Lex

Liam Edward Xavier, a.k.a. Lex

The face claim for Lex is Aidan Gillen.

Lex is for hire.

A mercenary? A pilot? A prostitute? A realtor? A solicitor? Sure, if you’d like~

A man of many talents, Lex is whatever he is needed to be. So long as that thing is a smartarse. If he can’t provide what is being asked of him, he’ll either find someone who can from a seemingly endless list of people who owe him favours, or he’ll learn to provide it next time.

He’s loyal to his next pay check, nothing else. Until the web stops providing that pay for him, that is where his loyalty lays. Though Lex has no love for the Moriarty Mirrors, he sings theirs praises and flirts with them at any opportunity, but if left alone with a mop, Lex would start flirting. And likely succeed.

Though Lex usually isn’t Tyson’s first choice to fulfill a mission for the web, preferring someone who has mastered the one specific trait he needs for the job at hand, the former Lieutenant and - supposedly - former Major have ended up working together many times. One man of many talents who actually enjoys his company is better than bringing along half-a-dozen other employees, who largely dismiss him as the second-hand pet.

Tyson knows to keep an eye on Lex, that as soon as someone is brazen enough to offer him a better deal Lex would betray the web. However, Tyson genuinely enjoys Lex’s company. At times his constant need to fill silence with jokes can get on Tyson’s nerves, but for the most part it’s reciprocal; throwing quips back and forth, using barbed insults as compliments, flirting as a first line of defense and because it’s simply fun.

After getting paid, fun is Lex’s main priority. He want to have fun, he wants to be fun, and that is how Tyson thinks of him. He is an explosion of jokes and smiles, and damn near costing them multiple undercover jobs because he broke character into waves of laughter mid-con. In return, Tyson is a lot more fun around him. He’s willing to let his hair - if not his guard - down. Tyson’s behaviour and morals reflects those around him, and Lex is a kaleidoscope of fun.

When Lex says he needs a hand, Tyson nods and agrees; then sends a flurry of texts to make sure that it’s a job for the web, or at least not damaging to the web if it’s an independent contract. When Lex says he is in deep water and desperately needs Tyson’s help or he’ll die, Tyson rolls his eyes, orders take-out, and makes some coffee to bring with him for whatever stake-out Lex is currently bored out of his mind on.

When Lex is riding high from a job well done and runs his hand up Tyson’s thigh, Tyson doesn’t falter. He nods and threads his fingers through soft greying hair, pulling Lex closer. Knowing that it’s just fun, that there are no consequences to agreeing or declining. There will always be another time, whether its just fooling around or rolling between the sheets. It’s all in good fun, just blowing off steam.

Knowing that Lex is infinitely less annoying when his mouth is busy, Tyson goes out of his way to buy ice-lollies for Lex; specifically Rowntree’s Fruit Pastille Ice Lollies, because of how perfectly they match the colours Tyson’s Synesthesia projects onto Lex.

His name is Liam Edward Xavier. Or was is Lewis Eliot Xavier? Or perhaps, Leonard Elijah Xavier? Lex may even be short for Alexander. He’s pretty consistent about Xavier, so that’s properly true and when he’s half-awake or drunk, there’s no mistaking that his Irish accent is genuine. He consistently comes back to the rank of Major in his cons, so Tyson suspects that part may also be true.

Ultimately, Tyson isn’t concerned about what the truth is around Lex. He’s harmless. He wouldn’t hesitate to slit Tyson’s throat if someone offered a better deal than the web, but - as no one can offer Lex something better - he remains utterly harmless.

Whenever he’s on a job with Lex, Tyson has two options: let Lex go smoke on his own and get into trouble or to keep an eye on him. Needing his wildcard in hand to be useful, Tyson nearly always chooses to accompany him. Then one of two things happen, he’ll accept his offer to share a cigarette or he’ll decline and end up shotgunning the smoke from Lex anyway.

Lex is useful in his role as a wildcard. He can mix up the deck and disrupt the web in a way that keeps the Moriarty Mirrors entertained, without causing too many problems. Naturally, he does end up causing problems here or there, but Tyson has his wildcard in hand: be that the metaphorical hand on his wallet, or the literal hand cupping him through his jeans.

Lex has a pet caramel carpet python called Toffee. She was originally called caramel, but Lex grew frustrated by the inevitable debate about how that word was pronounced and changed the name to Toffee instead. He genuinely loves Toffee and her terrarium takes up an entire wall of his apartment.

---

Allegedly: Major Liam Edward Xavier, a.k.a. Lex

UNIVERAL TRUTHS

• Blood Type: O Negative
• Date of Birth: January 17th 1970 – Capricorn - Rooster (Earth)
• DnD Alignment: Lawful Evil
• Dominant Hand: Left
• Ethnicity: White, Irish
• Myers Briggs Type: ENTP-A | The Debater
• Orientation: Pansexual
• Religion: Catholic raised
• Signature:

FAVOURITE

• Favourite Animal: Bush Viper
• Favourite Author: Neil Gaiman
• Favourite Colour: Red
• Favourite Film: Dungeons & Dragons
• Favourite Food: Mango-Mint Smoothie
• Favourite Plant: Moon flowers
• Favourite Poem: The Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson

VERSE DEPENDANT

• Avatar Element: Water
• His Dark Material’s Dæmon: Chameleon
• Hogwarts House: Slytherin
• Hybrid!Verse Pairing: Leopard Gecko
• Mass Effect Species: Drell Biotic
• Pokémon Team: Girafarig, Serviper, Shuckle, Camerupt, Kecleon, & Zorua.

Colour Tyson’s Synesthesia Projects Onto Them:

RWBY AU

Tyson attended Atlas Academy, and later chose to remain with the army, to spite his father: the late John Delaney. He trained as a fighter at a smaller hunter school before joining the army, to spite his father: the late John Delaney. He made it to the rank of Lieutenant, before Sebastian forced his hand into abandoning. Now, he uses his skills in his work for the Moriarty Mirrors.

In this AU, Tyson is a faunus; specially, a (Roe) deer faunus, not that most people could tell. He shaves down his antlers regularly and hides the slight stumps under a beanie. Though he misses his antlers and shaving them down can hurt if he’s not careful, Tyson thinks that it’s worth while to keep his identity hidden. Even in the criminal world, faunus aren’t always welcome.

Tyson’s weapon is a shield that transforms into a combination [fencing] sabre/estoc. When out of combat, it’s usual resting position is a circular shield that straps onto Tyson’s back, typically over his rucksack. His shield is silver with purple details, while the estoc has a silver and purple striped blade and a silver hilt/handle with purple accents. His weapon’s tertiary form is a glock-style handgun, primarily silver with purple accents; and uses the same hilt/handle of the sword form. He uses a variety of magazines each with a different type of Dust.

He uses Dust explosions to hide his strikes, thrown from vials kept on his belt. Tyson, also, uses rocks and earth for cover in fights; such as hitting up dust* with the sabre to blind opponents. Though being part of the web means that Tyson has access to any type of Dust he desires, Tyson tends to only keep three types on his person at any one time; liking the ability to adapt on the fly, without being weighted down by too many vials or magazines: that could be struck and explode accidentally. Largely he uses earth, ice, & gravity with water, steam, & lightening substituting where necessary. 
*real dust, fine dirt.

Tyson rarely uses his semblance. To effectively access it, Tyson needs complete concentration and to stay perfectly stationary; rarely possible mid-combat. His semblance is a shockwave that pulses out of his aura in all directions. Primarily it exerts forces against anything it contacts, but - providing that Tyson is aware of his surroundings - he can make it pass through/over something without damaging it; such as a team mate. It will sustain for as long as Tyson can keep still and focused, and has aura remaining; more powerful shockwaves will shake him too and break his concentration.

In his RWBY AU, Tyson has his emblem tattooed between his shoulder blades. He had it done - alongside his teammates having their own tattooed - when he was in a team with Captain Samson, Hal Malone, & Bùi Kimiko; before meeting The Colonel and before the dent in his torso was formed.

Tyson’s original team was ATHK (Artichoke), led by Andrew Samson. Now, Tyson is the leader of TCLD (Stormcloud) with Charlie Hotchner, Lex, & Dick Gannon. Though he and Sebastian were partners in the Atlesian army, they were never on an official huntsman team together. 

Tyson’s emblem represents a (digital) map pointer, a compass needle, & a compass rose. A compass pointer/rose rotates, as his weapon does, and resembles a shining sun; with one falling silhouette, who flew too close.

A motif continued in some of the other emblems. His mentor, Andrew Samson, has burning wings, or Roman-esque laurels, too close to the flames. Hal and Lex - who Tyson could have been, and who could have been Tyson in another life - have wings: Hal, as doomed to fall in glory as Tyson, and Lex with his false Caduceus; harming, rather than healing.

Kim, golden and glowing, has her arrows; fallen feathers, ready to shoot Tyson - and anyone else - completely out of the sky. Charlie’s favourite flower is Foxgloves, and here she is a fox who fights with her fists. And lastly, Dick: simple and to the point, he’s a salty old guard dog who has a trident and a shield. Simple.

Team ATHK - Artichoke

• Andrew Samson - Atlas - Flint & Steel || Tattoo on the centre of his chest
  Weapon: Fire-Dust infused parrying dagger & scimitar/SMG & Hunting Rifle
  Semblance: Practically immune to fire damage, redirects fire into his weapon.
• Hal Malone - Atlas - Aether & Fortuna || Tattoo on his left upper arm
  Weapon: Javelin/Spear/Wind and Fire Wheels & Off-hand Revolver
  Semblance: Never discovered before death.
• Bùi Kimiko - Mistral - Neith || Tattoo on the back of her neck
  Weapon: Recurve Bow/Twin Dao/Double-Barrel Automatic Shotgun
  Semblance: Quickly travel/teleport as a burst of gold-aura that leaves a trail of smoke.

• Sebastian Moran - Vale - Vae Victis - Tiger Faunus (Tail) 
  Weapon: High-Caliber Sniper Rifle/Zweihänder with removable Rapier core
  Semblance: Can activate his aura to boost his strength to tiger levels.

Team TCLD - Stormcloud

• Charlie Hotchner - Vale - Glamour & Valour - Fox Faunus (Ears) 
  Weapon: Dust-infused knuckledusters & Bladed-Tonfas/Kusarigama/Shotguns
  Semblance: Can manipulate her aura to appear invisible.
• Lex - Vacuo - Midas
  Weapon: Revolver Dust-infused Bo-Staff/Escrima Sticks/Nunchaku/Blow Dart
  Semblance: When touching another’s aura, ‘saps’ its energy to enhance his own aura.
• Dick Gannon - Mistral - Bulwark & Corvus
  Weapon: Expanding Scutum Shield & Trident/High-Caliber Sniper Rifle
  Semblance: Can repel liquids, from redirecting rain off his aura to ‘walking on’ water.

Originally from Atlas, Tyson works in Mistral & Vacuo within the web.

In this verse, the Delaney family is notable for making a place for themselves as a faunus family within the Atlas elite; a place they fought tooth and claw to secure, and continued to ruffle metaphorical feathers by primarily hiring other faunus.

• Anne Samantha Williams - Marsh Harrier (Wings)
• James Delaney - Rabbit (Ears)
• Jasmine Dartmoor - Persian (Ears)
• Jethro Andrew Delaney - Brown bear (Ears)
• John Delaney - Gemsbock (Antlers)
• Richard Delaney - Wolf (Ears)
• Rosie Delaney - Mountain Lion (Tail)

His aura is maroon and his semblance manifested at a family ball, when a drunk patron began tugging on Tyson’s antlers and threatening to snap them off. When using his semblance or activating his aura, the remaining stumps of his antlers glow like beacons under his beanie, alongside any red in his clothes; like the red in his gloves and the red stripe of his beanie. 

Alongside his actual weapon, Tyson keeps a secondary/back up weapon on hand: a store-bought dust-powered pistol/dagger - Pale Sigil that doesn’t require him to carry additional ammo. His weapon is called Triumph, because it uses three separate forms:

Throughout all three stages of Triumph, the handle/hilt with its dual-triggers (and open end for ammo magazines/dust vials) remains the same. To change between the three forms, Tyson rotates the handle in a particular direction. From the sword, rotating clockwise changes the weapon into a pistol and counter-clockwise goes to the targe-style shield.

As a pistol (Tres), Triumph has three modes of fire further augmented by the type of ammo that Tyson is using: single shot, three round burst, and fully automatic. The scope uses a red circle-dot sight and he can turn the guidance laser on/off as desired. Largely Tres is used as a mid- to long-range distance closer.

As a light-weight finesse sword (Trois), Tyson can load in a vial of dust to affect the strikes: typically with ice to freeze opponents once a strike lands. The tapering blade is shaped like an estoc, but has slightly less length; the length of a fencing saber. Tyson generally uses Trois as one would a fencing sword or rapier to fight in his preferred close- to mid-range.

As a targe-style shield (Drei), Triumph’s handle becomes the front grip for his hand and a second securing strap appears behind it for use on either arm. Typically Drei is only used to defend against a particularly strong attack, but he will use it with his backup weapon and vials of dust when he knows he’s in a tricky position.

The purple pattern on Drei is the central part of Tyson’s emblem, based on a compass rose and the sun. Having partially based each form of Triumph off of weapons his family used in the Faunus Rights Revolution & Great War, Tyson decided to keep the traditional family purple rather than matching his own maroon aura.

To keep the element of surprise, Tyson can spin Triumph through several forms before pausing on the desired mode. When not in use, Triumph stays as Drei and attaches to the metal plate on the back of his rucksack. It can stay in any form, but Tyson finds a shield safer to carry around than a gun or a sword.

Tattoos

Though Tyson appreciates tattoos, the dent in his torso has instilled a fear of permanent markings in main!verse Tyson that is not easily shaken off.

Within Mythical!Verse, Corruption!Verse, & Redemption!Verse, Tyson has enchanted tattoos. In those verses, Tyson had years to get used to the non-permanent versions of the tattoos, before agreeing to have them tattooed.

The sigils that were often painted onto Tyson using blood and magic - The sigils - that coated his chest and back, trickled down his arms onto his hands, and looped around his neck up onto his head; matting his hair were the blood was painted against his skull - were a claim on Tyson. A semi-permeant sign that Tyson was not to be harmed or attempted to be claimed, that he was theirs and no one else’s. - are no longer temporary, but instead a series of tattoos made from enchanted ink. The enchanting makes the tattoos change colours depending on the light - from blood red, to dark blue, to dark green to black - but Tyson dismisses it as ‘iridescent ink’.

As they are usually only visible where they inch down onto the back of his hands and where they loop up the back of his neck, Tyson isn’t too recognisable by his tattoos, but he still makes sure to conceal them - with magic or make-up, verse depending - when on jobs for the Moriarty Mirrors.

The tattoos follow the curve of Tyson’s ribs around then down to the top of his hips as their lowest point before going around onto Tyson’s back, leaving more of his stomach unmarked, and an empty diamond on the small of his back for temporary, situational markings to be applied.

In his RWBY AU, Tyson has his emblem tattooed between his shoulder blades. He had it done - alongside his teammates having their own tattooed - when he was in a team with Captain Samson, Hal Malone, & Bùi Kimiko; before meeting The Colonel and before the dent in his torso was formed.

School Rivalry

Though Tyson is aware that it’s utterly hypocritical given his upper-class upbringing, in attending Cambridge International School and Cambridge University, his hatred of Etonians and Oxford University remains.

It’s an old resentment ingrained into his being for the family legacy at Cambridge and a learnt distaste for the upper class. However, where his distaste for Oxford goes into a ‘school rivalry’ category, Tyson actively resents Eton and on principle distrusts anyone who attended there.

That Sebastian Moran attended has been a point of contention between the pair, whereas Cambridge versus Oxford was a source of teasing between them.

Engagement

Though Tyson would happily be engaged, he doesn’t want to get married:

“Hmm, that depends, would y-you expect us to get married if I proposed, Sebastian? Or would you be content to be officially tied down, whilst continuing to be out of wedlock s-sinners as fiancés?” Tyson teased back, though curious. He would proudly be engaged to Sebastian. To show the world their love and commitment to one another.

Tyson wasn’t going to marry, however. ‘Study until perfection, then try harder. Be better than you are. Take your rightful place at the university. Marry the girl; love be damned, find someone ‘acceptable’ amongst the social elite and have an heir children. Uphold the family legacy, no matter the personal cost.’

Somewhere along the line, Tyson’s view of the actual marriage part had been soured by expectations that he’d spent a lifetime running from; though he’d usually pretend that he simply didn’t see the need in a modern society.

He likes the idea of an ‘official’ relationship status beyond dating, a way of showing long-term commitment, but years of expectations from his family and its legacy has caused Tyson to resent the idea of marriage.

Another factor in this is that Tyson is polyamorous, and there is no law against being engaged to multiple people whereas there is one against being married to multiple people. Even though he doesn’t think that all of his relationships should be treated the same way, Tyson wouldn’t want a show of commitment that he couldn’t also offer in other relationships.

Miscellaneous fluff headcanons

• Tyson is pretty good at tying shoes for other people. He first learnt how to tie shows by sitting under his father’s desk whilst he worked and pulling on the laces of his father’s shoes until he knew how to do it properly.
    
• Lily loves playing with bubbles. Tyson can keep her entertained for hours by blowing bubbles for her to snap at and chase around. Whenever she actually manages to catch one, she spends a solid minute making a fuss, rubbing her tongue on the ground to remove the taste, before chasing them again.
   
• Harmonica lessons with Sebastian were more or less always an excuse to kiss, but one of the few times they were walked in on, harmonica lessons were a good enough excuse for why they were kissing. That it was John who walked in and he was 90% asleep at time is probably the only reason that excuse passed without follow up questions. Watson was too tired to deal with their nonsense.
    
• Since their father was too busy at the university, Tyson had to be the one to give Jethro a pep-talk before his first proper date at fifteen. This went about as well as a conversation between an eleven-year-old and a fifteen-year-old about going on a date could be expected to.
    
• One time after sharing a plate of pot brownies with Dick, Tyson ended up answering a call from a telemarketer whilst tangled up on the kitchen floor with Dick; after the pair had tripped over each other in the livingroom, and been too content to bother walking to move. He ended up rambling about the pretty stars for the better part of half an hour on the phone. The stars in that instance meaning the series of LED lights in the kitchen ceiling.
    
• When Bobby was a puppy, he loved water just as much as he does now. He once ended up falling asleep in the bath whilst settled on Tyson’s chest. This left Tyson unable to move as the water cooled and Lily outside of the bath licking her puppy clean of soap, whilst being completely unwilling to get touched by the water herself. 

Collectable

Though Tyson has a collection of rocks, coins, and comic books, he only actively goes out of his way to collect rocks.

Over the years he has amassed an array of figurine collectables that are scattered around his various personal spaces. Most of them he has received as gifts - or pawned off on him after covering conventions by Billy, which is like an aggressive gift - or else Tyson has stolen it to improve his thieving skills.

The collectable figures/replicas that Tyson has of note/that he actually cares about are:

• Hellblazer Statue by DC Collectible
  Gift left at one of apartments Sebastian abandoned after Tyson helped him return there when the man was injured, now kept on the lowest shelf in his bedroom.
• K.K. Slider Amiibo Figure
  Prize that travels between Nate & Tyson, depending on who won their latest video game challenge/competition with each other. When in Tyson’s possession, kept on the coffee table of his living room.
• Kotobukiya Artfx+ Magneto Statue (Black)
  Swiped reflexively whilst in New York with Dick, kept at Tyson’s warehouse.
• Noble Collection Magical Creatures - Basilisk
  33rd birthday gift from James, kept on the top shelf in his livingroom.
• Normandy SR-1 Model
  31st birthday gift from Jethro, kept at Tyson’s warehouse.
• Pinky and the Brain Q-Fig
  A ‘gift’ from Billy, kept at the family manor in Tyson’s childhood bedroom.

Sewing

Tyson is pretty decent at sewing.

He learnt how to do the basics at school, but he never got much practice until his army days where he began stitching repairs into his clothes and earning rations from other soldiers by doing little patch jobs on their clothes that didn’t need full replacements.

Afterwards, Tyson was the one repairing his and Sebastian’s clothes whilst they were on the run. He also learnt a lot more about stitching skin back together during those days as well.

Now, Tyson largely only spends his time sewing together cosplay for his nephew’s amusement, repairing his dog’s stuffed toys, and - much more commonly - doing medical stitches.

Fighting Style

Though Tyson can appreciate the discipline of martial arts and has dabbled in a few different fighting techniques, he generally favours guerrilla street fighting.

Generally speaking, Tyson focuses on strikes against nerve/vital points, but even then, he doesn’t stick to a singular style of fighting. Even when he’s trying to improve on a particular area, Tyson is more instinctive in a fight and will end up jumping between styles regardless.

Something his drill Sargent in the army never stopped scolding him for. That adaptability and flexible is useful, but it also hamstrings Tyson’s ability to improve as a fighter. He has a niche that works for him; until it doesn’t, and that can be an Achilles heel.

That said, there are areas that can be pointed to as Tyson’s fighting style, without being a specific technique as they apply to the ways he will use multiple techniques to better suit his preferred flow of battle.

He favours fighting with his arms and blocking with his legs, and is more willing to risk damage to his legs. 

He likes to turn the odds in his favour and to use his environment to his advantage, such as his use of staircases.

He wants to wait for or create a golden opportunity, but failing that, Tyson is willing to wear down his opponent however he needs to.

He is more comfortable planting his feet in one place between bursts of movement. Stop and start fighting, rather than flowing from one movement to the next. 

Tyson wants to be darting in-and-out of the mid-to-close range. Defending until an opportunity opens, then doing as much damage as possible before waiting again. He’s an opportunity fighter.