Character Spotlight 7: Deminos

Okay...to the few readers I have, I am eternally grateful for your patience...and to my shame, I'm going to have to ask for some more.  I've been going through a major flame out lately, with all my energy being poured into an exam I took recently for a certification, so...I've got almost nothing left.  I hope to be back writing at full speed within the next week, but for now, I'm kinda...dead.  I have managed to write up some character spotlights, cause it's just me putting into context what was already written and that's not too hard, but...well, look, the chapter's revisions have already started, I just need some time to finish and edit them.  Still shooting for this next one to be out by the end of April, so fingers crossed on that.  In the mean time, I am sorry.  But here.  Have an analysis of a character I quite enjoy writing for.

Character Spotlight 7: Deminos

            We talked about Daryl last time and how she became more than I intended, and Deminos is in many ways the same.  He was originally meant to be the butt of Gadius's abuse for being a bit waifish and with a feminine body, despite being a guy.  I'm kinda glad we toned that down and gave Deminos a bit more dimension, because he's a character I have grown to become quite fond of.

            Deminos Savant is a 16 year old boy with a very thin, frail, effeminate figure.  He predominantly wears crimson or orange clothes and a cloak which hides his rather frail body.  His right arm is covered in bandages which hides leathery black skin with thorny crags and his nails and fingers are akin to talons, giving his arm a demonic appearance.

            Deminos's frailty is largely due to him being the runt of the litter in his original family, which we'll get into later, and a lack of physical exercise.  Deminos, having a talent for academics, was shipped off to the Goetia Academy, where young men can be trained to conjur Goetians as well as learn the basics of magic.  However, Deminos had trouble with magic largely due to his weak body, because one thing I worry I never properly conveyed is that magic comes from both the world and from inside the body.  It's like using your muscles to lift a heavy item or what have you...you use stored up energy in order to get an effect.  Magic is the same way.    You have to be able to call upon your stored energy, and if you can't store that much, because you haven't exercised or used your body so that it can handle extra energy, then...you're out of luck.  Anyway, Deminos favors conjuration magic over regular elemental or holy magic for this reason...you can summon Goetians without as much energy because you've previously made a contract with them.  Some energy is required to call them across the boundaries of worlds, but it's possible without being too fit.

            Deminos has one large group of Goetians and two individuals under his direct control.  A group of satyrs with a moon crest and polearms, led by a larger, more heavily armed satyr, are both foot soldiers and assistants for Deminos, largely because he appreciates their work and rewards them for it.  He is also able to command Charybdis, a creature that is a gigantic leathery creature that consists of a huge mouth and tendrils which propel it through the soil, which it can swim through like water.  Deminos's final Goetian is Melchom, who is a paymaster, thusly very fond of gold and able to control it, alter its form, and use it to heal himself.  Deminos also has a powerful, dangerous Goetian sealed into his arm, however it is unusable for the most part, unless he removes the seals and accepts that the creature will likely kill him for its service.  However, because of his arm's deformity, Deminos's right arm is stronger, more durable, and less inclined to feeling pain, than a normal human arm.  Alongside those abilities, Deminos can also use basic holy and elemental magic.

            Deminos is best described as a person as insecure.  He has been cast out of most places he calls home, first shipped off to the academy by his family and then the academy dumped him on Aeon due to Deminos being a threat.  As such, he tends to be very critical of himself, fearing failure to such a degree that he will often act recklessly for the sake of proving his worth and not being abandoned again.  Because of his insecurity, Deminos tries to hide it behind arrogance and bravado, however this seldom ever works because of his frail form.  He cannot properly intimidate people and any of the three girls or Acacia's residents can subdue him when magic or Goetians are not involved.  Because Deminos has issues with trust and hides them behind an obnoxious persona, he does not often make friends.  He considers his Goetians friends because they continue to answer his call, even after his expulsion from the academy and they never judge or reprimand him.  They always come to his aid, regardless.  Because of this, Deminos can be very protective of his Goetians, to the point where if they are hurt, even if they are sent back to Goetia to recover, he can go into shock, just as if a regular person/friend were hurt.

            Deminos is ashamed of his actions that led to his arm being deformed and hides it at all cost from those who do not know the story behind it, often touching, stroking, or fidgeting with it when he feels no one is looking.  He fears being treated differently or being seen as a monster, because he has always been looked down on for being weak and does not wish for more reasons for others to hate him.  He isn't used to others accepting him for his flaws or errors, even though most of Acacia does not make a big deal out of it.  While Deminos does feign confidence, he is not a coward.  Deminos is not afraid of fighting or even risking his life if necessary for the few things that matter to him, largely his new friends, his Goetians, or a chance to cure his arm's affliction.  He tends to be a bit reckless in this regard.  In spite of being reckless, Deminos is not stupid and always tries to think his plans through and find the best way to get things done, even if they end up becoming more complicated than originally envisioned.

            Because of his adolescence, Deminos tends to be flippant to those he considers adults, or at least not close to him in age, and seems to not think in regards to how he speaks with others.  He can be respectful when the situation calls for it, however can take for granted those around him so he does not make a habit of being respectful.  Deminos is also very selfish, though this is largely due to his trust issues, making him trust only himself and his Goetians.  While he can empathize with the pains of others, and can even be self sacrificing at times, he sees many things in regard to how they affect him.  In fact, his self sacrifice could be considered part of his selfishness, as he does not want a world without said person/Goetian/etc. to exist.  While a very flawed individual, Deminos does want to open up to others, but has been so hurt and so isolated/ostracized from and by others of similar age to him that it is difficult for him.  I'd also like to add that, while not as apparent as other qualities, Deminos does have something akin to a sense of chivalry.  This is largely based on a principle I myself live by.  It's the, "no one did it for me, so I'll do it for them," idea.  Because he's been hurt so much, Deminos doesn't want others to feel that way, so he won't betray or abandon those who need him.

            One thing that I want to touch on in the future, and which has kinda been touched on, is the fact that Deminos, being 16, is very confused by sexuality, as indicated by his reactions to Kinana, where he is both embarrassed, but also attracted to her.  Deminos has been around a fair bit of women, namely Yuka and the three girls, and it's not just platonic.  Deminos wants to approach them, but is unsure of the best way and instead is working on being comfortable around them.  In the future, I would like to show that there is some attraction, not necessarily love but sexual tension as is common at that age, to further character growth.

            Deminos is conflicted about Aeon.  While Aeon has taught him many things and even helped him form a contract with Melchom, Aeon also puts Deminos through hellish training to help improve his skills.  In many ways, Deminos respects and admires Aeon, but in other ways he feels frustrated by the unrelenting workload and his own failures, so he acts flippantly around the lich.  Despite this, there is an undercurrent of gratitude and a desire to prove himself to Aeon.  Deminos wants to get stronger and to cure himself to prove that Aeon was right taking him in three years previously.  That's right, Deminos has only been with Acacia for three years, making him the youngest member there.  On the whole, Deminos has grown to trust Aeon greatly after the incident in Draconia.  He still doesn't always know how to handle him or if he will be allowed to stay in Acacia for good, but he will help Aeon when he can, follow orders, and try to make the lich proud.

            Apart from Aeon, Deminos's closest relationships on Acacia are Yuka and Vincent.  Yuka, having only recently gotten out of her own adolescence, sees Deminos as a little brother and, while prone to teasing him, also treats him with more respect and trust than most others have, so Deminos is fond of her.  She tends to dote on him a little, but is also more than happy to dish out corporal punishment if Deminos is stupid.  Deminos largely accepts all this because Yuka does not look at him with fear, revulsion or contempt.  She doesn't  care what he looks like or how he acts and just treats him normal...which is kinda what Deminos wants.  Deminos views Vincent as a friend of sorts, but he's more like an administrator or teacher.  Looking out for him, but a bit untouchable.  Deminos respects Vincent and often takes Aeon's orders through him.  Vincent treats Deminos in a kindly manner, however Demino's insecurity and Vincent's status as an overseer for Acacia have prevented them from growing too close.  They can work as a team when necessary and count on one another in times of crisis.

            Gadius, on the other hand, is kind of a polar opposite of Yuka and Vincent.  He's like the big brother who taunts and teases the little brother.  Gadius is in charge of Deminos's physical training to increase the amount of Leyline energy his body can handle and Deminos tends to think the jela-vey is a womanizing fool.  Gadius works Deminos hard and will often tease him, so Deminos bears many feelings of resentment towards the jela-vey.  However, at the same time, he is a little jealous, because of how well liked Gadius is, by the female population of Acacia in particular.  Gadius wishes to toughen up Deminos and does not care about how the boy feels, by and large.  Gadius does not see himself as cruel, but rather as trying to make Deminos strong enough to handle future trials.  Out of respect for Aeon, both will look out for the other, but neither is overtly fond of them.

            Deminos and Nerise have an unusual relationship.  Because Nerise acts as a child, she is more accepting and innocent and so Deminos feels fondness towards her, but also awkwardnes, because she isn't his age group.  Echidna has tried to be motherly towards Deminos, however he is in the stage of development where he's trying to establish his independence and self worth, so he does not interact with Echidna or Dakon much.  He and Dakon will have interaction later, as Dakon trains all members of Acacia in hand to hand combat at certain points so they are not helpless, but he has not been there long enough yet to begin training with Dakon.  Deminos feels more fond of them than Gadius, however, and bears no ill will towards them.  Deminos has had so little interaction with Weiss and Merkel that he doesn't have much of an opinion of either.  He is intimidated by Weiss and annoyed by Merkel's crotchety nature, but doesn't interact with either much, so it matters little to him.  Kinana is a bit of a sore spot for Deminos, as she teases him whenever she is around.  He doesn't hate her, as he is partly attracted to her, but is uncomfortable around her.

            Deminos is slowly growing very close to Celine, Daryl, and Mina.  While originally put off by Celine's rather brusque attitude and Daryl's somewhat elitist nature, he has seen the good sides in both of them.  Mina, while wary at first because of her fright with Aeon, is generally accepting of anyone, so she treats Deminos like a normal person and while Deminos has a hard time accepting that at first, it is what endears her to him.  On the flipside, while Celine has teased him or treated him roughly due to his mistakes or his actions, even attacking him at points, her devotion to her friends, including her unwillingness to leave anyone, even him, behind have won him over.  Daryl, though clearly uncomfortable in regards to his arm, has managed to work around some of her fears to accept Deminos for who he is, which is a start.  Her interest in conjuration and magic in general has also allowed Deminos to feel a bit of pride in his knowledge, so her and Mina's inquisitive nature gives them some common ground for discussion and camaraderie.  Perhaps some of the biggest influences in drawing these four together is the age issue.  The three girls are all 14, with varying degrees of age in between them, while Deminos is 16, so they are closer in age than most of Acacia, and none of them are out of adolescence, so there is room for kinship there.  He wants very much to get closer to all three.  Surviving near death experiences together can do that.

            Ultimately, I consider Deminos very similar to myself in terms of how he had to grow up, though his personality is much different.  He was hurt a great deal in his youth and never really got to feel accepted or loved until his adolescence, so that's warped his sense of self worth and has made him put up emotional barriers in the form of his flippancy or bravado.  Deminos is growth, much like Daryl.  However, where Daryl wants to grow by accepting others, despite their differences, Deminos wants to grow by being more able to accept himself and reach out to others as himself.  He doesn't want to be the smart ass or the flippant jerk or the frail kid who gets teased.  He wants to be okay with himself, hence his desire to cure his deformity, and wants others to see him and accept him.  I really like Deminos in this regard because it's kind of a feeling many of us can relate to, myself in particular.  I really enjoy writing for Deminos, though he can be a bit of an ass at times.  One thing though is you have to balance all your characters and give each big and small moments.  Deminos has a few small moments coming up, since he's already had some big ones.  I hope he grows on others the way he grew on me.