.:Cardverse Mini Bios:.

[Matthew Williams]

Name: Matthew Williams
Age: 19
Kingdom: Diamonds
Role: Prince (acting as King on his missing brother's behalf)
Powers if any: His presence has always brought about a soothing sensation for those around him, though Matthew will not acknowledge the tranquility he seems to bring as a gift or anything near as special as that. The ability is slightly magical though, and works fairly well unless there is too much widespread chaos & panic to even begin to try to dampen.

Backstory:
Matthew, being a child born to Diamond Kingdom royalty, grew up coddled by the kingdom's wealth and the nannies the court hired to care for him & his brother. The reason he never became a spoiled brat in attitude was that he came to realize, watching his father waste away of a broken heart after their mother's passing & experiencing a childhood without much of a dad, that no sum of gold can ensure happiness. Sure he and his brother had had a decent upbringing surrounded by doting staff to attend to their every need, but had that filled the void their despondent father left? Not by a long shot. 

So the siblings had needed to stick together and support each other, which is exactly what they did growing up. Francis was to become king and thus needed all the encouragement he could get. Matthew's power may have been born from a will to soothe the worries of his brother most of all, since his future responsibilities rested more heavily on his shoulders than his own.

Relationships:
>Francis: His older brother, the true king of the Diamond Kingdom, who went missing almost a year ago. Though the patrols had not succeeded in locating him and though most of the realm feared the worst.... Matthew cannot bring himself to accept such grim thinking. The brother he's looked up to all his life is still out there, somewhere, somehow... he has to be. 

[Antonio Fernandez Carriedo]

Name: Antonio
Age: Looks to be in his mid-twenties, though he's seen a couple centuries come and go.
Kingdom: N/A
Role:Joker
Powers if any:
Precognition: Antonio sometimes catches glimpses of an individual's or even a whole Kingdom's future (or at the very least positive/negative undertones), but they can vary in their clarity. Sometimes they are extremely vague, but even when they are not, he does not always see it as his place to intervene if a vision foretells of something bad happening. Much as inaction conflicts with his compassionate nature, maintaining natural order means letting some unfortunate things play themselves out. 
Luck: The Joker of Order also has the ability to imbue people with temporary good fortune with a touch and a conscious wish to grant them that (which he likes to do while invisible and flitting among people). 
Other Abilities: Antonio can also teleport, cast minor illusions to guide people & hide his Joker features, see through the illusions created by his counterpart (a.k.a. see through to the underlying natural order/state of things), and become invisible if he wants to conceal himself without flipping over to the Void. These are powers common to both Jokers, though his use of them might differ slightly from his counterpart's. 

Backstory: Antonio cannot exactly remember a time when he hadn't resided among the ruins of 'The Center' (the lush neutral ground between the four kingdoms) as a Joker, though he suspects he hasn't always been such a thing of myth. He finds himself feeling a fleeting sense of nostalgia while visiting the Hearts Kingdom for instance, leading him to believe that, perhaps centuries ago & back beyond his recollection, he'd lived out a past life there. 

Speaking of visiting, Antonio does tend to check in on the kingdoms quite often due to being partly paranoid but mostly curious. He's always sure to conceal his Joker attributes (aka his tail and horns) and tries to avoid drawing attention to himself when venturing out of the ruins he calls home because many consider himself and the Joker of Chaos to be creatures of legend and nothing more.

Relationships:
> Hans: His new counterpart. One would think leaving him disadvantaged in the knowledge & skill department would be good for the realm, but there wouldn't really be a balance if this was the case: order would outweigh chaos and tip the scales. It's thus Toni's duty to instruct Hans fairly so as to build himself an equal. Truthfully though, his feelings about him are complicated, thanks to the one who came before. 
> The Previous Joker of Chaos: Despite being at odds due to their alignments, he misses his counterpart terribly. Sharing similar fates had created a kind of closeness between them, and the Void's felt even more empty than usual since he felt the other fade from existence a couple months ago.
> Jacks: Not typically being able to act independently when he foresees misfortune befalling a kingdom or any of the Royals, Toni is said to appear discretely before the Jacks in times before perceived crisis and therefore knows them quite well from all his visits. That's not to say that there's been a lot of near catastrophes; Toni's worry just gets blown a bit out of proportion at times.
> Arthur: A rare fellow of royal blood who can visit & use the Void as a means of instantaneous transportation too. As such, matters involving the Spades Kingdom need not necessarily pass through the Jack, seeing as the Queen is more readily at hand. 

Additional Details:
* Toni will sometimes conceal his horns & talk with his illusion magic and walk among the commoners disguised as a bard. So far no one who's seen him in his Joker form have publicly revealed him or told anyone not privy to that information, or he hasn't been hassled by people who shouldn't know the truth about him at any rate. He hopes it stays that way... he likes being able to pretend he's human once in a while. 
* Toni feels it's important to keep their existence a secret from most to preserve their behind-the-scenes lifestyle. He's fairly certain things would become difficult for them if the kingdoms suddenly became fully aware of them, which is why he's only purposefully revealed himself to the Jacks of each Kingdom in order to warn of troubled times ahead. That isn't to say that some of the Royals themselves or servants haven't yet become suspicious or aware of his true identity, unbeknownst to him.
* As of currently Toni has existed for a a few centuries. That being said, his magic will soon be approaching its expiration point.
* Joker Lore

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

*Picture not mine*

Name: Ludwig Augustus Beilschmidt I
Age: 20
Kingdom: Hearts
Role: His Red Majesty, the King of Hearts
Powers if any: 
Far from being a true power, Ludwig can seem rather intimidating to some people due to his ever present stoic expression and stern attitude. He is also physically strong, but is far from superhuman strength. What little magic he has comes in only two forms: his royal staff seems to grow or shrink at his touch (so it is either a staff or sceptre's length) and he has command over the element of fire--it being associated with the heart, love, will, etc etc.. (though it is debated as to whether or not it is he who wields the power entirely--it being reminiscent of his family's old occupation as smiths and thus dealing with fire on a daily basis--or if his kingly sceptre is the true source of the magic). He is well-versed in the sword and combat (as any good king should be) and, like his father before him, is not afraid to fight along his people if they need him.

Backstory: (To be fixed as family is added/etc)

As with nearly all rulers of this day and age, Ludwig’s ancestry is filled with nobility and royals. Naturally, it would come as no surprise to find out that the blond has come from a long line of Kings that ruled the realm of Heart. However, the Beilschmidt family’s royal lineage can only trace its kings back for a few centuries—before then, they had been smiths (as the name may imply) that had worked their way up as warriors, then to nobility, and then as kings.

As a child, Ludwig was raised to be a king. This included everything from lessons in strategy, combat, swordplay, and diplomacy, to dancing, riding, and etiquette. Such lessons were always overseen by the best his parents could hire and provide and Ludwig did his best to excel in them (including the ones he truly didn’t care about, but he did not dare disappoint his parents or teachers). Once he came of age, Ludwig served in the royal knights for a time, learning what he could from them, but also fighting alongside them during skirmishes. His father said that by doing so, it would prove to his people and the other kingdoms around that he was brave and capable leader that doesn’t simply sit back and let the underlings play war games for him.

His mother, on the other hand, always tried to prepare him for the more…delicate…things in life. “Woo this one, woo that one. Don’t forget to bow and don’t forget your manners--Ludwig! Don’t slouch and remember to kiss her hand!” It seemed that her primary concern was finding the future king a decent suitor—much like how her own family had gotten with the kings to arrange something... Unfortunately, none of the ones she, the King, or the advisers seemed to choose really suited the young man (not that Ludwig was keen on finding anyone at such a time anyway). In fact, it was rather taxing and Ludwig would much rather be on the field than in some banquet any day. Regardless, he knew it was with good intentions. He just hoped that he’d be able to find someone himself BY himself rather than have to really on such methods.

Around his eighteenth year, however, Ludwig was visited by a strange man (a Joker nonetheless) that was curious about the up and coming leader, but also worried about the circumstances surrounding his rise to power. Several months later, Ludwig's mother fell gravely ill and became bedridden. None of the apothecaries in the city and surrounding villages were of much use, nor were the magicians. Therefore, the king, who loved his wife dearly, took it upon himself to travel to a small town to the west in search of someone or something that could cure her ailments since there were rumors that a great miracle worker dwelled there and offered his assistance for a price. Without hesitation and with several guards, the King made his way to the village and requested help from the miracle man. A deal was struck, and the King was sent off to collect what the old man had asked so that he could heal the Queen.

Halfway back to the heart of his kingdom, however, the king’s small group was intercepted and he was assassinated. Though he put up a fight, he was caught off guard by his eagerness to return and was thus ill-prepared (not to mention weak from having rode through the night in hopes of getting to his wife on time). Regardless, due to his inability to complete the deal to the Miracle Worker, the Queen passed away not long after the King, thus leaving Ludwig the sole responsibility, at the age of 18 to assume the throne as king. Thankfully, due to their careful raising, the young man was more or less prepared—albeit nervous and grief-stricken.

Currently, Ludwig remains the sole ruler over the Kingdom of Hearts, and though he has been running it to the best of his abilities (and it is seemingly thriving), he still is without a Queen. Like the young man he was years ago, he still has his reservations about simply choosing someone to fill a slot and “legitimize” his rule. Ludwig would prefer to take a queen for the right reasons rather than necessity if at all possible, but regardless, he will always do what is best for his kingdom--even if that means taking a personal sacrifice in one way or another.

Relationships:

The Court and Kingdom of Hearts 

It is here that Ludwig resides and reigns. He tries to rule the kingdom with a just but firm hand. While he is compassionate with regards to his subjects, laws are laws rules and he can be just as strict and harsh as he caring. It's always a delicate balance of ruling utilizing love and fear, but he hopes that he can mold his kingdom into something great and worthy of admiration. 

♥ Hamish: Ludwig's Queen. She was chosen for him by his court and Ludwig finds her to be rather ...shy? He'd like to get to know her better since they are supposed to rule with one another, but sometimes it's as if she intentionally avoids him.
♥ Mathias: Ludwig's Jack. Though Mathias' personality can be a bit much for Ludwig at times, but he finds the man to be a good and trustworthy guard. He's thankful that the Jack is always willing to lend him a hand...or shield.
♥ Feliciano: Ludwig's childhood friend and sentry. They used to be very close, but due to disasters in both of their lives (Feli's especially) they've become distanced and the relationship is a bit strained. Ludwig longs to rebuild their friendship, but he doesn't seem to be making much progress as of yet.
♥ Lukas: The Court Healer. Ludwig and Lukas met before his parents' death when Lukas was merely just an apprentice. Ludwig trusts the man and values his skills in healing and potions -- especially since he's had to come to
♥ Lovino: The Royal Gardner of the Kingdom of Hearts. Ludwig and he don't normally speak to one another, but he is rather glad that Lovi is capable of caring for the gardens as well as he does. He just often wishes that the brunette wasn't so lazy with some things.
♥ Gilbert: Ludwig has no idea who this man is or that he's his estranged brother.

The Court and Kingdom of Spades

Ludwig sees them as a powerful and respectable people. However, he also sees them as being rather arrogant at times and mildly cunning.

♠ Arthur: This one... There is just something about this one that makes Ludwig feel a bit uneasy..Because of this, he tends to be rather wary around the man.
♠ Alfred: TBP

The Court and Kingdom of Diamonds

Like the gem for which their kingdom is named, the King of Hearts finds the people of Diamond to be elegant...and wealthy. He would value them as good trading partners, but is hesitant to believe that they would be the of allies on the battlefield. After all, they look a bit too pretty and fragile--then again, perhaps the name of their game is subterfuge.

♦ Francis: TBP
♦ Matthew: 

The Court and Kingdom of Clubs

Like the people of Spades, Ludwig views them as worthy opponents that have strength on their side and perhaps even a bit of luck.

♣ Gilbert: TBP

Jokers

He is rather skeptical of them and their purpose.

☯ Antonio: Ludwig met the man once a while before his parent's death. Antonio foresaw him becoming king and was curious about what kind of ruler he'd be, and also reporting being ill at ease about the circumstances of his rule because in his vision, the young prince looked sad. Ludwig has mixed feelings about the old encounter and doesn't know whether to view Antonio as a benevolent creature that was sent to inform and warn or a harbinger of doom.
☯ Marcello: Ludwig is not aware of this second Joker, and as far as the monarch is concerned, he's fine with that. Since Marco embodies Chaos, it's not likely that he's someone that Ludwig would like to sit down and talk with.

---

Additional Details:

✠The symbols of his kingdom are as follows: Red, Hearts, Dire Wolf. The Hearts Kingdom puts priority on Love, Friendship, Compassion, Willpower, and Loyalty.

✠ Due to his parents' fate, he tends to be rather wary and cautious--especially of those representing the other kingdoms.
✠ Though he does rule with his mind, he also rules with his heart and has come to rely a lot on what his heart or gut is saying as well as the facts that are presented.
✠Misses just being called "Luddi" by Feliciano. No one else has ever called him that and it's something from their friendship that was small, but that he has grown to miss.
✠

[Francis Bonnefoy]

Name: Francis Bonnefoy

Age: 23

Kingdom Diamonds

Role: King, though currently believes he’s a commoner on the edge of the Kingdom.

Powers, if any:

 The power to see romance. It’s like a red string that connects people, this is how he can tell that two people are in love and even perhaps, meant to be together. He saw it between his parents and has seen it amongst the citizens, though not so much the people of the court. He can turn it “off and on” so to say, choose if he wants to see the strings or not. Though since is accident, his power has been off.

Backstory:

 Francis was born as the first child to the Queen and King of Diamonds, and he was a joy to be around. Always smiling, he could always be found at his mother's or Fathers side. It could even be said he was doted on by them and the court. When he was around three years old, he noticed something odd between the King and Queen, and even with some of the people of the court. There were red threads that connected his parents, and people in the court to each other; though with members of the court, it wasn't always to those they were married to. This was one of the first memories he could remember of his mother, was the conversation of the red threads. She told him a story of how love can often leave traces in people and how they interact can affect them in more ways then one. it was from this Francis leaned that he could see love between people. 


When Francis was around four or five, his younger brother Matthiew was born. Most of the court thought that Francis would come to hate his younger brother, as most Royal first born come to do with heirs to the throne beyond themselves, but it wasn't. Francis loved his brother. He did everything he could or him, which wasn't much at that age, but he brought blankets and told him stories of adventures to put him to sleep.  It was a few years after his brother was born that disaster struck. Their mother passed and everyone was devastated. The court, the Kingdom, but not as much as the Royals. Francis felt the loss of his Mother hard, and tried his best to stay strong for his brother, especially when he realized that there father, the King, had felt it the most. Using his gift, which he had learned to use at will, he saw a frayed red thread, one that was broken by the hands of illness and perhaps time itself. The King withdrew to his own quarters and was barely around, leaving Francis and his brother to the care of the court and the servants to take care of and to teach when they realized the King was suffereing under the hand of melancholy. Tutors were arranged and they were taught what was deemed needed for future rulers of the country. Years past and still they didn't see much of their Father. He usually only made curiosity shows to let people know he was still alive, sadness had left him depressed and dejected. Finally when Francis reached the age of sixteen, the King passed away. It wasn't even a week later that Francis was crowned King, though it was pretty much in name only.  


This was the time that they started parades of women in front of him every so often, hoping one would catch Francis eye for Queen. Using his gift, he could see every one of his age or older in some cases had a sting attaching them to someone else. some times it was faint, sometimes it was as bright a crimson or the ruby's that adored the Royals of the Hearts kingdom. But every time, he would dismiss all of them. Not wanting to break a bond and release consequences like his own family had, he would never mess with those bonded to others. The ones that didn't have this bond though were usually power hungry and wanted the position for what it represented. For these people, Francis usually found a way to prove them unfit or he sit them to a good friend who would show them why they weren't meant for the Queendom. When he reached eighteen, he took the reigns from the court and started ruling on his own. he would not be used as a figure head for there maneuvering. 

As it came to find out, it was a good choice. He was a good King and would do what was best for his people. Of course he had his family's help. Most of it wouldn't be done if he didn't have his family. His brother was a godsend, always able to help calm him down when the stresses of life and ruling got the best of him. If he didn't have his brother, he wasn't sure where he would be. They had always been together and helped each other through. He always tried to be there for Matthiew; he could only hope he was as good of a brother as Matthiew was to him. Though since the accident, he can't remember any of this. One can only hope he'll regain his memories and become the King he was before.



Relationships:

Diamonds

Mathew, Prince/heir to the throne his brother. Loves his brother very much, admires him too. Honestly he wishes he could be the big brother Matthiew deserved. Knows that if anything happened, Matthiew would make a good king.

Random citizen in Diamonds.: After Francis accident, this man was kind enough to take Francis in and nurse him back to health. Even though Francis had no memory of who he was or what he was supposed to be doing, he took him in, gave him a home and helped him start a new life in the small town.

Spades
Arthur: Queen of spades: Needs plotting

Alfred, King of spades: Needs plotting


Clubs

 

  

Hearts: needs plotting

Joker:

Antonio: Currently keeping an eye over Francis,  making sure nothing to bad happens to him. Is trying to get him back to the castle and back with his brother. Though Francis doesn't know that Antonio is a joker.. he might also be falling for the man he believes is a traveling musician.

[Hamish Stuart]

Name: Hamish Stuart
Age: 25
Kingdom: Hearts
Role: Queen
Powers if any: Never having been skilled with a sword or hand to hand combat his power usually comes from a spell book. With a natural ability to understand spells he can create different magic from muttering words from a book always kept with him. Over time he has also gained the capability to sew his own clothing.

Backstory:
Born an only child to a family living outside the kingdom Hamish grew up living a simple life. His family were not quite poor and lived what he'd consider comfortably as they farmed as a way to feed the family as we as earn some money. It was rare the family went within the kingdom unless it was to sell their crops to earn extra.

Since birth Hamish had always appeared pale and frail. No matter how much his parents urged him to help with farming and caring for the cattle the young male was too frail to complete most jobs without assistance. Not able to provide much help on his own the parents stopped having their son attempt to help finding it more of a burden.
Since his skills were much help on the farm, Hamish was sent to the kingdom to sell the crops. This was always something they found him capable of doing allowing both to care from the farm in his absence. During one of theses trips someone offered Hamish a spell book for only a few spare coins. When he returned home he kept the book hidden as to not upset his parents.

Over the next few years Hamish began to study the magic and attempt to use it around the house. As his skills grew the ginger male used his newly developed powers to show off to his parents as he tried to command objects to do the work for them. Magic built a needed fence around a meadow causing the parents to, at last, praise their child.

Often his mother would comment that it would have been better if Hamish were born a girl so he'd have a better chance of being crowded queen. His skills with magic she believed to be something that would have aided him during the choosing.

As he got older and a princess was never chosen by the crowned prince his mother began to plot. Spending all the family had his mother purchased a few dresses and other supplies Hamish was given a makeover to disguise his gender. Without informing his father Hamish was whisked away to the kingdom and brought to the court. There his mother put him on display even having him demonstrate his skill in magic. Instead of giving another name his mother simply explained his father wanted a son as the reason to such a masculine name.

Impressed by Hamish's skill the court decided against giving Ludwig a choice in accepting Hamish as his queen. All claimed that given time the young king would learn to love his queen. To allow this the court ruled against having the two wed yet.

Sitting on the throne Hamish continues the facade of being a woman doing so far to wear gowns around the castle. Hamish only ever seems to wear his wig and full makeup when having to be seen by other kingdoms, the people, or the court. To avoid being caught he often makes his own clothing so there is little chance of being discovered.

Relationships:

The Court and Kingdom of Hearts 

The kingdom that unknowingly has a male as the role of queen. Being the queen he aids in what necessary but allows Ludwig to be the stern hand of the kingdom.

♥Ludwig: The king of the kingdom but the two don't seem to spend much time near each other. Knowing the king wanted to find a queen he loves Hamish keeps his distance going as far to sleep in a different room every night. Whenever not needed it becomes clear that Hamish will go out of his way to avoid Ludwig.
♥Feliciano: Enjoys the jack knowing they are someone Ludwig is fond of. Keeping a distance from most in the kingdom he doesn't speak much with the man.
♥Lovino: Enjoys the man's gardening skills and often is found out in the garden reading a book and studying magic. Possibly the only person to see him when he'd angered and trying to calm down by being around the flowers.

The Court and Kingdom of Spades

The kingdom Hamish feels the more weary of and often keeps an eye on. When visiting the kingdom he is more on guard than anywhere else.

♠Alfred: needs to be plotted
♠Arthur: needs to be plotted

The Court and Kingdom of Diamonds

This is the kingdom that Hamish probably feels more welcome in than his own. When leaving his kingdom to visit others this is usually his first choice of the kingdoms visit. Before the king went missing he would often disguise himself to play them a visit without worrying about anyone knowing him as a queen.

♦Francis: One of the few Hamish doesn't act guarded over. This man figured out his gender on the first meeting and often when dealing with each other aids in convincing people that he is a woman. After the disappearance of the king Hamish would go out looking for him and began to visit once he found the new location of his friend.
♦Matthew: Plotting needed
♦Lili: Plotting needed

The Court and Kingdom of Clubs

Being a powerful court with luck and strength on their side Hamish does believe they could be a worthy opponent if not a possible alliance between the two kingdoms.

♣Ivan: Needs plotting
♣Abel: Needs plotting
♣Elizaveta: Knowing the queen has some sort of friendship with Francis makes Hamish have some respect for her but that's about all there is at the moment.

Jokers

In way there always are viewed as light and dark in Hamish's eyes. Both most exist for all to exist and he never seems to act any different about them as he might dealing with anyone else.

☯ Antonio: needs plotting
☯ Marcello: needs plotting

[Alfred Jones]

Name: Name:Alfred F. Jones
Age: 18-19
Kingdom: Spades
Rank/Role: King of Spades (formerly 8 and a Squire of Spades)
Power(s): When Alfred was a small child, he had been climbing trees when a rainstorm appeared unexpectedly, and before he could climb down, he was struck by lightning. Before this strange night, Alfred, while rambunctious and active, was a normal child. After the strike, however, it's as if the blonde was in fast-forward. He grew much faster than others his age, his mind raced a mile a minute, and he picked up things much faster than the others. The greatest change, though, was Alfred's startling shows of strength--where he once had difficulties lifting the family's large cat, he could now lift his mother above his head in one hand. As he's grown older, his strength has grown with him.

Another strange occurrence he's failed to notice since the strike is a strange penchant for collecting static electricity. The reason he doesn't notice is because he doesn't get shocked himself--but oftentimes when he accidentally bumps into someone, they get a little jolt. Since he hasn't noticed this in the first place, he has no idea whether this "static electricity" is just a strange phenomenon or the prerequisite of something much more powerful.

In a way similar to both the King of Hearts and the former King of Clubs, Alfred can be very intimidating when he wants to be.

Backstory:
Alfred was born to the first cousin of the late King of Spades, and raised in the luxuries that nobility can offer. However, he wasn't raised to be king--with other, closer relatives to the King alive and well, the baby blonde wasn't ever expected to rise above his station. His mother, Marianne Jones, had hoped that Alfred would become something more than a simple knight, but even Alfred, once he grew old enough to understand, wanted to fight to defend his kingdom as a knight. In honor of the boy's choice, his father made sure most of Alfred's time was spent training in the art of combat. What attempts his mother made at intellectual studies, such as the history of the kingdoms and their relations with one another, the blonde was sure to avoid; going so far as to sneak outside and hide in the thicket of trees behind the modest estate.

During such an endeavor, crawling up and through the trees like a rambunctious monkey, Alfred experienced a strange situation. Even now he couldn't quite explain what had happened. The child must've lost track of time, trying to chase the birds. What had been a bright, sunny afternoon had turned into a dark, stormy evening, and he could hear people shouting his name amongst the winds and rain. Trying to climb down and hurry home, he was unfortunately struck by lightning.

Alfred was told that he nearly died that day. The bolt had struck him between the shoulder blades, knocking him right out of the tree. The fall shattered his right humerus, dislocated his shoulder, and a severe concussion. However, the incredible shock he suffered did incredible damage and had shut down his system--no one's entirely sure how he survived. Alfred doesn't think it was quite as bad as everyone says. After all, if he almost died, then he should've ended up much worse than he had, right? They're just exaggerating because they were worried. The strange flower-like burns faded with after a few weeks [If you look hard enough, though, you can still see the faint scars stretched across his back] and his injuries recovered as well.

The strange effects left to him were noticed immediately, though. When Alfred first hugged his mother after he regained consciousness, what he thought was a "gentle" touch, normal for himself, left dark bruises across her skin and nearly cracked her ribs. Hand him a cup to drink from, and he shatters it in his grip. When he'd had difficulties lifting the practice sword his father gave him, he was later found swinging one of the guard's claymore like a twig. His father couldn't have been happier--that lightning strike was just a test, and when Alfred passed, he was granted with blessings none could've even imagined. Alfred and his mother, though, had more reservations. Marianne became convinced that whatever faint hopes she had of keeping her son still long enough to study and strengthen his brain were all but gone. Alfred, on the other hand, was scared that he would hurt the things he cared about.

After a playful wrestle with the family dogs nearly killed the smallest one, barely out of her puppy days, the boy quickly withdrew to nothing but training. All he wanted was to protect people, the kingdom he loved and all those he cared for that lived in its borders, but how could he do that if an ill-meaning touch could bruise skin and break bone (or worse)?

This emotional downturn only grew worse when, a bare two months after he regained the ability to use his arm again, Alfred realized he'd out-grown all of his clothing. And the month after that, once again. He'd always been small for his age--short and slightly pudgy. By the time he was fourteen, the blonde had grown over three feet in height, standing eye-to-eye with his father at six foot. His round-faced cheeks and slightly plump form melted into hard muscle, a sharp contrast to the lanky figures of his peers just beginning puberty. It seemed as if he'd fast-forwarded time into adulthood. The changes felt abrupt and disorienting, and the boy grew self-conscious of all the stares he received from both his childhood friends and the servants. His training days in solitude were broken by flocks of young women peering at him from the edges of the practice field, laughing and smiling in his direction. How could he train when everyone wanted to make fun of him? To his mother's delight, during the daylight hours Alfred instead took to hiding in the library or her personal quarters, finally paying attention to her lessons. It wasn't because he wanted to learn all this boring stuff, though he didn't have the heart to tell his mother that. He simply wanted to avoid the gossping crowds.

When he was finally old enough to be taken on as a proper squire to his father (fifteen was a bit old for such things, but Marianne insisted that Alfred be thoroughly trained to defend himself before he was to travel the kingdom), Alfred had been ecstatic. While he loved his home and all the people occupying the estate, he was ready to see the rest of his kingdom properly. He was treated as an adult during the entire trip to the capital, where Alfred was to be properly introduced to the Court. While those stares and giggles continued to trail along him in the forms of sweet-tongued young ladies, the boy felt more comfortable than he had in years. The short meeting with the King and Queen of Spades went by rather well, Alfred thankfully half-remembering the manners his mother drilled into his skull. The Queen left his skin prickling a bit, little shocks zapping under his skin, but the phenomenon went unnoticed as the King clapped him on the shoulder, gave his approval to his 2nd cousin husband's choice, and sent them on their way.

The training was difficult--without his mother's buffer, his father was free to be as harsh and grueling as he wished. The most difficult part of his training, something he still hasn't managed to re-master, is horse-back riding. When he was young, the horses adored him, and he'd spend hours out riding. But after the lightning strike, his disorienting growth spurt, and the awakening of his "blessed strength", the boy had avoided the creatures for fear of hurting them unknowingly. Only once he'd gained a fair amount of control in his touch had he dared approach them, or any other creatures, but now they seemed uncomfortable around him. The middle of feeding Amelia, his sorrel and blonde mare, the creature will jolt and skirt away, nipping and neighing at him when he tries to approach. He'll be riding her and suddenly she'll rear back, dancing around until he descends from the saddle. It's frustrating, to say the least. Even people do that sometimes--Alfred was worried he was being too firm in his touch, but constant assurance that this isn't the case had left and continues to leave him flummoxed. In the two years he spent travelling with his father, he spent more time walking his horse along the road than actually riding her.

Thanks to these setbacks (not accounting for the additional training needed to adjust to the special weapons his father had forged for him, larger and much heavier than most swords to account for his strength) that left him a mere 3 when news reached them of the death of the King of Spades, and that there were disputes going on about succession for the throne. The Queen of Spades had called in all the troops to the Capital while the mess was being sorted out. What made it worse was the fact his father and he both were called in to the castle within days of their arrival.

Alfred's father had married into the family, and his mother had already been deemed unsuitable for the position. The late King had no siblings, nor children (Alfred always wondered why the Queen, despite his undeniable strength, was...Queen. Aren't bloodlines supposed to be father-to-son, instead of dragging all these side-relatives into the picture?). The advisers to the throne told the squire that other cousins were either too old, too sickly, or too dead to rule.

Alfred, who dreamed of being a knight and protecting his home, was to be King.

What a nightmare. The Queen didn't seem any more keen on the idea than Alfred himself, at least at first. The coronation was a bit rushed, to be sure, and the way he was shoved into his work made Alfred balk. Sure, he wasn't an idiot no matter what his new "Queen" said otherwise but his studying attempts always bored the ever-living hell out of him. It wasn't necessarily difficult to understand, but he couldn't get into of it. Going over trade options with the other Kingdoms, reports on the crop production last winter, requests for funds to build and repair roads to towns he'd never even heard of... Were it not for the advice and guidance of the Queen, Alfred would've gone insane for sure.

Thankfully, the kingdom hasn't collapsed in the past year and a half, so that means Alfred isn't mucking things up too badly. With a routine slowly being established and continued time spent with his court, Alfred is slowly getting over his earlier discomfort. He's growing confident with his duties as well as his relationship with the Queen.


Relationships:

        Kingdom of Spades
            ♠ Nesia: [To be plotted]

        Kingdom of Clubs
            ♣♚ Abel Morgen: [To be plotted]
            ♣♕ Elizaveta Hedevary: [To be plotted]

        Kingdom of Hearts
            ♥♚ Ludwig Beilschmidt: [To be plotted]
            ♥♕ Hamish Stuart: [To be plotted]

        Kingdom of Diamonds
            ♦♚ Matthew Williams: [To be plotted]
            ♦♚ Francis Bonnefoy: [To be plotted]
            ♦♕ Lili Walser: [To be plotted]

        Jokers of Order & Chaos
            χάος Marcello Scordato: [To be plotted]
            κόσμος Antonio: [To be plotted]

Additional Details:
        Alfred can't comfortably wield shortswords at all--they're not only uncomfortably short, but their         weight feels so flimsy to him that he's more likely to throw the weapons than successfully wield         them.

        He can wield a Zweihänder one-handed should he choose or be forced to.
                It's his preferred weapon, though he's trained to use both large battle-axes and                 maces, as well.

        Alfred has had yet to find an object he cannot physically lift--other than things that are still         attached firmly to/part of the ground, such as mountains, of course.
                It might be fun to try lifting a mountain, though!

        As stated before, the marks left by the lightning strike are still faintly visible upon his skin as pale         scars. Due to being cooped up so much at the castle, he's paled a bit. This makes it much         more difficult to see the flower spreading across his back. It begins on his left shoulder blade and         spreads like frost over his skin.

        Alfred has taken to wearing gloves almost all the time, because it seems to deter the weird way         people shy away from him sometimes (because he accidentally shocks them)

OOC: Please PM me or post in my plotter for discussing character relations and/or threads this AU

[Mathias Kolher]

Name: Mathias Kohler
Age: 26
Kingdom: Hearts
Rank: Jack, Royal guard
Power: shielding. Most might think it’s his strength or his ability to use his axe, but they're both wrong. One has to be strong to throw an axe around, as big as he uses anyway. And his ability with his axe is skill gained from almost two decades of training. His true power is he has the ability to shield and he hides it. He will not use it unless it’s in defense of the monarchs, from something they themselves cannot defend.

This ability takes strength and mental focus, something Mathis also pretends to not have a lot of. The longer he uses it, and the less he has to work with, the more draining it is. There are two types of shields he can produce, a physical and a magical. Each protect against their own counterpart. A shield made out of something solid uses less energy than a shield made of the energy itself.

A shield made out of a physical object is manipulated into a new shape, and can protect against physical or magical, not both at the same time. Same applies for the energy shield. Though he would like to learn if he could combine these two, but that would require revealing his gift to a potential enemy.

There is one downside about this ability that he's found out through its use. There is a small price to be paid each time he uses it. Thankfully though, this price seems to come after all the danger is gone. Once he uses the shield, he tends to get injured himself. Sometimes the injury isn't worth what hes shielding against.  He's seen as klutzy, and this is the reason. He can be found to have slipped in the mud, twisted his wrist or ankle, or even just a few bruises here an there from running into random objects.

Mathias isn't afraid of getting injured; that's part of a Jack's job after all. He just has to make sure that the protection he can provide is worth the injury of a twisted joint or a bruise.

Backstory: Mathias was born in the Kingdom of Clubs to a family of Blacksmiths. Though this business was good, due to certain circumstances, they had to move away from all of his friends and all the life he ever knew. Mathias doesn't remember a lot of what took place, but even to his day he has nightmares of the event and can't sleep very well. Most people might think that Mathis doesn't sleep. And that is slightly true. He tries. Some nights he is successful, other nights he wakes up in a cold sweat, unable to sleep least he sees some dark horror in his mind that he can never remember when his eyes open.   It was during this move that he first found out his ability to shield. On the way to Hearts, he had been walking alongside the cart when an item fell off the roof. Hearing his mother scream a warning, he accidentally folded a metal object around him for protection. Since that day forward, he worked hard to master this ability. Part of him hoped that with mastering this ability, he could protect others, and himself from the unknown terror of his dreams.

Many years later, after joining the castle guard, he worked his way up to main guard to the Royalty. His loyalty has never faltered, his skill is always put to use for the good of the Kingdom and to protect those he holds dear.

Relationships:

Hearts
King of Hearts: He gets along well with the King, always willing to follow every command he’s given. He understands what a hard position this is an wants to try to make it easier on him…even by making sure that there is always a shield ready to protect.

Queen of Hearts: Needs plotting

Lukas: The healer of the court. Mathias sees this man quite a bit for his little accidents that come as a result of using his power. For some reason if it should be know that's whats causing these bruises and bangs, he feels like he can trust Lukas to keep it to himself. Plus he has a crush on the man and is slowly trying to court him.

Clubs:
King:
Queen:

Diamonds
King: He's missing, but he doesn't really know much about this man, besides rumors that is. And hes not one to base words on rumors.
Queen:

Spades
King:
Queen:

[Feliciano Vargas]

Name: Feliciano Vargas
Age: 19
Kingdom: Hearts
Rank/Role: Sentry / 6 of Hearts (demoted from Jack)
Power(s): He has a gift of far sight--that is to say, Feliciano is capable of seeing things at a far distance the equivalent what others see from twenty feet away. They aren't anything of a magic sort, something he trained himself to do on his own. It makes him an expert marksman and spy, and he used to be quite skilled with a bow and arrow. The former Jack used to be able to pin a fly to a wall from a hundred yards away without killing it. Nowadays, these feats are a thing of the past.
Backstory: For most of Feliciano's life, his life had been planned for him from the get-go. Born of an affluent noble and her warrior husband, the brunette was meant to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Heart's military as either an officer in the army or a royal guard. The Vargases have been the Jacks of the Heart Kingdom for generations, ever since the Beilschmidt family rose to power. It didn't matter what Feliciano wanted--this was his duty. He would spend most of his life working for the royalty, raise his own children to follow in his footsteps, and then either retiring and living the remainder of his life in peace or dying for his cause. This is what Feliciano's life was destined to be.

Life has a way of messing with man-made plans. Most of the men in Feliciano's family had taken after their fathers--not necessarily taller than average, but made for building muscle. Feliciano, however, took after his mother, Marina, almost exclusively: her small build, golden-brown eyes, even her sunny and non-violent disposition was the boy's inheritance. Dieter, his father, was certainly upset by this, blind to the fact that Dieter's stubbornness and all-consuming desire to help others runs a deep in his son's disposition. All he saw was a little boy smaller than most his age and with little chance of growing into the intimidating, powerful warrior Dieter wanted him to be. It didn't help that his child was more keen on playing with his mother than his father.

Dieter didn't let these obstacles stop him from molding his son into an honorable member of the Vargas family. As soon as Feliciano could tottle on two feet, Dieter had him out, "running" obstacle courses and learning how to wield a little wooden sword. The early days may have been punctuated with plenty of breaks for little tired feet, but a majority of Feliciano's life was spent out training. Marina didn't agree with these harsh conditions, and at first there were plenty of arguments, but eventually she gave up; she couldn't out-stubborn her husband. Instead, she enlisted Nonno Soranzo, her father, to help spoil and coddle Feliciano whenever they could. She helped teach him how to be cordial and considerate to others, manners necessary at court, even basic diplomacy tactics in order to keep from insulting nobles and royalty from the other kingdoms. Nonno Soranzo did with Feliciano what he had with his own children: teach his grandson that life is more than proving oneself in battle. Rather than spiraling around battle, war, violent glory, and the like, love, beauty, nature, and true happiness are very important.

As the boy grew, he had two very different lifestyles between his mother and father; lessons on war and strength with one, art and humanitarianism with the other. Before Feliciano met his soon-to-be ruler, the boy spent much of his time trying to sneak away from training in order to wander the gardens, playing with the stray cats and picking flowers--or perhaps to the library to read with Marina or paint with Nonno*. These behaviors infuriated Dieter. The role of Jack is a very, very serious one. Seeing his future successor not only failing to understand the power he's being given but practically refusing to live up to the responsibility and duty settled upon his shoulders was both upsetting and incomprehensible to the man. In response, the Jack encouraged Feliciano's tutors and took it upon himself to push Feliciano harder than ever in his training sessions, hoping the harsh environment would finally teach the young boy the importance of his situation.

The future of the future Jack grew more hopeful once Feliciano was introduced and subsequently became friends with Ludwig Beilschmidt, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hearts. The older boy was much more serious than Feliciano when it came to working towards his future. Serious enough to plant the first seeds of worry and admiration in the brunette; worry that the other was missing his chance to be happy, but admiration that the other was working so hard.

Despite their differences, they were fast friends (in what little time they were able to spend together). At first, Feliciano did his best to drag Ludwig away from his studies in order to "play like a real kid". A few of the servants' children were out on the grounds, playing with a slingshot. There was a contest going on for who could knock down, or at least hit the large beehive hanging from the best shade tree in the area. The young princeling was nervous to be sure--he probably hadn't ever played hooky before in his life. Feliciano didn't mind, the older boy needed a bit of fun! None of the others could manage to hit the hive, though. Ludwig didn't even know how to use the toy very well, either. When Feliciano took the small toy in his hand, things suddenly went on fast-forward. With Ludwig fretting over everything they're doing, something about "upsetting the bees", Feliciano simply took aim and shot; a one-hit KO, the rock flew in a perfect arch to take out the tenuous connection between hive and tree branch. The hive crashed to the ground with an audible thump. Then the crumpled ball began to hum ominously.

Feliciano's hand met Ludwig's right around the same time and the both of them bolted for the house. The prince was babbling on and on about how bad an idea that was, blah blah blah, but the brunette was torn between "ohcrapohcrapohcrap" and preening about how great a shot that was.

No one can outrun angry bees, though. The two of them spent the rest of the day inside being scolded and nursing various painful stings. (Thankfully neither of them were allergic, lest this tale of childish stupidity end much worse). Dieter, compared to his wife, was ecstatic by the news--many archers twice his son's age have difficulty hitting a shot like that, let alone with a slingshot and a rock. Compared to Feliciano's abysmal results with the two-handed swords his father keeps foisting on him, this was a godsend. Dieter may be more well-versed with sword and shield versus dagger and bow, but the Jack knew he can make a formidable soldier out of his son all the same.

Of course, Feliciano still had to be at least passable with swords, so when Feliciano turned twelve, Dieter did as his father before him had done and delivered Feliciano to the castle troops to train there. The boy couldn't learn to work with others, or lead them, if he only trained alone. Feliciano didn't mind--he was a gentle soul, to be sure, but a social one as well. He reveled in meeting new people, and to be honest, training under the castle guards was easier than being pushed by his father and tutors back home. Plus, living in the castle barracks made it much easier for Feliciano to see both Ludwig and Lili, the prince's cousin and a close friend of Feliciano's in her own right.

The pressure Ludwig was under was much more evident when the younger boy spent more time with him. There were many more lessons the blonde needed than what Feliciano had to deal with, and the repercussions of a poor king were much more profound than a lazy noble. Ludwig took his lessons very seriously as well, pressuring himself to study beyond what his tutors expected of him. Feliciano knew his friend would be a great ruler, but stress takes a toll. It was Feliciano's future duty to keep some of the pressure and stress off of his ruler. He was more than happy to push himself beyond his own limits in order to achieve that goal.

With that desire to help his friend, Feliciano easily rose through the ranks, and his friendly nature earned him many friends in the infantry. That made it easier for them to follow his orders, knowing he had their best interest in mind and heart during training sessions. Dieter was more than happy to dump work beyond Feliciano's rank upon his son, to test his mettle. The Jack also requested other high-ranking members of the military to do the same--the boy wouldn't be a good leader in the military if they took it easy on him due to his current prowess. Just because he could already out-shoot almost every member of the Hearts' archery branch, didn't mean his lackluster skill with a blade could be overlooked. Even the newest recruits in the infantry division could out-duel Feliciano, who panicked far too much in close-combat to be respected. Thankfully, Feliciano had plenty of people willing to help him learn to stand his ground, if only for his defense.

Everything went wrong mere weeks before Feliciano's official promotion to the rank of "Jack". Due to the efforts the boy had put in to mastering his craft, the young man was to be the youngest Vargas to take the position. (Dieter was proud as a peacock and attributing his son's success to the training regimen Dieter had set up. Marina, however, was quietly proud of her son's love for his friend and the tenacity she saw reflected in her husband) After the death of the previous rulers, Ludwig had to take up a powerful, but stressful position, all during what should have been a time of grieving and healing. Feliciano wanted nothing more than to be a source of protection and comfort to his friend in these times, to help lessen the burden on his shoulders. Dieter was a bit young to be retiring as well, but he would assist in the early years as an adviser to both the young king and his son. He felt it was necessary for the new king to have not only a reliable guard, but a friend the ruler truly felt comfortable with. It was a busy time, to be sure.

Feliciano, wanting to spend some quality time with his family and friends before his promotion, traveled home for a private celebration at his family home. At the time, it seemed unfortunate that Ludwig hadn't been able to come along. The blonde was too busy with work, having a kingdom to rule and all. However, in hindsight, it was probably fate working to keep the King of Hearts safe, perhaps in recompense for failing his parents half a year before.

If only Feliciano were so lucky.

Were you to ask him now, Feliciano couldn't tell you what happened in any detail. He hadn't been awake for much of the night once the party was over. He doesn't even know why they'd target the Vargas family in the first place. It was a small, but very merry gathering, and everyone left in good spirits. Merrymaking leads to lowered guards, though, and the inattention was a failure the entire villa would pay for. In the darkness after the party, "bandits" found it easy enough to sneak into the premises and plant incendiary devices along the perimeter and the base of the house. The few guards who caught onto the attack were taken out before they could raise the alarm.

By the time heavy-sleeping Feliciano was shaken awake, half the house was ablaze and the assailants were gone. Feliciano never saw his father, or his grandfather. Marina had been the one to awaken him, terrified and desperate to get as many people out as possible. Most of the main exits were blocked by great blazes, with most of the staff still trapped in the large building. Rather than trying to save themselves first, the two were doing their best to herd their servants and friends to safety. Time was running out; most of the house was consumed. While helping his mother lead two of their older servants out of the flames, the ceiling began to collapse. Only Feliciano's quick reflexes saved Marina from being crushed under thick beams. The last Felicano remembered was horrific pain in his shoulder and side before everything went dark.

The boy woke up nearly two weeks later, having barely survived his injuries. Help had come too late; the few guards capable to had left for the next village to beg for help as well as alert the castle of the situation. Everyone who returned to the remote estate found the house fully engulfed, only a handful of survivors lit by the inferno. The blaze was too strong to put out, aided by both magic and flammable objects to keep the fire going much longer than naturally possible. Rescuers could only take the survivors to medical help while containing the flames and letting them burn on their own. Of the Vargas family, only Feliciano survived, and not without his own scars. His burns were severe; only magic kept the infections and fever down enough for Feliciano to recover. What was worse, Feliciano's right arm had been crushed underneath the weight of the collapsed ceiling. By the time the brunette was whisked to a healer, the damage had been done. Thankfully, the boy was already unconscious when the appendage was amputated.

Everything Feliciano held dear--his family, his home, his future--all gone, in one fell swoop.

Due to the lack of bodies, no proper funeral could be held; only a memorial service once the fires finally died. With his injuries and the lingering effects of a vicious infection, Feliciano couldn't make an appearance. That's one of Feliciano's greatest regrets: he never got to say goodbye to any of them. He couldn't save any of them. Not only was he useless to his family and several of his old friends in their greatest times of need, his useless life was one of the only few saved.

It took nearly two months before Feliciano could be released from constant surveillance. Despite a few complications, his injuries healed nicely once the infections were taken care of, but his trauma ran much deeper than physical. The first day he'd woken up and heard the news, saw what happened to him, the normally gentle boy had gone into something akin to a rage; ripping the sutures from his shoulder and attacking one of the nurses that tried to calm him down and restrain him before he could be sedated. The smallest flame, even the smell of smoke, sent him into terrified fits, and nightmares plagued any attempts of rest. Many attempts of physical and psychological aid were initially spurned as the young man fell into a deep depression.

In an attempt to draw out the person Feliciano used to be, it was decreed that once the former Jack-to-be was physically capable, he would continue his military service as a sentry. A permanent residence was set up for him in the castle due to the loss of his home. Along with this, he was assigned a physician to monitor his progress towards physical and mental recovery--as much as he could make given Feliciano's reluctance to accept any aid. In the meantime, a capable soldier named Matthias Kohler was promoted to the rank of Jack (a ceremony which Feliciano refused to attend, even when Ludwig requested his presence himself).

Even now, over a year later, Feliciano is barely a shadow of his normal self. He's finally given up his self-induced isolation and is attempting to act more cheerful and upbeat when others are around, but it's merely a mask to hide the pain he still suffers from on a daily basis. Most of his nights are plagued with nightmares, and he still faces phantom pains and sensations from the limb he's lost. Feliciano has yet to learn to wield a weapon with his left hand. He follows a vague routine of showing up for his scheduled sentry duties, eating meals brought to him by servants, and wandering the grounds when he isn't holed up in his room. He is trying his best to get better, but survivor's guilt and a very damaged sense of self-esteem make it difficult for him to heal and grow passed the loss of everything he once held dear.
Relationships:
        Kingdom of Hearts
            ♥♚ Ludwig Beilschmidt: One of Feliciano's oldest, and probably his best friend, and the ruler of the Kingdom of Hearts. Their relationship has become strained since the (mostly successful) murder of the entire Vargas family. He still cares immensely for the blonde, but a latent sense of guilt, self-loathing, and minor resentment has kept Feliciano from being open with Ludwig as he used to be. Ludwig is also one of the few that can come close to understanding how Feliciano feels about the loss of his family at the hands of another. He is slowly softening his shell around Ludwig, but he's just as ready to close up again at the slightest sign.
            ♥♚? Gilbert Beilschmidt: Just like most people in the Hearts Kingdom, Feliciano has no idea who Gilbert is. He has, however, been hearing ominous tales of "the true heir" to the Throne of Hearts ever since his family was viciously attacked...
            ♥♕ Hamish Stuart: The woman was crowned nearly half a year after Feliciano's accident, so he hasn't been in the best spirits to properly greet Ludwig's queen. She doesn't seem to wander very often, so the only reason he even knows her face is because he lives in the castle as well.
            ♥ Matthias Kohler: This soldier is the man who "stole" Feliciano's position as Ludwig's right-hand-man. He is equal parts grateful and resentful of the other's ability to protect the King of Hearts in ways Feliciano would've never been able to, even at his best. Seeing Matthias only rubs Feliciano's situation in his face and so he tries to avoid the upbeat blonde whenever he can.
            ♥ Berwald Oxenstierna: An old childhood acquaintance and fellow soldier, Feliciano may not have been close to Berwald, but he felt they shared a mutual trust and respect in one another's abilities. However, with the loss of his arm and his demotion, Feliciano knows the older man does  not harbor the same respect he had in the past. This is more upsetting than Feliciano is willing to admit.
            ♥ Liam Oxenstierna: Berwald's child. He seems like a shy kid, and definitely not...much of anything like Berwald himself. He must've taken after his mother. Feliciano tries to at least...not be surly with Liam, because he's just a kid. Plus, he doesn't stare (too much) at his arm, and knows not to ask about it. Berwald is raising him well, in that regard.
            ♥ Lovino: One of the servants Feliciano sees from time to time in the gardens or the stables. He is perturbed by the resemblance between Lovino and himself (and more importantly the likeness between Lovino and Feliciano's dead father) Seeing the servant makes Feliciano's heart hurt.
            ♥ Vash Zwingli: The big scary older brother of his friend Lili, and someone he tried to avoid growing up.
            ♥ Kiku Honda: Another of Feliciano's close friends from childhood, probably the closest person to him after Ludwig--or at least, in the past. Kiku goes out of his way to break into Feliciano's room and fuss over him when he's not wanted, but at this point Feliciano can't bring himself to tell him to go away. Most of the time, anyway. Kiku is the one he probably opens up to the most.
            ♥ Lukas Iverson: The Court Healer, someone Feliciano tries to avoid like the plague. Feliciano's idea of rehabilitation differs greatly from Lukas's, and after spending months avoiding and ignoring the other healers Lukas has attempted to send on him... Who knows how running into the Court Healer will go?

        Kingdom of Diamonds
            ♦♚ Matthew Williams: The "steward" or King-Stand-In of Diamonds--Feliciano has heard of him, but never met the man personally. He seems to be a kind ruler, like his brother before him, if rumors are to be believed.
            ♦♚? Francis Bonnefoy: Feliciano had only met the King of Diamonds once, when the ruler came to the Kingdom of Hearts in celebration of the long-standing peace between Hearts and Diamonds. He seemed like a very funny, kind man, and Feliciano was genuinely upset to hear that the man went missing, and is now presumed dead.
            ♦♕ Lili Walser: Lili is an old friend of Feliciano's, one of the few nobles his own age. She has visited his home and he hers multiple times in their childhoods, though most of the time they spent together was in the palace during royal events. She and her cousin, Ludwig, are definitely some of the boy's closest friends, and the two who didn't eventually leave after Feliciano's swift spiral into depression. Since she was chosen to rule the Kingdom of Diamonds--and most likely to marry either Matthew or Francis (if the latter is still alive and is re-crowned), Feliciano hasn't seen her, or visited. He does, however, receive weekly letters, some of which he's slowly begun responding to.
            ♦ Angelique Laroche: Due to having never left Hearts before, Feliciano has never met the lovely Angelique.

        Kingdom of Spades
            ♠♚ Alfred F. Jones: Feliciano know very little about the new ruler of the Spades Kingdom. He was just deemed safe to be left on his own when the man was crowned. Everyone knows the rumors of the monstrous strength of the King, though, and Feliciano can only hope that Spades keeps to their own business...
            ♠♕ Arthur Kirkland: Feliciano had previously gone to Arthur, begging for assistance with the loss of his parents. However, the man could not help. Despite knowing that there was nothing the man could be done, Feliciano harbors an admittedly irrational dislike for the Spade royal.
            ♠ Nesia: If Feliciano knows little about the King of Spades, then he knows next to nothing about the Ace of Spades. She must be very powerful to match the ferocity of her King, however.
            ♠ Dennis Jameson: Feliciano does not know much, if anything, about the Esquire to the Body of the King of Spades, but he has these weird...black glasses on his face. Can he not see through them? ...Can he see at all?

        Kingdom of Clubs
            ♣♕ Elizaveta Hedevary: Feliciano had met the current Queen of Spades once or twice before when she visited Hearts on business, though he had little chance of speaking to her himself. She was very pretty, though.
            ♣ Nikolai Dragonov: A fellow soldier, Feliciano may have seen him midst the guard assembled to protect the Clubs royalty. He can't say he's ever spoken to the man before--or would even be able to recognize him.
            ♣ Johann Edwin Edelstein: Having never visited the Kingdom of Clubs, Feliciano has not yet met the young boy.
            ♣ Feliks Łukasiewicz: The outfits the queen wore during her visit to Hearts were lovely. Whoever put them together knows what they're doing.

        Jokers of Order & Chaos
            κόσμος Antonio: Feliciano hasn't met the Joker personally, but Feliciano has heard stories from his late father. Perhaps a childish side of him had once been excited to meet the Joker of Order. However, Ludwig explained to him that the Joker was the one who informed Ludwig of the attack on the Vargas family--but not before it was too late to help his family. Feliciano can't help but be resentful and angry, even though he knows it's wrong and unfair.
            χάος Marcello Scordato: Feliciano knows very little about the existence of a "second" Joker, other than the fact that one exists. Nor has he met the human who is on his way to becoming this second Joker. However, sometimes he feels a niggling sense in his chest that something is going to happen...
Additional Details:
        ❣ After the attack on the Vargas family, Feliciano is terrified of fire. He can't even stand having candles lit in his quarters. He'd rather bury himself in blankets than have a fire lit during the winter.
        ❣ Before the attack, Feliciano used to be very skilled not only in drawing, but cooking, painting, and playing the violin. After the loss of his arm, the boy has refused to re-learn these skills with his left hand. Only now, a year and a half after the attack, has he slowly begun to write with his weak hand.
        ❣ Spends most of his time alone since the attack. He hated the sympathy he felt he received from those around him, even his closest friends--even going so far as to ignore requests from Ludwig unless they were explicit orders.
        ❣ Suffers 3-5 nights a week from horrific nightmares, which he refuses to talk about with anyone
        ❣ Despite having a physician in charge of keeping an eye on him, Feliciano pointedly ignores and dismisses the doctor, preferring to deal with his problems on his own
        ❣ Used to be quite a flirt (with both men and women) and was the life of the parties held by his mother at the Vargas estate. Now has a warped view of himself that makes it difficult for him to connect with others

[Mihai Roșu]

"He could touch dead things and bring them back to life. It was a gift given to him, but not by anyone in particular. There was no box, no instructions, no manufacturer's warranty. It just was."

Name: Mihai Roșu
Age: 21
Kingdom: Spades; former Clubs
Rank/Role: unofficially consulting for Spades {}; former advisor for the Queen of Clubs {10}
Power(s):

SPOILER: Click to show

He makes potions and wakes the dead. That is to say, he is a spell-caster, potionsmaster, and unlicensed necromancer. Regarding the first, his magical ability is not his strongest suit, but he's honed it extensively as his other power isn't that useful (he thinks). Unfortunately, he's never been able to master the art of battling with magic, but he's proven quite adept at charms, wards, and potion-making. To make up for his lack of offensive powers, he's been trained to fight with weaponry, and specializes in using the falx and the sica. However, the Queen of Spades has apparently taken on the mantle of helping him improve his magical ability.

What else makes his powers remarkable, however, is that Mihai can bring people back from the dead with a simple touch. There are, of course, catches to this. The first, is that if he touches them again, they will die, and are not capable of being revived thereafter. The second is that he must re-dead them before one minute has passed, otherwise another life of equal value will be taken in their place. For this reason, he chooses not to use this power very much, if at all. It's better just to let death take its natural course rather than sacrifice the life of someone who was not meant to die. He also keeps this power a closely-held secret, out of fear that it may become coveted by desperate people, and he doesn't want to fall victim to someone's selfish ends.

As for those who are brought back, they will continue to age and can still be killed. They retain their memories, personalities, aspirations, and will; in essence, they are the same person as before their death. They will merely wake up without knowledge of the time transpired between their death and revival, although they do tend to recall the last moments of their lives (if they do not, the effect is more likely psychological than relating to Mihai's power). All wounds relating to the person's manner of death will be healed. He cannot revive someone once a fortnight has passed from the moment of death—touching them will simply have no effect.

To date, he's only used his powers on a human once.

Backstory:

SPOILER: Click to show

Mihai was born into a family of Lords and Ladies, for whom court life was a given but grand titles were only aspirations. However, Luminița and Constantin Roșus' prayers were answered with the birth of their son, Mihai. He had come bearing a rare gift—magic. While it was common throughout the kingdoms for their residents to boast some sort of non-inherent ability, there was a certain type that could be molded through actions. The only problem was that the Roșus had no idea how to hone Mihai's power—no one on their land harnessed the same kind of ability, nor were there any mentors available in the kingdom. Finally, the Roșus settled on asking their healer, Cathrine Iversen, to teach him potions, and relinquished the rest of his lessons to the books. Fortunately for them, Mihai took to magic with avid interest, and he devoured the books with avarice. When he wasn't being trained in weaponry or in potions, he was in the study his parents had blocked off specifically for his use, practicing spells. However, with no one to mentor him nor to spar with, this meant he rarely delved into offensive and defensive magic in his formative years, preferring to create charms that brought good luck and prosperity, and wards for protection.

Despite the lack of teacher for his magical abilities, he never found his childhood lacking. His parents were loving, if busy, but Cathrine and her son, Lukas, took care of him well. By the time he'd grown out of infancy, he was already quite attached to the Iversens. He regarded Lukas as an older brother and close friend. If he ever got hurt, he went to Lukas first, before he went to Cathrine and his own parents. Mihai always looked up to him and enjoyed his company the most, so it wasn't a surprise that they were together most of the time. When Mihai got his leg caught in seaweed in the lake behind the castle grounds, it was Lukas who jumped in and untangled him.

It was a happy ending, that day. Mihai was unconscious only for a few minutes, and then he was awake again, coughing up lakewater. But a change had taken place—not one that was visible, but a change nonetheless.

He discovered it a few days later when he was helping Cathrine sort ingredients for her potions. The dried sprig of mint he'd been putting away suddenly regained its color and unfurled its leaves again, much to his surprise. Thinking it a strange occurrence, he ignored it and continued his job, until it happened twice, then three times. Finally, he showed it to Cathrine, who immediately understood its implications. She told him not to use it and never to tell anyone, as there was no predicting what someone might want to do with a power like that. Mihai listened to her as far as his little eight-year old mind would; that is, he told no one, but he started using it. He couldn't exactly be blamed. He wanted to know the extent of these newfound powers, after all, so he experimented and came up with a set of rules that seemed to limit him. First touch, life. Second touch, dead, again. Forever. Furthermore, if he wanted to revive something, he had to trade another thing for it. A life for a life. When Cathrine found out again, however, he was roundly scolded. She made sure it sank in this time that life and death were not to be trifled with and made him promise not to use it again.

He kept his promise to her for two years. The day he broke it, he was being accompanied by Lukas on the palace grounds, when they were approached by a stranger wielding a knife. Lukas told him to run, and as reluctant as he was to do it, he couldn't fight anyone without a sword. So run he did, assuming Lukas would be right behind him. It wasn't until he was out of sight that he realized Lukas was gone. Mihai alerted the first guards he found, but even then it was too late. The scene he saw splayed out before him, drenched in the color red, would ingrain itself in his memory and replay in his nightmares. But at the time, there was only one thought on his mind: he could do something no one else could do, he could save Lukas. There was no time to think, and no time to remind himself that the price of one life was another of equal value.

He brushed his finger against Lukas' cheek, and felt the warmth spread from his fingertip all the way across Lukas' skin. And the moment Lukas took his first breath was the moment Cathrine breathed her last. A life for a life. But how was he supposed to have known that it'd be her?

He still doesn't know if he will ever forgive himself for that. Lukas had been his best friend, but Cathrine had been a second mother to him. That night, rather than crawling into Lukas' bed as he did whenever nightmares tormented him, he suffered them alone. He avoided Lukas out of guilt, both for leaving him behind and for being the reason he was alive and his mother was dead. Mihai only saw his friend again to say good-bye.

The blow was a hard one to take, and he was glad that the rest of the castle thought he was only tearing himself apart because of what he saw that day, and what the attack had resulted in. They didn't know that it was partly because of what he did. For months, he bore the nightmares and the questions he turned over and over again in his head: Was it worth it? Would you do it again?

But the hearts of children have a way of mending that older hearts don't, and the vividness of the memories eventually receded to return him to his nightly sleep. After half a year, he took up his studies again, and two years later, they deemed him well and prepared enough to go to court. His parents sent him there to study under their teachers and to develop connections that might one day make him an advisor, a commander, a Jack, or even King or Queen. Mihai was happy to impress people with his charms, using his skills to bring people money, luck, love. (Anything but life.) It made him rather popular in the court, and he began never to be short of admirers and supporters, despite his young age. There were a few people he befriended, however, in particular a young soldier-in-training by the name of Nikolai, with whom Mihai was happy to share some of the secrets of magic. He also met Elizaveta, the daughter of an important noble family. They did not get along at first, as Mihai had a penchant for venturing where he was not supposed to and for making sarcastic jabs at everyone around him—including her. They spent much of their childhood quarreling over this or that and engaged in sparring matches to decide the result of their squabbles, something which would not change for several years.

Things did, however, change.

As time went by, Mihai and Elizaveta grew closer and closer together despite their occasional bickering. Perhaps it was because of it that their relationship was enduring, and Mihai grew to have an understanding of the Queen-to-be that eventually became a valued trait in political affairs. When she was crowned Queen, he was selected as one of her advisors, much to the joy of his parents. They looked ever higher for the next rank: Jack. It seemed like a real possibility once he became older and the contemporary Jack died, especially with the marked preference the Queen was showing towards Mihai. The turn in their relationship was difficult to miss, although the sentiment remained unspoken for several years. When it finally was, Mihai gifted her with a necklace which he had charmed to keep them together forever.

But fate still had cards to deal, and when the King of Clubs mysteriously disappeared in battle, the court needed to select a new one. In the chaotic political atmosphere, Abel Morgen—much to Mihai's displeeasure—emerged as the successor. The way he treated Elizaveta was markedly different from the former King. Abel frequently pressured her to marry him to consolidate their rule, which Mihai regarded with resentment. Jealousy aside, he hated seeing someone try to force their will on her. Elizaveta was clearly unhappy in the arrangement, and Mihai tried to offer his advice and support as best he could, but he didn't recognize what Abel did—he was the only thing standing between their marriage, the one person Elizaveta was holding out for. From there, the plan was quite simple.

One night, Mihai was dragged out of his chambers by Abel's soldiers. The King confronted him with an order of exile, which, he said, had also been approved by Elizaveta. Mihai didn't believe him at first—of course he didn't!—but Abel produced the necklace Mihai had given her two years before. When it touched his skin, Mihai felt that the magic he'd charmed it with was cold and dead. There were some things that charms could not defy. Stronger magic, for instance, or someone's own will. And if no one could use magic in the Kingdom of Clubs, there really was only one possibility, wasn't there? The last mercy that was granted to him was time to pack some belongings and a carriage that would drop him off at the gates of the next kingdom—Spades. They left under the cover of night, and like so many people had been doing all over the land, Mihai disappeared.

When he was discovered again, it was by the Queen of Spades. Mihai had squandered much of his money and belongings on liquor, and was making a living by selling charms. He was a changed man from the ambitious and love-struck young advisor from Clubs, but the Queen was able to pick up the signs that he was not just a typical drunkard. Despite Mihai's unstable living, he'd maintained some of the mannerisms of the court, which stuck out in the slums like a sore thumb. The Queen was able to coax out of him part of his origins, and after some time and careful consideration, Arthur put him up on a small estate not far from the capital and began consulting with him regarding the affairs of Clubs. Mihai was only all too happy to discuss everything he knew and once held dear.

Relationships:
Spades:

{K} Alfred Jones: 
♠ {Q} Arthur Kirkland: He took Mihai in (of sorts...) after finding him on the streets of the Spades' capital. Mihai advises him on Clubs' affairs in exchange for a place to live, and they've developed a cautious relationship on that basis. Arthur has also picked up on his potential with magic, and has been teaching him occasionally in that regard.
♠ {A} Nesia Notonegoro: 
[/ul]
Diamonds:

[/font] {K} Matthew Williams:
♦ {Q} Lili Walser: 
♦ Angelique Laroche
♦ Francis Bonnefoy
[/ul]
Clubs:

[/font] {K} Abel Morgens: Mihai does not trust him at all. He doesn't care whether Abel came by the throne through legitimate means or not, but he just thinks the man has a shitty attitude in general. Of course, this opinion was greatly exacerbated when he was expelled from Clubs.
♣ {Q} Elizaveta Héderváry: His first love. They have their squabbles, but the more they argue, the stronger that bond seems to grow. At one point, he thought that they couldn't do more damage to their relationship than they'd already done and managed to work through, but oh, how wrong he was. He was devastated by (what he believes to be) her betrayal, and his feelings about her fluctuate between a strong desire to return and try again, and the resentment from knowing that she was willing to let him go.
♣ Feliks Lukasiewicz:
♣ Johann Edelstein:
♣ Nikolai Draganov: He was one of Mihai's first friends when he moved to the Clubs' capital. They were really close, to the point where Mihai trained him in a bit of magic and Nikolai helped him improve his weaponry. He's the one of the people Mihai misses in Clubs, and he often wonders whether he should try to contact Nikolai to let him know that he's okay... For the most part.
[/ul]
Hearts:

[/font] {K} Ludwig Beilschmidt: 
♥ {Q} Hamish Stuart: 
♥ {J} Mathias Kohler: 
♥ Feliciano Vargas
♥ Lovino
♥ Lukas Iversen: Mihai's first ever friend and older brother he never had. They go way back to his childhood, and even if Mihai doesn't remember the details anymore, he still knows clearly that Lukas was someone he was prepared to sacrifice another life for. He often wonders how the other is doing and where he is now, but he's not sure whether it'd be for better or for worse if he ever saw Lukas again.
[/ul]
Jokers:

[/b]: 
- Marcello Scordato: 
[/ul]

Additional Details:

• The nightmares he had in his childhood are no longer frequent, but they always come back to haunt him after particularly bad days. The last time they happened continuously was in the weeks after his exile from Clubs.
• He looks very different from the night he left Clubs. He's grown quite gaunt and he usually has a tired air about him, accented by the circles under his eyes. His hair hasn't been properly trimmed in months either, so it hangs to his shoulders now. He smiles a lot less than he used to, if at all, and simply looks sullen, more often than not. He's also developed a tendency to snap at people and get irritated by small things, when those were easy to brush off before.

[/font]

[Arthur Kirkland]

Name: Arthur Kirkland
Age: 22 (appearance – when time paused his outward age) 28 (actual)
Kingdom: Spades
Rank/Role: Queen of Spades
Power(s): Has some practice with a sword, having been taught and expected to have some competency, though he isn’t exceptionally talented with it. Although, he’s a damned good shot when it comes to using a bow and arrow. His real strength has always been with magic, and with one form of magic in particular.

Chronokinesis: He’s able to manipulate time in a specific area or over a specific target, inanimate or animate. The basics include accelerating, slowing, stopping, rewinding, or looping time. The range of the area that he’s able to manipulate time is proportional to how much he's been able to learn how to control it. When accelerating, slowing, or stopping time, Arthur’s able to move freely along with anyone or anything that he chooses to bring with him. This can be useful in a fight where he may have the appearance of enhanced reflexes and enhanced speed, when in actuality, he’s simply manipulating time.

Along with the basics of time manipulation, he’s able to do a temporal rewind, which is the ability to reverse the effects of recent events. This can include if objects are damaged, if others are injured, or if the wrong thing was said at the wrong time. He’s only able to rewind minutes back, the further back it is, the more exertion and concentration it requires, and the more potential he has of messing with something he shouldn't. As a result, he doesn't utilise this often. 

There’s also the element of age manipulation of both living things and objects. He has the ability to slow or stop the effects of time, and alternately, can accelerate the aging process of a person or object. This aspect of Arthur’s power hasn’t truly been explored yet, though he’s unintentionally stopped the aging process over himself a few years after he was first crowned. Another advanced method that can be used with time manipulation, and something that Arthur as so far only practised on objects is the ability to put something into a time loop. An object or a person can be forced to repeat a determined length of time over and over until he interrupts the process. The only real use that Arthur garners from this is forcing an object to replenish itself after being “reset” in a time loop.

Backstory: Arthur was born to a prominent family of nobles. The Kirklands had been closely connected to the Spades sovereigns for several generations, a good portion of them in the past had either intermarried with members of the court or were contenders for powerful positions, the Queen’s station being one of these. One of the reasons why the Kirklands had been prominent within Spades records is because their family also has a strong inclination toward the arcane arts. Although it hasn’t been exactly proven, magic has been known to pass through the generations, and the Kirklands have been rumoured to have a high concentration of magic in their blood. Because of this, along with the strong likelihood of their involvement in Spades royal affairs, Arthur was schooled early on in the duties of the Queen along with other high ranking members of the court in the case that he was ever chosen. His father in particular was extraordinarily insistent on his being groomed to one day take on that role, hiring well-versed instructors for all the subjects that rulers are expected to excel in.

Having the true capability to rule; however, doesn’t come from books or prominent families or wealth, but with the individual. Arthur was intelligent and had a penchant for playing the game that royals seemed to be fond of playing. It comes with experience along with a certain intuition; interpreting the maneuvers made by other rulers or with how to allocate duties among the court and lower classes. Like a good game of chess, only with the lives and wellbeing of their people and their resources being the pieces.

Arthur was young, hardly even into adulthood at the age of 17, when the Queen had passed due to old age. The aging King, still strong in his own right, along with various members of Council cast an interested glance among the noble families to fill that role. The Kirklands were at the forefront and Arthur was eventually chosen. This marked Arthur's first royal marriage, and the King lasted another five years before passing. When the throne passed to the former King’s brother, the only heir to the throne, Arthur had just turned 22 and it was then when his magic paused his own aging process.

Still being rather new with his magic, he continued to practise his ability, testing the limits of what he was able to accomplish. He had the sensibility to know that magic that affected time was potentially dangerous. Time exists and flows within space, the two are interrelated, and by manipulating time, space is also being distorted proportionally. Arthur received that reminder when he accidentally displaced himself in his own timeline about three years after the new King’s coronation, now 25 years of age. While testing the boundaries of how quickly and how slowly he could ease the tick of the clock, something inside his magic snapped and he was thrown off course. He’d landed himself into the future—ten years from that moment. To everyone else in the world, it was as if he’d disappeared. No evidence left behind—he was simply gone. And the vanished Queen of Spades remained an impenetrable mystery for the ten years that followed.

His reappearance in the world was unsettling; he was a figure from their not-at-all distance past, a mysterious blank in the records, for he had never truly finished his reign. Arthur was just as unnerved with suddenly being placed well into the future, and he knew that it was better for him to leave it well enough alone. He didn’t want to distort time any further than he already did by attempting to go back ten years prior. Instead, he returned to the Kirkland estate to aid his now fragile father, alarmed to find that his health was quickly failing him. The King was the same King from ten years prior and had initially demanded to see him when he learned of his reappearance, his once vanished Queen. Although he had a new Queen at this time, the King still sent out frequent summons for Arthur to garner his unofficial counsel, something that he had once trusted in the past. Another year had passed until a brief sickness had swept across Spades and surrounding areas. The rich and the poor alike were claimed; even a few of the council members alongside the Queen.

After the veil of plague had lifted, the King didn’t spent much time in mourning before naming Arthur as his next Queen. Although they had no choice in the matter, a few prominent figures were wary from the incident with Arthur ten years prior. The rule between the two didn’t last for much longer, as the King died under mysterious circumstances hardly a year later. Arthur, while theoretically 27 at this point, still looked as if very little time had passed since he’d first taken the throne 20 years ago (with the 10 year time jump.) While the gossip ran rampant regarding the true cause of his death, Arthur needed to act decisively and effectively in the time of unexpected crisis; and so began the summoning of potential candidates for the King’s position. He was rather underwhelmed when it was later revealed that Alfred Jones would be crowned, a youth who had been previously trained as a squire. Not one to be daunted by the challenge and seeing it as his duty to do what was best for the kingdom, Arthur took it upon himself to attempt to guide and fashion Alfred into the ruler that Spades needed.

A year and a half have passed since then, with Arthur continuing to give his loyalty and support to his King, while still providing the necessary advice and guidance. Though it’s been a process, his confidence in Alfred as a ruler isn’t nearly as decrepit as it was when he was first crowned, slowly blossoming alongside Alfred’s own growing confidence. The same could be said of the comfort level within their relationship as sovereigns.

Relationships:

Spades:

- K - Alfred Jones: They currently have a mostly respectful relationship and marriage (at least that's what they're aiming for) though it started out a bit rough. Arthur guides the young King the best he can, molding him to be an efficient ruler, like his predecessors before him. While they do have a penchant for arguing, they take care to leave it behind closed doors and away from the public eye. The two are also physically intimate while slowly establishing their relationship into something stable, close, and trustworthy. As with most other Queens, and after unintentionally proving himself, he's is the only one who truly harbours Arthur's loyalty. 
♠ - A - Nesia Notonegoro:  TBP
♠ - Sir Dennis the Brash:  A useful member of the court who keeps close to the King and Queen. Arthur has rather ruefully dubbed him various names for his sometimes rude behaviour, the most common of these being 'Sir Dennis the Brash.' Although the man clings to his arsehole image, there are glimpses of a gentler side to him. For this reason alone, he intrigues him. He makes it a point to occasionally catch these cracks in his persona. Sir Dennis the Brash may or may not be a frequent target of Arthur's inane ideas for fun, naming the horses in the stables or daring him to a horse race when the mood strikes.
♠ - Mihai Roșu:  A person of interest that Arthur spotted within the confines of Spades. Although suspicious of him, his usefulness outweighed the risk and Arthur would meet with him. Eventually, Mihai rose to the position of an unofficial advisor on the matter of Clubs affairs within Spades politics. Although not as strong as before, Arthur is still wary of the man.
[/ul]
Diamonds:

[/font] - K - Francis Bonnefoy:  TBP
♦ - Q - Lili Walser:  TBP
♦ - Matthew Williams:  TBP
[/ul]
Clubs:

[/font] - K - Abel Morgens:  TBP
♣ - Q - Elizaveta Héderváry:  TBP
[/ul]
Hearts:

[/font] - K - Ludwig Beilschmidt:  TBP
♥ - Q - Hamish Stuart:  TBP
♥ - J - Mathias Kohler:  TBP
♥ - Lukas Iversen:  A court healer from Hearts. The two are friendly acquaintances, sharing a love for magic and lore. He's travelled with the Hearts royalty on occasion and the two will sometimes have interesting conversations.
[/ul]
Jokers:

Additional Details:
A quick run-down for Arthur’s timeline to avoid confusion:
17 years old – First crowned as Queen.
25 years old – Disappeared from his timeline. Time jumped 10 years. (Spent a total of 8 years ruling as Queen in the past.)
26 years old – Crowned a second time with the same King from 10 years ago.
27 years old – Alfred crowned as King.
28 years old – 1.5 years later, present time. (2.5 years being Queen in present time. Has a total of 10.5 years’ experience of ruling.)

[/font]

[Lukas Iversen]

---

NAME: Lukas Aksel Iversen
AGE: 27
KINGDOM: Hearts, formerly Clubs
RANK/ROLE: Court Healer


POWERS

---

HEALING Trained in the art of healing and potions, Lukas knows how to treat all kinds of injuries and illnesses. He doesn’t have magic powers that would allow him to use actual healing spells, but most of the time his herbal remedies are just as effective.

REGENERATION Lukas does have regenerative abilities in his blood, however. It’s a trait that he inherited from his mother and is beyond his control, but he can make use out of it. The power doesn’t grant him immortality as the healing effects aren’t immediate; if he sustains severe damage he could still die like any other human. Likewise, he cannot wake the dead. But as long as he stays alive, his powers can heal his injuries no matter what kind or how severe. Small bruises and cuts can disappear within seconds, broken bones will mend within a few hours or a couple days. He also cannot grow new limbs, were he to lose one.  

His power can also be used to heal other people’s injuries, and sometimes when regular potions won’t quite do he will add some of his blood into the mix. The effect would be the same if he was to pour his own blood straight onto the injury, but he tries to keep his ability a secret so he prefers sneaking it into potions or people’s drinks. Needless to say, however, he doesn’t do that for just anyone. Getting blood requires him to cut himself, and losing a lot of blood will drain him just like a normal human. He only uses larger amounts if he deems the injured person important enough.



BACKSTORY

---

Lukas was born in the Kingdom of Clubs, to a priest father and a healer mother. His mother Cathrine had the same regenerative properties in her blood as Lukas, but she didn’t hide the fact from her family or the community. Instead, she used her gift as much as she could to help others, and when Lukas was born and turned out to have the same power, Cathrine made it clear that she would train him to be her successor some day.

As the most renowned healer in the area, Cathrine was also responsible for tending to the Lord and Lady Roșu who owned the land. Over the years the two women became friends, and Cathrine even acted as a midwife when the Luminița was delivering her firstborn, Mihai. When Mihai started to show signs of magical powers and at a later age was to start learning how to control them, it was again Cathrine the Roșus asked to help. Though she had no magical talents herself and so couldn’t teach Mihai all that much, she was able to teach him about things more familiar to her such as different herbs and potions. Besides, she was already teaching all this to Lukas, so another student didn’t make much of a difference.

Lukas was already six years old when he met Mihai for the first time, and as the two grew up together he started to consider the little lord a brother, almost. They studied together, played together, and it was Lukas who watched after Mihai when the grownups had important matters to attend to. As years passed Lukas spend more and more time at the Roșu estate, and the Roșus even made plans to send him with Mihai to court when the boy was old enough to leave home. However, the plan never came to fruition.

Lukas was 16-years old when he was walking the Roșu lands with Mihai, once again looking after the little heir while the Lord and Lady were busy. The beautiful day took a sudden turn for worse, though, when they were suddenly attacked by one of the villagers. Thinking that the man wanted to harm Mihai, the Lord’s son and heir, Lukas told the boy to run back to the castle while he held back the attacker. Mihai did as told, but it didn’t occur to Lukas that it was actually him the man was after.

Cathrine and Lukas’ power came with its limitations. They could not wake the dead, nor could they heal someone whose wounds were too great. The bigger the injury, the more blood was required to heal it. Cathrine had had to turn down people occasionally, because helping their loved ones would have meant her own death. Most people accepted this, but there were also those who resented her for it, not wanting to accept the loss of their loved ones when there had been a way to prevent it. Still, Cathrine kept refusing such requests, and like the nature of his gift also its limitations were made clear to the villagers.

What Lukas learned afterwards was that the attacker’s son had been in an accident, crushed underneath a horse carriage, and had been moments from death when his father had set out on his desperate attempt to save his son. He didn’t know if it was him or his mother he’d originally been after, but it was him the man had found first and that was all that mattered. He was the one who had struggled against the man, trying to pry the knife from his hands.

He was the one who’d had his throat slit open.

He remembered it clearly; the smell of the grass as he was pushed to the ground, the weight of the man’s knee digging into his back, the sharp tug in his hair, the cold steel against his neck… He could remember dying.

Yet, he’d lived. He had no idea what had happened, but the next memory he had was him sitting on the red stained grass, guards running around and people shouting, scared looking Mihai staring back at him with wide eyes, and his mother collapsed a few feet away from him. She never got up again, and people reasoned that the sight of her son butchered like that must’ve been too much for her frail heart. If only she’d seen Lukas’ power regenerate him only moments after, the tragedy would’ve been avoided. And though Lukas couldn’t help but feel uneasy about such explanations, he accepted them without complain. What else could have happened?

Things changed after the incident, however. The attacker was captured, but Lukas’ father couldn’t feel safe in the village anymore. He’d lost his wife and almost his son, and he couldn’t risk someone trying to take Lukas’ blood by force anymore. So they fled, first to the capital of Clubs and then all the way to the Kingdom of Hearts. Lukas had to leave his old life behind, had to bid a rushed goodbye to Mihai and his parents, but he decided he would meet them again someday. In the Kingdom of Hearts, he used his healing knowledge and social skills learned during his years with the Roșus to quickly build name for himself and earn an invitation to apprentice for the Court healer of the Hearts. He was 18 at the time, and for the next few years he was taught even more about potions and healing plants. Though Lukas was one of the few apprentices who didn't have the ability to cast healing spells, he was able to bridge some of that gap with his blood; he'd started experimenting mixing it into his potions with extremely good results. Yet he still kept his power hidden, even from his teachers. 

As his skills improved with his training, he was allowed to start tending to patients with minor injuries and illnesses. It was during this time that he met Prince Ludwig for the first time. Though he didn't know the young Prince well, he did feel like he was a good, honest man and would make a great ruler in his time. And that time came all too soon with the tragic deaths of the King and Queen. Lukas had hoped to help the Queen recover from her illness, but as a mere apprentice, no matter how promising, he hadn't been allowed near her, let alone try to treat her. 

It was around a year later that the Court Healer suddenly decided to step down from his position. Shamed by his inability to save the Queen, followed by the tragedy of the Vargas family, he didn't feel adequate to perform his duties anymore. Lukas was then appointed his successor, and despite being fresh out of training was granted the official title of the Court Healer.



RELATIONSHIPS

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MIHAI A childhood friend Lukas considers almost a little brother. Despite being extremely close in the past, Lukas hasn’t seen him or been in contact with him since he left the Kingdom of Clubs.

MATHIAS The reckless guard he needs to patch up way too often for his liking. 


ADDITIONAL DETAILS

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NIGHTMARES Lukas suffers regularly from nightmares. Though it's been over ten years since his "death", he still sometimes dreams of dying. He often doesn't sleep very well at night, which contributes to his bad mood in the mornings. 

SCARS Though Lukas's powers accelerate his healing process, they do not prevent scarring. If the wound is deep enough, it will leave a mark just like it would if it took a normal time to heal. So due to the constant cutting of himself for blood Lukas has numerous scars littered on his body, majority of them on his arms. His neck has no scar, however, another reason why he still questions the events regarding his 'death' years ago.

[Gilbert Beilschmidt]

Name: Gilbert. Just Gilbert. Though his mothers last name was Rothstein.

Age: 22

Kingdom: Originally from Hearts, he claims loyalty to Clubs. Or at least to Elizabeth, the Queen.

Rank/Role:9- Bodyguard to the Queen of Clubs.

Power(s): Unless you count stubbornness as a power or his survival ability, then nope, this guy is just as regular as the next person. Though he does have latent strategic sight that hasn't manifested yet beyond his ability to help him survive.

Backstory: Originally born to the Queen and King of Hearts, he was the much looked forward first heir of the Kingdom. There were celebrations planned preceding his birth, invitations to the christening already set to be sent out as soon as it was known that the baby was healthy. This would never happen though and the invitations would be burned. As the midwife was delivering him, she couldn't help but to gasp in shock as she saw the baby. The baby boy had pale blond hair, nearly white in color. This alone was not enough to cause such a reaction, but it was his eyes. As the child opened his eyes once he was cleaned up, it was seen that his eyes were a violet color, verging on the red side. This, combined with his hair, made the family wonder if they had been cursed, and they knew that they could not keep the child. Refusing to even hold the child, the midwife went to clean him up after making sure that the Queen would be alright. It was later that night when she heard the Queen and King speak of taking the child to an orphanage... or even leaving it on a fairy hill for Spirits to take back one of their own... for how else would they have such a child if it wasn't influenced by otherworldly forces. Hearing this, she took the child and ran, naming him what the parents would have named him, Gilbert Fredrick Alfons, and her own surname, Rothstein. It wasn't long before word went out that the baby was stillborn and there would be no celebration.

The woman escaped from the capital and moved to live in a smaller town on the edge of the kingdom, far away from the capital as she could. As Gilbert grew up, she kept all of this to herself, never revealing the truth of his birth. He learned to deal with ridicule by his peers, very few adults sticking up for him. As his mother started growing sick, he learned how to take care of himself more and more, learning how to make her laugh and entertain her. It was when he turned sixteen that she passed away and he decided to leave hearts,the one place that was home, but had never felt like it. He traveled around, meeting other people an doing odd jobs as a way to earn some coins. These odd jobs ranged from assistant weapons master in a school (where he learned how to fight with a sword and how to fight with his body after he lost the sword), to anything else that needed done. Somehow he found himself in a tavern in the heart of clubs with some of the off duty palace guards. Having gotten drunk with quite a few of them one night, he followed them back to their barracks to sleep off the drink. It was only in the morning when he realized where he was that he started leaving, only to be found in presence of the Queen, who had came to the guard house. Somehow before he knew it, he was appointed as her personal bodyguard... hes still not completely sure how that actually came to pass. 

Relationships:
* Elizabeth (Queen of Clubs): As Elizabeths body guard, he is around her almost all the time. She'll a whirlwind of a personality. He gets along great with her, talking about all different things. She really is one of the best friends that he has. Though he might have heard a few rumors that the Queen might be fooling around with him, he just laughs and tells them to mind their own business.

Additional Details:
*Good at getting out of scraps.
* He only claims Clubs as his home and his country because of Elizabeth. Shes the first one that truly made him feel like he belonged somewhere. Hes more loyal to her than he is to the country.
*Has no clue hes related to the royalty of Hearts, or that if the hereditary rules are used, that he should be the King of Hearts instead of his brother.

[Kiku Honda]

Name: Kiku Honda

Age: 25

Kingdom: Heart

Role: 10- Esquire of the Body

Powers if any: Kiku has tried often to learn the magical arts, recognizing their defensive and offensive potentials,  but he lacks the gift necessary to utilize them. 

Backstory:

Kiku Honda was the only child of the Honda family, a lesser nobility who had served as guards to the royal family for generations. From a very early age, Kiku was told that he would be the right arm of the King, so long as he proved himself worthy. He was five years old when Ludwig was born and his mother presented him to the newborn king with the promise that as long as Kiku was at his side, the future King would be safe. None took it more to heart more than Kiku, who began his training with his father in earnest to take on the role of Esquire. In order to encourage trust between Kiku and his future monarch, the boy spent much of his time not training watching over Ludwig and Feliciano, often as a reluctant accomplice to their adventures. While his station meant that he took on a more subservient role, he grew very fond of them both and worked even harder to be a strong warrior for their sakes. He spent most of his time learning how to be an effective swordsman and his natural affinity for the skill as well as his cool, analytical demeanor quickly distinguished him from any other possible candidates. The depth of his loyalty to the future King was something that struck nearly anyone who spoke with him for any length of time, and it was this loyalty to pushed him to continuously test his limits. As the three grew older and were required to take on the roles they had been groomed for, Kiku more or less faded into the background. He was content with simply remaining at his beloved King's side. As the years passed, he had become a comforting presence in the eyes of the Royal family, who knew that even when Ludwig fought on the battlefield, Kiku was always his shield. Once Ludwig was crowned King, Kiku was officially given the title of Esquire and took his place as the king's right hand. 

As expected, Kiku filled the roll of Esquire to the Body like few before him. A shrew observer and skilled diplomat, Kiku was more than capable of handling any missives or concerns that arrived in the night. As a warrior few can match his efficiancy and speed. And as a loyal subject, you would be hard-pressed to find a soul more dedicated to his King. 

The tragedy of the Vargas family struck him hard and he hates what his dear friend had to endure as a result. Though he is deeply saddened by Feliciano's injuries, he recognized that the kingdom needed a Jack and Feliciano was in no position to fill that role. As such he accepts and respects the current Jack, and often spars with him and his troops. 

Currently, Kiku's days are split between serving his King and caring for Feliciano (even if it was as simple as bringing a tray of food and some hot tea to his rooms as he goes on his rounds of the castle).


 

Relationships: 

>Ludwig: His friend and monarch, Kiku is extremely dedicated to Ludwig. He would lay down his life in a heartbeat for his King and has no hesitation when it comes to cutting down anyone who poses a threat. Though they were childhood friends, Kiku is extremely careful about maintaining proper levels of decorum at all times.

>Feliciano: Another childhood friend, Kiku still shows him a great deal of deference despite their shift in status. He often spends his free days with Feliciano, hoping to be a soothing presence to the boy and to help Feliciano mend his broken relationship with Ludwig. It hurts him to see his two best friends so strained especially when he knows they care a great deal for each other.

>Mathias: They have a professional relationship, based on a mutual desire to keep their kingdom safe. While Kiku wishes Feliciano was the Jack, he does not hold any ill will towards Matthias. He hadn't started the fire, and the Kingdom needed a Jack, so Kiku cannot feel bitter for a man rising to meet the needs of his kingdom.


> Hamish: Kiku hasn't gotten to spend much time with her, but something about the new Queen sets him on edge. He doesn't know why but he can't shake the feeling that she's hiding something. 

 

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

2P!Germany - WIP

Name: Hans/Faust
Age: 20ish
Kingdom: N/A
Rank/Role: Joker
Power(s):
☯ Illusion/Mind Games – The Joker of Chaos' Illusion is top-notch. While he may not be able to actually conjure things out of mid-air, he can make you think he did...or he can make you think he's turned you into a chicken. It's fun. While not true shapeshifting, he can also use his illusions to look like other beings.
☯ Invisibility – Entirely, or selectively, Hans can vanish without a trace or can make himself visible to only a select few, if he so chooses.
☯ Teleporting - He can teleport minor distances (a maximum of 50 feet). This is so that he can carry out his mischievous antics easier, but also try and avoid capture--what kind of Joker of Chaos gets captured anyway!? He's also able to teleport to the Void with ease.
☯ Touch of Chaos - He can touch people and give them a bit of bad luck or misfortune--but nothing too major. Typically, it's effects are immediate or last up to 24 hours, and the results are usually minor things or pranks you'd typically attribute to "bad luck". Spilled milk, trip over something, miss your target, lose your ring...etc.
☯ Somnokinesis - While the Joker of Order masters the means of earth and the tangible, the Joker of Chaos has been gifted the power of the intangible: Dreams and Sleep. While he himself does not really need sleep and lacks the precognition abilities his associate possesses, Hans can affect one's ability to sleep and their dreams with a touch of his hand--safe to say, such an ability can lead to a few unsavory predicaments.

Backstory:
Hans grew up in bad luck...

Before he was born, his home was divided by a pair of warring lords. The gentry, of course, only cared for the land and resources, not the people. Many of the people of his village were lost as a result, including his father and two out of six of his elder brothers. His mother tried to run away for saftey, along with her remaining children, but being heavy with child, she didn't make it far. She died due to the complications of childbirth that was only worsened by a growing cold she had caught during the family's exodus. Born Johannes S. Faust, he was small and weak, and a few of his brothers ultimately blamed him for their mother's death. Only Anselm bothered to try and care for and raise the boy properly, while the other siblings went their seperate ways and were lost to plague or simply vanished.

They managed decently on their own, but Anselm, though he did truly care for the young boy and wanted to ensure he was 'raised properly', eventually proved to be a rather overbearing presence, often snapping at Johannes to stop daydreaming or complaining about such vivid nightmares and dreams. Indeed, it seemed as if the young man had an overactive imagination…especially when he started talking about toying with the nighttime and day dreams of others. Naturally, he was scolded by Anselm to stop talking about such ridiculousnes.

For a while, Hans did well to keep his mouth shut about his abilities, but as he hit his tenth year, he began to feel stifled. Not only was he unable to harness his magic freely, but his brother had simply grown all the more…demanding one may say (not to mention his job as an apprentice at the tailors simply just wasn’t something he was interested in at all. It was torture.) Naturally, this only served to spark a flame of rebellion that had long since been hiding away in the young man. One night when Anselm had retired for the night, Hans approached, touching his brother's head briefly and using his magic to force him to sleep for two days—just long enough for the young man to disappear without having to worry about being effectively followed. His brother was strong and smart, but thankfully, he was no tracker.

The reckless and rebellious youth, however, had neglected to think about what path to choose in the days following and he found himself hungry and lacking shelter numerous times. Being as weak and unknown as he was, when winter set in it was devestating. It was the coldest it had been in decades, and he was alone in the wilderness, unable to spark a fire. Hans had curled up under a tree, tucking his limbs as close as he could to himself to stay warm and conserve heat. He slowly drifted asleep.

Dreams came to him again, much different than before. There was a man with horns and a tail--a devilish site indeed...and there were memories of his youth, swirling around him. There was even moments of time he would have no memory of--such as his own birth--and images he just couldn't place at all. They were horrible. Terrible. He witnessed his father's and brothers' deaths--and then when the rest of them turned their backs to him and Anselm after trying to kill him as a child. HIs fists clenched by his side as bile rose in his throat. It made him angry and helpless that he had been thrust into such unfortunate circumstances from the get go. He hated the gentry for their wars, he hated his brothers for their deeds...hated that he was weak and alone. But especially that he was weak.

The figure with horns appeared before him again, but did not speak. It held out its hand with a smile. Hans, for whatever reason, could understand what the gesture meant. It was a promise, an escape, and a contract all rolled into one. He hesitated before taking the Joker's hand. It was better than freezing to death in the wilderness. The being dissolved into a black smoke that coiled itself around Hans' arm and wrapped around his chest before sinking into his body entirely. It didn't hurt, but it was startling.

Hans awoke in a panic, grabbing at his chest and glancing about. It was no longer snowing and he was lying by a lake. Everything was saturated with a more purpleish hue and felt ethereal. He began to stand, but another voice beckoned him to stay laying down for a while longer. The voice was cheery, and when Hans turned, he didn't recognize the man as being the same one from his dreams. Deep down, he somehow knew that the Joker of Order was before him and he was about to take on a new chapter of his life as the man's counterpart.


Relationships:
☯ Antonio - His Orderly counterpart! Hans only sees them once in a while, but he does rather enjoy toying with the man. Their powers are near opposites of one another, so they are evenly matched, to say the least, but Hans pretends like he always has the upper hand, as Tonio is often forced to deal with the chaos that Hans leaves in his wake.
☯ Former Joker of Chaos/Spirit of Chaos - Due to them aging out of existence, they sought out a replacement. They came to Hans in a dream and the blond agreed to take on the mantal. It wasn't a hard choice between that or a frozen death.

Additional Details:
- Will use the names Hans and Faust interchangeably. Faust however, used to be his surname.
- He's still new to the game, compared to Tonio.
- Thinks Demon/Spirit of Chaos is a much more fitting name.
- He's been the Joker of Chaos for about 10 years now

[Elizabeta Héderváry]

Name: Elizabeta Héderváry
Age: 23
Kingdom: Diamonds
Rank/Role: 8 || High-Ranking Knight
Power(s): N/A

Backstory:
Becoming a soldier & defending the kingdom she grew up in had always been Elizabeta’s goal, ever since she was little. Though old enough to have retired now, her father had been a knight, and had often taken her with him to training sessions and to visit his friends in the order on more relaxed days. They had been a pretty inseparable duo back then, seeing as he’d raised her on his own & had genuinely enjoyed bringing her along & seeing the fire in her eyes whenever swords were raised or tales of battle were exchanged.

Thankfully their kingdom had long accepted women in the ranks of their knights, but her father still gave her introductory training when she was old enough but still below the age of enrolment; before that & when she was really young, he’d humoured her and they’d play fought with sticks. Elizabeta went on to enrol & receive formal training as soon as she was of age to, with her father sometimes as a sparring partner but most times on the sidelines, watching proudly as she gradually earned her way up in the forces despite the occasional sexist peer or superior. Eventually he hung up his sword, as he had already been a bit of an older gentleman when she was little and had only gotten older since then, but he still keeps his ears open for news of her accomplishments, & she visits him when she can.

Relationships: 
Francis: Her king. She had been helping to organize search patrols for him when she’d been approached by members of the King’s Royal Council about being groomed as a potential Queen. It doesn’t sit right with her that they would organize this without the King’s consent, but seeing as he is still missing, there’s little she can do about it except hope His Majesty returns safely & gets a say.

Matthew: Her kingdom’s prince. Thankfully he’s been less formal in showing her what would be expected of her if crowned than the stuffy Council members have been. He also knows how much she’d rather be out there aiding the search and sharpening her skills as a knight, so he occasionally helps her slip away to do that.

Additional Details:
-Her sword is very important to her. Her father had it forged for her when she joined the kingdom’s knights, in honour of her commitment to the order & protecting the kingdom as he did. She doesn’t feel comfortable with just anyone asking to borrow or wield it.

-She knows that her mother was a strong-willed beauty, and that she died when she was four of illness, but that’s about all she’s been able to get out of her father. The memory of her still pains him a lot, so she’s stopped asking.