#ask rylee

BOTTLE CAP

It's been with him for quite a few years now, riding in various denim and leather pockets. The bottle cap came from a little boy, somewhere around his age, back when Grey was young enough to run and scrape his knees in the playground. This boy just mysteriously ran up to him that afternoon, smiling gap-toothed, and told him to hold onto his "lucky bottle cap" for a while. He promised to come back for it later—but the boy never did.

NUTS & (SOME) DRIED FRUIT

This is something that would really leave its mark on Rylee. The possibility of cutting someone out of his life isn’t none—but it might as well be because it’s so unlikely. Even when he should, even when he knows he should, Rylee is nothing if not a stubborn dreamer. He’d hold onto that little thread of hope that, maybe, this time, something could change. Because he believes in people—he genuinely believes in our ability to do good and change.  But I will say this much: If Rylee ever cuts someone out of his life, then there’s no going back. For as much as he clutches onto the people in his life—if he made the decision to sever ties then it is for a reason. And that reason would have to be irrevocable, so there would be no letting them back in.

Does your WoL/OC have someone they look up to as a mentor or exemplar? How influential was this person on your OC’s path?

Cliché though it might seem, Rylee has always looked up to his adopted parents; Aria and Romero Cooper. When he was about six or seven years old, his biological mother had something of mental breakdown because of his necromancy. They'd just lost the old family cat to, well, old age—and as a boy, Rylee took the loss very hard. And though he didn't consciously mean to... he brought the cat back from the dead, who walked right back into their apartment the next day. Dead, yet not dead. There but not quite... all there. For years his mother suspected her son of mental disorders when he continually mentioned "seeing things" anywhere they went. Chalking it up to a boy having "imaginary friends" only lasted so long. She called in doctors to have Rylee tested, medicated, anything. The day their dead cat returned from the dead... she disowned him out of pure fear. That's where Aria Cooper comes into the picture. A beautiful and mysterious woman who just so happened to arrive at the right time. It was a simple matter adopting Rylee into her own family, as her son—in a family of other gifted necromancers. Romero's a detective and that's been a staple flag in leading Rylee down a just and fair path. Even if he's taken the route of vigilantism to get there in recent times: He does this out of the goodness in his heart. P.S. The cat's name is Voodoo and she's a very good and happy zombie cat til this day! She spends most of her time drooling on Rylee's pillow.

Rylee has a very prominent scar around his right arm! It circles the entirety of the spot where bicep and shoulder connect; the scar is thick, raised and uneven—and is a result of losing that arm. He was pursuing something into the sewers, where it ambushed him and quite literally tore his arm off.

In a desperate attempt to avoid bleeding out, Rylee reattaches his arm through necrotic means... which was sloppy at best. And while it prevented him from death by blood loss, it caused a necrotic infection that still festers to this day. He takes medications to alleviate some symptoms, but no actual cure has been discovered as of yet. The only option is to continue managing it through medicine—or remove the arm entirely.

The infection has caused severe discoloration throughout the 'dead' limb, giving it a sooty pigmentation. Black veins branch over his shoulder and some extend nearly to his neckline.

Aside from this, he's got a handful of smaller scars. One across his cheek that he earned as a kid in a playground. And a few more over his arms, particularly the inside of his forearms—which have been cut into when blood was required for a conjuring.

This is the only edit I've made that shows the early stages of Rylee's scar and the slow spread of his infection.

Ooh, yes. Yes, he does have tattoos—although they're rarely visible. This is largely due to their aetherial nature and the clothing Rylee often wears. They activate independently, depending on which spell he's drawing upon.

Most of his body is covered by them, Rylee is almost a walking grimoire.

He's chosen to inscribe his own body with spells, enabling their use on demand. This comes at a cost to his vitality, though. Where many spells often require rituals, materials and careful planning—many of these elements are what fuel the magic.

Rylee's quicker method means that he's the stand-in source for the spell's fuel. It draws upon his personal pool of aether and, yes, has sometimes tapped into his life force.

Rylee's naturally nocturnal, so he's always been at home under a blanket of stars and the soft glow of the moon. They feel familiar but his moonlighting has recently made nighttime feel harsher, too. Those hours are the most dangerous and darkest—where he's begun to see the uglier side of the city he calls home.

For that reason, he's begun to really appreciate daytime more. Even if it conflicts with his internal clock. Daytime feels calmer, despite being busy and bustling. It isn't as quiet. It feels like there's fewer places for something sinister to hide. Like daylight hides fewer secrets than nighttime does.

Rylee aaaaabsolutely loves his sweet beverages; he’s a regular face to see in cafes / coffee shoppes. But it isn’t always a shot of espresso he’s ordering—his all time favorite drink is hot chocolate with whipped cream.

Hobbies

Aside from a very obvious love for music and guitar, Grey’s got a few little things he enjoys doing that not everyone might know about. Or even suspect.

He loves artwork, sketching isn’t his strongest point but he does enjoy doing it now and then. It fascinates him to watch artists. He also really enjoys reading in general, though has a soft spot for poetry.

Quirks

Grey will sometimes ‘click’ his tongue piercing around when he’s thinking. He just gently taps it against his teeth, usually.

Another thing you’ll catch him doing is stroking the tails of his rodents. When handling them, he’ll sometimes just space out and idly (and gently) do that. Like it’s therapeutic for him.

( @rosettevaleria too, thanks for the ask! )

Hobbies

Skateboarding! When he’s got free-time and is away from the family, Rylee’s dressed down in something comfy and on his skateboard. He’s gotten a lot better with it, too. Eats a little less dirt.

Quirks