Simon and Cyrus Ettinger

[Simon and Cyrus Ettinger]

The Basics

Name: Simon and Cyrus Ettinger
Nicknames: Si/Cy
Age: 34 (June 2, 1985)
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Orientation: The Ettinger brothers have split orientations and find it more convenient to identify as bisexual and biromantic than to have the complicated discussion about their specific identities, particularly as most people are unaware of their situation.
Desired Rank/Job: Biology Teacher
Powers: Receptive Telepathy (S+C), Receptive Empathy (S+C) and Emotional Manipulation (C)
Play By: Matthew Goode

The Details

Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Blue

Height: 6' 2"

Any Piercings? None (Cyrus lost the coin toss)
Any Tattoos? None
Any Scars? Yes, on the arms primarily, concealed by sleeves
General Appearance: At first glance, one might not see much to separate the Ettinger brothers from one another, although they stand out in a crowd nonetheless. They are tall and lithe with a runner’s body: long limbs, muscled legs, and a bit of tone in the chest although this is privy typically only to those invited to see them without a shirt, or who spend time with them at the pool. Their proportions were made for formalwear in particular, and they have yet to find an article of clothing in their size that failed to dazzle. Cyrus thrives on the attention and might pose if asked nicely.

More noticeable than the body is the face. Their features, taken together, leave them handsome enough to get dates on their merits: thick dark hair that has yet to thin even a fraction despite leaving their twenties behind a few years ago. Round, symmetrical, and none-threatening features add to the package, topped off with captivating blue eyes. Yet the face, more than the body, highlights their differences. Cyrus, effervescent and confident, dons a smile easily and offers them freely. His gaze is curious and attentive. Simon, by contrast, rarely smiles. Less from displeasure as an active emotion but from an utter absence of reason to. When he does, his lips tug lightly upward, and the expression falters after only a few seconds, the exertion wipes him out. His expression instead is neutral, occasionally bewildered as he processes, but anger - even when he has reason to be - is virtually unknown to him. Cyrus has only lost his temper on a handful of occasions over the years, but the transformation is swift and memorable.

Cyrus never fails to shave, and he styles his hair with a dollop of product in the morning, while Simon, often, neglects to shave, and the dark stubble builds up across his face and chin from lack of attention. He washes and runs a comb through their hair, but when strands stick up or grow a bit too long, it’s because he lacks the energy to tame it.

There are signs with the body as well. Simon slouches whether standing or seated, he loses several inches from the poor posture. When he walks he shuffles more often than not, with his arms drawn close to his body in a protective, somewhat self-soothing manner. He rarely makes eye contact; instead his gaze is drawn to his shoes or to a spot on the floor as though with effort he can see through the Earth’s crust. By contrast, Cyrus is confident in his movements, with a long, easy stride; he isn’t afraid to take up space, and he thrives on attention, paid back through eye contact and active listening cues. They smell different as well. Cyrus often has a hint of sugar from his baking efforts, and his cologne is spicy and woodsy. Simon doesn't always use cologne (although always deodorant) but his preferred scent is lighter, crisper, citrusy.

Both Cyrus and Simon shy away from short sleeves, with Simon preferring sweatshirts and darker colors - navy blue, black, certain shades of gray. Cyrus is more fashionable and enjoys adding color to their wardrobe, all collared shirts and cardigans and fanciful ties. If Cyrus hasn’t set clothing out for him, Simon’s garments acquire wrinkles, and he likes to buy his sweatshirts one size larger for the additional bagginess. His shoes scuff easily because of his shuffling and his tendency to rub his feet together when seated.

The Ettingers are pale, growing ruddy with sunlight but in its absence fading quickly. Simon, whose eating and sleeping habits are suspect and worsened with side effects from both his powers and his medication, can become sallow if left to himself in a particularly protracted funk, worsened by the prominence of their veins; against pale skin, the blues appear green. Potential vitamin D deficiency has led to both supplements and a prescription for a sun lamp.
Personality: Like all people, both Cyrus and Simon contain multitudes, more than the complicating wrinkle of sharing a body. Janus is applicable in more ways than one; they are, in effect, guarding against the ending while always mindful of the beginning.

Simon’s personality has become largely stunted under the weight of decades of depression and attendant identity issues. It is easy for him to fade into the background, to roll over and fall back asleep rather than put in effort, and this becomes all the more tempting to him when confronted with an unexpected problem. His parents and sister perceive him as lazy, because they do not have a firm grasp on mental illness and mood disorders as disorders as opposed to character flaws, dereliction of duty, or failure to think positively or pragmatically. The less resistance that he mounts, the more frequent Cyrus emerges to hold together their life, which creates a self-perpetuating cycle where he views it as best to retreat in favor of his more capable and popular other half.

But Cyrus sees everything good in him. “I miss you,” he has been known to say to their reflection in a mirror when Simon has not emerged for more time than he deems healthy.

Simon never raises his voice, and he has a swell of concern and empathy for his students. Teaching is one of the few areas where he feels in control of his life, and he takes his time imparting lessons, thorough and patient with a keen eye for detail.

Depression erodes memory, a reason that Cyrus’s mind is a steel trap. He is the protector; his purpose is to compensate as well as to keep them safe. As a result, behind the wide smiles and the utterly charming mannerisms is a shrewd observer of the human condition, one who makes snap judgments about other people’s behavior and, while patient, is loathe to forgive a person whom he deems as a potential risk or threat. He isn’t one to hold grudges insofar as seeking vengeance, but he is quick to isolate or neutralize threats, disarming them through charm, a quick application of powers, or, if utterly necessary, a confrontation.

Yet, the personality that people see is of a devastatingly charismatic, attentive, and engaging. Possessed of the same polished grace of a man who grew up watching Cary Grant movies and committing every frame, every second, every movement, to memory. He’s polite when he wants to be, which is most of the time - so polite and concerned that often his conversation partners don’t realize how many details he’s gleaned or how little he’s revealed about himself in turn. Once he’s learned a detail, he files it away for future reference; he might bring it up during small talk, or he might leave a present at your door because he remembers that it’s your birthday, or simply that you enjoy apple pie. His ethical code is more rigid than Simon’s, and if someone crosses him, they go on the danger list, where Simon, in that same situation, might allow a person to walk over him. This is not people pleasing on Simon’s part; he has little interest in the opinions of other people, but because the path of least resistance is often the path of least effort and to conserve his limited energy reserves, why bother?

As a direct result of the depression, Simon goes through bouts of listlessness and ahedonia, which makes naming his likes, or his dislikes for that matter, difficult. He dislikes crowds or being surrounded by strangers and deviation from the routine that he finds most comfortable. Yet buried beneath those layers, he always enjoyed working with his hands - from building with Legos to his time in shop class and mechanical drawing. He also was fascinated by animal taxonomy in childhood and thought that taking up bird watching could be a fun diversion, but he never found the energy for it; still, he owns a field guide. Similarly, he always found peace staring at the night sky and can name all of the constellations; they had a telescope in their old apartment. He likes comfort food and responds best to a routine. Too much chaos will send him into a spiral with the strong urge to hide.

Cyrus thrives off the attention of other people, and while carefully guarding his and his brother’s secrets, takes great pleasure in other people opening up to him in conversation and acting as a confidant. He prefers collaboration and cooperative endeavors to outright competition, but with the caveat that he prefers to be in charge - guiding, leading, and filling in gaps. Despite not drinking himself, he mixes a mean cocktail and enjoys playing host at parties, even when he is a guest. He likes to solve problems, which manifests both in giving advice and enjoying mysteries (board games, parties, books, and movies). He has a more expansive palate and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. He also thinks it would be fun to put together either a LARP or a tabletop group.

Your Vices

Likes:
-Bird-Watching (S)
-Peanut Butter (S)
-Baking (C)
-Moose Munch (C)
-Oversized Sweatshirts (S)
-Keeping color in his wardrobe (C)
-Hot Chocolate (S)
-Dancing at clubs (C)
-Their powers (C)
-Listening to the same song or album on repeat for hours without end (S)
-Table top and LARPs (Mostly C)
-Video Games (Mostly S)
-Stargazing (S)
-Casual conversation with strangers and the process of transforming them into friends (C)
-House pets (C+S and are liked in return)
-Apple Picking (C)
-Men with tattoos (C)
-Leftovers (S)
-Naps (S)
-Their current living arrangement (S+C)

Dislikes:
-Vegan substitutions (C)
-Pumpkin pie (S)
-Movies that badly portray mental illness or twins (S+C)
-Their powers (S)
-Ohio politics (S+C but C is more passionate about it)
-Guy Fawkes masks (C)
-Crowds (S)
-Casual physical contact (S)
-First-Person Shooters (S+C)
-Pay-walls (C)
-Buffets (S)
-The act of shaving rather than the result of being clean-shaven (S)
-Insane Clown Posse (C)
-Watching other people feed their significant others (C)
-Astrology
-Predictive Texting (C)
Strengths:
-Baking (C)
-Plays the violin and reads music (S+C)
-Satisfactory Mental Shields (C)
-Drafting/mechanical drawing and tinkering (S)
-Light on his feet and nimble (C)
-Blindingly charismatic (C)
-Patience for repetitive tasks (S)
-Organized and strong memory (C)
-Teaching degree and scientifically literate (S)
-Good at sharing everything and keeping to a schedule (S+C)
Weaknesses:
-Poor Mental Shields (S)
-DID and sharing a body (S+C)
-Depression (S)
-Low alcohol tolerance (S+C)
-Overprotective (C)
-Runs cold year-round (S)
-Requires stimulation and prone to exploring (C)
-Insomnia (S+C)
-Prone to headaches (S+C)
-No legal documents in his name (C)

Family Ties

Father: Jonathan Ettinger (Non-powered)

Mother: Mira Ettinger (Non-powered)
Siblings: Rachel Ettinger-Davis (38, non-powered)

Spouse/Partner: N/A - Simon; N/A - Cyrus

Any Other Important People: (pets count)

-Therapist

-James Fawcett (the nexus of friendship)

History

(Trigger Warning: Depression, Suicide Ideation, DID)

Unlike every other person to walk the planet, Cyrus was not born of woman (or AFAB person) but instead, like Athena, sprang fully grown from the head of his creator - not a father in this case, but his brother. His twin. His other half.

Unlike every other set of twins since time immemorial, they were not born at the same time. Simon is older but Cyrus is the older soul ,and in some strange way has been waiting years for his other half to catch up.

Simon’s earliest years were simple and unassuming. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the younger child and only son of two middle-class parents with aspirations for their children to vault them into respectable society. His sister was several years older, enough that they had no interests or friends in common. She was more outgoing and her attention fickle. At first, she had been somewhat curious about him as a baby (and perhaps a touch resentful at losing her status as an only child when she was old enough to appreciate all that it meant), but the novely wore off before he was verbal or mobile. She was never antagonistic, merely somewhat detached, while he went through the paces and reached milestones that she had achieved years before. His parents encouraged him, of course, and loved him, but they had gone through the more intensive stage with Rachel, and by the time he came along, much of it was old hat.

So he went through a two-week period of eating nothing by cheddar Goldfish crackers? His parents weren’t thrilled but they knew better than to waste a doctor’s visit to be told that this was normal for a toddler. So he might trip over his feet when walking or stumbling around the house? A quick hug was a better solution than dwelling on it. So he was quieter than his sister, introverted and gentle, and different from some of the other children at his age? It made him ideal to bring along to events; they could count on him not to make trouble and to be a Big Boy.

Of course, the more hands-off approach had its limitations. He could blend into the background if left to his own devices, a trait magnified by other factors. When he had his first depressive bouts in childhood, they believed this to be laziness and signed him up for activities that would force him out of the house. A season of youth basketball at the JCC which he loathed with every fibre of his being. Violin lessons through school and home. And the Science Olympiad, which he liked well enough and provided guidance for a future career path.

As childhood gave way to preadolescence, his natural compassion transformed into something more - psychic abilities. He had no word for this, couldn’t articulate all the stress of his heart and brain expanding to accommodate these new experiences to which he shouldn’t be privy at all. At a time when strange new feelings were expected, he had to manage not only his own but what felt to be the entire world’s - their every mercurial mood shift, their inane thoughts crowding his out. There were no books on the subject, no Are You There God? It’s Me, Simon for budding psychics. Meta-humans existed, but there had never been one in his family, nor among any of his neighbors. Who could he turn to? His family wouldn't even sign up for AOL access for another couple of years after his manifestation.

He already struggled to maintain his sense of self, and as he plunged further into depression, he found himself in free-fall. Between that and the pressure from his parents and the need to hide, he buckled (or so he would say). With nobody to speak to, his mind, to protect him and itself, created his first and only alter: Cyrus.

From his inception, Cyrus was a protector. A person in his own right who, upon finding himself self-aware and in control of their body, was flooded with purpose. Do what Simon couldn’t. As a result, he was his brother’s opposite in so many ways: confident and extroverted, calm and assertive, unflappable and so very competent. He didn’t shrink in fear of their abilities, instead learned to harness them. He would stretch himself to the limit to provide some of the respite for Simon who shrank in fear and collapsed into exhaustion trying to shoulder the same burden. he was discovered by the Hammel Institute, but the initial split had occurred, and the damage was done.

At first his family didn't believe that it was possible, because, as far as they had noticed, there had been no signs. However, the recruiter was quite insistent, and he (with Cyrus in tow) was taken to Vermont. Cyrus was a secret at first, with Simon too focused on coping with the upheaval to worry about the irregularity, and, besides, there was something comforting about his other presence lurking in the back of his mind. Friends, family, teachers, roommates, and other students all encountered Cyrus on and off, nobody realizing at first that this wasn't Simon in a chipper mood. As far as they realized, these were Simon’s “good days”, paradoxically protective and problematic, as they created an unattainable standard, an unrealistic expectation among the adults in his life as to his personality. He could be so engaged and charming when he wanted to be, why did he struggle so much some days when he breezed through others? This had a deleterious effect on his sense of self and kicked off the cycle of retreat and leaning too much on Cyrus to get through the days. Even their trainer was somewhat distracted about it. The previous trainer who focused on psychic powers had recently retired in the midst of their arrival, and in the shuffle they slipped through the cracks. It wasn't that nobody noticed something was up, but they were functional this way, and firmly against integration, and posed no harm to themselves or others, and, really, without another telepath as a trainer or otherwise accessing their minds, it was easier to consider Simon on good days and bad days. The psychiatrist, Sean Neville, noticed, and they took periodic therapy sessions with him, all but begging him not to tell their parents.

Owing primarily to Cyrus taking the lead during their training classes, while Simon focused on keeping up academically, they graduated on time and without major difficulty. By the time they were in senior year, the nation was at war, and there was upheaval all over. Simon had applied to a handful of colleges, and found himself back in the Midwest (once again with Cyrus in tow). Their college years were at one freeing and paralyzing. Away from home, away from anyone who might know them or have expectations, Simon emerged from Cyrus’s shadow long enough to give it a try. Rather than parcel out his energy for the long grind, he gathered it all in one shot, expending it all by midterms of their first semester. After that, he fell into a funk, and it was Cyrus who would wake and walk and take them through the day. He managed their social life readily enough, for both of them. Sixteen years ago seems like an eternity, but much of the dating scene was underground and cell phones, while more ubiquitous, had yet to become permanently affixed to one’s person; in turn, requiring more face-to-face interaction at which Cyrus excelled and Simon faltered.

He had no desire for permanent control of their body. This was not a movie, and he was not a villain lurking in the corner of Simon’s mind. He was the manager, the protector, Simon’s twin. He was keen to share and truly desired health and happiness for his other half. Every day, after the worst of the bout subsided, he would coax Simon into taking a shift, even if only for their molecular biology lecture, their counseling session, or a quick breakfast in the dining hall. Their sessions were a difficult needle to thread; after all, if anyone learned of Cyrus’s origins in that context, their counselor might push for commitment or integration, neither of which suited them.

Between steady counseling and finding a balance, Simon returned to himself and the rest of college was a mixture of academics, socializing, eating too much, a bit of activism, and late night conversations, punctuated by counseling sessions and an eventual prescription for antidepressants. They graduated with high marks and Simon sought a teaching position at a public school.

As young adults, life was a bit easier, and they were able to share their separate selves with the world. Carefully, of course, never disclosing their powers, but they were twins and need not hide it the way they had in college where only Simon was matriculated and Cyrus wore his face and his own perpetual smile. They had an apartment and each claimed to live with the other, but that their brother was always out, busy - working, dating, volunteering, anything that could serve as an excuse.

As part of their school’s compensation program, they enrolled in night classes and earned a Master’s degree, boosting both their pay and their sense of accomplishment. This period is one of Simon’s happier memories, a stretch of time where he remained comparatively steady despite stress.

Yet throughout their twenties, there were the black moods, stretches where Simon sought extermination as a method of coping, and where Cyrus, in turn, wrested control to keep them whole. They saw a professional through this time, to continue treatment for the depression - a chronic ailment to which Simon was resigned, but never for integration therapy. Their situation was atypical but it suited them well enough, certainly better than Cyrus’s sublimation and resulting absence from the world. The 2016 election cycle coupled with the emotional baggage of being in his 30s and the stress of budget cuts on his job security, sent Simon into a downward spiral. Cutting the mental health benefit was the last straw, and Cyrus coaxed Simon into applying for a job at their old alma mater.

The Hammel Institute was hiring, and they needed science teachers.

So they found themselves back in Vermont, after nearly a decade and a half away. The winters were still cold and snowy. The school remained as chaotic as they remembered, and several of their peers were staff now, while some of the same staff from their time as students looked older and more tired.

So they've been for the past couple of years, with a similar set up to how they lived before the move - their apartment, their ruse. A few months ago, they had a new neighbor - James Fawcett. Cyrus took an immediate shine to him, and now they're inseparable. All the better that he now teaches music at Hammel, giving them even more opportunity to interact.

Player Information

Name: Sean
Age: I am the alpha and the Omega.
Player Pronouns: He/Him/His

How Did You Find Us? I am the admin.
Other Characters: Dr. Sean Neville