#| hcs

HC; Wrench hand.

Survival in the ring doesn't fall to the one who managed to become the wealthiest, powerful or even the most cunning. Adaptability plays essential as the foundation behind all these facets. To take an already stripped gas station, to find parts none had considered and ensure your ride is spruced up? Learning how to kick up all generations into life in abandoned buildings after a fresh and perilous Hollow expedition? This is an experience you can't truly hold until those dire straits march right up to you.

Lighter is someone who has been burned by the ways of the Ring more times than he could count. It demanded grit to survive on little supplies, to let the old relics of yesteryear, or the remnants of those who made The Dust their graves into joyous calls of the present. He's become dangerously reliable, alongside the rest of the Sons, of any Ringer worth their salt in learning his way around technology old and new.

Mainly the gears, bolts and wires compared to anything within the interface like code. Bringing second wind into these objects with weathered hands is easily a field of do or die. W-Engine repairs, ensuring his bike is in top shape or can handle any new fuel concoction, to more fun things like ensuring some old busted TV and radio can still hang with the more modern editions. In a way, the act of keeping his hands nimble and busy like this is therapeutic to the Champion.

Busywork with benefit.

Oftentimes he can be found either underneath the gang's vehicles, tucked away in some odd end of Blazewood surrounded by his kingdom of screws, bolts and some 'Frankenstein' creation being driven from the center 'pyre'. Upkeep is an essential, not only in his line of work, but within the Outer Ring in general. Daunting conditions will weather down the carelessly kept in seconds, and all it takes is that one mistake to truly fuck a situation up beyond repair.

HC; Physicality.

HC; Social Proximity.

Lighter is someone who doesn't bask in any form of elusive nature. Secrets aren't really a thing, but a lot of his history, from high points to mistakes operate more as set pieces depending on the relationship or moment at hand. For instance, someone considerably more sentimental would get a taste of his softer days, and a more intentional level of arms distance from the more difficult days of his history. The idea of his experiences, his life just opening up new wounds in a different way, even out of empathy just internally hurts him as well.

It's not the type of damage he'd ever hold in any personal regard. It's human to feel for others, to want to either help them out or balm those aches, but personality and people often drives what he decides to bring to the limelight.

Give a scenario where he's more tight knit with someone who knows the language of Hollow Exploration, how it shows more brash, ambitious and cruel aspects of humanity, this opens a different door. He's open about the state of his past, how he was a driven leader drunk upon ambition, how the idea of leader hadn't simmered into good truths until after his days of mistakes, loss and potentially almost losing himself. There's an understanding in these individuals that can't be found outside of those seasoned by such days.

This, however doesn't mean that the paths can't inevitably intersect. They will, outside of his business of dealing with the old demons of Calydon, Lighter doesn't enjoy any aspect of hiding things from those he's close to. The personal bond in question just opens the grounds for navigation, and how ultimately he shapes the nature of a relationship depending on who you are. All of it is still Lighter Lorenz, down to the decision in how he decides to open, a more loud and proud approach to being himself simply isn't in this specific branch of cards.

HC; Mercenary.

His hands settled in this line of work are far from removed. Rather, he's come to embrace certain aspects after being wisely burned the way he has. The network of underground warriors, Dennyguns and hired paramilitary all have a form of reach he can manage. Normally the primary goal is split between intelligence sharing and becoming an old hand that can appropriately guide those upon more reckless paths, if they're willing to listen.

A lot of his primary work within the Sons of Calydon is keeping the ghosts of the past at bay, the original terrors of the Outer Ring known as Calydon during a more despicable, undignified area of history. In kind, this required him to gain new connections, burn the old, and nurture the worthwhile. It's lead Lighter to hold a new lens in seeing a more dirtied past that truly remained, blinded by his used to be starry eyed ambitions.

In the rare cases outside of Calydon's purview, he can be hired again, and these jobs are incredibly few, and far in between. A firm line is held that being on a 'side' of gang warfare is out of the question. A mediator? Certainly. Hollow warfare against Ethereals however are something he'll readily take, both in this lens and as the Champion. Particular branches of theft, bodyguard jobs (a primary he takes) can all fall into his hands, at the right price. (And in rarer cases, situations he can resonate with.)

Slowly rolling up ideas on 'The incident' that claimed the lives of his old troupe, the shady deal that paid an abnormally high amount, and the fact they've actually paid more to keep it hush hush.

I'm starting to fix up the idea of this being old Helios related test sites. (entire grounds devoted to researching Etheric Others.) Primarily, grounds where the prospects of 'Sacrifices' and the usage of the unique infrastructure of Outer Ring Hollows to slot in new branches of experimentation.

For the cults that in particular hold reverence to the Creator, anything from that company and the White Star Institute's darker ends are willing to shell out massive funds to throw potential high level recruits, to mainly free bodies at these opportunities. Anything from that old era of high technology, of etheric research that intends to use Hollows as incubators rather than the rightful blight to take out of their world.

And THIS to add to it? A means to where he'd actually have an active rhythm in Hollows and the nature of those things itself? 4.4 HSR spoilers.

Funny how this works out.

HC; Melancholy.

Hollow Exploration has always been a bittersweet to outright experience as long as he can remember. For him, there's a mirbid beat to embrace when truly seeing those inner zones for what they are; Homes taken. Catching those dusted air condition units hanging from the windows, running nonetheless due to ether energy output. Having to hang either in a more lavish home or an apartment complex, both in a bid to collect supplies, or to take a breather in less dense corruption areas.

It often made him witness that history that the Hollows are kind enough to keep. Pictures of families, old diaries that held hopes for the future or the mundane annoyances, that old dusted up toolkit of a mechanic, the pencils, pens, brushes, and tablets of an artist once pursuing their craft. It's these elements that make him slow, and it makes him grateful he has the strength to allow that. Lighter Lorenz wants his witnessing to be one more step that they've never been forgotten.

Such feelings double down whenever combat has to stir him into these homes, serving as the veritable spark as the Hollows were the kindle. Destroying those tables that promised a home cooked meal between families, the rooms of people trying to make the best of bad situations, to be accidently be flung into a den that was once used as a haunt for addicts to chase their highs, not every view was pretty, but his eyes that refuse a jaded outlook knew this was a touch of humanity as it's best and worst.