[hider=Samuel Howard][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/M4tLku7.png[/img][h1][color=red][b]S[/b][/color] a m u e l [color=red][b]H[/b][/color] o w a r d[/h1][sub]30 y/o | Male | 5'9 | 163 lbs | G.E.M.I.N.I[/sub]
[url=https://youtu.be/ZC-KXUAbQng]🗡️[/url]
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[color=red][b]APPEARANCE:[/b][/color]
[indent]Samuel would not generally stand out in a crowd. He stands at an exceptionally plain height of 5'9 and owns what appears to be a slim build. His one saving grace, a handsome face, is far too often obscured by raven-black locks that stonewall attempts at grooming them to matter significantly. His attire while at his job had always consisted of appropriate suits, but he chooses comfort over style on the rare chances he gets to laze about. Since he obtained his grimoire and began to affiliate himself with G.E.M.I.N.I, he has taken to wearing flashier attire whenever he works with them. Still mostly suits.  
[hider=Normal Attire][img]https://i.imgur.com/H3OmwQv.png[/img][/hider]
[hider=G.E.M.I.N.I Attire][img]https://i.imgur.com/UyvUE4p.png[/img][/hider]
In [url=https://youtu.be/nW5XLxO7pNw]Stark[/url] contrast to his human form, his esper form does anything but blend in with a crowd. When in this form, he assumes a frightening and demonic visage complete with glowy-red eyes and a twisted, perpetual smile. Though not a one for one, the clothing it wears takes inspiration on what Sam is wearing at the moment of transformation. The attire is always fashioned a crimson red and has no true effect other than cosmetic.
[hider=Esper Form][img]https://i.imgur.com/V1ICOWS.png[/img]
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[color=red][b]GRIMIORE:[/b][/color]
[indent]A white domino mask with a thin black outline around the eyes. It would look right at home on a caped crusader or even a villain. Despite the lack of string to hold it up, it has no problems staying on the face of one who wears it. It gives off eerie vibes if you stare directly at it for too long. 
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[color=red][b]INSTRUMENT:[/b][/color] [b]Rip, Tear[/b]  
[indent]A tarnished sword owning a faded design that had once been quite extravagant, held alongside a dagger in an even worst state of decay. Despite their rusted blades, they have quite the edge thanks to the arcane energy stored within. 
GRADE: [color=silver]Silver[/color]
KEYWORD: Dagger, Sword
DAMAGE TYPE: Arcane (dagger), Arcane(sword)
DAMAGE: C
SPEED: C
SENTINEL: D
SPECIAL: Rupture - A strike from his weapon needs not be fatal immediately. When successfully hitting a foe with a defense rank equal to or higher than his attack with his dagger, he leaves a lasting wound that does the equivalent of an E-grade damage note in physical damage for 2 turns.[/indent]

[color=red][b]STYLE:[/b][/color] [b]Delusion[/b]
[indent]Samuel forgoes his human form and adopts a demonic appearance that now stands at the same height as him, moderately alters the sound of his voice, and noticeably distorts the light around him. Compared to his prior appearance, he is also less lithe, and his form seems to assimilate the clothing he's wearing into it instead of being influenced by it.

GRADE: [color=silver]Silver[/color]
PHYSICAL: D
ARCANE: C
CHAOS: D
SPECIAL: Dying Light - Samuel benefits from an increased resistance to both Darkness and Light melodies by a single rank, but only in dim or darker lighting, such as at night or while obscured in mundane shadow.[/indent]
[color=red][b]GENRE:[/b][/color] [b]Malice[/b]
[indent]Samuel's magics intend to mask his presence, strip away his opponent's defenses, whittle them down, and force them into disadvantageous situations he can make use of while they can't properly fight back. 

GRADE: [color=Silver]Silver[/color]
ELEMENT: Darkness
NOTES: [Obfuscate (4)] [Intangible (4)], Damage X (6), Pull (2), Dispel (6), Mana Burn (6), Restrain (4), Extend (2), Trap (0), Piercing (2), Full Enhance (4)
SPECIAL: Devious Intent - Enemies recently affected by Sam's Control notes are assaulted by visions of violence, making it hard to concentrate. A delay note with a duration of 1 second is added to the start of their next melody or arcane ability. 
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[color=red][b]LEITMOTIF:[/b][/color] [b]Creeping Anxiety[/b] 
[indent] Though he may speak kind words and sometimes perform kind deeds, there exists a sense of impending doom that follows him, not unlike a shadow. 

GRADE: [color=#CD7F32]Bronze[/color]
SPECIAL: Hallucinate - While transformed, Samuel's voice seemingly comes from within the mind of those that could reasonably hear it, accompanied by a legion of demonic echoes, and people cannot help but feel hypervigilant around him. 
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[color=red][b]BACKUP:[/b][/color] [url=https://youtu.be/x-O-KoyUnog][b]YPINMFMP[/b][/url]
[indent]A Ping Pong ball gifted to him by his boss, Fritzi, in recognition of his failed attempts at beating her in the sport. The absurd tenacity it inspires when hitting friendlies clearly sets it apart from its mundane brethren.     

GRADE: [color=#CD7F32]Bronze[/color]
BACKUP MELODY: [Bronze Projectile][Bounce][Piercing][If Ally][Or][If Self][Stabilize] = 80
SPECIAL: Empowered - The Ping Pong Ball glows a [color=#bd71e8]certain color[/color] when charged, and leaves a bit of that color on anything it hits. It probably washes out. It is [color=red]red[/color] when it has expended its power.[/indent]

[color=red][b]PR:[/b][/color] [b]Umbral Contingencies[/b]
[indent]An assortment of practical equipment, mainly carried in the potential event Samuel cannot remain transformed, yet hasn't lost consciousness. It includes armor to protect his fragile body, a pair of handcuffs to restrain an individual, some basic medical supplies, and a concealable baton for use in self defense.      

GRADE: [color=#CD7F32]Bronze[/color]
GEAR: Clip light, Kevlar Vest, Self Defense Weapon, x1 Handcuff, x1 Medical Supplies
SPECIAL: Limited Budget, Maximum Style - All of his gear is purchased or altered superficially so as not to conflict, visually, with his suits.[/indent]
[color=red][b]TRIVIA:[/b][/color]
[indent][hider=Biography]Samuel was born to a wealthy couple who never seemed to run out of money but was always lacking in affection. He was given any material goods he wanted and was tutored in an instrument but was left under the care of a nanny more often than his parents. His parents expected much of him, though they treated him more like an asset than a child. Because of this, he was rather haughty growing up, thinking himself better than others.

He used his parent's money to buy gifts which he used to obtain friends, made other people do his work for him, and generally acted just like you would expect a spoiled brat to. 

Shortly after he entered high school, a few friends of his got together with him and had a movie night. Samuel became enthralled by the ending of a sports movie they watched. He saw the protagonist, in a final game, score an impossible play that let them win the game. He was treated like some sort of hero, with everyone jumping in excitement, singing his praises, and even getting a kiss! Oh, that was the sort of attention he wanted for sure, so he thought it wise to try out for a few different teams in his school. 

...They didn't go as planned. He was never too athletic in the past and it came back to bite him in the ass as he underperformed. So he thought about taking on his studies. Someone like him should be the smartest person in the school if he puts his mind to it, right? He ended up struggling to even have passing grades when he removed the people who had been doing his work up to this point. 

Being the spoiled rich kid he was, he couldn't just admit that the problem was him, so he lashed out against everyone, including his own friends. One even ended up getting into a fight with him, if you could call it that, and left Samuel both on the floor and a bit more humble. He was left alone and even then he did not receive respite. A tragic accident took his parents and his life turned completely upside down. 

He was taken in by his grandmother and the combined stress of everything happening plus a lowered standard of living made their relationship rocky at the start. She put him through a hellish training regime that involved taking out the trash when it was full, cleaning up after himself, and learning how to cook. He could swear he was going to die at first, but somehow he pulled through. He settled into the new lifestyle and began to open up a little more. He formed a strong bond with his grandmother over time. 

The Samuel that entered his junior year was a completely different person than the one on freshman year. He became a lot more quiet, reserved, and infinitely more polite. He focused hard on his studies and practiced his instrument of choice (bass guitar) and graduated with no problem. 

As an only child, Samuel's eighteenth birthday was a very important date. His parents' deaths left him with a sizable inheritance, more than enough to live off of if he didn't do anything stupid with it. But he didn't want it. He hadn't really earned it, and he was afraid that he might lose this progress as a person if he took it. 

So he gave it to his grandmother, who was far more worthy of it than he. He then told her about his intentions of moving out and earning things for himself. While his grandma respected the character needed to make the decision, she made it quite clear she wasn't leaving him out to dry entirely. She would send him a package every year with a bit of fund and a present.[/hider] 

[hider=Biography, but this time it's more relevant]Since then, a decade and a couple of years passed and Samuel has a relatively stable job as an office manager and frequents a local nightclub where he plays his bass. Pax Septimus was not his first choice to live, honestly, but he saw an opportunity to progress up the ladder and took it. 

Lamentably, Sam was [s]an OC[/s] not allowed to stay that way forever. On his thirtieth birthday, Samuel received a package similar to the ones he had received over the years, only this one was on the smaller side. He left for work before opening it, deciding that it made the most sense to open it while he was celebrating. So, he worked the day away and went drinking with a few coworkers at night at the nightclub. He opened his package to find a strange domino mask alongside the money and raised an eyebrow. He felt a chill when his gaze lingered too long, so he threw it back in one of his suit pockets and laughed it off. 

By the time he and his coworkers were done, it was well into the AM. Nobody was in a proper state of mind, not even himself, but he called a cab for the others and then began to walk home, citing the short distance between his place and the club for why. This turned out to be a mistake. 

Samuel Howard felt a pair of eyes on his back and the wind began to get chillier as he walked, but he couldn't spot anyone when he looked around. Yet he still could swear someone or something was watching him. He tried his best to fight off the looming dread, recalling all the wonderful things about Pax Septimus. Like how it was a safe place and everyone was happy...! 

Of course, such delusions do not make for reality, and as if offended by his shoddy attempt at mentally retreating, his stalker revealed itself! It was difficult to see at night, especially as the lights around it began to dim and flicker. Its shape was vaguely humanoid, covered in what appeared to be a living shadow, and held an object of some sort to its side. Its eyes appeared to be made of hellfire and it oozed hostility.

Beyond that, Samuel couldn't see as it suddenly lunged forth to attack him!

Despite his inebriation, he somehow managed to roll to the side and decided immediately to escape, running as fast as he could away from it. But it wasn't long before it caught up and he was forced to avoid another attack. He wasn't quick enough to evade it entirely and took an attack to the side, which sent him tumbling to the floor as the package containing the mask slipped out. 

Samuel wasn't in pain, but seeing the blood pour out of his side had caused him to freeze. He looked up at the figure that began to approach him, raising its arm as if to finish the job, mere seconds away. Time seemed to crawl to a close in what he was sure to be his last moments. Overwhelming despair began to claim him as his life flashed before him, reminding him of the life he had lived so far.

...It was sad. He couldn't deny it. How he was. And how he had become. Neither of them would be remembered for anything significant after they passed, and they had never achieved anything of worth. What else could that be but sad? 

He understood deep down what had become of him. He was just a coward. The thought of returning to the old, arrogant Samuel was terrifying. He was so scared of returning to those old ways that he confused ambition for greed and rid himself of it. It was so safe to work in an office instead of pursuing an actual career with his bass guitar. He could've stayed and helped his grandma but he fled the home to avoid the responsibility, figuring money he gave her would do the work for him. 

The only thing that had changed about him was that he was now driven by fear instead of pride! It was pathetic! And even now, about to die, he would do so because he was too scared to move! 

[color=red]...Damn it! Now just isn't the time to be dead! Grandma slapped the quitter out of me years ago! There's gotta be something...![/color]

His eyes fell upon the mask. It looked unremarkable, compared to what Samuel felt when he observed it. The eerie feeling he had before was amplified far beyond what it exuded earlier. And it was nothing but...

Fear. Unmatched by any other. The assailant standing before him couldn't compare. His impending death was nothing before it. He saw a vision of his life once again crumbling into ash as he lost everything he held dear. Everyone he ever knew dying painfully, cursing his name as they did, including his grandma. It tore him apart. 

He concluded: 

It was pure evil. Malevolence was given form in the shape of a domino mask. No good should come from it. The day this was removed from the world would be cause for celebration. 

...but still, he grabbed for it. Even as terrified as he was, he wasn't about to go back on what he decided! Quitting was out of the question. Quivering in fear just because he was about to be murdered for no reason or because Satan dropped some demonic artifact in front of him wouldn't stop him. He'd at least die trying! And besides, if he didn't, the person trying to kill him might! 

Samuel successfully grabbed the mask before he could be finished. He began to 'feel' shadows, owned an unnatural understanding of them, and knew he could now use them. Silhouettes in the shape of hands came from the ground and towered above him, before crashing down on him, dispersing into a dark haze that hid his form. 

But when he emerged? 

His devilish appearance was more than enough to send his attacker into a full-speed retreat into the shadows, though Samuel wasn't graced with his terrified screams as he did. Considering the emotional rollercoaster that they caused, didn't they earn a whole lot worse than a simple scare? Much to what he felt to be the mask's dismay, Samuel did not choose to pursue the attacker, and instead, his body chose to collapse right then and there as a result of the mix of stress and blood loss. Someone found him and got him to a hospital, and he made a full recovery. 

Samuel was strangely confronted by G.E.M.I.N.I before the police could get to him, though that was probably for the better. They introduced him to this new and magical world, and after spending a couple of weeks deciding on how he should approach the situation, he ended up siding with G.E.M.I.N.I and becoming one of its agents.[/hider]
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