Player Name: NC
Your Age: 18
Time Zone: GMT +3
How did you find us?: RPG-D
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Name: Kevin Ford
Codename: Wither
Aliases: Kev. He never sticks around long enough to earn any other nicknames.
Age: 22
Occupation: Unemployed
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Faction: He likes to think of himself as fairly unattached, but has been known to fall in with the X-Men every now and then before disappearing again.
Physical Description: Kevin has never really gotten rid of the awkwardness of adolescence. He's still got a boyish face and his eyes are slightly too large and chocolate-brown for him to wear his perpetual brooding expression well. His brown hair is choppily cut and he has a tendency to keep his eyes to the floor - - it's rare that he makes eye contact with strangers, although when he does look at you, his gaze is pretty focused. He has a bad habit of slouching his shoulders as though to make himself seem smaller, athough he doesn't really need to; he's not particularly large, coming in at around 5'10 with a naturally slim build anyway. It's apparent he's not doing it consciously, though - - radiating a harsh kind of seriousness, one gets the impression he is naturally a private individual, and any attempt to hide is not really because he is self-conscious (about his image, at least). At any rate, it's understandable; living alone on the streets for so long would have an impact on anybody, and in Kevin's case, it appears to have driven all sense of humour from his soul.
Kevin's style of dress is a necessity rather than a choice - - long sleeves and gloves, with a collar turned up if he can help it to cover up as much skin as possible. He used to prefer black (still does, really), but he can't afford to be picky nowadays so he has expanded to other colours. It's a conspicuous get-up during summer months, but luckily New York weather is temperate enough for him to get away with it. On hot days he stays inside; it's not worth running the risk of being recognised.
Likes: » creating art out of scrap metal
» Laurie Collins - he's held a torch for her since he first met her.
» feeling included and useful
» his gloves
» polyester blends
Dislikes: » his power
» crowds
» loud noises
» dogs - one of his most vivid memories is killing a guard dog after it bit him.
» polyester blends - it's kind of a love/hate thing.
» Josh Foley - it's irrational dislike that is definitely bordering on jealousy, but he can't help it.
Personality: If there's a word to sum up Kevin, it's intense. Even at the Institute he had a reputation for being quietly serious, and that hasn't changed with age and experience - - presumably because his experiences have just been more of the same. Time has given him a new edge, however, and his gravity is now more a form of bitter apathy. Recent events haven't done much to restore his faith in life, but he feels as though he shouldn't be surprised. While he's not egoistical enough to assume this as a personal slight, he does think himself justified in being so vastly disillusioned with the world at large. After all, if he hasn't managed to catch a break in six long years, why would things change now?
He deals with it by keeping to himself most of the time. A part of it is intentionally self-imposed - - if there's one thing he believes in, it's the fact that he's an incredibly dangerous individual to be around - - but it's also a form of denial. Instead of acknowledging greater problems, he chooses to struggle with everyday life; it's easier than the alternative, which would be coping with his problems like a mature and responsible adult. (Kevin's always had a streak of immaturity - - he's never been good at facing up to his issues.) At least this way he has something to focus on other than his obvious shortcomings. Really, Kevin's tough exterior is just a mask to hide his insecurities. He's incredibly sensitive about his power and his lack of control over it, not to mention how that has affected his relationships - - especially with Laurie Collins. It's probably just a slippery slope, because his lack of human contact and consequent positive influences are just leading him down an even bigger spiral of depression.
He's also stopped working on his art. Moving around from place to place doesn't really facilitate being creative, and sneaking into junkyards is now more trouble than it's worth.
History: Kevin has lived his whole life shadowed by death. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, his mother died in childbirth leaving his father to raise him on his own. That kind of upbringing made him grow up fairly close to his father; Trevor was more like a friend, really, always supportive and understanding of his endeavours, and even without a mother, Kevin's childhood was pretty ordinary. He did grow up to be a bit of a loner, not really because of social awkwardness, but because he was naturally quiet - - by middle school he had earned himself a reputation of being an artist, and he had been seriously considering it as a career option when his mutation manifested.
It had started with small things - - the lawn drying out after walking across it, apples going rotten more quickly than usual - - until one day he woke up with his sheets and clothes turning into dust around him. When his dad heard his screaming, he came to investigate - - and as he tried to calm his son down, he began to decay as well, dying within seconds. Kevin, in shock, watched as Trevor's body literally turned to dust as he held it, before panicking and fleeing his home.
He wound up in a junkyard (after accidentally killing the guard dog) and he would've in all likelihood died by the hands of some anti-mutant sympathisers if he hadn't been found and taken to the Institute. There, he settled in pretty quickly, falling in with a group of friends that included Sofia Mantega and Laurie Collins. He was immediately attracted to Laurie, and he felt that she returned his feelings, but his power prevented them from ever starting something. Being unable to have a relationship was frustrating, but he managed to deal with it, and was on the road to getting his life back in gear until Josh Foley came along. He didn't think he would mind so much if Laurie did get a boyfriend, but he did, and the fact that Josh had entered their lives while trying to kill them all* really didn't help much either (especially not given his experiences prior to enrolling). He found himself bitterly jealous and started to withdraw back into his shell. That coupled with him not really being able to get his power under control led him into nearly dropping out, but the school was attacked and Xavier killed before he could do so. He left without really saying goodbye to anybody; his unhappiness had isolated him from the group anyway, so it wasn't too big a loss. He didn't figure they would miss him.
After leaving, he sort of wound up on the streets again, this time more prepared than the last. While he did take a few jobs every now and then - - in factories and the like, as far away from people as possible, but he could never seem to hold on to them. He's currently flitting from abandoned building to abandoned building while living off theft and some residual money from his last job. He hasn't seen any one of his old classmates for months and he's trying his best to put them out of his head, although he still has nightmares about killing them on an alarmingly regular basis. While he's certainly not happy, he still thinks they're probably better off without him, and he's doing his best to stay out of their way - - as well as everybody else's.
* Perhaps a slight exaggeration, but as good as.
Power: Kevin has the power to decay any organic material that he touches. Contact with his skin will break down the bonds between atoms in carbon-based materials and reduce them to dust within mere seconds. It's completely involuntary and he hasn't been able to master it despite his best attempts to get it under control. By now he has given up trying and merely abstains from touching anybody with bare skin, wearing clothing that's as concealing as possible. Abstinence is made all the harder by the fact that he feels as though his power wants him to use it - - that using it feels 'right'. Lately he's also been catching glimpses of living things in a decayed state. Whether this is another aspect of his power or the presence of some psychological complex, he doesn't know, nor, in all honesty, does he really care. All in all, Kevin considers his mutation to be a curse rather than a gift, and he doesn't go a day without wishing he could somehow get rid of it.
Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Place of Residence: NYC, New York, USA
Nationality: American
Relatives: » Trevor Ford (father) (deceased)
» Angela Ford (mother) (deceased)
RP Sample: The last time Kevin had looked in a mirror had been three days ago, while paying a quick visit to the back room of a scummy fast food joint. He had looked pretty bad then, but he was certain he looked even worse now.
It was around eight o'clock in the morning and he'd just spent the night huddled in an alley, the first time in a long time he'd actually been unable to find a place to stay. There would usually be at least one abandoned building to break into, one empty apartment that nobody was using, but it looked as though times were getting harder. Security was sure getting tougher. Squatting wasn't what it used to be.
It was discouraging, but he figured he could rough it for a while. However lucky he'd been with accommodation lately, it wouldn't be the first time he'd spent some time without a roof on his head, and at least now the weather wasn't too bad. Yeah, he could manage - - but for now he was starving.
There was a deli across the street that he'd been eying for a while. He hadn't gone in yet because he only had ten dollars in his wallet and wasn't sure if he was hungry enough to warrant spending some of it on a sandwich. Shit. He'd have to get another job soon, and the prospect didn't really sit well with him. The last one hadn't exactly turned out great.
With one final look between his wallet and the deli, Kevin made up his mind. Spending three or four bucks wouldn't kill him, and he hadn't had anything halfway decent to eat in weeks. They'd just have to deal with the way he looked - - it didn't seem as though the place was exactly swinging, anyway.
Pushing open the door, Kevin cast an eye around the place to scope out the other customers. He'd been right in his assessment of the traffic; there was a guy sitting in the corner with a paper and that was about it. The girl behind the counter was giving him a look, though, and as he caught his reflection in the glass he couldn't say he blamed her.
"Can I have the tuna melt, please?"
His voice sounded a little hoarse even to himself, and for a moment he was afraid she was going to kick him out. She just looked at him, though, and after a tense moment, shrugged and went over to the counter to prepare it. He put down his note by the till - - he was wearing his gloves, but still didn't like to run the risk, just out of habit - - and leaned back to wait. Even being inside was putting him a little on edge, he realised. It was slightly disconcerting.
She didn't take long to make the sandwich, obviously practiced, and slid it over to him while expertly taking his cash.
"Your change," she said, bored tone, before adding, a little pointedly: "Toilet's in the back."
He stared at her for a split second as her words sank in - - and then glanced down to hide a kind of wry smile as he pocketed the change. "Thanks."
Cleaning up would have to wait for later, though. The sight of his melt had reminded him just how hungry he actually was. Sliding into a chair by a table in the corner (chosen so he had a view of the entire place; paranoia aside, he didn't like feeling so enclosed), he began to tug off his gloves. It was rare that they came off, but they were a little too grimy to stay on while eating. His hands were eerily pale underneath them, but he barely had time to reflect on that - - whatever his current situation, however little sleep he may have gotten and despite the fact he no longer had a place to stay, he had a sandwich in his hand and things were looking up.
Kevin Ford [Wither], wippp
