David

Diabolical.
Introduction xxxxxAverage Joe. Description xxxxxDavid Smith is a distinctly nondistinctive man with no scars, tattoos, or even moles. Sometimes people think he looks somehow familiar, but can't put a finger on who he reminds them of. Most just agree he has an unremarkable appearance, neither ugly nor good-looking enough for comment. He is ethnically ambiguous, with black hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin, and it is difficult to pin down his age. Average height, average build -- average everything, really. Reputation xxxxxConsidering how much David gets around -- he's done military tours in Germany, in Kuwait, in the Philippines; he's worked in finance, in tech, in real estate, in nuclear energy, in aerospace, in entertainment; he's lived in Switzerland, in South Korea, in Pennsylvania, in Qatar, in London, in Los Angeles -- and considering how large his sphere of influence is, all told, his reputation is strangely negligible. Among the rich and powerful people he surrounds himself with, he's just another guy in the boardroom. The most boring guy in the boardroom, actually. xxxxxIn the Inner Circle he has a reputation for good infiltration tactics and reliable intel but, unfortunately, mediocre mission completion. History xxxxxDavid had humble beginnings, and has spent his life trying to leave them behind. By almost any metric ever, he has succeeded -- he is wealthier, more successful, and more powerful than anybody in his family has been for generations -- but no matter where his ambition takes him, he never seems to achieve what he really craves: recognition, excellence, acclaim. David may have climbed high in society -- very high, in fact -- but he just keeps climbing, because there's always somebody else on top. Powers xxxxxDavid is a social chameleon -- he has a form of automatic, mimetic telepathy, allowing him to blend easily into groups by absorbing knowledge and attributes from those around him. David himself is not aware of how his power works -- though he discreetly tested himself for the X-gene long ago, he has only connected it thus far with his skill for languages, and he cannot consciously control it beyond choosing who he associates with (and even this is an imperfect mechanism -- he can't always predict what the results will be.) xxxxxApplications: The most useful way that David's power expresses itself is through language and skill enhancement. His power actively levels his proficiency in everything, so he is neither exceptionally good nor exceptionally bad at whatever he tries. When he has tried to learn languages, he is likewise capped well below fluency. However, his power can draw on the skills or language comprehension of the people immediately around him, allowing David to participate seamlessly in a group activity or conversation on par with those around him. He does not retain any gained attributes when not in range of the exact group of people he borrowed them from. xxxxxRange: David's power can often intuitively lock onto the group most immediately relevant to him (e.g., as a high school student playing football, it averaged the rest of the football team, but excluded spectators) but if David does not have a group-related objective, it is more likely to misfire. His power is at its most effective when David is with at least two other people. Absent a discrete group to focus on, such as when he is interacting one-on-one with somebody, the scope of David's power widens to encompass the nearest 1,000 people, often to the point of negligible effect. xxxxxLimitations: Though David's power affects his passive and active knowledge, it has no physical effects save for what can be faked through mentally overriding muscle strain, fatigue, or other signs of stress. This allows it to artificially bolster his stamina, hand-eye coordination, and drug or alcohol tolerance, but without changing his height, strength, or speed. There is no time limit to this performance-enhancement effect, but his overexertion will catch up to him as soon as he is no longer in the company of whoever his power was keeping pace with, and the longer he postpones it, the worse it will impact him. It does not work remotely (e.g. over telephone, video calls, or in text-based messaging.) xxxxxOther Effects: The way David is perceived by others often varies based on the group he is with; perceptive people will probably notice that he comes off very differently in different contexts. This depends both on the people present, and on their own perceptions of themselves or their groups -- for instance, people who feel like outsiders will perceive him as another member of the ingroup; people who think of themselves as extraordinary or exceptional will find him dull; people who think of themselves as ordinary will find him relatable. His apparent age and race are difficult to gauge, but many people implicitly assume he is One Of Them, particularly in a homogenous group. Skills xxxxxDavid is a mediocre guitar player, a mediocre painter, a mediocre juggler, a mediocre golf player. He is good with money, but not nearly as good as one would expect given what he does for a living. He is fluent in both English and Spanish; he also knows some German, French, Korean, and Arabic, though less than he thinks. He makes an okay cup of coffee. Connections TBD Trivia David is a middle child, because of course he is. David is a "political moderate", because of course he is. Gallery [[Image:|x150px]] [[Image:|x150px]] [[Image:|x150px]]	David Allen Smith [[Image:|center]] Birthdate Sept 9, 1963 Birthplace Las Cruces, New Mexico Species Mutant Affiliation Hellfire Club Alignment Shooting the Moon Powers Social Chameleon Occupation Capitalist Registration Status None RP Hooks RP Hook - Explanation RP Hook - Explanation. RP Hook - Explanation. RP Hook - Explanation.
Logs
(2024-03-24) One Man's Loss (2024-03-14) More than Most