Keaton Alan Derrikson

[Keaton Derrickson]

The Basics

Name: Keaton Alan Derrikson
Nicknames: Key (it's all he will answer to)
Age: Seventeen
Orientation: Undecided
Desired Rank/Job: Student
Powers: 
"Thermal Manipulation"
With this power Key can manipulate the temperature around him. It is however limited to a 4 foot radius and can only last for short periods of time, depending on Key himself. What that means is, if he wants to make the area warmer, the power will use his own body heat to produce the energy needed to raise the temperature (or lower it). This will leave him either freezing cold, or burning hot. At the moment, Key can only hold either field (hot or cold) for around 10 minutes, after this his body will start to react just like anyone's would in extreme conditions. If he gets too cold, his skin will actually develop patches of frostbite, or if he gets to hot, he gets something akin to sunburn. Once learned properly, he should be able to hold out much longer with less drastic effects. 

If he only uses his power for brief moments -say, no longer than around 4 or 5 minutes- it will still cause him to feel hot or cold, but not as severe. Other than his skin turning pale, or getting darker, there are no visual signs that his power is working. The fluctuation in the temperature around him is not massive by any means. Not only is the energy being drawn from his own body heat, but it is fighting against the energy around him. On a hot day, he can only manage to lower the temperature a few degrees, same as on a cold day, but only in reverse. This of course, will also change as he gets older and learns to control his power a bit more. Meaning, he will be able to lower the temperature around him by roughly 15 degrees. Other than the affects of the air around him, his power also causes headaches (much like an 'ice cream' headache), nausea, muscle cramps and fatigue.  




Play By: Alex Watson

The Details

Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color:Brown
Any Piercings? no
Any Tattoos? no
Any Scars? A few here and there, mostly deep lash marks across his back.
General Appearance: 
Key stands at 5ft 11in tall and has a lean body. He's not exactly muscular, but he's not skin and bones either. The boy's hair was obviously at one time very clean and well kept, but has since become a disheveled mess, but he seems to like it that way. A few minor scars mark the visible skin on his body, but some fairly rough lash marks scatter his back. Key's brown eyes always seem far away and deep in thought, and are darkened by slightly dark circles under his eyes.  Normally, he is clean shaven, but as he gets older, he finds that he enjoys how he looks with a little facial hair. 

Calling Key's clothing a "style choice" would be a vast misnomer. His black slacks and white button down shirts were just so ingrained in him by his father that it became his normal everyday wear. Over the years he's slowly gathered his own personal style of course. Mixing his slacks with a fun or brightly colored tshirt, branching out into the world of sneakers as apposed to dress shoes, and acquired his favorite possession, his long black coat. Jeans are very slowly becoming a more common place item in his wardrobe as well, but they are always neat and fit him very well.   The only other accessory Key has, is a dry erase board that he carries in his pocket, to answer questions if he needs to. 

Personality:
The boy is very quiet, in fact he never talks. This is due mostly to his family life. Despite Key's initial upbringing, he's very sweet and kind. He may not speak, but he can say so much through his actions. In fact, he can be down right charming if he really wants to be. He has a somewhat submissive personality, though he tries to break free from it.  Most likely because he is not a strong person physically. 

No one is without flaws and one of Key's major ones is being fearful. He is afraid of so much, himself, other people (to an extent) his father, the list just goes on. He also has a tendency to "punish" himself, not eating for extended periods and things of that nature. Nothing to extreme. Once again, this is something that over the years has improved. 

Your Vices

Likes:

• Old Musicals (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers kinda stuff)
• Swing Music (though his father never would have allowed it)
• Animals
• Porch Swings
• Bakeries 
• Baking 
• His long black jacket
• Autumn 
• Riding his bicycle
• Old stone bridges that have places to sit

Dislikes:

• Being cold
• People screaming (men in particular)
• Religion
• Basements
• Suspenders
• Broccoli
• Long empty dirt roads
• Being totally alone
• People trying to force him to speak
• Really strong wind

Strengths:

• Playing Piano (he hasn't touched one in years though)
• Listening
• His big heart
• Understanding
• He's really good at not causing any commotion 

Weaknesses:

• Having a weak immune system
• Being Fearful
• Having a submissive personality
• Not Speaking
• Being extremely Naive

Fears:

• His Father & Mother
• Basements
• Being forced to talk about his past
• Being forced to go back "home"
• Dying of illness
• His own emotions
• That people wont like him

Secret: 
He is actually a  pretty good singer, but never let's anyone hear him...obviously.

When no one is around he loves to dance, like old school tap and jazz.

Family Ties

Father: Pastor James Derrikson 
Mother: Melissa Derrikson
Siblings: Matthew (24), Mark (20), Angela (16)
Any Other Important People: His adoptive family.

History

The Derrikson household was a happy and joyous one, with lots of love and everything growing children should need. That's what someone from an outside perspective would see. James and Melissa were both from extraordinarily strict and cruel families, this had definitely made it's mark on them. James' father had been the Pastor in the city of Cabot, Vermont and expected his only son to become one as well, so that's what James became. Melissa married James shortly after and they began to start their own family. Which would be governed by the same strict and harsh rules they had learned from their parents.

This is the family that young Key was born into. A family that taught children should be seen and not heard, and punishment varied from "crime" to "crime". Usually, if anyone commented an offense worthy of being taken to the basement, it only happened once. Not for Keaton however. The poor boy only wanted to play and be happy, to be a kid. So of course he got in trouble for the mildest things. A little white lie ended with lashes from his fathers belt, but no worse than how an average parent would punish their child, but for other children, what they had done to deserve such punishment. That was the main punishment he received. His brothers never seemed to get in as much trouble as he did, but he knew better than to ask why. The basement was not so bad when he was younger. Mostly, the punishment then consisted of prayer and reflection. Sure it was a bit dark and spooky, but Keaton did not understand why his brothers hated it so much.  Though he was certain it was because that neither of them liked to sit still for very long. 

Truth was, life was pretty good, even if his parents were a little more strict than most. When he turned 8, Key asked his parents for a very large favor. He wanted to go to public school. The majority of the boys life had been spent with his family, being homeschooled. Of course he was let outside and such, but he wanted interaction with other children that he didn't get at home. This was due more to the fact that their town had a very small population and were fairly spread out. However, with much trepidation and many conditions, they allowed it. Mostly because the boy had been very well behaved lately and even joined the church choir. Some his conditions included not to bring any slang into the house, and that he had to dress in his normal attire. Key wasn't thrilled with the clothing one, but he would take what little blessings he could.

Keaton's life in public school was, rough at best. People made fun of him, and he felt out of place. Until he made friends with a boy named Asher. Asher was a little wild, but he never treated Key like he was an outsider. This friendship was going to cost him more than he could ever imagine. One day, Asher asked Key if he could walk him home and of course Key said yes. His 8 year old mind saw nothing but innocence in everyone. Something happened though, something Key never expected or even understood. Asher had stopped them near Keaton's house and kissed the scared and shocked boy gently on the cheek. It was a totally innocent and friendly kiss between friends, just a sign of affection. 

He didn't even have time to respond though, because the shout of his father's voice made Asher run. The next few minutes seemed like it was all sped up, for Key found himself in the basement with his father on top of him with a thick leather belt. It took not time for the young boy to pass out from the pain and fear. A few hours past and Key was kept in the basement, locked away from the outside world with no contact to even his siblings. Thankfully, Asher had ran straight home and told his parents to have the police sent over to Key's house, explaining as much as he could. They found Key shivering in the corner, lashes all over his back, and not making a sound. He was taken away, and his parents were arrested. 

James and Melissa were sentenced to 5 years in prison and their parental rights taken away. At first, the Derrickson children were taken into a group home. It wasn't bad there, and despite his siblings desperately trying, Key would not speak. His older brothers were sure something more happened in the basement then their little brother was letting on, but they never pushed the matter, and Angela just didn't understand. It wasn't long (not even 5 months) before the kids were adopted by a loving and warm and loving meta family. It was somewhat of a culture shock to Key, he was allowed to watch television and listen to music, he could pick out his own clothes. The boy didn't know what to do with all this freedom, but it was peaceful. Yet, he still wouldn't talk, even though his new parents took him to see a child psychologist. Other than not speaking and being almost uncomfortably shy, Key seemed perfectly fine. 

His new family was loving and helped Key in every way they could think of, but whatever had happened in that basement was going to stay locked up tight inside the boys head. See, he had not spoken since the incident, truth was...he stopped talking shortly after his punishment began. Other than this minor detail (at least that's how his new family sees it) things were good. Both of his adoptive parents worked at The Hammel Institute and would take the boy there to socialize and meet new people his age. Hoping this may bring him out of his shell and help him speak, it never did. Still he managed to make a few friends there, which was good luck for Key. 

Shortly before his 15th birthday, something happened to the young boy that would change his life again. During an average day, Key was just lounging about outside in the yard. It was a rather warm day, actually an unusually warm day for February, and all he could think of was cooling off. Suddenly the air around him started to cool and it even made goosebumps on his arms. At first he assumed it was just a nice and very welcomed breeze, until he realized that even though the air was cooling off, he was getting hotter.  In a bit of panic he rushed inside and quickly wrote down what was happening while his new parents looked on in confusion. Key's skin was turning a red color, as if he stayed out in the sun too long and shortly after he had to rush to the bathroom. Luckily though, the feeling stopped and his body seemed to go back to normal. 

Unfortunately, it did have one more side effect, Keaton came down with a terrible case of pneumonia and had to be taken to the hospital.  Luckily it passed quickly and he was released. Once home, his parents called his older brother Matthew home and set the whole family down to tell them that Key was a meta and it was nothing to be afraid of. Of course none of the Derrikson's were afraid, their new family were metas after all.  Key was also made aware that for him to manifest so late was unusual, but not uncommon. Within the week, Keaton was registered at Hammel. A new meta, a new life, a new world to him. He's been at the Institute for almost two years now and is slowly and steadily learning his power. In his time there he's made a few friends, mostly with people who don't mind that he doesn't speak. Which for some, it can be hard to get used to. Having family that teach there makes life a bit easier on him, as does going home in the afternoon. However, as he's gotten older, he's decided to venture out a little bit and actually stay at the school. It's a big step for him, but he knows he can manage. 

 

Roleplay Example

Please see Salem Hirch for this!

What About You?

Name: Jonnay
Age: 30...ya know...ancient
Experience: 18 years
How Did You Find Us? Been here for a bit now!
Ready To Play? Why certainly 

[Keaton Derrickson]

bump for doneness (i hope)

[Admin!]

Hold On

While it's nice to see another character from you, Keaton requires many edits before he can fit into the Hammel setting.

First is his power: astral projection on Hammel does not work the way that you describe it in his power. Dimension hopping is not a power that is allowed at all on Hammel, and so that has to be removed completely. If he is an astral projector, he can mentally project himself to other places within a well-defined range, and this is often paired with dream walking because that tends to be the lion's share of the power. If you want him to have a power where he moves around there is teleportation. But being able to go into a nightmarish dimension is not one that is allowed under our canon. This has to be changed completely, and the side effects and limitations have to change to comport with whatever his new power is.

The next set of edits have to do with his history. The history you describe is not one that would happen in New York City or in the suburbs of New York City, particularly not in the present day. "On the outskirts of New York City" puts you squarely in Westchester County, the demographics of which do not lend itself to what you have described. Home schooling in downstate New York is highly regulated, rarely allowed, and involves checks from the Board of Education. Child Protective Services is active, and his parents would not have gotten away either with the years of isolation nor the weeks of basement punishment and beatings. When I say not gotten away with, I mean it would not have come to pass. Weeks of absence from public school until a student is able to convince the teachers to call CPS does not comport with how any of these agencies work in this region. This has to be removed.

Furthermore, child protective investigation is taken seriously in those parts, and prosecutions for that level of child abuse are not rare. They would not "get off on a technicality" in order to get away with it, even with having their parental rights terminated.

Moreover, adopting a child who is put into foster care would not happen interstate. CPS has to do home visits for over a year, and the parents would have to be New York residents.

Since the crux of the matter is that you want him to have selective mutism and be put with a different family, I suggest that you have him be the victim of neglect and taken from the family earlier. It's possible to have selective mutism without a tragic event; often it is based on anxiety or introversion, so I would incorporate that as well.

The last part that has to be changed is his manifestation itself. Aside from being brought in line with whatever his power is at the end of the revisions, "right before his 16th birthday" is beyond what we are currently accepting right now for manifestation. We are trying to keep it between 11-14 currently, with 15 (early 15 not nearly 16) being an outlier. You need to have him manifest earlier. His "weakened system" would have nothing to do with the age of manifestation and that should be removed entirely.

Finally, if he has been at Hammel for two years, please give more information about his time here. "Slowly and steadily learning his power" is a start, but that gives no insight into his life experiences as a student.

Once you've made those changes, please bump your application so that staff can give it another look.

[Keaton Derrickson]

-bump- Did some research and read that parents who abuse children get up to 5 years and their parental rights taken away. Also, left his adoptive parents nameless so if someone wants to make them or already has someone that could adopt him, it wouldn't be an issue.

[Admin!]

Accepted!

That's much better. You know what to do! Have fun!