Name: Oliver Mason LaurentAge:17Nationality:AmericanNoble Arm Name & Appearance:Touche d'ombreNoble Arm Abilities: Bend To My Will: This ability is two-fold. Mason can sense every shadow within a 30 meter radius. In addition, he can give any shadow physical substance and control it to his will in whatever order or form he so chooses. The strength and physicality of the manifested shadows is directly related to Mason's consciousness and will. If his belief in the action he is taking isn't firm then his shadows will be flimsier and easier to shadow. On the other hand, the more firm his will and intent, then the harder and harder it will be to break, cut through or even move. The farther the distance Mason is from the shadow, the more energy it takes to control.
Where There Is Light: The crux of Mason's ability. With Where There Is Light, Mason can divest the material and meld himself physically into any shadow that he is touching. He becomes immaterial and untraceable, able to directly transfer his being into any shadow in his sense range. The transmission is nearly instantaneous and can be repeated ad infinitum, until Mason's own stamina is worn away. Every transmission takes a little bit of energy from his person tiring him. The other downside is that should the shadow is he stationed in vanish while he is inside, he will be forced out, disoriented and unable to control his power briefly.
Personality: There are many words that could be used to properly describe Mason. Lazy, disinterested, low key, average. Exceptional, driven, determined. All these words would be correct depending on when you used them. Mason does what he enjoys and follows what he believes to be his duty with a fiery passion that cannot be quenched until the task is done. Anything else however is unlikely to spark his interest.
*Likes: Sparring, Freerunning, Research, Reading.
*Dislikes: Nosy people, Boastful people, Boisterous people.
Fears: Failing himself, Giving up, Failing others.
Bio: Oliver Laurent was a child born into a wealthy family to say the least. Exceptionally wealthy would be more likely. Still, he wasn't the byproduct of an arranged marriage or any some such. His parents truly did love one another. They were both accomplished researchers and philanthropists, forefront members of the Arms of Nobility. While they did have some disagreements about the way that it should be implemented, they were both proponents of the rights of those who wield the Noble Arms. Interestingly, while Oliver was growing up, he didn't realize quite how much money his parents had, as much of what they made went back into researching Noble Arms, as well as donating to disasters caused by Noble Arms users. This left Oliver with the impression that his parents worked day and night to support him as best they could. They often weren't home, leaving the small child to often fend for himself.
It was only around the time he reached 8 or 9 years of age that he realized the actual situation. By this point, he was quite self sufficient. He didn't even require a sitter to watch over him. He was well behaved and disciplined, much more mature than nearly any child his age. Both his parents were Noble Arms wielders, so at that time, they started to process of training him to be one as well. They just assumed that such would be the case. They set aside some money for a private tutor and let him choose among many different physical aptitudes to improve in. He was instantly enamored by Savate. Maybe it was just his French roots calling back to him, but that was his decision. Oliver also spent some time training as a gymnast. His parents wanted him to tone both his body and his mind from a young age.
Of course, this was a lot for a small child to take in. But he knew the expectations that his parents had in him. So he did his best. He improved himself every day. It was not long after that his Noble Arm manifested itself, so his training expanded. Every day was a mashup of learning from books, gymnastics, Savate, and training how to best use his Noble Arm. His parents also hired someone to train him in Close Quarters Combat once they saw that his Arm was a knife. It was only later that they realized what they had done.
The time came for Oliver to enroll in an academy, he excelled. He was really, truly outstanding. But he just didn't fit in. He was cold and aloof, not letting anyone into his heart or his mind. Oliver just thought that all the children around him were idiots. How did they not understand such simple teachings. He had learned much of this years ago in preparation. Why did they all act so childish? Slowly, he became further and further outcast from his peers until he was truly, all alone.
Over the years, there was really only one thing that Oliver did in his very limited free time to unwind. Free run. He would run through his family's estate, through the city, through the woods. Wherever he could. the feeling of the wind blasting against him as he ran along tremendous heights. The exact control he had over his body to traverse any terrain. It was truly freeing.
He was 16 years old when it happened.
A reporter wanted to write a hit piece on his family. He was caught on the way home and barraged with loaded questions about his parents. About how they were bad people and had selfish reasons for any and all of their charitable donations. About how he was clearly a tortured soul who needed to be freed from the chains that were binding him to some prison.
He lost it.
Oliver beat that man half to death, leaving him battered and bruised, several broken bones and a definite concussion.
His parents did their best to protect him from the backlash. He didn't receive any criminal charges, his parents had paid off both the reporter and anyone else interested in the crime. But the damage was done. His school knew what he had done, and was going to expel him. With no credentials, he would never be able to live up to the expectations that his parents had placed on him. He was their hope to be a shining example of what a Noble Arms user could be, but he had tarnished that.
But hope comes when all is dark. Just before he was about to be expelled, it was rescinded. Instead, it was decided that he would transfer to Trinidad Academy. He would be far from home and in a completely new place, but he would be able to salvage what little image he had. The new Director had stepped in to his situation to scout him for the academy, essentially saving him from the savage fallout.
So now it was time to live on. Keep training and keep improving. It was clearly the Director's hopes that Oliver, who decided now to go by his middle name Mason as a fresh start, would be one of the frontrunners in his ultimate goal to make Trinidad First-Rate. Mason would just have to do his best. He couldn't fail everyone again.
*Current Goal: Graduate from Trinidad and place highly in the Noble Arms Summit.
Student Rank: 627
