Sixsmith — Roleplayer Guild

"You've got everything?" Esther smiled. She was so confident in the way she talked, in the way that she moved. Even her toothy grin exuded conviction and, right now, it wasn't in herself or her new job—it was her confidence in him. That unnerved Harley; it crawled through his skin like fire. Of all the things she could have instilled her hope in...

Esther caught his eyes just as they wandered off. Catching his chin, she forced his head to look up at her—Esther was incredibly tall compared to him, standing at a stark 6'3". She got that from their father, Harley regarded. In fact, she probably hogged most of dad's good genes anyways, all but the one afflicting him now. Grasping his chin, she could directly see the doubt in his eyes: the quivering brows, the blatant avoidance of eye contact, and the sudden submissive slouch in his shoulders. It brought a sigh from her lips as she let go, bringing her hands lower to pat down Harley's arms. He was covered in a navy blue and white Letterman jacket, with a large Wildcat on the left chest, and an even bigger one stamped on the back. At that moment, she was content to just stare at it, suddenly caught remembering a moment that widened her smile. Beneath was his favorite, red Bazinga! shirt, neatly showing between the two opened buttons at the top, of which he could only quietly stare at.

Chuckling, Esther patted his shoulders and popped the jacket collar before nudging him forward. He was early-ish, with enough time to unpack and head down to the auditorium, though he was abruptly stopped midway. "You forgot something, Bozo!"

Between his sister's long fingers hung a pair of thick, black rimmed, square glasses, glaring at him in the morning glow. Jogging back, Harley finally flashed a smile, albeit a sheepish one, as he grabbed the spectacles and began his trek back into the building.

"You forgot something else..."

Fully stopped now, Harley's shoulders slumped forward and, with a sigh, he turned back around to see his sister opening the back door to her Lexus. Of course, he'd forget all of his of things. Handing him a red suitcase and an even redder backpack, along with the case for his contacts, solution and all, Esther brought herself down to peck at Harley's cheeks, embrace him, and finally bid him farewell. The churning of blacktop pavement caught his ears just as he entered the institute and made his way up the flight of stairs where he was assigned a lone room when he had first arrived.

Out of all the kids, Harley was one of the... even more special batch. The unique of the unique, in that he was kind of a danger to anyone susceptible to his powers. He preferred that they not sugarcoat it with words like, 'More Unique' or 'Even More Special' because that's apparently what all mutants were. It was better they just call it as they saw it: a potential danger to most of the student body. Thus, to avoid incident, he was given a room to himself, where he could make good use of his time alone and away from any of the more sociable of the student body. It was how he preferred it, anyways.

Setting his things down, Harley took everything in, let the slight scent of wood and lemons bring him back home. The mansion was old, but well kept, so instead of a dank, moldy smell, there was this hint of spice and wood that pervaded the air, at least to him. It was hard to describe it in order for others to relate, so it was best he simply settled with: it smelled like Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Though, that lemon smell wasn't quite as familiar and usually denoted a swift cleaning prior to arrival. It was nice though. The rest of the room looked as he had left it, with shelves brimming with books from a Brave New World to Entomology: The Exotic World of the Subterranean. They were all neatly placed and arranged alphabetically author-wise, down the entirety of each shelf. Other than that, Harley's room was mostly barren, in terms of embellishments, aside from the bare essentials: a dresser, a bed, a nightstand, curtains, alarm clock, and some lights, as well as a desk where his laptop usually sat. He didn't find a use for souvenirs that weren't books or didn't provide any useful function other than looking nice.

Slumped over, with his suitcase wide open, Harley could be seen leaning against the wooden windowsill, quietly staring out at the light blue sky above. He actually probably shouldn't have been in his room at the moment; there was the welcome back orientation that was to take place in a few minutes. It was probably best he make himself comfy down there, and find a spot away from the general crowd that would gather later. But, Harley made no move to leave, simply plastered himself further against the window with a Twins ball cap slopped over his disheveled hair. His feet were fidgeting across the floorboards, squeaking in a careful rhythm while the entirety of his weight rested along his folded arms. It was relaxing, being able to daze off again in the solitude and confinement of what he considered his room—his home, to be more precise. Though, he did need to leave soon, otherwise he'd be late and he assumed Mrs. Pryde didn't appreciate latecomers.

The door creaked open to let Harley out and the rest became a scramble of thoughtless movements. He'd somehow found his way down the hall with Adrien at his side—the sudden realization increased Harley's already skittish nature. Lips were chewed on ferociously, with his heart pounding sharply against his rib cage. It'd been far too long since he had talked to someone who wasn't either his sister or his grandmother. Harley had forgotten how terrifying it was. Not the talking, but the whole moment where he remembered that he was a ticking time bomb. He quietly and nervously waited as they walked and he talked for the hallway to burst with loud noises and the sound of pain that he was so familiar with. Adrien's words completely flew over his head as he tugged the ball cap further down his forehead and promptly squeezed his eyes shut the moment they entered the auditorium to sit down. Mrs. Pryde's words did the same, and he could only squeeze himself further into the chair he'd found himself in.

Looking at Adrien, wide, doe like eyes staring him down from behind a pair of glasses , Harley blushed fiercely as he realized what he'd done. Anxiety had gotten the best of him again, but he quickly wiped the strained expression that he'd been holding since Adrien had bumped into him to force himself to calm down. Mustering a feeble smile, Harley rubbed the back of his head as he sat up and leaned over.

"What was that again?" he whispered, eyes darting over to watch the headmistress, "I'm sorry."

Appearance:
A rather average sized individual, about 5'9", and weighs a solid 158 lbs of well-toned muscle. A relatively lithe form, Harley has an unassuming figure in the way that he carries himself and is often distant in his actions, if not overly hesitant in the way that he moves. He's got a perpetual aloof look to his face, an expression usually lost and inattentive when calm—that 'in the clouds' look, with the glazed over eyes and slight yearning that tugs at his brows. Though, he often cares more about how he looks than most would determine, even if his attitude is more unsocial than the average person; he is well kept, clean, and keeps himself as fresh as possible. Elongated features and doe brown eyes, Harley usually wears a curious expression, though riddled with lines of worry and anxiousness; his brown eyes are often wide in observation and dart around with equal parts curiosity and caution. Often regulated to a slightly unkempt hairstyle a simple hand through would fix, he's afflicted with an astigmatism that requires the use of glasses or contacts, though forgetfulness forces glasses more often than not. His voice is very quiet and muffled, though has a softness to it unlike any others with a soothing quality to the slight high intonation.
Name:
Harley Roald Coeman
Codename:
Progenitor
Age:
18
Place of Birth:
Stillwater, Minnesota
Occupation:
Student (Volunteers at the local animal shelter)
Family:
Joanna Loraine Coeman - Mother/Deceased
Lucas Kaiden Coeman - Father/Deceased
Esther Anna Coeman - Older Sister
Relationship Status:
Single (Homosexual)

Mutant Ability:
Hallucinogen Emission/Emotional Manipulation

Through the emission of certain toxins or pheromones, whichever one wants to classify it, Harley can effectively manipulate a person's emotions to cause increased rage and anger, as well as reduce the need for self-preservation and can increase depression so much that an individual can literally lose their minds, to the point where they inflict extreme self harm to themselves. The effect starts upon being within the general vicinity of Harley and increases the closer an individual gets. The effects usually span from mild irritation to outright berserker rage, which is directly correlated to how much control Harley has over his power. It can also either cause a person to become unwilling to do anything but wallow in their sorrow or completely go mad from their depression, causing themselves and others around them harm. The effects can be subtle, in that Harley can direct irritation toward an individual or themselves, or blatant, in which a victim can effectively become consumed with rage and attempt to outright harm someone closest to them, including themselves. Not only that, but the hallucinogen when used as an agitator can amplify a person's strength, endurance, etc. to make them an effective combatant and increase their potential damage output; it unlocks subconscious restrictions on powers to use them to full effect. When suppressed, the power merely amplifies the strongest emotion of the people around him, but has greater and easier effect on those already angered or with temperamental issues and people prone to depression or already afflicted with chronic depression.

Harley doesn't have particular control over his powers, especially when under great duress. When panicked, he can literally cause the people around him to tear at each other's throats or undergo a state of masochistic madness until he is either subdued or calmed down. He is immune to the effects of the hallucinogen and any emotion altering powers and is only as strong as the people around him, should they be susceptible to mind altering effects. The toxins are relatively hard to detect, though can be resisted with enough will power or through telepathic intervention, the latter of which has the most chance of success. When suppressed, they are still powerful enough to increase the depression of a person currently afflicted by it and can potentially dip them over the edge. The radius increases when he is panicked and loses control.
Personality and History:
Stories have to begin somewhere.

Harley's began in Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, Minnesota to two loving parents, and one well trusted sibling. Life from then to the activation of his x-gene was, in general, average and kind of expectant from a small, middle-class family. He lived in a modest home in the suburbs, went to the largest public school, and had parents who provided well with the work they did; his father was a real estate agent and his mother worked as a doctor in Saint Paul. With an older sister, he had more than enough people to confide in when things got rough and they didn't normally get rough until he hit middle school, at about 12. It was that awful moment in just about most people's lives when he started the school year off with copious amounts of acne, large-rimmed glasses, and larger than average braces. He looked to be the easiest target to enact some prepubescent, hormone driven assertions of dominance.

In other words, he was bullied. And with his sister off in college and his parents so swamped in work, he had no one left to confide in.

It got particularly bad when he hit the 7th grade and had developed a particular crush on a male teacher in school, who'd showed him more sympathy than most. The kids tormented him relentlessly, calling him more words than one; unfortunately for him, this was about the time his powers began to accumulate. Under a copious amount of stress due to the physical and verbal abuse the surrounding kids were dealing, he unknowingly began emitting his toxins, causing the children to mercilessly attack him with even more force and when finally pushed past his limit, they began to turn on each other and themselves. They were ripping at each other's flesh and near bleeding out before Harley realized what he was doing and effectively stopped it by ramming himself into the nearest wall, ending it all the moment he fell unconscious. They were all sent to the hospital, in which one child died due to loss of blood and the others remained for a few months due to broken bones and severe internal bleeding. The school faculty had no idea what had happened and determined the school closed for inspection of a possible terrorist attack. Scared out of his wits, Harley didn't say a word; in fact, he was under such shock he could barely make out where he was.

Unfortunately, he was back at home when his powers acted up a second time. He was tucked into bed with his parents hovering above him, attempting to garner any kind of interaction from their child. Frightened by the sudden realization that he was a mutant and the fact that he could harm his family, Harley began hyperventaliting uncontrollably, succumbing to a terrifying panic. It, in turn, caused the air to begin to cloud with his toxins, though it went unnoticed to his parents. His parents, not noticing the sudden change, forced Harley to stay in his bed in order to calm down. By then, it was too late, as the room was so thick with the hallucinogen, that they fell into a mindless haze and began attacking him and then each other. His mother quickly dispatched his father before turning on Harley. Out of a need to survive and unable to stop what was happening, Harley panicked even more, which shifted her mother's hatred to herself. The adrenaline that surged through her kept her conscious as she did herself in, ramming her head and body against the wall until she finally slumped over and died. Harley could only frantically call his sister while he watched, who came home immediately to find him huddled on the sofa talking to a police officer attempting to coax the story out of him. Their parents were long gone by then, having been taken out to the ambulance the moment Esther arrived. Rumors quickly spread that the family was unstable and it was only a matter of time before either cracked; it was unfortunate that both did, and forced their son to witness such a traumatic event.

She was the only one who had learned of his mutation and the only one who knew he killed their parents. At first, it was hard to take in—she was so filled with anger and disgust that she literally locked herself inside her room for an entire week, ignoring Harley's cries and leaving him to cope on his own. But, she came to and realized that she was the only one who could safely take care of her brother. Though, he was quickly left to his own devices in his grandmother's home, somewhere in Wisconsin, whilst his sister finished her last few years of college. They both understood that only with a proper education and job could they take care of each other, so Esther made good use of her time in college, whilst Harley breezed through middle school and part of high school.

More cautious and afraid of himself than anyone else, Harley was distant to practically everyone but those he trusted. He and his sister had a plan, which revolved around being able to take care of each other, but most of all themselves. They needed to be self-sufficient. Though, he felt she was more scared of him than she realized—something he merely accepted and learned to live with. Esther, however, made sure to find a way to support him in more ways than just a good job and possibly an education; she knew he couldn't live in a world where he could still hurt people and get hurt himself. Finding time outside of her busy schedule, she ventured to the newly rehabilitated Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in order to find a way for her brother to better control himself and his powers and possibly protect himself from the prejudice of the outside world and those beyond—the world quickly forgot about the incident Harley caused in the destruction brought upon by Apocalypse's wrath. After a discussion with the newly appointed headmistress, she gathered Harley's things and made for the institute, explaining what Mrs. Pryde had told her along the way. Whether he'd need her or not, his sister saw this as the best possible opportunity and the best way for Harley to fulfill his dreams. Though, he quickly saw it as a way to get rid of him; he was volatile and dangerous, so he understood. He didn't like it, but he understood.

He quickly found a place for himself, however much he distanced himself from others in the process. He didn't relate to anyone because he was even more of a danger there. Scared of himself and the potential of his own powers, Harley limited himself to aloof interactions, became adept at hiding in the background, and quickly engulfed himself in study and hard work. If he busied himself so much, people wouldn't have the chance to get close to him and he wouldn't have the chance to hurt them.

Extra:
—Harley has a penchant for chemistry and biology, but in particular loves veterinarian work and animal studies. He hopes to some day be able to either help form medicine through the research of exotic flora and fauna or just find a small town where he could pursue veterinarian work.
—Out of all the animals, Harley loves bugs and deep sea creatures. Anything that's extremely exotic in nature, or different and unique.
—Loves romantic comedies
—Is keen on learning to cook, though is currently terrible at it.
—Has recurring nightmares of what he caused his parents to do and is ultimately unable to forgive himself, despite his sister having done so, so quickly too.
—He's got a very distinct Minnesotan accent, seeing as he's lived there most of his life.

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