Joshua

Acolhedor

• Reading the following information isn't a necessity. I just typed it all up for fun.

  
  

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  Josué Artur de Bragança Vieira e Tovar was born to Antónia de Bragança e Vieira and Geraldo Artur Tovar, Visconde de Molelos, some twenty-five years ago. His mother comes from a long line of human shapeshifters, all of whom favor the forms of various reptiles. However, Josué's father has always left people guessing. At first sight, the man is nothing short of human, but he does have a tendency to wear scales at the dinner table. Being that Geraldo was adopted, not much is known about his origins. Whether Josué’s father is a shapeshifter, gifted with the ability of illusion, or simply the cobra he claims to be has never been confirmed—and likely never will be.
  
  The product of two prominent families, it was decided the day of his birth that Josué would one day inherit his father's title of Visconde de Molelos. The decision was made not because Josué is the oldest male of all his father's legitimate children but due to his mother's social standing. Every woman from whom Geraldo has claimed a child is of noble standing. Antónia just so happens to have ties to their homeland’s royal family.
  
  While she officially holds no title, Antónia is the oldest cousin to the current royal house: the king, and the king’s two siblings. The king’s marriage has produced no children thus far. To ensure that someone of the royal bloodline will inherit the throne, an order of succession has been put in to place. His mother has been passed over due to age and other conditions, but Josué is currently sixth in line for the Portuguese throne.
  
  A need to remove himself from the shadow of his mother’s family occasionally arises. In order to do so, Josué has adopted the practice of using a simpler, “English” version of his name: Joshua Arthur Tovar. It is easier for most to pronounce and relieves him of many complications in his travels. Only when playing the role of an ambassador or mingling with individuals of the right social circles does he readily offer up his given name and title.
  
  

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  One of the many things Josué prides himself on is his figure. He is a man that takes great care to be mindful of his hygiene and presentable at all times. Image can be everything, and his standing is oftentimes affected by the perception of others. While he feels the need to dress as his station dictates, there are aspects of his appearance on which he will not yield.
  
  He is considered to be of good stock, not just socially but in his inherited looks as well. While many of his facial features are obtained from his mother, he is lucky enough to be blessed with his father’s build and height. Josué is nothing to scoff at. Standing at three inches over the six foot mark and weighing in at just over two hundred pounds, the snake is all broad shoulders and muscle. His tone is not at all pale and a far cry from that of an olive hue. However, he is just the right color that the scars upon his legs from a childhood assault can be felt but are difficult to see.
  
  Josué’s most notable features, in his own opinion, are his hair and eyes. His eyes are a violet that some swear seem to glow, but it is that mane of pink that he takes the most pride in. Oftentimes held back in a ponytail with the ribbon of the day, his hair falls just past the line of his firmly-shaped backside when left down. It is kept washed, conditioned, and trimmed, though he has been the victim of the occasional strand falling out of place. If ever there is a topic he will gladly discuss, it is that the carpet does, indeed, match the drapes.
  
  

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  Geraldo (59) is a man that has had far too many children. If one were to make an easy guess, it would be fair to say that his bastards are more numerous than the hundred or so whores it is confirmed he has slept with. He is a vile man, quickly tempted toward anger, insatiable in many things and inconsiderate of his family or any of the five women he has seen fit to marry. Every wife, spare his second, who met an unfortunate and bedridden end due to disease, has been rid of by way of divorce. Already Geraldo is preparing for his sixth marriage. He may be getting older, and his women younger, but he seems to have no intention of slowing down.
  
  Antónia (42) is nothing more than a pitiful reflection of the beautiful woman she once was. She is mad and whether or not that madness is hereditary or just her own is a question left without an answer. For her own protection and that of the people around her, Antónia is kept locked away. It is not an institution that holds her but instead half an entire wing in the Tovar family's largest and most unused manor. There she has quiet, servants, and nurses to keep her company. Josué will pay her the occasional visit, but those have grown fewer and further between. Her care is, perhaps, Geraldo's only kindness, though hardly done out of love.
  
  Josué did not gain his title through birthright but rather by preference. He is the third child born of the six his father has acknowledged. While others surely exist, they do not claim the Tovar family name and will be shunned if ever there is an attempt to do so. The six legitimate children of the Tovar household have one thing in common: they have all taken to their 'English' names more often than not.
  
  Estela (30), often referred to by the simpler Estelle, is his older sister and possibly the sibling Josué is closest to. She is sweet, motherly, and has made herself an adoring companion and mother within her station as a Duke's wife. Estela is the mother of four—three boys and one girl, all shamelessly spoiled by their Uncle Josué.
  
  Mateus (28), better known as Matthew, is bitter. Due to Mateus being older, their father's title of Visconde de Molelos should have been his and not Josué's by birthright. While they are not estranged, they are most certainly not close or even on decent speaking terms.
  
  Rosalina (15), or Rosaline, is a Tovar twin and one of Josué's younger sisters. She is cute and sweet, still so young and possibly the only innocent still left within the family. Rosalina is the good girl that stays out of trouble as far as anyone knows.
  
  Amélia (15) is Rosalina's twin. When something is broken or otherwise goes wrong, it is usually Amélia who is blamed. That is the story the twins stick to: Amélia is the troublemaker and Rosalina is an angel. Josué would swear he is the only one to know different. The twins are nearly impossible to tell apart, but they do have a few differing quirks that Josué has discovered.
  
  Francisco (12), Francis by demand, is possibly the most horrific child Josué has ever met. He is the youngest of the family, so far, and intends to remain that way. Though Francisco is neither evil nor rowdy, it is his goal to try and find a way to prevent their father from ever marrying again. Another marriage would likely result in another child, and Francisco does not want that.
  
  

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  From the age of three, Josué was bombarded with one instructor after another. When old enough, the snake's father saw fit to send him off to a private educational facility. In addition to a formal education, tutors that specialized in various subjects, predominantly languages, were kept on the family payroll. Josué's father was provided an extensive education and was determined his son would have the same. The former Visconde of Molelos made certain to expose his chosen heir to as much as possible from academics to culture.
  
  Until Josué began to travel, he hadn't put much of what he learned from school and his tutors into practice. Conversing with those of other territories sharpened his language skills. If he can speak a language fluently, he can both read and write in it the same. Linguistics can only do so much for a person, however. Josué has found that real education derives from life's many experiences. To really learn about the people around him, how to talk to them, and how to manipulate them, he needs to experience all there is in their world. The snake takes every opportunity to do this.
  
  Josué has never held a real job. An unfortunate accident was the cause of his father stepping down from his position as Visconde and bestowing the title upon Josué. To his peers, the snake does nothing more than travel from time to time to keep up appearances. However, he is a man that knows better than to rely on his status alone to get him by. By making a point of acquainting himself with both individuals of honest means and shady characters of questionable origins, he has established a long list of connections. In recent times, Josué has found a use for those connections: acquisitions. Rare materials are not so difficult to come by when one knows the right people. The requests of most clients require Josué to troll the black market. He is careful in his ventures and makes sure to cover his tracks with more legitimate business transactions.
  
  

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  Throughout his life, Josué has been faced with many situations that have been both enjoyable and miserable for him. Though some moments were much more enjoyable than others, each circumstance has helped to shape him in to the man he has become. While each situation is reacted to and handled accordingly, Josué has learned to appreciate what each experience has managed to teach him. There is always a lesson in everything that happens. That is not to say he always agrees with how things work, but they certainly have a lasting effect.
  
  One thing to note that Josué will rarely discuss is his dislike of fish. It is an aversion as irrational as some fears tend to be. A swim in potentially dangerous water as a child led to a “lucky” encounter with a shark. He survived and his injuries left only a few scars. However, it is an experience that gave him nightmares for years. Josué decided long ago that any creature of the sea should be prepared to receive disdain for the actions of one.
  
  The one thing that Josué fears above all else is becoming his mother. Once a strong-willed and respected member of high society, the woman is now little more than a nuisance in the eyes of her family. Her mind is all but gone. The snake fears that it will one day be his burden to inherit not only her care but eventually the same illness of the mind that plagues her every day. It has been made clear that, if ever he showed signs of suffering the same fate, he be killed right then and there. Josué would rather be dead than face the idea of a future where he will forget who he is and everything he stands for.
  
  

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  Josué is not as complicated a man as some people would believe him to be. He wants few things out of life. Every action, every decision, he makes is dictated by the desired end result that is his goal. That being said, the visconde will frequently indulge in small, fleeting pleasures. The three things that Josué holds to most often are money, sex, and survival.
  
  Greed is a vice the snake has never been able to fully break away from. Both his station of power and monetary security are established, but he is a firm believer of there never being enough money. While he will not hurt anyone, steal directly, or otherwise take the 'easy' route to further himself, there is no doubt that he will use any loophole possible so long as no physical harm is involved. When it comes to the after-effects of someone being cheated out of their money—a good deal of the time through relatively legal means—Josué will rarely feel guilt and, thus, will find few reasons to apologize.
  
  Like many men before him, and many that will follow, Josué has repeatedly fallen prey to his more carnal desires. He does so willingly and with varying levels of restraint. He finds few real pleasures in life, and sexual gratification is one he is very unlikely to give up. By no means is Josué oversexed. Self-control is not lacking when he needs it the most. At any time he pleases, he can tell himself 'no.' While he is very open-minded when it comes to an individual, Josué does have preferences. Outwardly, there are times when his preferences are questionable to the public eye. In reality the visconde's inclinations favor those of the same sex. However, he, above all other things, seeks someone who can actually meet his strength and present him with a challenge. In that respect, the sex of his partner is not an issue. He has seen many women knock their men down with seemingly little effort, whether physically, with words, or simple willpower. Strength trumps all.
  
  When Josué finds that he likes something, it is rare that his mind changes. His likes are based on things that have given him even the most miniscule and fleeting moments of pleasure. A great many of them are things he can often indulge himself in with little effort—foodstuffs, items of moderate monetary value, companions, and so on and so forth. Just about anything that Josué either dislikes or fears are based in past experiences as well. The one exception is his fear of losing his title, which the snake clings to for purposes of security and standing. Someone who has succumbed to greed and must feed that addiction needs a way to do so; his title allows him that freedom. Josué grips tightly at bad experiences and holds grudges for indefinite amounts of time. Because of this, first impressions made upon him are potentially forever damning.
  
  Josué is a man that values his privacy. Very rarely will he openly discuss the promises he has made to himself or the honor code he holds himself to. His sense of honor is obscure, but he remains faithful to it nonetheless. There are several occasions, when deemed ‘socially acceptable’ to do so, on which Josué will tell white lies or twist words to ease the atmosphere and sometimes raise a threat. When possible, the snake avoids making waves with those of any court. Betrayal is something he himself detests, so he will not betray those that he holds dear. That is not to say he has not crossed a few bridges in his friendships that others would not dare to consider. Josué would like to say that when he crosses a line, there are most certainly extenuating circumstances. While that is not always true, the snake does first consider the consequences of his actions before he proceeds.