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ectobabbleCHARACTER NAME: Dr. Ray Stantz
FANDOM: Ghostbusters
CANON: After Ghostbusters II.
WHAT THEY LOST: Being that Ray is a complete shutterbug, to the point where he built his own darkroom to develop the photos he takes, he will lose the ability to photograph anything that would be scientifically relevant to ANY research he's undertaking. This also means he can't photograph magical artifacts, or residents with "supernatural" abilities or forms - like Crowley, Conrad Achenleck, Sylvanas, or Riful, for example.
ABOUT THE CHARACTER: Ray Stantz is the everyman - that is, if everyone had the heart of a big, dopey puppy, and access to unlicensed nuclear reactors. Most people's first impression of Ray would be that he's nothing more than a giant child, one of the Lost Boys who only made it halfway back from Neverland. As right as they would be, a lot of maturity and depth hides underneath what is nearly a perpetual state of exuberance.
The most remarkable thing about Ray is how completely he invests himself in the people and things he cares about. When he gets the start of an idea, he wraps his heart and soul around it and won't let go. "Can't" is very seldom found in his vocabulary, and when it is, it's only because he's exhausted every single solitary possibility and looked for help in as many places as possible. If a friend is in trouble, he'll stick his neck right out on the line with them, and sometimes farther. He'd rather suffer any consequence possible than sell out against his friends, his ideals, or his beliefs... especially since he doesn't have much in the way of family, but was raised to put them first. Naturally, this wholehearted selflessness leaves Ray open to a world of possible hurts. Most of the time, he's savvy enough about the world at large, he's still very naive and gullible when it comes to some things. This is in no small part due to how often Ray will let his mind wander. His train of thought isn't quite immersive enough to rival JD from Scrubs, or Tamaki from Ouran Host Club, but it's pretty vivid, and once he has a thought that captivates him, he'll follow it until someone snaps him out of it. This mental wandering and occasional obliviousness leaves room for another BIG weakness where Paradisa is concerned: he's got very little in the way of psychic defense, and is easily possessed or controlled by those who would have the power to do so.
To counteract that weakness, however, Ray's faith and his emotional connections to the people around him are very strong. When it comes to higher powers, Ray could be called no less than a true believer - in all forms of religion. To believe, in his eyes, is to hypothesize, and every hypothesis is worthy of at least brief consideration. In addition to being a brilliant engineer and scientist, Ray also values himself as a bit of a philosopher - working with the dead for a living will do that to you, eventually. He also believes that people's emotions and thoughts have a tangible effect on the area around them - so a place like Paradisa is a metaphysical goldmine. Even if there are not many straightforward ghostly residents, Ray's curiosity extends to all walks of the occult, so the demons, angels, genuine witches, zombies, dark elves, and any other beings will be a constant source of fascination for him - a fascination that will, no doubt, lead to trouble, especially with those who'd take advantage of the chinks in his mental armor.
Even though Ray's a pushover, if he's messed with or taken advantage of, he'll generally be pretty quick to forgive, and very slow to anger. Among his very few hot-button spots are hypocrisy, intolerance, ignorance, and those who cause willful harm ("an it harm none, do what ye will", and all - especially coming from someone who canonically owns a Wiccan bookstore). Once his buttons are pushed, though, Ray's temper burns very hot and very fast, to the point where some might even wonder if they actually even saw the 'buster in a bad mood.
There are only a few things left worth noting about Ray, but they're all equally important: his klutziness, his almost overwhelming sense of nostalgia, and his dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. They can all sort of be lumped under a "great big nosy kid" filter, though, because that's the exact energy Ray brings to all of his projects. He'll be serious when the situation calls for it, but most of the time, he's just too excited to bother. This excitement will lead him to do just about anything in pursuit of an answer, no matter how foolish it might make him look, how dangerous it could get, or how tedious the actual process is. While he draws lines at some taboos in scientific testing, when it comes down to it, 99% of the time, it's Ray's neck out on the line before anyone else's... and his enthusiasm to get it out there has meant the end of more than one piece of test equipment, and plenty of collateral damage. Whatever it was that got broken, though? He's very, very ... very sorry.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
Ray knew it was just business as usual, for so many of the people here: one resident falling under the influence of the castle's powerful psychokinetic force, flying off whatever amount of handle they still had, and hurting their friends. He'd seen plenty of proof that human nature would tend toward forgiveness and cooperation - New Year's Eve in New York had been proof, let alone the aftermath of Paradisa's random bouts of insanity. But that didn't change the fact that damage had been done by a malevolent, supernatural force, and could - and would - be done again. And that was the sort of thing he'd gone into business to stop. Ray had a job to do - and to do the job, he'd need tools.
"Arright, this oughta do it. ... Wow, they've really upgraded the circuitry in these things. It's almost a shame to have to take you apart." Ray pouted a little as he eased the back plating away from a Wii, perched on the edge of a pool table in the game room. "But I can just wish up a working one and test you out later, right? We're looking for a few good working optical receptor circuits, here ... something I can modify .... AHA, there we go!" Carefully, he eased out the piece of circuitry in question and set it next to the other parts he'd been cannibalizing over the course of the afternoon. The pool table now looked like a Radio Shack in the aftermath of a meteor strike - wires and circuits and bits of plastic casing everywhere, spread out around a hastily constructed blueprint.
"Okay, I think that's everythin'." Ray finished off the last of the can of beer he'd stuck in the corner pocket, then stuck his hands in his pockets and surveyed it all. Maybe a break was in order. After all, he'd been listening to the loop of 8-bit music and the siren song of blips and beeps while he worked, all day ...
"Screw it." With a grin, Ray turned from his technological carnage and sought out the Pac-Man machine in the corner. As he poked at the start button, he could still smell the faint puff of leather-and-cinnamon-scented air as he rifled in his Aunt Sadie's purse for quarters, in the little pizzeria near Lake Waconda. Mm. Pizza. That didn't sound like such a bad idea, either...
Maybe once he'd gotten the distraction out of his system, and the work was done. Sure, why not? He'd solder all the boards together, place the wiring, then take a dinner break. It wouldn't do to rush things, after all. When one was constructing a proper psychoseismic activity sensor, one had to do it right.
FIRST-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
[there's a bright flash of purple light, and a sort of swirling vortex opens up over the duck pond. with a tremendous holler, a man in beige coveralls comes tumbling out and into the water. after a second, he hauls himself up, spluttering]
WOW. I gotta say, that is not the kind of whallop I expected a "Spirit Rifts for Dummies" book to pack. But I guess that's what happens when the darn thing's actually haunted, right, Spengler? ...
[he doesn't even really notice that the person he's addressing isn't there, at first - he's too busy checking all the gear hanging from his belt, then slings the pack off of his back onto the ground to inspect it for damage.] Though, I didn't think the spirit dimension would look quite so ... normal. What're you getting for readings?
[lack of response on THAT, now that gives him pause. he blinks, and looks over his shoulder] Spengler? ... Egon? ... Uh oh.
[he promptly dunks back under the shallows of the duck pond, flailing around in the murk, then comes back up] Well at least you didn't drown. That's good. ... Wherever you are ... you are not drowned. Mark in the plus column. [he fishes his walkie-talkie off his belt and switches it on with a squelch and a hiss] Winston? I got sucked in, but I can't find Spengler, have you heard from him?
[static.]
... Z, you there? C'min, Z. ... Winston? [he twists the dial] Egon. ... [more static, another twist of the dial, and then, a tone that can only be described as last-ditch hopeful] ... Venkman?
[static of statics. his shoulders slump a little] Oh, boy. Guess I'm on my own 'till I find a way outta here. [that glum tone? INSTANTLY gone as he looks back up]
A castle! Oh, wow! I wonder if I've been thrown back in time ... [he slings the pack back onto his shoulders with a grunt] Guess there's only one way to find out ...!
INTENT: Ray is basically here to be a CR maniac. He talks to everyone and anyone - there is no such thing as a niche for Ray, and therefore there will be no way for him to get stuck. He also pokes his nose into everything, so there won't be any way for him to fall into a rut. His curiosity will hopefully serve pretty well with the castle in general, too - but he's not so much of a Big Damn Hero that he'll usurp Five or Darkwing, either. At least, that's my hope. ... I might also submit a few canon-based mini-plots, too ... opt-in stuff that'd just be fun, silly messes for people to deal with.
FANDOM: Ghostbusters
CANON: After Ghostbusters II.
WHAT THEY LOST: Being that Ray is a complete shutterbug, to the point where he built his own darkroom to develop the photos he takes, he will lose the ability to photograph anything that would be scientifically relevant to ANY research he's undertaking. This also means he can't photograph magical artifacts, or residents with "supernatural" abilities or forms - like Crowley, Conrad Achenleck, Sylvanas, or Riful, for example.
ABOUT THE CHARACTER: Ray Stantz is the everyman - that is, if everyone had the heart of a big, dopey puppy, and access to unlicensed nuclear reactors. Most people's first impression of Ray would be that he's nothing more than a giant child, one of the Lost Boys who only made it halfway back from Neverland. As right as they would be, a lot of maturity and depth hides underneath what is nearly a perpetual state of exuberance.
The most remarkable thing about Ray is how completely he invests himself in the people and things he cares about. When he gets the start of an idea, he wraps his heart and soul around it and won't let go. "Can't" is very seldom found in his vocabulary, and when it is, it's only because he's exhausted every single solitary possibility and looked for help in as many places as possible. If a friend is in trouble, he'll stick his neck right out on the line with them, and sometimes farther. He'd rather suffer any consequence possible than sell out against his friends, his ideals, or his beliefs... especially since he doesn't have much in the way of family, but was raised to put them first. Naturally, this wholehearted selflessness leaves Ray open to a world of possible hurts. Most of the time, he's savvy enough about the world at large, he's still very naive and gullible when it comes to some things. This is in no small part due to how often Ray will let his mind wander. His train of thought isn't quite immersive enough to rival JD from Scrubs, or Tamaki from Ouran Host Club, but it's pretty vivid, and once he has a thought that captivates him, he'll follow it until someone snaps him out of it. This mental wandering and occasional obliviousness leaves room for another BIG weakness where Paradisa is concerned: he's got very little in the way of psychic defense, and is easily possessed or controlled by those who would have the power to do so.
To counteract that weakness, however, Ray's faith and his emotional connections to the people around him are very strong. When it comes to higher powers, Ray could be called no less than a true believer - in all forms of religion. To believe, in his eyes, is to hypothesize, and every hypothesis is worthy of at least brief consideration. In addition to being a brilliant engineer and scientist, Ray also values himself as a bit of a philosopher - working with the dead for a living will do that to you, eventually. He also believes that people's emotions and thoughts have a tangible effect on the area around them - so a place like Paradisa is a metaphysical goldmine. Even if there are not many straightforward ghostly residents, Ray's curiosity extends to all walks of the occult, so the demons, angels, genuine witches, zombies, dark elves, and any other beings will be a constant source of fascination for him - a fascination that will, no doubt, lead to trouble, especially with those who'd take advantage of the chinks in his mental armor.
Even though Ray's a pushover, if he's messed with or taken advantage of, he'll generally be pretty quick to forgive, and very slow to anger. Among his very few hot-button spots are hypocrisy, intolerance, ignorance, and those who cause willful harm ("an it harm none, do what ye will", and all - especially coming from someone who canonically owns a Wiccan bookstore). Once his buttons are pushed, though, Ray's temper burns very hot and very fast, to the point where some might even wonder if they actually even saw the 'buster in a bad mood.
There are only a few things left worth noting about Ray, but they're all equally important: his klutziness, his almost overwhelming sense of nostalgia, and his dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. They can all sort of be lumped under a "great big nosy kid" filter, though, because that's the exact energy Ray brings to all of his projects. He'll be serious when the situation calls for it, but most of the time, he's just too excited to bother. This excitement will lead him to do just about anything in pursuit of an answer, no matter how foolish it might make him look, how dangerous it could get, or how tedious the actual process is. While he draws lines at some taboos in scientific testing, when it comes down to it, 99% of the time, it's Ray's neck out on the line before anyone else's... and his enthusiasm to get it out there has meant the end of more than one piece of test equipment, and plenty of collateral damage. Whatever it was that got broken, though? He's very, very ... very sorry.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
Ray knew it was just business as usual, for so many of the people here: one resident falling under the influence of the castle's powerful psychokinetic force, flying off whatever amount of handle they still had, and hurting their friends. He'd seen plenty of proof that human nature would tend toward forgiveness and cooperation - New Year's Eve in New York had been proof, let alone the aftermath of Paradisa's random bouts of insanity. But that didn't change the fact that damage had been done by a malevolent, supernatural force, and could - and would - be done again. And that was the sort of thing he'd gone into business to stop. Ray had a job to do - and to do the job, he'd need tools.
"Arright, this oughta do it. ... Wow, they've really upgraded the circuitry in these things. It's almost a shame to have to take you apart." Ray pouted a little as he eased the back plating away from a Wii, perched on the edge of a pool table in the game room. "But I can just wish up a working one and test you out later, right? We're looking for a few good working optical receptor circuits, here ... something I can modify .... AHA, there we go!" Carefully, he eased out the piece of circuitry in question and set it next to the other parts he'd been cannibalizing over the course of the afternoon. The pool table now looked like a Radio Shack in the aftermath of a meteor strike - wires and circuits and bits of plastic casing everywhere, spread out around a hastily constructed blueprint.
"Okay, I think that's everythin'." Ray finished off the last of the can of beer he'd stuck in the corner pocket, then stuck his hands in his pockets and surveyed it all. Maybe a break was in order. After all, he'd been listening to the loop of 8-bit music and the siren song of blips and beeps while he worked, all day ...
"Screw it." With a grin, Ray turned from his technological carnage and sought out the Pac-Man machine in the corner. As he poked at the start button, he could still smell the faint puff of leather-and-cinnamon-scented air as he rifled in his Aunt Sadie's purse for quarters, in the little pizzeria near Lake Waconda. Mm. Pizza. That didn't sound like such a bad idea, either...
Maybe once he'd gotten the distraction out of his system, and the work was done. Sure, why not? He'd solder all the boards together, place the wiring, then take a dinner break. It wouldn't do to rush things, after all. When one was constructing a proper psychoseismic activity sensor, one had to do it right.
FIRST-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
[there's a bright flash of purple light, and a sort of swirling vortex opens up over the duck pond. with a tremendous holler, a man in beige coveralls comes tumbling out and into the water. after a second, he hauls himself up, spluttering]
WOW. I gotta say, that is not the kind of whallop I expected a "Spirit Rifts for Dummies" book to pack. But I guess that's what happens when the darn thing's actually haunted, right, Spengler? ...
[he doesn't even really notice that the person he's addressing isn't there, at first - he's too busy checking all the gear hanging from his belt, then slings the pack off of his back onto the ground to inspect it for damage.] Though, I didn't think the spirit dimension would look quite so ... normal. What're you getting for readings?
[lack of response on THAT, now that gives him pause. he blinks, and looks over his shoulder] Spengler? ... Egon? ... Uh oh.
[he promptly dunks back under the shallows of the duck pond, flailing around in the murk, then comes back up] Well at least you didn't drown. That's good. ... Wherever you are ... you are not drowned. Mark in the plus column. [he fishes his walkie-talkie off his belt and switches it on with a squelch and a hiss] Winston? I got sucked in, but I can't find Spengler, have you heard from him?
[static.]
... Z, you there? C'min, Z. ... Winston? [he twists the dial] Egon. ... [more static, another twist of the dial, and then, a tone that can only be described as last-ditch hopeful] ... Venkman?
[static of statics. his shoulders slump a little] Oh, boy. Guess I'm on my own 'till I find a way outta here. [that glum tone? INSTANTLY gone as he looks back up]
A castle! Oh, wow! I wonder if I've been thrown back in time ... [he slings the pack back onto his shoulders with a grunt] Guess there's only one way to find out ...!
INTENT: Ray is basically here to be a CR maniac. He talks to everyone and anyone - there is no such thing as a niche for Ray, and therefore there will be no way for him to get stuck. He also pokes his nose into everything, so there won't be any way for him to fall into a rut. His curiosity will hopefully serve pretty well with the castle in general, too - but he's not so much of a Big Damn Hero that he'll usurp Five or Darkwing, either. At least, that's my hope. ... I might also submit a few canon-based mini-plots, too ... opt-in stuff that'd just be fun, silly messes for people to deal with.
