Daniel Anton Reyes
"You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it." -
Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
Name:Daniel Anton Reyes
Nickname:Danny
Birth Date:June 3rd
Age:23
Gender:Male
Sexuality:Heterosexual
In Depth Appearance:Daniel hides his emotions behind a veil of sea green eyes and controlled expressions. His perfectly arched eyebrows and flawless skin are merely a reflection of his upbringing and the mask his father unknowingly created. The only true expression of himself is the wild nature of his messy brown hair and small smiles he sometimes allows himself to show. Danny is average height for his age, standing at 5’8” and has a lean muscular build.
Clothing Style:Not liking to stand out, his wardrobe consists mostly of simple neutral colored button-ups with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and a pair of comfortable jeans, dark blue or black. His shoe of choice is a pair of black high-top Converse. The only indication of his rebellious nature is a black studded belt he wears around his waist.
Guarded ♦ Observant ♦ Wary ♦ Rebellious
Background & Personality (because I believe it takes one to determine the other):From a young age Daniel has learned to create a different outward persona dependent upon what the situation calls for at the time. Being raised in upscale Paris by his father, money, and a prestigious name to boot, appearances were everything. Social functions, garden parties, hosting important people from around the world. These were but a few examples of Daniel’s childhood. While other children his age were fussing over skinned knees and the newest video game, young Daniel was expected to be seen but not heard. Raised to be the heir to eventually take over his father’s company; composed, reserved, only speak when spoken to, everything you do elegant and refined. Everything was fine at first because he didn’t know any different. It was simply the world he lived in. But as he reached his teenage years Daniel’s observant nature started telling him a different story. A story of cloaks-and-daggers, false smiles and pretty lies. Friendly conversation was only a guise for some deeper ill intent. All the pretty gowns and well-tailored suits he had admired as a child became loud exclamations of one’s wealth and nothing more. His father’s stern lectures and strict instructions for Daniel’s upbringing turned out to be no more than a business plan for his future heir. There was no longer any warmth in his father’s eyes nor kindness in his words. If they had ever been there to begin with Daniel no longer trusted himself to know. He lost trust in people and closed himself off, becoming wary of the deeper meaning behind their intentions. This also led to a rebellious streak in Daniel. Not the kind of hell-raising rebellion they show in movies, but the more subtle rebellion of not listening to orders or making a rude comment to a guest while he knew his father was watching. However, these rebellious outbursts were few and far between as he didn’t like bringing more attention to himself than was necessary. He already had enough of that as it is.
Hating the idea of being his father’s puppet and being no more than a pretty face with a powerful name, Daniel decided to run away when he turned 18. Saving up his allowance over the years and claiming his inheritance at his coming of age party granted him the ability to do just that. He sat through the tutoring sessions his father arranged and continued to smile gracefully at his father’s side. When the time finally came, under the cloak of darkness while the mansion slept, Daniel packed as much clothing and various necessities as he could fit in a backpack and fled. He hailed a taxi to the airport and bought the soonest ticket out of Paris.
This led him to Tallshade, a tiny town in America nestled between a huge forest at the base of a mountain. The perfect sense of seclusion he had been looking for. Seemingly isolated from the rest of the world, it gave Daniel the freedom to make a new life for himself. However, he learned real quick how unforgiving the world can be. He also soon realized that he didn’t really possess a true identity for himself. Having grown up in the shadow of his father and knowing nothing other than what he had been taught, who was he now that he was free from all that? Who was Daniel Reyes when we wasn’t acting the perfect model son? He had a collection of “masks” and nothing more.
He settled down in a modest apartment and stashed his money somewhere out of sight. Daniel didn’t want to have to rely on his namesake to get what he needed but having it readily available gave him a security blanket to fall back on should he need it. He did odd jobs around town, took a couple random classes at the local university, anything to give him a sense of purpose in a world that was foreign to him. The one thing he was grateful for however, was all the language classes his father made him take. He couldn’t imagine how much of a nightmare arriving in a new country would be not knowing the language. He spoke with a subtle French accent but was able to be understood by the locals well enough.
Daniel met Grimbold one night when he decided to take a late night walk to clear his head. He had been feeling especially lost lately and homesick in a Stockholm’s Syndrome sort of way. He rationalized this by telling himself it was the security of familiarity and structure that he missed. Settled down amongst the grass in a clearing in the woods, he stared up at the stars and wished for things he couldn’t have. Almost as if in answer, The Mentor appeared as quiet as a whisper and promised him freedom and power, among other things. He had been chosen for a reason, Grimbold told him. There were others too. The only condition was to serve him whenever Daniel was called upon. That almost caused Daniel to deny the old man on the spot. Here was another puppetmaster looking to take hold of Daniel’s severed strings. However, Daniel couldn’t sense any hidden agendas or twisted ideals from the man and the promise of purpose and a place to belong was too strong a temptation to ignore. Looking back on it now, Daniel should’ve seen it as an omen, something too good to be true. He was right back at square one, taking orders from a higher power for some unknown greater purpose. But 5 years later Daniel finds himself working as a barista at the local coffeehouse, still obeying The Mentor’s wishes when the time came.
Likes:- People-watching
- Being around people but not overly interacting with them
- Books/Reading
- Running
- Pastries/Bread
Dislikes:- Bringing unnecessary attention to himself
- Being forced to do something
- Alcohol and the loss of control it provides
- Sycophants, brown-nosers
- Anything that reminds him of his past life
Fears:- Losing purpose
- Removing his “mask”
- Getting close to anyone and getting hurt
- Being found and brought back to Paris
Habits:- Tends to fake smiles out of habit due to his upbringing
- Closes his eyes when a situation makes him feel uncomfortable
- Leaves unannounced to go for a run to clear his head, sort his thoughts
- Night owl and suffers from slight insomnia
Position in the Group:Hangs out in the background to observe others. Doesn’t trust easily and even though he’s been in this for the better part of 5 years, Daniel still feels like everyone is merely an acquaintance and prefers to keep it that way. He’ll never admit it aloud but he’s afraid of letting others in. He admires everyone in the group, mostly for things he feels he lacks, but feels safer keeping everyone in neutral standing and only working together as a team if it’s absolutely necessary.
☯ Eddie – Seems nice enough. Appreciates his honesty.
☯ Teryn – Feels he can relate with her on an indirect level due to both their tendencies to not trust easily. She can sometimes come off as rude or defensive but he can respect that she has her reasons as he has his.
☯ Sloane – He admires her sense of individuality and confidence.
☯ Robert – Seems like a troublemaker but Daniel can appreciate his sense of adventure and spontaneity.
☯ Tobias – Feels almost as if they could be twin brothers but will not openly acknowledge this.
☯ Cara – He knows all too well of her fake smiles and pretty words and sees her as an annoying little sister-type.
☯ Nick – Jealous of his carefree nature and lack of worry of what the future might bring.
☯ Nina – Likes her confidence but gets annoyed by her spoiled attitude towards others. Enjoys having someone to talk to in his native language.
☯ Angel – Intrigued by her ability to blend in and relate to anybody. Thankful for her humor that quickly diffuses tense situations.
☯ Sky – Respects her maturity and feels like she would listen the most if he ever felt the need to confide in someone.
Animal Form:Black Bat
Power: EcholocationBeing able to cause headaches from as minor as a constant throbbing to as severe as vertigo, dizziness and a loss of balance.
Much like how bats use echolocation by creating a sound and processing the information they receive from the echo, Daniel uses his power by whistling while maintaining line of sight with his target. He is also able to determine the severity of the target's headache by changing the pitch of his whistle. Prolonged use of his power causes Daniel to become extremely fatigued.
