Individual

Character's full name: Alistair Lang
Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Qingshan Lang, Apeman, "Kong"
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Date of Birth: (06/07/2004)
Birthplace/ Home/ Place of origin: Beijing
Nationality: Chinese
Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Chinese

Appearance

Hair color and style: Brown
Skin Tone: Light grey    
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 6'1
Build: Lean and lanky
Visible mutation: Affected by ape/monkey physiology, Alistair's body is covered with red hair. His face has become distorted by pointed ears and sharp canines. His arms are far longer than those of the average human to the extent that they reach his knees if allowed to hang by his side. His fingers and toes are extended when compared to those of a normal human. Naturally, most people tend to notice the massive tail which is capable of bearing his own weight. About the only thing that really marks him out as not being an ape is his ability to stand upright for long periods of time (although he almost always slouches).
Scars/ Tattoos/ Piercings: A few scars across his body most of which come from the dog attack. His right earing has a couple of earrings.
Other features: N/A

Everyday clothing style: A baggy tee-shirt and jeans (never any shoes). Clothes are somewhat uncomfortable for Alistair who finds them itchy and restrictive although he still wears them for propriety reasons and to try and fit in. As such, he'll only ever wear baggy tee-shirts and pants which give him room to move and breathe.
Uniform: Wears a lightweight bulletproof vest, something that allows him to move freely whilst offering him some protection. Will insist upon a lifejacket if going anywhere near the water.
Sleepwear: Boxers

Character

Personality: Alistair is one of those guys you either like or hate. He's aware of this and it suits him well enough and certainly isn't about to change. For every trait that he possesses which might be considered desirable or enviable and make others want to spend time around him, he has another to balance that off and cause many to seek to avoid him: he is charming (when he wants to put some effort into it), affable and funny but cocky, self-centered and hot-tempered. He may be lazy, blunt and if left to his own devices does what he wants, when he wants but to his friends, he is also loyal to a fault, brave and always willing to listen.

The young mutant is the sort to use and abuse his powers, especially if he thinks it will benefit him. For the most part, this is relatively harmless: mostly getting places that he shouldn't be, sneaking out or the occasional prank. He enjoys testing the limits of his powers by seeing just how high he can climb, how far he can jump and how quickly he can run.

He is sensitive in regards to his appearance. Although he himself will sometimes joke at his expense, any comments about "monkeys", "apes", "missing links", etc. are to be made by him and him alone. He responds to being stared at with hostility, sometimes excessively, seeing slights where there are none.


Hobbies/ Interests:

• Loves to sleep outside and sunbathe
• Martial arts: watching movies (especially corny ones) and learning Kung Fu
• Skateboarding (learning)
• Fresh fruit
• Pulling pranks
• Monkey puns - Lots of them

Job or part time job and description: Student/X-Trainee
Fears/ phobias/ concerns:

• Deep bodies of water
• Dogs
• Antimutant groups

Special talents: Is actually a good piano player but keeps this to himself for the most part, fluent in English and Chinese.

Morality

Good/ bad/ neutral/ other: Neutral. Whilst Alistair is primarily self-serving, he tends to draw the line with actions that will be actually harmful/detrimental to others.

Feelings toward Humans: It isn't that Alistair hates humans or even thinks of them as being inferior to mutantkind, but his own experiences have lead him to be dubious as to whether or not the two can ever coexist peacefully, believing that mutants will always be seen as "freaks" by regular human beings and shunned and persecuted because of it.

Feelings toward Adapteds: About the same as he would view a regular human. Albeit he would treat one more cautiously than he would a regular person.

Feelings toward Mystics: In truth, Alistair is a bit of a fanboy where Mystics are concerned (not that he knows much about them), they remind him of many of the old legends and fables he used to be told as a child. He's keen to get to know them and will often pester them in the hope of being able to learn some of their secrets.


Mutations

Mutation description: Alistair's mutation has given him many of the physical attributes of a monkey or macaque, most notably fur, a long prehensile tail which can bear his own weight, large canines and lanky arms which tend to strike people immediately when they see him. His feet are closer to what a human would consider to be a hand, allowing him to use his toes to pick up and hold items. He is capable both of walking on two legs like a human being and running on all fours, being comfortable doing both.


Strengths:

• Enhanced animal senses: Although he's no bloodhound, Alistair's hearing and sense of smell are far superior to a regular human being.
• Enhanced strength, endurance, speed and agility: Alistair's physical prowess is enough to make even an Olympic gymnast blush. He is much stronger than a human, being roughly capable of lifting 250 lbs without thinking too much about it. It's his speed (peaking at around 40 mph on all fours) and agility which really set him apart however. Like, well... A monkey, Alistair can leap tremendous distances in a single bound (his current record being a little over 20 yards), perform a backflip and summersault midair and land gracefully. It should be noted that it's easier for him to perform these feats (especially running) on all fours.
• Climbing: With long and thin fingers, Alistair can climb up trees or even up the sides of some walls (bricks) with great ease. It should be noted that he can't actually "stick" to surfaces. He needs something to grip a hold of although this can be something as simple as bark or even cracks in stones.
• Monkey physiology: There are many benefits to being a large monkey: a prehensile tail that he can use to balance himself and that can bear his weight, fur to keep him warm and nails and teeth that would make even the most determined of assailants think twice before picking a fight with him.

Weaknesses and Limitations:

• Water: Alistair can't swim. He's tried. Even with armbands and floats, he struggles to do anything more than splash around. Whilst he could do so prior to his mutation taking over, he's since lost the ability. At most, he can maybe keep his head above the water assuming that it's not too choppy. As a result, he tends to avoid large bodies of water like the plague and will insist on a lifevest.
• Dietary requirements: Alistair's diet is pretty much exclusively made up of fruit, vegetables and nuts. He can manage just a little bit of very lean meat. Anything dairy, processed or with excessive amounts of chemical additives will send him straight to either the infirmary or the toilet. This means that he has to miss out on treats, even something like chocolate is liable to cause a stomach upset he won't soon forget. As such, he tends to deal with his own food, preparing it himself.
• Monkey reflexes: Despite his best efforts, from time to time, the monkey gets the better of the man. Usually this happens when he's taken by surprise or scared by something. He will screech, hiss, bear his teeth, growl... In short, lose any grip on his human self.
• Permanent visible mutation: The world isn't built for ape men. As such, Alistair finds himself struggling with his day to day life. This can be more mundane things such as clothing which he finds restrictive and itchy or his long limbs making certain tasks complicated like driving or riding a bike, needs to sleep in a hammock rather than bed, etc. Moreover, it makes it almost impossible for him to go unnoticed. People always stare. As such, anything where discretion or blending in might be required is typically ill-suited for the young mutant.
• Complicated physiology: Neither ape nor human, it can be a bit of a headache when something goes wrong with Alistair. Depending on whether he's sick or injured and if the cause is apparent, quite often it's necessary to consult both a doctor and a veterinarian in order to help him and even more challenging to do things such as prescribe medication, etc.
• Mortal: Despite his curious appearance and physical prowess, Alistair remains very much mortal. He can and will break bones, get cuts, scrapes, concussions, etc.
• Monkey puns: At least according to those exposed to them.

Physical Abilities

General Physical Capabilities: It's safe to say that Alistair is above average when it comes to athletics. Few regular humans could hope to match him in terms of speed, strength, agility and stamina. However, he remains very much mortal. Whilst he is strong, etc. he isn't "super" strong (for instance he can't punch through concrete).


Fighting Style: Alistair relies on his speed and agility on a fight. He'll run rings around his enemy, hoping to avoid attacks and sneak out of sight before quickly reappearing to land a blow and then disappearing a second later. He is learning some Kung Fu but is far from a master. If cornered or put into a bad situation and he's desperate enough, the monkey will take hold and result to scratching and biting.
Fighting Style Pros/Cons:

• Pros: Quick, agile, avoids getting bogged down in a risky situation as much as possible, often confuses and sometimes scares/freaks out inexperienced opponents
• Cons: Very dependent upon his environment (it's hard to jump around and climb all over the place if there's no trees or buildings around), lacks a way to counter foes relying on magical or energy based powers other than hoping he can sneak in and punch them in the face, he needs to get up close and personal to fight.

History Of Your Character
Born Qingshan Lang, the son of a wealthy Chinese businessman and an influential hotel chain owner located in Beijing. It goes without saying that his family was well-heeled and wanted for little. Their son benefited from such a lifestyle but was also subject to a great deal of expectations. He was never to be anything other than a straight A student. From his youngest years, he was encouraged to pursue music through playing the piano and to learn English. His manners were to be impeccable, his appearance beyond reproach and his conduct to be exemplary.

By the time he was 16, Qingshan could boast to being the among the top students in his year, regularly bringing home medals from martial arts competitions and having a beautiful and popular girlfriend Ying Yue. He was already preparing his college applications under his parents' attentive gazes. In short, his life should have been one of riches, fame and success.

One day, like any other, whilst he got ready for school, upon emerging from his shower, he found some curious red hair growing on his chest. Just a few strands. He didn't think much of it or the toothache that accompanied it and went to school. At 2.14PM, his parents were called and told to come and pick up their son as something wasn't right and he was sick... By the time that the sun set, Qingshan's body was deformed beyond all recognition and the strange hair that he'd first noticed that morning had begun to cover the entirety of his body.

Over the course of the next few days, Mr. and Mrs. Lang witnessed their only son morph, his body changing into that of a creature somewhere between monkey and man. They called every doctor and physician they could find. Eventually, the boy was identified as a carrier of the X-Gene and a mutant.

His parents made sure that the whole business was hushed up, claiming that their son had contracted a rare tropical disease, they had him pulled from school and hidden away from the rest of the world. It was a matter that created some friction between the parents and their child. Qingshan was never entirely sure if they did what they did for his benefit, so as to shield him from the prying eyes of the world or if they hid him away out of shame of his affliction.

Over the course of the next few months, Qingshan's only contact with the outside world were the occasional members of staff and hired teachers brought in, made to teach him behind a screen where they couldn't see his face and his phone which he used to speak with Ying Yue. They spoke, although he never had it in him to confess to her about his mutation. She claimed that she would still love him, no matter how unwell he was. Eventually, boredom and frustration caused Qingshan to take a chance and do something that he had never done before: disobey his parents. Unbeknownst to them, the wall that surrounded their property was little more than a speedbump where their mutant son was concerned and, by cover of darkness, he snuck out to visit his girlfriend at the local park.

One sight of the strange monkey creature caused her to scream, mistaking him for a demon. Shocked, Quinshan tried to reason with her and make her see that it was him but to no avail. Ying Yue's screams quickly attracted locals. In a panic, the young mutant fled in the wrong direction, chased by an angry mob. His attempts to escape brought him into some of the poorer districts of the city. It was there, that he would eventually be cornered. Whilst the men he could outrun, their dogs were another matter. Mauled, he was injured and only just able to escape with his life. Finally, over a day after his initial escape staggering home to his parents.

He spent a month recovering, receiving visits from doctors, veterinarians and local healers. His escapades across the city had gathered some attention, although mercifully his true identify was unknown. The whole experience left Qingshan shaken and reluctant to set foot outside again, convinced that he was a freak and maybe even a demon...

It was a few weeks afterwards that the Langs received a strange invitation from an institute in the US claiming that it could assist people with Qingshan's peculiar gift. It was at his parent's request rather than his own desire that the young mutant was eventually encouraged to leave. Upon moving to the US, Qingshan was encouraged by his parents to pick a more "English" name so as to allow him to fit in a little better - something that he finds amusing to this day. He picked Alistair randomly, it has little meaning for him.

Alistair truly does appreciate being brought to the school and is eager to better understand his mutation. Although away from the watchful eyes of his parents and their expectations, he's allowed himself to let go a little bit as the true young man begins to shine through the mandatory perfection imposed upon him.


Roleplay
What’s your OOC alias?: Novamoon
Where did you learn about this site?: Google search
Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who: N/A
Sample RP:
It was pitch black out on the moonless night. Long pointed ears flicked carefully as they strained, listening for the faintest hint of a noise. He could pick up on someone, somewhere snoring but that wasn't truly what was of interest to Alistair. Sitting in his hammock, he waited, thought, plotted and planned. He knew what was necessary, what he needed but was still busy pondering just how it was that he would go about getting it. He could have ignored the rumbling in his tummy, curled up, found some sleep and waited for morning and breakfast just like everyone else. For whatever reason, that didn't sit too well with him.

No... He was up for a little bit of fun.

Slipping out of his hammock, he made his way carefully over to the door and pressed an ear to it. Nothing... If anyone was about, they were either at another part of the mansion or both immobile and holding their breath. He took a chance and opened the door. Cautiously, he peered around. Nobody. Brilliant. It was with the utmost caution that he closed the door behind him. He would be quick. In, out and back to his room.

Moving on all fours, he made his way silently through the halls that he knew off by heart, down the stairs. His destination? He could smell it before he saw it: apples, pears, bananas... The odors caused him to lick his lips at the mere thought. Entering the room like a ghost, Alistair carefully opened the cupboards one at a time. Where were they? They were moved around so much that it was difficult for him to pick up on their scent exactly. Finally, he came across a jar.

"There you are..." He whispered.

Carefully, slipping the jar of peanuts under his arm, the young mutant made his way back towards his bedroom and his snack.

Mission successful.

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