Scorched app!
Application is under the cut to keep things tidy.
Out of Character Information
player name: Chap
player livejournal: cosineofchap (subject to change soon)
playing here: nobody else
where did you find us? via some friends and friends of friends on Plurk
are you 16 years of age or older?: Yepyep!
In Character Information
character name: Dr. Simon Tam
Fandom: Firefly
Timeline: post-Serenity (film)
character's age: 29
powers, skills, pets and equipment:
Simon doesn't have any supernatural powers, unless the ability to say exactly the worst thing possible at any given moment counts as a twisted form of clairvoyance. He is, as he has said himself, very smart, but especially when compared to his younger sister River, he doesn't really consider that much of a power. He is a skilled trauma surgeon, having studied at the best MedAcad on Osiris, his home planet. He's also proven to be something of a criminal mastermind- he managed to organize a heist of medical supplies from a hospital in exchange for time using their equipment to examine River's brain. And numerous awkward moments aside, he has managed to charm Kaylee on occasion.
However, the mist has changed him, and he is beginning to hear distant echoes of his friends and family aboard Serenity. What comes through is cloudy and chaotic, and interspersed with scenes from the lives of people he's meeting. It's a bit like what River has been experiencing since her time at the Academy, but more organic- no elements of his brain were removed, so he still processes this information and his emotions the way he always has. Simon is able to have these psuedo-visions at various times, but he cannot control them.
As far as the logistics of this power in-game, Simon's mun would of course need permission from another player for Simon's ability to manifest in their interactions. The other player would also be in control of what information exactly he can know using this ability. After all, his powers give him useless and nonsensical information about as often as they help him out. It is more likely that Simon's powers will manifest when interacting with a patient or someone from his own canon, especially River. Conversely, it is less likely that Simon will have this ability with people from canons that do not involve space travel or that take place primarily on earth. He also still isn't very good with girls.
Simon had pets on Osiris throughout his childhood. As a member of an affluent family, his parents could afford to keep pets around for company rather than for work, like those on the border planets who still use horses for some kinds of transportation. But Simon hasn't seen or heard from his family in a very long time, and thus hasn't had any contact with family pets, either. It's probably for the best, as he doesn't doubt his own family would turn him in to the authorities looking for himself and his sister. Although, considering the revelation of what happened on Miranda, they may have changed their minds about trusting Simon's intuition about River.
canon history:
Simon Tam came aboard Serenity as a passenger and a fugitive from the Alliance, bringing with him his sister in stasis. He and his sister are both brilliant, though River's intelligence surpasses his to the point of psychic abilities. When she was young, River went to a mysterious school called the Academy to learn even more. She wrote to Simon often, but the letters were cryptic, and made little sense. Gabriel and Reagan Tam just thought their daughter was playing a game, but Simon knew better. It turned out to be a code. River wanted out- the people at the Academy were hurting them.
Simon used his status and money to get in contact with people who could help him get River free, angering and shaming his family along the way. Eventually he was able to sneak River out of the Academy by putting her in cryostasis and storing her in a box. He boarded Serenity, unfortunately along with an Alliance mole who planned to turn River and Simon in to the authorities.
At this point, Malcolm Reynolds, captain of Serenity, was prepared to give Simon over to save himself and his crew, but the overly jumpy mole accidentally shot Kaylee, the ship's mechanic. Simon managed to persuade Mal to let him and his sister stay by threatening to let Kaylee die if he refused to protect them. This action was unpleasant, and still bothers him to this day, but he felt it was necessary to protect River. Simon was able to save Kaylee's life once Mal agreed to let him remain on the ship.
A number of incidents followed this in which Simon showed his worth as their medic. He drugged Jayne, the hotheaded mercenary, to prevent him from taking over the ship when Mal and Zoe were detained during a heist. He and River were captured by a village in need of a doctor, but the crew rescued them in the nick of time, proving themselves to be "big damn heroes." He learned what going mad must be like when he wound up in Canton, where Jayne was revered as a hero- and said some things he regretted after a night of drinking with Kaylee. And through it all he protected River and made progress towards discovering the dark secret that haunted her, and what exactly the Alliance had done to her brain.
Now, Simon is more cynical than he was before coming aboard Serenity. He knows more about the Alliance's habit of meddling, even when it's a terrible idea. He's finally managed to get somewhere with Kaylee, though he really doesn't know what to say after that time in the engine room. He and the crew are dealing with the loss of two of their members, the Shepherd Book and the pilot Wash. Simon would be very happy to have a break.
The Sphere isn't going to give him that break.
personality:
The thing that matters most to Simon is his sister River. He gave up his career as a highly successful surgeon for the sake of rescuing her. Seeing River dance again on a border planet, talking to her about their childhood- these are things that bring him joy. When River is happy, Simon is happy, but more often than not she's experiencing intense psychological trouble. This seems to have improved now that she's been able to get the word out about what happened on the planet Miranda, but Simon still worries, and her new bout of confidence is making relations between them strained.
Simon means well, but he often winds up with his foot in his mouth. This is true when it comes to Kaylee, who he genuinely likes a lot, but doesn't quite understand all the time. Kaylee is a lot more blunt than he is, and it took him a near death experience to admit he'd rather like to be with her. Of course, he meant it in a way more than sex, but that's all that seems to have happened at this point.
It could be said that Simon's personality changes based on the situation. As hopeless as he is when it comes to interpersonal effectiveness, he's brilliant when it comes to medicine. He has no qualms about nearly blowing his cover in order to step in and rescue a patient. Simon can also be cold and sarcastic, especially when his personality clashes with someone else's. Aboard Serenity, he fought frequently with Jayne, whose crude manners and willingness to turn his back on his crew for money disgusted Simon. This came to a head when Jayne attempted to sell Simon and River out to the Alliance for money. Simon took the high road and avoided getting revenge, though not without reminding Jayne that as his doctor, he had a degree of control over him.
In general, Simon is a good person to have on a spaceship, or in any setting where medical emergencies are likely to happen. He's a great doctor, a caring brother, and a well-meaning person with a talent for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. He's also cunning, and although not underhanded, he is willing to do what he must in order to keep himself and River safe.
why do you feel this character would be appropriate to the setting?
Simon's medical skills could potentially be useful in a place like Anatole. He's had a good bit of firsthand experience with hallucinations and other psychological effects the mist may have on people- after all, he's worked with River for a long time. Possessing no supernatural abilities of his own, Simon's reaction to gaining some would certainly unfold in an interesting fashion.
Simon is also used to dealing with (and living with) people of a shady nature, though perhaps not as shady as those in Dismas. Still, his talent for negotiating with the vaguely criminal could serve him well here too. He's adapted well to the crew of Serenity and their "business partners;" he may fit in unusually well in this setting too.
Writing Samples
Network Post Sample:
[Simon swears in Mandarin, close enough to the microphone that whoever is listening on the other end could probably hear. Not something he would have done back on Osiris, but he's a long way from Osiris.
Or perhaps even from the galaxy.]
River?
[There isn't anywhere in this room River could be hiding, and he's pretty sure she isn't on the other end of this device, but the name slips out of his mouth before he can really think, like a reflex.]
Would someone like to tell me what's going on?
[A bit of annoyance and authority creeps into his voice. He leans against the wall, frustrated.]
I was just in the infirmary. Now I'm somewhere not on Serenity at all.
[It occurs to Simon that the person on the other end, if there is a person there at all, likely doesn't know what Serenity is.]
Look, I understand I'm probably not making any sense to you, but if you could just send me back to where I just was...
[Simon waits for a moment. Nothing.
He collapses into the small room's only chair.
Running his hands through his hair, he thinks for a moment. He decides to try the communicator again.]
I'm a doctor. If you have people here- on this planet, whatever it is- who need medical attention, I can give it to them if you promise to take me back to Serenity.
[Simon experiences a sharp pain in his head, then falls to the ground. He hears voices...River's voice, saying his name.]
River?
["Simon's busy," River says.]
River, no- I'm not busy, I'm right here-
["Sibling rivalry." He sees River's face, reaches out to grab her hand.
The vision fades. Simon swears again.]
Third Person Sample:
Simon can’t find River.
River is, as she is now reminding him on a daily basis, not nearly as helpless as he sometimes fears, but that doesn’t change the fact that not being able to find her, or anyone else on the crew, or the ship itself is a very bad sign.
He had been working in the infirmary, reorganizing some of his supplies. Mal had rekindled an old feud with someone on one of the border planets, and they were caught between the Alliance, who would arrest them, and this smuggler and his band of cohorts, who would kill them. As a result, Simon was running out of some important medical supplies. The same sort that Mal would need if this enemy of his shot at him anymore, he’d thought sardonically.
Then Serenity encountered- something. Simon had never found out what, because as he was running out of the infirmary to check on River, Mal’s new co-pilot in training, he hit the doorframe as Serenity made a particularly violent lurch towards the right. One minute he was thinking a number of unflattering things about the captain’s ability to train his sister, and the next he was waking up in a different room entirely, his head aching and a metal weight pressing against his hand.
The weight turned out to be some sort of communicator. The doctor picked himself up, slowly, feeling every muscle crying out as he got to his feet. Looking around more, he realized that there was absolutely no way that this was Serenity, or even a planet he was familiar with. Simon promptly ruined his reputation in this new place by cursing loudly. Not that reputation particularly mattered to him anymore.
Now he's here, calling out for River into the mysterious device, realizing a second too late that it was probably useless anyway. There isn't anyone else in this room- his room, Simon thinks, even though he still isn't aware of what this place is- and what are the odds of River having another device like this one? He's getting a faint idea that he's been brought here by something, or someone, and that Serenity is far away. Serenity...Simon experiences a sharp pain in his head, and for a moment he can see the crew sitting down to dinner, and River wandering in late, announcing that he's not on the ship. "Simon is busy," she says. "Sibling rivalry. Needs to catch up."
Simon wakes up on the floor again. "This," he says to himself, "is not going to be my new habit." He picks himself up, and notices a leather-bound notebook on the floor next to him. It looks like something expensive that people on the core planets would buy- a replica of an Earth-that-was relic. There's a complicated pen and an inkwell next to it- tools that Simon has never used, but he can figure out surprisingly well. He opens the book, and discovers that it is an empty diary, much like the one he had with his supplies on the ship, only more ornate. Simon quickly writes down River's words, and attempts to add the date next to him. Realizing that he doesn't know the date for certain, he marks that page with "day one:
"Let's hope it's not one of many."
Anything else? Simon and River are sometimes a bit of a unit, but this mun would happily play him without a River present (despite the degree of complaining on dear_mun he will inevitably do.) And this mun is also quite curious about what changes in his personality, ethics, and abilities would take place on this world.
Out of Character Information
player name: Chap
player livejournal: cosineofchap (subject to change soon)
playing here: nobody else
where did you find us? via some friends and friends of friends on Plurk
are you 16 years of age or older?: Yepyep!
In Character Information
character name: Dr. Simon Tam
Fandom: Firefly
Timeline: post-Serenity (film)
character's age: 29
powers, skills, pets and equipment:
Simon doesn't have any supernatural powers, unless the ability to say exactly the worst thing possible at any given moment counts as a twisted form of clairvoyance. He is, as he has said himself, very smart, but especially when compared to his younger sister River, he doesn't really consider that much of a power. He is a skilled trauma surgeon, having studied at the best MedAcad on Osiris, his home planet. He's also proven to be something of a criminal mastermind- he managed to organize a heist of medical supplies from a hospital in exchange for time using their equipment to examine River's brain. And numerous awkward moments aside, he has managed to charm Kaylee on occasion.
However, the mist has changed him, and he is beginning to hear distant echoes of his friends and family aboard Serenity. What comes through is cloudy and chaotic, and interspersed with scenes from the lives of people he's meeting. It's a bit like what River has been experiencing since her time at the Academy, but more organic- no elements of his brain were removed, so he still processes this information and his emotions the way he always has. Simon is able to have these psuedo-visions at various times, but he cannot control them.
As far as the logistics of this power in-game, Simon's mun would of course need permission from another player for Simon's ability to manifest in their interactions. The other player would also be in control of what information exactly he can know using this ability. After all, his powers give him useless and nonsensical information about as often as they help him out. It is more likely that Simon's powers will manifest when interacting with a patient or someone from his own canon, especially River. Conversely, it is less likely that Simon will have this ability with people from canons that do not involve space travel or that take place primarily on earth. He also still isn't very good with girls.
Simon had pets on Osiris throughout his childhood. As a member of an affluent family, his parents could afford to keep pets around for company rather than for work, like those on the border planets who still use horses for some kinds of transportation. But Simon hasn't seen or heard from his family in a very long time, and thus hasn't had any contact with family pets, either. It's probably for the best, as he doesn't doubt his own family would turn him in to the authorities looking for himself and his sister. Although, considering the revelation of what happened on Miranda, they may have changed their minds about trusting Simon's intuition about River.
canon history:
Simon Tam came aboard Serenity as a passenger and a fugitive from the Alliance, bringing with him his sister in stasis. He and his sister are both brilliant, though River's intelligence surpasses his to the point of psychic abilities. When she was young, River went to a mysterious school called the Academy to learn even more. She wrote to Simon often, but the letters were cryptic, and made little sense. Gabriel and Reagan Tam just thought their daughter was playing a game, but Simon knew better. It turned out to be a code. River wanted out- the people at the Academy were hurting them.
Simon used his status and money to get in contact with people who could help him get River free, angering and shaming his family along the way. Eventually he was able to sneak River out of the Academy by putting her in cryostasis and storing her in a box. He boarded Serenity, unfortunately along with an Alliance mole who planned to turn River and Simon in to the authorities.
At this point, Malcolm Reynolds, captain of Serenity, was prepared to give Simon over to save himself and his crew, but the overly jumpy mole accidentally shot Kaylee, the ship's mechanic. Simon managed to persuade Mal to let him and his sister stay by threatening to let Kaylee die if he refused to protect them. This action was unpleasant, and still bothers him to this day, but he felt it was necessary to protect River. Simon was able to save Kaylee's life once Mal agreed to let him remain on the ship.
A number of incidents followed this in which Simon showed his worth as their medic. He drugged Jayne, the hotheaded mercenary, to prevent him from taking over the ship when Mal and Zoe were detained during a heist. He and River were captured by a village in need of a doctor, but the crew rescued them in the nick of time, proving themselves to be "big damn heroes." He learned what going mad must be like when he wound up in Canton, where Jayne was revered as a hero- and said some things he regretted after a night of drinking with Kaylee. And through it all he protected River and made progress towards discovering the dark secret that haunted her, and what exactly the Alliance had done to her brain.
Now, Simon is more cynical than he was before coming aboard Serenity. He knows more about the Alliance's habit of meddling, even when it's a terrible idea. He's finally managed to get somewhere with Kaylee, though he really doesn't know what to say after that time in the engine room. He and the crew are dealing with the loss of two of their members, the Shepherd Book and the pilot Wash. Simon would be very happy to have a break.
The Sphere isn't going to give him that break.
personality:
The thing that matters most to Simon is his sister River. He gave up his career as a highly successful surgeon for the sake of rescuing her. Seeing River dance again on a border planet, talking to her about their childhood- these are things that bring him joy. When River is happy, Simon is happy, but more often than not she's experiencing intense psychological trouble. This seems to have improved now that she's been able to get the word out about what happened on the planet Miranda, but Simon still worries, and her new bout of confidence is making relations between them strained.
Simon means well, but he often winds up with his foot in his mouth. This is true when it comes to Kaylee, who he genuinely likes a lot, but doesn't quite understand all the time. Kaylee is a lot more blunt than he is, and it took him a near death experience to admit he'd rather like to be with her. Of course, he meant it in a way more than sex, but that's all that seems to have happened at this point.
It could be said that Simon's personality changes based on the situation. As hopeless as he is when it comes to interpersonal effectiveness, he's brilliant when it comes to medicine. He has no qualms about nearly blowing his cover in order to step in and rescue a patient. Simon can also be cold and sarcastic, especially when his personality clashes with someone else's. Aboard Serenity, he fought frequently with Jayne, whose crude manners and willingness to turn his back on his crew for money disgusted Simon. This came to a head when Jayne attempted to sell Simon and River out to the Alliance for money. Simon took the high road and avoided getting revenge, though not without reminding Jayne that as his doctor, he had a degree of control over him.
In general, Simon is a good person to have on a spaceship, or in any setting where medical emergencies are likely to happen. He's a great doctor, a caring brother, and a well-meaning person with a talent for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. He's also cunning, and although not underhanded, he is willing to do what he must in order to keep himself and River safe.
why do you feel this character would be appropriate to the setting?
Simon's medical skills could potentially be useful in a place like Anatole. He's had a good bit of firsthand experience with hallucinations and other psychological effects the mist may have on people- after all, he's worked with River for a long time. Possessing no supernatural abilities of his own, Simon's reaction to gaining some would certainly unfold in an interesting fashion.
Simon is also used to dealing with (and living with) people of a shady nature, though perhaps not as shady as those in Dismas. Still, his talent for negotiating with the vaguely criminal could serve him well here too. He's adapted well to the crew of Serenity and their "business partners;" he may fit in unusually well in this setting too.
Writing Samples
Network Post Sample:
[Simon swears in Mandarin, close enough to the microphone that whoever is listening on the other end could probably hear. Not something he would have done back on Osiris, but he's a long way from Osiris.
Or perhaps even from the galaxy.]
River?
[There isn't anywhere in this room River could be hiding, and he's pretty sure she isn't on the other end of this device, but the name slips out of his mouth before he can really think, like a reflex.]
Would someone like to tell me what's going on?
[A bit of annoyance and authority creeps into his voice. He leans against the wall, frustrated.]
I was just in the infirmary. Now I'm somewhere not on Serenity at all.
[It occurs to Simon that the person on the other end, if there is a person there at all, likely doesn't know what Serenity is.]
Look, I understand I'm probably not making any sense to you, but if you could just send me back to where I just was...
[Simon waits for a moment. Nothing.
He collapses into the small room's only chair.
Running his hands through his hair, he thinks for a moment. He decides to try the communicator again.]
I'm a doctor. If you have people here- on this planet, whatever it is- who need medical attention, I can give it to them if you promise to take me back to Serenity.
[Simon experiences a sharp pain in his head, then falls to the ground. He hears voices...River's voice, saying his name.]
River?
["Simon's busy," River says.]
River, no- I'm not busy, I'm right here-
["Sibling rivalry." He sees River's face, reaches out to grab her hand.
The vision fades. Simon swears again.]
Third Person Sample:
Simon can’t find River.
River is, as she is now reminding him on a daily basis, not nearly as helpless as he sometimes fears, but that doesn’t change the fact that not being able to find her, or anyone else on the crew, or the ship itself is a very bad sign.
He had been working in the infirmary, reorganizing some of his supplies. Mal had rekindled an old feud with someone on one of the border planets, and they were caught between the Alliance, who would arrest them, and this smuggler and his band of cohorts, who would kill them. As a result, Simon was running out of some important medical supplies. The same sort that Mal would need if this enemy of his shot at him anymore, he’d thought sardonically.
Then Serenity encountered- something. Simon had never found out what, because as he was running out of the infirmary to check on River, Mal’s new co-pilot in training, he hit the doorframe as Serenity made a particularly violent lurch towards the right. One minute he was thinking a number of unflattering things about the captain’s ability to train his sister, and the next he was waking up in a different room entirely, his head aching and a metal weight pressing against his hand.
The weight turned out to be some sort of communicator. The doctor picked himself up, slowly, feeling every muscle crying out as he got to his feet. Looking around more, he realized that there was absolutely no way that this was Serenity, or even a planet he was familiar with. Simon promptly ruined his reputation in this new place by cursing loudly. Not that reputation particularly mattered to him anymore.
Now he's here, calling out for River into the mysterious device, realizing a second too late that it was probably useless anyway. There isn't anyone else in this room- his room, Simon thinks, even though he still isn't aware of what this place is- and what are the odds of River having another device like this one? He's getting a faint idea that he's been brought here by something, or someone, and that Serenity is far away. Serenity...Simon experiences a sharp pain in his head, and for a moment he can see the crew sitting down to dinner, and River wandering in late, announcing that he's not on the ship. "Simon is busy," she says. "Sibling rivalry. Needs to catch up."
Simon wakes up on the floor again. "This," he says to himself, "is not going to be my new habit." He picks himself up, and notices a leather-bound notebook on the floor next to him. It looks like something expensive that people on the core planets would buy- a replica of an Earth-that-was relic. There's a complicated pen and an inkwell next to it- tools that Simon has never used, but he can figure out surprisingly well. He opens the book, and discovers that it is an empty diary, much like the one he had with his supplies on the ship, only more ornate. Simon quickly writes down River's words, and attempts to add the date next to him. Realizing that he doesn't know the date for certain, he marks that page with "day one:
"Let's hope it's not one of many."
Anything else? Simon and River are sometimes a bit of a unit, but this mun would happily play him without a River present (despite the degree of complaining on dear_mun he will inevitably do.) And this mun is also quite curious about what changes in his personality, ethics, and abilities would take place on this world.