Name: Declan Fulbear, Firestarter (nickname in the 'Baking Club' in High School....Which was a cover-up for what was essentially a Psychics Anonymous get-together)
Appearance: Declan is a young Caucasian male, standing at about 5'8 and weighing in just a bit over 150 lbs. His body build, while not overtly athletic, is strong and light enough for this kid to really get some moves going, known for his parkour skills (even discounting some Psychic assistance). His messy brown hair that is unkempt and a touch spiked shares that color with his eyes. As far as it comes to clothing, he wears anything comfortable, though he does stray towards a punk aesthetic.
Age: 18
Personality: Declan is certainly rough around the edges. He's got a mean streak for sure, having become a bit of a thug-like young man over the years, and has a knack for spreading chaos, which he delights in. However, in spite of his outward rudeness, he only really has the best time when he's around others, particularly those who can enjoy him and his antics. For him, having fun with others is the only way to live; but, of course, his unwillingness to compromise his own brand of 'fun' is typically what generates problems for him. Essentially, at his core, Declan is a benevolent trickster of sorts, though he has a record of either accidentally going too far....Or being pushed too far.
However, one thing he truly despises is authority figures; the idea of someone,
anyone telling him how he should do something or live his life is infuriating to him. It was that mindset that cultivated his general barbed behavior of today, all too ready to push someone away because he believes they're just the next in line to tell him how he ought to be. One benefit of this train of thought is that he's very lax with people that he actually knows and likes, more than willing to offer some help or some good laughs, and he'll never question how you're running your own life. While normally that could be a bad thing, sometimes all a person needs is a shoulder to lean on, not a critic judging their every move.
Powers: -
The 'Dive': The ability to transport oneself into the psyche of another, and altering it from within.
-
Levitation: While no master of levitation by far (as in the words of his levitation 'teacher', fellow Bakery Club member Maya "You seriously need to loosen up if you wanna
really levitate!"), Declan can float small distances, slow down his falls, and even manifest his levitation as 'spring boards' of sorts, giving a bit of extra 'oomph' to his parkour skills.
-
Mental Connection: An ability purely for use inside an individual's mindscape (as far as Declan's aware), where one can detect and connect thoughts and ideas together, potentially manipulating someone's mind. He's, uh...Not the greatest at this.
- Psychic Specialty: -
Pyrokinesis: A Psychic casually using Pyrokinesis might use the thought of something hot, or something that fires them up, to produce a touch of Pyrokinesis; enough to get the job done. Declan? He finds that boiling pit of anger that tends to sit in him is plenty enough. While he lacks much finesse in his Pyrokinetic capabilities (generally ranging between 'small flame to light a cigarette' or 'engulf everything in a general radius in fire'), he has incredible potency. All he has to do is look at something and get pissed off (which he can do all too easily), and bam; that's a toasted squirrel! No hand projection or anything required, which is especially something for a young man of his psychic level.
- Weak Link: -
Unfocused: Declan has had plenty of time to use his Psychic abilities (the few he can use consistently, that is) and has made good time trying them out ad nauseum. However, all the practice in the world can't save him from a lack of control in how he demonstrates these powers. If he had some proper focus, then he could levitate proper, or use his Pyrokinetics in a more controlled manner but instead all he can do is spring around and float for a few seconds and light anything he looks at funny aflame. In short, he has experience aplenty, but is lacking discipline.
-
Hydrokinesis: Declan used to be quite proficient at Hydrokinesis, but....Well, he doesn't like to talk about it. He also has a strong aversion to water, and goes to great lengths to avoid it.
- Archetype: -
The Jester: A rather fiendish looking individual; what qualifies for a head is instead a construct of bluish flame, with red flames representing the eyes and mouth, the shapes of which are rather jagged and menacing on first glance, but can also be very expressive and almost cartoonish. It wears solidly black clothing, particularly a smoke-like jacket and sleek pants of a similar design, alongside coal-black dress shoes. The only part of its 'body' exposed beyond its head are the hands, which consist of the same smoky design as its clothes, with long fingers and sharp, almost claw-like nails. It stands far taller than Declan himself, but tends to hunch itself over. Its movements are also very jerky, which alternates between looking disturbing or rather funny.
Skills: -Parkour
-....Baking (Okay, the Club wasn't
purely cover!)
-Standing against The Man (general rebellious acts/antics)
-Pranks & general trickery
History: Declan's youth (honestly, even up to present day) sucked. Big surprise, yeah? Before he was old enough to really know them, his parents bit the dust, though he never learned the exacts, and his big brother Derek never liked speaking up about it. So most of his actual youth was spent with his grandparents down in Oakieland; good ol' Oklahoma. At first, things were fine. His gramps was a bit of a grump, but it was understandable considering he'd lost his only son, and he could've been much worse off (as Declan would eventually find out), and his grandma, from what little he could remember of her, she was as sweet as could be.
Unfortunately for the two brothers, things didn't stick like this forever.
When Declan was about five, and Derek was reaching for eight, gran passed on. They were young enough that the full weight of it didn't crush into the kids, but for their grandfather, it was what broke him.
After that, he went from being grumpy old gramps to a downright fiend. Perhaps he blamed it on the boys? Who knows. All Declan knows is that his grandfather kept getting harsher and harsher with him and Derek; strict curfews, stricker punishments, and impressing onto the two of them that life was full of lessons, and they'd learn that the hard way again and again. If he was a little kinder, then perhaps things would be different, but regardless, beyond school, their harshest teacher of all was gramps.
Things somehow got worse when Declan found out something cool when he and Derek were playing in a pool when he was around seven. The two of them were splashing each other, having a blast, and as if by second nature, Declan splashed back; but not with his hands, no. Mentally, he slapped water towards his brother.
For a moment, shocked silence held in the air. Soon followed by Declan thinking about how cool it was! And then, promptly followed by something that he didn't understand at the time, but he'd soon learn the reason behind...His brother warning him not to show that around folks, and especially not gramps.
But he was young, and, frankly, not the sharpest kid. Surely grandpa would think this was something, right? So only a few days after that, he managed to drag off the old codger to the pool to show him a 'cool trick'. When they got there, he nearly gave the man a heart attack by having the water shoot him a thumbs up. For a moment, Declan was grinning ear to ear....But that stopped when he saw the expression on grandpa's face.
Without warning, he snatched Declan up, screaming something about teaching him a lesson about what happens when you use 'hocus pocus', chucking him headfirst into the water. Perhaps if he was less terrified, and older, he would've simply used his Psychic powers to free himself, but instead, he panicked, beginning to drown in the depths of the pool. He only had his lucky stars to thank that his brother was nearby, diving in to save him as he coughed and hacked when he was dragged back under the scornful look of gramps. Ever since, Declan developed a severe case of Hydrophobia, and has since mentally locked his own Hydrokinetic powers away.
After that, he kept a tight lock on his Psychic powers, never wanting something like that to happen again. While he grew to fear water, he grew to fear and hate his grandpa, and other folks like him, even more. His brother had clearly felt the same way. By the time Derek was just getting into high school, he pulled some stunt that made gramps blow a gasket (though he never learned
what he exactly did), and he had his brother sent off to a military school abroad instead of having to deal with him. Though from what he heard, somehow his brother had avoided going to the school, having ditched it to go to some kind of summer camp...
Once it became the old man and Declan on their own, his fear and resentment only grew. Every day just got crappier. He did poorly in school, and found little in the way of 'friends' more just hooligans who got a kick out of causing a ruckus with him, and some folks who got him to shake things up for their own ends. Assholes. And of course, every time trouble reached gramps' ears.....It wasn't good. He grew to dread his day-to-day life. There was no one to support him, he found enemies at every turn, and he had to hide his powers from everyone he met.
Luckily for him, things changed in high school. One day during Freshman year, after school hours, Declan didn't feel like going home; instead, he snuck into the football field to practice his Pyrokinesis tricks a bit. However, he got caught by the remaining member of the football team having to clean up equipment after practice. For a moment, he thought he was absolutely screwed; this guy was gonna report him, word would reach his grandpa, and then he'd really be up a creek without a paddle.
Instead, the guy did something....Different.
He motioned for Declan to follow him. With not much better to do, he followed, and what he got led to was a secret Psychic paradise. Turns out the school's Bakery Club got shut down the year prior, and a group of kids this year revived it. Though, it wasn't all bakery anymore...
That much was evident when he walked through the door, with a girl casually floating in mid-air, a guy seemingly holding a conversation with a bluebird (how'd it even get
in here?), and another chick twirling an egg beater in the air out of boredom. When they walked in everyone stopped their activities in a panic, but just as quickly picked up once they realized who all had showed up.
The rest is history. For once, not only did Declan have friends, but he could even talk to them about Psychic stuff! And to add icing on the cake, the group was all for causing a bit of mischief here and then to put down the faculty that acted like asshats all the time. With the Bakery Club in full-force, Declan had gained a reason to start giving a shit again, and things became fun, for what had felt like the first time in his life.
But we all know what you're really here for, right? You wanna hear where it all went wrong again. Well....
It was a day like any other. By this time, Declan and most of the members were Juniors, with the head of the Club being a Senior. It was a pretty casual day for them; he was boiling water with his Pyrokinesis for Maya's tea she wanted to make before her Levitation 'lesson' today, Greg was in a little conversation with a cockroach he'd found hiding in one of the Club's pantries, Camilla was busy trying to push her Telekinesis to the next level by lifting a (plastic) table, and the head of the Club, Leon....Was actually baking something. Weird.
However, what they weren't prepared for was the class president casually walking into the clubroom, starting to ask something or other about if the Club had any spare sugar, when....He caught them red-handed using their Psychic powers. In an instant, Declan felt his reality crumble around him; under normal circumstances, sure, he'd be fine with getting caught for doing something done, and somehow handle what the school and gramps would dole out on him. But this was different.
He had no idea how the school would react to something like this, and more terrifying for him, he knew
exactly how his grandpa would react. He'd probably get sent off just like his big bro. Or worse...Plus, if word of this got out, it'd hurt all his friends too. It was also in that moment he realized how powerless they were to stop this kid from darting off and snitching. Camilla definitely couldn't pick him up with her power; best she'd do is chuck a chair at him or something. Greg...Heh, even if he
could do something, that guy was a complete softie, and he definitely had a deer-in-the-headlights kinda look to him right now. And Maya...No offense to her, but she could levitate towards him menacingly all she wanted; it wasn't gonna stop him.
He knew Leon wouldn't do anything, either; the guy barely talks about his own Psychic powers, and apparently they're super scary, so he never likes messing around with it. That left him. In the heat of the moment, sure, he could just try to cook the guy, but what then? He'd be a freaking murderer! With a dozen thoughts ramming at all angles in his head, in a moment of sheer panic he hadn't felt in so many years...
Declan Broke, reached out....
And connected.
Panic subsided once he realized he
definitely wasn't in the clubroom anymore, but that just left way for confusion. Being inside a person's mindscape is never easy to take in, especially for your first time. Luckily, Mr. Class Prez kept things nice and clean in there; precise and methodical. It made it real simple to find what he needed. Scrounging around his psyche, he found it. That snapshot memory of the moment he just witnessed. Well....All of this was incredibly new to Declan, but he certainly knew how to handle most of his problems.
With that, the memory crackled with flames, turning to ash. Psychic ash? Whatever. It was gone. That's what he cared about. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed; every mind has its defenses, things that keep it in order, and most importantly, keep things
out. Unluckily for Declan, he's one of the things those entities don't want around here. Burning a clear path through the assailants, Declan managed to launch himself out of the mindscape, back to reality....And to a briefly dazed Class President, who blinked a few times, and, apparently having decided that there was no reason to be in the clubroom, promptly left.
His friends erupted in cheer. They'd
never seen anything like that! It was amazing! The rest of the day, they probed him for every little detail of the stunt he'd just pulled, even if he wasn't certain exactly
what he had done. For the days to come, his clubmates tried to get him to teach how he did it, but no matter what he tried, none of them ever succeeded (though he incidentally helped Greg learn some Clairvoyance techniques, so hey; silver linings!) Eventually, the group conceded that whatever it was, only Declan could pull it off. And,
oh boy did he pull it off!
Once they puzzled together the specifics of what he had done to the Class President, the group (Declan included), were eager for him to put that trick to the test. So, over the course of a few months, Declan dived into a whole slew of people, ranging from fellow classmates, occasional passersby on the street, and most certainly faculty members. While it was a surprisingly subtle shift (since Declan found himself unwilling to go too overboard with the power), teachers and the like became much friendlier...And perhaps a touch more chaotic. School certainly became more interesting.
However, what inevitably brought ESP forces down on his school was their biggest stunt yet. Until now, all they'd done was have Declan burn away a few choice memories in some folks, perhaps plant a few ideas here and there, but they had plans for Principal Nezbit. When the time was right, Declan dove into the Principal's head, and started doing what his pals had offered, something he hadn't tried yet; connecting ideas together in their mind through Psychic force of will. And once he started, well....Declan had found it very hard to stop.
By the time he did, Principal Nezbit was the raddest faculty member to roam the Earth....For about all of two days, when he started having a mental breakdown and seriously losing it. A perfectly sane man suddenly having a huge personality shift and then a breakdown of catastrophic proportions was ringing off alarm bells for ESP. By the time they got there, they didn't need to do any searching; Declan offered himself up.
Truth be told, while it was fun for the brief time it lasted, seeing his Principal so messed up due to his actions really ate away at him; he had let things get out of control, from harmless mental trickery to full-on psychic manipulation...So, for the sake of his friends not getting caught in the crossfire, he mustered up the courage to confront the officers and explain (roughly) the situation. 'Course, he was pretty light of details involving all his
other Dives, but...Eh, what they didn't know couldn't hurt 'em!
With that, the kid's been in custody for a few days, quietly praying gramps didn't catch wind about this shitshow it turned out to be.
Misc: Smokes cigs, but mainly to look cool; also to piss off his grandpa and other authority figures.
Has consistently earned Cs or lower in almost every class, besides Gym.
He actually enjoys baking quite a bit, but wouldn't be caught dead saying that.
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