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BIO
The Emperor
Small town boy losing himself in battle, looking for himself in words.
general
NAME: Flint Dawson Chambers
NICKNAME(S): Please don't call him Flinty.
GENDER/PRONOUNS: Male / he/him
AGE/BIRTHDAY/ZODIAC: 17 / March 9 / Pisces sun, Virgo moon
GRADE: Senior
SEXUALITY: Maybe bisexual. Hopefully bisexual? He's still at the age where he doesn't want to rule out the chance of being more conventional, but he's also self-aware enough to know being 100% heterosexual isn't in the cards. Although not the type to talk much about his personal life, he doesn't consider himself closeted (to his friends, anyway).
MAJOR ARCANA: IV - The Emperor (authority, structure, control, protection; also rigidity, lack of self-control)
MINOR ARCANA: Coins
CONCEPT: Small town boy losing himself in battle, looking for himself in words.
appearance
| HEIGHT: | 5'11" | HAIR COLOR: | Black |
| BUILD: | Muscular, lean | EYE COLOR: | Brown |
Flint is a good-looking young man, but rarely attention-grabbing. He's tall but not too tall, he's strong after years of kickboxing but looks neither like a bodybuilder or an underwear model. He keeps his hair short and unfussy, and shaves carefully every morning. He doesn't have tattoos or piercings. His casual clothing tends to be that of a sporty but not very fashionable teenage boy, so lots of T-shirts, jeans, cargo shorts, zip hoodies as outerwear, etc., all typically in blue, grey, beige and black. If you look at Flint and think he's boring, then good, because that's basically what he's going for.
As far as his school uniform goes, he likes to look immaculate, but the need for comfort wins out over formality. So Flint would rather wear the cardigan rather than the blazer, and shorts rather than slacks when it's warm enough. But his tie is always perfectly knotted, his shoes are shined, and his pants crease and shirt collar are folded crisply.
PB: Keiynan Lonsdale
personality
LIKES: Kickboxing, playing sports, poetry (reading, not writing; favorites are Walt Whitman and Frank O'Hara), longform journalism, reliable pens that come in lots of colors, brand new notebooks, the smell of breakfast, strawberry-rhubarb pie, optimistic people
DISLIKES: Selfish people, nihilism, letting people see him lose his temper or cry, bending the rules, not having guidelines to follow, disrespect of traditions and history, biased news sources, misaligned text, expensive luxury items when cheaper products will do
Flint feels like he's torn between extremes. He knows who he wants to be: kind, patient, helpful; the guy you can always depend on to get things done. A steady presence, a shoulder to lean on. Someone like his father, the stable rock for everyone in the community. But for some reason, Flint can't quite manage it. His uncontrollable emotional reactions embarrass him: he's the type to start tearing up in public both when he's too sad and too happy; he's easily irritated by thoughtless comments from other people; and his temper sometimes seems to flare up out of nowhere, making him explosive and irrational.
Flint tries his best to be the man his father expects him to be. When he's angry, he'll force himself to walk it off instead of engaging. When he wants to cry, he pushes down the urge and puts on a strong front. He does his best to embody honesty, generosity, and reliability. He's very protective of the people who are close to him, especially family and his squad. He tends to see himself as responsible for other people's mistakes or problems. He always wants to help a friend, although he's not always great at knowing how to help, and even worse at accepting help in return. He's a practical "concrete solutions to concrete problems" type; he can keep track of your homework deadlines and help you with your science projects, but he doesn't know the right thing to say when someone's been dumped by their first girlfriend.
Flint wants to be thought of as boring. In many ways, he succeeds. He comes off as shy and serious most of the time, but he's drawn to people who are funny, happy and energetic. He's a private person who stays out of the spotlight, but he enjoys basking in someone else's reflected light. Flint is very "by the books" in his attitude. There's a right way and wrong way to do anything, better to colour within the lines and stay out of trouble, authority is to be respected, etc. He often struggles with black-and-white thinking, which leads him to tackling problems with a very "all or nothing" approach. It's either do this or do that, with no compromise in between. Be the perfect son and student, or be an angry asshole who breaks rules and doesn't succeed at life. Flint wants to believe that if you do everything right, then everything will work out. Everything happens for a reason. Good people don't get punished senselessly. If bad things happen, obviously it's because he fucked up somewhere.
As far as Flint is concerned, things always go wrong when he loses control over his tightly wound emotions. As much as he tries, he's not the stiff upper lip type. He's a sentimental person who has cried at sad movies, pictures of rescue puppies, and his sister winning a spelling bee. He wants to be tough and practical, but he's deeply idealistic at heart. Flint believes in being good for goodness' sake, and is easily irritated by people who are proud of their nihilism or cynicism or being an asshole. He is not and will never be "edgy." The closest Flint ever comes to having an edge is when his temper rears its head.
He hates that he's so easily provoked. The most careless comment can get on his nerves, and someone who outright tries to antagonize him can always get a reaction. Flint is deeply ashamed that he's not better at controlling his negative emotions, and he hates to let other people see him get choked up or lose his temper. Years of kickboxing has only given him outlet for the directionless anger buried inside him, and he's scared of his worst impulses. He sees his intrusive thoughts as something to actively fight against (as opposed to a normal human urge that can just be dismissed), and in the moments when life isn't going well, Flint feels torn between "being good" or "doing something impulsive and destructive." When he gets angry, he gets incredibly angry, and may end up punching a wall or knocking something over before suddenly being overcome with shame and walking away. Despite being a pretty smart guy, he's terrible at understanding the source of his anger. He actively avoids analyzing it. What good would that do?
The shame and fear he carries results in him being a bit self-punishing. Flint is selfless to a fault. He will always choose himself last. He will always choose to give up what he wants if it interferes with what someone else wants, especially if he loves that someone. Sometimes it's horribly apparent that Flint lacks an identity outside of the things other people expect out of him, or what he expects he must do for others. He struggles to name what he wants, beyond "make everyone happy" and "don't hurt anyone." The closest Flint ever comes to honest, selfish enjoyment is when he gets caught up in reading and working on the school newspaper (although he also sees the paper as service to the school, so it's a bit of a grey area). He loves art, particularly of the written word, but feels self-indulgent when he writes things himself. For now, he's happier to enable other students to write what they want in Print Club, and to enjoy other people's poetry in secret.
abilities
Kickboxing: Technically a combat skill, but Flint's been doing this since he was eight years old, and had continued to do regular training sessions at his town's boxing school until he came to Finchwood. Although a capable fighter, he mostly refused to enter serious competition, as his father didn't want him getting "too serious" about it. Flint sees kickboxing as both exercise and an emotional outlet, and will often hit the gym first when he's struggling with something. In terms of day-to-day application, his training translates to great physical endurance in any kind of athletic activity. He's the guy who's still on his feet and cheerful after running a marathon.
Domestic Tasks: Cooking, cleaning, balancing a budget, etc. He's not a master at any of these things, but he's been helping manage a household since his age was in the single digits and he comes off as uncommonly competent for a 17-year-old. Of all these things, Flint's the best at cooking, having grown up in his father's diner. He knows hearty breakfasts, burgers and fries, and also desserts like ice cream sundaes, strawberry shortcake, and apple pie. He's not passionate about food, not like his father is, but he appreciates the work that goes into it.
Speed reading: His reading speed isn't superhuman by any means, but Flint has the focus and interest to read a whole book in one sitting if you give him a clear afternoon. He averages about 5-6 books a month. He also reads a lot of newspapers and longform journalism online, and is fairly open-minded about the kind of topics that interest him when it comes to nonfiction. Flint is rarely the student who hates to do the reading for class.
Editing: He has a great grasp of English spelling/grammar, and always keeps a copy of Strunk & White in his bag. He's a quick reader with an eye for flow, coherence and structure, and tries to give lots of suggestions for any document that crosses his desk. In many ways, Flint is a better proofreader than he is a writer, but his skills have been an asset in running Print Club.
history
FAMILY:
- Jackson Chambers, father. Manages Monroe's Place, a diner which he bought 15 years ago and turned into a well-loved stop in their small town. Jackson is a strict but loving father; reliable and hardworking but not emotionally demonstrative.
- Leanne Chambers, mother. Died of cancer when Flint was 6. Leanne defied her conservative family to marry Jackson, and helped him turn Monroe's into a success.
- Farida Chambers (formerly Valentine), stepmother. Arabic translator for various publishing companies. She and Flint have bonded over books, and he genuinely loves her.
- Mason Chambers, younger brother. 15. Sophomore at Finchwood Academy.
- Briony Chambers, younger sister. 13. Normal middle school student.
- Neal Valentine, younger stepbrother. 16. Also unfortunately, his ex. Junior at Finchwood Academy.
- Clarice Chambers (formerly Valentine), younger stepsister. 13. Normal middle school student.
- Grace Mortensen, aunt. Younger sister of Jackson. Aunt Grace and her husband helped take care of Flint and his siblings after their mother died, but moved back to New York state after 1.5 years. Before Flint left for Finchwood, she still called every month to check up on him.
HOMETOWN: Hillsborough, NC
CHILDHOOD. Flint was six years old when his mother died after an aggressive bout of breast cancer. His two siblings were too little to fully understand what had happened, and his father shut down emotionally in order to focus on providing for three young children. The diner that Jackson Chambers and his wife had run together could only maintain itself for so long without his steady hand to guide it. Jackson's sister and her husband came from out of state to help him raise the kids, but even they couldn't put their lives on hold indefinitely. When Aunt Grace returned home, Flint stepped up to care for Mason and Briony, taking it upon himself to do the things his father couldn't always remember to do: combing their hair, making sure they had their meals at the diner, putting them to bed on time.
Aunt Grace and her husband had enabled Flint to be homeschooled while they were in Hillsborough, but Flint's father soon realized he didn't have time to maintain that schedule. So Flint returned to public school for the first time since his mother died, and it was unexpectedly difficult. The loss of his mother was compounded by the departure of his aunt, the emotional unavailability of his father, and being separated from his siblings for long periods of the day. Serious behavior issues cropped up for the first time, with Flint getting into several fights with other children, who learned that he could easily be baited into either angry outbursts, crying fits, or both. On the recommendation of a regular at his diner, Jackson enrolled eight-year-old Flint into novice kickboxing classes, which did a lot to give him direction and channel his energy elsewhere.
NEW FRIENDS. When Flint was 11, a new family moved into town: Farida Elsharkawy (later Valentine) and her two children, Neal and Clarice. Farida struck up a friendship with Jackson, and Neal and Flint became close friends, being of similar ages. (Clarice and Briony also became best friends, making the two families nearly inseparable.) Neal was unlike anyone else Flint had known in his lifetime in tiny, tranquil Hillsborough. Neal had never known the troubled time Flint had after his mother's death, but in the moments when Flint accidentally revealed his poor emotional control, Neal never made him feel bad for it. Although Neal was younger, he was the leader in their games, and Flint was more than happy to be the one who followed and hold him back from getting into too much trouble.
SCHOOL YEARS. Flint was a generally bright student, but ran himself ragged. He got part-time jobs as soon as he was old enough, to help provide around the house and start a college fund, as the earnings from the diner were only barely enough to keep the family comfortably afloat. He cooked dinner, did laundry and helped with homework when Dad wasn't able to while on his 16-hours-a-day work schedule. As the eldest child, Flint took a lot on his own shoulders, and spent little time on himself except for pursuing kickboxing—and having fun in the rare times Neal was able to drag him away from work.
FINCHWOOD. It was Neal who wanted to apply to Finchwood Academy. Flint had been resistant at first; he couldn't imagining leaving town or his family, no matter how impressive and well-funded his school was. But his brother, Mason, wanted to apply too, and his father also reluctantly pushed him to it, knowing someone as smart as Flint deserved better opportunities. So Flint went for the entrance exam, and by chance, he, Neal and Mason were all found to be potential Persona users. Resistance came up again when Flint was presented with the Velvet Room contract. Half of him felt the pull of his peaceful life: his loving family, his picturesque hometown, and a straight path that would take him to a decent college and right back to Hillsborough, where he'd raise a family of his own. The other half of him didn't know how to turn away from a request to literally save the world. Flint had been training to fight for years; who else was more qualified to take this on?
Also, it would let him be with Neal, his best friend, because of course Neal accepted the contract immediately. Flint had been raised in a small Southern town with a single father in the stoic, masculine "boys don't cry" mold. The schools he attended had been modest public schools, not the brand new state-of-the-art facilities that made up Finchwood. Even though it felt a little like a betrayal, Flint loved Finchwood, his classes, and his new classmates, who had considerably more diverse backgrounds than the kids he'd left behind in Hillsborough. And for the very first time, it felt okay to realize that his feelings for boys weren't platonic, and he and Neal secretly dated during their first year at Finchwood.
SUMMER OF 2018. Unfortunately, beknownst to them, Flint's father and Neal's mother, who's been close friends for years, had also started up a relationship. They'd kept it a secret, for fear that it wouldn't work out and ruin their children's friendships. When the boys learned that their parents had been engaged for several months and intended to get married this summer, Neal abruptly broke it off with Flint, and nothing Flint said or did could get him to change his mind. As devastating as this heartbreak was, Flint accepted that Neal was right. When they returned that summer, Flint threw himself into supporting his dad for the wedding and embracing Farida as his new stepmother. To all appearances, Flint was over-the-moon for Jackson and Farida, and only started going for extra hours at the boxing club after Neal left to spend the rest of the summer in Cairo.
SENIOR YEAR. Returning to Finchwood, Flint resolved to make a clean start. After his exemplary performance in training, he was granted the leadership of a squad, and he took over Print Club. Now in his senior year of high school, it mattered more than ever that he work for a 4.0 GPA. He wouldn't get distracted, and he wouldn't let anyone down. Achievable goals, right?
combat
academics
CORE CLASSES: English(*), Mathematics(*), Science(*), Social Studies(*), Training
ELECTIVE CLASSES: Philosophy, Shop, Leadership
CLUBS: Athletics, Community Outreach, Gaming, Print Club (president), Student Council
GENERAL PERFORMANCE: Flint works very hard for his grades, since that's what he's here for. He takes meticulous notes in class, and makes sure to spend at least an hour every evening studying and completing homework, even on the weekends. He maintains an A average, which can be stressful on top of all of his extracurriculars and training, but school is his top priority. He honestly enjoys his classes, particularly English and Social Studies. He likes the challenge set forth by Mr. Bhattacharya (although he's secretly glad to have bypassed the creative writing unit), and would likely rate him his favourite teacher, as Flint also loves Philosophy with him. When it comes to Social Studies, Flint's probably one of the few students who's genuinely fascinated to get into the nitty gritty of Government & Politics for senior year. He struggles most with Math—it's okay, but numbers and calculations interest him the least of any subject, and he tends to spend twice as long trying to understand the material than he does for any other class.
Re: Print Club: Flint sees his role as the behind-the-scenes glue that makes the school paper come together. He's happy to let club members take on the assignments that appeal most to them, and works hard to encourage them and getting their writing to a printable state. He prefers the work of pulling together the disparate pieces into a finished product, although he does write a few articles, mostly dry and factual local news, i.e. anything other people would rather not take on. It might be a high school paper, but he's very passionate about putting out honest reporting and granting a platform to diverse voices.
ooc
BATTLE STATS
SQUAD: 4
SQUAD POSITION: Leader
PRIMARY WEAPON: Katar, or punch dagger. Flint always carries two of them into battle, and can fight with just one katar, or one katar on each hand.
COMBAT STYLE:
He's unafraid of getting hurt, and would rather be the one who gets beat up than let his team take any damage. He has tremendous muscular endurance thanks to kickboxing, and will always push himself to the limit for his squad. He's focused and no-nonsense in battle. This is no time to show off, for him or for anyone else, since that's when stupid mistakes happen. It's a serious concern for him, as Flint often risks getting too caught up in the fight and can make reckless moves in the name of finishing a battle quickly, i.e. going full offensive when they're outmatched or at a disadvantage, if he thinks the enemy is close to death, instead of taking extra time to heal up and wait them out.
As such, he relies a lot on his support to watch the team, because he can't do it himself when he's fighting up close. He needs his support to be able to stay objective, and relies on them and on his second to know when to pull everyone back. (Unfortunately, his second and his support aren't always the best choices for this...)
ATTRIBUTE: Stamina
PERSONA NAME: Lehahiah (Angel of Obedience)
PERSONA APPEARANCE:
Default Form: Lehahiah is made of rough black marble, in the shape of a muscular man with a ram's head and bird's wings. He is naked except for a bloody, ragged loincloth around his hips, and a blindfold and leather muzzle over his eyes and snout. Dried tears go down the sides of his marble face, looking more like rust water than saline. Heavy rusted chains wrap around his arms and pull his wings tight to his body. A crown of rusted iron sits on his head, between his large curling horns.
Attack Form: Lehahiah's bright form only appears for couple of seconds, at the instant when Flint uses a special attack. With a great feat of strength, Lehahiah spreads his arms and wings, shattering the chains. The rough stone that covers his body flakes off all at once, revealing smooth, clean black marble with bright golden veins (see portoro). His crown becomes pure gold, as does the fabric wrapped around his hips, which now looks clean and regal. Each feather of his broad marble wings look as though they're tipped in gold. Although he stands tall and proud, the muzzle is still in place, as is his blindfold (now gold). When Lehahiah fades from view again, he returns to his default form.
AFFINITY: Stone
WEAKNESS: Ice
AILMENT SUSCEPTIBILITY: Enervation