him glue kitty ears and whiskers to his shell, simply because it would make him happy.
Valence thinks the world of Sorrel as well. Several times, people have asked him why he even still bothers trying to be a friend to his Guardian when he's so clearly set on being rude and belligerent. It's never occured to him to give up, even when their relationship was at it's worst--though Sorrel is difficult to work with sometimes, the few times his efforts to cheer him up or make him smile have worked make everything else worth it.
HISTORY
Valence has quite literally been there for Sorrel from the very beginning. From the moment they met, they cared a lot for each other, very easily putting trust in one another throughout their first adventures.
The Red War had a profoundly negative impact on their relationship, seeing Sorrel often treating his Ghost poorly, mocking and insulting him almost every time he showed himself. It wasn't until the two were later separated for the first time in Sorrel's life, with Osiris' Ghost Sagira taking over Valence's shell for a time, that their relationship would see any semblance of recovery. Valence fully believed that Sorrel hadn't missed him while he was gone, and likely wouldn't ever even if he disappeared completely. Upon learning this, Sorrel is initially angry, indignant that Valence would even say such a thing--but the confession paves the way for proper, heartfelt, much needed discussion and apologies between the two. While things don't exactly go perfectly back to normal, their relationship improves dramatically.
Things remain stable between throughout the years following, until Valence is very vocal about his thoughts with regards to Sorrel taking up the use of Stasis. Out of everyone who questions his decision, Valence's concerns probably offend him the most. Through much of their stay on Europa, Sorrel mostly refuses to talk to him, not dignifying any of his questions or worries with so much as a word. When Valence eventually comes around and apologizes for not trusting him, Sorrel surprises him with his own apology--and an insistence that he wouldn't even want Valence to change, or to stop questioning him.
DYNAMIC
[ WIP ]
HISTORY
[ WIP ]
DYNAMIC
On the outside, Sorrel and Faron seem like they couldn't be more different, and while it is true, it's not the entire truth. They have a lot more in common than most realize, and seem to be on the same wavelength for a lot of things--in the field, it's not an uncommon occurence for them to reach the same conclusion or course of action without even so much as speaking to each other, and then being able to execute on it together without much more than a a few gestures and a nod. Both reckless and with a similar disregard for both rules and their own personal safety, the amount of trouble they can get up to with the excuse of it being the means to a justifiable end is astronomical. This comes at the cost of them often worrying about or arguing with each other over how the other should be more careful--and each time, it results in little change, as they both know they're not about to do anything differently any time soon. Sorrel's ability to hold enemies' attention makes Faron's long range skills that much more deadly, making them a difficult and dangerously efficient duo to deal with.
Even on a more personal level, the two mesh very well. Sorrel can sometimes be a bit too rough with him, but if anything, it's a testament to how much they care about each other that not only is Sorrel willing to admit when he's wrong and apologize, but Faron is willing to forgive him. Their relationship is much more quiet and private when directly compared to how Sorrel acts with Albatross, though it's not hard to see just at a glance how fond he is of him.
HISTORY
It's no secret that, initially, Sorrel could hardly stand Faron--though it was practically all because of him being unable to swallow his pride, and hating having to accept help for any reason rather than anything to do with Faron himself. As time passed and he, willingly or not, got to know him better, his disposition changed and he eventually came around to tolerate him.
Months after Faron decided to stick around more permanently, the two strike up a friends-with-benefits arrangement--just for fun, no strings attached, and certainly no feelings involved. Sorrel is satisfied with it for what it is, not giving it any more thought than it warrants. The more time they spend together, the more relaxed and comfortable Sorrel feels around him, until, seemingly all at once--and to his utter dismay--he realizes he might be a teeny tiny little bit in love. Try as he might (and does he ever try) he can't push the feelings away. Convincing himself that he doesn't really care, and that he could drop the entire affair if he wanted to at any time and wouldn't miss spending that time with Faron at all, is harder said than done.
He talks himself in circles over it over and over, putting off any real resolution until it appears to be too late--Faron disappears, and is reasonably presumed dead, leaving Sorrel with a sudden, gaping hole in his heart he has no idea how to handle. Even after Faron resurfaces, alive and well, his initial reaction is anger--even going as far as to physically fight him over it, punching him so hard his helmet cracks.
After the impact of Faron's reappearance blows over and Sorrel is willing to speak to him again, the two (rather tearfully) finally get their feelings in order--as it would happen, they were both being pitiful about how they felt about each other and could have saved themselves months' worth of anguish if they had just talked to each other. :/
DYNAMIC
[ WIP ]
HISTORY
Sorrel at first had little patience for fielding North's wealth of both questions and admiration. He was busy and under a lot of pressure--stopping to humor a New Light was very far from the top of his priorities list. Initially angrily brushing them off and mostly ignoring them, it didn't take him long to realize that his behavior was unfair, and that it wasn't that long ago that he was in a similar position.
Much to his relief, when he reached out with an apology and an offer to talk in earnest, they eagerly accepted. Sorrel assumed it would be a short, cursory thing, and that when they actually got to know him a lot of the luster would fade and they would eventually get bored and move on. To his surprise, they seemed genuinely interested in things he had to say, and a friendship sprang up between them.
While Sorrel didn't reach out to them with any intentions of being anything close to a mentor, it's an arrangement that seems to develop on its own. Nearly every time they spend time together, Sorrel finds himself giving them advice or guidance, be it in usage of the Light, in approach to combat, or anything else they might be struggling with in a given moment. He's grown rather invested in their development and wants to see them succeed like he knows they can, as well as being protective of them in general.
Comments