"It's too much...this kind of responsibility... Still, I wanna live up to everyone's expectations!"
P E R S O N A L I A
"If I took after Dad just a little more my looks wouldn't be such a problem..."
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Despite appearances, Luca is actually a boy. His extremely feminine features, without fail, get him mistaken for a girl on a regular basis and is a real sore spot for him. Anger and some course language are a guarantee from him whenever this happens. Even calling him a "pretty boy" seems to boil his blood. However, outside of his insecurities about his looks, Luca is actually a rather collected individual. Over years of jokes, teasing, and bullying--though Luca is no pushover so the latter didn't last long--he's become quite blunt and snarky. He's not shy about saying what's immediately on his mind.
Headstrong, outspoken, impulsive and "cool". Probably in an effort to override his feminine appearance, Luca is the strong, cool, and in control type. Or at least he tries to be. In truth, he is highly emotional and quite empathetic. His mother lovingly tells him he has his father's heart. And while Luca is reluctant to bare it to others, it is something he takes pride in, given how much he admires his father.
// B A C K G R O U N D
Text.
P A R A M E T E R S
"A man protects the things he cares about."
// F L A M E
Sky
// A B I L I T I E S
Soccer Star - Luca is a dedicated athlete and his physical abilities reflect this. He's quick on his feet, has great reflexes, and his stamina is high. Most of all his leg strength is impressive, making for a kick that will put down guys bigger than him.
Sure Shot - Another perk gained through his soccer training, Luca has a well developed aim. Trajectory, force, leading; he can pretty much put the ball exactly where he wants it to be. Especially the back of the net.
"Your wish is my command!~ And death to all those who interfere, teehee~ ♥"
P E R S O N A L I A
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Dedicated, loyal, hardworking, enthusiastic, name any essential trait for a housemaid and it'll all fit this girl. Olivia is a sweet and cheerful maid who lives for the sake of serving her master and anyone who considers her as family. She is the type to toss anything aside to put the person she cares about first, no matter how minor the task may be. If it came down to it, Olivia would take a bullet if it could save their life which may or may not have happened a couple of times in the past. As long as the person she served was happy, she is willing to take any consequences.
Despite first impressions, there is a side to her that one would not initially expect. Olivia can be a little... okay, more than just a little, obssessive, overprotective and possessive to an unhealthy level to that of a yandere. Due to an abandonment issue caused by being abandoned by her own parents, Olivia would do anything in her power to please the people she cares about in hopes of having them keep her by their side. If anyone outside of her comfort zone were to interact with any of them, the overprotective maid would always be cautious and even causing minor harm to them would have her greet them with a menacing smile and death threat. Creepy as it may be, Olivia does this all in an attempt to please her masters.
// B A C K G R O U N D
A street somewhere in France, lived a poor girl long abandoned by her parents even before she could remember. Surviving on scraps thrown away by the fortunate was not an easy life, often times the nameless orphan would starve if none were generous enough to offer their stale baked goods or almost rotten crops after persistenly begging the shop keepers. There was nothing she could do to better her life, no escape from this slow, painful death, she cried to herself everyday. Why was she thrown away? Was she not good enough? Was she unwanted? Maybe she was never meant to be born to begin with... Depressing thoughts plagued the young one's mind.
One rainy night, like every other rainy day, the girl sheltered herself under the piece of largest cardboard she could find in the trash along the alleyway. But unlike any other rainy day, a pair of feet appeared right before her sunken, blue eyes. She blinked, thinking they would go away like everybody else who merely pitied her existence. They were still there, so she blinked once more. The feet remained where they stood. Confused as to why the person would not move, the orphan finally raised her gaze to face a well-dressed, middle aged gentleman stretching an umbrella above her.
"Are you lost, child?", he would inquire in a gentle, accented voice. She shook her head slightly, still in shock. "Where are your parents?" There was a long, thoughtful pause before she parted her lips to reply, "I... I don't have one." The man frowned, feeling sorry for the unfortunate life she must have been living all this time. After a moment of another thoughtful silence, he smiled softly and held his hand out to the girl. "If you would like, I can provide you shelter and food in exchange for training to serve as a maid at my mansion." Flinching at the sudden gesture, she pulled back a bit before trying to understand what he had said. Shelter? Food? If she took this hand, would he provide her those? Seeing as there was nothing to lose, the girl, later named by the gentleman as Olivia, hesitantly reached out for the hand.
Years had passed since Olivia first moved into the Leveilleur mansion and she had grown into a fine lady and a very capable housemaid. Only later down her teen years did she find out the reason for her name, directly from the word of Monsieur Leveilleur. Not too long before adopting the girl into the mansion, his dear, beloved wife who had been carrying their child, was murdered before the baby was due. The baby girl was to receive the name Olivia. A man who had lost his wife and child, and a girl who had been abandoned by her parents, the gentleman thought it to be fate bringing them together.
As to the reason why the mistress was killed, monsieur figured she should know the truth for the fear of putting her into the same danger by keeping the girl unaware. It was a long, serious discussion on how the Leveilleur family was secretly a mafioso family situated in France under the guise of a trading business company. Letting your guard down in the mafia world for a second would cost lives, the gentleman would explain bitterly. Initially, he was to adopt Olivia into his family as a daughter but it was equivalent to proclaiming another target for the enemies to take. Taking her in simply as a maid should not have the same problem at least for now, he thought. The years of housemaid training was no simple household chore lessons either. Monsieur Leveilleur admitted that the maids responsible for her lessons were no ordinary housemaids, they were combat maids hired specifically for an environment such as a mafia family estate.
Taking in the whole truth put Olivia in a shocked state for days, perhaps even a week. With a determined expression, the maid approached her master once more with a bow of her head while kneeling on one leg. No matter the outcome of her future, Olivia was truly grateful for the new life and name she was given that day and to continue serving under the master through whatever danger that awaited them. With a new found resolve, the maid focused her time on battle training under the Leveilleur combat maids all the while juggling between her housemaid duties as a capable maid worthy to be under her master.
P A R A M E T E R S
// F L A M E
Lightning
// A B I L I T I E S
Perfect Housemaid - A talent earned after years of dedication as a housemaid. Able to perform household chores such as cooking, cleaning, serving, sewing, and the like with ease and with top quality.
Combat Maid - A talent to go an extra mile as a housemaid. Skilled in the ways of self defense and able to use household materials at her disposal as weapon in battle.
Lightning Flame Field - An area of effect type skill activated when enough needles and threads are spread across the battlefield. The threads that are attached to the thrown needles connect towards the user and upon lighting the end of the threads with the lightning flame, the network of hardened threads electrocute any person or thing upon contact. Can cause paralyzation.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Broom and Pan - A maid's best friends. Improvised as a spear and shield upon activating the hardening/sharpening effect of lightning flame.
Needles and Thread - A maid's must-have on hand for that emergency tear on master's attire. A long range weapon, also used to activate the lightning flame field skill.
"Fascinating. Won't you show me more of your reactions?"
P E R S O N A L I A
"Conspiracy? Nothing of the sort, really! Just plain curiosity, you know?"
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Hardly displays strong emotions to anyone, but on the inside she's still a human fully capable of feeling emotions normally. In fact, Kurune is extremely sensitive and over-analyses situations. She's also very receptive to new things and does not deny anything that's considered 'unscientific', because she's fairly into the occult and superstitions herself. To her, anything is possible and can be explained. She isn't the type to fear the unknown and supernatural. Quite the contrary, she seeks such excitement and thrill in her life. That being said, however, she dislikes attracting too much attention to herself, hence is subtle in her pursuit of the unnatural and unconventional.
On first impression, one would describe Kurune as quiet, nice and smart, mostly ambiguous traits. For people who have known Kurune for an extended period of time, they would often bring up the topic of 'unpredictability' when talking about her. Kurune builds an invisible fortress around herself while putting up the act of a friendly person. In the end, the most lasting impression people do have of her is that she is a 'nice person'. Being so distant, Kurune feels lonely ever so often, yet is more than unwilling to share her true self with anyone, afraid and paranoid that her weaknesses would be exploited by others. One positive side of distancing herself as such, is that her existence to others is rather expendable. In other words, she is quite the invisible character to others in her life. She could cause a ruckus one day, and the next people can still forget about her existence. Convenient, isn't it?
On a deeper level, Kurune suffers from OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). The two do not affect her way of life or outward behaviour very much, but they heavily shape her personality. To summarize, the obsessive thinking and intrusive thoughts that constantly attack her mind, and the ADD which causes her to drift off into her own thoughts every other moment, combine to make her into someone who is always overworking their brain. Hence, Kurune had formed the habit of calculating all sorts of combinations of people and their reactions, situations and their progressions, actions and their motivations behind them. Instead of being resentful for having these disorders, Kurune is grateful and elated for the most of it. She experiments psychologically on anyone she meets and pays close attention to the results displayed. Some may say that her personality is warped in a way, but to Kurune, it's "Just plain curiosity, really!"
// B A C K G R O U N D
Kurune is a Chinese-Japanese mix. She was born in Japan and lived there with both her parents until the age of 14. Her parents were on terrible terms and she had never seen them being nice to one another since she was born. Her father was a tyrant. He had always abused his position as the breadwinner of the family to make her and her mother serve him as if he was the king. As a result, Kurune and her mother lived very unhappily while her father simply enjoyed life at its finest. Eventually, her mother decided that she was not going to put up with him any more and filed for divorce for both herself and her daughter's sakes. They got into one final, huge argument regarding the divorce and furniture was thrown about. Eventually, the ultimatum was made and they divorced. Kurune's father wrestled with her mother for the custody of Kurune, but the mental abuse he had done to Kurune was considered in court and sole custody of Kurune was given to her mother. At that time, she was 14. Her mother felt apprehensive about remaining in Japan, so she took Kurune and returned to Singapore, her homeland.
Growing up watching both her parents hating each other down to the bones carved wariness into her soul. If her parents had gotten married on a good note, how did they not have a single shred of love for each other for as long as she lived? What exactly can she trust of the things that people show her? She deducted that it was impossible for 'true love' to exist, and that any romantic attraction people have are just temporary, passionate, instinctive desires.
Being naturally intelligent, she did extremely well in her academics in Singapore for a few years, and got herself into a prestigious junior college. However, the stress in the changed environment eventually got to her and her grades plunged with every examination there was. Devastated by the seemingly hopeless future that they were going to have, her mother began to live carelessly and recklessly, drowning away in alcohol and in despair. This course of actions resulted in most of their savings being splurged away. Guilt weighs on Kurune's heart for causing her mother's despair, but she was unable to do anything about it. Eventually, the accumulated feelings of grief, guilt and worry in Kurune turns to a passionate hatred for her father. He, who had mistreated Kurune and her mother while they were still married, and then threw them away and left when he was done wrecking their lives. However, Kurune also unable to do anything about her hatred for her father, so she decided to focus on doing everything she could for her mother.
She looked far and wide for universities which would accept her. As expected, there were none in Singapore willing to accept her due to her poor results for the national examinations. Expanding her search, universities overseas had lower expectations for admission, but she was unable to meet the financial criteria, for her mother was the only one supporting the family and she had been burning their savings on alcohol. There was just one university that was willing to subsidize the enrollment and school fees for her, almost as though they were desperate for students. Having no other choice, Kurune applies to the university which was located in Italy, and convinced her mother to hold on to hope before she left for the university in Italy.
P A R A M E T E R S
"In order to perform the greatest act, it can't just remain an act. It has to be your 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪."
// F L A M E
Mist
// A B I L I T I E S
Supporting Actor - Due to her habit of paying close attention to people and their reactions to all sorts of situations, she is well-trained to put on an all-round perfect 'act' comprising of more than just the sight (mainly sound other than sight), to trick and convince people into believing/perceiving something that isn't a truth.
Fortune Teller - Combining her ability to anticipate all sorts of situations/behaviours, and her skill with her tarot cards, she can easily prevent driving herself or her allies into a dead end when encountering enemies, and she will for sure be able to make an unpredictable Plan B as many times as she wishes to.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Tarot Cards - A tarot deck that has accompanied her through the years that she uses ever so often to experiment.
Folding Fan - A (collection of) folding fan(s). She keeps one with her wherever she goes, just because she has a weird obsession for them. They are mostly purple and consists of flower patterns such as the cherry blossom. Which design she brings along for the day depends heavily on her mood. Later on when she gets involved in fights, she embeds long flat blades in the folds of her fan which can be thrown out. Combined with her mist flames, the launched blades turn invisible to the enemies.
"...Akira Komaeda, ...My name. That's all you need to know for the moment."
P E R S O N A L I A
"Crimes have tried to be justified by their perpetrators since the dawn of time. Robin hood steals from the rich just so he could give it to the poor, vigilantes beats down and even kills others they claim to be criminals without any due process to prove them right. Even something as simple as stealing bread from a shop, as complicated as stealing money from a bank, can be justified as being for better causes than themselves. Maybe they did, have to take a innocent person's hard-earned money from them so that they could give their family food, cause God knows its easier than earning that money for yourself. ...Should we just allow these crimes to exist, these syndicates to exist, because their misfortune on some might benefit others? Should a bunch of ink-marked barbarians and murderers continue to run this country from the shadows because they benefit those supposedly beneath them? Mafias like them, organized crime syndicates like Vongola and other mafias like it, controls the world; above laws, above governments, above people, and they can do that because they can justify their actions...kill a cop, kill a detective, just because he got in the way of a crime I'm sure they can justify as beneficial as well. ...Let me be blunt with you. If I was given the choice, I would gladly take every mafia family, every Yakuza clan, every syndicate that has ever taken the easy way out by going above and below the laws, and without distinction, burn them all to ashes. I made it my goal to do just that, but I intend to do it the hard way, through the laws and rules of the world...That, is how I will justify my actions."
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Much like the previous guardian of the Cloud, Akira is a cold, silent man with a tendency to stay isolated and away from groups of people. But it's not necessarily due to a hatred for being around others, but more because he prefers to train his mind with investigating mysteries in peace. He may act cold and insensitive around others, but beneath the icey exterior is a kind and loyal man of the people. When someone needs his help for whatever reason, he would be quick to try and solve their problems without much resistance. He would often point out that he usually requires payment for these actions, but he never enforced that notion nor reminded them to pay him for his service, practically confessing it was a joke without actually saying it.
He believes in the righteousness of the country's laws, laws made not by singular people atop ivory towers, but by the common people below that makes up the bulk of a country's civilization. No one is above, nor beneath the law, and no crime is beneath due process and fair trials. He is aware of its potential corruption, as well as its many faults and the unyielding difficulty that they create for justice, but feels it is the right way to do things, the way that causes the least harm to others, and is willing to walk that path regardless of the many failures it could bring. When he sees crimes being done, or committed, without a word, he would jump on solving it and bringing the criminal in question to justice.
Because of this and a past incident, Akira has a deep-seeded loathing of criminal organizations such as mafias, drug or slave cartels and Yakuza clans. To him, they are all an army of low-lives and barbarians, who could not find their worth in society the hard way, so instead they take the easy way at the expense of others well-being and possibly lives. Even if a particular family or clan or cartel is less malicious than others, they are still committing crimes that endangers others so that they might help people in need. Even Vigilantism, while not as unforgivable to him as its usually for a justified cause, is still committing brutality and death of someone without any trial or evidence to prove their claims. To see other children like himself be a part of these criminal organizations, such as someone being the heir to a Yakuza clan and possibly being in the same school as them, is a personal conundrum for him. While he would likely be very...bitter towards their family, silent and ignorant for the most part of them especially, at the same time, if they are truly in dire need of help...he simply cannot bring himself to tell them off or ignore those troubles. They are still students after all, and it's not as if they could choose who their parents are. That said, he would likely immediately go back to ignoring them once those troubles are gone.
Speaking of Parents, while his is still alive, he has essentially disowned them after the incident. In his mind, his mother sold her soul for personal gain and his father was a monster from the very start. he does not quite know the full story of what happened, or why his mother abandoned their heritage like she did, but he doesn't care either. The very mention of his parents serves as a major source of discomfort, prying into the matter will only serve to earn you his scorn.
It should also be noted that Akira is actually a Pyrophobic, traumatized after the Komaeda Estate burned down with him and his Grandfather still inside. Things like a lighter or someone activating DW flames won't cause too much of a reaction save for wanting to look away from it, and prefers to keep away from particularly hot places, but if there is a massive fire anywhere near him, he'll practically burst out of character, curling up in a ball and panicking.
// B A C K G R O U N D
The Komaeda Family has been around for many generations in the past As a family of private detectives of a particularly excellent quality, so much so that they managed to keep off the radar of federal authorities until recently, serving as Private Detectives with an unknown past and future, using their skills as a detective to find and capture criminals of the underworld.
The third latest generation, Naoto Komaeda, Akira's grandfather, decided in his early days to step the family out of the shadows so that they may help, not just because he felt it was the right thing to do, but because he felt it was the natural evolutionary step forward for a family like them. Akira's mother and Naoto's daughter, felt ultimately that the detective family business was unfit for someone like her and her child, her husband wanting her use those smarts she had with him for the sake of business opportunities.
Akira, on the other hand, loved his grandfather, was fascinated with the stories her mother told of him, and the stories he himself told of their ancestors. From childhood, Akira has always idolized his grandfather, and much to his parents' dismay, aspired to be a great Detective like him and the rest of his family, going as far as to live with him rather than his parents.
However, things did not go quite well for him as it were. As it turned out, the 'business' his father associated with was being a former Yakuza turned member of Vongola's CEDEF branch, working as an affiliated liaison between Vongola and multiple Yakuza clans. While he indeed had good intentions, trying to keep the Yakuza in line in exchange for favors with Vongola, it was still seen by his grandfather as an utter betrayal, not that his mother cared.
However, The Yakuza found out who his father was married to, and wasn't too keen on trusting a woman whose father lived for the sole purpose of screwing them over, and from a family with a reputation of being a pain in the asses of organized crime everywhere. At the same time, they couldn't just kill her and make an enemy of something as powerful as Vongola. So instead, some of them took matters into their own hands to make an example be demonstrated to her.
This was the cause of the incident that froze Akira's heart shut.
That fateful night, A group of Yakuza henchmen, disguised as psychotic arsonists, snuck in and burned down the Komaeda estate with Akira and Naoto still inside. Naoto managed to use what strength he had in his olden body to grab Akira and escape in tow, the burning unbreathable air engraved in the boy's memory. That should have been the end of it right there. They didn't kill Naoto in the fire, but it would at least set an example to him. However, one of the henchmen broke orders after noticing he was still alive, and began to panic. Though they tried to stop him as he pulled out a gun to shoot them both, in the end, he pulled the trigger, and Naoto, noticing quickly that his grandson and himself was being aimed at, used himself to cover Akira, taking the bullet square in the back of his neck, and dying right in front of Akira's eyes. The other Yakuza grabbed the one that killed Naoto, and dragging him back to their headquarters for his punishment for screwing up, but Akira only saw them running off as the police finally came.
He must have cried for hours, his mind unable to process everything that happened, traumatized by his beloved Grandfather dying like that. The bright, dreaming, and optimistic boy died along with his grandfather that day, officially so when he found out about his parents' "job" for the Mafia, though he was unaware, and uncaring as to which mafia.
Seeking revenge and justice for his Grandfather, He strives to become a detective just like him, and vowed to take down all organized crime, one by one, his parents included.
Cut to the present, and he is now a second-year in High-School, A practical honor roll student, exercising his skills as a detective by helping fellow students privately, just as his ancestors did before. With each day, he's a step closer to becoming a true detective, and a step closer to having the power to take down any mafia who'd dare stand in the way of the law.
Little did he know that he was about to be unwittingly a part of the very thing he despised, as a Guardian of one of the most powerful Mafias in the world...and as it happens, the exact same one his parents are affiliated with.
...Fate truly does have a sense of Humor.
P A R A M E T E R S
"I should warn you: I'm not the type to stand down."
// F L A M E
Cloud
// A B I L I T I E S
Detective level intellect - While he is still in high school, Akira was training to be a detective like the previous generations of his family since childhood. As such, by the time he has reached high school, he managed to gain enough deductions skill to go beyond his current grade level. While he's not exactly a genius per se, even he feels he still has a ways to go before he can call himself worthy of being a detective, he is more than capable of figuring out things that may pass by the heads of others around him. He is quick-minded and perceptive enough to see through lies, deceit, and most traps, though there are times where he can let his guard down if his opponent is intelligent enough to keep him focused on one thing while they make a move somewhere else.
Skilled combatant - Combat was another thing he was trained since childhood to learn. As a detective, it would be all but inevitable to wind up in a fight with a criminal. Much like the previous guardian, Akira has a gift for being particularly strong and agile in a fight, and take down most opponents that come his way as a result, and in addition, he applies his own brains into the fights, creating strategies against particular opponents he can't just fight normally. But it should be stressed that he is by no means a master. He has no real discipline of note, mostly being self-taught as advised by his grandparents, and as such, can likely be defeated by those with the skill and mentality to use his physical gifts against him.
// E Q U I P M E N T
The Komaeda Cane - A very special cane passed down from generations of the Komaeda family lineage since the 19th century. As a Komaeda is always diving into danger of the underworld, this cane was made to combat its criminal dwellers there. While it looks like a normal cane, the stalk is metal and fragmented with a bladed edge, connected to a cord of tough nylon, making it capable of turning into a bladed whip of sorts, as well as a blunt instrument to hit people with. Eventually, the powers of the cloud flames shall allow the nylon and blades on the whip to multiply considerably, making it capable of wrapping around enemies with.
"You can pretend the theatrical end and imagine your world as the best, or you can break the seal in what you believe is real, and realize your reality's a jest."
"What did you expect? I'm already covered head to toe and have a mask on; I could have plastic surgery right now and you'd never know. Why think I'll change that in a decade?"
P E R S O N A L I A
"I'm not a lover, nor a fighter, but something far more useful to myself and the whole of society...an Entertainer! Come one, come all, and I shall show you a world of fantasy, wonder, and laughs beyond your wildest dreams!"
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
If Johnathan had to be summed up in one word, it would have to be "Eccentric".
Johnathan is often seen as an optimistic and energetic fellow as the ringmaster of his circus, both inside and outside of his job. He sometimes speaks in a rather high-pitched tone, likely to purposely be annoy others or make the general impression that he's about as much of a clown as his mask seems to indicate. He does often use a more normal, gentlemanly tone under more normal circumstances, genuinely using the high-pitched tone and laughter whenever he feels comedic at the time, and often when he does feel in the mood for that, it's hard to snap him out of his ball of comedic energy.
If there's one thing he always show in anything he does, it is just how much he absolutely loves his job, as if it's a dream come true for him. He has a great love and respect for all of his audience, and wishes only for them to be entertained by the acts he and his men performs for them. He shows himself off as a very theatrical man with a flare for the drama and comedy alike, even sometimes changing his mask to fit whatever mood he's suppose to be for the act, or whatever colors or patterns fits at the time. Everything he does, he goes all the way with; he shows throughout any show that he's having the time of his life and wants nothing more than to just keeping doing this.
There are two things that the Jest values above all else. The first is the care, amusement, and well-being of his audience. Despite the arrogance in a title such as the "Circus King", Johnathan is honestly anything but prideful. To him, it is nothing less than an honor to please and respect the crowds who were kind enough to come to his show, usually making damn sure to keep them safe and sound before any performance, especially after a particular incident years ago. Without the people coming to watch him, he is nothing more than a lonely clown and he knows and admits it. In his mind, they are the reason he exists.
The second is the care and well-being of the performers under him. This circus is a family, of which he sees himself the patriarch of, and he cares for each of his performers as if they are his own children. Ask any of them and they will tell you how much of a father figure the masked man has been to them. He never talked down to any of them, never treated anyone without at least a shred of disrespect, and has never picked any particular favorites. If they did something right, they got praised for it. If they did something wrong, they were disciplined.
However, behind all of this happy-go-lucky nature lays a darker and more sinister side of Johnathan, one he hides behind his smiling mask. His tone often turning deeper and more solemn when he goes into more darker aspects of his life, his jokes and comedic, upbeat attitude becoming dark and sarcastic. He is, after all, the head of a large Drug Cartel distributing illegal drugs throughout Europe and even overseas to the Americas. Most of the performers are not only aware, but assist in these activities whenever possible, and when failure comes around when it comes to this, he can be reasonably less tolerant of it than he would with circus activities. He is well-aware, after all, that what he is doing in the shadows of his circus is undoubtedly criminal in nature, and he has no excuse or defense that says otherwise. If you tell him that it's wrong to be doing this, he'd agree with you in an instant. It is why he hides it away from his audience, wrapping it in a veil of lies and deceit, and any activity that reveals this to the audience, or trying to make the audience 'customers' of the product, are met with harsh punishment.
Despite this Cartel and how serious he is with it, it seems he does hold a high moral standard when it comes to these drugs. It's been mentioned by other more powerful Cartels that his "pussified guidelines", as they dis-respectively call them, are the main reason why Johnathan's Cartel is weak and inferior to their own, that if he didn't let a moral conscience get in the way, he'd be among the most powerful kingpins in the world. Johnathan knows that the drugs he gives out is highly addictive in nature, and as such, he does not allow for any of the audience, nor any of the performers themselves, to touch nor sample the merchandise, that it cannot be given to anyone younger than 21, and that it should only be distributed to those who they feel need his drug, including hospitals and the like. Anyone who breaks these guidelines will be punished severely, even more so than revealing outright.
It's likely because of these moral standards that Johnathan often allies himself with the Vongola Famiglia, as they share a similar sense of conscience that he does. He is respectful and loyal to Tsunayoshi Sawada, though insists that he and his circus stands alone, away from the mafia, much like a Cloud Guardian would.
Either way, the fact that he always hides his face under a mask gives way to the possibility that none of these emotions he has are "real". Not helped is that when the trouble comes a knocking on Vongola's doorstep, Johnathan can be quite unpredictable in how he and his circus responds to it, giving credence to the potential he has to betraying them. Even within the circus, kind as he makes himself out to be, no one can say for certain what he's truly thinking, or what his plans truly are, an enigma in nature as a wielder of the Mist should be. He uses illusions and lies to entertain the masses, while hiding the truth of his darker side from them, undergoing a philosophy that lies and deceit can be a necessary evil for a good cause, when used in the right hands.
// B A C K G R O U N D
It's not entirely known what this guy's past was like, as he's very tight-lipped about who he was before becoming the Circus King. What is known so far is that Johnathan apparently was the son of a master illusionist, whom he learned all his tricks from, as well as gained his signature cane from, and started his journey by gathering gifted performers during the days when Vongola Nono was still the Boss, which means any time between 20 years ago, to during his childhood. During his travels, he found a collection of freaks and gifted but unpopular performers and took them in as his own, while also discovering the Croceoscura Hell Ring. It was also during these travels he discovered "Misty Eyes", a unique psycho-tropic drug created from mist en-coated plant life, capable of the anesthetic numbing of a user's body and mind, and further enhancing mist flame induced illusions. It came in the form of a powder, much like Cocaine, but can be melted into a liquid and injected through the bloodstream. Like all narcotics before it, it can cause damage and threaten one's own life if Overdosed, and the mist-enforced nature may be too much of a high for younger people to use, and could result in death by shock.
Upon discovering these plants, Johnathan made it a point to completely monopolize and manufacture this drug as a way to financially back his supposed dream job of becoming a Circus Ringleader, or "Ringmaster" as he calls it. However, for reasons unknown, it seemed he developed a conscience during the reproduction and distribution of the drug, making it a point to restrict the distribution to only those of ages 21 or older, and only to those who are in dire need of it for medicinal value, such as mental patients and hospitals. Next thing anyone knows, Johnathan essentially became the Kingpin of a Drug Cartel, small compared to others due to the minimalistic of his customer selection, but still valuable due to the exclusive nature of his drug. Meanwhile, the illegal income created through the drug trafficking combined with hard and legal work from everyone involved, gave him enough money to create his Circus.
Due to the talent of his performers, combined with his own mastery of illusions and the Mist Flames of his cane, made his show a spectacular success with each viewing. His Jest by day, Kingpin by night way of life earned him the title of "Circus King", and a high reputation from audiences as well as a low reputation from fellow Cartels.
However, not all was sunshine and rainbows back then. 10 years ago, there was an incident that occurred during one of his circus performances. The Misty Eye Drug was leaked, unknowingly, to both an audience of thousands, and the other performers, by which to say, it was unknowingly given to them beyond anyone's knowing. The Influence of the drug caused chaos in the tent and bedlam outside of it, as people were put in a state of delirium as a result of the drug's effect. Most performers and circus visitors were hospitalized under urgent care due to the higher-than-nominal intake of the drug, but there were many casualties from this, most of which were children who could not handle the drug at all. This incident, that came be known as the "Bloody Tear Massacre" lived in infamy and scarred Johnathan's Reputation, as well as, as they say, his soul. He shut down his Circus and placed himself under arrest as the perpetrator of this incident, the truth of the matter being unknown to everyone...
That is...Everyone but the Vongola Famiglia.
While they do not know the details or who is responsible for it, an investigation was carried out into the incident and it was concluded that whatever it was that happened, Johnathan was not as guilty of it as he made people believe he was. They ensured his release from prison, and once the performers were healed, of which they helped, they worked together to cover up the incident so that Johnathan can get back to doing what he wanted to do: entertain.
Because of this act of mercy and their saving of his family and circus, Johnathan feels he owes the Vongola his life, and is willing to do whatever they ask of him...Although keeping up a facade that says otherwise.
P A R A M E T E R S
"That's what's always been wrong with you people...you lack Imagination."
// F L A M E
Mist
// A B I L I T I E S
Master Illusionist - Even before having a ring for his mist flames, he had a gift for creative parlor tricks and magical acts, using illusions and farces to entertain the masses around him, ever since he was a child. Combine the experiences of creating illusions on the fly with the powers of the Mist Flames an A-rank ring to harness it, and his own creative mind, and now he can create rooms filled with wonders implausible to the basic human comprehension and lands of fantasy within a circus tent. Often uses his mastered crafy to mystify a crowd, or to confuse, trick, and horrify his enemies. While he has used it for numerous tricks and illusions, one of his personal favorite is a classic disguise, in which he covers himself head-to-toe in mist flames and essentially become someone else, regardless of gender or age.
While usually they are just illusions conjured by the mist flames, focusing hard enough on those illusions can allow the mist flames to materialize them with actual physical elements, granting a realistic touch to them.
Mastermind Extraordinaire - The real gift of any excellent mist flame user comes not from the strength of his illusions, but the strength and quality of his mind. Despite not acting like it most of the time, Johnathan has the intelligence, street smarts, and tactical prowess befitting a criminal mastermind. Most of his circus' criminal activity was saved by his improvisations and wit, and has made him renown as an orchestrater of criminal renaissance. He prepares for just about any occasion he can possibly factor into a plan, creating backup plans and gambits to ensure the successes of whatever plans he makes. He may not be physically strong enough to fight with brute force alone, but much like Verde, he doesn't need to fight directly either, letting his men and his "magical" illusions do the work for him instead.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Ringmaster's Cane - The signature cane of the Circus King that he can't be without. Unlike Akira Komaeda's cane, it can't normally change its form for a battle, (Although with the mist flames such a thing could be possible) it is, however, made of a sturdy enough metal that it can be used as a durable weapon in combat. That being said, the real charm of this cane is the large jewel on its tip. While it looks like a blue diamond, it can actually change colors depending on Johnathan's emotions at the time like a glorified mood ring. Inside this gem however, unbeknownst to all, lies an A-Rank Mist Jewel through which he can channel his wave energy into Mist Flames, technically making the Cane itself his "ring". Using this cane as the medium for the Mist, he can use it like a wand of sorts, conjuring his illusions.
Of course, because of it being a cane as oppose to a ring, it can never be on his person forever like a ring, and so can be stolen, lost, or even destroyed if enough pressure is applied. In the unlikely event of this, he has a number of low-level mist rings in his pocket instead.
Croceoscrura Ring - One of the legendary Six Hell Rings. The Croceoscura (Dark Cross) Ring was said to be forged from the metal of the holy lance wielded by Saint Longinus and modeled after the crown of thorns worn by Christ when he was crucified upon the cross. Its main ability is to generate a near infinite amount of vines upon any illusions within a 10 meter radius of the user, taking complete domination of illusions, both real and otherwise, that they're wrapped in. But like all Hell Rings, there is a cost to this ability, for every vine the user wraps an illusion around, thorny vines wraps around the user's body, piercing and constantly twisting at his body until control is lifted or the illusion itself vanishes. A clever user of the ring and one who is able to truly bear the constant agony would be able to use his own thorny vines as improvisational whips against his enemies in addition.
Of course, like all of the Hell Rings, The Croceoscura has a "War Potential Doubling" ability, but Johnathan, who considers just using this ring as an act of desperation on his own part, has never actually been desperate enough to use his in particular, so he has no idea what'll happen if it came to that. This lack of knowledge as to the situation has led him to essentially deem this ability a Last Resort.
"Alright, Let's get psyched, people, then we can go all out on a buffet afterwards!"
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
The best way to describe Alex is that she is a little ball of pure energy.
Alex is often upbeat and energetic to the point of hyperactive, and potentially annoying as all hell. When she strives to do something, she goes all the way with it stubbornly until its done or backfires on her.
Said energetic nature gives way to her Optimism, confidence, and an absolute love for just about any food near her since she can often tire herself out like a kid on a sugar high. Ever the social and active type, she loves nothing more than hanging around her friends, ...and teasing Luca when the opportunity arrives.
Dig past the energy, and what you get is someone with a gentle heart of gold. If someone's hurt in one way or another, she always steps in to try and help. If someone down in the dumps, she's there for them. She may not be able to fight alongside the others, but she can at least be there for them when they need her.
// B A C K G R O U N D
There's not much to say of much significance in regards of her origins. She was orphaned since she was 2 years old, separated from her sisters at the time, and sent from one foster family to another for years until now. Besides said story, she's a normal girl who transferred to Trevenno not that long ago as a Sophomore at the high school the Vongola guardians and boss just so happens to be in, working at the restaurant owned by Enrico's family as a part-timer, and was quick to make friends with anyone who wanted to be friends with her. Of all of them though, she was particularly interested in one Luca Palladino, an underclassman who seemed to hide his frankly cute feminine looks with a cool "manly" facade. As such, she has attempted to befriend him, not knowing what he's about to inherit.
P A R A M E T E R S
"I'm here for you, even if everyone else goes against you guys, I'll put my faith in the lot of you, so don't you dare give up on yourselves!"
// F L A M E
Unknown, as she never tried a ring before.
// A B I L I T I E S
Intelligence - While no genius by any stretch of the imagination, Alexandria is sharper and smarter than most people make her out to be. She passes all of her exams, studies hard, and even helps out other students with their respective work. Even if she doesn't understand how any of this flame stuff works, if explained, she'd be able to comprehend it more than others.
Morale Booster - As she hasn't a ring of her own, there is little she can to physically assist them in their battles against whatever forces want to take them down. However, she is highly supportive, and combined with her smart mind, often knows what to say or do to keep people from falling apart completely, even if she has to be a little mean or blunt to light a proverbial fire in them.
Knowledgeable in Martial Arts - While she's not exactly a fighter, this is a dangerous world they live in. As such, she has apparently taken lessons on how to fight for the sake of self-defense. Not exactly a black belt, and against the kind of people her friends have to fight, she may not stand much of a chance, but against more normal folks, she'd be able to hold her own.
"Life is short and fragile. Trust me, I know that better than anybody."
P E R S O N A L I A
"I did it because I said I would. Do I need another reason?"
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Most people tend to have an impression of Enrico as a severe young man, cold and distant like a northern wind. This is not without good reason. He is the hardest working member of his class, perhaps even the entire city, and seems to never leave a single moment wasted with all the extracurricular activities he involves himself in. His work ethic is something to aspire to, but the life he lives is undoubtedly a strict one, with no time for friends or fun. The sharp-eyed, imperturbable expression on his face, his phlegmatic disposition and poor attitude are merely a testament to the weight of his endeavors. At least that's what his actions would suggest.
Contrary to popular belief, Enrico does not often play the part of the harsh, overly serious-type or the stop-having-fun asshole. In fact, he's actually a quite a flippant young man who'd really rather not deal with that kind of thing. Though he does indeed lack friends, possess a major case of resting bitch face, and have a tongue far sharper and more foul than it ought to be, he doesn't actively avoid socialization or look down on everyone else. This, like many other social woes that beset him, tends to come from his inability to read the mood and overly blunt tone. His genuine criticism and "obvious" questions can easily be seen as attempts to insult or goad another, and even his attempts at apologies tend to come off as insincere based solely on the ease he has pointing out others' faults. The last thing he wants is to legitimately upset others and he genuinely enjoys the company of others, but being socially dense, he doesn't realize why people tend to shy away from him and thus usually just accepts it for what it is. Worth noting is that his bedside manner isn't nearly as bad as his normal interaction; in fact, one might call it tender -- assuming you haven't already recovered from your injuries, of course.
Regardless, while outwardly he may seem rather stoic, his subdued demeanor belies the intensity that dwells within, alluded to only be the fervency by which he pursues his ambitions. Enrico is no man of half-measures, and as a rule, his emotions are binary in nature; without personal stake in a situation, one can count on him acting mildly and apathetically, but otherwise he proves to be surprisingly hotblooded. When he feels, he always feels intensely: his rage must shake the heavens, his tears must be as waterfalls, and the laughter and smiles that convey his joy must be well-intentioned because they are certainly very menacing. So naturally, when he decides that something is worth doing, he'll see it through with best of his ability. Before anything else Enrico is undeniably a man of conviction, with an inexorable determination and an unmatched will to succeed. But although he is abounding in diligence, it can't be said he is abounding in the prudence required to best make use of it. For good or for ill, once he has chosen to act, attempting to force him to stop is a fool's errand nine times out of ten.
That said, getting him to act is much easier, even if Enrico is undeniably much more passive than he is proactive when it comes to acting in the service of things outside his sphere of interest. He doesn't actually care about things that don't directly concern him and thus doesn't care to exert energy on them. He is, however, largely motivated by self-interest and the exchange of services. If you require his assistance, all you need is a good enough offer -- whatever that would entail at the time of asking. He's very obviously a selfish person in that respect, but that does not necessarily make him an immoral person. He's rarely unreasonable with his requests, and doesn't put any effort towards scamming others. As someone who was born wanting, he understands that others cherish and protect what they have; similarly, he does the same for what he considers his own, whether that be objects or people. Unsurprisingly, he's also quite a frugal young man who strives to give thanks and repay debts as soon as he can.
Of course, all of these traits are merely symptomatic of the foundation that lays at the heart of Enrico's being: an overwhelming sense of responsibility ingrained by his parents' teachings and his experiences during his formative years. From a young age, the weight of duty has always burdened him, and so the currency of promises has become an intrinsic part of his identity. Unsurprisingly, he make promises lightly or very often; those he does make are always kept without exception, regardless of how much trouble they're liable to cause him. He takes not only his own commitments but also others' very seriously, rarely lies for personal gain, and considers oathbreakers and traitors to be the worst of trash. While he may seem an honorable man based solely on this trait, Enrico is far from a proper combatant. His philosophy is that, in the absence of agreed-upon rules, an honorable fight, or really any endeavor worth doing, is one where everything goes, and that the use of dirty tricks and unorthodox tactics is a sign great respect. That said, he's not the type to involve children or bystanders, keep hurt someone who's clearly given up, or other needlessly cruel actions; so he's still a step away from being completely ruthless with his pragmatism.
On a more mundane note, Enrico's enjoys reading books at the park and watching movies when he isn't studying late into the night. Worth noting is that both are activities that he can do without the company of others. His favorite films are horror movies and westerns, and his least favorites are poorly choreographed fantasy and historical fiction films. While he doesn't hate them per se, watching romantic and buddy comedies leave a strange and uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Contrasting this, his favorite literature genre is fantasy and his least favorite is lit fic. He is very much the kind of person who would call someone out for thinking the film is the same experience as the book and vice versa. He operates a review blog which is notable for having long, in-depth and completely merciless assessments of media.
While Enrico claims to have gotten over his aspirations to the title of Sword Emperor, that is untrue. Suggesting he wouldn't enjoy testing his sword arm against powerful opponents or demonstrating his prowess to the world is also untrue. It's as the saying goes: you can take the dog out of the fight, but you can't take the fight out of the dog.
// B A C K G R O U N D
Fifteen year old Enrico Modena was born in the city of Siena, the capital of the Italian province of Tuscany, to an aspiring musician and a young professional with her whole life ahead of her. About four years after his own birth, his twelve year old sister Sofia was born and from that point, family's fortune was overturned. Enrico's mother was struck by severe illness and postpartum complications shortly after Sofia's birth, leaving her bedridden and ultimately fired from the job that was responsible for supporting the family up to that point. As a result, his largely unqualified father was forced to abandon his dreams as an artist and take on multiple jobs to support his family of four, rarely getting to see them in the process.
Despite the complications affecting his family during his upbringing, Enrico does not consider his childhood a particularly terrible one nor does he see their family relation as being particularly damaged by it. While that assessment might be because of his surprisingly pure view of the world, it wouldn't be a lie to say that his father never wavered in his duty and showered affection on the family despite his infrequent appearances. Likewise, his mother remained steadfast and lively despite her diminished condition. Despite their best efforts however, Enrico's formative years were largely defined by a lack of parental guidance and the burden of a duty suited for someone much more mature than he. With his parents largely out of commission, it was on Enrico to get groceries, take care of his mother, be his sister's keeper, and otherwise pull far more than his own weight around the house. Growing up with knowledge of his father's burdens and the experiences of his own struggle to live up to the demands of his station caused the precepts of duty to take root in his psyche, contributing to the development of good habits and strange personality traits alike.
This isn't to say Enrico's childhood was all work and no play, however. As one of the things his mother could still do often despite her state, his free time would be spent among books, either being read to or reading to himself and others. Incidentally, these very same stories would lay the groundwork for Enrico's passion as a swordsman.
Once he grew older and even more independent, Enrico would spend even more of his free time romping around town, often going to the library for books and their various youth reading programs, or to hang out in the nearby park with his sister. Of course, even a safer city like Siena is still a dangerous place for a child to be left alone. As a result, his father arranged for him to take self-defense lessons from a friend of his that ran a fitness center a few bus stops from his school. It was there that Enrico would learn to protect himself, but more importantly, it was there that he had his first experience with the world of swordsmanship.
One day, on the way to another self-defense class, Enrico spotted a peculiar sight in one of the rooms: a group of people flailing about in heavy armor. So instead of training, he sat in the room rented out by the Siena HEMA Society, watching them go at it with blades and polearms and shields like something out of one of his stories. When he was finally found by his father, he had his heart set. And once that happened, it was only a matter of time until he found out about The Sword Emperor.
And thus, Enrico found his raison d'etre. With the renown he would get from the title came money, and the young boy decided that that would be how he would support his family. Soon merely watching became actively participating, and though they wouldn't teach him anything advanced, the basics they taught him served him well as a natural swordsman.
Fortunately or unfortunately, now that Enrico was equipped with the means and desire to fight, it was the only thing he had on his mind. So when prompted with an excuse to test himself -- a bully picking on some kids at a park he and his sister frequented -- he got into a fight. And another after that, and another and another, until he had amassed a sort of reputation as his town's resident bully hunter. As a "dangerous person", few people desired to be his friend, but they did enjoy the fruits of his actions. For a time, the schoolchildren of Siena lived in tenuous, ruthlessly enforced peace. Although his teachers tried to convince him to stop acting so aggressively, this behavior wouldn't stop until he moved to Trespiano. After all, it becomes hard to stop a habit when that habit seeks you out.
At the age of eleven, Enrico's mother was finally claimed by her illness. Then, with his mother dead and his father was constantly away - even moreso now that he had gotten a decent job overseas - he and his sister were sent to live under the custody of their grandmother in Trespiano, where they have been for the past five years. With his father only visiting on major holidays, Enrico has spent most of his teen years with his sister and grandmother, who runs and lives in a century-old apartment above a small, old Italian restaurant located along the waterfront. It is notable for being old even to old people and for using ingredients primarily gathered from local sources. However, it is no longer doing as well as it used to in comparison to equivalent "modern" restaurants for that same reason. It still beats them when it comes to antipasto, caffe, and fish dishes. Enrico works here part time, as does his sister. It should be noted that the latter is illegal under Italian law, but nobody cares.
The most notable change from then and now is the marked difference between the Enrico's temperament in Trespiano and how it was back in Siena. The young swordsman has very obviously mellowed out after coming to Trespiano, mostly due to the presence of an actual authority figure in his life to put him on the right path. Yet as much of a help Enrico's grandmother was in setting this impetuous youth straight, her guidance was not without its flaws. While well-intentioned, the fact of the matter is that she is the reason Enrico has all but hung up his sword permanently.
Just after entering upper secondary school, fourteen year old Enrico was told by his grandmother to "grow up": to stop confusing passion with profession like his father, to set aside his dreams as professional swordsman, to take his studies seriously, and to support the family respectably. And Enrico could only let this order come to pass; it was his obligation to the debt he owed to his family. But though he understood where her sentiments came from, he could not come to accept it. He liked it, he was good at it, and there was potential to turn their situation around within it. Stewing in feelings he's been unable to do anything about, it isn't a surprise that Enrico still carries resentments over the incident. To his credit however, he has adhered to her wishes for the past three years, even if he one day wishes to take up the blade once more.
Overall, Enrico has made himself out as a relatively normal but hardworking (some might say too hardworking -- he's completely sacrificed his involvement in the historical European martial arts club after all) young man in his five years in Trespiano. Notably, he sits at the top of the class and is heavily involved in the community at large through volunteer work and his grandmother's restaurant -- an ideal young professional, essentially.
Also he still has no friends.
P A R A M E T E R S
"If you're worried about your health, I'm willing to patch you up after I win."
// F L A M E
Sun
// A B I L I T I E S
Medical Knowledge
As far as any one else is concerned, Enrico's primary ambition in life is to become a doctor. Of course, this is incorrect; he wants to become a master swordsman among master swordsmen; in that respect, medicine is his back up plan. However, Enrico has contributed no small degree of effort into achieving the grades, knowledge and experience required to excel in the field. On his off time, he serves as both a sports med volunteer for his high school and a health services volunteer at the hospital. Likewise, he makes a point of renewing his first aid and CPR certifications every year. As a result, his practical and theoretical knowledge is quite high for someone of his age. Because of the amount of work towards what's supposedly a secondary focus, one might look at it as wasted effort, but Enrico still works towards it regardless. After all, he had made a promise to his family, and he is intent on keeping it to the best of his ability.
Swordsmanship
When he was younger and more impetuous, Enrico would often talk at length about his aspiration to the title of the world's greatest swordsman, the Sword Emperor. While he claims to have put that goal behind him, he still retains his physical condition and his natural talent for swordplay. Yet despite this talent, labeling Enrico a swordsman is not entirely correct. Without clear sword style, it's obvious that he's relying on a combination of ability, cunning and force of personality to carry the day rather than advanced bladework. Subsequently, this puts him at a disadvantage against the truly skilled opponents who can see through his tactics. In terms of how he fights, Enrico's swordsmanship is more in line with the contents of medieval swordsmanship manuals than modern fencing - a reflection of his primary source of blade education. While this has granted him a wide foundation of basic stances in the traditional types of Italian swordsmanship and a cerebral knowledge of the craft, it is only just so. He favors the use of a single hand-and-a-half sword, which allows him to better incorporate close-combat techniques such as grapples, kicks and punches, and retains the blade's versatility. Worth noting is his poor vision - compensated for by his glasses rather than combat experience or other senses - which is a deadly weakness for a proper swordsman, but one that he hasn't encountered trouble with yet. Whether this is a testament to his own talent or the quality of his past opponents remains to be seen.
Undying Will
It is said that the role of the Vongola Guardian of Sun is to destroy the misfortune that targets the Family with their body. While past examples have traditionally been those with skill in close combat, the nuance of this duty lies beyond simply "using one's body in combat" -- it is to defend the Family regardless of the cost to oneself. It is not Enrico's martial prowess, but the fortress of his resolve that serves as his qualification as the Eleventh Vongola Guardian of Sun. Thus, beyond even the strength of his sword arm or his proficiency at healing, the most vital of all tools in Enrico's arsenal is the sheer, unbridled tenacity that lurks beneath his placid exterior. Regardless of how insignificant the task is, if Enrico has set his mind on something, he will set out to accomplish it regardless of what the obstacles in the way of his objective are, be it harm to his body, assaults against his mind, or ploys against his emotions. Yet his greatest strength is also a great weakness; the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long, after all.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Medical Supplies
Always prepared to practice his (other) craft, Enrico carries around a first-aid kit with a few personal additions to its contents. Generally speaking, it's well equipped to deal with typical first aid situations, as well as more intensive cuts, bruising, and more exotic athletic injuries. In other words, he's altered it to fit his needs as a swordsman.
Longsword
Enrico doesn't own one of these.
M I S C E L L A N Y
"Can I go now? Or was there something else you wanted?"
"With the amount of bullets that've come my way, I'm surprised I don't have any facial scars yet."
"Yeah, shoud've known it would've happened eventually. Can't stay pristine forever."
P E R S O N A L I A
"Any good day I have is one where I'm still breathing at the end of it all. I've been around the Mafia World since about... 6 years ago now. I've had my ups, my downs, and I've been shot at more times than I can count. But the most important thing I've done is I learned from those screwups. Each failure's a lesson for later. Ah, my old man would probably be proud or angry at me if he were around."
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Although he seems calm, kind and generous at first glance, take care not to pick a fight with him, because his mindset quickly dispenses with the kindness and takes upon the mindset of a focused, calm combatant. Where others would fall prey to provocation, he would not, choosing to fight on his own terms, and not play into those of his opponent's.
// B A C K G R O U N D
Formerly a world-wandering mercenary turned hitman for the Mafia, Crobalt has seen a lot of conflict over the last decade, and has been seasoned in various conflicts worldwide, earning his fair share of scars and experience along the way. Despite the fact that he basically kills people for a living, he retains a gentle mindset when not on a job.
Though he doesn't know much about how a Mafia family is run (And frankly, it's not something he's thought about having to learn), he's developed the sort of mentality to offer one hand, but keep a pistol in the other as a "just in case". Some might call it excessive to be so suspicious, but when some people are likely to stab you the second you turn your back, no caution is too much. Just ask the corpses of past clients in a ditch somewhere because they thought they could outsmart him.
Though he is still young compared to more seasoned members of the Mafia, he is wiser than his age would suggest. Any failures he makes, he makes a point to learn from them later, and he's always looking to improve his skills. Self improvement could take any number of forms, afterall. And even if he can't immediately spot these differences, he's not prideful enough to not ask for pointers.
He does tend to take on advisory roles on occasion, the individuals he provides it to benefitting from his experience on and off the battlefield. He's quite content with his current "On again, off again" habit of going between hitman and advisor, since it keeps him on his toes. Course, nothing ever stays the same for long as far as the Mafia are concerned...
P A R A M E T E R S
"Quote"
// F L A M E
Storm
// A B I L I T I E S
Cool-headed - Able to maintain a calm outlook in almost any situation. You'd have to really go out of your way to tick him off
Analytical - Capable of observing targets and deducing weaknesses, then exploiting said weaknesses with surgical precision.
Experienced - Has survived a few close scrapes in the past and came out wiser for it; Is willing to share his experience with others to help them avoid those same pitfalls.
Seasoned Marksman Though he probably doesn't hold a candle to the Arcobaleno Reborn in terms of his sharpshooting skills, he's still a good shot in his own right. If it shoots bullets, he can use it with precision.
Swordsman Although a bit irregular for a storm user, he took up swordplay as a contingency plan for close range battlefields where firearms would be unable to be aimed in time.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Sniper Rifle - Often carried on his back into battle, unless out among civilians, in which case he leaves it behind.
Double-edged 1-handed Sword - Concealed beneath his coat, on his left hip, always on hand. Simple, but effective.
"Demons for hire!" The Mercenary Organization: "Incubus"
An organization of cybernetic DW flame-wielding mercenaries. Their exact origins are unknown, and not many are aware of them, seems even Vongola was left in the dark about their existence, need it be by other Mafia families, or by those within Vongola who did know. What is known is that they have been a group of assassins and wet-workers taking on the dirtiest tasks and clean-up jobs of mafias, cartels, yakuza, and other criminal syndicates and governmental bodies for generations, often working in the shadows to raise the reputation of their employers by removing any opposing elements. Assassinations, Kidnapping, bombings, torture, bodyguarding, Blackmail, silencing, you name it, they can do it for a price. It didn't matter how big or small the target was, from a homeless old man that needed to be reminded of his debts to a loan shark, to the leader of an entire country, they'll attack anyone for the right price. It should be noted that they name themselves and their successors after Chess pieces - the three lowest being collectively known as pawns but with their own special codenames - under the philosophy that they are simply tools for their employers will and nothing more. Much like the Vongola Famiglia, each member of Incubus serves a particular role in the group, which is driven as a reason to buy individual members or whole sets of them, depending on the what is needed for the time.
For the longest time, Incubus had no such abilities to invoke the dying will flames, relying solely on their exceptional skills as mercenaries to do the jobs given to them. The flames were a recent phenomenon for their families and were only being used for the past two or three generations.
This particular generation, however, gained cybernetic enhancements due to an experiment they participated in that gone awry, causing their respective flames to become unstable, using these cybernetics to keep themselves alive, as well as to further enhance and control their respective dying will abilities. As such, they are commonly seen by these enhancements, and their signature armor, each one the same model, but having their own unique features for each member, other than their weapons and cybernetics.
With one exception, All of the Cybernetics on Incubus contains a switch of some kind to regulate, focus, and release DW flames onto those respective parts of the body, empowering those parts with their entire body's worth of DW flames. This is known as "Release Mode" (RM), similar to Hyper Dying Will mode as a form of empowerment for a limited time. The RM focuses and releases all of member's Dying Will flames into their cybernetics until there is nothing left to safely release, after which the cybernetics automatically return to their dormant state, a cool-down of sorts, and leaves the members naturally exhausted. The amount of time they have until their RM disengages varies from member to member, It depends on how many parts of the body are cybernetic, and the size of those cybernetics. The cool-down limit, however, is generally the same for them all, it takes about 24 hours for their unstable flames to rekindle inside them again.
Another option they have, although suicidal, is the option to completely deactivate and remove the cybernetic regulators themselves, a strategy that must only be used in times of desperation and greatest emergency, known as "Fatal/Final Release Mode" or "FRM". By removing the Regulators completely from their bodies, via a keypad attached to their cybernetics and a special passcode, each one having a different passcode, their unstable DW flames will be released in full force without anything to stop them. The members entering this state will essentially reach the pinnacle maximum of their power, the full force of their respective flames exploding out of them, likely effecting the areas around them and the people within those areas by extension. But now, without anything to stop or control them, their flames will inevitably kill them by the end, making it a sort of "Kamikaze" mode.
(If Images are given to show the features of the unique features of the armor, replace only the color scheme and the helmet design of those images, with the image of the Incubus-Model Armor shown below.)
THE DEMON PAWN/BENITO DIAUOMO, 25
"Hey there, Name's Demon, I'll be your Murderer for the evening, and just for tonight only, I'll throw in the slow and agonizing death of anyone who bleeds your blood, absolutely free!"
Note: the round glass visor of his helmet has a red version of the Incubus logo, painted onto it.
P E R S O N A L I A
"Little Benny died a long time ago. He had no intention of sharing the family business but it threw itself right at him anyways, and tore out his heart. I'm simply the soulless monster born from that, who decided to take over what's left."
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
True to his title of Demon, and to the legacy of his family, Benito is a sado-masochistic sociopathic madman with no sympathy for anyone or anything around him.
But he wasn't always like this. Got most of his childhood and teenage life, he was something of a black sheep among his psychotic family, He was kind, considerate of others, generous and gentle a soul, you'd never expect him to murder a small animal much less commit mass homicide like his family was trained to do. He was often bullied and abused by his parents and siblings, but he had a special trait of sturdy mental defenses against those acts.
After a certain incident, however, Benito lost himself in the psychotic nature inherited by his family, which essentially killed his humanity.
Benito finds pleasure now in the infliction of pain and suffering on others, as well as himself. He has no remorse or feelings of pity for his victims, often laughing at their misery, as well as his own, and having a tendency for being a dark comedian. Even so, he sees himself as a professional murderous fiend and executioner, having his own standards of only killing targets he knows are gonna give him a worthy challenge, not because he wants to spare the weak, but because he's killed so many weak people that their reactions and screams have become mundane and boring to him; they don't entertain him anymore. The world itself is a boring cesspool of misery and despair in his mind, and if he ever had the chance to burn the world to ashes, he would take it without a second thought as the ultimate show of the Diauomo creed.
He's no where near intelligent, probably more so than others before him due to his time before taking this position but still not exactly an honor roll student. He's impatient, and prefers more direct approaches to solve any problem they may have, often getting annoyed and put to boiling point when he has to step down from killing someone to achieve some sort of clever plan. However, he is street smart, a great improviser and a quick thinker above all else, he may not know nor understand the intricacies of a complicated plan, but he has enough common sense to be able to figure out why a plan could fail. When the time comes that a plan fails and resorts to him just killing someone, nothing gets him more excited.
He is often brash, blunt, and insulting towards others, often talking down to his victims and enemies, and often being a bully of sorts to the other pawns, Snipe especially, since he reminds him so much of himself, and would want to essentially show him there's nothing in the world of any worth, like he had to learn that day.
Like other demons before him, he has an undying respect for the Monarch of Incubus, a position given to a family of people somehow more deadly and more fearsome than his own. While Knight is someone he can't bring himself to greatly respect, his skills as a warrior and lack of tolerance for people like him, make him someone Demon fears the discipline of, as Knight wouldn't hesitate in actually killing him if he had to. Rook and Bishop, however, are those he'd rather be around, as he feels they understand him and can relate to his blood lust more than any of the others, often making respectable but dark jokes around them both. Of the two, he prefers Rook's company more, since Bishop never responds to his quirks as much.
// B A C K G R O U N D
The Diauomo Family, or "The Demon Family", was among the last of the 7 families to join the organization, having a great respect for their nature as unrestrained guns for hire. They had a long history of murderous and malevolent psychopathy, inherited like a curse in each generation that came after, creating serial killers, kidnappers, and even a few legal executioners for death penalties. They operated on an inherited philosophy of Nihilism, Sado-Masochism, Anarchy, and the importance of conflict and hatred in the overall balance of the world. They have next to no care for their own well-being or the well-being of those close to them, essentially raised from birth to become heartless monsters
The Purpose of the Demon Pawn is the ultimate personification of the Pawn in Chess: They are the front-runners, the first to attack and likely the first to fall. They are berserkers, in a manner of speaking, hired to commit brutally violent murders, arson, and overall chaos-spreading, usually as a way to distract the authorities and proverbial "heroes" from the employer's greater schemes. That, or they just really want someone to die badly, and will take the fall for it to protect their employers' skin.
There were of course some who wanted to break out of the family tradition, and it became a family rule to have multiple children for just this kind of occasion. Benito, sure enough, was one of those type of family members at the time.
Born the youngest of three, Benito Diauomo was home-schooled by their parents along with his two brothers. As the whole purpose of their family was to slaughter and kill other people as if they were animals, they didn't want the three brothers to have any friends outside the house...far easier to kill people when you don't have a connection to them, after all. As far as their learning were concerned, they only taught them the important need-to-know knowledge that was a matter of survival to learn and skipping the rest, never giving the trio a proper education as a result. Once that was done, the parents then proceeded to brainwash Benito and the other two with propaganda videos, news recordings, anything to make the world around them look like a giant cesspool of negativity that needed to be burned down, teaching them that all life were a cancer that needed to be extinguished from the world, and that they should have no hesitation in killing anyone and everyone who gets in the way to their satisfaction.
Benito, oddly enough, was the one resistant to the method of his parents' brainwashing, immune to it, in fact. No matter what they showed him he never showed any sense of killing instinct that his brothers did. All he could feel was sorry for the victims and a desire to help people like them as they die. Eventually, it became too much of an annoyance to his parents to continue attempting to groom him into a killer, and so they dropped him on his mother's side of the family and essentially disowned him, putting their bets on their other sons to take the title of Demon Pawn.
After that, Benito spent the rest of his childhood like a normal student, more gentle than most, going through high school without much problem, and a few friends along the way. The teachings of his parents told him that the world was in a horrific state, and so he strive for an occupation in fixing that. As such, as a start to this, he planned on being a part of volunteer work in Africa after his days of school are at an end.
However, it wasn't meant to last.
During the last days of school, the students of his class, him included, was gassed, knocked out, and woke up in the middle-east, with no idea how long they were knocked out for, and terrorists of an unknown faction being the ones responsible for it. It seems that they were thrown in the middle of a war zone and were told that if they want to return back to their lives, they had to kill each other for it. While Benito was among the few who tried to keep together their class and keep them stabilized, in the end, there were a number of his friends who killed each others, and were then killed in turn. They've attempted for many days to escape, having to do plenty of horrific things forced on them by their kidnappers along the way, such as laying another victim before them and forcing them to cannibalize the person if they did not want to starve to death. It was revealed to them as well, that they're families and friends were also being targeted for destruction, just like they were.
Even still, he and another friend, an optimistic woman who had the potential to be the love of his life, led his fellow students to a hopeful escape from their situation.
Only for it to be revealed that she lured them into a trap that would have killed them all, had Benito not used his instincts to get out of there before hand. All of his friends, however, were not so fortunate. Apparently she revealed that the people who brought them there said that only one could make it out of there alive, and she, desperate and longing to get out of the hell they were put in, broke from the pressure, broke from seeing a picture of her parents being killed off, broke from despair. Without much hesitation, the now psychotic woman tried to kill off Benito, only for him to stab her in Self-defense, her still trying to strangle him even after that.
That day, Benito lost his friends, lost the one he loved, was surrounded by war and death, and just when it could not possibly get any worse, it turned out the ones responsible for all of this was his own family, the Diauomo Family.
As it turned out, the Brainwashing of the children was only the first step of the promotion process of the Demon Pawn. Not only did they expect Benito to resist the brainwashing and leave the family, they anticipated it. They allowed Benito to do what he wanted to do, expecting him to resist the feelings of hatred, and prepared this very situation during all the years he was in school specifically to groom him into the perfect killing machine. The Demon Pawn, after all, is an agent, an embodiment, of Destruction and Despair, and what is Despair but the complete and utter destruction of Hope? They let Benito think he is going against the family creed, let him hope for the future, only to completely destroy it, the relationships he forged, and everyone's lives around them. They knew Benito had what it took to survive the situation at hand, but in the event that he didn't, someone else would be worthy people to take his place. They even slaughtered their own family, the relatives he was staying with, just to cement that there was no where else for him to go.
The final nail in the coffin, however, was the revelation that the girl he just killed was the one responsible for killing everyone's families, her own, as well as his own, included. Turns out she was a high school Serial killer that his father kept under the radar of the federal government for the past 3 or so years, that her loving personality was just an act, and that she helped slaughter everyone, in exchange for becoming the next Demon Pawn herself, should she have succeeded in killing Benito. Why? How? Doesn't matter they say; the details are irrelevant. All that matters was that she planned this trap from the beginning, and she had no remorse or hesitation in sacrificing everyone in the class, her included, to gain the privilege of getting paid to do what she loves, ending their explanation with asking Benito if this was enough proof that the world is rotten and needs to burn.
Benito broke after hearing about everything, what hope he had crumbled into despair. Everything he thought about, everything he learned from his classes, everything he stood protect, was all arranged, all a lie. Mentally speaking, the man he was died that day with his class, as he gave into his seething hatred and madness. He took his weapon in hand, and slaughtered his brothers and parents, they, in turn, did nothing to stop it, simply chanting in a Latin tongue as he slaughtered them all...his eyes radiating a demonic red glow and a crooked smile as he was covered in their blood.
The rest, as they say, is History. The madman went back home, donned the Demon armor, and while he was planning to condemn working with Incubus, along came a Knight to force him to honor the commitment his family had to the Monarch of Incubus, beating him down until he was forced to submit and officially pledge himself to said Monarch, becoming the Demon Pawn.
P A R A M E T E R S
"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do, cause I'm in a talkative mood and I just think it'll be fun to see your reactions. So, First I'm gonna carve a hole in your abdomen, then I'm gonna peel off the flesh, layer by layer and make it a nice sound hole, gives it a nice bit of decor when you're stomach is nice and exposed. Then I'm gonna take your large entrails, tie them up around your stupid face so that you can bite on your own shit when the pain's too much. Then I'm gonna do the same to your friends, hog-tie you all together side-by-side, finally I'll go somewhere nice and open in this fine city, and show off my musical talent with the harp...Not quite as tightly strung like one, but I'll make due with your muffled screams, and if any one of you goes out of tune, I'll just clean up the strings with this nice jug of 100% alcohol. Ok? Ok. Pleasure doin business with ya, and trust me, it'll be all mine."
// F L A M E
Storm
// A B I L I T I E S
Berserker-style - True to his name, his family, and even the Storm flames he uses, Demon is a Merciless killing machine with no care for anyone around him, not even himself. His style of combat and methods of dealing with his enemies greatly reflects this heartless nature. As a dark and corroded form of the Storm Guardian's role as the "furious storm that never rests", Demon is reckless and relentless in his battle style; he does not stop attacking his enemies until either himself or they drop. Having been trained from birth to battle and kill as many people as possible, He rarely ever gets exhausted, capable of going on the attack for hours on end if he had to. In addition, his sado-masochism leaves him able to provide effective methods of torture and slow death, to a point where he'd bring harm to himself if it meant doing so to his enemies as well. Of course, his recklessness is his weakness; he is a firm believer in "the best defense is a good offense" and does not focus on defending himself from attacks. As such, there are several openings in his moves for anyone perceptive enough to spot them to exploit. He enjoys the pain of it, and does not go down easily, but he is still only human, there's only so many blows his injuries finally catch up.
Adaptation - Demon is by no means intelligent, in fact, he is by far the least intelligent member of the Organization. However, when it comes to war and combat, he has a gift for on-the-spot improvisation, need it be for weapons, methods of death, or the environment around him. He's not above playing dirty, and would do/use whatever it takes to achieve victory in battle.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Cyber-Claws - The cybernetic arms he possesses ends with the claws on his hands. Like all the others, they main purpose is to serves as regulators for the unstable Storm Flames in his body, keeping them sealed up so that he doesn't erupt into red flames and disintegrate himself. With a turn of the knob, at the back of his hands, he can direct the storm flames solely into his bladed claws making them glow red-hot (no pun intended) with large amounts of storm flames. During this RM, his claws are able cut through toughs metals like butter, and even cut his way through other flames except his own, need they be projectiles thrown at him or area-wide flame fields, this makes him especially dangerous for Lightning users, who rely on lightning flames to harden defenses. However, like all RMs, it's only usable for a limited time, after which it needs a day to recharge.
Improvised Arsenal - As mentioned, he is a skilled improviser in battle. he happens to find something in the area, you can bet he'll find a way to make it inflict pain and death. Of course, this does not apply to things that are too heavy for a common human to use.
"The name's Tempt...but you can call me whatever you like, sugar."
P E R S O N A L I A
"You know, I never really wanted to be a part of this stuff. I wanted fame for my beauty, not Infamy, to show off my hard work on a cat walk rather than in a pool of some fat pervert's blood and guts. I mean, what's the point in looking good, if you have to kill everyone who appreciates the work? But sometimes shit happens, and you just gotta bite the bullet and deal with the cards you're dealt, you know? What I'm trying to say is...It's nothing personal."
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
True to her title of Temptress pawn, Anna holds a high esteem of herself, her body, and knows how to use it to make men, and sometimes even women, do what she wants them to.
The phrase of the body being a sacred temple applies to her in spades, as she worked from the moment she could walk to be able to walk down a catwalk, working from dawn til dusk on her intelligent mind and her healthy body, effectively making her become a vain and narcissistic woman over time.
Even so, she used to have reservations in the past about killing people for her inherited family business. She had a dream to be a fashion model and impress people with her beauty, rather than using her beauty as a weapon like her ancestors before her. But after a horrific incident in high school, her body felt the blood of someone else for the first time, and in her mind, there was no longer any turning back from her destiny.
Still, that doesn't mean that she has to like it, and indeed, like Snipe, she's not too big a fan of her job. But unlike Snipe, who truly doesn't want to kill for pacifistic reasons, Tempt simply sees it as never being able to achieve her dream now that she fell off the slippery slope that led her hear. She gave up on her dream, seeing this as just fate giving out a bad hand and she's gotta deal with it. In other words, it's less due to the idea of not wanting to kill anyone, and more due to sulking over a dream she had to burn to the ground for this.
In that aspect, Tempt often feels bored at the prospect of killing more than anything, the idea of how tedious it is to do kill and then have to cover her tracks tends to make her feel bored and lazy as a result. It's this desensitized boredom for the prospect of killing that puts her right in the middle between her two fellow pawns, neither feeling the pure unbridled bloodlust of Demon, nor the tragic sympathy for targets like Snipe. Even so, she'd do it in a heartbeat if she felt she had to, if not for self-defense, than for her loyalty to Monarch and at least a little bit of praise from her client.
If Demon is the muscle, and Snipe is the heart, then Tempt is undoubtedly the brains. She takes pride and confidence in how smart she can be, and often is the one keeping both of her partners from essentially ruining plans and all around being stupid with their respective..."traits". As such, she considers herself the De'facto leader of the pawns, arranging the plans and keeping them in line.
As the Temptress Pawn, she is very manipulative, seductive, and is a surprisingly good actress. She's been through the ringer enough to know what men want from her, and has enough experience in her life to be able to read men's thoughts through intuition alone and effectively accommodate to their every need, her favorite part of any given job she gets. The very thought of getting into the minds of her targets and infatuate them with her looks intoxicates her with a feeling of praise that fuels her vanity and makes her feel like her dream is real again. Nothing makes her more happy and feel more alive than others appreciating her beauty.
...Likewise, nothing makes her more enraged and livid than someone insulting that beauty or reminding her of the tragedy that led her down this path, the latter of which is often triggered with a gun being pointed at her or being called Annie, or god-forbid both. This anger freezes her blood and gives her the drive to kill whoever makes her so upset to begin with. Unlike Demon still however, who would prefer to play with his victims and torture them to death, Tempt will just prefer to kill whoever made her upset regardless of how quick or slow that death is.
// B A C K G R O U N D
The Jackson family is one of the three pawn families who were the last to join the Incubus Organization, Hailing from the United States, they were a family of models and bordello owners who watched the rich and powerful indulge in their base vices and desires, and decided to use their own appeal to their advantage, letting their rich and powerful customers do what they wish, then manipulate them to do what they want, like a Siren casting their spell on their victims.
...Then, like a Siren, killing them while they are left mesmerized and off their guard.
Thus the purpose of the Temptress Pawn, or "Tempt" for short, is to manipulate and command the wills of the rich and powerful all over the world for the benefit of the Incubus Organization and their respective clients, then assassinate them when they are no longer of use to them, often making sure it looks like they are victims and preparing alibis in advance.
Anna Jackson was born an only child, unlike the other families, they saw no need for more children once they gained a girl. However, it was more that the mother had no want for anymore children when a gender-aligned heir was conceived, while the Father was killed after it was confirmed the baby was female, so as to ensure he did not get in the way of her teachings.
As such, Anna was raised from birth to be a beautiful femme fatale, focusing on her beauty and sex appeal for pretty much all of her life, her mother even her making do....morally damning things for the sake of early experiences. She was also one of the only ones who was not only allowed, but forced, to go to public school, so as to be able to learn how to be socially attractive in addition to physically so.
While she embraced the life of fashion and looking beautiful, the more she hanged around other students and teachers, who both loved the way she looked, the more her killer instinct was diminished. From the beginning, she worked hard to please her mother but only managed to be within her maximum expectations, wanting her to be perfect in her beauty and nothing else, and so not getting anything more than minimalistic praise for it by her. Everybody else, however, was either admiring her beauty, or was utterly jealous of it, and she loved every minute of both. It seemed pointless to kill those very same people who admired and praised her for her hard work over the years.
For her mother, this was a predictable reaction to the world outside. Having those same feelings when she was her age, she knew she needed to do what her mother did for her: giving her a gentle push down the slippery slope. It was predictable that Anna would gain enemies in school; it's only natural for people to envy from others what they themselves lack. As such, Anna's mother used those very enemies to her advantage, creeping into their groups like a spider and giving away her daughter's weaknesses, secrets, and current interests of love, and then, which in turn resulted in plenty of occasions throughout school of bullying, harassment, and blackmail.
Still, Anna took it in stride. Her attitude was darkening as the stress started to slowly creep into her, and it slowly seeming as if her mother was her only friend. She had the looks, she had the effort, and now she had the jealousy and envious hatred kicked up, but it was not enough to enable a killing intent in her like her mother wanted. Anna needed to take that last step before she was ready, but never did for most of the time since her school days. Drastic actions had to be taken, even if it meant potential harm to Anna, to kickstart her killer instinct. She didn't want to lose Anna, her only heir to her title of Temptress Pawn, but with no other option remaining, she arranged a dangerous situation for her, a climax of bullying involving her and what friends she had left.
They blackmailed the love of her life to essentially lead her into a dangerous side of town, alongside her best friend at the time, and had him betray her and handed them both over to gangsters residing there. Anna and her friends resisted, and were shot unfatally for their troubles, their aggressive classmates who led them to this situation laughing all the while, mocking her for how gullible a beauty she really was, and claiming the world had no need to either of them. This sickening turn of events peaked when they cut her torso deep enough to leave a scar, and one of those friends, her best friend, died from the shock of getting shot like she did.
Her best friend dead, her beautiful body she worked so hard keeping up now forever scarred and ruined, she was at her limit. She took out a strand of fiber, something her mother gave her for self-defense, and threw it around the neck of the assailant making him drop his gun after being caught off guard, before she tugged at the cord and seamlessly pulled it off his neck, decapitating him as a result. While everyone in the area was shocked at what just happened, she grabbed the gun he dropped, and began shooting at his friends, before then shooting at two of her bullies and throwing the gun at the last one to distract her then grabbing her by the neck and crushing it until she suffocated.
Her mother got what she wanted from Anna, she went down the slippery slope, and she knew it, telling her surviving friends to get out of there as she herself walked away.
Back at home, she cried in her mother's arms, seemingly unaware that she was the one who orchestrated, and the former temptress pawn, a skilled actress herself, played along as if she had no knowledge of anything...before Anna grabbed a kitchen knife while she wasn't looking and quite literally stabbed her mother in the back.
Seems one of her bullies decided to idiotically blurt out how her mother was involved in all of this, as one last twisting of the proverbial knife on her mentality. When asked if she could ever forgive her, Anna simply and bluntly refused, to which the mother then pulled out a key and smiling as she died, uttering her last words: "That's my girl..."
Anna noticed too late that she essentially got caught in her mother's trap, that this was exactly what she wanted her to do so that she could take her place. She went past the point of no return; whatever dreams she had for a better, brighter future died in that alley with everyone else that day. As much as she hates her mother for what she did, there was no going back now that she crossed that line. The only way to go now is forward...Starting with the one she loved, the traitor who led her friends into that short-span of misery and allowed her best one to die. Using a mix of fragrances recipes created from her ancestors, combined with her own acting chops, she crawled back into her life, and seduced him into admitting his guilt, pretending to forgive him for it, that he was just forced into it. Then she got him somewhere private...and he was never seen from again. All the police ever found were blood and flesh sprinkled about an alleyway. No one knows what happened to the actual body.
The rest is history, she found out about the current generation of Incubus, and pledged her loyalty to the King. If she could not gain fame for her beauty, then she may as well gain infamy for it, and so became the next Temptress Pawn of Incubus.
P A R A M E T E R S
"It's a shame we have to come to this...You have such potential, to throw it away by dying...it really would be such a waste."
// F L A M E
Sun
// A B I L I T I E S
Enhanced Physical Attributes - Because of the internal cybernetic regulators are in an eternal release state due to the sun flames running through her entire body, Tempt possesses strength, speed, and stamina beyond the normal human limitations. She could easily punch a dent into a metal wall or car, and could speed down a street at the speeds equal to that of a race car. In addition, unlike the other members of Incubus, her sun flames grant her a near-infinite amount of stamina, and so she rarely ever gets tired. However, because she is always in a regulated release state, and because of the sun flame's activation ability, she has no means of turning it off, and no way to further empower herself like her partners.
There is of course, a final release mode, which shuts down her regulators and allows her sun flames to burst out beyond her control, maximizing her physical abilities, but because of the Sun Flames' side-effect of cellular destruction when too much is applied, Her body will deteriorate from the inside out without stop, eventually killing her.
Masterful Psychology - Tempt is undoubtedly the brains of the three Pawns, and one of the most intelligent members in the whole of Incubus. Her high intellect is often used for tactical purposes, coming up with plans for the pawns to use to accomplish the missions they're assigned to, but her field of expertise is undoubtedly Psychology. As a Temptress Pawn, Tempt was trained to be able to understand the human and criminal mind, so that they can use the vices of their targets against them as a way of controlling them. This training, combined with her own personal experience with "clients" has led her to be very knowledgeable of how humans tick. This has allowed her to know what her targets want, and manipulate others to go to, and do, what she tells them.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Bladed fiber wire - While she mostly prefers using her fists, her deadly weapon of choice for occasions where she needs to kill quickly is her multitudes of wires, each one bladed and able to cleave through flesh and bone with ease, yet thin enough to camouflage around the environment, making them perfect for deadly traps.
9mm pistol - Every good and clever assassin has something to use as a backup or an immediate aid for self-defense, in her case, it's small 9mm pistol she keeps a holster on her right wrist. There's nothing particularly special about this gun, only that it's small enough that it often goes unnoticed by her...targets. Other than that, it's just a simple gun.
"My Family were always onlookers, always watching the action from afar without actually being a part of it like the others. Most members of my family found it...boring, uneventful, you just sit there with nothing better to do. But me? I love it. I...never really liked being around other people, but I don't really like hurting them either. Sometimes in my free time, I turn the laser off, and watch everyone talking with each other, going to parties, just overall go about their lives through the scope of my rifle. My brothers always tell me that I'd be jealous of those people if all I do is watch them from afar, but I never really felt that...I've always been in the background of others, and frankly that's where I want to be. I'd rather kill with a quick and painless head shot than slower or more painful methods, and rather than kill at all, I'd prefer to just be that threatening eye that keeps them silent."
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
For a member of Incubus, Snipe is the only one that can be considered...mentally unworthy of doing the jobs given to him. If Demon is the Muscle, and Tempt is the Brains of the Pawns, then Snipe is undoubtedly the Heart and Conscience of the Pawns. Snipe is a timid individual often seen trying his best not to make eye contact with anyone and acting nervous, cautious of others around him, and oddly fearful of being insensitive towards them. He is truly a kind, gentle soul deep down beneath his family name and his job, never wanting to ever really use any of the guns he has to work with on anyone, despite his prodigal gifts of handling them.
Because of this, he often considers himself the black sheep of the family, never truly wanting the position his father had, and saw himself unworthy of it compared to his brothers despite being the one his father chose to take the title. Still he never wanted to let down the people he loved, and when even his brothers were proud of him becoming a Sniper Pawn, he felt it as a moral obligation to take up the mantle and not let any of them down.
Despite what they may think of him, he himself truly cared for all of his family, especially his little brothers. Even though he hated the very prospect of killing something like animals, when it was believed one of them were going to be the next Sniper Pawn, he supported and helped raise them as hunters to the best of his abilities, and although they weren't really grateful, he was happy to help them anyways.
Even though he never liked his job as an assassin, his role as an observer is something he always found cathartic. Likely because of his timid nature and despite his kindness, Snipe has always been anti-social to the point of often being a lone wolf, often seen stalking whatever cities he's in, passing the time by watching people go about their lives from afar. When the order comes to actually try and threaten someone into silence, he often whispers to himself for these people not to make him shoot him and to keep quiet, hesitating to actually pull the trigger. It's only when they start doing something like snitching among others that he has no choice but to pull the trigger. Unlike Demon, he takes no pleasure when the time comes to kill, often closing his eyes just before squeezing the trigger, and often never wanting to see the actual corpse he made someone become, and often becoming nauseous when he actually does see it. Yet despite this, he does have the utmost confidence in his skills as a sharpshooter and gunslinger, never questioning his ability to kill, but rather the lack of choice to kill. As his father once pointed out: If his resolve to kill was ever sharpened to a point when human life was no longer something he cared about, he'd be one of the very best assassins the world has ever known. A shame then that unlike most assassins, this one has a Moral Compass.
Because of his moral compass, he's Incubus' black sheep, often making him the victim and target of Demon's frustrations and bullying, and in return, Snipe is the one often trying to prevent his comrades from causing needless slaughter frenzies on the street. He considers Demon as "the worst friend he's ever had" but a friend nonetheless, often trying to keep him contained, while assisting Tempt in whatever ideas she has in mind for their missions. He shares no real interaction with Bishop, he respect Rook's strength and considers him something of a coach or mentor for him, and Knight is someone he fears, and yet also has great respect for, seeing as how he's among the most morally sound members of Incubus like himself. As for Monarch, There is a part of him that honestly wishes he and his family would disappear, than his own family wouldn't have to raise killers anymore. But he has watched Monarch perform some of the most impossible jobs, jobs that had an effect, however small it may be, on a global scale, and sometimes without shedding a single drop of blood. Combined with the stories his parents told of him and his father before him, Monarch's Reputation made it easier to gain the respect to stay loyal to Monarch, and continue on his job, hoping he too can make a benevolent difference in the world.
// B A C K G R O U N D
The "Vakivatamari" was one of the later families to join Incubus, but their history was often nomadic and observant of others as oppose to a violent one. Analysts, tacticians, record keepers, they only ever used their perceptive nature as snipers during the periods of World Wars, where simply being a neutral observer was a dangerous notion, and there was a cause to protect Finland from the enemies that came their way. They were silent, and resistant humans of nature, capable of standing outside in the winter storms or summer heat for hours on end, in order to watch their targets, and act as soon as they were within clear sight.
The purpose of the Sniper Pawn in Incubus is to serve as the extended and ears of the Client, to watch over any target from afar while keeping away from the sight of anyone else. It does not matter where they are, out in the open, inside their own house holds, or even in police custody, the Sniper Pawn will find them and never keep their sight off of them until ordered to. If you needed a loose end tied up, or to convince a snitch to stay silent or be made silent, you hire the Sniper Pawn to do just that.
However, this generation's Sniper was always different from the others, and not just because of his cybernetics. The Oldest of four brothers, Abraham was set to be the heir to his father's title above the others, a notion that was smashed when he seemed unwilling to kill whatever target he set his sight on. When hunting small game like deer, he preferred to get up and make friends with it rather than kill it. When going for much larger and more deadly enemies like boars and bears, he would instead run as far away from it as he possibly could before his Father shoots it down himself.
His three younger brothers clearly had more of a killer instinct than Abe, so both their parents instead trained them for the position of Sniper Pawn instead. While Abe was sad about being left out from the "family hunts" as it were, he would still root for them and help with the training as best as he could, while thinking about another career path he could go into instead.
Unlike his siblings, Abraham went to public schools so that he could choose an occupation of his own. More specifically, he was looking to gain a job like an Airline pilot that can make use of his superior eyesight and perceptive skills. For a good while, it seemed as if things were going as he wanted, as his grades were high and his family seemed to be doing just fine.
However, all of his dreams of a better life came crashing down one day, when the younger brothers were kidnapped by a rival assassin to their father, and held for ransom. Seems the sniper pawn was getting too good at silencing people for interrogation by one of the mafias, so said mafia took measures so as to silence him in turn, threatening that he abandons his client or have the three heirs to the title of Sniper Pawn killed. They took advantage of Incubus' weakness of their families being of vital importance to them, but did not account for the fourth son they left behind.
Abraham, scared as he was, decided to skip school one day and run off to help his father and rescue his brothers. He provided his father with a necessary distraction, firing a gun he was given by his father long ago as self-defense at a wall to alert the mobsters, giving ample time for the father to rescue his siblings. However, when the jig was up, and Abraham had to fire on the mobsters lest they shoot him first, he panicked, just like before, and could not bring himself to actually killing someone. The Mobster thugs, needless to say, did not have that same hesitation.
But just before Abraham was killed, his father rushed to him and threw him out of the line of fire while entering it himself, killing a few mobsters with his own gun as he fell, bullet holes all over him.
Realizing what just happened, that his father took bullets meant for him, something that may not have happened had he actually fired his gun, something inside of Abe's mind snapped. In an instant, without yelling a single word, with tears flowing from his eyes, he took hold of his father's gun and, combined with his own gun, began opening fire on the mobsters in question, using his environment and gifted perception to his advantage by impeccably aiming his gun for the walls at just enough angle to ricochet off them and led the bullets lodge where they are least expected to.
He finally gained what was missing from his heart at the time: Killer Instinct.
After this, Abraham was quick to take his family to the hospital, but while the brothers were going to be fine, there was nothing that could be done for his father. Before he died, the former Sniper Pawn spoke of how proud he is of Abe, that he finally had what was needed to take the reins in his stead. He confessed that while his brothers did not share Abe's hesitation they also did not have his gifts of sight and instincts like he had. Finally, he made one last request, to become the Sniper Pawn in his place, and protect their family in his stead. Abe swore on it, that he would abandon the dreams he had in order to keep his family safe, a fact that made his father smile, just before passing away, leaving behind a sobbing Abraham at his bedside.
The Rest is history. While he did not agree to the brutal, moral-less nature of his organization, he now knew that this was his father's only way of ensuring the safety and financial security of his family, and now that he's gone, that he had to do the same. He pledged his loyalty to Incubus, and became the new Sniper Pawn.
P A R A M E T E R S
"Do we really have to do this? I mean, you still got time, I can give you a head start and let you go...Oh...but I guess I'd still have to shoot you down even after you ran so far away, huh? ...I'm truly sorry about this... No hard feelings?"
// F L A M E
Lightning
// A B I L I T I E S
Expert Gunslinger/Sharpshooter - Snipe was raised with a gun in hand, and has trained with using all sorts of guns and rifles since childhood. He maybe timid enough not to want to hurt anyone, but he is still a professional assassin and gun for hire, with plenty of experience and kills under his belt.
Incredible agility - While he can't reach inhuman speeds like Tempt, Snipe has always been quick on his feet, often trained with leg and parkour exercises so as to be able to move quickly from one sniper position to another without much hassle or wasted time. This also helps in a gunfight as he can dodge and duck for cover relatively quickly, however, he is still bound by normal limitations such as exhaustion, and the release mode, ironically enough for a user of lightning, slows him down due to the hardened skin becoming heavier than normal.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Nemesis - Named after the Greek Goddess of Vengeance, Nemesis is the Sniper Pawn's traditional Sniper Rifle, technologically advancing with each generation that passes by. Under normal circumstances, the rifle is quite powerful, firing large high-caliber explosive rounds that has done in a number of targets in the past, the explosive element designed to erase the bullet's existence before it could be used for Evidence. However, during Snipe's RM, the lightning flames hardens the bullets further giving them even more piercing ability than normal. Of course, in exchange the bullets are significantly slower than normal, still capable of high distances with remarkable speed, but it slows down the farther away the target is. The rifle itself comes equip with an advanced digital scope, and an optional laser sight function.
Six Desert Eagles - If his parents taught him anything, it's to always have a gun in your hand. If for some reason a rifle is ill-suited for a job, always have something to use as back up to get it done. In Snipe's case, He often carries six Desert Eagles Mk. XIX, each carrying eight rounds of .44 magnum bullets, in holster pockets inside his coat, along with 6 spare magazines for them in the event that he needs to reload. Normally his body type wouldn't be able to handle the recoil of firing these guns, but his cybernetic arms allows him to handle the intense force of the gun, further diminishing the recoil whenever he enters RM due to the lightning flames hardening of his arms. Of course, the ammunition is far from infinite, and once he's out of it, they're essentially useless to him.
Cyber-arms - Like Demon, Snipe's cybernetics are in his arms, though unlike Demon they are not meant to be used in battle offensively. In fact, mirroring Demon's own arms, Snipe's is more designed for Defense rather than Offense. They were made with sturdy reinforced metals so as to use them as a shield under normal conditions, but more importantly is his Release mode. Not only does the hardening effect of the Lightning flames further increase his defensive capability, but he is able to connect those flames into his guns and rifle, hardening each bullet he fires and giving them a piercing ability of sorts.
During his FRM, should he ever be put in such a desperate situation as to use it, His body becomes consumed in the lightning flames, to a point where he becomes akin to a human lightning rod and, as a twisted form of the role of the Lightning Guardian, uses those lightning flames against others by blasting them with it, rather than for the protection of his allies. His entire body, his arms especially, becomes hardened to the point of becoming near indestructible against DW flames, even Storm users would have a hard time tearing through his defenses. However, eventually, his body will harden up too much and essentially clot all of his arteries stopping his blood flow and causing the heart to stop, killing him as a result.
"Free of everything, bound by nothing. You live your life simply as it is"
P E R S O N A L I A
// P E R S O N A L I T Y
Passive and a bit introverted in nature she hides a great wisdom not many would expect of her. She naturally sacrifices herself to the duties that are expected of her as a model and fashion designer. Though it is of her own making. She cages herself in trying to fulfill expectations of others. Making a gilded cage as she discards things deemed unsightly of someone of her station no matter how she enjoys it. Full knowing that she may have burned more bridges in doing so. She is a pretty frank person though once angered an often hidden side of herself comes out showing that no matter how she may seem there is still sharp thorns that remain hidden buried and forgotten. She is pretty sheltered in terms of things being so diligent in her duties that was given to her. She often speaks with a somewhat theatrical elocution but mixed into it with a tone of an elegant lady or what she assumes is one. This mask she puts on is one pushed on her by others her manager and company pushing it onto her as to make her seem more otherworldly to compliment her looks. Though she is a more level-headed and often self-deprecating girl she is someone who is kind and gentle and despite the many masks she tries to put on it shows through.
// B A C K G R O U N D
As a child, Caroline always was a bit different from the rest of her family she had great dreams and ambition than what they wanted for her. Her family often disapproved of her dreams and desire and did all they could to stamp it out. Though she continued her passion for fashion and modeling behind their backs. Against their wishes, as she grew up she started to submit designs and ideas for her clothes to various magazines. It was from there that her designs started to gain popularity.
Seeing no other way she could continue her dreams and passion she ran from her family and continued her passion. Her fame growing ever larger as she got more well known with each release of her designs. Time passed as all things do and while she grew more and more famous so did her she withdraw within herself. Piling up her duties and devoting herself to them completely. So determined was her passion for it her hidden desire to prove her family wrong that she lost sight of others. Friends she has made over the span left her just as she left her family as she forgot about others in her near crazed determination. It mattered little to her passion and desires eventually became like a curse.
Before long she realized she lost nearly everything and locked herself in a gilded cage. There was nothing else for her friend she has lost in her pursuit the family she left to chase her dreams both was gone for her. To think it was merely two years for her since she ran from her family though she did not forget them. She knew her family in their own way supported her decision how else would she have gotten the jobs she has now? Either way, she knew she probably burned a lot of bridges in the pursuit of her passion. To think that at the age of 17 she would realize that in her crazed passion fueled journey she would end up nearly alone. These thoughts though they plagued her didn’t stop her. No, she would continue despite being in a cage of her own making she was happy despite how much work she never lost her love or passion sure it was buried but it still remained.
In the end, her life was one of her own makings Caroline knew this and given the chance she would do the same again. Despite her whirlwind journey of fashion and modeling, she knew her beauty and the like was something many were jealous of. She knew this first hand, after all, there were a few attacks she had to defend herself against. The world she chose to inhabit is not one for the weak. You had to be strong and weather on a lot of assaults. That was the world she lived in and she loved it. These thoughts in hindsight are what shaped her gave her the very thorns she hid.
P A R A M E T E R S
"A rose’s thorns are often time best hidden in plain sight"
// F L A M E
Rain
// A B I L I T I E S
Taijiquan - A martial arts that Caroline started to study at a young age even though she doesn’t practice it a lot it still forms the base of her fighting style.
Fashionista - When it comes to clothing there is little Caroline can’t do. She is not only a skilled designer but is known to model her own clothing rather than using others as well. Beyond that, she has skill in sewing and is able to make quick repairs to things quickly although making outfits from scratch will take time.
// E Q U I P M E N T
Gilded Rose - A long chain measuring around six feet it has been modified to function much like a lightweight flail with a bladed point and a small weighted end. Though the gold leaf on both the weight and spear end make it seem a bit overly done it does not deter from the weapons purpose.
