Birthplace: The northern coast of what was then known as Castile. Now known as Spain.
Sex: Male
Occupation: Tattoo artist/piercer
Appearance: Miles is a tall and skinny dude. Standing 6'1, he probably could turn sideways and disappear. He's not just skinny though, he works hard to keep himself in top physical form, especially for a 522-year-old. He is surprisingly strong for someone in his weight class. His hair is ever changing, though he was born with dark brown. He usually keeps it pretty long, letting it fall in his face except when he is working on a tattoo. His half-Spanish heritage contributes to him always looking tan, even dead in the middle of a Mysterian winter. His face keeps a consistent level of scruff, usually attributed to his lack of caring what the hell his facial hair status is, though he will occasionally shave or shape it.And, of course, he is covered in tattoos and piercings.
His wings resemble those of a red-tailed hawk (seen here) almost exactly, though monochromatic. This means his flight feathers have an alternating black and white stripe, ending with the tips being completely black, while the feathers along the tops of his wings are a soft grey color. When they are stored, they are hidden beneath a tattoo that spans his whole back.
Personality: Laid-back, Miles is more likely to call you "dude" than your name. He's the "cool dad", except as his kids probably see him. When it comes to them, he wants only the best, and will often forbid them from doing things he knows they will regret, hoping to shield them from pain. His temper has a very very very long fuse though, only igniting for a few of his trigger pet peeves. Mostly, blonde bimbos with handbags that cost more than the down-payment on a house. He also has a very healthy mental appetite, and likes hanging around the library, soaking up as much knowledge as he can from the books there. On the same vein, he likes to shoot the shit with the more diverse residents of Mysteria, learning their personal histories as well as about their gifts.
Special abilities/talents: Miles is a talented artist, able to recreate anything he sees in his mind to paper, stone, canvas, or, in his newest medium, skin.
Supernatural Affinity: Species/Group: Guiding Angel Power(s): Has the ability to pick out the lost and battered souls of the supernatural
History: Miles was born in Castile during the reign of Isabel I, the same year as her last daughter, Katherine of Aragon. His mother, a prostitute of completely human persuasion, had no idea who the father of her child was, but raised him as best she knew how on her own. He wasn't educated much, though it was adequate for the times. His mother was good at her profession, and he didn't want for much. As a child, he spent his days studying with the artists in his town, apprenticing himself to them in exchange for supplies.
His entire life, he'd been plagued with sores on his back, though he hid them from his mother. He had assumed they were an awful disease, but as he didn't feel sick, he didn't want to be avoided or named diseased. Eventually, these sores gave rise to tiny wings, further enforcing the idea that he shouldn't tell anyone. As he reached his 17th birthday, the wings were too large to conceal when he happened to let them free. The one time he accidentally did, his mother managed to make the sign of the cross as a ward against her own son before kicking him from her home.
Miles left, making his way as an artist, drawing portraits of the wealthy and occasionally sculpting. He visited England and paid homage to the child of his Queen as she became the wife of Arthur of England, drawing a wedding portrait for them as a gift. He spent many years there, leaving when Katherine's second husband cast her off in favor of another. Times were not safe then for someone from Castile, and he packed his bags for the Americas, settling in the lands already claimed by Spain. Times were tough for an artist, and so he picked up the trade of merchant, importing goods from the mother country. Eventually, the settlements began to flourish, and he could again do what he loved.
It was around this time that he noticed that, beyond having wings, he wasn't aging as he should. He began moving from place to place, never staying long enough to attract notice. Fortunately, his work helped, and he could always find a reason to travel, with hefty financial rewards. He began a friendship with the Medicis, and began traveling the social circles of French nobility, particularly King Louis XIII, son of Marie de' Medici. His works filled the palace, and after the construction of Versailles, he left for Italy, tired of the ostentatious nature of nobility.
It was in Italy that he met another angel, who helped him realize exactly what he was. Previously, he'd been drawn to certain members in his circle, and he always taught them, or slipped them some of the vast fortune he was amassing, but he never realized why he was drawn, or why he had wings and had already far exceeded his life span. This began a period in his life that still hasn't ended. Miles learned to focus his power, finding children who were lost or unappreciated with a supernatural gift, and adopting them as his own. He's researched as much as possible, helping each of his children learn what they are, what they can do, and how to use their powers and gifts for the benefit of society. He never wants one to feel as lost as he did, kicked out of his home with no idea what was happening to him.
He settled in Mysteria at the turn of the century, building a house on a large plot of land. Most of the land was eventually sold off, but he keeps the house, updating it to maintain code as well as modern conveniences. Most of the children he has adopted have left, leaving him rattling around in the large house with just Royce, the youngest. Strangely enough, he hasn't felt the draw of a lost child since 13 years ago, when he went to Nova Scotia to befriend the family that housed the young boy. He knows angels don't live forever, knows they usually tire, fall, and die by his age. He's beginning to wonder if his gift is leaving him for just that purpose.
Flaws: Soft hearted- For all of his tough-looking exterior, Miles is pretty damned soft-hearted when it comes to his kids. The plight of the children he's adopted over the years always tug at his heart strings, and he finds it hard to resist whenever he finds someone who needs his help.
Jaded- Miles has pretty much literally done and seen it all. He's sorted the wheat from the chaff in life, and he's no use for anything but what he's deemed as worthwhile. Which mostly boils down to his art, and his children.
Intolerance- Having seen the same stories play themselves out countless times, he has grown to be very intolerant of the kinds of people who revel in their social or financial status. This intolerance is mostly aimed at the women who feel this way. He's proudly raised each of his daughters not to act this way. Despite the fortune he's bequeathed to each child, he always teaches them to use it responsibly. And heaven help any of those kinds of airheaded girls who step in his path, or especially into his tattoo parlor.
Merits: Eidetic Memory- Miles' photographic memory means he only needs to see something once to be able to re-create it in a drawing.
Common Sense- Living more than half a century, you learn these kinds of things. And he usually passes on his knowledge as best he can to his adopted children, trying to save them from heartache.
Patience- Hey, when you've lived 522 years, you can wait for things to happen.