HISTORY

TLDR:

TW: VIOLENCE/FIGHTING, DEATH OF A CHILD, DEATH OF A PARENT, NEGLECT/ABANDONMENT

Family hopped between settlements and nomadic group, never stationary
Just him and his twin sister, parents were very absent from parental responsibilities
Group picked up an illness whilst on the road, his father dies from it.
Mother abandons the children.
Survived roughly a year and a half by themselves, sister passed away
Darien continues on by himself for several weeks
Has a close call with a martian man that attacked him, saved by the martian’s companion
This is when he is adopted by Benji
The pair travel together, Darien is wary at first but slowly warms to Benji over the course of a year
Spend a few months in a settlement called europa before moving on, travelling to a city in ruin
Here they are picked up by ISON, a nomadic militant group that actively pushes back against Mars’ efforts.
After some months here Benji comes to the conclusion it simply isn’t safe for a child given the high risk nature of ISON’s mission. This is where an allied settlement enters the conversation, known as Salus.
Guided by a member of ISON named Matija, they depart for Salus, travelling through the desert.
A few weeks is spent travelling before they are attack in their sleep by a guard, Matija is killed and Benji is grievously injured
Darien stays with Benji when he eventually gives out from the injuries, spending a few hours there until he spots a distance vehicle, hailing it down.
The pair are brought to Salus.
This is where Darien grows up.
His violent streak persists throughout his childhood and he is very shut off from others.
He slowly becomes more approachable, being taught mechanics by benji and eventually becoming more accustomed to hovering around the workshop to watch people work.

Through the brambles

When the twins were born, they soon became accustomed with this fact there seemed to be little place for them. Not anticipating one child, let alone two, the parents would find a struggle in having heart for the pair, always on the move from group to group, settlement to settlement.

In contrast to his meeker sister, Ange, he was a restless child; an extremely high energy boy with a deep need for affection never given by inattentive parents. Yet he always seemed to retain a soft spot for his sister, quick to be the one to tend to her tears and sensitivities when his parents would not, even with the growing knowledge that survival meant concealing his own. They grew inseparably close, and becoming each other’s support meant that whenever they became separated throughout their youth they’d panic.

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Illness came for their family.

Age ten came by in a blink, and it was that same year Darien witnessed the death of his father, just one of the many to fall victim to the conditions of Earth. For the first time, he saw tears of sorrow from his mother.

It’d only taken a few days following their father’s passing for their mother to decide it was no longer in her interest to care for the children. Out of hatred or out of desperation, Darien can’t confirm, but they never saw her again, waking up one morning suddenly alone. It was likely for the best.

Alone they stayed after that point, for almost a year and a half. The pair became particularly distrusting of other people, quick to flee or fight for any means of self preservation. It hadn’t been enough though, and one summer's evening, Ange passed away. For the first time, Darien was truly alone.

To Find You

It was this way for several weeks following the death of his sister, and the sudden change hit him hard, the child finding himself struggling more and more. He’d gotten good at avoiding other humans, but it was on that particular day he was rummaging through rubble and scrap, did he find himself suddenly seized. A strange man, dressed in a uniform with an obscured face. A strange man- with a knife. The child, try as he may, was barely able to fight back. He couldn’t even process what was happening until he felt himself unexpectedly released, catching a glimpse of a second uniformed figure, a brief flashof a struggle meeting his gaze before he ran and hid.

He stayed hidden, scared to move until nightfall crept in, a familiar feeling of dread overtaking him as he knew well the nighttime spelt danger. Darien thought it was too late to run though, when he heard the sound of shuffling in dirt, the crunch of soil. Though, when he peeked out from his hiding spot expecting to be met with a guard, he spotted that same odd looking man he’d seen earlier. He froze- unsure if he would try and hurt him too, their gazes locked.

Until, the man spoke, a gentle yet firm voice offering for him to follow. Intuition propelled him to accept.

The man went by Benji, he had been able to learn that much. Darien followed him for some time, never getting too close nor straying too far, almost like a shadow. He was unable to respond when the man spoke to him, and lashed out everytime the man made an effort to come close. Yet, the man never seemed to turn away from him, simply backing away before trying again, and again, and again. Until Darien started to grow accustomed to him. Walking closer and closer besides him.

To Find Home

He was still growing out of the lost duckling phase when the pair were attacked, brought to a strange settlement. Darien proceeded to fight until, reunited with Benji, almost relieved to see his caretaker was okay. They spent some time there after that, Darien in particular finding himself growing used to spending time with other children at the settlement. Though soon enough, their stay came to an end, and they moved on, for reasons at the time Darien was too young to understand.

The nomadic militant group ISON was next to find them, and Darien will always remember the way Benji shielded him as he pleaded for the figures not to shoot. And- they didn’t. Instead, with time, the pair were welcomed into their ranks. Darien spent time around his brother watching him build weapons, fixing prosthetics and stripping down robotic guards they killed. He seemed to take particularly well to helping with prosthetics, enjoying the small intricate details and ability to feel helpful he got from it.

Darien still remembers the day the pack came, and ISON was cut in half. He remembered the way Benji argued with a woman named Nina over the child’s wellbeing, trying to convince her they would not be safe here. It was a man named Matija that agreed, and reassured them that he knew a place they would be safe. Salus.

He remembers how difficult that trip was. The sun against his skin or the bitterness of the night, light that hurt his eyes and the ache of his feet, even when Benji carried him. And… he recalls that morning, waking up to the screams and snarls, the panic. The way it bit and maimed Matija, over all too fast before it pounced on Benji, a similar fate imminent before he grabbed that gun. The silence. The hand over his eyes as a pained voice told him not to look, it was time to go.

Go where? They wandered lost for days, progress slowed by the injuries his brother sustained until it ground to a halt entirely, Darien watching that man he’d grown so close to- his brother- collapse. Darien couldn’t leave him- wouldn’t leave him. So he waited.

And waited.

Until, a distant blip was spotted on the horizon. At that point, Darien knew it was going to be okay.

To Find Myself

Adapting to life in Salus did not come easily to Darien, especially not in those first few years. The highly social environment seemed difficult for him, and he retained his instinctive wariness of people. Up until his late teen years he was prone to excessive fighting, and did little to interact with people outside of his brother, with the exception of being a frequent visitor to the workshop, just to watch people work. Though slowly, very slowly, the boy began to adjust, with the help and guidance of Benji. Come early adulthood, Darien finally began to ground himself, feeling comfortable enough to call this place home.