Profile SYM-177: Vasilius

Having had a bit of a rough start, Vasilius has spent most of his life relying on appearances and social strategies to get by. Growing up poor and being left to his own devices for the most part, he eventually found that being carefully selective with words, tone and appearances can often get you further in life than the alternatives. Because of this, Vas has grown into a highly charismatic, flirty, but often cold individual. 

Vasilius is Tao's older sibling, and has taken somewhat of a parental role over him as they were abandoned by both of their biological mothers at a very young age. While Tao insists he doesn't need to be looked after and that he's just fine on his own, Vasilius still worries. There have been times when Tao hasn't come home at night as planned, and has later been found sleeping soundly by himself in the middle of a nearby forest (much to the relief of his frantic older brother.) This has caused Vas to overthink his role as a parental older sibling, and constantly be convinced that he's not doing a good enough job. When Tao was younger, Vasilius saved up and gifted him with a set of jingling holiday bells to affix to his antlers so that Vas could hear him better when he wandered - and while their effectiveness in this area was always debatable, Tao still wears the very same bells to this day.

Vasilius and Tao's only known blood-related family member is Mona, who is their half-sister. As Mona was raised in an entirely separate situation from Vasilius and Tao, Mona was given far more opportunities to get ahead in life by means of a family wealth that her two brothers simply never had. When they are together, Vasilius will always try to be civil and kind to Mona, but his deep-set envy of her privilege (and resentment toward their mutual estranged mother) tends to get in the way more often than not. As she and Tao get along just fine in contrast, Mona doesn't seem to understand why Vasilius can have such a temper toward her, and their relationship has always been strained because of this.

Vasilius visits the Remembrance Festival every year to lay flowers in the water in bittersweet rememberance of their mothers and his childhood that he tends to look back on with mixed feelings. While Tao eagerly looks forward to the Festival, Vasilius always dreads the event and the inevitable questions that come with it - was their leaving somehow his fault? Vasilius mourns his parents as though they have died, but has no real knowledge of where they went, why they left or if they still exist out there somewhere and occassionally think of him. These unknowns tear him up inside greatly, and he constantly struggles to stay present whenever the topic of family is brought up in conversation. Vasilius doesn't talk much about these feelings however, as he's committed to preserving Tao's innocent nature and contrasting fondness toward what little he remembers of his childhood and estranged parents.

In the way of employment, Vasilius has always done whatever it takes to make ends meet. He grew up working as many odd jobs as he could physically manage, but when things got hard for him and his brother, he eventually resorted to stealing in order to survive. Once he was of age however, he took up a bartending job in the Northern City which allowed for a slow but steady transition into a better network of connections. Currently, Vasilius works delivery for a small high-end bakery gig owned by Mikon on the outskirts of the city, a job which he enjoys thoroughly as it keeps him social and gives him a routine. As someone who has had general issues with authority all his life, Vasilius has come to appreciate the relaxed environment it provides and the independence it gives him between deliveries.

When not at work or at home, Vasilius can often be found in the party scene, sometimes even mingling with Symprites of status. His innate talent for smooth talk and maintaining a sharp outward appearance has fooled many into believing he's part of circles he has no real place in, but has also netted him some genuine higher-status friendships that he’s managed to maintain over time.