Cassius Layton
Psychic
Basic Information
Name Cassius Benedict Layton
Pronouns he/him
Age 65
Birthday
Oct 22
Height 5'8
Eyes Blue
Face Claim Michael Emerson
Locations
Residence Location
Reignhart
Occupation Location
Other
Occupation
Retired university musical instructor
Vehicle
2024 Hyundai Elantra [white]
Vampire Stats
Age turned
1
Supernatural Eye Color
Red
First Ability
Truth Sense
Second Ability
Ferrokinesis
Power/Animal Description
- When his powers are active, his eyes change to a dark maroon
- Truth sense - born with this power to his name (at least as far as he could tell you), he always used to joke that he was merely allergic to liars. He can sense a lie all too easily, but if he has prolonged exposure to these untruths he gets downright itchy. To the point of distraction, lest he dig a trench in his own skin to escape it. Compelling someone to be honest is a bit more tricky, as he cannot lie either in the duration or immediate aftermath. He employs it entirely with caution.
- Ferrokinesis discovering this power under duress in his young adult life meant initially he had no great love for it, but his eyes were opened to its many applications and he has blossomed in it since. The more malleable the metal, the easier time he has bending it literally to his will. The purer it is, as well, the more fine his control. He struggled to pull and refine metals from natural deposits and has mostly given up on that venture. Most of his preferred uses are strictly in reshaping what is readily at hand. Overuse tends to become taxing rather quickly, anemic symptoms that have led him to believe that the magic is doing something to the iron in his blood. It’s acute and comes on quickly if he doesn’t heed the warnings: fatigue and shortness of breath, followed by headache and dizziness, loss of sensation. Ultimately he can go into shock, and sometimes for a day or so after overuse he either has no appetite or else really wants to eat dirt, which is unpleasant either way.
Psychic Stats
Age turned
1
Supernatural Eye Color
Red
First Ability
Truth Sense
Second Ability
Ferrokinesis
Third Ability
None
Power Description
- When his powers are active, his eyes change to a dark maroon
- Truth sense - born with this power to his name (at least as far as he could tell you), he always used to joke that he was merely allergic to liars. He can sense a lie all too easily, but if he has prolonged exposure to these untruths he gets downright itchy. To the point of distraction, lest he dig a trench in his own skin to escape it. Compelling someone to be honest is a bit more tricky, as he cannot lie either in the duration or immediate aftermath. He employs it entirely with caution.
- Ferrokinesis discovering this power under duress in his young adult life meant initially he had no great love for it, but his eyes were opened to its many applications and he has blossomed in it since. The more malleable the metal, the easier time he has bending it literally to his will. The purer it is, as well, the more fine his control. He struggled to pull and refine metals from natural deposits and has mostly given up on that venture. Most of his preferred uses are strictly in reshaping what is readily at hand. Overuse tends to become taxing rather quickly, anemic symptoms that have led him to believe that the magic is doing something to the iron in his blood. It’s acute and comes on quickly if he doesn’t heed the warnings: fatigue and shortness of breath, followed by headache and dizziness, loss of sensation. Ultimately he can go into shock, and sometimes for a day or so after overuse he either has no appetite or else really wants to eat dirt, which is unpleasant either way.
Were Stats
Age turned
1
Supernatural Eye Color
Red
Animal Appearance
Appearance
- Utterly unassuming in appearance, slightly bug-eyed, aggressively widow’s peaked, a little round in the middle
- Wears glasses at all times as he’s too near-sighted to function otherwise
- Dresses nicely when he can, simply when he can’t, and almost always has something in his pockets and a watch on his wrist
- Expression is typically pleasant, even inviting
- Habitually clean shaven
Personality
- Liars have never felt right to him, and as a result he has no taste or patience for anyone who cannot be honest with him, specifically. This does not mean he’s against people lying to others, and is morally capable of lying himself
- Frugal to a fault, he buys only what he must and saves to be sure he has things that are of a quality that will last
- Firmly believes psychics are the superior, next evolution of humankind, and other supernaturals are unholy aberrations
- Good humored, not necessarily good natured, steely underneath
- Quietly ambitious, responds well to praise--if it’s sincere
- Temper manifests in outbursts that can be hard to predict
History
- Born 1959 in Iowa. His father wanted to name him Cassius, his mother preferred Benedict. Father won out, but mother would call him Benedict until the day she died. His younger brother joined the family in 1965.
- Childhood was fine, if a bit rote in nature. Cassius learned quickly that his father was a liar, but also learned to work around it.
- In 1978, he moved away from home to go to a music school in New York. Music always struck him as inherently honest, as you cannot cheat your way to first chair without actual talent.
- Ultimately excelled with the cello, but learned several string and wind instruments along the way. Worked his way into an orchestra, performed, but always harbored the idea that he might prefer instructing or directing. .
- Married a young woman in 1985. She was charmed, he thought he ought to have kids. This did not seem to want to happen for them.
- In an effort to redirect some energy and get him to join him in the industry, Cassius invited his brother to visit him and join his alma mater in winter 1986.
- Cassius was the one driving late at night when they hit a patch of black ice and went off the road, crushing the front end of the vehicle and pinning them both inside. Twisting the wreckage free from his body with a new flash of power, he was able to save himself. Too weak and on the verge of blacking out, he could not do the same to the passenger side. Brother bled out while the emergency response was trying to cut him free of the car.
- As the older brother, he blamed himself for this tragedy. Unfortunately, his parents blamed him as well, even if his mother could never bring herself to be honest with him about how she felt. This harmed him more than a pointed finger would have.
- Struck in grief, devastated and questioning everything he knew, he was approached by A New Sun in 1987. He proved an easy recruit when they began to help him remember what he’d always believed as a child--his power (and consequently, the power of others) made them different, better than average humanity. To him? A new evolution.
- So, exhausted by mourning, he shed that old skin willfully, embraced a new outlook, and his life’s intention.
- His wife did not care for the changes, as she saw them better than anyone. She begged him to step away, to move, to do anything else.
- Even when she revealed she was pregnant in 1988, his mind could not be changed. Before the child was even born, she packed her things and vanished. It was sentimentality that kept him from looking for her.
- Ultimately he continued performing, then working when he got into the department at the school and began directing. His career would evolve over the years, to various positions and duties. As an instructor he was better able to find prospects from A New Sun. Some worked out, others didn’t.
- Had various dalliances over the years but never settled with anyone again.
- Spread the word as required. Traveled when necessary. Created allies, handled enemies.
- Cassius was incensed to learn of the reality of shifters and vampires, but truthfully not surprised. Began to put more time into the Sun’s purposes in those recent years, and wound his way toward retirement at the university.
- As things began to shift westward in the futile search for their wayward, unworthy, disinherited heir, he was privately disgruntled with the obsession with bloodlines. With insisting people without power be forced to take it, only to watch them squander it. People far more loyal than that deserved so much more. People like him.
- Shortly after retiring, he was summoned, finally, to abandon New York and come to help purge this little Colorado hot spot.
Achievements
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