by turnipchair » Mon Feb 05, 2018 1:15 pm
Name: Gabriel (also known as the Shepherd)
Gender: Agender, but goes by male pronouns
Personality: Gabriel is, quite literally, a saint. He serves as a messenger for the gods, often preferring to spend the majority of his time on earth with mortals rather than join his immortal kin in the heavens. Although he isn't much of a show off, he craves admiration and adoration, often going out of his way to make the best first impression he possibly can. However, outside of his desire to be adored by all, he is surprisingly mature and almost angelic, in a sense. Which would make sense, of course, seeing that he is an angel and all. But there's an otherworldly aura to him, one that cannot be placed but envelopes the space around him in a comforting blanket nonetheless. With every step he takes, it's as if the world twists and bends to his will, seeking his warmth and protection. Animals of every shape and size flock to him as if he is their shepherd and they are his sheep, waiting for him to lead the way to safety. He is their guardian, sent down from the heavens to protect them and see them all to peace. And when the time comes for him to return to the sky, they wish him farewell, knowing he has saved them.
Backstory: Gabriel was born mortal, into a poor family living in a rundown home. He grew up with nothing, learning to be grateful for any miniscule thing given to him, however insignificant it seemed. But despite his unfortunate situation, Gabriel had a huge heart with never-ending compassion, always sharing what little food he had with the stray animals that lived around his house.
When Gabriel was eleven, him and his parents fell ill, with his parents passing away in a little over a week. Gabriel went to live with an orphanage, and although he received treatment for his sickness, it wasn't enough, and he ended up frail and weak, with frequent bouts of extreme sickness for the rest of his mortal life. However, he continued to feed the nearby animals daily despite his critical condition, wanting nothing more than to escape the despair of the orphanage.
When Gabriel was fourteen, the orphanage burned down, forcing him to flee into the forest to escape the flames. Maybe he was a bad person for never once looking back, but he didn't care. He survived with the help of the animals he used to care for, with them bringing him food and taking care of him and protecting him. Wherever Gabriel went, the animals followed. So when he went back to the village one day when he was seventeen and was attacked by a gang, the animals were right there to protect him. But there were far too many gang members, and Gabriel watched as his family dropped dead one by one. And as soon as the last animal fell, Gabriel followed suit, having been shot through the heart, both literally and metaphorically.
The gods must have seen something in him as he died, for he woke up in a grand palace in the clouds. Maybe they saw his selflessness and his bountiful compassion, or maybe they saw his struggles and pitied him. Whatever the reason, they decided to grant him immortality in the form of an angel, giving him the ability to shapeshift and travel between the heavens and the physical earth. He decided to take on the form of a feline, as that was the final animal to die the night he was attacked. Now, he rarely enters his human form, not wanting to relive the memories and emotional baggage attached to his humanity.
Last edited by
turnipchair on Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.