Just another damn RP journal, yanno?

 

A childhood of chronic malnutrition has left its mark on Duo's form, leaving him average in height at best (5'1 canon, 5'6 aged up) and willowy in stature. It doesn't help that Duo is so accustomed to ignoring hunger that he tends to skip meals when deeply involved in something, leaving him downright skinny. Nevertheless, he continues to diligently train his endurance and strength, building up lithe muscle and power, agility, and flexibility few would expect from appearances alone.

 

Though a pale space colony boy at heart, Duo tans easily on Earth, leaving a light golden cast to his skin and a smattering of freckles across his nose, arms, and hands more often than not. His eyes are a medium blue which appear almost violet in the right light, and his long, thick, chestnut brown hair is well-maintained. Few have ever seen that hair unbound from its tightly plaited 3' braid, a style which he has kept since his boyhood.

 

He is never without the golden cross that hangs on a chain around his neck, typically hidden beneath whatever black-on-black ensemble he has chosen to wear that day. Colors like red, violet, and brown occasionally sneak their way into his wardrobe, but these pieces are nowhere near as abundant as his black denim and black leather.

 

Duo doesn't know how old he is, his birthday, or even his real name. Duo Maxwell is a name that he chose for himself, a sacred vow to avenge the loved ones that were taken from him by the forces of oppression and war. His name drives him to continue on doing what he does despite the pain and insanity he has endured throughout his short life. 

 

Duo hails from the streets of L2, the most economically unstable of the manmade Earth-orbiting space colonies. He is an orphan with no memory of family beyond the ratty gang of homeless kids he grew up with. After most of his gang was decimated by a plague, a desperate thieving job gone wrong landed him in the colony's broken foster care system. Of course, headstrong and defiant Duo had no hope of being adopted. It was only through the kindness of Father Maxwell and Sister Helen of the Maxwell Church Orphanage that Duo eventually found a home. The happy Maxwell family was short-lived, however, as a skirmish between the oppressive Alliance military and a band of colony rebels ended with the church in flames and everyone inside dead, under circumstances that could very well have been Duo's own fault. Suddenly, the young boy was a war criminal on the run, a path which eventually led him to the merry mad scientist who bestowed upon him the Gundam Deathscythe.

 

Sometime between the Maxwell Church Tragedy and his debut as Gundam Pilot 02, Duo decided to embrace death and destruction as his familiars, proclaiming himself to be the Shinigami - the God of Death. Hey, whatever helps a man cope, right? As a former church orphan, the Catholic religion is an integral part of Duo's identity, but he doesn't believe in the Christian idea of a merciful God. He claims that he has witnessed no miracles, but he has seen plenty of death. 

 

Though his language is rough and he lacks formal education, Duo is whip-smart and a naturally talented pilot, mechanic, and engineer. Whether it's a mobile suit, a space shuttle, or a flying tin can, he can fly it, fix it, and plot the trajectory for its safe return to Earth's atmosphere. Unfortunately he is not a planner or a strategist, which tends to get him into trouble. He is a decent shot with a gun, but he favors large weapons that deal a lot of damage at once, or close-range combat - he is not above stabbing another soldier in the back if it means it gets him out of there alive. His specialties are subterfuge, infiltration, and demolitions.

 

Despite a history filled with tragedy, Duo comes across as almost manically cheerful. He is a friendly, laid-back jokester, charming and adaptable, and able to make easy conversation with just about anyone (even if, at times, he is mostly talking to himself). Of course, it doesn't take a PhD in psychology to figure that this sarcastic, goofball exterior might be a cover over something much darker, considering the man spent his boyhood calling himself the actual harbinger of Death. In any case, it is quite fortunate that Duo is so easy-going, because when angry he is truly dangerous. Few cross the God of Death and live to tell the tale.

 

Duo craves relationships with other people, but he has issues with commitment. His disappearing acts are frequent, and though he is meddlesome by nature and would never hesitate to offer help to a friend in need, good luck finding him. The boy grew up with his very survival contingent on constant relocation, so staying in one place for very long seems to make him nervous.