"I am an Elemental. I am the sand between your toes, the dirt beneath your feet, the rock on which you sit. Don't ever forget that."
Name: Gregory Mills
Alias: Evan
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Appearance:Blue eyes crowned by natural mess of chestnut hair, Gregory was considered a “pretty boy” once, before the accident. He stands at 5'8 usually, add an extra inch for when he wears his black hiking boots, which he always does. They go nicely with his favorite blue jeans, and a brown turtleneck to cover his hangman's scar. The kind that bunches around your neck and you can pull up to cover your mouth, probably meant to be worn in the winter, though he did cut the sleeves off of it. He has exactly ten copies of it in his closet, of varying colors.
As of recently, Gregory fancies a pair of round goggles, which he usually keeps worn around his neck when not in use. Luckily he made it through his teen years without any acne scars, or scars in general, or other crippling deformities to cripple a teen's high school experience, despite not being popular at all. He was handsome at best, but to most people he looked rather plain. He liked it that way. His hair wasn't too long, rather short, his nose wasn't too big or small, his ears looked pretty average. He wasn't much to talk about fortunately.
Shifter Appearance: Focus: Gregory has learned how to shift into his elemental state, a form he calls Focus. He is in all rights, an earth elemental, and he shifts into a form aligned with that affinity, basically a golem. Shifting into Focus feels like releasing a tide of energy over himself, a calm, cool wash of tingles that spread over his body. It flows around him, twirling around his limbs and torso, as if compelled by a gentle breeze. Though it takes a handful of seconds, the entire experience is pretty pleasant. He becomes the blue energy, assumes it's shape, it's essence. It rolls over him and replaces him entirely, leaving nothing but the mystic essence and his conscience.
As this happens, rocks break free of the earth and drift towards him. Small spiraling columns of dirt arise from the ground, attracted to him. This usually causes large clouds of dust to form, obscuring the transformation. The earthen materials bind themselves to his body, fusing with the blue energy, becoming his skin, his bones, his structure. He becomes a being of rock, the blue energy a representation of his magic essence, there to hold the construct together. In this form he is bulkier than his other. He is comprised of larger, rougher stones. Those making of the back of his head and shoulders end in rough jagged edges. An "x" split on his face forms the basis of his vision, able to see clearly as if he where looking through his own eyes and not a mystical veil of magical energy.
While shifted into Focus Gregory stands at ten feet tall. His has increased strength and durability, and his large strides help balance out his bulky movements. He is also not very quick in this form, as it does nothing to enhance his speed. In the center of his chest a blue sphere glows brightly from within himself. The collected magic essence originates from there, flowing through his new earthen body. It acts like his elemental heart, functioning like a human's in theory.
Rage: This form on the other hand, or rather his full power, Gregory can not assume, or will himself into. It is a state of his elemental being forged from exactly as its name implies; Rage. The kind of anger that one feels from their fingertips to their toes. A knotted ball of fury in their stomach, burning adrenaline coursing through their veins. The kind of anger you couldn't turn away from, couldn't deny. If in his human state, red energy will spill from him, whirling around him like a mystical tornado. Unlike Focus, this replacement is violent, rather than the pleasant tingles it feels more like acid. As if the energy were trying to burn away his human body. Rock, Dirt, and other earthen materials will rip out of their placement, joining the energy whirling around him. The materials, once his body has been replaced by the energy, will smash into him. Violently fusing to his being. More will smash into him, condensing his body into a denser, sleeker form. Short, deadly spikes with jut from the backs of his arms and shoulders. Red veins of magical energy snakes across his body, glowing red hot.
If Gregory has already shifted when the Rage tries to take over, he will not shift back. His elemental state will morph, becoming something a level higher than what he is, or a different part of himself. He's not sure on the details. The earth will rise up around him from all directions, converging on his location. He becomes trapped in a roiling coffin of earth and stone, his body pummeled by the new material. His energy will turn red, the rage taking over quite literally. His core remains, though it now glows like a hot coal, the the outer shell is denser, as is his entire elemental body. In this form he, because he is compressed into a harder outer layer, he stands at eight feet tall. Because he is sleeker, and packed, his has greater durability, enhanced strength, and better speed. Though the latter is not a drastic improvement. His face glows with red eyes, and a mouth that looks like a mask stretched out of rock. This is the only state in which Gregory can use Geokinesis.
Abilities: Adept Hunter and Gatherer. Experienced in Freerunning, resulting in higher than average agility and reaction time.
Powers: Geokinetic Manipulation: Gregory can control rudimentary earth materials by channeling through his hands such as; Stone, Dirt, Sand, Rock, and Gravel. Nothing complex like concrete, glass, asphalt, etc. This includes moving, shifting, compressing, and pulling apart. Applications can include weapons, armor, surfing, flight, and earth based attacks, or defensive maneuvers.
Geokinetic Oxygenation: Gregory can sink himself into the earth, without fear of suffocating. Though he is still affected by depth pressure, the threat lessens as his form changes; in their respective order.
Geokinesis: While in his Rage form, Gregory has much greater control over his magical manipulation, no longer needing to channel through his hands, but at will.
Background:Gregory, though he took that name upon waking up with the other shifters, his given name used throughout his previous life being Gregory. Anyways, from a young age Gregory had always like to move. Quite literally so, just moving, running, with no particular destination in mind. He was constantly scolded by school teachers and his parents for climbing up places he shouldn't be, or through dangerous places like moving traffic. He wasn't quite sure if he liked the adrenaline of it, or the feeling of the breeze, or being able to go where he wanted fluidly.
His school life was less than satisfactory, being the odd kid out. The kids teased him from grade school all through high school with names like “Shoes”, “Speedy”, “A.D.D”, and “Nesquick”. The latter being the most particular creative, and the favorite. Though bully logic was something that was lost upon Gregory. He was the kind of kid that liked to run to class, taking odd paths over rails, roofs, and walls. Nobody really associated with him much, and those who liked to do what he did, if any, never showed themselves. Fear of ridicule was a powerful emotion.
His grades were poor; always day dreaming about where to go next. His home life wasn't too great, with his bad grades, dangerous activities, coming home late if at all, and his parents on the edge of a divorce. He didn't like being home, hearing their arguments, he'd rather be out moving in the sunset, or exploring in the night air. Living in the mountains gave him a plentiful amount of diverse climbing and running locations. He never felt lonely, he hardly stopped long enough to think about it. A school coach insisted Gregory could be a track star, but Gregory politely declined, on multiple separate occasions. Which made more kids hate him, they thought he felt he was better than them by declining.
When Gregory turned eighteen and finally graduated high school, his life turned for the better with the introduction of a new neighbor, a girl. Her name was Emily, and over the summer they became close friends, she was fascinated by how easily Gregory moved wherever he wanted to go. She was skeptical at first, but eventually he convinced her to give it a go. A year's worth of bruises and scrapes turned her into a pro, nearly as good as Gregory. By this time they had started dating, happily. Gregory's parents still fighting in private, but friendly with their new buddies; Emily's parents. His parents seemed a lot happier when they weren't around each other. But Gregory didn't care, he was happy with Emily, and he was happy running. They continued to date and fall in love for the next year.
When Emily showed up at Gregory's door, holding a positive pregnancy test, his heart nearly broke in two. He could foresee the problems that would arise, and feared the worst. He was right. Gregory's mother was the only one who supported them, his father and Emily's parents were outraged. Her parent's were planning to move, and his were pulling even farther away from each other. He spent many nights with Emily crying in his arms. One night she had come over, they had talked, expressed their love, and made the decision to leave the very next night. But it was not to be so.
Almost an hour after she had left, Gregory heard the yelling. Her father was in a rage, probably had drank to much again. Her mother was screaming for him to stop. Suddenly Gregory's heart was gripped in fear. He vaulted out his windows and burst into Emily's house. He walked in with Emily on the floor, her father's hand cocked back, and her mother whimpering in a corner, cowering from her husband's wrath. The man turned to Gregory and yelled obscenities at him, coming at him. Gregory backed out the door and down the walk, trying unsuccessfully to put distance between himself and Emily's father. He threw Gregory down, cracking one of his ribs on the edge of the sidewalk. Emily threw herself between them and her father backhanded her hard enough that she fell into the road. At the same moment bright lights blinded their eyes, there was a honk and a screech of tires. And screaming, lots of screaming.
Emily lay mangled underneath the front of the car, Gregory rushed to her side, taking her limp hand. She looked at him with glazed over eyes, in a daze she spoke, “I was... going to..” She coughed, blood trickling down the sides of her mouth, “..going to.. name him.. Evan..” Tears welled up in his eyes, they had always talked about wanting a boy. Gregory watched his life spiral out of control from that moment on. Emily's father was convicted and put away behind bars. Her mother washed down a bottle of pills with a 40oz of Steel Reserve. Gregory no longer had the drive to even get out of bed, his mind wouldn't let him forget that night, it played over repeatedly. Finally his parents decided to split. Before the paperwork had even been filed Gregory left, up into the mountains, with nothing but his backpack.
It was only a couple months living in the wilderness, in a cabin he had found years before during one of his weekend exploration trips, that he first discovered his powers. He had been mourning, trying to forget her smile, they way she laid broken and bleeding. He couldn't live with it anymore, it wasn't fair, his heart couldn't take it. He took a rope, tying it to a central beam that spanned the ceiling of the cabin. He tied it in a noose, whispered, “I love you Emily...”, and kicked the stool away. The rope snapped around his neck, instantly cutting of his air and leaving him floundering for air. His mind panicked, desperate for oxygen. The world grew hazy, blurry, Gregory clawed at the rope, trying to free himself. He swore he saw Emily's ghost, screaming.
The cabin shook as Gregory's desperation rose. He blinked, on the verge of passing out, calm yet panicked, serene, but angry at himself. At his torment, at Emily's father, at his parents, at everything. The cabin ripped apart in a tornado of splintered wood, glass, and a hail storm of rock and earth, all spiraling around him. The pieces of the cabin spun out of the deadly whirlwind, leaving just the earth. It suffocated him, confined him, pressed all around him. He fell to the ground, gasping large amounts of air. Confused and terrified. He got to all fours, looking at his massive stone hand. He stood quickly, stumbling backwards, the magical tornado subsiding as the shift completed. He stumbled on some wreckage and fell. The earth erupted next to him, showering great chunks down towards the earth. He stood and did what he did best, he ran. He ran surprisingly fast, considering he was covered in rock, or he was rock, or something. After awhile he stopped, looking around. The edge of the mountain he had been on was complete devastation. His home gone. Strange, magical things happening. It seemed hopeless once again. There was no way he could hunt food as he was, a monster made of stone. Eventually exhaustion fell over him, and he literally toppled over.
The next two years were spent learning about this strange phenomenon. He eventually learned on his trips to town about others, mystical beings, something about a government conspiracy. Over time he practiced this new power that had come over him, honing himself both physically and magically. Expanding his survival skills, and building back upon his freerunning. He was reminded everyday of the mistake he had made, trying to hang himself, trying to squander the gift of life that he had and Emily did not. A scar that wrapped fully around his neck, from where the rope had torn and damaged his skill as he struggled, a hangman's scar.
Personality:Gregory considers himself a free thinker. He does what he wants, when he wants, because he wants to. Regardless of what other people think, though he does maintain an abide for laws and structure. Being locked up is one of the things he fears. He liked to move, express himself, he's not shy, and tends to be a little hot headed sometimes. Though his time in the mountains has given him some control, some peace inside himself. The events two years ago still bother him, and with the way he grew up he's used to being an outcast. He really only trusts himself, he is a little misguided and paranoid in the social aspect. All other people had done was hurt him, other than Emily, though in the end her loss was what had hurt him the most. This has made him careful, concerning love and falling in it. He's not entirely sure he could go through that kind of pain again, let alone deal with it now, even if it has faded into a memory, or an occasional nightmare.
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