Reed

"“’Fate is something the weak want to believe, in order to convince themselves that their sins are not of their own choosing. But the thing is, life is all a choice. The evil of mankind is of his own making.’” -Reed to Silver in the dungeons"Reed is one of the main antagonists in the Marilon series. He resides in the woods in a small cottage provided to him by the orphanage upon aging out of the establishment. Son (a term used very loosely) to two of the most powerful magic users in all of Marilon.

Early Life
Created through a deal made between infamous trickster [father] and one of the most powerful magic users in the kingdom, Lorelei, Reed was born on an unimportant day, the record of which was never kept and forever lost. Despite the unethical dealings that led to his birth, Reed was born of man, though the Magic edge of a deal long set in stone would make sure he would forever be the perfect little soldier. The moment he was born and on, Reed did not utter a cry, a stoic child lulled into an empty beginning, the perfect blank page.

From the moment he could stand on his own two feet, Reed was subject to crushing training, never allowed a glimpse into what a childhood could be. He was not allowed in the presence of his mother for the first six years of his life, give or take, Lorelei being known only to him by voice. And once he was allowed her presence, it was made the strictest of rules he was never to lift his head when she was around. And so the raven haired boy would never see anything more than the shoes on her feet for the majority of his life.

Instead, Reed was left to the care and training of Malachi, a shapeshifter and right hand man to Lorelei. The man took an instant liking to Reed, a bond created through both their willing captivity under Lorelei. Malachi would develop more than platonic feelings for the boy throughout his childhood, though Reed would never reciprocate.

He spent his youth trained in every way possible, subject to intense tortures and trauma; culminating in a horrendous trauma that would leave the boy without the ability to feel or register pain. Despite this loss, Malachi would patch his wounds and care for the boy after each event. He was trained as a soldier, kept as a pet under Lorelei’s fingers. And due to the Magical dealings of his birth, Reed would never be able to turn his back on Lorelei. He was truly the perfect little pet.

The Orphanage
At the age of around 11, Reed would be left to his own in the woods, all in a perfect plot that would lead to his introduction to the orphanage. Taking pity on the child, the orphanage and one Delilah Gale, Reed would be taken into the care of the establishment. It was then that Reed would hone his skills, wreaking havoc among the painted walls of the orphanage. His connection to the well known villain would be kept under tight wraps during his stay at the orphanage, though workers would catch a glimpse of his empty file every now and again. Throughout his time at the orphanage, Reed would be the cause of multiple orphans deaths, though the blame could never be proven nor believed, entrap multiple workers into harming him, leading to their expulsion, as well as face harm when seen as the child of a monster.

Throughout his time at the orphanage, Malachi would visit Reed, always coming to the boy in the form of a large black bird. Reed would report any interesting findings to the man to be fed back to Lorelei and Malachi would take comfort in the boys presence, treating him more like a lover than a child.

Meeting Aidan
It was at that orphanage that Reed would take an interest in a small chestnut-haired girl who would appear in his room one day. He recognized her vaguely, knowing her mother’s place at the orphanage. Bruised and bloody from a prior altercation with an angry worker, Reed was surprised when the chestnut haired girl, Aidan as he would come to know her, took the time to bandage his wounds. Recalling all the years of training, Reed would see this as the perfect opportunity to truly get close to someone, knowing the endgame of it all. Over their time together, Reed would pretend to confide in Aidan and relish in her presence. They would keep their meetings secret for the beginning of their time together, not wanting it to be spoiled by the eyes of the adults.

Whenever Reed was alone, Malachi would visit, showing hesitance towards this new connection, but through Reed’s confirmation of their goals, the man would give way. During their time together, Reed could tell Aidan had begun to fall for him and on an excursion to the nearby beach one morning, they would share their first kiss, backdropped by the rising sun. Malachi monitored the children with careful eyes, uneased by the glint in Reed’s eyes when the two were together. He would take the boy to the woods late one night to revisit their training, needing to be sure all plans were still underway. The raven haired by would hide those bruises for days from Aidan.

Reed had begun to craft tales for Aidan, hidden under ‘confessions’ and mock truthfulness. During thunderstorms, when he was sure Lorelei was not able to listen in, he would tell Aidan of her. Only glimpses and shards of truth. A mother with a plan, a wrongful land that needed to be fixed, a righteous path. Some nights, he couldn’t bring himself to stitch together those tales, and he would simply hold her. Aidan, lulled in by her love for the raven haired boy, would believe every word he fed her. It was from that moment on their bond would be sealed forever, partners in Aidan’s eyes, half a fool in Reed’s.

Aidan would stick with the boy, long beyond the orphanage, but she would never be quite aware of the blood on his hands. Not until it was too late.

Book One/Two
Reed is a stoic and cocky young boy, always quick with a response. He has a tendency to read people quite easily, reflecting their own feelings back onto them. He is very intelligent and rarely caught off guard. During the beginning of his time at Marilon High School, he is quite flirty and on a mission to befriend as many of his classmates as possible. Though even in his act, enemies are made and the usual high school types outcast him at certain corners. Due to the state of his appearance he is either viewed as the mysterious boy everyone is drawn to, or as a freak to be left on the sidelines. But never a threat. Only behind doors with Aidan is he seen as angry and abusive, though he never truly feels those things, it is all simply part of the larger act. His emotions are but a projection cast upon an empty shell.

Book Three
By book three, Reed’s act has begun to slip as certain classmates have begun to question his place in Marilon. Despite many who refuse to turn their back on him so easily (partially because assuming one was a villain simply based on their genealogy was quite frowned upon in this land of second chances). But by the time Aidan and Narcissa have left his side, he is all but exposed. Not as a threat per say, but as an issue. He is still quite mysterious, often dancing around points as opposed to admitting easy truths. He continues to feed on the insecurities and problems of others, using that knowledge as a means to an end whenever necessary. He does not tell a soul the truth of the larger plan.

Book Four
By book four, Reed is even more an enigma than prior times. It is here we see his trained sadistic nature in the format of torture and captivity. Yet, during all these horrors, we see glimpses of apology and what could possibly be pegged as guilt in certain actions. Though the truth of any of that is left up to interpretation. After the final battle, Reed’s personality is all but sucked away, left as the shell he always was. Without the larger plan to spur him on, the boy is left with nothing. And due to the Magical nature of his birth, that is all he could ever be.

Appearance
Reed is a tall, slender boy, with a head of long raven locks. His green eyes are quite bright amongst his otherwise pale features. He is quite angular in his bone structure, eyes marked by gentle rings of purple. His body is marked by numerous scars, though they have long since paled as a result of Magic-laced healing in his youth, covering up a past of horrors. He has three facial piercings (an eyebrow, a bridge, and snake bites) and pierced ears, silver jewelry adorns these places. He is the image of physical perfection, all set to hide the emptiness that lingers beneath the surface. He is often seen dressed in dark, muted colors, though the outfits tend to be a bit on the extra side, chains, crop-tops, fishnets, the likes.

Quotes

 * “'You’ve always been lost. And yet you never had the strength to look for yourself. Those shackles don’t disappear once the prison loses its tangibility, Hadrian. You’ve stuffed yourself on lies under the assumption it could ever satiate your hungry heart. And I’ve always seen beneath that mask. I wonder how long it may take for you to regret your choices.'” -Reed to Hadrian in the dungeon
 * "The storm has passed, I think it’ll be eons before the next rain.... You’ll pass on my apologies to the downpour, won’t you?” -Reed to Malachi
 * “You always were oblivious in the best and worst ways.” -Reed to Narcissa
 * “One can not despise captivity when there is nothing to be free for." -Reed
 * "You've never been anything more than a figure head for the commoners to project their hopes onto. An empty canvas for the pitiful to puke their dreams upon. You are nothing more than the sum of your insolence... You are a pathetic excuse for a ruler... A disgusting stand-in for a man." -Reed to Antoine.
 * "You’re a savior complex in pigtails and a skirt. Your scars will always be the history you wrote. I’m not your author, stop blaming your story on me." -Reed to Aidan
 * "You had a well of potential you paved over, I simply cracked the lid for a single drink. And you crumbled to let the light in." - Reed

Etymology

 * Reed means “a weak or impressionable person”.

Trivia

 * The only time Reed had ever seen Lorelei’s face was at her death.
 * Reed has only ever truly known Lorelei by ‘Master’, using her name left a sour taste in his mouth.
 * It was Reed’s suggestion to keep his classmates in the dungeon for possible recruitment, Lorelei’s first option was to kill them.
 * Aidan was the only person who ever got closest to knowing him.
 * During their youth at the orphanage, Reed would tell Aidan a falsified version of Lorelei's plan in order to get Aidan on their side, but only when a thunderstorm was upon them. That was the only time he knew Lorelei could not be listening.

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