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Description
Hack is a tall, scrawny cat with an obnoxiously colorful pelt of static fur, marked with circuitry-like patterns. The markings and colors seem to change placement and/or shape constantly. In contrast to his fur, the whites of his eyes and teeth are grey and layered in static noise. Overall this guy is visually impossible to ignore.

Hack is cursed with a power and energy and freedom that he never had before. To a degree that definitely garners a fair amount of jealousy from other cats for how frankly overpowered it is. It's almost like he's been given access to cheats. Though, the curse is inherently very self-focused, as Hack can't pass any power to other cats to help or heal them, as much as he might want to.
The main downside is Hack's own personality holds him back from doing a lot of the powerful things he could do. Which really is a good thing considering the potential damage he could cause.
Hack is also burdened with the retention of his memories from life. Which are not very pleasant memories... to put it lightly. Hack is unable to forget the memories - but he can do everything in his power to ignore them. To never think about them. Look at this crazy PAIN world! Wow, look at all these crazy kitties! There's so much he can see and do and no one can even really hurt him!! : )

Whenever Hack's memories resurface strongly, he is reduced from his normal energetic state. His powers dwindling to nothing until he manages to blot out the memories best he can and resume being "happy."

When in that reduced state, Hack's fur returns to it's natural dark gray, drooping and heavy - as if soaked. The same noise that covered his eyes and teeth, now covers his entire coat instead. The natural color of his eyes is revealed as a murky blue. Saturated blue liquid pours from his eyes and chokes up his throat - evaporating quickly in open air. He seems to disappear into the background when you aren't directly looking at him.

Hack became a resident of PAIN on the more recent side of its history. Initially spending most of his time in the Heart after he had quickly hopped around PAIN's various territories - to the confusion of many cats who witnessed him teleporting in out of nowhere. The Heart fascinated him the most with its confusing and ever-changing structure, as well as it being the place new cats showed up. (He's been asked before if he's seen Know, but he has no clue. He saw a lot of cats in there how would he even know who was Know? Unfortunately, Hack knew no Know.)

It was in the Heart that Hack met Fade. A fellow cat able to no-clip! ...although in Fade's case it was much less willingly. They became unlikely friends mostly thanks to Hack pestering a Fade who was deep in pure despair over his curse, waiting for an end to his suffering that would seemingly never come. Hack had become an expert at finding distractions from emotional pain at this point after all. And it felt good to actually help someone.

Hack had never felt more happiness before in his entire life, seeing the hope finally spark in Fade's eyes when Hack told him there was a group of cats working on an escape from PAIN. Fade immediately wanted Hack to lead him to the group, and what kind of jerk would Hack have been to deny him?

Hack joined Drip's group alongside Fade, the group seeming very excited to gain such a powerful cat in their cause. Though, Hack is mostly only there because of Fade.

It's strange. Hack doesn't understand why these cats want out. When he thinks of what's outside PAIN... well... he does his best not to. But he's not going to stop them of course, if it's what they all want.

Maybe Hack is just afraid. Afraid for what they're getting into. Afraid of what they'll find if they succeed. Afraid of losing Fade once that exit is opened. Because there's no way Hack could follow through.

Honestly... Hack hopes they fail. But there's no way he's ever admitting that.

---

I have constantly struggled to give Hack a design that I liked. I always wanted him to be bright green with bright circuitry markings but it just never looked quite right.
This might finally be the design that sticks. I think changing the texture of his fur to something more simple and electrified-looking helped immensely to make his markings work better. Also I've forgone given him shading as it killed the pure saturation he's supposed to embody. Decided to just go full rainbow with his color palette. Now he is a lovely patch of eyebleed amongst the PAIN cast, what he always deserved to be.

Also hey look at that, finally a reference for Hack's "reduced" form (I guess I'll call it that?)

Description
Hack is a tall, scrawny cat with an obnoxiously colorful pelt of static fur, marked with circuitry-like patterns. The markings and colors seem to change placement and/or shape constantly. In contrast to his fur, the whites of his eyes and teeth are grey and layered in static noise. Overall this guy is visually impossible to ignore.

Hack is cursed with a power and energy and freedom that he never had before. To a degree that definitely garners a fair amount of jealousy from other cats for how frankly overpowered it is. It's almost like he's been given access to cheats. Though, the curse is inherently very self-focused, as Hack can't pass any power to other cats to help or heal them, as much as he might want to.
The main downside is Hack's own personality holds him back from doing a lot of the powerful things he could do. Which really is a good thing considering the potential damage he could cause.
Hack is also burdened with the retention of his memories from life. Which are not very pleasant memories... to put it lightly. Hack is unable to forget the memories - but he can do everything in his power to ignore them. To never think about them. Look at this crazy PAIN world! Wow, look at all these crazy kitties! There's so much he can see and do and no one can even really hurt him!! : )

Whenever Hack's memories resurface strongly, he is reduced from his normal energetic state. His powers dwindling to nothing until he manages to blot out the memories best he can and resume being "happy."

When in that reduced state, Hack's fur returns to it's natural dark gray, drooping and heavy - as if soaked. The same noise that covered his eyes and teeth, now covers his entire coat instead. The natural color of his eyes is revealed as a murky blue. Saturated blue liquid pours from his eyes and chokes up his throat - evaporating quickly in open air. He seems to disappear into the background when you aren't directly looking at him.

Hack became a resident of PAIN on the more recent side of its history. Initially spending most of his time in the Heart after he had quickly hopped around PAIN's various territories - to the confusion of many cats who witnessed him teleporting in out of nowhere. The Heart fascinated him the most with its confusing and ever-changing structure, as well as it being the place new cats showed up. (He's been asked before if he's seen Know, but he has no clue. He saw a lot of cats in there how would he even know who was Know? Unfortunately, Hack knew no Know.)

It was in the Heart that Hack met Fade. A fellow cat able to no-clip! ...although in Fade's case it was much less willingly. They became unlikely friends mostly thanks to Hack pestering a Fade who was deep in pure despair over his curse, waiting for an end to his suffering that would seemingly never come. Hack had become an expert at finding distractions from emotional pain at this point after all. And it felt good to actually help someone.

Hack had never felt more happiness before in his entire life, seeing the hope finally spark in Fade's eyes when Hack told him there was a group of cats working on an escape from PAIN. Fade immediately wanted Hack to lead him to the group, and what kind of jerk would Hack have been to deny him?

Hack joined Drip's group alongside Fade, the group seeming very excited to gain such a powerful cat in their cause. Though, Hack is mostly only there because of Fade.

It's strange. Hack doesn't understand why these cats want out. When he thinks of what's outside PAIN... well... he does his best not to. But he's not going to stop them of course, if it's what they all want.

Maybe Hack is just afraid. Afraid for what they're getting into. Afraid of what they'll find if they succeed. Afraid of losing Fade once that exit is opened. Because there's no way Hack could follow through.

Honestly... Hack hopes they fail. But there's no way he's ever admitting that.

---

I have constantly struggled to give Hack a design that I liked. I always wanted him to be bright green with bright circuitry markings but it just never looked quite right.
This might finally be the design that sticks. I think changing the texture of his fur to something more simple and electrified-looking helped immensely to make his markings work better. Also I've forgone given him shading as it killed the pure saturation he's supposed to embody. Decided to just go full rainbow with his color palette. Now he is a lovely patch of eyebleed amongst the PAIN cast, what he always deserved to be.

Also hey look at that, finally a reference for Hack's "reduced" form (I guess I'll call it that?)