Lamar Nereus

Don't worry about the formatting, as this was a copy-paste from a OC contest template, it'll slowly be edited into working shape.

1)Basic Info

Name: Lamar Nereus

Species: Human

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Emblem: A sailboat sailing on water, wind pushing the sail forward

Handedness: Right-handed

Nicknames: Resident Lifeguard (amongst friends and family), Little Merman (used for ironic purposes, as he's neither little nor part-fish)

Occupation: 3rd (technically 4th-Year) Huntsman-in-training, part-time lifeguard.

Likes: Structure, Stability, Religious Acceptance, Swimming

Dislikes: Excessive Change, Religious Rants, Yelling or Arguing in General

2)Appearance:

Aura Colour: Sea Green

Height: 7'-6"

Weight: 234 lbs. (Theoretically should put him at "healthy" weight, despite the BMI scale's overall lack of info regarding ultra-tall people.)

Eyes: Sapphire, somewhat narrow and (now) seem almost perpetually squinted, mainly due to Lamar's near-constant smile (due to efforts from teammates on confidence).

Skin Colour: Deeply tanned, near bronze-skin

Face Shape: Oval, with a Greek nose and normally shaped/sized ears.

Hair: Black, styled as a taper-fade with a perpetually messy quiff.

Physical Traits: Slightly longer than normal arms

Physique: Lean & athletic, swimmer's build.

Outfit: A red button-up short-sleeve shirt with floral patterns over a white tanktop paired with dark denim-shorts featuring an above-the-knee cut (based on this picture). This is paired with a large pair of brown Grecian/Gladiator-style sandals.

Accessories: A metallic-chained cross necklace, colored golden.

Gadgets: N/A

3)Characteristics:

Background:

Lamar had a normal childhood, born to his parents Bolibar and Guadalupe in a small, inconsequential seaside community in the confines of Mistral, and the middle child of three children. Marlowe was his elder brother by 3 years, and Kendall was his younger sister by 2 years. Bolibar worked as the captain of a fishing boat and was often gone for extended periods of time on the seas while his mother Guadalupe was a professor of theology at a local college. For most of his childhood, aside from weekly runs to town for groceries and occasional outings after church on Sundays, Lamar was a sheltered child kept from the real world. As he started to become a teenager, he (and sometimes his sister Kendall) were allowed to go with their father on fishing trips (even the longer ones, on rare occasions) and here was where Lamar learned how to operate as an extra deckhand and be a welcome source of comic relief for the other crew members. He learned to swim well enough during their off-times that he was able to save a drowning crew member from choppy seas by retrieving the man himself, and unbeknownst to him this would be a slight influence on his Semblance later on.

As he turned 16, his Mom gave him the opportunity to earn his license, and doing so with relative ease (seeing it as a way to set himself free for a change), was allowed to use the family's main car whenever it wasn't already being used or needed (Bolibar would usually walk to or be dropped off at the docks, as they lived close by). He used some of this freedom to invetigate around town for hours on end, and stumbled across an ad for Haven Academy. When he did, he told his parents about it, and while his father encouraged it for purposes of autonomy, stating it'd be good for him, his mother was much more apprehensive about it, as the Huntsmen she knew were areligious or openly spat at the name of it, something she didn't want for him. Only after repeated promises to keep his religious beliefs of their God intact, be good to other people, and to come home during school breaks (along with some convincing from Bolibar) did Guadalupe allow her son to go to Haven the following year, having a local blacksmith (and ex-Huntsman) forge him a basic parma-shield and a single-blade battle axe with a Fire-Dust enhanced cutting edge.

After learning how to use the weapons from the ex-Huntsman and unlocking his Aura in the process, he traveled to Haven by himself for the first time in awhile. It was only then that he truly realized the weight of his decision and his nervousness kicked in. Willow Feuilles was the first of the future Team WLOW to talk to and befriend him, and thus calm him down. It was during initiation when he accidentally manifested his Semblance to function as his landing strategy. He had hoped to find Willow during the course of time, but instead was paired up with Wisteria Alder while Willow and Oliver Ishard paired up later on, the two pairs returning together and being formed as Team WLOW. During initiation, he also managed to sever the head of an attacking Beringel, and ultimately this became a marker for how most of his Grimm kills are executed.

The group went into the Vytal 39th Vytal Festival Tournament in their first year, and managed to make it to the one on one finals before Oliver was ultimately defeated by his older brother from Atlas. During the summers, he would work as a lifeguard at a local pool facility, where his Semblance could come in handy as part of rescues. The group were not present at the 40th Vytal Festival, but were aware of the events that took place there before all communication was cut off. The group were also not present at the Fall of Haven since school wasn't in-session, and due to the death of Professor Lionheart and the damages to the school during the Haven skirmish, have remained separated; with Oliver returning to Atlas shortly before the borders closed, while Willow and Wisteria went to other parts of Mistral.

Personality
In general, Lamar is an individual who has a bit of an issue with controlling the polar opposite versions of himself, particularly as it ties into his "lifeguard/savior" persona and his more nervous and insecure side. The "savior" persona is little more than an act which only truly comes to fruition in times of danger, while his nervousness is the "truer" version of himself. Both of these 'moods' (as he refers to them) can be overbearing and too extreme both when unwarranted and when not, which is why he got passed over for the leadership position on his team, as otherwise, he would likely be the best candidate for his leadership and strong will to take action where necessary. He understands this fact and as such, he doesn't stress about losing the position, mostly because he often overstresses himself over everything else and he has no time to worry about it.

The little things tend to get to him, and he's been known to lose his cool after repeated and strong agitation, which results in a more volatile outburst than required. He prefers quieter days and requires mental focus to be able to handle intense pressure, and when he's able to do so is when he's at his strongest. Lamar's teammates have helped with this by watching his back and dealing with him as much as they do, which makes him quite happy. Thanks to them, he's begun to break down his nervousness where it's unnecessary and become a more confident and happy individual overall.

4)Trivia

Notable Relationships:

Bolibar & Guadalupe - Lamar was close to both of his parents, combining his father's strong build with some of his mother's religiousness to become something of a blessing child for the two, seeing as Marlowe always found some trouble to get himself into while Kendall was something of a diva despite their environment. Even though Bolibar was gone for long periods of time, he has a better relationship with him than Guadalupe, as sometimes he feels she gets a bit too preachy for his taste. Bolibar also treated him like his own person and let him figure things out for himself, a key part in him making the admittedly somewhat rash decision to be a Huntsman. He does appreciate his mother for giving him a strong religious base, and some of her daily doings, such as prayer before every meal have still carried with him to this day.

Marlowe & Kendall - Doesn't really care for either of them particularly Marlowe, as ran off awhile ago to pursue his own interests, denounced their family's religion, and works as a member of a political party looking to remove some of the Mistralian government structure almost towards levels of anarchy, something which Lamar has no tolerance for. In general, he views Kendall as a bit of a bitch, but still feels some responsibility to protect her as something a good older brother would do (despite her not needing it, being well over 6 feet tall it was unlikely she'd ever need it), and the two have bonded over shared experiences with Bolibar on the fishing ship and disdain for theirm other's preachiness.

Wisteria Alder - A serious but kind individual, Wisteria is something of an engima to the other members of her team, and to Lamar their relationship is near-strictly business. She's confident but not cocky, a brilliant strategist, and great at adapting to a tough situation, which Lamar highly appreciates. He too, isn't too sure what to make of her, as he's the most out of the loop amongst the other two team members concerning Wisteria's motivations and drive, but still places his confidence in her despite their otherwise lacking mutual bond.

Oliver Ishard - Arguably the team's best fighter, but in many respects the hardest to deal with. Oliver and Lamar are similar in many ways, both a bit uptight and strict, though Oliver is much more willing to express this as an Atlesian than Lamar. While he has lightened up some in the name of teamwork (which was capitalized on for the very obvious and unfortunate joke in his last name), Oliver is the lynchpin in most of the team's internal struggles, as he exasperates problems far out of proportion, much like Lamar; the difference being Oliver is a bit more snooty for it. When the duo work together effectively, they are probably the most dangerous duo the team could produce, but they still have to find some way to connect beyond mutual position on the team.

Willow Feuilles - Willow is, in some ways, Lamar's opposite: she's more comfortable in her own skin and willing to do what's right in spite of her fears while Lamar has trouble with engaging with this aspect. However, both of them have a sort of nervous energy to them, and as such can comfort one another through their joint reservations about other people and the situations they find themselves in. Willow also has a habit of using duct tape to literally shut people's mouths, something which Lamar appreciates: that's she's able to stand up for herself and take action (not to mention make things peaceful), which projects her confidence onto him and makes him a better person overall.

Skills: Christopher is able to drive a car (he has his license, though he doesn't drive that often) and has some knowledge of controlling a boat. He's also an excellent swimmer, (which ties into his lifeguarding capabilties.)

Saint Allusion: Saint Christopher, with a minor nod to the saint Nereus with his last name. Mostly seen through his physicality, job as a lifeguard (saving people from water), and his strong affiliation with forms of transportation. Cutting off the Beringel's head is a small nod to how St. Christopher was marytred as well.

Notes:

Nereus Family CNR: Bolibar is a Basque place name derived from the elements bolu "mill" & ibar  "riverside." Guadalupe means "river of the wolf" in Arabic. Marlowe is derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. Kendall comes from the English city Kendale meaning "valley on the river Kent." All of these and the family name associate with the color blue. Team WLOW CNR: Wisteria is a type of plant with purple flowers, while Alder means refers to a type of tree by the same name. Oliver refers to Olive trees (which yield a green or black fruit), while Ishard is a possible Germanic origin to the surname Eisold, referring to something being "ice-hard" (in addition to offering a more naughty interpretation of his last name). Willow is a type of tree with long, drooping green leaves usually found in warm climates, while Feuilles (pronounced "fay" or "fey") means "leaves" in French, making her full name mean "willow leaves."

Huntsman Extension

Weapon(s)

Name: Blockcutter [axe] & Bulwark [shield].

Wielder: Lamar Nereus

Maker/Smith: Local blacksmith (ex-Huntsman)

Classification: Fire-Infused Dust Axe (FIDA) & Specialty Parma Shield (SPS)

Weapon Derivation: Fantasy battle axe and a Roman Parma/Parmula Shield

Axe Design: A stereotypical fantasy battle axe with a single blade on one end and a sharpened end at the top (easily capable of stabbing), with a small switch close to where the central hand-grip is; which is used to activate the Fire-Dust in the axe blade for easier, cleaner cutting when necessary. The shaft also has hand-grips so the user's hand(s) has/have a better grip on the weapon.

Axe Aesthetics: An iron-styled blade and sharpened top-point with no fancy markings, with the overall shaft of the weapon colored a very dark brown color and the adjustable hand-grips colored in blue with black horizontal pinstripes.

Shield Design: A somewhat typically-sized parma shield (36 inches/91 cm. across), fortified with iron-frame construction.

Shield Aesthetics: A bronze-colored shield with a depiction of his emblem painted in blue on its front face. Several design markings similar to branches and leaves weave symmetrically along the outsides of the shield.

Dust Usage: The axe has a switch which can turn on Fire-Dust, which can combust certain things it touches and help it to cut through tougher, thicker materials easier.

Ammunition: N/A

Planned/Possible Upgrades: Add greater Dust-capability, add additional functionality to the shield (bladed edges, perhaps?)

Notes: Bulwark refers to a defensive wall, similar to a rampart. Originally, both weapons were going to be collectively known as Blockcutter (much like Ren's Stormflower) for the sake of punniness, but it was decided agaisnt in favor of two names for two weapons.

B)Semblance

Name: Air Jet

User: Lamar Nereus

Introduction: User concentrates their Aura into a specific area, forming a movable and manipulable zone in the air with water-like properties, while not actually making or using water itself (it's all Aura). It's essentially a bubble, and the air bubble and what's inside of it has the liquid-like properties.

Description: N/A

Range: Medium Range (Up to 100 feet when pushing self or fueled by adrenaline)

Type: Conjuration/Conversion

Purpose: Utility

Visual Cue: A ripple-like effect the color of the users Aura in the area of effect appears (with light refracting through/off of it much like water), with the rough boundaries indicated in the color of the user's Aura as well.

Auditive Cue: None

Tier 1: Can only form the bubble for themselves and someone/something in their immediate vicinity (10 to 15-ish feet normally). Maintaining the bubble is difficult when the user casts it over more than just them. Average size is enough to encapsulate at least one or two people standing up.

Tier 2: The bubble has more liberty distance-wise and can be used to pick up objects and people from a distance of close to 40-45 feet on average. Size stays about the same from Tier 1, but possible duration of maintaining the ability is extended.

Tier 3: The bubble gains additional distance (75-80 feet average), and the user gains some control of the "water's" tension and density. Larger area of effect (size) and duration possible, Aural drain decreases some.

General Limitations:

1) The greater the size and distance, the more difficult to generate and maintain the bubble becomes.

2) Aura drain increases as each factor is amplified, with a maximum Aura drain per minute being around 30% of the user's Aura to maintain it for a minute (Tier 2, furthest distance when strained and at the largest size), with the lowest being around 5% (Tier 3. shortest distance, smallest size) with all other values being within this range. This doesn't include people, beings, or significantly sized objects aside from the user being inside, which would increase these values.

3) While breathing inside the "water bubble" is perfectly fine, the light refraction and ripple effects in the water can make it hard to see for the people inside, so crashes or misjudgment of position can happen.

4) Water can't fully stop the vast majority of attacks, merely slow them down.

Applications: User can use this to break falls, float midair for a limited amount of time in some instances, retrieve people or objects from a distance if necessary, propel themselves forward or upward, and slow down attacks which get caught inside.

Dust Interaction: Water Dust makes it an actual water orb (embracing liquid properties nearly in full), while Air/Wind Dust basically makes it a true bubble, losing most of its liquid properties. It's important to note that Lamar has not combined his Semblance with Dust before as he rarely has Dust on him, let alone the above types.

Notes: This was done in isolation as a way to tie in to the lifeguard-like motif he has going on (remotely rescuing people from the water, potentially) without checking the SSMASLE or past competitions, so any similarities to other Semblances are merely coincidental. This was also done on short notice at 1:30 AM, so any issues, I blame it on poor time management.

Reflection of Character: Like a person's state of mind, water changes and flows, shifting and changing by adapting to its container. Lamar is forced to form into his confident self or his nervous self, where his confidence is trapped in his nervousness. The high level of concentration required also ties into his desire for peace, calm, and tranquility, which like water, is hard to find as ripples are constantly being made.

C)Combat Info

Preferred Range: Close to Mid-Range, with about equal preference for both. His weapons are only truly suited for close-range combat, yet his support-style Semblance means he's usually not focusing on fighting and instead helping out his teammates by holding off attacks just long enough to counter, block or dodge, or pulling them out of tough spots at just the right time.

Landing Strategy: Use his Semblance about 1/3 through his fall to slow his descent until he's going much slower (near floating), before easing themselves down a few dozen feet at a time, using their Semblance periodically to keep from building too much momentum.

Fighting Style: Lamar's fighting style mostly focuses on misdirecting and blocking attacks, or dampening their effects on him, and so he's not as up front as some of the other members of his team combat-wise despite his stature, fitting his support role. When he does focus on offense (usually if he exploits a glaring hole in defense or out of last-resort necessity), he goes very much direct and strength-oriented, using his axe double-handed to push extra power. This mroe direct combat style is also how he tends to handle Grimm, usually tryign to be quick and efficient with his kills by either severing the head or finding an environmental hazard to kill them with.

Expanded Occupation/Business Details: As a part-time lifeguard (who currently works at a pool facility in Mistral), Lamar is tasked with enforcing rules for safety purposes (through surveillance) and being a primary responder to situations of distress. In addition to this, he's also tasked with helping with upkeep by checking equipment for damage as well as regulating levels of chlorine in the pool. (Before he became a Huntsman or worked as a lifeguard, he often helped his father out on summer fishing runs, and even rescued a drowning crew member who went overboard when a rogue wave on choppy seas crashed into the ship.)

Certifications: Certified to be a lifeguard at most public pool and waterfront facilities, which means he's been tested and certified for extraction of drowning victims, giving CPR, and other Remnant-specific requirements for the job.

Trivia

 * Lamar is a French & English surname derived from the old French "la mare" meaning "the pool," referring to blue. Nereus is Greek for "water," and was the name of a sea god and the name of a Roman saint in the 1st century.