The Bowens

[The Bowens]

NAME:
(From top left, clockwise)
Connor Reginald Bowen
Carter Ervin Bowen
Cassidy Nicole Bowen
Caleb Oliver Bowen
NICKNAME:
The Bowens. Four-in-One.
AGE:
Thirty. (30).
GENDER:
Non-binary.
ORIENTATION:
Pansexual.
POSITION:
Bellefonte Security Staff.
FACE CLAIM:
Morena Baccarin, Henry Cavill, James Wolk.

POWER:
Hive Mind. The Bowens share a collective mind between all four bodies – the mind being an amalgamation of each of their personalities, though it was observed that in the latter years of their stint in the Academy, Connor’s emerged as the most prominent one. They are a highly synchronized quartet, with each body having the capability to move and work autonomously, despite having the same thought. This is made possible as the Bowens’ mind adapted and has the processing power comparable to most modern computers, allowing them to process sensory stimuli, react accordingly, and decide what the next strategic move is all at the same time. They’ve taken advantage of this by using different bodies to learn multiple disciplines such as aeronautics, French, computer programming and military strategies all at once, for example. It’s important to note that while the Bowens have acquired a number of skills by deploying the same multitasking strategy, the strength and agility of each body still differs. Cassidy’s body is the most lithe, agile and flexible, as it is the one that did gymnastics ever since they were nine. Carter and Caleb are the brawn, as the two were the bodies used to learn krav maga and jiu-jitsu. (i.e. Connor’s body can still do krav maga moves, for example, but the strength of the punches won’t be as effective as if it came from Carter’s or Caleb’s body).
As they are essentially one person in four bodies, the bodies can not be far away from each other for a long time. They’re most comfortable being at most ten feet away from each other, but the maximum they’ve been apart was for a hundred during their peak, but even they only lasted for ten minutes before passing out.
Despite being a fully synchronized quartet, in an effort to “be more normal” and not to creep people out, the Bowens have assigned a specific voice, personality and overall style to each of their bodies. They have been shown to switch voices and personalities from time to time when under immense strain, extremely exhausted or are too far away from the others for a long time.
Multitasking, as useful as it is, puts immense strain on the Bowens, and thus they could only continue doing it depending on the type of activity and how many bodies are doing different things at the same time. If there were only two activities, they could go for at least six hours straight (provided the other two bodies are either asleep or idle). If four bodies with four different activities, that goes down drastically, to three hours. And then after that they’d need at least a day to recuperate, housing migraines and risking the deterioration of their synchronicity should they rest less than the prescribed time. Pain experienced by one body is also transferred to all the other bodies, and there is a very real chance of this pain being magnified if the injury is severe and/or life-threatening. They also find it hard to function whenever one of their bodies get sick. The Bowens are fortunate enough not to have lost a sibling to anything yet, but from the other hive minds they’ve encountered, losing a sibling is worse than losing a mere limb – they’ve yet to encounter a hive mind that has encountered loss that is stable and fully functional in society.


APPEARANCE SECTION:
The Bowens had worked hard in removing the inane eeriness associated with fully synchronized quartets such as them, and yet when one sees them for the first time all together, there’s still that general feeling of intimidation They’re all tall and imposing, with Cassidy standing at a good 5’7” (without heels), Connor at 6’1”, and Carter and Caleb at 6’3”. They all have brown hair and brown eyes, though Cassidy does like to switch things up from time to time and wears hazel and blue contact lenses.
The Connor body opts for a more relaxed style, clean shaven, hair neatly trimmed and a smile almost always on his face. The Carter and Caleb bodies make their hair grow a little longer so as to show off the curls. Carter, the stoic body, has a thin beard almost all the time, while Caleb, the childish one, only has a carefully maintained five o’clock shadow. The Carter body is also more noticeably stiff and tense than the Connor or Caleb ones.
Most of the diversity of looks, however, come with the Cassidy body. This body had been known to spot almost all hairstyles possible, though recently they’ve been trying to grow it out again. The body’s almost always in nude make-up, preferring only to use a lot when going somewhere important or for a night out in town.
.
MUST HAVE APPAREL:
As the Bowens try to maintain a sense of individuality between the four bodies, each body has a distinct sense of style that corresponds to the associated personality.
The Connor body is supposed to be the more relaxed and charismatic one, and as such prefers to wear shirts under his blazers to work. If he is required to wear a buttoned-up shirt though, he’d try his hardest to make sure the top two buttons are, well, undone. He works well with a tie, but would rather not have one.
The Carter and Caleb bodies are most alike in term of personal styles – both opting to be very formal and polished 90% of the time. The difference lies in the shades – Carter usually opts for neutral to darker, cooler colours while Caleb goes for warmer shades.
The Cassidy body is rarely seen out of a skirt, and even rarer without heels. She has a special fondness for fluffy blouses and pencil skirts, though she can and will rock a dress if need be. As expected, she does not share Connor’s and Caleb’s penchant for print, and is with Carter in preferring block colours.

PERSONALITY SECTION:
As a fully synchronized quartet, the Bowens’ personalities had merged fully, with Connor’s emerging as the dominant one. However, during their stint in Bellefonte, the Bowens have noticed that the public – even with their own kind – weren’t really accepting of creepy hive-mind beings and thus opted to project “distinct” personalities, usually based on what they were (or how they remembered to be).
Connor is the charismatic. He’s charming, never seen without a warm smile on his face. He’s open and welcoming, but also rather opinionated and driven. He’s the most relaxed, frequently erupting with laughter and even cursing when having fun. Underneath it all though, he’s very manipulative. He has, on several occasions, successfully steered people into the direction he wanted them to go, subtly and unobtrusively.
Carter’s the silent, stoic and aloof body. He’s the one with the near-perfect poker face and usually prefers to simply watch from the sidelines. As said previously he’s said to be the most tense amongst the four. He speaks rarely, but when he does, they’re usually in short, blunt sentences. Carter doesn’t do subtle.
Caleb’s the cheery, childish one. He has the same warm smile as Connor, but unlike Connor’s confident smile, Caleb’s is supposed to reek of naivety and innocence. He’s the body that’s most easily excitable and extremely curious, and has a tendency to be a bit dumb at times.
Lastly, Cassidy’s the strong and stubborn one. She has a tendency to rub on people the wrong way, and she doesn’t mind. She’s supposedly is unemotional and coldly calculating, and would stop at nothing to get what she wants. She could be as manipulative as the Connor body, but unlike the previous’ subtle style, she tends to be more overt with her suggestions. (It’s a surprise she didn’t end up as the dominant personality really).
(In a sense, one can say that Connor, being the dominant personality, is just projecting aspects of his personality into his sibling’s bodies, albeit exaggerating them to a point: Carter with his calmness, Caleb with his childish wonder, and Cassidy with his cunning).

EXTRA QUIRK:
Connor likes dogs, snow and pineapples on his pizza. He doesn’t like swimming (he’s usually seen just tanning on the side), carrying paper money and turtles. He thinks turtles are ugly and disgusting.
Carter loves to run in the morning, Old Western movies and coloured socks. He can’t stand the rain, wearing a cardigan and scary movies.
Caleb is a Trekkie and a Potterhead, as well as being a huge sucker for sloths and guns. He is disgusted with the taste of taro, prefers not to have any sugar or cream in his coffee and hates wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Cassidy loves to be hugged, peanut butter and jelly on her sandwich, watching chick flicks and frequently experiments with make-up on her spare time. She doesn’t do well with being ignored or being kissed on the cheek nor does she get along with cats.



FATHER:
Harold Michael Bowen. 50. Non-powered.
MOTHER:
Lucy Bowen nee Nichols. 50. Non-powered.
SIBLINGS:
None.
PET:
None.
SIGNIFICANT OTHER:
None.
WORTHY MENTIONS:
Tracy Parker. 32. Maternal cousin. Only family member they still talk to.


CHILDHOOD:
Harold Bowen and Lucy Nichols were hardly the “it” couple of their small town Michigan high school, but they were the ones who had been together ever since 8th grade, so when they tied the knot two weeks after graduation, hardly anyone was surprised. Despite their ages though, the two were smart. He got into construction, she went to study nursing. They lived within their means and actually made sure they always had some portion saved up every time. They were very prudent and focused on being self-sufficient that within two years, they’ve managed to have enough money to move out from their dingy apartment and into a small, decent house around the outskirts of town. (Sure their parents insisted on chipping in, but the down payment was all theirs). Everything was going well.
Until the quadruplets came.
In the couple’s defense, the quadruplets weren’t exactly unplanned. Lucy had wanted a baby since forever, but Harold said that until they have a house of their own, he can’t. (Mark of financial stability and all that). So when they found out that Lucy’ll be having not one, not two, not three but four little babies, well, it wasn’t exactly a joyous moment. Don’t get him wrong, Harold loved that they’ve having four kids but he also felt an immense responsibility suddenly cast upon him. He had to feed five mouths now. When the kids were born, he insisted that Lucy to stop her studies and just focus on the kids, while he took on two additional jobs. He was always going home drained and exhausted, and cliché as it might sound, it was his children’s innocent faces as they slept that kept him going.
If only love was enough, the Bowen household would be among the richest in the planet already.
Connor, Carter, Caleb and Cassidy barely saw their father, even during the holidays. During the rare times that they would, he could barely stay an hour, humouring his kids until their mom tells him to go to bed as he still had get up for work soon.
Lucy, for her part, always made sure that the four knew that their father loved them very much, even if he’s not around. That he’s working day and night to provide for them, make sure there’s a roof over their heads and food on their plate. She didn’t want her kids to be resentful of their ‘absentee’ father. She did not blame her kids for their circumstances by any measure no, but still, the four – Connor the most – somehow felt that it was their fault that their parents’ lives were torn apart. They felt responsible, even in their young minds, so when they discovered that they’re mutants and were whisked off to Bellefonte, they actually felt like they’re finally doing something to help alleviate the stress off their parents. They haven’t seen their parents ever since they’re eleven (not even for holidays and all that), but they do send cards and money every month.

ADOLESCENCE:
The Bowens’ time in Bellefonte wasn’t that interesting. As their power was quite the rare occurrence, their first few years were quite rough. For instance, they were initially placed in four different rooms, with Cassidy in a different floor even. People were also a little freaked out about the four always walking side by side, turning their heads all at the same time and speaking in the same voice. They still felt like a freak despite being in a school filled with kids who can read minds and breathe fire, and it was disheartening. They became withdrawn to themselves for the first few months, only coming out of their room to eat, go to class and have their regular appointments with the school psychologist.
It was this solitude that the four imposed on themselves that surprisingly allowed the merging of their minds and personalities to go smoothly. By the time they’ve reached their junior year, they’ve become almost completely synched. But, smart kids as they were, they knew they still had to keep up a front of being ‘normal’. It was Connor’s idea (he emerged to be the dominant personality, unsurprisingly) that despite being essentially ‘one’, they should still try to act as if they aren’t. Maintain a front of different voices and personalities for each one. Connor as the charismatic one, Carter as the stoic, Caleb as the shy childish one, and Cassidy as the girlthe cunning one. During their last two years in Bellefonte they began to ‘branch out’ and while they didn’t become class president (Connor was this close though), they did manage to perfect their ‘cover’ of individuality and actually test how far they could be from one another before they start feeling the strain.

ADULTHOOD:
After Bellefonte, despite being great in a rather varied field of subjects (perks of being able to study four different things at once), the Bowens decided that they’re better off lending their talents to the United States military. They enlisted within a week of graduating, and before the month was over, they were in boot camp already. Their superiors knew of their special ‘condition’, and thus had specialized training which helped hone and properly utilize their skills for combat. (Rumour has it that several intelligence agencies also approached the Bowens during this time. There was no record of these meetings though, so no proof of them being employed by other agencies could be found).
They did two tours of Afghanistan and one of Iraq. Officially, they were part of the rehabilitation contingent of the army, and if you ask them, that’s what they would say. They’re very private about what happened during these tours, and even Tracy – the only blood-kin they talk to and the closest thing they have to a best friend – doesn’t even know the full story.
After completing the eight years of their enlistment, the Bowens opted to retire. As per Tracy’s urging, they went backpacking for a year, humouring their cousin who’s insistent that they give time to really get to know themselves and let loose. After that they tried being involved with private security groups, and while the money was good, it just wasn’t exciting enough. Which explains why the moment they heard of security openings in their old alma mater, they immediately jumped the gun and went straight to Montana.



SAMPLE:
Ahh Bellefonte. Connor couldn’t help but get a wee bit nostalgic, even emotional, as they walked towards the administration office. It’s been more than a decade, and yet, everything seemed so familiar. The dilapidated marble tiles. The snooze-inducing, pale wall paint. The smell of their favourite croissants coming from the cafeteria. The laughter and giggling of thirteen year-old girls. The stares of awe and intimidation from their peers.

They have grown into their bodies though, and Connor could see that it wasn’t all disgust that was written on these kids’ faces. Connor would say he saw wonder. Caleb would insist it’s amazement. Carter would say it’s amusement. Cassidy would shut them all up and say it’s lust.

Or at least that’s how it’ll go should they feel like they should act things out, try to be normal in their colleagues’ eyes.

But that can be pushed off for another day. They still have to meet with the Headmaster after all. “Hi,” said Connor, opening the door to the man’s office, “We’re the Bowens. We’re supposed to have a meeting with Mr. Bellefonte at 10:30?”

It was just 10:15. /We’re early weren’t we? Sorry,/ said Caleb, giving the receptionist a shy smile as he followed the rest of his siblings to the chairs. Connor sat with his legs apart, hands on his knees and his back forward. Carter had his back straight, and his arms and legs crossed. Cassidy was the same, only her hands were on her knees. Caleb flashed the receptionist another unsure smile as he took the last unoccupied sit and sat with his ankles crossed, eyes wandering around the corners of the room.

“God, I hate waiting,” mumbled Cassidy under her breath, checking her fingernails as they waited.

USERNAME: His Majesty the King. I also answer to ‘Peanut’ and ‘You with the face!’.

AGE GROUP: Early twenties.

EXPERIENCE: Three years now?

WHERE DID YOU FIND US? I followed the yellow brick road. I was told it was the way home. Those Oompa Loompas lied.
(A little bird called ‘Nu’ shoved the site down my throat. ‘Fate’ helped too).

Template made by MEL, inspired by NU

[Mel *]

Welcome to the Bellefonte Academy, Peanut!
I can't wait to see how these four interact with the rest of the character body!
Step forth and play your heart out!
Go fill out your CLAIMS and have fun!