Individual
Character's full name: Riccardo Gianni Caruso
Alias/ Nickname/ Codename: Ricky
Gender: Cis-male
Age: 19
Date of Birth: January 14, 1998
Birthplace/ Home/ Place of origin: Sicily, Italy / Chicago, Illinois
Nationality: Italian-American
Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Italian
Appearance
Hair color and style: Dark brown, wavy, medium-length, often pushed back
Skin Tone: Olive, tans easily
Eye Color: Dark brown
Height: 5’10”
Build: Highly athletic. His leg muscles are especially developed due to his soccer background.
Visible mutation: Though 100% human, his irises turn
bright yellow and radiate a soft glow while his Ambrosia-induced mutant power is active.
Scars/ Tattoos/ Piercings: He’d be disowned.
Other features: He tries to keep his face cleanly shaven, but gets lazy sometimes, especially now that he’s out of the watchful eye of his father.
Everyday clothing style: Totally casual. Ricky is an athlete, not a fashionista, wearing clothes that he wouldn't mind getting grass stains on. Simple t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, jeans and high-performance running shoes make up the bulk of his wardrobe.
Uniform: N/A
Sleepwear: What sleepwear?
Miscellaneous clothing: NYU varsity soccer uniform, brightly colored Adidas cleats, knee-high soccer socks, and shin-pads.
Character
Personality: Ricky exudes an air of confidence and pride wherever he goes. Some would call it arrogance, but who cares? Not Ricky. All he cares about is winning. Does he have a superiority complex? Absolutely. You can blame Pa, who had always been more like a strict coach than a father, raising or rather training him to be “the best of the best”. Because of his need to be on top, it’s no surprise he has come to love the euphoric rush of power he feels every time he uses Ambrosia.
So much confidence and pride in one body can only lead to one thing: impulsiveness. If there is one weakness Ricky will admit to, it is his inability to stand on the sidelines, even if it means putting himself or others in danger. This makes him prone to acting on whims and emotions, anger especially. Never one to “think things through”, some would call him a meathead. He prefers the term “man of action”.
A redeeming trait is Ricky’s near-unshakeable sense of responsibility. Forced to work at an early age to help support his family on top of school and soccer, he’s reliable, organized, and used to taking orders for the “greater good”. A loyal son and a die-hard teammate, he knows the importance of family and teamwork better than anyone, all the while keeping his own interests at the forefront of every decision he makes.
How does Ricky, as a human in an ever-evolving world, feel about mutants? Simply put, he’s jealous of them, so much so that he often finds himself not wanting to befriend or even be around them. They don’t need to rely (or pay for) a drug to make them feel as powerful as a god; they already are, naturally, and that hardly seems fair to Ricky. He wants to be one of them, genetically superior, but can’t… and that seriously pisses him off, sometimes to the point where he wishes they were all dead.
Hobbies/ Interests: Soccer, cooking, working out/pushing his physical limits, being outdoors, partying (recent), using Ambrosia (recent)
Job or part time job and description: Full-time college student, full-time student athlete (Division 1 varsity soccer player)
Fears/ phobias/ concerns: Due to his relatively abusive upbringing, Ricky has a generalized fear of losing. He’s especially terrified of disappointing and/or angering his father. Some other concerns include: being impressive enough to get noticed/drafted by a MLS (Major League Soccer) team, going a day without stretching/running/physical exercise, not being intelligent enough to pass his classes at NYU, getting a girl pregnant, and (more recently) getting caught red-handed with Ambrosia.
Special talents: In addition to being a soccer prodigy, Ricky is bilingual and a great cook. He’s also ambidextrous.
Morality
Good/ bad/ neutral/ other: Ricky’s neutral. He isn’t above lying or cheating and he certainly isn’t above sabotaging others to get ahead. Ideally, he wouldn’t have to resort to such measures, but if push comes to shove (or if the opportunity presents itself) he will without much remorse. To him, winning is strength, no matter how it is achieved.
In general, his competitive nature makes it hard for him to sympathize or even care for others, especially if he perceives them as being in the way/obstacles to his success. He does, however, have a sore spot for his family and close friends, whom he is very protective of.
While under the influence of Ambrosia, Ricky becomes less inhibited to the point where he doesn’t think twice about doing what he wants, moral or not. All that matters to him in the moment is letting loose and having fun, which can be problematic since -- in Ricky’s opinion -- most fun things in life are either harmful, morally wrong or illegal (i.e., drinking, sex before marriage/with another man, stealing, etc.).
Mutations
Mutation description:None. Ricky is human.
However, while using Ambrosia (and only while using Ambrosia), he manifests a temporary mutation that allows him to generate a “friction-reducing aura” around his own body and whatever he is wearing at the time (depending on the thickness of his clothing). The aura is psionic in nature and invisible to the human eye; it also doesn’t originate from inside of his body, but rather a few inches away from his skin, which is why he doesn’t slip out of his shoes or pants every time he uses his power. This is also why he’s able to interact normally with objects and living organisms without having to worry about them sliding out of his possession or evading his attacks while his power is active.
Strengths:- Through conscious effort, Ricky can expand his friction-reducing aura to cover more surface area.
- Once within range, Ricky can temporarily prevent objects and living organisms from losing velocity or being stopped by an external force once they are put into motion. In soccer, this makes it exceedingly more difficult for a goalkeeper to block his shots on goal.
- Once within range, Ricky can temporarily make objects and living organisms virtually ungraspable, as well as impervious to low-velocity impacts (i.e., getting punched, tackled, stabbed, etc.). Not only does this allow him to help protect his allies from physical threats; it also allows him to use them as effective shields (by
hidingpositioning himself behind them while his aura is expanded). - Once within range, Ricky can temporarily cause a person to slip and fall by reducing the amount of friction that exists between their body (or just their feet) and the ground. This is, by far, his favorite strength.
- Because his aura originates three inches away from his skin, Ricky can hold, throw, punch, and kick objects and living organisms without having to worry about them slipping out of his possession or evading his attacks while his power is active.
Weaknesses and Limitations:- Ricky can only expand his friction-reducing aura up to 1 foot. Trying to push past this limit will result in him feeling immensely drained, both mentally and physically, to the point where he is likely to fall unconscious. That said, physical contact is almost always required in order to completely encompass another person in his aura.
- Trying to sustain his friction-reducing aura for more than a minute at a time also has a draining effect on Ricky. It’s much easier (and more practical) for him to use his power in short bursts.
- Once out of range, the effects of Ricky’s power wear off in a matter of seconds (3 seconds to be exact).
- On the downside of being immune to the effects of his own power, Ricky is just as vulnerable to physical harm while on Ambrosia as he is while off the mutation-inducing street drug.
- Ricky can only use his power for as long as Ambrosia remains in his system. Early user whose body has yet to develop a tolerance to the drug, one pill can last him anywhere between 18 and 24 hours.
- Whether he wants to believe it or not, Ricky is harming himself on a genetic level every time he introduces Ambrosia into his system. Fortunately, he hasn’t been using consistently for an extended period of time, so he has yet to experience any ill physical effects; however, if he continues to use (which is likely because of how addicting the substance is), the consequences could be severe and long-term (i.e., memory loss, impaired vision, neuropathy, cancer, etc.).
Physical Abilities
General Physical Capabilities: Because of his extensive soccer training, Ricky can run/sprint faster than the average nineteen year old, has excellent stamina, and is flexible/coordinated enough to execute a perfect bicycle kick. His legs are significantly stronger than his arms, though that doesn’t make him any less athletic from head to toe.
Fighting Style: Ricky doesn’t even know what a “fighting style” is.
Fighting Style Pros/Cons: Though Ricky isn’t formally trained in the art of combat, he’s quick on his feet and can deliver a nasty kick to pretty much any part of the body, especially when he’s angry. He also knows how to throw his fists around, but less effectively due to his inferior arm strength.
History Of Your Character
Riccardo “Ricky” Caruso was born and raised in a small town located near the coast of southern Italy before immigrating to the large, bustling city of Chicago, Illinois. Doted on by his parents for being the first born son, he was a happy child who wanted nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of his father by becoming a professional soccer player. However, as he grew older, the man who he affectionately called Pa became more of a drill sergeant than a father, personally training Ricky day in and day out and harshly reprimanding him, often times physically, whenever he made a mistake on the field or lost a game... whereas his younger sister, Adrianna, was treated like a princess every day, no matter how unathletic she was.
Unlike Adrianna, Ricky was never the greatest student in school. Even after he learned English, he was too focused on soccer to care about his grades or anything else, not even his social life. The unexpected arrival of two younger brothers, Leo and Joey, and being forced to help around his family's restaurant (Caruso's Pizza, Pasta & Subs) as a busboy/waiter/cook/slave at the age of thirteen to help his family financially didn’t help, either.
Despite the numerous life stressors, Ricky didn’t quit. He powered through like a winner he was and even managed to raise his GPA to a 2.5 by the time colleges started evaluating his performance on the field. Much to his relief, multiple colleges throughout the country offered him a full-ride athletic scholarship. He even had the option of staying in Chicago (though he quickly tore up and burned that letter before anyone could see it).
Wanting a change of scenery (and to escape the rigid demands of his family), he enrolled at New York University, where the academic rigor of his classes took him by surprise, as did the party culture. It wasn’t long before an overstressed Ricky found himself falling into what his parents would call the “wrong crowd” and got a little carried away with his newly found freedom. In addition to having sex for the first time, he started experimenting with alcohol and a number of other recreational substances before realizing the negative effect they had on his athletic prowess.
In his search for a better, more sustainable vice, Ricky heard about a rather expensive, one-of-a-kind gold pill that temporarily endows humans with mutant abilities and decided to try it…
Roleplay
What’s your OOC alias?: Benji
Where did you learn about this site?: Current member
Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who: Andy Sanchez-Soto (
Bubblehead)
Sample RP:It wasn't the nicest day out. Large, dark gray clouds stretched across the sky, threatening to cover the sun, and cool, winter breezes filled the air. A part of him didn't even want to be here, but he had no choice. He needed to keep practicing, and he couldn't do that outside of his dormitory. He needed an actual goal post. Not two trash cans. The big game was
tomorrow.
Luckily, Ricky had come prepared, dressed in a long-sleeve athletic shirt and sweatpants. If anything, he was feeling a little overheated, having ran all the way from the his dorm to the university’s athletic fields.
Stepping onto the frosty grass that covered the athletic fields, he slowed to a walk, placed both hands on top of his head, and breathed in deeply through his nose. He was still panting slightly, but would soon recover. He always recovered. After all, he was a soccer player. His father was, too. It was in his blood.
Before he could arrive at the soccer fields to resume his training, however, a girl caught his eye. She was alone on the track field,
sprinting.
Without thinking, Ricky started moving in her direction like a moth drawn to flame, his gaze glued to her lovely assets, which bounced up and down as she ran.
No. He tried to stop himself, but his feet wouldn't listen.
Don't even think about it. You came here for one reason and one reason only... Don't let yourself get distracted. It was hard not to, though, especially after she moved off to the side and started
stretching.
Hormones overriding his better judgement, Ricky acted on an impulse. He let the soccer ball he had tucked under his one arm fall onto the ground and gave it a swift kick. With a smirk, he watched as the ball rolled directly towards the girl's feet, giving him the perfect excuse to jog over and talk to her.
"Sorry about that..."
*Note: I, as a feminist and a gay man, do not agree with Ricky's sexist views and apologize in advance for offending anyone. Hopefully, he'll learn to value women (as well as "feminine" men and anyone else who does not neatly fit into expected gender roles) as equals over time. If not, blame his very traditional Italian family.
