Zombiedude101

Verthaven: Days of Rain ☔ [COMPLETED]

@Zombiedude101 Cass and Reed are in University Row, right? Perhaps we can do a collab of some sort?

@Mr Allen J

Sure, let's do it.

Verthaven: Days of Rain ☔ [COMPLETED]

I could probably see Quentin spending Christmas Eve alone at his condo (or the NEST lounge) and then the next day probably paying Cass a visit for dinner or something like that.

Verthaven: Days of Rain ☔ [COMPLETED]

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Cassius and Reed Taylor

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Bearing in mind recent events that had been going on across Verthaven, the VPD - all of its departments included - had been working overtime, Cass and Reed just one of many among them. Today, the two of them conveniently finished work around the same time and so to save on gas (and as an excuse to meet up outside of work) they’d opted to head on the journey home in Cass’ car. For the past twenty minutes they’d been navigating through downtown’s traffic into university row and discussing recent matters, one of which was a certain reconciliation between a certain pair of brothers.

“I can tell Quent’s different - he’s changed for the better, I guess? I dunno, I just don’t want any kind of shit to screw this up whilst we’re making progress.” Reed had pointed out.

Cass was quick to end any concerns, however. “Look, it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past between you two - all that matters is that you just keep in touch and keep on doing what you’re doing. It’s good, y’know? Your mom wo-” before he could continue easing his nephew’s concerns, the car began to violently shake as a sudden bout of tremors took a hold of the ground beneath them.

“Earthquake, shit!” Thinking fast, Cass kept a firm grip on the wheel as he swerved to the side of the road and was luckily able to regain enough control of the car to pull up before any damage was done. He was ready to duck down when the tremors stopped as suddenly as they’d appeared, though being a California boy born and raised he figured it could’ve been a prelude to another earthquake. This didn’t stop him or Reed from taking a slow cruise around the block to make sure nobody’d been hurt - after all, cops were never really off the clock and this god damned rain didn't seem to be letting up.

It didn’t take long before the sound of a commotion just around the corner led them to a residential street not too far from where they lived, where the road had a huge fracture running down the middle of it like an opening to hell. Whilst a few cars had been pulled in or were teetering on the edge of the abyss, it soon became clear why a crowd had gathered around one of the doomed cars; a passenger was still trapped inside, in the backseat of a coupe no less, whilst the car faced headfirst into the abyss.

“Move, police!” Reed quickly cleared a path as he withdrew his badge to let the crowd know he was an off-duty, whilst Cass made a quick survey of the situation and thought fast. Pointing to Reed, he started heading back towards the car at a running pace as he shouted back “Stay with him, I’ll grab something from the car!” Yet not a moment later another tremor hit and the car began to teeter further towards the abyss, until finally tipping over with the poor bastard inside - “Fuck!” the subsequent sound of crumpling metal and broken glass gave way to the terrified screams of the surrounding crowd, yet it wasn’t the tumbling car which’d caused it.

In this case, the guilty party was a freakishly large humanoid hand with boney claws reaching up and grasping onto the edge of the abyss, before it’s owner - a humanoid mass of grey, sliming meat with a thick purple eye - finally clawed its way to the surface. Without hesitation, it started slashing and grasping away at the surrounding crowd - disemboweling some poor bastard who’d frozen in place whilst another unlucky onlooker got yanked back into the fissure by another creature’s grasping hand and it wasn’t long before one of the purple-eyed beasts set their sights on Reed.

Withdrawing his Glock, Reed aimed for the monster’s central mass and opened fire, hoping to bring it down like it would a normal human target, yet all this did was catch the attention of the other beasts as the rampage began. Twisting back towards the car, Reed began to make a break for it, hoping to put some distance between them - only for one of them to close in using its powerful arms as a gorilla would to make the pursuit. It seemed like the creature was ready to pounce for the kill, yet something hit it from the side and knocked it to the floor like a ton of bricks. From the same direction shouted a familiar yet all the same pissed-off voice which really hit home: “Hey, motherfucker! Get the fuck away from my goddammed nephew!”

Pointed downrange at the beast was the smoking barrel of Cass’ trustworthy Ithaca 37, wielded by none other than the man himself - and he was pissed. Nobody - nothing in this world was going to hurt his family so long as he drew breath, he’d told himself and now he intended to live up to it.

Academy 218: Why

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Rowan Campbell

_@Chicogal

---

These past few months had felt like some kind of dream, drifting from one point to another - and the boat trip was no exception. Rowan had spent most of the voyage in his cabin trying to figure out what kind of time this ‘academy’ held for him. All it did was give him another headache and prompt him to pop in a small dosage of painkillers he’d kept hidden in the lining of his dufflebag.

When he’d first stepped outside, the academy struck him as some kind of ancient fortress - dark, cold and foreboding - though the second of those three was probably due to the fact it was always cold up here, apparently - not helped by the fact that he’d never set foot out of Cali’ until now. For that, he was glad Mom had sent him the jacket when she heard where he was headed - his ass didn’t need to freeze any more than it already had. Before long, he was led down alongside all the other students to the auditorium to hear the Head Mistress’ speech.

Oh man, he could tell that the old man’s blood would be boiling if he saw him now - listening to one of ‘those’ types (and he wasn’t just referring to her academic position) laying down the law - but that just amused him even more. The content of the speech seemed to be the usual spiel, mind; “Welcome, my name is Jeff, you’ll be doing this soon, don’t steal or break stuff, etcetera and etcetera” - he’d all heard it before, though the one thing that did catch his attention for a moment was that note on illegal substances. Well, painkillers weren’t technically illegal, were they? At least, he needed them for a reason - not like the old man’s constant dosages of booze and amphetamines or whatever other shit he figured he could spike himself with.

‘Miss Taylor’ seemed decent enough for now - the type who’d probably seen a lot of shitty kids and was used to dragging them back to level one when things hit the fan - and at any rate he had no plans of making trouble for her or anyone else in this school - he was just going to see where this took him. Who knows, maybe he’d get along here after all?

First chance he got, he quickly dug into the cafeteria food like a starved dog - he’d not eaten much on account of not wanting to risk the seasickness - and the first thing he noticed (aside from the good food) was how clean everything was, to a level that seemed to beat the canteens he’d seen at the social services residencies that the feds had set up for kids like him. Yeah, things didn’t seem that bad after all. Of course, that thought was quickly changed not even a half-hour later, when he lined up with the others to figure out their living arrangements, only to learn who his roommates would be.

Something he’d pushed to the back of his mind sprung forward at the mention of the word - ‘roommates’. With an ‘s’. So there’d be two other people he’d have to share a living space with? The idea of sharing with one was enough of a challenge, never mind two - but he decided to shut it down for now and see what these two would be like. Copen and Victor were the names of his soon-to-be roommates, the first of which sounded like the preppy type that loved places like this whilst the other didn’t particularly strike any kind of chord with him beyond sharing a name with one of the old mans’ ‘brothers in iron’ who lacked volume control.

After about ten-fifteen minutes of aimlessly wandering through the domestic wing, searching for the right area, Rowan finally hauled his dufflebag to his dorm and after locating the correct room, he firmly twisted the handle and stepped inside. Inside were three metal-framed beds with their own respective setups for the students that would be occupying them - one had already been claimed judging by the lithe blonde flopped against the mattress with a suitcase next to him.

With an arched eyebrow and a quick survey of the room, he offered his new roommate a simple “Hey, there” as he dropped his own dufflebag besides one of the unclaimed beds, besides a window.

Academy 218: Why

<Snipped quote by Zombiedude101>

Well, damn it. I forgot about your character since, you know, you haven't posted him to the tab. He's now in the same room as Victor and Copen.

@Mr Allen J

Sounds good. And yeah, sorry about that - circumstances pulled me away from the writing keyboard.

Academy 218: Why

Rowan Campbell

Basic Information

Name:

Rowan Campbell

Age:

16

Gender:

Male

Appearance:

A 5’9 teen of an average - if kind of wiry physical complexion with scruffy hair, Rowan looks like your average white trash type from Verthaven’s Iron District. From a glance it's clear he's not a heavyweight and even if he was a little meatier he wouldn't be too imposing at that height. Unkempt, his hair is a dirty blonde whilst along his jawline is a thin veil of blonde stubble that one day threatens to turn into an equally scruffy beard and he possesses a set of sharp, blue eyes

Attire:

When he's not wearing the uniform - which is often the case, he'll lean towards wearing a jacket for the colder Alaskan weather as well as a pair of cargo pants and working boots.

Skills/Talents:

Growing up in a rough neighbourhood in a broken home's taught Rowan a couple of delinquent skills, from cracking simple locks to getting into cars (the older ones, at least) without setting off the alarms and so on. Also, whilst it's not exactly a quality one could boast about, Rowan has a rather high level of endurance and is capable of taking more than a couple punches and still pulling himself back up to his feet. Years of physical abuse have conditioned him with a somewhat higher pain threshold than your average teen and it also translates to a psychological effect - no matter how beat he is, nothing will pull him down if he's set his mind to something and he's more likely to break than bend.

Brief Backstory:

Hailing from the poorer districts of Verthaven, Rowan was another textbook case of a kid coming from a broken home, the only difference being that this kid had powers and their family happened to Iron Cross. To be specific, Rowan’s father had very close ties to the group from his time in prison and throughout upbringing of his son he'd attempted to embed a similar set of bigoted views through years of domineering and abuse. His mother also suffered the same treatment if not worse, leading the two of them to endure years of abuse under the old man’s roof.

It wasn't until after he hit his early teens that it came to a head - the old man had come home drunk yet again after another night out with ‘his brothers of iron’ and had taken a disliking to his demeanour and started hurling abuse. When Rowan shot back, this made him angry and he looked ready to throw the bottle at him until his wife intervened, instead becoming the new target of his ire as she took a heavy beating for it.

Then something snapped. Years of abuse and resentment came bubbling to the surface - Rowan practically threw himself against the old man and laid into him blow after blow, until the stress of the situation ‘activated’ his powers and in a rage caused him to unintentionally send a metal frame flying into the old man and fatally snapping his neck.

It didn't take long for the authorities to realise what had happened, especially when he tested positive for the metahuman gene. NEST quickly took custody of him after the truth of his circumstances was revealed and given the duress he'd been under, it was determined that he had not intentionally killed the old man and was in clear need of a stable environment. Initially, he was supposed to attend the academy in Verthaven but it soon became apparent that this left him open to being approached by elements of the Iron Cross or worse and he was often seen outside of education, doing anything but learning.

In the end, as a drastic but ultimately necessary measure he was sent to Academy 218 in secluded but stable Alaska, far away from his troubles back home where he couldn't run away from his issues, and a fresh start.

Power Information

Power Class:

Elemental

Power:

Electromagnetic Manipulation:

Rowan can generate a rather powerful electronic field in order to manipulate his surroundings. Magnetised metallic objects can be moved around and have force exerted upon them at will, whilst he also has an overall sense of directiin (like a living compass) and can detect other magnetic fields. In addition to this, he's capable of 'seeing' the path of electrical currents and interfering with electronics by manipulating said magnetism.

Limits:

For one, there's a limit to the strength and radius of the fields he can generate and manipulate. He wouldn't be able to lift a truck off the ground, but with the proper focus and training he could learn to generate more concentrated fields, allowing him to deflect metallic projectiles.

Weaknesses/Drawbacks:

Excessive use of his power to the point of overexertion can cause him to suffer intense migraines and nosebleeds. If he pushed it even further he'd pass out from exhaustion. Also, being encased in a faraday cage or a similarly insulating enclosure can hinder the effectiveness of his powers. Oh, and unshielded CCTV cameras don't seem to like being around him.

Relationships

Family:

Dynamics:

Tess Campbell | Good | Mom | "I miss her. Wish those fuckers had let her come with me.”|

Other

• It's not a major concern just yet, but Rowan's had a growing reliance on painkillers to alleviate the migraines he suffers as a result of the stubborn overexertion of his powers. Just something to be noted for future reference.
• Whilst he's nowhere near the die-hard bigot that his old man was, Rowan's upbringing leaves a little something to be desired when it comes to people of other ethnicity or sexuality. That doesn't mean he'll recoil in disgust at the sight of someone of a different race and start spouting white supremacist chants, rather he'd just find himself acting awkwardly or uncomfortable with the situation if there is a problem. He's a work in progress for NEST, but yeah.

Academy 218: Why

Working on a post right now but is there anyone who hasn't got a roommate yet? Wouldn't mind having one for Rowan (assuming that's how things are) to set things up and the like.

Academy 218: Why

Will work on a post when I got a chance.

Verthaven: Days of Rain ☔ [COMPLETED]

Sounds good @Mr Allen J.

Academy 218: Why

Finished, for now:

Rowan Campbell

Basic Information

Name:

Rowan Campbell

Age:

16

Gender:

Male

Appearance:

A 5’9 teen of an average - if kind of wiry physical complexion with scruffy hair, Rowan looks like your average white trash type from Verthaven’s Iron District. From a glance it's clear he's not a heavyweight and even if he was a little meatier he wouldn't be too imposing at that height. Unkempt, his hair is a dirty blonde whilst along his jawline is a thin veil of blonde stubble that one day threatens to turn into an equally scruffy beard and he possesses a set of sharp, blue eyes

Attire:

When he's not wearing the uniform - which is often the case, he'll lean towards wearing a jacket for the colder Alaskan weather as well as a pair of cargo pants and working boots.

Skills/Talents:

Growing up in a rough neighbourhood in a broken home's taught Rowan a couple of delinquent skills, from cracking simple locks to getting into cars (the older ones, at least) without setting off the alarms and so on. Also, whilst it's not exactly a quality one could boast about, Rowan has a rather high level of endurance and is capable of taking more than a couple punches and still pulling himself back up to his feet. Years of physical abuse have conditioned him with a somewhat higher pain threshold than your average teen and it also translates to a psychological effect - no matter how beat he is, nothing will pull him down if he's set his mind to something and he's more likely to break than bend.

Brief Backstory:

Hailing from the poorer districts of Verthaven, Rowan was another textbook case of a kid coming from a broken home, the only difference being that this kid had powers and their family happened to Iron Cross. To be specific, Rowan’s father had very close ties to the group from his time in prison and throughout upbringing of his son he'd attempted to embed a similar set of bigoted views through years of domineering and abuse. His mother also suffered the same treatment if not worse, leading the two of them to endure years of abuse under the old man’s roof.

It wasn't until after he hit his early teens that it came to a head - the old man had come home drunk yet again after another night out with ‘his brothers of iron’ and had taken a disliking to his demeanour and started hurling abuse. When Rowan shot back, this made him angry and he looked ready to throw the bottle at him until his wife intervened, instead becoming the new target of his ire as she took a heavy beating for it.

Then something snapped. Years of abuse and resentment came bubbling to the surface - Rowan practically threw himself against the old man and laid into him blow after blow, until the stress of the situation ‘activated’ his powers and the next ‘hit’ caused him to unintentionally send a metal frame flying into the old man and fatally snapping his neck.

It didn't take long for the authorities to realise what had happened, especially when he tested positive for the metahuman gene. NEST quickly took custody of him after the truth of his circumstances was revealed and given the duress he'd been under, it was determined that he had not intentionally killed the old man and was in clear need of a stable environment. Initially, he was supposed to attend the academy in Verthaven but it soon became apparent that this left him open to being approached by elements of the Iron Cross or worse and he was often seen outside of education, doing anything but learning.

In the end, as a drastic but ultimately necessary measure he was sent to Academy 218 in secluded but stable Alaska, far away from his troubles back home where he couldn't run away from his issues, and a fresh start.

Power Information

Power Class:

Elemental

Power:

Electromagnetic Manipulation:

Rowan can generate a rather powerful electromagnetic field in order to manipulate his surroundings. Magnetised metallic objects can be moved around and have force exerted upon them at will, whilst he's also capable of 'seeing' the path of electrical currents and interfering eith electronics by generating said fields.

Limits:

For one, there's a limit to the size of the fields he can generate. He wouldn't be able to lift a truck off thr ground, but with the proper focus and training he could learn to generate more concentrated fields, allowing him to defledt metallic projectiles.

Weaknesses/Drawbacks:

Excessive use of his power to the point of overexertion can cause him to suffer intense migraines and nosebleeds. If he pushed it even further he'd pass out from exhaustion. Also, being encased in a faraday cage or a similarly insulating enclosure can hinder the effectiveness of his powers. Oh, and unshielded CCTV cameras don't seem to like being around him.

Relationships

Family:

Dynamics:

Tess Campbell | Good | Mom | "I miss her. Wish those fuckers had let her come with me.”|

Other

• It's not a major concern just yet, but Rowan's had a growing reliance on painkillers to alleviate the migraines he suffers as a result of the stubborn overexertion of his powers. Just something to be noted for future reference.
• Whilst he's nowhere near the die-hard bigot that his old man was, Rowan's upbringing leaves a little something to be desired when it comes to people of other ethnicity or sexuality. That doesn't mean he'll recoil in disgust at the sight of someone of a different race and start spouting white supremacist chants, rather he'd just find himself acting awkwardly or uncomfortable with the situation if there is a problem. He's a work in progress for NEST, but yeah.