epistemological: (eyebrow raise whut)
Jonathan Sims ([personal profile] epistemological) wrote2022-03-17 12:24 pm

Powers/Permission Post v. 3

Jon has been on the barge for a long time, and part of that is that he's gone through a few deals at this point. One of them involved cutting the Entities of his universe off, closing them away from all other universes, and restoring those people, places, and things that they've corrupted to their original form... which includes him. As such, as of Daniel of Mayfair's graduation, the Archivist is no more.

'Human' was not a state that Jon could handle very long at all (especially after being the Archivist), and as such he was shortly after turned into a werewolf by Lark Tennant.

As such, his permissions are a lot simpler, though they still work the same (aka I Will Ask You Every Time, this is just a general understanding to work from):

Yes, I'm generally fine with Jon finding out things about my character's mood, truthfulness, health, recent meetings, recent murder, whether they smoke etc. via werewolf senses.

No, I'd generally prefer if Jon couldn't really read my character's mood, truthfulness, health, recent meetings, recent murder, whether they smoke etc. via werewolf senses.

[Jon's currently defunct powers]
GENERAL NOTE:
If a power or effect is not working by default, I (and Jon) will assume there is some incompatibility of universes/personal energy with your character. If it is not working in a particular instance, we'll just put it down to the connection between Jon and the Ceaseless Watcher/Entities not always being as reliable as it could be due to the Barge.

I don't like to speculate or play the game of 'who's power is stronger' when it comes to these things because I'm always of a mind that it never really resolves itself to everyone's satisfaction and it is more useful (and more fun) to adjust things per what is most interesting and useful to driving plot and CR forward in a situation. Narrative first!

You are welcome to change your mind at ANY time for any of these answers; just please make the appropriate adjustments on this post. Narrative-wise, depending on what it is, I'll make it work and check with you that that explanation makes sense, with the above general rule applying most often.

PASSIVE ABILITIES
Jon has a number of passive abilities and/or effects that are just kind of... on all the time. If someone has not answered this little questionnaire at the end here, I will consult with them on a case by case basis but will default to it not happening if I cannot contact them OOC to check.
  • Statement Sense: Jon can sense the presence of a statement, whether it is a physical piece of paper/cassette tape or within a person he is speaking to. He doesn't know anything more about it, just that it exists. In other words, if your character has supernatural trauma and/or experiences, he can sense that.
  • Statement Empathy: When Jon reads or listens to a statement, he takes on the persona and feels the same things as the person who gave or is giving the statement, essentially experiencing the statement events himself. This is true of statements that he has already recorded as well as those he would be given. Archivist Statements allow someone else to experience this as well if they are made to read or listen to a Statement recorded by or read by an Archivist. Think of it like the worst pensieve.
  • Archivist's Presence: Anyone who is around or in the general domain of the Archivist can recall details of memories with greater detail and coherence than if he were not there. Where someone might normally provide a rambling tale with little narrative or specifics, in the presence of the Archivist, this becomes a functional story with pertinent and effective details as well as a well-defined beginning, middle, and end. Jon does not even have to be aware that the character is doing so for this to take effect.
  • Constant Tape Recorders: Random tape recorders tend to appear and turn themselves on to record any time something 'juicy' or of interest is happening around Jon or those he is deeply entwined with. These can be turned off, though they usually turn themselves back on again. They can be removed, but they can pop right back up again as OOC desired.
  • Random Knowing: Random tidbits of information will enter Jon's head at times. These can be as harmless as 'that person happens to be in the library right now' to things like 'ah that graphic murder that happened last week, let me just Know exactly how it all happened and what it looked and possibly felt like'. It is usually but not always caused by focus on the subject at hand and it can even happen with Jon completely unaware, the knowledge just slipped in as if he got it through more mundane means. Jon does not know with certainty the source of or validity of any information in his mind and cannot tell for certain if he learned it or just Knew it without really really thinking back.
  • Understanding: aka Babelfish - Jon can understand any language, written/spoken/otherwise. He doesn't even realize that they're not his own language. Ostensibly, he also can make himself understood to someone who wouldn't know that language as well but again, he just talks and they understand.
  • Being Watched: There is just, in general, the sensation of being watched around Jon, an uncomfortable and paranoia-inducing weight of eyes. More eyes than just his, even if he's looking at you.
  • Nightmare Ride Along: Jon will, if sleeping at the same time as someone who has given him a Statement, appear in their nightmares whenever they have nightmares around the subject of the statement and will, in fact, have more nightmares than they would have otherwise of those events. And those events warp and twist around his presence usually, becoming worse. Jon has no control of this, but makes pains to sleep in his cabin to ensure that the filters keep his power from working outside of the cabin, but it is, actually, possible. Yes, he's technically got the Freddy Kreuger power.
  • Monstrous Form: ...Jon heals super fast. As in, 'couldn't cut off his own finger because as the knife left his flesh it reattached to his finger'. Damage heals incredibly quick at this point and while he feels the pain from the injury, experiences all of that, he's got Wolverine beat for regeneration and did even before he was at full strength. This will slow down if he's starving himself of Statements, which will start to make him sick and dizzy and potentially shrivel him into a barely-functional corpse.

ACTIVE ABILITIES
These abilities require an active choice by Jon to use them. Any use of these abilities on your character/concerning your character will be cleared via OOC communication with the player in question beforehand per use. The permissions around the use of these abilities are more about ensuring that I don't introduce elements of play that would make playing your character difficult, as an interest check to see if this is something you would want to use for CR or character progression, and simply to make sure we're all on the same page. A 'no' on any of these means that I will assume this ability does not work and/or depending on specifics provided, will not even bring up the subject or the use of it with your character to ensure the player's comfort and character's playability.
  • Intended Knowing: Jon can reach out for information he wants, as long as it is information that exists. If he wants to know where someone is in the public areas of the ship, or whether a murder occurred in a certain public spot, a random tidbit of information about someone or about A Thing! etc. He can just want to Know a thing and Know it.
  • Needful Knowing: If he is in a situation where he might need to Know how to do something, he can reach for that knowledge and have it. Canon examples include the ability to administer a local anesthetic perfectly to a sleeping patient (sorry Melanie!).
  • Thought Reading: Jon can pick up on the surface thoughts of a person, such as when he knew something Melanie was thinking about that she didn't actually tell him. If you're thinking of it actively, he can potentially access it.
  • Compulsion: Jon has the ability to compel people with his voice, which usually comes with a certain feeling as well as a crackle on the tape recorders. This compulsion is auditory in nature and does not translate through the communicators or through text; it only works in person. It also can't work via recording and be used later. If you cannot hear him, it cannot work on you. It generally feels rather nice and 'tingly' (thanks Elias) but it doesn't have to. Resisting this compulsion can be done, but only by someone who has a similar power of their own; willpower itself usually just makes people talk around it until they loop back into the subject again. Continuing to resisting when the Archivist pushes the matter can and will kill you. Jon legitimately has Questioned someone to death, another avatar who was actually in his place of power.
    • Questions: The main power of the Archivist, which allows him to ask Questions and receive an answer, and a completely (sometimes uncomfortably) honest one to boot. He can compel you to remember things you've forgotten, to answer truthfully when you've been lying to yourself or didn't even realize the truth yourself, recall details you didn't even know you knew, or push past other magical effects that would obfuscate the information. He cannot compel you to give information you don't have, or answer in a way you blatantly don't believe.
    • Directions: "These are not the droids you're looking for' is roughly how this works. He can essentially make someone do something, like 'Stop!' or 'why don't you just go lie down?' or 'forget we talked about this' etc. He's never done anything super complex, though.

  • Knowledge Insertion: If Jon has knowledge or an experience or something along those lines, he can insert it right into your brain so that you know it/know what it feels like as well.
  • Seeing: Jon can See through lies to the truth: the truth of what someone is, who they are, the truth of their words, the truth of a situation. Glamours, transformations, body snatching, astral projections, anything like that: think of the Wizard's Sight from the Dresden Files or True Sight from D&D. Any attempts at obfuscation or trickery will fail while he's using this unless they're based on the truth in some way.
  • Extraction: As extreme as it gets, the Archivist can (and has) reached into someone for a Statement and just ripped. it. out. He can do a single experience or someone's entire life story (almost like just yanking out an inmate file). This is not pleasant, and the person who is having their Statement extracted feels it, feels Jon seeing and Knowing it. Jon will feel compelled to either write down or record the Statement once he has it... and might pass out afterwards.
  • ETA:
    • Desolation Powers: as of the library fire, Jon can tap into his connection to the Desolation. What this boils down to (haha) is that he can feed off of the fear of destruction and loss and while that energy is available, can turn his body into melting wax and burn people with a touch. It is hard for him to maintain and control and makes him distinctly meaner and more unpleasant to deal with.
    • Slaughter Powers: As of his experiences during the Galley revolt re the Triumverate event (Aug 2022), Jon does have the Piper's song that he can infect people with to drive them towards violence and irritability.
    • Flesh Powers: As of his experiences during the Exit Wounds flood (Oct 2022), Jon can heal wounds. But to do so is to experience the sensation of the wound happening in reverse, including any fear felt at the time. AKA it sucks, alot, but in an emergency situation, he can provide healing.



PASSIVE PERMISSIONS
All Clear:


Mixed:


None:


ACTIVE PERMISSIONS
As a reminder: Any use of these abilities on your character/concerning your character will be cleared via OOC communication with the player in question beforehand per use. This is more of an interest check on if you're even open to the possibility.

Fuck It:


Fuck It with FEELINGS:


All Clear:


Mixed:


None:


worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-03-17 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)

I am ALL GOOD with all applicable passive permissions being active when threading with/concerning my character!

My permissions regarding powers are as follows:
✅Intended Knowing
✅Needful Knowing
✅Thought Reading
❌Compulsion - Questions
❌Compulsion - Directions
❌Knowledge Insertion
✅Seeing
❌Extraction

These all transfer to Chase Collins [personal profile] fifthofthecovenant as well, except I'm a little more okay with Knowledge Insertion there. Chase would not freak out the way B would.
madaboutit: sweeney looking up (Default)

Mad Sweeney

[personal profile] madaboutit 2022-03-17 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)

My permissions regarding applicable passive permissions are as follows:
✅Statement Sense - He has oodles of supernatural trauma, so I'm up for chatting about options
✅Statement Empathy (should your character read or listen to a Statement)
✅Archivist's Presence (while in the same general area as Jon) - I am interested in the potential of this power to actually bring those incarnations to the surface. All of his are jumbled together all of the time, so making a memory clearer could force that person to the consciousness. Let me know if this is something you might want to explore.
❌Constant Tape Recorders (while around Jon, etc.)
✅Random Knowing
✅Understanding (if your character speaks a language other than English)
❌Being Watched (while around Jon)
❌Nightmare Ride Along (should Jon sleep outside his cabin)

Details: [any additional details you'd like to add can go here!]
I'm interested in playing with Sweeney's other selves and their memories, and am open to ideas of how that might inspire you for Jon and/or CR.

My permissions regarding powers are as follows:
✅Intended Knowing (of information about my character, their past, or their world)
✅Needful Knowing (of skills or information only found in my character's world)
✅Thought Reading
[✅/❌]Compulsion - Questions
[✅/❌]Compulsion - Directions
[✅/❌]Knowledge Insertion (of knowledge into my character's mind)
[✅/❌]Seeing (of information about my character/while looking at my character)
[✅/❌]Extraction (this ever happening to my character)

Details: [If you have any more detailed feelings around any of these abilities that you feel is important for me to know or that you want to be made known, pop it here!]
With the Active powers, I would like to discuss stuff more on a case by case basis, especially the last several, which is why I bracketed them. I'm wary about blanket yes or no on some of them just because they could be a lot of fun, but also potentially character damaging (and I have so little experience with Jon). Sweeney will almost certainly be pissed/hostile to them, since mental violation is one of his traumas.

I look forward to seeing how stuff shakes out. :)
reformedsinner: (Default)

[personal profile] reformedsinner 2022-03-17 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)

✅✅

I am COMPLETELY FINE with the use of any active or passive power being used on my character.

Gonou's feelings on the matter will depend on whether he ICly offered permission in advance and how good he thinks Jon's reasons are!
statementfuckingends: (Default)

[personal profile] statementfuckingends 2022-03-17 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)

I am ALL GOOD with all applicable passive permissions being active when threading with/concerning my character!

✅❎

I am COMPLETELY FINE with the use of any active power being used on my character, with the caveat that my CHARACTER is going to be pissed as hell and the use of which may create negative CR.

In perpetuity for any and all characters I bring here while Jon's around :>
mrballisticsdummy: (Default)

[personal profile] mrballisticsdummy 2022-03-17 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)

I am ALL GOOD with all applicable passive permissions being active when threading with/concerning my character!

✅✅

I am COMPLETELY FINE with the use of any active power being used on my character.

Fuck 'em up, Jon.

ETA: This applies to literally every character I have from now until forever unless otherwise stated. C:
Edited 2022-09-02 13:48 (UTC)
pharadyne: (Default)

[personal profile] pharadyne 2022-03-17 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)

I am ALL GOOD with all applicable passive permissions being active when threading with/concerning my character!

✅❎

I am COMPLETELY FINE with the use of any active power being used on my character, with the caveat that my CHARACTER is going to be pissed as hell and the use of which may create negative CR some kind of something. Possibly pissed as hell, possibly temporarily cracked, possibly just intensely curious, depending on specifics.
unknownjoy: curtainfire (cute but deranged)

[personal profile] unknownjoy 2022-03-18 03:02 am (UTC)(link)

I am ALL GOOD with all applicable passive permissions being active when threading with/concerning my character!

✅❎

I am COMPLETELY FINE with the use of any active power being used on my character, with the caveat that my CHARACTER is going to be pissed as hell and the use of which may create negative CR.
unfavorableinstigation: Nita looking right, holding a book. (I'm In The Book)

Nita Callahan

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2022-08-27 02:30 am (UTC)(link)

My permissions regarding applicable passive permissions are as follows:
❌Statement Sense
❌Statement Empathy (should your character read or listen to a Statement)
✅Archivist's Presence (while in the same general area as Jon)
✅Constant Tape Recorders (while around Jon, etc.) (Tentative; she may assume it's his equivalent of a wizard's Manual unless he makes it clear it's Not Like That. She may also try telling them off in the Speech, though I don't expect that to accomplish anything!)
✅Random Knowing (Ask me if you want a quote, please! I don't mind doing fetch quests. ;)
✅Understanding (if your character speaks a language other than English) - applies to the Speech specifically, though it's also part and parcel of the Speech's own capabilities.
✅Being Watched (while around Jon)
✅Nightmare Ride Along (should Jon sleep outside his cabin)

I am ALL GOOD with being asked about the introduction of any active power to a thread with/concerning my character!

Details: If there's anything you want to have Jon learn (and react to) about the events in Nita's canon/outlined in her app, hit me up first but generally I'll be happy to run with it coming up in a given thread!
Edited 2022-08-27 02:30 (UTC)
unfavorableinstigation: Nita Callahan rendered in Undertale-style graphics. (Nita.jpg)

Re: Nita Callahan

[personal profile] unfavorableinstigation 2022-08-27 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Always good to meet more (if former) players! The other Dairine mun I know is also retired at this point, unfortunately, but it's good to have some common ground.

And that's hilarious, actually. XD Callahan Scolding, a valuable tool? /joking
perfectly_average: (196)

Jamil Viper

[personal profile] perfectly_average 2022-09-21 03:29 pm (UTC)(link)

I am ALL GOOD with all applicable passive permissions being active when threading with/concerning my character!

I am ALL GOOD with being asked about the introduction of any active power to a thread with/concerning my character!

Do him an alarm.
just7seconds: (8aAljFn)

Cloud Strife

[personal profile] just7seconds 2022-09-21 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)

My permissions regarding applicable passive permissions are as follows:
✅ Statement Sense
✅ Statement Empathy (should your character read or listen to a Statement)
✅ Archivist's Presence (while in the same general area as Jon)
✅ Constant Tape Recorders (while around Jon, etc.)
✅/❌ Random Knowing
✅ Understanding (if your character speaks a language other than English)
✅/❌ Being Watched (while around Jon)
✅/❌ Nightmare Ride Along (should Jon sleep outside his cabin)

Details: For those with both, let's plot beforehand. I sometimes have days that have me not super up for that.

My permissions regarding powers are as follows:
✅ Intended Knowing (of information about my character, their past, or their world)
✅ Needful Knowing (of skills or information only found in my character's world)
✅ Thought Reading
❌Compulsion - Questions
✅/❌ Compulsion - Directions
✅/❌ Knowledge Insertion (of knowledge into my character's mind)
✅ Seeing (of information about my character/while looking at my character)
❌ Extraction (this ever happening to my character)

Details: Let's plot things. Same as above with the Details, sans those two that would likely just be bad af for Cloud!
Edited 2022-09-21 15:34 (UTC)
empathicfault: (Sick)

[personal profile] empathicfault 2023-03-01 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I'm generally fine with Jon finding out things about my character's mood, truthfulness, health, recent meetings, recent murder, whether they smoke etc. via werewolf senses. Go ham!
pitofguilt: (Default)

[personal profile] pitofguilt 2023-05-16 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I'm generally fine with Jon finding out things about my character's mood, truthfulness, health, recent meetings, recent murder, whether they smoke etc. via werewolf senses.