Stephen Fairbanks aka Touch
From Changeling Venue
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both - Niccolo Machiavelli
| Seeming | Darkling Leechfinger |
|---|---|
| Court | Autumn Court •• |
| Freehold | Ring of Roses |
| Player | John Olvey |
Contents |
Overview
Alias(es): Touch
Real Name: Stephen Fairbanks
Location: Metro Atlanta
Age: 30ish
Seeming: Darkling
Kith: Leechfinger
Court: Autumn
Concept: Creator of Fear
Character Information
Known History
Basic Timeline: Born: Early 70's Taken: Mid 80's Escaped: 2001
Background:
Stephen Fairbanks was born in a small little town, to normal parents, and lived a normal everyday life. Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary for young Stephen as he made his way through his days. He was a B student in school, he wasn't really great at any sports but he wasn't picked last, and when he was old enough, he got a seemingly normal job doing deliveries about town. At the same time, however, Stephen began sneaking out of the house, finding that he liked the town at night when everything was dark.
It was during one of these jaunts in the darkened town, while he stood in what he thought was a perfectly normal park, he ran across a weird shadowy shape that darted into some bushes. Stephen, curious as to what would be up so late at night besides him, followed the shape into the bushes. After following for a while, the bushes started getting thicker, and kept snagging his clothes. He pressed on, almost as if he had no choice but to catch up to this dark thing that he was chasing. As the bushes tore and ripped at his clothes and skin, he finally saw an opening and broke through...
...and everything went black.
When Stephen woke back up, he wasn't sure he was awake. The world didn't make sense to him. Everything was in a shade of dark gray and black. He never knew that there were shades of black, each darker than the next. His mind wheeled from the strangeness of it all. That's when he noticed the chains. Something in the darkness of the shadows told him there was no leaving this place, that he was a prisoner. It continued to say that he was to eat, but couldn't use his mouth, and then the voice laughed a horrible screeching, destroying laugh and left. After what seemed like months, Stephen couldn't eat. His mind couldn't stop hearing the laugh, couldn't put the strange world into order. It needed order. It needed normal. And with those things gone, Stephen went to sleep, and Touch awoke.
Touch could handle the darkness. He made it part of himself. It was Touch that liked to go out at night. It was Touch that was good at sneaking out. Stephen was just the vehicle, but Stephen was too strong for Touch to control out in the normal world. Here, here Touch could finally wrestle control free from Stephen. And here, Touch would thrive.
Touch figured out how to steal the life-force from others, how to "eat" without "eating". He was then taught how to hide himself, and use the Dark as his own. He took to it naturally, absorbed it, gleefully learning all that he could. And when he was ready, Touch was set out into Arcadia upon Shadow's will, to bring those who fled back to their owners.
Touch would stalk his prey, hiding quietly in the shadows, using the Dark to aid him as he could. When it was time, he would call down the others to take them back to the owners, making sure to "feed" from his prey before they left.
Long times passed as they do in Arcadia, without anyone knowing. Touch had stopped an unknown number of 'lings from fleeing. He had done other deeds that made Touch giggle to think about. He was treated well by Shadow, and in turn he treated Shadow back with loyalty.
Stephen woke up one day (it was a few and far between when Stephen did awake, and he didn't stay awake long) and found his chains removed. A voice in his head told him to make haste towards the bushes in the distance, that his friend Touch would help him escape. Stephen ran, ran with his new friend Touch and dove into the Hedge. Crawling, scraping, tearing his way through, Stephen moved like a demon possessed to get back home, all the while being urged on by Touch. When he finally broke through, Stephen didn't recognize where he was, but it was normal, and full of color.
Touch never knew why his master had let him go, but he was not one to question the Shadow.
Over the next few years, Stephen tried telling those that would listen of his story, but they wouldn't listen. No one but Touch. Touch was lucky enough to run into Bite shortly after leaving the Hedge, and Bite was able to get him lined up with the Freehold.
Today Touch is mainly in control. Stephen has told his story one too many times, and his Clarity suffers for it today. Stephen still manages to wrench control away from time to time though, mainly when dealing with norms. But while that happens, Touch sits in the shadows, and stalks his prey, waiting for the right time to take back over.
Motley
Allies
Enemies
Quotes
- "Make sure when you ask him to wake someone up you add "in a way that doesn't kill them" behind the request. I wasn't so exact this one time. It worked out sorta but you know, better err on side of caution next time." - Gilded
- "If one can get over the stereotypical aura of fear around the man, he's almost pleasant, really." - Parthena
- "Touch likes buttons. Ever see him touch one? Not pretty if it's yours." - Ashe
- "Razor wire. Silent. Just don't touch." - Renn
- "....." <horse shiver> - Yew
Rumors
- 'Touch is rumored to be a former King of the Autumn Court of Atlanta
