Elvis Aslan // Thirteen

There is a certain goofy quality to Elvis, a tilt of his lips, the flare of his nose, the quirk of his eyebrows. Somehow all his parts don't quite add up to handsome, but they are endearing.

He tends to grow hair at an alarming rate. This leads to overgrown eyebrows and a wild, curly mop atop his head. It also has matured him a little; that five o'clock shadow is more like noon o'clock, and it hides some of the clinging baby fat around his cheeks. He does his best to shave it daily, if not twice, especially when he has to attend council meetings. But, sometimes there is just no taming the beast. He uses gel when he can trade for in Thirteen, which is a rare luxury. Mostly he relies on water and oil to make some sense of the knotted mess.

His eyes are set deeply back, almost cowering from the brows. They are a beautiful ocean blue, not that he's ever seen the ocean. They are pretty, even if they are constantly in the shadow of his forehead. Elvis does a remarkably good job of keeping his emotions from clouding them. Of course Cora can always draw out a little more jade or a little more black.

His nose and lips are unremarkable. The one is long and slender, the other thin and slightly more orange than is attractive. His teeth are mostly straight, save for his incisors, which jut out slightly. They are clean and white, maintained by Thirteen's hygienists. Much like these features, his body is unremarkable. He is reasonable tall at 6'2" but lanky and perhaps a bit pouched through the middle. Nothing extraordinarily, all around, except for that goofiness, that happiness, which persists.

As with everyone else in Thirteen, Elvis wears hand-me-downs in the same material, the same color, as everyone else. He has been allowed a small badge on his shoulder to indicate his status on the disciplinary board. It is this one marker which has earned him more rewards, more looks than anything else. He is eternally grateful for it, because he knows exactly the prize he has won.

Claiming my Rob Pattinson reservation.

Elvis is a man of humility, responsibility and steadfastness. He is the person you would go to with your darkest secret, your most vile deed, even though he is on the disciplinary board, and it would surely mean punishment. He is thoughtful and fair, a judicious man who finds life meaning in morality.

He is not exciting, or sexy, or charismatic. He lacks that wow factor, that magnetism that others possess. For this reason, though he may rise to the very top of the disciplinary board, he is never likely to become President, and more than that - he has no desire to do so. Such lofty goals come into direct conflict with his humility, and that is his driving force in life. If he can help someone before himself, he will.

He is loyal to a fault, a dreamer, and obsessive. When he gets his heart set on something (and it is always his heart, not his mind, that he uses to make decisions), there is no deterring him. You might think he has backed off, because of that goofy smile, or the way he talks more about your worries than his, but do not be fooled. Elvis is a dog with a bone; he will never give up.

He is very well read, although definitely not the smartest man in District Thirteen, he is a decent conversationalist. He has refined his view points on history, politics and philosophy, and he is always interested in discussing these things with others, to broaden his view point, to more fully understand the world. There are very few other places Elvis could have flourished. Ironically, perhaps, the only other home he could have fit into is the Capitol itself, where he could have access to even more books, more politics. Any of the districts would have suffocated him.

Elvis doesn't think much about leaving Thirteen. It has always been his home, and with his recent appointment to the disciplinary board, he is happier than ever, as long as he can call Cora his own.

The Aslans were there, at the end of all things. They survived the bombing of District Thirteen, helped to herd people into the caves. His grandparents were among the first authority in Thirteen, and for a time his great-uncle called himself President. Of course at the beginning, nothing worked out smoothly. His great-uncle died mysteriously, and after awhile, order came to be the norm in the bowels of the earth. Elvis never knew him, and barely knew his grandparents. Life underground, after knowing the sky and sun, never suited them. Even though the doctors of Thirteen did what they could, both of them died before Elvis was four years old.

It was easier on his parents, who knew nothing of the outside, but had vague recollections of the unrest. They took to the philosophies of Thirteen like fish to water, and vowed to instill these rules and morals into their children. As per the suggestions, they had exactly two: one boy and one girl. Elvis came first, followed by Mercy three years later. Both Elvis and Mercy were put into the care of the creche while their parents worked - their mother in the clothing and repair area, their father managing internal operations within District Thirteen. While this was not a board position, almost everyone in Thirteen has needed something or other from Daedelus Aslan at some point or another.

Thus it was never too surprising when Elvis grew from an awkward boy to a kind, open-faced teenager. He wasn't the most popular kid in the claustrophobic school, but he was far from the least. He dated casually, holding hands and stealing a kiss here and there, but it never felt right. His eyes always followed her, as soon as she entered school. No doubt this was inappropriate, given their age gap, but she was fire in the middle of ash. Who could ignore that?

He felt anguish for her when her family dwindled and disappeared, but Elvis lacked the courage his peers seemed to display on a daily basis. Instead he took the rules of District Thirteen to heart, and remained polite, if distant. They knew each other, of course, being in Thirteen, but only casually. He didn't even feel up to the challenge of saying hello in the hallways. Not until he'd made something of himself.

After graduating from school, Elvis immediately went to work with his father, coordinating all of the shipments in, out, and around the district. He made especially sure that everything Cora needed was delivered on time and well packaged, although he couldn't quite bring himself to smuggle her any luxuries. Those he reported to the authorities.

It wasn't long before it was clear that Elvis was good at organization - but he was better with people. He had an easy way about him, a goofy grin and a willingness to laugh at any joke, which was a rare feat in the gloom of Thirteen. It was his father who first suggested that he ought to try to be appointed or elected to a board, but it was for want and love of Cora that finally convinced him. Somewhere in the daily hum-drum of life she had finally noticed him, or perhaps he had just finally worked up enough courage to actually ask her out. It was not easy, either the asking or the doing. There was a friction between them, which Elvis never quite understood.

It the end, it was a bit of a combination of everything that led him to his position; Elvis was first appointed to the Operations and Management Board, and then elected to the Disciplinary Board after running a very brief, humble campaign.

A few days before his twenty-fifth birthday he was sworn into the board, all smiles. More importantly than the power, Elvis found gratification in the fact that Cora was pleased. She seemed not at all embarrassed to be seen with him thereafter, and Elvis held himself taller, and tried not to stare stupidly at her all the time. It wasn't enough though. They fought, no matter how much Elvis avoided it, and once she left... he can hardly remember that time, although it must have been brief. He continued to do his work, but it was mechanical, cold and frozen. Elvis surprised himself by not crying at all; the hurt ran far too deep for such a childish thing.

He didn't understand what brought her back, and never would ask. The only thing that matters is having her in his life. Elvis works harder every day to improve himself for Cora, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. While no one can say that he slacks in his duties, it is very apparent where his heart and loyalties lie.

A King for Lulu's Queen <3... many weeks later :x