Honor Circle Returns! (OOC) - Open

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

But no, not personally offended. Sorry if it came off that way. 

I didn't think it did, but it was a touch vague...

It's important to keep clear when you are upset, and when your character is upset, to keep people from getting unwarrantedly aggro. ;-]

[Angel]

Please don't compare me to prissy-boys with no control of their emotions or libido, thank you.

....Yet the fact that I compared Sylvie to an old man who watched his son get dragged by a chariot driven by his killer doesn't bother you? Be grateful you got stuck with the prissy-boy, Styg; at least Paris gets to kill someone. 

[Magic]

Inspired by the namesake game, and finding myself with a lot of free time, I've decided to throw my hat into the Honor Circle.

Name:
Alex M. Keys

Nickname(s):
"Timeshift", "What the fu—"

Age:
Appears in his 30s, but his birthdate is relatively 21 years ago in his own world's timeline.

Species:
Ermine/Stoat

Family and Association(s):
Myer-Keys family; Lex Keys (father, deceased), Agatha Myer-Keys (mother, deceased). Agatha Myer-Keys is a researcher in the Theory of Everything and a pioneering inventor specializing in localized temporal manipulation; hence the origin of Alex's powers.

Place of Origin:
1939 AD, Earth XIV, UEF

Physical Description:
Unremarkable, in almost if not every aspect; Alex stands at roughly five feet nine (5'8.8) and weighs in at 135 pounds or 61 kilograms. He is not technically underweight, but appears slim as per his species' metabolism and natural build. His coat is a healthy brown, with milky white fur through his neck and belly. As with all stoats he has a black tipped tail and short ears. He has messy yet short white hair and no facial hair apart from fur. His attire consists of fatigue pants, boots, white shirt, gloves and a long sleeved flak jacket.

Dueling info (combat strengths, weaknesses, weaponry, etc.):
Non-timeshift:
Alex only carries a combat knife and a tazer (concealed under his jacket). He is of average strength, average marksmanship, and only has basic knowledge of CQC. The only remarkable strength he has outside of his ability is his agility in sprinting. (Hence his weakness, he is an average person outside of his ability to control time.) Also, he wears a flak jacket, as mentioned above.

Timeshift:
Alex, by virtue of an implant within himself, has limited control over time, in the sense that he can create a localized field of space wherein two separate timelines (the 'original' timeline, consisting of everyone and everything around Alex and the 'bullet time' timeline, consisting of only Alex, his clothes and whatever Alex is holding or interacting with) split from the original one, creating any of the three possibilities.

The first possibility is that the original timeline is stopped completely, while the timeline wherein Alex is continues as normal, creating the effect of timestop. He can interact normally with any objects he is currently handling with normal kinetic energy, however, as soon as objects (for example, projectiles) leave his hands they are soon affected by the alternate timeline and slow down to a stop. One must note, that energy in the form of light, electricity or heat also stops in the original timeline and can be sidestepped or passed through without consequence as time does not permit said energy to conduct into Alex to even start affecting him. In this mode, he can also walk on lava and water. Considering the incredible amount of energy to maintain timestop, Alex can only maintain this for a very limited amount of time (in his relative timeline) before the two timelines converge again and time flows as normal.

The second possibility is that the original timeline is slowed down considerably, creating the effect of timecongeal. The velocity of oncoming attacks and projectiles as well as the reaction time of characters are affected by this. Any attacks or projectiles coming from Alex conserve energy, and appear to be traveling at greater than c velocities. (tachyon bolts, in essence) To the onlooker in the original timestream, Alex appears as a blur with incredible agility. Alex can maintain this mode of time manipulation for the longest, but considering that the target can also react (albeit slowly) and that the timeline still progresses, it may be possible to outthink his actions.

The third possibility is that the original timeline regresses as Alex's timeline progresses, creating the effect of timereverse. In this mode, any currents (water or air), or external forces acting upon Alex's body regresses. (For example, a wind spell pushing Alex back in realtime will pull Alex towards you in timereverse, the inverse is true.) To the onlooker, Alex may suddenly appear elsewhere from the onlooker's point of attack, and counterattack decisively. This is exceptionally dangerous, as he can dodge any attack as long as he is able to even think of reacting. Instant knockouts (remember, apart from his powers he is an average person), however, will cut this off. Note that for obvious reasons, Alex can not reverse time when he is unconscious, or dead.

Personality:
Alex is a kind and perhaps too patient of a person, acting upon some semblance of unwritten chivalrous code outside of fighting and always staying his hand in retribution of most transgressions. When not otherwise socializing or training he can be seen as quiet and contemplative, two traits that do lead him to be quite the bookworm at times. In combat, he is calm and collected to a point, like a real person. He does fear, but only a healthy amount of it, enough to pull through on doing what should be done. He acknowledges that, through experience of his travels through time and space, he is not invincible and that there are things best left alone.

History:
The history of the Myers-Keys family was relatively eventless up until the point of Alex's dad's death. Both parents had been working on the same project; a localized mind-controlled temporal manipulation device miniaturized to the size of a small capsule easily inserted into the body via syringe. However when Lex Keys was found dead on arrival in the nearby hospital after being hit by a car, a deeply mourning Agatha Myers suddenly became absorbed into her research; over the course of a year, she worked hard and long hours into the night, talked to her coworkers about her 'theories' as if they were fact, and was seen by herself in the laboratory at times. The fruition of her experiments resulted in such a device which she quickly and enthusiastically implanted into herself in the hopes that she might save her husband. As fate would have it, time remained a constant, and although she had stopped her husband from being run over by a car by distracting him, he was instead killed by a boiler explosion in the building he was apparently going to. She realized quickly that events too far in the past cannot be altered, or it would unravel the time-space continuum. Time travel in its very nature, corrects paradoxes. A defeated mother came back to her own timeline, broken and beaten. She removed the implant, and hid it from her colleagues. Her enthusiasm in her work degraded, and as well with her health. In her deathbed, Agatha parted to her son Alex where she had hid the alpha version implant. Before she could have told her that he could not reverse history, she died. He injected it into himself, hoping he could save her own mother from the self-destructive behavior she underwent, but as soon as he used it, it malfunctioned; sending him through different timelines and universes. He traveled, world to world, taking with him as only much as he needed to survive with the help of his abilties.

OOC Note (MUST READ):
In order to enforce the limitations of the implant, here's how Alex works;
1)   Timestop, and timereverse only last the length of one post, namely my own. You may 'see' the effects in your post as normal, but do not assume that it lasts up until your action.
2)   Timecongeal can last up to two posts, i.e.
-   Your action.
-   Alex timecongeals.
-   Your action. (Alex is still timecongealing.)
-   Alex stops timecongealing, and takes an action.
-   Your action.
(Special Note: The key word is 'can', but it normally won't, up to the discretion of the player behind the character dueling Alex.)
3)   These abilities need a cooldown time of three posts, i.e.
-   Your action.
-   Alex manipulates time.
-   Your action.
-   Alex's action.
-   Your action.
-   Alex can now manipulate time again.
(Special Note: Timecongeal cooldowns after Alex stops timecongealing, not during.)
4)   I will detail two things in my posts, "What the challenger sees" and "What Alex sees", this is to prevent confusion on what actually happens. e.g.
- Alex runs around <challenger>, throwing rocks at <challenger> in timecongeal.
- <challenger> faces a hail of bullet-like rocks coming out from an incredibly fast blur circling around him in realtime.
5)  His implant, unless agreed upon otherwise, will always override magical or technological time manipulation of other characters.
6)  If you are superhumanly fast enough, you may match his relative speed in timecongeal, however you may still be at a disadvantage at reaction time depending on OOC agreements.
7)  Alex can only use one ability at a time.
8)  Paradoxes correct themselves.

Character subject to change or be removed immediately for balancing issues or a majority vote by the current members of The Honor Circle.

P.S.
Yes, Alex is from Agatha + Lex, A-Lex. Were Alex a female, he would have been named Lexa.

[Stygian]

Two words, Ink; Awe. Some.

But what else is to be expected? Welcome.

[techmaster-glitch]

DAMMIT styg, you beat me to it!

But yes, I applaud wholeheartedly to The Ink's entry

[Cogidubnus]

A master of deja-fu? Should be interesting. I look forward to seeing it.

[Sunblink]

Welcome to the Honor Circle, Ink! It's absolutely awesome to have you aboard.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Boog]

Well well, a celebrity shows up. I like his abilities, can't wait to see what you do with him.

[Cogidubnus]

I'm afraid I've lost my reference point, just slightly. I believe Giles was lying unconcious in a circle outside, although Marya might certainly be shouting at Cog as to what to do...

[Boog]

Ah, sorry. Yeah, she is. Got a little confused as to his location myself for a minute there so I left it vague.

[Magic]

I forgot to include that Alex has grown a bit paranoid over his 'adventures'. It should be understandable, really.

[techmaster-glitch]

I've made a bit of a mistake, and I want to edit my last post slightly to explain how the Mechangel knew that Alex did something with time. In the post, I said one of his sensors blipped, but now I realize he won't actually have a specific sensor for that, especially since it was a full time-stop (the observation of Alex's initial appearance will still stand though, that sort of thing is hard to miss). Instead, Mechangel's electronic eye would have picked up all the little nuances of Alex, such as precice postitioning and clothing creases, etc., would seem to have 'jumped' slightly. Since his eye and mind records everything he experiences, he sould have backed up and reviewed Alex's motion frame-by-frame until he finds that Alex did indeed shift instantly. Connecting that to the huge temproral anomaly (as said, had to mistake) that produced Alex, it would not be too far of a stretch to assume Alex has some form of control over it, though the extent, of course, is still unknown.

May I do that, Boog?

[Boog]

Seeing as his noticing the time jump has already been replied to, yes. Feel free.

[techmaster-glitch]

Thank you. It wasn't so much whether or not Mechangel was able to detect it, so much as how and I had messed up a bit on that.
But it's fix'd now. Thanks again

[Magic]

Really? Because I actually believed that he might have had a sensor for it. Considering how infinitely faster than c movements would have had left some trace detectable by specialty equipment. According to Timeshift canon, the specific sensors for it would exist. Which allow detection of paradoxes and time-altering threats in the Beta suit, but your call, after all.

Not quite sure if Boogeyman can identify Alex's ability quite that yet, unless he's been reading his mind recently. And I am surprised that the time cop caught it with just her own senses, but can't identify who. The latter two came as a surprise. Would have thought only the living camcorder could have caught timestop in the first go. Curiouser and curiouser.

[techmaster-glitch]

Really? Because I actually believed that he might have had a sensor for it.

Well, the reason is that, in my profile for him, I never specified that he had extensive sensor equipment aside from his eye (he has some, but not much, and not that kind of specialty). Thus, suddenly giving him a sensor that could automatically detect such minute time distortions compared to the unmistakable one that brought Alex into the game kinda made me feel like a dirty cheater once I realized it RP ettiquet stipulates that, generally, you're not supposed to have your characters be able to do things you didn't specify beforehand. I learned that the hard way when I was new to RPing.

Would have thought only the living camcorder could have caught timestop in the first go.

Well, he was watching you specifically and very intently. If he couldn't pick up on it now, he wouldn't be able to at all

[TheGreyRonin]

And I am surprised that the time cop caught it with just her own senses, but can't identify who.

More a feeling that something happened, but she can't quite put her finger on it. It's not a reliable ability on her part, and easily dismissed without hard evidence.

[Angel]

Extremely slight error on your part, Ink, and it's mostly my fault for not being more specific. Dani's left arm was the one that got burned. It's not that big a deal, it just felt worth mentioning.

[Magic]

Ick. I didn't want to give Dani a handshake from the right. It had fresh blood in it.

[Angel]

...Ah. Okay then. I'll take an awkward grip over a bloody one any day.

[Magic]

Nothing that's not easily wiped off, it was recently there. Dani wouldn't have seen it anyway. Edited.

[Stygian]

...Ah. Okay then. I'll take an awkward grip over a bloody one any day.

Precisely the opposite of my sentiments.

On another note, I find it a little... well, eh... It would be understandable of Risky to be able to feel a time shift, if she had some sort of equipment or special sense for that sort of thing, but for Mechangel... ah...

Sigh and woe. I just feel that, aside from questioning what's within characters' capabilities, it's a bit dull, not to mention unfair to Ink, that his character's special power should be discovered so quickly. That's all.

[techmaster-glitch]

...Ah. Okay then. I'll take an awkward grip over a bloody one any day.

On another note, I find it a little... well, eh... It would be understandable of Risky to be able to feel a time shift, if she had some sort of equipment or special sense for that sort of thing, but for Mechangel... ah...

Sigh and woe. I just feel that, aside from questioning what's within characters' capabilities, it's a bit dull, not to mention unfair to Ink, that his character's special power should be discovered so quickly. That's all.

Well, really it wasn't that hard. First there was the explosive dramatic entry he made, with very distinctive characteristics, which I didn't see many people actually react to, something I thought was strange. Then there's the whole, y'know, conversation about time travel he had with Boog:

Alex:"I'm Alex. A multiverse traveller, planeswalker, timetraveller by accident--..."
Boog:"So, timetraveller?" He went on, "Now, that the philosophical definition in which we all move in time, albeit in the same direction, or are you veering off course of the rest of us? Once knew a bloke moving diagonally in time, he always had the funniest way of telling stories..."
Alex:"To answer your question, I honestly wouldn't know myself. It's a little difficult to tell how I'm moving," He takes a brief swig, just to keep him going, "Sometimes I travel normally through time, seeing two different views of the same world. Other times I arrive at the same place on the same time in another universe. Then there's the utterly random drops."

And finally, the noticiable jump if someone with half an electronic mind and a highly advancd visual sensor was watching. From there, it is nothing more than a short logical leap to assume that Alex has some kind of control over time. Connecting the dots is an easy game. Also keep in mind that Mechangel has absolutely no idea what Alex can actually do with time.
However, I did start feeling uneasy about it regardless, and had Ink pressed the issue, I would have been willing to do some big edits to make it so Mechangel doesn't figure it out. But, Ink has not explicitly asked for any revisions, thus I have not made any.

There's something else I'd like to point out, but in the interests of not starting an argument with you, I will say nothing further.

[Stygian]

Everyone in that damn bar must be some person with spacetime-warping capabilities, some sort of hint or trick known to them that lets them be there, or just a whole lot of sheer, dumb luck to end up there in the first place. Considering the circumstances, that he should end up right inside the bar itself... well, all that does is suggest either luck or good targeting capabilities.

All he said suggested that he was moving pretty accidentally. As in, he has no control of what he is doing. Sure, it might suggest that he is prone to time disruptions...

That the reaction time of someone with an electronic mind would have revealed a lot, and that you are looking directly at him, whereas others' attention is turned away, is a good point though.

What would make you reluctant to bring something up to me, I cannot directly say, but I imagine that it must be something that you perceive could irritate or offend me. Which immediately leads onto the trail of thought that you imagine I must be easily offended, or cannot restrain myself, or that I will react ill to some sort of conflict or obstruction, an insinuation that might seem an insult. It's an easy connection to make. Thus, through your choice of words and formulation, you have now potentially offended me.

...

[techmaster-glitch]

What would make you reluctant to bring something up to me, I cannot directly say, but I imagine that it must be something that you perceive could irritate or offend me. Which immediately leads onto the trail of thought that you imagine I must be easily offended, or cannot restrain myself, or that I will react ill to some sort of conflict or obstruction, an insinuation that might seem an insult. It's an easy connection to make. Thus, through your choice of words and formulation, you have now potentially offended me.

Not exactly, it's more that it was an issue that you did argue for at the time, but also the way I would have brought it up would have been a bit inflammatory. I doubt that it would have actually irritated or angered you, but I can definitely forsee a long and drawn-out debate, which I reeealy don't want right now. Which is why I said nothing, as it is long dead and buried.

But as for right here and now, the bottom line is that Ink did not outwardly say he had a problem with what I was doing. However, even now, if he were to ask for a revision (which would require work on both our parts), I would still do it.

[Magic]

I respect Stygian's concern, but for the sake of continuity and because I like the story, I'm not pressing for a revision. (Just because I might have wanted a fair chance for Alex. which I actually don't.) Besides which, you might have noticed this, but Alex's life hasn't exactly been fair and balanced since he first got sucked into multiverse-travelling. It's a plausible situation, it feeds Alex's paranoia, a useful plot device and it gives me an actual reason to manipulate time outside of the circle.

Ignoring the fact that everyone will figure out what Alex can do eventually.

However as it stands, that doesn't mean I'll let him go without consequences to his actions. I have something already planned for Mechangel in case Alex manages to isolate him and himself from the rest of the Honor Circle. If not a corridor, it may mean having to challenge the cyborg outright.

And how long is that guy going to keep on looking at me? It's as if he was aware I stopped time. That can't be right. Unless-- He had to wait now, he can't do that yet. The ermine resorts to biding his time until he actually does leave, and perhaps isolate him elsewhere.

[Stygian]

I respect Stygian's concern, but for the sake of continuity and because I like the story, I'm not pressing for a revision. (Just because I might have wanted a fair chance for Alex. which I actually don't.) Besides which, you might have noticed this, but Alex's life hasn't exactly been fair and balanced since he first got sucked into multiverse-travelling. It's a plausible situation, it feeds Alex's paranoia, a useful plot device and it gives me an actual reason to manipulate time outside of the circle.

Balance and correctness is my primary concern, plot my second. Not because I might not enjoy it the other way around, but because I've seen too many examples of what happens when you say 'screw the rules, I have money/I am the GM/I like it better this way/I'm not going to play if you people don't conform to my wishes'.

Also, the thread appears to have been brought to a standstill. I feel somehow responsible, as my attempts to have my characters engage in meaningful conversation have evidently failed.



Name: Andrea Muniz
Nickname(s): Aurora, Aneura, Ashtarth
Age: ? (appears in her mid-twenties)
Species: Human (?)
Family and Association(s): ?
Place of Origin: Germany, Earth 2403 AD

Physical Description: Tan-skinned, with reddish brown hair, well-shaped if strong features and red eyes. Tall for a woman, slender but powerful in build, and with an enviably healthy and idealized appearance. She sports several tattoos, black 'subdermals' that can be activated or deactivated to show their pigmentation or not; all are based on the same 'tribal' pattern, with a few phrases in Latin embedded. One covers the right side of her back and her right arm out to the hand, the other just her left hand, and a final one rises up from her back over her neck and encircles her right eye.

Height: 5'11"
Weight: ~165 lbs
Build: Strong and somewhat muscular for a woman, but proportionate and compact enough that it does not immediately show.
Eyes: Red
Hair: Short, spiky and brownish-red or reddish-brown, shifting with the length of the hairs and the lighting
Distinguishing features: Boyish-featured, with a slightly curved but well-shaped nose, and strangely 'oriental' looks for her country of origin, relating to Arabic heritage. Radiating power in her looks, and much beauty as well, though some (tasteless people) who might favor bustier and more 'femininely' slim or petite figures might not agree, Andrea ranges in between tomboyish and simply and outrightly tough for a woman. While the tattoos may give off a delinquent image, and her taste in clothing that greatly favors pants, jackets and boots sometimes might give her a crude image by 'female' standards, by making the markings in question disappear and with some help of other assets or her height she can just as easily put on an intimidating or authoritarian, or even matronly image.

Dueling info (combat strengths, weaknesses, weaponry, etc.)

Abilities: With military experience, and a good deal more from working armed security, Andrea is well-versed in tactics, practical knowledge and hands-on training, mostly in unarmed combat and with firearms. Having trained Judo and Taekwondo on a semi-professional level during her youth, she also gathers some experience there. Her recent breakthrough as a detective though, and the sudden demand by certain people and policing agencies for her as an advisor and consultant has more of a reason than such training though...
   Fortunately, or unfortunately, however one might see it, Andrea was, in her work, involved in the security detail on a number of projects, more specifically ones that took place within the Haudée corporation. After a number of incidents that took place under that company, most particularly during the winter of 2398, she underwent what can only be described as a significant personality change, and was unofficially put under surveillance. After a sudden six-month disappearance, she returned to her normal life just as surprisingly and quit her job, choosing instead to set up her own private investigation firm. One that has gone exceedingly well.
   Andrea is, to put it short, a psychic. And a quite powerful one as well. She can both read minds, and even manifest her thoughts and will as physical force, even some degree of energy in the form of radiation, or photons of varying frequencies. She has even demonstrated the ability to manipulate objects at a molecular level, if only when intensely focused. Also, it seems that whatever caused these abilities has somewhat heightened her physical power and metabolism as well, though not to such exceeding levels that it would likely be on purpose, but more probably as a side-effect that has to do with her body having to somehow generate, store and cope with the energy output of her psychic abilities.

   Strengths: Methodical, practical and with a cleverness learned most significantly from a great insight into people's minds, courtesy of her thought-reading ability, Andrea is tactically quick and very hard to out-maneuver, most often being capable of telling her opponents' moves even before they make them. And not only is she capable of reading her opponents, but she can affect them in turn, planting suggestions and affecting their thoughts both subtly and more directly and profoundly, if needed.
   Andrea is, evidently, quite physically strong and quick on her feet, more than enough to take down any ordinary or even well-trained man, or even two or three at a time, as she has demonstrated before. It is clearly her psychic power that is her greatest strength though. While taxing to use extensively over a long period, and of course growing weaker over range, it is quite powerful, and equally frightening. Close enough, and she can lift and hurl cars, shatter walls and stop incoming objects such as vehicles or bullets with her mind. Just as 'easily', she can wreak havoc with the minds of her foes, creating blinding mental 'static', rendering them catatonic or mesmerizing or disorienting them. Affecting or generating blasts of photons as well, she can burn or sear things from a longer range, and using this ability creatively she can do other things as well, for example generating electromagnetic shockwaves.

   Weaknesses: Quite logically, as distance increases, so the power of Andrea's abilities decreases, and many things can even render them null. For example, she cannot overhear people's thoughts or 'read' their neural activity or signatures if they are behind sufficient cover. And considering that beta-radiation is stopped by merely a sheet of aluminium... Also, prolonged usage of the more powerful and concentrated forms of her abilities, such as her psychokinesis, is a straining feat and will leave her tired and unfocused. Overexerting herself has left her with headaches, perception distortions and even rendered her unconscious before, why she is quite aware of her limitations and does not want to pressure herself too much. She has been shown to recover from injury much faster than any normal human, and knows this, but still fears that her power might cause damage to her nervous system or an aneurysm. Equally logically, her abilities also leave her much more sensitive to disruptions, psychic interference and anything else that might have an 'impact' on her mind. She seems to have some sort of neural failsafe that allows her to shut out too much information, much like people filter out background sounds, but if she focuses on shielding her senses this disables some of her abilities as well, and too much 'noise' can still overcome her.
   Finally, there is of course the fact that while her mind is as strong as it is, physically Andrea is just flesh and blood and can be hit, stabbed, shot and ran over just like any other person, presuming one can get past the barrier of apparently incorporeal force...

Weaponry: None, save her service pistol and pretty heavy boots.

[Boog]

Psychics and curious Reds and intrigue, oh my!

On a completely unrelated note, neatened up Boog's profile for easy understanding. 

[Angel]

Hey Boog? I was just wondering about that no-fights-in-the-bar rule... Would hypnotizing - er...  strongly convincing someone to hurt themselves count as starting a fight in the bar?

[Boog]

If Boog picked up on it he'd go nuts, but if you evade his notice then hey...