Asher MacAra

[Asher MacAra]

Asher James MacAra

FACE CLAIM: Emun Elliot

♦ THE BASICS ♦

AGE: 32
GENDER: Male
ORIENTATION: Heterosexual
POSITION: Philosophy Professor; Interim Head of Training

♦ THE ABILITY ♦

POWER: Power Opposition

This ability only manifests when Asher is faced with another mutant. Under such circumstances, he generates an ability which can either counteract the other mutant's power, exceed it, or both. Generally, Asher has no control over what power he develops as a result of his ability; however, if he is aware of his counterpart's ability, then he can guide his own ability in a direction which would provide him with the most control or the most benefit. The ability generated lasts only as long Asher is in the presence of the power he is set against, but he can switch between powers when around multiple mutants.


LIMITATIONS:

1. Asher can only manifest one ability at a time. This means that anything other than single combat is difficult for him. If two mutants seize upon him at once, then he would need to constantly switch his focus to develop abilities to fight them. Not only is this difficult, but it severely drains Asher's energy to actively switch his ability's focus.

2. Although Asher can replicate a stronger version of his enemy's ability or an ability to counteract their power, he cannot keep the ability once he leaves their (or their ability's) immediate, physical presence.

3. Generally speaking, Asher can only counteract uses of an enemy's ability which target him. If his opponent targets anyone else, then Asher may or may not be able to assist, depending on what his manifested ability is.

4. He cannot counteract anyone without powers. Against humans, Asher is on equal terms.


SIDE-EFFECTS:

While using his ability to counteract a single ability is not a noticeable strain, switching between multiple abilities or counteracting too many abilities within the course of the day can cause Asher to become sluggish and tired.  If he is overwhelmed by switching, then he runs the risk of passing out.

Asher's ability acts similarly to an allergy, and the manifestations of his ability to counteract another mutant's abilities are his body's attempts to reject the mutant powers around him.  As such, Asher suffers from aching muscles, headaches, and shortness of breath as long as he is at Bellefonte.  Forays into the city or surrounding wilderness alleviate these symptoms, but opportunities for free time are in short supply.

♦ THE CHARACTER ♦

HEIGHT: 5'11"
HAIR COLOR: Brunette
EYE COLOR: Brown
MISC: Asher has a small collection of tattoos which he keeps carefully concealed from the student population.


PERSONALITY: Asher loves fun. If anything he's doing is not enjoyable, then he will go to great lengths to make it so. He's the first to crack both a smile and a joke in any given situation, and he frequently does so during his classes. After all, there's no reason that philosophy needs to be boring. History is filled with examples of philosophers acting as humorists or trading blows with one another over their views, so why not continue the tradition?

If there's going to be a (school-approved) party, then Asher will be the first one to offer his help in planning it. He is always looking for new, exciting projects to get his hands on, and he will always volunteer for party committees (even if he can't fit the extra responsibility in his schedule). Furthermore, he's highly supportive of this same drive in others. If any students are looking to organize a new club or an event, then Asher is the first person they should talk to.

All jokes aside, Asher is quick to help others who have been treated poorly or harshly, and his inability to judge situations properly often leads to awkward situations. He worries that he may end up pardoning a student for something which deserved the punishment given to them because he misjudges their situation, but this doesn't stop him from trying to help wherever he is able.

Asher's greatest fault his his confidence. Some may call it hubris, but he rejects the notion. Being sure of one's abilities is completely different than overconfidence, or so he says. While he is afraid of his power's capabilities and ending up alone, Asher's ability to be sure of himself in most circumstances is staggering. He never backs down from a fight, no matter the odds, and often takes on more responsibility than he can handle. Not to mention, that he often takes his jokes and pranks just ever too far.

SECRET(S): Asher's parents passed away several years back; he returns to Scotland to visit their graves every Christmas, but he avoids any specific mention of his holiday plans.

♦ THE HISTORY ♦

Born into a lower-middle class family in Braemar, Scotland, Asher lived an average childhood, and he learned to love and appreciate the outdoors early on. Throughout his years in elementary school, Asher was a normal kid, if a bit of a class clown and nuisance to his teachers. More than once, this behavior landed Asher in detention, but he was an average student when he did bother to complete his work.

For an individual with abilities, Asher's history has a noticeable lack of a manifestation.  Without another's abilities to oppose, there were no physical signs of Asher's abilities, so the arrival of a pair of recruiters came as great shock to Asher and his parents.  Upon first meeting the recruiters, Asher appeared to merely possess negation abilities, but the opposition was subtle.  With great reluctance, Asher's parents accepted the existence of mutants and agreed to visit Bellefonte.


Asher's first visit to Bellefonte Academy did not go well. Nervous and constantly surrounded by new mutants, Asher's ability manifested and changed with every person they passed. Heat surrounded him one moment, and then his skin turned hard and metallic the next. Within moments of trying to avert his eyes and focus on someone not staring at him - there were few, Asher passed out and his powers seemingly stopped functioning; Asher and his parents were promptly escorted to the infirmary. After several tense hours, Asher finally awoke. From there, he was slowly introduced to staff members or older students, and the true nature of his ability became apparent. It was decided that he would remain as isolated from other students as possible until his abilities were controllable, and after a month of quarantine and training, Asher was allowed to attend his first classes at Bellefonte

Those students who remembered Asher's first visit avoided him at first, but his ability to crack a joke on the drop of a hat earned him many friends. It finally occurred to him, after covering for a friend who broke curfew, that he could counteract telepathy and attempts to detect lies. Pranks became a staple of Asher's time at Bellefonte, and he was almost always able to deny involvement. Of course, he was not always believed, and occasionally found himself with extra assignments or days in detention for pranks he thought were endlessly hilarious. After all, how was painting all of the statues' noses pink not hilarious?

In classes, Asher was just below average in all of his subjects except for History and English. After graduation, he continued university at Bellefonte and ended up majoring in philosophy with a religion minor. He joined the Peace Corps after college, and he volunteered abroad in Peru for four years, sharing his time, effort, and humor with those he served. Upon returning, Asher found himself with few job opportunities. After bouncing from low-paying job to low-paying job, an old friend from Bellefonte contacted him, suggesting that he should apply for a position there. Asher jumped on the opportunity, and he spent a year taking the requisite courses and testing for his certification. On the same day that his certification came through, Asher sent in his résumé to the Headmaster and was pleasantly shocked when he replied back with his acceptance to the position.

These days, Asher teaches philosophy with a passion and acts as the Interim Head of Training following the retirement of the former Head.  The transition has been a difficult one for Asher, but he has so far managed to balance his schedule as necessary.

♦ THE PLAYER ♦

USERNAME: Landon
AGE GROUP: 25
EXPERIENCE: 13 years
WHERE DID YOU FIND US? RPG-D

[Robbo *]

ACCEPTED!
You know what to do!