[Phantom]

Rivalen Konstantin Moore

Full Name: Rivalen Konstantin Moore
Pronouns: He/Him
Nicknames: Riv
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Room #: -
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Birthday: December 26th
Orientation: Somewhere on the asexual spectrum
Status: Single
Power: Corruption Manipulation
Play-By: Jonghyun Hong
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 188 lbs


Personality:
Unless it directly affects him, Rivalen is apathetic to the world around him. He is amoral- and lives in an upside down world where his flaws feel like moral failures- but actual moral failures aren't important- just little flaws! Rivalen is selfish, and will make truly horrific threats that he will act on to get what he wants. He is also vindictive- not happy just to get payback on someone- when they go low, he goes much, much lower (down to the sub basement!). And in fact- he enjoys enacting terror on others- it feeds him.

What is surprising about Rivalen is that despite not being aware of his own emotions, his emotional intentions are often nakedly obvious to everyone around him. His hunger drives him constantly- and the motives behind his actions are often unfathomable. He is intense, and when he senses an opportunity- aggressive. In many situations Rivalen is dominating- he doesn't care if people are doing what he wants out of fear- just that it's done, and done how he wants it.

Rivalen is logical. Rational. He has a reason for the things he does, and he feels completely justified. Often, he hides behind rationality. Due to his upbringing, Rivalen is an incredibly skilled person. He is a great and capable problem solver, quick on his feet, with an extensive knowledge of the natural world. And, actually, Rivalen is a very responsible person- he just doesn't like to make commitments unless he gets something out of it (or, in the rare case that he actually likes a person).

Rivalen is forthright. He does not typically lie, and he is very consistent in personality. He's not the type to deceive someone into believing he's a good person to get what he wants. And, really, why go through all that effort when it's so easy to frighten someone? He is impatient- no need to play the long game when he can get what he wants right here, right now.

Ultimately, Rivalen is just a sadistic predator who preys on masochists. What is normal to the spider, is chaos to the fly.

History:
(cw: physical abuse, child abuse)

Rivalen's childhood was often terrifying, full of fear. It was also the perfect environment for him to grow up in. The negativity was all around him. He was stewing in it. Sure- his ankle never fully recovered from him being thrown against the couch. But would he be as strong as he is today if he weren't absorbing all of his father's malice? His mother's fear? His baby sister's distress?

If he hadn't had his finger on the last '1' button that day- would he have killed him?

Rivalen's father was a survivalist. He was also a cop. By the time he was old enough to remember, he was going out on multi-day excursions with him into the woods. And if he didn't manage to catch or forage anything, he had nothing to eat that day. He learned to fish, hunt, forage- navigate through brush and thicket. He could make a fire or a raft- improvise a fishing line from almost nothing. Those days are some of the only pleasant memories that Rivalen has of his father.

His mother was often anxious- and Rivalen absorbed her anxiety like a sponge. Like a trapped animal- she wanted to escape- but had nowhere to go. She certainly couldn't go to the police.

He was always on his best behavior.

He never really knew what would set his father off. When they were working on, or doing something, he was a perfectly pleasant man. Then- almost out of nowhere- he would become a screaming, raging monster. If he was standing in his way he would be shoved- typically to the ground. As a child he couldn't yet contextualize that the reason why he "changed" so abruptly, was that he was choosing to act that way. It felt more like severe weather- it just happened, and he had to hope he was out of the way when it started.

At one point he had entertained the idea of recording him- but even if he did- who was he going to report him to?

Up until he started school, Riv lived a very isolated life. He had only known the ecosystem within his own home- one where he was at the absolute bottom of the food chain. He had no recourse against his father, and his mother was tortured enough already. At school, he was finally around kids his own size. And for a while? He did nothing.

Up until his tenth birthday, when he fully came into his power.

He was hunting with his father when he came across a dead rabbit. Perfectly intact, and untouched, on the forest floor. It looked almost too healthy to have been left alone. He reached out to it.

The moment his hand brushed up against its fur, it dried out- shriveled up. It's body cavity disintegrated- revealing the rot within. The grass around it browning, dead. Rivalen slurped up the last little bit of life left in it- all for himself. He was not frightened. The only person he was afraid of wasn't there.

Decay was just a part of nature, and he had it in his hands.

At home he was, somehow, more aware of the emotions around him than ever. They were so strong that he had a hard time sleeping. He felt strong. At school, he didn't feel the same way.

Until the last day of that year. He was there, with all the other unlucky kids that had to be there because their parents wouldn't let them skip the day. They were all steadily leaving, being picked up, until he and a female student were the only two left. Their teacher had stepped out for only a moment, and he could feel the power bubbling up in his hands.

When he touched his desk the wooden top creaked and cracked- turning green and blue (bruising,) and blistering. The metal rusting, flaking. He could feel the fear radiating off of her- sweeter than the expensive perfume his father had bought his mother for Christmas that year.

From that moment on, he craved it.

The rumor had gotten around by next year, and Riv only had one (1) friend. He was never quite sure if she actually liked his company, or if she just hung around to make sure he didn't end up killing someone.

He started acting out. If he wanted something, he would take it. If he knew one of his classmates was sensitive- he would make them cry, just because he thought it was funny. Just like his father had taught him- power was the only thing that mattered. But his world was limited, and Rivalen didn't want much.

Then, when he was twelve, his mother disappeared. He assumed (hoped,) she had taken his baby sister and fled. But he never saw her again.

Was he not worth protecting?

Or had he been spared?

Now his fathers bad attitude and inner darkness were all he had left. And he took from it as often as he could.

High school was fantastic for Rivalen. His home life was still shitty- but at school almost everyone felt bad for one reason or another. Insecurities, alcoholism, addiction, suicidal ideation, depression, pressure- you name it. He didn't even have to try that hard to elicit a reaction from someone- if he even bothered. All he had to do was sit back, and absorb the negativity (and he made sure to always sit next to the kids that reeked of it). He even joined a few clubs, just to be around them. An extra hour or two outside of the house was never a bad thing.

There was only one thing he could never get behind. He was planning on spending that Halloween working at a haunted house- but when he heard about some of the senior's plans- he had his schedule changed. He'd heard about it once or twice on the news, how many black cats were murdered on Halloween.

What were they going to get out of it? He'd never felt an ounce of satisfaction from an animal's suffering. He asked his friend to find out more for him- and considering she'd stuck around for that long- he told her why.

She didn't think it was funny either. It wasn't like he was going to hurt them- but if they happened to drop dead from terror, he wouldn't feel sorry.

They showed up around eight. They did, indeed, have a cat. At first, Rivalen was paralyzed- what to do? He'd only ever used his power physically. By the time he got close it would be too late. He felt the energy in his hands- and he released it.

The one in the middle began to scream madly- the rest took one look at him before they scattered. Cat forgotten in its carrier. He couldn't have pets- he was worried about what his father might do to them- instead he gave it to his friend.

He heard that the kid's skin was rotten and necrotic where he'd hit him- as if he'd been bitten by a venomous spider. And he was venomous- he was dripping with it.

For the most part, Rivalen stayed low key. Except for the occasional easy scare- he was worried about attracting too much attention. If his father found out what he was doing- there would be hell to pay.

Unfortunately for him, he was getting weaker by the year. Like Rivalen was sucking him dry, basking in his hate. He could see the terror in his old man's eyes when he realized that he was no longer a scared little boy.

One evening, they were in the kitchen together, when his breath seized- and he grabbed his chest. He fell on his knees, and then to the floor, and begged him to call for help.

Had he ever done anything to help him?

He had taught him a lot. But, it was about time to let nature take its course.

Rivalen savored his suffering like a fine wine. And when he finally heaved his last breath, and gave up the ghost- he reached his hand out.

He shriveled up, just like the rabbit, revealing the rot within. The floorboards around him bruised and buckled under his weight.

It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted. He felt more powerful than ever- and not just because his self hatred coach had finally kicked the bucket.

The funeral was agonizing. He did not care one bit for any of these people- who did not care one bit for the wrinkled meat sack in the casket. There wasn't even a single tear in the house- he was starving. He'd finally had a taste of what he really wanted, and now, he had nothing.

School was out- he didn't bother to go to graduation.

So Riv was spit out into the world. And it was only then that he realized that he had learned nothing. He knew how to navigate by the sun and the stars- how to feed himself in the event of a disruption of the food supply. How to shoot a gun, how to lay a trap, how to tie a secure knot. How to intimidate- how to threaten. He didn't know how to balance a checkbook, or apply for a job. He didn't even know how to use money beyond buying the basics- the bare necessities.

Rivalen had no career ambitions- he just wanted more. He was hungry. And for the first time in his life, he was free.

There was only ever one real career path for him. He just puttered around until he got there.

When Rivalen found out that there were people that paid to be tortured- he jumped in feet first. Sure- there were rules. There were always rules, even before then. He didn't even care that they derived a... different kind of pleasure than he did from their appointments. He was being given an endless supply of negative emotions. He could make horrible threats- and they came back! He could even afford to move out of the nightmare house he'd lived in for his entire life.

While he was sketchy in practically every other area of his life- Rivalen was not an animal abuser. He adopted a dog. She was perfectly friendly, but she barked like a bonafide attack dog. She terrified mailmen, and kept people at least four feet away when he walked her. He loved that animal. He barely spent any money on himself, but bought her new toys often.

Rivalen lived like that for a while. And he was actually pretty happy, although he still had intense cravings. He probably would have continued on that way indefinitely- if he hadn't been contacted by the (still) one person he considered to be his friend.

She graduated- they caught up. She was (still) probably checking in on him to make sure he hadn't killed someone. He was, strangely, fine with that. Just like his dog- in the right circumstances- he could be a strikingly loyal animal.

She was actually very interested in his career. She especially wanted to know how much of his money was actually his, and how much he paid the dungeon to work there. He could make a lot more money if he worked for himself- she could even help him advertise.

Rivalen, of course, did not care about the money. He also didn't really care much for the internet, or else he probably would have already been doing that himself. What was the point of being exposed to that much suffering and negativity if it didn't benefit him? He couldn't absorb it at all- it was useless.

Still, if he went off on his own, he would be able to shrug off some of the... unnecessary rules that he had to follow. It wasn't like he had anything to lose.

Within a year, he went from working in a dank dungeon in a basement, to having a whole team working around him.

His friend managed everything. He had a social media manager, and an accountant. He moved to a much nicer neighborhood, and actually started buying some things for himself. Meanwhile his team was attracting the perfect clients for him.

They made these (in his opinion,) hilarious little waivers. He wasn't a big fan of doing anything that wasn't in person- where he could absorb all that wonderful energy for himself- but sometimes, he had to. They eventually convinced him that the payoff was worth the effort.

He was pretty sure his accountant was stealing from him, but he didn't care. As long as he had enough money to live off of, and they kept bringing in clients, and managing the day to day- they could do whatever they wanted.

He was growing more powerful by the day. And unless he had to, he never took a day off. It was just enough to take the edge off.

Just enough. It was almost like the more negativity he absorbed, the more he craved- and he could never be satisfied. The feeling of satisfaction became less and less. He was always starving. The craving was so deep, he was often in physical pain.

He was starving and he had everything- but it felt like he had nothing.

When he recieved his invitation to Infinity, he took it without hesitation. His friend would take care of his dog.

A school... For the gifted. Rivalen had plenty of money, now he wanted power. And there, he could become powerful. And if he became powerful... Perhaps he could finally sate his hunger.

Despite his friend's deepest fears, Rivalen has not (directly,) killed anyone. Yet.

Other:
The Powers:
Corruption Manipulation- Rivalen has the ability to manipulate almost all facets of corruption. Most importantly, he feeds on- and is empowered by- the darkness, negative feelings, and perceptions of the people around him. Rivalen can wield his power in both direct and indirect ways. Directly, he can corrupt any object with a touch- or use the powers of corruption and negative energy offensively. Indirectly, he can corrupt the entire environment around him- changing it into a literal hellscape. His mere presence is corrupting, and taints the area around him- although unless he causes the change himself, it is rarely permanent.

If they're especially susceptible, it can effect people too.

Most insidiously, while Rivalen cannot light the flame, he can hand someone the match. He can release the corruption in someone else- freeing them from the chimera of conscience- to fulfill their most inner, darkest desires. At its best it can momentarily make someone stronger- at its worst- it can drive a person past the point of madness.

He can even corrupt himself further to gain more power- though there are physical consequences.

Love him, hate him, wanna date him?