[hider=Happy Padmanabhan][color=A9A8AF][CENTER][img]https://i.imgur.com/vJVzWLw.png[/img][/CENTER] [i][color=856F45]"Is Happy my real name? What, you think I made it up for the aesthetic?"[/color][/i] [table][row][/row][row][cell] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/GFmqwkf.png[/img] [sup]_______________________________________________[/sup] [sub]Khushwant "Happy" Padmanabhan [b]|[/b] He/Him [b]|[/b] 24 [b]|[/b] Human, Indian-American [b]|[/b] 5'10" [b]|[/b] 165 lbs [sup]_______________________________________________[/sup] Easygoing [sup]_______________________________________________[/sup] Skills & Talents[/sub] [i][color=856F45]"I may not have a fancy degree, but I can take a damn good photo. And also, like… play ‘Wonderwall’ really well."[/color][/i] [sup]___________________________________[/sup][/center][hider=] [sub] [b][color=856F45]Photography ⫻[/color][/b] As a photographer for the town’s local news network, Happy has a keen eye for capturing beauty in everyday life. Whether it’s a stunning sunset over the beach or a candid moment between strangers, he finds a story in every shot. [b][color=856F45]Guitar Playing ⫻[/color][/b] Happy is a skilled guitarist with a natural ear for music. He teaches kids how to play as a side job, preferring to make lessons fun and relaxed rather than rigid, believing music should be enjoyed, not forced. [b][color=856F45]Athleticism ⫻[/color][/b] Happy is naturally athletic and enjoys surfing, volleyball, soccer, and basketball. He’s not the most competitive player, but he plays for the love of the game, often bringing people together through sports rather than trying to dominate. [b][color=856F45]Empathy & Perception ⫻[/color][/b] Despite his himbo reputation, Happy is deeply intuitive and can easily pick up on people’s emotions. He has a way of making people feel comfortable and heard, even if they don’t realize they needed someone to listen. [b][color=856F45]Quick Reflexes & Balance ⫻[/color][/b] His years of surfing and playing sports have given him excellent reflexes and balance. Whether catching a falling camera, dodging a rogue volleyball, or staying upright on his surfboard in rough waters, he moves with an effortless ease. [/sub][/hider] [/cell][cell][sub][b] Appearance[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [i][color=856F45]"Everyone’s got something beautiful about them—you just gotta know where to look."[/color][/i] [indent] You know, Happy kind of has an effortless, boy-next-door charm that makes him instantly approachable. His warm brown skin, kissed by the sun from long hours at the beach, is smooth except for the noticeable scars tracing his left leg and foot—a lasting souvenir from a surfing accident. His face is defined by a prominent nose, something he used to be self-conscious about but has since embraced as a unique part of him. Thick, expressive eyebrows frame his deep-set almond-shaped eyes, which are a rich, dark brown, almost black in certain lighting, framed by thick lashes that make them stand out. His full lips are often curved into an easy, knowing smile, the kind that puts people at ease, while his wavy black hair, thick and slightly tousled, falls just to his neck in an effortlessly cool way. Though he’s not obsessed with fashion, Happy has a distinct style—he gravitates toward silk shirts or anything soft and breathable, favoring comfort over name brands. His lean, toned frame, built from years of surfing, soccer, basketball and volleyball, fits well into relaxed, well-fitting clothes that move with him. He’s rarely seen without his glasses, round frames that sit comfortably on his nose since he can’t stand the feel of contacts. A thin gold chain rests against his collarbone, matching the small golden earrings that glint subtly in the light. Beneath his shirt, a dusting of hair decorates his chest, something he’s indifferent about but wouldn’t bother shaving. Altogether, Happy carries himself with an easy confidence—not the kind that demands attention, but the kind that makes people feel like they’ve known him forever. [/indent] [/cell][/row][/table][sub][b] Psychology[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [i][color=856F45]"Dude, life’s too short to stress about things you can’t control. Just relax and ride the wave."[/color][/i] [INDENT][b][color=856F45]MAIN GOAL ⫻[/color][/b] To be honest, Happy doesn’t have a grand, meticulously planned-out life goal—he just wants to live a fulfilling life doing what he loves. He wants to capture the world’s beauty through his photography, inspire joy in others, and maybe, someday, find a place (or a person) where he truly belongs. While he enjoys teaching guitar and working as a photographer for the local news network, his real dream is to travel and document the world through his lens. Perhaps become a famous documentarist. [b][color=856F45]PHILOSOPHY ⫻[/color][/b] Happy believes in going with the flow, trusting that things will work out in the end. He sees beauty in the little things—sunsets, laughter, the way light catches in someone's eyes—and believes that happiness is about appreciating those fleeting moments. He thinks people take life too seriously, and while he doesn’t ignore hardships, he prefers to sidestep negativity rather than dwell on it. [b][color=856F45]SECRETS AND FEARS ⫻[/color][/b] Despite his easygoing nature, Happy fears failure—not in the traditional sense, but in a deeper, existential way. He worries that one day he’ll look back and realize he never truly chose a path, that he drifted through life without ever making something of himself. He also avoids emotional vulnerability, fearing that if he stops running from his problems, they’ll finally catch up to him. Secretly, he sometimes wonders if people only like him for his good vibes and not for who he really is underneath. Also, he has a kid, though his kid stays with the baby mama. He doesn't reveal this to people often cause who would be interested in him once they find out he has a 6 year-old son? [b][color=856F45]SEXUALITY ⫻[/color][/b] Happy's mostly been into women all his life. It's not something he's given much thought. But if you were to ask him, he'd probably identify as bisexual or pansexual. He's kissed a few boys in the past and wasn't mad at it, even if it wasn't his first choice. He's more about connection than anything else, drawn to people who make him feel alive and free. Happy flirts effortlessly, but genuine, deep emotional intimacy is something he’s still learning to navigate. [color=856F45][i]"Listen, I’m not saying I have commitment issues… but my longest relationship is with my camera."[/i][/color] [b] [color=856F45]WHAT WAS THE FIRST DAY WITH MAGIC LIKE? ⫻ [/color][/b] Happy’s first day with his Starlight Knight magic was unexpected and chaotic, unfolding during a friendly volleyball match at the beach. As he leaped into the air to spike the ball, a surge of cosmic energy coursed through him, and in an instant, wings of shimmering starlight erupted from his back. At the same time, a bow of glowing starlight appeared in his hands, perfectly formed but unfamiliar. For a brief, breathtaking moment, he hovered in mid-air, the ball forgotten, as he stared at the ethereal wings that kept him afloat. The magic faded almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him plummeting back to the sand, stunned and breathless. The rest of his teammates were too caught up in their own game to notice, but Happy was left reeling, caught between awe and confusion about what had just happened. [b][color=856F45]FLAWS ⫻[/color][/b] He has a tendency to run from his problems rather than face them head-on. Happy would much rather avoid confrontation, often laughing things off or distracting himself instead of dealing with difficult emotions. While his easygoing nature makes him well-liked, it can also make him seem unreliable when things get tough. Despite being more perceptive than people give him credit for, he downplays his own intelligence, sometimes selling himself short or not pushing himself toward greater ambitions. Happy's optimism, while a strength, can also make him a little naïve, trusting people too easily or giving them the benefit of the doubt even when they don’t deserve it. [/INDENT] [sub][b] Backstory[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [i][color=856F45]"Sometimes I wish I could just go back to simpler days, before everything got so... complicated."[/color][/i] [indent] Happy Padmanabhan was born in the small town of Twin Pines to second-generation Indian parents, a place where time seems to meander very slowly. His childhood was soft, laced with the hum of distant laughter and the warm light of a life without great tumult. The kind of childhood that was peaceful in its mediocrity, yet the subtle weight of being the middle child clung to him. Not ignored, per se, but often drifting between the shadows of his older siblings’ expectations and the demands of his younger siblings’ needs. It was in this in-between space that Happy found his refuge—not in the confines of family duty, but in the open, welcoming arms of his hobbies and friends. The world of sports, photography, and music became his escape, his solace. With a camera in hand and a guitar at his fingertips, Happy could vanish into his own world, one where he could shape his own narrative. During his senior year of high school at the ripe age of 18, life handed him a twist he wasn’t prepared for—a short-lived fling, a fleeting romance that ended with an unexpected consequence: fatherhood. He became the father of Ravi, a son born of a brief relationship that faded as quickly as it had begun. The baby mama and their son lived in a neighboring town, and though Happy’s heart ached with the pull of fatherhood, he remained on the periphery of their lives, an occasional visitor, trying to reconcile with the idea of what could have been. Still, he moved forward; a high-school dropout carving out a life for himself in the town that had shaped him. As he stumbled into adulthood, Happy found an unexpected break when his passion for photography turned into a job. Through a freelance gig capturing images of Twin Pines' town history for a local preservation effort, Happy got a chance to save a historic building—the old hotel that had long been a centerpiece of the town but was facing demolition. His photographs helped garner enough attention to keep the building standing, and the news director, impressed by his eye for detail, offered him a job as a photographer for the local news channel. But the pay was pitiful. To make ends meet, Happy took up teaching guitar to local kids, his easygoing demeanor and natural teaching style making him a beloved instructor. Yet, still, his income just barely exceeded his bills—he lived simply in a cramped apartment in the old hotel he had helped preserve. But life, ever unpredictable, had more in store. During a friendly volleyball match at the beach, Happy’s world shifted in an instant. As he jumped to spike the ball, something within him sparked—an uncontrollable surge of celestial power. Before he knew it, wings of starlight burst from his back, and a glowing bow appeared in his hands. Hovering mid-air, momentarily suspended by the cosmic energy, he released the ball with an odd kind of precision, the wings and bow vanishing just as quickly as they had come. The magic faded, but the weight of that moment lingered. Happy stood there, dumbstruck, unsure of what he had just experienced. [/indent] [sub][b] Magic[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [i][color=856F45]"It's strange, you know? This starlight—it feels like it’s always been a part of me."[/color][/i] [indent] [b][color=856F45]MAGIC ⫻[/color][/b] Starlight Knight; This magic grants Happy a radiant, angelic form, allowing him to fly with wings of starlight, wield a bow, sword, and shield made of this pure cosmic energy, and heal others with his touch. [b][color=856F45]MAGIC DESCRIPTION ⫻[/color][/b] They call it Starlight Knight—a gift of radiant divinity that wraps Happy in a celestial glow, lifting him beyond mortal bounds. When summoned, wings of pure, iridescent starlight unfurl from his back, their brilliance casting long, golden shadows as he takes to the sky. In his grasp, a bow forms—its string humming with power, loosing arrows of raw luminescence that streak through the air like falling stars, striking with unerring precision. When battle demands it, a sword and shield of the same sacred, cosmic energy manifest at his will, their edges gleaming with an ethereal sharpness that can cut through darkness itself. Yet, for all its might, Starlight Knight is not just a weapon—it is mercy. From his hands emanates a healing starry radiance, mending wounds, soothing pain, restoring what was broken. Starlight, in its truest form, both shields and strikes, destroys and redeems. And in Happy’s hands, it does both. [color=856F45]At The Start of the Story[/color] For now, Happy can only manifest the Starlight Bow and his aim isn't always accurate, though being naturally athletic and playing sports like Basketball and Volleyball, he's got decent aim. He hasn't been able to manifest the Starlight Wings again since they appeared the first time during the volleyball match and he doesn't even know he will eventually be able to heal others and manifest a Starlight Sword and Shield. In due time... [b][color=856F45]LIMITS ⫻[/color][/b] Maintaining his angelic form drains Happy’s stamina rapidly, forcing him to pace himself in battle. His wings, while granting him flight, are not invincible—strong attacks can disrupt his airborne movement or even force him to land. The starlight-formed bow and sword require precision and focus, meaning reckless or panicked attacks weaken their effectiveness. Healing others is equally taxing, as it draws from his own celestial energy, leaving him physically exhausted if overused. [b][color=856F45]WEAKNESSES ⫻[/color][/b] The Starlight Knight is a power that is at it's strongest during the day, and weakest during the dark of night. This power draws additional strength from the ambient light available and thus, it will be important for Happy to remember to utilize the strengths during the day and account for its weakness at night. [/INDENT] [sup][b] Other[/b][/sup] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [i][color=856F45]"I’d rather be [i]happy[/i] than perfect any day. See what I did there?"[/color][/i] [indent]MISQ SECTION[/INDENT] [/color][/hider]