[PXFIRE] [SU/DS] PXFIRE II Roleplay: Convergence

[VeloJello]

Knight of Swords || Queen of Cups

Spoiler:

wandering child of the earth,
do you know just how much you're worth?
you have walked this path since your birth;
you were destined for more.

Name: Emmett “Gawain” Marshall.
Gender: Male.
Age: 35.
Team: Avalon Apostles.
Description: A man standing at 6’4” and skinny enough to be mistaken for a scarecrow, Emmett Marshall doesn’t look like the sort of guy who should be leading movements, be called “Gawain”, handling dangerous giant owls, or doing most of the things he does in general. His attire doesn’t help - he wears elegant but practical clothes in an array of pink and blue pastels. His ensemble also includes a white satchel embroidered with a red first-aid cross and a patch with the simple “AA” insignia of the Avalon Apostles sewn into it.

As for the man behind the pastels and the exaggerated frame, Emmett looks like a gentle soul. His dark-skinned, black-eyed face is clean shaven and his features are soft; his default expression seems to be one of mingled compassion and wistfulness. His long, curly, voluminous hair is perpetually tied back in a puffy ponytail. He bears a few scars on his arms from dealing with Pokemon, and a pretty impressive laceration scar along his abdomen.

Personality: Charismatic/Philosophical/Friendly/Gentle/Altruistic
Partly as a result of his community-centric upbringing, Emmett genuinely loves meeting new people and helping out others. He’s always learning; even if he disagrees with others, he loves to hear their opinions, and he doesn’t shy away from those who oppose or argue with him. Instead, he tries to be reasonable, using his considerable social skills to win their respect, if not win them over entirely. He doesn’t like to harm other creatures and his inclination is to inflict nonlethal damage - though he can be almost frighteningly ruthless when his friends or people under his protection are endangered. He presents himself as a knight in shining armor, and he sees it as his role to spread enlightenment and goodness and to protect the innocent.

Two-Faced/Cynical/Manipulative/Tired/Unforgiving
A bit of Emmett’s disposition is put-on, though. Beneath the saccharine sweetness lies a world-weary person who’s full of exhaustion, pessimism, and resentment. Working with the UFS embittered him greatly, as he watched humans tear each other apart to possess the power of Pokemon and watched Pokemon and humans kill each other for little to no reason. In order to achieve his ends of establishing peace between man and ‘mon, Emmett sees nothing wrong with wrapping others around his little finger. His desire to make the world a better place is genuine, but his pessimism puts this goal out of reach in his mind, creating a vicious cycle of discouragement. He has little mercy for those who stir up trouble, even if their reasons have legitimacy.

Backstory: The cold of Redinas is often said to only be matched by the warmth of its citizens. Emmett grew up in a kind home with caring parents and, after a few years, a shy but kindly younger sibling (Zeke Marshall figured out that they were agender before they turned thirteen). The Marshall household was often filled with neighbors in need, just as the Marshalls often relied on their neighbors for help right when they needed it most. When he was about fourteen, Emmett took up volunteer work as a clinic assistant for resume-padding and character-building. It was there that he discovered his passion for healing, and he quickly shifted his academic focus in the direction of becoming a doctor.

Unfortunately, his charmed life didn't last. Quinn Marshall, matriarch of the Marshall house, passed away suddenly, struck down by cancer. Wanting to ensure that his family had their best chance, Josiah Marshall moved his family to Maris, where they'd be closer to Josiah's family. While Emmett was a bit more subdued and untrusting - worried at the notion that people he loved could be suddenly torn away from him. He did his best to learn everything he could, working for his education, heart set on earning his status as a doctor of medicine. The wormhole invention was exciting for him - people were brought closer together; the phasing out of motor vehicles reduced air pollution and accidental injuries and death; he could go and visit his friends and family in Redinas whenever he wanted. He lost touch with Zeke a bit, but they still visited every now and again - always excited about the wormhole technology, which they went from an avid student of to working on themselves. Unfortunately, this contact ceased at the explosion at Erenitka.

Not long after the Pokemon began appearing, Emmett found his way onto a UFS team due to their higher pay and his curiosity about the Pokemon. One of his first missions was cut short by a group of Pokemon poachers rushing in to steal the great white owl that had come through the rift. In the chaos, most of the strike team was knocked out or killed; Emmett tried to pull the poachers away, but he took a knife and was knocked aside, near unconscious. When he woke up, a bloody-taloned owl was on his chest and the poachers were ripped apart - and the pain in his body was gone. Somehow, the bird had healed him as thanks for his attempts to save it, and it hovered alongside Emmett as he stabilized his compatriots and called for evacuation. Attempts to separate the owl from Emmett were met with screeched protests, at best; Emmett managed to convince his higher-ups to let him keep and bond with the creature known as Togekiss, reasoning that she already liked him and that this way he'd have a bodyguard and any squad he was with would have a backup healer.

That plan did not last. Emmett eventually decided that the brutality of the strike forces was too much - the brutality between humans and Pokemon was too much for him. He couldn't stop an evil so powerful or necessary, however, so instead he resolved to be the help that people needed. At first it was just him and Kayla healing people, with Emmett guiding others as best he could and espousing his political opinions where he went. Initially unintentionally, Emmett began to accumulate a following, a contact network that slowly but surely grew into a movement for peace. Emmett began to cultivate this; while he didn't assert himself as a great leader of men, he provided guidance for the other Apostles when they needed them, and started directing them in a more hands-on fashion. "Gawain" was a codename he was given due to his chivalrous nature, healing schtick, and knightly motif.

Starting Pokemon: Kayla/Togekiss/F/Serene Grace/Gentle Nature. Kayla is rarely seen except at Gawain's side. Towering over her Trainer, her sharp beak and talons make her an incredibly formidable sight. However, she's really quite kind, albeit a little bit restless and flighty. She and Gawain have a limited understanding of each other; she has minor telepathic and empathic abilities that help she and her Trainer share thoughts and feelings between them.

Other: Emmett hasn't heard from Zeke for six years. He's not sure, but he suspects they might be dead. He's still in contact with most of his remaining family members, though some of them are afraid of him now thanks to his status as a Pokemon trainer.