Shade the Hedgehog, again

[size=18](This a character I made years ago - 2015? - who I thought was good but now I would like to update. I hope this character isn't too over the top or dark but I thought a complex backstory would be a good basis for role plays to help him grow as a character.)[/size]

[size=10][b]General[/b][/size]

[size=10]Name: Sheamus McKinley [/size]
[size=10]Nickname: Shade [/size]
[size=10]Age: 17[/size]
[size=10]Gender: Male[/size]
[size=10]Occupation: pizza delivery boy[/size]

[size=10]Appearance: [/size]
[size=10]He's a hedgehog with black skin, blue eyes and a young face. His spikes are pronounced and have blue tips at the ends. He has a small ring in his left ear. He wears plain clothes: a grey hoodie, dark jeans and a sad expression on his face. He is usually seen with earphones hanging from the neck of his hoodie or headphones around his neck.[/size]

[size=10]References:[/size]
[size=10]Profile made by ForevaYoung (different to how I imagine it now but it's still very good and gives you the general idea of his appearance)[/size]

[size=10][b]Personality traits[/b][/size]

[size=10]Likes: [/size]
[size=10]- hanging out with friends, away from other people [/size]
[size=10]- music as it helps him to escape reality, make any bad thoughts melt away and fill the background of whatever he is doing at the time, he enjoys a mixture of all music, no matter what genre, age, style, singer, or tempo[/size]

[size=10]Dislikes: [/size]
[size=10]- the name Sheamus, he connects it to all the bullying and excluding he suffered[/size]
[size=10]- aspects of his appearance: his skin is too striking, his quills are too in-your-face and pointy, his body shape, all extensions of the insecurity that was placed inside him at a young age[/size]
[size=10]- bananas and peaches, they're Pedro's favourite and he eats so many it has ruined them for Shade[/size]

[size=10]Personality: [/size]
[size=10]He is energetic and fun to be around, but only around friends, which he doesn't have many of. To others he keeps to himself and has a general stay-away-from-me vibe. He is insecure about his abilities - in and out of combat - as deep down he does believe he is worthless, despite the hard demeanour he might put on. He also doesn't try to improve himself or step out of his comfort zone as he thinks he will screw something up, maybe cause an accident. [/size]

[size=10]He sees his powers as chaotic and unstable and therefore doesn't use them much, or try to improve them. His friends are accepting of his abilities and have tried to show them that they are something to embrace but he isn't ready to.[/size]

[size=10][b]Combat traits [/b][/size]

[size=10]Powers:[/size]
[size=10]- he is able to shift himself and other objects in and out of reality; it is more than invisibility though, it's like they no longer exist[/size]
[size=10]- he is able to create illusions of himself; normally, these illusions are like 2d cardboard cut outs, fooling at a first glance but upon closer inspection you notice that the illusion is kind of flat, shows no expression, has no smell, doesn't really interact with objects, can't talk, but if he focuses, he can make a realistic illusion that he could use to convince almost anybody[/size]

[size=10]Strengths:[/size]
[size=10]- he's quick on his feet, it was useful when running from the police and is now good for when literally running from social situations[/size]
[size=10]- he isn't social but is very emotional, which he can use to help console or comfort people[/size]
[size=10]- he's talented, and while has never played or made music, he has a certain level of natural talent and he intends to try it one day[/size]

[size=10]Weaknesses:[/size]
[size=10]- he doesn't trust people, they can gain his trust but it's hard for him because he feels he may get hurt[/size]
[size=10]- he doesn't have good social skills, he can come across as awkward or rude[/size]
[size=10]- he isn't very strong, both physically and mentally, and relies on his friends and family to keep him together and stable[/size]

[size=10][b]Social information[/b][/size]

[size=10]Positive relationships:[/size]
[size=10]- Luka, his coworker, she keeps Shade's spirits up, is there for him when he needs to vent and gives him advice[/size]
[size=10]- Pedro, a friend from the military, he keeps Shade grounded and thinking rationally [/size]
[size=10]- his parents, they unknowingly made Shade realise that he could forgive people [/size]

[size=10]Negative relationships:[/size]
[size=10]- Mr Penningsworth, he's a moody man in general but knew Shade since he was young, knows what trouble he got into, and suspects he'll inevitably cause more trouble [/size]
[size=10]- Kadin, a bully who while seems like a good person, is underneath still a child who likes picking at people's insecurities to make himself feel better[/size]

[size=10][b]History[/b] [/size]

[size=10]When Shade was younger, some people would say he was a bad egg. Nicer people would say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, all the time. He never tried to cause trouble, it just always seemed to happen. And people noticed. His classmates stayed away from him, some because their parents forced them to, others would gossip and spread rumours. He had the potential to be a bright kid, but that potential was crushed deep inside his mind. His parents weren't very helpful and it didn't stop as he got older, it just got worse, and worse. [/size]

[size=10]He was involved in some crime and didn't try at school. It wasn't like the teachers were going to help him. One night, during an argument, his parents told him he wasn't enough; that his classmates, his parents' friends' children, people he'd never met, were better than him, would make a better son. He was an only child, and they blamed that on him as well, that it was somehow his fault he didn't have any brothers or sisters. But he wasn't angry. He knew the hassle other parents gave them for raising a "wild child", but that didn't mean it hurt any less.[/size]

[size=10]So he joined the army, he figured he could get away from everyone who had treated him like dirt. He even changed his name to Shade, hoping he could start over. And it worked, for a while. He was the top of his unit and had earned respect among his comrades, even a friend in the form of Pedro, a guy a few years older than Shade who looked after him, but other troops began to tease him about his past when one of the members of his unit revealed to be Kadin, someone from one of his schools who Shade wasn't friends with. [/size]

[size=10]He teased him about his name change and what he did before joining the military. It was fine at first but it was all any of the other troops talked about around him, and it affected him. He fell behind fitness wise, wasn't as quick thinking, lost the sharpness he had over other troops. Eventually the commander noticed this and after Shade got into a fight with Kadin, he was sent home but his parents wouldn't let him come back.[/size]

[size=10]He turned back to crime as he felt he had no other options, and it was then when he discovered his powers. A dormant force within him that was unleashed after years of suffering. They helped him commit crimes as he could literally disappear without a trace with who or whatever he wanted, making any police chase end rather swiftly. Before he had a chance to get caught tho, Pedro came out of the army to find him and eventually discovered Shade's "life" of stealing to get by. [/size]

[size=10]Pedro offered him a place to stay and used that time to persuade him away from crime. He helped Shade find a job, and in return, Shade paid his rent. At his work, he encountered more harassment from his boss, Mr Penningsworth, but he also met a girl named Luka. She was kind and even though she knew who Shade was and his story, she never showed it and they became good friends. [/size]

[size=10]One time after they became close, they were closing down the shop and he told her his story, everything he had done, and how he regretted it all. She admitted that she already knew and that she didn't care, before giving him good advice about recovering from dark periods in your life. Shade revealed his broken relationship with his parents and Luka gave him the courage to talk to them again.[/size]

[size=10]He eventually did and it took a while but they forgave him and they had started their journey to repair their relationship. Pedro helped Shade pay for driving lessons and eventually get a license. Luka and Shade were an inseparable duo and trusted each other, not like friends but like brother and sister. It was one day when Shade suddenly realised that for once in his life, he was happy, that things could get better, and that the best years of his life were ahead of him.[/size]