Reese Ghislain

Reese Ghislain,

One look, twice sold, three for the way she looks at me.

Reese can sometimes be a frustratingly hard man to get a read on. At times, he can appear to be a completely carefree and approachable man, while others he is cold and distant. He's usually ready with some witty remark or snappy comeback, but his forthright nature can sometimes lead him to say cruel things to others. He is honest almost to a fault and he has absolutely no issue with making himself heard; he'll be sure to let you know whether or not he likes you, which will be the latter option in most cases.

His status as a runic professor has had great influence on his personality. Reese genuinely delights in the teaching aspects of his profession, seeing himself as a sort of mentor for anyone that steps into his classroom. His modus operandi is that a hands-on approach is a far more effective method than simply standing behind a desk and talking at students. He'll often roam between desks while reading from a text book, stopping intermittently to quiz a student on the particulars of runic combat or military history. He rewards creativity and attention to detail with heaps of praise, attention, and the occasional pass on an assignment.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows in Reese's classroom however. His standards are high and he expects all of his students to meet them without fail. If a student is disrespectful or fails to meet with his expectations of them, they might find themselves the target of a sarcastic comment regarding their "expert" handling of the week's subject matter. Some extreme cases will generally result in a harsh and entertaining (from his point of view) punishment that can go on for days, and sometimes weeks. He may be an easy-going man, but never mistake that as a free pass to do as you wish.

Outside of the classroom, Reese adopts a more laissez-faire attitude. He has come to view the world in a far less favorable light due to the stresses of his job and will more often than not avoid interfering with the lives of others. Most people (in his opinion) are ultimately selfish and they won't hesitate for a second to use you for their own gain. Its rare that he will associate with anyone in more than a professional, slightly hurried, and overall distant manner. One of the few exception to this rule would be his friend and colleague, Professor Emiko Inoue.

A hobby of his is testing the upper limits of the constraints placed upon him by his tattoo. If there's a way for him to test the Headmaster's patience without overtly going against him, Reese will gladly do it. These acts of petty defiance range from derogatory remarks against "his royal assholeness" as he calls him to subtle comments that show complete disregard for the University's dogma. This is a habit that's landed him on the receiving end of Ulrich's "attention" more than once in his career.

Another of Reese's favored pass times is gambling. There's hardly ever a week where Reese won't hop on a train and pay a visit to Dagos to hit the casinos. He is especially fond of card games like blackjack, twenty-one, and poker, often sitting at a table for hours on end (or at least until he runs out of money). Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses; the thrill of it all brings him back again and again. If he's at the tables, he's not thinking of all the horrible things he's been forced to do. When he's not enjoying a night on the town or gambling away his earnings, Reese can often be found in his sitting on the expensive couch in his condo's living room with a book in one hand and a card flipping effortlessly through the other. He enjoys literature with a passion because it allows him to escape from the world and live in another, if only for an hour or two.

Reese’s appearance is one of the few things that doesn’t suffer from his nihilistic view of the world. While not an imposing man by any stretch of the imagination—just over sixty-nine inches tall and weighing in at 175—his natural good looks and a regular exercise routine have earned him more than a few passing glances from the fairer sex. He is broad shouldered, well-toned, and slightly bulkier than the average man. His long, red hair is a point of pride for him and he cares for it religiously, providing a rich backdrop for his alabaster skin. His eyes—possibly his favorite feature—always shine with a mischievous light and a smile usually graces his features.

Signs of his upbringing in a military family manifests most commonly in his manner of dress, if not in his actions or personality. Always know as a sharp dresser, Reese is rarely seen in public wearing less anything less than a dress shirt, dress pants, and a waistcoat that closely mimics the ideal male body. An excellent posture and a distinctly disciplined gait lend him an almost regal air that seems at odds with the borderline flippancy he carries himself with. He normally keeps a pair of reading glasses on his person, storing them safely in his breast pocket when not in use.


Reese fashion sense is certainly one that could be considered business-like. Rarely is he ever dressed in a simple t-shirt and pair of jean. He prefers the feel of a well-tailored suit or an ensemble that one would expect to see at being worn on a runway rather than in the classroom. Even his street clothes usually consist of a blazer or a waistcoat depending on the weather.

On missions, Reese will don a black, military-style overcoat with gold trim and a hat presented to him by his beloved sisters. A pouch attached to his belt containing a deck of playing cards complete his outfit.

Parents
Mother: Josephine Ghislain (living in Felici; 61)
Father: Clinton Ghislain (living in Felici; 59)

Siblings
Sister:  Celestine Ghislain (living in Felici; 25)
Sister: Angelique Ghislain (living in Felici; 25)

Extended Family
Meh: Name (deceased or living where)


The first thing one is bound to discover about Reese is his considerable pedigree. He was born into considerable wealth and wanted very little in his life. His father—Sir Clinton “Thousand-Blades” Ghislain—was a career military man that rose steadily in the ranks until he was eventually selected to become a member of the Royal Guard. During his service, Clinton encountered a young, up-and-coming Runic Professor by the name Josephine Du Frayne. The two received permission from both their parents and the University to openly court one another. Years later, the two married and had the first of their three children, whom they named Reese.

Even in his earliest years, Reese was found to be incredibly advanced. He excelled in almost every subject in the private school his parents’ positions allowed him to attend and his teachers were pleased with the progress he made each week. He was also relatively popular among his classmate due to his natural charm, good looks, and near-perfect grades, so there was never a shortage of friends. Oftentimes, he would volunteer to tutor those same friends, and it was in the doing so that if found a knack for teaching. He graduated near the top of his high school class and full scholarship to the prodigious Runic University. It was there that he met a glasses-wearing foreigner and future colleague—Emiko Inoue. Though he’d originally had romantic interests in the woman several failed attempts at scoring a date eventually convinced him to settle for a strictly platonic relationship; still, this didn’t mean that poor Emi was completely immune to the occasional good-natured flirting.

After all, a man can dream, can’t he?

Four years later, Reese again graduated near the top of his class with a masterful understanding of runes, the Olden Language, and a degree in military science and history. It was at this point that Reese became rather torn on the direction his life should take. His first instinct had been to use his status as the son of a retired military veteran to his advantage and join the Ethean Royal Armed Forces. His mother and father, however, proposed a different idea in the form of a career as a professor for the very university he’d attended.

Reese had always planned on following in his father’s footsteps, but the years had shown him that he had a passion for teaching as well. The deciding factor in his decision turned out to be a discussion with Emiko in which she revealed that she herself would be pursuing a career as a professor. Reese happily applied alongside his closest friend; this would soon become a deeply regretted decision for him. He taught several classes that ranged from history in its various forms to runic combat theory to military science. And though his field work would often plunge him into a far less noble end of the spectrum, his love for educating the next generation and a vast collection of fantasy novels kept him relatively sane. He even met a woman—a waitress working at a favorite café of his—that gave him happiness.

This period was not to last.

When he shared his plan to wed the waitress—Sophia Dawn—his father was less than please and promptly informed Headmaster Ulrich—who was greatly displeased with the news to say the least. The University could ill afford for its image to be blemished by anything less than a perfect, high-society union, and while Reese was a useful tool in Ulrich’s plans, the young Sophia was not; she was a waitress, a nobody that could provide nothing. Thus, the Headmaster used the power of his command seal to force Reese into murdering his lover in a brutal manner that suggested magi. This was done both as a punishment for the wayward professor and as a public relations stunt to gather the public’s support with a grieving man whose lover had been taken by “magi extremists” as the news stations put it.

Reese has since then made it a personal mission of sorts to remain a thorn in the Headmaster’s side whenever the opportunity presents itself—not often considering his tattoo and the severe punishment for disobedience. The poor man began to spiral into depression. His only escape turned out to be his many books and, eventually, gambling. Reese would often visit casinos and underground gambling rings to feed a growing addiction, spending hundreds of dollars in a single night. He eventually developed a talent for card games and an excellent poker face. Sometimes he’d walk away a winner, but more often he wouldn’t. It would eventually become a common practice to drag Emiko along to babysit his cards while she indulged in excess amount of alcohol.

And so, time pressed on much as it always must to the present day.

Runic Novice: After a lengthy period of time studying the Olden Language you have now been given your first small amount of ink to practice. Well done, student. You can now do Simple Magic Circles with very basic Instructions.
***Your max circle count is 1.

Runic Apprentice: You have proven yourself to be a trustworthy student in the Runic Practice. You are careful in forming each and every stroke (when being tested at least) and have memorized the symbols thus far given you. The professors have decided that you are ready to learn more symbols and phrases. You've now started to combine runes in to more complex Circles. (Only available at APP START as a Professor)
***Your max circle count is 3.

The Last Defense: Professor Only - Built within the runic programing of the Command Seal is a defense mechanism designed to be used as a weapon to protect the life of the host. When the conditions are met, the host can activate the seal, bringing it to life. The ink is ejected from the host through the pores of the skin, clumping together to form a living plasma that can be controlled telepathically. The Seal can take the form of up to five shapeable tendrils that range up to five feet in length. They can harden or sharpen and can gain weight to be used for all manner of attacks. This versatility in use is meant so that the professor can escape possible capture and dispose of all witnesses.

To be used, the body must be in a fight or flight state and can be activated through the use of an incantation or self injury. The ejection process is painful and the host loses a lot of blood during the activation (as the ink itself has merged with the host's bloodstream) and even more so the more tendrils you produce. Afterwards, the ink returns to the host and a location is sent to the Holder of the Master Seal (the Headmaster).

All with a Command seal have standing orders to make this ability a last resort. The Last Defense is obviously not commonly known of for this reason. It could be considered another secret of the University's for that reason. (Taking this ability means that your character is now a professor.)




Runic Advanced: This is the level that approved professor characters will be placed at. Not too newbie where someone will ask "um, why are you a teacher?" but still allowing room for the character to upgrade their abilities. Your circle knowledge is enough that you can even put a complex circle within a complex circle.
***Your max circle count is 5.

Runic Expert: You are at the top of your field. It is not an odd sight to see a Runic User at this level to not only charitably help society but take paid jobs through the Government and the Hunter Guild. But most importantly, you are the major force of the University itself. Your skill has reached the point that you can have even 3 levels of complex runes within a single rune.
***Your max circle count is 7.




THROWING I (STARTER): Can accomplish fundamental and basic feats with weapon. Examples: Boomerang, Knives, Shuriken, etc
Specialized projectiles now unlocked:
Downer: The tip will inject the target with a Downer once purchased

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