Name: Thomas Reeves
Age: 17
Faction: Neutral (3rd year student)
Personality:Thomas would best be described as a somewhat typical teen-aged boy. He can't say school is his favorite place to be, he finds his parents embarrassing and overbearing, he enjoys sports and girls, and he's worried about how his future will turn out.
He tends to be lonely, soft-spoken and faintly aloof, a result of others avoiding him because of his Tome.
He was never one to do crazy things, thanks to his model-citizen parents who did their best to raise a respectful and courteous son. Deep down however, he really does want to do something stupid. He's always been the voice of reason in his circle of friends, but he wanted to be the one that suggests they do something insane, something that could end with an injury or land them in trouble.
His upbringing always won out over his instinctual desires, however, so Thomas has lived his life as something of a square. Good grades, friends that were more like acquaintances, average family. Boring.
Except when it comes to his Tome, of course.
History:Born from a father and mother who were part of the Intelligence and Military Divisions respectively, Thomas was raised to be a law-abiding citizen who did his best to aid and further the society he was a part of. As a young child, his adventurous instincts ruled him, and he got himself in trouble more time than he could count, getting lost in woods, getting into fights with other kids, and generally being a nuisance. His parents did their absolute best to stymie this sort of behavior, and, for the most part, were successful. As Thomas grew older, the urges to do 'disrespectful' acts continued, but he learned to control and ignore them, being the son his parents wanted.
During his primary schooling, teachers would gush about him to his parents, telling them that they had a fantastic child. They said he was smart, proper, and full of potential, and that his parents should be very proud. They would of course reply that they were.
These kinds of conversations always bothered the young Thomas when he heard them. He knew what he was really like - reckless, thrill-seeking, and selfish. The person his teachers and parents were praising wasn't really him - it was the person they wanted to see. It was a role he played to keep them happy.
He continued to live like this, playing the part of the perfect son, wondering if it was okay to ignore what he wanted if it benefited others, until his first day at the academy.
The first year students were lined up in multiple rows to take a turn using a training Tome, so that the form of their Tome could be recorded. A girl in the row next to Thomas' was being picked on by an obnoxious boy because of her Tome's form. The boy had been making an ass of himself all day long, and it had taken every ounce of willpower Thomas had to not hit the kid. "Violence is never the answer," his parents would've said. Thomas was called up and handed a Tome, which morphed into a black, featureless mask. Naturally, he put it on - and promptly "lost his mind," as witnesses to the event would later say.
The mask stretched out over his entire body, covering him in a flexible black armor that almost seemed organic. The voice inside Thomas' head, a voice he hardly even knew he had, grew loud. It said to him exactly what he wanted to hear.
"Do it. Put him in his place. Follow your instincts, Thomas."Looking over at the boy who was still bothering the girl, he decided he would listen.
Leaping at the boy with supernatural speed, Thomas punched him directly in the face, crushing his cheekbone and knocking him out.
Immense satisfaction flooded Thomas as he stood over the boy's body. He had never felt so good in his life. Two teachers quickly grabbed him, and he didn't fight back. He had no need to. He had already done what he wanted. The armor covering his body receded back towards the mask, and it fell off his face, morphing back into it's book form as it fell to the ground.
And the instant it came off, Thomas was hit with a flood of guilt and regret. Another teacher was tending to the injured boy, and Thomas could only stare as he was dragged off, feeling sick to his stomach.
Surprisingly enough, he was let off with no punishment. The academy was very understanding - too much so, Thomas thought. They said that accidents happen, and that he couldn't have known that his Tome would possess him to do what he did. The only special course of action that the academy took was to give Thomas his own time slot for training with his Tome - separate from the rest of his classmates - due to the volatile nature of it. It was also arranged so that he would be taught one-on-one by a member of the Observer Division.
Thomas later found out the reason for his lack of punishment and special teacher; the academy saw incredible combat potential in his Tome, and felt he may be able to become an important member of the Observer Division. Of course, to be allowed close to The Superior, he'd have to get his spontaneity when using his Tome under control.
So that's what he and his teacher worked on during his years at the academy. He learned (with great difficulty) to ignore his urges when using his Tome, and became a proficient fighter. He discovered he could morph the armor around him into simple shapes, which gave him an enormous amount of versatility. He could form a sword in his hand, or thrust spikes out of his body, or create a shield made of the resilient material that his Tome took form as.
He was everything the academy could have hoped for and more. Their goal was to get him into Observer Division and garner publicity for their school.
The event that took place on his first day and the subsequent special attention from the academy led to other students distancing themselves from Thomas. They weren't rude to him or anything, and would respond if he greeted them, but no one was inviting him to hang out. Never having any close friends over the years caused Thomas to become quieter and more reserved.
Nearing the end of his schooling, Thomas is constantly thinking about what he should do about his future. He feels that, at his current rate, he'll be forced into the Military or Observer Divisions, just like his parents and teachers have always hoped. While he doesn't think there's nothing wrong with that, he isn't sure if it's what he really wants. Being a personal guard for The Superior would certainly be interesting, but what about the people who say she isn't what she seems to be?
In the end, Thomas hopes that whatever path he follows, he follows it out of his own choice. He just needs to have enough courage to decide for himself when the time comes.
Tome:Name: Samoht SeveerDescription: A simple, small, black pocket book.Ability: When activated, it takes the form of a black, featureless mask. When worn by Thomas, it expands and covers him in a resilient, flexible black armor. It seems to be sentient, as it speaks to Thomas when it's worn, even introducing itself as Samoht Seveer. It increases Thomas' strength, balance, and reaction speed greatly, and can be stretched and morphed into various shapes. For example, Thomas can create a sword in his hand, or have spikes jut out of his back. Samoht's voice is constantly attempting to drive Thomas into doing what Thomas truly wants to do, even if it may not be the right thing. Thomas has gotten relatively good at ignoring these temptations, but they still do get to him sometimes.