Slim Morrows

Registry of the Evolved Database

File #28 Jan 2011 15:10

Summary

Name 'Slim' Sam Morrows, Jr. Aliases Status Registered Evolved (Tier 0) Ability Deflection Gender Male Race/Eth. African American Birthdate December 12, 1959 Age 52 Height 6'2" Build 185 lbs Eyes Brown Hair None; was black Residence Vagrant; originally from outside Rosedale, Mississippi Employment None Parents Sam Morrows, Sr. and Delilah Morrows Siblings Mitchell Morrows (younger brother), Rebbecca Morrows (younger sister), Theodore Morrows (younger brother), and George Morrows (younger brother) Marital Status Twice married, twice divorced Children None known of First Seen Last Seen Profile 'Slim' Sam Morrows is rarely, if ever, seen without his guitar. His voice, a very energetic tenor and quite projecting when he wills it so, can often be heard in the metro and on the street corners, particular about Brooklyn, singing some very pertinent songs of the past. Having come to the city to meet with a potential new music partner just after the event known as the Flash, Slim became trapped in its limits. He wouldn't protest, though, and still remains amicable, even if he drifts homelessly.

portrayed by Buddy Guy

Background

'Slim' Sam Morrows was far from New York when The Bomb struck. On November 8th, 2006, in fact, he was in Little Rock, Arkansas, playing a gig at a blues venue. It was not long after the explosion, and there was the stirrings of pandemonium. His audience -granted, it was just an exceptionally large and well-playing bar- turned from the stage to the television sets that were reporting hundreds of thousands dead in the city that never sleeps. For a blues musician, this only seemed to echo his somber song, and he kept right on playing, although he couldn't get the idea out of his mind. Neither could the patrons of the bar, who drank themselves silly and either spectated on the incident, or tried altogether to push it to the backs of their minds.

Slim loved the city, although he was born a country boy to a country father in a country shack. He was raised in the deep throes of the South: a Mississippi man, through and through. His voice carries the nature, but his mind and spirit sure don't. In his first trip to Chicago when he was hardly twenty years of age, he got consumed in the lights and sounds and, more specifically, the shadows. Sam Morrows had and still has an unhealthy penchancy for drugs and gambling, and has in more than one occasion found himself deep in a mire of debt and trouble. Never did it silence his powerful voice, though, and he's done a good deal of travelling and singing since then, not to mention gambling and drugging. He always retained his jovial, deflective attitude, and had a glib enough tongue to get himself into and out of most encounters. He always kept a .38 special revolver close to his breast for the stickiest of situations, and was a proud shot at it, having grown up shooting at opossums and coons as a kid.

For the most part, Slim avoided politics and any goings-on that didn't affect him directly, and being that most of his family still lived in the Mississippi delta, he didn't worry much when the world about him began to fall apart. Then the reports of the 'Evolved' began surfacing, bringing into question anyone anywhere and soliciting violence and dischord across the entire globe. Nuclear war became more threatening to the populace outside of New York. Shit didn't only hit the fan -it was being blown all over the place, spreading out like birdshot to foul up everything, everywhere. The freak weather rode in like the devil on a big black stallion, killing just as many as the Bomb had, and striking a little more close to home. Tornadoes ravaged the delta and neighboring states where Slim's family still resided; it seemed the end of times was upon us.

Conflicting reports and revelations were abound, but after a while the powers that be seemed to have gotten things under control. They were going to enforce peace (yeah, brilliant idea there) and their legislation to keep all people safe under their domain. Slim kept right on singing and playing. His father's and his grandfather's songs now seemed even more appropriate. Soon enough, he felt it safe to start 'touring' again (although that really just meant playing his box and partying relentlessly in another city), and made an effort to get registered. After all, he was just a normal mundane person, not 'evolved' in any way. That's what he thought.

Slim was in the windy city at the time, and went down to the police department to submit himself to this new test. Get a card, and carry it with you, or you're life will be hell, everyone told him. So why the hell not. Imagine his shock and awe when the SLC test came back denoting him as Evolved. He debated this for a while, but the test was accredited, and it never lied. Unmanifested, they told him, and he'd have to live with it. Yeah, okay, whatever. Tier 0 - Unmanifested: didn't mean much to him, though he was a bit curious as to the potential. He certainly wasn't a terrorist or serial killer or any of that other jargon on the news.

Slim left Chicago after dealing with some rather touchy matters, and went on the road to meet a possible music partner. A friend had told him about this Howlin' Horace that lived in Brooklyn, and how the two of them could make a real break together. So, having his card and all that business taken care of and hearing that the situation -and insurgency- was being handled, he set of for New York without much besides his trusted .38, better-trusted guitar, the clothes on his back, and a pocketful of cash. Oh yeah, and that card that said 'Unmanifested'. Almost immediately upon getting to the city, he was stranded. The Company coup de tat, the closing of the exits and entrances to the city -it went from bad to worse. So now, with no steady home or employment and nothing but his guitar and clothes on his back, Slim Sam Morrows found himself locked within the light and shadow of New York, and that Howlin' Horace was nowhere to be found.

Psych Profile

'Slim' Sam Morrows is a rather easy-going fellow, even though the blues he sings and sees should disintegrate most men's soul. He makes up for what he doesn't have in morale with song, drink, various other substances, and women. He's got a wit as resonant as that guitar of his, and is hesitant to jump to violence. The man's jovial demeanour and comical genius radiate him like a song does a bird. He's constantly harkening back to the old days, and seems to refer to his father's and his grandfather's generation as if it were his own. He has no specific sentiments where the evolved and non-evolved debate is concerned. His two beliefs of deepest conviction are that, one: government is inherently diseased; and two: that if something is capable of being used for evil, someone will commit said evil. Though a rural country boy from birth, Slim is enthralled by the city, the lights, and action. A night without a party and some noteworthy encounter is one poorly spent, in his opinion. He's an opportunist, one who would take advantage of a financial, romantic, or even just plain amusing trist if given a glance into their window of potential. For the most part -at least where it doesn't affect him directly- Slim dismisses most politics, often referring to the government as 'the beast' or a 'one-sided coin'. Although he's quick to trust others, it would be unwise for them to reciprocate such kindness, as he's a chronic drifter and often times falls under the wayside of debt and dirty dealings. But man can he play that box!

Evolved Ability

Though latent for the time being, Slim's ability is one that just might save his life someday, and given his lifestyle and surroundings, it probably will. Deflection, also called Reflection, Blocking or Riposting is the ability to physically or psychically dismiss and deflect whatever is thrown directly toward the user. One with this ability usually makes no conscious effort to use it, as it is activated by a feeling of impending danger, which quickly causes (solid) projectiles or incoming impact to simply bounce off of the thin psychic aura generated by the user, and back at their origin. This requires an awareness of the coming danger, so a furtive gun shot or similar attempt that takes one unawares would inevitably result in an average, non-evolved conclusion. This is not a shield of protection that is continually manifested, but acts as an enveloping ward that serves to deflect any oncoming projectile (with relative size).

The deflected object will most often return to its origin at equal speed, but with a more conscious and willful intent they can be projected with even greater velocity. This includes any object deemed an immediate threat to his life and well-being. Even a friendly toss of something might solicit an unintentional warding deflection. This is a fear-based response, meaning should Slim observe a gun being fired and not have a fight-or-flight response (perhaps he's aware it is not targetting him, or perhaps he is intoxicated or otherwise not aware enough to realize he's in danger), the repulsion effect will not be initiated. The mass of said object does not necessarily effect the outcome, only the energy required and taxation thereafter; so long as he sees it and deems it an immediate threat to his life, even a car would repell away. Larger objects would such as this, of course, would be much more demanding physically and psychically.

Say Slim deflected a car that was careening towards him at 50 MPH: said vehicle would repel in the direction it came from as fast as it came upon him. Slim would be, in the very least, racked with pain and be made more or less incapacitated. Magnitudes such as this would not only solicit flashes of pain through Slim's mind and body, but quite possibly make him comatose or even stop his heart. Even moderately large objects would cause him to be unable or otherwise impaired in continuing to perform this power, and likely have difficulty in even mundane activities. Chances are, after deflecting objects equal to or greater than his own weight (prior to the force generated by speed, mind you, for in essence the Deflection is negating and rebounding the inertia), he would seek the nearest place to rest, exhausted, and might find speech and other cognitive senses impaired. Missiles the size of bullets, however, are less demanding of him, and the tirade from an entire chamber could be sent back to the one doing the firing at equal or greater lethality (no more than twice the velocity, and that is with great willful intent), as well as their actual firearm should they live and decide to throw that at Slim too.

The deflection shield will last as long as Slim feels he is in danger, so for instance if someone points an automatic weapon at him and he's aware that he is in danger, all bullets fired would be subject to the effect. If the wielder of the automatic weapon happens to survive the counter-assault of his own bullets, and continues to replace the clip in the weapon and open fire, then eventually Slim's powers would dwindle from exhaustion and he would likely be riddled with holes and lead as anyone else would. Likewise, if an entire firing squad has Slim surrounded and opens fire on him, then the deflection shield would serve as such for any and all oncoming projectiles, at least until his energy is sapped to the point of not being able to maintain the defensive aura.

He can only turn away solid matter, however, so concussive waves of air, lasers, heat, gas, etc. are able to pass through the shield and affect him accordingly, although they might yet activate the fear response. Stones, bullets, knives, and various other solid items will still react in the manner described. Said items do not merely ricochette; if a bullet is sent from a barrel of a gun towards Slim, it would follow the same exact path, only backwards, right back from whence it came. The shooter might find himself with the round he fired lodged, backwards, in himself, or quite possibly in his gun.

"If you don't think you've got the blues, just keep living what you're living, and if you don't think you're drunk, just keep drinking what you're drinking.”
"Blues is a natural fact, it's something that a fellow lives. If you don't live it you don't have it. Young people have forgotten to cry the blues. Now they talk and get lawyers and things."

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