#and that is how Sid ended up with a patterned lining in his suit jacket

[icedbatik]

Evgeni Malkin Glorius Custom March 24, 2024

[the-colony-roleplay]

Siddhartha ‘Sid’ Jha | Twenty Four;  Survivor

House: Brink Security Class: 2 Status: Infected - Telekinesis

History

Las Vegas—an oasis of cheap thrills within a sprawl of glittering lights and minor sins. Sid’s parents were the ultimate Vegas Strip cliché on the surface: a cocktail waitress and a chronic gambler who fell for each other at the roulette wheel. After a whirlwind courtship they were married, and later became the parents of two boys. His mother eventually moved into a back office job at a casino. Sid’s father continued to bargain for a better life with the family budget at professional poker tournaments around town.

The early years were exceptionally lean. His parents did not shield Sid and his older brother Vrisan from the extent of their financial despair. In turn, the guilt in asking for the smallest necessities ingrained the need in Sid to aim high. One day, when Sid was eleven, his father returned from a weekend tournament.

He’d won. He’d won big.

Lady Luck had finally taken Mr. Jha by the hand, and each successive win emboldened his father. Food became plentiful if not more nourishing. The boys had new clothes and items once considered luxuries. Most importantly, a permanent home replaced living in weekly rated motels or the family car. Sid’s father flaunted his sudden success and increasing status on the professional poker circuit. He also passed on a philosophy to an impressionable Sid. Turning dreams into reality didn’t require hard work. It required smart work. And a lot of luck too.

Sid believed it all until the Feds arrived to arrest Mr. and Mrs. Jha on fraud and money laundering charges. They were two players caught in a larger scheme that had been run out of the very casino they met in. While their roles had been small, the penalties for both parents would be paid for in years behind bars.

With their mother and father in prison the boys, then teenagers, were sent to live with their paternal grandparents in Texas. For a time Sid hated his father. The man had become one of the top 25 poker players in Vegas—why the hell would he ever get involved with a scam on a casino? But living with grandparents he barely knew with all promises of the future gone forced him to viscerally feel the hunger in his father for a better life, and the poor choice of a shortcut to do so.

Being older, Vrisan made a quick escape in following a girlfriend to Boston. Determined to join his brother Sid decided to place his own bet on university. Through a complicated web of scholarships, grants, part-time jobs, and assistance from his brother, Sid finally arrived in Boston to attend a small music conservatory. Meanwhile, Vrisan had begun to gamble in the local casinos. At best he was an average player, and most of his winnings went to Sid’s university bills.  

Leaving Texas was a substantial accomplishment and only made Sid want what his father’s mistakes had robbed from him. He’d also recently met a student attending Harvard. Besides immediately bonding over Star Wars and French roast espresso, Teilo drew the curtain back on a world of opulence and wealth that Sid ached to be a part of. Teilo’s determination to create his own life by his own rules also struck a chord. When Teilo offered Sid cheap rent in the spare room of his campus apartment, it was a no-brainer that Sid move in.

He decided to join Vrisan and take a chance on what had once been the family’s salvation: cards. He studied past videos of his father in high-stakes tournaments online and practiced poker with his brother. It soon became apparent that Sid had a mind for numbers and patterns. Not just memorizing suits and face cards, but being able to read other player’s tells with increasing accuracy. Aside from the potential to make fast money, he couldn’t quite ignore the compulsive itch of the game. No matter how down in dollars he found himself, there was always the next hand to win it back. Or the next. And it made his mouth water to even think about.

Sid abandoned online gambling sites trading in cyptocurrencies and moved on to illegal underground games. The buy ins were high, but the payouts could be massive, and still being too young to play in the local casinos the network of backroom games became his addiction. Sid began to run his own games too, utilizing Teilo’s well-heeled fellow students at Harvard with trust funds to burn.  

He adorned himself in nicer clothes, and could buy expensive things. He put together a plan for transferring to Harvard. Finally he’d be part of the Ivy League orbit, as dazzling as any neon sign back home. Smart work and luck. It was about to pay off.

With the swift, striking chaos of a cosmic joke, it was all over.

At first Harvard was but one of several gathering hubs for survivors until it eventually became designated as an early colony, and home to Teilo and Sid. The Harvard elite and those who sought shelter there found themselves hurled back to the Stone Age, but in a well-preserved cave. There was hope that perhaps the world would be pieced together again and their dreams were on a temporary hold.

Sid Today

Sid had no need to be concerned about the infections, or even the rumours of a new group called the NWRF. Initially, the Reformers were meant to bring stability and order to the colonies. The sprawling Harvard campus had grown organically into a refuge but the majority were the students who had no choice but to stay. The Infected, on the other hand, consisted of older individuals feeding into the former school immediately after D-Day.

Just as the day his parents’ arrest changed life as he knew it, so did the Second Falling. At first Sid did his best to ignore the symptoms, chalking them up to an extended flu. Stress. Anything. After all, new reported infections had been rare in the last few years. It wasn’t until he was crossing a stately courtyard on campus that the infection violently manifested. A survivor set about relieving Sid of his brother’s jacket, and in turn a statue left the sturdy base it stood on to pin the man to the ground, pulverizing bone and tenderizing fascia.

Word of the incident spread and fear began to simmer. In the aftershock of his mounting uncontrollable outbursts Sid could feel the scrutiny of the NWRF. They tended to settle like mold on every surface and were rumoured to be collecting details on the Infected. The brutality of his infection and the inability to control it brought Sid to one conclusion.

A conclusion that didn’t come easily, and one he spent several nights discussing with Teilo. Vrisan attempted to talk both boys out of leaving but at the end of the day, Sid was more like his father than he imagined. He wasn’t running away. He was placing a bet on a better life once more.

Sid and Teilo fled Harvard in the dead of night fed on adrenaline and hope. In a way the trip became an inadvertent adventure. They crossed an ocean and entered the U.K. Wastes with Teilo somehow bringing half of Harvard with him. Sid had parted ways with his six string acoustic, the only real thing of value he had. But if his friend was leaving everything he knew behind, the least Sid could do was carry those sacred sentimental objects that held magic for Teilo. He didn’t complain. Well, only a little.

Today, Sid loathes his infection—or rather his lack of control over it. The confident and free spirited boy who could make friends easily is slowly being erased with every telekinesis outburst. Guilt in leaving behind Vrisan and taking Harvard away from Teilo is etched in fresh highways of red lines on his arms, which he hides beneath a weathered leather jacket.

With his old self harder to find under the infection, he is a flux of vapor in a vacuum. Sid hasn’t contacted his brother since arriving at Colony 22, unable to process how to explain his current failure. He worries Teilo’s unwavering sense of justice will be skewed by dragging him into a nest of vipers far worse than what they imagined. Or worse, that his infection might inadvertently harm the one person he relies on.

RELATED BIO: Teilo Embry Aisling

CLOSED

[oh-my-otome]

Midnight Cinderella Suitor’s Fashions

@aquisces-arts wanted to see what the suitors would look like in modern clothes, so I did my best conceptualizing what each would wear and why.

Let’s start with King Byron:

Byron dresses very monochromatically-- wearing different shades of black head to toe, and choosing gold accents that catch the light. 

If you look at his hair, you can see that his wisps are very controlled. Even his cowlick is styled neatly. He would probably use a light pomade. The details on the jeans give texture without distraction, like his black casual shirt in the game. 

The gold zipper on the knees also satisfies his love of gold hardware. If you notice, Byron does not wear jewelry aside from his earring, which he shares with Nico, so I think a planetary key chain would be a good choice for him, as it combines his star-gazing hobby with an outlet for an accessory.

Of course, a Rolex is a must, and I think he would always give himself a chaste spritz of cologne before stepping out of the door. This scent is unisex and has a dry-down that smells of vanilla, woods and leather.

I don’t think he would shy away from stylish shoes-- he may even be a subtle trend-setter. Because Byron can hold his liquor with the best of them, and because he doesn’t tend to let himself get too casual out in the open, I thought martini glass novelty socks would be a fun twist. It would be his own little secret. While it may not be that wild of a thing for the rest of us, considering Byron’s aloof personality, he may feel that it really is daring indeed.

Let’s keep going with another king, Robert:

Robert’s overcoat may be green, but he actually wears a lot of brown and beige. I feel like Robert would want to keep a low profile-- he’s not into drawing attention to himself.

Robert seems like he would be at home in comfortable clothes that are no-fuss, and extra-comfy. He may purposefully fly coach, but his fancy schmancy luggage would be designer first class-- the better to spot it on the carousel in the airport. 

I think he would splurge on some plush headphones to pass the time on the plane, as he country-hops. Since he likes rather long necklaces, I kept the length, but changed the style, so that it wouldn’t compete with his favorite tee. 

Because he likes to switch up his hair-do, flexible shaping spray is a must; and you just know he’s the type to carry a pocket comb. I also added some scrub because he just seems like the type to exfoliate at least once a week. 

In his bag, he probably has a small journal for jotting down whatever corner bistros catch his fancy. Maybe he even has a small sketch pad and colored pencils, too, for when inspiration strikes.

As for footwear, he would need something super comfortable to carry him from museum to museum. The paint splatter on these are a callback to his profession.

Here’s what I think Nico would wear:

Because Nico’s hair is already dyed pink, I think he wouldn’t try to be too matchy with his clothing. One item that matches and that’s it, so I tied in the color of his locks with a button-down. The pants give him ease of movement, since he does all types of ninja stuff when you’re not looking. Plus it has lots of pocket space; you just know he’s got all types of short swords, poison darts, tea cups and whatever else. As one does.

As Nico is the only suitor who canonically conceal-carries, I thought having him carry a large pocket knife, with other accessories, would suit his tastes. Nico also tends to wear suspenders, both on his butler uniform and his casual clothes, so I gave him a pair here as well. 

He seems, to me, to be the type who just sticks their hand in the closet and puts on whatever comes out, so I gave him items which are both black and brown to maximize his styling options for whatever he throws on that day. 

He has a comfortable pair of shoes for quick escapes. Nico likes wearing scarves and neckties. Here, I’ve given him a bandana instead, which he can wear for fashion or use as a bandage. In keeping up with his big bro, they have the same headphones, only Nico’s are silver.

Here, Nico’s overall look reflects his character: completely unassuming badass.

I feel like Alyn would be a sneaker head:

He tends to make his shoes the focal point. He would be the type to have a whole closet section just for his shoes. He needs style and function-- something that would suit his tastes and also allow him to defend the princess even when off-duty. I feel like he would choose hard-toe boots and sneakers with a lot of cushioning.

Alyn keeps his shirts plain, almost always choosing raglan shirts and henleys in baby soft modal cotton. He goes with a basic feel-good pair of jeans in a deep color, every time.

He almost always chooses to wear red and navy together. Playing up the red in his eyes, and his auburn hair, you can find that color in everything from his tees, to his shoes, to his phone case. 

As he is technically always on duty to guard the princess, Alyn, like Nico, would carry a small knife. Since he wears a necklace with almost every outfit as it is, I chose to give him a ring instead. 

Alyn trains hard everyday as part of his job, so I feel like he would be concerned about smelling like it, too. This exfoliating soap smells of cedar wood and oak moss, and would keep him smelling so fresh and so clean.

Leo, like his twin, also accessorizes with red a lot:

I didn’t want to make them too matchy, though. Unlike Alyn, Leo tends to roll his sleeves up, so I gave him a tee, plus a flannel shirt that has tabs to hold up the sleeves. Leo calls more attention to himself, so he would like louder jeans than Alyn, who doesn’t go in for distressing.

Leo wears a lot of hardware every day, so I simplified it to just a bracelet and a necklace. The dog tag has a cross on it, just like Leo’s brooch. Because he is afraid to sleep, I imagine Leo drinks a lot of coffee to keep himself awake. Since he’s always encouraging the princess, I chose a coffee mug that encouraged him instead.

If you look at his sprites, Leo wears a lot of different materials, so to visualize that, I went with different textures. The stars on his sneakers are raised, the tee is textured jersey for softness, and the jeans have mock rips. To pull in the reds that he goes for, I thought he would like this phone case with a colorful snake.

Let’s do Giles:

I feel like Giles would be the type of person who would be chucking deuces on the way out of the office door, on a Friday, like “lmao, see you suckers!” 

He would be as dressed down as possible. He wears so many hats, so I think he would be the most likely to sleep in. Rather than drinking coffee, he would probably have a hot chocolate overflowing with marshmallows to satisfy his sweet tooth.

I gave him a feather soft twin set with flocking so that he could cozy up with his kitty and get some shut eye. But, should the princess suggest it, Giles would throw on some smart duds and hang out at the local coffee shop, no matter how pooped he felt. Here, he’s drinking a mocha cookie crumble frappacino. His second one that evening. And don’t touch his vanilla scones! Okay, maybe a bite-- a small one.

Albert has no chill, so I think that this is as dressed down as you’ll ever see him:

The jeans are quilted and paneled for a biker inspired look, and they are flexible enough that he can take down any attackers without a wardrobe malfunction. I didn’t give him a knife, because I thought he would probably go for hand-to-hand combat.

If Albert was going to make a statement, I think he would do it with actual words. So you can not only feel his disdain, you can read it, too. He’d definitely have a snarky coffee mug and his phone case reflects his work ethic.

Because Albert canonically works until he drops, his version of casual clothes are simply whatever is under his uniform that day. He just takes his coat off, but it probably feels like heaven to him at the end of the day. It looks so heavy!

While Alyn and Nico would have shoes with traction so they can do knight stuff, Albert would choose oxfords because he is also the king’s adviser. He has to do two jobs at once, so he needs to be able to look the part as he transitions between supporting the crown and actually defending it.

I gave him a sturdy watch and kept his glasses mostly the same. Since this is modern Albert, I imagine that he would wear contacts for the most part and switch to glasses after hours.

Albert often wears ties, but I gave him a dog tag made with black sapphire stones instead.

Louis wears almost all blue, so I added in some brown accents to switch it up:

I gave him some dressy-casual oxfords to take him from the ball room to the chic café in town. He has a patterned scarf since, like Nico, he can’t go without something covering his neck. Instead of gloves, I thought he might like a thick cuff bracelet. Louis looks so delicate, so I wanted to choose different materials and textures. 

I get the feeling that, no matter what, his sense of style is always semi-formal, but he tries to use at least one piece of clothing to make it a little casual. Even though he complains about the formalities of his social rank, he can’t quite bring himself to dress down like a townie, but he doesn’t feel like himself all dolled up in a tux either.

Louis’ hair is always on point-- and it looks so fluffy! But I bet if you touched it, it would be full of hair gunk to keep those tresses right where he wants them.

I wanted to give Sid something he could run to the store or hang out in:

I think Sid is very meticulous about his skincare and always buys the full product line. He would always have a pair of sunglasses in his pocket. His faux leather jacket has an attached hoodie, providing not only warmth-- but he can also use it to disguise himself.

I think this look will help him blend in, since he tends to go to more casual places to do his work. Similar to the hood, the sunglasses also give him an incognito look. Since Sid works all over in different countries, he would listen to music during his commute.  

I didn’t pair Sid with any fragrance, because I thought that would make him stand out more-- which is bad for the type of work that he does. He doesn’t need people remembering specific details about him, and the sense of smell is the strongest.

I don’t know much about Rayvis, but I wanted to style him anyway. He’s another one that wears a lot of one color, so I pulled out his accent color here:

He looks like a rather stiff person at first, so I imagined him as someone who has a really cute secret weakness, like indulging in decadent desserts at the end of the day. Chocolate strawberry cheesecake seems like it would do the trick, and it fit with the colors of his formal clothes.

For texture and mixed materials, his wool coat has leather sleeves, the maroon sneakers have plush velvet and the cable knit cap provides interest. 

I added a color-blocked button down and his black skinny jeans have distressing that you’d have to get up close and personal to see. 

His sunglasses also have a subtle hint of color. I don’t know what it is with MidCin guys and scarves, but I couldn’t let Rayvis be chilly, so I added something for him to cover himself with.

@astridapples, @widzzicles