OOC: Phineas Gale (Background & History)

[phineasgale]

B A C K G R O U N D & H I S T O R Y

 Phineas has been around as long as anyone can remember. He practically predates living memory, excluding his own. Although he appears to be in his early seventies, local gossip has it that he’s much, much older than that. No one knows exactly how old, however, and Phineas likes it that way. No one has ever looked him up in the genealogy books to check, probably because he’s had the role of town genealogist for decades, and anyone wanting access to all the information would have to go through him first (apart from information about the two big families, since they likely keep records of their own).
In reality, Phineas is the longest-lived siren in town. He was alive (though in his adolescence) during the great feud that took place between the Thorntons and the Coombs. He even has distant childhood memories of the town before the Coombs arrived, when the sirens roamed as they pleased. He watched as the infamous courtship between Viviana and Jonatan took place, and was there when it all fell apart. He was on the front lines when the town burned, and although no one ever remembered it, he spent most of that time dragging victims out of the flames. To this day he has severe burn scars on the back of his right leg, from the one time he was too late to rescue a victim.
Shortly after the town was rebuilt, Phineas left Siren Cove for many years, striking out on his own in a sailboat and living by sailing from safe harbour to safe harbour. By the time he returned Jonatan Thornton’s children had grown into young adults, and people barely remembered Phineas except as the quiet young man who’d always loved books and poetry and was a fair hand with a rope. He doesn’t bring up his travels spontaneously, but is generally happy to talk about his experiences if people ask, with some of the more revealing details omitted. Of course, almost no one asks these days…As far as anyone knows, Phineas has never been married or shown any interest in a romantic relationship in all his life.

P E R S O N A L I T Y

On the outside, Phineas enjoys giving the illusion of being a doddering old man. He encourages people not to take him seriously by affecting a certain level of quiet eccentricity in his everyday life. He styles himself a very good listener, and people often feel drawn to confide in him when they’re having personal problems.
Phineas himself is as sharp-witted as he ever was. He listens far more than he talks, and he misses very little that goes on in his general vicinity. He’s made a life out of going quietly about his business and amassing all the information he can get his hands on. He keeps a meticulous diary, complete with names and dates of all events, important and seemingly mundane. His philosophy in life is that all information has its uses and so he collects it obsessively.
Unfortunately, Phineas is his own worst enemy, in some ways. He’s cultivated the habit of secrecy, tends to keep to himself, and so combined with his particular powers, this has made him rather lonely. Lately he’s been finding himself craving company more than usual, perhaps due to advancing age, or who knows what. All he knows is that more and more often his evenings feel drawn out and empty, whereas before they were filled with contentment.

O P I N I O N O F T H E R I V A L R Y

Phineas has Very Strong Feelings about the rivalry. He was there for its inception, and as far as he’s concerned it’s all on the Coombs. Siren Cove was doing just fine before these upstarts came in with their witchcraft and their new money and ruined everything for everyone. Sirens used to be able to go about their business without being troubled, but ever since the Thorntons got a bee in their bonnet about the Coombs and witchcraft, sirens also came under scrutiny. There’s no love lost between Phineas and either of the two large families, but he keeps his own counsel and tries not to be too vocal about it. After all, the violence has long since died out, and he knows all too well the price that will be paid if it ever flares up again.

L I F E S T Y L E

Phineas runs a small shop. It began solely as a bookshop, but has since expanded a little to include some eccentric odds and ends, curiosities and antiquities and the like. He’s converted the front counter to double as a tobacconists’ shop and sells a few convenience items as well. He has a small nook in the back with comfy chairs and, as a concession to modernity, a Keurig coffee maker.
The building which houses his shop also doubles as his home. The entire rear half of the one-story building is a comfortably furnished house filled with books and papers and various odds and ends that Phineas acquired from his travels. Visitors to his house are few, but the rooms are overflowing with lovingly tended potted plants and flowers. He collects memorabilia from travellers and friends as well, keeping the best curios for himself and selling the rest in his shop. He himself rarely steps foot out of Siren Cove anymore, having had his fill of travels in his younger days. Travel is a young man’s game, is what he likes to say.
Currently he shares his house and his shop with six domestic cats of varying sizes and colour, all of whom spend their days sleeping on various shelves or in baskets set out specifically for this purpose. Phineas tends to collect cats, and never has less than five in his company at any given time, usually more. He doesn’t feed the stray cats in town, but he is known by the local veterinary clinic for being a one man catch-neuter-release program. If he happens upon a stray he’ll bring it in to the veterinary clinic and pay for the cat to be spayed or neutered, then releases the cat to go about its business in town after spending a few days convalescing in his home. Often enough the cats choose to stay where it’s warm and there’s free food, but he doesn’t keep them by force. They just seem to naturally gravitate toward him.
On Mondays Phineas closes the shop. He’ll use this time to go for walks, weather permitting, or to visit the handful of people he considers friends, or at least close acquaintances. He’s a creature of routine, stopping at the same watering holes at the same time, mostly ordering the exact same thing off the menu. It’s on Mondays that it’s easiest to find a quiet moment to talk to him about whatever might be on one’s mind at the time.

P O W E R S & A B I L I T I E S

Siren. Phineas has two peculiar characteristics. The first is that he ages very, very slowly. In his “natural” state, he doesn’t look much over 50, but he dyes his hair and purposefully alters his appearance in subtle ways to appear older than he is.
The second is that he tends to go unnoticed by people. It’s not that they can’t see he’s there, but rather that their attention tends to wander unless they really force themselves to pay attention to him. When people aren’t around him, they won’t ever think of him unless they are reminded. It’s how he’s managed to stay in town for going on two centuries without anyone ever questioning how he’s still alive after all this time. (As mentioned previously, he also dyes his hair to make himself look older than he is so people don’t question his appearance too much after all this time). The only exception to this is the Matriarch, because, well, she’s the Matriarch. You don’t mess with that. She’s probably the closest thing he has to a friend, and they are in each other’s confidence for most things.