Post by DornKoon on Oct 23, 2023 12:49:33 GMT
General Information
"How do people respond when my empathic hold ends and their normal emotional state returns? Broadly speaking, badly."
Full Name:
Cornelius Nicolaus Hausknecht
Codename or Alias:
Niels (By Friends/Family)
Pathos (Codename)
Niels (By Friends/Family)
Pathos (Codename)
Anonymity:
Secret
Gender:
Male
Race:
Mutant
Age:
16
Place Of Birth:
New York City
Occupation/Status:
Student/Photograph
Alignment:
Hero
Factions:
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
Canon Or Original?:
Original
Powers/Abilities:
Empathy:
"You read a sad story. You cry. Do you think that's sinister, as if someone has artificially taken over your emotions? Of course not. That's just what art is - this is different."
Much like Professor X, Niels is a psionic mutant, but where Professor X is a Telepath, Niels is an Empath: same family but a different focus.
The young psionic can fully sense the emotions, moods, and temperaments of others without having to ask, allowing him to understand introverts or discover one emotion is hiding another. It is also more subtle than telepathy, and most of the time, the person he is sensing from is not even aware he is doing it. Niels' empathy can be used to make others perform actions, remove their agency and generally stop them from making their own decisions, but doing so purely by manipulating their emotional state. What Niels lack is not power, but experience in using his abilities, and they will continue to grow and develop as he gains training from more experience psionics.
Some emotions are more straightforward to affect, depending on the emotional state of the person feeling them. As described, a person in grief is more difficult to make feel joy, but easier to warp into feeling loathing or surprise.
Empathic Communication:
Similarly to a telepath, Niels can "communicate" with other creatures. But he is doing so with feelings rather than thoughts. But in essence, they function similarly as language barriers do not block it. It is also challenging for people to lie to Niels or hide things from him without him picking up the emotional discrepancy between what they say and feel.
Empathic Illusions:
Niels can create illusions based on emotions, either by the users own emotions or others. The difference between these and other illusions is that Niels himself cannot see them, nor can he control what the victim sees or experience. He can only cause the illusions to be linked to a certain emotion, such as showing the victim something they love, hate, fear or find disgusting. These can be used for both battle, and to aid allies by showing them nice things.
Empathic Illusions:
Niels can create illusions based on emotions, either by the users own emotions or others. The difference between these and other illusions is that Niels himself cannot see them, nor can he control what the victim sees or experience. He can only cause the illusions to be linked to a certain emotion, such as showing the victim something they love, hate, fear or find disgusting. These can be used for both battle, and to aid allies by showing them nice things.
Emotional Aura:
Niels creates an "aura" affecting people around him to be more inclined to feel a certain emotion; the maximum distance of this has so far been about the size of a football field (roughly 130 yards). The downside is that this aura doesn't discriminate friend from foe, but Niels can control the size. It has also been described as Niel's "Let's just be calm" aura, as the emotions more commonly assotiated with it so far has been calm, submission, and optimism.
Empathic Absorbtion:
Niels can also use his empathic abilities to steal emotions from others, rendering them emotionally "numb" and, in turn, shifting his personality to reflect theirs, which can potentially be used to boost himself. He can share emotions and create connections between others. These connection are currently limited to a number of 7 people at a time.
Emotional Warp:
Niels' only mental attack can be used to force a victim to feel a certain kind of emotion more strongly than others. Similarly to a telepath Niels can project Psionic force bolts or blast waves, which can do damage on either a physical or mental level and this. People struck by these are assaulted by the emotions linked to the blast. This can, in turn, can affect a victim's emotions so as to cause them to be overwhelmed and potentially lose consciousness.
Empathic Healing:
Niels can heal others' emotional wounds and/or burdens. This power offers a comfortable touch and healing means that is otherwise beyond the ones that heal physical injuries since they lack the power to heal emotional traumas. He can also alleviate pain, making it possible for those who recover to sleep better by not being troubled by these things. He also uses this to heal himself through a trance of emotional calm. This is also how he blocks out the emotions of others when he wants to be alone.
Limitations:
Niels have a major weakness. His mutant power doesn't work against entities unable to feel emotions, such as robots, those with the power over apathy, and, in some cases, magic used to hide or block empathy. People with strong willpower can still have their emotions read, but it becomes more difficult for Niels to warp their emotions, which can take a varied degree of concentration... if at all possible.
Entities with inflated "egos" and strong emotions, can be grating for Niels to be around for a long period of time. Especially those of a megalomaniac persuasion, or those who are generally "big & loud" emotionally. This is not really something that causes damage, just irritation.
Due to it being a psionic power, the same things that would protect against telepathy will also work against empathy. The power also poses a danger when Niels warps someone else's emotion, as pushing too hard, or when Niels himself is upset can cause the change to become permanent, essentially forcing a victim to feel just that one emotion for the rest of their lives.
Entities with inflated "egos" and strong emotions, can be grating for Niels to be around for a long period of time. Especially those of a megalomaniac persuasion, or those who are generally "big & loud" emotionally. This is not really something that causes damage, just irritation.
Due to it being a psionic power, the same things that would protect against telepathy will also work against empathy. The power also poses a danger when Niels warps someone else's emotion, as pushing too hard, or when Niels himself is upset can cause the change to become permanent, essentially forcing a victim to feel just that one emotion for the rest of their lives.
Psychometry:
Many places and objects become emotionally charged, adding to them a constant emotional residue due to things like war, death, and grief. Niels can tap into those emotions and re-experience them as if they were happening in that moment. With objects, he can learn about the makers and even those who have used the object and what has been done with it. If the residue is strong enough, this will happen to him involuntarily. In a word, Niels can sense the past connected to a place, person or object. He can channel this, speaking words of the past for others to hear, but he cannot know what those present were thinking, only what they were feeling and doing.
Clairvoyance & Clairaudience:
Niels can forge an emotional connection with another being. With enough focus, he can sense (and sometimes hear) when that person is in danger and can locate them by their "emotional scent". The young mutant is perceptive and can detect beings/entities normally completely undetectable, like spiritual and psychic beings. So, sensing someone trying to hide is even easier. As a consequence, Niels has a strong sense for when beings such as ghosts and spirits are present, creatures that, in essence, are pure emotion. Connected to this, he can also hear psychic/spiritual/beings, making communication with such creatures easier if they cannot talk normally. At times, it is also possible for him to see and hear future events or locations; this requires him to touch an object or be present at a location physically. Niels has no control over when these visions occur, but he can still "tease" them into happening by handling objects or touching buildings. Depending on the level of "strength" behind the moments he channels, it can also be taxing for Niels, and he might need time to recover afterwards.
Many places and objects become emotionally charged, adding to them a constant emotional residue due to things like war, death, and grief. Niels can tap into those emotions and re-experience them as if they were happening in that moment. With objects, he can learn about the makers and even those who have used the object and what has been done with it. If the residue is strong enough, this will happen to him involuntarily. In a word, Niels can sense the past connected to a place, person or object. He can channel this, speaking words of the past for others to hear, but he cannot know what those present were thinking, only what they were feeling and doing.
Clairvoyance & Clairaudience:
Niels can forge an emotional connection with another being. With enough focus, he can sense (and sometimes hear) when that person is in danger and can locate them by their "emotional scent". The young mutant is perceptive and can detect beings/entities normally completely undetectable, like spiritual and psychic beings. So, sensing someone trying to hide is even easier. As a consequence, Niels has a strong sense for when beings such as ghosts and spirits are present, creatures that, in essence, are pure emotion. Connected to this, he can also hear psychic/spiritual/beings, making communication with such creatures easier if they cannot talk normally. At times, it is also possible for him to see and hear future events or locations; this requires him to touch an object or be present at a location physically. Niels has no control over when these visions occur, but he can still "tease" them into happening by handling objects or touching buildings. Depending on the level of "strength" behind the moments he channels, it can also be taxing for Niels, and he might need time to recover afterwards.
(This is largely story-driven, so the visions would happen when needed.)
Cooking & Crafts:
"As Leonardo Da Vinci said; art is never finished, only abandoned."
Raised by two avid artists, it is no surprise they coloured Niels' view. His parents fell in love over a shared passion for sculpting, painting and cooking. Niels was always encouraged to paint, experiment with clay, and love the closeness of preparing a meal together. Crafting something has also become a coping mechanism for him whenever he is angry, and cooking when he is sad.
First-Aid Training
Niels knows how to treat basic injuries and is good with first-aid situations.
First-Aid Training
Niels knows how to treat basic injuries and is good with first-aid situations.
Genius Emotional Intelligence:
"You really need to eat something, I made you soup."
Niels is surprisingly good at reaching the right spots and provides solid advice, showing an emotional maturity far beyond what would be normal for his age. Niels's ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions is incredible. Where his IQ would be average for a boy his age, his EQ is off the charts. With this high emotional intelligence, Niels can recognize his emotions and those of others, use emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.
Photography:
"Say, käsekuchen!"
A significant hobby for Niels has always been photography, and he was given a nice digital camera for his 16th birthday not long before he started going to Professor Xavier's School. He likes to document his life in pictures, turning them into scrapbooks.
Weapons/Items:
"I like to think of myself as the keeper of the snacks... want some Skittles?"
Multi-Purpose Tactical Bags:
As the constant "mother" of his friend group, Niels is never without his trusted bags, he has one on his leg, another on his hip, and regularly one on his back. These contain anything he thinks might be useful, and are, but are not limited to, napkins, over-the-counter medication, power bars, extra socks, blankets, snacks, crayons, tampons, wet wipes, mp3 player, balloons, hand sanitiser, tipp-ex...
LexTech L9-III Digital Camera
Niels' most prized possession is a digital camera he was given on his 16th birthday, a state-of-the-art tool expensive enough to get a nice used car for the same price. It also has a potent flash, which can be more useful than one might think.
Scetchbook & pencil Holder
Niels always has his sketchbook and selection of pens/pencils at hand when he desires to draw something.
LexTech L9-III Digital Camera
Niels' most prized possession is a digital camera he was given on his 16th birthday, a state-of-the-art tool expensive enough to get a nice used car for the same price. It also has a potent flash, which can be more useful than one might think.
Scetchbook & pencil Holder
Niels always has his sketchbook and selection of pens/pencils at hand when he desires to draw something.
Appearance
Physical Appearance:
Niels is a rather average 16-year-old boy, 5'8 in height and weighing about 134 lbs. He has thick, curly brown hair, dark brown eyes, and slightly bushy eyebrows.
Clothing and Armor:
Due to his germophobia, Niels needs to change his clothes regularly. As such, he has many different clothes in his wardrobe. Most of the time, he likes to dress in button-up shirts and t-shirts in different mute colours (mostly green and blue). He also has a fondness for different kinds of lighter jackets and is generally never seen without a scarf, usually in some tartar pattern.
He also wears flannel pajamas when sleeping, often in different "cute" patterns.
He also wears flannel pajamas when sleeping, often in different "cute" patterns.
Personality
Sexual Orientation:
Homosexual
General Personality:
"I think one of my superpowers is not touching anything inside a public bathroom."
Niels is often a timid, reserved, polite, direct and honest boy but also calm, gentle and perceptive. It creates many conflicting situations where his insecurities clash with his desire to be direct and honest, often resulting in him saying... nothing. These traits are especially present around people with "big" and "loud" personalities and egos, as their presence is especially grating on his empathic powers.
Niels is very kind by nature and has been described by people as having gentle eyes and a compassionate persona. He has been described as the "mother" of any group he is in, often making extra effort to ensure everyone is hydrated, fed, and unharmed. It is challenging for Niels to lie, and doing so causes his face to contort severely, as his honest nature clashes with the insincerity of his words. As easy as it is for him to feel someone else's lying, as straightforward is it for others to know when he is actively trying to hide something.
Niels' most notable attribute is his ability to empathise with almost anyone. With the power to understand other's emotions comes a skill to look past outward actions and instead at what is behind them, be they hero or villain. In all, he is more emotionally matured than he should be. Unlike other teenagers who's emotions are deeply affected by their hormones, Niels is not, even as a child he was more "collected" emotionally, and had very few outbursts. In many ways, he is more emotionally mature than many adults, and has a surprising way to look at a situation objectivly.
He is not so easily fooled by empty words and masquerades. On the other hand, he can quickly become distrustful towards someone if he deems their emotional state cruel or deceitful. As such, even if their actions are good, he can harshly judge them on their true feelings, potentially putting him in conflict with allies more easily swayed by actions rather than words. In the case of Niels, "Actions don't speak louder than emotions."
He is not so easily fooled by empty words and masquerades. On the other hand, he can quickly become distrustful towards someone if he deems their emotional state cruel or deceitful. As such, even if their actions are good, he can harshly judge them on their true feelings, potentially putting him in conflict with allies more easily swayed by actions rather than words. In the case of Niels, "Actions don't speak louder than emotions."
He is also something of a germophobe and a "clean freak". He can be very uncomfortable in an environment he perceives as unclean and prefers his environment and himself to be spotlessly clean. As such, he finds it difficult not to clean up in a dirty or disorganised area, even when doing so might be perceived as rude.
Face/Voice:
Emjay Anthony
Anything Else
Niels can speak, and write, in both German and Norwegian (both Bokmål and Nynorsk), outside of English.
Character's History
Siblings:
None
Mother:
Sonja Hausknecht, nee Henriksen (Desceased)
Father:
Benjamin Hausknecht
Other Family:
Bernhard Hausknecht - Paternal Grandfather
Adelheid Hausknecht - Paternal Grandmother
Amalia Hausknecht - Aunt
Reidun Henriksen - Maternal Grandmother
Torbjørn Henriksen - Maternal Grandfather
Bjarne Henriksen - Uncle
Åge Henriksen - Uncle
Jonas Henriksen - Uncle
History:
Two Artists - One Dream
Benjamin and Sonja met at an art exhibition in Berlin, where the two fell in love and dated for a time before secretly moving to the US and getting married. This was done against the wishes of both their families. Sonja's parents in Norway ran a big farm and expected their daughter to stay in Norway and be part of the family business. She did not want this for herself, and having previously survived leukaemia at the age of 10, she was not one to let others' expectations stop her from doing what she wanted. Similarly, Benjamin came from a prosperous family of lawyers, and it was ingrained in him that he was expected to follow the same line of work as his parents and older sister. Well, that did not happen, much less since he met Sonja.
The couple moved to New York and planned to work and give in to their passion for art. Sonja would continue working on her sculptures and remodelling old furniture, and Benjamin would continue to paint. They did not have much money, with Sonja working at a flower shop and Benjamin taking on jobs as a security guard. Still, the couple was thrilled and very much in love.
What was not planned was the fact that Sonja became pregnant, which would not be a surprise for anyone else, but the reality was that Benjamin had been told he could not have children. This created some tension, but one DNA test later showed that the child was very much Benjamin's, made even more evident when he was born with his Father's bushy eyebrows and curly hair.
He was not planned but no less welcome all the same.
A Most Empathic Child
Niels was born in New York City and grew up in his family's small apartment located in Queens. It is vital to understand that he was never mistreated; he was very much loved, and his parent both cherished him immensely. His childhood and early teen years were relatively uneventful but positive. The family never had much money, but they had enough to make life work, and both Benjamin and Sonja always ensured the son would not go hungry before they fed themselves. He did not have many expensive toys, nor had he ever had any of the latest and most impressive gadgets that schoolmates would have.
Yet, Niels was never exactly "normal." There was a time when she was just another gifted and talented artsy kid. He was another living testament to how youth can flourish if they are encouraged and loved. He developed the ability to speak much faster than other children and seemed to possess an emotional maturity more advanced than others of the same age. Even before he could talk, he just seemed... more aware. His IQ was average, his EQ was incredibly high, and he was part of a small study on emotional development in children. Where he was described as something of a "wonder-child" for his level of maturity, getting full marks on all measurments done. His mother was more involved during these studies, but they ended abruptly, and Sonja insisted that it was a waste of time, Niels still remember that she was not telling the truth.
His life changed forever when he was thirteen years old. He began to feel things more deeply than before and could sense what people were feeling without them telling him. He also noticed stuff he would rather not have known, such as his mother's suffering from depression and guilt, yet he could not understand why. His Father was constantly stressed from work, despite doing his best to hide it with a warm smile and joke. Niels still noticed he noticed all these things... and wished he did not, for such a young boy to feel such weight and be unable to understand it fully.
Yet, he did his best.
To Live with the pain!
True tragedy struck when his mother was killed in an explosion on Niels' birthday. Niels himself was almost caught in the same blast but was protected by the door into the kitchen. He spent a good few weeks in the hospital but came to the other side unharmed. Sonja was dead when he woke up with his Father sleeping in a chair beside his bed. His Father did not even have to tell him because Niels felt it. The official explanation was a gas leak. Sonja had always had a bad habit of smoking in the kitchen, which caused an explosion, or that was the explanation given by authorities talking to Benjamin. However, Benjamin didn't know Niels had overheard the exchange and could tell the visitors were lying. This fact still haunts him, and could it be connected to the mother's growing feeling of unexplainable guilt?
Niels has still not learned why his mother was murdered, but he is sure she was. Made worse when he found among her things mention of something called "Pathos"
What followed was difficult for both Niels and his Father. It was a struggle to get life back to normal without Sonja. It did not matter how much Sebastian tried to pretend otherwise; he could not hide his true feelings, the grief, the pain, and the guilt. Niels never said anything. He did not want to cause further harm by speaking up, nor did he know how to explain his feelings. Sonja's presence left a permanent mark on them inside the apartment. Her emotional imprint was impossible for Niels to ignore. Unsurprisingly, Niels sank into depression, pulling himself away from the world and retreating into a bubble.
Benjamin tried to break the son out of this, but no counselling or a therapist helped. He was also being relentlessly bullied in school during this period, made even worse by his timid nature and dislike for conflict. His most recurring bully was Brad, an aggressive boy who enjoyed tormenting the more minor students or anyone he thought he could get away with. The breaking point came when one of the bullies decided to bring Niels' mother into it by commenting offhand about how she must have "offed herself" to escape from him. What followed is a blur. He had been angry, he wanted to hurt, he wanted them to feel what he was feeling, the pain, and the grief; Niels had screamed, people had screamed... and he woke up at the hospital.
His Father and a strange man Niels had never seen before were there.
Meeting Professor X
The man introduced himself as Professor Charles Xavier, and it was he who revealed to Niels that he was a mutant. More than that, Professor Xavier told the young mutant that he, like himself, was a psionic, but where Xavier was a telepath, Niels was an empath, same school, different specialisations. When asked what happened, Professor Xavier told him that the whole school had suffered an acute mass hysteria, with those closest to him taking the blunt force of his unbridled emotions. Xavier had been able to mend most of the damage caused, using his telepathy to wipe the memories of those most affected. Yet, he could not save Brad. The boy had been closest and the target of Niels' empathic attack.
Brad had been completely... broken. All he could feel now was... grief and sadness without a target or source. He could not sleep without medication and could not smile, be angry, or feel anything else. (Niels is still racked with terrible guilt over this, which he views as a good thing.)
Xavier invited Niels to his school for gifted youngsters in upstate New York in a hamlet called Salem Center, and he also emphasised the importance of Niels learning how to control his empathic powers. Something the Professor knew from experience how dangerous it could be if left unchecked.
His Father took all this new information more calmly than Niels had imagined. Benjamin advised Niels to accept the invitation and that he was alright with it. Niels was also the only thing Benjamin had left of Sonja; their son was more valuable to them than anything, and if this would help him grow, he would not stand in the way of it. Benjamin did not fully understand what it all meant, but he would never stop loving the son because he was a little different, and this was confirmed because his words did match his feelings on the subject.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
Niels accepted Professor Xavier's invitation. (Benjamin would end up moving to North Salem, wanting to be closer to his son, and there was little reason for him to stay in New York City on his own; he had no ties keeping him.) Niels also quickly understood that having a parent who was so willing to accept the situation and support their child was surprisingly rare, which he could never fully understand. So it was that young Cornelius Hausknecht started going to Xavier's school, and his father, Benjamin Hausknecht, became a stalwart advocate and defender of Mutant rights.
Role Play Sample:
