Name: Laken Evander (aka Shadow Bane)
Age: 20
Gender: Male (he/him/they)
Personality: Chaotically strategic a-hole who likes to get under people's skin and watch them squirm. Sly, arrogant, and clever, Laken goes to great lengths to prove how he good he is at what he does. During a first encounter, he appears calm, collected, and ruthless, but if we're being honest, he's a total drama queen. He's sensitive to insults and the opinions of others, low-key obsessed with his appearance and reputation, and can be rather petty and spiteful if you make him mad. He romanticizes things sometimes and is actually way kinder in heart than he often appears to be. He can even become altruistic, if the situation permits, though nobody usually puts up with him long enough to see that side of him. He's a complex individual, and he knows it. Kind of prideful, to the point of being obsessive over his appearance and insecure at times.
Appearance: Laken stands at a solid 6'3" at the shortest, thin and wiry, but angular. Despite being somewhat lanky, he's solid, with strong limbs. Athletic, graceful, and nimble. He has light olive skin, with pairs nicely with his thick, chocolate brown curls that are styled in an undercut-fade; the top is spiked, fluffy, with the sides being shaved short so that it's almost a hybrid between an undercut and a very lowkey mohawk (just fluffier and curlier than average). Thick eyebrows, a clean-shaven face, and a clean white smile that's usually more of a smug smirk. His eyes are a sharp green-yellow, with long dark eyelashes.
Powers: He can teleport anywhere within a 3 mile radius, but only in shadows. He cannot appear anywhere without shadows, nor he can disappear/escape anywhere without shadows. He can also do something that he calls shadow-poisoning, where he touches someone and causes them to become light-headed, disoriented, and completely blinded for a short period of time. They can see only darkness and struggle to think clearly until it wears off; their eyes will black over while they're shadow-poisoned. He becomes physically and mentally stronger in darkness; exposure to unnaturally bright light (not sunlight, but like… prolonged, excessively bright light) will actually send him into a state similar to the shadow-poisoning he can give others. He can touch people without shadowing poisoning them, though. He can become invisible in shadows as well, though his eyes are always visible, a dull yellow-green glow in the black.
Backstory: Laken never met his father; his mother was a prostitute who got pregnant more or less by accident. Her life was upset by the pregnancy, by the baby she never wanted. She almost aborted him, but decided against it. Even so, she had mixed emotions about him once he was born. She cared about him, but there was some bitterness there, and she mistreated/neglected him. She was physically and emotionally cruel, often cold to him; nothing like a mother should've been. She returned to prostitution when Laken was around three years old, and the kind of people she would bring into her home were… not good. Sometimes she was in an alcohol or drug induced stupor. Sometimes the people would harm Laken. He would usually hide in a closet or cupboard, hold his breath, will himself to disappear into the shadows where no one could ever hurt him again.
Who knew that, at the age of 11 years old, the shadows would finally take him?
The moment he learned about his abilities, everything changed. His mother was too busy ruining her own life to notice that he was barely at home anymore, rather trying to master this strange new power. He had grown up hungry and lacking, but his new power allowed him for speed and stealth that allowed him to steal like a pro. As a child, he'd been afraid of the dark, but now— now it was his friend. It was his home.
His mom and him essentially parted ways for good when he was 13. They got into an argument over something dumb; he can't remember what. He told her hated her, never wanted to see her again. She said the same. He left. He doesn't miss her much. He knows the sentiment is mutual.
The next 7 years have formed him into the person he is today. They've been rough, living on the streets for the first bit, working for or against crime gangs, swindling and murdering and stealing his way through life. Bitterness boiling within him, towards people, towards society, towards it all. Darkness is his soul now (or at least, that's what he says, cuz he likes to be dramatic like that).
Suit: Honestly I can't think of a better way to describe his suit other than over-the-top dramatic. Tight black pants that allow for easy movement but also a nice dramatic aesthetic, paired with a sleeveless dark-grey form-fitting shirt with dark-purple accenting on both the shirt and pants. He also has a tool belt cinched around his waist, equipped with a few gadgets he's bought from the black market. But the dramatic part comes from the tall leather spiked boots with chains on them and the ankle-length black trenchcoat with a slightly raised collar. Even when he's not wearing his suit, he's always either underdressed or overdressed for the occasion. No exception.
Gear: Some daggers, guns, and a few gadgets he carries on his belt.
Other: He's scared of crabs. We don't know why. Also a sucker for sweets. He hates politicians.
