Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft (ハワード・フィリップス・ラヴクラフト,) is a former member of the Guild.

Appearance
Lovecraft superficially appears to be a tall, gaunt man with very emaciated features and dull, blank, dark gray eyes. He has dark navy, slightly wavy hair that reaches well past his waist, and is always seen pulled back so that it all falls behind him.

Clothing-wise, Lovecraft wears a white dress shirt and dark gray slacks, as well as a thin black belt around his waist. He wears a long patterned tie with a design of circles and diagonal lines. He wears a pair of dark gray loafers. Over all of this, Lovecraft wears a long, dark brown trench coat with three buckles towards the middle on each side. However, the most distinguishing feature of this coat is that it is in tatters, appearing nearly shredded at the bottom of the coat and at its cuffs.

When using his eldritch power, Lovecraft tends to contort his body parts, and his eyes become wider and almost blank. Moreover, he can sprout numerous tentacles dotted with suction cups and holes along their surface at random intervals. These tentacles are undefined in length, and can sprout from anywhere from his body. His true form appears as a humongous, tentacled entity with wings and a pair of glowing, seeming eyes.

Personality
Lovecraft seems to hate doing jobs as he tells John Steinbeck to get over with their work since he wants to go home. He also easily dismisses when something doesn't go their way, such as when the vehicle they were in crashed, he just ignores it. He also doesn't like being the center of attention, as it makes him itch.

Lovecraft appears to be a fairly odd person. For example, as he and Steinbeck were chasing after the Armed Detective Agency clerks, he is seen counting the wood grains before being told they weren't real and just wood laminate, making Lovecraft gasp in shock. However, he is also able to tell if something is a trap to lure them out, even asking Steinbeck the reason why they are going.

He also appears to be always anxious. He also appears to be fairly nonchalant to battle, as he apparently fell asleep after being shot in the back by Doppo Kunikida.

When approached by someone asking for entertainment, Lovecraft doesn't hesitate to show them something, though it is far from what the person expects.

After the Guild war, his oddness shows itself even more. He states that since his contract with Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald is null, he'll be going to sleep, and thus he walks into the ocean.

Ability
Great Old One allows Lovecraft to transform either a part or his whole body into a monster with lots of tentacles. In this state, he is only vulnerable from the inside. Additionally, he is capable of regeneration. Notably, this skill is not an ability, as Osamu Dazai is unable to nullify it.

The Guild Arc
Lovecraft first appears with Steinbeck when he crashes his truck. He then, later on, appears with Steinbeck and the other Guild members during the conflict with the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia.

Lovecraft then goes on to appear with Steinbeck after accepting the Mafia's proposal to capture the clerks of the Agency as bait, despite knowing that it was a trap. They soon arrive at the lodhe where the clerks are staying.While chasing, Naomi and Haruno, Lovecraft, and Steinbeck are stopped by Tanizaki and Kunikida. They are later on seen fighting against Kunikida and Tanizaki but end up surrendering to the local police.

While in the city, he encounters Q on the streets by chance. He was then asked by Q to play with them. Thinking of a clown's balloon trick, he tries to give Q a dachshund in the form of his ability. Disgusted by what Lovecraft gave him, Q marks him using their ability. Lovecraft then transforms into a giant monster, scaring Q.

After the cursed rampage incident in Yokohama, Lovecraft, Steinbeck, and Guild operatives ambush Dazai who has come to rescue Q. However, Chūya Nakahara makes an unexpected appearance, hurling a boulder at Lovecraft and overwhelming the armed forces. The latter clashes with Chūya before transforming into his eldritch form, while Chūya activates his Corruption state. Dazai then sets off a bomb that he earlier embedded in Lovecraft's core, and Chūya finishes him off, ultimately resulting in the Guild members' defeat and Q's rescue.

When the other Guild members were discussing the fate of the Guild following the fall of Moby Dick, Lovecraft regenerates after his battle with Chūya. As he passes by his fellow members, Lovecraft mutters that the "contract" has finally been fulfilled before walking into the ocean to sleep.

Etymology

 * The name Howard is of Old English origin and means "high guard".
 * The middle name Phillips is a patronymic name derived from "Phillip". Phillip is of Greek origin and means "friend of horses"
 * The surname Lovecraft is derived from the township of Leacroft.

Trivia

 * His ability, The Great Old Ones is a reference to Cthulhu's origins, a 'Great Old One' is a God of extra-dimensional origins.