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BASICS
namerufus kearney
alias
kirkby, apparently
division
security (primary)
exploration (as a treat)
occupation
security. rufus' role has less to do with policing people and keeping the peace; his powers can be and have been used defensively before, and he can interface with the protective forcefields. he's the guy you want going out with you on explorations of the riftlands.
age & dob
44 / may 5th
☼ taurus ☽ virgo ↑ virgo
pronouns
he/him
family
winchester "win" kearney (father)
catherine kearney (mother)
zachary "zak" kearney (brother)
CONNECTIONS
rory: "friends" (it's complicated)
lou: hiking buds
CONCEPT
magnetic manipulator fails to see the positive side in all of this.POWERS
magnetism manipulation as the movements of electrons and, beyond them, that of atomic nuclei, are a primary proponent of magnetism, rufus is able to influence just about anything. he can lift, move, and throw items and beings; he can create temporary magnetic fields to either attract or repel. metal will always be the easiest thing to reach for (cobalt and iron trump them all), and he supposes that one day, he may be able to levitate (he probably could now, but the imagery is too ridiculous for him to try). though he is not fully an electromagnetic liminal, he can generate a magnetic field powerful enough to serve as an EMP, and is able to manipulate the movement of electrical charges to create attractive and repulsive phenomena. he can manipulate highly ferromagnetic metals and cause electronic disruption (and has demagnetized a card once or twice before). distance is his main limiting factor.magnetoreception
rufus (like a bird) is able to detect the earth's magnetic fields. this means he's pretty damn good at orientating himself, and (like a shark) is aware of the presence of other organisms.
radioactive decay
a byproduct of his ability to interact with the movement of atomic nuclei. occurs spontaneously (if he's not being mindful about the use of his main power, such as in moments of extreme duress), or deliberately (he learned how to control and direct it because oops, let's not irradiate your friends).
PERSONALITY
+ patience of a saint. genuinely wants to know how you're doing. self-reliant. finds fulfilment in acts of service. an ongoing and genuine curiosity about the state of the world. quiet doggedness.- bullheadedly stubborn. finds it difficult to entrust others with important tasks. would take talking to the most ornery horse over most people any day. naturally introverted af. angry and in denial about it; easier to shove it down and ignore it.
~ capacity to find self-fulfilment alone in the woods for days on end. does a lot of his reasoning deep, deep in his head; occasionally has to be prompted to share with the rest of the class. actually a bigge softe under thick, thick skin; the kind who will venture out into the storm in spite of all warnings regarding hazards to life, just to make sure you make it back in one piece, and don't you dare thank him for it later (public displays of gratitude aimed at him are just ick). responds to compliments directed at him with snark. clearly some residual fear of being openly homosexual. vain.
APPEARANCE
6'0 and lanky as fuck. distinctive swagger. handles a gun like it's an extension of himself. double denim with a splash of flannel is his staple. a few cowboy hats on rotation. entering his silver fox era. unnaturally still until he isn't. tattoo on his left collarbone covering an old brand.HISTORY
childhood born in dillon, montana. Son of wealthy ranchers (think 30-something-thousand acres and lots and lots of cattle & horses). Rufus is happiest on horseback, and most miserable when sat at the table being told he needs to find a good girl to marry & to focus on being part of the family business. Financial projections, commercial ranching, and heterosexuality are not for him.college Things come to a head when Zak, his younger brother, spies him and a steer rider standing too close and intimate in the bleachers at the tail-end of the local rodeo in the summer before Rufus starts college. He begins his freshman year wounded but determined to get out of his family's closed ranks. He learns self-sufficiency, and works multiple farmhand jobs between semesters, not wanting to be reliant on the Kearney coffers. Indeed, he grows increasingly distant from his family, finally drawing his old man's ire on declaring his intention to become a Montana state park ranger.
park ranger His years as a ranger? Happiest of his life. Humans are messy and complicated; nature, even at her most brutal, is simple.
2003 he's 24 when the rifts first appears in the stratosphere. this is nature, at her most brutal. rufus is working in yellowstone at the time.
2006 rufus doesn't get a hint so much as a crash introduction to liminality when he encounters what appears to be an irradiated cougar looking for its next meal (him and his horse black jaq). he hurls it across a gorge. the next week, black jaq is diagnosed with a rapid onset malignancy, and the whole area of forest is reported as dying off at an alarming rate. rufus hands himself over to IRIS.
2007-2017 spends a decade working on learning about & controlling his abilities. based in two different stations over the years (station x and station y).
2018 towards the end of the year, transfers to the newly established enodia station following reports of ongoing rift activity.
now the events leading to the station's shutdown also led to some uncontrolled power-blipping from rufus. very fortunately no one was killed, but the man has been left feeling like he's regressed to day one of being a liminal (i.e., not great!!). he took himself somewhere very remote to sort himself out, and honestly some people think it's been a coin toss whether he'd come back again.
NOTES
🧲 uncanny ability to drink gutter coffee without flinching. same not applicable for shit whiskey.🧲 bachelor's degree in ecology and conservation.
🧲 he went away for the three months of enodia's downtime. no, he's not talking about it.
🧲 flannel, denim, henleys. some cowboy hats. has forced himself be ~into yoga~, so... there's some lycra and flowy pants.
field guide.
Date: 2023-05-09 10:49 am (UTC)EVERYONE KNOWS: Security guy. Loves nature. Kind of sardonic. Handy to have in a fight. Your resident living compass.
DIVISIONAL COLLEAGUES KNOW: Works Security, but largely dislikes policing people. Almost never at his desk, because he hates sitting around, thus keeps himself very accessible (phone, network &c) so people can reach him while he's on the move. Usually happy to dip in (or out, as it were) as an Explorer (nature!).
FRIENDS KNOW: You can find him in a quiet wine bar with a good book on a Friday night. Your resident Horse ExpertTM. Unabashedly enjoys morose country music. Can hold a tune, but cannot play a single instrument.
CLOSE FRIENDS KNOW: Despite his, ah, differences with his family, they haven't entirely cut him off, so there's a pretty hefty bank account with his name on it, and a parcel of land left to him by his grandmother. He donates his IRIS earnings to various charities and causes. (He doesn't really talk about this, but feel free to have your character reach certain conclusions if they fit in this category!) Convinced he's going to be the cause of some catastrophe one day, so he works hard at mastering his abilities. Line dancing? Yes. Darts? Yes. Take him on a nature walk to really make his day.
DOMESTIC LIFE: Tidy and neat. Likes natural textures and fibres; lots of photographs of nature up on his walls. Has wall to wall shelves laden with books.
ROMANTIC LIFE: Middle aged gay who isn't against casual hookups, just as long as everyone is clear on the rules of engagement. When he commits, though, he commits, which is why he currently seems to have an issue with doing so now -- less dangerous to stay casual, obviously!!!
MISC: The station's mystery bar tab picker-upper.