Resonance

Ciaran Rooney is a hell of a guitar player and singer and can make a mean mocha. He is also rumoured to be partially deaf. His musical talent in spite of his disability has given him the nickname 'Beethoven.' He speaks with a watered-down Irish accent.

Background
Born in Kilkenny, Ireland to a pair of working class parents, Ciaran's life was fairly ordinary for the first section of his life. He was the first of three children that would come to Michael and Roisin Rooney, and from the beginning, he worried his parents. Most kids are destructive at one point or another. Most kids go through periods where they don't realize it's not OK to beat up on other kids. But for Ciaran? This process took longer than usual. He was put into counseling almost right off the bat to try and correct the destructive behavior. Fortunately, for all involved, it was successful. He took anger management classes and saw a psychologist. His parents also practiced positive reinforcement and rewarded him when he showed self-control.

So his childhood continued on an offbeat route. When he was fifteen, they moved to the US. Syracuse New York, to be precise. Michael Rooney was transferred by his company to the US. It was an adjustment at first, but more so for the parents than for their children.

Ciaran was mediocre in most areas of school, but showed a flare for music. It wasn't that he was particularly innovative, but he had a grasp on the technique and a keen ear that was clearly a natural talent. He had a gift for improvising around music and picking up new instruments with little instruction. He was rarely at a loss for the muses either, and seemed to be able to focus himself easily. That gift was nurtured by his teachers and his parents alike. The creative side seemed to be a good balance for his temper.

As he grew and attended high school, Ciaran seemed to be evening out. His 'lessons' had become ingrained so he no longer lashed out and began to realize himself what was right and what was wrong. He was also being a protective big brother to his two younger siblings.

Violin was one discipline that Ciaran dedicated himself to above all others. His focus on playing it as best he could kept him out of trouble for most of High School. The night before a big concert, Ciaran invited his friend Emmett to stay in the bunk house in his back yard. The boys had spent time there before, away from the prying eyes of adults, but this time it was for adolescent rebellion. Emmett had swiped various types of alcohol from his father's liquor cupboard by way of celebrating the end of term. Not considering it would be a bad idea to consume a lot of alcohol the night before a very important concert that could get him into an elite summer music school, Ciaran foolishly drank copious amounts of alcohol with his friend. Needless to say, both passed out after getting violently ill. They were both reprimanded severely and it was only through concern for his future that his parents even let him attend the concert.

The adolescent binge drinking combined with a high emotional state provoked certain changes from Ciaran. He felt as if his ears were full of cotton, like after a night of listening to music too loud - only the boys had a radio on low and nothing more. To everyone's surprise and despite his poor state, Ciaran played better than he ever had before. By the end of the performance, the music school was pretty much a lock. Despite the happy news, something didn't seem right. At first, the Rooneys thought their son was simply being an indignant teenager and ignoring them. After awhile though, it became clear that there was something wrong with his hearing.

A trip to the doctor confirmed that Ciaran was indeed losing his hearing. Despite this and to the complete shock of everyone, he could still play the violin. More than that, he was getting better by the day even as his hearing degraded. When asked, Ciaran said he could feel the music and sense the vibration of the chords - that he didn't need to hear it. When he was looking at people or even simply concentrating, he seemed to have no trouble understanding them. He could also hear people perfectly well if the spoke at a normal volume. Too high or too low however and it seemed to drop out of range. The doctors were at a great loss.

Ciaran seemed to be taking this all far too well. In fact, their usually rambunctious son had gone worryingly quiet. He spent more and more time withdrawn, simply playing around on his guitar or with his fiddle. He was fascinated by this new perception.

This distraction worried his parents. They both decided that the camp was not the best thing for their son, especially since his deafness was, at the moment - too apparent to overlook. This provoked the first reaction beyond 'mellow' that his parents had seen in many weeks. His angry outburst shattered his mother's good crystal with a high-pitched whine. The truth was now undeniable. Their son was a mutant. Unlike some poor children, Ciaran didn't have to face the rejection of his parents. They were concerned for him, but did all they could to help him get his abilities under control. Their neighbor's daughter was also a mutant and though the two had never gotten along at school, they became friends through their mutual change.

If it wasn't for Leah, Ciaran might not have made it through the end of high school in the shape he did. In fact, through their mutual support, both graduated with decent grades. For lack of anything better to do, and having been told by his parents that it was not a good idea to pursue music professionally, he settled for art history at Syracuse University in addition to working at the local Starbucks-a-like to help with rent. It was a bitter second choice, but one that he was forced to live with. Leah also attended the school, so their friendship continued.

The first year was rather unremarkable and awkward as most freshmans are. Second year, Ciaran let go of some of his bitterness and began to appreciate the material he was studying. He still kept up with music in private, abandoning the violin in favour of the guitar. He daubled in the music of his Irish heritage, but found Latin rhythms particularly enticing. However, he was unable to perform as his partial deafness was far too well-known. This frustrated Ciaran greatly, especially because he began to realize there was more to his powers than being able to 'sense' sound waves and shatter the occasional glass when he got upset. The more he delved into it, the more he began to refine his sight. It was completely by accident that he discovered the nature of his powers.

Leah was in to meditation and had been encouraging Ciaran to go to stop his temper from getting the better of him and to help him relax. During a deep meditation class, they were instructed to focus on a Plexiglas window just behind the instructor's head. She told them to envision themselves projected beyond it, beyond the building and the room to some peaceful space. In the process of doing this. Ciaran discovered something within the Plexiglas' structure. When he twigged to it, his whole body emitted a low frequency hum. Ciaran wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but soon discovered he had sent out a pulse that was vibrating at the same molecular rate that the Plexiglas was. He and the whole class watched as the large window simply...evaporated and turned to dust on the floor.

Only Leah knew who had caused it for certain, and in the commotion the pair ducked out. Rather than being afraid or worried, Ciaran was quite fascinated by this new 'trick' of his abilities. Over the next few months, both studies and music were set by the wayside as he began to work out the way his abilities functioned and what he was capable of.

Rumours began to spread and Ciaran's grades slipped dramatically. He failed his midterms and only put in a half-hearted effort when he learned he was close to flunking out. It didn't seem important any longer, despite the fact that he was genuinely interested in the material. He felt like so much /more/.

It soon became clear that he couldn't stay in Syracuse any longer if he wanted any kind of freedom. So, gathering up the rest of his savings, saying goodbye to Leah and his family, Ciaran hit the road. He had no plan, just a desire to be removed from a place that had begun to stifle him, both power-wise and musically.

All roads lead to New York City, especially for a young artist. He found a ridiculously overpriced craphole of an apartment and got a job at a local coffeehouse. It was time to spread his wings and explore his new ability. Home sweet home, at least for the time being.

Personality

 * Intense: When he throws himself into his work, Ciaran is an extremely intense young man. The look in his eyes when he starts to play an instrument is nothing short of steel. This applies to any task that he throws himself into fully, but especially when it comes to music. That's not to say that he's serious all the time, but when he's working, he's /working/.
 * Creepy: The intensity of his personality along with his slightly fractured psyche means he can give people the creeps. Most of the time he's in control of himself, but people tend to sense that he's not completely harmless. This can be a draw to those who like bad boys, but to most normal people it's off-putting if they recognize it.
 * Arrogant: Like many talented artists, Ciaran has an ego to go along with it. He knows he's talented, even if other people don't appreciate it. He's not the type to go around shouting that he's the best, but if someone were to give him a compliment, he's apt to respond with 'I know' instead of 'thanks'. There is also a bit of Mutant arrogance in the equation as well. Despite his deafness, he feels like the changes were a gift, and thus have made him better. He's not a full-on mutant superiorist, but he's got the potential to be and he does believe he's something /better/.
 * Personable: Despite his intensity and his arrogance, he's fairly personable. Ciaran doesn't have a problem relating to people in a general sense and even forming friendships - if they can put up with him, that is. There is a certain charm and charisma to him despite his ability to put people off, especially when he performs. Some of the truly talented can become withdrawn, but for him it has provoked the opposite. Having something to be proud of pulled him out of his shell.
 * Driven: If there's one thing that Ciaran's always been, it's driven to succeed. When he sets his mind on something, he can carry it through with almost pigheaded determination. He decided he wanted to become a musician, so he did. He doesn't let anything hold him back and doesn't often give in to outside forces when he's decided on something. However, he won't continue with things against all reason. But if he believes it's something he wants to do, he won't let people discourage him.
 * Confident: Along with the fact that he can often seem arrogant, Ciaran is confident. He knows himself and he knows his abilities and isn't afraid of what he is - either musically or as a mutant. He realizes the practical reasons for containing himself, but that hasn't made him ashamed of what he is. He feels like he can achieve anything if he applies himself.
 * Thrill-Seeker: Though not the type to go jumping out of planes, Ciaran will press the boundaries of his abilities despite the danger to himself and others. He likes to put himself into potentially dangerous situations. His arrogance and confidence in himself shuts off the 'foolish' switch in some situations.
 * Short-Tempered: Though not generally violent-tempered, Ciaran occasionally has a short fuse when it comes to certain people and situations. He can usually contain himself the moment after it blows, but it can be off-putting to people who don't know him and aren't used to it.