Boz

### Distinctive Marks:

pierced ear (left); prison tattoos: butterfly (nape); rose vine (shoulder, left); Cyrillic text "he who is not with me is against me" x2 (forearm, left); faceless mother and child (lower back, left); cat (stomach, lower left); web-spade (right calf); nautical stars x2 (knees)

**Boz** is a Russian-born contractor for the new Russian mafiya in Black Tears. In addition to his work as a cat burglar, Boz shares the public persona of rock-star magician Angel Phoenix with his twin brother, Kolya.

## History

Boz was born Boris Pavlovich Shcherbarkov, the elder of a pair of twins, to parents Pavel Shcherbarkov and Daniyela Terleyeva in Moscow, Russia. Bright and willful from the word go, and hampered by his father's stubbornness, Boz had a strong sense of what he wanted, and the determination to get it, no matter the cost. A relatively harmless feature in a child that nonetheless got him into trouble. It was during a family trip to the Ukraine that his rebellious streak would spark a chain of events that would forever change his life.

Separated from their parents, a seven-year-old Boz and Kolya turned up half-frozen seventy kilometers outside of Kiev. They were found in a snowbank by a local teenager, who transported them the to (relative) safety of the Kovalenko Orphanage. It was a choice that saved their lives--if only for the moment.

### Survival

The shock of prolonged exposure left the twins with long-lasting consequences, in the form of permanent memory loss. All they remembered was what their parents had called them, and they weren't giving *that* to anyone. Identified somewhat derisively as *blyznyukiv odyn i dva* (twins one and two), the twins lived for six years in the orphanage, where they could not be told apart. It was a state they quickly embraced, remaining silent in the presence of others, and sharing their true selves only with each other. The practice formed a bond between them that would last the rest of their lives.

Their formative years after the orphanage were spent in and out of Russian prisons, from which they soon mastered escaping, perfecting the many arts of thievery as a means to survive. In the process, they became irrevocably codependent, with Boz becoming fixated on Kolya as his only emotional connection. Subsequent interaction with others quickly proved to him that he could trust no one else, and so his attachment deepened, beyond the standard depths of love between siblings. Kolya tolerated it, if only because they so badly needed each other to go on.

### Evolution

The twins survived into their twenties largely by stealing, but skill with their hands developed into an unexpected livelihood when Boz discovered that street-performing in places like Kiev drew an audience, often one with pockets that could be picked. It was in this way that the twins invented Angel Phoenix, a "Ukrainian" magician who would go on to make them jointly famous.

A number of years passed, and the persona of Angel Phoenix would go on to become a superstar, earning Boz and Kolya the money they needed to start an actual life for themselves. But as their stability grew, so too did their boredom. Their habit of picking up anything they could carry evolved into a hobby, with the challenge being in taking things they not only did not need, but had no easy access to. The result was a series of high-profile break-ins along the AP tour-route, with items disappearing, never to be seen again. They really didn't need the money so much as the challenge. It was a hobby that persisted for all the years they toured.

The twins made their eventual home in Miami, Florida, where they briefly became contracted to the Black Tears, a US-branch of the Russian mafia. Boz found himself immediately in love with the States, regularly breaking the twins' own rules to seek out fun and excitement for himself, to Kolya's frustration. He easily made friends and found amusement, all the while remaining vaguely wary of straying *too* far.

## Personality

Obnoxious, headstrong and passionate, Boz is an adventurer, ever open-minded and willing to do whatever it takes for the next great thrill. He lives to entertain, a trait that makes him perfect for the stage. Though often smarter than he looks, Boz is stubborn to the point of selfishness; if he wants something, he gets it, no matter what lengths he has to go to. He tends to be impulsive, often leaping before he deigns to look. At his best, he is charming, protective and gleefully funny. At his worst, he can be hot-tempered, selfish and, at times, a little immature.

Due in part to the rough way he and Kolya grew up, Boz tends to live in the moment, doing what he likes, no matter the consequences--because really, what could be worse than what they've been through? He takes a rather dim view on religion, seeing it as a limiting influence more than one of comfort or guidance, and openly sneers at the concept of consequences after death. The only Hell that exists to Boz is back in the Old Country. Everything else is what you make of it. His humorous, irreverent personality makes it difficult for people to take him seriously; even *Boz* doesn't take himself seriously. He will take any opportunity to duck a serious topic, often with a jibe or a distraction. It's easier to laugh it off than to dwell on the dire reality.

Boz is the mastermind behind Angel Phoenix's most dangerous tricks, and he is proud of it. His hobbies are reading, crossword puzzles, watching TV (in his shorts), drawing, playing video games, and hitting on just about everyone.

### Kolya

Due to the way they grew up, Boz and Kolya are inseparable, in more than one way. Despite being openly pansexual, having taste in just about everyone, Boz has a persistent fixation on his twin brother, Kolya, which he makes no secret of. He is overprotective of him, almost to the point of being controlling, purposely interfering in Kolya's love-life to keep him from moving on. In truth, he is deeply dependent on him--and despite Kolya's objections, that dependence goes both ways.

## Variants

Boz as presented in Black Tears is the "prime" base of a number of variant characters. Many of these are simply himself in other verses, while others are characters in their own right. His major variants are:

* Rhys Kingslayer - a mercenary turned courtesan and supporting character in The Unnamed Story
* Beau Sheridan/"Rebellion" - a destructive superhuman in Heroverse
* The Red Fairy - an immortal Fae caretaker in Sleeping Beauty
* Boz Shcherbarkov Carriero - a teenage version of himself from Bubbleverse