Archie Davis

The Architect

Male

29

5'11

184.5 lbs

He's from out of town.

N/A

N/A

N/A

Archie cannot be completely described as anything truly resembling a normal human being - such is the case for a lot of meta-humans, but Archie falls into the odd subset. From the neck down, he's the average male adult, albeit his skin is a pale yellow that most would see as a symptom of an illness of some sort. It is, in fact, his natural complexion. He's rather lean and possesses nothing in the way of fat, and no blemishes are apparent anywhere. Now, his head is another story. The neck fades upwards into a mass of what most would identify as the contents of a lava lamp - bright yellow bubbles with a slight glow to them floating about, disconnecting and rejoining haphazardly. It's a pretty sight, but he keeps it tucked under his bag most of the time.

First and foremost is Archie's bag, which he wears over his head, fastened with elastic. It's a simple yellow felt with an orange X painted on it, emblazoned where the face would normally be. As far as normal clothes go, he's prone to thin wear to go with his narrow stature. Skinny jeans, light boots, a long-sleeved shirt, and a biker's leather jacket because he has an unhealthy fascination with the getup. Lastly, he wears gloves at all times, though he has no good reason to. Seems he just doesn't like to show any skin.

Archie's a kind soul, in the broadest sense. Everything he's done has been for the benefit of others more than it's been for himself. He enjoys seeing other people having fun and, he'll do what he can to keep them happy. On the inside, he's always thinking about what he can do for fun - rarely worries about problems until they come around, which is a bit of a problem. Likes to think up funny things to say, jokes, all that sort of stuff. Talking to others, he's long since put the matter of his appearance behind him. He has no problem approaching people, but he won't do it without a good reason to. Some of his speech mannerisms can come off as a bit nonsensical, and on more than one occasion has he accidentally offended someone, but he's good at making peace in the end. All in all, he's just a man who's out for a good time.

Archie doesn't do much in the way of actual hobbies. Sports aren't for him, and he isn't versed enough in most "normal" activities to be a regular with them, but he's certainly open to trying new stuff at others' recommendations. Mainly, he's just focused on managing the Microcosm. Actually, that in itself has given him an appreciation for architecture, so... he likes to look at buildings, sometimes.

Years of building up his own little world has left Archie with what some would describe as "a superb sense of Feng Shui". Though, this isn't just with how to build up blocks and lay down furniture - he has a good sense of tactical placement and maneuvering after spending some time running from folks with a distaste for meta-humans.

Mainly, to help folks. Both those he has already helped to regain their livelihood outside, or vice versa.

Archie was born on the eight of February, 1993, under relatively normal conditions, to a one-human-one-meta couple living in Cincinnati, Ohio at the time. It seemed from birth that he was a normal human child, if a little odd in the skin department. What started as a lightly pale complexion turned to a sickly yellow over the course of about a month. He was kept under medical observation for quite some time, and his parents feared the worst. All hell broke loose when one day, about a month and a half after he was born, his head began to seemingly melt. This put everyone in charge of his care on high alert, and he was placed into an enclosed capsule for stabilization and scanning. While it seemed his body was still functioning normally, his head had shifted into a mass of floating, viscous yellow particles - something like a lava lamp in terms of appearance. His mental activity became unreadable, but nothing seemed particularly wrong internally. Although it was anyone's guess how he was functioning supposedly without a brain.

Over the next few days, the full extent of his powers began to manifest. The capsule he was being kept in underwent a radical change in makeup on the interior level. From the outside, nothing seemed different. But inside, what was once just big enough to fit two infants became the size of a minivan, along with irregular grooves and block-like indentations and protrusions surrounding Archie. All of the medical fixtures inside were still functioning, but very much rearranged haphazardly - and even duplicated. Archie's powers were then classified as something along the lines of "localized geometry manipulation". He was still an infant, so more time was needed to see how this ability would develop.

After four months in the hospital, Archie was finally returned to his family. Caring for him was, on some levels easier, and others more difficult. Somehow he didn't require any nourishment, and he was free of a multitude of biological functions such as breathing, urinating, defecating, and so on. He was incapable of speech and smell, owing to his cranial makeup, though he did possess some level of extrasensory awareness without the need for eyes or ears. Due to his abilities, a specialized bag was tied over his head at all times - not something you'd normally do for a child. Regardless, he managed to adopt a suitable lifestyle. School was some issue - he was among few meta-humans, and even then, his appearance kept him from making too many friends among the "normal" crowd. This, however, he did not mind. Back then, Archie was far too engrossed in his powers to care for the external world. He developed a love of watching what developed in the multitude of bags and containers he wore over his head. Simple spaces would become vast fields over time, and as he learned to apply his own level of control in these formations, he became all the more enamored by the activity.

Around the high school years, there came concern from Archie's parents that he was becoming much too reclusive. It was an understandable situation, but they still wanted him to at least try making new friends. And Archie did try, and actually ended up succeeding. Not in the best way at first, but still. He outfitted a common trash bag into a sort of hangout for his fellow students. Though apprehensive, the first guests used the interior as a place to smoke in peace. As it grew, it became a clubhouse for most of the upperclassmen - somewhere to freely decorate, party, store drugs, the works. Archie became a much more positive figure after a while of keeping folks entertained.

Then the sentient creatures made out of assorted furniture and recreational drugs began showing up within the "clubhouse bag", as it came to be known. This was the first ever case of Archie's powers creating life, and it rubbed folks the wrong way so, the whole thing was shut down. Archie burned the bag in a barrel fire one night out, effectively destroying everything inside - living or otherwise. He regrets this still today, but for what it's worth, he's put it behind him, convincing himself he wasn't fully aware of what he'd created at the time. He was a senior by that time so, he didn't bother trying again. There just wasn't enough time to make anything worthwhile. Still, though, people enjoyed it. They told him they enjoyed it, and many wished Archie would start again. Indeed, after all that time spent building up that place, culminating in the lifeforms that came to inhabit it (and were subsequently eradicated), Archie eventually decided he was going to make something even better. His own little universe to shape and mold. And maybe even another clubhouse for people to enjoy - if they didn't mind the nonhuman beings residing within it.

Archie went to work shortly after graduating, foregoing a college experience and jumping straight to what he deemed a perfect hobby - building a whole new world for people to explore and enjoy. It began with finding a sturdy, industrial-sized bag to use as a foundation. He spent years building up the interior, bringing in random materials he found wherever he went. The expansion and duplication processes took hold, and he held his head over every last detail. He formed a field of fertile soil, and let a crimson forest grow there. He built steel walkways suspended above a massive pool of ferrofluid with magnetic towers scattered about. He carved an entire city out of obsidian - and he had jade golems help him paint and shape it. Little suns were made from the heads of giant, glowing statues. His new little world became populated with the strangest beings, born out of pure, spontaneous chance from the available materials. Metal, wood, marble, gelatin, all these resources and more came to form animate creatures. And when they weren't helping Archie decorate his little tourist attractions, they were forming their own pockets of civilization.

He named it the Microcosm.

This undertaking ended about a year ago, when Archie felt the interior had reached a suitable size and depth. He put another bag on his head that day - a yellow one, with an orange X painted on it - and hasn't taken it off since. He opened up his creation to the public of Black Fall, which he'd made his way to during the later years - and boy, did it become popular, especially among the meta-crowd. A bustling nightclub was quickly formed within one of the obsidian enclaves, easily accessible from the entrance to the strange world. People carried out expeditions into the bizarre wilderness that had spawned around the city, finding new and exotic locales to populate. Some destitute folks actually ended up moving there altogether for odd and varying reasons, all at Archie's mercy - which he was resplendent in, apparently. Now, Archie's world is home to an abundance of humans, metas, and things otherwise.

Some time passed, and Archie's life went on. He began opening up his magnum opus to the mass public, turning quite the profit after a veritable economy started forming within. People came, people went. The Microcosm settled into a state of peace, and the residents are happy for it. Then the time came when the Verthaven disaster hit, and it had a resounding effect on Archie and the Microcosm. Animosity towards meta-humans began to escalate after a near global disaster, and as a result, many of them were looking for sanctuary. And by God, did Archie have the perfect place for them to stay. He began traveling westward, offering safety and support to anyone looking for it - a popular move among runaway metas and ex-NESTies attempting to escape the turmoil. Archie had to hide himself every now and then, as well. The Microcosm's population boomed over the years the conflict was active, and Archie became a very well-liked figure among those he's rescued. As time went on, however, the hatred began to wane, and so did the need for metas to hide. Thus, an exodus took place from within the Microcosm - though many stayed, having taken a liking to the place. And many more returned during the incident in Prague. All this, however, has brought about the creeping signs of overpopulation within the Microcosm - so much so that Archie has elected to find somewhere in the real world that he may let a majority of the poor souls return to their rightful world, and by chance, not live in fear of the outside.

And thus, he's come to Baybridge.

Caleb Davis - father, 52
Lori Davis - mother, 48

Other

Archie's is one of the stranger powers to come about, and his in particular is definitely a rare case. Archie's odd formation of a head has been described scientifically as "a focal point in which enclosed spaces become erratically malleable". In other words, secured interiors around Archie's cranium undergo gradual changes into non-Euclidean environments. Example - you put a gym bag on him and leave it there for three days, then take it off and the interior has increased to the size of a large truck. At first, size is the only thing that changes. However, the more time spent exposed to Archie's head, the more an interior will adopt widespread examples of impossible space. Pockets will form that spiral into each other, layers will repeat over and over again, etc. It becomes easy to get lost in, and even more so once the process reaches its later stages.

A multitude of raw and manufactured materials can have an adverse effect on the interior if left inside. If a lump of clay were present, given time it would expand and form towers, fields, and so on. The more materials, the more structures. In some ways chaotic, and others, very organized. Patterns will tend to repeat unless shaped otherwise by Archie's direct mental influence. Even then, his consciousness is scattered during the whole of the process, and it becomes difficult for him to focus after too long. So he lets most things run their course naturally, without interference.

After extended periods of time have passed along the process, factors depending, the interiors Archie affects will begin to spawn life. These organisms are comprised entirely of whatever materials Archie has introduced to the environment, and are all haphazardly formed - a sentient wheel made of human legs carved out of opal, for example. These developments are random, chaotic, and unseen. But so far, nothing that has been born of Archie's influence has exhibited a hostile nature. Defensive, yes, but not outright hostile. In fact, most have adopted their own level of civilization, though relatively minuscule compared to that of humans. Beings of the same material and makeup will tend to gravitate toward each other, though exceptions exist.

It has not been observed how far Archie's abilities can reach within one given interior. The Microcosm represents his longest venture, and even then it appears it could be added on to. Though Archie has elected to abstain from this, as the place seems big enough already. Also, Archie cannot spawn any lifeforms or noteworthy architectural designs if he does not introduce foreign materials to work with. He's tried, yes, but in all instances, he's only ended up with a blank slate. Lastly, his influence is not capable of creating complex machinery or weapons, along the lines of things that require more than one raw material to function. So he can't make cannons out of glass.

As far as weaknesses go, Archie's are just the same as any normal human's. He'd die from a gunshot or fire or getting steamrolled just like anyone else. Sure, that doesn't fit the criteria of most meta-humans' exploitable weakeness, apparent or otherwise, but Archie simply doesn't possess that form of polarity. Just as well, the bag that holds the Microcosm can be ripped or burnt - so he always keeps watch for any chance of those, or similar, happening.

Shizuka Takashiro
(高城　静, Takashiro Shizuka)

Dude, of course.

23

5' 9"

152 lbs

Greencrest Heights, Roseview

Premature Gray

Dark Brown

100% Japanese!

Shizuka has a small stature and slim build common among native Japanese; even the harsh military training he received after joining RAVEN didn't really help to put on much muscle and weight (hey, he just can't beef up as easily as the likes of, say... Stallone, for example). Originally fair-skinned (for Asian standard; still seen as "yellow" to all you Caucasian people) that later took on a slight tan from outdoor sports during his childhood days, and the tan becomes even more pronounced after he becomes a RAVEN agent. He has let the pompadour crewcut to grow out a bit more, now resembling a windswept pixie haircut, though he still keeps the fringes out of his dark eyes; the color has faded so much that his hair has pretty much turned all-white, and even the roots are more of gray than black (he just refuses to dye his hair to black). His heart-shaped face doesn't seem to appear to have aged much at all, still retaining the androgynous look. The "birthmark" that differentiates him from his twin is the small mole on the right side of his face, just below the lower half of his thin lips.

For Shizuka, he has only one golden rule when it comes to clothing: comfort over fashion. Partly due to his sporty nature, while the other was due to his ignorance for fashion bull - as far as he's concerned, as long as he isn't naked, who cares? Anything goes... but that does not include trying to force him into cosplaying.

On the job, instead of being heavily armored and equipped with bulky guns and retarded helmets like most agents, he wears a simple black stealth suit with minimal armory, such as army knives and small pistols/revolvers. When needed to, he may pack a sniper rifle on his back. After all, he is supposed to stay in the shadows (and out of everyone's way) and he's rarely on the front line; also, all the extra armors are just dead weight to him.

Shizuka is the complete opposite of his namesake: he's sarcastic, he's rude, and he's brutally blunt to a fault. Those parts of him have mellowed out over the years ever since he reconciled with Cindy - well, he has matured, and being nice (even if it's a faked one) can help to further his private agenda... which will be elaborated later. Otherwise, he's actually a pretty chill and laid-back guy; he's also wise beyond his age (not a surprise, honestly) - general, non-relationship issues, that is.

However, no matter how hard he tries, he still has a long way to go to overcome his innate awkwardness, to express himself in a better way; his eccentricity makes it even worse, for his thoughts are rarely on the same wavelength as others. It's difficult for most people to be able to keep up with his unpredictable pace, sometimes giving rise to misunderstandings that can range from amusing to hostile. While problematic when he has to listen to orders, his unorthodox ways have helped to save the lives of people (and later earning mouthfuls from his superiors).

While his social skills are still in a mess, during missions all those clumsy bullshits are immediately thrown out of the window - this is where the physical and mental discipline hardwired into him would surface. Whether it's his sharp senses or flexible adaptability... even his "gut feeling" - he has an extremely high survival instinct, and he'd use anything and everything in his possession to turn the situation in his favor. He may even go as far as condemning his emotions with cold logic, but thankfully he never wants to be the upfront leader in a group, preferring to leave this "troublesome job" for those loud, extroverted show-offs charismatic type. However: while he doesn't despise those in power, he doesn't like the idea of being an obedient dog to authority - he puts his own personal interests above all else. As long as his personal interests aren't compromised, he may be willing to go along with any shitty plans the leader comes up with... if you can convince his lazy ass to budge, that is. I'd say Shizuka's alignment is Chaotic Neutral: he has a very realistic (at times negative) view of the people and world around him; for example, he doesn't believe in heroism and chivalry, even questioning that those ideals are simply excuses to kill people the majority perceive as evil without any proper trial, an irony to the idea of justice and law, but he also feels that some people just deserve to die - and they should continue to stay dead.

Relationship wise, Shizuka is (un)surprisingly a very family person - well, the biggest reason why he agreed to join RAVEN was to make use of his post to tap into some of the organization's resources to protect his family, especially his twin brother, Haruka, his closest next of kin (the opportunity to get his hands on those delicious guns is secondary). As for romance... On one hand, he has no whatsoever interest to pursue a romantic relationship at this moment; on the other hand, he's getting somewhat annoyed at how Akemi and Daphne are teasing him that it's about time he starts finding a girlfriend. He isn't a sexual guy, and it takes a hell lot more than outrageous outward appearance, cringe-worthy flirting acts and lame pickup lines to tickle his sensual side - it's either you click with his erratic mind, or you don't no matter how hard you try. His circle of "friends" is very small - although he has opened up himself a little more than before, he still doesn't trust people easily. However, he has no qualms about making loads of acquaintances - some through normal, proper connections, while others with (a bit of) blackmailing.

Super-System - Biological

Intangibility - "Phasing"
Shizuka can phase through solid matter and objects by passing his atoms through the spaces between the particles of the object which he is moving through. As such, he and the object that he's going through may temporarily merge without interacting; each is unharmed when he has finished passing through the object. (This is somewhat similar to the process of quantum tunneling.)

• Non-Corporeal Physiology --- While in phased state, he is practically untouchable. With a bit more concentration he can make his body light enough to be able to walk on air.
• Cerebral Power Resistance --- His thoughts becomes highly erratic when he's in ghost mode, which makes it difficult to establish telepathic connection with his mind. He is also able to disrupt telekinetic links to the objects or the people he expands his power to (see next point).
• Limited Power Extension --- He can extend his ability to the clothes he's wearing and any object in his possession at the moment. He's now also able to expand his power to a maximum of four people at each time. In order for this to work, he has to maintain direct physical contact with the person or thing he's phasing along with.
• Internal Analysis --- Any person or object he extend his ability to allows him to be "linked" to them, giving him insight to their internal structure.

Haruka Takashiro
(高城　遥, Takashiro Haruka)

Male

23

5' 8"

148 lbs

Roseview

Black

Dark Brown

Japanese

Just like his younger twin, Haruka also has a small and slim stature common among native Japanese; while he doesn't have the athletic build his sporty agent brother possesses, the Academy's physical training has given him a much healthier hue and beefed him up a little, though he still can't get any tan even if he's under the sun a lot. His jet-black hair is naturally ruffled and unkempt, no matter how much he tries to straighten that mop of mess on his head. He wears a pair of half-rimmed spectacles over his dark brown eyes that often seem glassy and lost, giving him a permanent bored look. He has the same heart-shaped, androgynous face and thin lips like Shizuka, but he does not have any birthmarks.

Smart-casual - unlike his laid-back twin, Haruka does put in effort to make himself look presentable (depending on the occasion, of course), but he is ignorant to latest trending fashion as much as Shizuka. He's mostly seen wearing combinations of dress shirts, jeans, and covered shoes.

At the farm, he simply goes with plain long-sleeved shirts, long pants, waterproof boots, and a hat or cap to shield his eyes from the sunlight.

Haruka is pretty much the stereotypical personification of terms like 'geek', 'nerd', 'bookworm', et cetera – and yes he is indeed one. Not just the glasses and his passion for reading (though they are part of the whole package) - he is almost like a walking encyclopedia, his vast knowledge is an accumulation of the books from all the time he spent in bookshops and libraries; also from articles and entries he gathered through the cyberspace. While he isn't as apt as Shizuka in using them practically, that isn't to say he only knows to recite them word for word like scholars in ancient times; he does know how to apply them in daily life, though in small ways.

Correction: he was once a geek, a nerd - or any other terms you can think of for this kind of character trait.

Increasing interactions after joining Academy 61 has given him the opportunity to break the ice; he also has to reach out to even more people while helping out with his aunt's farm (to everyone's surprise, since he seems more like the type who prefers to stay indoors). Eventually he has become much more comfortable facing and talking with strangers (better than Shizuka), though he still retains his rather polite/formal speech style. He does continue to value quiet times and his peaceful private space to take breaks from the social hubbub.

He has also learned to be more reserved about putting his trust in people he barely knew, but he still tries to see the good in them as much as he can. He also has similar hopeful view of the world as Meifeng - but for him it's less about heroism and more about Confucianism - as opposed to his brother's realistic (at times even pessimistic) outlook.

Elemental

Air Manipulation
Just like any elemental benders, Haruka is able to telekinetically control any gaseous matter (including water vapor), moving the air around him to his will - from as gentle as a light breeze, to as destructive as a tornado. Though using hand gestures allow him to move the air with better precision and control, he is also capable of manipulating through sheer concentration alone (of course, it'd just be crude, basic moves). The versatility of his power is only restricted by his own imagination and creativity, hence the list below is not exhaustible, just the more common tricks he employs:

• Flying --- Probably one of the basics he has to master in his power package - I mean, how can an air bender not know how to fly? He can do this in two ways: either by "riding" on the wind (basically moving in the direction of the air current, similar to how birds fly minus the wing-flapping), or creating a small tornado beneath his feet to carry himself into the air. Currently he can only carry a maximum of two people to fly along with him.
• Wind Blades --- By packing the gas molecules closer together into very condensed air before swiping his hand outwards quickly, he can throw out an invisible arc with enough force to slice most generic furniture cleanly into half.
• Air Fist --- He can also encase the closely-packed air around his knuckles to form an invisible orb, where it acts as a protection around his fist while dealing more damage compared to an ordinary punch.
• Cyclone Shield --- He can generate a high-speed whirlwind around himself that can act as a spinning shield to knock out most things coming towards him (or at least get swept into the air funnel).
• Static Charge --- If the air around him is moving at a high enough velocity, he's able to cause them to induce static charge on top of its spinning destructive force.
• Weather-Seer --- No, he is nowhere powerful enough to actually manipulate the weather, but he's able forecast of the weather by feeling the change in air current around him. He can also make use of the same concept to find possible exits when he's trapped underground.