Theodore Silver

**Biography:** Born the son of a poor bricklayer in a northern coastal settlement named Red Tusk, Theodore always wanted more than he had. He began saving money starting when he was very young, and always had ideas for how to make more of it in ways that didn’t involve the manual labour his father did. When Theodore’s father died when he was thirteen, rather than taking over his business, Theodore hired someone to lay the bricks for him, expanding his financial interests elsewhere, taking risks until he was considerably wealthy by his father’s standards. Theodore had maintained a significant friendship with a slave named Ian, whom he bought, and the two moved to Merket together to pursue Theodore’s dreams of wealth, which were actualized more and more as time went on and his businesses grew. As Theodore grew it became harder to ignore the fact that the objects of his attraction didn’t, and Theodore’s preference for young teenagers put a strain on his relationship with Ian until Ian eventually left, leaving him alone with his staff and slaves to build a financial empire that he would use to begin collecting powerful tools of magic for safekeeping, and to finance other philanthropic works, and to pay for his proclivities as well. Theodore still wants more than he has, and he’s realized by now that he’s always going to want more, no matter how much he obtains.

**Notes:**

* Theodore learned early in life that appearances matter, and so is careful to present the appropriate appearance at all times
* Theodore’s guilt about his attraction to teenagers is mitigated by his belief that he gives them a better life afterwards
* Theodore also draws a moral distinction between his attraction to teenagers and an attraction to prepubescent boys, which he considers distasteful
* Theodore believes that hereditary lordships are an inefficient means of leadership
* Many of Theodore’s partners have suggested that he would have more business opportunities if he moved south to the capital or to Pelican Bay, but he refuses to leave Merket
* Theodore doesn’t regret most of his decisions, but when he is melancholy he will daydream about what his life might have been like if Ian had married him
* Theodore’s interest in magic tools began about ten years ago when an antique jewelry box he bought nearly blew up the market when he opened it, and a man named Adam saved him
* Though it hurts, the pattern of Theodore buying a boy and then the boy eventually leaving is comforting to him. Benedict’s continued presence confuses him and he prefers not to wonder at it
* Theodore does not have a particular interest in art, music or literature, except as status symbols
* As a businessman, Theodore’s work is unparalleled. He is a recognized genius when it comes to financial matters

**Quotes:**

* “I love you, Ian.”
* “This is really ugly. It doesn’t suit you. I’ll get you a prettier one.”
* “You can come back! If you change your mind, I’ll be here! I love you, Ian!”
* “When I show you affection, I expect you to return it.”
* “You can buy anything if you offer enough to the person who currently owns it.”
* “I have a proposition. Let’s play a game, you and I.”
* “Do you know what makes something valuable, Daniel?”
* “Daniel. Why are you crying?”
* “I’m disappointed. I really thought you were clever enough to realize that you were better off with me than anyone else.”
* “We can’t afford to be idealistic when dangerous people have ideals too.”
* “I had considered simply bleeding to death, but I shall take your advice.”
* “Not everything needs to be said aloud for it to be true.”
* “I feel rather strongly that regardless of a person’s intentions, nobody should have the power to destroy a city in their hands.”

**Trivia:**

* Theodore’s mother died giving birth to him
* Theodore’s greatest fear is drowning
* Theodore lost his virginity to a girl named Clarice. He did not particularly enjoy himself
* Theodore was always very intelligent about money and how to make it. At ten years old, he realized that his father could sell him into slavery to better his own circumstances, and wondered why he didn’t until his father died
* Theodore doesn’t like animals. He finds them dirty
* Aside from his first time, Theodore has never had sex with a free person
* Theodore grew up eating seafood and now prefers to avoid it when he can, as it reminds him of his childhood
* When he is alone in bed, Theodore often doesn’t sleep well
* One fantasy that Theodore will never admit having is that he’d like to be with two brothers together. He once had a chance to buy twin boys at the market but passed it up because he was too embarrassed by the urge
* Theodore frequently receives offers of marriage, sometimes even from minor nobility. He has never considered a single one of them

**Modern AU:** Theodore is a rich investor who built himself from the ground up, making news in the business world for coming out of nowhere as a young man and taking over all that he could get his hands on. By all public accounts, he is a scrupulous businessman with a high regard for ethical practice, and is known for donating large sums of money to various charities and holding opulent fundraisers for various good causes. He also fosters disenfranchised boys regularly, though of course very few people know what happens inside his house when nobody except his house cameras are watching. When not playing with money, working with businesses or molesting teenagers, Theodore enjoys reading works of classic literature and watching black and white films.