Post by loki2 on Nov 22, 2008 3:48:33 GMT -7
The Handler
Name: Arkady Scott Belmont
Nickname: Arkasha (only by his relatives)
Classification: Psionic Human
Gender: Male
Age & Birthday: 24, December 30th
Appearance: Tall and gracefully lithe, Leon's body type could be dubbed athletic but is more akin to that of a dancer's. 6'0" and 193lbs he's covered in lean, wirey muscle. And with sinewy, long-fingered hands, broad shoulders and long legs he's considered quite easy on the eyes. Leon possesses smooth, chiseled facial features, rosy lips and silky, chin length, golden blonde hair in perpetual bed-head mode. A small comb or a rake of his fingers are the extent of his taming procedures; it's a hopeless mess and he's learned to accept that. Besides, he usually jams a hat on his head, anyway.
Leon's face is a narrow rectangle set with a gentle nose and brow that always seems to display a slight frown or an 'Impress me' expression. Broad cheekbones seem to curve down into the pronounced jut of his jawbone rather than fading back into his hairline. His eyes are hooded by thick, feminine lashes and seem to flicker with a haunted look.
Leon's most striking feature by far though is his eyes: A deep crystal blue, the irises are laced with a swirling lighter blue pattern that some would swear is symmetrical. When Leon is about to use his powers, his eyes lighten considerably and the 'pattern' switches; that is, the dark background fades to a brilliant sky blue and the lines harden into a dark ocean blue. Leon's pale complexion only enhances the stark contrast his eyes provide.
Aside from this, Leon's only other distinguishing features are a long, diagonal scar across his lower back and a strange faded 'brand' on his left hip: A spiral design with four triangular marks set like compass points, looking very much like a primitively-stylized sun.
Leon also has a distinct accent, being born and raised in Manchester.
Attire: Leon is a casual guy and prefers very informal garb. His collection of humorous t-shirts is vast (his favourite being one that displays a comic depicting "The Adventures of Granny Kick-Ass"), and he'll often slip one on with a pair of baggy khaki cargo pants or a pair of jeans and sandles or motorcycle boots depending on the weather. He also compliments his wardrobe with button-down men's shirts, but often wears them with only a few of the buttons actually done up, the sleeves rolled partially up his arms and the hem left untucked. If he's feeling particularly lazy he'll just throw on a wife beater. Leather bracelets, a sports watch and variety of simple chain necklaces round out his ensembles.
Getting Leon to dress in anything formal is like pulling teeth. In cool weather, his idea of formal is a white turtleneck sweater and a pair of his nicer black jeans, while in warm weather he'll simply tuck in the hem of one of his buttoned shirts.
His pyjamas of choice are a pair of boxers (usually Spongebob).
The Creation
Name: Leon Tiberius
Power List: Telekinesis, limited telepathy, prophecy
Detailed Power:
Telekinesis - Leon is capable of lifting up to 300lbs of matter with his mind; possibly more if he really pushes himself, but he has yet to test this. Offensively, he can also fire a blast of psionic energy with enough force to push an elephant back several feet.
He's also found that he can levitate up to 30 feet in height comfortably.
Telepathy - Leon is very sensitive to another's emotions and can sense the general flow of an individual's thoughts. Very close proximity and intense concentration are necessary for him to read just a person's surface thoughts; he hasn't been able to delve beyond this (and isn't particularly keen on doing so).
Tied to this he also possesses telemetric abilities and can 'read' a person by touching an item they've had in their possession. Not much information is garnered, usually just a name, gender, the most prevalent emotion they were feeling at the time of possessing the item and he catches a glimpse of the person's face.
Prophecy - Leon has no control over this ability and cannot choose what he sees or when. The visions he is given always pertain to him or somebody he's at least acquainted with, and the incident he's seeing could take place later in the day or later in the year, he never knows until it's actually happening. Leon's glimpse into the future can be anywhere from half a second to ten whole seconds in length, and he usually just stands there in a stupor while it's happening (although he does fall over sometimes; depends on the vision).
The Potential
Alignment/Occupation: Unaffiliated for now
Weapons: A military-issue Beretta 92F (obtained through shady means). He's also a second-dan blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do and has a bluebelt in Aikido.
Personality: To those first meeting him, Leon comes across as cold, standoffish and judgmental. His replies to any questions are concise and to the point, and he never gives more information than necessary. One gets the impression he's either running from someone (or something), or that he has a serious anxiety disorder. Neither would be far from the truth, but he's also deathly afraid of getting close to someone only to have them leave him in the end. To this end, he tries to make himself as unlikeable as possible. There's a major wall there. Trust me.
To those rare few whom he's actually warmed up to and has gotten to know, Leon has a bright smile and lyrical laugh, his dry whit and sense of humour endearing. When in the company of friends, he laughs easily, loves to play, and seems a lot more relaxed overall. You could probably even a coax a song or two out of him -the lad can sing, boy can he ever!- at this point. Because of course, those same close friends know that one of Leon's most closely held dreams is to become a rock star and get up on stage in front of an audience of thousands (though he is quite aware that this is probably never going to happen now).
Leon's thoughts and actions are dictated by a quiet patience and uncanny intelligence, further augmented by the strict, rigorous upbringing he had being raised by a russian mother and british father.
But Leon is a cocky pup, and often cannot resist pointing out someone's mistakes/foibles/etc. in the most scathing and humiliating way possible. He's cynical and sarcastic, and doesn't hesitate to let you know it. Why? He finds it fun, for one, he loves to see what kind of reactions he can get out of people; if he can't get a reaction out of someone, he soon gives up and leaves you alone.
It should also be mentioned that due to the nature of his powers, Leon can be quite empathetic and diplomatic, but more often than not he simply chooses not to be.
Skills: Leon is fluent in French and Russian, and knows enough Mandarin to 'get by'. Give him the time and he can decipher just about any text in any language except Japanese, Pun Jabi or Arabic. Riddles are something he's also very skilled at working out.
When he chooses to be, Leon can be a phenomenal mediator (but of course, more often than not he'd rather be an arse).
And, yes, because this is Leon we're talking about, he's VERY good at pushing just the right buttons and pissing people off.
Likes:
o Monty Python
o Pizza
o Tool (the band)
o Smoking
o Strong liquor (especially Crown Royal)
o Women
o Logic
o Aviator sunglasses
o Pulling pranks with his powers
o Singing
o Playing the guitar
o Dancing
o Humorous t-shirts
o Taking showers
o Shakespeare
o His iPod
o Broad-brimmed hats
o Verbal sparring
o Sticking his fingers in his mouth
o Close friends
Dislikes:
x Rap (he likes to say it's an acronym for 'Retards Attempting Poetry')
x Pointless conversation
x Not being able to shower
x Stuck-up girls
x Girls who wear too much make-up
x Being tickled (he's obscenely ticklish)
x Stupidity
x People who think a gun/blade will solve anything
x Body odor
x Too many questions
x People who drink and drive
x Formal attire
x Really strong sunlight
x Being told to keep his fingers out of his mouth
x People who like rap and hate all other forms of music
x Overtly religious people
x Men who abuse women
x People who abuse animals
x Hypocrites
x His parents
Strengths:
o Knowing the general subject that an individual is thinking about can be quite handy.
o Telekinesis is very useful as well.
o Leon is very agile thanks to his martial arts training.
o He also has great stamina for the same reason.
o If Leon controls how much sunlight hits his skin he can boost his powers considerably.
Weaknesses:
x It is extremely obvious when Leon is using his abilities thanks to the unnatural glow his eyes adopt - well, unless he closes his eyes...
x Leon has a bad habit of pissing people off and not caring about the consequences (and yes, this has gotten him in quite a bit of trouble).
x Having serious trust issues means Leon is hesitant when it comes to working with others.
x If Leon looks directly at the sun or if strong sunlight shines on his head/face he feels an uncontrollable surge of energy that causes his powers to erupt in someway (i.e. he'll randomly uproot a tree or someone nearby will suddenly blackout, the weight of his mind momentarily snuffing out the other).
x Leon's powers are halved at night.
x He can be struck - literally - by a vision anytime, anywhere, and this sometimes incapacitates him temporarily (complete with convulsions and a blank, mindless stare).
The Story
History:
Born and raised in Manchester, England, Arkady was reared unaware of his psychic prowess until he hit puberty. Oh sure, little things would happen here and there, such as cans coming off shelves, intense deja vu, and the fact that even at a tender age Arkady was acutely aware of what other people were feeling; just to name a few. Though his parents themselves, Elena and James Belmont, were unaware that all these incidents themselves were tied to their young son, his grandfather, Ilia Konstantinov, had been watching him intently since the day he was born.
As stated earlier, once he hit puberty at the age of 14, his whole world was knocked completely off kilter. Arkady had known for sometime that he was rather different, noticing that he became aware of things around him well before his peers, and his bouts of deja vu were becoming increasingly frequent and more intense.
Fate played its hand on a day like any other. Arkady headed off to school as usual, his grandfather driving him in (as he had done since Arkady entered high school). But, for some reason, the morning sunlight seemed... well, it just seemed really bright and strong that day. Odd. The weather had been exactly the same as the day before. And the whole trip Arkady was aware of an acute pressure building right behind his eyes; his grandfather, noting that Arkady was pinching the bridge of his nose, asked the teen what was wrong, and Arkady replied simply that he didn't know, maybe he was coming down with a migraine.
By the time they'd reached Arkady's school the pressure had built to an unbearable level; not painful, which was strange, but it still felt like his head was ready to pop off his shoulders. Declining his grandfather's request to go to the hospital, Arkady said he would go straight to the nurse's office once he got inside.
He never made it that far.
Three steps down the walkway to the school's entrance, the sun beating down on him, some threshold within Arkady's brain was breached and everything happened at once: Several of Arkady's friends suddenly collapsed around him and all the windows at the front of the school instantly shattered simultaneously. The majority of the people within the school area at the time reported experiencing an unusually short but utterly intense headache the moment the windows had exploded. And when several parents and teachers came running out of the building, the first thing they saw was Arkady standing there, dazed and in absolute shock - his eyes practically glowing.
At least, that's how the report went before it got hushed up.
The official report states that it had been a botched terrorist attack, and those who were there that day were greatly discouraged not to 'muddy the fact's by claiming otherwise.
Besides, 9/11 and those bombings in Madrid and the London subway had occured not too long ago, so it was a plausible explanation.
But of course, that wasn't the case.
After the school lockdown was lifted and the students sent home, Arkady and his grandfather took a long route home; the elder man had some startling revelations for his grandson.
It's no secret that during the Cold War the Soviets experimented with the paranormal, but what wasn't known was the extent of which their genetics program tied into this research. Ilia had been one of the 'volunteers' in this program, the Konstantinov family's genetic history of psychics and mediums well-known to a number of gypsy clans. Arkady's grandfather had been subjected to numerous genetic experiments and mutations, the Soviet scientists determined to isolate the DNA sequence that gave someone extrasensory perception. Their goal was to basically gentically engineer a human being to have psionic 'superpowers', someone capable of seeing vast distances without leaving a room, able to lift thousands of pounds with a single thought, and could delve deeply into another's mind. Of course such power would need a reliable and duplicable energy source from within the body of this human weapon (and the scientists had already discovered that the metabolic processes of the body weren't enough), and became stumped on various sources, everything from employing arsenic to sulfuric acid. Then it finally occured to someone, what if we could harness sunlight? And after several failed attempts to do so using plant DNA, they stumbled across the resilient, photosynthetic processes of the simple cyanobacteria. The bacilli were not plant cells like phytoplankton, as they could metabolize consumed sugars, yet they could also produce their own sugars and thrive when provided with nothing but water and strong UV light. So the cyanobacterium's DNA that replicated photosensitive proteins was added to the mix.
The Soviet plan was far reaching though, and they did not expect anything to come to fruition for several generations; the tampered DNA, it was predicted, would grow stronger with each generation and the addition of new genetic material that came through conceivance.
Elena, Arkady's mother, showed little signs of psionic activity as she was monitored throughout her youth, so imagine his grandfather's surprise when Arkady suddenly displayed such power. The photosynthetic proteins had been segregated to the endocrin system, and once the hormones for said system had 'turned on' the proteins had flooded his body, concentrating in the subdermal layer of skin and especially in the fluid of his eyes. All optimal areas for gathering sunlight and therefore providing perpetual energy for his psionic abilities.
Before anything else, Arkady was absolutely furious that this had been kept from him for so long. It was his heritage, his birthright, and it completely changed the way he would have to live his life from now on. Terrified of what he could be capable of, and still simmering with anger, Arkady alienated himself from his parents. Teen angst was party to this, but Arkady couldn't help but feel as though his parents had been partially aware of this and helped keep it from him. Self-sufficient, he would often go weeks without even speaking to any members of his family. His grandfather could understand the young man's frustration and also kept his distance, but persistantly entreated Arkady not to push everyone away from him.
Sometime after his 19th birthday, Ilia had convinced him to forgive and make peace with his parents - but it was too late: While Arkady mulled over this his father was struck and killed by a drunk driver. And ironically, his mother turned to the bottle for solace, barely acknowledging her son, and the efforts he made to comfort her. He felt like a stranger in his own home.
So Arkady turned inward again, although much deeper this time. Not even his best friends could find a way to bring him out of his depression.
Eventually, Arkady opted to 'start fresh', as some would say, and moved to New York, hoping to leave his troubled family life behind him. He changed his name to Leon Tiberius (although not through legal, official means), choosing the first name of an illustrious member from his family history and the name of a mad, tyrannical roman emperor; he found it fitting. His income came through doing odd jobs for the local mob.
When he's not running drug money, Leon quietly studied and experimented with his powers, hoping to avoid causing an incident like in high school again. He never stays in one place for more than a few months, as complaints and investigations into the 'paranormal' activities that spring up are a bit of a nuisance to him. Funny, but they did get annoying after a while.
For 3 years this has gone on now. Lately Leon keeps having the same wierd dream, which he knows can only mean something big is going to happen to him in the near future. In the first half of the dream, he's standing beside this utterly bizarre red-skinned man, the two of them pointing guns at something; then the dream will shimmer and he's suddenly standing and talking to a strange pale-skinned man, Leon's hand over his heart as he talks to the man. He has no idea what this could mean, but he knows he's going to find out soon enough.
