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zombiemessiah) wrote2021-03-19 12:48 am
zombiemessiah) wrote2021-03-19 12:48 am
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Alvin Murphy
Z Nation
Z Nation
General
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Personality
“I’m sitting here with you, you’ve clearly been blessed.”
When Murphy doesn't feel threatened he walks into a room like he owns it. He has no shame, wearing whatever gaudy clothes he can find, ranging from gold lamé to wild prints to embroidery to sequins. Murphy lives his life in the apocalypse like a man who no longer has to adhere to the standards of society and now no one can judge him for having the most fashionable fun he's always wanted. Not even the opinions of those that he (technically) cares about matter. Murphy's gonna do what Murphy's gonna do.
He comes from a white middle-class background and it's obvious in how he addresses people and treats people. He has a constant air of self-importance, a man that was once at the top of the social food chain suddenly booted down to being an object, a test subject, an item of interest and he's deeply resentful of that. He gives not the slightest damn about his newfound position in society. If anything, he vows to change and twist society to his will.
Murphy should probably be more self-conscious about the damage to his body. A normal person might, but he's been stripped and put on display so often he wears the bite-marks that cover his torso with a morbid sense of pride. He may have technically not survived the zombie attack that helped create him, but he persevered. He's fine with allowing anyone to see him in the raw and feels he has nothing to hide. Perhaps at one point he did, but when he realized those bite marks gave him actual power over the direction of his life he couldn't see them as bad anymore. His varying skin colors, his strange mottled eyes, are also something he's similarly accepted.
The only time Murphy is truly humble is when one of the few people close to him dies. Which, for an apocalypse, doesn't happen as often as one would expect because Murphy doesn't let himself get close to people that aren't at least partially dead. If he's scared? Then he'll actually cower behind things and hide and look distressed. Groups of armed humans looking for excuses to capture/kill him especially evoke this reaction. Though sometimes he's more than happy to be defiant right in someone's face. Especially if he has the upper hand.
“This world is over. Come with me. Start the next world.”
Murphy lives in a post-apocalyptic world. While I've taken him from a point where he's running a bar in Newmerica called "Limbo", and Newmerica is relatively civilized with the potential of an ongoing cure, he's been used to scrounging for the most part. Animals are fairly rare except in colder places. Most of the food stores were depleted or destroyed during Black Summer. Only the organized and fairly well-off have resources.
Murphy's state of cleanliness depends on the frantic state of his life. If he's on the road, he's less concerned about it. If he's settled he makes a very active effort to groom and maintain himself. He likes to feel in control, and one of the ways that he does that is tend to his outward appearance.
Because he's been victimized by humans so often, he no longer likes to be around them. Being in a group of humans makes him immediately suspicious that things are going to implode and someone will do something to him. If he were to see non-humans about to be hassled by a human, though, he'd be damn quick to speak on their behalf.
“I am not one of the resurrected…I’m your Messiah!”
Murphy doesn't make friends well. Part of it is his abrasive personality. He will absolutely throw someone he barely cares about under the bus. In a pressing situation he'll remorselessly steal from other people (even completely innocent people) to give things to his friends. It wasn't the apocalypse that made him like this, either. When he was in prison and the virus first started to spread, he escaped the prison yard during the outbreak and left other prisoners he was familiar with to be slaughtered.
His first real feelings of forced empathy came from his abilities manifesting. Zombies started to think and 'feel' at him. He was filled with overwhelming sympathy for their condition and the constantly lost feeling they endure. When he started to create other "blends" like him, he was more inclined to form close, caring relationships with them than he was other humans because he could share actual emotions. He wasn't suspicious of them and knew their intentions (or, if necessary, could control their intentions).
Murphy hates to be dominated by people and feel objectified, as stated before, but this particularly manifests in people wanting to study him. Very few scientists have convinced him to willingly help them and those that have presented it in a way where he'd be an equal partner who also benefitted from the research.
He's sexually attracted to all genders, but implications are that prior to the apocalypse he exclusively slept with women. Like with the freedom that came in fashion that came after the collapse of society, he eventually also found freedom in choosing sexual partners. That said, the person that controlled his direction through much of his journey both to the CDC and then to the West Coast, Roberta Warren, is the one person that he's felt genuine romantic love for.
He also very much loves his daughter. From the moment she was born he was emotionally connected to her, a link that was so strong he was aware of her thousands of miles away. Named after his mother (who he also loved) Lucy was the apple of his eye and he did everything he could to ensure her safety. When his powers were muted he did everything he could to try and reestablish their relationship until her passing.
“You ever tried going mad without power? It’s boring, no one listens to you.”
Murphy ranges from wanting to build a world that he's the center of to rebuilding a society he can once again feel comfortably safe and average in, exchanging normal rituals and daily pleasantries. Being the center of attention is one of his favorite activities (when it's not as his expense). Murphy has no qualms about stating his opinion, not caring for anyone's fragile feelings and largely not having all that many sensitivities (outside of reacting to mentions of his now dead daughter).
The funny thing is that Murphy's harsh attitudes are usually right. The group stops in small pockets of rebuilt society, desperate colonies, becomes attached to people, and then Murphy tells them to leave because things are going to go wrong and bad. Whatever can go wrong, will. Inevitably every new settlement or survivor group they find refuge in collapses. Every strong, valiant, and heroic soul that decides to boldly integrate themselves into Operation Bitemark ends up dead while Murphy, the cowardly, egotistical, utterly and viciously self-aware and perceptive bastard with a weaponized wit persists.
Murphy's currently fine with residing in Limbo, but who knows what the future holds depending on what knowledge he accumulates.
When Murphy doesn't feel threatened he walks into a room like he owns it. He has no shame, wearing whatever gaudy clothes he can find, ranging from gold lamé to wild prints to embroidery to sequins. Murphy lives his life in the apocalypse like a man who no longer has to adhere to the standards of society and now no one can judge him for having the most fashionable fun he's always wanted. Not even the opinions of those that he (technically) cares about matter. Murphy's gonna do what Murphy's gonna do.
He comes from a white middle-class background and it's obvious in how he addresses people and treats people. He has a constant air of self-importance, a man that was once at the top of the social food chain suddenly booted down to being an object, a test subject, an item of interest and he's deeply resentful of that. He gives not the slightest damn about his newfound position in society. If anything, he vows to change and twist society to his will.
Murphy should probably be more self-conscious about the damage to his body. A normal person might, but he's been stripped and put on display so often he wears the bite-marks that cover his torso with a morbid sense of pride. He may have technically not survived the zombie attack that helped create him, but he persevered. He's fine with allowing anyone to see him in the raw and feels he has nothing to hide. Perhaps at one point he did, but when he realized those bite marks gave him actual power over the direction of his life he couldn't see them as bad anymore. His varying skin colors, his strange mottled eyes, are also something he's similarly accepted.
The only time Murphy is truly humble is when one of the few people close to him dies. Which, for an apocalypse, doesn't happen as often as one would expect because Murphy doesn't let himself get close to people that aren't at least partially dead. If he's scared? Then he'll actually cower behind things and hide and look distressed. Groups of armed humans looking for excuses to capture/kill him especially evoke this reaction. Though sometimes he's more than happy to be defiant right in someone's face. Especially if he has the upper hand.
“This world is over. Come with me. Start the next world.”
Murphy lives in a post-apocalyptic world. While I've taken him from a point where he's running a bar in Newmerica called "Limbo", and Newmerica is relatively civilized with the potential of an ongoing cure, he's been used to scrounging for the most part. Animals are fairly rare except in colder places. Most of the food stores were depleted or destroyed during Black Summer. Only the organized and fairly well-off have resources.
Murphy's state of cleanliness depends on the frantic state of his life. If he's on the road, he's less concerned about it. If he's settled he makes a very active effort to groom and maintain himself. He likes to feel in control, and one of the ways that he does that is tend to his outward appearance.
Because he's been victimized by humans so often, he no longer likes to be around them. Being in a group of humans makes him immediately suspicious that things are going to implode and someone will do something to him. If he were to see non-humans about to be hassled by a human, though, he'd be damn quick to speak on their behalf.
“I am not one of the resurrected…I’m your Messiah!”
Murphy doesn't make friends well. Part of it is his abrasive personality. He will absolutely throw someone he barely cares about under the bus. In a pressing situation he'll remorselessly steal from other people (even completely innocent people) to give things to his friends. It wasn't the apocalypse that made him like this, either. When he was in prison and the virus first started to spread, he escaped the prison yard during the outbreak and left other prisoners he was familiar with to be slaughtered.
His first real feelings of forced empathy came from his abilities manifesting. Zombies started to think and 'feel' at him. He was filled with overwhelming sympathy for their condition and the constantly lost feeling they endure. When he started to create other "blends" like him, he was more inclined to form close, caring relationships with them than he was other humans because he could share actual emotions. He wasn't suspicious of them and knew their intentions (or, if necessary, could control their intentions).
Murphy hates to be dominated by people and feel objectified, as stated before, but this particularly manifests in people wanting to study him. Very few scientists have convinced him to willingly help them and those that have presented it in a way where he'd be an equal partner who also benefitted from the research.
He's sexually attracted to all genders, but implications are that prior to the apocalypse he exclusively slept with women. Like with the freedom that came in fashion that came after the collapse of society, he eventually also found freedom in choosing sexual partners. That said, the person that controlled his direction through much of his journey both to the CDC and then to the West Coast, Roberta Warren, is the one person that he's felt genuine romantic love for.
He also very much loves his daughter. From the moment she was born he was emotionally connected to her, a link that was so strong he was aware of her thousands of miles away. Named after his mother (who he also loved) Lucy was the apple of his eye and he did everything he could to ensure her safety. When his powers were muted he did everything he could to try and reestablish their relationship until her passing.
“You ever tried going mad without power? It’s boring, no one listens to you.”
Murphy ranges from wanting to build a world that he's the center of to rebuilding a society he can once again feel comfortably safe and average in, exchanging normal rituals and daily pleasantries. Being the center of attention is one of his favorite activities (when it's not as his expense). Murphy has no qualms about stating his opinion, not caring for anyone's fragile feelings and largely not having all that many sensitivities (outside of reacting to mentions of his now dead daughter).
The funny thing is that Murphy's harsh attitudes are usually right. The group stops in small pockets of rebuilt society, desperate colonies, becomes attached to people, and then Murphy tells them to leave because things are going to go wrong and bad. Whatever can go wrong, will. Inevitably every new settlement or survivor group they find refuge in collapses. Every strong, valiant, and heroic soul that decides to boldly integrate themselves into Operation Bitemark ends up dead while Murphy, the cowardly, egotistical, utterly and viciously self-aware and perceptive bastard with a weaponized wit persists.
Murphy's currently fine with residing in Limbo, but who knows what the future holds depending on what knowledge he accumulates.
Abilities
The accuracy to which the person performs this task is entirely dependent on how much they resist. Someone playing the knife game who is resisting might cut their fingers. Someone fighting for him unwillingly may perform poorly as they attempt to resist the compulsion. However, the compulsion will win out unless the person is vaccinated against him, at which point they would lose any resistance and health advantage they were given.
He remains connected to his group, and while it's not exactly a hive mind there's a sense of camaraderie and mental steadiness he provides them (if they're willing recipients of the infection) and they usually don't resist any of his compulsions. Consenting participants will follow orders unerringly and he's more inclined to become attached to his infected.
For those that resist, he will be more aggressive with his control. Usually, this is on people he sees as personal threats to his (or his daughter's) safety.
Opt-Out
-Murphy is a Zombie. He is infectious.
-Murphy will eat human flesh as a part of one of his abilities, particularly brains.
-Murphy can mind-control people he infects.
To opt-out of discussing particular things, please comment below. I won't take it personally (my significant other is grossed out by zombies, so I'm not unfamiliar to people having difficulty with the topic).
I can play him without bringing up these things, and for the most part I'll be waiting for people to tag him before tagging out and I won't have him do anything invasive without talking/plotting first and I'd always check permissions before bringing it up as a possibility.
I've added an 'other info' section if your character might be receptive or open to telepathic communication, put off a vague telepathic vibe, etc. Or, alternately, is your character a necromancer, a vampire, or some similar form of undead-related party funtime thing and some plotting might be possible.
no subject
Other info! Phineas wouldn't be receptive to telepathy, unfortunately. IDK if you have any interest in Murphy ever infecting anyone on the train for any reason, but if so, I'm not totally opposed to/shutting the door on that idea, let's just discuss beforehand.
no subject
If someone ended up doing it and wanted it, the vague implication is Murphy's bite creates some neural changes that enables them to be receptive. Less that I'm trying to force telepathy on someone more that this is just very enabled if a mun wanted to do the thing.