Post by Salem Hirch on May 6, 2015 4:06:45 GMT -6
Salem Michael Hirch
FACE CLAIM: Lucas Till
---------------------------------
AGE: 18
GENDER: Male
ORIENTATION: Homosexual
POSITION: Student
POWER: Projected Illusions
To put this in it's most simplest terms, he can project semi-solid illusions from his eyes. Think of the eyes being a movie projector, a soft yellow light with a tiny bit of heat flickers behind his usually blue eyes, and an image is projected a few feet away. This image can be anything such as a child's toy, or something as big as say a bus, but it does not have to be something real. Normally, these images have a solid feel to them, but can occasionally be nothing more than a hologram.
LIMITATIONS:
First of all, if Salem has had a rough day, or has a headache for any reason, his power simple wont work. He needs to be able to focus fully on the image or it will disappear. Distance and time play a factor here as well, the further away he projects something, the less stable it is and he can only hold those for a few minutes. Usually no more than 3 or 4 minutes max. If it is closer, Salem can hold the illusion for up to 20 minutes, depending on it's size. If it is something large, its almost the same as projecting it further away. Plants, animals and humans walking in his field of vision normally don't effect him, unless they totally block his view. This means he can not project through walls, or around things. He needs a clear line of sight to get it going.
SIDE-EFFECTS:
From the day his powers manifested, Salem has needed glasses. It doesn't impede his power, just his vision and mostly for when he reads. Prolonged use of his power can cause the boy severe headaches, sometimes so severe he needs to sleep most of the day. Once in awhile, something odd can happen in which an illusion can sometimes project itself back into Salem's mind. Basically it's like a very vivid hallucination, it usually only happens when he's asleep, but it makes him somewhat absent minded. There are times when he can completely forget where he is, start daydreaming and run into walls, doors, and more often than not...people. Other minor side effects include, dizzy spells and muscle cramps around his eyes-brought on by eye strain.
HEIGHT: 5'6"
HAIR COLOR: Blonde
EYE COLOR:Blue
MISC:First off, Salem is a very laid back, jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. Getting dressed up and working on his appearance is just not something that's important to him. Granted, from time to time he may do something with his usually messy hair and that's where the preening stops. Nothing about him has ever really been extravagant or lavish. He prefers muted or dull tones, but occasionally wears jewel or bright earth tone colors. He does have an odd attraction to plaid shirts and old,ripped jeans.
Though he's 18, he's a bit short, but he doesn't let it bother him. In fact, he rather likes being a little shorter than he should be. Even if it was a bit annoying when it came to getting his tattoo, which is of a treehouse and is set directly over his heart. The only other thing of physical importance, is a large scar that runs from his right shoulder - down his back to his right hip. He fell from the loft in his barn and landed on a wooden crate.
PERSONALITY: Salem is the shy, book worm type that would rather be in his room than out at a party. Not to say he's a recluse, he does have friends and loves them dearly. They are usually the only people that seem to able to get him to open up at all. With the right people, Salem can be downright fun and outgoing but it takes a bit to get him to that point. Just be patient and he'll eventually come out of his shell. The boy is very loyal to anyone that does earn his trust and will be there for them no matter what. He's a very kind and loving soul who would never dream of hurting anyone, but that does not mean he's a push over. He will stand up for what he thinks is right, even if he stammers and gets terrified doing so.
Because of his sometimes flighty thought process, Salem can be hard on himself. He knows if he could just focus more he wouldn't seem like such a silly person and he reads tons of books, he feels like a complete fool. Especially when he's just walking and slams into someone, which results in red cheeks and much stammering. He's also rather bad with math, he blames it on his power but really, he's just bad at it. There are times when Salem can be cranky and come across as cold or distant. These are usually days either before, during, or a day or so after one of his headaches. He doesn't mean it and feels terrible if he snaps at people and usually apologizes as quickly as possible.
SECRET(S): Other than stealing a candy bar when he was 7, Salem does have two secrets.
One...he's never been kissed.
Two...he talks to the Illusion of his deceased brother every night before he goes to sleep. Usually it's just Aiden reading him a story, which to most might seem silly, but it makes Salem feel safe and happy.
FATHER: Burke Hirch
MOTHER: Annie Hirch
SIBLINGS: Aiden Hirch (older brother-deceased)
WORTHY MENTIONS: Alec Hannigan (best friend from Nebraska)
CHILDHOOD:
Salem's story begins in an almost typical and yet, sweet, way. Deep in the middle of Nebraska, in a very small town, Burke Hirch met Annie Warren in middle school. The two fell deeply in love almost instantly and soon after high school, they married. It wasn't always a perfect or easy life, but the couple always seemed to get by. Burke had his family farm, and Annie quickly became an elementary school teacher. A job she loved and cherished, and kept even after the birth of their first child, Aiden. The little family was as happy as any could be.
Three years later, another life came into the Hirch family. Little Salem was born during a tornado in the families root cellar on a chilly November evening. Annie had decided to name him after her home town and Burke did not argue with the love of his life. He was to happy to have two perfect little boys to worry about arguing over names. Besides, he loved them all. Once again, the little family was happy and whole and life was good. The boys grew closer and closer with each passing year.
Aiden became his brother's protector and best friend. He taught him how to swim, helped him learn how to read, and encouraged him to make friends with other kids. Which took more effort than it should have, but every once in awhile the older Hirch boy could manage to pull him away from his books and get him to interact with others his age. Aiden even went as far as to help him build a treehouse for him and his friends to hang out it. After Salem fell out of the lot in the barn and was in the hospital a few days of course.
Salem really only made one friend though, a boy named Alec who quickly became the boys best friend. The two were almost as inseparable as Salem and Aiden.
ADOLESCENCE:
As Salem grew, he stayed pretty much the same. He was always shy and rarely spoke to kids, but he did well in school and was never really bullied. Of course there were a few that did, but Aiden and Alec were usually around to take care of those few that did. The young boy always felt safe and happy and never really longed for any kind of life outside of his own. In fact, as he reached his teenage years, he made a decision to be an Elementary School teacher like his mother. Of course he had no way of knowing his life would change drastically, and soon.
October of 2009 brought about Halloween and his family was preparing their farm for their annual corn field maze, which the two brothers looked forward to immensely. It meant lots of fun hours spent in the maze, and that Salem's birthday was right around the corner. This one was special, because he would finally be a teenager, like his big brother. As the days got closer, Burke caught a terrible cold and had to hire a local man to help cut down the corn with the large tractor to make the maze a bit smaller. This would be a mistake that would haunt him the rest of his life.
A few days before they were set to open, the man showed up to help the Hirch family, but little did they know he was drunk. He hadn't even gone in the house or spoken to the family, instead he went straight to work. The boys had gone out to investigate the maze their father had painstakingly cut out weeks before and shortly after, they became lost. The maze was just as good as any their father had done before, so good in fact that the boys became separated. They could hear the tractor in the background, but neither thought much of it, until the sound of it started getting closer...to Salem.
The moment Salem realized this, he yelled out for his brother and started to run. He had never run so fast in his life, and his heart felt like it was in his throat. It didn't help that he heard the tractor break through the corn behind him only moments later. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see the metal blades spinning and glinting in the dim light of evening, and then suddenly, he was on the ground. His leg tangled in gopher hole, and was now badly sprained. He managed to pull himself free, but knew he couldn't move out of the way in time and he began to shake. It was then that he felt hands shove him into the corn opposite of him, and he only had a moment to look back before Aiden...was gone.
A few weeks passed after that with little change in Salem, who had gone from this sweet little ray of sunshine, to be as quiet as a mouse. He barely left his room and even shunned Alec away when he came to visit. Annie and Burke were beside themselves, they had lost a son and felt like they were loosing another one. One afternoon, Salem could hear his mother in the kitchen and knew she would be baking bread, so he slipped downstairs and flopped into a chair in the kitchen. Annie was overjoyed and more so when he offered to help. It felt like old times, especially when she glanced over at her now 13 year old son and he was covered in flour.
She made and absentminded comment about how he and Aiden always seemed to be messy, then she heard a clunk from the direction of Salem. Turning, she saw her son staring at the back door, a strange look on his face. There was a faint yellow flicker behind his eyes and suddenly, two young boys were running through the kitchen. It was Salem and Aiden, a few years back, both covered in mud and tracking in through a freshly clean kitchen. Annie's heart sunk. She knew it was Salem causing this, she knew with her father being a mutant there was a good chance one of her boys would be one, but when Aiden didn't manifest, she expected the same for Salem.
Three weeks later, a very sad Salem was whisked away to a place called The Bellefonte Academy. Barely over his brother, dealing with suddenly being a mutant, budding teenage hormones and now a new and somewhat scary place. It was almost too much to handle.
ADULTHOOD:
For five years, Salem has been at the school. Keeping his head down, making a couple of friends and doing the best he can. He usually stalks the library, hangs out near or in the pool/lake, but mostly he can be found in the branches of any nearby tree. School in general has been a bit of struggle for him, but he's managed to keep his grades up. Even with the attack from SPECTRE last year, which caused him a little upset, but once again, he dealt with it in his own way, and it made him just a little more wary of stangers. Granted he wasn't too keen on the whole uniform thing, but it wasn't a big deal to him.
Now he's just passing the time and keeping his grades up, knowing that he will be graduating soon. He still wants to be a school teacher and is actually really looking forward to college. Salem's powers still need a little work, and honestly, he's fine with that. He wants to learn how to control them. Not that they are dangerous, but because he thinks he could really use them for something good.
SAMPLE: ((from a werewolf site))
Blood, so much blood. Flesh being torn from muscle and bone. Horrifying monsters pulling someone apart, climbing out of the walls; the ceiling; the floor. A young boy stood in the corner crying, yet unmoving. The bed moved as though it were made of snakes. Dark shadows swirled from under the bed clawing at the boy. Dragging him under to whatever hell they came from. The boy screamed as his nails broke away against the floor as he was dragged. His voice broke the darkness again with another loud shriek.
Screaming, pain, fear. The vision shot Salem straight up in bed, his body drenched in sweat. It wasn't the worst night terror he had ever had, but it was definitely up there. Trying to stand proved almost impossible as his legs started to shake the moment his feet touched the cold floor. Grabbing the wall, he forced himself into his bathroom knowing full well what would happen if he didn't.
Moments later he was on his knees in front of the toilet. Every time one of these nightmares snuck into his mind this would happen. It had become routine with him, bad dream, bathroom, up the rest of the night. His slender body trembled as he stood, holding the sink for a bit of support and washed his face and mouth. Finally standing straight, he looked in the mirror.
A few dark bruises started to appear on his chest. Sighing he touched them gently, wincing a bit as a faint, but sharp pain went through him. Waking up with bruises from beating himself while he slept was becoming far too familiar for his liking. Salem swallowed and just as he expected his throat was dry. Something else he had come to live with in his fourteen years of illness; screaming in his sleep.
Leaning down he started drinking from the sink. Long, slow sips, the cool water making his throat feel better. Salem wiped his mouth, stood and headed back to his room. His legs still weak, his body still hot and dripping, he collapsed back on the bed and hoped that he hadn't woken anyone up. The headache he had would not be able to handle another screaming half drunk hunter, if it had been Aiden though he wouldn't have minded. Just in case, he decided to go peek out his door to see if anyone was headed his way.
He once again slowly slipped off the bed and made his way to the door, not even remotely worried that he was wearing only pajama pants. Salem paused at the door though. He could have sworn he heard someone walking his way.
"I didn't wake you...did I?" His voice cracked as he spoke, just in case anyone was there.
USERNAME: Jonnay
AGE GROUP: 31 >.>...I know...ancient
EXPERIENCE: 19 years now....god I'm old
WHERE DID YOU FIND US? Honestly? Randomly clicking links while bored.