Oliver Hemlock [Leviathan]

[vile]

Player Nickname: vile
Name: Oliver Hemlock
Codename: Leviathan
Age: 24
Date of Birth: Dec 12, 1989
Height: 6'2
Weight: 180
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Light grey
Place of Origin: Miami, Florida
Nationality/Race: American
Classification/Origin of Powers: Mutant
Status: Other
Occupation: Family business (lobster fishing), student (business degree)

Personality Profile: A deeply rooted feeling of insecurity makes social interactions a stressful time for him. While he tries to be charming and friendly it's not something that comes natural. More often than not it translates as his being uncomfortable rather than inviting. Most of his time is spent at work, doing homework on his boat, or puttering around at home doing yardwork or reading books. Only recently has he been putting some effort into interacting with the world outside of his two comfort zones. There's a good person within him if a person can get close enough to see it.


Physical Description: Tall, lean and mildly attractive. Whatever he lacks in appearance he makes up with charm and the near constant smile that warms his features. His dark hair's kept relatively short and beard maintained quite nicely as a goatee, sideburns, and short stubble linking them. A scar roughly 1" in diameter is under his chin on his throat. On the sides of his throat is a gill plate that's normally kept tightly clamped down and near flush with his skin. Whether he was blessed with excellent teeth or if they're from years of braces is anyone's guess but he keeps them sparkling white by avoiding foods and drinks that can stain them. Even his nails are in great shape.

Oliver favors dark clothing and holds comfort above all. More often than not he can be found in a button up shirt, the collar popped up to hide his gill plates, old jeans, work boots with an external steel toe and a leather motorcycle jacket. Bling holds a spot in his heart and he runs through a small collection of rings, necklaces and bracelets, changing them almost daily, with most worth quite a bit of money.

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General Power Information: Hydrokinetics

Ability One: Water control: As long as any part of Oliver's body is in contact with water, he is able to manipulate the state of it up to a certain quantity, 100 cubic feet of it at any given time. He is able to animate, shape, and expel it under the condition that contact is maintained with the body of water itself. Through the water he is also able to gain awareness of things that are within it, sensing objects or people.

Ability Two: Water breathing: Part of Oliver's aquatic abilities allow him to breathe underwater by the transfer of oxygenated water through the use of gills that are located on the sides of his neck just behind the ears. The gills and lungs work as two separate respiratory systems. A flap in his throat regulates the flow of water and air to prevent water or air from going to the wrong system. Switching from breathing underwater to air takes a few seconds to complete and vice versa. Most of the time it's instinctual, learned from years of use, but if startled or forcefully removed from the water or thrown into it, he can become confused and flounder a bit. The ability doesn't jeopardize his lungs: they work just as effectively as a normal human's.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses:
*Because of the nature of his power and his body make up Oliver has a weakness to fire, electricity, and is susceptible to quick changes in temperature. Fire and electricity can cause real damage to his body, cold/ice tend to create an uncomfortable state of languor. Heating up too quickly causes him a lot of stress and can put him into shock.

*Polluted water and rapid changes in PH threaten his safety. When in the water and breathing through his gills he's the most susceptible to impurities. Water that's not properly oxygenated, stagnant or distilled, are impossible to sustain him.

*The gills located on Oliver's neck to pose a slight weak spot on his physiology because they act as an exposed method of air transfer and because the flesh is sensitive in these places.

*Susceptible to both drying out more easily than a normal person and bloating that can come with drinking too much freshwater. He's most at home in the sea but, other than when he's working on one of his or his parents' boats, it's unrealistic to stay in the water.

*At times he can get confused on whether he should be breathing with his lungs or gills. Using the wrong method can result in drowning or flapping the gill plates around. Can't sleep underwater due to the chance of drowning. This can result in death or making him look silly. Either outcome is quite undesirable. Water in his lungs can be expelled using his power but it's still quite uncomfortable and a risk to his health.

*Has to maintain contact with the water he manipulates. Can't move water from a distance and if he tries to do it from a hidden location the stream can be used to track him down. Attacks that carry through water (electric, poison, etc) lead back to him.

*Cannot generate a large amount of water at the moment. Only a small bit can be pulled out of the air. Rainy or humid days can provide more liquid than dry ones. Usually just enough to give him access to closer bodies of water.

Skills:

*More agile and comfortable in the water than on land. Excellent swimmer.

*Quite good at cooking, especially seafood, thanks to dinners from the family business.

Background: Oliver was a surprise born late in his parents' life and his chances of survival were slim. After a rocky pregnancy he entered the world very early as a preemie. Life was difficult for him. The first couple years of his life were spent on a respirator. Once he became strong enough to breathe, eat, and function on his own life got dramatically easier. The new found independence made him a difficult child to keep under control. Respiratory problems followed him through life and he has to sleep with an oxygen feed and keep an inhaler on him at all times. This didn't diminish his quality of life. He still managed to enjoy some sports, in moderation, and took to water-based ones the moment that his abilities manifested. The gill plate's arrival terrified him at first and he went through months of trial and error learning how to control it and to learn how to regulate how he breathed. But once he mastered it life got even better. He took to swimming and earned himself a good spot on the swim team, even winning a few medals in the process.

Most of his life was spent in Miami and, of that time, a good chunk of it was in the ocean. He was a bright enough boy to complete his homework quickly and give him ample free time to play in the water. But when his family decided to peruse a different line of work, giving up on real estate, they moved north to the idyllic town of Stonington, Maine. The family called a nice house in the archipelago home. All of their money was put into setting up a lobster fishing business. Success came quickly for them through hard work and long hours.

The first lobster fishing endeavor was such a success that the Hemlocks opened up a second one off the coast of Salem. After establishing it as a healthy business his parents left managing it to Oliver. It's difficult for him to make free time between his perusing a degree in business. Classes are over the internet so squeezing them into managing his small business, comprised of a few boats working an area of a couple miles, is possible. He still has his ups and downs, mostly health related, but is happy with his life and how things are going.


Criminal Record: N/A


Quirks, Extras, Random Character Facts:

*Bioluminescence: symmetrical blotches on his face, along his neck and down his body that can light up at will. Most easily seen at night or in dim conditions. A long fishing rod-like appendage on the top of his head with a growth on the end, a lure, that pulsates with light when he desires it. Can be hidden by layering some of his hair over it or wearing a hat but the rod can spring up at times when excited or angered. A second lure was once attached to his throat under the chin but was removed to due to vanity and make life easier for him.

*Fine scales cover his body. Rub them the 'right' way and they seem perfectly smooth. The texture's a bit off from normal human flesh but not by much. But when rubbed the wrong direction they have an almost sandpaper-like quality. Their removal isn't pleasant and leaves a rash until they've regenerated.

*One day he hopes to move back to Miami and its warm waters there. The water in Salem is too cold for him to properly enjoy. While he can swim in it Florida is far more preferable.

*Sleeps hooked up to an oxygen line due to problems that developed when he was born premature. Weak lungs are a problem and make prolonged exercise difficult. It's a different matter entirely when he's in water, especially saltwater, and he's then free to do whatever he pleases without concern of an asthma attack or stress.

*Has achromatopsia, complete color blindness, but isn't particularly upset about it. While it can be a pain in the butt at times he just makes sure to have things properly labeled if need be. The clothes he wears are black so there's little chance of accidentally buying a peculiar color shirt or other article of clothing.