Chibi Artwork by Seoxys6
Name: Floris Van Veldhoven
Occupation: Author/Mercenary
Alias: Dianthus
Age: 22
Alignment: (Good-ish) Anti-hero
Loyalty: Independant
Appearance: Floris is a young man, approximately 1.9 meters (6 feet 2 inches) tall. His face is rather smooth, with a single scar on his medium sized nose, in the form of a small white line. His skin is paler than most, bordering the shade of your stereotypical Irishman, which greatly contrasts his dark hair, which sits loosely on top of his head, reaching no further than the nape of his neck. His green eyes usually stare coldly at the world around him, though their intent is covered up by the coy smile he usually wears on his thin lips. He doesn't bother too much with clothing, making little to no effort to make sure his clothes match perfectly (though they usually do to some extent). His preferences lean towards a collared vest and khakis, with either sneakers or boots to finish the job. He can also usually be seen with large headphones over his head.
His costume is exceedingly simple, consisting out of nothing more than a brown shirt, jeans, and boots. According to a passersby, this is because those are easy to replace whenever they get torn. The only notable thing about it is the half mask he wears, which is made from various leaves and vines, and reaches from his nose to the top of his head, and extends slightly outwards. The rest of his disguise comes from his abilities. His eyes change colour to purple. His hair begins to flake, before turning into large, red leaves that sit around his head like a crown and go down to his hips.
History: Born and raised in a bustling city The Netherlands, Floris Van Veldhoven was never the talkative type. His father worked in the military as a fighter pilot, and was often away on training missions. Meanwhile, his mother worked as a botany professor and scientist at the local university, and was often busy discussing findings with colleagues or helping students with assignments. This left Floris with an excess of time to himself, which he spent in various ways. Sometimes he would spend his time listening to music, whilst on other occasions he would read through his mother's reports for the heck of it. Sometimes he would go to one of his friends to play video games, whilst on other occasions he would go to the university his mother taught at to run laps.
One day, when he was 16, his father was offered a position at an airbase located in Colorado, Floris had to say goodbye to the life he knew. His friends, family, academic dreams, all were left behind as they moved to their new life in Denver, Colorado. There, he attended a local high. Instantly thrown off by the different educational system, Floris found it difficult to adjust. Due to his long history with the Dutch educational systems, Floris was already miles ahead of his peers, easily surpassing his classmates in terms of grades, and even his teachers in terms of general knowledge. This humongous gap in level had two effects on Floris. It firstly served to make him an excellent subject to approach for tutorage. Secondly, it marked him as an outsider to his classmates. Together, they caused a situation in which the only reason for someone to approach Floris was to ask for help with classwork. While this did lead to some friends, their relationship was far from what you'd call natural.
To take his mind off of his weird situation, Floris decided it was time to pursue a genuine hobby. After hours of searching for a fitting pastime, he finally settled on writing. He could use his pen to escape to worlds of his own creation, and even earn a good buck if he did it right. Using his father's expertise in military operations, his mother's extensive knowledge of plants, and his own experiences with video games, Floris quickly began work on his first book. Titled "Serenity's Wake", it was a survival thriller set in a steampunk era. In it, the main character Flynt Eyre crashes his airship in the woods of Dianthus. He then has to use the onboard technology, and his own expertise in mechanics to make his way out of the woods.
When Floris finally finished his book just after graduating high school, he submitted the piece to a publisher. After a few weeks, he received a letter from the publisher, telling him that his book had pleasantly surprised them, and that they had sent it to an editor to fix any grammatical mistakes there may have been. Delighted by their son's success, both in school and in writing, his parents planned a trip to visit Yosemite park, a setting that closely resembled the one from his book.
Once they arrived at Yosemite, Floris couldn't believe his eyes; the national park looked almost exactly like how he had imagined the woods of Dianthus. Large mountain ranges enclosed a lush forest. Waterfalls and rivers decorated what wasn't wood or stone. The sight almost brought tears to his eyes. Once they arrived in their hotel room, he and his parents instantly began planning their activities. First on the list was, of course, a hiking trip through the park. They hired a jeep the very next day, which would take them to the other side of the park. There, they would follow one of the most scenic hiking trails.
The next day, Floris and his family signed out of the hotel and began their journey towards the other end of Yosemite. Even this journey was already mesmerizing. The high altitude of the road provided an excellent view of the park and all its beauty. Towards the end of the day, they arrived at their destination: a small cabin at the edge of the park.
The next day the family took off on their hiking adventure, geared up and ready to rumble. Their trail was a difficult one, but a rewarding one. Steep and narrow paths and constant declines and inclines would lead them to some of the most beautiful views the park had to offer. However, as stories go, this did not end well. Without announcement, the skies above began to change. Sunny weather made way for clouds. Wind started to pick up heftily. Rain came down in liters on end. Floris tried his best to fight against it, but in the end it became too much. He, and his family, were flung off the side of the trail. The downhill slope was merciless and didn't show any sign of stopping. Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity of pain, the rolling ended as Floris tumbled into the river below.
I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die! Were the last things that crossed his mind before everything faded to black.
After god knows how much time had passed, Floris finally came to. He was lying on the edge of a riverbank, his feet still dangling in the water. With great effort, he pulled himself up out of the semi-warm water. Realizing the situation he was in, he began to wildly study his surroundings. "Mom?!" He yelled with all his might, the forests giving no answer. "Dad?!" No answer. The storm had faded, and the sun was shining through the trees, illuminating everything in a dim green light. It wasn't long before the complete silence got to him; he wasn't where he was supposed to be. He was vulnerable, he was alone. He was scared. His parents were probably dead, and he was in a position that was arguably no better. Hesitantly, Floris looked down at himself, and was surprised to find that he still had his backpack, and everything in it, though it was completely soaked.
Nature isn't as cruel as it seems. He thought to himself.
For the next few days, Floris survived on his own, stranded within the depths of Yosemite National Park, with no means to contact the outside world. Combining his mother's knowledge of botany with what his father had taught him of survival, Floris managed to hold his own, finding ample food and water, all whilst searching for a way back to civilization. However, his lack of socialization, and the constant fear of death quickly began to wear at him. He would hear sounds in complete silence, he would see things that weren't there. Quickly, the days began to be filled with constant paranoia. Floris started to loose sleep, only worsening his condition.
Things reached their climax nine days after the storm. Floris had not slept for over 48 hours. His body was aching, eyes were dry, but his mind was racing. Constant noises made it clear to him that something was following him. Something he could not see. Something that could see him. It's as if the entire forest was alive, trying to hunt him. But it was closer now. It was there, ready to pounce him. He began to run. But how could he? The forest was around him. He was a part of it, and he couldn't escape. Suddenly, his foot got stuck! With an audible screech and a thud, Floris collided with the ground. There it was! The forest was trying to get him killed! Wasting no time, Floris stood up again and began to run. It was getting closer, and no matter how hard Floris ran, no matter how many turns he took, he couldn't escape. "I'm not built for this! I'm not built for this! I'm just a human, how can I do this?!" He yelled in frustration as he kept running. Then, it jumped! Floris was done for, he was a dead man! The beast had made his move and there was no way he could escape! In a final ditch attempt, Floris turned himself around and extended his arm, hoping to throw the beast off. But it was all for naught. He felt the cold fangs of the beast bite down upon his arm.
I'm done for... was the last thing Floris thought before he hit the ground.
Wait... Hit the...ground? The cold feeling still surrounded his arm, and it certainly didn't feel natural. But he still felt it, which means he either wasn't dead, or he was and he was still feeling it. He slowly opened his eyes; nothing. Just trees, leaves. He then turned his gaze to his arm.
His face turned pale.
"AAAAAAARGH!"
His arm was gone. In its place, a wooden replica. But it didn't feel that way. Slowly, he tried to flex his fingers. Sure enough, with little resistance, the wood bent with it.
"What the fuck?" Floris said breathily, staring bewildered at his wooden arm. Nothing about it made sense. Why was it wood?! Why did it still move?! "What...the fuck?"
But it wasn't just the arm. Everything seemed different. The forest itself felt more alive than it had ever felt before...but it was friendly... It felt like it was a part of him. Whenever he breathed, the forest breathed. Whenever his heart beat, he could feel the forest beat with it. "What the hell is going on?" Floris said breathily. Standing up, he suddenly felt a strange tingling in his arm. Looking to the source, he saw that it had turned back into his old arm. As he extended his arm to take a better look at it however, he saw something even more perplexing: the plants in front of him moved along with him.
Wait, am I doing that?Suddenly, a set of voices caught his attention! They didn't sound far. Ignoring everything else, Floris immediately took off. For a good twenty minutes, he kept running uninterrupted. Then, finally! A road! A car! There were people! But...why were they so far? Their voices sounded so close earlier.
Did...did the forest show me the way?Floris returned to his residence in Denver, and went into hiding. He needed time to think. Time to reflect on everything that had happened. His parents had been confirmed dead; blunt trauma to multiple areas in the body. His mother was dead instantly, while his father had bled to death.
Floris would use his garden to practice his abilities in secret; no-one could know how he alone survived. Over time, he became incredibly efficient at using them, but he always kept them hidden. He could turn his hair into leaves for photosynthesis, his eyes could change colour.
For four years he remained like this. Cooped up in his house, writing, practicing. Over time, he grew to hate people; their continuous talking disturbed his thinking, their joy reminded him of how his parents were completely forgotten, their constant littering showed how they didn't care for the beast that was nature. The plants weren't like that, they were nice.
That all ended one day, when he sensed something new. Whilst in his garden, he began to meditate on his survival when something dawned upon him. The forest had chosen him. He had become its champion. He could have died, but the forest didn't let him. And now he was here. From that moment on he knew what he had to do: he had been chosen to enforce the rules of nature. The forest wanted balanced, and he was the one to bring it.
The time had come to take to the streets, and enact the rules of nature.
Motivation: "The forest is a place where life and death balance each other out in a fair and equal manner. I will see to it that that happens here as well."
Sexuality: Straight (though he doesn't mind transgendered women)
Likes:- Nature
- Botany
- Music
- Literature
- Running
- Silence
Dislikes: - Littering
- Feeling like he could be doing something productive
- Complainers
- Entitled people
- People in general
Derangement: His new abilities have given him a distinct disliking of humanity, almost to the point where he prefers the company of plants over that of other humans. Because of this, he isn't one to show sympathy easily, leading some to call him a sociopath (a claim he rarely denies).
Skills: Floris has no superhuman strength, that's a given. However, he is exceedingly clever and quick-thinking. On top of that, his frequent running exercises have given him a stamina on par to those of near-professional athletes.
Thanks to his parents, Floris is quite knowledgable in the fields of self-defense and botany. He knows his way around a fist-fight, as well as a diverse range of plants.
Dianthus is incredibly good at reading people from minute details, though he has to be given some time to study them. His average time to come to a general deduction is about 20 seconds.
Classification: Shaker/Thinker + Shifter
Details: Floris is able to turn his arms into a hardened version of Giant Sequoia wood, which has a denser composition than bone. He can then shift this wood into any shape that he wants, whether it's a key, a blade, it doesn't matter. As for his photosynthesis, the extra energy allows him to partially negate human exhaustion, thus giving him a slightly improved stamina, though it's not much.
Due to the nature of his powers (pun totally intended), he is able to mentally connect with all plant life, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. He can then use those roots to jump his mind from plant to plant, giving him incredible awareness and tracking abilities. In essence, this ability allows Floris to partially project his awareness in the being of plants, thus allowing him to hear, feel and smell everything, as if the plant he's possessing had those senses. Further, any plants that come into contact with this become subject to his ability to bend plants.
The big one of his abilities is his ability to bend and grow plants to his will. In the years since the incident he has mastered his abilities, allowing him to spur rapid, unnatural growth in any plant life. Furthermore, any plant that he can reach through his "root network" is subject to this ability.
Limitations: Constantly bending and growing plants will quickly wear Floris down as it requires an incredible amount of energy. Further, though Floris can make plants as big as he wants, the bigger they get, the harder the mental strain they enact upon him. Therefore, he prefers to stick to smaller scale use of his powers. Furthermore, Floris' ability to mentally connect with plant matter is grows more and more straining the further away the plant his mind travels to is. Floris himself estimates that the furthest he can go is roughly two kilometers.
Unlike the rest of the plants, Floris is unable to grow his arms when they've been turned into wood. This means that that ability is limited by equivalent exchange.
His photosynthesis only works if he has his flower hair out. Even then, it's a fairly weak source of energy and it won't supplement for long.
Equipment: Floris uses no special equipment.
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