Name: Zelyn
Age: 16
Birthday: April 4th
Gender: Male
Species: Human/Yokai (Bakeneko) Hybrid
Category: Student
Class: High School
Grade: 11th grade
Appearance Description: At first glance, Zel looks like an average teenager - well, save for being a bit short for his age. His hair is a typically messy, dirty blonde. Primarily due to lack of sunlight, his skin is rather pale, and he's fairly lean.
Upon closer inspection, though, it's noticeable that he has... strangely feline features. Thin slits in place of pupils decorate a bright pair of mischievous maize eyes, canines that can almost be called fangs protruding from his gums, and a shit-eating grin that appears to have been taken straight out of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... All these things combined with his sinuous demeanor make it easy to assume there's something cat related mixed in his veins.
But what is strangest of all (though perhaps not so strange to the residents of Manta Carlos) is Zelyn's shadow... in fact, it might not even be possible to call it his shadow. The patch of darkness that trails behind him seems to take a shape that doesn't match his own, and instead dawns the form of a demon. If one were to stare for long enough, they may even be able to notice how it appears to restlessly shift, as though it were its own beast attempting to break free from the two-dimensional realm of shadows.
Personality Description: The Japanese say that man has three faces. One you show the world, one you show those closest to you, and the last, you never show anyone.
For Zelyn, it's more as though he has one face he shows no one, and a hundred masks for everyone else.
He appears to be an energetic, friendly extrovert who's extremely easy to talk to. While he does tend to be a joker, purposefully harassing people and pushing their buttons, he believably dismisses it as nothing but amiable playfulness. And past all the mischief he might cause as a result of that immature behavior, he is sensitive to other people's mental state and may be inclined to slow down if the situation calls for it.
But that's just a facade, and one of many at that. Behind the masks, hides a sinister, selfish deceiver who will stop at nothing to get his way. To him, people are but instruments, and he is the orchestrator of the show. And unfortunately, he's pretty good at it - lies come out as easily as breaths, reading emotions generally takes no effort and leaving people to die doesn't weigh down for long. Alongside that, he's not a very trusting person, because if he's out to get everyone, then the reverse must be true.
Active Abilities:
Masking: Wearing a metaphorical mask is one thing that Zelyn is attributed with, but Masking is an ability with a slightly more literal meaning. Through a mixture of his dormant Bakeneko ability to shapeshift and the power he draws from the Dark Mirror (refer to backstory), Zel is able to manipulate one's perception of himself. This ranges from changing minor details about his appearance, to even making him appear as an entirely different being.
While the ability does not have a set time limit, it can be voided through two methods: The first is simply surpassing a certain pain threshold. Once Zel sustains enough damage (from the moment of usage), Masking is instantly nullified. The second method is simply by seeing through the deception. When someone realizes they are being tricked, the ability cancels and, while it can still be used again immediately, the effectiveness will be reduced due to it being obvious that there is a ruse at play. In addition, those who are familiar with either Zelyn or the form he takes will have an easier time seeing through Masking.
無形 (Mukei: abstract; intangible): Being so close to the Dark Mirror allows Zelyn to temporarily merge with it, effectively causing him to vanish from the naked in eye. He is capable of melding with solid shadows when stepping through them, making him incredibly stealthy while he remains within the darkness. He is capable of staying there for as long as his sanity will allow him, because the longer he stays merged with the shadows, the harder it is to return.
Puppetry: Similarly to manipulating people, Zel also possesses the ability to manipulate the shadows. If he can see the shadow (excluding his own, which can be affected regardless of visibility), he can command it to expand, shift, or even take a three-dimensional form. But while this ability looks impressive, shadows are still just shadows, and have no physical manifestation within the material world. This ability cannot be used to directly affect reality. The shadows are also limited in range - the further they are from their origin, the weaker they become. The "strength" of the shadow is spread across the area it is in, and is limited to its original strength.
Passive Abilities:
Lingering Thoughts: The Dark Mirror is a reflection of what this world hides, including the creatures within it. Zelyn is capable of accessing the first layer of the Mirror, which contains the surface thoughts of an individual. He hears these thoughts in the form of whispers, starting off mostly inaudible, but increasing in strength the longer an individual talks to him. The ability's radius is equal to the length of his shadow combined with the length of the other person's shadow. Which thoughts are heard can't be controlled - so, for example, within a small group it is mostly manageable, but within a crowd it is difficult to catch anything, and the amount of noise can even be a serious hindrance.
Feline Agility: Having cat yokai ancestry, Zelyn inherited the feline prowess in terms of dexterity and swiftness. He is capable of running somewhat faster than most, but more importantly, his ability to climb, jump and keep his overall balance are increased to nearly being as good as that of a cat. Sadly, his lack of endurance limits some of these capabilities. For example, he can only really keep up such a fast running pace for ten minutes, at best.
Weaknesses:
Biography:
Zel's dad found him while he was trying to steal some bread from a bakery. Upon seeing him, he grabbed him by the back of his ragged shirt and said, "Getting into trouble as usual, aren't you?"
Zelyn wasn't exactly thrilled to see the man again. This was the guy who abandoned him as a kid, practically leaving him to die, so why would he be happy? Not to mention, his father treated him pretty coldly after the "reunion."
But, he realized that living with this guy beat living on quarters he found under a vending machine.
Except, when he assumed that his father would offer him a home by saying "I guess I owe you this much", in reality all that was being offered was a one-way ticket to a "better" place: an island he called Manta Carlos.
Resources: Aside from the wallet his father gave him (containing about $200, some leftover coins and an expired gym membership), Zel doesn't have anything to his name but a silver tongue.
Additional Information:
Age: 16
Birthday: April 4th
Gender: Male
Species: Human/Yokai (Bakeneko) Hybrid
Category: Student
Class: High School
Grade: 11th grade
Appearance Description: At first glance, Zel looks like an average teenager - well, save for being a bit short for his age. His hair is a typically messy, dirty blonde. Primarily due to lack of sunlight, his skin is rather pale, and he's fairly lean.
Upon closer inspection, though, it's noticeable that he has... strangely feline features. Thin slits in place of pupils decorate a bright pair of mischievous maize eyes, canines that can almost be called fangs protruding from his gums, and a shit-eating grin that appears to have been taken straight out of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... All these things combined with his sinuous demeanor make it easy to assume there's something cat related mixed in his veins.
But what is strangest of all (though perhaps not so strange to the residents of Manta Carlos) is Zelyn's shadow... in fact, it might not even be possible to call it his shadow. The patch of darkness that trails behind him seems to take a shape that doesn't match his own, and instead dawns the form of a demon. If one were to stare for long enough, they may even be able to notice how it appears to restlessly shift, as though it were its own beast attempting to break free from the two-dimensional realm of shadows.
Personality Description: The Japanese say that man has three faces. One you show the world, one you show those closest to you, and the last, you never show anyone.
For Zelyn, it's more as though he has one face he shows no one, and a hundred masks for everyone else.
He appears to be an energetic, friendly extrovert who's extremely easy to talk to. While he does tend to be a joker, purposefully harassing people and pushing their buttons, he believably dismisses it as nothing but amiable playfulness. And past all the mischief he might cause as a result of that immature behavior, he is sensitive to other people's mental state and may be inclined to slow down if the situation calls for it.
But that's just a facade, and one of many at that. Behind the masks, hides a sinister, selfish deceiver who will stop at nothing to get his way. To him, people are but instruments, and he is the orchestrator of the show. And unfortunately, he's pretty good at it - lies come out as easily as breaths, reading emotions generally takes no effort and leaving people to die doesn't weigh down for long. Alongside that, he's not a very trusting person, because if he's out to get everyone, then the reverse must be true.
Active Abilities:
Masking: Wearing a metaphorical mask is one thing that Zelyn is attributed with, but Masking is an ability with a slightly more literal meaning. Through a mixture of his dormant Bakeneko ability to shapeshift and the power he draws from the Dark Mirror (refer to backstory), Zel is able to manipulate one's perception of himself. This ranges from changing minor details about his appearance, to even making him appear as an entirely different being.
While the ability does not have a set time limit, it can be voided through two methods: The first is simply surpassing a certain pain threshold. Once Zel sustains enough damage (from the moment of usage), Masking is instantly nullified. The second method is simply by seeing through the deception. When someone realizes they are being tricked, the ability cancels and, while it can still be used again immediately, the effectiveness will be reduced due to it being obvious that there is a ruse at play. In addition, those who are familiar with either Zelyn or the form he takes will have an easier time seeing through Masking.
無形 (Mukei: abstract; intangible): Being so close to the Dark Mirror allows Zelyn to temporarily merge with it, effectively causing him to vanish from the naked in eye. He is capable of melding with solid shadows when stepping through them, making him incredibly stealthy while he remains within the darkness. He is capable of staying there for as long as his sanity will allow him, because the longer he stays merged with the shadows, the harder it is to return.
Puppetry: Similarly to manipulating people, Zel also possesses the ability to manipulate the shadows. If he can see the shadow (excluding his own, which can be affected regardless of visibility), he can command it to expand, shift, or even take a three-dimensional form. But while this ability looks impressive, shadows are still just shadows, and have no physical manifestation within the material world. This ability cannot be used to directly affect reality. The shadows are also limited in range - the further they are from their origin, the weaker they become. The "strength" of the shadow is spread across the area it is in, and is limited to its original strength.
Passive Abilities:
Lingering Thoughts: The Dark Mirror is a reflection of what this world hides, including the creatures within it. Zelyn is capable of accessing the first layer of the Mirror, which contains the surface thoughts of an individual. He hears these thoughts in the form of whispers, starting off mostly inaudible, but increasing in strength the longer an individual talks to him. The ability's radius is equal to the length of his shadow combined with the length of the other person's shadow. Which thoughts are heard can't be controlled - so, for example, within a small group it is mostly manageable, but within a crowd it is difficult to catch anything, and the amount of noise can even be a serious hindrance.
Feline Agility: Having cat yokai ancestry, Zelyn inherited the feline prowess in terms of dexterity and swiftness. He is capable of running somewhat faster than most, but more importantly, his ability to climb, jump and keep his overall balance are increased to nearly being as good as that of a cat. Sadly, his lack of endurance limits some of these capabilities. For example, he can only really keep up such a fast running pace for ten minutes, at best.
Weaknesses:
- Being possessed by a creature of the shadows means Zelyn is directly affected by things that would harm the demon. Any radiant or light-based skills are twice as effective against him, and even being in the sun too long can exhaust him.
Biography:
Zelyn's childhood, while remaining engraved into his memory, has always been... vague to him.
It was completely void of any affection, save for the few forgotten years in which his father was still around. His mother, Minerva, only provided him with the bare necessities that the government enforced and that he required for survival. It was so bad that she didn't even give him a name.
But worse than that, she performed what could best be described as experiments on him. Needles, electricity, or anything else that could break his mind yet leave his body intact.
Back then, he didn't quite understand what the reason was behind things. Minerva definitely didn't share, anyway. All she ever said was "Set him free" and "Give away your body" as a further attempt to get him to surrender his life. He assumed it was simply hatred, that there was something wrong with him which warranted that treatment. Nowadays, he knows better.
If that had continued for the rest of his life, he likely would've broken at some point. Fortunately, however, Zelyn managed to get out of that house of horrors at the age of 14.
It was supposed to be a night like any other, but for some reason, as the full moon slowly drifted through the sky, his emotions burst forth. He wanted out, so much so that tears that had been welling for years gushed forth in an intense outcry.
"I can help you," is what he heard at that moment of vulnerability. "All I need is your body."
Obviously, when the confusion from the sudden words in his head passed, there was not even any hesitation. He agreed immediately to the strange voice's request, and soon thereafter his mind faded to black.
When he awoke again, he laying in the street, the cold of the early morning chilling him to the bone and his mind a blur. It wasn't clear how much time had past since he blacked out, but what was important to him was that he was finally out. The first thing he did was get as far away as possible from the house, not even stopping to think what he will do from now on.
For about a year and a half, Zelyn was on his own. It's mostly a miracle he managed to survive, but part of it was also a knack for adapting to the situation and perhaps... some supernatural forces at play. Afterwards, though, he was found by someone who he hadn't expected to see again in his life: his father.
It was completely void of any affection, save for the few forgotten years in which his father was still around. His mother, Minerva, only provided him with the bare necessities that the government enforced and that he required for survival. It was so bad that she didn't even give him a name.
But worse than that, she performed what could best be described as experiments on him. Needles, electricity, or anything else that could break his mind yet leave his body intact.
Back then, he didn't quite understand what the reason was behind things. Minerva definitely didn't share, anyway. All she ever said was "Set him free" and "Give away your body" as a further attempt to get him to surrender his life. He assumed it was simply hatred, that there was something wrong with him which warranted that treatment. Nowadays, he knows better.
If that had continued for the rest of his life, he likely would've broken at some point. Fortunately, however, Zelyn managed to get out of that house of horrors at the age of 14.
It was supposed to be a night like any other, but for some reason, as the full moon slowly drifted through the sky, his emotions burst forth. He wanted out, so much so that tears that had been welling for years gushed forth in an intense outcry.
"I can help you," is what he heard at that moment of vulnerability. "All I need is your body."
Obviously, when the confusion from the sudden words in his head passed, there was not even any hesitation. He agreed immediately to the strange voice's request, and soon thereafter his mind faded to black.
When he awoke again, he laying in the street, the cold of the early morning chilling him to the bone and his mind a blur. It wasn't clear how much time had past since he blacked out, but what was important to him was that he was finally out. The first thing he did was get as far away as possible from the house, not even stopping to think what he will do from now on.
For about a year and a half, Zelyn was on his own. It's mostly a miracle he managed to survive, but part of it was also a knack for adapting to the situation and perhaps... some supernatural forces at play. Afterwards, though, he was found by someone who he hadn't expected to see again in his life: his father.
Zel's dad found him while he was trying to steal some bread from a bakery. Upon seeing him, he grabbed him by the back of his ragged shirt and said, "Getting into trouble as usual, aren't you?"
Zelyn wasn't exactly thrilled to see the man again. This was the guy who abandoned him as a kid, practically leaving him to die, so why would he be happy? Not to mention, his father treated him pretty coldly after the "reunion."
But, he realized that living with this guy beat living on quarters he found under a vending machine.
Except, when he assumed that his father would offer him a home by saying "I guess I owe you this much", in reality all that was being offered was a one-way ticket to a "better" place: an island he called Manta Carlos.
Resources: Aside from the wallet his father gave him (containing about $200, some leftover coins and an expired gym membership), Zel doesn't have anything to his name but a silver tongue.
Additional Information:
- Along with Zel, another kid was also sent to Manta Carlos by his father: his younger brother, who had been living with their father this entire time, named Kagerou.
- Zelyn has a phobia of needles, to the point of visibly shivering when near one.
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Name: Zelyn