1) Appearance: Aries is a young man in his late twenties, a lithe but toned figure standing at around 175cm tall. Owing to extensive cybernetic and aesthetic surgeries, his face and figure are modelesque, nearing perfection in such a way that would be impossible naturally. Yet while some strive for flawless perfection, Aries stopped just short, knowing many find attraction in unique flaws and find the truly flawless to look uncanny. Though often concealed with sunglasses, he has hazel-blue eyes, a permanent reminder that he is his mother's son and a reminder that he can be better than she ever was. He has short brown hair, always combed and groomed neatly. Owing to his cousin's connections and mother's credit card, his wardrobe is made up of some well-tailored items from luxury brands, and many cheaper pieces that failed to see the rack due to minor defects. Aries puts great stock into his appearance and, while some may call him vain, the results speak for themselves.
2) Personality: After years of practice and a bit of artificial augmentation, Aries exudes charm and projects confidence so well that he even believes it. Rubbing elbows with big wigs and influencers has taught him the art of schmoozing, and he's become fluent in bullshit when needed. Despite this, he tries to not come across as arrogant, always quick to apologize if he does. He can also be blunt and snarky, not taking the synthetic, overly manufactured nonsense of the city seriously. He does revel in attention though, desperately trying to fill a subconscious void he's felt since childhood.
However, when he becomes focused on his job, he knows when to sit back and observe, and when to slip away quietly. Though as ambitious as everyone in the high-stakes corporate field, he looks at someone like his mother not as an idol or goal, but a warning sign: one who threw away everything for their career. He wants to do better and be better. Overall, he's somewhat closed off and cold about his personal life and his past, but some details make his heart flutter and he can't help but share with a beaming grin. Even with his exterior seeming suspicious or manufactured, he cares deeply for his loved ones and wants to do them proud.
3) Early Life: Aries was born to Veridia Novak, not a product of love or careless fun, but a calculated and fatherless move. Veridia, then a middle manager for the Consumer Marketing Department, saw opportunity in having a child and chose the route of artificial insemination. Roughly nine months after choosing a suitable, and anonymous, selection, Aries was born. As Veridia tells it, she chose the name from a Top 12 Most Powerful Men in the FRA list. In actuality, this was a list of horoscopes and she failed to notice that one of the "men" was named Cancer. But, the name stuck and suited the young boy. The first several years of his life were full of naive wonderment, with Aries unaware that he was practically a trophy for her. She bragged about his school achievements, praised her parenting, and often went off about how she was adored. And Aries did love her for a time, unaware of just how superficial and manufactured her returned affection was.
His life was thrown into a whirl when he was fourteen, however. One evening, Veridia mentioned that it was nearly time for the annual Novak Mother/Son photo. In defiant teen angst, Aries proclaimed that he didn't want to do it anymore and Veridia's ego-driven panic caused tensions to boil over. The shouting match culminated in Veridia slamming her door and retreating into her room. She reemerged an hour later, after a glass of chardonnay and an alprazolam, and promptly told Aries that she didn't want to be his mother anymore and forced him out the door. Catching a ride on public transit, he made his way to his aunt and uncle's house elsewhere in the plaza. Naturally, they assumed Veridia had simply had a bad night and would be by in the morning to pick up their son. Instead, they found all his belongings neatly shipped to their doorstep, a note attached: He's your problem now.
4) Perfect Imperfections: The first several weeks were isolating; though his family would check up on him, he still rarely left his new room. Teenage turmoil intermingled with an existential crisis, something his young brain was wholly unequipped to deal with. How could anyone come to terms with what his mother had told him? Yet in the pain, he eventually came to a realization: maybe he was better off without someone so heartless and cruel. Little by little, he'd inch out of his bedroom and be faced with a relatively novel concept to him: unconditional love. In few month's time, he had mostly adapted to living with his extended family, fitting their dynamic, and actually feeling as thought he belonged. Though the fresh scars of his abandonment would still ache every now and again, he found he had a support system that he had never had before, with the exception of hired help.
As the years passed by, Aries fell into an ordinary routine again: school, sports, clubs, dating, and the looming existential dread of the rest of his life and what he was to do with himself. His oldest cousin Avalon was in her last year of fashion school, while Caspian was in his first year studying exercise science. Yet, he lacked any sufficient passion for a single core area. Media was too broad, entertainment too corrupt, and he found political science to be a joke given the state of the republic. Then, one day, a large sum was deposited into his account with a short note included: I am told that you do not know what to do with your life. I suppose I will make this easy for you. Take this amount and enroll in the Shinji Holz School of Marketing. Study hard, and perhaps we might make something out of you.
He read the sender, mouth agape as tears welled up in his eyes. His heart ached, yet he felt a glimmer of hope and a sense of longing he hadn't felt for years. Signed, Veridia Novak, VP Consumer Marketing, KCAI. And so, he buried his pain and held onto that hope. Following the instructions, he enrolled at the university. The next years seemed to fly by, his adolescent yearning fueling him as he largely kept his nose in the books and spared little time for his own social life. The day of his graduation, he looked to the crowd and saw his family there, seated near a familiar woman: his mother. She mustered a smile and spoke few words: See me in my office next week.
5) Mother Knows Best: His nerves were trembling as he rode the elevator up the Callaghan Building. His stomach lurched as it suddenly came to halt, the doors opening into the Consumer Marketing Department. A too-friendly receptionist and lukewarm coffee later, and he was led to his mother's office. He sat in a chair across from her desk, taking in the room: degrees, awards, and a sole photo of him in his graduation attire, the photography studio's watermark outing its nature as a sample print. Veridia did not waste any time with small talk and pleasantries, treating the exchange almost like an interview with a complete stranger. Toward the end, he asked why she had abandoned him, to which she bluntly stated that she did not wish to speak of the past. Yet, she spoke four words that made his body feel numb, a sensation that blurred the lines between good and bad: I'm proud of you.
Aries joined the department under Veridia, mostly acting as a personal assistant to her for a time under the guise of training. In actuality, he was being observed and subtlety manipulated to raise his opinion of her, to make him forget about their past because his mother was there now. And she was proud of him, a phrase that became a commonplace trigger in their interactions. She did, however, train him still, but not in pivot tables, corporate branding, or SWOT analyses. Instead, he was taught the gift of gab and the art of blending in. Though unaware of it at the time, he was being groomed for a new role under the department.
6) Glitz and Clamour: elite espionage
7) Call to Action: As the years went by, Aries consistently earn high marks on his annual performance reviews, even after being adjusted for nepotism, favoritism, and the various intoxication levels of his supervising staff. His espionage work in the marketing department earned a high return on investment, in one way or another, and gradually caught the attention of higher-ups. It began with an email to Veridia, the head of his department, informing her of their desire to transfer Aries to another department. Aries never heard word of this, however, until he was cornered by Wescott's assistant in an elevator and given an offer. After a few days of deliberation, he reached back out and accepted.
The adjustment to the new position was stressful, with Wescott leaving little room for failure despite such a dramatic role shift. While previously working alone and relying on his own wits and will to survive, he found himself thrown into a role of unfamiliar cooperation.
1) Aries wants to live free from his mother's influence and focus on a life with those who truly care for him.
2) I'd like to have fun with the cyber system and learn more about hacking, since Reiji won't really be doing either.
1) Aries has kept a book of blackmail material from his espionage work under Consumer Marketing. Notably, he's also kept information on his mother. This book is mostly kept as a contingency, and he's not had to leverage any information in it yet.
2) Veridia Novak, his mother, actively tried to prevent Aries' promotion to the CRD, preferring to keep him under her department and, more importantly, her influence. To her, keeping tabs on her child and having a personal lapdog mattered more than his own success.
1) Jett Sinclair is a C-list actor and Aries' boyfriend of nine months. The two first met at a movie premiere for a mediocre midseason horror/thriller named Hazard Lights. It barely broke even in the box office, and critics quickly noted the surprising level of homoerotic subtext. Jett starred as the deuteragonist, and was nominated for an award as the producer slept with a judge. Aries was unknowingly seated next to Jett during the showing, and muttered Damn, that guy's hot during one scene. Jett replied Eh, he's alright and Aries looked over to give a scowl before realizing. After the showing, the two talked more over drinks until Jett finally asked him out. Nine months later, and they're still together. He is sweet, spontaneous, and fairly lowkey. He's fairly private with his personal life and mindful of paparazzi, so his relationship is not widely publicized.
2) Avalon and Caspian Novak are Aries' cousins and practically older siblings to him. Being an only child, Aries didn't get the experience of siblings at home for the first several years of his life. Still, he would see them on holidays, birthdays, and "Mommy needs a break" days and grew close with them by the year. After being kicked out by his mother, the cousins quickly adapted to Aries living with them and the dynamic shifted. Avalon became the concerned and caring big sister with a boundless heart, and Caspian the fun and bold big brother who was always ready to distract Aries from his headache. Even in adulthood, the two are very protective and loving of him, and Aries appreciates and loves them in return. The three still have brunch together every week, on top of other family meals. Avalon is a successful fashion designer working for Nocturne, a luxury fashion brand under the KCAI umbrella. Caspian is a manager and personal trainer at Tyrannosaurus Flex, a gym themed after the prehistoric dinosaur age of Old Earth where through virtual reality and haptic technology, visitors can jog through an approximation of this era... or sprint from rapidly approaching carnivores.
3) Veridia Novak is Aries' mother and the Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Kurosawa-Callaghan. She is somewhat superficial and cold, with any motherly love and affection coming across as purely transactional. Though seemingly loving and doting while he was a child, he learned later in life that this was done entirely for appearances and the attention she'd receive. The two have had a tense relationship since she kicked him out when he was 14, having outlived his juvenile cuteness and obedience. Since he reached adulthood and she no longer had to deal with the responsibility of being a mother, Veridia attempted to reconnect and pull him back into her influence, using familial bonds to sway him into being a loyal tool. Though uneasy around her, he has generally tolerated her while trying to keep his own independence.
4) Vespera Vale, known mononymously as Vespera, is a famed singer, model, and attempted actress in New Sevastopol. Nicknamed the Queen Wasp by local media, she's made a living and generated buzz with her dangerous good looks, melodious voice, and her venomous stings against those who she feels wronged her. While some act as a diva as part of their stage persona, Vespera lives it, and she is an icon whom people either love to hate, or hate to love. She is arrogant, media-savvy, and deft at crafting a narrative that suits her. Aries first met her at a charity gala to benefit "dogs and cats that don't look dismal enough to be adopted." It was arranged by her publicist to counteract a brewing scandal, and Aries infiltrated it to get dirt on attendees. The two had an unpleasant interaction after she threw a drink in his face and slapped him for a paparazzi shot. She tried to brush it off as giving exposure, but an argument brewed. They've butted heads at events since.
1) Aries vividly remembers the night his mother essentially abandoned him, and the pain he felt. Pounding on the door to be let back in til the lights turned off. Tears as he made his way to his relatives' house. The dumbfounded yet sympathetic expressions on their face the morning after. Despite his confidence and growth as an adult, he still remembers the heartache and it remains one of his biggest vulnerabilities.
2) After listening to one too many podcasts during the boring part of social functions, Aries has a growing interest in urban exploration. Though too busy and not quite brave enough to actually do it by his lonesome, he's been fascinated by the stories, believable or paranormal, surrounding the exploration of New Sevastopol's abandoned buildings and structures. He's most curious about seeing the arcologies of Oceania, if work would ever allow him the time. Until then, podcasts like New Sevastospooks, Neon Rust, and Glitch Bitch City are his guilty pleasures.
3) Aries has a tendency to wear sunglasses or visors while in public. While this helps to conceal his identity and disrupt facial recognition, this is merely a side benefit of its real purpose. In actuality, this is a habit born from have heard "you have your mother's eyes" one too many times. For years, he hated such a comparison tying him to her and tried to conceal it to never hear those words again. Though his eyes were replaced with synthetics, he's kept both the color and the habit, unable to truly part with either.
Family: Veridia Novak is the sole immediate family that Aries has, with her choosing artificial insemination rather than risk her career with insignificances like romance. He does however have an uncle and aunt, Dorian and Juno Novak, and cousins Avalon "Ava" and Caspian. He lived with them through adolescence and considers them his family more than his mother.
Class: For the first several years of his life, Aries was firmly among the elite class, with his mother being an executive for KCAI. Living with his uncle's family, he fell more into upper-middle class, and has lived a middle-class life since adulthood.
Profession: Aries is currently an agent for KCAI's Conflict Resolution Department, having risen through the ranks of the company and promoted from his "official" role as an Influencer & Events Marketing Analyst. In reality, his role was espionage on high-profile consumers and events.
Institutions: For most of his life, Aries has been a part of the Kurosawa-Callaghan corporate sphere. Aside from that, he's also a fledgling member of the Starlight Arts Foundation, an invite-only organization outwardly for networking in the entertainment industry and for the preservation of the City's cultural arts. Beneath the surface and especially within its upper echelons, it's a front for the ultra wealthy in the industry to consolidate power, indulge in exotic, questionable, or illegal pleasures, and otherwise engage in quid pro quo with one another.
Primary: Money: Having spent time at many a lavish party, Aries knows that money doesn't buy happiness. But unlike the depressed and unsatisfied elites, he has little to compensate for and would rather be happy next to a private pool than in a cramped apartment. As such, he's always after the almighty dollar.
Secondary: Love: Though they've only dated for nine months, Jett is his everything and is finally someone he feels he can truly care for and be his true self with. His love and passions drive him, making him always want to do better and protect that which he cares for.
Tertiary: Attention: Despite being a spy and specializing in the covert, Aries revels in the limelight and loves being the center of attention. Whether this is due to his mother's neglect in his formative years, only a therapist can say.
Short-Term: Aries wants to solidify his position in the CRD and continue his upward trajectory.
Medium-Term: Eventually, and assuming things continue to go well, he'd love to move in with his boyfriend Jett.
Long-Term: Aries wants to amass his riches and enjoy a life contact-free from his mother.
Yana "Mitz" Mieckiwicz:
Kingston “Prince” Holbrook: Aries takes some comfort in having Prince around, knowing the man's a hell of a lot better shot than he is. He does sometimes wish the man would be less stiff and wonders if he could convince Prince to go clubbing some night, just to see what he's really like.
Virginia Wescott: Wescott reminds Aries somewhat of his mother, though not in a creepy or offensive way he'll remind. Both are ambitious and powerful women who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, not caring for burned bridges if it means getting ahead. As a result, he is somewhat fearful of her but extremely careful to stay on her good side.
Anya “Control" Paulsen: Despite being cold and jaded, Aries has an appreciation for how real Anya actually feels compared to the types he's become accustomed to dealing with in the City. He respects her competence and finds the lack of professionalism a bit refreshing.
