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Description

"It is we who must face the storm at the peak of its blight."
"For in the wake of its terror blooms a hope that we cannot possibly fathom."

"The sacrifice of several will not be in vain."

"Trust me now. Trust in their lingering presence."

"We are a wayward menace."

Henry Rutabaga
[ Status: Alive ]

SEX
Male

AGE & GRADE
16 [ Sophomore ]

DATE OF BIRTH
12 September

HEIGHT
5'6" [ 168 cm ]

ETHNICITY & HOMELAND
Russian [ Canada ]

SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
The Pianist
A musician of his caliber is one versed in the art of improvisation. Whether gracing the keys of a grand piano or an electronic keyboard, Henry has improved his craft greatly through freestyle strides, adapting preexisting songs into classical arrangements, mashing multiple compositions together into one fluid piece, and collaborating with other artists with or without prior planning. While he is able to provide vocals for songs not terribly fast-paced as it is much too difficult for him to sing and play quickly, as someone super high school level, his goals for the future include learning how to properly read and play sheet music and learning how to operate a looping device. "Allow me a listen, and for you I will unravel not a replica but something completely reimagined."

KEY FEATURES

► Head of wavy grey hair that flips upwards on either side no matter wet or styled differently. Sometimes he'll comb it; other times, he'll go about his day with bedhead.

► Pale and silvery blue eyes. He doesn't have cataracts, but he does have white rings around his pupils . There are three distinct freckles under his left (our right) eye.

► Often will you find band-aids on him but namely on his fingers.

INVENTORY

Personals

► Antique wooden crate of assorted vinyls. Each of them are indented with braille in the top left corners (done by himself using a stylus).
► Walking cane that is able to fold into three parts. Attempts at trying to take it from him will be met with an even firmer grip on the handle.
► As per furniture, Henry would most likely just have an electronic keyboard that sits at the foot of his bed. The rest of his belongings would just be tools for the visually impaired.
► Golden iPhone and its necessary accessories such as charger and earbuds. Its voice over accessibility feature is turned on. He often relies on an app called TapTapSee to identify objects and read text.

Purchases
► Portable, brown record player with gold-plated corners and a leather handle.

Gifts
► Tiny, fake, plastic sword. "It feels like something that might be used as a decoration for a fancy drink. The tip is slightly pointy, but not enough to cause any injuries. Holding it makes you feel absolutely pathetic." From Nikko .
► The book Murder on the Orient Express. "The classic by Agatha Christie—in braille, of course! Hopefully you're not tired of murder mysteries yet." From Jaime .

► Elegant, black-finished music box. "The box is coated in lovely silver embellishments, and is held shut by a sturdy silver clasp. Upon opening the box, a beautiful melody begins to emanate from the ornate object. There are no dancing figures or mirrors inside, however, one can find a compartment perfect for storing an assortment of tiny trinkets which otherwise might be lost. Not only is it quite beautiful, but it's rather useful too!" From Yoshida .

PERSONALITY
Charming, Neighbourly, Witty
Although he would prefer to coop himself up in his room practicing on his keyboard all day, because of whom he was raised by, Henry is a generally sociable person. While many social cues may go over his head, he nevertheless enjoys hearing others speak through smiling lips. On the contrary, however, he doesn't have much experience dealing with downcast situations. This will cause him to draw a blank.

Transparent, Assertive, Fearless
There is often a comical or threatening air about Henry's forwardness. If you try to shut the door on him, he's the type to jam his foot in the doorway. He's not opposed to speaking his mind despite the consequences, nor does he get embarrassed easily. If there's something you want to know about him, just ask! Likewise, he may think others are as open as he is.

Objective, Philosophical
The good thing about Henry is that he's really receptive to the bad or confusing behaviour of others. If you express yourself dastardly, while he may not take kindly to it, he'll at least try and understand why it is you act the way you do. It's very difficult for him to develop an absolute hatred for someone because of this. This is especially apparent in trials as he will play devil's advocate to keep the playing field unbiased.

LIKES
► Shoes with heels. He likes the sound they make.
► Taking long bubble baths while listening to music.
► Pulling harmless pranks on people for a quick laugh.
► History! Especially music history and that of popular pianists.
► Mostly any type of game! Obviously not video games, though.
► Mediums of the mystery and suspense genre. The 1990s show Twin Peaks is his favourite.
► Art! He doesn't understand it entirely, but he finds it interesting. Painting and drawing is fun, too, and he likes the touch and sounds of it.
► Discussions, pretty much about anything he has an opinion on. He likes talking about conspiracy theories, too (though nothing too out there).
► Classical music from any age, pop music done classically, music box arrangements, violin and piano compositions, ragtime, funk, pop, ambient music.
► In terms of food, he enjoys eating things that you would order from a cafe such as coffee, tea, almost anything baked, pastries, soup, salad, sandwiches, etc.
► Practicing on his keyboard and the piano in the Music Room. His roommate is safe of having to constantly hear his practice as his electronic keyboard has a headphone jack.

DISLIKES
► These are like nails on a chalkboard to him: people with speed impediments, the sounds of people making out, silverware clanking against things, too many people talking at once.
► Following sheet music. Again, it's something he eventually wants to master, but he'd prefer to just play by ear and improvise.
► Candles. He doesn't like their scent, the texture, or the idea of accidentally touching the flame or setting something on fire.
► Seafood and most spicy food. The former makes him nauseous and the latter just isn't enjoyable. Spicy seafood is hell.
► When someone undermines a title. He doesn't appreciate narrow-mindededness, in general.
► Music that's just a little too hardcore for him like most dubstep, metal, rock, rap, etc.
► Similarly, when any genre of music is put on blast somewhere. It's obnoxious.
► Being lied to, whether in general or concerning something he can't see.
► Sources of light and/or heat. He's always burning himself. "Ugh."
► Overwhelming aromas.

HISTORY
"I miss him so much. You don't know how hard it is to see him there on the TV and think to myself: look at how successful, look how happy he is."
Я так скучаю по нему. Вы не знаете, как трудно это. Я вижу его по телевизору и думаю: Посмотрите на то, насколько счастливый— Посмотрите на то, насколько успешный он.

"I miss him, Ben."
Я скучаю по нему, Бен.

"Don't think for a second I don't understand, Anastasia. I miss him. I miss him too, but he wouldn't be where he's at now if it weren't for us. We did this; we gave him this opportunity."
Не думай, что я не понимаю, Анастасия. Я скучаю по нему. Я тоже по нему скучаю. Но он не был бы там, если бы не мы. Мы сделали это. Мы дали ему эту возможность.

Born in Toronto to Russian immigrants Benjamin and Anastasia Gorelov, Henry Benjaminovich was the first of the Gorelov bloodline to be a first-generation citizen outside the motherland. Canada offered a clean slate and many an opportunity for the young couple, that is, up until the prodigy's birth. "He's a mistake," his paternal grandparents insisted, "just like your choice in women." In all honesty, he was not what the Gorelovs were looking for in a child. He was blind, feeble, and diagnosed on the spectrum. "If you insist that she bear your children, you ought try again." Ben was reluctant—terribly, at that—but he knew better.

It wasn't easy surrendering him, but it wasn't easy trying to raise him all by her lonesome, either. Many a time did Anastasia find herself frustrated to the point of yelling at her son and, more often than not, she would punish herself for committing the same abuse she so badly wished to escape. "Help me..." That's when she knew that putting Henry up for adoption was best for every party involved. It wasn't until Anastasia found the Rutabagas that she was comfortable with the decision. She wasn't any more comfortable with the risk of cutting ties with the Gorelovs nor subjecting Henry to the infamy he was expected to carry on. Both her and her husband's family, and especially the latter, were loyal members of one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the Russian mafia, after all. "Forgive me."

By the age of five had he adopted the name Henry Augustine, given to him by his adoptive parents, Swedish-Jewish socialites Harrison and Emily Rutabaga. Although whom Ben and Anastasia perceived as uppity francophones, what better than a well-to-do family living relatively close by? The wife was infertile and the two of them several years her and Ben's senior. They were both clearly ready to take on the responsibility as parents. "Now forget me."

By age seven had Henry finally adapted to life on the Rutabaga estate. Up until then had he spent countless nights crying in his room's closet (the small confines convinced his young mind he was back in the wardrobe of his old home), refusing to respond both physically and verbally, and calling for his biological parents in his native tongue. With only two years of schooling under his belt, French and English came slowly. Finding his way throughout their spacious home proved difficult, but with the help of his ever-patient mother and a couple caretakers, it wasn't long until he had recognized every surface there was to touch—the 52 ivory keys on the first floor were no different. In this new walk of life was he always he dressed in high-end clothing, attending private institutions, and receiving in-home tutoring. His mastering of the piano, however, was thanks to his mother's instruction.

"He still addresses me as Emily, you know?"
Il m'appelle toujours Emily, tu sais?

"Is that not your name?"
N'est-ce pas ton nom?

"Don't be obtuse!"
Ne te fais pas l'imbécile!

It didn't take much for Henry to become frustrated with the lessons, though. Step-by-step directions seemingly took ages to follow along, and he hadn't yet mastered the language of braille enough to read sheet music. It wasn't until Henry began playing by ear that he began to show significant progress. When hearing a song in public, his fingers would dance along the invisible keys of an air piano; dinner parties could be entertained by the spectacle that was "that Harrison's prodigy child"; places of worship even outside of the Jewish religion were riddling the Rutabaga's mailbox with invitations for him to perform. His parents had never seen him so determined to excel at something. The moment he woke up, Henry found himself bolting down the stairs in a beeline for the family's grand piano because, sure enough, he'd dreamt a tune that begged to be fleshed out on the keys.

Before his tenth birthday, Henry was improvising preexisting compositions to the best of his ability and adapting songs he'd heard on the radio into ragtime-like arrangements. He had become fluent in English, and French to a lesser degree. Russian was but a footnote that survived only through inaudible murmurs. "Ya ne khochu..." The Rutabaga's only child was no stranger to neglecting his language courses in exchange for piano practice. When in class or enduring car rides, one can bet he had his iPad out with a piano app open. He'd spend his lunchtime in the music room even if it were occupied by a lecture. Oftentimes would Henry stay up late practicing on the electric keyboard gifted to him one Hanukkah.

If he found himself upset, he would play. If he felt happy, he would play. Hell, bouts of anger inspired some of his most accelerated scores.

Soon enough, the name Henry Rutabaga resonated in musical communities. To date, he is most known for having four of these qualities in a person: the fact that he is completely blind, his young age, his affinity for fast and intense performances, and his addition of vocals to slower pieces. Further notable characteristics worth mentioning include: his mother taking on the role of his manager; his personal and professional use of a YouTube account; and his philanthropy whereby all proceeds went towards organizations dedicated to the well-being of the blind, autistic, musically-inclined, and more (considering he is already in the custody of wealthy parents, any revenue he generated was unneeded).

ET CETERA
► I actually adopted his original design here: CLOSED

► You can find the full resolution of his application visuals here and here: Henry Age Stages + HPA: Henry App Update 2

► Henry's face claims . His adoptive parents, Harrison and Emily's face claims . His voice claim for now is Vincent Martella as Hope Estheim from FF XIII.

► I can finally say with certainty that Henry has Asperger's. He was diagnosed while he was still with his biological parents, and I should like to believe the diagnosis played into his parent's choice to surrender him to a family that they believed would take better care of him. This includes, but is absolutely not limited to, taking things literally (which may result in understanding his own misinterpretation OR failing to understand why it is you said what you did); being a little more honest and forward than what is socially acceptable; being a little too touchy OR openly rejecting advances to his personal space; and much, much more. "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism.” — Stephen Shore.

► Against the opinion of those who managed his public image, Henry refuses to change the lyrics of any song he covers. Listeners were convinced that his refusal to change the lyrics to a straight narrative is indicative of an early understanding of his sexuality, but to him, he just believes that to change the gender is to change the meaning of the song. Thus, any song he sings will be sung with the original male or female pronouns, both in terms of the singer's love interest, their love interest's love interests, and when referring to one's self. "♪ Constantly... Boy, you played through my mind like a symphony ♫"

► From a young age was Henry conditioned into keeping his head held high, smile adorned, and eyes open and looking in the direction of who is speaking. Having been adopted into an aristocratic family, his adoptive mother was particular about Henry's mannerisms. Some may argue that she was wrong for raising him this way, but he insists that these "mannerisms" partially played into his fame. It is, however, also because of the entertainment industry, pertaining to directors and photographers, especially, that is he is more capable than your average blind-from-birth person at expressing himself like a sighted person might. "When you see a commercial... I don't imagine the spokespeople are making a neutral expression at the floor. It was important that I knew how to market myself."

► To specify on his spoken/written languages, Henry's mother tongue, Russian, is limited to that of a five year old's vocabulary as that is the age he was rehomed. From ages five to sixteen did he develop a tongue for Quebec French and English, giving him around ten years experience in both. However, he is much more proficient in English than he is French. He doesn't know an iota of the Cyrillic alphabet, but he is versed in the Latin alphabet, allowing him to poorly scribe in English, French, and phonetic attempts at Romanized Russian, if he wanted. For example, if he were to try and write "красный" ("red"), he'd write "crazne" rather than "krasnyy" or the Cyrillic word. This happens for him with most names, too. He can read and type in Braille, but his spelling is somewhat average. In cases where he'll message someone via mobile, know that he's using voice-to-text.

ROLEPLAY SAMPLE
Henry

You missed a lot, believe it or not, burying yourself in the depths of every blanket that was able to fit atop your bed; academy life was effervescent, and yet... he took the backburner to being social lately. Why? It gave him hope to catch wind of events like this! Despite their situation, the students of Hope's Peak had collectively rallied against the system by carrying through with parties and picnics and proms, whether they were thrown by the Headmaster or not. It was high time he bullied himself outside of the realm that was his room.

The walls echoed back at him when tapped by the end of this cane. The repetition only came to a halt when he had found his way inside the gymnasium. This feeling was familiar and not because something like this had been attempted months prior. The pianist was wearing his usual getup: a sweater that could stand to be a little more fitted and sweatpants with one string drawn further than the other. He recognized one voice, and yet... it still didn't ring a bell.

Bloody Mary.

As hush as the atmosphere was, the light whipping of candle flames could be heard the closer one drew to them. He could smell them, too. If there was one thing Henry did not like, it was a lit candle.

Blo-ody Ma-ry!

His eyes widened. It was then that the sound of glass blooming outwards from the frame elicited a knee jerk reaction from him. He felt stupid connecting two and two like that: that the cold fragment that'd skid across his hand was one of many from this supposed mirror sitting across from them. Was it dark in the room? Had it really just blown like that, or was it the work of someone just smashing it to smithereens for their own comedic effect?

"Woah," he whispered to himself, frowning a little. Not because he felt uncomfortable at the notion of spirits, but because he wasn't able to tell whether this one was manufactured or not.

Description

"It is we who must face the storm at the peak of its blight."
"For in the wake of its terror blooms a hope that we cannot possibly fathom."

"The sacrifice of several will not be in vain."

"Trust me now. Trust in their lingering presence."

"We are a wayward menace."

Henry Rutabaga
[ Status: Alive ]

SEX
Male

AGE & GRADE
16 [ Sophomore ]

DATE OF BIRTH
12 September

HEIGHT
5'6" [ 168 cm ]

ETHNICITY & HOMELAND
Russian [ Canada ]

SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
The Pianist
A musician of his caliber is one versed in the art of improvisation. Whether gracing the keys of a grand piano or an electronic keyboard, Henry has improved his craft greatly through freestyle strides, adapting preexisting songs into classical arrangements, mashing multiple compositions together into one fluid piece, and collaborating with other artists with or without prior planning. While he is able to provide vocals for songs not terribly fast-paced as it is much too difficult for him to sing and play quickly, as someone super high school level, his goals for the future include learning how to properly read and play sheet music and learning how to operate a looping device. "Allow me a listen, and for you I will unravel not a replica but something completely reimagined."

KEY FEATURES

► Head of wavy grey hair that flips upwards on either side no matter wet or styled differently. Sometimes he'll comb it; other times, he'll go about his day with bedhead.

► Pale and silvery blue eyes. He doesn't have cataracts, but he does have white rings around his pupils . There are three distinct freckles under his left (our right) eye.

► Often will you find band-aids on him but namely on his fingers.

INVENTORY

Personals

► Antique wooden crate of assorted vinyls. Each of them are indented with braille in the top left corners (done by himself using a stylus).
► Walking cane that is able to fold into three parts. Attempts at trying to take it from him will be met with an even firmer grip on the handle.
► As per furniture, Henry would most likely just have an electronic keyboard that sits at the foot of his bed. The rest of his belongings would just be tools for the visually impaired.
► Golden iPhone and its necessary accessories such as charger and earbuds. Its voice over accessibility feature is turned on. He often relies on an app called TapTapSee to identify objects and read text.

Purchases
► Portable, brown record player with gold-plated corners and a leather handle.

Gifts
► Tiny, fake, plastic sword. "It feels like something that might be used as a decoration for a fancy drink. The tip is slightly pointy, but not enough to cause any injuries. Holding it makes you feel absolutely pathetic." From Nikko .
► The book Murder on the Orient Express. "The classic by Agatha Christie—in braille, of course! Hopefully you're not tired of murder mysteries yet." From Jaime .

► Elegant, black-finished music box. "The box is coated in lovely silver embellishments, and is held shut by a sturdy silver clasp. Upon opening the box, a beautiful melody begins to emanate from the ornate object. There are no dancing figures or mirrors inside, however, one can find a compartment perfect for storing an assortment of tiny trinkets which otherwise might be lost. Not only is it quite beautiful, but it's rather useful too!" From Yoshida .

PERSONALITY
Charming, Neighbourly, Witty
Although he would prefer to coop himself up in his room practicing on his keyboard all day, because of whom he was raised by, Henry is a generally sociable person. While many social cues may go over his head, he nevertheless enjoys hearing others speak through smiling lips. On the contrary, however, he doesn't have much experience dealing with downcast situations. This will cause him to draw a blank.

Transparent, Assertive, Fearless
There is often a comical or threatening air about Henry's forwardness. If you try to shut the door on him, he's the type to jam his foot in the doorway. He's not opposed to speaking his mind despite the consequences, nor does he get embarrassed easily. If there's something you want to know about him, just ask! Likewise, he may think others are as open as he is.

Objective, Philosophical
The good thing about Henry is that he's really receptive to the bad or confusing behaviour of others. If you express yourself dastardly, while he may not take kindly to it, he'll at least try and understand why it is you act the way you do. It's very difficult for him to develop an absolute hatred for someone because of this. This is especially apparent in trials as he will play devil's advocate to keep the playing field unbiased.

LIKES
► Shoes with heels. He likes the sound they make.
► Taking long bubble baths while listening to music.
► Pulling harmless pranks on people for a quick laugh.
► History! Especially music history and that of popular pianists.
► Mostly any type of game! Obviously not video games, though.
► Mediums of the mystery and suspense genre. The 1990s show Twin Peaks is his favourite.
► Art! He doesn't understand it entirely, but he finds it interesting. Painting and drawing is fun, too, and he likes the touch and sounds of it.
► Discussions, pretty much about anything he has an opinion on. He likes talking about conspiracy theories, too (though nothing too out there).
► Classical music from any age, pop music done classically, music box arrangements, violin and piano compositions, ragtime, funk, pop, ambient music.
► In terms of food, he enjoys eating things that you would order from a cafe such as coffee, tea, almost anything baked, pastries, soup, salad, sandwiches, etc.
► Practicing on his keyboard and the piano in the Music Room. His roommate is safe of having to constantly hear his practice as his electronic keyboard has a headphone jack.

DISLIKES
► These are like nails on a chalkboard to him: people with speed impediments, the sounds of people making out, silverware clanking against things, too many people talking at once.
► Following sheet music. Again, it's something he eventually wants to master, but he'd prefer to just play by ear and improvise.
► Candles. He doesn't like their scent, the texture, or the idea of accidentally touching the flame or setting something on fire.
► Seafood and most spicy food. The former makes him nauseous and the latter just isn't enjoyable. Spicy seafood is hell.
► When someone undermines a title. He doesn't appreciate narrow-mindededness, in general.
► Music that's just a little too hardcore for him like most dubstep, metal, rock, rap, etc.
► Similarly, when any genre of music is put on blast somewhere. It's obnoxious.
► Being lied to, whether in general or concerning something he can't see.
► Sources of light and/or heat. He's always burning himself. "Ugh."
► Overwhelming aromas.

HISTORY
"I miss him so much. You don't know how hard it is to see him there on the TV and think to myself: look at how successful, look how happy he is."
Я так скучаю по нему. Вы не знаете, как трудно это. Я вижу его по телевизору и думаю: Посмотрите на то, насколько счастливый— Посмотрите на то, насколько успешный он.

"I miss him, Ben."
Я скучаю по нему, Бен.

"Don't think for a second I don't understand, Anastasia. I miss him. I miss him too, but he wouldn't be where he's at now if it weren't for us. We did this; we gave him this opportunity."
Не думай, что я не понимаю, Анастасия. Я скучаю по нему. Я тоже по нему скучаю. Но он не был бы там, если бы не мы. Мы сделали это. Мы дали ему эту возможность.

Born in Toronto to Russian immigrants Benjamin and Anastasia Gorelov, Henry Benjaminovich was the first of the Gorelov bloodline to be a first-generation citizen outside the motherland. Canada offered a clean slate and many an opportunity for the young couple, that is, up until the prodigy's birth. "He's a mistake," his paternal grandparents insisted, "just like your choice in women." In all honesty, he was not what the Gorelovs were looking for in a child. He was blind, feeble, and diagnosed on the spectrum. "If you insist that she bear your children, you ought try again." Ben was reluctant—terribly, at that—but he knew better.

It wasn't easy surrendering him, but it wasn't easy trying to raise him all by her lonesome, either. Many a time did Anastasia find herself frustrated to the point of yelling at her son and, more often than not, she would punish herself for committing the same abuse she so badly wished to escape. "Help me..." That's when she knew that putting Henry up for adoption was best for every party involved. It wasn't until Anastasia found the Rutabagas that she was comfortable with the decision. She wasn't any more comfortable with the risk of cutting ties with the Gorelovs nor subjecting Henry to the infamy he was expected to carry on. Both her and her husband's family, and especially the latter, were loyal members of one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the Russian mafia, after all. "Forgive me."

By the age of five had he adopted the name Henry Augustine, given to him by his adoptive parents, Swedish-Jewish socialites Harrison and Emily Rutabaga. Although whom Ben and Anastasia perceived as uppity francophones, what better than a well-to-do family living relatively close by? The wife was infertile and the two of them several years her and Ben's senior. They were both clearly ready to take on the responsibility as parents. "Now forget me."

By age seven had Henry finally adapted to life on the Rutabaga estate. Up until then had he spent countless nights crying in his room's closet (the small confines convinced his young mind he was back in the wardrobe of his old home), refusing to respond both physically and verbally, and calling for his biological parents in his native tongue. With only two years of schooling under his belt, French and English came slowly. Finding his way throughout their spacious home proved difficult, but with the help of his ever-patient mother and a couple caretakers, it wasn't long until he had recognized every surface there was to touch—the 52 ivory keys on the first floor were no different. In this new walk of life was he always he dressed in high-end clothing, attending private institutions, and receiving in-home tutoring. His mastering of the piano, however, was thanks to his mother's instruction.

"He still addresses me as Emily, you know?"
Il m'appelle toujours Emily, tu sais?

"Is that not your name?"
N'est-ce pas ton nom?

"Don't be obtuse!"
Ne te fais pas l'imbécile!

It didn't take much for Henry to become frustrated with the lessons, though. Step-by-step directions seemingly took ages to follow along, and he hadn't yet mastered the language of braille enough to read sheet music. It wasn't until Henry began playing by ear that he began to show significant progress. When hearing a song in public, his fingers would dance along the invisible keys of an air piano; dinner parties could be entertained by the spectacle that was "that Harrison's prodigy child"; places of worship even outside of the Jewish religion were riddling the Rutabaga's mailbox with invitations for him to perform. His parents had never seen him so determined to excel at something. The moment he woke up, Henry found himself bolting down the stairs in a beeline for the family's grand piano because, sure enough, he'd dreamt a tune that begged to be fleshed out on the keys.

Before his tenth birthday, Henry was improvising preexisting compositions to the best of his ability and adapting songs he'd heard on the radio into ragtime-like arrangements. He had become fluent in English, and French to a lesser degree. Russian was but a footnote that survived only through inaudible murmurs. "Ya ne khochu..." The Rutabaga's only child was no stranger to neglecting his language courses in exchange for piano practice. When in class or enduring car rides, one can bet he had his iPad out with a piano app open. He'd spend his lunchtime in the music room even if it were occupied by a lecture. Oftentimes would Henry stay up late practicing on the electric keyboard gifted to him one Hanukkah.

If he found himself upset, he would play. If he felt happy, he would play. Hell, bouts of anger inspired some of his most accelerated scores.

Soon enough, the name Henry Rutabaga resonated in musical communities. To date, he is most known for having four of these qualities in a person: the fact that he is completely blind, his young age, his affinity for fast and intense performances, and his addition of vocals to slower pieces. Further notable characteristics worth mentioning include: his mother taking on the role of his manager; his personal and professional use of a YouTube account; and his philanthropy whereby all proceeds went towards organizations dedicated to the well-being of the blind, autistic, musically-inclined, and more (considering he is already in the custody of wealthy parents, any revenue he generated was unneeded).

ET CETERA
► I actually adopted his original design here: CLOSED

► You can find the full resolution of his application visuals here and here: Henry Age Stages + HPA: Henry App Update 2

► Henry's face claims . His adoptive parents, Harrison and Emily's face claims . His voice claim for now is Vincent Martella as Hope Estheim from FF XIII.

► I can finally say with certainty that Henry has Asperger's. He was diagnosed while he was still with his biological parents, and I should like to believe the diagnosis played into his parent's choice to surrender him to a family that they believed would take better care of him. This includes, but is absolutely not limited to, taking things literally (which may result in understanding his own misinterpretation OR failing to understand why it is you said what you did); being a little more honest and forward than what is socially acceptable; being a little too touchy OR openly rejecting advances to his personal space; and much, much more. "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism.” — Stephen Shore.

► Against the opinion of those who managed his public image, Henry refuses to change the lyrics of any song he covers. Listeners were convinced that his refusal to change the lyrics to a straight narrative is indicative of an early understanding of his sexuality, but to him, he just believes that to change the gender is to change the meaning of the song. Thus, any song he sings will be sung with the original male or female pronouns, both in terms of the singer's love interest, their love interest's love interests, and when referring to one's self. "♪ Constantly... Boy, you played through my mind like a symphony ♫"

► From a young age was Henry conditioned into keeping his head held high, smile adorned, and eyes open and looking in the direction of who is speaking. Having been adopted into an aristocratic family, his adoptive mother was particular about Henry's mannerisms. Some may argue that she was wrong for raising him this way, but he insists that these "mannerisms" partially played into his fame. It is, however, also because of the entertainment industry, pertaining to directors and photographers, especially, that is he is more capable than your average blind-from-birth person at expressing himself like a sighted person might. "When you see a commercial... I don't imagine the spokespeople are making a neutral expression at the floor. It was important that I knew how to market myself."

► To specify on his spoken/written languages, Henry's mother tongue, Russian, is limited to that of a five year old's vocabulary as that is the age he was rehomed. From ages five to sixteen did he develop a tongue for Quebec French and English, giving him around ten years experience in both. However, he is much more proficient in English than he is French. He doesn't know an iota of the Cyrillic alphabet, but he is versed in the Latin alphabet, allowing him to poorly scribe in English, French, and phonetic attempts at Romanized Russian, if he wanted. For example, if he were to try and write "красный" ("red"), he'd write "crazne" rather than "krasnyy" or the Cyrillic word. This happens for him with most names, too. He can read and type in Braille, but his spelling is somewhat average. In cases where he'll message someone via mobile, know that he's using voice-to-text.

ROLEPLAY SAMPLE
Henry

You missed a lot, believe it or not, burying yourself in the depths of every blanket that was able to fit atop your bed; academy life was effervescent, and yet... he took the backburner to being social lately. Why? It gave him hope to catch wind of events like this! Despite their situation, the students of Hope's Peak had collectively rallied against the system by carrying through with parties and picnics and proms, whether they were thrown by the Headmaster or not. It was high time he bullied himself outside of the realm that was his room.

The walls echoed back at him when tapped by the end of this cane. The repetition only came to a halt when he had found his way inside the gymnasium. This feeling was familiar and not because something like this had been attempted months prior. The pianist was wearing his usual getup: a sweater that could stand to be a little more fitted and sweatpants with one string drawn further than the other. He recognized one voice, and yet... it still didn't ring a bell.

Bloody Mary.

As hush as the atmosphere was, the light whipping of candle flames could be heard the closer one drew to them. He could smell them, too. If there was one thing Henry did not like, it was a lit candle.

Blo-ody Ma-ry!

His eyes widened. It was then that the sound of glass blooming outwards from the frame elicited a knee jerk reaction from him. He felt stupid connecting two and two like that: that the cold fragment that'd skid across his hand was one of many from this supposed mirror sitting across from them. Was it dark in the room? Had it really just blown like that, or was it the work of someone just smashing it to smithereens for their own comedic effect?

"Woah," he whispered to himself, frowning a little. Not because he felt uncomfortable at the notion of spirits, but because he wasn't able to tell whether this one was manufactured or not.