Mar. 16th, 2015

OUT OF CHARACTER:
Name/Handle: Alice
Contact: [plurk.com profile] shadeofblue or PM to this account!
Reference: the lovely Greer

IN-CHARACTER:
Character name: MegaMan.EXE
Character journal: [personal profile] recopy
Series name: Mega Man Battle Network series
Canon notes:
Not to be confused with the anime or the manga, which both have very different continuities; this guy's from the games, though in rp I may occasionally take minor detail cues from the other two sources. His canonpoint will be a few days after the end of Mega Man Battle Network 5. (There are two versions of BN5 with minor differences between them, Team Colonel and Team Protoman; this app's canonpoint is based off the characters and events in Team Colonel, as it is the generally-considered canon version.)

Species:
Internet Navigator*. Also called NetNavis for short, these are essentially hybrid virtual assistant/browser/anti-virus programs usually stored in a smartphone-like handheld called a Personal Terminal (PET). *Obviously, as a data being of the virtual world he can usually only exist in computers, which would probably be awkward to work with in-game. However, I was thinking that maybe Atroma could upload him into a robotic android frame? Said frame mimicking his Navi frame (with the armor/helmet/etc), but of course with no default weapon capabilities.

History:
Game origins and brief history. An overview of his biography and his relationships with other notable characters can be seen here. Megaman's history is also closely tied to his Operator Lan Hikari's though, if further reading is desired, since they're together almost all the time in all of the games and have witnessed the same events.

Personality:
On the whole, Megaman is usually a downright pleasant kid to run into. 'Pleasant' and 'kid' are usually the two first defining features that strangers notice upon speaking with him; good-natured and agreeable combines with the kind of childish enthusiasm that you can only really get from an actual twelve-year-old, and this is always what Megaman ultimately boils down to at the end of the day. His sensibilities tend to be grounded and simple, he's easily entertained or fascinated by conventionally fun or cool things, his sense of humor is generally a bit silly--and he still flusters easily at a lot of things, like doing something embarrassing or traveling into even the vaguest hinted realms of romance. For all the awkward circumstances surrounding his origin and his general data-being situation at present, Megaman has still spent the majority of his time supporting his young Operator Lan as his best friend (and surrogate brother), and it definitely shows.

This isn't to say that Megaman is an ill fit for his current NetNavi mold, however, because that's far from the truth--if anything, he blends in quite well as a program at home, especially since vibrant personality is far from unusual in AI these days. Megaman has the virtual assistant gig down pat: he's very friendly and polite to most everyone he addresses, and he's quite hardworking, taking responsibilities very seriously. A fair chunk of this might be programming, but the majority is also adaptation to Lan's impulsive and rather lazy tendencies--as Lan's functional assistant, Megaman has to be tenacious in keeping the kid on track no matter what the resistance. He doesn't give up on tasks easily, even if they're just small errands for others, and has a mild perfectionist streak--he keeps meticulous track of dates, assignments, appointments, obligations....yes, he can definitely be a bit of a nag. Because of this, despite both of them being the exact same age, Megaman is usually seen as the more mature of the Hikari twin pair. But for the most part Megaman takes out the brunt of these tendencies on Lan, who needs them most--for everyone else, he'll usually try to tone it down in favor of politeness, which takes a higher priority with strangers. Most of the time.

Even with programmed/habitual Navi tendencies considered, though, he still carries very human habits and needs, and these tend to have the greatest influence on his personality. Most distinctly, Megaman places an insane amount of value in the idea of relationships--family is tantamount, and Lan is the most important person to Megaman, but he values his friendships just as highly too. In general, Megaman far prefers working in a team to working alone, pooling his own traits with others, fully believing in the kind of strength only synergy with others can provide. A bit cheesy, but it's not entirely unfounded--in his world, the strength of teamwork between a Navi and Operator is often a deciding factor of strength on the Net, and this extends to other things too. But it can be a weakness as well. Megaman tends to struggle when he's by himself, whether it's dealing with a fight or simply dealing with loneliness...for all that he might seem to be Lan's caretaker, it's actually very much a two-way street between them. Megaman has always relied heavily on Lan as a familiar 24-7 source of external feedback and support, someone with a second opinion to bounce off of and surprisingly good advice to offer in sticky situations; he really is going to flounder a bit without Lan around at first, as they've simply never been separated from each other for very long.

This reliance on others in general is probably what powers Megaman's unconscious tendency to make friends quickly and easily--short of an irreparable offense or personality clash, Megaman is willing to give pretty much anyone a chance at least once. He likes to assume the best of most people he meets, and is definitely one of the very last to judge people solely by appearances (because really, if he had a zenny for every time an opponent judged him by his size before a fight....) So your entire body is on fire? So all of your limbs are magnets? Nah man let's chat, how was your day? --It does help that the Navi population of the Net is a very varied and wondrous thing; strange appearances don't tend to bat much of an eye.

In this vein, Megaman almost never holds grudges or lets past mistakes haunt him for too long. As far as he's concerned it's the practical path of least resistance or emotional torment--why wallow in the bygones when you could be productive and start working towards making up for it instead? This is how he tends to pull Lan out of guilty slumps too. But his overwhelmingly chill policy on friends and past wrongs doesn't mean that Megaman is entirely without a suspicious metaphorical bone in his body. After five games' worth of conflicts against people that don't mean well and aren't afraid to show it, Megaman is finally starting to develop a vague sense of when to start frysquinting at hilariously overt shady things--he has his undercover infiltration of the Undernet's ranks and his recent run-ins with Nebula especially to thank for this. Being discerning like this is definitely still a work in progress, but he's...he's trying.

Megaman's sense of self-preservation still leaves much to be desired, though. He can be very brave and selfless to a mildly stupid degree if he isn't restrained in advance by friends/Lan, and he will absolutely not hesitate to sacrifice himself if it means saving people he cares about. This will get distressingly doubled when he gets angry--Megaman doesn't lose his cool very easily, but threatening his friends or Lan is a one-way ticket to a highly agitated bundle of tiny program child that will absolutely try to punch you. Or shoot you. Or stab you. Whichever, really. Unlike his robot Megaman cousins of past generations, this Megaman really isn't much of a pacifist at all--he might prefer a friendly conversation or settling arguments with a few words, but he definitely won't back down from a fight if he's challenged, or feels that it's the quickest way to fix a problem. According to his anti-virus coding and the general culture of the Net he hails from, fighting is a natural function of self-defense and can be recreational too (ie friendly spars or competitive Net Battles).

Still, there's always that awkward elephant in the room of his psyche: his status as a copy of somebody that used to be a living and breathing not-program human. By some consequence of the eidetic program memory he currently has, Megaman carries all of Hub's brief living memories with clarity--and Dr. Hikari tells Megaman from the start that he's definitely Hub, and that he'll always consider Megaman his son just as he does Lan. Megaman truly does appreciate this, and take it to heart. But he also knows, in that practical and precise Navi sort of way, that he's still a simple virtual clone, uploaded with DNA and memories, and there's always going to be a disparity there. He does have a soul--Megaman believes this without question, just as he believes that anything that can think and act for itself does too. But is that soul Hub the human's or Megaman the NetNavi's? There isn't any way for Megaman to be sure, and so he's decided for himself instead that maybe it's a little bit of both. He's resolved that he'll give Lan the support he needs both as his older brother Hub and his Navi assistant Megaman--and maybe that isn't scientifically accurate, or make any practical sense. But if Dad believes it and Lan believes it, then Megaman is content with believing it too.

Abilities:
A+ anti-virus tbh

NetNavi
All Navis share certain primary functions: transfer and management of files, storage and recall of information, setup and reinforcement of virtual security, interfacing between multiple devices in a centralized network...so the list goes on. Working inside the Net as data beings themselves, these tasks are generally innate and instinctual to a Navi, often achieved with physical touch. Finagling with things outside the Net from the monitor of an actual pc in the real world, though, would require more acclimation--but Megaman learning to manually program and connect things isn't beyond possibility. In Drift Fleet, and being an android, Megaman's literal Navi abilities would only become really relevant should he ever like...directly upload himself into a network or something?? I'll contact the mods for deets before he ever actually considers trying to do this, though (he's never uploaded himself to anything before so it'd be a delayed idea, and I'm also pretty sure it wouldn't actually work anyway).

Megaman is also physically stronger than his small frame and visible age would suggest, which is fairly normal for a Navi and will translate to his android form. It's nothing extraordinary; he's simply a closer match of strength to a very athletic adult male as opposed to a standard twelve-year-old, and can perform similarly athletic feats with ease (handsprings, parkour, surviving bullet-hell, etc).

Good Memory & Default Internal Database
As a computer program, his memory is functionally eidetic unless bits are actively modified from the outside--Megaman doesn't forget things easily unless they've been set to an especially low priority flag. Combined with this is the fact that he's been pre-installed on creation with files holding enough knowledge to serve as a competent basic aid to his Operator, including: an innate understanding of the coding language used in his world's servers, a standard dictionary, an abbreviated Earth encyclopedia, and the mechanics of basic science and algorithmic maths.

Net Battling (aka General Self-Defense)
Megaman takes his anti-virus capabilities pretty seriously! And in his canon, as a Navi, being an effective anti-virus means being very combat-capable. To suit this, Megaman's basic frame is equipped by default with an armcannon called a Mega Buster; stored in his right hand, he can summon it at will to shoot an infinite number of rapid low-damage energy shots, with charged shots taking more time to fire but dealing more damage. The Mega Buster would still be an existing component in his android frame upon arriving in Drift Fleet, since it's built into him as a Navi. However, in accordance with Drift Fleet regulations, the Buster will initially only be able to fire very loud banging sounds and small showers of purple confetti.

In addition to the Mega Buster, Megaman can be supplemented in battle with Battle Chips. These contain attachment programs that can grant all kinds of temporary attributes/weapons to the Navi receiver, from swords and guns to projectiles, barriers, augments, or repairs. Megaman is compatible with almost all chips currently available in his universe up to his canonpoint, seen here (assorted lists from Battle Network to Battle Network 5). He may also be able to combine highly specific sets and sequences of Chips into very brief but very powerful attachments called Program Advances, detailed and listed here. Normally, Battle Chips are separate programs that need to be supplied to a Navi by their Operator; because of this, Megaman won't be equipped with any Battle Chips upon entrance into Drift Fleet. He'll be holding out for Battle Chips to become available somewhere out there in space or something, though. A guy can dream...

Double-Soul
As a Custom Navi Megaman already has coding that's open to external customization without damage to his core data--however, something in Dr. Hikari's wizard-programming setup (or maybe the fact that Megaman is literally a human genetic copypasta) has rendered Megaman especially receptive to adapting foreign data inputs. This leads to an ability called Double-Soul, which allows Megaman to essentially copy and augment another Navi's attributes and abilities for a brief time. But this is achieved only when his own soul 'resonates' with another Navi's, and a close bond of friendship forms between them. After the first time a unique Double-Soul has been achieved, the soul data Megaman obtains from the Navi during his Power of Friendship moment is stored to his internal memory and can be reused without the other Navi present, so long as he sacrifices a Battle Chip first. A list of the souls Megaman has resonated with over the course of the series, and the abilities gained from them, can be found here. Let it also be known that Double-Soul has the amazing ability to make even the biggest nerds look really cool.

In the virtual world Megaman can usually only perform Double-Soul with other Navis, but in Drift Fleet I think it would be very possible for him to form Double-Souls with developed cr as well! These would not require chip sacrifices, and be limited to running for an hour every two days; however, in turn, Megaman will not be able to utilize any of his canon Souls. There will be a player-input permissions post for this.

Internet Jesus Shit I Don't Even Know
Megaman is a virtual clone of Lan Hikari's dead twin brother--it's just that he has a 0.001% genetic difference (tweaked eye color) in order to prevent an event of Full Synchro from potentially occurring between Lan and Megaman. Full Synchro represents a completely unbroken connection between a Navi and his Operator, where they perceive the situation in perfect sync--somehow greatly augmenting Megaman's combat power on the Net--and they can even feel each other's pains yeah idk either. Dr. Hikari kept the unmodified copy of Hub's DNA in a program called Hub.BAT, and when this program is attached to Megaman, his genetic sequence is completed. Thus capable of Full Synchro, and becoming the closest possible instance of Hub in a virtual form, Megaman becomes something of a...small god??? By Net standards. Privy to an immense variety of abilities at once without limit or need for external input, as well as a crapload of pure virtual damaging power, nothing in canon has yet been able to overcome this particular iteration of Megaman on the Net.

Fortunately, of course, this isn't the Internet--and besides that, Hub.BAT is a separate program that isn't attached to Megaman at this canonpoint (and usually isn't, for fear of the potential harm to Lan during Full Synchro). Hub.BAT'S most beneficial Full Synchro attributes also require Lan's actual presence, or at least that of a genetically-identical partner--so, it'll probably never really become relevant...

Augment Skillset: Engineering augment!
Sample:
[The feed flips on to...wow that sure is an aggressive amount of blue. Yes, have this kid here, decked out helmet and all, sitting with arms folded on a tabletop and peering into the camera with all the solemn composure he can currently muster. (There's already nervous little shifts in posture, though, giving things away...)]

Right, now I've got this on...this is on, right? [A hand half-raises, ready to reach and adjust, but then he thinks better of it and abruptly folds arms tight again. Right, composed, gotta be composed here--] Uh, yeah, hello there! I think this should be a public broadcast? I'm sorry to take up any time, but I'd like to ask for some help, if anybody out there has a moment--just a couple of questions, mostly. I'm pretty new to the area here, and... [He fidgets.]

Well, this--this definitely isn't the Net, is it? But I'm still a bit foggy on the details, I mean...I figure I'd remember being uploaded to a robot like this. And I don't, so this is a bit--is this common practice here? And, speaking of uploading, actually--

[At this point it seems he can't help himself, and a hand goes up to rub at something at the back of his neck, a definite frown creeping onto the boy's features now.] I think there's--I've got something installed here. Not that an additional database is always bad, but it's kind of nice to get a heads-up on something like that. Unauthorized installs aren't very-- [sliiightest grimace] --courteous. And I think there might have been a mix-up, too, I'm not really coded for engineering...? So I was wondering, who do I go to if I want to get this uninstalled?

[A pause, a deep breath, and he straightens--tries his best for a properly polite smile, though it comes across more nervous and strained than anything.]

Yeah, that's all! Thank you very much, in advance. I'd really appreciate any kind of helping hand here.