Name: Sabin Duvert
Age: 21
Apparent Age: 21
Birthday:
August 29, 1854
Appearance:
Sabin is about 6’ tall, 215 lbs, with gray-blue eyes. His long, prematurely white hair is generally unkempt and pulled back in a ponytail for convenience. He has a somewhat long face and refined, attractive features despite his indifference to style. He has a slim-average build.
Aside from his long, shock-white hair, Sabin has picked up a few identifying features. He has old, but painful-looking burn-scars around both of his wrists. On closer inspection, his canines are a little longer than they should be. He speaks with a slight French accent.
(Other Scars (much less noticeable/severe than his wrists) resulting from: gash across his stomach, puncture to the back- around right shoulder-blade, top of his left thigh slash, 3 parallel claw marks (about 3” long) on his left front shoulder. There is also minor scarring up his arms.)
Occasional Features: Some features which manifest as the Anju takes control include: long, sharp claws, elongated ears, glowing red eyes, pointed, needle-like teeth, etc. Now he has learned how to take full Anju-shadow form (complete with six glowing red eyes and a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth.) ((See True Form notes, and abilities.))
Sabin was born in the wooded foothills of the French Alps about 10 miles from the small town of St. Laurent du Pont. Since they were that far from town, there were very few other families around- the closest other one being about a mile away. That and the forest was dense and generally regarded as being a bad area - ghost stories were whispered about it among the townsmen. Sabin’s father, Kurt, was an interesting guy, but when angered had a horrible temper. Originally from central France, he was an exceptional ranger in his day- acting as a guide and protector to people traveling through rural areas, tracking down and collecting bounties on both men and beasts. He’d traveled far and seen his share of fights. Along his travels, he learned to speak different languages and how to read and write- which he later passed onto Sabin, considering them useful skills regardless of trade. Eventually, though, he found “the right woman” to make him settle down. Sabin’s mother, Thelia, was originally from the nearby town and had never traveled very far from it. She was a pretty and witty young woman who worked with her parents and sisters as an herbalist, doing general chores and such. When they married, they moved out of town so that his father could be near the woods he was comfortable in. He adapted his lifestyle to being a woodsman and his wife worked a garden by the house where they grew simple vegetables and herbs. She also occasionally went into the woods to find more exotic plants that she could use and sell. They would make periodic trips to town to sell wares, firewood, furs, and herbal medicines. Sabin grew up their only child.
From a young age, Sabin would follow his father into the forest while he was working. His father made sure to tell him what things not to touch and what could and couldn’t be eaten- not that that discouraged his curiosity. After a few mishaps with things like poison ivy, Sabin would generally figure out the things his father was trying to tell him the hard way. While he was out in the woods while his father was busy working, he loved to go meet and talk to “imaginary friends.” To young Sabin, the woods were alive with whispering voices and glimpses of things in his peripheral vision that gave him wonderful ideas and sparked his imagination. For a while, his father didn’t think twice about the young kid playing games like hide and seek with himself. In the evenings, his father would often tell him and his mother stories he had heard (or been part of) from his travels. Sabin was enthralled with them, especially some of the more fantastic legends and myths that involved fabulous beasts and strange magicks. Every night he pleaded his father to tell him a bedtime story more wondrous that the previous. And sometimes as he dreamt, the stories his father told him were elaborated upon and the same voices from the forest whispered in a spidery voice things that he couldn’t quite hear. His mother, on the other hand, looked at Sabin’s interest in disapproval; she grew up being very superstitious. What his father viewed as a boy’s harmless curiosity in make-believe things she saw as dangerous. She believed in evil spirits in the woods, and when she brought it up to her husband and heard of Sabin’s imaginary friends, she got into a big argument with his father. While she lost the argument, she started telling her own stories at nights. Instead of stories of epic heroism like his father, she tried to frighten him with darker legends about things like creatures that ate small boys who wandered too far. Sabin listened to these stories just as attentively as his father’s, but they did anything but frighten him. Instead, it sparked a dangerous curiosity about the “creatures in the woods.” Sabin knew that there were lots of things that lived in the woods, but he wasn’t scared of them, why should he be scared of those? So, when he heard of other things that might live out there, magical, mysterious things- he wanted to see them…
As he got older, he still accompanied his father out to the woods, but the actual voices died down as he grew. By the time he was around 12, he wondered if he had ever really heard them at all. But, whenever he went out, his mind still filled with ideas and he felt invigorated. And at night, the dreams still came. On some nights, they were incredibly vivid and his mind filled with whispering voices and magic. One morning after a particularly interesting dream, he wasn’t thinking and told his parents. His father didn’t really care- a dream’s a dream. But his mother was furious both at Sabin and his father for ignoring “signs of the evil spirits.” She raved about it all day, and Sabin was furious at himself. From then on he knew to not tell his parents anything that he would do.
For some reason, after that day, it
was weeks and weeks before he had another dream. Sabin was frustrated and confused- he didn’t
care what his mother said. He didn’t
want to pick roots all his life- he wanted to be like the people in his father’s
stories, to see fabulous monsters and… get that heady feeling he couldn’t
explain like he occasionally did while in the forest. As the weeks drug by, he became more
frustrated. One night, he left his room
and slipped out into the woods to see what they were like while he was alone at
night- away from his parents. As he
walked down the familiar trails he heard the whispering again- the whispering
he hadn’t heard awake since he was a child.
He understood now that his mother had put of things around his room that
kept the dreams away. And if he took
them down, he could hear more things in his dreams. He returned to his room, and saw the strange
roots hanging by the doors and windows.
He took them down, threw them out, and fell asleep. His dreams that night were more vivid than
they had ever been before- in them he could touch the very shadows themselves
and move them, command the winds, move without a sound…. This time he knew to keep quiet about the
dreams. The next night, he sat awake
with excitement in bed- wanting to fall asleep and dream more so badly, but too
excited to do so. He looked around his
room at the play of shadows from the candle he had relit after not being able
to sleep. Remembering his dream, he
playfully ‘pretended’ to grab a hold of the shadow at the base. He nearly wet himself when he did. Terrified, he let go immediately and cowered
in his bed trying to rationalize.
Eventually he drifted off to sleep, the dreams returning. Over the next few night, his confidence grew
up enough for him to try again. When it
worked again, he was enthralled and ecstatic.
Not too long afterwards, though- his mother noticed the herbs were
missing from his room and confronted him.
He tried to make lame excuses, but she wouldn’t hear them. By that night, they were back again at the
door and windows. Annoyed, Sabin took
them down again after his parents were asleep and went back to the shadows. But, as he concentrated on them, trying to
make them move they swirled suddenly to form a horrifying toothy maw, then
dissipated back to normal. Terrified, he
unconsciously screamed, waking his parents.
His mother rushed in, and saw the herbs were gone. She assumed that the “demons were plaguing
his sleep” and scolded him like never before.
She replaced them and threatened with Very Bad Things if he took them
down again. When he finally got to
sleep, he had no dreams once again. But
one surprise wasn’t enough to stop him.
She had tried to stop him before and if he had listened then he would never
have learned to do such wonderfully interesting things. He found ways around his mother’s herbs (i.e.
taking them down temporarily, or replacing them with herbs that looked the same…) But when those methods became
too risky, he would sneak out for a time- the voices whispered to him ways that
he could leave the house without making a sound.
Years went by- Sabin managed to conceal his activities for the most part, despite occasional warnings from his mother and the “concerned parent” approach from his father that his mother forced him to do. Occasionally, like before, things seemed to get out of hand, but Sabin’s thirst for the mysterious overshadowed his common sense. Then, one early July when he was 18, a dream began one night that repeated every night with more clarity each time. There was a way that he could actually see a creature like from the stories- he thought he knew how he could do it- the dreams showed him clearly… He had been obsessed with monsters and mythical creatures ever since he first heard stories of them from his father- there was no way he would pass up the opportunity to actually see one! After several nights, he couldn’t stand the excitement any more and snuck out- he walked for a long time deep into the woods guided by his subconscious. Then, when he knew he should stop he did and let his mind wander into the memory of the dream. Concentrating, on the memory, and hoping so much for it to work, he followed the directions. When he had completed them, he opened his eyes expectantly… to nothing. Before the disappointment could fully hit him, he passed out as it felt like all of the strength was pulled forcefully from his body.
Unbeknownst to him, it was days before he woke up. When he finally opened his eyes, it was “still” dark out. His mind was fuzzy and he vaguely remembered trying to summon the creature from stories (but not the method of doing so.) As he stumbled back homewards, he assumed that he must have screwed it up somehow and fallen asleep. As he approached the house, he noticed in confusion that the lights were on and his mother was standing out on the front porch looking very concerned and pacing back and forth. He knew that she must have noticed that he left (and would probably be very mad when he came back) but there was no reason to wait just to have the scolding later. He trudged up to the house, but as his mother turned to see him, she screamed in horror- not anger. Sabin panicked in confusion- she picked up the closest heavy object and started trying to hit him, screaming at him to stay back, to stay out. No matter what he said she didn’t hear over her panic, and Sabin was overwhelmed with panic himself. All of a sudden, something in him snapped and he blacked out.
When he came to his senses, he was standing inside his house, with the bloody corpse of his mother at his feet. Stunned, terrified, and shaking, Sabin’s gaze wandered down to his hands- covered in blood, and clawed. Sabin screamed, staggered back away to the corner, where a hanging mirror caught his attention. A new wave or shock washed over him as he noticed his features: aside from his clawed hands, his hair had changed from brown to pure shock-white, his mouth was full of wickedly sharp teeth, his eyes were a solid, smoldering red, and his ears had elongated. After a few minutes, which seemed to drag by like hours, as he gradually forced himself to calm down a little bit, the monstrous features reverted, leaving him with just the white hair and slightly longer canines. Crying, he began to approach his mother, when his father burst through the door. Accessing the situation, he turned in fury to Sabin. Sabin immediately panicked and ran… knowing his father was pursuing him, mortified by what he had done, and desperate to know what had happened. After that night, he began wandering, constantly fighting a mental battle between himself and the creature that had possessed him. Both scared of it and curious as to its identity- his childhood fascination with monsters remained and he began searching everywhere for hints that could help him. At times, in rage or fear, it would again seize control of him. As days stretched on to months and finally over a year, Sabin began the hard process of coming to terms with what had happened and noticed the beginning signs of a sort of mental merging between him and it. While his dreams are haunted with nightmares of his sins, he is at the same time fascinated with what is happening to him.
(For more info, see his full background.)
What happened: The creature that has possessed Sabin is an ethereal creature of nightmare and shadows called an Anju. Each Anju personifies the essence of a fear- his in particular, ironically, is the fear of being controlled. Normally, the Anju cannot physically materialize in the real world; there they’re limited to a shadowy ethereal form – their abilities similarly limited. Their true realm is the realm of dreams, where they haunt nightmares, again limited. That particular Anju must have been lingering around the forest where he grew up for some reason or another and took notice of Sabin’s aptitude for will magic since he was young, subliminally coaching him and ‘cultivating’ him for its purposes. When it decided he was ready enough, it gave him the instructions on how to summon it forward and tie it to him physically- draining Sabin’s energy so that it could truly materialize on the physical plane long enough so that it could possess him. Its intention, though, was to have Sabin cast the spell far earlier than he would have been able to control it- effectively killing him and leaving the body open to take control. (This is why Sabin’s hair turned white- from casting the spell far above his ability.) But, when he cast the spell he didn’t quite kill himself. He was lying there dying but not dead when the Anju entered his body too soon. When it entered, it unintentionally filled in the dying parts of Sabin’s soul instead of consuming it or entering a vacant body, bonding the two together. The Anju was trapped and Sabin’s life was saved. The two are inseparable- if the Anju was somehow ‘exorcized’ then it would more than likely kill Sabin as well. Since the merging, the Anju and Sabin have learned things from each other- the Anju has gained a human level of sentience (and, more recently, emotions), and has observed Sabin’s actions and is able to mimic them if necessary when it takes full control- knowing human interactions. Sabin has been learning the Anju’s abilities slowly. Over time, they are slowly merging into one being. The Anju, being a creature of pure dream and spirit is hurt by iron. Before, Sabin was as well only when it seized control. Now, it burns him while he is in control (though not as severely) etc.
Sabin is remarkably strong for his build (pretty much supernaturally so, a side effect of the possession.) He is somewhat quick on his feet, but his mental reaction-speed is incredibly fast. He can go from relaxed to on his toes and ready in no time. He’s good at thinking under pressure (Thanks to many instances where he had to.) But, because of that, he is not one to plan ahead. He is also very perceptive (This partially due to training with his father as a hunter, and accentuated by his heightening senses.) But, he’s NOT astute when it comes to reading people. He’s too open/honest, and generally has the basic assumption that other people are as well. He’s mentally sharp, his curiosity feeding his desire to learn.
While he has an incredible natural talent for magic (Natural Mage/ will mage), luck is not frequently with him- he has the bad habit of getting himself into horrible situations that really aren’t quite his fault. This probably has something to do with his inability to resist sating his curiosity and temptations – especially those that involve the unknown and monsters/Anju.
Personality:
Sabin is generally fairly easy-going, but with something behind his eyes that seems to haunt him. He is quick to notice things and doesn’t hesitate to give his straightforward opinion. He tends to try to stay distant from people if he can help it, not make attachments. He had at one point gotten cynical on his outlook towards other people and humanity in general. The friends he had made had either ended up getting hurt because of him, or turning their backs on him, so he got bitter. But, by nature he honestly doesn’t want to see people hurt. That coupled with his curiosity and way too much time spent alone kept him from becoming more reclusive than he already was. He finally met some people who actually stayed with him through his troubles, helping him. He warmed up a bit, regaining some of the humanity that was scared that he was losing. The thing that had scared him the most was being alone, and when he found people who actually accepted him for what he was, and genuinely wanted to help him, he pulled out of that slump – this probably is a major contributor to him getting a more positive outlook on the merging process- on him not losing some of the more basic aspects of what it is to be human, instead, awakening those traits in the anju.
He also is awkward when dealing with people – while he wants companionship he is scared to let people (who aren’t already involved) get close. Yet, at the same time, he is too trusting, partially because he is not very good at reading others. He hates lying, and isn’t very good at it. He will avoid doing so through avoidance if at all possible. If someone seems to “not care about his ‘problems’”, then he warms up quickly (too quickly) to them.
He is subject to bad bouts of feelings of self-worthlessness, and guilt complexes. The things he’s done plague his conscience, and yet there’s still a spark of naive optimism in him and fascination that keep him going. When things get really bad, he’ll also turn to liquor. (Which is bad- he also can no longer do this in public. When he gets drunk he reverts to True Form.)
He is generally far too curious for his own good, his foolishness one of his more obvious shortcomings. He is reckless, and has a tendency to act before really thinking things through- going on a basis of what sounds like it could be interesting. Combined with his overconfidence in his own abilities makes for some bad mistakes. He is not very good with money- not thinking very far ahead with it, and when he gets a large sum, is more likely to spend it on trivial or fleeting things. He is not very materialistic, except when it comes to books. His fashion sense is somewhat... lacking. He gets restless if in one place for too long due to the fact that in the past he was unable to stay in one place for very long because he was bound to slip up and have to leave.
Sabin’s main goal is to become whole- at the moment he is even willing to make concessions to the Anju side of him if it could mean he would save his sanity and himself in the long run. He isn’t really exactly sure how to go about that, though. He’s scared that if he goes too fast, that he’ll end up making sacrifices that are vital to him- the thought of losing himself terrifies him. He used to be terrified of losing control to it, even for a moment, but as it is changing more along with him, he realizes that he has to accept both sides of himself for him to be able to complete the merging process. That includes not only what it is becoming (more human) but also what it was, as its past actions will become his as well. Also, while it is still anju, he finally feels that he has made it past a HUGE hurdle, that it is no longer dangerous to those around him- antagonistic, yes- but not dangerous. He also has a tendency to recklessly experiment with abilities- he’s absolutely fascinated (and to a degree, horrified) with what he is becoming – stemming off from his childhood obsession with monsters. Now he is what he always hoped to just one day see.
While his search has yielded a lot of answers, it has left even more questions and the answers he did get haven’t been pleasant. He keeps a detailed journal of everything he learns or strange things that have happened.
French (native)
Anju (native.... sort of) – not really much of a conscious knowledge... can’t always use it.
English
German
Latin
General woodsmanship (tracking, hunting, woods lore,
survival, etc.)
Basic Firearms
Basic knifework
General athletics
Hiding
Moving Quietly
Intimidation
Disguise
Escape Artistry
Drawing
Magical and Monster lore, and lots of other random “literature” and Faerie tale Knowl.
Basic Arithmetic
Singing (when Drunk)
Basic Dancing
Spells:
Sabin’s magic is will magic. He can cast spells without a sound or gesture- one reason he was chosen as a host for the Anju. He is limited to certain spheres of influence and effects, though, and he only has a limited amount of energy per day to cast with (This energy is refreshed by either sleep, or more recently, feeding from others’ fear.) The more Sabin interacts with the Anju, and the more frequently it gains control, Sabin is able to pick up some of its spells and abilities. Also, as he practices the spells he does know and gains power, he can unlock potentials (ie, the body can only do so much, despite what the anju might have been able to do while completely Anju. Even while it is in control, it can’t do everything it could while an anju in dream. But, eventually, they might even be able to develop their potential further than what it could due given Sabin’s propensity for will magic.) He cannot learn “will magic” spells from other mages or spell books – will magic is a very personalized casting system – each True Mage has given potentials and areas of specialties. Also, other mages who know of will mages tend to dislike them and be extremely suspicious/paranoid of them, being they leave no signature or obvious indication of the caster – and of course there is the jealousy element. While just about anyone can learn incantational or other ritualized magic (which is rare enough as it is due to the difficulty to comprehend and rarity of sources and teaches who actually know magic) VERY few people are born with natural, latent magic: will-users/True Mages.
These are the spells that Sabin is now able to do:
(Shadow)
Shadow Manipulation – altering the shape/concentration/movement/etc of existing shadows- without a touch. Also allows him to physically pick up and play with shadows effortlessly. Recently, after learning to take shadow form, this ability has become so ingrained in him that it sometimes happens without him realizing that he is doing it (i.e. shadows swell in his presence, etc.)
Shadowbinding – Uses to make shadows able to affect the physical world. They are strong, and very hard for a physical person to seize a hold of them in return. This is mainly used to restrain people or manipulate things without physically touching them – the surrounding shadows spring off the ground, becoming three-dimensional, and restrain/move the victim/target.
Shadow Servant – Create a drone made of shadow that will follow simple commands. It can pick up and carry things, etc. It can be created from a patch of shadow, or by animating another being’s shadow. Occasionally, a fluke happens and the servant is much more than a drone but a wily, manipulative being in its own right. (see Riese’s shadow incident…) (also, could be used to create a non-humanoid shadowy creature (ie, a steed) but the intelligence/strength is consistent.)
ShadowSense- Sabin can get a feel for the shadows in the area- where they are and whether any of them are moving unnaturally, etc. Also, this helps give him an almost map of the shadows in the area, and things in it- to him, they form a sort of network.
Shadowform – Sabin literally becomes shadow. Anything he is carrying – that he wants to- will become shadow along with him, as long as it is not living matter. It allows him to slip through minute cracks, travel virtually undetected, and essentially anything else a shadow can do. Also, can meld with other shadows, including ‘traveling’ in peoples’ shadows. BUT- whenever he uses this, it gives the Anju a big edge and it is very hard for him to stay in control in this form- especially if he gets nervous or tries to use any of his other spells or abilities. Also, he can use a very similar ability to take full Anju form.
Shadowtrap: The shadow becomes a sort of containment substance- a hole in which things can be put or stuck in. (ie, a person can literally sink into the shadows under them; an object can be stored in a bit of shadow, or a part of it partially submerged/stuck in some.) Eventually, and combined with other abilities, Sabin can summon darkness to enshroud and swallow people/things. While in shadowform, can carry objects this way.
Shadowstep: Sabin can step from one patch of shadow to another one a distance away. He uses the shadow like a portal. It’s mainly used for relatively short distances (ie, he has to be aware of the patch of shadow on the other end.)
(Manipulation)
Puppetry – Long shadowy tendrils extend from Sabin’s fingertips and he can puppet the mind and/or physical actions of a living being. This is not a subtle spell, though. Also, the target cannot move outside of a certain range of Sabin while this is in effect.
Confusion – By staring into the victim’s eyes, Sabin can incite in them a state of confusion. They don’t remember quite what it was they were doing, and they get a distinctively uncomfortable feeling.
Dread Gaze – Sabin’s eyes flash red and he incites an intense magical fear in whomever he locks eyes with. This is a VERY personal effect, awakening the natural panic responses in the target. The person panics and will be inclined to fight/flight /freeze/faint/etc depending on the individual’s fear response.
Paranoia: Heightens paranoia of a target. They begin to think more of suspicions that they had passed off before, and new ones arise where they had once been comfortable. Due to Sabin’s specialty, they will be more focused on other people trying to get the better of them and using them for their purposes, and their own lack of freedom and control.
(Dream)
Dreamwalk- through lucid dreaming, if Sabin can picture a location clearly then when he wakes up he will physically be there. This is an incredibly exhausting spell. Other people can tag along if in physical contact with Sabin when he is falling asleep/fading from the scene (whether or not he wants them to come.) Also, during the trip, Sabin is physically in the dream world and subject to the things therein (other Anju, etc.)
Dream-seeing: While he is awake and still in the ‘real world’, Sabin is still privy to the dreams of others sleeping in his vicinity as they happen. (This will happen as Sabin becomes closer to the Anju side of his nature and thus becomes more of a dream-being...) This is the stepping-stone for more dream-manipulation abilities (as is dreamwalking)
Nightmare – Sabin can, well, give people nightmares. He can either simply leave it up to the person’s subconscious to generate a suitable personal nightmare, or can manipulate specifics of its contents. This can either be cast on someone who is awake- and then next time they sleep it will take effect, or on a currently sleeping person. Also, he can designate how much the person remembers upon waking.
Give dreams (not just nightmares)- IN PROGRESS Sabin will be able to tailor/modify the dreams of people, to give them neutral, messages, or even pleasant dreams (though at first, there will be screw-ups as the normal dream will contort and change into a nightmare.) Currently, he can accomplish “weird” dreams/messages with a hint of macabre or eerie, but not really “good” dreams yet.
Effect Dreamworld- Essentially, lucid dream outside of his pocket dream-realm. He can create, change, travel, etc the realm. The dream world is chaotic and he can manipulate it to his wishes. This is harder inside a personal dream than in the dream world in general. (As the dream-realm is as real/effects as much to Sabin as the real world is by this point, this is like realizing an ultimate potential of will-magic, but only limited to the dream-realm.)
Visit other peoples’ Dreams in dreamworld- Sabin, instead of being limited to traveling within his own pocket dream world or the dream world as a whole, can travel into the bubbles of other sleepers’ dreams. In there, he will be physically subject to what is happening in their dreams (unless he is able to alter the dream realm there- harder for a personal dream than the dream realm in general- a contest of wills. (easiest is his own- essentially a lucid dream.) ) ((Finding a specific person’s dream, on the other hand, is a much trickier order of business. Unless he finds the person dreaming in the Real world, and then attunes himself to the dream they are currently having, he dosn’t really know how to find it.))
(Other Magicks)
These are spells that were not normally in the Anju’s influence. These are mostly spells that Sabin learned
before being possessed. Before Sabin was
possessed, his natural magical bias was towards shadow and air-based magics
(which can entail some degree over the control of the movement of
air/vibrations in air- to the slicing winds.)
Slicing Winds – Sabin can create a gust of wind (varying the strength, size, length, etc according to how much effort he puts into it.) The wind feels as if it has hundreds of shards of glass in it to anyone or anything struck by it - literally shredding it. He can also cast a more minor version of this, just creating a gust of wind without the shards, which he can use to blow things over, etc.
Quiet – Sabin can nullify all sounds in a small area/on a target.
Sabin is slowly learning to control his physical transformations- learning how
to do some while he is in control.
His most common is to manifest long, wickedly sharp talon-like claws,
which can slice through steel like butter.
While he’s getting better at it, the Anju still has a little bit more
influence over him while he is doing this.
Sabin can see in total darkness almost as easily as during the day.
Acute Senses (hearing, smell) – not quite a canine level, but enhanced
Normal Animals can sense something wrong about him, and generally get extremely agitated in his presence.
As Sabin is half dream creature, Iron burns him on contact. While Sabin is in control, the effect is lessened, but is gaining in severity as time passes and they become closer mentally. Ultimately, it won’t be as bad as it is for a pure anju, given his mortal half, but it still will be quite nasty.
He has a Strong Resistance to fear and control/suggestion magicks/effects.
Sabin is gaining a resistance to toxins – not incredibly noticeable yet, but it is taking more and more to get him drunk, and he doesn’t usually get sick. Also, there is no danger of him getting sick from raw meat.
Sabin gains no nourishment from vegetables or fruit, and currently very little nourishment from breads/grains. He is able to subsist healthily on a purely carnivorous diet. Coupled with this, his fondness for meat sometimes borders on craving, or a Hunger. He derives pleasure from eating it. Also, his teeth, even in human form, are strong enough to crunch through bone easily. (And this has become his preferred way of eating- utensil-less and eating both meat and bone. He is also gaining a taste for raw meat ^^;
Also, as Sabin has been changing (both sides have been slowly becoming more like the other – re slide rule analogy with 2 sliders) Sabin’s True Form (for his half...) has been changing as well. It doesn’t take much for him to maintain the facade of being ‘human’, but if he loses a hold mentally (i.e. gets drunk, very emotionally distraught or something similar) then he will physically revert to his true form.
So far, manifested features include long, claws (but not the talons he can manifest) for both fingernails and toenails (probably about an inch and a half long each (past the tip of the finger), elongated, pointed ears, long, sharp canines and premolars, dimly glowing solid red eyes, and the tips of his hair end in shadowy wisps. These features are Sabin’s now. He can no longer really call himself human anymore.
This will change the more he merges with the Anju until both their True forms are the same- indicating that they have fully merged.
He’s also now fascinated with fear- and causing it. He gets energy from fear (this is a very new development for –Sabin- and he is learning to deal with it and cope with the fact that now –he- feeds off of fear, and finds the desire to cause it...)
Sabin and the Anju’s knowledge base (not necessarily memories yet, but knowledge of things) are beginning to be shared. Sabin will at times comment on something, or mention something that if asked he honestly wouldn’t be able to say where he learned it (and visa versa for the anju.) (I.e., Sabin commenting matter-of-factly on something about Dream or Fae.)
One Sabin actually merges, he will cease aging within a few years– again, since he is half spiritual being. And yet, his corporal body gives the Anju a permanent anchor to the physical world, increasing the effectiveness and raising the potential (given human ingenuity and broader thinking- and also because of the natural progression of will mages) of its abilities.