Joey Castelli, "Lightless"

[Lightless]

Steam twirled lazily through the morning sunlight as it drifted upwards from Dr. Conrad's coffee mug. The cup sat patiently as it always did, the photo print of a falcon in flight wearing gradually away from its surface with each consecutive morning.

Its owner gave a soft sigh as he settled into his seat. Stacked in front of him were half a dozen manilla folders, each containing several documents and penned with a name. New students seemed to arrive by the handful, but familiarizing himself with each of his prospective counselees was a necessary start to a given day.

Having already settled on an alphabetical arrangement, Conrad lifted the first folder and thumbed it open. Comfortable in the confidentiality the soundproofing of his office would provide, he allowed himself to read and think out loud.

"Let's see. Joseph Ernesto Castelli, also-known-as Lightless. Strange, he shouldn't have a hero license yet.

"Sixteen, five-nine, one-fifty-five, brown hair, brown eyes." A glance revealed that the school photo paperclipped to the document certainly matched the statistics.

"Lived in Briarwood with mother Anne and father Dominic, attended Robert Van Wyck Middle School, then Archbishop Molloy High School for one year. A 'Stanner.' Interesting."

Studying the school record, something puzzling soon occured to Conrad. After double-checking the backs of the sheets, he lifted the phone on his desk and dialed a short extension.

"Admissions Department," the voice on the other end stated.

"Hey, Janine. It's David. I was checking through the new admissions and I think I might be missing a page or two. In the file for 'Joseph Castelli' there doesn't seem to be any mention of his metahuman stats."

"'Castelli?' Hang on." There was a few moments' pause. "...Okay. There should be another folder attached to that one, it might have gotten removed. Look for one titled 'Chiaroscuro.'"

Conrad's eyes turned to the corner of the document, where the tell-tale holes of a detached staple now stood out like a sore thumb. He slapped his forehead mentally.

"Alright, thanks," he chuckled before setting the receiver down again. Setting the initial folder aside, he found precisely what he was looking for.

Immediately beneath Castelli's file was another, more heavily paper-laden folder. A bent staple hung pitifully from its corner, and across the tab was penciled the word "Chiaroscuro."

He lifted the cover and scanned the top page. An uncharacteristic frown crossed his face for a moment.

"I see."

Dr. Conrad reached for his coffee mug and took a slow sip from its contents. This was going to be a long morning.

[Lightless]

((
Issue 15: Dichotomy

Three short months after enrollment and the Kheldian known as Lightless has already found a place for himself within the student body. Despite his hesitations towards revealing personal details, he has quickly discovered that life as a human and a high school student no longer has to mean being ostracized. As a result, his personality has blossomed into a far more open, friendly, and relaxed attitude.

Though it began as a simple choice of fashion, Lightless' fedora has become something of a personal icon. He now wears it at every opportunity as a result, even going so far as to don it at beach parties and during crime-fighting patrols. Somehow, it has yet to be damaged or destroyed.

Lightless' transition to a human host remains an ongoing process. Whether it's balancing speaking from both Joey and Chiaroscuro's memories, conversationally dodging around what is quickly revealing itself as a dubious past, or simply learning to control his frequent daydreams and trance-like recollections, the young Warshade still has his hands full. His academic performance continues to suffer as a result.
))