Michele Weaver

The Gatekeeper of Shadow

Sully (lover, teammate)

Travis (lover, teammate)

Joey (lover, teammate)

Arky (teammate)

Carrie (teammate)

Marta (mother)

Gabor (father)

Maurice (brother)

Greta (sister)

Gaston (paternal uncle)

Talia (paternal aunt)

Gus (cousin)

**Biography:** Born to a well-known weaver and scholar of ancient history in the Kyainese city of Archer’s Rest, Mick is a middle child who always tended more to his father’s profession than his mother’s. He grew up with a particular interest in the conquered nation of Sutast, which once existed in the area where his family lived. His plans to be a historian were sidetracked somewhat when he developed magical ability in his adolescence. Initially assumed to be a talent for wizardry he shared with his uncle Gaston, the family was surprised when he was later revealed to be mage, and Mick was sent to the northern academy, where he studied for two years, before leaving rather than taking an apprenticeship because he didn’t like that his peculiar power had him under constant scrutiny. He decided to make a go of being a historian on his own, joining a troupe of travelling actors because they’d pay him, let him travel with them, and he liked the work. He formally left this job to be an artefact hunter after meeting an annoying little guy who kept stealing his stuff.

**Notes:**

* Mick’s relative modesty compared to others is typical of people of his social status in the Kyainese south and was instilled in him at an early age
* Mick’s parents were well enough off that Mick’s mother made fabrics for House Fyrhawk and his father was the personal tutor to all three of Dalton Fyrhawk’s children
* Mick’s magecraft uses the Pillars of Light and Dark, which until recently was considered impossible, especially as he can’t perceive Shadow
* Mick’s magic developed at a younger age than most mages and he graduated from the academy’s program a full year faster than most students. He was offered apprenticeships by his history teacher Yancy and his theoretical magic teacher Juno, but turned both down
* Though Mick is bisexual, this is more in theory than practice. He is theoretically attracted to women, but his one attempt to kiss a girl at the academy ended with him changing his mind at the last minute
* Mick grew up climbing walls and the small cliffs outside Archer’s Rest
* After joining Cal’s team because he hoped it would help him learn about history, Mick spent two months regretting it immensely
* Mick frequently writes letters to his father telling him what he’s found, and to his mother telling her what he’s doing
* Since the swamp encounter, Mick has been extremely aware of necromancy as a source of power, and he does not like this
* Since being captured by the demons, Mick’s power has increased substantially and he has access to the same power source as the demons, but won’t touch it

**Quotes:**

* “Which rules are we fucking?”
* “Nobody’s allowed to die. No dying allowed. I expect you two to still be bugging me when I’m eighty, you got it?”
* “This cart was built with three wheels.”
* “You’re such an idiot. You’re lucky I love you.”
* “Turns out I’m not very good at necromancy.”
* “I think we should talk about the fact that you were keeping an artefact of immense necromantic power in your loincloth.”
* “Peacocks are tacky as shit.”
* “Way to kill the magic of it all, Wes.”
* “Cal, stop giving advice to the pickpocket.”
* “Please don’t try to make friends with any dragons.”
* “The first rule of working on this team is that we don’t listen to Cal,”
* “We’re okay. We’re okay. We knew you’d come for us.”
* “I think if you went up to most other people who were your boyfriend and told them you wanted to get destroyed by a dragon in heat you’d probably have fewer boyfriends.”

**Trivia:**

* Mick went by his full name until leaving home, was called Mickey at the academy, and only started letting people call him Mick when he got used to Cal and Wes doing it
* Mick occasionally came with his father to Fyrhawk manor, and for about a year was good friends with Lord Fyrhawk’s middle child Stephan when he was six
* At seven, Mick was a candidate to be Stephan’s companion, but his neighbour Neville was chosen instead
* There are six years between Greta and Mick, and two between Mick and Maurice
* Mick’s magic manifested at Greta’s wedding
* Aside from one circle jerk at the academy, Mick never did anything sexual with any of his friends. He did get sexually involved with another actor in his troupe, a boy a little younger than him named Cooper, but they broke it off when Cooper’s father found out
* Mick taught Maurice how to read after Maurice found their father’s instruction too strict
* Mick never had a wet dream until two days after he met Cal and Wes
* Mick was fascinated by snakes as a child, and was very disappointed that he was a mage and not a wizard, because he wanted to be able to shapeshift into a snake and mages can’t shapeshift
* Nine times out of ten Mick does the cooking for his team, he’s the only one who’s decent at it

**Modern AU:** Modern Mick is a history nerd who works part-time at the local library and is also seen multiple times a week at the gym near his house. His family moved several times when he was a kid as his dad moved around between universities, but are stably living in one place now. He was the least into the idea of D&D when Cal suggested it at the urinal, but came because Cal promised free beer. Playing D&D has helped him discover a love of role playing and acting, and now he’s started working with a local theatre group and has acted in a few plays. He was the first in their relationship to come out to his family, who were completely supportive even if they didn’t quite understand the polyamory thing, and it’s still not uncommon for the whole group to hang out at Mick’s house together because he has the most space.