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+--- Thread: Alexander Knight (/thread-231.html)
Re: Alexander Knight - Alexander Knight - 09-11-2015
Alexander Knight was born in 2022, to Sir Edward Knight, and Caroline Knight, in London. Edward was a famed London banker, a selfish, prideful, but charming man, who had been knighted purely because of his political connection. He managed to cling to some of his wealth and influence when Europe was absorbed into the CCD, giving his family a fairly comfortable life during the recessions.
Alexander never made many friends in his young life. In fact, he was mostly bullied. Instead of lashing back, he quietly accepted the verbal, and later, physical abuse. Instead, he threw himself into his schoolwork, and reading. His father had a very large collection of books, and Alex spent much time in the sanctuary of the local library, away from both the bullies, and his angry, sometimes abusive father. The only time Alex and his father ever got on was when his father would take him out shooting. Knowing the police were failing, and the recession may well equal the end, Edward was determined to teach his son how to defend himself, forcing him to learn how to use the hunting shotguns Edward kept, and also his personal firearm, a custom Colt M1911, one of the Colt Series 20.
Alexander grew, not changing from his introverted self, his father just getting more stressed, and more abusive. Finally, Alex graduated from his 6th form, getting grades good enough to allow him to study Criminology in Oxford. One of his closer friends in secondary school, John, had a long line of police family, and had managed to convince Alex that being a detective would be a good role for him. His father had wanted him to go into politics, but after many arguments, he finally relented.
During his second year, Sir Edward Knight was convicted of fraud and embezzlement, on a scale large enough to lock him away for life. Knowing he would die in jail, he killed himself instead. The family’s funds were immediately taken, mostly everything gone. The long suffering Caroline kept the guns, some books, and enough funds to set herself up in a tiny terraced house, while Alex could search for a job. Alexander was forced to drop out of Oxford, but using his friend’s family, his own father’s connections, and his intelligence and competence, he managed to gain a job as a detective in the Metropolitan Police, earning enough to look after the two of them.
Alexander quickly became disenfranchised with the Metropolitan Police, realising how underfunded, and largely useless it was. Alexander’s quiet enthusiasm earned him respect from the Chief Detective, until, two years into the job, a terrible accident happened on a case.
Alexander and his partner, his friend John, recently joined the service after passing his own University course, had been tracking a drug ring. Finally finding a warehouse where they suspected a lead was, the two detectives realised they had walked into an ambush. In a fairly long firefight, John was eventually killed. Before Alexander was about to die, he, for the first time, and completely unknowingly, channelled. A fire weave hit a gas main, blowing most of the building up. Alex was the only survivor, relatively unscathed.
Everyone, including Alex, was under the impression that something to do with the guns, or an explosive, had set it off. He put the Sickness ten days later down to PTSD over John, and killing what was looking to be around ten gang members. While it was swept under the rug, and the Chief Detective was willing to keep Alex on, Alexander just couldn’t take the guilt of knowing that he caused the death of John, leading him into that trap, and all the people caught in the explosion.
Alex has been doing odd jobs around the city, never staying in one place too long, still wracked by guilt over what happened, and unsure what to do with his life.
Alexander is mentally gifted; intelligent and meticulous, he has a sharp mind, quick to analyse situations. He is also fairly quiet, and softly spoken; in truth, an introvert. However, he can also be fairly quick to anger, and can get passionate then, finally raising his voice. Alex can come across as cold and harsh, but that is merely down to his uncertainty in talking with people he doesn’t know, and to those who are close to him, he is a kind, generous, warmhearted person, rarely holding grudges. He also has a sharp tongue, relying on sarcasm a lot, and rarely slows down for others to catch up, though not maliciously, even if that does add to the rudeness he unknowingly gives off. Alexander has a passion for reading, history, and when he can, shooting.
He is a tall, standing at 6’2”. He keeps fit, mainly through running, and home workouts, and has a toned and lean body. His face is fairly long, with a serious look to it, and a strong, long nose too. His eyes are a light blue that borders on grey, and his hair is a dark brown, longer than average. He keep a small beard, never really going past stubble. Alex is fairly formal in his attire, rarely straying out of shirts, trousers, boots, and some kind of jacket.
Alexander is a Channeller, although he does not know it yet. He has already had his Awakening, but did not realise at the time that it was that. His block is a big one; he can only Channel if his life is in absolute danger, and there is a real possibility of death.