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Cypher
Jun 30, 2007 5:13:44 GMT -4
Post by Doug Ramsey on Jun 30, 2007 5:13:44 GMT -4
Given Name: Douglas Aaron Ramsey Codename: Cypher Age: 16 Detailed Description of Powers: Cypher's ability is an innate understanding of all languages, human, computer or alien. Douglas has an active psionic translation field and intuitively translates any languages he comes into contact with including written, spoken, or computer. This field can be extended over a few mile radius to enable translation and communication between all individuals in his range. He is a software genius as well. However, his lack of a physical power makes combat dangerous for him. Originally from: Salem Center, NY Known Family: Phillip (father), Sheila (mother) Physical Description: Douglas is a typical American blonde haired, blue eyed teen, of slight to average build, about to peak in puberty. Personality: Well adjusted prodigy child with a family life that resembles 1980s sitcoms (very few 'special episodes'), Doug embodies the concept of "get your geek on". Smart, observant, and practical, Doug is a living example of just because you know something doesn't necessarily mean that you understand it (ask him about girls and body language sometime... ) Other: Video game addict, extraordinary computer programmer. Bio: Douglas Ramsey was a teenage friend of Kitty Pryde of the X-Men, sharing an interest in computers and video games. Although Ramsey became a friend of the New Mutants, he was unaware that he and they were mutants. However, when the techno-organic alien (Technarch) being Warlock arrived on Earth and, confused and terrified, found himself battling the New Mutants. Seeking to communicate with the alien, the New Mutants summoned Ramsey and revealed their costumed identities to him. Ramsey succeeded in initiating communications with Warlock, and both joined the New Mutants. Ramsey was code-named Cypher, after his ability to decipher languages. Cypher became close with Warlock, who aided Ramsey in battle situations by merging with him, creating a single being that operated as a gestalt. When they merged, they took the form of Ramsey’s human body covered with Warlock’s “living circuitry”, allowing Ramsey to perceive his environment in the same way Warlock did. At first, Ramsey’s and Warlock’s consciousnesses remained separate within the single body; the more the pair merged, their personalities rapidly began to resemble one another’s. Cypher also aided Warlock in his fight against his father, the Magus, by reprogramming the Magus to an infant state. And in the Interview: Why did you choose our site?: You were recommended, and it appears you have your act together. Both are good indicators of a quality RPG site. What about this character do you like?: Hmmmm... the pure appeal is that here is a character who really can't lead with his fists, and must rely on negotiation and intelligence to get his arse out of the fire. Heroic and brave, Doug feels a little out of his league when in groups of physically powered peers. Have you ever RPed before? Where?: Alleria-- a fantasy setting. Please write a sample post for the character you want below:“Too bad Kitty, James, and Theresa opted out. They would have had a lot of fun tonight.” Illyana found herself pensively playing with the draw-tie of Doug’s ripped up sweatshirt. Doug stoically kept from visibly rolling his eyes. Kitty. Sheesh. Let’s not go there.“True. I guess Kitty decided to have some quality time with Pete, since he’s not a big concert-goer, and James and Theresa…” Doug scratched his head. Might as well just say it outright. “…Well, I think they were just waiting for the mansion to empty out for the weekend, to find someplace new they haven’t shagged on the estate.” “Doug!” Illyana was flabbergasted. “It’s true and you know it!” Doug laughed, mocking her flabbergasted look. “Those two get naked more often than…than…than I do, when Kitty is around!” Doug exclaimed. Kitty Pride. The secret true love of my life, and the bane of my existence. I know she loves me, if she’d just get over her hang up with Peter. I feel like she’s the twin sister I never had when we talk, only we have rampant sexual urges poking tension into our various conversations. If she’d just give up on the big lug and give us a chance…I’d do anything for her. Doug looked guiltily at Illyana. He loved her, too. She was unlike any other girl he knew. Twisted sense of humor, sharp as a tack, and uncannily observant. Illyana was cynical and jaded, used and abused, a girl you never wanted to cross, and yet in the same breath, she was innocently naïve, possessed with a childlike joyful wonderment and awe in the most trivial of normal everyday circumstances. In truth, from his experiences and observations, Illyana struck Doug as what a very young Emma Frost might have been much like. There was an eerie similarity in their darker sides, a resonant synergy that both excited and terrified Doug. Here was shy, unassuming Doug, the resident computer geek in the school, grabbing the tiger by the tail, taming the only female mutant alive he saw that was worthy of claiming the mantle as the next White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Illyana was a total babe, and she knew it. She was bold, definitely not shy, and very aggressive. She was strong and outspoken. An amazing catch. Then there was Kitty. Doug met Kitty first. They met in class, began to study together after school, and passionately geeked out during the computer revolution. It was then that Doug discovered he was a mutant, but he took it in stride, because he was merely gifted with a simple mental power. A better brain, he justified. Then he found out that all of Kitty’s friends were mutants. In fact, they were the X-Men! Could life not get any cooler? Then he met Piotr Rasputin, Kitty’s boyfriend that she never bothered to mention to Doug. Since Kitty wasn’t willing to come forward with her feelings, and still tried to have both, getting her beefcake and eating it, too, Doug responded to Kitty’s best friend’s flirting with him. The rest, they say, is history, Doug mused, returning his gaze to the amazing beauty at his side. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and hugged her tight. “I love you.” Illyana looked surprised. “What was that for?” “For flirting.” Doug smiled, kissing her confused face again, and then returned his gaze back as The Lila Cheney Band ended ‘Shi’ar Bop’ and entered their final song, ‘Starlight Sirens’. [Authors Note: I understand that the sample post was to not control another character, but I felt the need to pull a section from a story I had been writing to display my STYLE more than my ability to follow the rules. IC, I am a most assuredly staunch advocate of MODERATION and frown upon God-Mode, and thus, will NOT write the other character as I have done here.
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Cypher
Jun 30, 2007 10:10:51 GMT -4
Post by Logan on Jun 30, 2007 10:10:51 GMT -4
Thanks for applying. I have chaos and more chaos to deal with at home (with my young'uns) right now, but from a glance I think everything looks fantastic. Later on at the blessed naptime I'll take a good look at this and get a sample thread going with ya. No worries about the sample post. God-modding is honestly just hardly ever an issue. Not that we encourage it in the game of course, but I can count on one hand the number of times in the past several years we've ever had to actually talk to someone about it. Maybe even on one finger. (not that finger!) Anyway, I'll be back on later.
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Cypher
Jun 30, 2007 16:28:11 GMT -4
Post by X(r)E NPC on Jun 30, 2007 16:28:11 GMT -4
There were a few things that were as good as certain in life. Betsy Braddock had figured them out early enough in life, and discovered that rather than being a bothersome nuisance they actually were rather nice. Enough things were uncertain after all...having a few constants was...reassuring.
The first of these sureties was that when talking to a man it was almost a guarantee that their mind was going to stray to forbidden fruit at some point. It was a good thing that she couldn’t read Charles Xavier’s mind. At least he stood out as an icon in her mind of a male figure who wasn’t continually picturing her naked. No matter what the genetics told you, Betsy had yet to see proof of ‘evolution’ in most of the men she encountered.
Another sure thing was the fact that change was inevitable. Storms today, but the sun would always come out tomorrow. Not that she could claim optimism as one of her flaws, but it was at least somewhat reassuring to know that no matter how ridiculous things seemed right now, they might not be half as ridiculous tomorrow.
Lastly, as Betsy rounded a corner and a small panel read her palm print for admittance into a large room, she almost always could count on the predictable nature of one young man in particular.
“Douglas Ramsey,” she intoned as she stepped forward in the tiniest X-Man uniform ever made. “I suppose you have a reason for not being in class?” She folded her arms over her chest and leveled a seriously stern look at him.
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Cypher
Jul 2, 2007 4:31:17 GMT -4
Post by Doug Ramsey on Jul 2, 2007 4:31:17 GMT -4
Doug visibly flinched when the door behind him slid open quietly, only to be followed by the sharp and cultured British voice of Betsy Braddock barking for his attention. He huffed, his long fingers tapping the backspace key on the keyboard to erase the jumbled extra set of characters he accidently entered when she startled him. Yes, now it looks right.
He didn't turn to face her, his face still enthralled with the numerous lines of coding reflecting off the sheen of his eyes from the monitor before him.
"Everybody's in Advanced Computing Systems right now. Professor X figured since my mutant power makes that class redundant, that I'd be better off working with Forge during that time." Doug shrugged. "He asked me to test and benchmark some new computing system designs he's been tinkering with."
Doug turned in the chair, gesturing to the screen full of code, and immediately blushed.
One factor of Doug's power of languages was it's complete innateness. The poor lad couldn't turn it on or off, and unfortunately for Doug, it wasn't just spoken or written languages that it would translate for him. Body language was as clear to Doug as stray thoughts were for Betsy to overhear.
Psylocke stood there with her arms crossed over her ample Asian bosum, clearly in a defensive position [expecting an assault? Perhaps... of a more mental kind.]. Her face wore the stern outward appearance of authority, but her stance indicated it was more for show than seriousness. In fact, her stance indicated that she was actively posing, in such a manner as to show off her ample assets as a sleek, beautiful and dangerous embodiment of feminine physicality. Had Doug been paying more attention in Psychology, he might have figured out that although Betsy outwardly was a refined woman of high breeding and stock, her baby-of-the-family syndrome sought out the very attention she found to be so crude, expressing itself in her dress and mannerisms.
Or, to put it in terms that his old classmate, Roberto DaCosta would use: She was broadcasting "Sex on Wheels".
Turn away, Doug. You gotta girlfriend, and you certainly aren't Scott Summers or Warren Worthington.
"Wanna take a look, Miss Braddock?" Doug asked, mentally slapping himself for the stray thought of breasts as it flashed across his brain, as he turned back to the computer screen.
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Cypher
Jul 2, 2007 7:24:37 GMT -4
Post by X(r)E NPC on Jul 2, 2007 7:24:37 GMT -4
Betsy might have been considered ruthless on many counts. Much more so than any average woman could be accused of. But there had to be a reason for the particular cut of her uniform that stretched just slightly beyond looking fabulous in it. The fact that it was disarming was no accident.
She had no true designs on young Doug Ramsey. He was some six or seven years her junior, and while she was positive she could teach him a thing or two, she wasn’t all together certain that his mind or body could handle it.
Inclining her brows at the way he looked at her, she didn’t flinch at the attention in the least. Betsy Braddock had spent so much time in front of a camera with as much or less on that it was easy enough to assume that attention of any sort did not intimidate her. Quite the opposite, in fact. Betsy Braddock adored attention.
Why else try and turn Scott Summers’ head while he was sitting poolside with Jean?
And now this...boy...with the sharp mind was being excused from class so he could reprogram a computer? Oddly enough, Betsy found that intriguing. At his invitation she hesitated for a moment, holding the pose no longer with conviction. A slow and delicious smile crept over her face and she shook her head.
“Very well,” she said with a sigh. Coming up alongside him, she peered over his shoulder. Long silken strands of violet hair cascaded over his shoulder as she glanced at the monitor.
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Cypher
Jul 2, 2007 20:32:20 GMT -4
Post by Doug Ramsey on Jul 2, 2007 20:32:20 GMT -4
Jasmine... and lavender... and a light scent of clean sweat...
Doug blushed furiously as soft violet hair caressed his shoulder, her breathing less than a foot away from his burning ear.
"I decided the best way to test this chip was to run a Danger Room sim on it, allowing us to preview and program remotely." Doug gulped, trying to focus his thoughts. "Here, let me fire it up and show you."
Nimble fingers deftly clattered across the keyboard at Quicksilver speed, entering the codes to bring up the simulation.
The screen went black, then a logo flipped up on the screen:
darWIN!
Doug smiled sheepishly.
"It stands for Douglas Aaron Ramsey Wireless Interface Network..." he shrugged at the shallowness of his ego, and then froze. As the system loaded the sim, he noticed Betsy's reflection in the monitor, leaning forward and over him, her cleavage clearly rising and falling next to his head, barely contained by the tight outfit.
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Cypher
Jul 3, 2007 15:12:08 GMT -4
Post by X(r)E NPC on Jul 3, 2007 15:12:08 GMT -4
Doug Ramsey was positively radiating testosterone. It would have taken some effort for Betsy to block out the exceedingly sexual thoughts that were being directed at her. She could also plainly see his discomfort, painted on his crimson cheeks for any discerning eye to witness.
It was adorable.
Still, while drinking in her scent, he managed to type at an impressive speed as he gave a flimsy explanation of what it was he was doing down here. Betsy didn’t understand, but she figured she would soon enough.
"It stands for Douglas Aaron Ramsey Wireless Interface Network..."
He was of course referencing the darWIN logo that had appeared on the monitor. In the reflection of the monitor she caught his eyes zeroing in on her breasts. He wasn’t blinking. He didn’t appear to be breathing for that matter.
See something you like?
The comment was placed directly into his brain, and should he bother to look back up he would see her raising one brow in question at him. Maybe it was cruel, but everybody had to have a hobby.
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Cypher
Jul 3, 2007 17:39:32 GMT -4
Post by Doug Ramsey on Jul 3, 2007 17:39:32 GMT -4
Doug wasn't even thinking at this point, his mind wandering just through the sheer physical sensations relentlessly pounding on his brain.
See something you like?
There were no words to answer her, the joyous acceptance of this moment in time and that question evoking merely a sheepish grin on the adolescent lad.
Realization of both suddenly caused Doug to blink and shake his head.
"...uh..."
The simulation appeared on the screen in a bright flash, looking like a virtual layout of the Danger Room control panel.
Saved.
"O-o-ok, see, I decided to benchmark Forge's chips against something that could keep up with them." Doug pointed to the monitor, "Namely, the Shi'ar processors of the Danger Room. What I am attempting to do is utilize the database remotely, and see if Forge's chips can run the holographic inducers and mechanical systems. I have to do it in steps, though..."
Keyboard clatter began to rise in Betsy's ears, Doug's typing skills impressive and oddly rhythmic, nearly musical. Doug's breathing was making a slight hissing rasp. It sounded a lot like a computer modem.
He chuckled once again, stopping.
"I can't type faster than I talk, so Forge said he'd install me a mic and a touchpad tablet. Figures if I can talk to the computer directly, I should be able to tell it to do a lot more than I can now." Doug beamed, proud because he was impressing the X-Men.
Now, it was Psylocke's turn.
"Ok, let's pick... oh, I don't know..." Doug said, his face getting a little evil grin on it. "How about you? You and... a random Danger Room scenario." He pressed the enter button.
Instantly, the screens filled with otherworldly visions. An orange sky with violet clouds, three moons colored green, blue and yellow hovered in the sky, bizarre twisted spires stretching to the heavens, thin rocky archways bridged between tall plateaus, and large puffball fungi littering a rusty desert canyon valley.
Betsy Braddock leapt into view, her black leotard with its red sash standing out clearly against the alien background. Doug remembered when the British lady joined the ranks. She looked very different back then. A broad face, stiff upper lip, pale skin, she was the epitome of British breeding. Then, the goddess Roma's Siege Perilous took all of the active X-Men, when they faced Forge's mortal enemy, the Adversary, and dispersed them to the far corners of the world, memories wiped clean. Doug hadn't been there, but he remembered reading the reports that the team filed, once they managed to get back together, and get their heads right. Betsy had been changed the most, out of all of them. Somehow she had been transformed into the very image of Revanche, an oriental assassin for the ninja clan known as the Hand and the latest love interest of the nefarious Mandarin. The transformation went deeper than merely surface appearance, for the sedate Miss Braddock now found herself to be an adrenaline junkie, with an insatiable appetite for the extreme.
The martial arts training she had somehow been imparted with during the transformation kicked into full gear now. Psylocke demonstrated that graceful skill upon the dry unearthly landscape. Nearly unnatural in her movement, she seemed to glide like some phantom image on the view screen. Doug could not recognize the training scenario he was running, so he pulled up the program on a supplemental monitor.
Limbo. Magik's realm. He was running Illyana's personal training program.
From the corner of her eye, Betsy saw the movement. They were small, nasty looking beasts, low to the ground and coming in fast from under the puffball fungi. How many, she could not ascertain, but one thing was certain...there were a lot of them. Reaching deep inside her, she felt her new power, her telekinesis, raw and clumsy. Betsy Braddock was a very rare telepath, and it was the uniqueness of her mental matrix that made her dangerous. Even now, she could hear it's voice, calling to her, silently, beckoning her to unleash it's awesome power.
For an adrenaline junkie, this is an incredible blessing. Instead of forming a psychic knife that cut through the shields of even the most gifted telepaths, she chose to manifest a telekinetic sword blade, mentally severing molecular bonds of anything that she sliced through.
She unsheathed her psionic weapon now, as the creatures quickly approached. It was invisible to the naked eye. In truth, Doug supposed that only telepaths and telekinetics had actual awareness of the power she unleashed. To the psychically challenged, she was merely a woman in a black leotard, waving her arm around. To the more adept, however, the virtual katana glowed like a small star, hovering just off of her fingertips. Doug wasn't sure which category the little beasties he saw swarming in to attack her fit into, and apparently, the adrenaline junkie within her didn't care. Bring it on.
Doug watched in anticipation with mixed feelings of dread and awe filling him. He knew she had deployed her psychic weapon, not because he could sense it, but because of her particular combat stance. She was leaning into the onrushing attackers, one arm dragging behind her as a counterweight. The first demon spawn rushed out from under the fungi, it's appearance resembling that of an overgrown Rottweiler with porcupine quills adorning it, flinging them at her with deadly precision as it closed the gap.
Betsy swung her telekinetic sword with ease, deflecting the poisonous darts, much to the beastie's surprise. She continued her flowing kata form, bringing the weapon up over her head, and then down upon the spitting maw, slaying the foul creature. Simplistic, nearly mindless in performance, the maneuver was second nature, coming to her as easy as breathing. Still more of the monsters emerged from the fungus foliage, their sizes ranging from a tiny house cat to a massive workhorse, some resembling humanoids, others far more bizarre. Psylocke moved with the grace of a dancer amongst them, her psychic blade weaving an intricate pattern in the air, slicing effortlessly through the various attackers. When she wasn't deploying the weapon, she merely pushed them away from her with the blunt brute force of will.
Doug was in awe. Betsy was truly a sight to behold. Even without using the advantage of telepathy, Psylocke seemed to have a supernatural awareness of where the monstrosities were, striking at the creatures without even needing to turn to face them. As they continued to press their attack, Doug noticed that now Betsy was hefting large rocks with her telekinesis to repel the demons. They were getting close now, claws nicking her, shredding at the leotard, pushing her back away from the valley of fungus, towards the high rocky ridges. She leapt from the collective hoard, landing upon a large rocky overhang, overlooking the valley. The creatures were snarling and screeching en masse before her, held at bay by one hand generating an invisible force field of telekinetic might. She was breathing hard, sweat pouring from her brow. The sheen of perspiration coated her bare flesh, soaking through the leotard. Doug watched silently, wishing that her costume had been a thin white instead of the dark color that only opaquely hugged her skin. His jaw dropped open in surprise, as a large rock behind her shifted, unfolding itself into a very large and very familiar threat, rearing a massive arm back, ready to strike.
Sym. Magik's extremely unpredictable and treacherous demonic familiar, for lack of a better term. To Illyana, his loyalty was literal and absolute, but for anyone else, certain death would be far welcomer than what the demonspawn would be inclined to do.
"So..." Doug said as he paused the display.
"I'm taking what the Danger Room has learned about you from your sessions, and applying it to the various sequences already available in the database. It allows us to predict how you would actually perform in the routine, and adapt it for more specific challenges." Doug turned in his chair, to face Betsy, leaning back, his pride shining.
"Whadda ya think?" He smiled, confident and charming.
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Cypher
Jul 5, 2007 7:37:54 GMT -4
Post by X(r)E NPC on Jul 5, 2007 7:37:54 GMT -4
Betsy watched with amusement as Doug tried to dodge the question of whether or not he saw something he liked. It was the shy little teenaged smile that had Betsy laughing though, that and his quick glance at the monitor for something that might save him. As the simulation began on screen, Betsy could all but feel the relief wash over him. It made her laugh again.
Soon enough his mind was preoccupied, however as he typed in rapid-fire commands and Betsy watched in curiosity. It was difficult not to be impressed. Doug was easily leaps and bounds ahead of your average programmer. She knew his mutation gave him far more than just being able to talk to people. Sometimes it was difficult to remember just how much more Doug Ramsey was capable of.
Certainly he was not like the average adolescent boy.
No sooner was that thought in her head when the monitors changed to an alien sort of landscape with colors simply not found naturally on this planet. She watched as a simulation of her leapt into view and was openly impressed at the level of accuracy it had in capturing her moves.
She watched silently as the battle reached a gruesome climax of sorts, and just before she could figure out just what the living mountain was going to do, Doug paused the simulation. Possibly for the best, but it was like finishing a movie three-quarters of the way through. She frowned a little as he posed his question regarding her thoughts on his work.
“It’s as difficult to not be impressed as it is to not be concerned,” she said as she glanced back at the monitor where the ‘camera’ seemed frozen on her shocked expression at the newcomer. “The Danger Room studies each of our styles, categorizing our techniques to the degree where it can accurately predict what we are going to do.” The thought of where her mind was going was more than a slight bit disturbing.
Betsy squatted down, looking Doug in the eyes before she finished her thoughts.
“What if that information got into the wrong hands?”
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Cypher
Jul 6, 2007 3:50:55 GMT -4
Post by Doug Ramsey on Jul 6, 2007 3:50:55 GMT -4
Jasmine. Lavender.
Betsy's question, as she kneeled to his level, made the young lad's brain freeze for a second in horror as he realized the implications, despite the sensual input of her scent.
"They were so busy obsessing over the question: Could they do it? that they never paused to think a moment and ask themselves, Should they do it?"
The Frankenstein Dilemma.
The Oppenheimer Quandry.
The Richards' Principle.
Doug had seen an interview with Reed Richards discussing inventions and science, when he had said something much like that. It was one of those things that just stuck in your head, Doug imagined. Forge had the exact quote tacked up over his workbench, amidst all the clutter, as a reminder.
Science was chock full of examples of innovations that had potentially deadly consequences unimagined by their creators.
The young lad had been so eager to impress Forge and the Professor, it had never occured to him that he just created a breach in the security and safety of the X-Men or any mutant on the campus.
His face drained of all color.
"Oh my god..." he whispered breathlessly.
His mind raced. It was just a matter of encryption. He could make an encryption code that would be very specific and complex. Forge could make it biometric.
Or...
He sighed, his mind reluctantly accepting the much safer alternative.
Or he could simply erase the program once the chips had been benched and tested.
"I... I'm sorry. I..." Doug swallowed hard, his eyes watering, blinking back tears. "I... didn't think. I'll fix it. I promise. Don't worry."
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Cypher
Jul 6, 2007 15:47:09 GMT -4
Post by Logan on Jul 6, 2007 15:47:09 GMT -4
Wow. I have to really give you kudos, especially on the last two posts. It's more than unanimous, Doug is all yours if you want him.
We're trying to hammer out some ideas for Meltdown and Cypher in the mod room, but we hope to get you guys up and running as soon as possible.
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Cypher
Jul 6, 2007 16:53:45 GMT -4
Post by Doug Ramsey on Jul 6, 2007 16:53:45 GMT -4
*Geekgasm*
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Cypher
Jul 6, 2007 22:37:30 GMT -4
Post by Hank McCoy on Jul 6, 2007 22:37:30 GMT -4
Yeah, outstanding. Welcome. I liked how you showed a much deeper understanding of the other characters and not just Doug. And I especially liked the depth you gave Doug and his abilities...from his skill with computers to the interpretation of body language.
And you made him human at the same time.
Very impressive.
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Cypher
Jul 7, 2007 1:50:05 GMT -4
Post by Doug Ramsey on Jul 7, 2007 1:50:05 GMT -4
Heh. I should play Doc Sampson and let you all have a wonderful time reading my psych reports... The pleasure is mine, Doctor... I am just sharing a knowledge that spans from 30 years ago until today... I grew up with these 'people'.
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Cypher
Jul 7, 2007 7:54:41 GMT -4
Post by Logan on Jul 7, 2007 7:54:41 GMT -4
"What? He changed to psychiatry? That's crazy!" -- Radar
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