"I am not saying I am better then you, but if I had made it; it wouldn't have broken. Just saying."
Introducing
Full Name:
Adam Richard Hayes Jr.
Nickname:
He introduces himself as Rick, but he doesn't mind if someone calls him Ricky when trying to be cute.
Age:
19
Birth Date:
November 14th, 1995
Home Town:
Bessie, Oklahoma
Sexuality:
Heterosexual
Studying:
Anthropology
Being Demi-Gods
Godly Parent: Hephaestus, god of fire, metalworking, and the crafts.
"You know, that ugly smith gimp that no one invites to parties. Yea, swell guy."
Power:
Rick, like most sons and daughters of Hephaestus, has powers over the domains of fire, metalworking, and various other crafts. Rick does not have much control over his pyrokensis not able to summon anything larger then a golf-ball sized flame unless there is a large source of fire nearby, so unless someone starts a forest fire; it isn't likely Rick will be slinging around flames. He can use his pyrokensis by touching and heating things through continued skin contact which is how he forges most of his works thus eliminating the need for a forge. His hands grow red, to blue, to, finally, white, depending on how high he forces the temperature, and it does take time for his hands to reach the higher stages, and he can only hold it for so long, but beware when shaking his hand as he can't resist giving people a light singe. Rick is extremely resistant to heat able to hold molten steel in his hand without burning himself.
His skill in most crafts is sub-par. Rick has very little talent in sculpting, weaving, wood-carving, painting, or any other of the 'softer' arts, something that drives him insane as he would prefer any of those to his talent as his talent resides, almost entirely, in metalworking. As long as he is making something with metal, he can forge anything including tools, cooking utensils, armor, weaponry, traps, parts to machines, or anything else. It is important to note that Rick will not make armor or weapons for anyone, he doesn't like making them as he doesn't feel anything as he forges them. They always seem sub-par to him, but wondrous to others, lacking in a certain quality that all of his other works have. Also, he doesn't like the idea behind weapons and armor nor the pressure they place on him.
Like most of the children of Hephaestus, Rick has an affinity for machines able to fix and maintain almost any machine even if given only a few minutes to examine it to figure out how it works, but he isn't fond of machinery and hates working on vehicles as he finds it utterly boring and a waste of his skills. The only thing he really uses this skill for is the creation of traps and other prank like devices for children of Hermes, and he loves nothing more then planting some during Capture the Flag games to see how many people he can get with them.
Strengths:
Inventive || Fair || Perfectionism || Independent || American Football || Cooking || Humor
Craftsman's Pride || Walking Forge
Weaknesses and Flaws:
Spiteful || Proud || Grooming || Perfectionism || Stubborn || Jealousy || Terrified of Heights/Spiders || Insomnia ||
Combat || Craftsman's Pride || Fires
Sharing Our Desires
Likes: Pranks || Forging || Making deals || Music || 'Softer' Crafts || Fires || Passion || Mischief || Cooking || Jewelry || Rare metals || Challenges || Hera || Reading || History || Games || Naps || Movies || Cartoons || Jokes, be they puns or the like. [His favorite are bad jokes that have even worse timing] || Horses || Art || Adorable 'pet' Nicknames
Dislikes: Losing || Gods || Melodrama || The Cold || Rodents || Insects || Heights || Science || English || Most Vegetables || Tomatoes || Dress Codes || Shaving || Reggie Music || Zealots || Goody Two-Shoes || Complaints || Monologues || Nosey People || Shallowness || Charmspeak, or any power that takes away personal control and inhibition || Those of High Maintenance || Hephaestus
Hobbies: Forging || Cooking || Pranks || American Football ||
Fears: Failure: Rick can't stand the thought of failure, and it compounds when people see him fail and comment on it as Rick can hold a grudge.
Destruction: Rick doesn't want to make weapons and armor, he doesn't want to kill anyone, even indirectly. What if he forges a mighty weapon that ends up killing someone he loves? What if his armor fails, and they die because of his failure? No, despite his masterful skill in metalworking, he will never forge weapons of war save for his dream project. He will not even repair them.
Deformity: Rick has always had a soft spot for those born with defects, but he cannot bear the idea of having a deformity, himself, and the idea of becoming a cripple terrifies him more then death. He can't stand the idea of becoming like his father even if it is a shared pain.
Secrets:
Worshiping Another: Rick offers his prayers to his grandmother Hera in stead of his father or the rest of the pantheon. He does it to both spite his father and because he has always been fond of Hera in mythology and hopes to someday be able to speak with her.
Stygian Iron/Ice: Rick dreams of some day forging a blade of Stygian Iron and Stygian Ice, but, supposedly, only those of Hades' line can carry those blades and to even forge it; he would need Hades' permission, or he could always sneak in, but he would probably get in trouble or die. Despite hating weaponry, Rick knows, deep down, that if he forges a blade of Styrigan Iron and Ice; it would be weapon that would make even his father green with envy. Of course, what he would do with the sword afterwards is beyond him as he wouldn't be able to wield it, perhaps he would give it as a gift or throw it into the River of Styx after it was finished. Making it is more important to him then what happens afterwards.
Abstinent: Yes, Rick is abstinent, and he does, in fact, have a promise ring which he wears around his neck on a chain of platinum. He forged both the chain and golden ring himself. It is not a religious choice, but a personal one. Ever since he learned of his parentage, Rick has sworn to never create a fatherless bastard child like all the Gods seemed more then happy to produce. Now, there are ways to avoid this such as getting surgery, but he wants the option of having kids someday, and abstaining completely sends a better message; he can do what the Gods, themselves, cannot do. This does mean that he is a Virgin. This is not something he talks about or tells anyone about and when someone spots the ring under his shirt, he always tells them it's from a girl back home.
In-Depth
Personality
|| Spiteful || Fair-Handed || Stubborn || Proud || Humorous || Independent
Just like his God-Parent, Rick is extraordinarily spiteful and vengeful. He never forgets nor forgives a slight, disrespect, or a broken deal, and he will go to nearly any lengths to satisfy his need for vengeance even if it means causing mass collateral damage or at great expense to himself. His vengeance can come at any time, be it a few days after or even years later when the target believes Rick has forgotten about it; Rick will even pretend he has forgotten about it just to make sure when he does act it will utterly crush them: mind, body, and spirit. On the other side of the coin, Rick is extremely fair and even-handed in his deals with most people, as just like a grudge, he will never forget a favor and even carries a small black book with him at all times that has a list of people who either owe him a favor, or people he owes a favor. Rick will force people to sign the book next to their names to ensure they know they owe him, so they can't pull fast ones on him, and he does this because he has become something akin to a Broker in the camp. He makes things for various people, normally children of Hermes, such as tools, lock-picks, car parts or other machine parts, and various other items in return for services such as whenever he needs something obtained... well, obtained in manners less then reputable. This has lead him to calling on favors from other people to get something just to trade it to another person in return from a favor from them. His 'business' has grown to the point where Rick may need to get another book.
Rick is incredibly stubborn to the point that someone calling him 'pig-headed' would be a severe understatement. He will continue a task even when it becomes mind-searingly frustrating simply because he will refuse to quit. When he is interested in something, or someone, he will pursue it until he gets what he wants even if, in this case a someone, strikes back at him or stresses how much they don't want him to be near him. The only thing stronger then his iron-will is his Pride. Rick has absolute confidence in his abilities, and more importantly, his craft. The amount of pleasure he gets from seeing it finished and working, no matter the object, validates his purpose and existence, but because of his pride, especially in his craft, he will never accept shoddy work from others or himself. Complaints or insults to his work will both enrage him and make him incredibly defensive because his work means more to him then well, himself. Insulting him is one thing, insulting his work is completely different.
Despite his sensitivity about his work, Rick loves humor. There are few things that he loves more then laughing or the people that can make him laugh. He loves all brands and styles of jokes from crude to outright bad jokes that people write on Popsicle sticks. He won't laugh the same amount or as deep to all of them, but he still respects the fact they tried. Rick sees humor as one of the greatest trait a person can have as it is the effort of injecting light into peoples lives, or perhaps their own, by making them happy even if only for a short term, this love of humor does make him a little... cruel at times as he reduces most things in his life to jokes or something close to it, and when he hears something tragic; he will often make a joke about it without thinking about it nor the person's feelings in question.
Rick is ferociously independent and hates people trying to force responsibilities he doesn't want on him. He loves nothing more then doing his own things and deeply values his independence and self-reliance as Rick will never ask for help from others, which is why he trades favor instead because, in his mind, that is vastly different then asking. He takes pride in his ability to heat metal, and thus have no need for a forge, because it only exemplifies his Independence and Self-reliance.... now all he needs to do is something get a pocket-sized anvil.
The Past Defines Us
Rick was born and raised in Bessie, Oklahoma, a tiny town of barely two-hundred people. Bessie was a ranchers and farmers town with barely anyone living in the town, itself, and the rest of them living in large stretches of land around the town where they grew crops and raised live-stock. Rick's Mother, Tera Hayes, was the town grade school teacher, and his father, Adam Hayes, was the town Veterinarian, a very important person considering the livelihood of most of the town. Rick was... gift from God, they called him as his mother was in her mid-forties and his father was in his late-forties. The doctors had told Adam that he would never have children because he was sterile, and it was a cruel fact that both of them had accepted, or so they thought. Tera attracted Hephaestus' eyes because of a disabled child in her class, and she was one of the only teachers in the entire town given their tiny population, she treated him like he was no different then any other child, and truly, she loved him as the child fate had never granted to her. Hephaestus 'bumped' into her as a traveling businessman hoping to use his exotic appearance as a way of alluring her to him, and it worked. Tera found him, and his numerous gifts, to be enchanting, but she was a married woman, and no matter how exotic he was, she wouldn't betray Adam's trust so easily, but if Hephaestus is anything, he is calm. Slowly, he broke down her defenses, until finally she gave in. A few months later, she realized she was pregnant, and Adam was over-joyed because he took it as a sign from God that they were blessed, but it destroyed Tera because she knew who the father truly was. She confronted Hephaestus, who she now loved more then her lawful husband, begging to know what was to be done and then he dropped the bombshell. Of who he was and who her child would be, of course, there was some misunderstanding and disbelief, but after a quick demonstration; the facts set in. This conversation would be the last time Tera would ever see Hephaestus.
So Rick was born to a guilt-ridden mother and an over-joyed father. His early life in Bessie was rather uneventful. He spent most of his time outside, as there was never anything on T.V, and the internet was both expensive and unreliable that far out in the middle of nowhere, so frolicking with friends was what he did every day. In fact, nothing changed until middle school when Rick took shop class, a fairly popular class, and discovered his innate talent and power with metal. Even without instruction, Rick had a way of shaping metal as if it was speaking to him. He could forge and create complex works that not even the instructor could replicate, but more importantly, it was at this time that his father, Adam, would pass away due to aggressive liver cancer. Only a few months after, at only 13, his mother, Tera, decided it was time to tell Rick who his real father was given his sudden show of talent and love of shop class, and now that Adam had passed beyond her ability to hurt him.
At first, Rick didn't believe it. How could he? A Greek god? He brushed it off as just her way of dealing with the pain of his father passing, but some part of him knew. Just knew she wasn't lying, and it destroyed a part of him. The part that saw the world as honest and good. That saw his parents as wonderful, perfect people. A part of him started to loathe his mother and his 'father', but he buried the hatred. Buried the resentment and continued with life taking it a day at a time.
During his freshmen year, Rick took a part-time job at the local town smithy who spent most of his time repairing tools and shoeing horses, and it was a job Rick could really sink his teeth into. He would end up spending hours at the local farms among the animals working under the hot son, or in the bitter cold, with just him, the hammer, and the job. All the problems would fade away during these hours, and it is some of his fondest memories he has of home, because he would leave home just a year later. One can only build up so much hate and resentment before they explode, and it happened one Sunday morning when his mother demanded to know why he didn't want to go to church. Why would he? He knew who the real gods were, and he knew what kind of gods they were. Most of them didn't deserve his time much less his prayers. How could his mother still wear her wedding ring and parade around as the grieving widow, but how dare she. She was a 'wife' who cheated on her husband with a stranger, bore his child and allowed her husband to believe it was his. This stranger was part of a series of gods who spent their time raping, fucking, and destroying the dreams of humans. He told her of why he carried the purity ring around his neck, of how he would not be like his father, and how when he got married; he would not be like her. He would be something she, nor his 'father' could ever comprehend. He would be faithful.
To say it went over well would be a bold-faced lie. He broke his mothers spirit, and honestly, Rick didn't care. She deserved every barbed word. She deserved every scrape of pain, and the tissues she was using to wipe her face were too good for her. After months of tense silence, Rick found a booklet on his bed. It held information of a school for kids like himself, it seemed his 'father' had left his mother with instructions of what to do with him when his powers made themselves more prominent, and he became older. Not wanting to deal with his mother, or the silence, any longer; Rick agreed to go, and has been at the Academy since his sophomore year of High School.
Over the last three years, Rick has developed a fondness and resentment towards many of the other children, and sometimes just out of distaste for their parentage, but he does have a deep fondness for the Children of Hermes, and it is their influence that has spawned his love of pranks, and also because of their nature, he had to create the black book of favors to ensure no one slipped out of deals once they owe him something. Overall, Rick loves the school, and is quite content with his new life.
