Xander

Introduction

"Huh?" The lanky young man in front of you looks up as if from a daze, his black hair covering one eye as he does. He rubs his hand on his ripped t-shirt that reads "Genius by Birth/Slacker by Choice" as he looks around. "Oh, no... You don't want me. You want... Oh." He looks surprised as you correct him that you do want him. "Oh, then... You must want a painting or something- that's the only thing that I can seem to do better... Oh?" he looks a bit intrigued when you say that you want to know about him.

"Why?" he asks puzzled. "Everyone wants to be around Antony. The best military leader since Benedict. The most eligible bachelor in Amber. The one that knows how to throw the good parties. The accomplished dancer. The snappy dresser."

He snorts dirisively. "Everyone... Even my mother, Princess Florimel, looks at me and says, How can you two be twins? No, that's wrong. Her usual question when she sees me is How can you be my son?" He rolls his eyes. "Xander... I mean Alexander... Named after the shadow-earth conqueror, and can't even conquer his own problems. He's the special one. I'll always be second-best at most." He pauses, sighing. "So I figured, if I was only going to be second best, why not go for dead last. They don't want me... Fine! Just don't show pity for me. I'll be exactly the opposite of him, and they'll never compare the two of us again. I started painting.... The one thing he can't do. And I painted the hell that was within me."

"The only problem was... People actually liked the paintings." He shrugs. "But whatever."

"What did you want again?"

Background

Never has so little time meant so much as in the case of the twins Antony and Alexander. Antony was born into the world with Alexander clutching at his foot, as if he could not leave Florimel’s womb on his own. Every since that day, he has been clutching at the foot of his older sibling, trying to catch him, but falling dreadfully short. And to add insult to injury, not only was Antony better than Alexander in the areas that he loved, he was also better than Alexander in the areas that Alexander loved! Alexander felt stifled, unable to grow because of the huge shadow that his brother cast. So he rebelled against the idea that he had a twin.

Alexander stopped using the name that his mother had given him, using instead the shortened form Xander. He deliberately sought to be the outcast, dressing in dark clothes that he knew his mother wouldn’t approve of, going around unkempt, and being apathetic about his studies. No matter how his brother tried to reach out a hand to help him, he viewed it as pity. Over less than a year, Xander successfully alienated everyone that tried to help him, gaining his place on the fringes. But that didn’t make things any better, and he sunk deeper into depression. The only thing that thrived was his art. It was a dark thing of beauty, and he stayed in the sunroom that he had appropriated for himself, painting until all times of day and night.

So now he finds himself on the dark fringes, but in demand, finally having gained a measure of respect, but unable to find it within himself to enjoy it.

(Antony and Alexander are cast as Zachary Quinto)