Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2017 1:25:34 GMT
FELIX MARTEL
MALE | HETEROSEXUAL |
FIFTY | GIFTED |
appearance
Felix's build is somewhat intimidating - 6'3 in height, a good posture, and well-built muscles born from a mixture of Maras influence and years of hiking and putting some effort to maintain a balanced diet. If not for the white color painting his beard and eyebrows (but not his chocolate hair) and a few wrinkles here and there, one wouldn't notice his age.
His skin gained a slight tan over the years, with a few scars scattered throughout his body. Complimented by his thick eyebrows, diligently grown beard, and an undercut hairstyle (a result from a bet with his daughter - he lost it), Felix's appearance really fits his currently nomad life in Iona's wilderness, and gives him an unwelcoming semblance. His eyes are grey, with a Roman nose between them.
The old man does tries his best to keep himself presentable and clean, specially when visiting places like the Aimon settlement, but most of the time it isn't enough: one can almost always notice some dirt adhered to his boots, or a small leaf stuck on his beard. His choice of clothes doesn't help much either - Felix strives more for the practical than for the chic. Dress shirts, leather gloves, baggy pants, mountain boots, a cloak, a coat, and occasionally a hat are the extent his wardrobe achieves.
His hair, however, is always kept groomed, sometimes in sheer contrast to Felix's otherwise scruffy appearance. When asked about it, he commonly changes the subject or ignores the question.
personality
Positive
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Likes
| Dislikes
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abilities
Enhanced Condition: (Limited control)
Felix's stronger and more agile than your average old-timer - his overall strength, endurance and reflexes, sans appearance, is equivalent to an healthy athlete in his 20s to 30s. His condition is not above human levels, but it does surpass the limits his age would normally bring.
Weaknesses:
- His endurance, strength, agility and reflexes do not surpass the limits of a regular human. They only surpass the limits of his age.
- Felix's metabolism is more chaotic than it used to be - sometimes he'll need to eat and sleep more than what is normally required.
Enhanced Memory:
This power has two aspects, one pertaining visual, acoustic and textual media, and another pertaining sensory and emotional experience.
Media Storage: (Excellent control)
In addition to what a normal human could achieve, Felix can faithfully remember, speak and visualize with 100% accuracy data equivalent to exactly:
- 3000000 words (20 books of 500 pages with 300 words in each, amounting to around 5,72 MB of data),
- 50 pictures (600 DPI each, amounting to around 4,98 GB of data)
- 12 audio tracks of 5 minutes each (320 KBPS, quasi-MP3 quality, amounting to one hour of recording and around 144 MB of data)
Weaknesses:
- Data must be stored in chunks - Felix can't, for example, use the space of one picture (4960 x 7016 pixels) to store 10 unrelated pictures, neither he can control the size of data chunks. Data must either come from the same contiguous source (a book page, a 5-minute audio track cut from a speech, an entire song) or from deeply related sources, akin to common associative memory (pictures of multiple pieces from a diesel engine could, for example, be stored in a single chunk of data, but a cat picture wouldn't be stored along with them)
- Depending on the complexity and amount of details of the media, Felix can take from one minute (a simple cartoon drawing) to hours (a philosophy book) or an entire week (an electrical engineering encyclopedia) to store all the data.
- Stress, anxiety, anger, diseases and any physical or mental condition that would impair common cognition also impairs Felix's media storage.
- "Deleting", relocating or re-signifying data requires Felix to be calm, and in a silent, stress-free environment. Trying to do such operations while in a negative mood or situation could risk even data corruption, akin to a electronic computer put under stress.
Groundhog Day Memory: (Limited control)
Felix can remember with almost 100% accuracy (and no known limits) entire days, including the sensory and emotional experiences that occurred during them. He relives those days as vivid, full sensory experiences, and can rewind or move forward, zoom at details and pause moments, similar to a digital video.
This ability was developed after being exposed to Maras during the war, which means that only the days after the exposition were fully affected - however, pre-exposition memories are now prevented from deteriorating.
This aspect of the Enhanced Memory ability is not controlled well by Felix. While he has no problems when dealing with events remembered at will, sometimes he can have involuntary flashbacks, specially of traumatic days (but from common or inconspicuous events too), sometimes to a inhumanly stressing amount.
Felix can, to a certain extent, avoid random flashbacks by "shuting down" days: talking about them on any media - a journal, a video or audio log, etc. These memories only resurface at will and with some effort, taking from five seconds to five minutes. After being remembered at will, the day will have to be "shut down" once again.
Given the many side effects and disadvantages of this subpower, Felix has "shut down" almost all of his memories, with only a few left unchecked.
Weaknesses:
- The amount of memories stored in Felix's mind can easily overwhelm his sanity - which means that he needs to keep a journal, and also check his emotions or stress, or else risk being crippled by anxiety.
- Extremely traumatizing memories aren't fully "shut down", and may still resurface at anytime, causing trouble and distress to Felix. This symptom is co-morbid with and magnifies his PTSD from losing his daughter after the apocalypse.
- When visualizing disturbing memories, sometimes the video and audio can suffer "corruption" akin to what happens to a damaged VHS tape (think Marble Hornets-ish)
- Felix needs a steady supply of paper or data storage, sufficient time alone to calmly write, talk to himself and meditate, along with psychoactive drugs and calming herbs, to keep this power in check.
- When remembering a day, Felix is in a state of consciousness that leaves him detached from the real world - leaving him more vulnerable.
background
Felix was born to Fred, an accountant, and Rachel, a social sciences teacher, in Ottawa, Ontario. His childhood was peaceful and largely uneventful, if kind of lonely. With a father rather focused on saving enough money for his family's future, and a mother engaged in feminist activism when not teaching, Felix's time with his parents grew more and more limited as each year passed, and sometimes the absence would manage to grasp the boy's mood in its hands.
Since he could remember, but specially after he was five years old, the little boy's friends were his extended family. When not on school, Felix's babysitter, Jessica - a teenager who was one of Rachel's students - had the permission to bring him twice or thrice every week to one of his friends' houses, and there he'd play, study together, and be less lonely. Jess, as Felix used to call her, was surprisingly diligent for her age, and instilled some of her love for earnestness and independence in the little boy.
Until he was 10 years old, routine never changed, and he managed to be happy and grow as emotionally balanced as he could.
Fred and Rachel shared a dream of living in a calmer place, in the suburbs rather than in the middle of the city. Tired of the hectic big city life, and with enough savings, they decided to move to a smaller city.
They chose Nootau, a place that at the time had cheap suburb houses, a great amount of untouched nature, and the appearance they dreamed off. But it wasn't Felix's dream to be there, not in the slightest. The people he knew in Ottawa were his family, and his parents' dream was his worst nightmare.
He never had a say on it in the end, and soon, they were living at a medium-sized house in Nootau's Residential Area.
Felix and his parents' already rocky relationship became even more shattered. The once extroverted, energetic and curious kid became a loner, too depressed and angry to relate with anyone.
Reading became more and more an important pastime for Felix. Rachel was an avid book collector and reader, and never had a problem with her son reading whatever he desired as long as he didn't damage anything. From fantasy novels to philosophy works (his mother had an entire collection), the young boy would read everything available to him - the energy he'd repress for not having anyone to play or chat with was finally spent on something. Reading was to Felix a way to be wherever he wanted, listen to anyone he could, and do whatever he wanted to.
And soon enough, he'd need this freedom brought by his books to withstand what was waiting for him.
Felix's lack of exercise and damaged mood took a toll on his diet - the boy started to eat more than he should, and soon became overweight. By the time he was 11, he became the laughing stock of bullies at school - being fat, a loner, and a student with very high grades (fruit of his curiosity and his zealousness to do his best) were enough reasons for the poor youngster to be humiliated constantly.
The bullying never stopped, and when Felix was 14, he had got used to it - at least as best as he could. His relation with his parents never improved, getting only worse, as the few moments they shared together were filled with arguments and tension.
By that time, his physics teacher, Friedrich, a retired electric engineer, grew close to him. Impressed by the boy's knowledge and diligence and at the same time pitying the bullying he suffered and the state of his family (Friedrich was one of the few people to who Felix managed to open himself), the teacher started to invite him to visit his home.
Given the lack of presence of Felix's parents, visiting Friedrich never was a problem. The bubbly, energetic teacher liked to share his personal projects with his pupil, teaching him more than the school cared to by the side and, after some time together, even letting Felix help him with his electronic shenanigans.
But that wasn't the routine every single day. Friedrich would frequently be too occupied to pass his entire time with Felix.
And this is were Friedrich's daughter, Charlotte, comes in. She was of the same age and class of Felix, but thanks to different social circles and bad luck, they never had talked much. While initially slightly annoyed and jealous of the time her father would devote to him, the girl started to take a liking to the frequent visitor, and after a while, they became close friends.
To a certain extent, Charlotte was lonely too - her mother had passed away when she was 9, and while Friedrich did his best to be present for her, Felix filled a void in her life that most of her other friends couldn't.
The reason why? While Felix's new friend liked the same things her father did, but they weren't her main passion - she loved camping, nature, animals, and sports (Charlotte was a good volleyball player), and was to a certain extent the opposite of Felix - yet the boy was curious about everything and anything, and would genuinely care about what she liked and talked about.
When Friedrich noticed the close relationship between her daughter and his pupil, he started to let them have more time together, to the extent of inviting him to camp with them every weekend - a tradition instilled by Charlotte's deceased mother. Most of Felix's current knowledge of the woods came from this time.
Life slowly became better for Felix. His strained relationship with his parents never changed, but once again, his friends became his family. Happier and healthier, Felix started to exercise more (Charlotte encouraged him) and eat better, and his confidence and self-esteem improved.
By the time he was 16, he was very different from when he came to Nootau. His body was lean and even a tad muscular, his mind healthier, and a new routine had filled his life. Felix and Charlotte started to feel something more than friendship for each other, and after Charlotte made the move and declared her love for him, Felix was able to reveal his mutual feelings, and they started to silently date.
And when Friedrich discovered, he was extremely excited. Felix was almost a son for him, and seeing him date her daughter made the old-timer more than happy.
Other than the common problems a couple would have to deal with, their relationship never suffered major obstacles, and grew stronger as the years passed.
When high school finally ended, Felix and Charlotte wanted to do different courses, but still wished to be together. With some effort, both of them joined the same college in Ottawa, Ontario - Felix majored in Electrical Engineering and Charlotte in Environmental Engineering. With the rare and unexpected help of Felix's parents, they bought a small apartment close to the university and started to live together while completing their courses.
The years passed quickly. Soon, both had completed their courses, and were employed. Felix and Charlotte married when both were 25 years old. They chose to not have children early, as both had shared a silly dream for years - to travel the entire America on a RV.
After years of saving enough money for the trip (and some help from Friedrich), they sold their apartment, bought a Kombi Motorhome, and departed for the journey of their lives.
And what a journey it was. They visited multiple towns, experimented and camped in the wilderness of multiple countries (risked their lives multiple times too), and enjoyed themselves as best as they could. It took them three years to complete the voyage, and when they came back to Canada, the experience had transformed them. They decided to have at least one kid and settle down somewhere.
Filled by nostalgia, the couple decided to move back to Nootau, only for Felix to learn that his parents had recently died on a car accident. While they were never close, Felix grieved the loss for months, and decided to go to therapy. This decision would later save him after the apocalypse.
After taking his mother's book collection and some belongings, he sold the house and used the money to buy another one in the same region. Felix started to work for a electronics company, while Charlotte was employed in the prefecture as an environmental specialist.
Charlotte was 32 years old when she gave birth to Margareth. Since them, life didn't change much for Felix's family - work, school, routine, camping during weekends, traveling during holidays, peace and happiness, with the occasional struggle. Maggie, as affectionately called by her parents, grew loved and cared for, and became a happy, if a tad rebellious, teenager.
Then, unexpectedly and quickly, Charlotte died in a car accident. Felix was 44 at the time, and Maggie 12 years old. Her death deeply impacted both husband and daughter - the first one fell into a deep depression, while Maggie started by chance to indulge into alcohol and later drugs as a way to cope with the loss.
The relationship between Felix and his daughter became more and more strained, until one day, when she was 16, Maggie ran away from their home. The depressed father was devastated, and after an entire year of searching, never managed to find her.
As the rumors of Maras and Madmen became more and more prolific, Felix became worried of his daughter's state. As if by luck or fate, months before the war started, Margareth showed up. She was hungry, weak, suffering from drug abstinence, and pregnant.
One month before the bombs fell, as people became more and more frightened and cautious, Felix repaired his RV, stocked supplies and medicine for both him and his daughter, and tried to find a bunker for themselves.
They never managed to enter the bunker in time. As they were visiting a drugstore, the alarm started to ring. While Felix could run well, Maggie couldn't with her condition. He took her in his arms, and ran in the direction of the nearest bunker. Suddenly, a bomb fell a few miles close to them, throwing them of their feet with the shock.
A cloud of Maras overcame them before they could regain their balance. Maggie was the first to faint; Felix withstood for some minutes, dragging his daughter in the direction of the bunker, before losing consciousness.
They woke up hours later. Both of them suffered the effects of Maras exposition - Margareth's eyes became red, and she developed pyrokinesis. Felix gained mental powers, and became healthier and stronger.
After the initial confusion and shock their powers brought, they returned together to their old home, which didn't suffer much damage, and after collecting everything they could (including as many books as Felix could bring with him), they fitted it all on the Kombi, and went to Little Pine Woods.
Margareth had learnt how to use a gun (and brought one with her) during the time she was distant from her home. Soon, she had to use it to protect herself and her baby from bandits when Felix was away foraging. After this incident, Felix convinced Maggie to teach him how to shoot, so that he could help to protect both of them.
Given the danger imposed by the new mutant animals (but the sometimes equal danger of bandits hiding in the ruins of Nootau), Felix and Maggie tried their best to scavenge fuel for the RV, and kept on the move, never staying at one place for a long time.
Felix's current hair was the result of a lost bet with his daughter. He keeps it the same way till this day.
They stayed an entire month that way. One day, they were confronted by a group of survivors - differently from most ones they had encountered before, these were peaceful. And a tad ambitious.
Felix and Margareth were present in the first days of the Aimon settlement, helping as best as they could to make the place grow.
Things went south pretty quickly though. One of the new members of the settlement was a former drug dealer called Paul, who Maggie knew in the past - and she had betrayed him badly, earning a vendetta from him. He was a gifted one (but kept the fact hidden) with illusion and mental powers, and started to harass and torment Margareth, until one day Paul took a chance and used his powers her unconscious, kidnapping and taking her to an abandoned cabin in the outskirts of Nootau without the knowledge of Felix or the Aimon residents.
Margareth's power required a fire to be present near her, and Paul made sure to leave her incapable of creating one. As he was a scavenger and would frequently go on missions for weeks, no one suspected him to be responsible for Maggie's disappearance. The gifted incident coincidentally happened at the same time, which made most people less concerned about Margareth's disappearance.
Felix set out on a search for her.
She was beaten and raped by her kidnapper every day, and endured an entire week of torture and starvation, until suffering a miscarriage and losing her baby. Felix found his daughter eventually, broken and in shock. She managed to say, with some difficulty, what had happened to her. They ran from the cabin, managing to avoid crossing ways with Paul.
When they came back to the Aimon Settlement, Paul was there, scratched and filled with burns. He accused Maggie of kidnapping him and using her powers to torture him.
Given the state of affairs in the settlement after the Gifted incident of December 16th, and the good relation Paul had with Aimon's superiors, distrust was placed on Maggie rather than on the true perpetrator of the crime.
Felix tried with the best of his intelligence to prove the innocence of his daughter (and he had good, logical evidence), but the Aimon's mistrust of gifted and the shock of the current events ultimately resulted in the decision to execute Margareth. There was nothing her father could do to save her.
That was the last straw for Felix. An indescribable hate for the settlement was born in his heart, and after being able to at least bury her daughter, he took all of his belongings and left Aimon.
Felix now lives in the road as some sort of merchant and nomad, traveling from place to place on his RV whenever needed, scavenging supplies, and selling both products and services to a few trusted minor settlements and traders from Aimon, sometimes asking to be paid with weapons, ammo and shooting lessons, other times receiving paper, batteries and electronic gadgets.
He has been trying his best to become stronger, in the hopes that someday, in the wilderness, he'll catch an unprepared Paul and kill him.
miscellaneous
- Currently owns a Browing Hi-Power pistol and a Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I* Rifle.
- Sells game, scavenged supplies, and repair services in trade of whatever needed. Still trades with a few Aimon merchants on the side who tried to help him during the Margareth incident.
- Owns a camouflaged (by himself) Kombi Motorhome, with an expanded chassis and an attached trailer, where he stores his belongings, merchandise and books.
YUPA MIRALDA from NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND | PLAYED BY: Eliel
coded by ulla