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Tyson felt something strange happening to his phone, or trying to happen. The electrons were acting strange, skipping a signal or vibrating peculiarly. It had certainly caught his attention, so Tyson was keeping his phone more attuned to his abilities than he had done before the woman’s arrival. He wasn’t thinking much of it, there were a lot of reasons that could explain this behaviour but in a place like Bellefonte, it payed the be aware of the more unusual explanations. Tyson was always eager to learn about other peoples powers and abilities, it was one of the reasons he decided to go into scientific research. It certainly wasn’t for the pay or the sociable hours. But whilst many looked upon the government's research with suspicion, and Tyson was one of them, he embraced the free and open nature of collaborative research and enjoyed working with others in the department and around the world.
Tyson put his phone on the desk next to the text books he had been reading, it was certainly time for a break. He could feel his brain hissing white noise in protest at all the boring equations and concepts and he wanted nothing more than to be crashed out on the sofa playing video games. He raised his eyebrow out of curiosity at the woman’s answer. It was a curious reason for somebody to stay at the college over the holiday period, with many students taking the opportunity to go home for the holidays. Tyson was planning a trip back to the UK in February when the flights were cheaper so had celebrated Christmas and New Year's with friends in Stagfort. Perhaps she was in a similar situation?
He nodded at her reply. “That’s very good of you - as a part time job for the college or as a means to help out?” Tyson asked, interested in what had drawn her into working with the IT department, a department that Tyson always found it hard to get on with. However, that could be more to do with the unique quirks and complaints he brought to them involving his power. “You must be rather sharp with computers then?” He finished, crossing his legs as he took a view of the woman in front of him. He hadn’t seen her around before, Tyson doubted he’d have forgotten such a pretty face, but it was to be expected with how he usually ended up cooped away in the labs, without any timetabled classes with peers to drag him outside.
Sorry to both of you! I got rather caught up in things but that doesn't excuse the delayed reply!
Tyson and Gina Marie Laroulle I think these two would bond a little over how they're both from across the pond, as you say! And with Tyson being around some of the staff areas as much as the student areas, I can see the occasional chat between them happening!
Tyson and Gwin Cooper That sounds great to me! Both the friendship and maybe the relationship, but perhaps we should thread them a bit first to see how they gel?
Tyson and Christopher Moore Yeah i think the occasional thread either bumping into each other or finding themselves in the same place for a few hours works well.
Tyson Crowshaw
Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.
Tyson let out a soft sigh as he closed the textbook he had been reading. It felt like a dead end or that he was going in circles, possibly one in the same. Tying not to think about the time lost, he picked up another textbook on material sciences and tried to justify his foray into the other book as an extended learning opportunity, even if it didn't go on to help his research. Whilst he could have chosen computer sciences or a similar topic and fully taken advantage of his abilities, he had preferred to walk a fine line and engage in the natural sciences instead. It still offered him a few opportunities to save some time or go the extra mile but kept him on his toes and required its fair share of hard work and legwork, something his abilities couldn't help him with. He stretched his arms above his head briefly, he wished he'd brought some coffee to help keep him focused.
The faint footsteps that echoed around the library was a sign that he wasn't as alone as he might have thought, but it could have course been the librarian who was more than friendly and helpful whenever Tyson had needed her assistance. But to Tyson, the sense of a new electromagnetic presence sent a familiar pulse down his spine, a common occurrence for him when walking around the grounds or during the busy minutes between classes with the corridors packed to bursting with students. He couldn't easily determine the brand of phone, over time he had come to recognise some of his friends by the signature of their phones. The iPhone had a stronger lateral pulse thanks to its dual antennas but Sony liked to focus their signal gathering at the top of the handset and it resulted in a weird vibration for Tyson. An unusual benefit to his abilities, if you could call it that.
He had been a bit lost in his own thoughts, but with the prospect of reading more academic texts he couldn't exactly blame himself. The new arrival had come over to ask the same question that he had been thinking about her, it was rare to bump into other students around campus this time of year. "Ah yes." He started, acknowledging the validity of her question with a short nod. He was somewhat taken aback by her forward approach but was grateful for the interruption. "I'm a PhD student, so I'm on the same holiday schedule as the academic staff. Nine to five with elective holidays rather than term holidays." He explained with a small smile as he closed his book. "What about you?" He asked, briefly taking out his phone to check the time, it was around midday so he could use the break and the company.
Tyson felt like he deserved a more casual day, or at least one that didn’t have him cooped up in the lab during daylight hours. He was coming up to the end of his active research before having to work on his thesis for his final submission, but he didn’t exactly feel on top of things. Hence a day at the library, he had his last few experiments coming up and he wanted to ensure that he wasn’t treading over ground that had already been covered or if there were any known explanations he could refer to in his writeup to explain the results. It might sound tedious, but it was a welcome break from some of the more strenuous elements of preparing an experiment.
He sat at a small table off to the side of the library, there wasn’t a designated section for mature or senior students, let alone research students, but it was quiet enough and close to the kind of material he needed for him to make progress. Tyson let out a soft sigh as he passed a few more pages through his fingertips, as simple as it was for him to skim read the internet with his abilities, holding something that narrowed his search down to a laser focus rather than trying to find a needle in a haystack was rather refreshing and one of the main reasons he enjoyed using the library. He had mused on taking some books back to his apartment or to the laboratory but the large and welcoming windows around him made for a more open and relaxing environment.
It had just passed New Years and whilst the majority of the students were still off school, Tyson worked on a similar schedule to the administrative and academic staff, nine to five with selective holiday leave. He didn’t mind it and he especially appreciated the peace and quiet in the more public areas. He leaned back into his seat a bit as he continued to flick through the textbook, occasionally pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to take in some of the more dense concepts.
Words. 356
Tags. Open
Notes.
Save him from himself? Either a scheduled meetup or a random encounter!
ABOUT Tyson is a rather laid back and easy going guy that likes nothing more than to kick back with a coffee or something stronger after a hard day in the lab. He tries to get on well with everyone he meets and leave on good terms. He often spends too much of his time working, which can be seen as distancing himself from others, as unintentional as it may be. He can also be rather arrogant at times which might rub people the wrong way along with a knack for ignoring other peoples advice in practise, as much as he's grateful for it being offered at the time.
FRIENDS He's a cheery guy so I imagine he'll have quite a few acquaintances that he's on good terms with but only a handful of people he classes as a friend or a best friend. So if you have a character that's going to be spending a lot of time at the college, a local bar or coffee shop or even doing something sporty such as rowing, I imagine Tyson will get on famously with them.
ENEMIES I can't really see Tyson having any true enemies, he's not one to hold a grudge and he'll always try to push past any personal grievances he may have with someone for the benefit of his work (where needed). Otherwise, he tends to avoid people he doesn't get along with all together. But if you can think of an interesting dynamic, I'd love to hear it!
RELATIONSHIPS Having moved over to Stagfort from the UK three years ago, he's more than settled into his new life in the USA. But in that time, maybe he has an ex here from an early relationship? Overall, he's not a party animal but he is a pragmatist more than anything so anything from a friends with benefits situation to a foundation for a more long term relationship is on the cards. I'm open to any ideas anyone may have here!
The ability to interface with electron-based technology, such as mobile phones, radios and computers. Fundamentally, the ability is a form of input and output, inputting a desired command into the electrons of an electronic piece of technology and sensing the output of that command. Initial interactions include powering devices on or off, changing minor settings such as tuned frequency, screen brightness, etc… As the power develops, more complex interactions such as sending a text message, accessing files, reading a caller id and navigating a network file structure can become honed skills. Overall, the ability can replace the need for a mouse, keyboard and monitor when at a computer but can be applied to other technologies within the same theme. Common applications might include reading a text message, reading documents on a laptop, performing a web search with your phone still being in your pocket, etc...
LIMITATIONS:
-Proximity to the device is key. Close proximity is needed for basic interaction but more complex interaction requires physical contact with the device
-The device itself cannot be manipulated or moved. The power is only manipulating the electrons inside the electronic components of the device
-There is only so long someone can use the ability at a constant rate. Tyson has managed four hours before succumbing to strong side effects.
-Data encryption, password protection and similar restrictions apply to the ability. The user can’t just hack into anyones phone whilst having a casual conversation with them
-The user can visualize information being conveyed to them from a computer but it’s never a clear picture. The haze and interference can be reduced with practise, power mastery and time.
-There is only so deep into a network structure someone can probe with the ability. The focus and power mastery required to use a single computer to tap into and control elements of the entire network of the internet is an unrealistic achievement
SIDE-EFFECTS:
-Prolonged use can lead to burns on the skin where the user has made contact with a device
-Headaches and ear-splitting noises are commonplace when using the power due to stray electrons and the focus required
-After using the power, the user will often hear phantom noises of radio waves and transmissions as a result of being in a heightened state of awareness to electrons and EM fields
-Prolonged use can lead to ringing ears, extended fatigue, blackouts, nosebleeds and bleeding eardrums
♦ THE FREEFORM ♦
“Is this thing on? I guess you call this standard procedure, part of the annual checkup on students with powers? Oh, and yes, I knew the microphone was on but I thought it would have been rude of me not to ask. I just didn’t want you writing down ‘Tyson is showing signs of losing focus with his power’ or, whatever it is you’re writing down. I’m just rambling at this point, what was the question again?
Ah, now I remember. Well, my name is Tyson Crowshaw, i’m twenty four years old and I hail from Liverpool in the United Kingdom. An only child, so no loving stories of older or younger siblings but my parents were kind and loving, all I could really ask for as a kid. My dad worked for a shipping company that operated out of the docks of the Mersey and my mother was a journalist for a national newspaper. Naturally, that afforded her more freedom of work hours than my dad and I rarely saw him in my childhood, understandable I guess.
My powers kicked in around, oh, I’d say when I was fourteen? Or was it thirteen? I can't really remember but I'm sure you can find that in my file. But in any case it required me to move schools for reasons I didn't fully understand at the time. Of course now I know all about the reasons why, the laws surrounding it and the potential to have walking weapons of mass destruction integrated into society unchecked. I don’t begrudge anyone for their actions in that, it was the law after all. But still, it wasn’t exactly clear to me that I had any sort of power as we didn’t have a lot of tech in the house back then and it all started with my calculator at school. There isn’t a specific day I remember where I had this sudden revelation, even when newly surrounded by these kids with weird abilities, it was all rather gradual for me. But as I got more and more hands on with computers it was pretty clear that something was wrong. Headaches, blown out fuses, scrambled hard drives, it was pretty hard to escape what was happening to me, so in the end it made sense as to why I was dragged to Manchester around the time i first manifested to finish off my teenage education.
I got on as well as I could with other students, being a late addition to a class in a school year is always tough but I got by well enough with an interest in distance running and rowing, making friends through those clubs and all. You know, a power like mine might sound like sunshine and roses with quick access to the internet on your phone or knowing who was calling your phone as you pick up on the electrons being sent to your phone’s speaker before the sound comes out but the headaches just won’t stop at times and as easy as it is to tell your phone to google a book that a girls talking about on a date, but seeing what it finds is a total nightmare. Imagine trying to look at your phone screen through smoke and its a cracked screen set at the wrong resolution. I don’t know, but that’s why I chose rowing and running. Both of them got me out of the city generally, away from technology, and keeping my mind focused on that extra ore stroke or one foot in front of the other was a godsend.
But when it came to making a choice for university, I couldn’t help but think that it would be cheating if I were to study something like computer sciences or something? But I wasn’t really one for the arts so it had to be a science subject to keep me motivated. Physics and Engineering won out, still a little bit cheaty perhaps but at least I wouldn’t be falling asleep in lectures. As a graduated adult from the St. Bethany’s, Manchester University was a great place for me as I stayed in touch with other students of the school who had also decided to stay local as well. But I really wasn’t too interested in staying local for the rest of my life and when I graduated from University, Stagfort won out as a place where I didn’t feel like I’d be judged for who I was but would allow me to pursue some research, maybe a PhD with the academy given the amount of government research that happened around there. I’ve always been interested in understanding my power and other peoples but I think first I want to get a ‘normal’ PhD before trying to tap into all that.
As for my powers, I still have sleepless nights but I only have myself to blame for that. I use my laptop or PC in the evening and multitask a bit, set it off running some code or web searches and when i try and sleep I’m still tuned in to local radio with my brain being all switched on and focused. Without a device to put that attention to, I just end up like a bloody antenna receiver for EM fields until my brain calms down. Painkillers help. So does scotch. Not at the same time I’ll point out, you don’t need to push me off to counseling or what have you! But I mean, have I noticed any changes in my powers since our last little chat? Not really, I still can’t hack into the pentagon so you guys don’t have to worry about that, It’s still mostly just a lightswitch here, a phone email there, pulling up photos and files on my computer, tuning the radio. I mean, it’s really useful for academic work, don’t get me wrong, but it’s still not anything flashy or what have you. My friends back in Manchester used to joke that if I retired to a farm or somewhere equally secluded, I’d be a pretty normal human being. I never saw the harm in that, but I’m not going to lie, messing with your friends xbox controller in a two-player race never gets old!”
