WIP  Gender: Male Name: Bart Gauge (Bartholemhew with the mask on) Age: 26 Appearance: http://www.rinkworks.com/rinkchat/botimages/hon/male/hon_h8_hy_hy_km_kqsqkretknfp.jpg Appearance Masked: The same as above but instead dressed in the attire of a Victorian gentleman, brandishing a cane with a sliver crow handle that conceals a blade. Mask: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4a/86/47/4a86472f5b11c6b955512afb84a6f2cc.jpg Abilities and Quirks of mask:  The mask gives Bart traits that change him physically, mentally and give him abilities. The main exterior changes that are brought about by the mask are that his hair, both head and facial, turns black and the hair in his head flattens and slicks back. The other exterior change is that his pupils grow to take up all of his visible eye and turns them black, this is coupled with the eye actually expanding in size and taking up all the space of the mask's eye holes. An interesting none exterior change that happens to him is that he puts on a posh British accent and uses a high register of language, with this he adopts the mannerisms of an old-timey Victorian gentleman. Now that the physical changes have been described it's time to move on to the abilities the mask grants him. One of them is elegance with the sword, bringing back the dueling skills of an era long gone, the other much more sinister ability is to conjure a sense if panic into his enemies, though this skill could devastate someone mentally, it requires concentration that is difficult in the heat of battle. Personality:  He is a calm collected person, never seen publicly going to the extremes of emotion, always neutral or there about. He's not quick to judge people by their failures or problems, he's had more then his fair share of them. Humble, he is very humble, taking any praise with subdued thanks and never asks for what he knows he can't get. Even though he us willing to listen to advice that's not saying he will act on it, if it has something to do with his lifestyle he gets really defensive. Doesn't like reflecting on the past, he is usually tight lipped about and doesn't ask others about theirs. He's not really a problem solver, more of a head scratcher, he might give useful bits and bobs sometimes but otherwise he's not the sharpest knife in the jugglers act, just an average Joe. He is fairly approachable, as in he won't bite (well it depend on who the person is) but better not catch him in a bad mood. Personality with mask: With the mask on he is a completely different person, he becomes lively and eccentric but in the casually muted manor of an old-world gentleman. He becomes whitty and humorous, often more sociable then his original self, he never becomes angry, only on rare occasions and even when he is, it's not shouting and finger pointing, it's quiet brooding. He is also fond of drinking when wearing the mask, and if he gets completely hammered he starts to speak in a Scottish accent. However this is not a constant (well the drunk part is), the other souls in the mask have an effect on Bartholemhew. Biography: Bart found the mask in a gypsy flee market when he was on holiday in France, this was years ago though. When he purchased the mask, the gypsy woman that sold it to him told him to never wear it once the sun had set. He took this as the ramblings of an old woman and agreed because she was unwilling to sell it to him if he didn't, when he returned home he forgot about the mask and really didn't care, he hadn't payed much for it anyway. However one night he was frantically searching for it, he was heading to a masquerade party and need it, he looked where he left it last and found it missing, checking his bag it was not their either. Knowing he was not going to find the mask, he returned to his room to dress upon his Victorian outfit, he found the mask laying on top of the pile of clothes on his bed, frowning he reached for it and was about to put it on when he hesitated, he remembered that the gypsy woman had told him not to. Shrugging off the unsettling thought, he put it on and instantly saw the world differently, he felt more sure of himself, more confident (and looser in the joints to boot). He eventually never got to the party, he spent that first masked night, brawling with street ruffian and getting hammered in the bar.  History of the mask:  The mask has had a rather violent and dark history despite the bouncy and quaint demeanor of Batholemhew, it had witnessed the deaths of countless people and had learned from them, learned from the last wearer of the mask and imprinting their souls into it's velvet interior. It was crafted by a Venetian mask maker under rather strange circumstances, it was made to be a burial mask for a local lord who had died under magical auspices, the mask was enchanted and had wards bound to it to protect the corpse from further evil. When the authorities heard of the dark 'sorcery' of the mask maker they hung him in the streets outside his shop, with the mask staring out at him, from that point on the wards that were meant to protect the wearer turned foul. String after string of wearers wore it and each one had fallen victim to the curse on it and had their souls put on it, however to the run up of Barts ownership of the mask 3 important figures shaped it: A duelist who was stabbed in the neck after a mardigras party, the mask was then relayed to a Scottish cousin of his who was beaten to death in a bar brawl and finally it landed in the hands of a neice of tge scottsman, who had gifted it to her husband who was shot in the eye. The mask wad eventually crated up and sent to a buyer in France but the mask never made it to the collector, instead an empty box was received, the mask had been stollen by a gypsy sorceress and decursed, however all the souls that were imprinted into the mask were still there and age could do nothing to change who they were because they were already dead. She then sold it to Bart, 150 years after she had decursed it.

Name: Pendleton "Penn" Howl Age: 41 Gender: Male Appearance: Penn masked appearance: The Reaper Mask: Mask Abilities: Penn is a borderline prodigy and proved it during his time as a university teacher. Masked Abilities: Levitation - Penn does not call it flight, as he moves around with the absence of external forces, and doesn't push against anything. Umbraspace/Hammerspace - Reaper can put himself and other objects into shadows, using them as gates to the void. He cannot put other humans or living beings into the void, as it lacks air. Night vision Limited Pyrokenesis, black flames. Personality: Masked Personality: Reaper is a being of justice, and has little sense of mercy. He knows when he isn't enough to handle a situation, and isn't afraid to ask for help from other masked beings. Biography: Pendleton Howl was born in Australia, but he and his parents moved to America so he could be raised in a small town in northern California to a family with a comfortable lifestyle. He was raised well, and was almost considered a child prodigy in sciences and mathematics. He excelled in just about all of his classes, and gained a full scholarship at the age of fifteen. Years later, Penn decided to take a trip back to his little hometown, and stumbled on a tiny store next to the road he was traveling. Deciding to take a look at what was there, he encountered an interesting mask. He was a man of science, but he still loved the stories of mythology and the impossible, so he bought the reaper mask and put it on. In black flames that burned with a pain like no other, he transformed for the first time into his alias known as The reaper. He kept the mask a secret from everyone, including his own family. and only put it on again when he returned to his home near the college he now taught at as a professor. He became The Reaper again, fighting crime and all of the normal superhero things, but in his down, Reaper way. As the years went by, the thoughts and abilities of the reaper began to linger onto his normal body, eventually to the point where he could create small flames and hide in the shadows without the mask. By then, he had already found the institute. It was old and run down when he found it. No signs of human life anywhere. He repaired it, recreated the facility in the middle of nowhere. During this time, he studied the mask as much as he could, wanting to unlock the secrets that were within the mask. One by one, people with masks showed up at the institute, all with the same questions. He offered to help them, as long as they could help him with his research. It became a base of sorts for masked heroes and villains alike, even with their remarkably small numbers. They grew over time, but even the masked men and women were susceptible to an early fate out of Penn's hands.

Name: Alex Ventiquill Murphy Age: 18 (Since last week) Appearance: Alex stands at 4'6 with a shag of rust hair atop his head. He has an extremely pale complexion, dotted at the nose (which is small and round), cheeks and shoulders with freckles. He has deep brown eyes that have the warmth of a smoldering cook fire. Oddly long lashes add volume to his already large, round eyes and a healthy balance between fat and muscle gives him a look of extreme normality. He wears frumpy clothes such as heavy wool sweaters and jeans, with classic red sneakers. He is missing the bottom bit of his left earlobe. Masked appearance: When Alex transforms into his masked form, he really doesn't change all too much. His eyes seem to carry a new intensity and his shoulders broaden, but nothing extremely noticeable occurs. Mask: A solid white panel in an oval shape, it perfectly covers Murphy's face. It is solid white on the exterior, but is clear on the inside. Sound can travel through it as well as air. It doesn't really seem to get hot inside it, and is decently sturdy, and not uncomfortable. Mask abilities: When wearing his mask, Alex is able to simply push human limits to their gross extents. Able to suddenly become extremely flexible or durable he adapts consciously to a situation and can better deal with it. He is also able to understand things much more easily and retain masses of information. Gender: Male Personality: Soft spoken and meek Alex is the kind of person who sleeps on the hard wood floor when you stay the night in his bed. He takes what comes to him and tries to have a positive outlook, blaming nobody but himself for misfortunes that come to him. He is non-confrontational and doesn't assume anybody is a bad person, but is rather "having a bad day" . Masked Personality: The same in most ways, though able to defend and stand up for themselves. He is more intense, and likely to take things upon himself he really doesn't need to. Biography: A normal kid, he lives with his mom dad and two younger sisters in his middle class home. He has a part-time job bagging groceries and is currently applying to go to college. He was gifted his mask last Friday on his birthday by his distant and weird uncle he barely knew. When he wore the thing, he was able to do things he couldn't before. While he never went out to solve a bank robbery, he has used it in secret to help strangers in small ways. He has been content with that until now. His curiosity getting the better of him, he and his friend have gone driving to wherever the mask is pulling Alex to go. ---- Name: Cassie Odveil Rose Age: 20 Appearance: Cassie stands at 5'5 with a head of pristine blond hair that is nearly white, and down to almost her waist. Her eyes are shocking blue and one of her most prominent features. She has a modest figure apart from her curvaceous hips. She has a very slight tan, and very well treated skin, with barely any mark on it's surface. Her nose is long and slightly hooked. She usually wears long sleeved shirts and jeans, with knee high brown boots. A modest person she doesn't really care much to wear makeup or stand out too much. Gender: Female Personality: Outgoing and kind. She isn't the type to let anyone out of the fun, and she stands up for what she wants to say. Being an only child Cassie was lonely as a child, and has taken it upon herself to adopt friends as near siblings, becoming very close very quickly with people. She is quite trusting, and that can be a problem at times. She is confident, in herself and others, but she is still a realist, and will worry internally when a situation looks bleak. Biography: Another normal girl, she lived with her Mom and Dad in her uptown apartment. She now resides on campus of her college of choice, and works in a coffee shop down the block. She keeps in touch with most of her friends and is willing to go out of her way to meet up with them as often as possible. She is the one person Alex has shown the masks true uses to. She has a weekend off, and has graciously gone on a road trip with Alex, to hopefully find more about his enigma of a facial accessory.

Name: John Rollins Masked Name: Dite (DY-tee) Age: 24 Appearance: Weak Masked Appearance: Strong Mask: See the face of the strong picture Mask Abilities: Turns the user into goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Has a voice capable of enchanting others to do her bidding even if they wouldn't do it normally no matter the circumstances. Is able to provoke desire, desire for the wearer or anyone the wearer chooses, very few are capable of resisting the urges provoked by the wearer. If the wearer chooses to could turn an infertile person fertile. Gender: Male Masked Gender: Female Personality: John is the quintessential pathetic loser and doormat. Masked Personality: Dite has many sides to some she is the bringer of joy and happiness. To others she is a shallow, vain, michevious, bitch who destroys lives. In truth, she is a mixture of both. A select few have seen her dark side, where she willingly destroys their lives. Biography: John has always been a pathetic loser. He has never had any friends, he has always allowed people to use him and to walk all over him. Right after highschool he got a job at a grocery store, if he wasn't such a pathetic loser, he could do better within the company, he made it a dead end job. He routinely shops flea markets, shops that sell used goods, and garage/yard sales because he makes so little that is the only way he can afford things. One day while shopping at a flea market he found someone selling the possessions of a dead person. One item was a fleshlight inside of a female mask. John could have haggled the price down but he paid the asking price which the seller set high to try and get the most out of it. John kept the mask and fleshlight as they were for over a year. He would talk to the mask. After a very bad day at work in which he was blamed for something he didn't do that resulted in his termination he wanted to be someone different, he took the mask off the fleshlight and put it on. After he changed into a beautiful woman he was shocked and ripped the mask off. After five days of job hunting without any prospects he put the mask on again and went out to a bar. After the night in the bar he never took the mask off again. He became Dite that night and forever more. Six weeks after becoming Dite, she was singing karaoke when a talent scout down on his luck heard her, the talent scout talked Dite into becoming a star. When asked what her stage name would be she immediate answered Dite The Sacred Prostitute. Song writers were hired to write exclusively for Dite. She released The Sacred Prostitute her first album six months later. Over the next two years she would release four more albums, two of which were live albums. After the finish of her two year world tour, she decided to take a break from singing and making public appearances. She has felt drawn to somewhere, and wanted to follow the feeling.

Name: Charlotte Pine Age: 17 Gender: Female Appearance Mask Masked appearance: Wearing the mask changes her physical appearance, but not in a way that changes her features, shape or hair color. Instead, it lets her appear roughly five to ten years older, like a person in their mid-twenties. This is in fact a precise depiction of the future Charlotte. Masked Abilities: While masked up, Charlie can see unhindered, disregarding both darkness and other non-solid sight-impeding substances like smoke or fire. Furthermore, the mask is constantly emitting smoke with every breath she takes. This smoke is usually odorless, but this may change during surges of emotion - for example, when agitated and furious, it may have a taste of gasoline, when holding a deep grudge it's similar to smoke of a fire and cause coughing. The amount of smoke emitted can be controlled to an extend. If intentionally cranked up, the smoke can fill small and medium sized rooms reasonably fast, blocking sight for everyone but Charlie. This emission can only be stopped entirely by removing the mask. The glass is mirrored but when using the mask to see through smoke or darkness, it may glow in a bright blue tone. Wearing the mask enables Charlie to materialize three different items out of thin air: A MP-443 Grach, a semi automatic 9mm russian firearm with a single, fully loaded magazine containing 17 bullets. The weapon can freely be retrieved from any place that is not within the field of view of another person - this means pockets work just as well as simply reaching around a corner, below a table, behind her back. When empty, she needs to either find physically existing ammunition in her environment, or throw the magazine/entire weapon away and not summon it within the next 12 hours. The weapon disappears after discarding it as soon as nobody is looking directly at it - not letting it out of ones eyes is a valid method to prevent Charlie from retrieving it. A "Kizlyar Condor-1" combat knife that is always in its sheath which is always strapped around her hip, the location of the sheath being behind her back and underneath her clothes. It disappears under the same circumstances as the pistol, but there can be two copies of this item at any given time. A seemingly endless supply of standard issue smoke grenades of different smoke colors. She can produce these from any pocket or from underneath any piece of clothing as if it had been there previously. Empty smoke grenade shells don't disappear until 12 hours after depleting their load, at which point the same rules apply as for the pistol or knife. Lastly, the mask improves her perception, speeds up her reaction time and supplies her with the bodily strength her words often falsely advertise, though all of this well within the limits of a normal human being. It enables her to beat the tar out of an average joe if necessary, but a trained fighter will likely pose a serious problem, an athlete will outrun her and so on. Personality: Charlie is what you'd expect from a teenager. She's nosy, loud and doesn't shy away from confrontation, though her muscles do not support the claims her tongue often makes. She's not strong physically, a typical "dog that barks, but has no bite". She is often moody and doesn't fit into groups of people, as she always finds some kind of reason to provoke a quarrel, which eventually leads to the group expelling her. There aren't any people in her life she'd call true friends, only a number of superficial acquaintances, though she doesn't mind doing her own thing. Logically, she doesn't work well in teams but is generally bearable unless provoked. She's not quite as simple-minded as her loud demeanor implies, but that's one of the things she likes to keep secret from society, as being underestimated is generally the better of two evils in her opinion. Masked personality: When wearing the mask, her personality doesn't change much. The only noticeable deviation is the fact that her ego and self-confidence are greatly amplified when wearing the mask. In this state, she seems to think of herself as untouchable, invincible - greatly overestimating herself, ignorant to her limits. This also leads to situations where she acts thoughtlessly on a whim, because right this second she feels like doing something irresponsible that may end up being beneficial. She's living a power phantasy when wearing the mask, and acts like it - which can be immensely more stressful to others than her unmasked personality. Bio: Charlie's parents died in a plane crash when she was three years old, so she never really knew them. The first thing she remembers is living with her uncle, who is just as much of a scallywag as she is. Despite becoming her guardian after the parents passed away, he never bothered too much with her, and instead left her a lot more personal space than she would have needed to become a decent human being. That, and the wonders of puberty turned Charlie into the rebellious wastrel she is today. Nothing breathtakingly amazing happened in her life until that grandpa she never really liked passed away. During the excruciatingly boring mourning ceremony at his house, she stole away and hid in the attic, where she found something looking like a gas mask. Intrigued by the odd thing, she stole it and took it home only to later find out that something was definitely wrong with the thing - though it scared her at first, it began to feel very good. After what can only be described as a crusade of revenge against people who bullied her in school (broken bones only, no fatal casualties) nobody suspected the girl to be the masked culprit and she realized the potential of the mask - she could do anything she wants, nobody would recognize her behind the mirrorded glass or with the older looking body, and nobody could pursue her in the trail of smoke that followed in her wake. She achieved several things thus far, from small-scale theft to beating up a gang of criminals to appearing all over the incompetent media, and while a straight forward bank robbery has not happened yet, it definitely came into consideration lately. History of the mask: Nothing about the history of the mask is known to Charlotte, though for the sake of background information here's what was known to its previous owners. There was once a lesser known urban legend about a russian soldier who lived during the 'russian campaign' in 1941. The man was forced to witness how nazis tortured his companions and friends into submission, to the point where they swore allegiance to the germans and promised to betray their fellow countrymen out of fear and torment. Seeing his former friends break like that damaged him beyond repair and was more gruesome than every conceivable form of torture. Caught by an inhuman rage, the man resisted his captors, successfully killing a group of fourteen soldiers covered by excessive exploitation of smoke grenades and ignoring the fatal wounds he suffered in the process. After all the germans had fallen, he turned on his former comrades without mercy or hesitation. It is said that he left after every single person at the scene had drawn their last breath, to succumb to his wounds in solitude, several days later. It is unknown if there is any truth to this tale, but if one was to believe the story, he wore the gas mask Charlotte now own that day, which supposedly traveled all over the world over the course of the last sixty years. Contradictive reports often speak of the mask appearing in several, distant places at once. For example, in the year 1982 it was supposedly seen in Afghanistan, but simultaneously a british soldier is said to have used it in the Falklands War, chronologically during the same time period. It is unclear if the mask has the ability to appear in two places at once, how it moves, how it picks its owners or what becomes of those who use it. Ultimately, not a single one of the reports offers actual reliable proof, the only point of reference to connect the supposed sightings are the smoke and - if the reports go into such detail - use of the exact same firearm and combat knife. Nothing is known about where grandpa Pine acquired the mask, or if it was his to begin with.

Name: Nina Simone Age: 24 Appearance: Nina is a thin figure, standing at 5’7 with very little muscle or meat on her bones. She almost looks frail, though this is nowhere near the case. Masked appearance: When the mask is put on Nina’s appearance drastically changes. Her hair becomes a mess of platinum blonde curls, reaching her ribs instead of her shoulders. The pale blue of her eyes become a vibrant red, peeking out behind the monochrome mask. Her usually tan skin pales to an almost ivory tone. Nina, while wearing the mask, usually wears black leather pants, silver tank-top, a leather jacket, and a pair of black combat boots. She often looks like she belongs in a black and white movie. She doesn’t always wear this; her usual outfit consists of clothes in monochrome hues. Mask Mask abilities:The mask itself has the ability to drive its wearer insane, or influence their darker side. The wearer though, if they can handle wearing it, becomes stronger, faster, and versed in ancient military tactics. Its true ability though is the ability to create weapons from shadows and to see the possible outcomes of encounters. Gender: Female Personality: Without the mask no one would ever believe Nina could hurt anyone. She’s a very timid, sweet, girl who- before she owned the mask- disliked seeing anyone in pain and would become nauseous when she saw blood. The only thing both sides, with and without the mask, agree on is their love for music and art. Masked Personality: Once the mask is on Nina’s face everything changes. Her sweet nature turns dark and sour, becoming a crazed sadist with a split personality disorder. One moment she is a tough, violent, bloodthirsty individual and then the next she is a bubbly, mad hatter-like nut-job. She does know when not to attack people though, and usually only kills those who she deems unfit for this world. Biography: Nina was raised by her mother for most of her life, her father having died when she was young. In truth she was there when he died, having been sitting in the seat next to him during the tragic car accident. When she was 19 Nina was studying abroad, a history major, and one day when she was in the city of Berlin she came across an old antique store. She went into the store and after scouring the many items she stumbled across the mask. It intruiged her, pulled her in, and against the clerks constant warnings and what she believed to be rumors, she bought it. Nina studied it, wanting to know the item’s history, and when she came across the stories of the previous owners she became curious. She put it on, laughing at the childishness, but when she finally removed it she knew it was true. Bit about the mask: The mask is made of thick, ancient, polished steel; originally forged from the melted remains of a sword. Unknown to the woman who asked for it to be crafted the sword originally belonged to a madman, one who used the blade to murder hundreds… though most were on the battle field. The mask, once completed, was only worn once by its original owner. She wore it to a gala but went insane shortly after, screaming and haunted by visions of those the sword had killed. The mask continued to pass from owner to owner, driving the weak completely mad and pushing some to the violence it once dwelled in. Most of its owners died young, or rotted away in some sort of cell.

Name: Isaiah Foster Age: 28 Gender: Male Mask Abilities: The power of illusions, making those the wearer targets see, hear, smell, taste, or feel whatever they pleases. The mask seems to awaken the more negative aspects of his personality, and give it new life. Neither his physical condition nor appearance seems to have changed, and he need only have the mask in his possession for it to work. Personality: Working as a photography teacher, he is often seen as the first person to go to for good, non-prejudiced advice. Still, he is a worrier of a man who often tries to hide his feeling of anxiety and doubt with humour and friendliness, and avoids thinking too deeply of his own personal problems by working on his photography and writing. This man seems thoughtful, compassionate, forgiving…and a darker side to him loathes how pitifully he feels himself to be, and mores so loathes the pity of others. Deep down, he knows himself a coward, and doesn't want to burden others, but is ultimately afraid of being abandoned. Even deeper down, since he first touched the mask, a tiny voice is telling him he doesn't even really need anyone in his world. Quick Biography: Him and his young fraternal twin were both failed abortions, though unfortunately Isaiah was the only one coming out of it not quite healthy. Both being adopted by a doctor couple who took care of them for the longest time, both fully able to help him along in his youth with paraplegia and chronic pain. They wanted to treat both their new sons equally…which somehow ended up not having expectations of them at all. Twenty plus years later, somehow his healthy brother ends up being the irresponsible rehab dwelling drunk-druggie, leeching off of their adoptive parent’s saved money…while Isaiah became a well-known enough photographer and artist, able to support himself. Finally proposing to his long-time girlfriend, it was a photography student of his that revealed evidence of his fiancé’s affair…with his brother. It sort of…broke the small confidence he had, as it seemed more and more like the world was rewarding his brother more for nothing, and that his wife to be was staying with him due to pity. Still, afraid of becoming alone by revealing what he knew, antagonising his own brother and fiancé with the truth…he decided to just pretend he didn’t know of any of this, and marry her anyway. Any sweetness from her was becoming more and more obvious pity, to him, long stretches of time becoming more…their honeymoon was spent acting happy about being newlywed, and the sights of Venice. It was his wife that bought him the Jester mask, joking about how it was ‘fitting’. Fitting? How? Was she calling him a fool? A jester in medieval eras was mentally handicapped, not physically; she had to be calling him a fool for apparently not knowing about the affair. The mask in hand, he cast his first ever illusion on himself as he held it up to his face.

Name: Robert Hayshen Age: 18 Gender: Male Appearance: Personality: Fairly reserved in most aspects. Most would probably pin him as boring because he does not go out and "have fun" like everyone else. While we will go to the occasional party he is usually the quiet one in the corner. Not because he's overly shy, he just doesn't like a lot of attention. He can still be a goof ball though at what seems to be random times. Abilities: Plays soccer, some outdoor living knowledge from Boy Scouts. --- Name: Koharu Saito Age: 18 Gender: Female Appearance: Personality: Generally outgoing with most people. She won't always share everything with people she's just met though. If you want to see her more serious side you'll have to get to know her or catch her with her friends. Abilities: Can ice skates, a strong sense of focus. ----- Mask: Masked appearance: Varies, but whenever they merge they initially become Robert or Koharu at random. Masked Abilities: Shapeshifting. Masked Personality: The personality of the mask is heavily dependant on what they transform into. Taking the form of another human is usually fairly benign but sides more on the mischievous when unchecked. Turning into a monster may make them more aggressive. Mask history: One of what used to be many. The mask was originally created as a way to scare away or fight off attackers centuries ago. As time went on these masks dispersed and undoubtedly what spawned many myths and legends. What the wearer could turn into was dependant on their imagination. Some used this power to steal and destroy. Others used it as a tool to help and bring people together. Whatever the case those that possessed the masks were hunted and killed. Over the years most were destroyed entirely. The one that did survive only did so because it had been split in two. Each piece alone would not change the wearer, but once both found they would stop at nothing to become one again. One of those halves found it's way to Japan and carelessly tossed into a bin with other masks. The other was taken and locked away, passed down from generation to generation but never worn. Biography: Robert and Koharu grew up completely unaware of one another. Nothing unusual or particularly Earth shattering went on in their lives. They were students, reality was supposed to smack them in the face afterwards. They lived on opposite ends of the world and likely would never have even met were it not for the mask. Their adventure started six months before. Robert was your average teen. He was almost done with high school and, as one would expect, couldn't wait for it to be over. A group of the kids from the school were planning to do something big when they graduated, a trip to Japan. Not one for the eccentric or travelling Rob turned it down outright. The weekend rolled around and one of his friends invited him and a couple of other buddies over for a game night. As it got later and most of them crashed for the night it was just three left. Having played their fill of video games they get bored and start trying to find things to do. Apparently there was a bunch of old stuff from the friend's great grandfather in the garage. Might be something worth looking at in there. Rob actually found quite a few pieces that were interesting. Pieces of history here and there but also a lot of junk. One thing they found was a locked box. Fishing around for the key they got it opened and found the mask. The other two were instantly disappointed by the contents, a boring old mask. Who locks that kind of thing up? But Rob often found odd trinkets pretty interesting so he picked it up and placed it on his face briefly. "Hey guys, when were you planning to go to Japan?" Across the Pacific Saturday was only half over. Koharu was out and about with her mom and a friend. They planned to pick out some clothes for the season and had already gotten most of that out of the way. They stopped an had lunch before moving on. Now they were just killing some time and the girls wanted to see the little knick knacks that were at the nearby shops. A lot of novelty items. Things you talk about but never buy because you don't really need them. Happening across the bin of masks they began to pick up various ones and act out what they were or ask the other what they thought it looked like. It was all just fun and games. Having gotten to the point of just grabbing a mask and throwing it on Koharu snatched the half piece and put it on. It only took a second for her to realize it looked broken and she glanced at the bin for the other half. It wasn't there but now for some reason she thought the one in her hand was pretty neat. With her own money she purchased it and brought it home. They had put the halves on at the same time and from that moment they were fated to meet. Working it's will through them Koharu kept the mask and Robert brought the rest with him on the trip. Neither had put on the mask since, but five days after Rob's arrival they both absent mindedly took it with them. Koharu made a short trip to the city Rob was at for some errands. Coming ever closed together the two probably passed each other multiple times before the moment finally arrived. It was getting late, somehow they had lost track of time. Heading for the subway system in a rush they ran into each other as Rob rounded a corner. Koharu's bad dropped to the ground and the contents spilled out. "Oh god. I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Rob might as well have been speaking Greek because the girl didn't seem to understand him, or at least not very well. Finding himself at fault Rob began to help pick things up. He spotted the mask and was about to reach for it when Koharu snatched it up and held it close. He recognized it and without saying a word pulled out the other half and held it out. By the looks of the pieces they appeared to fit and they put them together. The mask fused together to become one and likewise Rob and Koharu fused together. For this first time they took Roberts form Both minds were still independent but working together to control the one body. Obviously both freaked out and reached up where the mask would be. Removing it they split back apart and each held a half again. Needless to say they both took off away from each other but there was no way they were going to be apart for long.