Rhythm Lee

Rhythm Lee is a seventeen year old Japanese Demigod son of Benzaiten and Carlos Lee. He came to camp at thirteen years old

## Basic Stuff

### Residence

Camp Olympia (Currently)Rock Hill, South Carolina (Formerly)

## Appearance

### Outfit

* Normally light colors/green
* Gray-blue sweater
* Light green shirt
* White and green sneakers

## History

### Early Life

Rhythm Lee was born to Benzaiten, Goddess of water, music, arts, wisdom, wealth, and fortune and Carlos Lee, a clear sighed mortal in Rock Hill, South Carolina on September 19, 2004. Carlos Lee's dream job was one that any other man would have thought easy to get and would have seen it as undesirable, but it was all Carlos would want to do. He wanted to work underground in the sewers of Rock Hill, South Carolina, in order to help the city as a whole. But he walked with a limp, and because of this, they refused to hire him. But Carlos was so passionate about his home town, that he wouldn't give up trying to get the government to hire him for something at least slightly related to construction. He tried to see if they would hire him to help fix train tracks when they broke. They refused, but he didn’t give up. He took architecture classes at a college, learned everything he could about trains and engineering, and even spent three years memorizing the entire sewer system, subway tracks (even the abandoned ones), and railroad tracks in Rock Hill. When he told them how much he had memorized, the city realized his dedication to the cause and made him project manager for a new subway line. His knowledge of the city and his new job, some how attracted the attention of Benzaiten. She would disguise herself as a female construction worker on his team under the false name Lila Sampson. After two or three dates, he took her back to his apartment and they ended up sleeping together.

The next morning, Carlos woke up to find Lila gone. He only became concerned about her when she was not at work the next day. Or the next. Or the next. Until she returned five months later, to the work site, with a baby in her arms. Carlos looked at her like she was insane. “Why would you bring a baby here? Where have you been for the past five months?” Benzaiten then took Davis to the side and explained that she was a Japanese Goddess, that the baby was their son and a demigod whom she named Rhythm, and that she couldn't stay because it was forbidden. Benzaiten gave Carlos a round golden pin, with lines engraved that formed a miniature music note within the pin, and told him to give Rhythm the pin when he turned thirteen.

### Childhood

Rhythm was a shy kid, never really feeling like he fit in. Ever since elementary school, he could always be found in corners of the school, and was often found wandering the hallways without permission. At the age of six, he had memorized the entire school’s layout, from hallways and classrooms to janitor’s closets. Rhythm was a mischievous kid even from a young age, constantly figuring out ways to eavesdrop on teachers’ conversations, and would even play pranks on them. When Rythm was eight, he was “line leader” and the teacher had left to use the bathroom, so he convinced the class that he was in charge, and led the whole class out onto the playground. Because his dad worked in construction and wasn't around much, Theo would walk home from school by himself and sometimes lose his keys, so he knew how to pick a lock. He picked the lock on the playground fence and he and his class played on the playground. When the teacher found them, she looked panicked, and when she found out Rhythm initiated it, she sent him straight to the principal’s office. More and more of these incidents kept happening over the years, and by the time Rhythm was ten, he had been sent to the principal, and received more detentions and suspensions than you could count. It wasn't that Rhythm was a troubled or a bad kid, he just liked to have a good laugh, and this was his kind of humor.

At the age of eleven, while out on one of his eavesdropping trips around the halls, he overheard the assistant principal talking to a man in her office, and heard her tell him she loved him. When he walked out and it wasn't her husband, Rhythm thought it would be funny to announce on the loudspeaker that she was having an affair as a joke. However, when this fact turned out to be true, Rhythm was expelled from school for eavesdropping on and humiliating the assistant principal. Rhythm's dad would have cared, but was too busy working on a Rock Hill track that stretched from Charleston to Greenville to be worried about his son. His father is much too invested in his work and never saw taking care of Rhythm as a priority. The only real conversation Rhythm had with his father before he left  for reform school, when Carlos gave Rhythm the pin passed down to him by Bezaiten. Because he was off to boarding school, Carlos told his son that his mother was a goddess, and when Rhythm didn't believe him, he told him to press the pin. He did, and the pin’s engraving lit up and a shiny silver sword appeared in his hands.

### The Boarding School

Rhythm wore his pin every day at reform school, now that he knew what was really out there. However, he didn't know that this would make him more prone to monster attacks. In reform school, Rhythm was a saint compared to some of the other kids (I mean, the school was said to be for “troubled teens”). Most of the kids he met there were druggies, had robbed banks, or had some sort of emotional problem. He realized he didn't belong in a place like this, and asked to call his father to see if he could come home. His dad said no other place would take him, so Rhythm made the best of his experience, using his street smarts to get him through day to day life at school, and keeping himself busy by playing pranks on the teachers, therapists, social workers, guards (yes, the school had *guards*), and the other students to keep himself entertained and happy. If he had ADHD or Dyslexia they went undiagnosed, as Rhythm was too busy pranking people to attend any classes. Most of the kids at the boarding school either loved him or hated him, because of his pranks.

The one class Rhythm attended was the World History and Mythology class, in order to learn as much about who his mother was as he could. He was only able to find a few myths on her, and nothing that really gave him a sense of what she was like. However he did figure out that she named him after the man who was her first love, Theseus of Athens, and didn't even tell his father who she was really naming him after. When he found this out, he realized she didn't truly love his father, which made him quite upset. When Rhythm was eleven, he was walking behind a heavier girl who had tattoos all over her arm, and thought to himself how funny it would be to see her trip. He wasn't really sure what happened, but all the sudden, a puddle of water appeared on the ground, making her slip, and she fell on her face with a thud. Rhythm started cracking up, wondering how it was possible, when he remembered the myth about his mother and being a goddess of the water. He assumed he did it subconsciously, and patted himself on the back. He tried to conjure the water again later in his dorm room, but couldn't do it. He spent the next week trying to figure out how to conjure and manipulate the water, and with practice, got better.

### First Monster Attack

At the end of the week, he experienced his first monster attack. He would later discover that his pin not only could transform a sword, but would have the power to ward monsters away from Rhythm by making by manipulating the sound waves to make their ears hurt until Rhythm would begin to have minor control over his powers, much like a protective charm that wears off when one can fend for themselves. (this effect wears off once Rhythm uses his powers on the first hell hounds) He was in his dorm room, when two hell hounds appeared. Rhythm pressed the pin he got from his mom and the two swords appeared in his hands. He swung them at one of the hell hounds, and conjured a string to tie the other one’s legs together long enough for him to finish off the first one. Just as the other hell hound bit through the string, Rhythm was running over to kill it. He swung blindly at the hell hound, not really sure what he was doing. The hell hound charged, but Rhythm decapitated it with a swift slice of his sword. He called his dad, and told him what had happened. His dad came to pick him up the next morning, but was never very close with his son, and felt it wasn't his place to tell him to do anything, so he did not make Rhythm go to Camp Olympia. Rhythm decided to stay in South Carolina.

For the next two years, he was "home schooled" (even though his father never taught him much), not so much learning how to fight but more of sitting at home while his father worked he used this time to teach himself how to control his demigod powers, but had nobody to teach him told hold a sword. His dad just wanted him close by so he wouldn’t die. Rhythm became known as the go to guy in town for anything you needed to have a good time. He made his own money through his innate knowledge of the streets of South Carolina, his street smarts, and his prankster mind, selling everything from fake IDs to supplying people maps of bank vaults to anyone who asked for it. Rhythm was able to find anything for anyone, and retrieve it successfully every time, whether through stealth, his knowledge of the streets, or by using music to distract his pursuer. Rhythm himself was not a bad kid though, never drinking, smoking, or doing any other drugs. He was however, quite a successful thief, not that he needed the money or goods, but they were definitely luxuries he couldn’t turn down. He did this while out of boarding school as well, and was good at it. He used his knowledge of the streets and innate knowledge of pathways to rob all kinds of stores and escape from situations where he should have been cornered.

### Coming to Camp

A year after he got back from reform school, a harpy found him in the local park, just as inexperienced with combat as a year before, but much more strategic and more in control of his powers. He escaped the harpy by going down a manhole right outside the park. The harpy was un-abel to follow do to its large wingspan. Rhythm then continued on with his life. A year later, he was attacked by two more hell hounds, which he dealt with by using the same strategy he did for his first encounter with hell hounds, tying up the first one while he deal with the other. Then, he stabbed  the other hell hound in the back with his dual swords. It was at this point, he and his father decided he should head to Camp Olympia. Afraid of any more monster attacks, Rhythm navigated his way through the sewer system in order to stay hidden from monsters, as the smell of sewage would prevent monsters from tracking his demigod scent. Although it took him a few days to get to camp, he went into the sewer originally with food and water, and made it there safely. Rhythm took the sewer outside of South Carolina, and then took a bus to Big Bear, California. He was later claimed by his mother and moved in The Cabin Mythos.

## Personality

Rhythm is a strange boy, that for certain. He loves to gossip and always minds his surroundings for interesting things. He’s a calm, but creative soul, who is always writing songs, his mom is a music goddess after all, and is a musician at heart. He’s known to be brave and sarcastic and loves telling jokes with his friends. At times, Rhythm can get very competitive and loves to win things, games, debates, etc, you name it, he has to win. Rhythm is known to be optimistic and rebellious at the same time. To sum Rhythm up in a word? Chaos. He marches to the beat of his own drum, as if that drum was falling down the stairs in a cymbal factory, and making a horrendous amount of noise on the way. He's loud, he's energetic, and genuinely rather eccentric, doing what he wants and ignoring anything that could prevent him from doing just that, like school rules, and logistical issues. The idea that something literally can't be done? He won't register it, let alone care that you told him, and whatever happens from there happens. He may break a few eggs and/or legs in the process but at the end of the day what does it really matter? Well, it does matter to many people. Across the campus, Rhythm is known as an unholy terror, who wreaks havoc everywhere he goes. True to his nature, Rhythm loves causing trouble, and once he's there, he's a nightmare to get rid of. Like a whirlwind, he manages to be everywhere at once, doing whatever he wants just to mess with people. While he's certainly not the scariest villain out there, he's definitely the one people dread the most on a day-to-day basis, simply because he's the most proactive. Now, this would be bad enough, but what makes it worse is the fact that Rhythm is annoyingly talented. Some sort of sponge, he absorbs combat know-how like nobody's business, able to pick up on and use new skills within a few minutes of learning them. An annoying opponent is one thing, but an annoying opponent who's also annoyingly good at combat is another. Another thing to know about Rhythm is that he is deeply strong-willed. If he sets his mind to something, that thing will get done, and nothing and no one can prevent that. Like a catapult, the moment he sets his trajectory, that is that, and nothing can make him divert his course. A straightforward person, if he sees a solution to a problem, will just do it, taking the fastest and most obvious path toward it. While his direct approach to life means that he solves his problems as soon as they appear, it's also an approach that misses more than it hits. Rhythm, for what it's worth, doesn't seem to mind though. Rhythm is constantly on forward momentum, always going and never stopping. Little, if anything causes him to pause, and if it does, it's only for a short moment. What Rhythm fears most of all is being controlled. Originally raised as a completely different 'good' legacy, he is starkly aware of how it feels to be controlled by tradition, and he absolutely hates it. Due to this, Rhythm feels the need to be himself as fully and undeniably as possible- even if that involves exaggerating himself as much as possible and filling the room as much as possible with his presence. He is deeply, deeply strong-willed, because it's having that strong will that keeps him exactly where he wants to be, and he'll never relinquish that because he won't let anyone take that away. This makes him notoriously stubborn. He's reluctant to change or acquiesce to anything. This isn't out of any sense of pride or self-importance, but rather a result of discomfort. Rhythm is wary of changing even a little because that creates a weak point. And Rhythm won't let anyone force him back into his past. He won't even give them the chance. And if that involves erasing any trace of likability so no one will even think to try, then so be it. If someone met Rhythm and had to guess who is godly parent was, most people would probably guess Hermes, because chances are if you know this kid, you have been pranked by him at least once. You either love Rhythm, or hate him. He gets a laugh out of other people’s screw ups and is kind of sadistic in that way, but some people think he is sarcastic, hilarious, witty. If you don't find him though, you will probably just think he's a bully. But in reality, he has some major insecurities about his sexuality, his family, and his life. Another thing about Rhythm, he loves confusing people and giving them wrong directions. He suffers from ADHD and Dyslexia, but his street smarts are way beyond average. Like his dad, he has memorized all the South Carolina streets and alleys, as well as the subway lines. Rhythm is a partier and a cheater, always trying to find the easy way out, even if it is at other's expense. He does have a soft and caring side, but it’s hard to reach. However, if someone can get that close to him, he'll lay down his life for theirs. In battle, he is not a great fighter at all, and relies on the few powers he taught himself to use and his deception tactics and street smarts. Rhythm takes full advantage of his powers, using them creatively in all sorts of situations, even when you would never expect it.

### Fatal flaw

Rhythm's fatal flaw is Loyalty. He would do anything for his friends, and would do anything to keep his friends safe, even if it meant death

## Appearance

Rhythm is described as a seventeen-year-old boy of Japanese-American descent. He has light skin, black hair swept to the side, and hazel-green eyes. He is often seen wearing a gray-blue sweater, a light green shirt, and white and green sneakers. He also might own a Dream Hoodie

## Powers and Abilities

### Benzaiten Kid Powers

* Because his mom is a water goddess, he has the power of hydrokinesis (ability to manipulate water
* He can breathe underwater
* While he is underwater, he is resistant to underwater pressure and cold
* He can sense the difference between fresh and saltwater
* He can use water to heal wounds, either his own or others.
* When in the water his strength, speed, stamina, and skill increase.
* He can telekinetically control any ship he’s on, and he has perfect bearings as long as he is at sea.
* He can see in the dark underwater
* He can create underwater bubbles so that his friends can breathe underwater
* He can harden water to form shields or solid ground to walk on
* He can travel through water vapor and mist
* He can inflict and heal seasickness in people.
* As his mom is the goddess of music, he has Audiokinesis. With this ability, he can control sound waves, amplify and diminish the sound, and generate his own music.
* When he sings, he is able to hypnotize anyone who hears him.
* He can either make people speak in rhyming couplets or make them sing constantly for a limited time
* Hecause of his vocals, when he sings a song, he is able to reflect its meaning in real life. For example, if he sings a song about love, someone is sure to fall in love nearby, or when he sings a song about some natural phenomenon, that natural phenomenon is sure to occur nearby.
* He can change the pitch of his voice.
* He has the power of tychokinesis, or the ability to control luck itself.

### General Abilities

* ADHD: Rhythm's supernatural alertness and keen senses that keep him ready for, and alive, in battle
* Dyslexia: Rhythm's brain is hard wired for Ancient Japanese instead of mortal languages
* Music Skills: Rhythm is good at all things that have to go with music as his mother is the goddess of music
* Writing skills: Rhythm is a very gifted writer
* Instrument playing skills: Rhythm is skilled at playing all instruments
* Swimming skills: He is a skilled swimmer
* Swordsmanship: Rhythm is very skilled with a sword
* Superhuman strength: As a demigod, Rhythm is more durable than a regular human being
* Superhuman durability: As a demigod, Rhythm is more durable than a regular human being
* Superhuman agility: As a demigod, Rhythm is more agile than the average mortal
* Superhuman reflexes: As a demigod, Rhythm's reflexes are greater than the average mortal

## Relationships

### Friends

#### Nico Hamilton

Nico and Rhythm both get along very well with each other since they both love to play music and write together. Rhythm sometimes teases Nico about his crush on Annie, but Nico knows it's all good fun. The two have a plan to start a band together

### Family

#### Benzaiten (Mother)

Rhythm doesn't really like his mother (along with the idea of being a demigod) all that much but he does respect her as a goddess. Benzaiten tries to watch over her son as much as she can, but she is often very busy. They have a distant relationship with each other

#### Carlos (Father)

Rhythm is also very distant from his father as well. Carlos was always busy when Rhythm was a child, so they didn't have much father-son bonding time. Rhythm hates the fact that his father sent him to a boarding school, but they try and video chat at least once a week. They're very distant from each other.

## Etymology

Rhythm in a name of English origin, means **"One who has a good beat, a good rhythm"**.

The most common is derived from Old English lēah, meaning **a meadow or forest clearing**. This developed variously into the surnames Lee, Lea, and Leigh.

## Trivia

1. Rhythm curses in strictly family friendly ways, he doesn't swear. This doesn't seem to be an intentional choice or anything, merely a character quirk.
2. His middle name is Theodore, which means Gift of God
3. Rhythm is one of four characters to have a music related names, the other three are
	1. Melody Potvin
	2. Octave Reyes
	3. Lyric Kallos
4. Rhythm is a Virgo
5. He is bisexual
6. He has a fear of the ocean
7. Rhythm has a very good memory, being able to memorize hallways, streets and paths easily
8. He loves to prank with the Hermes Children