xxxxxMasque's early life was not an easy one. He was born with facial deformities. Though they caused him little physical discomfort, they continued to be a focus point throughout his childhood, playing a large role in helping him to grow from an overly self-conscious child into a bitter teenager, and then an even more jaded young adult. His real parents hadn't kept him for long, and he didn't fare much better with the many foster families afterwards due to severe behavioural issues involving violence and seemingly random acts of spite.
While others tried to figure out whether his behaviour was the result of his condition or whether it pointed to yet deeper issues, Masque had more important things on his mind. When his mutation first manifested, the first thing he could think of was that this was his calling. Finally, he would belong. There was a place for him, and this dictated where.
It may not have been pretty, but that place was the Morlocks. There were more people like him, and some of them were even sort of screwed up, just like him! Some were even physically screwed up, just like him. And those that weren't... well. He didn't like them very much.
Though Masque was readily welcomed into the Morlock tunnels after cutting all ties with his previous life, he did not use his time there wisely. Warnings followed several of his attempts to practise his abilities on other unsuspecting Morlock members, but leader Callisto took pity on him when he explained that he had merely meant to make them ugly so as to make them stay. As a gift! He followed through on her demands to turn them back to normal- at least the ones that weren't too afraid to come back.
But that was not the end of his adventures in the tunnels. After years of failing to follow orders and gradually outliving his usefulness in the group, respect for him had dropped to an all-time low. Fortunately for him, a new leader was then elected through combat with Callisto, allowing him a fresh start.
Unfortunately for him, new leader Tatters didn't take too kindly to Masque using his ability to cripple Callisto out of spite after she had ordered him to help her recover from her injuries. He refused to fix what he had broken, and was promptly banished from what had been his only yet ungrateful family for years.
Now convinced there is no better way to live than on his own, he has been living on threats and bribes ever since. Mutilating people's faces in order to convince them to do things for him, either through the promise of turning them back to normal when they did, or through threats to leave them that way if they didn't. Who needs a group of misfits to protect you when you can get things done by scaring the pants off of people all by yourself?
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