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Background
Lionel Tobias Weeks did not fancy himself a guard. In fact, Lionel Tobias Weeks didn't really fancy himself as much of anything. His father - Jeremiah Weeks - had died on the very day of his birth, crushed under the weight of a faulty bit of machinery in Arrow Station that he had been repairing. Jeremiah was not even supposed to be in that section of Arrow, but had been sent there last minute right at the end of an already long shift in Farm Station, seeing to some bad hydroponic equipment. His mother Clara had grieved for years, leaving Lionel mostly in the care of his best friend and "older brother" Isaac. Isaac lived just next door to Lionel and his mother, and had also lost a parent to sickness. Lionel and Isaac bonded over their shared tragedy, and Isaac proved to be an excellent caretaker for Lionel, who needed the guidance.
He thought that was the way the world was meant to forever be, but then their mother came out of her sorrow, met another man, and was soon married. Leroy Samson always claimed to be their father's best friend, though Isaac always said he never remembered the man hanging around Lionel's home before he started courting his mother. The relationship had started out loving, and for a moment, Lionel truly believed that Samson was going to be a good addition. Then things went sideways, like they always did. That's when the abuse started. Sure, the Guard would stop by now and then when things got loud, threatened Samson with charges, but their mother would always reassure them that she was fine, her son was fine, they were all fine. And that became the theme of the Weeks-Samson house: everything was fine.
As he progressed through his adolescence, Lionel proved to be three major things: 1) a righteous smart-ass whose mouth got him in trouble, 2) terribly good at brawling, which usually was the result of the first trait, and 3) a terrible flirt that had not a care for age differences or gender differences. He was all but useless according to most. He had been rejected by a handful of trades, even if some tried very hard to be patient with him. The abuse in the household continued, though Lionel began to stand-up against his stepfather, trading blows with him.
Lionel was fourteen years old when he was hauled to his family's housing unit by a pair of guards. Lionel had been caught in a fight, ending up in a scuffle with some bully down in Hydro Station. Warnings were issued because Lionel could have been charged with assault, but quite a few witnesses assured Sergeant Tyler Adams that Lionel was just being a defender, and that was enough to prompt Adams' soft side. While talking to Clara about Lionel, Adams noticed the bruises on her arm. He had heard some rumblings about Samson being rough with his wife, but had not taken the time to investigate. This wasn't the first time Lionel had gotten in trouble, and Clara worried quietly to Adams that she wasn't sure how Samson would respond. Adams, seeing an opportunity, offered Lionel a chance to change things around: he decided to help get the kid into the guard.
Also, quite mysteriously, Samson was arrested several weeks later on charges of assault. He was floated shortly after. The Adams family started looking after Clara and her son, and Lionel became the big brother to Adams' daughter, Kyler.
Despite his rough and tumble ways, Lionel adapted quickly to being a cadet. Adams gave him a direction for his anger, gave his mind exercise and stimulation, and kept the leash just loose enough so Lionel didn't feel locked down. He was an innovative thinker and problem solver, though his solutions were not always traditional. He did not catch up with guards his own age, but did manage to make great leaps and bounds in his training so he graduated from the cadet program at nineteen instead of what most believed would be somewhere closer to twenty-three.
Lionel was part of the Unity Day security, and was onboard Alpha station when Chancellor Jaha initiated the Arkfall. He believes in the Ark's ideals, but also was more than happy to be one of the first adults to step out into the sun.
Characteristics
Description
There is something almost average about this Arker at first glance. He stands at a flat six feet in height, and his broad-shouldered frame is typical without being too lean nor too bulked. He has a narrow face that includes a nicely sharp chin, broad jaw and slightly high forehead. Thick, expressive eyebrows sit slightly arched over sharp blue eyes that often dance with a boyish, good-natured charm. His nose is long and neat. Generous lips are just slightly upturned in the corners even when relaxed, and broaden into easy smiles. His unremarkable brown hair is kept short and neat, and does nothing to disguise his ears which are just a bit too large for the rest of his head.
Quirks
Musical Inspiration
Silhouettes — Of Monsters & Men |
Black Flies — Ben Howard |
Sigh No More — Mumford & Sons |
Simple Man — Lynyrd Skynyrd |