Hal Hoffman

Physical Appearance

• Medium-length brown hair
• Large scar down center of scalp where hair no longer grows, always covered by a hat in public
• Green eyes
• Tall in height
• Physically fit with muscled build
• Fair skinned with a mild tan
• Sometimes has a bit of facial hair on chin

Clothing Style

Hal always covers his head with some kind of hat, usually some kind of beanie, or a thinner beanie under a ball cap. He also tends to wear hoodies or hooded jackets so he can wear those over his head as well. He prefers to wear cooler or neutral colors, and although he used to dress rather nicely before his accident he tends to dress very casually now. He usually wears simple T-shirts with his hoodies/jackets along with jeans and running shoes. He doesn't particularly try to stand out in any way with his clothing, although he'll sometimes let Portia pick out more interesting outfits for him for certain special events, since she's usually more enthusiastic about dressing him up than he is.

Some notable accessories he is often seen wearing is a black and red heart necklace on a silver chain given to him by Portia and a signet ring that he usually wears on his left hand along with two simple silver rings on his right hand. The heart necklace matches the one that Portia always wears, and Hal wears it all the time even though it's usually hidden under his hoodie or jacket. The signet ring he wears used to belong to his grandfather and was passed on to him shortly before he died, so even though his relationship with his grandfather was somewhat complicated, he still wears it nonetheless.

Personality

Hal is a somewhat quiet and introverted young man who is much more passive and shy than his exterior suggests. He is rather thoughtful and tends to be a little absentminded, and he tends to overthink things and is often cautious in whatever situation he may be in. He lack confidence in himself and is usually a follower and more submissive around other people. He can be rather protective of those he cares about, usually in a physical sense, but since he's a little sensitive at times his friends also tend to be more emotionally protective of him. He has trouble taking risks or trying new things unless he's with someone he knows who can prod him into it, and he can be a little pessimistic at times when left to his own devices. He prefers not to have too much attention focused on him and can be rather awkward when on his own, and since he's rather physically imposing and also has a rather deep voice, he tends to worry he might come off as more intimidating than he actually is. In general though, he is a soft-spoken and polite young man and always tries to be respectful and friendly to whomever he's speaking with. If he has problems with someone else or dislikes another person, he tends to avoid interacting with them if possible and avoid conflict if forced to be in their company. Hal is very non-confrontational in most cases, although he does have his limits of course.

Due to his short term memory loss, he very often checks his phone for his schedule and memos to remind him of what he needs to be doing. This also causes him to be mildly afraid of doing certain things on his own, since he's been in situations where he's gone somewhere with someone and then completely forgot why he was there or who he came from upon being separated from them for too long. He gets rather paranoid about keeping memos and checking them, and he gets very stressed out when he loses access to his phone in any manner. Hal is a very intelligent young man and is capable of solving rather complicated problems or dealing with figures and numbers, yet he has to keep himself very focused to avoid losing his train of thought. He's gotten better about handling his short term memory loss, yet initially it caused him to lose a lot of confidence and fumble with his grades while still adjusting to the change. He has also lost most of his interest in excelling in his studies, particularly the business studies he was forced into by his family, so he tends to focus on other things that he can keep his attention on more easily. This includes more subjects in the arts that he's more interested in thanks to his relationship with Portia.

Abilities

• Premodra rifting - rank 2/5
• Proficient at playing the baritone
• Skilled at dancing, particularly for the spontaneous musical numbers that often pop up at school or ballroom dancing with Portia

Strengths

• Down to earth, supportive, and humble
• Respectful, well organized, and efficient when he's focused on a task
• Nonjudgmental, thoughtful, and loyal
• Works well with others, takes orders well, and moral

Weaknesses

• Has short term memory loss and tends to lose his place or train of thought
• Lacks confidence while on his own, paranoid about forgetting things, and tends to overthink
• A bit sensitive, uncertain about making decisions, and is very self conscious
• Passive, non-confrontational, and usually has to be prodded into trying new things

Backstory

Hal grew up with high expectations from his father and grandpa to become a successful businessman just as they and his great-grandfather had. Hal was pushed to start his studies very early, but he didn't have many friends in his elementary years since he had to spend all his after-school time at home studying. His grandpa passed away when he started middle school, and his mother and father pushed him further in his business studies. Hal was on the track to entering college level business courses, but he was very unhappy with his situation. His social life was basically nonexistent, his parents tended to bicker all the time, and no one seemed to care about what he actually wanted out of life. Everything changed at the age of 13, though, when he was struck by a drunk driver while walking through his neighborhood to clear his head.

He went into a coma for about three months and woke up to discover his skull had fractured badly and the stitches in his skull had left several large scars, his hair unable to grow over it. He also suffered from short term memory loss afterwards and was incapable of continuing his studies. In addition, his parents also completed their divorce which was building up over the past few years and were now fighting over his custody. He went into a depression for about a year, closing himself off from the world, the remnants of his confidence shattered, and his grades plummeted. He started getting bullied at school by petty classmates mocking him for his dropped grades and teasing him about his head scars. Hal started wearing hats and hoods to cover his hair, and he would get in trouble with teachers who were not sympathetic to his struggles for “breaking dress code.” And since his parents were still fighting over custody for him, neither were focused or willing to homeschool him even though he begged them to, just to get away from the now toxic school environment.

In a somewhat fortunate turn of events, Hal was invited to the Hateulots private school system for his potential in Premodra rifting. His parents were convinced it would be a good fresh start for Hal, and Hal moved to Nebraska with his father since his mother was not interested in relocating. Hal’s father now has the majority of physical custody while joint custody is split between the two parents. Hal had an uneasy start to the new school, but ultimately he found the smaller private school to be more comfortable and less judgmental. He still struggled with his studies, due to short term memory loss and lack of motivation due to stress and mental exhaustion. At the age of 15, his parents suggested he try some sort of extracurricular activity since he had little interest in pursuing his academics anymore. He was forbidden from trying out for sports though due to risk of another head injury, which doctors informed could be fatal. Against his will, Hal's parents eventually forced him to take a ballroom dancing class since he wouldn't decide on anything himself.

It was here Hal met his current girlfriend, Portia Ramierez, as his dance partner. He was uneasy and distress by being so out of his element and the fact that Portia was a highly skilled dancer that he was now dragging down. She was frequently annoyed by him forgetting routines and steps due to his memory issues, which he was too embarrassed to explain to her. After some time though, he finally ended opening up to her, and Portia softened up on him and they grew closer, especially after realizing they both attended the same school.

Hal is currently in his junior year of high school and is dating Portia. He acts as a coach's assistant for the football team and runs certain practice drills with the team to keep active and social with his peers, although he is not permitted to play in games. He's gotten very skilled at ballroom dancing thanks to Portia and has gotten interested in the theater, poetry, and music, particularly rap.

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