STATUS:
Graduation has happened - I am no longer a teacher. Won't have to work 12 hour days + weekends anymore, so maybe I'll actually have enough time for hobbies.
8 mos ago
Current
Graduation has happened - I am no longer a teacher. Won't have to work 12 hour days + weekends anymore, so maybe I'll actually have enough time for hobbies.
10
likes
10 mos ago
I sound like a broken record, but only 2 months left till I'm done teaching. Not sure what's next, but it feels like anything would pay more and be less stressful lol
5
likes
1 yr ago
Only 6 more months till the school years over. If I renew my contract, someone kill me lmao.
3
likes
2 yrs ago
Teacher update: I feel like a villain from a cartoon. The laughter of teenagers gives me migraines, and I no longer feel guilt when giving bad grades to kids that sleep through my lessons.
10
likes
2 yrs ago
First day as a Biology Teacher tomorrow - hopefully the kids will be able to read my handwriting.
Despite knocking on the doors of his allies, There was no response. Theo attmpted to knock once more, but to no avail - if there was anybody in the rooms they were dead silent. Anxiety crept over him, but deciding to be respectful of the others privacy, Theo chose to let them sleep in... Hopefully. He slowly made his way to the dining area of the inn, reequipping his leather armor as he did so. By the time he opened the door, the weight of the leather began to rest on his torso, and the brightly illuminated dining area looked absolutely beautiful in the morning light. Theo was about to make his way to a random table, when he spotted Reylan, Alisea, and Aster, all eating there breakfast. Theo waved slightly, before ordering the same meal he had the previous night - it was delicious then, it will probably be delicious now. Karma soon joined up with the group a little after Theo had finished eating, and the others were about to leave. Theo offered a small wave to him, and to Dubstepp as well when he entered, looking far more tired than Theo would have expected.
While Theo was happy to see that Aster and Alisea were okay, the fact that Kajin still wasn't around was very disturbing... Reylan and the girls decided to head on out, heading to do some shopping before they regrouped for the dungeon. Theo instead passed the time with Karma and Dubstepp, listening to the latter rap while tapping the table to the beat. While it certainly wasn't bad, it did surprise Theo that someone was (or at least was pretending to be) as unique as he made Dirk out to be. But Theo was in agreement with Karma - 2 copper definitely wasn't the most, but it was at least better than nothing. Karma rose to his feet shortly after, before talking about buying some healing supplies. Theo rose to his feet as well, before turning on his heel.
"I'll see you guys at the meeting point... I gotta go check something."
Theo barely noticed that he wasn't using his Dirk voice - he was too focused. Why the hell wasn't Kajin there? He was the one who suggested teaming everyone up in the first place, right? You'd expect him to show up for breakfast... A cold pit formed in Theo's stomach as he reached Kajin's door. With a shaky hand, he managed to open it - it was unlocked. Theo turned the door handle slowly, as the wood slowly creaked on old hinges. The room was clean, with the only evidence someone was inside being that the covers on the bed were messy - as if someone was sleeping there.
Theo nearly had a heart attack. Was this death game real? Was one of his first friends in this place already dead? What the fuck...
Theo wretched, his freshly eaten meal escaping his stomach in a flood of vomit. Theo was breathing heavily, so fast he was nearly hyperventilating. This was sick... Theo thought this was all a joke - at worst they would be stuck here and simply brought back to the real world when they died... Slowly he calmed down. He didn't have complete evidence. If he was lucky, Kajin just woke up early and left... Yeah, that had to be it. He'd show up at 9, and they would all be a team...
Theo went back to his room, and lied on his bed, praying he might be able to sleep away the event.
He simply laid in bed for two hours, and once he realized it was 9, he dragged himself to the dining area, taking a seat at an empty table.
Name: Tommy Pratt Age: 14 Home Region/Town: Goldenrod City, Johto.
Typically wears the school uniform, but whenever he is out of school or allowed to wear casual attire, he will wear work clothes that one would expect a construction worker to wear - he occasionally even wears a hard hat.
Bio: Personality wise, Tommy can only be described as obsessed - every moment he can, he is either talking about or watching martial arts - doesn't matter the kind. Boxing, Wrestling, the style doesn't matter to him - all that matters is that it is people clobbering each other. This led to his personality traits being heavily exaggerated - he constantly tries to be the center of attention, and has adopted a loud and obnoxious voice in order to make his presence known. He is nice, but can be very overbearing and intense, and his obsession will get old quick for those around him. While he is very physically fit, Tommy isn't the brightest guy out there. He's not dumb, he just never focuses on things outside his narrow field of focus, leading to fairly bad grades. Along with this, he's honestly a bad trainer - he relies too heavily on his own Pokemon being smart enough to dodge attacks and understand what he wants them to do, and he barely understands how type advantage works - he mainly just tries to overpower an opponent with raw strength rather than using strategy.
Tommy only picks moves for his Pokemon based on their names - if it has a name that sounds like something a professional fighter would yell, it's okay. He also idolizes gym leaders like Chuck and Crasher Wake, for obvious reasons. He is a hard worker who gives 110% and never gives up, which is the only explanation for how he managed to make it this far without realizing how bad he is at battling. His dream is to wrestle an Ursaring into submission. Other than fighting, Tommy is interested in weightlifting, video games, scary things, and Pokemon battles. He doesn't plan on becoming a trainer, but decided that learning how Pokemon fight could be a bonding experience with his own Pokemon.
History: Born to an upper middle class family, Tommy lived a life of relative peace most of his life. His father owned a construction company, while his mother was a housewife. For years, Tommy was constantly sheltered, kept in the house and taught so he could one day inherit the family business. His father and mother had him at a late age (Dad was 48, Mom was 39), and since he was an only child, there care and constant attention was understandable. Still, that didn't mean Tommy appreciated the constant supervision - unlike other kids his age, he wasn't allowed to go out and play, or even own a pet. The only thing he was allowed to do was stay inside, which wasn't too hard with television and the internet. Not much happened, until he reached 10 - this was when he discovered the world of martial arts. The fantastic Crasher Wake wrestling down opponents before delivering a cool line or singing his amazing songs, and fighting type Pokemon fighting each other with tournament rules! Everything he wasn't allowed to do was right there so, in secret, he began to train.
He lacked any sort of weights, but he did body weight exercises and stole building materials from his dad. By 11, his parents mercifully bought him a bench press, a squat rack, and weights, and while his father or a construction Pokemon from work was watching, he was allowed to exercise as much as he wished. All the while, he practiced boxing moves from watching television, whether it was from professionals or Hitmonchans didn't matter. He didn't practice anything else for fear of messing up techniques, and with his parents always watching over him, he didn't want to make loud noises by practicing kicks. By 12, he was more stronger than most 15 year olds, but he was slowing down. Without proper guidance on things like nutrition and routines, he slowly was plateauing, something that terrified him. Not much growth happened during this time, and by 13, he was only slightly stronger. Luckily, this was when he received the present of the lifetime.
Knowing that he was slowly becoming an independent person, Tommy's parents got him something all kids wished for - a Pokemon! He was only a few months old, but the Machop that hatched from one of the construction Pokemon's eggs was a fitting gift. While they apologized for not getting him one that was cooler or cuter, Tommy was overjoyed to have a training partner. The two spent every moment together, playing, eating, working out, even sleeping. Their relationship was almost creepy to Tommy's parets, but the two were the best of friends. In the next few months, the Machop became the friend that Tommy never had. One night, however, his father brought home an egg.
Tommy's father was slowly growing tired of the construction business, but still did his best to help his employees - this included watching any eggs the Pokemon laid. Normally, the eggs are sold to breeders or young trainers, but there were a large number this year and this egg hadn't been bought for awhile - thanks to the excess stock, it had to be kept somewhere, and Tommy's father volunteered to keep it until they could sell it. It was only a few seconds - Tommy's father left to use the bathroom, and with only Tommy and the Egg left in the room,it began to shake, crack, and reveal a baby Timburr. By the time Tommy's father came back, it was too late - it had already imprinted on Tommy, and his father reluctantly allowed it to stay. The next few months were relatively hectic - Tommy's father decided to retire, allowing his board of directors to make decisions in his steed and, wanting to relax of the rest of his life, moved to the hectic city of Hau'oli City. Tommy's mother, rather disapprovingly, allowed Tommy to enroll in the nearby school, Alola academy. Since school was starting in only a few months, Tommy decided to flesh out his team a bit more.
His parents always told him to be careful, and never go outside unless he had to... But when Tommy just saw a Croagunk lying on ground near route 1, he just had to take the opportunity to catch it! Using a pokeball he had bought from the local pokemart, he easily caught the unconscious Pokemon. Tommy being Tommy, he never pondered why a croagunk was just lying on the ground in a region where they were not native, and he never discovered that Croagunk was released by a breeder due to it's disobedient nature. Croagunk was healed at a Pokemon center, but thanks to the trauma it endured, it was far from docile, and it took a few days before he could even be released safely. Croagunk never joined in on the training sessions Tommy had with his other Pokemon, and constantly disobeyed his commands. In the two months that they knew each other, an outsider looking in would think they absolutely hated each other.
Finally, the time had come - after two months of constantly counting days, Tommy was finally headed to the Alola academy. Despite not planning on being a trainer, the chance to make his friends stronger was all too enticing. With hope in his heart, Tommy entered the academy!
Team:
Level 5
Moves: -Focus Energy -Bullet Punch -Low Kick
The first Pokemon that Tommy ever got, given to him on his 13th birthday by his father. The two have grown very close over their time together, watching martial arts and wrestling together whenever they are not exercising or fighting. Arguably the closest friend that Tommy has, the two are practically inseparable - it doesn't help that Machop shares nearly the same personality as Tommy, being brash and over-the-top. He and Croagunk often get into fights. Male, has a brave nature.
Level 5
Moves: -Pound -Force Palm -Focus Energy
The second Pokemon that Tommy ever received, given to him when he was 13 and 7 months. While Machop is more similar to him in personality, Timburr is far more calm and relaxed, if a little apathetic. He only ever feels energetic when throwing his weight around, both literally and metaphorically. He isn't loyal as Machop, but is not as rebellious as Croahunk, making him a middle ground. Male, has a lax nature.
Level 5
Moves: -Astonish -Mud Slap -Bullet Punch
Tommy's most recent Pokemon, the first one he ever caught on his own about 2 months ago. While the other two have lived with Tommy and are used to him, Croagunk is blatantly rebellious to his trainer, refusing to use certain moves in favor of others and disobeying orders. This would be a problem if Croagunk wasn't far better at battling then Tommy - the only reason Croagunk was caught in the first place was because it was sick at the time. He is very intelligent, and while Tommy comes to heads with him often, the two care about one another. Croagunk, unlike Tommy's other pokemon (and even Tommy himself), is actually good at strategizing and using type advantage, something Tommy completely ignores. Male, has a Naughty Nature.
Name: Tommy Pratt Age: 14 Home Region/Town: Goldenrod City, Johto.
Typically wears the school uniform, but whenever he is out of school or allowed to wear casual attire, he will wear work clothes that one would expect a construction worker to wear - he occasionally even wears a hard hat.
Bio: Personality wise, Tommy can only be described as obsessed - every moment he can, he is either talking about or watching martial arts - doesn't matter the kind. Boxing, Wrestling, the style doesn't matter to him - all that matters is that it is people clobbering each other. This led to his personality traits being heavily exaggerated - he constantly tries to be the center of attention, and has adopted a loud and obnoxious voice in order to make his presence known. He is nice, but can be very overbearing and intense, and his obsession will get old quick for those around him. While he is very physically fit, Tommy isn't the brightest guy out there. He's not dumb, he just never focuses on things outside his narrow field of focus, leading to fairly bad grades. Along with this, he's honestly a bad trainer - he relies too heavily on his own Pokemon being smart enough to dodge attacks and understand what he wants them to do, and he barely understands how type advantage works - he mainly just tries to overpower an opponent with raw strength rather than using strategy.
Tommy only picks moves for his Pokemon based on their names - if it has a name that sounds like something a professional fighter would yell, it's okay. He also idolizes gym leaders like Chuck and Crasher Wake, for obvious reasons. He is a hard worker who gives 110% and never gives up, which is the only explanation for how he managed to make it this far without realizing how bad he is at battling. His dream is to wrestle an Ursaring into submission. Other than fighting, Tommy is interested in weightlifting, video games, scary things, and Pokemon battles. He doesn't plan on becoming a trainer, but decided that learning how Pokemon fight could be a bonding experience with his own Pokemon.
History: Born to an upper middle class family, Tommy lived a life of relative peace most of his life. His father owned a construction company, while his mother was a housewife. For years, Tommy was constantly sheltered, kept in the house and taught so he could one day inherit the family business. His father and mother had him at a late age (Dad was 48, Mom was 39), and since he was an only child, there care and constant attention was understandable. Still, that didn't mean Tommy appreciated the constant supervision - unlike other kids his age, he wasn't allowed to go out and play, or even own a pet. The only thing he was allowed to do was stay inside, which wasn't too hard with television and the internet. Not much happened, until he reached 10 - this was when he discovered the world of martial arts. The fantastic Crasher Wake wrestling down opponents before delivering a cool line or singing his amazing songs, and fighting type Pokemon fighting each other with tournament rules! Everything he wasn't allowed to do was right there so, in secret, he began to train.
He lacked any sort of weights, but he did body weight exercises and stole building materials from his dad. By 11, his parents mercifully bought him a bench press, a squat rack, and weights, and while his father or a construction Pokemon from work was watching, he was allowed to exercise as much as he wished. All the while, he practiced boxing moves from watching television, whether it was from professionals or Hitmonchans didn't matter. He didn't practice anything else for fear of messing up techniques, and with his parents always watching over him, he didn't want to make loud noises by practicing kicks. By 12, he was more stronger than most 15 year olds, but he was slowing down. Without proper guidance on things like nutrition and routines, he slowly was plateauing, something that terrified him. Not much growth happened during this time, and by 13, he was only slightly stronger. Luckily, this was when he received the present of the lifetime.
Knowing that he was slowly becoming an independent person, Tommy's parents got him something all kids wished for - a Pokemon! He was only a few months old, but the Machop that hatched from one of the construction Pokemon's eggs was a fitting gift. While they apologized for not getting him one that was cooler or cuter, Tommy was overjoyed to have a training partner. The two spent every moment together, playing, eating, working out, even sleeping. Their relationship was almost creepy to Tommy's parets, but the two were the best of friends. In the next few months, the Machop became the friend that Tommy never had. One night, however, his father brought home an egg.
Tommy's father was slowly growing tired of the construction business, but still did his best to help his employees - this included watching any eggs the Pokemon laid. Normally, the eggs are sold to breeders or young trainers, but there were a large number this year and this egg hadn't been bought for awhile - thanks to the excess stock, it had to be kept somewhere, and Tommy's father volunteered to keep it until they could sell it. It was only a few seconds - Tommy's father left to use the bathroom, and with only Tommy and the Egg left in the room,it began to shake, crack, and reveal a baby Timburr. By the time Tommy's father came back, it was too late - it had already imprinted on Tommy, and his father reluctantly allowed it to stay. The next few months were relatively hectic - Tommy's father decided to retire, allowing his board of directors to make decisions in his steed and, wanting to relax of the rest of his life, moved to the hectic city of Hau'oli City. Tommy's mother, rather disapprovingly, allowed Tommy to enroll in the nearby school, Alola academy. Since school was starting in only a few months, Tommy decided to flesh out his team a bit more.
His parents always told him to be careful, and never go outside unless he had to... But when Tommy just saw a Croagunk lying on ground near route 1, he just had to take the opportunity to catch it! Using a pokeball he had bought from the local pokemart, he easily caught the unconscious Pokemon. Tommy being Tommy, he never pondered why a croagunk was just lying on the ground in a region where they were not native, and he never discovered that Croagunk was released by a breeder due to it's disobedient nature. Croagunk was healed at a Pokemon center, but thanks to the trauma it endured, it was far from docile, and it took a few days before he could even be released safely. Croagunk never joined in on the training sessions Tommy had with his other Pokemon, and constantly disobeyed his commands. In the two months that they knew each other, an outsider looking in would think they absolutely hated each other.
Finally, the time had come - after two months of constantly counting days, Tommy was finally headed to the Alola academy. Despite not planning on being a trainer, the chance to make his friends stronger was all too enticing. With hope in his heart, Tommy entered the academy!
Team:
Level 5
Moves: -Focus Energy -Bullet Punch -Low Kick
The first Pokemon that Tommy ever got, given to him on his 13th birthday by his father. The two have grown very close over their time together, watching martial arts and wrestling together whenever they are not exercising or fighting. Arguably the closest friend that Tommy has, the two are practically inseparable - it doesn't help that Machop shares nearly the same personality as Tommy, being brash and over-the-top. He and Croagunk often get into fights. Male, has a brave nature.
Level 5
Moves: -Pound -Force Palm -Focus Energy
The second Pokemon that Tommy ever received, given to him when he was 13 and 7 months. While Machop is more similar to him in personality, Timburr is far more calm and relaxed, if a little apathetic. He only ever feels energetic when throwing his weight around, both literally and metaphorically. He isn't loyal as Machop, but is not as rebellious as Croahunk, making him a middle ground. Male, has a lax nature.
Level 5
Moves: -Astonish -Mud Slap -Bullet Punch
Tommy's most recent Pokemon, the first one he ever caught on his own about 2 months ago. While the other two have lived with Tommy and are used to him, Croagunk is blatantly rebellious to his trainer, refusing to use certain moves in favor of others and disobeying orders. This would be a problem if Croagunk wasn't far better at battling then Tommy - the only reason Croagunk was caught in the first place was because it was sick at the time. He is very intelligent, and while Tommy comes to heads with him often, the two care about one another. Croagunk, unlike Tommy's other pokemon (and even Tommy himself), is actually good at strategizing and using type advantage, something Tommy completely ignores. Male, has a Naughty Nature.
This is his appearance in both civilian and cape attire, the only difference being that when in his cape costume, he wears a cheap biker helmet to cover his face.
Information
Name: Tony Nicholson
Cape Name: Poker Face
Theme Song:
Aspects
High Concept: Crook with a Heart of Gold.
Trouble: Greedy Soul.
Origin: Street Rat.
Growth: Ugly Truth into Beautiful Lie.
Adventure: Gambling Prodigy.
Bio
Personality: Tony is charismatic, somewhat loud, and clearly experienced. Just from his voice alone, it's easy to tell that he is used to manipulating people, kissing ass seems like it comes naturally to him. It needed to in order for him to survive. He is by no means malevolent, but using people to push himself forwards is something he just got used to doing - it's more a habit than intentionally malicious. While he is clearly just doing things for himself, he has no problem sharing his skills and assistance to anyone who asks... as long as they pay. Tony has a very distorted view of money, viewing it as the only motivation that people have. Other things, like a desire for power or love, are things that Tony can understand someone working for, but he has never done it himself. Tony hinges a lot of confidence on his material wealth and appearance, doing his best to look as attractive and wealthy as possible - this is something he is very sensitive about, and while he is usually calm and difficult to fluster, insulting either of these things will cause him to get extremely angry. Despite his rather cold and fake demeanor, he can be kind, especially to those less fortunate and children. He has no desire to be a hero or villain, preferring to keep himself hidden and making cash with his power. Still, he is willing to do nearly anything, as long as the price is right.
History: Tony was never really raised by his own parents - his mother was a crack head, and his father was always knee deep in bottles, so he spent the majority of his time on the streets of Boston. You could say the dark alleys and den of crooks were more akin to parents then his own, and he honestly thinks of it this way. He was already a perfect shot at pool by the age of nine, and this was when he began his first scam - Hustling. You would never believe the kind of people that would bet money with a kid who pretended to hold the cue the wrong way. You'd be even more surprised by the amount of people that actually paid. By the age of 11, Tony was a favorite among pubs as a sticky fingered brat that was always ready to play a game or two.
Family? Tony's family was always nice - they never abused him, and were sure to give him breakfast (He got his other meals at his hangouts). In all honesty, they were more indifferent then abusive - they didn't even yell at him when he skipped school. His father would just dismissively tell him not to let it happen again, before leaving to his room and doing god knows what. His father was actually fairly wealthy - some white-collared worker, affording the family a fair number of luxuries that you wouldn't expect a kid like Tony to have - such as a cellphone, or television.
By 15, Tony had found his own addiction to match his parents - Gambling. Tony had become an excellent gambler to add to his repertoire of hustling, and was always ready to play a game of poker or blackjack. For some reason, Tony was always very lucky - or maybe he was just good at talking with people. In poker he was able to win with absolute shit hands, and was always able to get the upper hand on those that weren't used to the game or thought they were playing against a dumb kid. Tony consistently won bets, and his reputation rose even more as time went on. To bad things came crashing down at 17.
November 4th. 3 days after his 17th birthday, Tony's mother committed suicide during a particularly bad trip. Tony's father, who was usually cold and distant, became much more abusive and quick to anger, going as far as to restrict meals and lock Tony in his room. While it never extended to physical violence, Tony was always careful to lock his door at night. Luckily, these incidents were rare - most of the time, his father kept himself holed up in his room, drinking far more than he should. By 18, Tony immediately left his home, as being homeless was a far better alternative to listening to insults and quiet threats from his door at night. For about 3 weeks, Tony remained on the streets, until he met a lone thug on the streets who offered an alternative.
The group was known as 'Wonderland', and they were the craziest motherfuckers Tony had ever met. If he wasn't so desperate for a place to stay, he honestly would have just stayed on the streets, but that was a great way to get mugged... In short, Tony was offered a place to stay, and in return, he ran the bets on the fights that were held. Considering how good he was with numbers and gambling, this was a pretty easy job. But everything can get boring after awhile. Nearly 2 years into his new "employment", Tony opened up a card table near the corner of the place he was staying, and he began to hold games whenever there wasn't a fight going on. He usually managed to trick a bunch of suckers out of their cash, but one day, someone played Tony's old trick against him.
The guy was bad - he had lost nearly 10k, and he was sweating more than you could ever believe. By the end of the third game, he was begging with Tony to let him keep his money. Tony grinned at him and said something he wished he would never have said.
"My time is pretty valuable... Tell you what - one more game. But this will have to be... Oh, I don't know. 50k?"
The man choked back a gasp, and gulped when he uttered out a simple "Ok". Tony dealed out the cards, and they started their final game.
Tony was hustled. The guy was a pro, and luck was clearly on his side. He mopped the floor with Tony, and he quickly began to demand his cash with a shit eating grin. The only problem? Tony had maybe 5 thousand at most. This was the moment where his mind went blank. The man led him into the nearby alleyway and, after roughing Tony up a little, demanded for his money. When Tony didn't respond, the man pulled his arm back to deliver a punch to the teeth.
The knife, the one he had bought in order to defend himself from angry betters, easily slit the man's throat. Despite this, it took nearly two minutes of him choking on his own blood to die. Everything rushed back to him - his father's words, his time cheating others out of their hard earned money, the occasional bar fight he would enter in his youth. It was too much. Tony passed out.
He was shaken awake by the same man who had given him the job two years ago - Robby. "Jesus man, what happened?" Tony panicked as the words escaped Robby's lips, and Tony gave the first response he could think of.
"He, uh... He fell. Cut his throat on some glass or something. I found him like this and passed out. You know I'm a wuss when it comes to blood, heh heh..."
It was stupid and never would have worked. Robby just shrugged his shoulders, responding "Jesus, I never want to die like that. I want to die doing something cool, like being shot with a laser beam or something." Tony couldn't believe his ears - the story was absolutely retarded. Someone like Robby had been working for Wonderland for years - he knew what a knife wound looked like. And he just... Acted like he didn't have a clue.
This was three weeks ago. Since then, Tony had managed to trick a college student - apparently named 'Daniel' - into thinking he was a roommate they were supposed to meet a week ago, and was thankful to finally be out of that hell hole. He liked the people, they were just... insane. But Tony owed them a favor for their hospitality the last few years - and he always payed back favors.
Abilities
Classified as a Master/Stranger 4, whenever Tony talks to someone, he can bluff and say anything - the sky is red, you owe me $50, I own this house - and the person he is speaking with will believe him. It doesn't matter how outlandish or unreasonable the statement is, the target will attempt to think of any possible excuse for any doubts they have about what Tony says. This bluff effects anyone within earshot, and they will all believe what he says. This power excels in deception and espionage, while having somewhat less effectiveness in combat situations.
While this sounds powerful, there are several drawbacks holding it back. First of all, while anything can be bluffed, things that the target has direct evidence against will cause the power to fail (He couldn't tell someone that he is the owner of a house if the person knows the actual owner). If the target discovers evidence against a bluff, the effect will wear off, and the individual will probably be pretty pissed. Additionally, while it effects anyone within earshot, it only works vocally - no writing down messages. Finally, Tony's power cannot be turned off.
This is his appearance in both civilian and cape attire, the only difference being that when in his cape costume, he wears a cheap biker helmet to cover his face.
Information
Name: Tony Nicholson
Cape Name: Poker Face
Theme Song:
Aspects
High Concept: Crook with a Heart of Gold.
Trouble: Greedy Soul.
Origin: Street Rat.
Growth: Ugly Truth into Beautiful Lie.
Adventure: Gambling Prodigy.
Bio
Personality: Tony is charismatic, somewhat loud, and clearly experienced. Just from his voice alone, it's easy to tell that he is used to manipulating people, kissing ass seems like it comes naturally to him. It needed to in order for him to survive. He is by no means malevolent, but using people to push himself forwards is something he just got used to doing - it's more a habit than intentionally malicious. While he is clearly just doing things for himself, he has no problem sharing his skills and assistance to anyone who asks... as long as they pay. Tony has a very distorted view of money, viewing it as the only motivation that people have. Other things, like a desire for power or love, are things that Tony can understand someone working for, but he has never done it himself. Tony hinges a lot of confidence on his material wealth and appearance, doing his best to look as attractive and wealthy as possible - this is something he is very sensitive about, and while he is usually calm and difficult to fluster, insulting either of these things will cause him to get extremely angry. Despite his rather cold and fake demeanor, he can be kind, especially to those less fortunate and children. He has no desire to be a hero or villain, preferring to keep himself hidden and making cash with his power. Still, he is willing to do nearly anything, as long as the price is right.
History: Tony was never really raised by his own parents - his mother was a crack head, and his father was always knee deep in bottles, so he spent the majority of his time on the streets of Boston. You could say the dark alleys and den of crooks were more akin to parents then his own, and he honestly thinks of it this way. He was already a perfect shot at pool by the age of nine, and this was when he began his first scam - Hustling. You would never believe the kind of people that would bet money with a kid who pretended to hold the cue the wrong way. You'd be even more surprised by the amount of people that actually paid. By the age of 11, Tony was a favorite among pubs as a sticky fingered brat that was always ready to play a game or two.
Family? Tony's family was always nice - they never abused him, and were sure to give him breakfast (He got his other meals at his hangouts). In all honesty, they were more indifferent then abusive - they didn't even yell at him when he skipped school. His father would just dismissively tell him not to let it happen again, before leaving to his room and doing god knows what. His father was actually fairly wealthy - some white-collared worker, affording the family a fair number of luxuries that you wouldn't expect a kid like Tony to have - such as a cellphone, or television.
By 15, Tony had found his own addiction to match his parents - Gambling. Tony had become an excellent gambler to add to his repertoire of hustling, and was always ready to play a game of poker or blackjack. For some reason, Tony was always very lucky - or maybe he was just good at talking with people. In poker he was able to win with absolute shit hands, and was always able to get the upper hand on those that weren't used to the game or thought they were playing against a dumb kid. Tony consistently won bets, and his reputation rose even more as time went on. To bad things came crashing down at 17.
November 4th. 3 days after his 17th birthday, Tony's mother committed suicide during a particularly bad trip. Tony's father, who was usually cold and distant, became much more abusive and quick to anger, going as far as to restrict meals and lock Tony in his room. While it never extended to physical violence, Tony was always careful to lock his door at night. Luckily, these incidents were rare - most of the time, his father kept himself holed up in his room, drinking far more than he should. By 18, Tony immediately left his home, as being homeless was a far better alternative to listening to insults and quiet threats from his door at night. For about 3 weeks, Tony remained on the streets, until he met a lone thug on the streets who offered an alternative.
The group was known as 'Wonderland', and they were the craziest motherfuckers Tony had ever met. If he wasn't so desperate for a place to stay, he honestly would have just stayed on the streets, but that was a great way to get mugged... In short, Tony was offered a place to stay, and in return, he ran the bets on the fights that were held. Considering how good he was with numbers and gambling, this was a pretty easy job. But everything can get boring after awhile. Nearly 2 years into his new "employment", Tony opened up a card table near the corner of the place he was staying, and he began to hold games whenever there wasn't a fight going on. He usually managed to trick a bunch of suckers out of their cash, but one day, someone played Tony's old trick against him.
The guy was bad - he had lost nearly 10k, and he was sweating more than you could ever believe. By the end of the third game, he was begging with Tony to let him keep his money. Tony grinned at him and said something he wished he would never have said.
"My time is pretty valuable... Tell you what - one more game. But this will have to be... Oh, I don't know. 50k?"
The man choked back a gasp, and gulped when he uttered out a simple "Ok". Tony dealed out the cards, and they started their final game.
Tony was hustled. The guy was a pro, and luck was clearly on his side. He mopped the floor with Tony, and he quickly began to demand his cash with a shit eating grin. The only problem? Tony had maybe 5 thousand at most. This was the moment where his mind went blank. The man led him into the nearby alleyway and, after roughing Tony up a little, demanded for his money. When Tony didn't respond, the man pulled his arm back to deliver a punch to the teeth.
The knife, the one he had bought in order to defend himself from angry betters, easily slit the man's throat. Despite this, it took nearly two minutes of him choking on his own blood to die. Everything rushed back to him - his father's words, his time cheating others out of their hard earned money, the occasional bar fight he would enter in his youth. It was too much. Tony passed out.
He was shaken awake by the same man who had given him the job two years ago - Robby. "Jesus man, what happened?" Tony panicked as the words escaped Robby's lips, and Tony gave the first response he could think of.
"He, uh... He fell. Cut his throat on some glass or something. I found him like this and passed out. You know I'm a wuss when it comes to blood, heh heh..."
It was stupid and never would have worked. Robby just shrugged his shoulders, responding "Jesus, I never want to die like that. I want to die doing something cool, like being shot with a laser beam or something." Tony couldn't believe his ears - the story was absolutely retarded. Someone like Robby had been working for Wonderland for years - he knew what a knife wound looked like. And he just... Acted like he didn't have a clue.
This was three weeks ago. Since then, Tony had managed to trick a college student - apparently named 'Daniel' - into thinking he was a roommate they were supposed to meet a week ago, and was thankful to finally be out of that hell hole. He liked the people, they were just... insane. But Tony owed them a favor for their hospitality the last few years - and he always payed back favors.
Abilities
Classified as a Master/Stranger 4, whenever Tony talks to someone, he can bluff and say anything - the sky is red, you owe me $50, I own this house - and the person he is speaking with will believe him. It doesn't matter how outlandish or unreasonable the statement is, the target will attempt to think of any possible excuse for any doubts they have about what Tony says. This bluff effects anyone within earshot, and they will all believe what he says. This power excels in deception and espionage, while having somewhat less effectiveness in combat situations.
While this sounds powerful, there are several drawbacks holding it back. First of all, while anything can be bluffed, things that the target has direct evidence against will cause the power to fail (He couldn't tell someone that he is the owner of a house if the person knows the actual owner). If the target discovers evidence against a bluff, the effect will wear off, and the individual will probably be pretty pissed. Additionally, while it effects anyone within earshot, it only works vocally - no writing down messages. Finally, Troy's power cannot be turned off.
Member
Blizz
Noctis
Xaltwind
rabidbacon
Sky Blue
Kalas
pkken
Izurich
Lildear18
