antares grant is beta class mutant with the ability of dragon physiology. they’ve been in new york for twelve years where they spend most of their time as guitarist/drifter. when i think of them, i think of choking on embers, glimpses of scales through pale skin, well-worn cardboard stencils. they are affiliated with no one ( neutral ). || (matt smith, thirty-seven, cis man, he/him) — [ira, twenty-two, he/him, pst, n/a!]
hello, sorry for the several day lapse between my initial task and this intro. i got unexpectedly busy with irl stuff and didn’t have the time to get this prepped and posted. let me introduce you very briefly to my pathetic meow meow.
antares (tares, ares, ant, he will accept any shortening of his name) was born in rural louisiana and raised primarily in foster care.
he was always a little weird looking, he came out looking like an overcooked russet potato which was actually NOT due to his mutation, just his genetics in general. but he was bright and quick and got along with the other children in the foster ward in spite of his mutated features.
the adults within his life were not as accepting, and he received a lot of mistreatment that would’ve otherwise passed him by. a typical experience for an identifiable mutant, i think. he often ran away from the ward and later from homes he was fostered into.
he was thirteen when that got him into more trouble than he had bargained for though! zipping out into a dark street after vaulting several fences had him in the stoplights of a mom-van that sideswiped him. if he were just a human child, the blow probably would’ve killed him—instead, it activated those dormant dragon genes.
emboldened by a second form and presumed dead-via-sedan, the irresponsible preteen set out on his own; stealing, breaking-and-entering, swindling, sleeping under dumpsters. a less than glamorous lifestyle for sure, but he got by until he didn’t.
several stints in juvenile detention and one three year stay in whitey bulger's final airbnb (prison) sees our draconic idiot a thoroughly unemployable twenty-four year old, substance addicted and disenfranchised to the max. with little else to resort to, he is back on his bullshit stealing and causing problems in new york.
sleeping rough and living rougher, antares has had many professions, none of them very swanky. for almost six years he was skimming by working alternately as an escort, the worst imitation of walter white physically possible, ticket scalper, thief, waiter, or cutting copper wire out of phone booths thanks to his relative immunity to being electrozooted to death.
thankfully he found a niche. or rather… the niche found him? weaned (by force) off his various chemical confections, a semi-soberised antares worked making custom guitars with a fellow mutant in a dusty little instrument shop in the bronx. freshly thirty with his own bedroom for the first time, what a slay indeed.
by this time it had been 8 years since he’d gone dragon. his first time getting back in the skies after that long was so painful that he nearly gave up on being a sky lizard. however the freedom… was too delicious to pass up. he can never do in the city as the damage would be…. cataclysmic, he takes a motorbike out into rural rural new york state every weekend just to galavant. this has resulted in a litany of dragon-shaped myths popping up.
he still makes guitars. hes very good at it. he plays them too. his band is called hand of the sock puppet or HOTSP for short (said like hots with a p on the end) and makes shitty grunge-y mutant orientated music for when you’re a mutant and it makes you feel sad because life sucks. open for auditions, he’s the only member and he can’t sing but he’s doing his best.
hes also a graffiti artist because why not. theres so much free space in new york to slap a stenciled or freehand painting on. his art was shit at first and is still a bit shit but it’s gotten better. signs that shit DRAGON. why not. (he's not original at all)
dragon physiology. users possess the traits, attributes, characteristics and/or abilities of dragons; a powerful and legendary creature, typically depicted with serpentine or reptilian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures. they achieve this either through full or partial transformation into dragons, choosing to mimic certain aspects of draconic beings, or simply already being a dragon in the first place.
what's your mutant's classification level?
beta. beta-level mutants are like alphas, but with a catch. at first glance, they look human, but closer inspection reveals a strange trait, like a non-human eye color. a beta mutant can also be someone who can’t make skin-to-skin contact due to their power.
how old were they when they first discovered their abilities? how did it happen?
being born a little weird looking was definitely a clue, but a majority of antares’ mutation stayed dormant until his tweens. he ran fled from foster-care a lot and during one of his disappearing acts he was struck by a vehicle. one moment he was kid-shaped and skidding across pavement, the next he was in the sky.
so, what can your mutant do with their abilities?
antares can swap between two forms. the first is ostensibly human, save reptilian gold eyes, the hint of scales beneath his skin and slightly pointed ears. the second is cataclysmic, a massive wyvernic dragon clad with a thick hide, sharp claws and firebreath.
the change between man and dragon is excruciating but brief; the change between dragon and man is more drawn out, and leaves behind the skeletal remains of the beast.
in human form, antares heals moderately faster than the average human. his blood runs extremely hot and as such his body temperature is a lot higher than average too. he can breathe a scalding smoke, but does not have access to the anatomy that would allow him to ignite fire in his throat. he can control fire a little though.
in dragon form the thick carapace of scales deters most damage and he is extremely resistant to fire. healing from wounds that pierce through dragonhide is very difficult and often results in a shedding of the dragon form. he can fly in this form, and breathe fire.
…and what can't they do (at least, not yet)?
there is no half transformation. he cannot bring forth claws or wings while human. in dragon form he cannot speak.
what's one thing they hope to learn or are currently trying to learn with their abilities?
to recoup faster in the aftermath of a transformation. the change is the worst aspect of his mutation as is to be expected.
what is the most powerful thing your mutant can do with their abilities? do you think they would actually do it?
anything a massive flighted lizard could do is most likely destructive. i think he could destroy most buildings in new york on an average low altitude flight if he was so inclined. he’s not, though. he just wants to make shitty music and bask on a rock for the most part.
what are your mutant's weaknesses?
prolonged exposure to cold. he loves winter as long as it’s on the other side of the glass. he’s hungry all the time, in either form his metabolism is exceedingly high and he must eat a lot to stay alive. in the midst of a transformation either way he is extremely vulnerable.
do they use their abilities in their day-to-day life? in what ways?
the practical applications of a dragon in day to day life are minimal but i feel he would be good at making rotisserie chicken if the opportunity were to arise.
as a mutant, do they have any goals? dreams?
as a mutant? not particularly, besides equal rights.
how do they feel about the last 30+ years of mutant history? notably, the presidential address of 1983 and the essex house?
he’s an anti-authority punk who makes music about killing the president. take that however you please.
areudirty
jacobvanloon
kaledo-art
titsay
jbbartram-illu
ellievsbear
stormborns
yousharknotpass
tangentwithtanner
kianamaiart