[hider=Cole Sykes] [u][b]Basic Information[/b][/u] [b]Name:[/b] [INDENT]John Cole Sykes[/INDENT] [b]Nickname/Alias/Etc:[/b] [INDENT]Sykes[/INDENT] [b]Gender:[/b] [INDENT]Male[/INDENT] [b]Age:[/b] [INDENT]19[/INDENT] [b]Height:[/b] [INDENT]5' 9"[/INDENT] [b]Weight:[/b] [INDENT]150 lbs[/INDENT] [b]Home District:[/b] [INDENT]University Row[/INDENT] [b][u]Appearance[/u][/b] [b]Hair Color:[/b] [INDENT]Brown[/INDENT] [b]Eye Color:[/b] [INDENT]Brown[/INDENT] [b]Ethnicity:[/b] [INDENT]Caucasian[/INDENT] [b]Physical Appearance:[/b] [INDENT]Cole isn't a very imposing individual. His build is lanky, though not very tall, and size-wise he's tiny compared to the likes of his friends. His hair is medium length, wiry and messy, which ties into his overall unkempt appearance. His eyes are often big and wide, like he's in a perpetual state of surprise or fear, no big news there seeing as he can see things others can't, and one can't help but wonder if this poor young man is older than he looks. With sallow cheeks, constant bags under his eyes, high cheekbones and a shark hooked nose, he looks less like your typical nineteen year old and more tired and stressed beyond his years.[/INDENT] [b]Attire:[/b] [INDENT]Cole is often clad in a sweater and jeans a size too big for him and sneakers. He regularly carries around a black backpack and often carries his phone in his hand or in a pocket of his sweater.[/INDENT] [b][u]Personality[/u][/b] [b]Innate & Outward Personality:[/b] [INDENT]Outwardly and inwardly, Cole is a mess. Being constantly bombarded by information didn't do much to help him develop a normal personality, and as a result he's rather twitchy, shaky and nervous. Around people he doesn't trust, he tends to shy away from them, preferring to spend his time alone with his computer or phone where preferable. However, if you do make an attempt to befriend him, he's rather well intentioned despite his personality flaws; it's not that he wants to ignore you, but it's because he's seeing things about you through your phone that he doesn't want to be a big dumb about. Around friends, though, he's a lot calmer, restrained and relaxed. Those he considers friends are those he trusts with his life; not only because they know what his powers do, but they trust him not to go do anything stupid with it.[/INDENT] [b]Hobbies/Interests:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Computers[*]Reading[*]Being alone and isolated[*]Orchestral music[/list][/INDENT] [b]Skills/Talents:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Programming[*]Information grabbing[*]Electronics[/list][/INDENT] [b]Prized Possessions:[/b] [INDENT]His laptop and phone.[/INDENT] [b]History/Bio:[/b] [INDENT]Cole wasn't always this edgy. In school he was often the quiet but strong individual, the one that preferred to sit at the back and study and didn't mind the occasional bullying or teasing from the bad kids who occupied the back seats. He was the nerd who would stand up for the other nerds and didn't mind getting beat up. It was one of those after-school hazings, however, that awakened his powers and changed his life forever. After a trio of bullies left him bleeding and curled up in pain in an alley behind the school, he began to see streams of data around them and in those streams he saw their information; their phone numbers, tweets, social media posts, browsing history, text messages, credit information, every single nasty secret they hid away on their phones in their private lives. It wasn't until a week later that he realised that he could manipulate those streams, and thus enacted a little vengeance by surrepticiously leaking several lewd photos from their phones onto the school servers, prime fodder for those that would later find them. However, his powers came at a high price; they never turned off and he never figured out how to. Whenever he went outside to go for lunch or traveled home, he'd see hundreds, maybe even thousands of streams all weaving through the air, information bombarding him from every direction, numbers and words and pictures screaming at his brain with every step, and no matter what he did, he couldn't stop them. Eventually he began to retreat into himself, finding technological isolation to be the only way to turn his powers off. By removing all forms of computer technology from around him, he found peace, and through this he found his way to the Haven where, by some stroke of luck, barely any data streams taunted him, only those of the patrons and staff. Haven was where he eventually met and made friends with Audrey and Marcus, and came to work in the cafe to make ends meet.[/INDENT] [u][b]Relationships[/b][/u] [b]Family:[/b] [INDENT]Paul Sykes, father; [i]alive and well[/i]. Margaret Sykes, mother; [i]alive and well[/i].[/INDENT] [b]Dynamics:[/b] [indent]WIP [b] {Marcus Rowland} [/b] | [b] {Neutral} [/b] | [b] {Friends}[/b] | {"I-I think he's okay. He helps out around the cafe which is n-nice, I guess."} | [b] {Audrey Novalik} [/b] | [b] {Neutral} [/b] | [b] {Friends}[/b] | {"S-she can be really rough, b-but she means well, I know it."} |[/indent] [b][u]Abilities[/u][/b] [b]Power Class:[/b] [INDENT]Elemental - Energy[/INDENT] [b]Power:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Data manipulation; Cole is able to see and feel the invisible strings of digital data that weave through the air, ground and walls of daily life. Nothing is beyond his reach; not machines, not mech suits, nor nanites or cybernetic devices. If it contains a computer capable of even the simplest calculations and/or is connected to some form of network, he will be able to find its string and access it. By plucking a string from the air he is able to determine where it originates from, where it's being routed through and where it's going, thus allowing him access into even the most secure of computer or digital systems. Using this link, he is able to access this string and project himself into the string to virtually probe or browse through the data packets contained within the string, akin to "hacking the Matrix" as it were. Using this ability, he can do a great many things; spy on people by indirectly accessing their webcam or phone cam, listen in on conversations with phone mics or security cameras, indirectly start up machines from their boot source or control traffic signals from their signal station, etc etc. Think Watch_Dogs, but instead of a computer program, it's an actual person inside your system. [*]Electromagnetic generation; as part of his computer-based powers, Cole is also able to generate an electromagnetic field. This power of his allows him to attract metal objects to himself or have them orbit around him or some such, shut down electrical devices with an EM surge, or fry cybernetics with a concentrated EM pulse. He can also extend a very low power and low frequency electromagnetic field around himself to detect devices or signatures around himself by reading fluctuations within the field.[/list][/INDENT] [b]Limits:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Cole's data manipulation abilities can only affect systems and devices that are [b]on[/b]. If a device, like a computer or phone or tablet, is turned off, he will be able to find it but [b]will not be able to turn it on[/b]. After all, digital data doesn't translate to a physical button press. Same goes with networks; if a particular network is down due to a power outage or something else, he will not be able to access any data strings that route through that particular network. For example, if Verthaven's entire phone network goes down, he will not be able to access or route through any data strings that originate from phones. If it's the Internet, he will not be able to go online while within a string. [*]His data string powers only extend to a tiny field about two feet around him. He is not able to extend this field in any way. Using these powers also drains his stamina, and the more he uses them the more tired he gets. If he overdoes the usage, he is prone to passing out for an unknown length of time. [/list][/INDENT] [b]Weaknesses/Drawbacks:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]His data powers [b]never turn off[/b]. Ever. He constantly sees strings of data all around him, and their contents often leap out at him, keeping him in a constant state of awareness about his surroundings. Looking at him, it's like he's constantly being distracted by things that aren't there. The only way he is able to drown it out is by sleeping or actively forcing himself not to think or visualise the ambient data around him. [*]Because he uses a lot of stamina to use his data powers, more often than not he has to take frequent breaks to replenish his stamina. He can only use his power for several minutes at a stretch before passing out cold. The more intense the usage, the quicker he gets tired and the longer he'll be out for. [/list][/INDENT] [b][u]Other:[/u][/b] [INDENT]N/A[/INDENT] [/hider] [hider=Aurora Novalik] [u][b]Basic Information[/b][/u] [b]Name:[/b] [INDENT]Audrey Novalik[/INDENT] [b]Nickname/Alias/Etc:[/b] [INDENT]Aurora, Aura[/INDENT] [b]Gender:[/b] [INDENT]Female[/INDENT] [b]Age:[/b] [INDENT]36[/INDENT] [b]Height:[/b] [INDENT]6' 3"[/INDENT] [b]Weight:[/b] [INDENT]160 lbs[/INDENT] [b]Home District:[/b] [INDENT]Union Point Hills[/INDENT] [b][u]Appearance[/u][/b] [b]Hair Color:[/b] [INDENT]Auburn[/INDENT] [b]Eye Color:[/b] [INDENT]Light brown[/INDENT] [b]Ethnicity:[/b] [INDENT]Russian[/INDENT] [b]Physical Appearance:[/b] [INDENT]Standing proud and tall, Audrey is the image of a woman past her prime. Her build is that of a strong, well built woman athlete but after a few years of neglect. Her muscles are still toned and strong but she hasn't used them actively for a while, resulting in a physique that although appears to be strong, she's weaker than she appears. Her teeth are yellowed slightly from all the cigarettes she smokes, as are her fingernails. Her face is composed, though more often than not he default expression is a scowl with a cigarette clasped between her lips. She has a small forehead, sharp chin and a crooked nose from how much it's been broken and reset. Her knuckles are calloused and scarred, and she walks with a very slight limp. Crows feet adorn the corners of her eyes, and they're often at a slight squint, as if silently judging whoever she looks at. Her hair, brown, is short and close cut in an almost military style.[/INDENT] [b]Attire:[/b] [INDENT]More often than not Audrey can be found dressed in a simple t-shirt of any design and/or colour, along with a pair of blue jeans and either shoes or sneakers. Her work clothes are that getup paired with a cream coloured apron with her cafe's logo emblazoned on the front and a baseball cap, usually either cream coloured or dark green. She has a faded blue digital watch on her right wrist and has a plain silver wedding band on her left ring finger.[/INDENT] [b][u]Personality[/u][/b] [b]Innate & Outward Personality:[/b] [INDENT]Outwardly, Audrey is a rough woman. She manages her cafe well enough that she's liked by her patrons and employees alike. She's understanding and knowledgeable, but also blunt and loud at the same time. She expresses her opinions very clearly and draws a line whenever she thinks others are getting too close or are annoying her. More often than not warnings of violence are heeded, her build being a major factor in keeping the peace in her cafe. Inwardly, she is a worried one. Being separated from the daughter she knows and loves is a harsh truth to bear, and though she works tirelessly to see her again, the stress is often evident in her behaviour, for she smokes when stressed or bothered, which is often. Anyone who approaches her with offers of emotional help are politely or bluntly declined; her belief that she has to be a strong, independent woman often clashes with the motherly worry that she experiences often. On the job, she doesn't smoke, but she takes regular breaks to light up one to calm herself down if things are getting rough. Other than that, her mannerisms both on and off the job are that of a friendly, if rough-and-tumble, woman who is looking for some relaxation at the end of every stressful day.[/INDENT] [b]Hobbies/Interests:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Appreciating nature[*]Soft orchestral music[*][/list][/INDENT] [b]Skills/Talents:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Coffee making[*]Cooking[*]Multi-tasking[*]Kickboxing (former welterweight)[/list][/INDENT] [b]Prized Possession:[/b] [INDENT]Her cafe, the [i]Haven[/i]. It's her lifeblood and her home.[/INDENT] [b]History/Bio:[/b] [INDENT]Audrey was born not in America, but in Russia, in the stark, cold of Moscow City. Growing up, she had a healthy dislike of learning, instead putting her time and focus into sports and fitness, stuff that she, young and naive, believed was more visibly important than studying. Her grades barely got her through school as it was, but her strong presence in her school's wrestling team more than helped her along the way. After she graduated, she was approached by a teacher from a kickboxing school, offering to teach her in the ways of fighting to eventually become an instructor at the same school, an offer she eagerly accepted. The school, of course, gave her many a bruise and lots of aches and pains, but it gave her a sense of fulfillment to go along with the suffering. Audrey eventually took part in her first ever kickboxing tourney and won third place; an achievement frowned upon by her teacher but who nevertheless praised her for her accomplishment. As the years went by, she took part in more and more tournaments, until the Russian Kickboxing Federation recognised her as a rookie in the national standings and decided to place Audrey in her first ever major national championship. She quickly learned, however, that going to the nationals was way above her skill level, and it was with a heavy heart that she accepted her defeat and elimination during the qualifying rounds. The loss only fueled the eager fire within her and she trained ever harder, determined to win. Around this time was when she met her to-be-husband, Brian Novovich. The man was an American-born Russian who'd flown to Moscow to participate in an annual friendly for expats and foreigners to fight against locals. During the friendly they fought against each other, and after the match was over they fell for each other quite readily. She'd lost, but the pain she felt was way less than the love she'd found for Brian. He suggested that they move to the States, where the competitions were more lively, and she agreed. Fast forward ten years, during which they had a daughter, named Catherine, they almost filed for divorce due to fallings out between them, and now Audrey lives in a small apartment above her cafe, the Haven, in Union Hills, just near the beach. Her former glories, kickboxing and athletics all behind her, she lives alone and tends to her cafe. Her husband and daughter live elsewhere, out of State entirely, though they keep in semi-regular contact. She'd refused to leave Verthaven even after Brian had found out she was a metahuman, even after the horrendous events that had occured within the city involving people like her. He took her daughter and left out of concern for the family's safety, and she's never seen them since. This was around the time her cafe attracted two metas who became her employees and subsequent friends; Marcus Rowland, a rowdy athlete and adrenaline junkie, and John Sykes, a quiet, soft-spoken computer nerd.[/INDENT] [u][b]Relationships[/b][/u] [b]Family:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Markus Novalik, father; [i]deceased[/i].[*]Arty Novalik, mother; [i]deceased[/i].[*]Brian Novovich, husband; [i]alive, estranged[/i].[*]Catherine Novalik, daughter; [i]alive, separated[/i].[/list][/INDENT] [b]Dynamics:[/b] [indent]WIP [hider][b] {Marcus Rowland} [/b] | [b] {Good} [/b] | [b] {His employer and good friend}[/b] | {"Bit of a cheeky sort, but ultimately has a good heart. He wants to help, I can see that, and he doesn't cause trouble. Much."} | [b] {Cole Sykes} [/b] | [b] {Neutral} [/b] | [b] {His employer and friend}[/b] | {"Quiet and mysterious, but dependable and loyal."} |[/hider][/indent] [b][u]Abilities[/u][/b] [b]Power Class:[/b] [INDENT]Elemental[/INDENT] [b]Power:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Smoke control; Aurora is able to control smoke in all its forms: dust storms, exhaust smoke, cigarettes, from fires, etc etc. She is able to disperse whatever particles are within the cloud into her surroundings or condense the cloud into a thick, murky mass that blinds and affects the respiratory system of anything caught inside it. She is also able to "grab" smoke to wield it as a weapon akin to a whip, using its semi-solid nature to harden her smoke whip or chain whenever it impacts something for maximum damage. She is also able to turn her body into a semi solid smoke form, wherein physical attacks cannot hit her, instead they pass through the smoke that makes up her body. She is able to travel through air ducts or vents with this side of her power, along with being able to mask herself in a cloud of smoke if a source of it is present.[/list][/INDENT] [b]Limits:[/b] [INDENT]The power is limited to only herself. Sustaining her smoke form takes stamina, and she cannot maintain it for more than a few minutes straight without having to stop before she passes out.[/INDENT] [b]Weaknesses/Drawbacks:[/b] [INDENT][list][*]Because her abilities are very reliant on smoke, she [b]requires[/b] a source of smoke somewhere about her person or in her immediate vicinity in order to function at 100%. As such, she usually is seen smoking a cigarette or cigar, but catch her out near the ocean without a stick or a place where smoking is forbidden, and she's very much powerless. The constant smoking has also affected her respiratory system (gee who would've thunk it) and stamina as a result. She has a persistent cough, and cannot sustain any strenuous activities for more than a few minutes at a time without having to catch her breath. [*]If she gets wet, she will be unable to transform into smoke, though that doesn't stop her from manipulating it. [*]Wind affects her smoke form more than she cares to admit it; though she is able to maintain consistency of her smoke form in a gust of wind, she will experience difficulties in fighting the wind flow. In ventilation systems, her movements are virtually limited to where the wind blows.[/list][/INDENT] [b][u]Other:[/u][/b] [INDENT]None[/INDENT] [/hider]