Orion

I will be the king
And I will be in charge of everything
I have the right to reign
I never need your permission again

A prince in spirit and name if not blood- or so he likes to think himself. Orion certainly does carry himself with a certain haughty, regal demeanor, acting purely for his own interests- it's every man for himself after all, isn't it? He doesn't go out of his way to harm others (too much effort for little reward), but he has few qualms at setting a steep price on his functional concoctions, trying to summon a creature simply to increase his own power, or even trespassing on protected land to claim a few ingredients. Of course... these actions do carry consequences- his shop is rarely visited, he's now stuck with an alien fox-creature nearly as selfish and stubborn as himself, aaaand he is currently working to replace the extremely rare, very hard to grow plants he stole from Mistyoak Forest.

So, You Know.

Born and raised in the illustrious city Starfall, Orion is even now hard pressed to say he had a... bad life. He's always had shelter, more or less always been fed, never too wanting for clothes, even considering his taste. No, physically, he's always been pretty good- but spending your life with family seeming to mourn and take umbrage with your very self leaves its own mark. In his earlier years, he tried to be a good son- tried to be smart, to be strong, to help around the house or put in extra effort in extracurriculars, but it always felt as if there were a wall between him and his parents, one that prevented them from giving more than the occasional 'good work'; though it didn't prevent them from leaping on fault and failure. It did gain him a reputation of being 'dependable' though, which often resulted in his assisting classmates and having to cram his own work in far later than intended.  Slowly, his schoolwork declined, he withdrew from his friends (those who stuck around once his helpful reputation faded, anyway) which only seemed to draw more ire; a cycle that continued until Orion was sixteen. That was when he could find work, and one night, he simply packed up and left for the other side of the great city. If he has received contact from his family since then, he's certainly made no effort to respond.

For a while, Orion did survive fairly well on his own. He managed to find work in an apothecary, sorting and stocking ingredients; studying alchemy and potion-brewing in his spare time. He showed a talent for some brews and various other concoctions, enough that he floated the idea of setting up his own shop- a suggestion met by an offer from the apothecary's owner, of why not sell his goods there, rather than take such a risk? It seemed a good enough idea- and Orion felt it best to stay on the owner's good side, he owed them so much after all. Of course, there were fees involved, for material and space and such and such- so much so, that in practice, Orion received virtually nothing in return. Once again, putting in so much effort and getting so little in return that it felt more a slap in the face than nothing- but he was older now, he knew he had a wanted skill, he could make it- right?

Orion struck out on his own not long after that, scraping together every coin he could, selling off the last of his stock (cheaper than he'd have liked, but he assured himself, it could be made up later- and maybe, maybe he'd generate some goodwill in the process that would pay off later on) and trinkets... and in the end, broke by his second month, simply unable to break past better known shops before the money ran out. Thankfully he found work before things could get too dire, a competitor brewing company hired him on; and Orion stayed with them until recent events necessitated another change. The work was decent- repetitive, sure, not much room for creativity, but at least they weren't actively screwing him and expecting a thank you for the privilege. He worked as much as was necessary, never shirking nor taking anything extra, still worked his own brews on the side, even managing a few sales- but only a few, thanks to his unwillingness to haggle the price so much as a cent below his set minimum. 

In the years between joining the company and the Mistyoak debacle, Orion did make one final attempt to strike out on his own... sort of. He had heard stories of magical creatures, things summoned that would be bound to a mage and increase their power tenfold. If he could do that, have that sort of power on his side, then perhaps he could try again- who would, after all, turn down the price laid down by someone so strong? In the end though, while Orion proved he could indeed transmute base metal into gold, he was ultimately working on flawed knowledge from the start- he was bound to the creature- a Floc- all right, but he gained no extra power, no new magic. Just a companion always hovering nearby, always there with a sarcastic quip or contrary word, and a frighteningly good grasp of alchemical practices.

Now, for more recent happenings- well, Orion had read up on a new brew, one calling for a number of rare and costly supplies. Nothing impossible to find, but... one in particular, well, he knew where they grew wild; why should he have to pay for something he could go and find himself? For once, Clove agreed, so the two set out to find them, the blue roses that grew in the forests just below the mountains... and enjoyed roughly a single evening of victory before finding themselves surrounded by a pack of dogs, and their master, who promptly dragged him down to face the Preserve's owner and lead ranger. Though well within his rights to have Orion jailed, Zephyr proposed another solution- stay around the Preserve, and assist until he grew roses to replace those he had poached. 

Sometimes, Orion wonders if jail might not have been the better option.

--

Currently is fairly settled in a small home with an expansive garden. He hasn't had any luck in propagating a blue rose (though he's got some possible results from seeds...), but he's slowly filled the garden with all sorts of other herbs and flowers, and has started making hygienic and medicinal products from them. He and Sidney are... on extremely poor terms, honestly; he's eternally bitter towards her having found him, and she's happy to serve that bitterness right back, going so far as to ban him from handling any of the dogs on the property until he gets over it. Gets along okay enough with others- he's far from loved, but... overall has managed to get to something more than 'grudgingly tolerated', which works well enough for now.

Description: Average height and build; shows no remarkable strength, endurance or speed. Fair-skinned, untidy dirty-blonde hair and hazel eyes. Fashion tends towards... eccentric, comparable to late Victorian; prefers dress shirts, ornately patterned or colorful waistcoats, durable trousers and sturdy black shoes. Wears gloves whenever he isn't working- hands are quite rough, littered with old burns, scars from knife slips, and- more recently- bites from Clove. Tends to stand as tall as possible, often giving the impression that he is trying to literally look down on you. 

Haughty and guarded- rarely interacts with others first, and tends to come across as curt and condescending in conversations. Tends to be suspicious of others' motives, and regards any kindness as a trap- they'll just want something in return later and with interest, he's not dealing with that any more. Fiercely independent to the point of foolishness- no matter how much it would ease things, or how much it may even be necessary, Orion would rather swallow his own tongue than ask for assistance. However, he does still, however he may try to hide it, crave praise and outside validation, and unwillingly finds himself warming to pretty much anyone who pays him a genuine compliment, as his immediate instinct is 'what do you want'. Excellent cook and potion-maker, skilled enough of an alchemist to transmute base metal into gold (although he's never been able to replicate that particular trick); shows a remarkable ability to produce solid quality with poor or limited supplies. Somewhat skilled at growing plants, has particular luck with propagation.