(Cerebral (Extra-Sensory, Domination), Super-System (Bestial, Biological), Elemental (Energy, Mimicry), Power (Replication, Charger/Dampener), or Other
[b]Name:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT] [b]Nickname/Alias/Etc:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT] [b]Gender:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT] [b]Age:[/b] [INDENT]There's no age limit in particular. Hell, you can make a baby if it made sense. I would prefer if most characters are above 8.[/INDENT] [b]Height:[/b] [INDENT]In inches/feet[/INDENT] [b]Weight:[/b] [INDENT]In pounds[/INDENT] [b]Home District:[/b] [INDENT]State where in BAYBRIDGE your character lives.[/INDENT]
[b]Innate & Outward Personality:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT] [b]Hobbies/Interests:[/b] [INDENT]Optional[/INDENT] [b]Skills/Talents:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT] [b]Goals/Motivation[/b] [INDENT]What is your character's goal in the story? Is it to stay alive? Take over the crime world?[/INDENT] [b]History/Bio:[/b] [INDENT]You can skim over events you'd rather reveal in the IC.[/INDENT]
[h3][u][b]Relationships[/b][/u][/h3]
[b]Family:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT]
[b]Dynamics:[/b] (Relations with other characters - You don't have to put relation with family here.) [indent][h3]| [b]Name Here[/b] |[/h3] | [b]{Impression (Good/Bad/Neutral}[/b] | [b]{Relationship (Friend, Rival, Crush, etc)}[/b] | [i]"Quote Here."[/i] | [indent] [Description of Relationship] [/indent]
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[h3][b][u]Abilities[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Power Class:[/b] [INDENT](Cerebral (Extra-Sensory, Domination), Super-System (Bestial, Biological), Elemental (Energy, Mimicry), Power (Replication, Charger/Dampener), or Other[/INDENT] [b]Power:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT] [b]Limits:[/b] [INDENT]Depending on the power, this may be optional[/INDENT] [b]Weaknesses/Drawbacks:[/b] [INDENT][/INDENT]
[b]Description:[/b] Concise summary of their appearance, and role in story. Personality optional.
[b]Power:[/B]
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▶: RAVEN AGENTS
[48 | Maximilian Alexander Cornell (Callsign: Pretorian) | Male]
Description: Pupil of Adam Blackmore, and NEST boy wonder, Maximilian Cornell was a very promising NEST Agent - that would eventually become the head of RAVEN. He started out as a trouble-some brat that used his power to cause trouble, after getting evened out by Adam, Maximilian decided to become a NEST Agent. He eventually rose through the ranks through sheer leadership, skill, and cohesion until he was being selected to act as a stand-in director. When he was assigned to work in Verthaven, he lead NEST's branch through to the battles against the Hands of Science, to leading the survivors of the Verthaven disaster against the Changeling Unit, and the Devil of Verthaven. After the disbandment of NEST, it was decided that Maximilian would be selected as the chairmen of the RAVEN organization. He gleefully accepted the position in hopes of leading the organization in a direction that would be best for North America's Metahumans, constantly making decisions alongside Deborah. Maximilian is a very tall man at 6'4, Caucasian, and has a muscular build from all the working out he does. (He's no body builder, though. He has to fight crime!) He is said to have the look of a superhero - which is what he's striving for. He has long, strong limbs, and a broad chest. Usually covered up by his black suit and tie.
Power: Echo. Maximilian has a Stand subservient entity living inside of him. At will, he can bring out this entity - which mirrors his exact appears, except it's glowing with a golden tint, and much larger than him. Maximilian can command Echo to do whatever he wants, it's fully capable of interacting with the environment. It's fairly strong, and fast - capable of delivering a barrage of punches that'd reduce concrete to pieces in seconds. However, it's not invincible. Only Metahumans can see Echo, which is something he does to identify rogue Metahumans. Maximilian also has the ability to fly. Usually he just levitates in a cool manner.
[35 | Dana Lucille Alcott (Callsign: Grue) | Female]
Description: Maximilian's wheelchair bound assistant. Dana is a former NEST Mission Control Operator that's from New York City, and eventually graduated from Academy 218 - before she joined NEST as a mission control officer. Dana was also Adam's pupil during her time in Academy, which got her a spot as Task Force RAVEN's mission control, and was brought to Verthaven. She worked behind the scenes to ensure NEST's victories against the Hands, and all other threats. Which ended with Maximilian being promoted - and Dana being promoted as well (to his assistant). In which she is glad to have her spot. As I mentioned before, Dana is a wheelchair-bound woman that was born with a birth defect in her spine. She's happy as they get, however. Dana is a woman with beige-white skin, and there is a multitude of European Countries in her blood. Dana has made a note not to indulge in greasy foods, so she's rather thin, and wiry. A little bit of exercise helped. Her arms are toned from years upon years of upper arm exercise. Dana has blue eyes that are oddly beady, striking. Her facial features are sharp, and she looks very mousy behind her glasses. Most notably, is her head of hair. It's very curly. She has a shaggy hairstyle that is almost like an afro, but not too big or silly. Sometimes she puts flowers into her hair. However, despite her innocent looks, Dana is one of the most dangerous Metahumans in RAVEN.
Power: Unseen-Monster Transformation. Dana is one of the strongest Metahumans employed in RAVEN. Once Dana is out of sight, she transforms into an abomination that is capable of unearthly feats of speed. If someone blinks, she's fast enough to clear a surprising amount of space. Almost like she just teleported. This alternate form is so horrible that it ignores the laws of physics (Mostly relating to speed). This form, according to Dana, has tentacles, extra limbs, and claws. It's also quite strong, durable, and capable of wall crawling. Of course this means that if she comes in sight of someone, she'll transform right back into a crippled thirty-something.
[34 | Mercer "Mercy" Bennet (though it's rumored he had his name legally changed from Tim) | Cock and balls]
Description: Somewhat new to these parts, Mercy is a RAVEN transfer from New Mexico. He's a tall, thick man with arms like tree trunks and a keg for a belly. His face wears a black goatee and muttonchops, and a cap that'd give you the impression he was from the military - and he was! A former marine corps quartermaster officer but was, ah, relieved of duty after a number of weapons had mysteriously disappeared and his superiors decided that he wasn't doing a good enough job maintaining the supplies. Sent home and with nowhere else to go, he figured that he could take his fine, superpowered ass to the new RAVEN organization that popped up. Worked there for a few years in New Mexico, until there was a job opening in Baybridge for another quartermaster officer - and Mercy had the experience to fulfill that position. He has been there for about a year now. It seems as though the man never sleeps and is a sucker for overtime, because he can be found behind his desk in the armory at nearly any point of the day. You have to admire his dedication if nothing else - because his undying optimism and loud personality is grating on the nerves. He's like a massive mastiff dog that has to bark at everything that moves. The greatest mystery that surrounds him, other than the loss of his previous employment, was how he got the name "Mercy". Surely, it can't just be a dolled up version of Mercer...
Power: Internal Pocket-Dimension & Shapeshifting From any point of Mercy's body, he can open up what looks like a black hole - without all the mass - and store a countless number of objects. The only limit on that is the size of the object. He can't store a car, cars are bigger than him, and he can't turn the entirety of his body into a hole to his pocket dimension. He doesn't want to store perishables inside for obvious reasons. From there, Mercy can also shapeshift himself or parts of his body into objects stored inside. If he stores a wrench inside, he could transform himself into a 200 lb. wrench, or just a portion of his body with weight equivalent to the item. He can't transform himself into anything heavier than himself - if he tried, a 500 lb weight would weigh just 200 lbs. The transformed parts of his body and the actual objects they transform into sort of coincide with one another. It would be more accurate to describe it as the object replacing his hands moreso than it is his hand turning into the object, as a physicist may observe, but the hypnotizing and, quite frankly, confounding process would lead anyone else to believe otherwise - perhaps the effects are interchangeable! But like the man who wields this power, it defies science and understanding. He has a bunch of stuff and gadgets inside him, but most notably, an entire arsenal of military-grade equipment. [deadpan]By golly, I wonder where he got it from.[/deadpan]
Description: Chairwoman of DOVE. Originally a woman from Black Fall Pennsylvania that became a NEST Agent, Deborah was a strong advocate for change within the NEST Organization. Stating that the system was flawed and needed to be changed - which fell on deaf ears as High Command chose to ignore her. However, she got the change that she idealized once NEST was disbanded, and DOVE was formed. Due to her exemplary humanity, and skills as an Agent, Deborah was chosen to be the Chairmen of DOVE, and she was the woman who shaped DOVE into what it is today. Deborah is a tall African-American woman that is well built. She is a Metahuman with a powerful array of Extra-sensory abilities that gives her information on what she can perceive (Along with other telepathic abilities). Deborah is regarded as one of the kindest Agents, and gives it her all as she tries to improve the world, not just for Metahumans, but for everyone.
Power: Psychometric-Perception. Deborah has an extremely powerful information gathering ability that naturally makes her a great detective. Extra-sensory in nature. It's rather simple to explain, she gains information about what she perceives (What she sees, hears, smells, touches, and even tastes) about her environment automatically. It goes a little bit more in depth than that, since she does this by making connections between cause-and-effect, filling in the blanks of information. The possibilities are nearly endless. She could learn motives with a glance, learn about objects around her, and so on. But Deborah mostly uses this ability on other humans to learn about them. Technically, she has a lesser form of Empathy, as her whole power allows her to learn emotions through scanning body language. This ability to make connections allows her to do a little bit more than what you're thinking. By scanning enough about a particular subject, she can make larger connections. Such as if she's scanning a random object, she can learn that it's sentimental, and why. Or if she finds a gun on the ground smoking, she can tell how long ago it's been shot and where the bullet went. That's just a few examples in particular, since there's a ton of variables here. Unlike other abilities that are Psychometric in nature, this ability focuses on present time information, or more precisely what she is currently perceiving. She also has tactile-telepathy, a psychic shield (Which defends her from other mental powers), and Premonitions.
Description: Deborah's rather grumpy assistant. A rather close childhood friend of hers that followed Deborah all the way to the top, doing all she can to support her. From being the fried that Deborah needed, to joining NEST with her. Which has earned her a spot as Deborah's assistant within DOVE. She makes appointments, and helps Deborah manage things around DOVE. She supports in executive decisions. Shannon is a red-haired Irish/Israel woman who's blue eyes are hidden behind a pair of glasses. She is known for her excessively stylish clothings... because of her ability to manipulate clothes (More like the ability to manipulate everything clothes are made out of) allows her to make any outfit imaginable. As you may have expected, Shannon is in Baybridge with Deborah. Though, it's suspected they're more than just friends...
Power: Clothing-Manipulation. Alright, here's the 4-1-1, Shannon has the power to manipulate clothing, or more accurately, the materials they're comprised of. To start off, this gives her to ability to manipulate all fibers/fabrics (wool, silk, cotton, etc), denim, nylons, polyester, rayon, flannel, leather, feather down, linen, and spandex. These materials are what she can control the best. She can freely move it telekinetically with exceptional precision, and control - along with being able to move large quantities if she pleases. The most obvious use is that she can weave pretty much anything she can imagine out of these flexible materials. Clothes, weapons, barriers - you name it. But a major side-ability she has is that she can alter these materials properties (Absorbency, texture, weight/density, color, and structure). Shannon can also control the tensile strength of these materials. Tensile strength is more or less how much stress these materials can withstand before snapping. Thus, Shannon can alter that. She can give a single thread the strength of diamonds, or make any outfit bullet-resistant (Not proof, since they can't absorb the impact of the bullets).
[26 | Jade Vanessa West | Female]
Description: It's stated that her blood is cursed. Jade is a Haitian woman who carries the "Witch Mother gene" in her. The Witch Mothers are a long line of Metahumans in which their females develop the ability to manipulate biology. They're the scourge of Haiti, but the newest Witch Mother was a member of the Changeling Unit. Which brings Jade much shame. Which is why Jade joined DOVE in Baybridge, to use her ability to atone for the sins of her bloodline. Jade's skin is a dark color, and her features are consistent with Haitians. She's well-built, but not overly muscular. Jade acts as a standard member of DOVE, as well as a medic. Jade is in a relationship with Drake Blackmore.
Power: Biology-Manipulation.Much like her grandmother, Jade possesses a limitless control over biology. If she touches something, she can recode the biology of anything. Including changing it to a whole different creature. However, Jade does not like this ability, and has mentally conditioned herself so that she doesn't use her biology manipulation. Jade instead uses the helpful, healing aspects of this power, and heals anyone who needs it.
[32 | Scarlet Sindel Obott | Female]
Description: One of the survivors of the Verthaven disaster that was a NEST trainee to support her younger brother, Trevor Obott, who was killed by Luis in his last moments. Distraught over the death of her brother, Scarlet joined up with the newly formed DOVE and has been doing everything she could to ensure that other young Metahumans get the help they need. Scarlet almost exclusively works with young Metahumans. Scarlet is a average heighted woman that is in her early twenties. Neurotic and mousy looking, her hair is a burgundy color tied up into a bun - it looks a little messy as there's a noticeable amount of hair strands sticking out. She dresses pretty casual, but also walks around with the DOVE uniform.
Power: Narcotic-Emission. Scarlet's power manifested in that his body produces a powerful magical, cure-all, drug. Every part of her body is a drug - it is heavily concentrated into her breath and bodily fluids. However, she's capable of secreting it as a thick, clear, liquid, out of his sweat pores. She can't, say, shoot out a gust of her drug, but she can coat his hands with it, and keep producing it for ages (Until the effects of fatigue kick in). Once it comes in contact with another person, the drug is immediately absorbed into the body, and will start affecting the individual in shortly as a few seconds. However, if the drugs are consumed, or injected, the effects will be amplified. Now, as for it's effects; the drug is a powerful medical, hallucinogenic, and sedative, drug, which has a variety of effects. Euphoria, body-wide physical pleasure, sedation, reduction of pain, hallucinations (Psychedelic in nature), removal of harmful contaminants (Bacteria, Poison, Diseases, etc), and will induce regeneration in others. They quickly wear off, even the worse high will be gone in an hour. Now, Scarlet herself is immune to the effects of the drug, but the high concentration of the drugs in her body have effectively made her immune to all foreign chemicals (Medicine, etc), and containments (poisons, toxins, venoms, viruses, bacteria, etc.). She's so immune that his immune-system never had to work once in it's life.
[35 | Samantha Bayard | Female]
Description: Ms. Bayard's job is the smooth operation of the administrative offices of DOVE headquarters. Her role as their supervisor has her busy at pretty much all times of the day, going so far as to even take calls while she's at home. She's a tall woman with brunette hair that is frequently done in a tightly pulled bun, and an entire wardrobe full of formal dress wear. Most people wonder if it would kill her to live it up some, but no, this gal is strictly business. She's passionate about DOVE's work and what she does, and the only thing that could stand between her and DOVE's vision realized is the sweet embrace of death. Though as effective as she may be, she plays the game safe and doesn't like taking unnecessary risks. She plays by the book, follows the rules, and doesn't tolerate too much deviation from the plan she has set for offices. This puts her at odds with some of the more, uh, "willful" folk, but she's a swift deliverer of discipline when the time calls for it. Despite what some may say about her, no one can deny that there's never been a more efficient administrative supervisor in the building. One of her quirks is that there's a particular saying she abuses nearly all the time, and it could be any variation of the phrase "running [this place] like a well-oiled machine".
Power: Powerless But many people assume that she simply doesn't require sleep. Only the sweat and blood of her minions.
[36 | Olivia Verde | Female]
Description: A fit member of DOVE (who joined after being turned down a few times) that is a high ranking member of the organization. The woman that manages the many DOVE protection programs. Making sure that at risk Metahumans (especially Metahuman children who were exploited) are safe. At least, that's what they put on her job description. In actuality, Olivia was one of the many DOVEs that were in bed with the Founding Family, and took checks to reveal Metahumans that would be useful to them. She, like very few, was spared from the backlash, and instead does the job she was paid to. Afraid her life will come crashing down.
Power: Weather Manipulation. Olivia has the ability to summon weather effects such as snow, lightning, wind, hail, and focus them into attacks and whatnot. It isn't manipulating elements such as some elemental types, but she can do some damage.
▶: SAVIORS
[56 | Liu Jiao-Long | Male]
Description: CEO of the Liu Pharmaceutical Company, and a Brilliant scientist under the Savior foundation with a specialty in Metahumans. He's known Nationwide for his work on a cure for Metahumans, and how much progress he's making on it. Usually he stays in Black Fall to do work, but he often travels to compare notes, and other business endeavors. He's been brought to Verthaven for a very important meeting, he refuses to disclose. Brother of Lihua Zhao (And uncle of Meifeng and Lijuan), and father of many children. Jiao-Long is obviously Chinese, with yellowish skin with light-white overtones, and very asianic features. His eyes are dark brown. He is quite tall at 6'5, but few would notice because he hunches over at times. He's a bit pudgy because of all the work he does leaves very little time to work out. He's a very kind, and calm man, who only wants the best for everyone, and wants to achieve peace wherever he can. Jiao-Long moved from Black Fall to Baybridge because of the growing tensions in the former city, and the fact he's allocating a lot of his business to the latter.
Power: None.
▶: ZODIAC
[Unknown | Sovereign (Real name unknown) | Female]
Description: Also known as the "Black Hound" when he worked for the Family, and "Abel" (an affectionate nickname given to him by the Foundation Woman). He's a hulking monstrosity of a man clad in black armor decorated with the logo of the snarling dog he's known for. He used to be the most feared man on the planet when he worked for the Founding Family, being the former leader of the Intimidation Unit... and even after betraying them, he's still as frightening as ever. He went from a military styled armor, to a strange one. One that is nearly skin-tight in the appearance of muscles, with extra armor in his certain areas (his chest, waist, shoulder, legs, and head). His helmet has changed to a more rounded and bulky design with the gas mask. The same intimidating and faceless design. Despite being robotic in demeanor, he has a strong sense of honor, and is philosophical. He hates senseless violence, but will show his ruthless side if necessary. He's heavily armed with the best weapons, but sticks with a good old grenade launcher, or a heavy duty machine gun.
Power: Augmented-Physical Capabilities. It's unknown what his true powers are, but the Sovereign has, thus far, demonstrated enhanced strength, speed, regeneration, durability, reflexes, and aim. He's very strong, and can shrug off attacks from even the strongest Metahumans. Which have given him the reputation of a boogy man, as he displays horror-movie villain amounts of implacability. Along with a helmet that is augmented with several different scanners, and giving him a large amount of information. He also seems to be immune to cerebral-type abilities, as his mind is like a fortress.
[35 | Tabitha Crest (Codename: The Foundation Woman) | Female]
Description: Also known as Tabitha Crest. The Foundation Woman was a powerful member of the Founding Family, and their second in command. Their general, the one who passes down orders from the Blessed Three to everyone below her. Nobody knew who she was saved for the three, or the Elders of the Founding Family. Her true identity was Tabitha Crest, a role that she was born into after inheriting it from her father. After years of planning, she and the Hound betrayed the Founding Family, and were the main component in their end. Now, the Foundation Woman independently runs the ZODIAC group in their goals. She and Sovereign have an end goal in mind, but aren't willing to share it with anyone. The ZODIAC group have been so successful because of the Foundation Woman's extremely powerful Extra-Sensory ability.
Power: Chance-Sensing She has the ability to see chance, and percentages of something happening. So, in essence, she can practically tell what will fail, and what won't. By carefully picking ZODIAC's battles very carefully, she lead them to victory.
▶: THE PHILOSOPHERS
[51 | Fujimoto Kumiko | Female]
Description: One of the top members of the Philosophers, and was formerly an undercover member of the Founding Family's Intimidation Unit. Where she ran under the name of Makoto Koda, and became one of their top assassins. She betrayed the Founding Family, and helped her daughter, Wendy Lucker, escape. Since then, the two have kept in touch as Kumiko sorted out business in Baybridge. She is a tall Japanese-American woman that stands at five-ten, her build is thin, but underneath the clothes she is surprisingly muscular. That shows in her acrobatic feats of agility, and demonstrations of strength. Makoto dresses pretty casually, but she dresses like people younger than herself (Who says she can't be hip?). She's hard to peg, as many of her interactions are teasing, and sarcasm.
Power: Retroactive-Power Replication. Makoto has an ability that crosses the Replication and Extra-Sensory power classes. She is able to unlock her potential to sense past events in order to detect if a power has been used in the area in the past. Using this potential, with concentration, she may see into the past and witness the power being used in action. That's not all, folks, by channeling this Cerebral ability, she can also replicate powers if she focuses on the event enough. It depends on how long ago the power was used in the area. If it was a few hours ago, it'd be a few minutes... but, years in the past would take hours of uninterrupted focus and concentration before she could copy the power. Afterwards, she has the power "stored" in her memory (She can store up to five abilities). Currently, Makoto has the ability to manipulate metal, flashstep, and teleport.
▶: MAVERICK
[43 | Graham Xavier Morris | Male]
Description: Formerly, one of the frontline members of the MISW, Graham is a long time agent, and enforcer of Metahuman security of the UK. After the fall of the Family, and the MISW by that extent, Graham left Britain, and joined MAVERICK. One of the most skilled and experienced agents, armed with his knowledge, he sees a fairly high success rate. However, while most have gotten the idea that Graham is nothing more than a soldier, they wouldn't be any further from the truth. He's a very polite, and introspective man that has a love for reading and knowledge. He's also very vocal about Metahuman politics, and is the main man one pushing for change within the MISW. Out of both fear that they would produce an infinite cycle of homegrown terrorism, and they are treating Metahumans as second class citizens. Oh, did I mention? Due to Graham's ability, he's an invisible man. Yes, he's permanently invisible. It's impossible for him to make himself visible, but fortunately (until he activates it) his clothes will remain visible. He usually wears glasses, and a longcoat. He also has a daughter with the exact same ability as him that attends the Academy in Baybridge.
Power: Invisibility-Manipulation. Graham has a few abilities relating to invisibility. First, he's always invisible. No one can see his flesh, only the clothes on top of it. You would expect that he would need to get naked before he puts this ability to good use, but he has a light manipulating ability that allows him to extend his invisibility to his clothes. In addition, he can also produce fields of invisibility, or make specific objects invisible. Graham also has the ability to produce shields that will block attacks. Unlike his invisibility, his shields are only vaguely visible. If you're wondering how he doesn't render himself blind, shut up, it just works.
[27 | Carmen Santo | Female]
Description: Formerly a run away after her power manifested and made her the target of many different groups, Lily, for her own safety, joined RAVEN. Which she developed the combat skills she holds to this day, and was loyal to the organization... up until she was betrayed by a corrupt RAVEN working for the Family, and her power was used as the basis for the Family's own power granting serum. She was liberated when the Family finally fell, but couldn't face RAVEN anymore. She left, but by the time this happened, MAVERICK was looking for fresh recruits, and extended her a hand. Lily joined, and became one of the most respected members of the whole organization. Even then, she's still polite, respectful, and kind, above all else. Lily is a Puerto-Rican woman that stands at 5'2, and has a well-built body. Her body has plenty of scars due to the incidents she gotten into when she was younger involving her power. She keeps her brown hair cut short, and hard to grab, but ultimately very well-maintained.
Power: Power Charging & Granting. Lily's body is a near-limitless generator of Metahuman energy, which she can transfer to others on touch. When this energy is transferred to other people, it has one of two effects. Either it enhances their abilities, if Metahuman, or gives them powers. Which is easily considered the most dangerous of all Metahuman abilities. But, if someone is charged too much... they enter a state of being "overcharged" where their powers are enhanced to uncontrollable levels.
[38 | Michelle Brianna Gallus | Female]
Description: One of the first members of MAVERICK. Michelle was formerly a member of the NEST organization after leaving a circus act for Metahumans. After losing her arm, and other humiliating acts during Verthaven, Michelle fell into a pit of despair and left NEST. She worked as a grocery bagger for a few years, before returning to the circus act. But, after the fall of the Founding Family, she was approached by a recruiter for MAVERICK, and seeing this as her chance to get over her rut, she joined. Becoming second in command for the organization, Michelle has quite the reputation. First, for being seven feet tall, and being loud, boisterous, and confident. Finally regaining it. Michelle is African-American, and primed with muscles from head to toe from her power. She is the heavy lifter in MAVERICK, but don't ever mistake her for dumb muscle.
Power: Bestial Strength. Michelle's power gives her enormous amounts of brute strength, enough to lift a car with one hand. But, the beast half of her power comes in the ability to manifest claws, and her enhanced sensory abilities.
▶: THE COVEN
[Unknown | Megan Emma Jervious | Female... most of the time]
Description: A very odd and mysterious woman that shows up in places. Strange places. Her first documented appearance was working in Academy 218, but she has popped up all over the place. Her last known sighting was with the Hands of Science. Not a soul knows what she wants, or where she came from, but her objectives seem to be the most mysterious part of her. She appears only to Meta-humans, and often helps them in different ways. Otherwise she only speaks to them briefly. Anyone who encounters her quickly finds out about her rather juvenile personality. Extremely cheery, and almost sociopathic in attitude. Megan has one consistent appearance. A tall redhaired woman with freckles, dressing modestly, and having unmatched beauty. Megan was actually the one who leaked the information about the Hands of Science and Changeling Unit to the world, in an attempt to betray them. Since then, she has gone into hiding. Megan is accompanying her mother, Ada, to Baybridge for strange and unknown reasons. But, it's apparent that she knows a lot more than what she lets on.
Power: Amorphous Shape-Shifting. Megan's body is comprised of a vaguely organic substance that she can freely shape into anything imaginable. This substance is lightweight, self-repairing, and allows her to mimic the properties of anything she has encountered before. It's highly suspected that there's more to this ability.
[Centuries Old | Ada (Known as "The Verschlinger") | Female]
Description: A revant of an era best forgotten. Ada was the scourge of the Secret Age of Metahumans, being responsible for many of their deaths, and playing a major part in many events during that era. She is the reason why the Changeling Unit was created, as she drove Luis mad. However, despite that, she has good intentions, and only wants to dedicate herself, and her power, towards building a much brighter future. Which is why she helps young Metahumans in her organization The Coven. Ada has taken many forms throughout the years, and Ada is just one identity of many. Ada's current form is a tall woman with German features, blonde hair, and blue eyes. She wears a black cloak that covers a majority of her features with a wide brimmed hat. Almost nobody in the current era has any idea who Ada is, and what she's doing.
Power: Unknown, however, it was stated by many that Ada is the most powerful Metahuman on Earth. It is known that she at least has the ability to shapeshift better than her daughter, Megan.
[32 | Adora Padros | Female]
Description: One of the most loyal members of the Coven. Adora was rescued from the Changeling Unit at a very young age by Ada, and since then she has been loyal to the woman. Being one of their most powerful and useful members. She's a brown haired woman of Spanish facial features, and a pale brown skin. What is most notable about her appearance is her reptilian-like claws for hands and feet. They have a tan color, and have very long white keratin blades. She is the one that was chosen to accompany Ada and Megan to Baybridge.
Power: Portal Cutter. With her claws, Adora can channel space-time forces to cut slashes in reality itself. By using these cuts in reality, she (and anybody else) can step through them to travel to different locations. She can easily travel in between continents with ease. In addition, she claws are supernaturally sharp, and can cut through metal.
▶: UNAFFILIATED
[11 | Lijuan Zhao (赵丽娟, Zhao Lijuan) | Female]
Description: Daughter of Lihua Zhao, and (secretly) Maximilian Cornell, Lijuan was born before anything in Verthaven had taken place, and was but an infant during the Verthaven disaster. She survived due to the valiant efforts of the resistance, and managed to grow up into an eight year old girl. Lijuan is a mixed child, she is part Chinese, and a variety of different European countries. Though, she looks much like a Caucasian child, that has a bit of Asian in her eyes. She's what you'd expect an eight year old to be in terms of build; short, chubby, and all over the place. Lijuan has a head of black hair styled into a bob cut that's well maintained by her methodical mother. Lijuan is normally a very cheerful and energetic girl that gets plenty of attention from her family... however, after the death of her mother, the person she was closest to; she's been feeling incredible depression. As she's lost the person she's loved the most. She's currently under the care of the Liu family since this incident, and has been in close contact with her older sister, Meifeng.
Power: Fire-Manipulation. Lijuan has the abilities of the standard firebender, she may produce intense flames from her body, and manipulate them. However, Lijuan doesn't know how to control her ability because it's such a powerful ability in the hands of a young girl. She may unconsciously activate her power upon emotion and cause immense damage. Which is why she's been assigned a power-suppressant collar which puts her ability under control.
[27 | Jennifer Marissa Caspin | Female]
Description: A person that tragedy seems to always follow.
Jennifer Caspin is a girl that seen it all. Starting in Verthaven, she was apart of the attack on the Fiends, and lost everything during the Verthaven Disaster. Seemingly killed by the Devil of Verthaven herself. For a few years, she renounced who she was, living under the alias of Missy Baroness. Before returning her "true" identity of Missy Baroness... just in time to learn the harsh truth of her return. That she was indeed killed, but resurrected as a part of a sick experiment by Julia O'Sullivan. After that woman's death, she realized that it was time to move on, and live by her own terms. Starting by finding her old employer Megan Jervious. Jennifer is an average heighted, and quite curvy, young woman whose maturity was completely stunted by her superpower. She still looks seventeen years old despite being well into her twenties. She has blonde hair usually kept in a ponytail, and bright-blue eyes. She is Caucasian with Scavandian roots dictating the outcome of her facial features. One of the strangest features on her body has got to be her spine... It's exposed to the world, and well prehensile like a monkey's tail. It's located a few inches above her waist, and is easily six feet long. This spine moves quite strangely, like it's a scorpion tail. She keeps these features covered up with clothing, usually a hoodie. She is a very close friend of Meifeng Zhao, Haruka Takashiro, and the other Verthaven survivors.
Power: Bone, Blood, & Skin Manipulation, & High-Regeneration. Jennifer has the ability to manipulate her body, basically. She has the ability to make bone of any shape grow out of her body, and act as a weapon. Usually a spear of some sort, but she's sometimes made a spear made out of bone. Jennifer can also control the bone of other people if she can get her prehensile spine to touch stripped bone. Jennifer can shape, and grow her skin, in addition to being able to alter texture, color, smoothness, density, sensitivity, etc. One trick she learned how to do is give herself "enhanced touch." Giving her the ability to sense vibrations through solids and liquids, and she can even sense air-pressure changes - at the cost of being extra sensitive to pain. Along with the ability to control her muscles, and whatnot. She can telekinetically control blood. Either her own, or blood that's been exposed to the air. She lacks the fancy tricks of her previous two abilities, but she can do stuff like force wounds to scab, or stop blood flow in parts of her body. Finally, Jennifer has an immense regenerative factor. She can heal from even the worst wounds within an hour, and any blow that doesn't go to the brain won't even stagger her. She, oddly enough, has a network of "backup organs" that activate whenever a primary organ fails. Which can keep her alive despite the odds.
[27 | Jake Daniels Valos | Male]
Description: Jake is a prince in all definitions of the word. He's the second youngest son of Jason Valos, owner of several clubs and casinos all over the United States. Leaving him, his twin sister Gabriela, and their various siblings, in the hands of maids and butlers - with loads of money. Hilarity ensues. Jake is known from all over as an overall chill person - and is easily the most outgoing out of his siblings. He's very polite, and calm, treats everyone with respect. True to his family, Jake is a Brazilian boy. His light-brown skin tells much about his Spanish roots. He's thin, and has the build of a swimmer. Thin limbs without body fat or muscles. He certainly has a feminine vibe to his facial features. It might just be the glasses, though. His hair is a very black color, slicked back. Jake usually is seen wearing a suit, or any other fancy article of clothing. Usually he has an overcoat over it all. Jake is the one that keeps Johnny in line... mostly. He does end up giving into his siblings foolishness. Jake is the most focused on the mission to save their missing sisters.
Power: Psuedo-Realistic Illusions. Jake possesses a heightened form of illusion generation. Whether it's through training, or the basic form of his ability is the question he won't be answering any time soon. The illusory ability allows him to generate illusions in the real world, opposed to the minds of the people around him. Which means he straight up bypasses any form of mental resistance, and can appear in recordings. These illusions have the ability to take the properties of what they mimic, fooling people. They can mimic sense, taste, smell, and even sound, and can fool the mind into thinking that they are solid. Of course, this aspect of his ability can be resisted by cerebral Metahumans.
[27 | Gabriela Mya Valos | Female]
Description: Twin-Sister to Jake. Their features are pretty much the same (Brazilian heritage, brown skin, black hair, etc). Much rougher in appearance, creating such a contrast between them. Where Jake looks like a prince, Gabe looks like a biker. She stands at the average female height, and is quite curvy. Though, her skin is covered in burn scars. She looks like a bad burn victim. Though, she functions perfectly fine, despite those burns. She just keeps them covered up with her leather biker outfits. Though, there's no hiding her missing eye - hidden behind a large black eyepatch. There's three claw-point scars running down that eye - indicating that some beast clawed it out. Gabe keeps her hair styled in a pony-tail. Gabe certainly is an easily angered human being. She's always seen as aggravated, and quick to fight. Though, she's nice enough in normal situations.
Power: Laser-Generation. Gabe has the ability to absorb light from the environment around her in her cells, and weaponize it later. She can project the lasers as a deadly beam that moves at the speed of light that burns the air around her. She can control the size of the laser - the wider the beam, the larger the radius, but the smaller the beam, the more focused it becomes. It comes to the point where Gabe is considered to be an incredibly dangerous Metahuman. However, it is connected to her emotions... and if she gets angry, the beams will become more powerful, but unstable and hard to control. To the point where they explode in her face. You can guess where she got all those burnscars from.
[18 | Jaska Valos | Male]
Description: An aberrant, an unknown scion that was added to the Valos family very recently, and still being introduced. There is something very wrong with this young boy from first glance. He looks bestial, almost demonic. Jaska is a young boy with light-caramel skin, a mixture of his Japanese, African and Brazilian roots. He's the tallest of the bunch at 6'7ft. Now, what makes Jaska so frightening is the manifestation of his powers in the form of physical alterations. A mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, jagged claws on his hands and feet, wings with a twelve foot wingspan, a thin devil-y tail with a blade at the end, three horns above his ears (that point backwards), a one foot long tongue, and pointy ears! Otherwise, he looks perfectly normal, even with a head of black hair. His personality also offsets his looks.
Power: Apex-Predator & Inner-Beast. Jaska's a beast, he promises more than teeth marks when he attacks. Obviously, the first part of Jaska's power is that he's been given physical alterations. Those alterations do exactly what you'd expect them to do (Idiot). However, Jaska's also been given enhancements in the following areas: strength (he could easily overpower a fully grown man), speed (On all fours, he's hard to catch), agility (he can pull off flips, and is quite flexible), senses (Hearing, smell, sight - though his hearing is the best), regeneration (He can bounce back from wounds quite well), and camouflage (He's the invisiblessed - but, no, really, he can make himself harder to see). At the cost of being quite frail in this state. On the other hand, if Jaska is mortally wounded (Or hears the phrase "Little Devil"), his inner-beast will activate. It's basically a giant, hulking form (That's one inch taller than Henry, and way cooler), and has strength (Can lift one ton) and durability (He can take physical blows fine, but blades, bullets and energy? Not so much) that matches it. This state lowers his speed by quite a few notches. He'll be a bit faster than the average running speed on all fours - otherwise, he's pretty slow. In this state, he'll rampage around until he's defeated, or runs out of energy - either way, Jaska will be out of it for awhile while he recovers. Oh yeah, before he begins the transformation, his wounds will quickly regenerate before his body focuses on the transformation (In the process, eliminating his regenerative factor for the duration).
[27 | Liu Lin | Female]
Description: Daughter of a rich scientist and owner of a company known as the Liu Pharmaceutical Company, Lin Liu was the oldest among a group of three sisters (Four, since her father also fathered a bastard daughter). She had everything she ever needed, and more. A life of comfort that was unheard of. She was built up as the successor to Jiao-Long, but unfortunately, once Honghui came along, she was casted aside. That left a very bitter taste in her mouth. Lin is Chinese, and has a whitish skin with very heavy golden overtones. Her build is very thin and frail, and her hair is black, straight, and tied up into a bun. Her facial features are sharp, nearly avian. She is known to be the most beautiful out of the Liu sisters. She's usually seen wearing a dress of some sort.
Power: Telepathic Shape-Shifting. Lin has the power to read minds (Professor X style) and assume forms based off of those thoughts. You could be thinking about your mom and she could shapeshift into her, or you could be thinking about a person you saw the other night, and bam! She shapeshifted. She is capable of disobeying the laws of mass conservation to an extent, allowing her to assume the forms of people larger/smaller than her. Her telepathic abilities on their own aren't too shabby. She can read thoughts, send them, and open mental connections over a large range (Which she can expand with effort). She can also send sexy thoughts to people.
[30| Liu Mika | Female]
Description: The much older (and much more judgmental) half-sister of Lin Liu. She was the result of big pappa Liu having one night stand with a secretary, and eventually she joined the family in their mansion. She's incredibly polite, but also extremely judgmental, arrogant, and haughty (She looks down on everyone). Mika, like her sisters, is Asian (Half-Chinese, and Half-Japanese, to be exact). She's somewhat chubby, and has a gut, due to a real lack of exercise and over indulging herself in sweets. Her facial features are diamond shaped, and sharp, and she has a pony-tail (her hair is black btw) that reaches her back. She's known to put a flower in it. Mika's attire is very modest, and schoolgirl-y.
Power: Cerebral Power-Replication. Mika has the power to copy and store Cerebral powers inside of her. Which she can switch between, but she can only use one at a time. At the moment, Mika only has Lin's telepathic abilities, and a telekinetic power that allows her to make shields.
[36 | Miranda Mercer | Female]
Description: A mysterious woman that was a former member of the Founding Family. She is fairly average heighted, and has blonde hair, and blue eyes, with her hair in a pony-tail. She has a sharp, secretary, vibe around her when professional - wearing suits with skirts, and glasses. When casual, she'll wear just about anything. She is cold, and mysterious, and doesn't let a lot of people know about her. Whether it's shame about her past, or something else, is up for debate. What is known that she is rallying people against the apparent Founding Family remnants. But, she is having a hard time as it's difficult to get people to trust her.
Power: Unknown. Appears to be human, but telepaths have a hard time piercing her mind.
[41 | Bernard Durand | Male]
Description: Taylor Pierpoint’s head of security and personal bodyguard, Bernard is a massive man. 6’9” and nearly 400 pounds, he is a real “tree” of a man. Bernard’s body is made entirely of wood which seems to have a polished finish. He is incredibly muscular to the point where he seems to burst out of whatever clothing he wears. He has a large, square head with a big, flat nose and a square jaw. He has large ears and hair cut in a military-style flat-top. Bernard’s hair is green and made of what appears to be grass. Personality-wise, Bernard is stoic, tough as nails, and incredibly cautious. He has a lot of attachment to his charge, Ms. Pierpoint, as she helped him out of a very tight spot by giving him his current job. Bernard wears a black suit with a white shirt and a forest green tie.
Power:
Underneath the Sycamore: Bernard is made of wood. His entire body, including his skin, vascular system, bones, and muscles, are all made of plant fiber, making them extremely tough. Bernard is very durable because of this and has extreme strength (he’s capable of lifting about 1500 pounds). Bernard’s blood is thick and viscous like tree sap, and dries quickly on contact with air, reducing blood loss. Bernard can still be damaged, however, and will bleed like a normal human if hurt. Bernard also needs to regularly sunbathe or his fibrous body will dry up, restricting his movement. If he stays out of the sun for too long, Bernard will grow extremely ill and will exhibit symptoms of starvation.
Strong-Gold Community, Silver Hills (Her mother's home). Starrybank, White Coast (The Philosopher base in Baybridge).
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
French, & Japanese
Physical Appearance:
Wendy feels like she was shafted by the puberty stick. While the rest of her friends turned into bombshells once they hit puberty, Wendy feels like she was given pre-teen girl looks. She has a banana body-shape, where her shoulders are the same width as her hips, she has little to no curves, and her build is more flat and athletic than she liked. Where she wishes that she had a more "womanly" hour-glass body type. Her chest is so flat that she feels like she doesn't need a bra (In which she omits at times), and she doesn't even have a behind to make up for it. Hell, she feels like the first person with a "negative bra size." What doesn't help is the fact that Wendy is tall. Like, she stands up there with the boys. All because of genes inherited from her mother that made her so tall. She doubts that boys are really interested in tall girls. It's one of the many things that Wendy feels self-conscious about. She just feels like she isn't "womanly" enough.
To help combat this, Wendy wears her hair out a bit longer than average, and it does what is intended; it gives Wendy a more pronounced feature. Her hair is long, she has a lot of it, and it goes down to her waist, and flows very well. Her flowing mane of wavy black hair is cleaned and maintained to the best of her ability. However, it's not the best groomed due to Wendy's horrid grooming abilities. While she stands out due to her hair, people from all over insult her grooming ability. Now, onto her build, like I said before, Wendy has a banana body-shape. Her build is very skinny, and well-toned, from all the exercise she gets. She has a lithe swimmer's build - which is more accurate than one would believe because she actually is a swimmer. Her legs seem to be the most well toned (And lengthy) part of her body - though, she isn't one to flaunt her legs (Because she feels like she doesn't have any).
Wendy always had that nerdy, "librarian" look to her. It's mostly due to her rather mousy demeanor, her clothing choice, and the fact that she wears glasses. Her lack of fashion sense also contributes to this vibe people gather. Her facial features accentuate to this. Her square facial features are more consistent with French people. Her facial shape almost identically matches a French woman - with a bit of European in there. What betrays this is her obviously slanted eyes, that only very observant people would be able to tell. Now, Wendy has a rectangle-shaped face. Her nose is medium sized, round, and has a droopy shape, but is otherwise has well proportioned nostrils, nose-bridge, etc. It matches her thin lips that haven't been touched by lipstick once. Wendy's ears are crescent shaped, and medium-sized. Eyes are a unremarkable brown color, and are roundish-almond shaped. Though, Wendy's jaw-line is squared, and it's a little thick. It gives way to her rather round chin, and her round, "baby cheeks." Her lips are a tad thicker than she expected, with a pointed lip-shape, both her lips are much thicker than expected.
I almost forgot her genealogy! Wendy is, if you haven't gathered as much, mixed. Her father was super French, and it shows in her French facial features. However, the other countries shine in her hair, and other small features. Such as the layer of freckles that speckle her face, and the rest of her body. However, her mother provides her Japanese side. These only subtly change her European facial features into something more Asianic. The only major change in appearance her Asian genes present is her aforementioned slanted eyes. Her skin is a modest beige color, that isn't pale nor tan due to the fact that Wendy seemingly gets the bare minimum to avoid either. Though, she has a couple scars on her.
During her little cross country roadtrip, Wendy got a few tattoos (mostly) on dare with friends. The largest and most notable tattoo is one of her favorite album cover; War Room Stories by Breton. A massive blue butterfly on her back that takes up nearly the entire top. It was definitely a painful experience for her. The last, and most sentimental tattoo that Wendy got was a tattoo in remembrance to her deceased sister. On her thighs, she has vines, and roses going up to her hips. On her forearm, "DIANA LUCKER - 1997 - 2022. I get stronger every day." in a large italic font.
Attire:
Her round, thin-framed, glasses is what gives Wendy a sophisticated look. Some people wonder just where Wendy got her sense of fashion from. Because it was definitely not from her peers, or anyone. She doesn't really have a particular style other than incredibly modest. She doesn't wear any outfits that show skin. At all. She'll be caught dead in such an outfit. Instead, she dresses like a librarian, schoolgirl, or a detective. So she'll wear any kind of shirt (usually modest white button ups, and white blouses), and some legwear. She also likes to wear flowing trench coats. Wendy was never one that enjoyed wearing pants, so she simply omits them for skirts, and dresses, and whatnot. Though, Wendy enjoys wearing summer dresses. However, despite her dislike for pants, she'll wear them if the situation calls for it. Though, she really dislikes wearing athletic outfits. However, regardless of what Wendy is currently wearing, she tends to keep a brown leather satchel around her shoulder. This acts as Wendy's "purse" as this is where she keeps her items such as a book or two to read, her cellphone, and her camera.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Wendy Lucker has gone through many, many, changes in her life. Like a butterfly, she started as a caterpillar. Going from a shy and introverted girl, to a confident gal as she slowly left her cocoon.
Wendy just needed to affirm her world views a bit before she reached the point where she always wanted to be. Far more socially capable than ever before, and that original aura of social awkwardness has been replaced with confidence. Without losing any of the traits that defined her. Such as her passion for adventure, books, or her curiosity. You could just say that the tragedy that took place merely helped refine her. People around her quickly find out that she is a very intelligent, a quick thinker, deductive, creative, and loving human being that loves talking about her own interests. Very passionate, adventurous, and determined, she always sees things to the end, and wants to experience new and fresh things. The one thing about Wendy is that polite above all else. She treats people equally, with kindness. Though, she keeps her pool of friends very low, Wendy always hated large crowds.
Wendy's character is practically defined by her utter love of books. To the point where many people who have gotten to know her have called her a bibliophile, which she admits to without shame, and indulges in a bit of self deprecation because of it. She has a large collection of different books, and constantly goes out to get more books. She's very defensive of her collection (Even though she can easily fix them with her power), and will fight tooth and nail to defend her progress over the years. Though, she feels like she's the biggest threat to her collection because of how clumsy she is. One thing that Wendy loves to do is go out and find rare books of some sort, and read them. Which she feels adds a special "flair" to her collection. This all stems from Wendy's love of knowledge, and reading. She's naturally curious as a human being, and loves to go out and explore and learn new things.
However, another thing is that this curiosity extends to people and their lives as well. She enjoys sticking her nose in other people's business, and learning about their personal lives. She'll even go far as stepping into people's rooms, and begin to go through their items. Just to give herself an insight on them that they wouldn't normally give her. To her, it brings her great enjoyment, since she always loves to observe. She was never one to participate directly, though that has been changing as of late. Wendy figures herself as an amateur investigator, as one thing she loves to do is head out on the city and solve mysteries, and discover new things.
The events that took place a few years ago had hardened Wendy, and shaped her moral core. Wendy sees herself as a neutral force, that helps people when realistic. After the death of her sister, and the fall of the Family, she now knows things won't change on their own. That some people need to be fought, and to be an active part of things. Because, like stated before, things cannot change automatically. They can only change once it has been induced. Wendy wants her voice to be heard, and heard loudly. She'll make sure of that. She can handle confrontations much better now than ever before, and will not shut down when faced with a threat.
Wendy is much wiser, and extrospective than ever before. She just needed to be kicked down to expand her views from the small world she was living in. She wants to see both sides of the conflict, and understand things. Above all else, she just wants to learn. Wendy is all about the improvement of herself, and other people. Another big part about Wendy's personality is that she's very responsible. She fully understands that she has a powerful ability, and does not take it lightly. Wendy knows that she can easily slip, and become one of the people that RAVEN and DOVE hunts down. Though, she at times doesn't consider the full consequences of her actions.
Though, she is plagued with doubt. So much damn doubt. Ever since the death of her sister, the lingering thought in the back of her head has been "Could I have done better?" Wendy, innately, blames herself for her sister's death. One; for not doing more to save her, and two; if Wendy wasn't in Baybridge, Diana would have never been killed in the first place. It's been an obsessive thought of hers that plague her to this very day. Stopping her from going to sleep at night, and influencing her actions.
Hobbies/Interests:
It's been stated in her personality that she loves books. As I stated in her personality, Wendy loves arts. Which is drawing, photography, and more. Her best contribution into this hobby is her photography. She doesn't go anywhere without her camera, and is always taking pictures of scenic areas. She even goes out of her way to find new places to take pictures of. Wendy is forging a collection of such pictures. I got across a lot of her hobbies and interests in her personality, actually. Wendy is also a fan of obscure movies, and anime. Wendy has always been interested in Metahumans, and their politics. Which is why she generally keeps up to date with them, and visits several forums discussing them.
Skills/Talents:
Wendy's smart. That's one of the main things she has going for her. Due to a love of knowledge, and books, she has developed a lively mind. One that is creative, quick thinking, can remember a lot, deductive, and above all else, perspective. She has one hell of an eye for detail, so good luck masking things from her. She has the ability to connect the dots so well that she might as well be next in line for being the world's next greatest detective.
Through years of reading different language books, and dedicating herself towards learning them, Wendy knows bits and pieces of other languages. She's best at speaking Spanish and French - but she knows a little German, Chinese, and Russian... the last two have been awful to learn. Though, don't expect her maintain a conversation in any of these languages. She mostly knows phrases, and whatnot.
Wendy also has a good eye for photography, which has enhanced her own attention to detail, and allows her to pick up a lot more. Despite what people think, she can read body-language a lot better than people imagine. Wendy has also invested herself in learning how to draw. She's been at it for years, and she's pretty good. Because of that aforementioned attention to detail, what she draws replicates life a lot. Wendy has one or two sports under her belt, and she isn't even all that good at either. She played Tennis, and joined her school's swim team, growing up as some attempt to her herself stay in shape. Tennis, she still plays sometimes. Swimming is something she hasn't forgotten yet.
Goals/Motivation
Wendy's goal in the story is to find out what happened to Sean Rosier, and how to continue his research where it left off. In addition, she wants to find the Foundation Woman, and Sovereign (Formerly the Hound) and bring them to justice for what they did to Diana.
History/Bio:
Now, to properly explain Wendy's backstory, I have to go into someone else's backstory. Eight years before she was even born, her father, Euan Lucker, a lowly office worker that worked for a paper company, met his dream girl Lucy Wallis. They eventually married and had their first child, Diana Lucker. Now, all of this was during NEST's grand offensive to rid Stadium City of the Tyrants. They were a nice happy, middle-class, family. However, Lucy went out shopping, and was caught in the crossfire between Tyrants, and NEST... which wasn't pretty. Lucy was blown in half by the event, and deprived both Luckers of the main woman in their life. In his grief, Euan sent Diana off to Verthaven to live with his grandparents.
After the death of his first wife, Euan fell in love with another woman named Kumiko Fujimoto several years later. A woman that he'd go on to impregnate, and wanted to marry, but she disappeared for the strangest reason right after giving birth to their child. Euan was so confused about it... that he simply raised Wendy on his own. Euan was trying harder with his next child. He tried to develop Wendy in a healthy way. Since she had displayed an immense creative side, he decided to develop that. Giving Wendy a variety of different books to read until she had developed that skill far faster than expected. This is where her love of reading really blossomed... into an obsession. An expensive obsession that Euan had to support (By going to the library over and over again). But better than drugs! Throughout school, she kept her pool of friends limited (Mostly the other shy introverts).
However, a few years in, and an old ghost had returned. Someone that Euan had forgotten about, and Wendy had no knowledge of whatsoever. Oh no, her sister was the troublesome Diana Lucker. After the death of his first wife, he sent Diana to Verthaven to live with her grandparents. Now, the Verthaven disaster took place, and Diana was one of the many survivors - Diana came back into her life, who became a miscreant, a thug, a punk - who hung out with all the wrong people, beat up people, and gambled, while in Verthaven. A changed woman from the little girl that Euan sent off. Despite their differences, the two sisters are quite close - even though one wants the other to change their ways. However, Diana manifested superpowers while in Verthaven due to the Black Fall Effect, the ability to control paper. The great change in Stadium City's political climate took place, and Stadium City started getting... a lot less safe. The Tyrants had disbanded, and every person who wanted a piece of that pie came to Stadium City. It became an utter warzone. The city that was once peaceful, was not under siege as every gang and their grandmother were fighting over the city. While the Luckers tried to avoid it, it wasn't long until it began seeping into their neighborhood, and they got caught in the crossfire. Wendy herself honestly wanted to leave Stadium City, but where was there to go?
The two girls didn't get along that well due to the huge difference in age between them. However, they managed to forge some connection with her. It wasn't long before Wendy manifested powers of her own - at fourteen - and touched Diana while they were chatting. Their nervous-systems lit up with the green Metahuman energy, before the flash of light disappeared and Wendy had the same power as Diana, with little clue that she had replicated it.
Euan (and by that extent, DOVE) assumed that she simply had the same exact power as her sister. Diana and Wendy got much closer, as the two trained to use their powers together. Finding out some creative ways to use it. However, Diana then took Wendy along to meet her friends just to get her out of the house, and when they shook hands, their hands started glowing with the Metahuman energy. That's when Wendy gained Pyromancery (Albeit a slight version), and it turned out that she was a Replicator. She talked about it with Euan, and he decided, for her sake, that they keep this a secret, and tell everyone that Paper Manipulation is her only power. However, Diana got in a load of trouble with NEST during a crime-spree while attempting to join a gang, and she was apprehended by RAVEN. DOVE said that if Diana joins the Academy program (Going to Academy 218), and adjusts her attitude, then she won't go to jail.
Wendy herself was sent to an academy after a disagreement over a late library book escalated into a fight (That ruined almost every book in that library), and she was arrested by RAVEN as well. While Diana was sent to Academy 218, Wendy was sent to Academy 61 on the West Coast, located within Baybridge. After a few months of preparation, Wendy was sent to the Academy. In Baybridge, she made herself well acquainted within the Academy there, and the city itself. She really enjoyed it. She spent the next few years training her ability, and getting and education there. Wendy turned eighteen a few months before the story started (In January). Just to celebrate becoming an adult, her dad sent her enough money to go buy a moped off Craig's list.
Life was great.
However, during the whole shitsorm in Baybridge, Wendy was merely a bystander in all of it. It began with the first Overload attack, where she was nearly frozen alive, and had to be saved by a passing DOVE. She was taken to RAVEN/DOVE Headquarters to receive medical attention, but she accidentally used her pyrokinesis and it was revealed that she was a replicator. She was fortunately able to dodge serious charges, and was released after she managed to regenerate. Later that night, Wendy decided to go to the mall with a friend where another Metahuman was Overloaded that made her lose control of her abilities. She turned into a flying mass of paper that went out of control, and she felt like she was slipping out of her humanity. Fortunately, it came to a close, and she was given medical attention.
A week later, and she was able to dodge the third and last Overload attack by being with a new friend the whole time. But, she didn't miss the Eco-Natura attack on the city. However, during the last stretches of the attack, she managed to snap a picture of the Black Hound, and give it to RAVEN.
The next few months went by pretty peacefully.
Everything changed in October. What seemed as if it would be a normal October. Except, her older sister, Diana Lucker, came to Baybridge with her friends Kai Anaru, and Jessica Rosefey. What would have been a great week of fun with her sister turned into a nightmare. Starting with the Hound's attack on the Harvest Festival, which she escaped from relatively unscathed, followed by the Hound personally attacking them when they headed out to the Eastgriffin Ruins. Diana, Jessica, and Kai were kidnapped by the Hound, while Wendy was injured the process. Knocked out by the terrorist. When she woke up, she called for help from RAVEN, and was whisked away.
They had no leads on her sister, or the Hound. So, they were functionally useless. However, she was contacted by a strange person who was a mole for the Founding Family. They told her where exactly her sister was being held, and who took her - the mysterious Founding Family. They only asked that Wendy release all the prisoners of the Founding Family, which she gladly agreed to.
Heading to Prince-Edfield with a friend, Rowan, she was unaware of the hostage situation in Courtbridge. Wendy infiltrated the base with one objective: saving her sister. However, she wasn't the only person in the base, and they caught the attention of the security detail. Which meant that Wendy and Rowan had to hide in an office... and Wendy got a little overexcited finding some books. Swiping some of the books he had, she was unaware that she took something important. From there, Wendy and Rowan staged a massive jailbreak, where they sprung Kai, and Jess, but no Diana.
They all escaped, but they were pursued by a man. The man whose books she stole, Ezekiel Anagnos. As it turned out, Wendy stole his precious notes, and he was willing to kill to get them back. However, Ezekiel was a Metahuman on a completely different level than Wendy's group. Boasting an insane electrokinetic, and magnetic power that allows him to throw buses. They had no choice but to retreat into a park, where Ezekiel chased them. Trying to spring a trap on him failed horribly, and it only resulted in Rowan getting impaled. After Ezekiel made his intentions known, Wendy returned the book, and he left.
Wendy and Rowan were taken into DOVE custody, and ultimately given a lockdown to stay in the Academy at all times. During this period of time, Wendy chose to train her fighting skills to the best of her ability, and gain a completely new power. A week later, her contact told her to come to an Intimidation Unit hideout to gain information on the Founding Family. Upon arriving, Wendy and Rowan recovered the information... and came face to face with the Black Hound. Whom had suspected that there was a traitor hiding within the Family. A fight between the two groups ensued, and promptly ended when a shipping container was dropped on the Hound.
This information lead Wendy and Rowan to the next location... one of the major Founding Family bases within Silver Hills. Infiltrating through a secret entrance, Wendy and Rowan snuck in to search one place while Jess and Kai investigated another part. They came across all sorts of weird things within the lab. Such as the morgue, labs for human experimentation, and even the remains of the Devil of Verthaven. However, they slipped up, and were discovered.
Having no choice but to flee, they were eventually cornered by Blake Schmidt... and discovered what really happened to Diana. She was put under the effects of Mechanized Memories, and transformed into a Secretary. Horrified, Wendy demanded that her sister be returned to her. Only to be reminded that Blake was in the position of power. He gave them one and only offer: join him, or die. Defeated, Wendy appeared to give in... before taking Blake hostage, and demanding Diana. However, she didn't expect Blake to whip out his superpower. Power over magma. In a theatrical display; Blake defeated both of them, despite their training, and imprisoned them.
They were held for a day, before the RAVEN attack on the base took place. Interrogated by Ezekiel Anagnos, and the Black Hound. Before the former had Jess and Kai taken to a "conversion center." When the attack started, she and Rowan were liberated by a woman named Makoto Koda for some strange reason, only being told to leave. Instead, Wendy and Rowan went after Ezekiel to liberate Jess and Kai.
Arriving at the Conversion Center, the two entered to learn a horrifying truth about the Founding Family: they were melting people alive for their "Machine." Rowan saved Jess and Kai, and the two retreated as Wendy battled Ezekiel. It all ended with the strange woman, Makoto, joining it, and helping Rowan bring down Ezekiel. Afterwards, the woman revealed herself as Kumiko Fujimoto, her mother. It was an amazing moment between mother and daughter... but, their reunion was interrupted, and all of them escaped the base.
Outside, they were accosted by RAVEN, and, having little time for games, Wendy, Rowan, and Kumiko had to leave Jess and Kai behind. If they were going to save Diana, they needed to head to their headquarters to retrieve Diana. Using the cover of the RAVEN attack, they infiltrated the base, and made it to Blake Schmidt... only to find Diana in the conversion center, being melted alive. In her last moments, Diana only expressed fear, and begged Wendy to get out of there.... and Wendy was sent into such a blind rage that she almost killed Blake herself. When the man turned the fight around in his favor, Kumiko got them out of there.
They hid in the grand archive of the Founding Family until they were located by the Black Hound. However, the man came in peace, and revealed that he and the Foundation Woman were the mysterious contact for the two. He only wanted to talk, but there was little for them to say. Wendy swiped some books (such as Ezekiel's notes, and the research notes for Sean Rosier) before they all left.
Standing outside the base, she was contacted by the Foundation Woman who informed her of her role in the death of Diana. Wendy, in rage, vowed to bring both the Foundation Woman, and the Hound to justice. Afterwards, she informed her of a "gift" hidden somewhere.
Finding that "gift," it turned out to be a lot of money that both of them gladly took.
Great change came the next day.
The first thing Wendy did was tell Jess and Kai what happened. They were sad to hear that Diana died, but they would honor her memory the best they could. On the other hand, they offered to take Wendy and Rowan on their roadtrip, and despite both of them being under a DOVE deal, they gladly accepted it. Preparing for the trip, Wendy let out a heartfelt speech to Rowan about how he changed her, and how she would eternally be in his debt for what he did. After a sentimental plane ride, the journey began.
Wendy got into the RV with the others and went on a massive journey. In this journey, they went far and wide. Going Highroller Heights, to Miami, to Philadelphia, and everything in between. However, she made sure to stop by Stadium City for a little while to attend Diana's funeral. The saddest part was that there wasn't a body to put in the casket. From there, they continued their journey, dodging DOVE and RAVEN at every turn (since the two of them were technically runaways).
The biggest part of the journey was watching the post-Founding Family world change right before their eyes... as things got a lot more hostile for Metahumans. The Allegiance and the Pure ramped up support, as Metahumans were being slaughtered in the streets. Wendy and the gang had to fight off many hate groups during their journey, but managed to get out unscatched.
In the meantime, Wendy made sure to review the notes presented by both Ezekiel, and Sean Rosier. Discovering so much about their fields in the process. She basically needed a college degree to understand half of it, but she definitely absorbed the information. Making use of it as she decided to look into Sean Rosier, ultimately finding nothing on the man. Only traces of him back in Baybridge.
Well, after three years, she would be returning there... so might as well solve this mystery...
Relationships
Family:
Euan Lucker - Father
A simple office worker that wants the best for his daughters, Euan Lucker is easily the least lucky man in the world. He had to go through the death of his first wife, his second fling abandoning him, and his daughter falling into delinquency (and her eventual death at the hands of the Family). Wendy and him have a close bond - they text each other very often.
Fujimoto Kumiko - Mother
Kumiko Fujimoto was the woman that her father wooed years before she was born, until he got her pregnant. After she was born, however, she disappeared. As it turned out, Kumiko went undercover within the Founding Family as Makoto Koda under the Philosophers to get revenge on them, and make the world a better place. Wendy lived blissfully unaware of her existence until she went on the offensive against the Founding Family. After helping them bring down Ezekiel, Kumiko revealed herself as her mother, and has been a quintessential ally of Wendy. Even though she failed in saving her sister, she made sure to remain close to her mother. During her massive roadtrip, Wendy kept in touch with Kumiko, and made sure to get to know her. All while Kumiko was finishing business in Baybridge. Now that's been wrapped up, Kumiko is ready to be there for Wendy.
Zachery Wallace - Uncle
Euan and Zachery were twin brothers, that were separated by the divorce of their parents. Euan went with his father, while Zachery went with their mother. Eventually, their mother remarried and they took the name Wallace. The two brothers were close, but Wendy couldn't be anymore distant from uncle Wallace. Zachery is a doctor, that fortunately has a lot of money under his belt. Whenever Euan needs money, Zachery is there.
Laura Wallace - Aunt
Laura was the first wife of Zachery, she was a kind gardener woman who was half Caucasian, half Spanish. She loved plants, and growing props, both of which was her passion. She and Wendy got along pretty well, even if she was distant from her husband. However, she received a deadly injury during an accident, and was confined to a hospital bed for a few years. Wendy developed her love of photography through taking photos to show Laura the outside world. It wasn't long before Laura died. Now Wendy wonders if the men in her family are cursed to have the first wife killed.
Gracie Wallace - Aunt
It wasn't long before Zachery remarried after meeting Gracie. Who was an eccentric, but well-intentioned woman. She was scarred by the experience where she was raped, and that affected her on a deep level. What Uncle Zachery saw in her was anyone's guess. However, she was impregnated by that traumatic rape, and she gave birth to Cody... and their interactions have been less than ideal.
Brianna Wallace - Cousin
Brianna and Wendy were close friends of each other due to the fact that they are quite similar. Both are tall, introverted, and love art. The difference comes when they consider that Brianna is a lot more sporty than Wendy is, and actually has - gasp! - feminine features. However, they are still very close to each other. Brianna possesses an elemental ability, the ability to control wood (and woody plants). Believed to be inherited from her mother.
Cody Wallace - Step-Cousin
Cody is Gracie's son that married into the Wallace family almost seamlessly. Cody is a laid back, and sarcastic teen that has a love for sports like basketball. Though, Cody tends to make advances towards Wendy that are less than appreciated. Despite that, he and Wendy are on fairly good terms with each other.
Diana Lucker - Sister
Wendy's troublesome half sister. A woman who had preceded her by a few years. At first, the two had a rocky start, due to a lingering disdain for their father, but they eventually became close. Diana was Wendy's only social link to the outside world at times. She was the person who helped her grow out of her introverted shell, and connect with people. Which is why Wendy was so close to her. However, everything went wrong when Diana was kidnapped by the Founding Family, and placed under the effects of Mechanized Memories. Wendy went on a massive crusade to save her... but it was in vain. When Wendy killed Ezekiel, Blake Schmidt killed Diana out of vengeance. Diana is the reason why Wendy feels so much grief, and doubt in her life. She constantly wonders what she could had done to save her. Diana is the person whom Wendy got her paper powers from, and uses to this very day.
Dynamics:
| Rowan Campbell |
| Good | Close-Friend | "He's helped me so much, but I wish I could tell him how I really feel..." |
To say the least, Wendy's life was much different before Rowan entered it. Even she never expected them to become so close to each other. Rowan and Wendy's relationship started out as a mutual help, as they agreed to help the other learn their powers. They grew closer when Rowan went through so much to help Wendy find Diana. Even though it was in vain, Wendy's affection for him only grew. They went on a roadtrip, and became closer than ever before. However, Wendy developed another layer of feelings for him beyond platonic friendship, but she has fears of expressing it.
| Haruka Takashiro |
| Good | Friend | "I owe him for helping me... He seems like a good person to me, too. Loves books, too!" |
Haruka was merely a passerby when the Havenfield Overload occurred, and Wendy nearly froze to death. After receiving help from a DOVE, she was passed off to Haruka. Afterwards, the two had a brief chit-chat at the Academy, in which they bonded over books. Wendy wishes to seek him out... but she neglected to get his contact information. When they cross paths again - Wendy will give him all her social media handles!
| Rori Aherne |
| Great | Old Friend | "I shouldn't have left her behind...." |
Rori and Wendy were close friends from far before the events of the Founding Family. Rori was one of the first and only friends that she made outside of the Academy. The two bonded over their mutual creativity, and love of arts, which blossomed into something much greater. Wendy considered Rori one of her closest friends (And Rori is well aware of Wendy's... passion for books). However, after the kidnapping of her sister, Wendy and Rori drifted apart, with Wendy's goals being on saving her older sister. She regretted that more than anything, and wished to change that. The main problem was that she fell out of contact with Rori during her trip with Rowan (she had the sinking feeling that she was a victim of the Founding Family). She was relieved to know that wasn't the case, and wishes to establish the bond.
| Reinald Young |
| Neutral | Newest member of "Team Wendy" | "He got in over his head at the rally... I hope that doesn't happen again." |
Wendy and Reinald met at the DOVE rally after his failed attempt to settle a fight. Wendy wouldn't have even approached him... if it wasn't for Kumiko deciding to tease him. However, she would have missed out on a valuable ally in her journey. She finds it hard to trust Rein, because he's a stranger, but she's open to giving the boy a chance. He seems intelligent, albeit nervous. She wonders what his superhuman ability is, and how it can factor into her mission.
Abilities
Power Class:
Power: Replication/Elemental
Power: Elemental-Power Replication.
Powers work very similarly to each other, in theory. She has the power to copy another Metahuman's power long as they have another Elemental-type ability. She'd be able to, for example, copy the power of a waterbender, but not a regenerator. However, if the ability allows someone to alter their own body using their elements, then she is capable of the same thing. It's very contact based - How long Wendy holds contact with a Metahuman dictates how much of the power she replicates. Brushing up against someone will give her an ability so weak that it's useless. While extended contact will grant her the full ability. Even if she gets the weakened version of a power, simply by touching the owner again she'll get more of the ability. Of course, there are a few differences between the owner's and her replicated ability as it will "mutate" as it goes from one person to another. Wendy can store powers she used before inside of herself (Up to three). She is limited to one power at a time, and in order for her to switch power, she would need to touch said element. Of course, if she finds a Metahuman that uses the same element as one of her copied powers - both powers will merge, and Wendy will get a boost. Wendy is also capable of copying powers from other Replicator type Metahumans long as they are currently using an elemental ability of some sort (And vice-versa). Currently Replicated Abilities:
Paper-Manipulation.
Also known as Papyrokinesis, Wendy has an elemental ability relating to paper, card, and cardboard. She can telekinetically control paper on a large scale - capable of controlling one ton worth of paper at a time - and shape them without bending or tearing it. Creating complicated structures is simple for Wendy, since her ability naturally gives her a high degree of control over her paper. This is assisted by paper's flexibility. She can create a building out of paper if she's given enough time. While this may sound lame, but Paper is a pretty good weapon against unarmored targets. She can form it into sharp blades that'll give a sucka a nasty papercut, or pack it together to create a dense, high impact, blunt weapon. On the other end, it works very well defensively. If she has enough paper, she can create a shield that'll stop a projectile (Possibly a bullet if she has enough paper, time, and preparation). Outside of fights, she can create clothes, forge documents, repair damaged paper, and more. This ability goes in tandem with her ability to turn into (or make herself weightless like) paper. Wendy can fly by creating a giant paper construct, or riding it like carpet. Just pray you don't fight her in a office supply store.
Paper-Mimicry.
Wendy has the ability to completely, or partially, turn into paper. Whether it's a storm of individual (Or one whole piece) paper pages, or into cardboard. This ability, amazingly enough, extends to the clothes she's wearing, and the objects she's holding. So no, she won't be naked when she reforms, boys. The main usage is probably turning into storm of paper sheets, so I'll go into that one the most. Wendy can individually control each piece of paper, and naturally, this gives her a form of flight, or teleportation if I'd go far enough to call it that. She can turn into a cloud of paper, move, then reform. This gives her a heightened dodging ability, and basically makes her intangible. Even if she's a paper storm, if her paper gets torn, then she can just turn put herself back when she reforms, no marks. Now, Wendy can basically regenerate from all damage (That isn't heat/water based, that is) long as she's in her paper form. Turning into dense cardboard and throwing a punch can make someone feel like they were bitchslapped by a Bible. Wendy can also partially turn into paper or cardboard. Some of her paper powers extends to her true form. Wendy can become weightless, and flow like a fluttering piece of paper. She can possibly fly by riding wind currents (albeit, very erratically), or by the aforementioned means. This ability to adopt the weight of paper extends to her clothes, and the objects she's holding (REQUIRED SECONDARY POWERS).
Paper-Absorption & Storage.
As a combination of both aforementioned ability, Wendy can store paper inside of herself. It's simple, she turns into paper and places the foreign paper inside of herself. Ready to be used at a later date. When she wants to use it, all she has to do is pull the paper out of her body. To an outsider, it'll appear almost like she created the paper out of thin air. She can use it like shooting a blade of paper out of her hand. Wendy also has a regenerative ability. It's pretty simple, if she has an injury, all she has to do is turn it into paper, and absorb some paper to fill the wound. This can extend as far as fixing a broken hand, or even regenerating a limb.
Minor-Ink-Manipulation & Generation.
As a side ability, Wendy as a minor Melanokinetic ability. She can't, say, throw gigantic globs of ink at people, but she can manipulate the ink on paper into whatever she pleases. She can pull the ink off the pages, and throw it around at people, but like I said before, she can't do anything more than that. Pulling ink off the pages is only useful if she wants to put it on something else. She also has the ability to produce ink from her fingertips, which she can manipulate in any way she chooses.
Electricity Manipulation.
Copied by a Metahuman (Garrett) that Wendy had encountered in the mall, she has gained the ability to channel electricity through her body. This ability has greatly mutated during the transfer to Wendy due to her uneven Metahuman Energy, and stress, levels. Which comes in the form of producing, manipulating, and absorbing, electricity. However, Wendy's ability is far more reliant on absorbing electricity. For her to utilize her full strength, she needs to constantly absorb electricity. She's much like a battery that runs out of power once it's used up, and she'll need to recharge. Fortunately Wendy is able to leech energy from any source. From a power outlet, to batteries, long as it has electricity, then she can steal it to utilize for herself. Depending on how much energy she currently has absorbed, it dictates her current strength.
Now, Wendy doesn't need to constantly absorb electricity, because she automatically produces some electricity on her own. At its base, she can shoot a stream of electricity that'll give someone one hell of a shock. Enough to cause some burns, muscle spasms, etc. When Wendy absorbs electricity however, she can potentially fire off enough electricity on par with a bolt of lightning. Which is something that no one wants to get hit with. However, she'll need a lot of electricity to utilize this level of strength. Oh yeah, that's not going into how she fires off this electricity. She can shoot it as a constant stream of electricity, or alternatively, a big concentrated blast of electricity. At it's most extreme, she can shoot a massive bolt of lightning.
This ability extends to a slight electromagnetic ability. Due to the close relation between electricity and magnetism, Wendy can potentially learn how to influence magnetism. It wouldn't be major, like Magneto lifting the Golden Gate bridge, but she can learn how to manipulate small metals, draw ferromagnetic objects to herself, and potentially shoot a blast that'll deflect magnetic objects (That's an advanced technique, however).
Wendy herself has a high resistance to electricity so she may endure electricity at most levels, such as while absorbing it.
Concrete Manipulation.
Wendy has obtained a form of terrakinesis - from a mentor of hers - that is limited to controlling concrete (And other forms of masonry such as brick, limestone, etc). Concrete is a very tough, very common, form of artificial stone that is found in urban areas comprised of several other materials. It's hard, heat-resistant up the ying-yang, and dense. With rough body motions, Wendy is capable of manipulating all concrete with her vision. This comes with a wide variety of powerful capabilities. These body motions are usually rough, such as punching the ground, or slamming her foot down. Whenever she uses her ability, it sends an impact through the area (Almost as if Wendy has super strength!). Depending on the strength of the feat, it make cause the ground the ground to vibrate slightly, to an all out crash. Wendy's power is surprisingly versatile, in and out of fights.
She can shape and construct concrete like it was nothing, allowing her to create a wide variety of tools. Such as lances, spikes, and whatnot, and launch them at opponents at high speeds. Or create a barrier that people can get behind. She can manipulate a large amount of concrete at a time. Large chunks of it are challenging to move, but small pieces are elementary. She's capable of both small scale manipulation (Small changes, molding sharp shards, etc), and large scale (Dramatic structures, possibly knocking over a building if she gets it right, etc) with effort. Her control over this element is so refined that she can be considered a master at it, she knows a lot of out of the box usages of the power. Creating a spinning shield would reflect all attacks, creating armor, riding on a piece of concrete (She even rode a "wave" of concrete before), she's even learned how to create stone drills and dig underground. The possibilities are endless when you have an ability as versatile and powerful as hers. Finally, Wendy's ability extends to other forms of "artificial" and masonry stone. Not to the extent of concrete, however.
Previous Abilities:
Minor-Fire Manipulation.
Wendy has a minor form of pryomancery which she accidentally gained during her miss adventures after shaking hands with it's owner. She can't produce a firestorm, but she can throw a fireball at someone the size of a baseball, and shoot streams of fire. She has to absorb fire to keep using it, and it comes with an immunity to heat.
Limits:
As it was mentioned above, Wendy can store up to three elemental abilities inside of herself. However, once she reaches that limit, she'll have to discard one ability for another. She doesn't have the level of skill to choose yet, so it'll be random. Wendy can only use one power at a time. In order to switch to a different power, she has to touch the element... Which can be hard depending on the environment. The biggest limit is that she has no clue how to use a power from the start. She has to figure out how to use it herself, or get taught how to use it. Again, she inherits the limits of the owner. she has the usual range limit of around thirty-feet, and the max weight limit of two tons of paper. Wendy cannot remain in paper form for too long - the maximum limit is inhibited by how long she can hold her breath. If she runs out of breath, she has to turn back into human form, or, you know. So, she can only remain as a storm of paper for only so long. Though, if she's partially transformed, holding her breath isn't an issue (at the expense of strength).
Even if she's one solid piece of paper, she's still limited. She can only scatter herself around twelve feet around. Wendy can't use paper manipulation while turned into paper - she'll only be able to control her own paper. Also, absorbing paper into herself weighs her down, thus, preventing her from going weightless until she expels it. It'll also come with the feeling of being weighed down. Wendy's regeneration won't really work if she's wet, or too bloody. So, if she's gushing blood, she's going to have a problem. Wendy's ink manipulation basically has a tactile range. She can only control ink that's within two feet of herself - and in that case, she's better off just touching it. She can produce two quarts of Ink at most. Though, I should note that she's only really skilled with the paper power from years of using it. If she loses it, then she'll basically be using a weapon she doesn't know.
In terms of her new electrical power; Wendy's abilities are, of course, limited by how much electricity she has stored inside of herself. Wendy's only capable of the basic feats of her electrical abilities at it's base, while she's a threat, it won't be nothing to write home about. However, absorbing electricity can be very taxing on Wendy, because it's very taxing, and runs the risk of losing control of that electricity. Which is bad. Wendy can only use her ability within twenty feet of herself. All of her abilities - save for her absorption, which has to touch her in order for her to absorb it - suffer from this limit, as her electricity begins to fade as it goes out. Absorbing electricity can be risky, as it drains her physically to absorb electricity, and has the potential to damage her if she isn't careful. Wendy also has to release an excess charge after awhile. She can't hold onto electricity for too long, or else she'll lose control of it, and end up shocking herself with it. The more electricity she currently has absorbed means she'll have to ditch the electricity faster.
Wendy's concrete power has a range limit of around eighteen feet, but she can best control the stone that is closest to her. She has a harder time controlling concrete that is far away from her than what's close to her, and it'll take more energy out of her. The same goes with the larger feats. Wendy's power is limited by the purity of the concrete. If it has asphalt, rebar, or any of the sort, she'll have a very hard time controlling it. It takes more energy, and she won't be able to move it as easily. Wendy, unfortunately, does not have the refined control of other elemental types. She can't expertly shape and mold concrete as if it's silly putty - it'll take a lot more effort and energy. Her ability is much more focused on raw power.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Whenever Wendy copies an ability, she is "locked" into the power until she figures out how to use it. Even if she accidentally copies a power by brushing up against someone, she'll be locked. Which can be a problem if she's locked into a power that's useless (or has no clue how to use). Wendy's paper power makes her a bit more... flammable. Which could spread, and she'll have no choice but to drop that part of her body unless she wants to burn up. Fortunately, water doesn't do anything to her human form, so she can take a swim. However, if she's soaken wet, then she can't turn into paper. Just to cover all grounds here, if she's soaken wet while paper, then she'll immediately be forced back together and become human. It's some sort of subconscious thing that'll keep her alive. Now, I have to go over the weaknesses of paper. They should be obvious, Wendy cannot control paper that is soaken wet, or burned. So fire/water benders are her bane. She can work with torn paper, of course. Gusts of wind can also be a pain in the ass. It'll send the paper she's controlling flying, and make her lose control of it. This can also be a problem if she's a storm of paper. It'll send her veering off course. This means outdoor areas aren't her favorite place.
Channeling electricity through herself is very risky. Wendy has to be careful while absorbing electricity, or else she'll end up shocking herself with the payload, and making it all go to waste. Using her electrical abilities also interferes with her own biological processes that uses bioelectricity. For example, it can screw with her nervous system, and causes muscle spasms, twitching, etc, when she starts using her power, and it gets worse as she keeps using it. At it's worst extreme, Wendy could knock herself unconscious, or possibly stop her own heart. Wendy also runs the risk of burning herself with her electricity. The basic moves won't bother her, but shooting bolts of lightning, and absorbing electricity in copious amounts can be very dangerous for her. Water is also a bitch, because if she touches a large enough body of water (Drinking water is fine... taking a bath is not), she'll lose control of her power and excrete a bit of electricity into it. Any currents she channels into herself will go straight into the water until it evaporates... of course, if this happens, it negates her resistance to electricity, and will shock her like any other person.
Her concrete ability also has a few weaknesses, of course. Because concrete is such a heavy material, Wendy has to devote much more effort to moving it than other elemental types. Which leads to her getting exhausted much, much, faster (Especially if she's doing the major). The main weakness that Wendy's ability has is that it causes her some damage. Whenever she taps into the slightest amount of her ability, she causes cracks to form in a random spot on her skin. These cracks are bloody, and painful - but are usually manageable long as she refrains from using her ability on a larger scale. If she does cut loose... then that's going to be bloody. In general, Wendy is a mighty glacier. Her abilities are powerful, and can really ruin someone's day, but she's slow, and her attacks are telegraphed. A faster (or clever) opponent can out maneuver her.
Other:
■ Wendy is inspired by a variety of different characters. First and foremost, Max Caufield from Life is Strange, then her appearance is based off of Taylor Herbert's from Worm, Yomiko Readman from Read or Die, and she essentially has Delsin Rowe's power.
■ Wendy drives a cheap moped (A Vespa Primavera 150ie 3v) she bought around Baybridge. Wendy brought her some book collection with her to keep her occupied. If anyone touches it, then they will be castrated with a paper airplane.
■ Wendy is also an avid Photographer. She carries around her black Canon PowerShot SX410 IS 20-0 Megapixel Digital Camera. She'll be seen taking all sorts of pictures (Mostly of scenery, but of people, too). Touch that if you also wish to get castrated.
■ Wendy is a very clumsy soul. She has a tendency to just drop things, and break whatever it is that she's holding.
■ Wendy is currently in possession of Ezekiel Anagnos' notes, and the research notes for Sean Rosier. Both have immense knowledge in them... and the secret of Metahumans.
■ It is possible that Wendy has some form of mild autism. Due to her difficulty socializing, narrow interests, and sometimes overly literal and logical thinking, it is possible.
Basic Information
Name:
Meifeng Zhao (赵美凤, Zhao Meifeng)
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
Rogue Wave (Her callsign) The Spirit of Vengeance (Her nickname while battling the Hands) "The Hero of Prague" (The title she received after battling the Beast) An Unbreakable Diamond (A self-proclaimed title she had back in Verthaven)
Gender:
Female
Age:
28
Height:
5'11ft
Weight:
155
Home District:
Greencrest Heights
Appearance
Hair Color:
Dark-Brown
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
Chinese
Physical Appearance:
Years of training under RAVEN, and seeing plenty of action, has truthfully changed Meifeng's appearance since she was last seen in Verthaven. Seven years ago, she was still solidly built, and looked like she did some work, but now she was beefed up considerably, and her limbs are much thicker. Meifeng's arms and legs, through a rigorous exercise regiment, have thickened quite a bit. Meifeng even has washboard abs. She's like a very dedicated MMA fighter now. Something that she's quite proud of, and best displays when she's on the field. Though, she's quite intimidating in general. With her abnormal height - inherited from her mother - and her well-built frame, many people are put off from her until she opens her mouth and smiles widely. Giving people a reassuring aura that counteracts that aura of a cold soldier that people first detect off of her. When she's out and around friends, she comes off as quite energetic, and friendly. A very approachable person. When out on the field... that changes, however. Despite her changes in appearance, Meifeng still looks the same as she did seven years ago - A rather tall Asian tomboy that's a tad rough.
As stated before, Meifeng is quite tall. She's five-eleven, and that means she essentially towers over her fellow female peers and stands up there with the big boys (Which has been a constant source of teasing and ire). Which give people the idea that her own mother was an Amazon (Which isn't that far off). However, her strong, well-built, frame doesn't really give way in the way of curves. Her chest is 30A (One thing she wishes was bigger), and she feels like she has to shop in the kids sections. Her hips and behind aren't very appealing, and she lacks the feminine appeal - up into one glances at her face. In general, Meifeng has a square build, a tough and well built body that many girls would die to have (It's a total pain in the ass to maintain, however).
Meifeng is obviously Asian, a pureblood Chinese woman. No, she isn't "yellow." Her skin - which is white with heavy golden overtones - makes this very obvious. Her Asianic facial features makes this even more obvious. Despite the fact that she's directly from China, she's been in America so long that her accent is only faint. However, throughout the years, Meifeng has gotten herself plenty of marks. Before, these were only scars on her knuckles, and scars on her legs and arms from sports related injuries. A few years ago, you could say that these were just marks that implied that she liked a little rough housing. After Verthaven, she managed to get herself some scars. From her first clash with the Hands of Science, Meifeng earned herself many horrible scars that, while fading, are still proof that she fought, won, and survived. The most obvious of these scars is the one on her face. A five point claw scar that is large, fleshy, and nasty, that starts at her cheek, and goes down past her jaw. The scars are also present on her chest/breast, which shows the arc she had received the wound. On the right side of her midsection, there is three large, thick, clawpoint scars.
Now that Meifeng became her own woman, not standing in the shadow of her mother, she got herself some tattoos. Not out of a stylish choice, but as a tribute to the friends that she had lost in the Verthaven disaster. On her shoulders specifically. On her right shoulder is a tattoo of a raven, with a bow and arrow in the background. Underneath it, "Trevor" is written. On her other shoulder is a dove, and has "Kaitlyn, Anabella, Justin, Cody, Caspin" written underneath it. On her back, she has the tattoo, "Friends to the very end" inked. When asked about it, Meifeng just says these people were, "friends." However, the most notable and sentimental tattoo on her back. It is of a waterfall that is adorned with roses and flowers. Above it, it says "Lihua Zhao - Mother, Hopebringer, I'll never forget you."
Meifeng looks very similar to her mother, Lihua. In fact, she was called the younger, more energetic, reflection of her for the longest (She even inherited her mother's mole on her cheek). The main difference is that Meifeng's hair is dark brown, where her mother's hair is pure-black. Meifeng's facial features are heart-shaped, and she has a small head. In general, her facial-features are near-identical to her mothers. Meifeng has a sharp jaw, with a, strong, square chin. Her cheeks are round, and especially pronounced when she smiles. She has thin, lips, which accentuate her small mouth. Her lips are a shade of pink that are natural for people. She has a medium-sized, triangle-shaped nose, with the tip being very pointed. Finally, Meifeng's eyes are slanted, and her irises have a brown color to them.
Attire:
On the job, Meifeng wears the standard RAVEN battle armor. A black chain mail mesh, with Kevlar. However, she omits the helmet because she was never one for being a faceless shoulder. She exchanged that helmet with a much more simple beret with a star on it. Much like regular RAVEN armor, it's resistant to most kinds of damage. Meifeng chooses to wear this armor whenever necessary, and likes to go on patrol wearing it. This armor has been damaged in the past, and parts of it had to be replaced. Off the guard, Meifeng dresses far more casually. She likes to go for a blend of comfort, and style. She always found athletic wear to be comfortable, so she likes to wear basketball shorts, with some T-shirt, and sneakers. However, Meifeng will wear jeans, jackets, and whatever other clothes she'd find appropriate. Though, the only kind of outfit she won't wear is a skirt, or a dress. You won't catch her dead in either of those. Meifeng's outfits can be called tom-boyish because of this. Which brings that tomboy assertion even further is the fact that she even wears boys boxers, and a sports bra.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
A conflicted girl that is easily one big mess.
Tragedy after tragedy wearing down on her. Where earlier, she would be a more easy-going woman, she is now plagued with so many thoughts that she's wondering how to deal with it. Mostly fueled by the death of her mother, and a burning hatred inside of herself that wants revenge for her death. At the same time, she wonders what she's really fighting for, or if she'll really make a difference in this world before she dies. All these doubts really impair her ability to act.
Though, she has learned to hide her true emotions. A tiger never shows pain, after all. She keeps on the same jovial, easy to love, attitude that everyone knows. The one girl that could befriend just about anyone. Without a single change in demeanor, of course. It's all just a mask, one that she wishes was her true face. She's much more prone to anger, and lashing out against people now. Much more confrontational. It's her own fault that she can't control her temper like she used to. But, there are three things that'd make her go livid: shit-talking Lihua, shit-talking Lijuan, or one of her dead friends. Doing the first is a sure way to get punched in the face.
Meifeng is motivated by loneliness. Years ago, when she was younger, she was in an insane depression because of how alone she felt. Which is why she's driven to make sure that the loneliness never happens again. Making sure that her friends are okay, and to protect them from harm. Meifeng is, of course, a girl who values friendship and personal bonds above all else. She can be considered the model friend; friendly, understanding, and will always be there. She'll never betray a friend under any circumstance. Another trait is that she's a listening ear. She'll always be there to listen to another person's problems (Long as they aren't coming off as too whiny) and try to provide advice.
Meifeng calls herself a bisexual woman after discovering herself ten years ago. She is attracted to kind, cute, and weak-looking men and women. But, she never experienced a relationship with either sex, all because she never had the time for it. However, she is very interested in continuing on her family legacy, and doing what would make her mother proud. Which is difficult since the two of them have very different views, and philosophies.
Her morality is best described as Chaotic-Good. She's ultimately a very good, and well-intentioned woman, that will help people whenever she can. Helping people is just something that makes her feel great about herself, and makes her believe that she's making a difference in the world. However, she's not afraid to go the distance if it's in the name of helping people. Meifeng is content with bending, or outright ignoring, the rules if it'll save a life. She believes that she's doing her best to keep the world safe, so why should it matter if she gets a little extra brutal. However, towards criminals, Meifeng is incredibly merciless, and will fight with all of her might. Sometimes getting reprimanded for being a little extra brutal. Sometimes she feels like it's just necessary to go the extra mile. Years ago, she used to believe in redemption, atonement... but now she feels like some people just don't deserve that chance.
But, her biggest faults would be her rashness, and inability to see the bigger picture. Even from a young age, Meifeng would always jump to the call for action, even when it would be a dumb idea to do so. That is why many people have to straight up tell her when it's a bad call. The other problem is that Meifeng's a bit... dense. She never sees the bigger picture, and only focuses on what's in front of her because it's convenient.
Inside of Meifeng is anger. She feels so much rage because her mother was "robbed" from her life when she only wanted to live. This anger has turned her ruthless, and at most, cruel. Because she's seen the Changeling Unit... she knows that you can't afford to fuck around by trying to be a girl-scout and bring them to "justice." Meifeng believes that the only form of justice people like them deserve is a gun to their temple. This mindset has put her at odds with some of her friends, in fact. Surviving the Verthaven disaster has also given her plenty of PTSD, she still experiences nightmares about what happened there. Depending on her mood, the normally cheerful Meifeng will switch to a more sullen and withdrawn mindset, and will only want to be alone. All in all, she hasn't gotten over the death of her mother, and all friends. Wherever she goes, they're not far from her thoughts.
Hobbies/Interests:
Sports, athleticism, and whatnot, are one of the many things that interested Meifeng from the get to. She still practices basketball to this very day, even though her volleyball skills aren't too shabby. She just loves to talk about things related to being an athlete, and would love to share tips on how to get a hot body. Meifeng also likes travel, seeing the great big world at large. Which her employment at RAVEN allowed her to accomplish by being stationed at a variety of different cities. She likes to take a little souvenir from each city. Meifeng also likes bike riding.
Skills/Talents:
Now, Meifeng's skillsets have gone through a variety of changes throughout the years. For starters, she's pretty damn good at speaking Chinese. She can easily hold a conversation in that language. Meifeng was always athletic, and knew how to move. She's strong, fast, and has a wide variety of skills underneath her belt. She is a black belt in karate. An incredibly skilled fighter that uses her strength, size, and reflexes to their fullest. Someone can get nailed with a quick punch to the nose. She knows how to use weapons such as nunchucks, tonfas, and bo staffs - but her favorite is the Bo-staff. She likes the look and feel of it. She's used a broomstick as a Bo-staff a few times to hilarious effect. However, once Meifeng was inducted into RAVEN, she added a variety of military skills to her roster.
She learned military hand-to-hand combat, and is quite adept at it. She mixes karate, and military hand to hand together to create a brutal fighting style. In a fist fight, Meifeng is quite the problem. Meifeng was also taught how to use a variety of firearms - however, she doesn't use guns that well. It just doesn't come to her as well as fist fighting does. She was trained to fight Metahumans, but she was already quite experienced from surviving the Verthaven disaster. Joining RAVEN has made her even better at squaring off against Metahumans. Other than punching stuff, and shooting it At a young age, she's played plenty of volleyball. While she hasn't played on a team recently, she still plays volleyball with other girls on the beach from time to time. Meifeng officially plays basketball for her high school's team, and she's pretty good at it. Since she pushed herself to be. She hasn't played basketball that much lately, but she makes sure to find her base's gym and start shooting some hoops.
Goals/Motivation
Meifeng wants to find a purpose in life after the death of her mother. She, innately, wants to find someone, and start a family, before it's too late. In addition, she wants to find her best friend Cindy Keagan.
History/Bio:
To truly describe Meifeng's origins, we'll have to start with someone just as important; Lihua Zhao her mother.
Lihua Zhao was born Qiaolian Liu (Which she'll be referred to as for this bit of her backstory). A native of mainland China, she was born into the wealthy Liu family who had ties to many businesses in major Chinese cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and such. Qiaolian herself was the second child of the Liu family, the first child was her older brother Jiao-Long Liu. Due to the family's wealth, and connections, they were able to dodge serious punishment for breaking China's one-child-policy. They literally threw money at the problem and it went away! However, tensions were quite high in the family, especially as Qiaolian grew up. Her parents had a hatred towards each other over a certain event that took place before Qiaolian was even born. This kind of manifested in a favoritism that her mother had towards Jiao-Long. She utterly ignored Qiaolian in favor of her genius son Jiao-Long, and her father barely got involved with the two out of pure apathy. Which made the young Qiaolian a very unhappy girl. She was sent to a high-tier school... and acted out within it. She joined a group of female delinquents, and caused trouble throughout Shanghai. Theft, vandalism, assault, and sexual activity. Eventually, it ended with her getting arrested, and shaming her whole family. This behavior was deemed simply unacceptable.
They needed to discipline their unruly daughter before she brings every more shame to the Liu line. Which is when her mother suggested that she signs Qiaolian up for top quality Tai Chi lessons, with the hopes of disciplining their awful child. Qiaolian declined. Then was signed up anyway. At first Qiaolian thought it was lame, before she thought it'd teach her how to fight. Boy was she wrong. After school, she was made to work under one of the most strict, skilled, no-nonsense Tai chi teachers of all time. At first, Qiaolian had to adjust to this new master, but over time, her parents got exactly what they wanted. She stopped acting out, and this was the beginning of her disciplined mindset. She began looking to this Tai Chi teacher for guidance, and he became a paternal figure for Qiaolian. He guided her to the path of being a better youth than she was before.
Around the time Qiaolian was thirteen, however, her parents finally had enough of each other, and they finally divorced. Her mother put China behind her as she took Jiao-Long with her to America. Leaving Qiaolian in the hands of her father, who, quite frankly, couldn't give a shit. However, the one thing that Qiaolian learned from her father in his drunken rants was that her mother wanted to get her aborted on the grounds of being a girl. This immediately put a hatred for both Jiao-Long, and her mother, deep inside her heart. Which put the idea of self-reliance into her head over time. She couldn't rely on no parents, no other person, only herself. She started getting very independent for her age, and kept interaction with her family to a minimum. Because, at that point, she saw her Tai-Chi instructor as her father. However, her power had manifested while she was in a Tai Chi class. She didn't realize it yet, but while sparring (Which was much more light contact than other forms), she caused a shockwave that went through the building on contact with another person. She was certainly in for a shock when that had happened. After everyone went home, Qiaolian had accidentally activated her power again while in her home. This is when she started catching onto what happened, and realized that she could control concrete, and other forms of masonry.
This was a scary experience that made her realize much about herself. She realized that she was a Metahuman, and nothing was going to change that. Opposed to rejecting her gifts, Qiaolian chose to embrace them. She spent her time in secrecy practicing her powers. She was unsure of how her family, or anyone else, would react. Just something that she did on the side in practice. She came to the conclusion that the power was heavily linked to her emotions, and she figured that she'd learn to control her emotions afterwards. For years, she practiced and trained in silent until she gotten herself a firm grasp on her abilities. She wanted to use them in action, but she wasn't sure she wanted to out herself for no reason.
However, Qiaolian's life received great change (When she was eighteen) when they came to her door. People from the government came asking for her. They claimed they had a Metahuman who could sense when a power was being used, and had pinpointed Qiaolian to this one place. They took her without any obstruction from her father. They took her to a military base far out in the middle of no where, and shuffled her into a room full of other Metahumans like her.
They introduced themselves as the Hei Long Te Shu Bu Dui (Black Dragon Special Ops). An elite force within the Chinese military comprised solely of Metahumans. At least, that's what they were aiming to do. They were to be given the best training, weaponry, and tools, the military had to offer. They were trained in combat, espionage, and how to use their power effectively. The training was long, punishing, and brutal - few people were able to make the cut - but Qiaolian managed to reach the top of them. While she was being forced to do so, she gave it her all, just like she always did. She used these skills to better herself, and become an incredibly skilled and disciplined solder - even without the superb use of her powers. She was assigned to her first mission, simply to eliminate a group of terrorists that were targeting major cities.
Qiaolian and her group tracked them down to the outskirts of southern China, and a battle took place. In which she used her abilities to all of their strength, and utterly decimated the terrorist group. The Hei Long helped, but this was when she showed her talents to China's higher government. This was when they began to recognize her strength. They sent on her several more missions where she seemingly only got better and better results. Eventually, she was rewarded with the title of head of the Hei Long. In which Lihua got even worse. Throughout her tenure as leader of the group, she followed through with a variety of missions. The kind of stuff that would start wars if exposed to the world. Secret attacks on other nations, espionage, and more. Each mission - while they all didn't go swimmingly - was carried out, and eventually she succeeded.
In between these missions, she was tasked with "conscripting" more Metahumans for the Hei Long. She tracked them down, forced them to join, or die. Very few people escaped. This earned her the title of Du Cai Zhe... alternative, the Tyrant. There were few people who could compete with her sheer prowess in battle. She oppressed the Metahumans of China for decades, and there were few who could compete with her raw power, leadership, and intelligence. If someone were to counter her abilities, she'd just come up with a plan to take them out. Or get someone else to do it. A Metahuman had no choice but to join the Hei Long if they wanted to leave with their lives.
However, while Qiaolian lead the Hei Long with ruthlessness like no other, she still was in touch with her emotions - specifically, her romantic side. She eventually fell in love with one of her subordinates: Bohai Zhou. A man who could manipulate water. They got closer, and closer, until they gotten physical. Which ended with Qiaolian getting pregnant. Her superiors were outraged... but, they allowed Lihua some time off to have her baby. She spent the next nine months in Shanghai... wandering the great city, and seeing how much it changed. Once those nine-months were up, she had a baby girl she named Meifeng. However, she left that child with her father, and went back to work.
While she loved her child, she just couldn't see them being together. She was a monster, and no child should be exposed to that. Qiaolian was with the Hei Long for years, and she was in her thirties, with no signs of stopping. Though, like all things, it finally came to an end. There was the Polaris Cult... a deadly organizations that practically controlled the Chinese government. Qioalian seen them up close, and distrusted them over their depravity. Even Bohai agreed with her. But, she never spoke out because Polaris practically owned the Hei Long.
Her suspicions were proven correct when the Polar wanted to preform an experiment... they have a ritual that gave people powers. It only works if a person meets a specific criteria. However, there was a high chance of death - but the reward was great. Qiaolian's superiors "volunteered" Meifeng, which immediately outraged both Qiaolian, and Bohai. They plead with them to reconsider, but they were adamant.
So, they had one choice.
To defend their daughter, the two struck out and rebelled against their superiors. Qiaolian caved the roof of the building in, and killed the people Qiaolian served, and Bohai wiped out the Polaris representatives. They teamed up to eliminate what was left of the Hei Long, but with the battle over, won in their favor, they had a few problems. They killed quite a lot of China's top military people, and they were still in the thick of it. Bohai and Qiaolian agreed to split up - Qiaolian was going to take Meifeng and leave, while Bohai distracted them. They both went their separate ways, and Qiaolian quickly made it to Shanghai, picked up Meifeng, and contacted her brother - who had become a very rich and influential man - to help her get out. He provided them with a way to sneak out of China's borders via plane, and they came to America.
Meifeng was born under unknown circumstances while Lihua was working for the Hei Long, and since a secret military group is not the best place to raise a child, Meifeng was given to her grandfather in order to raise her. She grew up in the same house that her mother did, in fact. She was born without a solid mother figure, or even a good father figure. She didn't see her mother for years, and only knew that she existed from her grandfather talking about her. In fact, she was on her own most of the time. In school was the only place for Meifeng to develop any solid social skills. In school, she was a bit of a trouble-maker. She'd get into fights, and cause all manners of mischief. At home, she was rarely given any reprimanding, her grandfather barely cared. She always felt like she was alone in the world, and that nobody cared about her. She was close to not caring about anyone else - but she held onto the faintest idea that it would get better.
Once she was around eight, she received a change of pace like no other. One night, her mother (Lihua Zhao), whom she never seen before, came home. The next thing Meifeng knew, she was taken from her previous life, and came to America with her mother, with a new last name. America was a very strange place for Meifeng, but she was living with her rather wealthy Uncle, Jiao-Long Liu, and his daughters, the Liu sisters. She lived in Black Fall. For two years, Meifeng adjusted to American life with the help of her family (And Mika). She was enrolled the same school as her cousins, and managed to get on the volleyball team again. Along with getting an above-average education, she refined her social skills. She resented her mother somewhat for never being there for her in the early days, but she was eager to make up for lost time. They remained in Black Fall for two years, until her mother got a job as a NEST Agent, and they were sent off to Verthaven.
In Verthaven, Meifeng and her mother lived in the Central Valley neighborhood, and went to a school in University Row (Only thing she was pissed about was that there was no volleyball team, Basketball would suffice). She didn't exactly make the friends she was hoping for... and didn't do that well in school due to her size, and the fact that she had trouble speaking English. However, in her school basketball team, she met Jennifer Caspin, a girl who would eventually become her best friend. Jennifer and Meifeng hit it off because they were outcasts, and throughout the years, they managed to become very close. While Jennifer was withdrawn and shy, Meifeng saw her as a little sister. However, at home, Meifeng was still depressed, and rather sullen about a few things. She didn't get along with her Lihua because the woman was very secretive. Lihua figured that Meifeng had a bit too much energy left over from school... and simply signed her up for karate lessons. Lihua was a very paranoid woman, and figured that Meifeng could use the self defense training. However, she only signed her up for karate lessons taught by Asians.
From there, Meifeng took karate so seriously that she saw it as more of a passion, she saw it as a way of life. Meifeng was taught by her karate instructor morality, and a proper way of life. Which built her up as a person, and helped eliminate her insecurities about loneliness. Meifeng also rose through the karate ranks through sheer hard work and dedication. However, another change surfaced soon after that. While she was playing with Jennifer by a river, her ability manifested. Meifeng was showing off to Jennifer, she did a roundhouse kick and she sent a wave flying. She noticed it, and tried another martial arts technique, which had the same result. Fortunately, Jennifer didn't notice it, and Meifeng went home and told Lihua.
From there, Lihua informed her of the secret of the Zhao family - Lihua was a superhuman, with the ability to manipulate man made stones. She tested Meifeng's ability, and confirmed that she was a Metahuman. Preforming her duty, Lihua got Meifeng registered with NEST. Which presented another problem, the young Meifeng had no idea how to use her powers. Fortunately, there was an Academy in town, Academy 12. Lihua managed to pull a few strings and use her NEST connections to get Meifeng into the Academy. From there, Meifeng received professional power training, and met a wide variety of people - such as the young and charming Trevor Obott, and the social butterfly Cindy Keagan. They made friends with each other and formed a very close bond.
Things changed once the Fiends attacked the fair. Meifeng, for one, was not there, but Jennifer was. Which causes her guilt even to this day. Once the Fiends attacked, Meifeng took Jennifer out to the beach where they met some nice girls who invited her to a party. Meifeng enjoyed a bitchin party which her cousins were kind enough to attend, and woke up the next morning with a wad of panties in one hand, and a six-foot tall cactus in the other. Meifeng, from there, went out with her cousins - before separating due to her own impatience. However, if she hadn't, she wouldn't have came across Jennifer and a few friends of hers being kidnapped by the Hands of Science. Meifeng tried to intervene, but she too was kidnapped by the Hands.
They all woke up strapped to tables, while the Fiends were launching their faithful raid on NEST Headquarters. Due to a faulty power suppressant collar, Meifeng managed to get out of the restraints, and managed to get in contact with Lihua, who came down into the base fast as possible. While she called for help, she was also discovered Meifeng had to fight for her life alongside friends, and she fought tooth and nail, until she had received a brutal injury at the hands of the Hands. Ultimately, they turned the battle back around in their favor, and managed to expose the Hands of Science to the world in the process. Meifeng didn't know how to feel about playing such a vital part in this. She had received some mental scars from the incident.
For the next months, Meifeng was more than content with laying low while NEST and her mother declared war on the Hands of Science. She had received a bit of PTSD from the incident. She chose to stay in the house whenever necessary, and just play videogames. Up until the grand NEST fundraiser in which she started to come out some more. After the ball, she started hanging out with friends some more, and enjoyed life. She started to ease up a bit.
Just as she realized everything was going to be okay, the Devil attacked, and the Verthaven disaster. It was the worst week of her young life. She was forced to fight for her life against monsters, and worst of all, the Changeling Unit. Whatever happened in the Verthaven disaster, she was there, as she was one of the brave volunteers who offered to fight. Up until the fateful attempt on the Devil's life. Meifeng was so oblivious to her own friends - she hadn't realized that Jennifer was being forced by the Changeling Unit to betray NEST (With her family's lives being threatened if she didn't). They planted a bomb within Jen. Once the betrayal was found out, the bomb out of Jennifer, and Meifeng left with her and some friends. However, around this time, the Devil had ascended in power, and was going on a rampage. Meifeng's group had to stop... that's when the Changeling Unit appeared before her, and dumped the bodies of Jen's family in front of them just to taunt Jen.
Meifeng was shocked and appalled at the sheer brutality of the Changeling Unit. However, she encouraged her friend to push on. However, once the Devil caught up to them, Jennifer gave up, and was pulled into the depths. Which Meifeng considered her first major failure.
Afterwards, Meifeng was exposed to the secrets of the Zhao family - and how Lihua was the leader of the Hei Long. She participated in the alliance to battle the Devil, and the final battle against the Changeling Unit. She was the one who put the bullet in Luis' head... but not before he could kill her best friend Trevor. With two friends dead, Meifeng wondered when the brutality would end.
Then the shield dropped...
After the Verthaven disaster, Meifeng was forced to leave the city for good, and she was happy for that. This was the great change in her life. Lihua resigned from NEST, and Meifeng stepped up to join the newly formed RAVEN (And was in fact the first person to be formally invited to the organization). After receiving a great sum of cash from one friend, and intelligence from another, Meifeng went off to Baybridge to build up something new - along with Cindy, who was recently orphaned. Meifeng remained in Baybridge for a few months as RAVEN and DOVE were revealed, afterwards, she and Cindy joined RAVEN and Dove respectively.
It was a rigorous two years of painful training. Meifeng gave it her literal all. Training her very hardest as she gave off blood, sweat, and tears. After the two were up, and Meifeng was declared an officer within RAVEN. Right off the bat, Meifeng chose to participate in the battles against the rest of the Hands of Science - and was sent off out of Baybridge. In which she used the information given to her by Baron to her advantage. This pleased her superiors enough to earn her a few promotions. She didn't want anything less than the utter destruction of everything the Hands knew and love. She went from base to base, and utterly annihilated anyone who bore the Hands insignia. Until the last of the Hands were defeated. She didn't even feel satisfied. She gained a reputation for her ruthlessness, and brutality when facing off against the Hands of Science. She was compared to a spirit of vengeance that showed no discrimination.
She was shot all over America, and became one of the top Agents in the war against the Hands of Science. Until she came across the last of the Hands of Science up in Eastern Canada. Headed by a man who was too stubborn to give up and head off into hiding. He was surrounded by his four main REAPERS he called the Four Kings, and each of them were powerful. Meifeng went into his headquarters in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, and snuck in with a team of RAVENs. Inside, she was going to sneak in and assassinate the man. However, he expected this and set up a trap. That's when one of the worst battles ever took place, in which many of the RAVENs that Meifeng worked with were brutally slaughtered. She just used their deaths as a motivation to keep moving. She went in with all of her strength, before she killed one of the REAPERs with a clever trick.
The Executive in charge was getting away, and Meifeng realized this. While the rest of her squad was fighting the REAPERs, she chased down this executive. Using her power made it easy, but she pinned him down. He was completely at her mercy, and nobody was around to see it... So, she gave into the temptation and blew his head off with her sidearm. And with one moment, the Hands of Science were destroyed. She felt proud of herself... for a moment. Then she felt empty after the rage was gone.
Afterwards, Meifeng was cycled through several cities, appearing in Mendel first. Right off the bat, Meifeng was thrown into the horrors and hardness of this world as she faced off against the likes of the Allegiance, the Order, and the Pure - Along with the Skulls and Vanguard native of Mendel. Each battle hardened Meifeng, and showed her another side of the world. Meifeng didn't just fight against these threats, she lent a helping hand where ever she could to the young people in need.
However, a few months ago, the Beast showed up in Prague, and Meifeng was one of the many top RAVENs they cycled to the city. Once she was there, she encountered the many Metahuman agencies of the world, and collaborated with them on handling the Beast. Meifeng was on the front lines, distracting the Beast, while the rest of the agencies attacked him. However, the Beast overwhelmed them, and continued his rampage. Continuing on to a group of civilians, and threatened to kill them. And the only thing in the way was Meifeng. She was alone... she could have left them to die. However, she didn't think twice about standing in the way of the Beast. She fought to the last man, receiving many bad burns in the process. No matter how many times she was knocked down, she got back up. Which gave the civilians plenty of time to escape.
Meifeng let out a tear as she embraced death... however, that's when the collective agencies launched a surprise attack with a Czech Metahuman who could nullify powers. They turned off the Beast's ability, and hit him with everything they had, and finally killed him. Meifeng was taken to receive some medical attention, and was awarded a title, "The Hero of Prague" for her heroism, and became a world renown hero.
Meifeng spent a few months in Prague, before she was assigned back to America. She was awarded a few months of R&R... she used this time to explore America, visiting the hotspots in order to reflect on her life. Meifeng went from Philadelphia, to Mendel, to Stadium City, to New Rivere. Up until her time was up, and she was assigned back to Baybridge.
After so long... it felt like a homecoming.
During the various disasters in Baybridge, Meifeng was a front line soldier. Fighting in the riots, and saving the day during all of the Overload attacks. She was also there with the Mannequin was captured, and that felt amazing bringing the last of the Changelings in for good. Afterwards, the investigation into the Founding Family began, and Meifeng went to Singapore for a few months on a foreign exchange program. She enjoyed the food, but she was there for a reason - to investigate a shipping company that may have ties with them.
In the month of October, Meifeng is still in fucking Singapore.
Regrettably, Meifeng was in Singapore during the whole fiasco with the Hound in the Havenfield Market. On the other hand, she made great progress against the Family there. She infiltrated the shipping company, and recovered a vital component in the Family's plans. However, they sent one of their soldiers after Meifeng; Bonecrusher. Whom was powerful enough to nearly kill if the Singaporean army didn't intervene. She rested in a hospital for a week, before coming back to Baybridge to be healed by a DOVE. She shipped her findings to forensics, and relaxed.
Unfortunately, she was absent during the Black Hound's grand hostage situation in the mall. For the sole reason that she was watching her little sister, and was attacked by her mother's enemy: Jiang Song. The two battled to the death, but ultimately, Meifeng came out on top, and fought Jiang Song off. Out of fear, she took Lijuan to the DOVE headquarters, where her mother was unfortunately injured in the attack. Telling her mother what happened, she was forced to stay with her uncle for the time being with her little sister. She only heard about what happened at the mall, and the bullshit that came with it.
Meifeng enjoyed the brief lapse in action because it was a well-needed break to pull everything back together. Hell, she enjoyed a night of drinking with friends. However, it was merely a calm before the storm. Upon arriving home, she was sent straight to her uncle's manor, and learned the dark truth about the Liu family. Jiao-Long Liu was a member of not only the Hands of Science, but the Founding Family. He achieved the rank of executive within the Hands of Science, and hid underneath the name of Suan-Ni. Meifeng felt it hard to process, but Jiao-Long made it clear that he only wanted to defeat the Founding Family.
The key to defeating them lied in Biyu Liu... the woman who is a mediator between the Founding Family, and the Polaris cult. So, the group came up with a plan to capture the woman during Honghui's, Jiao-Long's youngest son's, birthday. Everything was going good until Blake Schmidt arrived, tried to convince Jiao-Long to join him, and then sicced the Hound on the party. A fight ensued as it ended with the Hound kidnapping both Jiao-Long, and his wife, Chunhua. With that ending with disaster, Meifeng returned to headquarters just to find out that Cindy was kidnapped by the Family. Then she got to see Family's grand broadcast to the world, ending with them knocking power out if RAVEN doesn't comply with their demands.
Perfect.
The week went horribly as everyone prepared for the worse: an all out assault on RAVEN headquarters. It ended with a majority of the agents dead, a lot of equipment destroyed, and morale utterly shattered. There weren't even any pieces to pick up, as Cindy disappeared yet again. However, a fellow agent knew a mole within the IU, whom told them of the Blessed Three's grand plan: create a machine that'll turn everyone on earth into Metahumans. The idea horrified Meifeng, but she knew she could stop them. Then she heard the other half of the Family's plan: create another Beast to distract RAVEN.
While Meifeng wanted to destroy the Machine, the Family sure created a damned if you do, damned if you don't, situation in which they had little room to maneuver. They had no choice but to attack the base in Silver Hills, and were promptly contained within a shield. In here, Meifeng came across an awful truth: Cindy was being mindcontrolled by the Founding Family, and had killed her fellow agent Maxine Diaz. Battling Cindy until she retreated, Meifeng found Lihua battling Biyu, and saw the greatest tragedy of her life.
While trying to save her mother, Biyu attacked her, and killed Lihua. This moment was stated to be her worst moment ever, and in rage, tried to attack Biyu, but the woman escaped. Saddened, Meifeng had no choice but to finish the mission, and that's what she did. Afterwards, Maximilian Cornell came to personally help them with an army, and they all set their eyes on Headquarters.
Personally wanting revenge, Meifeng snuck in through the back of the Founding Family's base, and attacked the machine. Ultimately planting charges that destroyed it, and then capturing the members of the Hands of Science that were captured by the Founding Family. Before chasing down Blake Schmidt, and giving Quentin an opportunity to finally kill him. Watching the fireworks from the sidelines, Meifeng could only feel empty.
Afterwards, everything changed. Cindy was liberated from the Family's control, but out of grief, she ran away from Baybridge. Then the funeral for Lihua happened a few months later, and Jiao-Long offered to take care of Lijuan in Lihua's absence. Vowing to stay in Baybridge, Meifeng moved to an apartment in Greencrest Heights since Cindy and Jennifer were absent. From there, Meifeng tried to come to terms with the death of Lihua to the best of her ability, but it was extremely difficult. She couldn't care less about the politics, as her goals changed from one thing to another.
Relationships
Family:
Bohai Zhou - Father
Meifeng never met him, only her mother told her about him. What she does know was that he was apart of the Hei Long as well, and she inherited his power. It's unknown what happened to him.
Lihua Zhao - Mother
Lijuan Zhao - Sister
At eight years old, Lijuan Zhao is Meifeng's little sister. She is the bastard daughter of Lihua and Maximilian Cornell after a drunken one night stand between the two (Which Meifeng is unaware of). That hasn't changed the fact that both the Zhao women love her. After the death of their mother, Lijuan has been staying with Jiao-Long in the Liu estate. Meifeng makes sure to visit her often, and try to make up for lost time. She's now eleven, and still having trouble getting over the death of her mother. Lijuan had manifested her power (A powerful pyrokinesis), and is having trouble controlling it.
Jianguo Liu - Grandfather
Deceased. Meifeng's grandfather, she hasn't had too many interactions with him (Meifeng herself ), but he's the patriarch of the Liu family. He is a very wealthy man that managed to inherit the family fortune from previous members of his bloodline. He used to be married to Biyu, but tensions grew throughout the years because Biyu wanted to abort Lihua (Qiaolian then) for being a female, and Jianguo didn't want her to. They eventually divorced, and Jianguo died a lonely, bitter, man.
Biyu Liu - Grand Mother
Meifeng's grandmother... Meifeng has a hatred of her like no other. Biyu is the woman that killed her mother, and all Meifeng wants to do is kill her. Biyu is a member of Polaris that hated Lihua to her very core due to simply having her against her will, and being disgusted by her actions. She is the reason why Jiao-Long was forced to join the Hands of Science, and a lot of problems for her bloodline could be linked back to her. Ever since the fall of the Family, she went off the grid.
Jiao-Long Liu - Uncle
The man that made so many things possible, Jiao-Long is Meifeng's uncle (Millionaire head of the Liu Pharmaceutical company, and genius), and the two are rather close. It's hard to interact with him since the man is so busy, but Meifeng has a high opinion of him, and the two are rather close. Whenever Meifeng needs money, it's always Jiao-Long who pitches in. Meifeng has been getting close to Jiao-Long after the death of Lihua being hard on both of them. She knows about his deep dark secret, and is willing to put it past him long as he is willing to.
Chunhua Liu - Aunt
Wife of Jiao-Long... and she isn't seen all that much, nor does she really talk to anyone. Jiao-Long says that she's really, really, shy. Because of which, Meifeng hasn't had much interaction with her.
Lin Liu - Cousin
Jiao-Long's "first" daughter (With Chunhua). She was his pride and joy, and built a mighty high ladder for her. Lin is a woman in her mid-twenties that is an ace through sheer training for self advancement. She knows how to play tennis, a variety of different languages, and is very smart. She was originally going to take over the Liu Pharmaceutical Company until Honghui was born. Lin is the link to the Valos family (A rich family of rich men and women who own expensive clubs). Meifeng is rather friendly with Lin, they were friends when they were younger, but the two haven't kept in touch. Lin has a shape-shifting ability combined with telepathy. By reading minds, she can assume forms based off their thoughts. Along with the usual telepathic tricks.
Jia-Li Liu - Cousin
Jiao-Long's second daughter. Jia-Li is a very soft spoken young woman in her twenties. She is very soft-spoken, and kind, but takes after her mother a bit too much in terms of personality. Which means she usually stays quiet, unless around family. Meifeng managed to get her to open up, and the two are somewhat close. Jia-Li has the ability to manipulate light and darkness - a combination known as Twilight manipulation. This gives her a versatile powerset.
Huifang Liu - Cousin
The youngest (Before Honghui came along) of the Liu siblings, Huifang is a tomboy much like Meifeng. She is currently seventeen years old (She was ten around the time of Verthaven). She's had some trouble connecting with her cousins and siblings due to the age gap - which causes her to act out a bit. Which has her adopting a tough girl persona, and developing a love for sport (Mostly biking). Meifeng hasn't talked to her much lately. Huifang most likely has the most destructive power of all her siblings. She has the ability to produce extreme amounts of electricity, and roast whatever is in her sight.
Mika Liu - Cousin
The bastard daughter of Jiao-Long born after a one night stand with a secretary, Akira Shinjo (Who is Japanese). Mika was an old shame of his that Jiao-Long hid with money so it wouldn't tarnish his reputation at all. However, after the death of Akira, Jiao-Long honed up on responsibility and took Mika in as his daughter. From there, Mika has been enjoying the rich life. She's somewhat chubby, and has a gut, due to a real lack of exercise and over indulging herself in sweets. Mika and Meifeng do not get along. They've always fought like cats and dogs whenever they were close to each other. However, recently, Meifeng managed to abandon that childish rivalry with her because they both came out of the Verthaven disaster. Mika has the ability to copy other cerebral powers, currently she has telepathy and a high level telekinetic ability.
Honghui Liu - Cousin
The first son of Jiao-Long whom was born a year after the Verthaven disaster. His very birth changed the face of the Liu Pharmaceutical company. Jiao-Long intends to build him up as his replacement. Meifeng hasn't seen Honghui, but wishes to change that. He has no powers to speak of.
Dynamics:
| Quentin Taylor |
| Respected | Close Friend | "I owe Quentin so much." |
Meifeng and Quentin met in the Hands of Science lab way back in Verthaven. The two helped each other as Meifeng broke Quentin out of the lab, and Quentin helped Meifeng fight her way out of it. Which built up a deep respect and admiration between the two. Especially as Quentin joined NEST and helped her through the Verthaven disaster. Afterwards, Quentin became a mentor to her while she was training within RAVEN. The two formed a close bond as they eliminated members of the Hands of Science. He was one of the few people she told about her anger and hatred towards the Hands. They also worked together on several different operations. After the fall of the Founding Family, their bond has grown even closer given that they have been living together for the last few years. Regardless of what happens, Meifeng doesn't want to lose him.
| Reed Taylor |
| Good | Quentin's Brother | "." |
Despite meeting him in Verthaven, and helping her through the disaster, she isn't as close to him as she is Quentin, but she still holds him in high regards. Reed and Meifeng, despite being in separate agencies, have worked together often because of Reed's promotion to the direction of the DOVE branch. She definitely holds him in high regard as her superior.
| Shizuka Takashiro |
| Good | Fellow RAVEN | "Shizuka gets on my fucking nerves sometimes, but I can at least depend on him....." |
Back in Verthaven, Meifeng found Shizuka obnoxious, but he's certainly undergone change as much as she has. He's a member of RAVEN, which has allowed the two to see action together. Her opinion of him has improved most certainly, and sees that he's grown out of being a selfish asshole. Though, the two buttheads a lot over what is the best course of action. Still, she ultimately holds him in a high regard because of his .
Meifeng certainly doesn't have too much of an opinion of Haruka. She thinks he's polite and well spoken... but hadn't paid him any mind (nor intends on).
| Francis Jean-Pierre |
| Neutral | Coworker, and wants to keep it that way | "Sorry, but I have no time for his games." |
Meifeng has a very mixed opinion of Francis, on one hand, he's a very competent and talented Agent. On the other, he seems to be a bit too friendly for Meifeng's tastes. Meifeng felt a little bad about it at first, but she knew it was for the best that she closes out other RAVENs. At least until she gets everything straight.
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental
Power:Elemental-Type - Mode: Water.
Water-Manipulation.
Meifeng embodies the classical element of water. She can do everything you'd expect a water-bender to do - telekinetically move and manipulate water (Fresh water, sea water, etc) through fluid body movements. Which means she's very capable of using a variety of offensive, and defensive techniques - as water is a very flexible and versatile element. A quick swipe from her hands can launch a bucket of water, a kick can shoot a wave, and spinning her arms around can allow her to create a vortex of water. Defensively, Meifeng could spin her arms around to create a spinning orb of water. Which isn't nearly strong enough to stop bullets, but it can stop a person with ease (And hurt them badly if they're stupid enough to walk into it). Meifeng can also wrap water around small/light-weight objects to move them, a pseudo-telekinesis.
Water-Storage & Expulsion.
An ability that Meifeng has over other water-benders is that she has the ability to absorb water from her environment, and store it inside a localized pocket dimension she can access (Shut up, it just works). At will, Meifeng can simply pull the water out of the dimension and manipulate it. Meaning she basically carries a supply of water with her - not too much, however, the most she can store is around six bathroom tubs worth of water. Now, Meifeng can expel this water off in high-pressured jets, or create shields - basically having the ability to manipulate it in general. One trick she has learned is "hovering" by shooting high-pressure water off at her own feet in order to slow down her descent. Same trick can be used in order to give her an enhanced jump. What stops it from being true flight is that Meifeng has a supply of the water is finite. Look up "flyboard" if you want an idea of how this works.
Minor Ice-Manipulation.
Now, concerning other states of water, this is where it gets a bit complicated. No Meifeng can't control steam/mist - but she can control ice. At will, she can snap freeze a few gallons of water... butm she can't control large chunks of ice. This might sound weird/contradictory, but she can control plenty of small pieces of ice. Largest piece of ice she can lift up is the size of an average icecube. Now... This is where the trick I've been leading up to comes in. She has come up with an interesting technique using. In short, Meifeng can freeze the water in small shapes, and shoot them off at high speeds. Basically creating a gun out of ice. She's capable of shooting them off at a rate that it could be compared to an assault rifle on full auto. With a flick of her wrist, she can turn ice into water.
Water-Walking.
One ability she has is what she calls "water-walking". When he steps on a body of water, of any size, she will seemingly stand on it as if it's a solid object, and is completely capable of walking on it for an indefinite period of time. At will, she can simply drop and fall into the water. This leads up into another trick she has. She can surf by standing on a body of water and manipulating it to move her around. Almost like it's carrying her. This is a go-to technique by Meifeng in order to get around quickly. I should note that she can allow other people to water walk with her if they're close enough. This is actually her power subconsciously manipulating the density (and the water itself) underneath her feet in order to allow her to stand on water.
Limits:
To start off, Meifeng has the usual range restriction. She can control water up to twelve feet away. Meaning she's limited to up close and personal fights (her favorite!). She also has a limit on how much she can control at a time - though I really suck at judging units of measurements, so we'll be playing the assuming game. While she can control a large amount at a time in comparison to her own body, she won't be able to redirect a river, create a beach-consuming tidal wave, and etc. Most she can do is probably dick with you while she's in the pool. But, the more water she is manipulating at a time, the less fine control she'll have. While manipulating a large amount of water, she'll be restricted to rough, basic, imprecise, water motions. Like I said before, there's also a limit as to how much water she can absorb - six tubs worth of water. The purity of the water also comes into question. She cannot control dirty or diluted water effectively, it takes more energy out of her to do so. Fresh and Salt water is what she's best at controlling. The water's temperature also plays into how she can control it. The water has to be cold in order for her to control it. The hotter it is, the less capable she'll be able to control it. At boiling point, it's basically out of her range. This is largely irrelevant, but Meifeng cannot manipulate water, and absorb/expel it at the same time. Meifeng can only freeze what that is within three feet of herself. Above all else, Meifeng is just as effected by water as anyone else. She can still drown, freeze, etc, in water. But Meifeng managed to avoid drowning.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Electricity, and heat. Meifeng's power has altered her body in ways that are far from beneficial. Starting off, she's a lightning rod, basically. Her body is far more conductive, and electricity is seemingly attracted to her. In short, electrical damage is extra effective against her. Using her power has two detrimental effects. The first one is that using her power, in any way, quickly dehydrates her - at worst, this can leave her as dehydrated as an island castaway who's been deprived of water for weeks. As you may have realized, expelling absorbed water makes this much, much, worse. However, her power is connected to her hydration, too. The less hydrated she is, the less powerful she'll be. Freezing water also lowers her body temperature. Which, at it's most extreme, can lead to severe hypothermia and nobody wants to deal with that.
Other:
■ Meifeng sometimes visits the cemetery outside of Verthaven and leaves flowers for her friends.
■ Meifeng, using her RAVEN paycheck, bought a black 2014 Honda CBR600RR. Which she drives around when she isn't on the job. When she is, she uses a black 2016 Dodge Challenger with the windows painted black, bulletproofed, and more.
■ In terms of firearms, Meifeng has two Sig Sauer p226s, and usually has a ACR as her main firearm.
Jacqueline Rory (Her birthname) Veronica Emily Davis (An alias she used for awhile) Green The Terror
Gender:
Female
Age:
29
Height:
5'9
Weight:
142
Home District:
Hedgemount, Fallbridge Square.
Appearance
Hair Color:
Dyed Blonde, Naturally Black
Eye Color:
Green
Ethnicity:
Canadian - French, Icelandic, and Welsh
Physical Appearance:
Noelle is a girl that stands out due to two things; her eyes, and her hair. Her eyes are a bright-green color, and round almond-shaped. Quite large, too. Easily the most pronounced part of her face. As for her hair, it's standout because of it's wavy (Almost curly) hair texture, and how it goes straight to her back. Which creates a sharp contrast with her white, ivory skin. Which means she fits the raven hair, ivory skin trope! However, Noelle puts on a rather friendly, bubbly, demeanor. One that has the ability to practically disarm anyone! You probably won't ever assume she's a threat. Though, she has a habit of hiding her face. All because of a nasty scar that she has on her face. One that appears like a blade went right through her face starting from the side, and then going to the other side. Well, like I said; it's all a font for the real Noelle. A harsh, and domineering aura that only arises should the situation call for it.
Noelle is obviously Caucasian, she is a Canadian girl with genes from France, Iceland, and the Wales. This makes her look pretty European from anyone's perspective. Mostly, she looks Icelandic because of her striking green eyes. Her skin tone itself is pretty light, she isn't pale, or anything like that, but she's certainly on the lighter side. Mostly due to her genetics, she spends plenty of time in the sun to keep her skin fresh and healthy. Speaking of which, Noelle skin is pretty clear... if you don't count the many scars that she has. She has the scars from battle. Most notably, she has a scar on her midsection (towards her left side) that goes from under her chest, to the start of her waist. Like she was stabbed. She also has a scar on her eyebrow that takes the shape of a V, and goes to the area underneath her eye. She has a scar on her shoulder. What helps her appear at her best is all the wondrous skin care products she applies.
Going on about her build, Noelle is pretty tall for her height, which merely adds to her intimidation factor. She's Five-Nine, and pretty well built. She has done plenty of working out due to her job, and is somewhat muscular. Not so muscular that you would expect her to start looking masculine, but she definitely lifts and does plenty of cardio (and never skips leg day). You would only notice if she were to disrobe enough for someone to see her. Due to her genes, Noelle is very curvy for her height and weight. Her breasts are 42C in terms of size, and her behind is equally big. These are features that the girl loves to flaunt. Her European roots shows in her striking and pronounced facial features. Her face is oval shaped, and her facial features are quite sharp, and blend into each other quite well. Starting with her full, pointy-lips, which are barely disproportionate to her medium-sized button nose that is round and compact. Her ears are a crescent shape, and are larger than she'd like them to be. In fear of being called dumbo, she keeps them hidden behind her hair. I've already gone over her eyes.
Attire:
There's two sides to Noelle's attire: either it's stylish, or it's very practical. On the stylish side, Noelle doesn't really dress to stand out. She wears a modest dress shirt, button-up, or other shirt, and she wears jeans, khaki, or cargo pants. She often accessorizes by wearing jewelry, or the sort. She doesn't like skirts, or dresses, so don't expect her to wear anything of the sort. She may wear a dress to a party. But, don't expect her to go anywhere unarmed. Along with a small pistol that's easy to conceal. On the other side of things, Noelle dresses much more practically when the situation calls for it.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Noelle's personality seems fairly straightforward. She seems fairly cheerful and chipper on the exterior, seemingly always having something to tell everybody. She always calls herself an open book, and is willing to tell everyone everything. Seemingly having a problem with lying, or not being straightforward. She hates dishonesty, and whatnot. With a solid moral core, of course. But, despite her infinite kindness, Noelle is a woman that has an open hatred of Metahumans. All because of her experience in the Verthaven disaster, she will never forgive Metahumans.
Of course, all of this is just a front.
Underneath it all, Noelle is a very bitter, and conflicted woman that is almost the exact opposite of her persona. She's just that good at acting. Noelle, in actuality, is a bitch in almost every sense of the word. Rude, condescending, arrogant, and domineering. She is not a noble woman that fights for justice, but only for her own goals and self interests. She thinks that she's hot shit, and that mostly everyone is inferior to her in some way or another. Which is why she rarely gives anyone the time and place; she just stays focused on her mission, and let the idiots do their thing. In interaction, she reveals little about herself, if she isn't giving someone the silent treatment. She's very quick to get annoyed, and she won't hesitate to lash out against someone, and call them very unkind things (Whatever she can think of based off what little interactions she had with them). Noelle certainly is quick to peg people as fools, and inferior to her. Though, she treats people with apathy more than anything.
However, even she's wondering if that's the right way to live her life. Noelle has softened up a lot, and is somewhat slowly adopting the "cover" she made up for herself. Though, she understands that she is fundamentally a terrible person by many people's standards, and deep down, wants to change. Noelle knows that going on like this won't work, so she's at least trying to change. Except, she's going about it the wrong way; pretending to be a different person rather than face her problems directly.
Her social skills are fairly good, even if she looks at it the wrong way. She's constantly keeping an eye on people for body language, and trying to notice changes, before deciding on the next thing to say. So, she carefully thinks about what she's going to say next, even if she has to wait a little while. And this shows even in her front. She can be fairly friendly, albeit a bit bitter. She isn't afraid to speak her mind, and plays little mind to the people who don't like it.
Deep down Noelle does desire affection above all else, and is willing to take it from just about anyone good looking enough to pipe her interests, and smart enough not to annoy her. She does desire a legitimate romance with people, not one forced because of her job, and not a quick bang. She wants someone to stand by her side, and be there. However, Noelle has been a bisexual woman since her teens. Experimenting with friends helped her discover herself, and she finds herself truly attracted to people similar to her. Cute boys and girls who see her as more than just a pretty little face, people who understand her, and won't judge her. However, Veronica is repulsed the idea of sex. Being forced to seduce many, many, people she wasn't attracted to tends to do that. Now, she'll only have sex with those she's willing to open up to completely (I.E It'll require a lot of courting and dedication).
Back in the day, Noelle's morality was loose, and she had the capacity to do anything. Kill people, steal, and ruin lives. But, back then she was a lot of things she isn't now. Veronica is haunted by her past, and everything she did, and everything that happened to her. She finally feels as if she's taking accountability for her actions, for once, and is feeling the weight on the world bearing down on her. All Noelle wants to do is come to terms to her actions, and find a purpose for herself. Because all she feels is emptiness, that she has nothing to fight for.
Ultimately, she wonders if there's a reason for her to live.
Hobbies/Interests:
Noelle enjoys a wide variety of exquisite foods and drinks. She tries to treat herself like a classy lady, and hold up that persona. She does like some sports, while she loathes the likes of football, she definitely enjoys soccer, and especially Tennis - the latter is mostly because she plays it. She loves the people that do play it. Now, Noelle is also a fan of nice long, fancy, baths, in which she takes them within the confines of her apartment. She likes to spice it up with various bath bombs, different soaps, etc. While she finds this embarrassing, Noelle is also a fan of anime, and cartoons, and it's something she does on her downtime.
Skills/Talents:
When Noelle was still in school, she became quite an expert at Tennis. Her footwork, reflexes, and speed are quite good along with her skill. She doesn't play it as much - but whenever she gets the chance, she stops by a tennis court and practices (At times, plays some scrubs at it). Being a native of Quebec, and otherwise French-Canadian, she knows how to speak French fluently. In terms of social skills, Noelle is quite charismatic... and manipulative. She knows how to make people bend around her finger to do as she pleases. Along with being a very convincing actor, she can turn any man or woman into silly putty. Noelle's time with the Founding Family's forces have also taught her combat skills. Not only using her power, but fighting without it. Noelle knows her way around a gun, and prefers pistols above all else. She's behind quite a few assassinations, so you can trust her to make it look like an accident. Hand to hand is also something Noelle is quite skilled at, being trained in Krav Maga and Judo during her time with the IU. Combined with her Metahuman ability, Veronica was easily one of their best fighters.
Goals/Motivation
Noelle wants to make something for herself. After achieving all of her goals, Noelle really doesn't have much left except for emptiness. After the rage and hatred subsided, Noelle realized she doesn't have a whole lot going for her. So, now, she wants to enjoy life for all it's worth.
History/Bio:
Now, the story that Noelle gives everyone is that Noelle was born in Lyon, France, to a pair of French Businessmen that would regularly go out to different countries, and do business. However, after a publicized affair breaking out, the Delacroix family chose to move to America. They settled down in Verthaven, around the time Noelle was thirteen years old. Throughout the years, she developed many friendships, and whatnot, but always had that artistic touch. However, everything went horribly wrong when the Verthaven Disaster happened, and both of her parents were killed. She was one of the many survivors of that shit storm, along with her "brother." Since then, she lived in Seattle, before moving to Baybridge after the fall of the Founding Family. She now works at a University in Silver Hills as a French teacher, and has been happy doing that for several years now....
If probed, a convincing amount of records pertaining to madame and mister Delacroix will appear. All the way to census reports, and even a passport from France. However... all of this is forged due to contacts that Noelle made while in the Founding Family. That brother? Someone that owes her a favor.
Actually, the Delacroix family doesn't exist. Noelle is just one cover of many for one woman.
Noelle actually started out as a completely different person; Jacqueline Rory.
Hailing from Quebec, Jacqueline is the daughter the owner of a profiting bio-engineering company - Alec Rory. Jacqueline lived the privileged life, baby! However, unlike most people, she didn't really have mommy and daddy around. Due to the fact that the circumstances of her birth weren't ideal for either party. Her mother was a young, impressionable, model who was looking for fame, and her father took advantage of that. Getting the model to sleep with him in order to get herself a name. She agreed - and Jacqueline was the result of that relationship. Now, her father was too busy running his company, and didn't have the time to interact with his daughter, and her relationship with her mother was shaky at best. So, Jacqueline was left in her father's mansion, and in the care of a team of maids and butlers. Which meant that it was up to them to raise her... and the results weren't pretty.
What was more was there was more to this company than her father let on. This simple laboratory was one of the many that had ties to the Founding Family. One of the organization's fronts, in fact. Jacqueline's father was using this in order to get backdoor deals on their fancy serums - also helping them target Metahumans to kidnap. All in the name of money.
Growing up, Jacqueline didn't exactly develop a kind heart. Taking what little interactions that she had with her parents to heart, she developed the idea that she had to be great to get to the best places in life. Better than other people - and that she could step on them as she saw fit. This trait manifested and became pronounced during her time in school. Going through school, Jacqueline did everything in her power to become the best. The best looking, having the most friends, and excelling in school - due to her father's influence, she could go to wealthy, high-class, schools. Even if she didn't legitimately accomplish it, she did a few backdoor deals in order to accomplish it. She became the epitome of hubris, and she had plenty to back it up. Due to her ruthless pursuit, she gathered a lot of friends in school.
Jacqueline's main claim to fame was Tennis. She drove herself to become a Tennis star, boasting that she would become a professional, and laugh at everyone underneath her. Jacqueline's interactions with her father was limited, but served only to further her attitude. They had a positive opinion of each other - being quite similar in many, many, respects. Despite the fact they remained distant from each other, he was the only person Jacqueline came to seeing as an sequel. However, Mr. Davis was all about seeing his daughter become the best. Using his backdoor deals with the Hands of Science, he managed to purchase a power serum for Jacqueline. She was, at first, very hesitant, but after realizing all the incredible things she could be capable of, she took the serum. Just to put herself on par with the freaks that roam this world.
That's when Jacqueline developed the ability of telekinesis. Immediately, objects around her began to start floating, and she realized what was happening. She was controlling it, and after freaking out a little bit at the sudden rush of power, Jacqueline came under control. After she realized that she had this amazing power. She quickly vowed to learn it, realizing that it was just proof that she was superior to other people, and took pride in her ability. All in private. Whenever she was alone in her room, she'd bring some dinnerware, and play around. Despite practicing, she could never quite get it down. It took her years until she could get a grasp on it. Though, this was something that she kept secret from NEST for obvious reasons. The last thing she wanted to do was live under their rules.
Jacqueline became the Prom Queen, and a few years after that, she graduated from school. Getting ready to begin a professional tennis career. However, the Founding Family suspected that Daddy Davis was a spy, and decided to terminate him. They sent their best soldier to his office, where he was shot dead in his seat. Afterwards, the Founding Family placed much incriminating evidence in his office that lead authorities to believe that it was a Hands of Science lab (This whole incident took place in the height of the Hands hysteria). Which meant it was raided by NEST, and was taken apart.
Which left Jacqueline, the girl who had everything, with nothing. All the status she had meant nothing because it was all on the power of a disgraced man. She had to move in with her model mother, because she had no other choice. The two loathed each other, and during the short time there, Jacqueline strived to reach the top. However, she quickly learned that she wasn't her father's only child. It came to light that he had sex with other women, and he had two other daughters: Quinn (Who's ten years younger than Jacqueline), and Sofia (Who's only slightly younger than Quinn). After learning about them, the first thing that Jacqueline did was go out to find them.
While they got off to a rough start, Jacqueline managed to bond with them, and they became the family that Jacqueline honestly never had. It wasn't long before her model mother died from an overdose, and Jacqueline can only say "Goodbye you whore" in the most apathetic tone possible. She took custody of her little sisters... but, the only job she could manage was a fast food restaurant, and that was barely enough to support them, and she was getting frustrated.
However... her skills, personality, and superpower made her a candidate the Founding Family's growing security force known as the Intimidation Unit. She was approached by the Black Hound, their greatest soldier, and invited into the Intimidation Unit - with promises of wealth and power that she was used to. Because she had a growing capacity for violence, and she was just so bitter over what happened to her, she accepted the invitation without hesitation, and was inducted into their personal.
However, the first thing that Jacqueline did was change her identity... she picked the name Veronica Davis only because she didn't want her good name attached to her dirty line of work.
She was training for a few years to not just be a soldier, but be one of the Founding Family's assassins. She was trained in the arts of murder. She was given countless weapons training, along with a lot of other skills that made her a versatile warrior. Most importantly, she was trained with her telekinesis extensively.
Being one of the Founding Family's assassins, she was given plenty of experience. Because whoever they wanted dead, they sent her after them. Her first hit was a police officer that was getting a little too close to the truth. She killed him... and felt a sense of deep regret as she learned about him. However, as she was given more and more hits, more and more missions... she eventually began to feel a great numbness. She became numb to the killing. And it wasn't just killing that Veronica did - she just did whatever the hell they asked her to, really. Espionage, recruitment, guarding, deliveries, making deals, and more.
Eventually, due to her skill, she earned herself an elevated status within the Founding Family. She met the top members of the group (sometimes receiving orders directly from them), and she was given even more priority missions. Before the girl could feel any pride, she soon learned that the Founding Family were the ones who killed her father, and ruined his company because he was planning on betraying them - indirectly depriving Veronica of her wealth and status she cared so much about. That fact built up contempt within the girl.
... And it got worse from there.
Her sisters had manifested superpowers that have greatly interested the Founding Family. So, they kidnapped the two of them, and immediately put them in a lab where their powers were used to strengthen the Founding Family. Veronica objected, but she was silenced with threats, and placed back into compliance. She became obsessed with revenge against the Founding Family for this. All she wanted to do was kill them in horrible ways. Which is why she decided to destroy the organization, feigning obedience and loyalty as she forms her master plan to destroy them.
One of the first things she did as the Family's slave was accompany Blake Schmidt to his meeting with the Valos family (old friends of hers). When that went sour, she assisted in defeating the Valos, and capturing them. It was dirty work, but Veronica had no choice but to do it. Johnny got away, and became a pain in the ass for the Family. She was sent after him, but she chose to botch those missions because of her of interest in making him an ally. However, it went sour, and ultimately, he injured her.
While she was gathering information, she eventually learned of the other children that were subjected to their experiments... and she was horrified. That motivated Veronica to want to save her sisters even more, and to also save the other children. It was that moment when she realized that the Family were utterly irredeemable in her eyes. Veronica was transferred to Baybridge - where the Blessed Three were - because they're planning something big.
And it didn't disappoint.
During the whole war against the Family, she played in the sidelines as a secret agent for them. Destroying their foes from the shadows, and gathering information for them. All while planning their fall. The first thing she was sent to do was find Jennifer Caspin, and check to see if she was in position. It didn't exactly go smoothly because it was in the middle of the attack on the market, but she managed to befriend her. Her next job was kidnapping someone who probed into the Family on the Deep web, which she did successfully... but that someone was bailed out by a friend. This was during the whole shit-storm in the mall, and Veronica had to go get Ezekiel during his hissyfit.
In the week after, she enjoyed the little break she received from the Intimidation Unit, and figured it was time to push her own agendas. First, she gathered some information, then she made nice with an impressionable female RAVEN. Afterwards, Veronica was shuffled with Blake during Jiao-Long's birthday party, and was made to act nice while he does business. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to do much during the kidnapping of Jiao-Long and his wife other than act scared. She left with Blake, and escorted Jiao-Long to the Family's pride and joy.
The machine... she was the first person from the outside world to see it, and it was horrifying. A device that could turn everyone on Earth into a Metahuman, and it was close to completion. The mere idea of the Machine horrified her, and with their endgoals being near, Veronica knew her sisters were first on the chopping the block when they served their purpose. The first thing Veronica did was relay a load of information to RAVEN from the shadows - even warning them of the impending attack on Headquarters. Since then, Veronica kept to the shadows, meeting a RAVEN, and helping him get into headquarters. Staying out of the conflict in Silver Hills.
The finale came during the final battle against the Founding Family, where she helped bring down Julia O'Sullivan, and finally liberated her sisters. However, for their safety, she split off from them, and left her sisters in DOVE's care. As much as it hurt, she knew they'd be much better off without her.
Afterwards, Veronica put up her armor for good, and disappeared... never to be seen again...
Relationships
Family:
Alec Rory - Father
Alec Rory was called many things. A genius. A tyrant. An asshole... and he formed Rory international, a powerful bio-engineering company that was going to make the next big breakthrough in science. And Alec lead the organization with such ruthless efficiency that few people were calling their experiences with the company pleasant - but keeping their pockets fat, and giving young scientists the tools they need is what keep them going. Alec was not a good person because he was practically obsessed with power - which made it easy for him to become a subordinate for the Founding Family - he just couldn't turn down their deal. Giving him a wider array of resources in exchange for the Family having full access to his research. Through his lust for power, though, he failed to realize that their partnership was not beneficial for both parties - only beneficial for the Family. When he was planning to out the Family to the feds when he did realize, he was killed, his research was stolen, and his company was framed for a front for the Hands of Science... He and Noelle rarely interacted, but she owes her superpower to him.
Amy Rory - Mother
Merely an up and coming model that Alec seduced on the promise of fulfilling all her wildest dreams. Their first encounter ended with Noelle being conceived, and Alec guilt her into marrying him. She became a model through his contacts - only so he can brag about "fucking a model." Amy and Alec didn't really care for each other - with the latter only seeing her as a sex object. That most importantly made the relationship between herself and Noelle very sour as the woman didn't want anything to do with Noelle. The woman grew to enjoy the life of wealth, and was planning on divorcing the man to get his money (and to ensure that she would be born well off, she had two more children with him). However, when Alec was killed, and his money was stolen, all of her plans went horribly wrong. She eventually fell into a deep depression and became addicted to drugs. Selling her (decaying) body in exchange for drug-money. Eventually she died of an overdose, and Noelle couldn't care less. The only thing Amy was good for was good looks.
Quinn Rory - Sister
The second child of Amy and Alec - only so Amy could get a bigger piece of the pie. Quinn grew up rather neglected by her mother, and eventually became very shy and anti-social - even when presented with opportunities! Quinn is a kind person at heart, however she managed to get along with her sisters - even the abhorrent Noelle. They got especially close after the death of their parents, and it fell on Noelle to take care of them. But, even Quinn could see the stress Noelle was going through. She didn't question what work that Noelle had to take when she would suddenly disappear for weeks at a time and come home with thousands of dollars. She just did her best to enjoy it. However, unlike Noelle, Quinn had the potential to naturally become a Metahuman, and she developed a rather useful ability - the ability to admister permanent upgrades to any superpowers on touch (and copying a lesser form in the progress). Quinn didn't know what to make of this ability, but the Founding Family kidnapped her, and put her to use in one of their labs giving their Metahuman employees even stronger abilities. Was liberated during their fall, and like her sister, is in Academy 218 with a new identity. Noelle hasn't seen her.
Sofia Rory - Sister
A year younger than Quinn, Sofia is the youngest child of the Rory family. Unlike her older sister... she is intoxicatingly happy, kind, and optimistic despite the grim world she lives in, and the deaths of their parents. This personality is what shined a light inside of Noelle, and persuaded her to do good for them. Like Quinn, she didn't question what Noelle did to put food on the table. And like Quinn again, she developed a superpower... A very powerful form of memory manipulation that allows her to put memories in bubbles, and manipulate them from there. She can implant fake memories, alter existing memories, and erase memories with ease. All the way up to creating a life for a person if she was given the time and energy. This ability was what convinced the Family to kidnap her and use her as a slave. Altering the memories of whoever they please. Was liberated during their fall, and like her sister, is in Academy 218 with a new identity. Noelle hasn't seen her.
Dynamics:
| Johnny Valos |
| Bad | Former Friend | "He was an idiot then, he's an idiot now." |
Johnny was an old fling of Noelle back when she was younger (When she was Jacqueline Rory). The two were quite similar in some ways, but she always found Johnny too idiotic to be useful. She only really dated him because of the status of his family, but otherwise found him obnoxious. She had a higher opinion of his family, however. That relationship was destroyed when Noelle (as Veronica) helped defeat and capture the Valos family. Since then, she never paid him even a thought, not even aware he's coming to Baybridge.
Abilities
Power Class:
Cerebral
Power: Telekinesis.
Little Noelle here was gifted with a telekinetic ability when she consumed the serum. This allows her to exert her mental will on the area around her in ways that you'd expect from a telekinetic. She can move objects with a thought; pulling, pushing, twisting, bending, crushing, etc, etc. She can pull these mental feats off with relative ease - she can control objects with body movements. Since she has a high degree of control over her power, she's capable of manipulating a large amount of objects at a time, or, alternatively, moving a very large object. She's capable of manipulating two cars, while still retaining the ability to walk. Noelle can also use her telekinesis to make herself fly, propelling herself through the air. Any objects she controls will be wrapped in dark-green, wavy, aura, until she releases control of them - and whenever she slightly activates her power, she will be surrounded in a similar field.
Telekinetic Blasts.
Noelle can channel her telekinetic energy into focused blasts. These blasts can come in several different shapes. The main kind is a focused beam that she can fire out of her fist. The power and size of this beam can vary. She can make it hard hitting enough to leave some major cracks in stone (Like it took a sledgehammer to it), and thicker than her arm. Other times, it can be thin as her pinkie, and hit hard enough to knock over a cup but not break it. This beam cuts through the air rather quickly, and disappears the second it hits an object (or travels outside of it's range). Other forms come in a orb, a blade, a shotgun style blast, or even a full wave. These blasts follow the same rules as the beam, really. All of these blasts are dark-green in color.
Telekinetic Shield.
Noelle can also channel this telekinetic energy to produce a shield. It's a green construction that almost looks like a thin film. It's merely a centimeter wide, but it has a square shape that changes size (The max is twelve feet in all directions). Don't let it's size fool you, it can take a ridiculous amount of pressure. Blows from super strong Metahumans, a barrage of bullets, etc. It's connected to Noelle's willpower, and her resolve, which makes the shield very durable. She can only project the shield very close (around five feet) to herself.
Limits:
For starters, she's affected by the arbitrary range limit! She can only manipulate objects within twenty-feet of herself, and her blasts can only go that far. Nor can Noelle do all these feats at once. She can't have her shield up while manipulating, and vice versa. However, she can of course fly regardless of what she's currently doing. Of course, the more advanced feats that Noelle is capable of, also puts a bit of stress on herself, and her body. It'll do more than tire herself out faster - but more details in the weakness section. Her powers have trouble when directly interacting with people. While she is capable of moving them, she can't bend them like a pretzel, nor can she telekinetically stop a heart. Though, if you piss her off, she can certainly keep you pinned to a wall. However, someone with enough willpower can break free from her telekinetic control. Cerebral-types are also resistant to all her abilities. The shield can only be twelve feet in total size, but the larger it is, the harder it will be to maintain. It can take an immense barrage, but there's a weakness that balances that out nicely. Let's say that it can take a few full strength hits from a super strong Metahuman and tank it like it's nothing. Oh, and it only blocks physical attacks. Energy goes right on through it. I'd also like to note that the shield can only defend her from one direction, she can only protect within five feet of herself, and she'll be immobile for the duration. Go figure.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Noelle needs to maintain a high level of control over her ability in order to keep using it. If you somehow break her concentration (and keep it that way), then she'll be unable to use her telekinesis properly. It's also linked to her body, mind, and spirit. Using it causes injuries to her body in the form of your garden variety nosebleed, to horrific headaches, and strained muscles. She'll basically have one hell of a hangover after a particularly drawn out battle. A counter to Noelle's ability is energy-based attacks. You see, Noelle emits her own telekinetic (Or Mental) energy. Once she is subjugated to energy of the sorts, her power will begin to weaken. Shooting her telekinetic blasts has a bit of a recoil. It can throw her off balance at best, and absolutely ravage her wrist/hands at worst. Depends on how strong the blast, the more powerful blasts can do it, while the weaker blasts barely damage her. Finally, while her shield is immensely durable, it comes with a "mental backlash," which is sent back towards Noelle. It is a pain proportionate to the damage the shield withstands. She could be gushing blood out of her nose. Which means that it's incredibly hard to keep active.
Other:
■ Despite putting her former life behind her, Veronica keeps a small arsenal of weapons on her in the case that she does get found out. And to that end: she also has a few alternate identities in different countries.
■ She also keeps a network of contacts, and people she has dirt on... just in case she needs it.
Basic Information
Name:
Jonathan Samuel Valos. (Formerly Jonathan Samuel Baccili)
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
Johnny. The Super-Star. Revolver. Wizard.
Gender:
Male
Age:
29
Height:
6'4ft
Weight:
231lb
Home District:
From out of town, staying in his beach house in Oakdell Harbor.
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
Brazilian, African-American, & Italian.
Physical Appearance:
A man with a very large presence. Whenever Johnny steps in, he tends to catch the eyes of everyone in the room. Whether it's his swagger, or the peculiar way he dresses (I'll get on that later). Johnny is flamboyant, and dresses with much flash as his personality. Johnny is just the kind of guy that walks into a club like he owns the bitch, taking the largest steps in the process. People think he's odd at first glance (Or a stupid wannbe pimp). Though, this aura around him is an aura of arrogance and condescension. It's the way he speaks and carries himself that makes it obvious that he thinks highly of himself, and far, far, less of everyone else around him. He doesn't take things seriously, and most importantly, is certainly loud and flashy. He always has a cocky grin on his face regardless of what he's facing. Perhaps he overcompensating for somethings.
It isn't just his personality that has a large presence. Johnny is a tall man at six-four, and has a slender, slightly muscular, build. He doesn't have enough muscle to make the ladies go "wow," but he definitely has something from all the hard work the man does. Though, it's apparently that he takes time off his day to workout. Johnny's skin is a light-brown - near-caramel - color from his ethnicity. Johnny is part Brazilian (A mix of Afro-Brazilians, and the Brazilians who descended from the Spaniards), part African-American, and part Italian. His mother was an Italian woman, while his father was African-American/Brazilian. It's hard to tell him as anymore than Spanish from his facial features. The rest of his family is predominantly Brazilian, so he just tells everyone that he's Brazilian.
That skin of his, while a delicious shade of caramel, is far from clear. Johnny has a large amount of scars from his various adventures, as a sign of his hardships. The first scar he has is a scar on his face... A burn scar on his cheek right under his eye. It's red, and disgusting - and worst of all, people keep calling him "Prince Zuko" because of it (Shit's wack, yo). It's one scar that he does not like talking about. Another wound that Johnny has is a three-claw point scar that has slashed from one side of his chest, to the other, sideways. It is a brutal sight, and people ask where he got it from... and he keeps saying, "From my little brother Jaska." Johnny also has various scars on his fingers that look like bite-marks from an animal - one finger even looks surgically reattached... also from his little brother Jaska. Other than that, has various wounds from cuts (that one knife fight he got into was a biiiitch), and other injuries.
If you guessed that Johnny would have tattoos, you were totally right. On his arms are a complex web of fire in a tribal style that starts at his shoulders, and goes down to his wrists. Integrated into this fire is a network of roses, and whatnot. On the base of his neck he has a large tattoo of a rose flower, which is visible depending on what he's wearing. On his chest is a Dragon wreathed in flames... well, mostly. When he got slashed across the chest, the tattoo was pretty ruined. He just hasn't been arsed to get it removed.
Johnny's facial features are heavily South-American, but with a touch of Africa. His head is wide and rectangle-shaped, with his facial features being heavily squared, pronounced, and well-defined. He has a large, and bulky chin, one that has a cleft in between it. His ears are medium-sized, and thin, not too notable, they have a subtle point at the very top. His nose is quite small, with a long bridge and thin nostrils. He has another subtle point at the very tip of it. His cheeks are quite flat, and lack the roundness that most other cheeks would. His lips are wide full for a male, but they're thin and small. He usually keeps them tucked in. Inherited from his mother is his eyes. His eyes are medium sized, pointed at the tips, and are brown. His eyes are easily the best looking eyes on the entire planet! Usually Johnny's facial expression is either a cocky grin, an annoyed/bored look, or a slasher smile. Johnny's hair is kept in a neatly slicked back style. It is straight and is neck length. It's a very black color and very well groomed.
Attire:
The one thing that makes Johnny stand out is his rather... peculiar choice in clothing. To put it simply: Johnny dresses like a 80's Pimp in the modern era. No lie. He wears a long coat that is either brown, black, or white, and a matching wide-brimmed hat (With a feather, shark-tooth, etc), and underneath that hat are sunglasses. These coats are the most fabulous, well-made, pieces of fabric out there, and you best recognize. Most importantly, Johnny carries around a black cane. This is just one of many canes. Johnny's favorite attire is an all-brown outfit that consists of a longcoat, a wide-brimmed hat, slacks, sunglasses, brown leather gloves, and a black leather belt with a large buckle. This isn't just any longcoat, it has many false pockets and secret compartments - where he hides his two Smith & Wesson 617's. Though, while Johnny loves to dress flashy, he can easily pull off a more subtle outfit if the need arises. Johnny pulls off a suit well!
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Johnny Valos is dude that hates everyone, and is a total cold asshole, until you get to know him and he'll love you forever.
Haha, just playing with you.
Johnny is many, many, things, but nice sure as hell ain't one of them. He's a man that grew up with rich people, and got the idea in his head that he's the shit. He has a gigantic ego, and is borderline narcissistic because of how much he thinks of himself. He is definitely cocky, arrogant, son of a. He won't hesitate to talk down to people like they're nothing, and utterly take nothing seriously. If there's one thing this man is good at, it's utterly pissing everyone off just by being him. He's obsessed with fast cars, fancy clothes, women, and money, and he won't hesitate to take out anyone if it means he's one step closer to his goal. So who cares what the softies of the world think?
A cunning trickster, Johnny is easily able to put on masks, and whatnot to get what he wants. Johnny is quite the charmer. It's that aura of confidence around him, and his way with words that allow him to play people like cards in a casino. Oh, speaking of which, Johnny's got one hell of a love for casinos, and whatnot - and has a badass pokerface. If necessary, he won't even let himself budge for a second, and that's what lets him get over on people.
While he's arrogant as shit, it is possible to get him to respect someone. It'll be a task, but he mostly looks for someone's character - because he already has skills, good looks, money - what else can people offer him? If someone has a strong will, and a similar love for their family, he may come to respect them. In addition, if someone ups him enough, that person can easily get Johnny off his ego train - but that'll take many blows to his near-unbreakable pride and ego.
Johnny definitely isn't the type to hang around losers, and nobodies. You either gotta be a good looking lady, rich, have a high status, or has something he wants, or he'll ignore your existence like he would step over an ant. Though, he is definitely one to get quickly annoyed. When people, and other losers, tend to waste his time, or act like they're on his level, he'll definitely lash out at that. Johnny is a complete dickwad, and will insult people with some of the most flowery insults he can come up with. Insulting everything they know and love. Johnny is definitely the type to escalate things to violence if it gets to that point.
One thing that Johnny loves is the ladies, baby! He ain't no pimp for nothing. Johnny has a love for the cuties with the prettiest faces offered by nature. Though it takes more than just a pretty face to arouse Johnny's interest. It also requires a big behind, and a giant chest - or at least a moderately sized one. If you have those, then expect Johnny to be all over you. Johnny is definitely a charmer, and knows his way around the ladies of the world. Though, he doesn't see them as any more than his "personal accomplishments," or just free ass. He's definitely a hit-it and quit it type.
It goes without saying that Johnny is a Chaotic-Neutral. He will do whatever the hell he wants. Whether it suits his purposes or not. He has no respect for rules and authority, and while he is more than willing to play nice, once it starts being an obstacle, then, well, rules are meant to be broken. He's more of a mercenary - he just does what he wants, good or bad, long as there's something to gain out of it. Johnny is willing to kill for his goals. Because, hell, he's killed before, why not do it again? Though, he isn't a monster, he will draw the line at some point, and he won't go on rampages killing innocent civilians (Well, if he was offered trillions of dollars, yes). Fortunately, he has his fellow siblings to be his moral compass.
Underneath all of the confidence and bravado, of course, Johnny has another side. He is very cynical, and cold. This world hasn't been pretty to the Valos boy, and he definitely hasn't come out worse for wear. He'll often, when alone and with close friends, brood. He's much more somber and humble out of the eyes of the world. Two things that go well together is the fact that he's very observant, and he's untrusting. The first thing he does whenever he enters a room is give it a good look, and give the people in it an ever better look. Constantly deducing who could and couldn't be a threat to him, and who could actually be helpful. While Johnny is cynical, he is also very good at guessing people's true motives - With 70% accuracy. He almost never takes things at face-value and always assumes there's a motive under the motive. Which means it can be hard to fool Johnny.
Even though he doesn't have a lot of love for this world, one thing Johnny loves above all else is the Valos Family. The only people that are close to him are his large amount of siblings, and he will do anything to protect them. Even throw himself into the fire. They're the only people who can easily steer Johnny off a dark path, and the people he'll always help above all else.
Because friends and bitches can be replaced, blood can't.
Hobbies/Interests:
Johnny fucking LOVES casinos. He's a gambler, but he was always a lover of card games. You can say he's has a casino motif because he just loved the style. He is also a gambler, and would gamble over just about anything. Johnny is also a lover of older movies, his favorite being James Bond movies (He's always fancied himself a James Bond), and Blaxploitation films (Where he got his pimp suit ideas from!). Like I stated several times, Johnny loves fast cars, women, and fancy clothes. Be careful, though, he'll begin to drone on and on about his money.
Skills/Talents:
Johnny is a master at poker. If you play him, you better be ready to lose your money, your clothes, and your house because Johnny is killin' it! He's also adept at other casino games, but it'll never match his talent with cards, baby! Now, Johnny has spent plenty of time around the shadier people, and he has certainly picked up a few things. Crime is Johnny's specialty, and he knows how to deal with the criminal underworld. Though, he mostly just gets information from them, everything else is just so messy that he just doesn't deal with it. Johnny has picked up recreational shooting, and eventually, through... experience, is able to apply it to a live gunfight. His aim isn't perfect, but if something gets too close, Johnny will shoot it dead.
He doesn't know how to shoot anything other than a pistol - revolvers being his specialty (Hence his nickname). In addition, he knows a variety of gun tricks. Such as gun twirling, a tactic he uses to impress, and intimidate. Johnny is also pretty sharp and observant, good at guessing motives and whatnot. He's also hard to trick. Brawlin' also comes easy to Johnny, well, he needs to fight because he's one hell of a shit-talker. He knows no martial arts training, but he only needs his good looks, and a cane! Johnny also knows how to speak fluent Portuguese, despite having gone to Brazil once. Just something he picked up because of his largely Brazilian family.
Goals/Motivation
Johnny's goal in Baybridge is to search for his two sisters - Sylvia Baccili, Camille, and Ivete Valos - who have been kidnapped by the Founding Family, and transformed into Secretaries. While the Family has been defeated, Johnny and the Valos siblings have received a lead that pointed them in the direction of Baybridge.
History/Bio:
To explain Johnny's past, we must take a look at someone else': Andre Ramiah.
You see, Andre Ramiah was a poor kid who grew up in Stadium City in the era before the Tyrants moved in (Well, there's a reason for that, so we'll get to it). When he was young, he hung around a pair of girls that would eventually be known as Blizzard, and Queen Carmelita, a pair of powerful telekinetics. Meeting their adopter, a woman who goes by the name, "Barracuda," Andre joined their little circle of crime and was mentored in criminal philosophy. Starting off with small crimes, and working his way up. Eventually, spending his time around so many Metahumans allowed him to activate his superpower. An interesting ability at that... receiving extra-sensory instructions how to complete any goal that he set his mind to.
He became the brains of the group, setting up small crimes, and eventually building up a small gang of similar minded Metahumans. Eventually, the girls told Andre of their greater goals; a criminal empire. And Andre helped them fulfill that goal. It took years upon years of work as Andre recruited an army and amassed an empire... but, they did it, they toppled Stadium City, and the existing criminal organizations. Leaving only the Tyrants. All of them basically had an empire to themselves, and made tons of many through many, many, many, deals.
But, that wasn't the life little Andre wanted, playing lapdog to someone more powerful. He wanted a life of wealth and fame for himself. Andre looked to his ability for instructions how to achieve that. He managed to steal a large sum of cash from the Tyrants, and went into hiding, changing his identity so those pesky Tyrants would have a hard time tracking him.
When he came out... he was Jason Valos.
Using this massive wealth of his, Jason managed to purchase an expensive club... and using a few deals (some shady), he managed to build himself an empire of clubs, five-star hotels, fancy restaurants, and best of all, casinos! Eventually, he was showered with the wealth that he couldn't have gotten without his power.
His name became known from all over, and he built up a massive family from many marriages (and booty calls)...
Johnny's story started when his father met Anne Bacilli at a famous actor's party. He seduced the woman, and she got pregnant with his child. She told him that she was pregnant, and wanted Jason to take responsibility for his child, but Jason was already married, and merely kept handing her checks to keep quiet. Which was enough to keep Anne happy. She eventually gave birth to Johnny in New Orleans - her home city - and bought an expensive house with all the money Jason was secretly funneling her.
When Johnny was around four, his mother found another relationship in a man named Giovanni, and they quickly got married and gave him his little sister, Sylvia. The only problem was that Johnny was somewhat neglected on the moment Sylvia was born. Don't get me wrong, his mother still loved him, but his stepdad didn't want to raise any kids that weren't his own, and his mother was too busy with Sylvia to reign in his behavior. So he was without a solid father figure, and his mother wasn't exactly winning any parent of the year awards. His school-life was where he learned plenty of things - not in the way of education a la math and science, but how the world works and plenty of street smarts. He wasn't taught much about morality, or what was right and wrong, so he quickly got the idea that life was all about him. So he became a bit of a trouble-maker. Not starting fights, but he'd use anything he could to get ahead (and not just in school). He thought of everyone around him as a tool, and consequently worthless. He didn't care about them or their feelings. This quickly became a worrying trend in school. Since he was making enemies fast, and causing trouble that someone else had to clean up. Plenty of times he came home beaten, or sent to detention.
Once he was around fourteen, his mother had enough of it, and sent Johnny to go live with his father in Black Fall... even though his mere existence nearly destroyed his marriage (Again), Jason accepted Johnny into his arms. Inducting Johnny into a life that he could only dream about, he taught Johnny the ways of the rich people, and was probably a worse presence on Johnny than his mother. Now, he basically had no one to rein him in - except for shitty maids and butler that didn't do shit. He loved the rich boy lifestyle as he went about his brand new life. Becoming thoroughly arrogant and egotistical. A total jackass that only seemed to enjoy annoying his father.
Though, he was introduced to his family of siblings, the older Valos, and the younger Valos... and eventually, they all had adventures, and all sorts of wacky things, as they went about in the largest concentration of Metahumans in the world. To say the least, the entire Valos family has seen some shit. Fights caused by Johnny, or a random villain trying to get over on the Valos, the headaches for Jason never seemed to end. Growing up with the Valos Family, Johnny definitely picked up poker, and other casino games as a hobby. Though, Johnny made trips back to New Orleans to spend time in his home city! Most importantly, spending time with his young sister Sylvia. Eventually bringing her back to Black Fall one summer and introducing her to the Valos. It was a shaky start, but eventually they became the closest of friends.
As Johnny was growing older, he had time to pick up some hobbies of his. Such as recreational shooting, one thing that he was pretty good at. He thought revolvers were badass, and became the king of a revolver. Along with becoming pretty good at poker. In a manner of years of practice and experience, Johnny was closer and closer to becoming the movie badass he dreamed of being.
Though, there was a wrench thrown in that whole plan... there was a young child left on the doorstep that looked an awful lot like Jason. Except with the appearance of a demon. Wings, teeth, claws, and having the abilities of a powerful Bestial-type Metahuman. The boy was named Jaska Aoki... and Jason remembered the name as some broad he banged from the White Spider Society. While there was much questioning as to why Jason would have sex with a Bestial-type Metahuman of that appearance, Jaska was accepted into the family. Taking the name of Jaska Valos, he was integrated into the family as the youngest member.
To say the least, Jaska wasn't exactly all that well regarded among the Valos family. He was treated as an outcast by the siblings, and more importantly, Gabrielle. However, Johnny was the only person to give Jaska the time, and the one who became the closest to him. Jake helped, but Johnny was the main help. Eventually, Jaska became the little brother that all the Valos knew and loved, and everyone loved him.
However, that idyllic dream was shattered one night. It was a nice summer night in Black Fall, where all of the Valos were relaxing, of course. Jaska's animal instincts were flaring up, and he was finding himself to be far more aggressive than normal. He attacked Gabriel, and in her rage, she called him a "little devil." Unaware of what she did, Gabe had unintentionally activated the side of Jaska's power that should have remained hidden.
The "Inner-Beast" that all of those who share the Aoki blood have. A powerful hidden form that is monstrous. The young Jaska transformed into this immense beast, and went on a rampage throughout the Valos manor. During this rampage, there was an immense amount of pain and suffering on both sides. The Valos didn't want to hurt Jaska, but Jaska was causing them physical harm. A massive battle took place, which Johnny was too shocked to do anything in. During the end of the battle, Jaska grabbed Gabe, and pinned her to the ground. Violently pulling out her eyeball. Johnny jumped in and tried to help her... and nearly got his face slashed open for this moment of altruism.
However, Jaska was dispatched by the Jason family... at the cost of many wounds, and the Valos mansion. The family was rushed to the hospital, but when probed about what happened, they refused to give Jaska up. Instead, they paid off the authorities to say it was some Metahuman goon trying to rob them. Where does this concern our superstar? Well, in the hospital, Johnny started feeling weird. He saw something around the people around him - an aura, as you would say. When talked to by a NEST representative, he realized that he manifested a superpower. And now he felt like a real Valos.
After everyone's wounds healed, it was time to pick up the pieces! The Valos Manor was in ruins, and it would be months before it would be completely repaired. Of course, it meant the Valos needed to find somewhere else to live, and Jason had just the solution! The Valos children head to Academy 218 while the repairs go on. So, they can learn how to use their powers, and Jason doesn't have to worry about his stupid kids getting into trouble. Johnny declined, but Jason sent him anyway.
Arriving in Alaska, Johnny only had one option: it fucking sucked. He didn't enjoy it there at the academy at first, but the Valos siblings loved it. Though, he warmed up to it after seeing all the smokin' hot babes there. And in the process, Johnny learned all about his ability. Though, at this point, the Verthaven Disaster happened, and everything changed. Suddenly, the Academy got a lot more crowded, and the political climate seemed a lot less accepting of Metahumans. It didn't bother Johnny - because he was up here in paradise! But, it definitely burned him in the ass after he was caught having sex with the headmaster's daughter, and kicked out of the Academy. Well, no biggie. Johnny knew he could just go back to the Valos manor while his siblings finished the Academy program.
Wrong.
Since Johnny was in his early twenties at this point, Jason felt no need to continue babying Johnny (and quite frankly, he knew his son was an ass). With a limited supply of cash, Johnny went back to New Orleans. The last place where he wanted to be, and fell back to doing the same old shit he was used to. The old gang he grew up with had grown up, and found new... profitable opportunities in the criminal underworld. Something that Johnny welcomed with open arms.
He became a mercenary. A gangster that worked for the highest bidder. Using his knowledge of gunplay, fighting skills, and new superhuman ability, Johnny became known as "The Revolver." Named after his weapon of choice Johnny offered dirty deeds done dirt cheap to the highest bidder. To being a hitman, to a drug runner, to just a bodyguard. This vicious cycle went on for several years... until Johnny's greed got the best of him. There was a giant assembly of gangs coming together to take over the city ala the Tyrants. Johnny had the bright idea to try to axe the gang leaders and become the head of this glorious empire.
While Johnny was good, they were veterans at the game. Johnny killed one, and the rest of them ganged up on him, and nearly killed him. Sent him running out of New Orleans with his tail between his legs, and a price on his head. He had no choice but to beg Jason to take him back, and while Jason knew that Johnny was an idiot for trying it, Jason did the same thing earlier. He took Johnny back into the rebuilt Valos manor, where the entire Valos family were because they were on summer vacation.
Everything was going perfectly, and Johnny was keeping his head down (Lest he wanted to lose it). Relaxing with his family... but, there was another family that Jason had his eyes on. In the shadows, there was an organization running just about everything from the shadows. The Founding Family. Jason knew they had fingers in everybody's pie and he wanted a piece of it! Jason decided to have a meeting with the Family at the Valos Manor, and they came. Blake Schmidt came with his cronies, and the two great men decided to work out an arrangement. However, Jason tried to swindle Blake, and it ended badly when he saw through it.
Oh, so, badly.
Blake was offended, and decided to teach the Valos a lesson. A massive battle took place between the Founding Family, and the Valos... a fight that everyone (including the Valos children) was fighting. It was definitely a savage battle, but one the Valos couldn't win. One by one, they fell, until it was just Johnny. Johnny tried to take on Blake alone... and received that ugly scar over his face. Johnny had no choice but to retreat as Blake kidnapped his siblings, and burned the manor to the ground. With one of his brothers being a casualty, and Jaska being the only other person to get away.
After licking his wounds, Johnny sure as hell wasn't going to let the Family do whatever they wanted to his siblings. They sent the Intimidation Unit after Johnny, and he had to fight them off. Eventually he managed to catch a lead on the Family, and found his siblings... enslaved. Under some kind of weird mind control. Johnny tried to break them free, but he was always attacked by the IU. Johnny waged an invisible war against the Family, launching hit and run until... he recovered Jake. Under the effects of Mechanized Memories, Jake wasn't who Johnny remembers. Under Johnny hit him with some emotional energy, and Mechanized Memories was removed.
Explaining the situation to him, Johnny convinced Jake to come along with him to try and free the others... only for the fall of the Founding Family to take place, and it was a mess. Fortunately, many of the Secretaries were set free... including Gabriela. Unfortunately, Ivete, Camille, and most importantly to Johnny... Sylvia, were nowhere to be seen.
Which meant they had to be found. The Valos Family were going to be reunited one way or another. For the next three years, the family went on a journey looking for their missing sisters. Finding Jaska in the process, and taking odd jobs to make money.
However... they eventually got a lead in Baybridge.
Relationships
Family:
Anne Bacilli - Mother
Jonathan's mother and him have never gotten along that well. Johnny was always a hellion for her, and just caused her so many problems. The woman was the daughter of an Italian Architect that Jason had sex with, and got her pregnant with his child. To keep her quiet about it not to jeopardize his relationship with his wife, he payed her money. But, not even money was worth Johnny, and she sent him to the Valos family. Eventually, she married a man named Giovanni that her father had set her up with, and eventually had Sylvia. Despite all of their conflicts, Johnny still loves his mother dearly, and keeps in touch with her to the best of his ability.
Jason Valos - Father
Jason Valos (Formerly Andre Ramiah), the man that started it all. Jason is a man that had former ties with the Tyrants, whom he helped reach the position where they were before with his powerful cerebral ability. With the money he had accumulated, Jason left them on good terms, and started his casino entire with the help of the White Spider Society. It wasn't long until Jason had clubs all over America - eventually spreading to Brazil as well - and was rolling in the dough. Jason is the epitome of Valos; a greedy, arrogant, womanizer that cheats on his wife constantly. But, he still loves his family in the end, and gave his kids the money they need to succeed in life. Jason was pretty busy with running his business, but has ties and associations with many different high-classed people (Including Jiao-Long Liu). Jason, has a very powerful Cerebral ability - just not in the way you'd expect. Basically, his power subconsciously gives him instructions as to how to complete a specific goal (While not being the most practical at times). He used this power to reach the top, and stay there... though, he made a mistake when he tried to make a deal with the Founding Family. In his greed, the Family had betrayed Jason, and kidnapped his children to turn into Secretaries in a spectacular incident. Though, it's unknown what happened to him and his wife. Both are missing.
Gabrielle Valos - Step-Mother
An African-American woman that was the daughter of a oil company owner. Jason had seduced her, and the two fell in love with each other, and getting married. Becoming the wife he has held for the longest amount of time... though, not without cheating on her with several different women. It's amazing she hasn't left him yet - probably because of the money. Though, she makes it clear that she is displeased with her husband - which leads into her firey temper. She has a huge temper - one that she has passed down to her daughter. Gabrielle is also a Metahuman, who has the ability to shoot laser beams, create shields out of energy, and fly. Unfortunately, she too has gone missing with Jason.
Jake Valos - Brother
The shining star of the Valos siblings. Jake and his twin sister Gabriella was Gabrielle's firstborns. Jake in particular is the calm, level-headed one, who's taken the role of moral compass for the more amoral Valos. Despite being the kindest out of the bunch, Jake is somewhat confrontational, and condescending - but still has the best interests at heart. Jason was grooming Jake into being his successor because of his leadership qualities, and the boy was becoming the face of the Valos. Even becoming Lin Liu's (daughter of Jiao-Long Liu) boyfriend. Unfortunately, once the Founding Family betrayed the Valos Family, Jake was kidnapped and transformed into a Secretary. It was fortunate that Johnny was able to find him, and purge Mechanized Memories from his system, reverting him back to his former self. Jake now joins Johnny in his quest to find Ivete, Camille, and Sylvia. Jake has a powerful illusionist ability that allows him to manifest his illusions in reality instead of the mind, these illusions were so complex and realistic that they were able to fool the senses.
Joshua Valos - Brother
Joshua was born in a previous marriage of Jason, along with his younger sisters Ivete and Camille. Joshua was haughty, and willing to abuse his powers, but was the more reclusive of the Valos family. He and Johnny never got along, and Joshua was too busy going far and wide exploring the world. Johnny couldn't care less. Joshua has telepathy, allowing him to read minds. Unfortunately, during the same incident that saw the Valos being kidnapped, Joshua was killed. The Valos family laments his loss.
Jaska Valos - Brother
Easily the most interesting of the Valos siblings, Jaska Valos was born because Jason impregnated a White Spider Society escort, Reiko Aoki. Jaska was dropped on the front door of the Valos manor when he was a whee youth, and Jason immediately recognized him as their son. But, what makes Jaska so distinct is that he looks like a demon. A mouth full of sharp teeth, yellow eyes with vertical slits, claws on his hands and feet, a tail with a brutal blade at the end, and most notably, wings. Jaska had a hard time fitting into the family, but Johnny and Jake helped him ease in, and the rest of the Valos adjusted to having such a monstrous little brother. It wasn't long until baby Jaska became loved as everyone's little brother. However, he had an unknown aspect of his ability; The Inner-Beast. A rampaging monster that would awaken if he heard the codephrase "Little Devil," or came to the verge of death. This fact became a pain in the ass when Jaska unlocked his Inner-Beast and destroyed the Valos manor in Black Fall, and caused much injury to the entire family in their attempts to bring him down. As years passed (and he went to Academy 218 with the rest of the Valos), Jaska learned how to control the beast - or at least stop it from going wild. When the Founding Family kidnapped the rest of the Valos Siblings, he was able to use his abilities to escape them, and live on his own for a few years until Johnny had found him. Now, he joins Johnny's quest to save the Valos siblings.
Sylvia Bacilli - Sister
Johnny's little sister who was born a few years after he was. The two, despite their age difference, became inseparable. With Johnny being an awful influence on Sylvia, and shaping her up into a mischievous little brat. She is prone to swearing, and posturing, but truly cares for people. She is a massive junkie for music, and even aspires to becoming a DJ! It's funny because Sylvia has a powerful sound manipulating ability. Despite not officially being a Valos, Sylvia has effectively become like siblings to them. All because Johnny brings her around on their little adventures so often that she has pretty much become one of them. Though, after the incident with the Founding Family, Sylvia was captured by the Founding Family and transformed into a Secretary - serving the Blessed Three for years. Johnny's top priority is finding her.
Gabriela Valos - Sister
Nicknamed "Gabe," she is the firey, aloof, Valos sister - twin sister to Jake Valos. She has a short patience, and an even shorter temper. But, while being sarcastic, she can be a total kitten! She is easily the most realistic and grounded of all the Valos, albeit there are times when she slips and indulges in the same things as the rest of the Valos. Gabe, due to her ability misfiring, is covered in all manner of burn scars - most are centered on her hands - and she is missing her right eye in the incident where Jaska lost control of his powers. She is a little bitter about those wounds, but she presses on. Gabriela, like her twin, was kidnapped by the Founding Family, and put under the effects of Mechanized Memories. Johnny had liberated her, and she was ready to tear a piece out of the Family... but, settled for looking for her sisters. Gabe has the ability to shoot high-heat, high-intensity, laser beams from her body after subtly absorbing light from the area around her. They can either burn badly, or be concussive, but the sheer energy generated causes Gabe burns, and it's linked to her emotions. Anger causes them to literally explode.
Ivete Valos - Sister
The younger sister of both Joshua and Camille, Ivete was one of the star Valos, as she had become a model due to her good looks. Ivete was definitely an arrogant, haughty, something, all because she was a model. She barely bothered with the rest of the Valos siblings because she felt they were beneath them... but, they all love her to death regardless. Like her brother, Ivete has telepathy. However, she was kidnapped by the Founding Family, and transformed into a Secretary, and didn't have the luxury of being found by Johnny before the fall of the Family. Now, they desperately search for her.
Camille Valos - Sister
Camille was the Valos sibling that matched even Johnny in narcissism, she felt like she was the shit, and god damn could she back it up. She was called a martial arts prodigy due to how quickly she could learn a fighting style, in addition to being good at sports. But, she didn't care about that, she just wanted to live the high life of fancy cars, and nice clothes. The Valos siblings were close to her, despite the fact she seldom participated in their adventures. Ivete had the ability to grow diamonds on any surface, and transform herself into diamonds. Like Ivete, Camille was not found before the fall of the Founding Family.
Dynamics:
| Noelle Delacroix |
| Bad | Former Friend | "To think she was a close and personal friend of mine... That just goes to show that everyone changes. She got a bod that can kill, though." |
Noelle (When she was known as Jacqueline Rory) was a former friend of the Valos Family due to the bond between Alec Rory and Jason Valos. Johnny met her during his many trips to Canada, and whenever Jacqueline went to America for her parents vacation. They had a complex relationship. Being a former fling of Johnny when he was younger, which evolved into a friendship that made her a close friend of the entire Valos Family. Johnny saw Jacqueline as a valuable ally, and Jacqueline saw Johnny as someone similar to herself... until the fall of Alec Rory, and Jacqueline fell off the radar. Johnny didn't hear from her until several years later, when she showed up with the Founding Family negotiation... as Veronica Davis. When it went sour, Veronica fought the Valos alongside the Family, and that broke Johnny's heart. Since then, Johnny saw Veronica as a bitter enemy, and plans on getting back at her. Little does he know, little Veronica has changed identities.
| Daniel Forsythe |
| Bad | Little Shit | "When I get my hands on him... he's dead..." |
Johnny doesn't know too much about Daniel at all... except for the fact that he was Blake Schmidt's personal lapdog, and assisted the Founding Family. When the fight occurred, Daniel assisted the Founding Family in defeating the Valos, and since then, Johnny has harbored a grudge against him.
| Jackson Drave |
| Enemy | Hat-Stealing Faggot | "Next time we meet, we settling shit right on the spot. Ain't no way this cartwheelin', dickslapping, faggot gets to lay hands on me and get away with it." |
As the quote implies, Johnny really doesn't like Jackson. It all started with Jackson bumping into Johnny, and his hat getting snatched away (by a third party). After a fight (which Johnny the fabulous was winning), Johnny and Jackson were arrested. But, Johnny intends on getting even with him. With no RAVENs to save him.
Abilities
Power Class:
Cerebral: Domination
Power: Negative-Empathy.
Johnny has a distinct link with negative emotions - which manifests in a form of empathy. Johnny has the ability to see the emotions of people just by looking at them. Which manifests in colors that surround them, an aura, as you could say. However, he his ability specializes more in seeing people's negative emotions. He would need to be within five meters of someone to see their positive emotions, but he can see someone's negative emotions from around thirty-eight meters away. The stronger the negative emotion, the further away he can sense it. Johnny also has a form of telepathy. Which is a more basic and rudimentary form of telepathy that doesn't quite allow him to "read" minds. With a bit of focus, he can learn exactly what's making people feel a specific emotion. A brief image, or a tiny little flashback that provides Johnny with a glimpse, or a very good hint. This allows insight into people and how to get to know them better. When people's feelings are much more complex, however, he may have a problem.
It doesn't quite end there. There is a special kind of energy given off by people that only Johnny (and select Metahumans) can even detect known as Emotional Energy. A brand of mental energy that is created by emotions. Johnny can absorb this energy naturally by being in the presence of people feeling negative emotions. But, on touch, Johnny can dig deeper and absorb residual Emotional-Energy. Which is emotional energy left behind from past emotions, that he can drain from a person. Or, he can go to a place where a powerful emotion was experienced recently, and absorb the energy from there. Johnny can also reach inside of himself, and get emotional energy... but, what does Johnny do with this emotional energy?
Negative Emotional-Energy Manipulation.
Johnny has the ability to manifest emotional energy and weaponize it. This energy appears as a white light, with vertical lines of varying colors pulsing across it. Johnny is capable of manipulating this energy in any way possible, building constructs out of it Green Lantern style as it is solid. This Negative-Emotional Energy can be used as a weapon, or a shield. To begin with offense, Johnny can repulse it in a variety of different forms, such as beams, orbs, etc. It isn't really necessary to make it into the shape of a weapon when a blast of it works just fine. On the other hand, being able to mold it into anything possible allows him to create shields of the sort. The force and durability behind these constructs wholeheartedly depend on how much negativity is going on around him.
It can be durable enough to take a barrage of bullets, or weak enough to be broken by hand. Now, Negative-Emotional Energy has a distinct side effect when it comes in contact with someone; it can overload a person with negative emotions - depending on what emotions he has absorbed. He can make someone rage with a blast, or incredibly horny. He can't decide on what emotion he shoots someone with - only that he shoots it. Now, outside of fights, the Emotional-Energy is capable of "purging" the effects of Domination-type powers, merely by the energy coming in contact with them. This is how Johnny was able to free his siblings from the effects of Mechanized Memories.
Limits:
Johnny's emotional energy constructs are weak against physical attacks. They can easily block electricity, or heat, but are far easier to break with physical attacks. Now, Johnny's ability is directly linked to how many people are feeling negative emotions around him. In essence, it dictates his strength. If he's the only pissed off person there, well... he better be really angry or he'll be at a disadvantage. Johnny can absorb all emotions from people within a forty-eight meter range - but, the closer they are, the better he can absorb emotions from them. His ability to read emotions is limited by the emotions he is trying to read. If it is a positive emotion, Johnny will be unable to sense them from outside of a very close range. Nor will he be able to access his form of telepathy. Johnny is also weak against other Empaths, as their abilities counter his, and vice-versa.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
This may come as a shock to you, but Johnny's ability is weakened by positive emotion (Gasp!). Positive emotions are the exact inverse to Johnny's ability, as they weaken him. If enough people are in the area feeling happy or whatever, Johnny may become powerless. What's worse is if Johnny himself is feeling a positive emotion. Johnny also has to experience whatever emotion he is presently absorbing while he has it stored inside of himself. It may turn the normally balanced Johnny extremely angry, scared, or worse! Johnny is weak against mental attacks. Telepaths can easily access his mind and attack him mentally with ease. His ability is so weak against telepathy that even someone reading his mind will cause him a head-ache and disrupt his power.
Other:
■ Along with his Smith & Wesson 617's, Johnny also owns a Smith & Wesson 500 made out of gold and diamonds... which is entirely nonfunctional and is just for show. Looks pretty badass, though.
■ Johnny drives around a white luxury hummer that was imported from Japan! It's the most fancy shit on the planet, but it's far from inconspicuous. Johnny doesn't care, because someone like him deserves to be known!
Basic Information
Name:
Francis Jean-Pierre
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
Aegis (His RAVEN callsign)
Gender:
Male
Age:
31
Height:
5'6
Weight:
172
Home District:
West Woodlake, Hedgemount.
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
Afro-Caribbean - Haitian
Physical Appearance:
Francis sure as hell isn't the most intimidating man in the world. While he would be more scary if he wasn't so short that women stand equally to him, he mostly presents himself as a friendly person. He's always smiling, and seemingly always has a good mood. He has a friendly aura that disarms all but the most hardy of people. He carries himself with such a carefree attitude that it's impossible to feel intimidated by the man (Unless you're really racist). Francis takes short choppy steps whenever he moves, and usually keeps his hands deep inside of his pockets. His speech is quick, and usually has a playful, child-like feel to it, and he speaks with a thick foreign accent. Sometimes it's hard to understand him because of his speed, and accent.
As stated before, Francis isn't very tall. He's about one inch above the female average, and that is because of rather unfortunate genes. Where Francis is short, he makes up for it in build. He has the a muscular build to compensate, because that was one of his activities in highschool, in addition to his line of work, so to speak. Picking up free running is what helps. His legs are easily the most well-toned part of his body, having the calves of a basketball player, and some really bulky thighs. His arms aren't as muscular, but you can tell he's been lifting. He doesn't have washboard abs, but he has been doing sit-ups. He looks like the type that can run like the literal wind.
Francis is a proud Haitian by blood. Born in raised in the country, Francis' skin is a very dark color from being out in the sun for most of his life. His features are pretty consistent with those descended from African. Not even taking account his skin-color; his facial features, and hair texture, are pretty in line for African people. Speaking of his hair, he keeps it in thick, bushy dreadlocks.
Francis, of course, looks his age. Since he's in his early thirties, he definitely has signs of wear. He has some pretty thick lips that were practically built to accentuate his smile. What helps is his pearly whites. Years of brushing his teeth and good dentistry all his life. Francis has a rather wide, triangle-shaped, nose with with nostrils, and juts out a little bit. His eyes are almond shaped, and a light-brown color. He doesn't have a sharp jawline, or a strong one, but he definitely has a sharp jaw. Finally, his ears are very large and crescent shaped.
All of this is topped off with Francis' goatee.
Attire:
Francis fashion sense is as lacking as it gets. When off the job, he'll wear any kind of polo, button ups, and other casual wear, mixed with jeans. Occasionally wearing a jacket of some kind. He's fond of jewelry such as watches, and earrings. On the job, Francis wears a standard RAVEN chailmail armor. Made just to fit him!
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Francis is a fairly easygoing guy.
Coming with the philosophy of "treat life with a smile," Francis does just that. He acts friendly as possible, and treats everyone with respect. His brand of kindness is almost child-like. Which some people tend to find a bit annoying. He has a smile on his face most of the time. Whenever he interacts with people, he definitely is laid back, and easy going. He often jokes, and tells stories of his many adventures throughout the world (Whether or not they're true is up to debate). He isn't the kind of person who gets worked up, or angry easily. He takes life through the easy route. Oddly enough, he keeps well composed at all times. He seemingly has a way with people, and tends to be quite charming. He just likes befriending people. Many people find this annoying, however.
That isn't to say he can't discuss topics such as politics, and other serious matters, with the right mindset. Though, despite the fact he's a RAVEN, he's still quite cheerful. In fact, his more cheerful demeanor is just a way for him to escape that mindset. He does understand that a lot of stuff in life ain't pretty, and has experienced tragedy before. Instead of letting the angst overtake him, he just faces it with a smile.
With this attitude, Francis treats himself as an open ear. Being able to listen to people vent for hours on end is such a talent for him that some people wonder just how he does it. Because of this, he likes to see himself as a mediator in conflict. He'll try to find a middle ground for every interpersonal conflict. But, that is his problem; he tries to find a middle ground where there isn't any. And in addition, he tends to stick his nose where it doesn't belong... it goes without saying what problems this causes him.
Despite his cheerful demeanor, he does understand a few facts about the world. He's far from idealistic, and is quite realistic in his world views. He knows that "love and understanding" won't make problems such as racism go away. To him, peace is not a solution for every problem, and only violence is the answer - but, he knows that it isn't any absolute rule. He'll try his best to go for a peaceful solution, and if he can't... well, he has no other option.
Beneath the smiles; Francis is plagued with doubts, and self-hatreds. He goes out of his way to be friendly, and help people, because, before, he was petty at a crucial moment. And now he lives with the consequences of his actions. Sometimes he wonders if he's making a difference, or is just being conceited.
Skills/Talents:
While cooking was never Francis' strong-suit, he takes a job at his parents seafood restaurant, and knows how to cook some food. He ain't a masterchef, but he is good enough. Living in Haiti for a chunk of his life means Francis has to be good at Haitian Creole - or Haitian French. He managed to use it as a gateway to learn regular French... and it's hell because he mixes up the two variations. In addition, since he lived in Brazil for awhile, he's also very good at speaking that. And since he isn't a native English speaker, speaking English counts as a skill for him. His main claim to fame. Francis is like a literal lightning bolt on the trackfield... but, he's always second-best to the taller runners with longer legs. Nonetheless, he can run like a bullet, and his speed and coordination are nothing to laugh at. However, during his time with the CESRM and RAVEN, he has learned extensive firearm and hand to hand training.
Goals/Motivation
No especial goals or motivations out there, Francis just wants to improve the world, and better himself.
History/Bio:
Francis was a boy born in Haiti in the summer of 94'. He, being raised in a poor country, wasn't exactly. Being people who worked as chefs for popular tourist spots, they had enough money to put food on the table for each and every one of Francis' older brothers and sisters. Francis took an interest in playing soccer with the older kids growing up, but he was never old enough to play with them. So, he merely practiced all on his own.
Though, life for Francis changed during the eventful month of January 2010... the month where the Haiti earthquake took place. While rumbling and shaking took place all over the city, Francis was nearly crushed by a piece of rubble... but managed to save himself when he manifested an "armor" of some sort. A lilac armor that shielded Francis from certain death. It disappeared later... but, he realized that something was wrong with him. Once the young Jean-Pierre got to safety, his family revealed to him that they are a line of Metahumans specializing in mental abilities. His shell was a manifestation of his willpower and passion to guard him from danger.
After the Haiti Earthquake blew over... there wasn't much for the Jean-Pierre family to do because their house and jobs were all destroyed in the earthquake. There was nothing for the Jean-Pierre family there except for ruined lives. They elected to immigrate to another country, but with so many people trying to leave at once, it seemed impossible for the Jean-Pierre family to leave. However, they were lucky enough to get on a boat to Brazil. Arriving at Rio de Janeiro, it was definitely tough for the immigrant family. With the natives of Brazil being less than receiving to them, they didn't really have many options other than the favela.
The favela was tough, and the only way the Jean-Pierre family was going to survive, was to adapt. The Jean-Pierre seniors opened up a seafood restaurant in the smackdab of the favela using all their restaurant experience. They, ultimately, became a hit with the locals, and earned a steady income. Enough for the Jean-Pierre siblings to survive.
Francis on the other hand quickly adapted to Brazil. He went to school, and ultimately picked up sports with the other Brazilian kids. When he went home, he had to work at his family's restaurant because they were short-handed at times (doing things such as handling the dishes, and cleaning). It wasn't perfect, but Francis was happy nonetheless. In the meantime, Francis practiced his Psychic-Shell ability. Everything went on perfectly.
By the time Francis was an adult, things changed for the worst. The Verthaven Disaster happened that made global news, and what followed was horrible for Brazil. More Metahumans began popping up there than ever before, and Brazil became a hotspot (Not as large as America, or China, however). In response, a new organization, known as the Special Committee For Metahuman Resources and Security (Shortened to CESRM), was formed. Modeled after DOVE and RAVEN, they were made to bring peace to the crumbling situation with Metahumans.
It wasn't long until it affected the Jean-Pierre family when Metahuman criminals attacked the restaurant owned by the family, and destroyed it in a brutal robbery. Killing Francis' father, and badly injuring his mother, in the process. The tragedy hit the family hard, but they were strapped for cash, and there was no way for them to reasonably get enough to cover their mother's medical treatment. That is, until the family were approached by representatives from the CESRM. They know of the family's ability, and have offered Francis, Claudette, and Edward spots in the new organization.
Claudette, ultimately, turned down the offer, but Francis and Edward joined. Both out of a shared grief, and because they needed to support their mother. After a few months of extensive training, the two brothers were out on the streets, defending Brazil from any Metahuman threats. Both of the brothers had tons of experience in the field of the CESRM... but, it became apparent that the new "defenders" of Brazil were deeply corrupt. With little moderation over the organization, the agents were taking bribes from gang leaders, and more.
Francis remained focused on his goal, and turned down any under the table deals. Edward, however, was taking all of them. Turning a blind eye to criminal activity, and assisting major gangs such as the Primeiro Comando da Capital commit assassinations. It was only a matter of time before Francis found out, and tore into Edward for his irresponsibility. Edward argued that it was for the family, and the people the gangs were hurting didn't care about them - so they didn't matter to Edward. Francis argued that he was going down a slippery slope, and what he was doing was morally reprehensible. Eventually, the two brother got into a fight, but Edward was the victor of the confrontation.
Bitter, Francis followed his brother to a meeting at night with the gangs at the docks, but it spiraled out of control when Francis was found out. He really doesn't like talking about what happened, but it ended with his brother, and a lot of other people, dead. It was kept under wraps. While it technically wasn't his fault, he still deeply blames himself for what happened.
Disgraced, Francis couldn't bear to face his family after what happened. Francis decided to head to America to start anew. He already had a lot of money going for him, so he made good use of that. Upon arriving in America in the aftermath of the fall of the Founding Family, Francis decided to join up with RAVEN given his experience with the CESRM. They gladly accepted him, and since then, he has been working with RAVEN, even in this changed climate.
Relationships
Family:
Marilyn Jean-Pierre - Grandmother.
Marilyn Jean-Pierre is the father of Simon, and thus, the paternal grandparent of Francis. She is a rather relaxed old lady - far too old to honestly give a shit anymore. Her living conditions, even after the Haiti earthquake, aren't the best, but she makes due. Staying in the nation, and choosing to die to die where she lived. She is rather estranged from the Jean-Pierre man, he hasn't seen her in years. But, he knows that she knows a lot. A lot more than she lets on. Given her powerful form of telepathy that allows her to access the minds of anyone within Haiti, she does know a lot. And most importantly, she kept this ability a secret for decades before letting Francis know about it. He keeps it a secret.
Patrica Jean-Pierre - Mother.
Francis' mother, she married Simon at a very young age, and started the Jean-Pierre family. Life wasn't easy for her, but she made good work of it. As the mother of the Jean-Pierre family, she made sure that the family stayed together regardless of what happened. Whether it's the Haiti Earthquake, or the death of Simon, she made it work. However, it seems to be nigh-impossible to hold the family to hold the family together with the death of Edward, and her death coming up. Francis still sends money down from America to provide her with medical treatment, so she's holding on.
Simon Jean-Pierre - Father.
The father of the Jean-Pierre family. When he was just but a boy, he was exposed to the secret of the Jean-Pierre family, and their immense cerebral abilities. And it wasn't long before Simon became a metahuman with Astral Projection (with shades of telepathy and telekinesis). Instead of taking it as some calling card to induce change, Simon instead chose to live his life as if he would if he never developed powers. After all, Simon had no real goals. He just started a family, and carried them through whatever the world threw at them. Unfortunately, there was a point where Simon couldn't carry them anymore. That was when he was killed by Metahuman thugs, and left the family shattered.
Claudette Jean-Pierre - Older-Sister.
The oldest (and strangely, tallest) of the Jean-Pierre siblings. A tall portly woman that had to be the tough one when the siblings were growing up. Whenever someone picked on them, she would go break their nose. When they needed food, she would find work (even illegal work). Even growing up, this attitude didn't change one bit. Hell, she got even tougher. Claudette had to take the place of the family mom when Patricia was hospitalized. She was the most disappointed in her brothers after hearing what happened - Edward for working with crime groups, and Francis for running away from everything after his death. Nonetheless, she keeps in touch with Francis, and even has a daughter of her own on the way. Claudette has the ability to manifest a cerebral flame that corresponds with her emotions. When she's angry, the fire is destructive. When she is sad, the fire heals people, and so on.
Edward Jean-Pierre - Younger Brother.
Francis' younger brother, who also doubles as his rival for when he was younger. All Edward wanted to do was beat Francis at something, somehow. So, Francis and Edward grew up with a less than healthy mindset in regards to each other. Edward was never the smartest in regards to long term planning, so he just did what seemed like would advance him. Which is what drove him to work with the gangs of Brazil. Ultimately, it ended with his death. Francis had a basic ability of telekinesis that allowed him to move objects without touching them.
Dynamics:
| Meifeng Zhao |
| Neutral | Co-Worker | "Can tell she's been through alot. Can't say I hold it against 'er." |
Meifeng and Francis are both employees of RAVEN, and, thus, maintain a close work relationship. However, Meifeng has been rather dismissive of Francis, and has been keeping him at a distance. Refusing any of his attempts at forming a friendship. Francis was at first hurt, before learning about everything Meifeng has been through. Since then, Francis has decided to give her space.
| Andrea Pasternack |
| Good | Intern | "I understand that her heart's in the right place." |
Even though their first encounter didn't go well (at least, from Andrea's perspective), Francis holds a somewhat high opinion of Andrea. He thinks she's a passionate and dedicated woman, that has the right mindset to succeed in DOVE. Well, he thinks she might be a little too passionate about bring Happiness to DOVE's attention. Francis wants to help her on his spare time, as he understands that things will get ugly if they don't get to the bottom of it. But, he hopes that if it really isn't any of DOVE's concern, Andrea will drop it. He thinks that she has a promising future in DOVE.
| Jackson Drake |
| Good | Old Friend | "Heeeeey, it's been years since I seen 'im. Wish that our reunion didn't have to involve arresting him!" |
Jackson and Francis go way back. All the way back to Brazil when Francis worked for the CESRM. He was on the case of a group of Metahuman criminals when he came across a village, and an American. The American was Jackson, whom Francis saved from certain death with his ability. Since then, the two kept in touch before the incident, and Francis leaving Brazil behind him. He recently had to arrest Jackson for fighting.
Abilities
Power Class:
Cerebral
Power: Psychic-Shell.
Francis can project a mental "armor" of some sort that is powered by his willpower, intelligence, and emotions. This armor covers him from head to toe in an opaque layer that is a lilac color. This shell is normally featureless, as it's smooth. Though, it appears to have a helmet of some sort with a trident at his crown. This Shell grants Francis a great deal of durability, because he can easily shrug off blows from super strong metahumans, and other impacts that would kill him. It also grants him enough strength to lift 350lb, which is enough to give someone a bad day. However, there is only so much it can take before it breaks. As Francis grows as a person, the shell will get even stronger, and allow him to perform even greater feats. Also, the shell gives Francis a defense against psychics. So, while it's active, any telepaths will have a harder time getting to his secrets!
Limits:
The Psychic-Shell is connected to Francis' willpower and emotions. If he's feeling particularly unmotivated, then the shell will weaken to the point where he can't perform the usual feats. Whenever Francis does a particularly great feat - say tanking a super strong punch, or punching through a wall - the shell will give out for a few moments. Leaving him vulnerable as it regenerates. Francis can't keep the shell up for too long, because the shell will begin to wear down on his psyche. Eventually causing painful headaches, and various generic side effects such as nosebleeds. If he pushes himself further from this point, he'll suffer what'll effectively be a stroke, and begins ashing.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
The main weakness comes when you realize that it's a shell, not a transformation. Francis is able to tank blades, and low caliber bullets with ease, but it definitely does nothing to absorb or negate the impact. Which Francis will feel, and definitely get injured from. Which is why the Shell is the best when dealing with blades, and other piercing attacks, than full force attacks.
Rosalyn Street, Silver Hills (Where his mother lives).
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Green
Ethnicity:
German, Greek, Italian, & Russian.
Physical Appearance:
Daniel's demeanor is hard to gauge because he is pretty difficult to read as a person. Daniel doesn't carry a large presence with himself, he's the type of dude that keeps his head low and keep it moving. You can say he's reclusive, he doesn't like attracting attention to himself. Daniel constantly has a neutral/plain expression on his face, it's strange because it's almost like he's contemplating something at times. When he walks, he tends to take long strides, that are long, but at the same time, deliberate. While moving his shoulders in a rhythm of sorts. You can say that he has a big of swagger to his walk. He tends to keep his hands in his pockets - or one hand in a pocket - whenever he walks, but sometimes walks with his hands gracefully swaying at his sides.
Daniel is pretty tall for his age at six-one, and has a generally sleek build. One that gives way to little muscles, but it is apparent that Daniel has done some physical activity. Because he's got that firm, tight, build of someone who has certainly done some exercise. He has broad shoulders, and a wide chest. Daniel definitely has long limbs that are solidly built. Most of his body is hidden underneath his clothes, so he merely appears to be skinny. Daniel is definitely Caucasian with a splash of Slavic. Daniel has a multitude of different European countries in his blood, with the primary ones being German, and Russian - he's distantly Greek, and Italian due to his ancestors genetically mixing often. Daniel looks pretty European. He has sharp, strong, facial features inherited from his father, and bright-green eyes that he got from both of his parents in fact.
Some people call him a "pretty boy" because of his looks, because Daniel is somewhat-effeminate in the face. His facial features, while strong, above all else look a little gentle, and girly. People say it's his eyes... which he mainly got from his mother. They say his eyes have the gentle, longing, look of a woman - in addition to being pretty big and pronounced on their own. Daniel's skin is clear of the small injuries because he was closely monitored and excelled - which left little room for tiny hiccups. Whenever he got injured on the Family's watch, their medical care took care of it before it could even leave a scar. That said, Daniel definitely has a mighty scar. From a confrontation that definitely didn't go in his favor. A large circular - but wild looking, like a flame - scar on his chest... a mighty burn mark from a battle that he wished that he could have won. It is disgusting, and barely looks like it'll ever fade. A battle scar that'll never go away.
Daniel's hair is straight, and meticulously maintained and groomed. It's kept short as his hair is styled into spiked hair combed upwards. You can often see Daniel pulling out a comb, and combing through it, after a scuffle, or whenever it's been disturbed. A nervous tick of his. The rest of his body is pretty clear of hair, actually. He shaves his face, armpits, and his arms and legs. Daniel is a dude that doesn't like excess body hair at all.
Daniel's facial shape, as stated before, is sharp (albeit soft here and there). His nose is eagle-like in shape, being sharp, hooked, and long. With thin, triangle-shaped, nostrils, and a squared, pointed, tip. His nose-bridge has a little bit of thickness to it, of course. In comparison to his nose, his lips are nearly invisible because they are only small, and natural, shaped. Not standing out at all in the boy's face ('Less you kissin' him). Daniel's ears are crescent-shaped, and medium-sized - nothing to write home about because I doubt the last thing people will pay attention to is his ears. Daniel's jaw is pretty squared, and his jaw-line is equally sharp. He's got that ideal jaw.
As stated before, Daniel has large, green, eyes, inherited from his mother. Well, he's got the green eyes from both of his parents, but that's neither here nor there. His eyes are round, very round, and wide as they are tall. They are pretty beady, as people say he stares into their souls with those big eyes of eyes.
Attire:
Daniel's attire is pretty casual, bland as it gets. Daniel loves jeans. He'll be seen in jeans 80% of the time in jean shorts, or jean pants. When he's not wearing jeans, expect him to be wearing pajamas, or it's swim-wear. As for tops, he'll wear T-shirts and whatnot with his jeans. Actually, When the special occasions come by, he'll wear the button-up shirts with the fancy patterns. Though, I should note that, unless it's too warm; Daniel will always wear a jacket of some sort. His favorite being a black long-coat he got during his time with the Founding Family. Just something he thinks looks super badass. He also likes to wear hoodies, and leather jackets. Around his neck, Daniel likes to wear a necklace of a whale's tail in silver.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
A boy conflicted with his past, present, and future.
Daniel grew up with the narcissistic Founding Family, in fact, he was almost indoctrinated into being one of their top lapdogs. Such a past has certainly shaped Daniel into an interesting individual. He is barely a legal-aged adult, and he has seen his fair share of action.
To get started, Daniel is a generally a polite and kind-hearted individual. Albeit, his social skills aren't the greatest. His life was more focused on training him to be an employee rather than supplying him with the valuable social skills that were necessary at the time. So, instead of being a more outgoing type, he is far more reclusive than he hoped because he misses social cues, and lacks emotional intelligence. Daniel is pretty nervous in general. Constantly feeling like an outcast, like he doesn't belong here. Even though he tries his best to fit in, he may force himself in. He isn't the best at maintaining conversations due to a lack of subjects that he can apply to people - nor does he feel like he really relates to anyone. He thinks logically instead of emphatically, which is certainly a problem when interacting with people. He may sometimes say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and certainly piss people off. One of the things he knows he has to get over if he is going to get further in life.
Despite that, Daniel tries his best to be friendly. He wants to befriend people after all. He isn't introverted, far from it. When Daniel gets into a conversation, he tends to be rather open and talkative. Throwing jokes, and trying to be at least somewhat notable. He tends to be rather fun-loving because, after a lifetime of learning, he's ready to have some fun. If you'll take his sorry ass out to experience something new, then he'll definitely go for it. He is young and in his prime, after all. Daniel wants companionship above all else. Both the platonic and romantic brand of companionship. Daniel is certainly trying to discover his sexuality, and find himself a lover of sorts. The Family isn't shy about sex, and he has certainly experienced it, Daniel wants to know what it feels like to be romantic. However, that sexual contact has sabotaged him somewhat. He rushes too much into sex, and his mind is mostly wrapped around it. Because the Family was liberal in general, he's pretty loose about his sexuality. Daniel is attracted to curvy women, and equally good looking boys, though, he doesn't have too much in terms of personal standards. He feels like he'll be attracted to anyone who gives him the time and place.
Though, despite being kind, you can tell that he thinks highly of himself. A bit of the Family's ego rubbed off on him. Having a great position throughout his life has made him arrogant, and egotistical. It's subtle, though. A slip of the tongue, or believing that he has more strength/knowledge than he truly has. He believes that he can lead the rather unruly Cultivators to greatness. He believes that he is tougher than the Founding Family (Despite them beating Daniel to a pulp). Daniel is quite prideful, and we all know what comes after pride, right?
Another little flaw of his is that he's very confrontational. Once faced with a situation, he'll throw insults, and talk all sorts of shit.... disguised as polite language, of course. Though, piss him off enough, and, eh, well, he'll get a lot harsher towards you. One thing that Daniel hates is irresponsible people, and utterly despises those that toy with the lives of others just because they can. He's also known for his hot-blooded personality, being quick to jump into a fight without reason.
Daniel is, above all else, ashamed of his past. With his mother as his moral compass, he realized that not only has he stood by and watched the Family commit atrocity after atrocity (Which has awakened his humanity), he personally done some pretty horrible things to people as Blake Schmidt's apprentice. Daniel desperately wants to atone for his past as one of the Founding Family's servants, and use his talents to help the world.
Because of his past, he has a strong sense of humanity... because seeing humanity's worse affirmed what is good and bad in his head. He strongly believes in helping other people, and taking responsibility for their actions. All in all is a pretty noble kid. Though, he finds this difficult, as he doesn't know where to even start. His attempts to help people are... misguided. He tends to make short-sighted, reckless, decisions, that causes him to make bad decisions that do more harm than good. People tend to. He tries to see himself in a heroic light, but people call him idealistic.
But, at the same time, the Founding Family is all Daniel truly knows. He knows that cult was fucked up beyond all recognition... but, he feels at home with them. More at home with them than under the wing of Maximilian Cornell, or inside the Academies. Daniel secretly longs for the power and wealth he had while under the employ of Blake Schmidt. Creating a conflict within the boy as he tries to decide what he wants to do.
He desires direction in life. He wants to redeem himself, but doesn't even know where to even start. He just feels like he's wandering in a life he was never meant to live. Daniel honestly feels like if it would be easier if he just joined up with the Founding Family's remnants. Being a boy scout like Maximilian Cornell wants him to be is difficult, and Daniel longs for the days of fancy mansions, and expensive clothes.
Daniel has an odd habit of adjusting his clothes. Making sure that his outfits look perfect at all times. A specific quirk that he picked up while growing up with the Family. They want their Cultivators looking their best at all times, after all.
Also, Daniel hates bugs.
Skills/Talents:
As one of the Cultivators, Daniel was practically raised to be well-educated, training to be a scientist. One of the best minds in the Founding Family that would advance them to greatness. However, his training never quite finished, but he does know a lot. From biology, to computing, to physics, to even world history. I'd say in terms of knowledge, he's up there with a really dedicated high-school student. Though, he was slacking in all forms of education because why should he. He knows a few other languages as well; German, and French. Not exactly proficient, but he knows enough of those languages to have a basic conversation. Daniel was also trained to be Blake Schmidt's apprentice, and thus, knows how to use his power well, and knows how to use it in a fight. That's essentially where his applicable skills end, however.
Goals/Motivation
Daniel has many different goals in life. First, redeem himself and his bloodline in the eyes of the world. Second, find out where the Verschlinger and her Coven took the rest of the children training under the Founding Family's care (The Cultivators). And finally, find people who's been screwed over by the Family.
History/Bio:
The exact details behind Daniel's birth was an enigma, but he was born into the Founding Family (Which means this is shit I'll reveal in IC).
Daniel was raised among a group of other children who were also born into the Founding Family, known as Cultivators. A small sect within the Founding Family were children were raised from birth to serve the Family with all the skills they had to offer. Cultivators were trained rigorously and given an intense educational process to turn each and every one of them into the next generation of Founding Family's employees. Along with giving them physical training, and more. Overlooked by the Blessed Three - with those that preformed the best earning a "reward" of sort.
Daniel himself was no different from this process. He hit the books hard as he preformed sports. He was one of the top students among the Cultivators. His intelligence and physical ability were top-notch. Earning the affection and adoration of not only his teachers, but the other Cultivators. Though, he had kept a close bond to his mother, Anya Forsythe. A Scientist within the Founding Family who kept a close bond to the Cultivator in secrecy. She was the one that met him in secret every now and then, teaching him the one thing that the Family lacked; empathy. She was the one that did her best to reverse the indoctrination done by the Family, and try to make Daniel into a real human being. She would be severely punished, but she did what was right as his mother. This went on until he was thirteen years old, when he had finally earned his reward: superpowers.
Blake Schmidt himself had handed Daniel a vial full of a glowing green liquid, with instructions to ingest it. Daniel was honestly terrified by the prospect, but he happily ingested the serum. After a bit of pain and convulsing, his ability had awakened. The right side of his body was engulfed in flames, while the left was frozen. Daniel was terrified: the sudden manifestation of his ability was something he couldn't understand at a young age. He eventually passed out from the exertion from overusing his power.
Daniel was taken to the Founding Family's medical facilities, and was broken free from his frozen prison. He awakened, and was personally informed by Blake Schmidt what had happened: he had gained control over fire and ice as a strange duality. One side could control fire, and the other could control ice - Blake was impressed by his ability. Once he recovered, Daniel was immediately trained to put this powerful ability of his to good use.
During this training, Blake Schmidt had approached him and given him an offer that none of the other Cultivators could even dream of having.
Being his apprentice.
Daniel had no choice but to accept this man's offer, and was immediately given a special kind of training that few of the other Cultivators could even hope to have; experience. He was selected to be an apprentice alongside three of the other Cultivators. It was mostly small things as Daniel was only training. Accompanying Blake Schmidt on business matters to other countries (going far as Asia). Learning about the secret side of the world, and the extent of the Founding Family's control over it. Daniel was in awe, but wondered why he was selected.
That's when Blake told him the truth... and everything started making a lot more sense.
Daniel started sliding more towards his mother as he started to realize the atrocities committed by the Family on a regular. Along with the tight leash they held on the world. It was disturbing, the morality and humanity that his mother had put into him were becoming more and more apparent. But, Daniel couldn't help but feel amazement at their scientific prowess. They could really help the world if they weren't obsessed with themselves, and advancing their power.
But, Daniel had little power in the Family, and had no choice but to comply. His opinion of Blake himself took a nosedive once the incident in the Valos Manor took place when he was just eighteen. Daniel had accompanied Blake to Black Fall to go meet a rich businessman who was interested in expanding his power to the Family: Jason Valos. He had little to actually offer to the Founding Family, from the eyes of the Family, they would be helping him. Nonetheless, they came to at least entertain him.
The deal at the Valos Manor went poorly, and a large battle took place between the Founding Family, and the Founding Family, which Daniel took part in. It was a brutal battle where many Metahumans clashed that ultimately ended in the Founding Family's favor. The Valos Family were defeated save for a few getting away - which were only Johnny, Jason, Gabrielle, and Jaska Valos. Blake put little thought as to who they were as he chose to get something out of this endeavor: a load of new Secretaries. Many of the Valos children were enslaved by Mechanized Memories, and Daniel was disgusted. It was... inhumane as it got, after finally realizing why so many of the Secretaries were so blindly loyal to the Founding Family.
Then Daniel realized his own blind loyalty. That was when Daniel chose to rebel against the Founding Family. Daniel wanted to liberate the Cultivators from the Family, and attempted to duel Blake for their freedom. Blake gladly accepted... but, what Daniel didn't realize was that Blake was so horribly out of his league that he got curb stomped by the Family's leader.
Instead of being executed, Daniel was imprisoned within the Family's headquarters for months, so he could "come to his senses." For several long grueling months, Daniel's home was a cell, where he wondered why he wasn't just mind-controlled back into compliance... Then he reminded himself of that little fact, and realized Blake's angle. He plotted his escape - but, the fall of the Founding Family had occurred, and Daniel was liberated along with the rest of the prisoners from the Founding Family.
He was taken to a RAVEN outpost (As their headquarters was destroyed), and was approached by Maximilian Cornell. Daniel explained everything to Maximilian, and managed to reach out to the man's kinder side. Maximilian ultimately offered Daniel a place not only in an Academy, but as his own protege. Daniel kindly accepted both offers, as he began to experience a normal life for a change. Experiencing life from another perspective, Daniel had a hard time adjusting to Academy life. It was definitely difficult for Daniel, and he was wondering if he should turn back.
Meanwhile, his mother had decided to get a job in the Hope Foundation (Which had a branch situated in Baybridge itself) and using her impressive medical science to get herself, and her son, comfort for once in their lives. She managed to buy an apartment on Rosalyn Street, and that was a good enough place for Daniel to stay when Academy life got too overwhelming for him.
What helped was Maximilian and his training, who was trying to guide Daniel down the right path: joining RAVEN, and putting his talents to good use. However, Daniel was conflicted with himself, he wondered if he had a place in RAVEN, but he also wondered about the rest of the Cultivators. Maximilian told him that the Verschlinger had taken the majority of the younger Cultivators, and he has no idea where they are.
Daniel chose to ultimately find where the Cultivators were... which wasn't easy as he had zero leads.
Relationships
Family:
Anya Forsythe - Mother.
A half-Russian woman who was roped into the Family because of a debt that her father had owed. Anya was forced to become a scientist for the Family, and while in their ranks, she bore her one and only child, Daniel. Using the veil of secrecy, Anya taught Daniel what it means to be a human being, and ultimately planted the seeds of humanity in the boy that would grow in the face of the Family's crimes. Eventually allowing him to see the light, and rebel against the Family. Once the fall of the Family came, Anya joined the Hope Foundation to provide for herself and Daniel... keeping her past as one of the Founding Family's scientists a close-knit secret.
Dynamics:
| Penny Rosier |
| Good | Friend? | "Despite the facades, I can read Penny like a book... she definitely cares a lot more than she lets on." |
Penny and Daniel's relationship is definitely an odd one. With Penny being the last person people expect to be friends with Daniel. Yet, here they are. Close friends because Daniel helped Penelope when she needed it the most, and it turned into a budding friendship. Daniel tolerates Penny's crassness (finding it an amusing breath of fresh air compared to the Family), and sometimes even feeds into it. Daniel always seems to be there when Penny needs him, and the latter always sticks up for the former. What makes it strange is their mutual pasts.
| Quentin Taylor |
| Neutral | "Mentor" | "According to Maximilian, Quentin is one of his most trusted agents... but, I know all he wants to do is make me become a RAVEN." |
Quentin was one of the people that was introduced to Daniel with the intent of steering him on the right path. Right from the start, Daniel knows that Quentin is more grounded than Maximilian, and just wants to help him live out what's left of his childhood. He's still trying to work out his opinion on Quention. Though, he wishes that Quentin would sneak him wine.
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental
Power: Duality of Fire & Ice.
Daniel possess the ability to use two elemental abilities at once: Fire and Ice. However, unlike most elemental types, he can only use Pyrokinesis on the right side of his body, and Cyrokinesis on the left. Whenever he starts to use his powers, his right eye will transform into burning-orange, while his left will be an icy-blue. His ability also comes with an aura of sorts. Whenever Daniel gets into a fight, his aura will manifest as a "fire" made out of light (Right side orange, other side blue). The more intensely Daniel fights, the bigger and brighter this aura gets. Daniel, of course, has a resistance to both heat and the cold.
Fire-Manipulation.
From the right side of his body, Daniel is able to conjure burning flames. He can do it all; from fireballs, to jetstreams, and burning infernos. He can do pretty much what you'd expect a firebender to do, so there isn't much to really go over. At will, he can extinguish any flames he has created (but, not any flames that have been spread). He can also produce heat without creating a single flame.
Ice-Manipulation.
The left side of Daniel's body allows him to manipulate and create ice itself. He can produce ice in any shape imaginable, making it fairly durable, along with telekinetically being able to move it. He can also produce freezing beams/orbs/etc that freeze all they come in contact with. Daniel is able to create a layer of ice upon anything he touches, and spread it across a small room at most.
Limits:
Compared to a dedicated Cyrokinetic/Pyrokinetic, Daniel's abilities are a bit... limited. While his abilities are strong, he can be overpowered by a dedicated elemental-type. Along with the fact that his ability specializes in creating, not controlling. Daniel can only control ice and fire that he has created, and only in a fairly short range of around eight meters - he can throw his elements beyond it, however. Daniel could produce a limitless amount of fire and ice... if it wasn't for his stamina.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Each ability has their own drawbacks. The main one being that using either ability dehydrates him. Daniel's firebending makes him very dry, and his cyrokinesis also use a bit of his natural water supply. He better he careful in the middle of a fight, or he may find himself passing out from dehydration. While he's resistant to his elements, he isn't completely immune. Which means he can be damaged by a strong enough attack from a fire/ice opponent, along with damaging himself if he goes overboard. He needs to use both of his powers in equality to avoid injuring himself. Along with the fact that, if he loses function of one of his abilities, his flank will be very hard to defend. Each of his abilities have weaknesses of their own. Naturally, fire manipulation is countered by water/ice/etc.
Throwing a bucket of water on him would cut him off from his pyromancery until he drys off. Daniel isn't immune to the byproducts of fire, and can possibly suffocate if he burns up too much oxygen, or die from smoke inhalation. He has to be very careful not to let a fire go out of control. He can only extinguish flames he's created, and not any flames created by proxy. He could start a wildfire. Daniel's ice powers are countered by heat. Even though he himself doesn't have to worry about heat long long as he uses both abilities, his ice doesn't have that luxury. The hotter the area, the harder it'll be for him to produce ice.
Other:
■ Daniel - being Blake Schmidt's apprentice - knows a lot about the inner-workings of the Founding Family, and many of their secrets.
■ Daniel uses... a bicycle, to get around Baybridge.
Basic Information
Name:
Penelope Morgan Rosier
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
Penny. "Pig-Girl." (Call her that if you want to get punched)
Gender:
Female
Age:
20
Height:
5'0ft
Weight:
154
Home District:
Stonecliff, Silver Hills.
Appearance
Hair Color:
Dyed Bright Red, naturally brown.
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
Mexican, English, & Irish.
Physical Appearance:
Penny has been cursed with rather bad genes. For starters, she's painfully short to the point where she gets mistaken for a girl much, much, younger than herself. What doesn't help is her youthful, rounded, facial features, and her choice of hairstyle. Though, they think the bright red hair is overkill. Penny is a girl that stands at 5'0, pretty damn short, and has a slightly pudgy build due to her painful lack of exercise. Almost like she avoids becoming a landwhale due to preforming even the minimal amount of exercise to get by. She has a bit of a gut, and pudgy limbs that makes her stand out. Fortunately, her style of clothing is heavy enough so that she manages to conceal her weight. However, that only works so much. Her gut sticks out a bit. Some people say that it makes her a bit more "cuddly." Those same people tend to get punched in the nose. What it has done for the girl was give her a bit more curve. Naturally, due to her mother's genes, she has some curves to her. Her chest size is 40F, nipples are pierced, and her hips are a similar measurement (Through, someone can say that she has donk). Most people don't notice due to the fact that Penny wears a binder over her chest, and wears fairly heavy clothing at that. Her waist isn't that far off either - which means she has a fairly round body shape.
Penny herself is half Irish, English, and Mexican. Her mother is pureblooded Mexican. Her father on the other hand is a Irishman whose great-great-great-great grandparents immigrated to America and eventually miscegenated with English people. Her facial features appear to be more European than Spanish, however. Penny has a light-brown skin, because of her Spanish mother contrasting with her Caucasian father. Due to not going out that much, Penny's skin is fairly clear of scars. But, not clear of tattoos. Penny is a dedicated party-girl, and thus, has a few tattoos. Though, they are fairly strange as they are mostly arthropod-based. She has a Hercules beetle in a floral wreath on her chest, right above her left breast, and encompassing her shoulder. It is her favorite tattoo.
Most notably is Penny's hairstyle. It's easily her most pronounced feature. Her hair is naturally brown, and has a straight texture. Due to her mother's upkeep, it's pretty well maintained. On the other hand, Penny naturally has a metric fuckton of hair. Like, if she doesn't cut it, it'll grow to a ridiculous length. However, she makes good use of it. As a way of expressing herself (I.E Making sure that she stands out in a crowd), Penny styles her hair in two giant pigtails that can touch her shoulders. These pigtails flow with the breezing wind, and are made even more pronounced by the hair dye. Penny keeps her hair dyed in a bright red-color that stands out in the crowd.
Her facial features are pretty rounded, and the same goes for her head - but she regards herself as a solid three compared to other people she knows. As it was stated before, Penny's facial features are European. Starting with her rounded, "baby cheeks" that give her face a distinct round shape. Her jawline is practically nonexistent, she doesn't have the sexy jawline that those supermodels have. In fact, her cheeks and jawline don't smoothly blend into her rather square jaw that sticks out oh so slightly. Penny's lips are medium sized, and rather full, having wide, spaced peaks. She doesn't have the lips that boys desire, but they're bound to appease someone out there. Her lips are barely disproportionate to her wide, droopy nose of a similar medium size. Her nostrils are big, and the tip is very low. What people find odd about Penny is her large eyes, with beady irises that are stated to be able to pierce even the strongest souls. Her eyes are round as they get, and they have a brown color to them.
Attire:
As stated before, Penny wears a variety of heavy clothing that covers up her body fat (rather than make the most of it). She wears many jackets, and various other sweaters of the sort. She would never be caught dead in anything like a dress or a skirt. Though, she has a odd clothing choice, indeed. She either dresses heavily hipster, or heavily rave girl. Wearing bright and flashy colors, with some odd patterns. Just because she likes that style. She also occasionally wears stockings. But, I should also note that Penny always wears a binder over her chest because she doesn't like her hefty chest. It makes her chest appear to be a lot smaller... at the cost of being a total pain in the ass sometimes. Penny goes light on the piercings. Other than the aforementioned nipple piercings, she has her ears, belly button, and tongue pierced.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Literally the saltiest human being on earth. The dead sea ain't got nothing on her.
There are a lot of words to describe Penny. Crude, short-tempered, and uncivilized. Penny is not exactly the most subtle human being out there. She tends to talk a lot, and barrage the people around her with her crass, uncivilized, sarcasm. She peppers her speech with many swears, insults, and various sex jokes. To the point where people don't take her seriously. She, most of all, has a very short temper, and a very sharp tongue. These combined make Penny a very large presence when she's pissed off. She'll reach deep inside herself when she insults people. Opposed to her usual, crass, speech patterns, she goes for the most savage insults around.
However, if one were to read into what she says, they discover that she displays a surprising amount of intelligence, observation, wisdom, and is even philosophical at times. This can surprise people as she shows a surprising awareness of events and provides a very introspective look at things. Many opinions on the various organizations of the world... Just that she shares this wisdom in the most immature way possible. Which raises the question as to whether she is this way, or just wants people to underestimate her.
Though, one thing that annoys Penny is a boring ol' introvert. She despises the kind of people that are inaccessible to everyone else, and stay away from people because "it's not their thing." Though, it isn't true hatred, she just finds them annoying. However, one thing that Penny cannot deny about herself is how she admires how many introverts are true to themselves, and how they love themselves for who they are. Two things that Penny admires the most in a human being. She seems to favor people who are true to themselves (and by extent, other people) rather than putting on facades and masks to appease the masses. She's a free thinker, yeah.
Penny is a very creative, and adventurous person. She loves to go out and discover new things. Learn new things about herself as she finds her place in the world. Penny would honestly love to travel if she had the means to. But, she loves to go on adventures and explore places. Penny is a very dedicated person indeed. Her passion is what she uses to see her goals to the very end.
Despite all of her sex jokes, and posturing, Penny is unprepared in the romance and sexual field. Like, she is very nervous about the subject - she never even dated a person! She literally can't take the subject seriously. She'll always end up ruining it with a weird sex joke, or something. It goes without saying that she is horrible at flirting with people. She can't even manipulate a dude with her feminine charms without fucking it up. That said, Penelope is attracted to boys, though she is pretty fluid with her sexuality. But, she keeps romance bottom of her list of needs for a variety of more pressing matters being her concern. She doesn't really know or understand just what kind of person she's attracted to... only that she is more attracted to knowledge and intelligent people above all else.
She gets attracted to a lot of people due to her own misinterpretations and awkwardness, but she has never once acted on it. Not just because she's nervous about romance, just that she's really self-conscious. She sees herself as a fat and ugly broad that wants to be taller, and slimmer. She doesn't feel like anyone would like her even if she tries her very hardest. She also wishes her breasts were smaller because she "hates being a titty cow."
Though, Penny is very mischievous indeed. She would gleefully play a prank on someone... And her pranks go big. She once spray painted city hall with some friends (and superpowers). Though, in regards to her powers, she shows a distinct lack of responsibility in regards to her powers. She would gleefully abuse her powers to her own ends, and show little care as to the damage she causes. Long as no one gets hurt.
Penny's biggest fault is that she is rather undiplomatic. She doesn't negotiate that well, and despite all of her intelligence, she is socially dense. Which makes conveying her feelings hard, and more importantly, considering other people's emotions. Peoples problem is not that she's rude, just that she's an unemotional asshole at times. Even when she doesn't mean to.
Her morality is a difficult matter. Penny isn't a hero, nor is she a villain... she's Penelope Rosier. A force of her own that has her own goals and motives in the world other than helping or destroying the world. Penny is roughly Chaotic Neutral. She is just as likely to do bad things as she is good things - long as it serves her own ends. Penny will roughly stay out of other people's conflicts, merely because she either doesn't care, or doesn't have anything to gain. If someone's getting mugged, then she'll just keep walking like she didn't see anything. She's just that pragmatic, seeing herself as a neutral force rather than leaning towards one side or the other unnecessarily. That said, there is a line. She won't stand by and let a friend get murdered, and there are people out there that Penny finds morally reprehensible.
All in all, Penny is a very bitter girl, but she doesn't ask a lot from this mad, mad, world; she just wants to be left alone. Simple as that. People like the Founding Family have already showed her the kind of people this world produces, and she sure as hell wants to stay out of their various plans. She wants to preserve her father's legacy, and live her life peacefully (I.E. Do lots of drugs and party). Though, the world still wants a little more from the Rosier girl...
Hobbies/Interests:
Many things interest the Rosier girl, starting with her love of finding new things, and exploring new places just to sate her curiosity. Penny is also a lover of knowledge, and different things. Though, the girl has a heavy interest in philosophy, and proverbs. She spends a lot of her time looking up different philosophies and the sort. Penny is interested in insects (and arachnids), with her favorite insect being the Hercules Beetle (Hence the tattoo!). You can expect her to be spouting bug-themed trivia when it's relevant. The girl also loves to party. Take her to a rave, and the girl will come alive. The same raves are where she started her love of light drugs. Weed, hallucinogens, that kind of stuff. Nothing hard like cocaine (What? Do you want her to become a crack whore). When she's not doing any of those things, she likes to browse the internet, play games, and kick back. Penny is also a lover of sweets, and even though they do awful things for her weight, Penny is often seen with a lolipop hanging out of her mouth.
Skills/Talents:
Despite having the combined subtly of a broken window, Penny is a very intelligent girl. Having much education academically, and having intelligence outside of it. She can piece together a mystery far easier than other people, and point out things that most people would look over. This intelligence surprises people because of how hilariously crass she is, and allows her to deceive them with ease. Dancing is also a talent of Penny that few expect her to have - once she gets on the dancefloor, it's own, baby. Something she picked up at the raves and parties Penny attended. Because of her Mexican mother, Penny has picked up another language - Spanish. Since it's a rather easy language to learn, and it has much use in America, she learned it with ease and she's pretty fluent in it. Penny also uses drawing as one of her many creative outlets. She draws digitally, but is capable of using pens and pencils. Penny also has minor self-defense training. Not saying she's a certified street fighter, but she needs to know something to repel any potential rapist. She can fight someone like that off, but have trouble against someone forcing themselves who knows what they're doing.
Also, if Olympic Brick Throwing was an actual sport, Penny would be a gold medalist.
Goals/Motivation
Penny's primary goal is to recover her father's research from what is left of the Founding Family, and also begin her search for him. She has a close bond with her father, so this is her primary motivation. She also wants to seek out a regenerator, and copy their power so she may achieve functional immortality.
History/Bio:
Penny grew up in a family of scientists, you could say. Her father was a genius in experimental transportation, Sean Rosier, and Mia Vizcaíno, a top scientist in the Hope Foundation. The two met in at a party hosted by the Savior Foundation, and hit it off. They fell in love, and eventually bore a child out of wedlock. The two kept this fact in mind as they got married, and lived peacefully in Baybridge. Growing up, her parents were very busy with their work. Sean was on the trail of something world changing, and Mia was working on the next medical breakthrough. That didn't do too much good for the young Penny. Penny grew up... rather anti-social. In school, she just didn't get along with other kids, and would often get into fights, steal, and would generally act pretty hostile towards other children. To the point where she was diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, and put on medication, and therapy. Penny's behavior eventually improved, and her parents were relieved. Though, she had displayed intelligence above her fellow classmates - she would just pick up on things much faster than them, and figure out things on her own.
However, as busy as her parents were, Penelope's father made sure to spare some time for the developing Rosier. While he was working on his research, Sean discussed it extensively with Penny, and telling her all about his magnum opus. While Penny didn't understand it at the time, Sean's grand plan was dimensional travel. He believed that there were other universes out there, and he wanted to travel in between them. The world called him a fool, but Penny believed he was a genius. Most importantly, telling her about where he keeps his research.
Life was good for Penny... up until the Verthaven Disaster. That's what caused some strangeness to happen. The Hope Foundation's activities went up, up, up, and Mia was incredibly busy. While some strange people approached Sean, and made an "offer" with the man, and greatly expand his research. Sean gladly accepted the offer... but, that meant he was way too busy to even think of what to do with Penny. One thing came to mind; send the young Penny to live with Aunt Emily, in St. Portwell. Penny didn't like it, but her Aunt Emily had some free time made available.
Penny was still too young to make sense of most of this, but she gladly fit into the city of St. Portwell. Penny had plenty of help adjusting to St. Portwell with the help of her cousins; Zoey and Sabrina Gray. These two were the only friends that Penny had growing up. Both of them were older than her, but eventually they grew a tight bond and eventually the two became older sisters to Penny. Zoey and Sabrina were the two people that helped Penny refine her social skills to go from sub-human scum, to maybe having some social graces. Some.
While they helped her become social, they sure as hell weren't the best influences on Penny. Once they were old enough, Sabrina and Zoey took Penny to parties that the other small town kids threw, and the two introduced Penny to the wild party-girl lifestyle. One that she came to love. The girl was still pretty good in school - getting high grades and whatnot - but once Friday hit, the only thing on Penny's mind was heading to a party, getting drunk off her ass, and having a great time.
However, one thing that Penny had in her potential was the capability to be a Metahuman. She has Metahumans in her bloodline (On her mother's side), relating to Super-System powers. Penny's power had naturally awakened, but subconsciously. Penny didn't even realize it, until she had gotten into a fight with another girl. She punched the other girl in the nose... and the Metahuman energy in the two of them had illuminated. Penny had no idea what this meant, and would have gladly brushed it off as too much alcohol until she realized that she could change her appearance: shapeshift.
The first thing Penny did was hunt down the girl with the Grey sisters, and the girl told her that she had the ability to shape-shift... it didn't take a genius to realize that Penny had copied her ability during her escapades. Penny had the ability to copy other powers... so much power in her hands! She made sure to use it irresponsibility as possible. Such as posing as an older woman to score herself some booze, and starting many fights for her amusement. This was one thing that she had kept away from DOVE.
Like all good things, they had to come to an end. It all started when Penny got old enough to understand and comprehend things, and her Aunt Emily figured that it was time to start telling her things about their family. Penny was fairly close to her aunt, to the point where she considered Emily a mother figure opposed to her aunt. Her Aunt Emily told her the truth of the people who approached her father on that day; they were with an enigmatic group known as the Founding Family, and they had recruited her father in hopes of making good on his theories. He had gone missing, and Penny was distraught.
That's when Penny gained an interest in this Family. Against the wishes of her Aunt; he wanted to find out who they were, and more importantly, what happened to her father. The first step was going back to Baybridge with her cousins, and finding that his research was all gone. Penny was pissed, but she needed to find a trail somewhere. Penny searched up the Founding Family on Tor... and was eventually accosted by the Intimidation Unit. They had heavily interrogated the girl, and the Gray sisters. Only to be bailed out by her aunt - who was revealed to be a member of the Founding Family.
They were taken back to St. Portwell, but Aunt Emily warned Penny and the sisters to never seek out the Founding Family again. Penny took that advice seriously... then Aunt Emily gave Penny some of her father's notes that had apparently gone "missing" when the man disappeared. She trusted her with it, . This was when Penny had zero idea of what to do, she sure as hell didn't want to kick the hornet's nest again. She was happy going through her father's notes, which told her everything about the Family. This was a treasure trove of information that people would kill for. Penny kept her mouth shut about it.
Penny lived on, partying, and having a great time... On her last year of high-school, Penny had learned that the Founding Family was destroyed, and that it was her time to start looking for her father. If her mother wouldn't do it, Penny will. Penny searched high and low, looking for any lead on her father. Eventually, she gave up... and instead turned to his notes.
For the next two years, Penny launched a massive mission to search for her father's notes to preserve his legacy... going on an adventure of her own.
Relationships
Family:
Sean Rosier - Father.
The man that both Penny and Wendy search for. Sean Rosier is a average heighted male with Chocolate brown hair. He is a genius in the field, and was working on something that could change the field: Dimensional Travel. He was close to making a breakthrough when he vanished - leaving behind his collection of research notes that have been scattered across the remnants of the Founding Family and more. Penny was very close to the man, and her main motivation in life is to find all of his research, and keep it somewhere safe. Regardless of the costs.
Mia Rosier - Mother.
Mia Rosier's name is known all over the Hope Foundation - as she is one of their leading scientists and has made many medical breakthroughs. She fell in love with Sean at a young age, and they got married. Though, she never really had a major presence in Penny's life because she was busy, and has trusted her with Sean's sister. Ever since Sean's disappearance, Mia has become even more distant from Penny because she is dealing with grief in her own way. Mia has three different powers that work well together; healing, flight, and projecting barriers.
Emily Gray - Aunt.
The woman who took care of Penny during a majority of her youth, Emily Gray, like her brother is a genius, but she specializes in Metahumans. Emily and Penny were fairly close because she was the closest thing to a mother figure that she had. Though, Emily disappeared a few years ago, and Penny hasn't heard from her until recently...
Adrian Gray - Uncle
Emily's husband, a Brazilian man who is the man of the Gray family, and father of them. He took over for Emily when she disappeared, though he's on RAVEN's watchlist.
Zoey Gray - Cousin.
Zoey is Penny's older cousin (by around two years), and a very interesting girl. Zoey is a tall half-English/Scottish, half-Brazilian, girl with blue hair and a generally punk demeanor. She is fairly chill, albeit super talkative. Other times, she appears to be very brooding. Zoey is the girl that introduced Penny to the party-girl lifestyle that she has to this day, and introduced her to drugs, and other bad habits. Not like Penny minds, really, she loves her cousin with all of her heart. Zoey, like Penny, is a Metahuman with the ability to produce an entity made out of electricity that she can control. This Electrical-Entity can travel through powerlines, and release energy on touch. When this entity isn't materialized, Zoey can create and shoot lots of electricity.
Sabrina Gray - Cousin
The younger, grumpier, sister of Zoey. Sabrina grew up as a prodigy, and she let it go to her head, and Sabrina is a little bratty. But, she is much like her sister in having dyed her hair lime-green/yellow, and is fairly punk. The three of them are close as the trio would hit parties, and have all sorts of shenanigans (Mostly started by Penny). Sabrina has an ability that is very similar to her older-sister - An Entity made out of plasma that she can control. This entity isn't as fast as her sisters, but it certainly hits much harder with deadly burns. When it isn't active, Sabrina can control plasma.
Dynamics:
| Daniel Forsythe |
| Good | Friend | "He's such an idiot sometimes... but, I think I care about him." |
At first, Penny and Daniel's relationship was just a mutual arrangement so that they both could get something out of it. It ultimately spiraled into something far more meaningful. The two became close friends (well, Daniel is honestly the only real friend that Penny has in Baybridge). Penny makes sure that Daniel knows that, and despite being rude as ever, she treats him noticeably better. This is because Penny has secretly developed feelings for Daniel... she doesn't know how to process them, or go about it.
Abilities
Power Class:
Super-System/Power: Replication
Power: Super-System Power-Replication.
At this point, it goes without saying that certain kinds of Metahumans operate on a similar wavelength to each other. Similar kinds of Metahuman energy, you can say. Penny, on contact with another Metahuman with a physical ability (Whether it's super-strength, a Bestial power, or beyond), can copy these abilities and utilize them for herself. She can get the full power merely on a brief contact, and will store the power inside of herself until she reaches her limit (which is around four powers). The power will "mutate" as it transfers from the owner to herself. It's her way of "personalizing" the power, you can say. Making it unique to herself. The changes might be slight, to extreme, but the power always mutates so it's never a perfect replica of the ability. Penny can only use one power at a time, and she can freely switch between powers at will. Penny can copy powers from other Replicators long as it's super system. Current powers are:
Shape-Shifting.
The very first power that Penny copied when she realized the true nature of her ability, and is thus, the ability she is the best with. She has the ability to alter her physical appearance to mimic other humans (and other human beings exclusively), or merely alter her own body to take any physical appearance that she wants. There's plenty of customization for her shape-shifting. She can change features such as skin/hair/eye color, facial features, add things such as tattoos and scars, change genders, and false wounds - Regardless of what form she is currently in. The only thing she needs to do to mimic someone's form is skin-to-skin contact. And yes, Penny can shape-shift into a male with functioning genitals. Penny can also mimic voices by altering her voice box.
Spider-Physiology.
Penny's second power she has acquired allowed her to harness the power of the Arachnid! It's not even an advanced Bestial power. It allows her to grow eight spider-legs out of her back, and manipulate them like they are extensions of her body. These spider legs are long, eldritch, and have enough strength to lift Penny up with ease. She can do just what you expect: quickly move, and climb on walls (More importantly, do it quietly). These spider legs are also very pointy, and make for a good stabbing weapon. While she doesn't have a venom, she has a few other enhancements. A spider's sense of smell is superb, and she grows extra eyes which enhance her field of vision by a tenfold. She can also produce web from her body. From there, and she has spinnerets on her wrists, and her ankles. Which means, yes, she is literally Spider-Man now. She can produce webs in a variety of forms, even shooting it as a projectile. These webs are sticky, and have much tensile strength. Enough to bind a grown man, but not enough to stop a speeding car.
Enhanced-Strength & Durability.
A power that Penny copied from some red-haired bimbo she encountered a few years ago. Basically, whenever she activates this power, her muscle mass triples and she becomes super muscular. A transformation of sorts. Because she has a higher muscle mass, her muscles are capable of easily exerting supernatural amounts of force, and are extremely durable. She has enough strength to throw cars with ease, send someone flying with a kick, and punch through concrete. Penny can lift around three-thousand and two-hundred pounds at most. Which is enough to lift up a car, and make sure that anyone who takes a direct blow from her isn't going to get up for awhile. Because of her strength, the muscles in her legs are also capable of carrying her further. She can run faster, and jump higher. Of course, Penny needs a power to work in the background of this incredible strength. She is insanely tough to boot. Her skeleton has been reinforced in order to support the weight, her tendons and ligaments can't be torn easily, and her skin is rough, and hard to pierce. She's capable of easily shrugging off a weak ass baseball bat, basic blows, or a knife, like it's nothing. Though, bullets (Especially high caliber) would still pierce through her normally. To supplement these abilities even further, she also has a higher stamina.
Limits:
Penny can only use one power at a time, and has a limit of four powers before she has to discard one - and the usual replicator weaknesses on top of that; she doesn't know how to use a power rat off the bat. She has to train with it to figure out the capabilities and limitations. Of course Penny inherits the limits of any ability she copies:
Shape-Shifting: Her shape-shifting power is limited by mass. The tallest Penny can achieve is around six feet - and that's not taking into account body-fat or muscles. Worse case, she'll have to transform into a smaller version of that person. Which makes disguising herself as someone very difficult. Clothing isn't incorporated into the shape-shifting, she'll have to find some new clothes that fit her new body, if necessary. Certain Meta-humans can see through her form. Her scent is the same regardless of form, and other telepaths/extra-sensory types can see through it. Penny is also unable to maintain a form for more than an hour straight, the longer she holds it, the more she'll break down.
Spider-Physiology: Penny can be caught in her own webs... Her spider-legs have oils that allow her to move on them without getting caught, but the rest of Penny doesn't have it. If any spider-legs are injured, then she'll have to retract them and give them time to heal. The transformation is also a straining affair that tires out Penny by a great deal. She can only produce around twenty-yards of webbing before she has to wait a little bit to replenish her supply.
Enhanced-Strength: Unless she throws something, Penny will be restricted to close ranged combat. While she's strong, she's still limited by her stamina. Excessively lifting objects places a strain onto Penny. Like average humans, her muscles will tire out after doing it a lot. It's rather easy for her to overexert herself, and start feeling burnt out. Fighting at full strength isn't exactly ideal. While Penny is tough as nails, she still feels pain. A punch can't hurt her normally. Her durability mostly prevents physical attacks from hurting her, elemental (Specifically Energy) attacks are effective against her. Getting set on fire isn't pleasant (Her blood might boil!), electricity would knock her out, and etc. And, you know, she still needs air.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Penny's ability doesn't have any weaknesses on it's own - Penny inherits the weaknesses of whatever power she copies.
Shape-Shifting: Due to it's low strength, it doesn't have a whole lot of weaknesses. Only thing is that her nerves are far more sensitive due to the fact the transformations took a slight toll on her body. She feels much more pain, as a simple poke can sting like a bitch.
Spider-Physiology: This form makes Penny more vulnerable to heat and cold, as changing into this form renders her cold-blooded. In addition, Penny's spider-legs can burn much easier, and fire is a quick way to remove her spider legs. The extra eyes also don't make bright lights any easier, because a flashbang can render her permanently blind!
Enhanced-Strength: The first weakness she has is that Penny's much, much, stronger than she is tough. If you realize what that means, then is very possible for her to break her hand with a full force punch, or break her joints by lifting up something that's too heavy. When Penny uses her strength, then she has the likelihood of tearing up her bodily tissues. Which would cause some problems. It would also cause plenty of joint pain, and impair her healing. Jess also doesn't have the best balance. Throwing a roundhouse kick is just as likely to knock herself over. Finally, muscle is pretty heavy, and it adds onto her weight. It makes her heavier than most people.
Other:
■ In many ways, Penny is meant to be the "rival" to Wendy. Both of them are similar in certain ways, but the opposite of each other in many more. Some contrast is obvious... other is subtle.
■ Being a clubber, Penny has come up with ways to defend herself outside of her power. The first thing is that she carries around a taser that will give anyone a nasty shock. The other thing she has is a pepper sprayer - but that's where the fun begins. As Penny has long used up the original contents in her many confrontations, she has decided to make her own out of peppers that she had lying around the house. She has several different types of pepper (Including a ghost pepper) blended together (On the plus side, it makes a really good hot sauce). Getting that shit near your eyes is great way to want to remove 'em.
"It's impossible to save every single person in this world---
Saving one life means another has to be sacrificed to fill in the dead role."
BASIC INFORMATION
NAME
Shizuka Takashiro (高城 静, Takashiro Shizuka)
OTHER NAMES
Shizu - nickname
Phantom - callsign
Gāochéng Jìng - in Mandarin
GENDER
Dude, of course.
AGE
26
HEIGHT
5' 9"
WEIGHT
152 lbs
HOME DISTRICTS
Either Greencrest Heights in White Coast area with Holly, or Little Seapond in Roseview with Akemi if he drops by Baybridge. Otherwise he's often out of town on a cross-border trip across Asia... due to shitty political reasons.
APPEARANCE
HAIR COLOR
Black (originally Premature Gray)
EYE COLOR
Brown
ETHNICITY
100% Japanese
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Shizuka has a small stature and slim build common among native Japanese; even the harsh military training he received after joining RAVEN didn't really help to put on much muscle and weight. Well, he certainly is a lot sturdier now compared to his teenage self, but hey, don't expect a pure-blood Asian to ever beef up like all those Hollywood male stars. Originally fair-skinned (for Asian standard; still seen as "yellow" to all you Caucasian people) that later took on a slight tan from his RAVEN training.
He still keeps his hair in a windswept pixie-cut style; he has also finally dyed his white hair to black, which helps him to keep himself hidden better - both with and without his power. His heart-shaped face doesn't seem to appear to have aged much at all, still retaining the androgynous look. (He can easily pass off as a girl... if he can tone down that intimidating aura of his first, that is.) The "birthmark" that differentiates him from his twin is the small mole on the left side of his face, just below the lower half of his thin lips.
ATTIRE
For Shizuka, he has only one golden rule when it comes to clothing: comfort over fashion. Partly due to his sporty nature, while the other was due to his ignorance for bull fashion. Though, everyone is more used to him wearing like an edgy teenager that he's been told numerous times how suits just don't go well with him - at all.
On the job, if he out on assault missions, he wears a simple black stealth suit with minimal armory such as army knives and small pistols/revolvers, instead of being heavily armored and equipped with bulky guns and retarded helmets like most agents. When needed to, he may pack a sniper rifle on his back. After all, he is supposed to stay in the shadows (and out of everyone's way) and he's rarely at the front line; also, all the extra armors are just dead weight to him. If he's in the office, you'd see him in standard office wear... sometimes, if he's been told off to wear proper clothes to work the day before.
PERSONALITY
INNATE & OUTWARD PERSONALITY
In Verthaven, Shizuka started out as an anti-hero with too much sass for his own good. He made it clear to everyone and anyone he had interacted with that he was a pessimistic realist, and his brother complex made it hard for him to trust people easily. His deadpan sarcasm, his reluctance to befriend others to protect the only person he loved... But underneath all that edginess he wasn't as emotionless as he seemed, even extending a helping hand to the Verthaven kids when they needed it most.
Fast forward to Baybridge. He's still as snarky as ever, but has learned how to hold back his tongue better, and has begun to build friendships with the Verthaven survivors. Though, he still has a long way to go to overcome his innate awkwardness, to express himself in a better way. His eccentricity makes it even worse, for his thoughts are rarely on the same wavelength as others. It's difficult for most people to be able to keep up with his unpredictable pace, sometimes giving rise to misunderstandings that can range from amusing to hostile. While problematic when he has to listen to orders, his unorthodox ways have helped to save the lives of people (and later earning mouthfuls from his superiors).
While Shizuka has been diligent in his judo (and later RAVEN) training that has hardwired the physical and mental discipline into him for as long as he can remember, ironically he doesn't care much about rules, justice, chivalry... whatever those superficial bullshits are. Rather, he believes in simply doing what's necessary to resolve a situation in the best possible way, even if some of the methods used are... morally gray. He has an extremely high survival instinct, and he'd use anything and everything in his possession to turn the situation in his favor. His ability to be able to suppress his emotions and keep a clear mind often allows him to think out of the box and see the bigger picture better than most people. Though, his cold logic is often being seen as a form of arrogance in the eyes of others.
Relationship wise, Shizuka is (un)surprisingly a very family person - after all, the biggest reason why he agreed to join RAVEN was to make use of his post to tap into some of the organization's resources to protect his family, especially his twin brother, Haruka, his closest next of kin (the opportunity to get his hands on those delicious guns is secondary). His circle of "friends" is very small - although he has opened up himself a little more than before, he still doesn't trust people easily. However, he has no qualms about making loads of acquaintances - some through normal, proper connections, while others with (a bit of) blackmailing. As for romance... that's up in the air (it's not happening anytime soon, not with his weird personality, lol).
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Sports | He was a very sporty person back in his childhood days, so much so that he couldn't sit still for more than a few minutes without going into a fidgety state. From generic ball games to extreme sports like snowboarding, he had tried them all before. He's a lot less hyperactive now (patience is a virtue to be a good sniper!) and his job has kept him very busy, but he does hit the gyms sometimes, or some solo sports such as squash, or simply shooting some hoops.
Travel | Due to the nature of his parents' work, his family often has to travel around, moving from one place to another depending on where they are relocated to. Shizuka's limitless sense of curiosity and his physical restlessness give rise to his desire to go on a backpacking trip around the world on his own. He also begins to take great interest to broaden his knowledge on languages and cultures of other countries, which he finds useful to prepare for his backpacking dream. After joining RAVEN, he's given many opportunities to travel around US and the world (though mostly Asian countries) - and on official business, not vacation, unfortunately.
Firearms | Shizuka picked up this when he played some FPS games with Haruka for the first time when they were... still kids (let's not go into the details about game rating for children, yeah). He would find books or online articles on this topic and read about them, but whatever he had learned were only textbook knowledge. He had yearned for a chance to get hands-on experience with guns and rifles (and to a smaller extent, explosives) - which were later presented to him in two stages: first, by moving and settling down in America (where you can't live without a pistol in your pocket), and later by joining RAVEN.
Biology | After the "evolution" of his power during the Devil Disaster in Verthaven, he starts to take greater interest in understanding the human body, which is extremely useful to help him better utilize his new-found ability (and of course, an added bonus to some of his other skill sets).
SKILLS & TALENTS
Languages | Shizuka's family had spent a lot of time traveling - plus his quickness to pick up new languages - so besides his native tongue he is also fluent in English (well, it is the language most commonly used across the world, duh) and Chinese (easier for him to master due to many similarities with Japanese). Because of this, he has also become the main liaison officer between RAVEN and the Metahuman agencies in Asia (China, Japan, the Philippines, etc.) for any joint assignments with the East. He has been picking up a few dialects here and there (like Min and Cantonese) during his frequent trips to the East.
Combat: Close Quarters | Besides judo (now a fourth dan black belt), the military training he received in RAVEN has added a wide variety of CQC moves to his arsenal, including the use of daggers and batons. Unlike most agents who rely on brute strength and direct frontal assaults, he overcomes his lack of strength with agility, such as using feints and tricks before delivering lightning-fast surprise attacks.
Stealth & Reconnaissance | Given his small build, his quick reflexes and the nature of his power, he's pretty much the top in this area in RAVEN... probably second only to Holly.
Sharpshooting: Sniper | While he has an interest in generic firearms, he has taken a greater liking for rifles, in particular long-range sniper models (with assault types being a close second). He seems to be trying to maximize his usefulness - especially in relation to his power, range is an issue - but is that really the only reason behind this? Regardless, he's actually a pretty good sniper - nowhere as good as the legendary Sonya Mayfield (whom he looks up to), but you still shouldn't underestimate him.
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS
Family | As mentioned previously, Shizuka's main goal of joining RAVEN is to acquire the necessary skills and resources to protect his new family - especially his twin brother, whom he knows is his greatest weak spot, and fears his enemies would know to exploit that.
Self-Discovery | Other than his awkward personality, the unhealthy mental and emotional growth caused by the lack of love and care from Asami have also contributed to Shizuka's rather pessimistic view of the people and world around him, turning him into a rather apathetic person. More about his family background will be revealed in this sequel.
HISTORY
Kamakura is one of the well-known spiritual spots in Japan: a small, humble city in the south of the Kanagawa Prefecture. Like most Japanese couples, Yuuichi Takashiro and his then pregnant wife Asami went to the shrines there to pray for their unborn child. Their prayer was answered - and it was more than what they had asked for.
Asami gave birth to two peas in a pod - twin boys.
This was where Haruka and Shizuka's story begin.
Their parents, being diplomatic agents, had to constantly move from one place to another: when the twins turned three their parents' job relocated them to Shanghai; when they were six the family was posted to Singapore; when they were eight to France... Even their tenth birthday was forgone as they had to fly to Australia. They were not nomads per se, but to the twins, they never had a place they could actually call home. The boys were mostly left on their own, for their parents were so busy with their work that they could barely spent much time with their children - this was especially more so for the career-driven Asami. Initially they hired nannies and maids to look after the kids, but Shizuka would often drive them away with his pranks - he didn't like how they always fussed over him for every trivial matter, forcing him to wear the exact same clothes as Haruka, and how they kept comparing him pointlessly with his obedient brother. They might look the same, but they were still different! They might be still young, but stop suffocating them with their old-fashioned ideologies! Why couldn't these stupid adults understand?
The parents then decided to send them to international schools, where they picked up an interest in multilingualism; with how the family was always moving about, they couldn't stay long enough to make any lasting memories and friends (a lot of their schoolmates also come and go just like them). For Shizuka, he was content with joining them as temporary playmates in ball games as long as he got to keep his body active, but Haruka hid himself away with books and computers, afraid to talk to anyone except his brother or when necessary.
After a while, Shizuka begged his father to let him take up martial arts - and Yuu let him try judo. The physical and mental demand for competitive judo was more than most of the sports he had played so far, which motivated him to spend more time and effort into climbing up the belt levels, eventually earning his first black belt.
Later on, Yuu suggested to enroll them into local institutions. The paperwork was a little more tedious compared to international schools, but the fees were much lower. More importantly, the change of academic environment gave the twins - though just a bit - a sense of settling down, which helped to make the recluse Haruka to take the first step out of his comfort zone, to face and talk to people directly.
Of course, in whichever type of school they went to, Haruka could never escape the fate of being a magnet for bullies - he looked weak, nerdy... the very things that made him a perfect human punch bag for these delinquents. It was down to his younger brother to save his ass with his judo tricks - this did help to strengthen their brotherly bond, but Shizuka wasn't aware that his twin was taking his protectiveness beyond the realm of mere sibling love.
Well, because Shizuka had a more pressing matter to deal with.
His powers began to manifest after he turned thirteen - sometimes his fingers would pass through whatever he was holding; he also found out that when he put his hands through electronic devices he would cause them to short-circuit. At first, the ability was more of a nuisance to him: he had little to no control over how he could turn the power on or off, resulting in awkward situations such as things falling out of his grip unexpectedly, or part of his arm disappearing through the wall. An incident where his hand didn't go through his phone completely and was temporarily merged with the device sent him into a very painful frenzy - this caused an accelerated development of his ability, in which he could now extend intangibility to his whole body. Only Haruka knew of his power, and they swore to each other to keep this a secret between themselves. As he had never undergone any formal training on how he could control his ability properly, he was prone to unforeseen hiccups or accidental use of his power at times.
As the boys became older, Yuu felt that he couldn't keep bringing them along on their business trips, depriving them the need of a proper school education and social interaction with kids of their age. He finally convinced Asami to place them under the care of their aunt - Asami's younger sister - Akemi Shinoda, who lived in the Chinatown area of Verthaven, a sunny city in the west coast of America.
Little did the boys know that they only had a month of peaceful - almost boring - enjoyment before they were thrown straight into an apocalyptic disaster that completely changed their life. Shizuka had been getting the bad signs through his "gut feeling", but no one believed him, thinking that he was being a callous smartass... Of course, it didn't help that his less-than-friendly personality made people all the more unwilling to listen to him.
Then suddenly, people were getting killed left and right, including those whom they could become friends with if they had met under better circumstances; worse, the then-powerless Haruka was so close to dying not once but numerous times, even coming face to face with the Changeling Unit. After so much bloodshed and death encounters, It was truly a miracle that all of them managed to stay alive till the end - but this pure luck wouldn't be on their side forever, especially not after what Shizuka had done to help the NEST agents and the Verthaven teens to take down their foes, on top of saving their asses at times.
This wasn't the end of everything yet...
The Devil Disaster had prompted the reshuffling of NEST - which was now known as DOVE and RAVEN. Together with the other two surviving teens Zhao Meifeng and Cindy Keagan, Shizuka was also scouted to join the new RAVEN by the then newly elected Chairman, Maximilian Cornell. He accepted the offer, which made him the youngest recruit ever enrolled (and people started to call him an elite, though mostly out of spite).
He began the Spartan-like military training once he and his new family settled down after being relocated to Baybridge. His training still continued on even after the two years of basics (that all RAVEN newcomers must go through), in particular to further develop his skills in recon on top of sharpshooting. Sometimes he would be sent along with Meifeng to the other states and assist her with fighting with both old and new foes: the Hands of Science, the Pure, the Allegiance... to name a few.
The events in Verthaven didn't affect him as much as it did to the other survivors since he's there only for a month and all (thankfully he didn't have any PTSD after going through a series of tests), but he knew he couldn't relax one bit and get his family into a similar kind of danger again. Call him paranoid, but who wouldn't after been through all that shit? While his job was keeping him real busy - including many business trips especially to Asian countries - he still made sure he set aside some time to be with his family, even helping out with the farm. (He and Holly shared an apartment which was much closer to their workplace, but he still liked to stay together with the whole family as much as he could.) Whenever he's back in Japan, he would try to at least meet up with his father, if Yuu happened to be back in their home country (once they even met in Malaysia by pure chance). He could care less about Asami, though.
Most of the ice around his aloof personality has melted off as he began to work hard to improve his social life, especially his relationships with the people whom he fought alongside with in Verthaven. Though he's still as brutally honest as ever, he has learned to hold his sharp tongue back much better than before (no, he still had his snarky sense of humor, just keeping them to himself). He had received praises for doing a great job connecting RAVEN with the Metahuman law enforcement groups in Asia - so much so that the Chinese and Japanese counterparts would only speak to him and no one else from RAVEN - but his laid-back attitude made his superiors reluctant to give him much promotions (besides, he didn't want more work than he already had which would eat into his precious family time).
He was hoping for a decent break after coming back from another business trip to China (where he had to entertain spoiled princesses on top of their doting old men), but before he could catch up with his twin he had to attend some charity event that ended with a case of dumb robbers. Soon, more retarded incidents started to pop up everywhere in Baybridge: an Allegiance riot where he was forced to snipe a young girl to prevent her powers from falling into the wrong hands, then a flesh-eating Metahuman on the loose... and the overloading cases that almost caused his brother to die under the blade of an old ghost.
His second attempt to have a good bonding time with his twin was shattered again with Eco-Natura turning the entire Prince Ed-Field into a freaking rainforest. They managed to get out unscathed while saving a few familiar faces along the way... but not without a few surprises here and there, including the unexpected meeting with Jennifer Caspin, and a brief encounter with Lihua's foe, Song Jiang.
The real bomb was dropped onto the twins with Akemi's voice message - a phone call from their father about their missing mother. Then another from Cindy about the dangerous Founding Family brought Shizuka to the Land of the Dragon once more.
Now, it's time for the dragon to wake up from its deep slumber...
While the city is still taking it's own sweet time to recover from the Overload and Eco-Natura incidents, Shizuka had been busy with his job, looking for clues connected to the dragon tattoo... that led him to the existence of a secretive organization based in Asia called "Polaris". Of course, this discovery didn't come without other nasty revelations. One, the twins' mother, Asami, was a member of the cult; two, Haruka and his powers were triggered due to a certain experiment Polaris did on Asami.
However, he was forced to leave the research to his colleague (and "sister") Holly, and was reassigned to deal with an Allegiance gathering that went horribly wrong. Before he could demand another leave from work, he was thrown into another retarded incident - this time from a tanking terrorist who called himself the "Black Hound", which in turn also revealed the existence of the Founding Family. Worse, his own brother Haruka was also dragged into the hostage incident, and even used to threaten him to chicken out. The Black Hound thought he got the most troublesome agent out of the way and pushed DOVE/RAVEN to a corner, only to be thwarted by Shizuka's even quicker thinking that saved almost all the hostages without giving into the Family's demands. Though, his surprising heroism was flipped upside down to scorn from the higher-ups (keyword: almost), which caused him to get suspended from his position for a month.
Under the cover of his suspension, he continued to look into Polaris and the Family with Holly, even enlisting help from overseas - assistance from Ryu to check some anomalies happening in China. Some of his findings were relayed to the Zhaos, but that was interrupted thanks to the appearance of Jennifer. He saw through her lie and exposed her missing hand to their old friends, resulting in a fallout with her... but gaining the chance to mend ties with Lihua.
Later, Haruka revealed his encounter with Xing Huo, the Fire Spirit of Polaris, and with the help of another agency agent they set up an ambush to get more answers out of her... only to be left with a cryptic poem. Still, they knew they couldn't stop there - adding two more allies to the odd team, which came with valuable intel in the form of audio recordings in USB drives scattered all over Baybridge. With the information he came up with some strategies along with what Lihua and the RAVENs had, even working together with a traitor within the Family.
To cut the long and retarded story short, Shizuka eventually completed the mission and got what he came for, at the same time he kept his word with Veronica Emily Davis (now under a new alias 'Noelle Delacroix') to save her sisters from the Family's imprisonment. He also accepted the chance to get a promotion, something he had been avoiding for the past seven years ever since he became a full-fledged RAVEN.
In the three-year gap before the start of this installment, Shizuka's workload increased with his rank - in particular speeding up multilateral ties with Asian Metahuman agencies to combat the growing threat of Polaris, before they would see a repeat of the chaos in Europe left behind by the Family - in Asia. However, there were resistances from China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia that prevented all the Asian countries to come to a consensus. Shizuka had been working on/off with Ryu to find out just how deep Polaris' influence had seeped into the Asian politics...
RELATIONSHIPS
FAMILY
HARUKA TAKASHIRO | Twin Brother
See "Dynamics".
AKEMI SHINODA | Aunt
The aunt of the twins through their mother, where she's younger than Asami. To the boys, Akemi feels more like a mum than their own biological mother. Akemi is somewhat stricter with Shizuka - partly because of his difficult personality, and partly because she feels concerned about the various kinds of things he has to go through in his job as an agent fighting - at times even killing - rogue Metahumans.
DAPHNE "HOLLY" HOPE | Sister Figure
Holly becomes a sister figure to the twins when Akemi took her in as goddaughter. She often shares some of her wisdom to the boys - especially with Shizuka - which earns their utmost respect for her. In RAVEN, she also acts as a mentor to him even when they aren't in the same department (more importantly, that their powers give them similar edge in stealth and intelligence gathering). Some agents - even his own brother - have teased about him staying together with her with no signs of ever getting hooked up with each other, and he just brushes them off nonchalantly.
YUUICHI TAKASHIRO | Father
The twins' father. Yuu is a diplomatic agent representing Japan, and this job often causes his family to get relocated on a frequent basis, moving from one country to another all the time. He tries to squeeze out more time to spend with his children, but his wife Asami would always frown upon his desire to take days off work. Now, he tries to keep up to date about his sons through Shizuka, if they manage to cross each other's path during their frequent trips around the world.
ASAMI TAKASHIRO (nee SHINODA) | Mother
Although Asami is the (biological) mother of Haruka and Shizuka, she has never done anything for the twins - she was never there for them, never did what a mother should do to play her part in bringing up her children: to give them the care and love they needed, forsaking their psychological and emotional well-being for her own selfish goals, abandoning them so that she can climb further up the career ladder. It's later revealed that she was once a member of Polaris, and it's hinted that their mother's greed for superpowers is the cause/trigger to the twins' Metahuman abilities...
DYNAMICS
HARUKA TAKASHIRO | Inseparable | Twin Brother
"It's both my pride - and regret - to see how much he has grown over the years." Haruka is Shizuka's older twin, but very few people are able guess that correctly - not just because of Shizuka's white hair in the past, but also how they always treat each other as equals, blurring the lines of seniority even between themselves. Even though Shizuka is no longer that overprotective of him compared to their childhood days, he still won't hesitate to put the well-being of his twin before anyone else'. They do argue and trash-talk each other from time to time.
ZHAO MEIFENG | Mixed | RAVEN
"Usually she's all brawn and no brain, but when she actually uses her head... I guess I'll acknowledge that she's a somewhat competent agent after all. I'm sorry about what happened to her mother, though." Shizuka and Meifeng have come a long way from Verthaven - from having such low opinions of each other that they never saw the need to talk to each other in the eye, and now they are comrades working together in the same organization. While they are on friendlier terms now compared to seven years ago, they still argue at times - he has a problem with Meifeng's impulsive way of handling things, sometimes even questioning her intellect level. However, after the death of Lihua, he hasn't talked to her ever since...
QUENTIN TAYLOR | Respected | RAVEN, Senior
"Gotta admit that the old man is a genius with firearms - so good that I'd never want to be on the receiving end." Shizuka can easily relate to him with how the both of them are willing to do anything and everything to protect their own brother. Although he finds that Quentin is somewhat similar to Meifeng with their... unhealthy hatred for villains in general, at least Quentin seems to have more self-control than the girl.
REED TAYLOR | Respected | DOVE, Senior
"Less intense than his older bro', and also a pretty good gunner." On the field, Reed becomes Shizuka's "voice of reason" of sorts, which is usually Haruka's role in the past before he joined RAVEN. Sometimes he wishes that Haruka can be half as good as Reed... and stop that annoying "goody two-shoes" bullshit.
JACKSON DRAKE | Neutral | Informer
"Right now we only maintain a professional relationship with each other, but I feel like things are going to get worse... soon." Shizuka saved Jackson from turning a scene even uglier when he decided to break up the shouting match at the DOVE front counter. While he's vaguely acquainted with Jackson, he didn't mind lending the man some help to find his missing friend... in exchange to work for the Japanese agent outside of RAVEN's jury.
ABILITIES
CLASS
Super-System (Biological)
POWER
Intangibility - "Phasing" | Shizuka can phase through solid matter and objects by passing his atoms through the spaces between the particles of the object which he is moving through. As such, he and the object that he's going through may temporarily merge without interacting; each is unharmed when he has finished passing through the object. (This is somewhat similar to the process of quantum tunneling.)
Non-Corporeal Physiology | While in phased state, he is practically untouchable. With a bit more concentration he can make his body light enough to be able to walk on air.
Cerebral Power Resistance | His thoughts becomes highly erratic when he's in ghost mode, which makes it difficult to establish telepathic connection with his mind, or even detect his presence at times. He is also able to disrupt telekinetic links to the objects or the people he expands his power to (see next point).
Limited Power Extension | He can extend his ability to the clothes he's wearing and any object in his possession at the moment. He's now also able to expand his power to a maximum of four people at each time. In order for this to work, he has to maintain direct physical contact with the person or thing he's phasing along with.
Internal Analysis | Any person or object he extends his ability to allows him to be "linked" to them, giving him insight to their internal structure.
LIMITS
Shizuka is unable to breathe while he's passing through the object (e.g. walking through walls), so he can phase continuously only for as long as he can hold his breath. As such, his power is highly dependent on his stamina - in order to keep his fitness level at its peak, besides exercising regularly he has sworn to stay away from cigarettes and alcohol.
The denser the material is, the harder and slower for him to pass through. Forcing himself to phase through objects of very high density can cause him undesirable pain, at times also injuring himself. Also, he's unable to phase continuously through denser objects for a prolonged period of time without putting a lot of physical and mental stress onto himself.
Although he gains cerebral power resistance in phased state, it doesn't completely erase his presence - it may be possible for an extremely powerful clairvoyant to be able to detect him. Also, his power doesn't make him invisible physically.
The accuracy of Internal Analysis is heavily dependent on his prior knowledge of the object or person he's feeling - the less he know about them or the more complicated they are, the lower the accuracy.
WEAKNESSES & DRAWBACKS
Shizuka's "natural" state is solid - he has to concentrate in order to switch to ghost mode. Shock-inducing weapons such as taser or stun guns are effective to disrupt his concentration and snap him out of phased state.
His power only allows him to pass through atom-matters (solid, liquid and gas), hence he isn't immune to energy-based attacks such as lightning - he can't phase through electromagnetic waves and electrical currents. For example, trying to pass through systems still running on electricity will cause them to malfunction.
Solidifying while in an object (applies to both partially - such as his limbs - and his whole body) or switching off his ability before he has passed through the object completely may inflict serious injury (and a hell lot of pain, mind you) - in worst case scenario, even death. This is because the atoms of his body are immediately merged into the object he's trying to phase through... which is similar to how someone stabs you right into your vital organs, but on an atomic level.
Lead and Bismuth. Although he can phase through almost any solid matter, this two of the densest stable elements on Earth are pretty much a bane on his body. It's uncertain whether he would be able to phase through them at all, but he has zero intention to test that out, ever. As far as he's concerned, trying to pass through those two (nasty) elements is equivalent to a normal human trying to walk through a solid wall.
OTHERS
TRIVIA
Shizuka is not a citizen of US - he only holds American permanent residency (required in order for him to work for RAVEN), and he still has Japanese citizenship. Also, as his parents are diplomats he and Haruka are both able to enjoy diplomatic immunity, but they have no wish to use that privilege unless absolutely necessary.
Although he sometimes appears to be predominantly left-handed, he's actually ambidextrous.
He has tried a wide range of sniper rifles in his line of work, but mainly CheyTac M-325 Intervention because it's the standard model used in RAVEN now. For pistols, he uses a Beretta 92FS.
He owns a blue Yamaha FZ-09, which he shares the bike with Haruka, who helps to keep it in top shape when not in use. Otherwise, he simply uses a RAVEN vehicle.
His most prized possession is the survival knife he took from NEST (now RAVEN) for the last stand against the Devil of Verthaven - and later the Changelings. Originally he had a pair, but he used up one by merging the blade into Luis' brain in order to save Quentin from a suicidal death. He has never used it since then, but he still brings it along on some trips and missions as a protection charm.
THEME SONG
"Power and money can buy the world, the people... but never enough to buy loyalty."
BASIC INFORMATION
NAME
Haruka Takashiro (高城 遥, Takashiro Haruka)
OTHER NAMES
Haru - nickname
GENDER
Male
AGE
26
HEIGHT
5' 8"
WEIGHT
148 lbs
HOME DISTRICT
Originally lives in Little Seapond, Roseview with Akemi, but has been out of town with Jennifer for three years prior to this installment.
APPEARANCE
HAIR COLOR
Black
EYE COLOR
Brown
ETHNICITY
Japanese
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Just like his younger twin, Haruka also has a small and slim stature common among native Japanese. While he doesn't have the athletic build his sporty agent brother possesses, the Academy's physical training has given him a much healthier hue and beefed him up a little, though he still can't get any tan even if he's under the sun a lot.
His jet-black hair is naturally ruffled and unkempt no matter how much he tries to straighten that mop of mess on his head. He wears a pair of rectangular, half-rimmed spectacles over his dark brown eyes, but he can still see without glasses since the degree isn't that high anyway. He has the same heart-shaped, androgynous face and thin lips like Shizuka, but he does not have any birthmarks.
The gun wound from the Mall Hostage incident has pretty much healed save for a faint scar on his thigh, to remind him that he's no longer the weak Haruka from before, but someone who can stand his own ground without his twin to protect him all the fucking time. Most people tend to drop their guard around him because of his weak appearance, which usually works in his favor - either to keep a low profile as much as possible, or to deliver surprise attacks to make quick getaways.
ATTIRE
It's hard to be particular about dress code when you're on the road, always on the move. As long as they are comfortable for the long journey (plus easy to wash and dry, of course), Haruka isn't picky about what he wears. However, he does take special care to make sure he can blend in with the crowd - the last thing he wanted is to attract unwanted attention to himself... and Jennifer.
PERSONALITY
INNATE & OUTWARD PERSONALITY
Haruka has come a long way from his old self. In Verthaven, he began as a nerdy kid of sorts: a soft-spoken introvert who spent most of his time with books - basically information in general - than with people. It didn't help that his childhood circumstances made him even more reluctant to socialize, and Shizuka became the only person he was willing to open up to. Still, he knew very well that people couldn't live alone and tried his best to reach out to others, even if he was hesitant about approaching them at times.
However, after the Verthaven Disaster and moving to Baybridge, he was enrolled into Academy 61 while his twin became a RAVEN. Increasing interactions after joining the Academy has given him the opportunity to break the ice. Eventually he has become much more comfortable facing and talking with strangers, and even making friends (better than Shizuka), though he still retains his rather polite/formal speech style. He does continue to value quiet times and his peaceful private space to take breaks from the social hubbub.
He may have a seemingly mellow personality (that's further accented by his meek outward appearance), but that doesn't mean he can't put up a fight. Trained directly under the Zhao Lihua, a matriarch among the elemental-manipulating instructors in the Academy, he fully understands that his power is as versatile as the element itself - air and wind - and he spares no effort to truly master his ability. He did, and went on to graduate from the Academy as one of the top students of his cohort. As much as he can he prefers to avoid needless violence, but if he has to resort to force he is capable of taking care of himself without any help from his overprotective brother. However, with how his ability is connected to his emotions, he has to be extremely careful with how he to keep his power - and his other side - under control.
He has also learned to be more reserved about putting his trust in people he barely knew, but he still tries to see the good in them as much as he can. While on the surface it's a good thing that Haruka is becoming more sociable and stop being a shut-in of sorts, he's also exposed to the dark side of human relationships, which often challenges his initial ideals about humanity, making it increasingly harder for him to think of people in a good way. The constant battle between the paradox of beliefs inside him continues to widen... resulting in two distinct personalities within him. One is his nice, idealistic "usual" self; the other is the darker, cold-blooded persona that seems to take after his more practical twin. (Do not mistaken this as a form of bipolar or personality disorder - Haruka is consciously aware of the two sides and has control over them. Besides, it's nowhere extreme enough to be considered that anyway.)
Most importantly, he has matured even further through the road trip with Jennifer to aid in her search of her previous "employer", a woman called Megan. An independent side that he has shown to only Jen, and no one else - not even to Shizuka. Maybe Xing Huo was right - there's a limit how far he can keep up the "Nice Guy" facade, but he doesn't know any other way he can still hold onto whatever's left of his optimism for humanity. Especially not after he has seen too many horrors in his life to pretend that everything will be alright. (Everything ain't okay if they're left as it is, period.)
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Reading | Haruka prides himself as an armchair traveler as opposed to Shizuka's passion for backpacking. Unable to make long-lasting friendship with peers of his age due to the family constantly moving around in his childhood days, he seeks refuge by losing himself in the worlds of books and cyberspace. While his brother is out sweating himself in sports, the older twin would lurk in local libraries and bookstores, burying himself among the piles of musty old volumes; or he would hang out in internet cafes, lost himself in the sea of information in the virtual world. He is rather well-versed in Asian literature.
Music | Besides reading, he likes listening to music, specifically acoustic covers and instrumental pieces. It's one of the few things that can help to calm his nerves.
High Places | Mostly a "side-effect" of sorts due to his ability, he enjoys simply standing or sitting on the rooftops or trees, letting the open breeze to blow into him.
Video Gaming | Usually just between him and Shizuka. The twins would try to find free time and have a few hours of game time together - so far, Haruka is better with rhythm games and strategic turn-based types, while his younger twin is unstoppable in real-time action RPGs and FPS.
SKILLS & TALENTS
Languages | Like his twin, Haruka is also fluent in Japanese, English and Chinese. In fact, he learns new languages faster than Shizuka. On the road trip with Jennifer, he has picked up a couple of useful lines in various European languages here and there.
Eidetic Memory | He has displayed signs of such talent; however, it's possibly due to his aptitude to maximize the use of various mnemonics, which enable him to process information at a faster rate with better grasp than most people.
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS
Family | Haruka's reason is very different from his twin's; rather than about their current family in America, he's more concerned about their blood family - with Yuu and Asami. He doesn't want to give up on their original family like Shizuka, choosing to rebuild it from scratch.
??? | The journey across the world with Jennifer is certainly quite an experience, but once he gets back to Baybridge, he has to decide if he wants to take up DOVE's offer and follow Shizuka's footsteps... or continue to try figure out what he wants to do in his life from hereon.
HISTORY
I suggest that you should read Shizuka's sheet first as it contains more details (which I'm not going to repeat myself here again).
Verthaven seemed to be a promising place for the twins to finally settle down - Akemi was much nicer than their own mother, and they managed to make some "friends" around their age. Everything was smooth - he was starting to enjoy his new life in America - but that happiness didn't last long. Barely a month passed before the Devil's sludge army rose above the ground and razed the city, then his family was forced to run for their lives. He felt even more useless when he didn't have any powers like his twin, a hindrance to everyone else - until he met Jennifer Caspin, the first person he thought he could truly be friends with.
He could see all the warning signs, he could tell that something wrong - something terrible - had happened to the girl, but he was afraid to probe her further, afraid of the answer. He was upset when Shizuka suspected her for being the mole selling them out to the Changelings - he knew that all his brother had done was merely to protect him, but he couldn't help feeling guilty that his own life was saved on her forsaken life. It was even more ironic that his superpower only manifested after her death.
However, his brother was right: the only thing he could do to "repay" for being alive was to live on and keep moving forward, together with the memories he had made with those who had passed away in the terrible incident.
After the twins and their new family settled down in Baybridge, Haruka was enrolled into Academy 61 to learn how to better control his power while his brother began his two-year basic military training with the newly formed RAVEN. The older twin worked really hard - he had been doing very well in the Academy and eventually graduated with flying colors, while Shizuka went on to do further training in his area of expertise. Though, a certain incident that happened during one of the arena practice fights was the first sign of his confrontation with the harsh reality. It might not seem like a big deal and was covered up pretty quickly thanks to Lihua, but that was only just the beginning...
After which, Haruka decided to take up part-time degree course so that he could still help Akemi with the farm. Everything seemed so peaceful right now, but with his new power, he could feel it as much as Shizuka's "gut feeling" - that something else is stirring in the background... Something bad.
He was living a peaceful life with Akemi, though he was disappointed that the reunion with his twin was cut short due to Shizuka's eventual involvement with the Stronghold Community patrol shift. While his brother was later caught up in one after another Metahuman-related incident that prevented them from having a proper get-together, Haruka soon found himself walking deeper and deeper into the Overload trap; he then became the final victim and razed Oakdell Harbor with his freak tornado-hurricane before the sniper who shot him with a charging serum was apprehended. Not without a near-death reunion with an old ghost he had never expected to meet...
Just when he thought he could finally have a nice catch-up with Shizuka, the twins found themselves in the middle of another Metahuman disaster caused by Eco-Natura. While trying to escape from the growing forest, he met Jennifer again, but they didn't have the time to settle their score with each other when they had to part ways, with Shizuka prioritizing on getting uncombatable individuals under his protection to safety, and left the ice golem to her and Megan. Their brief, passing encounters went on when Jennifer loaded the injured Lihua up the car, and then Haruka had to fly his former mentor across to the Headquarters to seek medical help when the connecting bridge was bombed.
To add on to his growing list of woes, the news of the missing Asami struck the twins. Shizuka quickly left for Asia to sort out both about the Founding Family and their mother's whereabouts on top of dealing with the increasing restlessness of the Asian countries in respond to the Baybridge incidents. As for Haruka, he wondered if he should find a way to get in contact with the few new friends he had made in the city to take a break from all the madness around him.
Of course, things would never go the way he had wished for...
While his younger twin was busy with more political bullshits between RAVEN and the Asian Metahuman law enforcement agencies, Haruka wasn't exactly slacking off, either. He was coping well with his "normal" studies in Computer Science (something he had taken interest in since his days in the Academy) but he would still wander around Baybridge from time to time, trying to overcome the emptiness without Shizuka around. After all, they had been together throughout their entire childhood for as long as he could remember... Thankfully, he had occasional company from the asexual bird-girl Rori, whom he got along with pretty well.
Anyway, let's just skip the boring daily life stuff and get straight to the retarded main plots. Haruka got involved in the Mall Hostage incident and was singled out by the Black Hound with a Meta-energy suppressant canister strapped to his front as a precaution against his RAVEN agent twin, but failed when Shizuka found another way to breach the seemingly impregnable defense line set up by the Intimidation Unit. Sadly, even after Shizuka was suspended from his position for his crazy plan, the brothers still couldn't spend time with each other as much as they wanted.
Shortly after Haruka was discharged, he encountered the Fire Spirit of Polaris, Xing Huo, who appeared to take too much special interest in the twins, even revealing a glimpse of their mother's dark past to him. With the help of an agent from a different organization, Aislin Rose, they set up a meeting with the Chinese lady to get more information out of her but was only left with a cryptic poem to ponder about. It seemed like Shizuka had been using the suspension as a cover to gather his own resources in their final stand against the Founding Family... Something that Haruka was proud of - but also unhappy with. Regardless, he knew he couldn't let his petty feelings hinder the operations to destroy the Family and end this shitstorm, once and for all. He also reunited with Wendy for only a brief moment - that girl had other business with her own family and friends, while he was more concerned about Jennifer at that time.
In the end, Shizuka's Japanese agent friend Ryu took down Julia O'Sullivan, who was one of the Blessed Three, and they freed most of the Secretaries from the mind control. With combined efforts from RAVEN, they had finally ended the Family's regime attempt over North America, though not without some bitter loss: Lihua's death, Cindy's disappearance, Meifeng's depression - and the list could go on. However, Xing Huo suddenly appeared before him once more to remind him that this wasn't the end of everything yet...
For the next three years before the start of this installment, Haruka joined Jennifer on a trip around the world - to look for an acquaintance of Jen's, Megan. Julia had mentioned her to Jen during their stand-off when he left her and went with Wendy's group to get out of the base back then, and so they believed that Megan might hold some answers to Jen's past during the seven-year gap between Verthaven and Baybridge. However, Megan was as sneaky as Jennifer had warned him about, where they were always a few steps behind their target, missing the chance to catch up with Megan. At the same time, they were also looking for another person - their old friend, Cindy Keagan, who went missing after the end of the previous installment.
Eventually the two returned to Baybridge...
RELATIONSHIPS
FAMILY
SHIZUKA TAKASHIRO | Twin Brother
See "Dynamics".
AKEMI SHINODA | Aunt
The twins' aunt through their mother's side, who makes them feel more like a mom than their actual mother. Haruka gets along very well with Akemi - not just helping out with her farm, he also helps with any repair work needed around the house.
DAPHNE "HOLLY" HOPE | Sister Figure
Holly is like an older sister that Haruka never had until now - occasionally he would tease Shizuka that she is a potential girlfriend material to the younger twin, which Shizuka is quick to wave off that he's never seen Holly in that way.
YUUICHI TAKASHIRO | Father
Haruka does love his father, but he has also wished he can spend more time with him, and rebuild their relationship from scratch. Right now he can only be kept updated about Dad through Shizuka, something he hopes to change soon.
ASAMI TAKASHIRO (nee SHINODA) | Mother
Haruka's relationship with Asami isn't as strained as his brother's; however, he is also uncertain about how he should feel towards their mother's outright objection at them. He feels that she must have a reason for acting this way towards the twins, and he really wants to get to the bottom of it - for any chance to save their broken family.
DYNAMICS
SHIZUKA TAKASHIRO | Inseparable | Twin Brother
"I love him as much as I hate his crude sense of humor." The younger twin brother; again, not many people can guess the seniority between them unless they explicitly say so. Haruka has stopped having weird unrequited feelings for Shizuka (which is basically worshiping him), and it's now no different from a normal sibling love. They are still very close though, and he simply ignores the strange looks people give them at their affectionate exchanges.
RORI AHERNE | Good | Friend
"We became friends through a quirky encounter, but I haven't seen her for a long time... not when so many things have happened in Baybridge." Haruka's power was what sucked Rori, in bird form, to himself by mistake, and that little incident became the beginning of an unexpected friendship with the cheery bird-girl. He hasn't met her ever since the last time they talked a bit about her cousin and family, and he'd love to meet her again.
REINALD YOUNG | Neutral | ???
"He's my only hope to reclaim what we've lost." Surprised to have the person he intended to meet delivered right before him, Haruka welcomes this unexpected development, but he has a suspicion that this might be a calculated move made by someone he knows well...
WENDY LUCKER | Curious | Junior
"She is probably the first multi-elemental manipulator I have ever encountered. It's also great that she loves books as much as I do." Haruka first met Wendy at the market when the berserk snowstorm incident happened; they met again in the Academy library by chance. He admires how easily open Wendy was towards him when they barely knew each other.
ZHAO MEIFENG | Neutral | Lihua's Daughter
"I haven't talked to her at all ever since Verthaven. I hope she's alright, especially after... Lihua's passing." Haruka still think of Meifeng as a friend of sorts, but Meifeng is usually out of town and Haruka didn't have any chance to meet her at all. He feels that they are something like distant friends - slightly above the level of mere acquaintances - and he only hears little bit about her through Shizuka. He shares similar sentiment with her with regards to Lihua's death, but to a lesser degree - merely at mentor-student/friend level.
REED TAYLOR | Respected | Quentin's Brother
"I haven't seen him at all since the Devil incident... I heard from Shizu that his brother gave him Luis' power. That is all I know about him." Haruka barely interacted with him at all - whether during the Verthaven disaster or after they're all relocated to Baybridge - but he can feel that Reed is a pretty nice cop.
QUENTIN TAYLOR | Neutral | Reed's Brother
"I find him remotely similar to Shizu when it comes to being protective of his own brother, and I wish Shizu can learn from him and be less suffocating with me." Even though Haruka hasn't had a chance to communicate with Quentin ever since the Verthaven Disaster, he still holds the senior agent in high regards. (It's also amusing how the Taylors are so similar to the Takashiro twins in many ways.)
ABILITIES
CLASS
Elemental (Mode: Air)
POWER
Air & Wind Manipulation | Just like any elemental benders, Haruka is able to telekinetically control any gaseous matter (including water vapor), moving the air around him to his will - from as gentle as a light breeze, to as destructive as a tornado. Though using hand gestures allow him to move the air with better precision and control, he is equally capable of manipulating through sheer concentration alone. The versatility of his power is only restricted by his own imagination and creativity, hence the list below is not exhaustible, just the more common tricks he employs:
Flying | Probably one of the basics he has to master in his power package - I mean, how can an air bender not know how to fly? He can do this in two ways: either by "gliding with" the wind (i.e. moving in the direction of the air current, similar to how birds fly minus the wing-flapping), or creating a small tornado beneath his feet to carry himself into the air. Currently he can only carry a maximum of two people to fly along with him.
Wind Blade | By packing the gas molecules closer together into very condensed air before swiping his hand outwards quickly, he can throw out an invisible arc with enough force to slice most generic furniture cleanly into half.
Air Fist | He can also encase the closely-packed air around his knuckles to form an invisible orb, where it acts as a protection around his fist while dealing more damage compared to an ordinary punch.
Cyclone Shield | He can generate a high-speed whirlwind around himself that can act as a spinning shield to knock out most things coming towards him (or at least get swept into the air funnel).
Static Charge | If the air around him is moving at a high enough velocity, he's able to cause them to induce static charge on top of its spinning destructive force.
"Sixth Sense" | This is different from extra-sensory powers - he doesn't have clairvoyance or mind-reading shenanigans, but he is sensitive enough to feel presences through the displacement of gaseous particles around him.
LIMITS
Range isn't a major issue to Haruka - after the mall incident, it has gone up to about hundred-over feet from his position if you really want a number of sorts - but his power is definitely much more limited when he's indoors or underground There's only so much air he can control in these places - which means flying in these areas is impossible.
Adding to the point about flying, obviously he can't fly up so high like airplanes - the most at the height of a nine-story building, and that's already pushing his limit. Even lower if he's carrying someone along with him.
The larger and heavier the object, the harder for him to keep afloat in the air. Well, duh.
He's nowhere strong enough to move the clouds with his power, and therefore cannot control the weather.
While he's able to multitask a couple of tricks (e.g. flying and using wind blades at the same time), but that tires him out very fast than using just one at each time.
The cyclone shield doesn't completely protect him from all attacks - it is possible for stray bullets to pierce through the whirlwind and still hit him.
WEAKNESSES & DRAWBACKS
Haruka's power doesn't make him immune to air-related disadvantages such as breathing problems, suffocation, gas poisoning, etc. Also, his ability doesn't contribute any changes to his human physiology (e.g. no hollow bones like birds to reduce his body mass to fly).
His ability is not entirely dependent on telekinesis alone - it's also linked to/balanced by his emotions; hence, if he loses control over his feelings, his power may go berserk.
Although he has an edge when it comes to execution speed, air is still the weakest among all other elemental-type abilities based on raw power. Using Air Fist as an example, same or similar trick in other elements obviously have a lot more destructive force than air.
He can induce static charge but it's ultimately not part of his control, hence he can still be subjected to getting a bad shock as much as anyone else is who is near his charged tornado. If he forgets to disperse the charged air around him, he can be extremely prone to attract lightning strikes towards himself.
OTHERS
TRIVIA
Just like his brother, Haruka is also permanent resident of US but still holds Japanese citizenship. He enjoys diplomatic immunity due to their parents' job, but so far the twins have not used this privilege for any purpose.
He shares the FZ-09 with Shizuka - and he's also in charge of maintaining it - but he only drives it when he needs to go out of Roseview area. Otherwise he sticks to his hardy bicycle, the Jamis Commuter 3.
THEME SONG
"Every wrong has its cause;
Every debt has its debtor." --Chinese proverb
BASIC INFORMATION
NAME
Reinald Young Wing Ning (杨永宁, Yáng Yǒngníng)
OTHER NAMES
Rein - nickname
Naoki Lee Yagami / Lǐ Zhìxī / 夜神・李・直希 - birth name
Mèng Yóu - callsign in Polaris
GENDER
Male
AGE
19
HEIGHT
5' 7"
WEIGHT
139 lbs
HOME DISTRICT
Although the Young family has a house in Little Seapond, Rein spends most of his time in Academy 61 as his parents are often out of town.
APPEARANCE
HAIR COLOR
Natural Brown
EYE COLOR
Brown
ETHNICITY
Chinese (and Japanese, but no one knows unless you're nosy enough to pry too deep into his real past)
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
In the eyes of the ignorant Westerners, Rein is no different from a stereotypical Asian male: short and slim-built, with dark hair and eyes. But to the eyes of the more observant ones, he stands out from your ordinary Chinese immigrants. His short, unruly hair being the most obvious, which is of a lighter, natural brown color compared to the usual jet-black variant - a trait he has inherited from his mother. He is also rather fair-skinned (or oddly pale, depending on how you see it), causing him to be mistaken as a Eurasian at times.
It doesn't help that he has a soft facial feature, with a small nose and thin lips, making him seem much younger than his actual age. Maybe puberty is still taking its own sweet time with Rein before he truly matures into a full-grown man, but it's not like he's in a big hurry to grow up physically. Often seen wearing a pair of oval-shaped wire-rimmed glasses, but he can go without them too.
Underneath all that nerdy facade is where Rein's darker secret lies. There are numerous nasty scars around his torso; if anyone sees them they'll most likely be alarmed, wondering what kind of abuse this young boy must have been through in his younger days. He also has a black dragon tattoo on the back of his left shoulder, a constant reminder of his horrifying past... Thankfully, this nerd front can justify his reluctance to show too much of his skin to others. Well, unless you're a shameless pervert who's gay for him.
ATTIRE
Rein doesn't care much for style - he prioritizes the practicality of keeping his scars and tattoo out of sight from the nosy people around him, so he's usually in dark long-sleeved shirts, with long pants or jeans. Though, he also doesn't like to stand out unnecessarily, so sometimes he may pay some attention to the current fashion trend and dress in ways that allow him to blend in with the generic crowd to mask his presence as much as possible.
PERSONALITY
INNATE & OUTWARD PERSONALITY
Rein's outward personality is pretty simple: he is the literal definition of average - or he just has a lot of 'Asian zen', an ascetic person with a lot of restraint and self-control. He has a generally mild attitude towards most things, and seems really good at suppressing himself from making goofy reactions that many of his peers around him would (also known as 'fanboy mode'). While he doesn't care much for things he has little or no interest in, he does stay up to date with current news and trends, so that at least he can still keep up with conversations with the people around him. He's not exactly a sociable guy, but he isn't a loner per se. He just doesn't go out of his way to make friends with others unless he feels the need to, or if he feels that he's able to click with the other person.
If only you know what he's been through in his life. His true inward self.
Rein isn't as "normal" as he appears to be. Not when you have spent most of your childhood chained up in an underground prison, kept alive solely to exploit a cursed power that can possibly put the world at mercy. He's well aware that his ability - and his parents' - are dangerous, and highly sought after for their potential use in political warfare between countries. Growing up in a sickening environment has exposed him to the darkest and most revolting side of human beings since a very young age; also, his parents has taught him not to trust people too readily, to always guard himself against people who are out to use his power for their greedy personal gain. This negative upbringing develops a calculative, scrupulous side in him, to protect himself from those who may try to harm him.
The 'Asian zen' bit isn't a complete joke, actually - Rein is a boy with a hell lot of patience, another trait that has been imprinted into him during his time in Polaris' cell. A hard worker and quite a perfectionist, he doesn't cut corners or slack off from whatever he has set his mind to do, or whatever he has been working on. On the flipside, this rigid concentration makes him rather irritable if you disturb him from his work, a surprising contrast with his usual calm demeanor.
Deep down, Rein is a conflicted person. It takes a lot of courage and mental fortitude to be able to stay sane even after all the bullshits he's been through in his younger days, but for how long until he finally breaks down and unleash the pent-up horror inside of him? Playing the part of 'Reinald' is both a bliss and torture to the boy. You'd say that he should just become Rein and get over his past, but he isn't a simpleton who is easily content with the so-called 'freedom' he has now - he's always on his guard because his current lifestyle is merely a fabricated lie, but he still wants to try to enjoy his (short?) time in Baybridge as much as he can. Even if he has to pretend to be someone he isn't for the rest of his life.
Or it's time for him to start taking the real actions, to fight for his true freedom - with his own hands.
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Calligraphy & Graffiti | Rein is an artistic person; especially with words and lettering, bringing dead-boring font types to life with his designer's touch.
Board & Puzzle Games | He likes to humor himself with traditional games, in particular those that stimulates the mind. He has never beaten his father in a chess match so far (he still enjoys playing against his dad most, though).
Knowledge | Whether it's surfing the internet or doing the hard way by digging for musty books in libraries, he'd try everything he can do within his power to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.
SKILLS & TALENTS
Languages | Rein is fluent in his native tongue Mandarin, and also English. However, his English has an indistinguishable accent that makes it hard even for those who are well-versed with accents to pinpoint where exactly he has learned it from - or even where he truly came from. Certain words may sound British, others sound more American... or even Australian, who knows? (It's a secret that he knows two more other languages, Japanese and Min/Hokkien. Ssshhh.)
Art: Calligraphy & Penmanship | He is capable of writing in many different styles, whether cursive or not. In fact, he can even copy off most font types available in computers (MS Word, Photoshop, etc), including graffiti-styled letters. He can also forge signatures and handwriting of others with ease, but that's not something he feels proud of.
Keen Observation | The most basic skill that any artist should have; how else can you replicate what you have just seen into your artwork? Of course, not only he has a good eye for art, his past experience has developed a subtle but defensive side in him - he'd watch his surroundings and the people around him very carefully, to determine what is the best action he should take, or the most appropriate words he should say next. Even with his eye for details, he's disciplined enough not to lose sight of the bigger picture.
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS
??? | So far, Rein seems to have finally obtained what he had desired for all his life in Polaris' underground base: freedom. Not really. He's merely trying to live a different life under a new - and false - identity, pretending to be normal... while the fear of his true fate continues to gnaw at the back of his mind, tickling the despicable tattoo on his back. His family still owes their life to the former Water Spirit Shui Xian - there's no way she is willing to arrange such a new life for them without expecting an equal compensation (or even more) in return, sooner or later. Unless he gets himself a backup plan of sorts... and getting on the good side of DOVE seems like a good place to start.
HISTORY
As far as anyone's concerned, Rein was born in a tiny red dot country called Singapore (located in Southeast Asia - and it's not a goddamn state of China, seriously), but due to his father's job they had to move around the world a lot. They settled down in Hong Kong for the longest period because his dad worked for the Wong Corporations, and that was where the headquarter office was at. Eventually his father was relocated to America, and now the family was staying in Baybridge.
If one tried to dig deeper, all you would get were tons of genuine-looking papers and records about the Young family, even their ties with Wong Corporations. No one in their right mind would want to get on the wrong side of one of the most powerful families in Asia. Even if you're daring enough to go on, you ain't gonna find anything suspicious, and it'd be just a waste of your time trying to look for clues that just didn't exist.
The so-called "Young" family that Rein was from didn't exist, of course - it was just a cover the former Water Spirit, Shui Xian, had put together for a certain family, wanted by Polaris and the Chinese government for their powerful cerebral abilities. Other than to protect them, this favor also put the family in deeper debt to the weather manipulator, for whatever grand plans she was cooking up in that head of hers (or maybe with her equally weird sister, the former Fire Spirit Xing Huo).
Rein's true identity is Naoki Yagami; however, before we get to his past, we have to begin from his parents' backstory first.
Lee You-Hwee was the next in line to succeed the Lee family in Taiwan, a clan which originated from Suilan and it's known to produce "dream-seers" - the ability to predict the future through dreams - for generations; more importantly, the clan served as the vessel for the position of Yin in a secretive cult called Polaris. You-Hwee had seen enough of the evil deeds the clan did for the cult; she despised her family's superiority towards those who have no superpowers, and was horrified at how they abused their foretelling ability to blackmail people into working for Polaris.
Once she had reached adulthood, she was chosen to be to Japan to recruit more Japanese Metahumans into the cult, to further the organization's expansion beyond China to the other parts of Asia (their goal was to the whole world). The young You-Hwee received quite a cultural shock at that time, for she had been living a rather hermit-like life throughout her younger days (basically, whatever she knew about the world was the propaganda Polaris had been feeding the children living in the cult's base, but she knew enough basic social norms to avoid attracting too much unwanted attention to herself). She met a man by the name of Reiji Yagami by chance, when she saved him from a near-death accident at the train station with her foresight.
To cut the long retarded romance story short, they eventually fell in love with each other and got married... and this was where their true nightmare began.
You-Hwee chose to take on her husband's surname and changed her name to Yui Yagami, much to the horror of her family. Her clan attempted to interfere with their newlywed relationship, but they couldn't get past Reiji's strong and complex psychic shield inside his mind to blackmail him. Knowing that they were up against an extremely powerful cerebral-type Metahuman, they used Yui as a bargaining chip not just to get Reiji to join Polaris, but also to force the couple to return back to China. Upon returning to the cult's base, Yui was made the Spirit of Yin.
A year later, Yui gave birth to a son, and they named him Naoki. Naoki was born with his power - the couple could feel their mind being pulled towards the young child whenever he was asleep, and they knew Polaris would make him become Yui's successor once he was of age. They lied to the cult that their son had no powers whatsoever, while they secretly helped to train Naoki to better control his ability in order to continue keeping his power hidden from Polaris.
Under the protection of his paranoid parents, Naoki grew up away from the other cult children, and was forbidden to have contact with anyone within Polaris. This caused him to became a recluse and equally fearful of the people around him like his parents, though he also felt curious about the things around him - so much so that he couldn't help questioning the propaganda nonsense the cult had been teaching its members, and he yearned to explore the "surface world" that he had heard so much about from his parents.
Of course, his parents were well aware that this twisted life was too cruel for their bright, growing child. Reiji and Yui were beginning to feel desperate - even if the chance of them breaking out of this goddamned place was almost zero, they would still do whatever it takes to free their son from the Hell that he didn't belong. The chance they had been waiting for finally came... but sadly, it was a trap set up by Yui's mother, Hwee-Suan, to stop them from freeing Naoki from Polaris.
Hwee-Suan imprisoned Naoki's parents and forced Naoki to replace his own mother as the new Spirit of Yin; she also used his parents' fate as a leash to keep Naoki from defying the cult's orders. Naoki has been chained up in the Yin chamber since then, but he refuses to give up to despair, trying to find a way to escape with his family, no matter the cost...
Hwee-Suan would drop by periodically to check on Naoki, giving him beatings whenever she saw fit (more like when she felt like it). His hatred towards the old hag who was supposed to be grandmother only worsened, but there was little the young boy could do. He couldn't leave his prison - he neither had the power or anything around him to do that, much less going after his parents to save them and escape from this unspeakable hell. He could only bid his time, but how long would he able to last? Even if his mind refused to succumb to Hwee-Suan's sadistic attempt to break him, his weak, undernourished body wouldn't be able to sustain the physical abuse much longer.
Seeing that the hard way wasn't working well on the surprisingly tough-headed boy, Hwee-Suan tried a different approach: by giving him the rare chance to visit his parents.
The older Yagamis weren't in any better state than their son. His father, Reiji, seemed to be holding up as much as he could, just like Naoki himself. However, the mother, Yui, had been greatly weakened - so much that she probably couldn't sustain any more flame whips. The sight of his scarred parents did break Naoki's resolve, giving Hwee-Suan the chance to shatter his defense and pound more terror into the skin... the very bones of the Yagamis. A reminder of where they were, and their sorry fate.
Using his dream-prediction power, he foretold the coming death of a Chinese businessman, which later allowed Polaris to seize control over his assets. But the second session didn't go as smoothly. The "client" of question didn't show up, and he was pitched against an empath who managed to shatter his illusions, and also the emotional agony he had been holding back inside him all these years.
On the other side of the climactic build-up leading to the final stand against the Founding Family, the Water Spirit, Shui Xian, betrayed Polaris and freed the Yagamis, placing them under her control. Hwee-Suan had anticipated the schism, which only reaffirmed her desire to clean up the shame caused by her descendants, once and for all...
In the three-year time gap before the start of the current installment, Naoki's family was given a new identity and began their "new life" in Baybridge - to lay low for the time being because they were now wanted criminals, most likely Hwee-Suan's doing. Shui Xian seemed to have connections with the infamous Wong Corporations, which was probably how they could get convincing papers and pass off as the Young family. She even got Naoki admitted into the Academy program in Roseview, with "Clairvoyance" as his supposed power.
So far, all seemed well... Or was it?
RELATIONSHIPS
FAMILY
RAY YOUNG (REIJI YAGAMI) | Father
On the surface, Ray is an employee of the Wong Corporations. His job scope requires him to travel around the world on a frequent basis and he'd often bring his wife along, leaving their only son in the Academy. As such, their neighbors have little impressions of the Youngs. Which works for the family, because their child is a Metahuman... and Anti-Meta sentiment is at all-time high in the recent years.
In truth, Reiji was supposedly to be married into Yui's family, but Yui chose to do the reverse instead, which caused her clan to hate him, even accusing him for Yui's rebellion. Reiji is an extremely powerful telepath who is capable of forcibly bending the will of others and taking over the control of their mind, but he had never wanted to go that far - in fact, deep down he hated his ability for denying the basic privacy that people should have. He chose to create psychic blocks within his mind to lock his power away, at the same time also to defend himself from external cerebral intrusions. Rein is much closer to him than Yui, but he loves them both equally. Reiji is often out of town on some mysterious business with Yui...
YVONNE LI (YUI YAGAMI / LEE YOU-HWEE) | Mother
Mother of Rein, Yvonne often joins her husband on his business trips, and hence she's rarely in town - much less at home. Besides, leaving Rein in the Academy is the best option for them to protect their son from Anti-Metas.
Yvonne is actually Yui, who came from a long line of "dream seers", and her clan had been part of Polaris for generations. She met Reiji when she was sent to Japan to recruit the Japanese Metahumans into the cult; eventually their relationship blossomed and she knew that he was the one for her. As she was the strongest seer in Polaris at that time, no one could contest her position as the legitimate leader of Yin. She was later replaced by her own son upon her betrayal to the cult.
LEE HWEE-SUAN | Grandmother
Hwee-Suan is Yui's mother, and the previous Spirit of Yin. Although her dream premonition ability has slipped greatly due to her old age, she still retains enough to foresee important warning signs that have helped to keep her alive all these while. She is extremely loyal to the clan and the cult, so much so that she is willing to shed her own family's blood to preserve the Lee name and the cult's honor.
DYNAMICS
KANNIX CHENG | Neutral | Acquaintance
"Weird girl with a rotor mouth and a bit of a show-off, but I think she means no ill will and is just an awkward person." A strange teen who just appears before him out of nowhere, and is gone like a bullet the very next moment. For now they probably have mixed first impressions of each other due to their (almost) polar opposite differences, but time will tell how their relationship is going to develop from hereon.
WENDY LUCKER | Neutral | Acquaintance
"I know everyone has a secret or two they don't like to share with others, but she's really terrible at hiding them... And that makes me envious of her in a way." Through an embarrassing encounter at the DOVE rally, Rein was pulled in to join Wendy's intriguing discovery about the truth behind Metahuman powers, especially how the whole idea of 'reality bending' might be able to explain the phenomena behind his own superpower. Other than his curiosity towards Wendy's background, he is also amused to find out that the girl is a bad liar.
HARUKA TAKASHIRO | Neutral | ???
"He's full of mystery." Rein and Haruka meet each other in the academy through a clever manipulation unknown to both of them(?), shattering Rein's ideal life so far and finally forcing him to face the past he has been trying to forget all these years...
LIHN PHAN | Neutral | Acquaintance?
"I hope we'll never have to encounter each other, ever - it's in the best interest for the both of us." A former client that Rein (as Naoki) has met before, in a dream using his own power. Even though he had no grudge against the lady who had tried to help him once, he would never dreamed of the possiblity of meeting her in flesh in the same city...
ABILITIES
CLASS
Cerebral (Extra-Sensory)
POWER
"Dream Scape" | Rein's ability is rather unique, evolved from the combination from both of his parents' powers. His dream universe, which he calls "Scape", is an abstract world completely submerged in water, with nothing but white-outlined ground grids in its base appearance. He can alter or add on things into Scape freely (for example, a mind labyrinth or maze), limited only by his own imagination and creativity.
Mode: "Clairvoyance" | This is the power registered in his 'Reinald Young' record with the Academy (and by extension, with DOVE), but it's actually a clever use of the next ability, Dream Telepathy, to create the impression he's a clairvoyant and nothing more but he's actually so much more.
Mode: Telepathy | He can do this in two ways. First, he can mentally link up with the minds of those he wishes to communicate with and "invite" them into Scape; just imagine a chat room but inside your head, within a dream. Even if he doesn't bring people into his dream world, he's still capable of registering the presence of others around him - imagine traveling through a sea of windows and doors, where the windows and doors are like the entrance into the respective individual's dreaming mind. The second way is how he is able to maintain the "Clairvoyance" act as mentioned in the first point.
Mode: Premonition | He can predict the future by "activating" the grid the person is standing/sitting on, causing it to flash blue; this allows him to dive into the person's dream and experience the most likely outcome presented to him momentarily before he returns back to Scape.
Cerebral Power Resistance | With some help from his father, he has created multiple layers of psychic blocks - from around his Scape world to defend it against possible intrusion from other cerebral Metahumans (think of it as a mental firewall of sorts) to his whole brain in general, giving him resistance against most cerebral powers who may try to hurt him or take control over him through psychic means. Those who are inside Scape will also enjoy this protection to some extent.
"Lucid Dreaming"? | There have been some reports from both Academy instructors and peers alike about Rein's tendency to space out almost on a frequent basis, but he's still able to keep up with the lessons and group conversations even if he doesn't seem to be paying much attention to them.
LIMITS
While range is insignificant to Rein (if you seriously want a figure of sorts then the radius is roughly about a mile), he can only invite up to a maximum of four people into Scape, for a duration up to four hours each day.
He's nowhere as powerful as his father to perform domination-level feats like mind control (or in his case, dream control), only enough to temporarily "intrude" the dreams of others in order for him to establish a mental link with them before starting a Scape session.
Ten days is the furthest time span he can foresee. He also can't control the visions he wishes to see, and there are times they are too vague for him to understand. Well, he's nowhere as skilled as his own mother (the method his mother used to predict the future is actually quite different from his - just to take note).
Adding to the point above, experiencing the visions can be pretty agonizing to him (such as getting bad migraines), so he can only perform Premonition once every three days to give himself some time to recover. (If possible, he doesn't want to do this, at all.)
WEAKNESSES & DRAWBACKS
Rein has to go into a trance-like state naturally in order for his power to manifest. Knocking him out by force - such as using strong sedatives - won't allow him to activate his ability (I mean, he'd be completely unconscious to even dream, duh).
Once he allows the people he linked up with into Scape, he is vulnerable to mental attacks from within his dream world... especially if one of them has a cerebral-type ability like telepathy or empathetic manipulation.
He has to invite the person into Scape first in order to perform Premonition on that particular individual. See the point above for the disadvantage of allowing Trojans into his dream world.
If he's forcibly woken up while Scape is in session, anyone linked up with him will be immediately kicked out of his dream world. Not only that, but everyone - including himself - will experience a terrible headache from the feedback.
As he's still young and inexperienced, it may be possible for a powerful cerebral-type Metahuman to overwhelm him and mentally attack his mind. Vice versa, people with strong resistance against mental-type powers may not be able to establish the dream link with him well.
Prior to returning to Baybridge, Rowan has been living with his friends out of their RV.
Appearance
Hair Color:
Dirty blonde
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
Caucasian
Physical Appearance:
At 5'9, with scruffy hair, Rowan looks like the typical white-trash stereotype of someone who would easily fall into the wrong crowd. From a glance it's clear he's not a heavyweight, but three years on the road has meant he's developed a certain wiriness to him, indicating that he's not the same scrawny kid that he was back then and his skin has been browned a little by the sun during his travels, though being a Washington state native it's obvious he doesn't especially tan. Unkempt, his hair is a dirty blonde whilst along his jawline is a short, barely trimmed beard (a consequence of life on the road) and he possesses a set of sharp, blue eyes.
At each side of his lower left abdominal region are scars from a piercing injury received several years ago. The scar at the front has been somewhat covered up, however, by a tattoo of a scorpion, with the point of the stinger reaching into where the faded line of scarring begins.
On his right ankle is a tattoo of a traditional compass and, most noticably are the illustrations of cybernetics along his lower left leg and upper left arm and shoulder, clearly inspired from the Terminator films.
Attire:
Anything from sports clothes to hoodies, to jackets - Rowan isn't too picky about what he wears. Given Baybridge's propensity for wet weather, however, Rowan often has a preference for wearing a hoodie - particularly since it helps him keep a low profile and look less conspicuous. On top of this, he also tends to wear a knapsack on his back.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
A rough upbringing has left Rowan a textbook example of the kind of social issues that a lot of young people in Modern America face. Stubborn to a fault, he's the kind of person who, if he doesn't particularly like something, will tend to drag his feet or otherwise subvert it if he can't outright stop it. He's the kind of person who's liable to break before bending and it's contributed to his overall mental state of being able to take as much of a beating as possible and still get up - if his mind is set to something, nothing will put him down - again, due to his upbringing, cemented by the experiences he went through with the Founding Family three years ago.
Arguably what one could call a 'free spirit', Rowans not the type who's outright inclined towards rebellion, but a few raw memories of his old man and the likes of Ezekiel and Blake have left him with a firm dislike for figures who convey themselves as authoritarian. A few years of keeping a low profile, even out there on the road, haven't helped him with this disposition and at this point, 'rules' tend to be regarded more as guidelines as far as he's concerned, which happens to be really convenient when you're the kind of person with a fascination for urban artwork and tresspassing on private property.
It can still take him a while to come to trust people he doesn't quite know and often his first instinct can be to put up a hardened front, but deep down Rowan is the kind of person who'll stay loyal to those who treat him in kind, as can be found with Wendy, Jess and Kai - people who he's known to fiercely protect to the point he's tried knocking down people twice his side at the first sniff of trouble. The only problem there, however, is that it can be hard for him to admit when he needs help and even now, with the friends he's known for the last three years, there's a hint of that stubborn refusal to admit when he's down.
Life on the road gave him a few more skills along the way, along with reminding him that the friends he's come to rely on are the ones he wants to stick by. Yet at the same time, it's made him realise some hard truths about himself and the kind of person that he is. He knows he's killed on more than one occasion and, despite suggesting otherwise, it's something which has sat with him at the pit of his mind in a way which doesn't so much eat away at him or weigh him down as it just sits there, as though the fact he acknowledges it without any disdain bothers him more than the act of killing itself. And yet, regardless of it all - he knows that it would be something he'd do again if he had to.
Overall, the events that transpired in Baybridge three years ago and since have helped to wisen Rowan up even further for the rough world that they live in.
Hobbies/Interests:
Rowan still has quite the fondness for artwork - specifically, graffiti. A self-proclaimed 'writer', he takes pride in the many contributions he's made on the road in terms of murals and signatures that have been painted upon walls in varying states. It's one of the things that always allowed him to distract himself from the shittier parts of his life, and one thing that he always falls back on as a coping mechanism when everything else fails. Furthermore, he's gained an interest in extending his artwork to that of a tattooist and is responsible for one or two of the dare-induced tattoos that have been picked up by his friends.
Skills/Talents:
Growing up in Brookacres under a broken home has taught Rowan to develop a certain degree of self-sufficiency. He's still a teen, but there's been times where he's had to raise himself when his parents weren't around. It's left him with a bit of street smarts and pragmatism. He's also quite talented at street art and is a natural when a can of paint's in his hand. Also, as elaborated earlier, whilst it's not something he'd boast of, he's the kind of person who can take a hit and keep getting up. One could argue that if he wanted to, he could've become a professional boxer just because of this. Furthermore, life on the road has forced him to learn how to drive (despite having no license) and understand how to keep a vehicle such as the RV up and running if something goes wrong.
Goals/Motivation
Figuring out where to go next after three years out on the road, Rowan still hasn't got an idea of where he wants to be in life. All he knows is that he's got his friends and that they matter the most.
History/Bio:
Hailing from the impoverished district of Brookacres, Rowan was another textbook case of a kid coming from a broken home, the only difference being that this kid had powers and their family happened to closely tied in with the Pure. To be specific, Rowan’s father had developed very close ties to the group from his time in prison and throughout the upbringing of his son he'd attempted to embed a similar set of bigoted views through years of domineering and abuse. His mother also suffered the same treatment if not worse, leading the two of them to endure years of abuse under the old man’s roof.
It wasn't until after he hit his early teens that it came to a head - Rowan's abilities manifested and soon, it went from keeping his head down to making sure the old man never found out the truth, out of fear for his mom more than anything. But keeping it a secret worked only for so long, and soon it escalated when, one night the old man had come home drunk yet again after another night out with his fellow bigots and had taken a disliking to his demeanour and started hurling abuse at them. When Rowan shot back, this made him angry and he looked ready to throw the bottle at him until his wife intervened, instead becoming the new target of his ire as she took a heavy beating for it.
Then something snapped. Years of abuse and resentment came bubbling to the surface - Rowan practically threw himself against the old man and laid into him blow after blow, until he finally realised that he wasn't actually punching him anymore - he'd practically flung every metallic object in the house against the old man in his anger and accidentally broken his neck.
It didn't take long for the authorities to realise what had happened, especially when he tested positive for the metahuman gene. DOVE quickly took custody of him after the truth of his circumstances was revealed and given the duress he'd been under, it was determined that he'd not intentionally killed the old man and was clearly in need of a stable environment. It took a while, but Rowan was soon enrolled with Academy 61 just in time for the summer and placed as a long-term resident of its dormitories.
Still struggling to fit in, time passed by and events occurred in the city around them. During this, Rowan met Wendy Lucker, a fellow student who shared his appreciation for art and in some ways was an outcast, traits which quickly forged a close friendship between them. This same friendship cemented when Rowan, having been introduced to a few of Wendy's other friends, shielded the group from harm during a terrorist attack by Eco-Natura.
Time went on and while the city around them felt the shockwaves of what was actively ongoing, all Rowan could think about were his newfound friendship, but events soon pulled him back into the thick of it. Whilst visiting the Harvest Festival with Wendy (and after some creative use of abilities at the available carnival games), he found himself caught up in the attack on the festival by the Black Hound and his paramilitary force, the Intimidation Unit. The two teens narrowly escaped with their lives, though not before Rowan was forced to use his powers in self-defense for the first time since his old man's death.
Another stumble came again as he and Wendy found themselves travelling to the Eastgriffin Ruins (where they had formed the basis of their own friendship) with her sister and friends in what was intended to be a showcase of some artwork that had sprouted from their previous instances of urban exploration, only to be ambushed by the Black Hound. Rowan put up as best of a fight as he could, but facing with the equipment, training, experience and abilities of the masked assassin proved to be his match and he was eventually subdued into unconsciousness, spared from capture only by Wendy's timely intervention.
Wendy's sister, Diana, and her two friends, Kai Anaru and Jessica Rosefey, were not so lucky, on the other hand. By the time that RAVEN had shown up, the Hound had departed with the three captives, leaving behind the two teens to lick their wounds. But Wendy, as it happened, proved to be the more resourceful of the two, catching onto an information leak from an anonymous mole within the organisation responsible for the capture of their friends and her sister.
Whilst Wendy was initially ready to depart alone with the intent of liberating them from captivity, Rowan managed to weasel his way into this impromptu rescue mission with a little bit of convincing - and found himself proving useful when it came to breaking into the actual facility where their friends were supposedly being held. As it happened, the anonymous tip had proven true, for the most part - Jess and Kai were present, but not Diana, yet Wendy found more than just her friends, she found a personal library containing a number of interesting books not typically found in the public eye - some of which she retained for herself.
Ready to leave, the two broke their friends out of captivity (along with the other prisoners whom had been trapped within the facility) but found themselves incurring the wrath of a powerful metahuman, one Ezekiel Anagnos - the owner of the books which Wendy had stolen and an egocentric individual who would later be revealed as one of the Blessed Three, the leader of the cabal that was the Founding Family. In pursuit of the escaping teens, Ezekiel managed to overwhelm both teens with his electromagnetic abilities - impaling the Rowan through the side with a piece of metallic debris and forcing Wendy to return the stolen books in exchange for sparing his life.
Luckily, Rowan was attended to by one the best metahuman surgeons available in Baybridge and DOVE soon brought the two teens back under their custody with strict orders to remain on the grounds of the academy campus - order which the two teens only loosely followed. Whilst Wendy trained with her powers, having gained a new one from one of the academy's teachers, Lihua Zhao, Rowan spent time honing his own abilities for the coming battles ahead.
This very same practice proved vital after another lead from Wendy's anonymous contact led them to a warehouse that was used by the Intimidation Unit as a safehouse, one that contained information regarding the Founding Family. Recovering the information they needed, however, led them to yet another face-to-face confrontation with the Black Hound, who proved as poweful an opponent as he had before, yet this time, whilst Wendy proved to be an excellent distraction, Rowan pulled a shipping container on top of the assassin, granting them enough time to escape.
With the information they had obtained, the two teens found themselves emboldened to embark on yet another incursion into the mysteries of the Founding Family, bringing Jess and Kai along as they broke into what turned out to be one of their facilities operating in Baybridge, based in a disused sewage and utility system beneath Silver Hills. It was here that Rowan and Wendy made a number of horrifying discoveries - a morgue, a laboratory evidently used for experimentation and the remains of the infamous metahuman known best as the Devil of Verthaven.
Such intrusion did not go undetected, however - as the two approached what seemed to be a cell block, they were ambushed by waiting members of the Intimidation Unit, forcing them to flee further into the bowels of the facility until coming face-to-face with Blake Schmidt, another member of the Blessed Three. Further unexpected however was the presence of Diana at his side - clearly under the effects of some form of mind control, later revealed to be the so-called 'Mechanised Memories'. Blake made them a relatively simple offer, that Rowan and Wendy could join him, the former as an assassin of the same calibre as the Black Hound and the latter as an apprentice who would eventually replace him.
Neither of the two gave it much consideration and responded as well as one might've expected - yet all it took was Blake to remind them of the half-dozen weapon sights trained on them before revealing that Jess and Kai had already been captured and were now at his mercy. Wendy seemed to relent, albeit just for a moment, before seizing the opportunity to attack as Blake let down his guard, whilst Rowan turned his attention towards the paramilitary soldiers facing them, ready to defend himself and his friends at a moment's notice.
Only Blake wasn't as vulnerable as they'd hoped - after a brief moment of what seemed to be success for the teens, the man revealed the true extent of his abilities, recovering from a seemingly deadly attack on his person to reveal his volcanic form. A short battle ensued between the three until Rowan was the only one left, yet even with the practice he'd undergone with his abilities he found himself overwhelmed by Blake's sheer strength and was beaten into unconsciousness for the second time around.
This time when he awoke, he found himself imprisoned along with Wendy - a collar fastened around both their necks to prevent them from lashing out with their abilities. During this incaraceration, they were visited three times - first by the Black Hound, then Ezekiel - neither of these two visits yielded much beyond the unpleasant chill of being in the presence of such individuals. Yet the third visit turned out to be well-timed, occuring during an attack on the facility by the forces of RAVEN and DOVE overhead. Their visitor, a woman by the name of Makoto, quickly liberated them from their cells and implored the two to leave, her motivations unknown to them, yet this advice went unheeded.
Instead, the two teens went back into the facility to find their friends - encountering Ezekiel for what would be the third and final time. Here, they learned the truth - that the Founders had designed and built a machine intended to grant metahuman abilities to the entire human race, regardless of whether it was a willing subject or not, but the more horrific truth to it was that in order to fuel this machine, countless metahumans were being fed to it for the purpose of harvesting their energy. Jess and Kai were among those trapped in the pods, forcing Rowan to break them free whilst Wendy kept Ezekiel occupied.
Much to the two's surprise, Makoto returned to help them fight Ezekiel and soon, in an ironic sort of justice, Rowan managed to gain the upper hand and brought Ezekiel down, embedding a shard of metallic debris deep into the man's gut until he drew last breath, an experience which would remain burned into the boy's memory.
Before either of the two could ask why Makoto had returned for them, the woman revealed her true identity - Kumiko Fujimoto - and that Wendy was her daughter. It was a profound moment, to say the least, but the collective shock of killing Ezekiel combined with the urgent need to escape the facility cut the reunion short and the five of them promptly escaped, still missing Diane.
Topside, the forces of RAVEN and DOVE were waiting, forcing the group to leave Jess and Kai behind whilst Rowan, Wendy and Kumiko made their way towards the Founding Family's centralised base of operations in Baybridge, gaining entrance to the complex via Kumiko's intimate knowledge of the Family whilst RAVEN and DOVE prepared their final assault, using the operation as cover for their infiltration.
It was here that Rowan and Wendy encountered Blake, along with her sister, only to find that they'd arrived too late - perhaps out of spite, Diana was fed to the machine and disintegrated in a green glow before the eyes of the two teens, Rowan unable to pry the capsule open in time.
Whilst Blake had managed to hit them where it had hurt, he'd also made a mistake - provoking them. Infuriated, the two teens gave it their all, launching a flurry of attacks upon Blake and his guards with reckless abandon, managing to inflict injury upon the former whilst wreaking death and destruction upon the latter, until finally he was able to take advantage of their rage and turn the fight in his favour, forcing Kumiko to intervene and teleport the two teens to a safer location before they could be finished off.
Hiding in the Grand Archives of the Founding Family, they found themselves confronted again by the masked visage of the Black Hound, only... this time, the assassin man came in peace, and revealed that he and the Foundation Woman were in truth responsible for the anonymous leads from Wendy's mysterious contact. He only wanted to talk, but there was little to say between them after hinting that the two teens had merely been used as part of a greater plan. After a moment of contemplation over whether to spare the Hound after all the pain and suffering that they'd endured at his hand, Rowan decided that there were more important things to worry about and instead escaped with Wendy and her newly discovered mother.
After this, stood outside the compromised facility, the two were contacted by the Foundation Woman who admitted that the teens had just been used as 'bait' as part of a scheme to bring the Founding Family to its knees, Diana just a casualty in it all. Furious, the two teens vowed to enact justice upon both the Foundation Woman and the Hound and little more was said, save for a final note that a 'gift' had been left close by for them, little compensation as it was for their troubles.
That gift turned out to be a package containing thousands of dollars - more than enough for each of them, as Rowan learned when Wendy insisted on sharing a sum with him.
Returning to Jess and Kai, the two learned from Wendy that Diana had been killed, but they vowed honor her memory the best they could, offering to take both Wendy and Rowan on their cross-country roadtrip. Despite both being under the watch of DOVE, the two gladly accepted the offer, not least because Baybridge held only bitter memories for them at this point. Preparing for the trip, Rowan learned from Wendy through a sincere, heartfelt speech that she felt he'd changed her and how she felt indebted to him - to which the scrawny teen reaffirmed her and admitted she was one of the only friends he'd had. After a sentimental plane ride, followed by a hasty farewell to his mother, Rowan departed with his friends for different trails.
After a short visit to Stadium City to attend Diana's funeral, the group embarked on a lengthy journey across the United States. From Miami to Philadelphia, to New York and beyond - there were few stops left unturned as the months on the road passed. Rowan quickly adapted to life in the RV and came to appreciate the freedom that had been denied to him in Baybridge, first by the old man and then by the likes of DOVE.
The fact remained, however, that both he and Wendy were still, technically speaking, wards of the state - at least under DOVE's jurisdiction, at any rate - forcing them to keep a low profile whenever they crossed paths with the organisation. After all, it would've cut their journey short if they'd been sent back home to face the music, but the chaos that had transpired in Baybridge meant that for the most part they'd been regarded as missing persons lost due to the (now exposed) influence of the Founding Family.
And yet as Rowan changed and adapted to the road he travelled, so had the world around him - extremists on both sides of the political spectrum were flaring up, drawing in more followers as their influence grew. More than a couple of times, Rowan had to narrowly dodge getting caught up in a pissing match between the likes of the Pure and the Allegiance and even had to protect himself or his friends from attack at the hands of such hate groups, yet they remained for the most part unharmed.
Three years had soon passed, with Wendy turning her sights back towards Baybridge, the city that had served as their home - and Rowan couldn't help but follow. After all, what else would he do without her?
Relationships
Family:
Jim Campbell (Deceased) - Father
For lack of better words, Jim Campbell was a piece of shit. Jim did a ouple of stints in prison before and after his son's birth and developed close ties with a local cell of the Pure operating in Brookacres. A man with a history of violence, he routinely lashed out against both of his family members, particularly his wife whenever she said or did anything that he didn't like. His son, he was hard on in order to 'toughen him up', yet it would ultimately bring about his demise.
Patricia Campbell - Mother
Trapped in a marriage marred by years of physical and mental abuse, Patricia found herself easily under her husband's thumb and suffered greatly due to his domineering nature. She's one of the few people that Rowan cared about dearly, despite standing by her husband through all the years of abuse. However, Rowan hasn't seen her in years since making his farewells in Baybridge three years ago and the last time that they got in touch was over a payphone nearly four months ago.
Dynamics:
| Wendy Lucker |
| Good | Close Friend | "She's one a billion, y'know? One of the only people that ever gave a shit about me." |
Sparked off by a mutual interest in art, Rowan's friendship with Wendy was soon cemented after he chose to help her and her friends. A dozen times over the two ended up saving one another's lives at some point or another and despite failing to save her sister, Wendy was more than grateful for Rowan's help after the events which transpired three years ago. Life on the road together only proved to strengthen this bond even further, particularly after facing off all manner of hate groups and extremists on their tour across the country. Rowan is somewhat oblivious to Wendy's true feelings towards him, though not for a lack of reciprocation - he simply thinks of himself as being out of her league to the point that she wouldn't seriously consider it.
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental - Energy
Powers:
Electromagnetic Manipulation
First and foremost, Rowan is able to generate and manipulate a powerful electromagnetic field that is capable of exherting his will upon and controlling ferromagnetic materials, in addition to holding an effect over other materials or energies that are influenced by magnetism (such as electricity or lead). Rowan's ability manifests through body movements, which can range from something as subtle as clenching his palm into fists to swiping his arm in a particular direction. Generally, the stronger the force he wants to exhert, the more sudden and direct his movements should be.
Theoreticaly, the scale of his ability could range from the scale of grain-sized materials (allowing him reshape or easily move such objects) to those the size of a building (allowing him to twist or alter larger structures, possibly even pull them down one day), though how refined his control is still has yet to reach its full potential as he is still somewhat lacking the training and experience of one with a complete understanding of their abilities, though the past three years have seen this improve by a wide margin.
And, as a side effect, his ability allows him to detect other magnetic influences which consequentially gives him a permanent sense of direction (like a compass) due to being able to subconsciously sense and interact with the earth's magnetosphere.
With further training and experience, Rowan's ability could eventually turn out to be very powerful, on par with those of NEST and RAVEN's greatest agents.
Limits:
Rowan's ability can at most be extended past sixty metres and generally has a weaker pull the further from it his target materials are. Objects that move too fast are incredibly difficult for him to focus on, often forcing him to rely on indirectly influencing them instead (Like this). Likewise, reshaping large or dense materials can be rather difficult and taxing to perform and, again, size is a big deal - the bigger the object, the larger the field he must generate and the harder it is to manipulate as such.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Despite gaining a greater grasp of his abilities in the last three years, Rowan still has more to learn. Additionally, a side effect of being able to pick up on electromagnetic fields is that he's sensitive to strong electrical currents, which can be disorienting if he doesn't tune them out. Also, being placed in a faraday cage will definitely hinder the effectiveness of his abilities.
Overexhertion of his powers can cause him anything from migraines to losing consciousness, particularly when pushed to the limits of his ability - and staying nourished is an important note here.
And on a slightly funnier note, CCTV cameras do not particularly like being around him due to his propensity for unintentionally (well, maybe just a little on occasion) causing interference with the footage, a point which was among one of the many reasons why the academy utilises specialised equipment on its campus. That, and he also seems to give quite a few people static shock when making contact with them.
Other:
In his travels, Rowan has obtained a tattoo kit which he's tested on his friends a couple of times - no refunds included.
▸ N A M E : | Andrea Pasternack ▸ N I C K N A M E / A L I A S : | Eleven (11), Kintsugi ▸ G E N D E R : | Female ▸ A G E : | 22 ▸ H E I G H T : | 5'9" ▸ W E I G H T : | 116 lbs. ▸ H O M E D I S T R I C T : | New Raygate, Prince Ed-Field
▼ | A P P E A R A N C E: |
▸ H A I R C O L O R : | Blonde ▸ E Y E C O L O R : | Hazel Blue ▸ E T H N I C I T Y : | Mostly Polish, Swedish, and some Finnish and Norwegian. Lots of Slavic blood. ▸ P H Y S I C A L A P P E A R A N C E : | Since a young age, Andrea has developed beyond her years. She stand taller than many women, though not all, and even some other boys her age. Long, naturally wavy bright blond hair you'd see was well taken care of, but still appears a little bit brittle, and is further accentuated by hazel blue eyes and pale skin, and just as often done up with makeup so that her skin appears to possess an even skin tone without the underlying blood and veins creating pictures on her skin. Her complexion, otherwise, gives you the impression that she was quite the beauty - and still is - but there is something else present in her face that'd give away a history with struggle. Where perhaps she passed through a dark time in her life and is coming back from it. Faintly noticeable, but ever-present bags sit under her eyes. Not wrinkles, but something that makes her skin look as though it's being stretched tight. Pink but dehydrated lips and a tired expression, always trying to mask it with a kind, faint smile where tries to keep her mouth closed to hide the barely yellowed teeth. No scars on her face or freckles to speak of, though there are puncture scars on her arms. She wears a little button nose on her heart-shaped face, the left nostril of which is adorned by a piercing with the littlest diamond you ever did see. She also has earring studs, one on each lobe. Other adornments includes a silver band on her left hand and red polish on her fingernails, giving it a clean looking guise, but closer inspection reveals that she picks at it. Perhaps the result of a nervous tick?
Her frame is petite and slender, with breasts at 28E and legs for days. She lacks enough upper strength to be even remotely threatening though, and while she can carry most of the stuff she'll ever need to carry, nobody will be asking her to do the lifting for them. Most of her workout routine is concerned about jogging and yoga. It keeps her cardio up and figure right, but not much more than that aside from the mental therapy they provide. Despite her efforts to maintain her health, however, her actual body still appears thin. Pronounced collarbones suggest, while perhaps naturally sharp, could not be so sharp that they exist the way they do without Andrea lacking some musculature. The same goes for other areas of her body - shoulders, hands, hips, knees, ankles, her cheekbones - no amount of exercise can allow her to gain weight if she lacks the appetite to fuel that activity. She is not so skinny that she appears anorexic, but she isn't packing heat, instead moving what something resembling a dancer's grace.
When she speaks, she does so with a fairly heavy Polish accent - and it can be clearly seen that there are some pronunciations that she struggles with, such as the differences between sheep and ship, kiss and keys, lid and lead, to the point where they sound alike to one another. Andrea's method of speech is rather soft-spoken and gentle, doesn't quite project very much to cover distance or be heard over others (much to her chagrin). However, she is deliberate and thoughtful. She chooses her words carefully and considers what she has to say before she says it, as if weighing it in a scale in her mind.
Despite her looks and body type, she doesn't dress provocatively at all and so she is spared from sexualization at first glance. She might dress in "sexier" clothes behind closed doors if she's just doing it for herself and doesn't plan on going out, but otherwise, they aren't necessarily staples of her wardrobe. Typically, she is fitted with a black wool peacoat when she goes outdoors, buttoned all the way down, even on somewhat warm spring or autumn days, as it serves as something like a security blanket. Underneath, one of her favorite outfits is one that serves it purpose in both casual and professional environments. It could be any color of blouse tops, short sleeved, long sleeved, button-up or v-necked, it didn't matter - with a buckled strap going around her waist and it's usually tucked into a black laced pencil skirt, and is sometimes in different colors depending on the occasion - other lower garments may include formal pants, long skirts, and if she's relaxing at home or in a super casual environment, very billowly, loose, "feels-like-you're-wearing-nothing", comfortable skirts, dresses, etc. Underneath, she always has black leggings or yoga pants and she prefers to wear shoes or boots with thick cuban heels. Somewhere in her wardrobe are some jeans or other tougher clothes, but it isn't very often that she finds the day calling for that unless it's really cold.
▼ | P E R S O N A L I T Y : |
▸ I N N A T E & O U T W A R D : | What we have today are remnants of what she used to be. You can still see the sun shining through the cracks, and she seems to glow a little brighter each day than the last. A couple years ago, she might have been louder, haughtier, more entitled and very much naive. But now you have a girl who has been humbled and jaded. She's soft-spoken. Delicately gentle. Timid. Sensitive to a fault, where she holds people's opinions of her in too high a regard, but she's also someone who's appreciative and generous. There's an air of wisdom around her, the kind that people have to suffer for, but she has always been sweet and kind. She is liberal with her love and willing to share it with people around her. She's got the heart of a mother, trying to protect people she cares about, even people she doesn't, and a particular soft spot for children. She tries to dole out as much advice as she can to keep people on the right path, and one of the first few things people think about after they're subject to such behavior is "what the shit has this girl been through that she's acting this way?"
A history of substance abuse tore her apart, and it took the Promise to build her back up. Even every now and again, she falls in this little pit of despair that she tries to not let other people see. When people build her up, she tears herself down. So guilty a conscience that she apparently seeks to punish herself even when others tell her what happened wasn't her fault. She's quick to forget about the positive reinforcement she receives and latches onto the negative. It's not that she doesn't value it. She does, and she exercises gratitude every day and deliberately tries to find reasons to like herself, but she ends up losing her way while walking through those woods. Her biggest wish is to just feel normal again, and feeling like the outcast out of everyone she meets feels like torture. She clings to the Christian values she was raised with, but her faith has since shattered. She finds it hard to believe in a God, or in a God who loves her, but the teachings of Christ are something dear to her. They tell her that everyone is worth saving. They told her that when Jesus sat with pariahs. With the beggars and whores, the bastards - all of them. She wants to believe there's still a chance for her, so she still carries on while trying to love thy neighbor, not be the judge of a person's worth, and sharing what she has. She wants to believe that being kind and remaining true to herself is all it takes to show herself worthy of the life she was given. She tries not to get involved in political discussion with people, since she has no desire to argue, but it follows that she votes liberally and progressively.
Despite her history, still don't make the mistake in believing the "dumb blonde" stereotype. She became the valedictorian of her high school one year with a 4.5 GPA and 126 IQ, and was accepted into Yale University to practice criminal law. While tragedy struck that forced her to drop out in her second year, she very well could have kept going if she were remain devoted and drop other responsibilities. Book smart, nuance savvy, knows three languages, and is politically aware, she's a girl whose wits you don't want to challenge. While she's no human calculator (closer to being a human dictionary TBH), she could probably debate circles around you if she wanted to. As suggested by a successful high school career, she's good at scheduling and juggling priorities. Also musically and artistically minded according to her penchant for singing, love for acting and theater, and painting. Singing is something that can be practiced at all times, but the latter two had to be fit into her busy schedule with careful time management.
It takes a lot to rile her up. She'd sooner shut down or dodge drama when she can, but she has been through too much and understands all too well what it's like being on the bottom rung to let it happen to other people, and certainly not to watch another berate them for it. It's a passionate anger that makes her lose sight and perspective, and it's embarrassing for her when it happens. She can also be a hypocrite sometimes. She is the first one to give people her condolences and sympathy, but she hates pity. She could appreciate it when she was first entered into the academy and in dire need of help, but she's in recovery now and trying to be on her way to being normal again. The last thing she wants now is people's pity. She wants to move on, not to remain in her past. She can even be a little bit cruel, unprecedentedly so, when the victim of her lashing out was just unfortunately unaware or oblivious, only trying to do what they thought was best and offer their condolences. Andrea knows she's in the wrong when this happens, but she struggles trying to control or even contain her emotions
Ultimately, she is a generous girl who means well. She's loyal to kind hearts, and she loves unconditionally. If you're looking for a friend, you'll scarcely find one more devoted and understanding.
▸ H O B B I E S / I N T E R E S T S: | As suggested, Andrea always had a love for academics and the arts. An avid reader, lover of language and music and poetry, of theater, different cultures, and so on. If she isn't spending time at headquarters, you may find her at home reading peacefully or painting while listening to gentle music. She gave up on acting some time ago and does get nearly as immersed in it as she once did. However, she is also so immersed in her new work that she clings to it desperately as sometimes it's like the only thing that feels normal, and because of this, can just as likely be found continuing whatever work she did that day at home - whether it be filing or studying up on the latest political nightmare. She also has a great love for board games.
▸ S K I L L S / T A L E N T S : | Andrea is as sharp as they come. A quick learner who naturally absorbs information like a sponge, combined with extensive investigation and study techniques, and a scholar's discipline, she can latch onto new ideas and concepts and make them her own. Give her one night to study something; whether it be a subject, a crime scene, records - you name it - she'll give you a stack of papers the next morning. Andrea is also trilingual, demonstrating a linguistic intelligence that suggests good listening, reading, discussion, and debate. English is actually her second language and is most comfortable with her native Polish, but can hold fluent conversations in both English and French. In addition, as a law student, Andrea has a great understanding of logic. It is required for communicated ideas fluently and persuasively, and is essential for winning debates, while simultaneously appealing to a jury's moral and emotional sensibilities. While not exactly a proud skill, a history in acting does enable Andrea to be rather proficient in deception, though she insists on honesty being the best policy. Even some talent in painting shows that she has an eye for detail. Still, all these skills and abilities used in junction would enable her to spy if she so chose, but she prefers to support DOVE in their legal endeavors. However, if DOVE required her to be out in the field to gather and analyze some raw data, she would have too little power in her hands to refuse them.
▸ G O A L S / M O T I V A T I O N : | All of Andrea's former goals and aspirations fizzled away. Now all she really wants is for life to return to normal and to rehabilitate herself. Lesser goals, such as fighting the rise of the Happiness drug, come and go.
▸ H I S T O R Y / B I O : | Andrea's story is one of a girl who was set up for success in every possible way, but lost everything. Growing up, Andrea was completely unaware of her own privileged life, and how lucky she has been for the majority of it. She was born to a Christian high-middle class family in Poland. They could afford good schools. Andrea was working early, she learned how to drive, was raised faithful, and she learned English and French on top of her native language. Hard work carried her to be her high school's valedictorian. She had boyfriends, broke her heart a couple times, and moved on. All the while, she had multiple opportunities made available to her such as offers for placements in a couple different commercials by different producers with the help of her loving family - oh, and she could sing. Everything was essentially handed to her on a silver platter, and that is not to knock her own intelligence down, no. She was smart and balanced her early life out nigh perfectly. In the senior yearbook, was voted Most Likely to Succeed. Amidst all this fortune and the popularity she had in school, it didn't do much to alter her nature. She's naturally been a sweet-tempered and reasonable girl, if a bit naive of her place and the place of others in the world. She denied the existence of her privileges and good fortune and insisted that she has worked hard to earn what she has – which may be true to some degree, as she is no stranger to responsibility, but it's clear that a lot of things in her life has been handed to her on a silver platter, and she is currently on the beginning of a long road that's keen on not giving a single damn about "all the good things" she's accomplished. Right outside of high school, the world is very different.
Right out of high school, not even a legal adult yet, and Andrea already had high expectations of where she planned to go, but she was determined to smash those barriers. She wanted to travel to the United States to pursue law at Harvard, which was a massive undertaking on its own. At the same time, she also wanted to balance with it an acting career, which would help pay for the expenses. Then the heavy hand of reality squashed her Legally Blonde fantasies: despite valedictorian status and scholarships, Harvard never replied to her applications. She went down the list applying, and all the while also auditioning for acting gigs so that she wasn't wasting her time. Oxford? No. Cambridge? No. Stanford? No. She got only small gigs playing extras in commercials. Submitting submission after submission, at this point only waiting to see if one of the big colleges notice her, she eventually got acceptance at Yale University in the US. The university was prestigious in its own right, but it didn't make Andrea feel very special after being ignored so many times. Still, she persisted through Yale, where she sought to practice public law and become an attorney
Trying to balance her life became challenging when she was on her own in Yale. She survived her first year, but entering her second year of university, she was caught like a tight-rope between trying to survive, succeed in school, and salvage an already drowning acting career. She was being stretched thin. She felt herself falling apart at the seams with her pushing herself far beyond what she was capable of. She refused to let go of acting and "come back to it later". She had no family around to support her. They could give her money, but they couldn't give her more hours in the day. She was barely sleeping, always hungry, until one "concerned friend" wanted to give her something that'd help pick her up in no time, claiming that it was ten times better than coffee. Andrea was desperate and she didn't want to think about what it was, and it only struck her when it was too late after she ingested crystal meth. The magnitude of the situation she found herself in was overwhelming, and she didn't want to accept that she did it. She tried to ignore it, but the addiction swooped in and snatched her up. It might have helped at first. It might have started like, "well, one more tiny hit couldn't hurt," but in no time at all her grades were already plummeting as this new addiction started taking over. It was during a particularly bad trip that her powers manifested and she began seeing crazy ass phantoms and things were being moved by her mind. She thought she was going absolutely insane, or maybe it was just a really bad trip. It got so bad, though, that she ended up dropping out entirely. She couldn't support paying for college. She could't support her own addiction. Any chances at landing good jobs in acting completely shriveled up. She had nearly no marketable skills and she practically turned homeless overnight - and she still had no idea what it was she was seeing. The drugs she took helped her to ignore them. She didn't know what to do. She just knew she had to survive, and she was desperate... so she did what she could and sold her body on the streets of Bridgeport; occasionally hitching rides that eventually brought her to New York.
It was a vicious cycle. A vicious cycle that lasted only four months. In a mere four months, everything she wanted was taken. Everything she stood for was stripped. She didn't feel like the same person, she felt dirty and sinful and suicidal. Her faith shattered. She was afraid. Her powers were inexplicable. The money she made was just enough to feed her and fuel her addiction to meth and at some point, cocaine and heroine fell into the mix. All throughout it, constantly daydreaming about the life she originally aimed for. In a mere four months, everything she used to be she felt was dead. But as far as the governments were concerned, she was still a registered person. A meta, even if she was a druggy... and she was randomly chosen. Why they hadn't decided to rescind that order is mystery to her to this day, but whatever they thought they were doing, they thought they were saving her: a young drug-addicted girl. When she was first sent somewhere cold to be entered into the 218 Academy program, their first action was to detox her and put her in rehabilitation programs alongside her usual classes. It was agonizing. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like for a person doing this for multiple years, but whatever medicine they were pumping into her was burning her insides. It wasn't long before all the substances were gone, but the psychological damages remained. From the addiction, to the depression - what she has done to herself has traumatized her. She wanted nothing more to punish herself, but the faculty insisted that it wasn't her fault. They promised her that they'd put her back on the road to recovery and assign her a particular teacher that might be able to help her through these motions - and at the same time, help her to understand the powers she has. All she could do was cry tears of relief.
Since then, she has ran through all the trials that her four years of 218 had to offer, and graduated from the academy. She has gotten healthier with each passing day and is finding new reasons to keep on smiling, each a step towards self-mastery. Her old nature is beginning to resurface, and her very sensitive history has gotten her into some personal conversations and relationships with the 218 personnel, endearing herself to many of the teachers as they become more familiar with one another. Even in her first year, she has gotten to control her powers very quickly compared to many students (though that may be the nature of her abilities with its ease of accessibility). Though many of her darkest emotions are still buried along with the lingering urges of her old addictions, she is finding it easier to find hope in tomorrow and to accept herself and what she has been through. Still, she looks back on her life with regret, and if there was an opportunity to go back and make different decisions that didn't lead her down a path of suffering, to be normal, she'd take it in a heartbeat. Even if it meant never meeting the people she met in the academy... not that'd she ever tell them that. Some of the Japanese students and staff have taken to calling her "Kintsugi" as a pet-name (as well as the fucking weeaboos), after the art of repairing broken pottery by filling the cracks with gold. Those whose favor she's not earned, or those to whom she's the subject of ridicule, have dubbed her as "Icarus" - but few would dare to be so cruel to call her that to her face. Other name-calling includes "Snow" (referring to blow), and "Needles". Aside from Kintsugi, the only name she has come to appreciate is "Eleven" (11), after a character from the television show, Stranger Things.
After her graduation, she was offered an internship within DOVE at their headquarters in Baybridge, where she would likely end up pursuing a legal career within their organization. She took up their offer in a heartbeat, seeing it as a way to get her life as close as being back to normal as she could get it. She uses the academy's charity to pay for the dirt-cheap rent of a shitty apartment in one of the dirty sections of Baybridge, New Raygate, driving an old, tiny little beater car in the form of a '94 Mazda Miata that takes a couple turns of the ignition to get going - but it's better than painting a target on your back and its sustainable provided you get payed a fair wage.
She has been on edge lately, mostly out of fear of this new drug called Happiness. She personally wants to stay as far away from it as possible, but she also seems particularly vehement in her opposition of it. So much that she keeps pressing the issue to her superiors who hold actual titles within DOVE, and goes out of her way to research the topic to advance the fight against it, often interfering with her actual responsibilities as one of DOVE's interns.
Andrea has always had a very close relationship with her parents. Like many teenagers, there might have been rough patches, but Andrea always found herself running back to them when she didn't know what to do - and they were always so happy to oblige. They helped her get a running start on life, indulged her even on some of her wildest fantasies, and maybe spoiled her a little bit. They had the money, combined with what meager earnings she made for herself, to send her to a prestigious university, so they must have had quite the life. However, it's mysterious that they did not try to reach out after Andrea fell off the grid. It's mysterious that she still has not communicated with them sense she left Poland. Part of her is very scared that something may have happened to them, but she doesn't know what.
▸ D Y N A M I C S : |
| Francis Jean-Pierre |
| Good...ish? | Friendly Acquaintance | "He's nice enough. He's the only who has had any faith in my work so far, so that has to account for something." |
They have only known each other for a short while, and she doesn't know him very well, but Andrea has come to see a familiar face in the RAVEN and appreciation for his honesty and open heart. When everyone else doubted her and made light of her concerns over the Happiness drug, Francis took her seriously. Andrea hopes to prove herself worthy of that trust.
| Meifeng Zhao |
| Not So Good | No Relation | "She has had a long and prestigious career in her field, so I will respect her to that end." |
Andrea had a very rocky start with Meifeng when she was called in to answer questions as a witness for the incident at the Golden Throne. Though it was revealed that she was not actually at the scene, bio scans came in before she left, revealing the monster's tissue was saturated with Happiness. The two butted heads over whether or not that was the answer. The cost of experience is arrogance, and Andrea feels frustrated that the higher ups might have their judgement clouded by it.
| Aaron Chandler|
| Good | Friendly Acquaintance | "He's a gentle soul, and stronger than he gives himself credit for." |
The two have only just met after she helped him recover from a crippling panic attack after the Golden Throne incident. Andrea made a check-up call later after that to see how he was recovering, and was pleasantly surprised by the conversation they had that afternoon. The two have the potential for a supportive platonic relationship with one another provided another few interactions.
▼ | A B I L I T I E S: |
▸ P O W E R C L A S S : | Cerebral; Extra-Sensory ▸ P O W E R : | Psionic Phantoms?: The exact nature of Andrea's power is hotly disputed among the Academy program's faculty. One popular theory is that Andrea is capable of seeing another plane, so to speak, with bio-luminescent eyes. A plane which exists within our own as an additional dimension of space. Within this plane exists corporeal entities and apparitions. According to this theory, the nature of the apparitions are unique. They exist as a streaming consciousness existing within a polydimensional temporal plane, and between units of time – thusly invisible to anyone else. It's been suggested that they are made of an electrically active gas, and while mostly inert, are inexplicably bonded together ionically – it held up that this high-energy being was able to pass information along so easily, as though they were made up of neurons. Perhaps the true power is the ability to see them and the mental link Andrea shares with them, but the apparitions are no less incredible. It's claimed that these "spirits" possess incredible cerebral-type powers, from telekinesis to telepathy to mind-linking, chaining the consciousness of multiple people together through a third party.
While the apparitions are incapable of speech and verbal communication, in theory, as well as intangible with three dimensional objects, they are capable of carrying out simple tasks and understanding her communication. This includes scouting out a particular area and retrieving information that Andrea can utilize as he sees fit; this gives her the appearance of a pseudo-omnipresence in her environment. To a certain degree, Andrea is even able to control them, or at least influence them and their decisions, via a mental link to make those kinds of demands. This mental link also grants her a form of protection from some psychic and telepathic abilities. When telepathy is used on her or if anyone is infiltrating her mind in any way, the apparitions sense another presence in Andrea, and therefore becomes hostile at the alien presence in their environment. Deafening shrieking and wailing provides a defense mechanism that will hurt and hopefully ward away the invader, but at the same time, will also harm Andrea in the process. The screaming is so loud and endless and chaotic, that people's ears will begin bleeding in mere seconds.
These apparitions can project psionic energy at a target. They essentially feel like sudden blasts of concussive force from an air cannon, which, individually, can stagger a person. When you've got multiple apparitions lining up to wreck havoc upon whatever catches their interests - blast after blast after blast - they can eventually reduce a car into sheet metal. It is also assumed that, as apparently sentient creatures, they need sustenance. Seeing as how nobody is dropping dead, they aren't preying on us. Rather, they may be just feeding off the energies that radiate from us, or harmless surface thoughts. The theory goes that if you suddenly forgot what you were going to say or do, or inexplicably forgot a minor detail or can't find the word you're looking for, that's the apparition's doing. In addition, they also feed off the psionic powers of other cerebral metahumans. Instantly detecting and reacting to that delicious energy, gradually sapping the power of their ability when it is used. Telekinetics find that their power or strength is weaker than they normally are when around her, or perhaps a telepath projects a mental barrier, they can feel it whittling down and getting gradually weaker. This doesn't apply to mind-reading though, we already know what happens then. As it usually instantly inserts your mind into theirs, and the reaction to a possibly dangerous intruder has greater priority than getting a snack.
Accesible Psychic Interface?: The second theory appeals better to those who are reluctant or too afraid to accept the possibility of extra-planar creatures, ghosts, or aliens - what have you - living alongside us. Instead, they approach the topic from a different perspective. Cerebral powers manifests differently in different metahumans, and it is possible that how it developed in Andrea allows her to interact with her psychic abilities in a more out-of-body way and the development of glowing eyes simply might be her being able to see her own meta-human/psionic energy flowing around her. Whereas a archetypal psychic would simply move things with their mind, Andrea either subconsciously created a medium or interface to perform these feats, or the powers manifested that way on their own by creating the interface without psychological interference. But the results are the same: flexible psychic telekinetic and telepathic abilities. While perhaps not powerful enough to lift impossibly heavy objects or structures like tractor trailers (or at least not yet), the interface allows her to subconsciously multi-task a huge variety of objects. The phantasms are innumerable, and the limit to the number of small, insignificant objects she can lift have not yet been met. However, it is worth noting that the number of objects decreases depending on the weight of the objects she has to lift. This could be due to the number of phantasms in her interface that she commits to lifting a certain object or prying into a certain person's mind.
In addition to those feats, if she is not operating through real ghosts, then this theory's attempt at covering her psuedo-omniawareness is to suggest she has the power of scrying. To look through her mind's eye and watch a certain location, or detect the presence of people around her by just barely listening in to surface thoughts of those around her. Not quite reading minds per say, but sensing mental presences in the area. Her ability to be aware of multiple things at once, if not through ghosts, can connect multiple consciences together where she is the crossroads where these consciences meet. It is assumed that it can be done through her sharing her mind with two consenting parties as a sort of forum for them to nearly instantly share thoughts and feelings and emotions. What lends so much credence to this theory as opposed to the phantasm theory is the wear and tear this puts on Andrea. She can only do that so often before exhaustion sets in, her nose starts bleeding, and she starts getting dizzy. The mind can only handle so many thoughts and feelings at once, and doing it too often - even scarcely enough so it won't apparently damage her - can still trigger periods of depression or bipolar disorder. As for the screaming - well, Andrea has been through a lot. It is entirely possible that her ability to sense mental presences could allow her to sense when one is occupying the same space as hers, and that it is an automatic subconscious response to danger as to hide her insecurities.
Assuming theory number two is the truth behind her power, then there's an intriguing, if somewhat off-putting, detail about it. If her ability to sap psionic energies or drain it unconsciously, then some part of it must be caustic in some way. Not that it attacks living tissue or anything, but there's an observable effect on how it passively interacts with other psychic energies and minds. It runs parallel with the theme of her psychic abilities, that being it's very defensive oriented and that it deals with gradual effects. A single tick, shall we call it, of her power isn't too impressive. For instance, a single blast doesn't do much damage, but one after another, or a sudden barrage of many smaller ticks can ravage her target. It doesn't seem to rejuvenate her at all, so it must only weaken rival cerebrals.
Schizophrenic Psychic?: There was no shortage of people in the academy, whether they're student or faculty, that sees Andrea and thinks she's crazy. With her power, it's come to be expected. She's accepted that. Their ignorance is no skin off her bones. But for people who have heard about her history, or have read up on her may not say it out in the open, but would pin her craziness on her history with substance abuse. It's a judgmental point of view that doesn't make people popular, because Andrea is still one of the sweetest and generous people her friends know, and no one would be so cruel to suggest that in front of her... but that doesn't mean they don't exist. The third theory entails her just being a ridiculously powerful psychic that has gone nuts with the drugs frying her brain, making her too dangerous to keep on premise. There are some people who are so afraid of these rumors flying around that they probably would jettison her out of an airlock if they had an opportunity to do so. Cerebrals are dangerous to keep around at the best of times. Her claims of seeing ghosts just gives her haters ammunition to use against her.
▸ L I M I T S | W E A K N E S S E S : | It's difficult to determine what her limits are. What is known is that accumulative weight does have an effect on her capability to telekinetically manipulate objects. What has so far been observed is that slight noticeable changes was observed when she was asked to lift a three hundred pound object and a large amount of insignificant, miscellaneous items (pens, pencils, paper clips, etc.). While she could lift all of the miscellaneous items in the room, putting a three hundred pound object in the mix gave her visible signs of strain. When asked to instead lift a five hundred pound weight, she was found to lift fewer objects. The five hundred pound weight could also be held in unison with the three hundred pound weight, but with much fewer miscellaneous items - she preferred that she didn't. If she were to focus all of her energy into a single object, she learned that she could lift even a small car, though truthfully, it only hovered above the ground. With her in her second year, and more in control of her powers, the limits have gotten higher. The only real limits that haven't changed is her inability to move energy around (she could lift a paper that was on fire, but not the fire itself) and telepathy. Try listening to more than one conversation at a time, or reading more than one book at a time. While she can multi-task and perform actions in the background, you need to pay attention and focus on a single book or person if you plan on actually reading or listening.
A grand total of fifty feet might be the maximum distance for any command to be carried out and executed in a time efficient manner, whereas a hundred foot would be her total maximum range. Apparitions will only travel so far from their original position for one reason or another. Whether it be them trying to protect the source - being Andrea - or her own unconscious mind keeping something nearby as a safety precaution. Beyond fifty feet, there will be some pretty noticeable lag in the execution of her powers, as though it has a travel time. In addition, it will be of less severity. Whether it be the ability losing energy over this distance, or fewer apparitions moving to fulfill the execution of the command as they stray too far from their initial position is indiscernible.
Her weaknesses are more defined however. Electromagnetism can disrupt her ability to focus on thoughts, like how throwing a rock in a pond creates ripples and it becomes harder to see your reflection. In addition to that, it also depends on who she is reading. If your power allows you to think at the speed of a super computer, keeping up with all that information would feel impossible. When putting a subject in a lead-lined room, Andrea was completely unable to detect that the person was even there. Her inability to control energy is a limit, but when confronted with a meta who would wish to do her harm, it becomes a weakness. Controlling gases is also nearly impossible for her. Seizing free floating matter is very difficult for her to grasp, like trying to grab smoke, but having it slip between her fingers. She can influence its flow, but she wont be able to hold it. The self-defense mechanism of psionic screaming whenever another presence occupies her mind doesn't just hurt the invader. It hurts Andrea, too. These screams are so terrible that, if lasting even as long as five seconds, her and her invader begin bleeding from the ears. But it's not even the ears being damaged, rather, a very intense sensory overload on the brain. Linking consciences together is also incredibly draining to Andrea for reasons already explained, and she can very easily begin bleeding from the nose from the process.
Her incredible multitasking can take her attention off of herself if she is carrying a lot of items around. Like, an absurd amount of items. Until that point, she is still aware of herself and surrounded, but the more she carries, the more spaced out she appears. She's still aware of her surroundings, but her focus on simply controlling the objects and where she plans on taking them can make her forget to think about herself. Part of this can be subsided if she can take the focus on the specific movements of objects. If she's making simple motions and patterns, like say making tornado of debris around her or a group of people, she is able to divide her attention to focus on her own safety. That wouldn't take much to maintain. Most she'd have to do, really, is think about the spinning motion of a ceiling fan and go with the flow.
▼ | O T H E R : |
This incarnation of Andrea was actually inspired by Ed Sheeramn's "The A Team". Regardless of musical taste, the song tells a good story.
The first draft of Andrea was that she was more like a prom queen than a girl who reached too far and fell down. Part of her personal arc was discovering what the real world was like outside her petty high-school life. She was still a good girl, but she was totally ignorant of the sort of privileges she had and naively believed that she worked hard for everything she had. The song inspiration for her then was "Hollywood" by Marina and the Diamonds.
She has a peculiar behavior that doesn't quite fit within her personality section. If you're watching her, it's almost as though her eyes are trailing something, or looking at things that aren't there. She's also alarmingly good at guessing whatever's on your mind and she always seems to find the person she's looking for in a crowd. It's nearly impossible to sneak up on her. She doesn't advertise her powers like some people do and uses it mostly for the sake of practicality in every day life - but without due explanation, she appears to be a special kind of strange if not the least bit crazy.
CJ, mostly. He gets called a lot of things, but only adults call him Casey.
Gender:
Male
Age:
12. He insists that he’s 12 and a half, but really he turned 12 last month.
Height:
4’11”
Weight:
90lb
Home District:
Spring Town, Hedgemount
Appearance
Hair Color:
Blonde, though not a particularly elegant shade. Neither dark nor light, with some strands appearing more light brown.
Eye Color:
Blue, appearing as grey under certain lighting.
Ethnicity:
White. As for his nationality, he's American.
Physical Appearance:
Casey is rather short for his age, not quite five feet tall. Though most people don't notice his height, as it's hardly the most interesting thing about his looks. He's about average weight, a bit on the skinny side, but for the most part his build is very similar to others his age. He looks pretty proportional and symmetrical, for the most part. Except for his fingers, which seem a bit short, but once again nothing too drastic.
His skin is only slightly tanned, but not exactly pale; a fairly typical shade for his ethnicity. He often has an assortment of bruises, some of which are his own fault, some of which not so much. The only permanent mark is a long burn scar on his right forearm. He pretends not to remember how he acquired the injury, and tries to hide it for the most part.
He has a very expressive face, which reads like an open book. His large blue eyes, light eyebrows (which are constantly doing something weird), button nose and signature dorky grin (accentuated with metal braces) all add up to an overall appearance not unlike an animated cartoon character. His face is framed by unruly layers of blonde hair, a bit longer than most boys wear it.
Overall, his appearance has a certain charm to it, but it's a bit difficult to accurately describe in adjectives.
Attire:
Though his clothes are mostly clean (or as clean as one would expect a 12 year old’s clothes to be), Casey seems to cycle through the same four outfits all year round and occasionally wears the exact same articles multiple days in a row. Not all his clothes fit exactly right, and some of his clothes have clearly been mended a few times, indicating that he never actually throws anything away. His typical attire consists of t-shirts and jeans, and always the same blue jacket and worn out sneakers, usually accessorized with a few bandaids.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Casey makes a strong first impression, but not necessarily a good one. He seems to have absolutely no filter; a mischievous, sarcastic, foul-mouthed preteen with a tendency to seek attention. He lives to have fun, often at the expense of others. His signature Cheshire Cat grin never seems to leave his face, and he'd probably laugh in the face of death itself. He flits from one idea to the next with such dizzying rapidity, it would appear that he has no semblance of a consistent train of thought whatsoever.
He almost never lies, mostly because he seems to not be very good at it. He reads like an open book; it's very easy to figure out what he's thinking. That said, there are a few things that he refuses to talk about. The burn on his arm, where he lives, his parents… and a few other things. The few lies he does tell are usually to avoid discussing those topics, and they're never really complex. “I don't know” and “I forgot” seem to be the extent of his repertoire.
Casey has a memory like a steel trap. More specifically, he has an impressive eye for detail. He's often unable to pay attention to simple tasks, but if prompted he could tell you everything you need to make fireworks, probably because he looked it up on a whim two weeks ago. His problems with focus have more to do with boredom than an actual deficit. If he claims to have “forgotten” something, one can reasonably assume that he's got something to hide.
Notably, he cleans up his act a lot around adults, especially adults who know his parents or those with authority (police, etc.) He seems to be very conscious of what people are saying about him, and tries to make sure that some things don't spread around to places they shouldn't, so to speak. But, considering everything he's going through, he's not doing too terribly. He's at least able to see the good in things, and generally gives the impression that he’s not a complete lost-cause basketcase.
Hobbies/Interests:
His interests are often short lived, but intense. He’ll become interested in something to the point where it becomes sort of an obsession, and he'll invest so much of himself in it that he'll get stressed out and frustrated and abandon it for his next interest. As such, it's difficult for him to maintain a long term hobby. Besides, he can't really afford to do anything that requires training or expensive equipment. Most of the time he amuses himself exploring the town, riding his bike, climbing trees (and buildings), stalking his neighbors, drawing and watching old science fiction films.
Skills/Talents:
Aside from his almost photographic memory, Casey is fairly active, a good climber and a fast runner. He's a born improviser, usually to come up with a creative solution to most problems. He also has double jointed thumbs, which isn't really a talent, but makes for a cool party trick.
Goals/Motivation
Motivations change, especially when you're 12 years old and not even sure what next year's going to look like, let alone lifetime goals. As for Casey, he aspires to not be left alone and forgotten. He isn't exactly sure what makes a life worthwhile, but he's a bit worried that he's already on the wrong path.
History/Bio:
It started out fairly typically. When college dropout Robert met the beautiful blonde Darlene, they hit it off immediately. Originally they seemed to have a lot in common, and they quickly became inseparable. Just two years later, they were married and expecting a baby. Casey McCarthy was born one rainy morning, and his parents couldn't have been happier. At least, that's how it was at first. Darlene was making enough at her job as a retail manager to buy a little house in Baybridge, just inside of the Spring Town area. Not a great neighborhood, but it would suffice. But a few years down the line, Darlene was realizing that this quiet domestic life just wasn't for her. Sure, she loved the great reputation she had, and the respect she got from everyone around her, but she was growing restless. Providing for her unemployed husband and baby son was a pretty dull life.
When Casey was around four years old, his mother started using a variety of drugs from a variety of different people. Eventually, she found the perfect dealer: someone she could pay in… other ways. Casey didn't catch on to what was happening until years later, but he certainly noticed that he was alone a lot of the time. He quickly got used to the lack of parental guidance, and found ways to entertain himself.
But by the time he entered school, his naiveté was running out. He sort of knew what the situation was by the time he was about seven. His mother cracked down on him hard, making sure there was no sliver of a chance that he'd let something slip. Her list of rules and regulations grew and grew, but what really kept him in line was knowing that if his mother ever decided she'd had enough, he and his father would be out in the cold. To this day, he can distinctly remember every time his father mentioned how much mom did for them, and how he should be grateful for her presence now matter how many times she called him every name in the book.
Perhaps it was partially because of the drugs that Darlene was becoming increasingly paranoid about losing her reputation. But either way, things continued to slowly spiral downhill. There was no point in calling the authorities. As a matter of fact, that would make things 150% worse. If his mother got taken out of the picture, the rest of them would have nowhere to go. Besides, things weren't that bad, were they? He wasn't getting seriously hurt on a regular basis, and at school things were pretty normal. His grades were always a mixed bag: some great scores (Science), some failures (English) and mostly a lot of ‘C’s. He never really had any friends, but nobody terrorized him that badly either. Of course there are always some kids who are jerks, but that's just to be expected of middle school. That said, he often finds himself a bit lonely, rarely having anyone to talk to. This might be why he's kind of become a class clown, fighting hard for the attention of his classmates. Let it suffice to say that he's gotten in quite a lot of trouble over the past few grades.
About a year or so ago, he started to notice that birds really liked him. It wasn't just the way that the local pigeons and blackbirds followed him around, or that parrot his neighbor owned kept escaping to hang out in his room. It almost felt like he had some sort of control over them. He never could exactly pinpoint when it all started. Maybe it was when his mother's drug dealer caught him trying to contact the police and slammed his arm down onto a stove burner. Maybe it was when he hit his head so hard in gym class that he had a seizure. Anyway, he wasn't too worried about figuring out how his ability manifested. He had to figure out how to use it to its fullest extent. So that's what he's been up to for the past few months, on top of trying to cope with his rapidly worsening family situation and not fail 7th grade, and countless other responsibilities that society has placed on kids.
Relationships
Family:
Robert McCarthy (father) Only 34 years old, Robert McCarthy is a fresh faced and hopelessly unemployed young guy with a manipulative spouse. Always searching for work, he rarely has time to spend with his child. Besides, he has no say in his life anymore. His wife is threatening him with imminent homelessness if he doesn't keep quiet about her infidelity and substance abuse. His only purpose is to solidify the illusion of a functional family. Casey likes his father, but they're a bit distant. They both have bigger problems to worry about, and don't often have time to bond.
Darlene Rose Alcorn-McCarthy (mother) Darlene is older than her husband at 36 years old, a retail manager with a spotless reputation. From her lovely blonde curls to her simple but neat clothing, she looks like she just walked off of a film set. As the only one in the family with a steady job, everyone relies on Darlene. The fate of her husband and son dangles from her self-manicured fingertips. She knows full well that she's free to do as she pleases, and the others just have to suck it up and deal with it if they want to have a place to live. There is no democracy in the McCarthy household. Her rules are numerous and vigorously enforced. Nobody dares The mere suggestion of divorce would have her husband begging at her feet. As for her son, a few hours in the closet seems to shut him up. She's concerned about her public image, which is so far untarnished. She's one of the wealthier people in the Spring Town area (though her drug budget keeps her from being able to relocate to a nicer neighborhood), and is well regarded by her neighbors and coworkers. For the most part, Casey just tries to stay out of his mother's way as much as possible, never saying a single word about her to anyone.
Jason Edward Tennant (mother's dealer/boyfriend) Sure, Casey is kind of scared of his mother. But more so than her, he has to worry about the tall guy who comes in the back door to sell his mother small nondescript plastic bags of illicit substances. About a year ago, Casey got it into his head that it was a good idea to call the cops. He learned his lesson after getting his arm slammed onto a burning stove top. Jason Tennant isn't a top-notch crime lord, but he has reasons to keep his connections a secret. And he definitely isn't afraid to hurt a kid to keep making money off of the kid's mother.
Dynamics:
Abilities
Power Class:
Cerebral (Domination)
Power:
Casey can manipulate birds. Anything with feathers and a beak seems oddly compelled to obey his whims. Birds are like his friends; they understand and like him and will do basically anything he asks, as long as it's within the realm of their capability. It's a pretty simple ability, but rather handy.
Limits:
His ability only affects up to 20 nearby birds (within about 10 yards or thereabouts.). So he can't just summon all of the birds in the world and unleash the Birdpocalypse.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Since it only manifested a year ago, there's a lot he doesn't know about how his ability is best used. Also, the most clichéd weakness of all is in full effect: it hurts. It hurts more the longer he uses it, and every additional bird accelerates the effect significantly. He'll usually start noticing a mild headache after only 10 minutes of using his ability on 1-5 birds. After assigning a bird a task that lasts over 20 minutes, it becomes highly uncomfortable to the point where he'd usually have stopped already if what he was doing wasn't critically important. At the half hour mark, he's usually crying a little. So far, he's had no reason to push himself any further than that, but surely there's a point at which he couldn't take anymore. So even though his powers have a lot of possible potential, he usually limits himself to 1-5 birds at a time, for short increments.
Marcus looks tired. Bags beneath his eyes could display the contents of a hardworking life-- lower-middle class and full of farming and fieldwork. A crown of kinky brown hair rests atop his head gloriously untamed, flowing down to his shoulder-blades, and usually held back only by sheer luck or the occasional hairband. Marcus has a lithe figure, unimpressive in height, that possess the work muscle for plowing. All of his facial features could be described as weak, rounded, a little feminine, and almost handsome. He walks about with his hands in his pockets and abysmal posture-- actually having developed a permeate curvature of the spine from constant slouching. His skin is the dark brown of freshly turned soil and bears scars around the elbows and knees from plenty of childhood roughhousing.
That's Marcus in the flesh.
While in his current condition, Marcus resembles himself but as if he has been carved and cut from pure marble, clothing not included. Large wings, similar to those of angels, have sprouted from his back and have full range of motion-- too bad they're seemingly useless.
Attire:
Clothing for labor and working are all that Marcus wears or buys. Work boots, well worn denim pants, thick coats, and a stereotypical amount of flannel reside in his wardrobe. Marcus used to be seen with his hair in a ponytail in order to wear warm "bomber" hats and skullcaps but, now he can't exactly do that. A pair of work gloves were always on his person, be it in his back pocket or worn, because work could come up at anytime, right?
Nowadays he goes shirtless, barefoot, with a simple pair of cargo shorts to cover his marbles, sometimes swapped out for a kilt, as pants tend to tear when his legs move too much.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Get right to the point. Marcus doesn't like beating around the bush or exaggeration. When business is on there'd better be clear and concise instruction, otherwise he feels his time is wasted. Unfortunately this is how he handles everything in life, making his demeanor very serious. He's a humorless young man with a deep well of patience by contrast. Marcus doesn't like to rush but he does want his time to be well spent. He laughs rarely and smiles only out of politeness. He keeps quiet around others unless there is need for his opinion, perspective, or he feels there is an idea he can contribute for better success-- Marcus hates failure. His hatred of failure is only matched by his hatred of losing, as he is fiercely competitive.
Hobbies/Interests:
Baseball, Football, and Farming-- Go, Seahawks!
Skills/Talents:
From manual labor to selling the crop, Marcus can do both with ease and skill. He drives a hard bargain, knows how to pinch every nickel and penny out of a customer, and backs off just in time to seal the deal. Marcus also has the strength to plow, toss hay, and lift a lot of heavy things around for hours on end, no breaks, in whatever terrible weather happens to be out that day. He does this all without complaint and the grim silence of a farmer well past his years of giving a lick.
He can also hit a baseball like nobody's business and throw a football about eighty yards, on a good day.
Goals/Motivation
Marcus wants to see his family-- mother and brothers-- safe and out of harm. He now knows he has the power to do so and will stop at nothing to ensure this goal is met. He will go to any lengths, doing whatever he deems necessary, to accomplish this goal.
History/Bio:
Marcus was born and raised out here in Roseview, oldest of four children. All his life, he has worked the fields at his mother's side, focused on learning everything he possibly could from her. Marcus took it to heart when, one day, a farm down the road burned down, killing the one person responsible for maintaining the field, and leaving the family without any way to recover income. Marcus has sought to learn the trade and to educate his siblings in that regard as well.
He's lived an uneventful life-- home schooled with early starts to his days and late nights. His mothers raised him as well as they could, though they often struggled to make ends meet. As soon as he was able, Marcus took a job at a local grocery store, on top of his duties of selling produce at the Havenfield Market, and did as much as he could to bring in funds to the household.
Unfortunately, said grocery store caught on fire one day, burned to the ground, and activated Marcus' powers. Since that incident, Marcus has had a body of stone, unable to shift back into a human form. This has done very little from stopping his goal however, and he regularly makes appearances at the market. People's acceptance of his condition seem to vary by the moment though, some of the people that have known him for lengths of time rarely stray from accepting him as is.
Relationships
Family: Blanca Cardenas-Bradley - Mother - Alive - Called "Mom"
An ordinary woman who moved to America from Mexico. Only three years into her stay did she meet her future wife, Tina. She gave birth to all four of her children only after being married and used the same sperm donor for all four, one that specifically looked as similar to Tina as possible. Blanca has been called the negotiator by frequenters of the Havenfield Markets, because of her smooth talking and ability to conduct business in a way that leaves all parties satisfied. She taught Marcus everything he knows about economics, mathematics, and handled the majority of his home schooling. Skillfully, Blanca balances her family and the checkbook with exacting and sometimes unrealistic standards.
Tina Bradley - Mother - Alive - Called "Mama"
The daughter of farmers from Texas, Tina didn't feel like taking over her parent's lands and instead moved to the north west. This was a move wholly out of spite. She's easygoing enough up until she finds reason to hold a grudge, apparently. Tina taught Marcus everything there was to know about farming-- including what little knowledge she had of animal healthcare and husbandry. Tina works hard-- too hard-- and often gets tunnel vision when it comes to interacting with others. If it's not about work, she sometimes doesn't hear it.
Clayton 17, Wayne 15, and Shane 15 - Brothers - All Alive thankfully.
Marcus' brothers help out around the farm and at the market. Wayne and Shane are identical twins that regularly "switch places" in order to confuse people-- they're both pranksters and extremely outgoing, opting for sports and rough housing rather than anything else, usually. Clayton is a soft-spoken dreamer that paints watercolor landscapes when he's not busy.
The Countless Many - Various!
Marcus' extended family consists of numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents on Bianca's side. Tina's side seems to be somewhat-nuclear and rarely spoken of. To this day, Marcus has still never met Tina's parents or her siblings.
Dynamics:
| None Yet! |
| Impression | Relationship | "Quote Here." |
[Description of Relationship]
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental - Mimicry
Power: Stone Body
Since the activation of Marcus' powers, he has taken a form consisting of a thick layer of white marble with large "angel wings" protruding from his back. This, as far as he knows, is the only thing his powers can do.
Strong Enough
Marcus gained increased strength in order to compensate for his sudden shift in weight. He's strong enough to move freely, run, and leap just a bit-- but not nearly high enough to slam dunk a basketball.
Limits:
This is all he's capable of and cannot transform back into a person made of flesh, at the moment.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
While it has not happened yet and he is very unaware of the possibility, the state he is in can be cracked and broken, resulting in an un-healable amputation, depending on what is broken off, as well as heavy bleeding. He cannot regenerate and the bleeding takes a very long time to slow and stop, before a layer of marble moves in to cover the wound.
Marcus' body weight is massive compared to his regular self, coming in at 580lbs while he is in this marble state. He cannot run very fast without effort and, once he gets going, it can be difficult to stop. He can't swim at all. The wings on his back are hilariously useless and seem only decorative. If anything can break marble, melt, or even control marble, he's going to have major issues.
He has lost his sense of smell and touch, so he can't feel heat or cold, and Marcus does not breathe or eat anymore. He sometimes breaks things, due to his weight and inability to properly feel just how tight of a grip he has on something. Sleep is a necessity due to his state being a constant but slow energy drain. As the days roll by, Marcus finds himself slowly growing more lethargic and needing longer periods of rest. This power is putting a constant leak on his energy stores and he is at risk for Ashing in the future, if his powers do not deactivate.
Marcus' strength is enough to move freely without being slow but, that's not enough to say, lift a car. He could punch a hole in a wall but, it would take some effort and tire him, making Marcus need a cat-nap to recover, at the least. His stamina is a decent drawback on his skills and strengths-- it only marginally increased to compensate for the added weight.
Marcus needs plenty of naps, lots of sleep, and should not participate in large amounts of intense activity for too long. He could do so but, then he begins to dig into reserves of energy that cause him to enter a state of increasing altered mental status-- like a person who has lost too much blood or is about to faint. That being said, such a state of increased activity can eventually lead to fainting after an extended amount of tine.
Other:
Marcus has a very strong fear of the dark and doesn't like going out without a flashlight.
Basic Information
Name:
Courtney Peterson
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
YouTube Name: BlacK4tBlu
Gender:
Female
Age:
23
Height:
5ft 4in
Weight:
130lbs
Home District:
Lower South Royer Town, Prince Ed-Field
Appearance
Hair Color:
Blue, blonde, black
Eye Color:
Gray
Ethnicity:
African American - Korean descent
Physical Appearance:
Courtney puts a lot of effort into her makeup. Never is she seen without perfectly applied foundation, eyeshadow, and lipstick to match her outfit. Her pierced ears are host to silver or gold hoops and studs, among the three holes pierced into each ear. Deadlocked hair hangs down to the middle of her back with bleached tips, bright blue dyed centers, and the remaining hair being dyed pitch black. Her face is average looking but her steel colored sharp eyes stand out. Her build is flat, square, and broad shouldered.
Attire:
The color black dominates her wardrobe, followed closely by blue and purple. Jeans, fashionable skirts, and leather coats often accompany her graphic t-shirts. Accessories made of leather with studs, spikes, or chains are always on her person. Her footwear consists largely of over the ankle boots or leather lace up shoes. For the most part, she dresses in layers and likes to keep herself covered up.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Bubbly, outgoing, and overwhelmingly cheerful describe Courtney in simple terms. She's extroverted with an empathetic need to make others feel welcome, cheer them up, or otherwise ensure that they aren't feeling too "down." This is due to the fact that Courtney feels horribly dissatisfied and unhappy with her current circumstances. She doesn't wish to let others know how depressed she feels inside. Still, she has hope that things will get better and optimism that seems endless.
All this being said, Courtney is not very book smart or logical. She often misses details others would pick up easily and makes major miscalculations when it comes to information interpretation. She hates school and only remembers all the naps she took in class before dropping out of high school, refusing to pursue any further education. Her intelligence is artistic, rather than book smart or street smart.
Hobbies/Interests:
Makeup, costume design, and music.
Skills/Talents:
Courtney was classical piano trained at a very young age and is quite gifted at playing the piano. Her abilities with makeup artistry came a little later in life. From Halloween costumes to cosplay, Courtney has been requested numerous times to assist with makeup artistry from a few notable persons-- all thanks to her channel on YouTube.
Goals/Motivation
Courtney seeks recognition of her talents in the costume design industry as well as her talent in music composition. If the world continues getting weird however, she thinks these two goals would be very difficult to accomplish.
History/Bio:
As an only child, Courtney was privileged to have the full extent if her parents attention. She was born and raised in Colorado and spent the majority of her life there, rarely taking trips out of state. A lot of effort was made by her parents to support her artistic endeavors, even after she dropped out of high school. Things were quiet, normal, and very boring for Courtney but, as with most rebellious youth, she joined a gang after dropping out, dabbled in drug dealing, got a really bad tattoo, then called it all quits years later.
During her time spent with the gang, which was truly more of a small group of knuckleheads that called themselves the "Coin Tossers", Courtney was the go-to for tagging things with spray paint. Though she wasn't very good at it, she was solely responsible for holding the can and spraying, while the others either assisted with her getting into seemingly unreachable positions or pulling guard. The most notable place she was tasked to tag was a blank billboard at the top of an abandoned and derelict hot-dog factory.
She and two members of the Coin Tossers, on a hot summer night, scaled the outside of the building via fire escape. They scaled a rusted and creaky ladder, attached to the billboard, until they reached their destination. All was well until it came time to descend the billboard. While one of the gang members descended, the rusted bolts and screws, holding the ladder to the support pole of the billboard, broke free and sent the teenager hurtling to the ground below. This resulted in that gang member breaking both their legs and being knocked briefly unconscious by the rusted metal falling onto their head. Courtney and the third Coin Tosser were trapped at the top with no way of getting down and the person laying at the bottom was in no condition to call for help-- they all left their cellphones behind to charge in the Coin Tosser leader's car.
Seeing as they were silly teenagers that didn't think ahead, neither Courtney nor her companion brought any food or water to keep them nourished through the coming forty two hours they would be trapped at the top of the billboard. It was during this incident, when the summer sun began to fill the sky at noon, burning Courtney and her companion in a Colorado triple-digit heatwave, that her powers manifested.
It was a simple wishing, praying, hoping hard that something would come and block out the sun, that caused her first Mirror to assemble itself. Courtney immediately broke it, reassembled it, figured out it was her creation, then she proceeded to shelter herself, her companion, and the Coin Tosser laying miserably on the ground below, from the summer sun with sporadic results. Due to the fact she was dehydrated and hungry, the mirrors would regularly dissolve, causing her to expend more energy to create them again. Thankfully this was enough to keep the three cooled and protected from the heat wave until the rescue crews figured out how to get them down from there. The Coin Tossers soon disbanded afterward leaving Courtney, sixteen at the time, with a lot of time on her hands and nothing to do.
Michelle, Courtney's mother, purchased a large collection of makeup and brushes one day in an attempt to cheer Courtney up-- the days on end of depressing piano melodies filling the house were starting to make Michelle cringe. Thus began Courtney's obsession with YouTube make-up tutorials. Eric, Courtney's father, one day suggested that she make a YouTube channel like "All the other cool kids," dedicated to doing make-up tutorials as well-- he also suggested she throw in her piano music too, because that would make her stand out a little. Courtney began her channel with the screen name BlacK4tBlu. She began with a few tutorial videos but, she was somewhat hindered by her lack of equipment-- having to film herself via camera phone for the most part.
Months later on her seventeenth birthday, Courtney received a HD camera, some editing software, and a very expensive microphone from her parents. The increase in quality brought more attention to Courtney's YouTube channel but, what really earned her recognition, was a video by the name of "Universe Embodiment Make-Up Tutorial."
In this video, Courtney performed a time lapse of herself playing an original piano composition, applying makeup one brush at a time, to slowly give her entire face, neck, and upper body, the appearance of a galaxy and nebula, complete with a few planets. Courtney's video became viral within the week, giving her over thirteen million views, and bringing in a spike of three-hundred thousand followers-- she was only eighteen at the time.
Courtney created a second viral video less than a year after. She used her mirror powers to create kaleidoscope effects and reflection-play in order to make a "trippy" video of her "transforming" her parents into the "God of Mars and Goddess of Venus." The video featured more special effects makeup, a full body transformation, filmed as time-lapse, and another original piano composition. The views on this video broke the two-million mark within twelve hours, then sky rocketed to over twenty-million views, granting her a few interviews and articles on popular internet news sites, and two-hundred thousand more followers.
With her YouTube channel earning her a name, some income, and plenty of popularity, Courtney has since participated in numerous conventions, contests, and other events in order to increase her following and make her skills more known. Around her twentieth birthday however, her father was diagnosed with cancer, which lead to a decline in activity on her channel and thus, a decline in viewership. A few months following his diagnosis, Courtney began making videos again but, this time they were simple make-up tutorials, an attempt to begin creating again despite her depression. When it was determined that her father needed more intensive care that the local hospital could not provide, Courtney went on a year long hiatus while her family figured out their next move.
It was determined that a hospital, up north in Washington, may have the specialized doctors and nurses that could help Eric's rapidly declining condition. Michelle was quick to secure a house, transportation, and a job, within a matter of weeks, leading to a sudden and rapid relocation. Courtney's family settled in Baybridge around four months ago and she's still getting used to everything. There is a lot she doesn't know about the town or it's people. She's yet to make any friends, despite her attempts, and is starting to give up on the prospect to instead focus on her art and music. Still, she does feel very lonely.
Courtney only recently recorded her first video since hiatus. It featured a brief walk and look around Baybridge, which served as a treat to her diehard fans-- ones that continued their subscription to her even through the hiatus. In the video she told them her reasons for being absent and promised that new content would soon be underway.
Relationships
Family: Eric Peterson - Father - Hospitalized
Eric is the half Korean half African American son of a carpenter and a jeweler. He has lung cancer and is currently hospitalized. He's a kind and caring man who was once an architect. Eric raised Courtney with patience and calmness, rarely ever disciplining his child, simply because he is a wimp. Now that he's in Baybridge, he's mostly in and out of the hospital as he receives treatments.
Michelle Peterson - Mother - Alive
Michelle is an African American woman from Louisiana. She is fiery compared to Eric's easygoing nature. She's a passionate woman who loves to argue and debate, feeling it's the best way to solve problems. During Courtney's childhood, she was the main disciplinarian of the household and often had a tense relationship with her daughter. She currently works as a full time tax auditor for the IRS.
Dynamics:
| None Yet! |
| Impression | Relationship | "Quote Here." |
[Description of Relationship]
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental
Power: Reflective Surface Creation
Courtney has the ability to create mirror-like panels with a wave of her hand. They can vary in size and shape but, all have a distinctly "gooey" texture to them and are able to be passed through with slight effort. They reflect light, heat, infrared, X-ray, and ultra-violet waves. These shields are created from metallic particles in the air, dust, or dirt, microscopic to the eye but agitated and aggressively assembled at her call.
Limits:
The limits are plenty. Courtney expends energy with the creation and maintaining of the mirrors. The energy expended increases with the dimensions of the mirror, making it more difficult to maintain for long lengths of time, or outright impossible to assemble in the first place.
Her ideal mirror is no larger than 10ft x 10ft in the shape of a square, with a 0.3in thickness-- this one can be maintained for hours at a time without bringing her close to exhaustion.
She also cannot be a great length away from whatever mirror she creates. Courtney must be able to see the mirror in order to maintain it and cannot create a mirror in a location she cannot see. The further away from the mirror she is, the more energy is expended to maintain it. An ideal distance for her to stand is within six feet.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
The Mirror can also be easily penetrated by physical objects and doing so puts a strain on Courtney's energy reserves-- often manifesting as physical pain. Any sort of magnetism will destroy the barrier with little effort, cause her a great deal of physical pain, and sap a large amount of her energy.
Electricity can be conducted by the Mirror for a short period of time before it breaks apart entirely-- this can be a drawback or an advantage, depending on circumstance.
Multiple mirrors are possible but the energy expended increases with the amount that are produced, no matter their size-- i.e. two mirrors takes double the energy, three takes triple, etc..
Other:
She has over eight hundred-thousand followers on YouTube, are you one of them?
Standing at 5’10 and still in good health and fitness as a result of his career choice, Reed is still a man in his prime and arguably not too hard on the eyes - age hasn't particularly marked him, though one could attribute this to his regenerative abilities. His eyes are a lighter shade of brown whilst his face is relatively smooth and clean-shaven, kept free from stubble whilst his head is cropped fairly short. Along his left forearm is a twisted scar from where it was bitten by one of the Devil's creatures and never fully healed.
Attire:
Whilst Reed is known to wear the standard DOVE uniform when the occasion necessitates it (which is almost round the clock given his role as Director) when the option is available he'll go for the less conspicuous plain-clothes approach, wearing a shirt with jeans or cargo pants along with a jacket on occasion and keeping his sidearm in a concealed holster.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Strong-willed and brimming with determination, Reed was the kind of man with a motivated drive for seeing things through, almost to a fault given how stubborn he could be. However, several years on the force, his experiences and losses in Verthaven and his time with DOVE have only served to dispel the naiveté and replace it with a realistic sense of how the world actually works, along with giving him some good instincts. That doesn't mean he lacks the same drive, rather he just understands there's a way about doing it and whilst he still maintains a relatively calm, professional exterior there's a sense of passion and drive just beneath the surface.
One of the main reasons he first joined up with the force was to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and losing him has only cemented his idea of doing the right thing, hence why he carried on with DOVE to honour his name. Unlike his brother, Reed's probably more the pacifist of the two and is generally inclined towards talking his way through a situation and using those good instincts of his to avoid causing trouble. It helps being a DOVE, but it's also something that comes naturally to him.
An unexpected rise through the ranks to the position of Director has led to him taking on a more hardened approach to things - he's still the same man deep down inside as he was before, but leadership and the responsibilities that accompany it have brought a weight down upon him, even though he might willingly bear it.
Having spent his early childhood and lost a mother to alcohol abuse, he's also sympathetic to the plight of the poorer lower classes and metahumans subjected to abuse and is disgusted at the prospect of the local gangs taking advantage of either, to the point he's willing to go out of his way to put an end to it. Likewise he doesn't take kindly to signs of corruption or misconduct in either DOVE, RAVEN or the BPD, having worked his own ass off to get where he is and still wanting to help dispel the public mistrust of law enforcement and metahuman regulation agencies - and part of his time as Director has been focused towards stamping this out.
The other thing that's liable to piss him off is bringing up his family or friends and badmouthing any of them - particularly his brother or late uncle. Or worse - bringing harm to any of these friends and family, or the agents under his watch.
Hobbies/Interests:
Like his brother and uncle before him, Reed doesn't mind heading out onto the range every once in a while, but his duties tend to keep him from that area these days. When he's not busy, good TV and classic films such as The Terminator or Predator are something he can quite gladly appreciate. On another note, he's also kept a lot of his uncle's film memorabilia and, in some ways, has gained a fondness for collecting it, as anyone who has visited his office can account.
Skills/Talents:
Time on the VPD and with DOVE have done more than their fair share of good for Reed. He's picked up a fair amount of skills in his time both through training and personal experience. For one, he’s quite analytical and decisive when push comes to shove and has been given a degree of wisdom from his time on the beat and with DOVE and he's not a half-bad shot either, and knows his way around most firearms. Practice on the range outside of work has only served to cultivate this. He’s also pretty damned athletic (even after taking on the mantle of Director) and knows how to take care of himself in a fight- a necessary skill for a man who’s job in the past had required him to be able to apprehend fleeing and potentially dangerous suspects whilst staying by the book, so to speak. He still speaks a little Spanish though, again, his pronunciation is a little off and he's probably rustier than ever by now.
Goals/Motivation
Reed has a vested interest in doing some good for both the Metahuman and Non-Meta communities, it's one of the reasons why he first joined DOVE to begin with (that, and his being out of a job). Becoming Director has allowed him to begin the steps towards this goal.
History/Bio:
Born towards the end of the ‘80s on Eagle-Rock Row, Reed was the youngest child of two kids born into crime and poverty to a single parent, surrounded by drugs, violence and the social tensions of the time. From early childhood, their mother quickly relied on a string of deadbeat boyfriends, minimum wage jobs and alcohol to pull the three of them through life and it took its toll on her from an early stage, often forcing her elder brother to step in to assist.
Whilst his older brother, Quentin got caught up with the local street gangs working the corners, Reed was left at home with an alcoholic mother who only seemed to be aware of his existence half of the time. Quentin did as best as a kid his age could yet all the same Reed’s early childhood was one devoid of any real parental figures. It was only after his mother’s death from alcohol poisoning that the closest thing to a parental figure he’d ever had showed up: his Uncle Cassius, his mother’s elder brother.
Having been aware of their situation for some time and having already made preparations to step in, Cassius took both of the Taylor brothers in as his own children and ensured that they’d never have to face the lifestyle he’d pulled them out of ever again. Years passed by and Reed grew closer to his uncle, having never had a stable parental figure to follow whilst Quentin, being older, continued to do his own thing in order to, in his own words, “be his own man”. It would, for some time, drive a wedge between the two.
Reed wanted to follow in the footsteps of the only father-figure he’d ever had and eventually wound up in the police academy, wanting to be a cop. Persistent as anyone and hoping he might make a difference in addition to doing right by his uncle, he pushed on through his training and joined up with the VPD.
Wedging his foot in the door for the beginning of a successful career, Reed flourished on the beat and worked his way through things until finally, hoping to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, he earned a promotion to a position in the VPD's detective bureau as an Investigator, which was going well up until a surge in Metahuman activity sweeped across the city.
Things escalated as NEST began its war against the Hands of Science, yet through this there was something good that transpired - a reconciliation between Reed and his elder brother, now a NEST agent. But things would still get worse, culminating in the emergence of the Devil of Verthaven. Reed himself was injured during this occurrence, his arm suffering a nasty bite wound from one of her creatures that would only be mitigated by the efforts of the late Trevor Obott.
A threat greater than anything Reed could have expected as a cop, both he and his uncle were among the remaining VPD cops who joined up with NEST when the city was isolated and fought boldly in the effort to destroy her. It paid off, but that was not the end of the Verthaven Disaster. Not quite yet.
In a surprise attack, the Changelings (whom had previously formed a temporary truce with NEST to fight the Devil) quickly turned on NEST, killing an agent - and then Cass. Reed was not present at the time, but soon learned over the comms - and promptly responded by ramming an armoured VPD truck into one of the Changelings and finishing them off with a shot to the head.
The battle between NEST and the Changelings came to its climax - and the remaining forces of NEST emerged, bloodied and bruised, the city a ruin to be abandoned, but still victorious, for whatever it was worth. Having lost his uncle, who had been more like a father to him than anything else and now out of a job, Reed contemplated his future until Quentin revealed that he'd pulled a few strings and found him a place in the agency that would go on to succeed NEST.
Skeptical, Reed cited his lack of powers - to which Quentin pointed out that he'd already held his own before, then offered him the chance to become a Metahuman if he felt he couldn't keep up. Hesitant, Reed made his decision - taking on and safeguarding the abilities that once belonged to Luis, leader of the Changelings.
Finally they buried their uncle together - before Reed looked towards the future with optimism.
In the immediate aftermath of NEST's dissolution, Reed was one of the first agents to join up with DOVE - one of its two successor agencies that would deal with the social and legal aspects of the metahuman community. Transferred to Baybridge, Reed pushed on through his training and within a few years was an agent out on the streets, carrying out field work.
In many ways, it had been a lot like his days on the beat and as an investigator - except now he was dealing with metahumans and situations which could often be just as complex, if not moreso than those that he'd seen back in Verthaven. But he stuck with it, gained a knack for it and before long came to love and take pride in his work just as much, if not even more than he had during his days as a cop and over time, he became a known figure, not least because he developed a rapport with officers of the Baybridge Police Department.
Things would always stir up, however, and the emergence of another destructive metahuman in Prague would serve only to kick the hornet's nest that was the malcontents of the Pure, the Allegiance and countless others who'd served only to cause trouble in Baybridge, which now held the highest concentration of metahumans on the West Coast in the wake of the Verthaven Disaster. Most alarming, Reed found, was the presence of what seemed to be a serial killer in their midst - but other events overshadowed this, preventing him and his colleagues from getting to the bottom of the case.
Yet there wasn't all bad in this. Word travelled quick that his brother was being reassigned to Baybridge and Reed was more than happy to accomodate a reunion, only things would put them working back to back as riots and extremist sentiment tore the city apart at the seams. During what became known as the Overload Incidents, Reed found himself caught up numerous times - first during a blizzard incurred by a metahuman with ice-based abilities and later when caught up in a storm brought about by an overloaded Haruka Takashiro - during which he saved Lijuan Zhao (the sister of an old friend and colleague) from drowning by pulling the girl back to shore.
Shortly after this came the capture of the Mannequin, the last member of the Changeling Unit that had caused Reed and his brother so much pain, then far worse - the exposure of the world-spanning cabal known to those aware of its existence as the Founding Family, obsessed with genetics and responsible for the mass manipulation of politics and society on a global scale, a group responsible for the events that transpired in Verthaven, NEST, the shield of light and all. Much like his brother, Reed felt disgust at the knowledge which they had gained, but the ex-cop turned this same disgust and anger into a determination to bring those involved to justice, as predictable as it may have sounded.
It was during this time that Reed, much like Quentin, crossed paths with the Intimidation Unit (taking a few bullets in the process) and, later on, its commander, the Black Hound. During a hostage situation at the mall, Reed volunteered to speak with the Hound to try and ascertain the assassin's motives and demands, using the brief parley as an opportunity to stall for time and identify any weaknesses in the paramilitary unit's defences. Later during that same situation, when an attempt was made to rescue the hostages through force (the Hound's demands of releasing prisoners in DOVE and RAVEN's custody having been deemed unacceptable) Reed assisted yet again in helping usher the liberated prisoners to safety, but found himself caught up in the middle of the fire yet again as the assassin returned to unleash havok among the gathered agents, unloading on them with overwhelming firepower - Reed's body was mangled in the crossfire, yet it was Quentin who turned out worst for wear after recklessly drawing the Hound into a one-on-one fight which only barely came to a stalemate, leaving the veteran RAVEN with life-threatening injuries.
Whilst his brother was left in a hospital bed to recover, Reed soon forced himself back onto the streets gain, his own injuries healed as a consequence of his regenerative abilities. This proved beneficial when the DOVE agent was given a plain-clothes assignment at a debate between the Savior Foundation and the Metahuman International Party (MIP), as yet another group of assassins were deployed with the intention of disrupting the event (which had been given the go-ahead despite existing security concerns). Acting fast, Reed was able to narrowly rescue the Savior Foundation's representative at the debate, yet there were others at the debate who weren't so lucky, including one of the MIP representatives due to speak at the debate.
Worse still, they'd taken an old friend - Cindy Keagan.
Only shortly after, Reed found what he thought was an explanation for this when the Founding Family presented Cindy on live television in a live broadcast to various local stations and provided RAVEN with an ultimatum - hand over three prisoners that were in the organisation's custody (Dr. Cross, Ignatius and the Mannequin, all with ties to the Changelings and the Hands of Science) or a terrible wrath would be unleashed upon the city within five days.
It was a bold move by any standard by that act alone, but the Founders immediately followed this up with another show of force: with the resources at their disposal, they wrought havoc upon the city's power infrastructure through the use of digital sabotage, leaving large swathes of the city without power, save for areas and buildings relying on their own independent power sources. Widespread panic ensued in the city and the combined forces of RAVEN, DOVE and the Baybridge Police Department were stretched thin as they acted to try and quell the chaos, Reed contributing as much as he could through the use of a few of the contacts he'd established with the BPD.
In what seemed to be lighter news, Cindy soon reappeared in the custody of DOVE and RAVEN, having apparently escaped from captivity, yet almost immediately after came the trojan horse leashed upon the two organisations. Descending upon the HQ building were a small fleet of helicopters and armoured trucks, both bearing the uniform and insignia of the local police department, only... they weren't. Approaching under the guise of offering reinforcements, the so-called SWAT units sprang the trojan horse once their 'counterparts' were within range, opening fire and enacting a massacre of DOVE, RAVEN and civilian personnel alike - few were spared in the onslaught.
It didn't take long for Reed or his colleagues to realise what was going on and, needing to act fast, they sprang for the armoury, took what equipment they could and desperately moved across the building, hoping to defend it from the paramilitaries of the Intimidation Unit and the assassins in their midst, who intended to free the prisoners held in RAVEN's custody. Yet, after Meifeng Zhao was injured during the attack, Reed found himself forced to flee the fighting, if only to carry her to safety - leaving him one of the few DOVE agents left unscathed by the attack and among the few capable of co-ordinating the shattered remains of the organisation's local resources in the wake of the attack.
Co-ordinating with an equally battered but nontheless undettered RAVEN force, which found itself under the command of his colleagues (as well as his brother, who had pulled himself from a hospital bed), Reed soon learned of the machine that the Founding Family intended to use to 'evolve' the entire species, along with the so-called 'Beast' intended to draw RAVEN's focus and distract them from the former. Having lost so many colleagues (including Cindy, who had disappeared yet again under suspicious circumstances) Reed found himself determined to contribute in the fight against the Founders however he could - including pulling in assistance from the BPD and ensuring as minimal effect on the city as possible, demonstrating leadership where others sought it.
While RAVEN focused on destroying the Beast, then the Founders' machine, Reed (now offered support from Maximilian Cornell) led a small team to liberate the remaining captives still held in their faciliities - discovering Cindy in the process and learning that she had, in fact, been held under the control of the Founding Family due to the horrific results of their forays into mind control.
Eventually, this form of mind control was undone, yet the same could not be said of the psychological damage that had been done to her - Reed didn't even get the opportunity to say his farewells before Cindy left town, dropping off the grid in what seemed to be a guilt-induced act of self-isolation, a punishment for the colleagues and friends she had attacked or even killed, as had been the case with Reed. This weighed upon him, yet as the dust cleared he found his attentions forced to turn elsewhere.
In a move that was considered unorthodox, the Chairwoman of DOVE, Deborah Javaunt made an offer to Reed, one that would have involved him taking on the mantle of Director for DOVE within the Baybridge area. Intially wrought with self-doubt, Reed was eventually convinced to take up the woman's offer after encouragement from those close to him.
Though Reed had many ideas and opinions which he hoped to (and in some cases did) enact, as Director he found that with leadership came the weight and responsibility that forced him to exhibit some degree of restraint. Growing tensions in the wake of the Founding Family's exposure (along with the political and social repercussions that came with them) gave way to opportunists and hardliners on both sides of the political spectrum, forcing Reed to carefuly manoeuvre Baybridge's branch of DOVE to avoid setting off any metaphoric landmines, yet despite this he continued in persistence with the hopes of laying the groundwork for a future that many of his friends and colleagues would never see.
Relationships
Family:
Helena Taylor (Deceased) - Mother
Still a teenager when she gave birth to her firstborn, Helena Taylor was a sad tale to speak of. Years of poverty and deadbeat boyfriends led to the alcoholism which would go on to kill her, leaving behind two sons. Whilst his brother regards her fondly, Reed barely remembers her.
Quentin Taylor - Half-brother
One of RAVEN's founding agents, and Reed's elder brother. The history between them is a long and storied one, not entirely pleasant either, but since the loss of their uncle they've been on closer terms than ever before.
Cassius Taylor (Deceased) - Maternal Uncle
A father figure to his nephews, Cass was a detective with the VPD who wound up taking in both of his sister's sons when she died and raising them like his own. Of the two, Reed followed in his uncle's footsteps whilst Quentin went on his own troubled path in life and it was through Cass' example that Reed went on to become a detective himself. Sadly, Cass was murdered in the final hours of the Verthaven disaster by Heartbreaker, one of the Changeling Unit. However, unlike his brother, Reed has found himself able to mourn his death and move on in life.
Dynamics:
| Quentin Taylor |
| Good | Half-brother | "Always the fighter, Quent. Don't give up." |
Reed's older brother and one who helped raise him with their mother was incapable of doing so, the two grew somewhat distant as they became older - particularly when Reed joined up with the VPD whilst Quentin went down his own troubled path and got hooked up with the wrong kind of crowd. It was only as a consequence of the events leading up to and during the Verthaven Disaster that the two reconciled, a close relationship reformed and cemented by the death of their uncle. They still keep in touch as often as one might expect, but the differences in their work has sometimes proven a barrier to this.
| Meifeng Zhao |
| Good | RAVEN/Friend | "Glad to know she's been taking care of Quent for me, she's a tough one." |
Again, Meifeng is one of the few people that Reed personally knew during the Verthaven Disaster - and one who saved both his, his brother and his uncle's lives on quite a few occasions. This, combined with their shared sense of loss and survival, has left him with a degree of respect fof the woman.
| Shizuka Takashiro |
| Good | RAVEN/Friend | "He's come a long way. Good thing he's with us." |
Both of them having saved one another at one point during the Verthaven Disaster, Reed regards Shizuka as someone who's come a long way from the abrasive kid he was back in Verthaven. They're on good terms, and Reed's glad to have him at his back.
| Haruka Takashiro |
| Good | Friend | "Good guy, come a long way, just like his brother." |
Having known one another since Verthaven, Reed's gained a respect for Haru, though they don't speak often
| Jennifer Caspin |
| Good | Friend | "She's alive... feels like I'm talking to a ghost. Glad to know it wasn't for nothing." |
Having nearly died to protect Jen and witnessed the girl pulled to her 'death' in Verthaven, seeing her again has invoked some strange feelings in Reed, especially with Cass gone. Nonetheless, he's glad to see her back - and to know that someone made it out of Verthaven alive.
Abilities
Power Class:
Super System
Powers:
Hemokinesis.
A power which once belonged to Luis of the Changeling Unit, Reed was given the ability by his brother as a means of safeguarding him, in addition to ensuring that it would remain in trusted hands. Like Luis, Reed is capable of manipulating blood when he comes into physical contact with it, able to move it around, clot it or otherwise absorb it into his body through his skin. In fact, Reed can be empowered by absorbing blood, which bolsters his stamina and strength when he does so as well as speeding up his regenerative process.
Super-Regenerative System.
Much alike the man who once held them, Reed's regenerative abilities allow him to survive wounds that would kill any other man and even recover from them entirely. Broken bones knit back together at an accelerated rate, gunshot wounds and lacerations quickly stop bleeding and seal up before any major damage can be done and toxins which would cause havok within a normal person's body are filtered out. Not just that, but it seems that this ability has effectively put the brakes on Reed's aging process as it did for Luis, leaving him with the physical appearance and fitness of a man in his late twenties.
Limits:
Luis possessed the single, strongest regenerative factor among all Metahumans, Reed, unfortunately, only has a fraction of that strength as a consequence of it being transferred to him by his brother. Where the Spaniard could have survived and even functioned when most of his body was subjected to severe trauma, Reed does not have this liberty. Destructive injuries can and will render him unconscious and unlike Luis, who had over two centuries' worth of experience and pain tolerance built up, Reed has had at most under a decade of holding this ability. Expecting him to perform the same feats as the man would be a fool's errand.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Ashing out is one big weakness of this ability, as demonstrated by its original holder. Being subjected to incredible physiological strain and numerous mortal injuries at the same time will put Reed at serious risk of ashing out, especially if he doesn't give himself an opportunity to rest or otherwise replenish himself. Reed is also extra susceptible to poisons, diseases, and chemicals that are transmitted by blood. Taking in a little bit of this toxic blood can definitely stun Reed.
Other:
Since taking on the mantle of Director, Reed has (for his own safety) been required to move from his old apartment into more secure accomodation, though his commute from home to work remains a relatively short one thanks to him remaining in Greencrest Heights.
As Director, Reed is entitled to requisition a driver to chauffeur him around the city but had a tendency towards driving his own car when possible.
Reed owns a six year old ginger tabby, affectionately named 'Cassie'.
Basic Information
Name:
Quentin Taylor
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
Counterpoint (His callsign)
Gender:
Male
Age:
40
Height:
5'11ft
Weight:
192lbs
Home District:
Greencrest Heights
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
African-American
Physical Appearance:
Now at fourty years of age, Quentin's face has aged since his time in Verthaven, yet he's still retained those sharp eyes of his and has still for the most part kept the short, neatly trimmed beard to match his equally short-cropped hair. From a glance, it's clear he's still in relatively good health and fitness, standing at 5'11 and carrying an imposing figure, (though it could be argued that the regenerative factor he's picked up has also done him some good) but at the same time, his age is now starting to show. Just above his left eye is a scar cutting straight through his eyebrow whilst along his abdominal region runs another nasty scar from the same attack.
Attire:
Whilst on-duty, Quentin generally tends towards wearing RAVEN's standard issue combat armor, a black mesh material fitted kevlar along with the appropriate load carrying vest. As expected, it's a design intended to provide a (limited) defense against attack from rogue metahumans alongside being able to withstand a couple of rounds. Accompanying this is a helmet, with the opportunity to mount a set of goggles or a gas mask against it. Off-duty, he'll generally stick to casual clothing - a jacket, shirt and cargo pants or something similar - to catch him wearing a suit is a rare sight indeed.
He also wears gloves to prevent his power from inadvertently kicking in.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
The events in Verthaven and the years that have passed since then have left Quentin, in many ways, a different man. Nobler in some ways, others less so.
To strangers, he might come across as outwardly calm or collected - keeping a level head in tight situations where others might snap or otherwise lose their cool. It's not entirely an image - Quentin has learned from the years with RAVEN to keep it steady under pressure, yet those who know him well enough or even spend some time around him get to realise there's more than that to him.
Service with RAVEN has given him a certain commanding tone in his voice, or at least a sense of authority when the situation calls for it. Sarcasm and snappy remarks are still a coping mechanism for him, a means of defusing or otherwise mitigating shitty situations and likewise he'll crack a joke with people if it's appropriate, but he also knows when to buckle down, shut up and go about getting things done - which others might mistake for him being cool when in fact he just knows from experience that people who crack jokes at the wrong time don't tend to last.
Knowing that he was partially responsible for the horrific experiments perpetrated by the Hands of Science in Verthaven have left him with a permanent degree of guilt that he's never been able to shake off, and at the same time has left him with an overall disgust towards those who experiment on or otherwise abuse Metahumans or their powers and in turn, given him a lot of motivation when conducting ops against them for RAVEN. Age still hasn't quite mellowed him, but his senior role in RAVEN has somewhat forced him to keep his head together for the sake of his colleagues.
And likewise he's loyal to those he considers friends or family, especially those who've done the same for him and is more than willing to throw himself into the breach if it means backing them up. Earning this trust can be a little difficult at first, but once it's earned it's generally there to stay. In fact, it's a point of regret and frustration that he wasn't able to prevent the deaths of Sonya Mayfield and his uncle and it shows in his overall disdain for the matter when the topic is brought up - likewise is a manifestation of his survivor's guilt for the later deaths of his colleagues during the attacks on RAVEN and DOVE by the Intimidation Unit and the loss of Lihua Zhao, the latter of whom was elsewhere whilst killed in action.
This in turn means that his overall hatred for the Hands of Science and anything associated with them has remained a solid facet of his personality over the years. It's given him something to vent his frustrations on - and not in the healthiest way, either - where others have toned things down. Whilst it's helped keep him going, it's also something which has threatened to consume him at times - and it's not as if this point hasn't been brought up with him before. Being stubborn doesn't help.
His temper is usually cool and likewise, it can take a lot to cause him to blow up in anger - Quentin's fury is typically a patient, collected form and when it's anything but that, it's a point that something has really pissed him off.
He also still holds a disdain for narcotics and alcohol abuse, courtesy of his childhood years, but has a degree of sympathy for those affected by it and has himself found the lure of the bottle to be a tempting one in darker hours.
Hobbies/Interests:
In the years since Verthaven, Quentin's picked up more of a fondness for firearms and spends a significant amount of time down at the range killing time. Otherwise, he's found himself more tempted by the lure of the bottle, though childhood memories of his mother's rampant alcholism stop him from going off the deep end.
Skills/Talents:
Quentin’s experiences on the streets have left him with a degree of wisdom, wit and pragmatism that once well to assist him in his self-made ‘business’. On the same streets and during his time working with the unsavoury elements of Verthaven, he picked up a degree of experience in the use of small arms that he continued to develop after joining NEST and, later on, RAVEN. Furthermore, a decade's worth of training and experience have bestowed upon him the tactical knowlege and experience that one would expect of a senior agent within the organisation.
Goals/Motivation
Ensuring that anyone with the same kind of mindset as the Hands of Science, the Changelings or the Founding Family put down, Quentin's personal vendetta has never entirely settled down. Unlike others, he's found himself unable to let go and finds motivation in preventing what happened in Verthaven and to a lesser extent, Baybridge, from reoccurring.
History/Bio:
Born in the early ‘80s on Eagle-Rock Row, Quentin and his little brother Reed were yet another story of kids born into crime and poverty to a single parent, surrounded by drugs, violence and the social tensions of the time. From early childhood, their mother quickly relied on a string of deadbeat boyfriends, minimum wage jobs and alcohol to pull the three of them through life and it took its toll on her from an early stage, often forcing her elder brother to step in to assist. By the time he was ten years old, Quentin found himself involved with the local gangs and wound up working on street corners as another peddler for some smalltime dealer in hopes of earning a little cash for his family. It was through this, incidentally, that he wound up discovering his powers - what would’ve normally be an exchange of packages with a metahuman enforcer for the gang led to him unintentionally removing the man’s ability to generate and manipulate fire and setting alight the money moments later. As it happens, it was through this that he found himself another source of income for the family; exchanging and selling powers and getting a cut from the gang for his involvement.
For a while, things seemed to go well, all things considered. The cut he earned from the gang, whilst nowhere near the amount kicked up to his bosses, allowed him to pay off the family bills yet there was no mistake that he may as well have been their property and not the other way around. A few times he found himself at risk as a result of the people he worked for and by his teenage years he’d learned how to use a gun. In fact, if tragedy hadn’t struck Quentin’s life sooner then circumstances might not have turned out as well.
One day returning home, Quentin found his mother passed out on the couch with yet another empty bottle of liquor nearby. Attempts to rouse her with words failed, so instead he left her alone, only to find her in the same state when he woke up in the same morning, albeit this time she’d turned pale and felt cold to the touch. The coroner’s report indicated that she’d died of alcohol poisoning, something of little surprise given the fact she’d been unable to kick the habit for a long time.
Lacking any other family, Quentin and his little brother wound up living in the care of their Uncle Cassius, a detective in the Verthaven Police Department and a good man who’d often done as best as he could to keep his sister on track. Under his uncle’s care, Quentin was able to cut off ties to his old gang (who, by this point had become increasingly demanding) with the aid of this uncle’s connections to the VPD and opted to push on through school so he didn’t end up like his mother. That said, the experience had taught him a couple things.
While his brother opted to one day become a cop like their uncle, Quentin had something else in mind. Perhaps it was the idea of avoiding the same poverty that had cost him his childhood, or perhaps it was the concept of having control over his life for once. Whatever the case, he wound up going on his own path in life - becoming involved with quite a few rather unsavoury characters. Whilst by no means a hustler or a gangbanger, he spent a couple of years working 'security' for a few characters in Verthaven's criminal underworld, running the front door at nightclubs and other businesses. Eventually, it grew into something else - actually working in the security sector, and then Quentin soon realised that there was a demand for someone willing to trade and sell powers, creating metahumans for big money.
With time, Quentin built up his little side-business via the aid of a contact from his early security days and before long, had a nice sum of cash saved away. Soon, he was able to afford life in relative comfort, moving into a decent condo over in the upper-class Knightdale Rows district, with enough income to keep himself afloat. Relations with his family, however, were another story - particularly between him and his younger brother, Reed.
Topping it off, he eventually wound up falling afoul of the Hands of Science, who kidnapped him and forced him to participate in their experiments using his family as leverage. The experience deeply affected him, leaving him traumatised and scarred by his inability to forget what he'd been forced to do for the Hands - and it was only with the assistance of one Meifeng Zhao and NEST that he finally escaped during a raid on the lab.
Of course, this exposed him as a metahuman - though Quentin was able to keep his criminal past concealed. Given the choice by Lihua Zhao of either joining up with NEST or facing a far less desirable alternative, Quentin took the former option - joining their ranks as an agent. Initially the prospect of becoming one of 'those' types was daunting, yet as time passed Quentin slowly warmed to the role and grew to regret his past, gaining a genuine interest in doing some good with NEST beyond enacting vengeance against the Hands of Science. Before long, he wound up reconciling with his brother and warming back up to his uncle, yet events transpired against them.
For one, the Changeling Unit came to town, led by the likes of Luis and Heartbreaker, the latter of which Quentin already despised as a result of her involvement in kidnapping him. Like the Hands of Science, Quentin fought them with a certain fury that was only rivalled by Lihua - who had her own personal reasons for hating them. And then, came an even greater foe.
The Devil of Verthaven was a metahuman greater than anything that NEST had ever faced, matched only by the resources of the Hands of Science and the ferocity of the Changeling Unit. She was a godlike metahuman, one that devastated the city in her wake and it was only through the combined might of NEST (along with several other unsavoury alliances) that she was finally brought down, at great cost. Quentin's family was not left unscathed, as his brother was injured (though later volunteering in the fight against her) and, in the confusion following her defeat, his Uncle Cass (along with a good friend) were killed by one of the Changelings in the confusion.
In the battle that followed, Quentin finally avenged their deaths, attacking Luis head-on (stealing his ability in the process) and killing the one responsible, Heartbreaker - yet it marked the start of a new chapter in his life as the experience permanently hardened him. With Verthaven considered a ruin and NEST facing its end, Quentin set aside the thousands he'd accumulated through his past selfishness and passed the money onto the comrades who'd fought alongside him, ensured that his brother would find a place in the successor to NEST by offering him Luis' abilities (safeguarding them at the same time) and buried their uncle. The future was uncertain, but he stepped into it nontheless.
It was in the aftermath of the Verthaven Disaster that Quentin assisted in founding one of the successor organisations to NEST, known as RAVEN - named aptly after the Task Force that he'd once fought alongside. With the Hands of Science still out there, scattered in pockets, Quentin volunteered himself for participating against them, holding them responsible for the actions of the Changelings and the Devil of Verthaven. Unlike his brother, who had since joined DOVE (having been recommended), Quentin sought some form of retribution against them as he found himself unable to forget the experiments he'd been forced to assist in as well as the deaths of those he cared about.
Within the space of two years, a friend and the daughter of a former colleague, Meifeng Zhao had finished her training and was now a member of RAVEN, capable of standing by herself as a force to be reckoned with. Their shared experience in Verthaven allowed the two to maintain a close bond and unlike the others in RAVEN, Quentin said nothing to discourage Meifeng's relentless attitude towards the Hands, if anything sharing the same sentiments towards them as she did. It took time, but eventually this relentless attitude seemed to pay off - the Hands were all but broken and dissappeared from the face of the Earth. Yet this was not the end of things for them - other threats were out there, like the Pure, the Allegiance or other rogue metahumans.
In short, wherever RAVEN needed him, Quentin went. And eventually he was sent to Prague. Another rogue metahuman had emerged from the woodwork in the capital of the Czech Republic, one known as the Beast who, like the Devil, was set on mass destruction and had burned down whole districts whenever they'd shown up. Lacking in the resources and manpower to handle such a foe, the Czechs called in support from RAVEN, MISW and KMD to assist - Quentin was among the agents deployed against them.
It was a bloodbath, to say the least - despite careful planning and the best resources that the combined might of the three agencies had brought in, the Beast was a foe that refused to go down easily. Quentin himself went toe to toe and was nearly engulfed by flame half a dozen times, suffering severe burns in the process, but in the end the Beast was put down at the cost of injuring both himself and several of his colleagues.
Fortunately, Quentin survived, bloodied and bruised. He spent a little time on leave whilst he made a recovery, but soon returned to RAVEN - where he found himself being transferred to Baybridge on official business. With tensions rising, he soon found himself straight to work again.
With extremist groups on either side of the political and social spectrum, he had his work cut out for him - yet things would only culminate with the riots, the overload incidents, the capture of the last of the Changelings and far worse - the exposure of the world-spanning cabal known to those aware of its existence as the Founding Family, obsessed with genetics and responsible for the mass manipulation of politics and society on a global scale, a group responsible for the events that transpired in Verthaven, NEST, the shield of light and all.
To say that Quentin was livid would have been an understatement - much of what he'd been led to believe had turned out to be a lie, that the organisation responsible for his redemption had been puppeteered by those bastards and that the Hands of Science and the Changelings largely existed due to their influence. Many of the factors which had caused so much death and destruction in Verthaven had been at their feet - and it was only just now that he'd learned of it, that he'd been chasing ghosts for years when the Founders were there all along.
It was during this time that Quentin came to blows with the Intimidation Unit and, by extension, its commander, the Black Hound. An assassin under the Founders' control, the Hound eventually came close to killing Quentin during one of the attacks - yet the veteran RAVEN was stubborn enough to pull through and instead wound up in the hospital wing of the HQ building for RAVEN and DOVE.
This stubborn nature of his came in handy again when yet another terrorist attack was launched during the Founders' declared offensive against RAVEN and DOVE, this time directed at the heart of both organisations - HQ. Dragging himself from a hospital bed, Quentin joined up with another colleague, Alice, and assisted in fighting back the paramilitaries of the Intimidation Unit - though not without the cost of dozens upon dozens of casulaties on the part of both DOVE, RAVEN and the Baybridge Police Department.
Whatever way you looked at things, Quentin and his surviving colleagues were out for blood - and after some preparation on both his and colleagues' parts (Reed's co-ordination of DOVE's remaining resources included) and those of the BPD, both he and the others eventually launched a raid against the Founding Family's central base of operations in Baybridge, aiming to cut the head off the snake before their plans could be enacted. Intelligence gathered earlier on warned them of a plan to unleash another rogue metahuman like the Beast of Prague upon Baybridge in order to decimate the remaining DOVE and RAVEN forces based their, so their first act was to destroy this artificially designed being before they could be unleashed upon the city.
Next came the matter of destroying the Founding Family's abominable machine, intended to grant metahuman abilities to the entire human race regardless of whether such an 'evolution' was willing or not - in the process of doing so, however, Quentin and his teammates encountered one of the two surviving members of the Blessed Three, Blake Schmidt - who was subsequently killed by the veteran RAVEN and his colleagues during a failed attempt at escape. For all intents and purposes, the Founding Family as an organisaton was crippled - its politicial and espionage activities exposed to the public view on a global scale and to the subsequent backlash that followed, but at the same time this meant things back home were unstable as ever for Quentin and his colleagues, not least because of the casualties that they had taken both before and during the assault, including Lihua Zhao - a much respected figure whom had first brought him into NEST.
Public opinion towards RAVEN and DOVE, already divided prior to the events that transpired in Baybridge, became ever more divisive with individuals at both ends of the political spectrum vying for influence and attempting to exhert their will upon the American people. Quentin and his colleagues were simply caught up in the middle of it. With much of RAVEN's forces lost, Quentin found himself forced to take a more senior role, directing more junior agents where necessary whilst his own brother found an unexpected job offer - that of becoming the Director of Baybridge's DOVE branch.
Despite all this, both sides found themselves enforcing the law and doing what they could to keep the peace, by force if necessary. Over the next few years, tensions remained ever high - and with other forces emerging from the carcass of the Founding Family's influence, his work was still cut out for him.
Relationships
Family:
Helena Taylor (Deceased) - Mother
Still teenager when she gave birth to her firstborn, Helena Taylor was a sad tale to speak of. Years of poverty and deadbeat boyfriends (one of which fathered another child with her) led to the alcoholism which would go on to kill her, leaving behind two sons. Despite this, Quentin at least regards her fondly and seldom talks about her because of this.
Reed Taylor - Half-brother
An ex-cop turned DOVE, Quentin had a hand in helping to raise Reed during their mother's later years. As the two grew up, however, they grew somewhat distant and it wasn't until the events leading up to the disaster in Verthaven that they finally reconciled.
Cassius Taylor (Deceased) - Maternal Uncle
A father figure to his nephews, Cass was a detective with the VPD who wound up taking in both of his sister's sons when she died and raising them like his own. Of the two, Reed followed in his uncle's footsteps whilst Quentin went on his own troubled path in life. Nonetheless, he still cared deeply for his uncle and during the events of the disaster in Verthaven the two grew close once more. Sadly, Cass was murdered in the final hours of the disaster by Heartbreaker. Whilst Quentin avenged his death, it left him permanently hardened in his personal vendetta against the likes of the Hands of Science.
Dynamics:
| Reed Taylor |
| Good | Half-brother | "He's gone further than I ever could." |
Quentin's younger brother and an ex-cop turned Director of the Baybridge Branch of DOVE, the two were once distant whilst living in Verthaven but the events and tragedy that unfolded led to them growing closer once more, culminating in him entrusting his brother with the ability of a powerful metahuman to ensure it was in safe hands, as well as safeguarding him. Reunited in Baybridge, the two were close as ever - working back to back against forces conspiring against them. Even now that his kid brother's attained such a high place in the organisation, he still feels the need to watch his back.
| Meifeng Zhao |
| Respected | Close Friend | "Without her Mom, I guess I'm one of the only people she's got left." |
Meifeng and Quentin met in the Hands of Science lab way back in Verthaven, where he'd been held captive and forced to assist in their experiments. The two helped each other as Meifeng broke Quentin out of the lab and Quentin helped Meifeng fight her way out of it, which built up a mutually deep level of respect and admiration for one another. After she joined RAVEN, Quentin did what he could to act as a mentor for her and came to see her as a protégé, trusting her enough to know of his past. The last three years has seen this bond remain strong and since her mother's death he's wound up sharing a living space with her in Greencrest Heights.
| Shizuka Takashiro |
| Respected | Old Friend/Colleague | "One of the best we've got, I'm glad he's still around." |
Despite never having spoken much with him back in Verthaven, Quentin developed a certain respect for Shizuka during the Verthaven disaster when he drove a knife into the back of Luis' head and pulled him to safety. Reunited in Baybridge, he came to respect the kid he once knew for having come so far and regards him as a reliable friend.
| Haruka Takashiro |
| Good | Old Friend | "Like his brother, he's good as far as I'm concerned." |
There was hardly any interaction between Haruka and Quentin back in Verthaven but, again, the shared experience left him on good terms with the quieter half of the Takashiro Twins.
| Alice Barrett |
| Respected | Colleague | "She pulled her weight during that shitshow a couple of years back, I'll have her on side any day of the week." |
Quentin came to regard Alice as a colleague who was more than reliable during the events that transpired three years ago, particularly after she helped him push back the Intimidation Unit during the attack on Headquarters.
| Francis Jean-Pierre |
| Neutral | Colleague | "He's got the right intentions, he'll do fine." |
Having becoming a regular face over the last few years, Quentin has developed a good working relationship with Francis and, despite having kept him at arm's length so far, has gained a respect for the Haitian's tough stance on crime in the Metahuman community.
| Daniel Forsythe |
| Neutral | Protégé | "He's a good kid, no matter what some folks will say - and he deserves a chance at enjoying his life after what those bastards would've made him." |
Introduced to him by Maximilian shortly after the events that transpired three years ago, Quentin found himself taking on a mentoring role of sorts towards Blake's former apprentice, due in no small part to the fact that he himself had been offered a chance at redemption during Max's leadership in the days before NEST's dissolution. Unlike the RAVEN chairman, however, Quentin has opted to play more of a grounded role towards the kid with the intent of at least giving him a chance to enjoy his youth whilst he still has it, contraband liquor and all.
| Jennifer Caspin |
| Respected | Familiar face | "We all thought her dead, but... here she is, nearly a decade later." |
Jennifer was a face thought long gone, since Verthaven. Seeing her again has provoked a muted response from Quent, who perhaps sees a ghost. Nontheless, she's still owed the same respect and loyalty that Quentin offers the other Verthaven survivors and in kind, he feels the same sympathy for her losses due to the Changelings as he did.
| The Black Hound |
| Despised | Murderer | "We haven't found a trace of the bastard in years, but until a body turns up I'm not making that mistake again." |
Having come to blows with Quentin on numerous occasions during the events that transpired three years ago, there remains a great degree of animosity towards the former assassin on his part, not least because the Hound was responsible for the killing of numerous colleagues and came close to doing the same to him.
Abilities
Power Class:
Power: Charger & Replicator
Power:Essence
Power Transfer
Quentin is capable of transferring powers between other metahumans and himself, and vice versa, allowing use of said powers for his own intentions or keeping them in ‘storage’, so to speak. In effect, he’s a literal walking bank of powers. Quentin's power transfer ability stems from a subconscious ability to manipulate the Metahuman energy. He can absorb a bit of the Metahuman energy within himself (In other words, their power), then transfer the energy to a different person. Potentially empowering humans who would otherwise never would have manisfested a power.
Abilities currently held by Quentin
Regenerative System - Held by Quentin for the last decade, it was drawn from the Nemesis during his escape from the Hands of Science's lab in Verthaven. Whilst it doesn't render him immortal, it does allow him to recover from injuries that would kill or otherwise permanently incapacitate other men. As a plus, it's also slowed down his aging a little - though not to the extent of others, with the recent years seeing his age beginto show, scars included.
Superhuman Strength - Again, a power that Quentin's held onto for the last decade , it too was also stolen from the Nemesis. Whilst it's given Quentin a heightened level of durability and strength, that doesn't mean he can lift cars or punch through plate steel like butter.
Limits:
First and foremost, Quentin can only transfer powers through direct physical contact with others. It's possible for him to permanently strip someone of their powers, though the process is somewhat more taxing and requires either a severely weakened or otherwise willing subject.
Secondly, Quentin’s skill in utilising powers obtained from other metahumans can vary. Relatively simple actions such as channeling an electrical current come rather easily, whereas more complex actions such as healing a fatally wounded patient are rather difficult to perform and can often require a great deal of practice. In addition to this, extensive use of such powers can be quite taxing on a physical and mental level - particularly if he lacks skill in the use of a particular power. And, unlike one who directly holds the ability, he'll never be fully skilled in its use without years of experience.
Third and finally, he can only store and utilise a limited amount of abilities at any time - no more than say, five or six at once and that'd be pushing it.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Incidentally, Quentin's ability to utilise stored abilities can be affected by just how fatigued he is. Like anyone, if he overburdens himself he'll be at risk of passing out or, at worst, losing consciousness.
Other:
Quentin shares a condo in Greencrest Heights with Meifeng Zhao.
Owing to a 'favour' from Maximillian Cornell and his seniority within RAVEN, Quentin has been given permission on previous occasions to appropriate a vehicle from the existing fleet in Baybridge for use both on and off-duty. In this case and for the last two years, he has driven a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban which has been outfitted with all the necessary features for RAVEN use including a dashboard radio, tinted (bullet-resistant) windows and compartments for additional equipment.
Basic Information
Name:
Francis Terrence Marshall
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
Frank
Gender:
Male
Age:
28
Height:
5'11:
Weight:
172lbs
Home District:
Oakdell Harbour (In accommodation provided by DOVE)
Appearance
Hair Color:
Brown
Eye Color:
Hazel
Ethnicity:
Caucasian
Physical Appearance:
It's obvious that at 5'11, Francis is of a stockier build and if it weren't for the training and physical exhertion that he undergoes as part of his role in the MISW he'd probably have a little more fat on him. Given he's from a country not necessarily known for its warm and sunny weather, his skin is of a lighter complexion. When the opportunity arises, Frank keeps his hair trimmed down to a number two haircut and is equally clean-shaven, tolerating little further than stubble along his jawline (though this is more due to the fact it itches if he lets it get any further).
Attire:
On account of the exchange program between DOVE and the MISW, Frank whilst on-duty wears the standard DOVE garb and carries, more or less, the same equipment as the others - albeit with a (non-metallic) telescopic baton fixated to his hip.
Whilst off-duty, Frank sticks to casual clothes while out on the town - he's brought from home several pairs of jeans, cargo trousers, shorts and tracksuit bottoms along with enough shirts and t-shirts to last him during the week. He also has a dark-blue zip-up hoodie which he sometimes wears on the colder days, too.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Outwardly, Frank conveys himself as a man who can be stubborn to a fault, rendering himself implacable in the face of adversity - as one might expect, for a Brit. When things turn rough, he cracks the occasional joke and will even render a morbid commentary on the matter (a habit picked up from the 'old' MISW days) but still persist in what he perceives as his duty. As far as others are concerned, his actions are done with the best intentions, aiming towards the right thing.
Inwardly, however, Frank is still coming to terms with the knowledge and awareness that the organisation that trained and shaped him for have served as a puppet for the Founding Family and is wrought with guilt at the knowledge that he was an unknowing participant in their schemes and had sought to atone. Self-doubt often plagues him and there are times where he'll question his own actions, even if he might outwardly stand by his convictions.
Despite this, he still feels a debt of sorts to the MISW (which helped him gain control over his ability and gave him place) and has taken it upon his own shoulders to try and assist in its reform - hoping perhaps that the visit to the US might assist in gaining an alternative perspective for this purpose.
Owing to the above, he despises the likes of the Founding Family and given the opportunity would gladly assist in bringing an end to anyone with similar goals or an affiliation to the world spanning cabal. Alternatively, he can be a loyal friend to those who earn his trust (and respect) and will go to great lengths to look out for them. It's just a matter of gaining the former.
On an additional note, a part of Frank's training with the MISW focused on the use of his ability to somewhat manipulative degrees and even after the reform of the organisation, he still finds himself reverting back to old habits, if only momentarily. Likewise, there are times where he'll find himself tempted to use a heavier-handed approach in accordance with the 'old' MISW's ever-suspicious modus operandi, even though he'll realise shortly after and feel guilt over it.
Hobbies/Interests:
Frank is a self-proclaimed conniseur of what he regards as good food. Part of his plans for his long-term stay in Baybridge is to take advantage of the relatively lower prices and varied tastes of American food.
Skills/Talents:
Several years of training and experience with the MISW have left Frank with a number of skills in terms of aptitude in the fiels. He's capable of using physical force to subdue and restrain unwilling opponents and he knows how to handle firearms, though his experience with the use of the latter in the field is another matter given the UK's strict attitude concerning firearms.
This aside, Frank has undergone the usual intelligence side of the MISW's training, including a study of metahumans and (legal) methods of interrogation, using his own ability to assist in the case of the latter.
Goals/Motivation
Trained and shaped by the MISW, Frank is still coming to terms with the knowledge that the organisation largely served as a puppet for the Founding Famly and is wrought with guilt at the knowledge that he was an unknowing participant in their schemes. More than anything, he wants to restore the good name of the organisation (and his country) and bring closure to himself by working alongside DOVE and RAVEN.
History/Bio:
Born at the edge of the last millenium, Frank spent the early years of his life as the son of two divorcee parents growing up in North Derbyshire, one with an appreciation for the simpler things in life - video games, TV series and browsing the recesses of the internet. Only, around the time of his fourteenth birthday, something changed in him.
He found himself suffering from intense mood swings, where one moment he could be ecstatic and then the next he would feel intense rage and want to lash out at the nearest person, only to burst into laughter a few seconds later. This went about as well for him as one would expect - most thought he was suffering from a psychological disorder and indeed he found himself being sent on a number of visits to different professionals, all claiming that they would be able to help him and all failing, for the most part.
Medication proved ineffective and only seemed to worsen his mental outlook, to the point that he became reclusive - avoiding human contact seemed to be the only remedy for his troubles. This continued until after his sixteenth birthday, when during a visit to the shops after suffering yet another violent mood swing, he found his unexplainable rage quelled by the sight of other shoppers around him bursting into tears and lashing out at one another until the scene evolved into a riot. It was only after a later analysis of CCTV footage covering the riot that an agent of the MISW picked up on Frank's behaviour minutes before the riot and made the call to follow up their investigation with a visit to Frank's address.
Things cascaded from there - a brief interrogation and a swab test proved that Frank was, indeed, a Metahuman. A potentially disastrous ine at that - his ability allowed him to influence the emotions and mental states of others around him. As per the modus operandi of the organisation in those times, Frank was taken under the MISW's wing (the alternative was a collar and being kept under close surveillance) and, following several years of study at a school operated by the government with similar intentions as the academy program, he began training to become an agent, a process which again took several years to complete.
All in all, it was the MISW who helped Frank pull himself back together, leaving him feeling indebted towards the organisation and for years he worked under the impression that he was doing the right thing - that no matter how rough things could be, he was doing he right thing for the betterment of society.
This perception, however, was shattered following the revelation of the existence of the Founding Family and the scale of their involvement in the world's affairs, Britain and the MISW included. Frank was forced to question the values and code that he'd abided by during his time in the organisation, including circumstances in which he'd taken a heavier-handed response.
This, combined with the emergence of the so-called 'BASILISK' domestic terrorist organisation, shook the MISW to its core as British politics were reshaped around them. Facing new threats, and as a figure in favour of reform within the agency, Frank volunteered and was approved for a placement on a foreign exchange program with the United States with the intention of studying the methods and procedures of DOVE and RAVEN.
Relationships
Family: Terrence Marshall (Father)
Frank's father, the two don't meet often owing to his work in the MISW but maintain a loose correspondence over the phone. Owing to certain similarities in their personalities, they often tend to clash when disagreeing on matters so this distance is for the best.
Sue Knight (Mother)
Frank's mother, working for the MISW has meant the two don't meet often but he does keep in touch on a more regular basis than with his father and, before being taken in by the organisation, the two were quite close.
Dynamics:
TBD.
Abilities
Power Class:
Cerebral - Domination
Power:
In short, Frank can perceive and influence the emotions and state of mind of others around him. This can range from something as simple as picking up on someone who may give off an outward appearance of being calm and collected, but may secretly be terrified, to something as complex as shifting an agitated, violent individual's emotional state to something calmer to prevent them from lashing out. There's a very specific nuance to it, hoever: Frank isn't a jedi - he can't directly implant specific ideas into someone's head, but through his abilities he could instill thoughts of self-doubt into a person if he needed to, for example.
Limits:
Frank's ability can only effect those within close proximity to him, around twenty metres at most. Futhermore, those with the sufficient willpower (or abilities, in the case of other metahumans) to resist his emotional influence can do so. Being aware that Frank is trying to influence them can help as well. Furthermore, using his ability requires a degree of concrentration in order for it to function correctly.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Frank's ability is a two-way street - whilst he can influence and shift the mood and emotional outlook of those around him, he in turn can suffer from what has been deemed in the cerebral field of study the 'bleeding effect', where he himself is vulnerable to becoming swayed by the emotions and thoughts of others around him by making use of his abilities. At best, it can be distracting but at worse, it can be an emotionally crippling experience - one would be dangerous in his line of work. It's taken a great deal of training and focus to bring the worst of it under wraps, but even now it's something which lingers overhead.
Breaker (A nickname she calls herself; a call-sign)
Gender:
Female
Age:
18
Height:
5’0”
Weight:
90 pounds
Home District:
Spring Town, Hedgemount
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Brown
Ethnicity:
Chinese and something European
Physical Appearance:
Kannix wishes she had the body of someone who looked like her personality, but we will get back to that later. She sprouted the earliest when she was an infant, showing a steady growth, speeding ahead of her friends and classmates. Soon however, everyone started their exponential growth whilst hers just stopped. Yes, there was the further maturation: the facial definitions, the muscle growth, breasts, slimming down off (most) her baby-fat, but she just remained small.
Her hair is long, naturally wavy, and opts for the bangs that sway to the right of her forehead. Unkempt and shoulder-length or tied to a ponytail, she does either or. Small, hereditarily Asian eyes with an adorable, natural eye-smile, blossom, plump cheeks that don’t seem to get any less plump - she looks like a doll. An interesting doll in that too, because she has a sharp jaw-line that converge to a rounded chin as well as two prominent front teeth that most certainly do not come from her Chinese-mother-side. This also explains her less-than-yellow/peach skin tone, that tall bridge of a nose, and those spindly fingers.
So one can see that no matter what she does - dresses harsh and cool, works out for that slim but toned hourglass figure (curse those baby-fat cheeks), curses a bloody fucking storm - one either accidentally walks into her because one couldn’t see all the way down there, or one excuses Kannix for really trying, and possibly aweing and pinching her cheeks.
Attire:
Her petite frame more often than not necessitates she buys some clothes in the kids’ section but thankfully there are articles that do come in her size. She is not one of those that pushes the boundaries of chic and most desirable, and definitely not one of those that tries to keep up with it. Kannix will wear simple dresses and tiny heels that only underscores her persona of timidness and vulnerability. Her other choice of plain shirt, plaid jacket, and sneakers is no better. Why wear these then? Because mother says so, and insists that her one and only daughter be the light of good in the decrepit neighbourhood of Spring Town.
She has made her public appearance in this many times as a simple girl before, and many locals will note the change as night and day. When not with her old-school mom, she’s donning a culminated mess of rocker/gangster: tattered leggings with high army boots, army jackets, and anything that compliments and is just another shade of black.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
So why the duality? Well, let’s start with the rocker side. Her miniscule size has not stopped her from being known as one of the most belligerent people anyone could meet. “Boyish” does not cut it to describe how much of a roughhouser she can be. Her actions are decisive but impulsive, acting on raw emotion rather than observation and logic. A lot of it is pent up anger issues for being misjudged, underestimated, prejudiced, but it is insecurity that fuels her motivations. It is odd, of course, when the tiny terror is while not boisterous, not one to shy away from taunting and challenging others.
You would see Kannix jumping in literal harm’s way to stop fights and defend her friends and walk away unscathed and proud. Why bother basking in adoration when it seemed she was unstoppable? Slightly hot-headed and not quite the smart mouth but has the bite to match the bark - but when the moments of self control and doubt comes, what really happens inside besides just insecurity of herself?
In being herself, she would realize the damage she has caused only when it’s too late - not the physical, but the social and reputational. She has no real concept of the self, and how others view her really affect her. No she wasn’t just another accident child of a prostitute of a mother, she wasn’t just a reckless bullet that could wreck walls and survive car crashes, but she couldn’t completely be the sweet girl with the dresses and flowers. She can’t handle both worlds even though she tries, even though she is both. Was she to do what she seems to be assigned to be, or to rebel against antagonistic notions? One thing’s for sure, though: she’s not full of herself - let’s just say: half full. That pride of hers crosses over both sides.
Hobbies/Interests: Fidgeting:
While not really a hobby, she has a wide collection of small playthings that keep her hands busy and entertained. They range from a handspinner, to a Rubik’s cube, to a small wrench packed along with those DIY furniture. This ought not to be seen as a nervous tick. Kannix enjoys engaging her hands, keep them busy. She’s one of those that bounces their legs habitually too.
Hoarding for Remembrance:
Kannix enjoys taking small items - tokens - for moments she wants to remember fondly. She sets her memory so that being with that object initiates that recall back to the event “inscribed’ to the totem. Much like her playthings for fidgeting, they are a myriad things from a receipt to a giant souvenir pencil.
Skills/Talents: Blending in and Hiding:
Kannix’s ego might project out to the world like a neon sign, but she is still small and unmenacing. She might be a fighter but she is not a bruiser. She has the smarts to realize when to back away, attack from another angle, wait patiently hidden away in tight spaces, or hide in crowds - not like she towers over everyone, and not like her being half European makes her facial features any more significant or defining than the next mixed Asian in cosmopolitan Baybridge. She’s undoubtedly fast, and being plain-faced and inconspicuous, she is really talented in disappearing out of sight.
Great memory for Location:
Learning to perfect the art of escape and guerilla warfare requires the ability to quickly identify the geographical qualities and formations and leave it to instinct and memory to be able to navigate the area well.. Escape routes, floor material, key landmarks, pathways of minimal and maximal traffic, the smell of that one bakery at the end of the corner - small, useful things that will come to aid anyone that wants to do a quick hit-and-run. Kannix, with an affinity for this sort of thing, seldoms ever gets lost.
Goals/Motivation
Much of her current difficulty is a self fulfilling cycle of inherent doubt and insecurity of who she is supposed to be. Kannix has gone through years of comment, appraisal, advice - not disregarding reprimands, bullying, and rejection - and is wise enough to realize that it is going to take another few years more to really get over it. What does getting over it really mean? What is “it”? Perhaps by doing an act - something, anything - that could change her life and perhaps the lives of others, would do it.
...Which is why she is targeting the White Spider Society.
History/Bio:
Emma Cheng was not that much different from her prospective child; Nth generation Chinese, emigrated from Hong Kong to the older times of Baybridge, part of a family that is a long time local in the area but never stood out to be anything more than general population. The pure Chinese family opened a shop starting a small business selling mediocre handicrafts and sewing tools. They had fabrics and materials coming in from an old friend who had already been in olden Baybridge before them. But he was an old friend in the literal sense and shortly he died, leading to the eventual drop of their hitherto current service and having had to move on to being a small two-floor restaurant selling Chinese cuisines. For a while, it lasted them a long time: the food was good, business attracted regulars and newcomers every other week. It was a modest and simple living.
That was it though. It never moved on to be anything greater. Bills, shortage of food, a catastrophe here and there, and though the restaurant held, it was a stagnant one. Generation after generation of children came to help out, multiple births who would grow up and work in the family business for as long as they could to either get out and be successful, or to stay behind and help out - either way, the Cheng Chinese Cuisines stood the test of time of five decades. Emma Cheng was a product of the eldest daughter of her grandfather, and another ethnic minority long forgotten in the retelling of stories. It was intentional; they never liked him, and they could not believe the shame that was brought to the bloodline by marrying him. Not a bastard child, but a disappointment. Emma grew up to not be the stereotypical shy, booksmart girl that they wanted. Yes she had the family values, and had a brain to reason, but she had her sights set on things other than getting those A’s. She was not exactly outcasted, but she might as well not have existed. Too different, too wild, too lost to be brought back to the traditional, safe ways.
After a few misdeeds and surviving misadventures to tell the tale, Emma grew up to be a fine lady, with all sense of the word “lady” deprived. One night stands, frequent dates, relationships that lasted weeks, she was troubled. It did not help that the father basically left and the mother refused to talk to her. Unsupported, unhoused, she needed a pay to survive. Job after job she slaved her way to pay off her cheap, ramshackle apartment somewhere in White Coast before settling as a waitress. One unsuspecting night and one kidnapping later, she found herself in the prostitution ring amongst The White Spider Society.
She got lost, reported investigators. No one wanted to look for her, and no one bothered. She endured hours into days of the same shit for nearly a year. She was not yet thirty years old. She learnt prejudice from being selected in a lineup. She learnt disgust from unrelenting men. She learnt hatred for herself and her mistakes, and people who would not help, who dared not help. She learnt fear for never knowing what the next day brought.
Enter the prospective father. Mr. Popo had multiple revisits with Emma, and despite her growing distrust for people, Mr. Popo tried to get to know her beyond just the sex later on. It became to be a thing where they would skip the sex - sometimes moan loudly to not betray the guise - and just talk. Why the trust? Mr. Popo took off his mask and revealed himself to be an innocent-faced young Asian man, spry lonely lad who fell in love with Emma.
The night when the two parted after the umpteenthed visit, some men decided to have their way and organize an orgy. Emma was passed around like a rag for these men. Too many to count, too many to remember, no way of knowing which one was the man that conceived her. All she knew was that that group had a bunch of European accents. Fuck them.
When Mr. Popo and Emma met again, she told him her story and Mr. Popo reacted any man would to the woman he loves. He tore the place asunder. A fire broke out. People ran for their lives. Men caught and eliminated Mr. Popo and Emma was presumed not to have escaped the room and died.
9 months later, patches of burns and scars all over her body, and one home pregnancy, Kannix was born.
Emma and Kannix had to settle in Spring Town. The man who had taken care of Emma in the early months to few years died and was the closest thing to a father Kannix would have. It’s unfortunate, though, because Emma never felt thankful or even sorry. She was far too shell-shocked and could not register much except for the love of her daughter. She barely even remembered her being with Mr Popo, memories too far buried with emotional trauma that overwhelms her with guilt and regret. The only thing that came out positive, the only thing that’s preventing her from taking her own life, was that Kannix was her’s, even partially. That was the sole reason for her to change her life around, however she could.
There was not much a future left for Emma. Burnt scars meant a single life in the face of judgmental, superficial people. Her past wasn’t exactly a secret too. She was the thrown-away whore with a child whose father they didn’t even know. She worked low-paying jobs and the future did not at all bode well, but it was something. She worked for the now to keep the baby alive. Kannix would have a terrible upbringing, but it was with labour and love that made Emma work hard, regardless of the laughs, pointing, and rumours.
Years later into her teens, and Emma knew that Kannix was her own. She was one and the same, reminding Emma so much of how she was as at her age. Blossoming into a young adult, albeit small and even more active, Emma’s motherly instincts and past regrets told her to step in and take charge of Kannix’s life. The same thing will not happen again. Decency, being ladylike, not going out at night, private lessons to have a better education and future, all things Emma’s own grandparents and family history were all about, so much so the you could taste the irony. Thus came the identity crisis for Kannix previously mentioned.
One shopping run close to evening and Kannix and her mom were blocked on their way by gangsters hoping to have a bit of banter and fun with playing with the old whore and her mistake. The mother stayed silent and took it all in. She’s heard it all before, but Kannix had not. A punch to the tall leader’s gut, several swear words later, and they moved in to split the two apart. Knife held against Kannix’s throat, but she would not stop struggling. The man pressed hard to impress the knife deeper into her throat but the throat would not give - the knife would not sink into her skin.
“A fucking Metahuman.”
A pistol was drawn, a bullet was fired, and it recoiled back to the gunman’s head.
The group fled and Kannix dragged her mother back to their home. Furious that the men got away, but even more so that the mother would not fight back, she yelled at her own mother. Eventually, the mother - the master - showed the young one how it was done, and cussed a storm to shut her daughter up and know her place. It was different from Kannix hanging out and breaking doors down to steal from the restaurant pantry, different from her jumping rooftop to rooftop and nearly falling off onto a car, different from chasing a man down after a five-block head-start. There are things that hurt more than just cuts, broken bones, gunshot wounds, and strangling.
One retelling of our story, and Kannix’s view of the modern world changed forever.
Relationships
Family: Emma Cheng - Mother
The only family she knows. There must be a ridiculous family tree that Kannix does not know about. Apart from some acquaintances. Emma is trying her best to make sure that Kannix does not turn out the way she did, or worse.
Dynamics:
| Reinald Young |
| Neutral | Acquaintance | "Freak." |
Kannix first met Rein at the DOVE Rally. Though first impressions of each other left much to be desired, the two have impacted each other that will make it hard for one to forget the other. Wonder how much Rein can take of Kannix? New, unannounced friendship with seemingly contrasting personalities, their dynamic is bound to grow into something interesting and explosive.
| Audrey Novalik |
| Neutral | Acquaintance / Boss | "Cancer Gargantua." |
Forced to work to pay her back, Kannix had an ill first regard of Audrey. Though the work is tough, she is thankful for the opportunity, patience, and guidance that Audrey has given her. Perhaps Kannix will learn to be a better person yet under Audrey's tutelage. Perhaps something could come from being their official relationship.
Abilities
Power Class:
Cerebral
Power: Contact-based Vector Manipulation:
Anything physical that touches Kannix, and conversely if Kannix touches anything, she has control over its inherent potential energy and vector. This process works on static, non-moving objects as well, since their magnitude value of 0 still is a vector, travelling through space.
What this means first and most significantly, Kannix is impervious to many things. Thrown objects, fists, and bullets would all recoil back in the opposite direction in equal energy. She has the option to deaden a force as well, stopping completely upon impact. In the off chance that she gets hit by a car, said car will implode in on itself, exploding outwards behind it - though basically putting Kannix out of the count, but more on that in limitations. Good luck on moving her.
Furthermore, her control over her own inherent potential energy allows her to defy normal physics and Kannix can perform feats such as: leaping off of rooftops by propulsion away from the ground; instant acceleration as she dashes away from point of contact on the ground (though with little control), and; walking and crashing through walls as if they were not there.
Limits: Energy and Effort:
This ability is not passive and requires concentration, effort, and energy. Referencing the car crash above, Kannix would survive and the car would implode on itself, but the energy required to save her life would leave her out of the count for more than a day. Kannix would not dare try to face anything bigger head-on. Heavy, fast weapons fire can be withstood but not for too long - only long enough to get out of the firing range or else we would get ashing. Vector-based propulsion is still used but not across vast distances of more than a football field. Kannix could slam into doors, walls, but anything thicker than a meter wide, metal pillar and she could only just make a dent before giving in.
Average Intellect
The ability to manipulate vectors is approaching levels of omnipotence. However, considering that Vectors involves the knowledge of physics and trigonometric mathematics, and since Kannix is not a genius at all in this field - what with limited knowledge and intelligence - her potential to control virtually everything around her is limited. As such, she can only (perhaps for now) react instinctively, guessing with her mind the necessary power to negate vectors such as punches and bullets.
Bravery:
However, nevermind the delimitation of energy usage, the fact of the matter is that Kannix’s potency derives from her self-confidence. The more she believes that she can do something, the stronger the output of her ability becomes, using less energy. If she believes this is a fight she cannot win, there is the obvious ‘flight’ mode to get out. ‘Fight’, however, and she has to be smart on energy usage. Caution is one thing, to realize that the enemy has the upper hand is another.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Drawbacks:
Anything physical is recoiled and blocked and the damage and pain are nullified. However, it is still pain and her ability can only do so much against the heavier blows. Bullets sting, heavy objects ache, crashing through walls can leave her woozy, and metahuman punches a loss of balance. It’s part ability function, part modus operandi. Over time she has gotten used to the wooziness after breaking room to room, but this drawback to going and facing things head-on warrants enough caution for Kannix to not act so foolishly - holding out any longer, pushing everything back, and you will get ashing affects.
Furthermore, her ability to propel herself off the ground to leap huge distances and her access to instant acceleration for superhuman dashes works principally on her powerset to counteract incoming vectors and energies:
It operates on momentum (so there has to be a bit of a start-up, like a step forward) for velocity and acceleration. If she's standing still, this skill won't take much effect; it's still deadly, but not nearly as fast if she were actually moving.
It's in this momentum that force and energy are gained, so she has her (pseudo-)invincibility here as well, which is why she can break through stuff. This won't last long because of 1) her own physical limits such as stamina, and 2) external limits such as numerous, "difficult" obstacles, and energy loss like gravity and friction.
It's in this momentum that she would have incurred lots of damage received (the feedback of maintaining the shield/ our drawback here). Once momentum is lost (gradual loss or sudden stops), because energy was spent on vector cancellation during momentum stage, her kinetic/potential energy defense (her primary use of power) is lowered for a time. She would need to be very cautious, rest, and resuscitate to regain back her energy
Weaknesses:
This power only works on physical contact. Electricity, fire, light, and many other intangible forces have vectors that can be manipulated but radiation and other forces will still harm the person. Kannix would not, by sane definitions, dare touch any of these forces that she knows could hurt her. She does not have a regenerative healing factor. She is still very much vulnerable to anything that is not physical - and even then, not as much as she’d like.
Other:
Kannix does not recall when her ability manifested. She assumes that because there isn’t a single scar on her - and that to her recollection she does not remember getting hurt - that they started very early. Of course, how child Kannix could have known to work such power, she does not know.
It’s hard to place if Jackson is a slob intentionally or does it unknowingly. The fact remains that, despite awareness or not, Jackson looks, acts, and more importantly, presents himself as a slob. His dirty blonde hair is often unkempt. He maintains a tri-weekly routine of washing it and grooming it to his personal tastes. Aside from hair, Jackson has hazel-colored eyes. His skin is fair, if not with a slight tan shade to it. Hey, him being out in the sun is bound to get him some color, right?
Jackson maintains a fairly healthy diet. As such, his body is a temple. This means that there is a fair balance of fat and muscle; though the latter is more dominant than the former. When looked upon by eyes, it's clear as day that Jackson has an athletic, toned body that is proof of his martial arts background. It should be noted that he does have several scars, albeit some faded due to Father Time. He isn't very tall, either — well, if you consider six feet not very tall, that is. If not, then he is very tall. Accompanied with that, Jackson weighs within the 200-215 pound range. Yeah, he hasn't weighed himself in a while, so it's hard to pinpoint an exact weight number.
ATTIRE
When he was younger, Jackson had some very cringeworthy clothing. Back then, he was all about the weeb and emo style. Nowadays, he has a more refined fashion sense. You might catch him in a t-shirt with his favorite band logo on it every once in a while, but for the most part, he has a very manly, almost-rugged attire. In his closet are various t-shirts(some polos, buttonedup,), tank tops, various pairs of jeans and dress pants, and walking shoes. He does find himself in favor of comfort rather than style. That's just the kind of man that Jackson Drake is.
PERSONALITY
INNATE/OUTWARD PERSONALITY
First impressions are always important. They will make or break someone’s opinion of you. For Jackson Drake, more often than not, Jackson makes the wrong one on the wrong people. Those who could help him advance in his career always seem to see the bad side of Jackson - which coincides with how unlucky he has been in life.
He always seems to say the wrong thing at just the right time, and appears off-putting to those he’s trying to impress. He doesn’t do it on purpose, but it always appears that way. BEcause of that, he’s garnered a rather...unfortunate reputation of being the guy who can’t do anything right. He used to beat himself over it, but found it was better to beat other people. Ya know, selective blaming and all.
Jackson’s not a hard book to read. He’s a stubborn, unlucky, violence-enthusiastic idiot who prefers to talk with his fists rather than his mouth — it's gotten him to deep shit, so why use it? SOme might say he isn’t very bright either. And he might just be inclined to put a few right hooks in you if you dared to call him stupid. It’s not that it’s a trigger for him, but he is touchy when it comes to people insulting him. Perhaps it's him being too sensitive to critique, or maybe he knows it to be true, and doesn’t want others to read through his poker face. Whichever it is, Jackson will respond with violence before anything else could be said.
To those that are fortunate enough to see the lovable idiot behind the stupid idiot partial facade, they will know that Jackson is pretty much the same as he is on the outside, just without the aspect of punching everything that insults him. Quite frankly, he’s one of those people that has a big heart and has such a dork-like presence around his loved ones. His kindness is genuine and almost cliche at times. He’s definitely a dork all the way through. If you know this side of him, then you must mean a lot to Jackson. If not, then get to know him better!
HOBBIES/INTERESTS
Exercising and Body Conditioning | Jackson has a plethora of hobbies and interests that he does to bide his surprisingly large amount of free time that he has. The one that he spends most of the time doing is — well, as to be expected — is training. While there are various phases in which he does train(exercising, doing routine sets that he “feels” are right), they all coincide with the dominant aspect of his life — and that’s how he has spent almost two decades training in Capoeira . Ever since achieving his first black belt. He has since become a third-degree black belt.
Various Nerdom | Outside of his martial arts training/body conditioning, Jackson likes to indulge in a few...odd hobbies. The first of which is comic books and video games. Call it a form of meditation, Jackson loves it. Whether it’s Western or Eastern comic books and/or video games, Jackson is a lover of both. He has been a fan of that part of nerdom ever since his childhood. Safe to say it never got away from him.
Music | Jackson is also an avid music fan. Whether it’s a new and upcoming band/artist or simply one of his favorite, already-established bands/artists, he’ll go out of his way to see them. Sometimes it’s not exactly the legal way, but Jackson is all about bending the rules - even if just slightly.
SKILLS/TALENTS
Street Smart but not Book Smart | Jackson may not be able to read a map or tell you the results of complex science experiments with an in-depth explanation, but he can tell you what the word on the street is, and what places to avoid and which you can’t avoid. He can direct you to a dealer that won’t shoot you for not having enough money. He can also appear to be very knowledgeable of the happenings around Baybridge due to a vast network of associates that he’s gathered contacts in and out of the slums.
Capoeira | Jackson spent about seven years traveling abroad in Brazil. While there, he studied under a Capoeira master by the name of Luis Ramos, who happened to take a liking to a then-fresh-outta-high-school Jackson. He liked his spunk, so because of that, he took Jackson under his wing, and taught him how to refine his raw fighting talents. Combined with Jackson's endless energy, he was able to pick it up quickly, and before he knew it, Jackson grew quite efficient in utilizing it with an improvised style unique to him. He learned to use it while combining it with aeiral maneuvers, and various twist and turns.
While he didn’t opt for a career in some government agency, he did keep up with it after he left Brazil. Daily, Jackson trains, never rusty in his form. He continuously improves his stances, but also incorporating new ones that he tests out. Some work and some don’t.
Jackson’s rank in capoeira has been acknowledged by various masters as a first-degree Mastre. The proof of this are the white and green belts he wears whenever he takes part in underground fight club matches.
GOALS/MOTIVATIONS
Jackson has experienced great tragedy. And after a lot journey in solitude, he returned to Baybridge only to find out that the one person that was like a brother to him has gone missing. If there’s anything he’s totally motivated in doing, it’s to find his brother from another mother. He will do it at any cost.
HISTORY/BIO
Jackson was born in Baybridge. He grew up in New Raygate. And he came from a broken home. Both of his parents were addicts of some form. His father was a drug addict(crystal meth) and his mother preferred pain meds(oxycodone and vicodin). Thankfully he was an only child. Still to this day, Jinxed Jackson still doesn’t understand how he was able to be put in foster care before he died from their negligence, but he did. Not long after he turned ten, he was put into the system.
And about a year or so, he bounced from one home to another until a decent family picked him up. He was uprooted to Verthaven. They were a nice couple. A man and woman in their late-20s. They were good to him. The man was Theodore Raine and his wife was Sasha Raine. Both Metahumans. Theodore has been categorized as a Cerebral Extra-Sensory Class, who had the ability of Enhanced Eyesight, and Sasha was also a Cerebral Extra-Sensory Class. Her ability was Telekinesis. Both of them worked for NEST.
Throughout his life, Jackson was a rowdy kid. He was always getting into little scrapes and brawls here and there. Some of them were severe. Like this one time he got into a fight with the neighborhood bully Albert Peppers. They called him Big Al, on account on the fact that he was wide like a ball, but had enormous strength for a kid two years older than ten-year-old Jackson. They had a few encounters, mainly Big Al going after Jackson because of his strawberry blonde hair. Another couple times were because Jackson “looked” at him the wrong way. The actual truth was that Big Al saw Jackson, and assumed something that wasn’t true. In their fights, Big Al dominated frail, small Jackson. The preteen(at the time) would come home bruised. And each time, he wouldn’t say who did it, only that he would get them next time. And each time, he came back bruised. It came to the point where Theodore enrolled his son in martial arts. To him, if he was going to get into fights he needed to know how to defend himself.
And so Jackson started to take lessons at a local Capoeira dojo. It was taught by a family friend of the Raine’s. Jackson had one other sibling student by the name of Levi Dobson. He was the same age as Jackson and of equal size, so everything that Jackson learned, he learned. Only, JAckson was far weaker and prone to anger than Levi was. It also took JAckson a while to get the nicks and crannies of the style down before he became effective in it.
Almost a full year studying, Jackson achieved a decent amount of skill under his “mastre”. In the year that had passed, he and Levi had grown close - so close that they were best friends; always getting into trouble. Levi ended up helping Jackson out of encounters with Big Al.In that year, Jackson and Levi were inseparable.
Years later, Jackson and Levi were both well into their late-teens(18 years old), and ended up becoming the best of friends. They were like Beavis and Butthead. One was never without the other for too long. They thought alike, so they often got into the same sticky situations together. Best bros, after all, don’t leave a man behind.
Around the time that the VErthaven disaster happened, Jackson and Levi were out of Verthaven with friends. They had decided to ditch school, and maybe go to mexico for some partying. They had missed out on the greatest tragedy to ever befall on California. When Jackson returned with his friends, it was revealed to him through a series of relatives that Jackson’s adoptive parents had died in battle with something called “The Devil”. The detailed were pretty vague at the time - and especially so in current time for Jackson - but Jackson was so distraught that he couldn’t really deal with it. To him, they were his parents. They weren’t his adopted parents, but they were the ones who took him from a hellish foster care system, and gave him a home that he could actually be proud of calling home. For nearly ten years, they gave him a place where he was able to go without worry of his life.
And while he was busy partying it up with some Mexican sluts, his parents were fighting the good fight. What kind of man was Jackson if he couldn’t even be there for his parents? What a pathetic fool he was.
Jackson beat himself up for a long time. He shut himself down from anyone who tried to get him to go with them to social gatherings, or just to talk to them. Even Levi couldn’t get through to him - which made what Jackson did next a shock to everyone that knew him.
One night - assumingly just after he buried both of his parents - Jackson made an impulsive, in-the-moment decision to pack up what he could in his maroon duffle bag, and bought a one-way ticket to Brazil. He needed to get away, and he always did want to go to Brazil.
As the years went on, Jackson went just about everywhere he could. He traveled as a nomad, going place to place, seeking what he thought the next place would: inner-peace and answers about the many questions he found himself asking. But, every place he would visit, be it the year he spent abroad in the Amazon or some of the various mountain ranges and national parks throughout the country. It wasn’t until he came across the region of Pernambuco that he was able to get on the right track of his self-rediscovery journey. There, in the place where Capoeira originated from, Jackson, through some twist and turns from locals, came to the direction of a small village-like community known simply as Palmares. There, the people heard his story, and heard how broken he sounded. Because of that, he found a temporary residence in the village.
And for five years, Jackson lived among them, figuring out who exactly he was, able to cope with his parents death, become more efficient with capoeira, and more importantly, he stopped blaming himself for his parents’ death. After he learned all that he could, even though it saddened him - especially since he had met someone truly special by the name of Sophia - Jackson felt a tug in a different direction. And, perhaps, another reason why, was that something happened to him that he couldn’t quite explain, and being in Brazil, where there was a strong presence of “strange is bad”, it was best to get the hell out of dodge.
Long before he knew it, Jackson had made it back to the states. When he returned, he found himself returning to Verthaven. He had a few things to do. One, he wanted to visit the graves of his parents. He wanted to tell them where he had been, what had happened to him, and how he found his calling. After he would do that, Jackson felt he had to go see Levi.
And when Jackson would seek out Levi, he found out from Levi’s parents that Levi had moved to Baybridge about two years ago, and had accepted a job working for an organization named DOVE. One could assume that Jackson was taken aback by this news, but he shrugged at it. To him, he knew where Levi was, and he needed to tell Levi pretty much everything that happened to him. There was so much he wanted to tell him. But to do that, it seemed Jackson was going to go back to Baybridge. After what seemed like almost two decades, he couldn’t believe that he was going back.
Oh well. He didn’t have much as far as belongings - only the dufflebag of clothes and a couple of electronics.
As Jackson had returned, it seemed not much had changed. Baybridge was just as divided as he remember reading up about it. Some shifts in government here and there, and some areas expanded while some have been left forgotten, but it was pretty much the same Baybridge that he remembered living in(somewhat) when he was younger. When he did return, Jackson wondered if his junkie bio-parents were still alive. He did eventually check up on them, but not at first. Before he did anything, Jackson wanted to find Levi.
When Jackson went to go look for him, he went by DOVE headquarters, but there was no luck, which seemed to be Jackson’s flavor of love. So, he tried another day, and still nothing. He kept on going for a full week, but that it produced the same results. Jackson wasn’t a smart man, but even he knew something was up. But what could he do? There had to be someone out there that would be able to help him...
RELATIONSHIPS
FAMILY
Leonidas Raymond Drake | 49 | Normal Human | Alive Riley Emily Drake | 44 | Metahuman | Alive Jackson holds a deep disgust for both of his parents. First of all, they would rather get high than care about him. They never did write or try to get clean when the state took him away. Because of that, he has not tried to contact them. For all he knows they are dead. Or if they are alive, he just doesn't care enough to seek them out for any reason whatsoever. Theodore Raine | 36| Metahuman | Deceased(died during the Verthaven Disaster) Jackson and his [adopted] father had a rocky start, but when the ice was broken, he found himself very fond of Theodore. They grew to love and admire each other. Jackson saw him as the father that he wished Leonidas could have been. Still, he never saw Theodore as his "adopted" father. Well, he did at the beginning, but near the end, Jackson admired and respected the man that he was proud to call his father - which intensified the pain he felt when he died, and he blamed himself for it. Sasha Raine | 35| Metahuman | Deceased(died during the Verthaven Disaster) One could say that Jackson was a mommy's boy. He has a hard shell, but a soft inside. And Sasha knew that. She was kind and gentle when she needed to be and tough on him when the situation called for it. Because of that, she and Jackson hit it off right away. There was something deep and meaningful about their relationship. Jackson felt he could trust her right away. That's why it broke his heart when he couldn't save her nor Theodore when he should have been able to. For the longest time, he blamed himself for their deaths. How he would have given anything to be able to talk to them both one last time.
Dynamics: (Relations with other characters - You don't have to put relation with family here.)
Elemental | Energy - Fire Wave Emission and Generation
POWER
Jackson’s ability is one that coincides with his fiery spirit. Like him, his ability is a heated display of fire that travels along with his body movements. It is the second half of his Capoeira fighting style. Every time that he will kick or punch, an arc of fire follows it like a flowing stream of fire. When Jackson athletically twirls around, fire will surround him in the size of a mini-tornado, shielding him from harm. His mind wills the fire to go where he wants it to be and it to be harmful/harmless when he wants it to be.
As noted, Jackson’s ability is the second half of his capoeira.
LIMITS
Jackson may be able to generate the flames and summon them around him through an innate ability for it, he cannot manipulate them at will. It simply cannot be done at this stage. He can’t redirect them once they have been generated. If they are homed at something or someone, regardless if they are friend, foe, or a civilian building, Jackson’s unable to redirect the flames for he lacks complete control over them in that aspect.
There is also the issue of range to consider. Due to the flames being an extension of himself - or, more like his limbs - they can only extend so far until they dissolve into the air. At most, Jackson can extend them a yard in every direction around him.
Though Jackson shows promise in being able to manipulate the flames once released, he still has ways to go before he is perfect at it.
WEAKNESSES/DRAWBACKS
There are a few things that could render Jackson useless in a fight. The first, of course, being water. It is fire’s opposite, so bring that into play, and Jackson is more or less useless when it comes to his power. It will easily extinguish his flames, which will make it easier for any enemy he’s facing to take him out.
Another weakness is Jackson’s own fault. His temperament sometimes can be his own curse. He has the tendency to be hotheaded and not think rationally. Since fire is the element of passion and it reacts strongly to one’s own passion, it can be assumed that Jackson’s own emotions - if left to their own devices - will cause the fire to either be more erratic, like it’s natural, free-flowing form, or be so out of his control that not even the simplest of desires will cause it to obey Jackson’s commands.
It should be noted that Jackson’s own human energy levels plays a huge factor into how effectively he can use his power. Since it more or less revolves around his capoeira, one could assume that Jackson’s stamina and how long he can endure physical strain. Pretty much, the more intense the battle(usually with multiple opponents), the quicker his energy levels are drained, and thus the less effective his flames are. At most, Jackson can go continuously for about seven minutes before he feels the effects of fatigue.
Other:
Jackson’s powers manifested sometime during his time in Brazil and might’ve been the reason he cut his time short.
Jackson has a peculiar meditation practice in which he listens to screamo music while he tries to find his inner-zen.
Jackson has a strong dislike for Green Tea. If you must give him tea, black or he’ll have a coffee.
Jackson’s idea of a good time is taking part in local, underground MMA fights. That and gaming until daybreak.
Jackson is left-handed and speaks German fluently.
Jackson enjoys hard liquor. Tequila is his favorite of the hard liquor in the world.
Standing proud and tall, Audrey is the image of a woman past her prime. Her build is that of a strong, well built woman athlete but after a few years of neglect. Her muscles are still toned and strong but she hasn't used them actively for a while, resulting in a physique that although appears to be strong, she's weaker than she appears. Her teeth are yellowed slightly from all the cigarettes she smokes, as are her fingernails. Her face is composed, though more often than not he default expression is a scowl with a cigarette clasped between her lips. She has a small forehead, sharp chin and a crooked nose from how much it's been broken and reset. Her knuckles are calloused and scarred, and she walks with a very slight limp. Crows feet adorn the corners of her blue eyes, and they're often at a slight squint, as if silently judging whoever she looks at. Her hair is longer now, streaked with white, tied into a short ponytail with not a single stray hair falling over her face.
Ten years after Verthaven, Audrey sports more than a few scars, notably one that crosses her face and connects both her ears together across her nose. Her knuckles are forever scarred, marred with the stripes and rugged, badly healed tissue that came with her pounding on her apartment walls, tearful and guilty over the death of her friend.
Attire:
More often than not Audrey can be found dressed in a simple t-shirt of any design and/or colour, along with a pair of blue jeans and either shoes or sneakers. Her work clothes are that getup paired with a cream coloured apron with her cafe's logo emblazoned on the front and a baseball cap, usually either cream coloured or dark green. She has a faded blue digital watch on her right wrist and has a plain silver wedding band on her left ring finger. A pair of old dogtags hangs from a short silver chain round her neck.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
On the outside, Audrey is tough. A rough, tough, "never take shit from no one" cafe owner who runs her business with an iron fist and a stalwart plan; albeit one that works and rarely, if ever, fails. She takes pride in her work and puts her time and money in her cafe, her food and her drinks. She enjoys the smiles on her customers' faces, and goes to great ends to please. Her loyalty to her employees and friends knows no bounds, and so does her language. Though she doesn't show it, she does care for her friends rather dearly, even if she's rough around the edges with them.
On the inside, Audrey is rather broken. Ten years from Verthaven and the scars that were made after her friend Marcus' death have healed, barely. The Verthaven Disaster wrecked her livelihood, her original cafe called the Haven, and killed her friends and employees Marcus Rowland and John Cole Sykes. Caught right in the middle of disaster, she didn't have the time to recover from the shock of her cafe being razed to witness Marcus and John being torn to shreds by the demons. The scars still cry inside her, and even though it's been more than a decade, the pain still lingers. She's healed, though, and determined not to let the same thing happen to them ever again.
On the job, she doesn't smoke, but she takes regular breaks to light up one to calm herself down if things are getting rough. Other than that, her mannerisms both on and off the job are that of a friendly, if rough-and-tumble, woman who is looking for some relaxation at the end of every stressful day.
Hobbies/Interests:
Appreciating nature
Soft orchestral music
Cooking
Exercising
Skills/Talents:
Coffee making
Cooking
Multi-tasking
Kickboxing (former welterweight)
Prized Possession:
A silver necklace, on which hangs a pair of dogtags, a locket and a very small USB drive. One tag has the name "M. Rowland" engraved on it, with "B+, NKDA, Christian" on the other side. The other tag has "US Army, 24th Infantry Battalion" on one side, and the single word "Marrow" on the other. The USB drive is a tiny one, unused, with the initials "JCS" on it.
History/Bio:
Audrey was born not in America, but in Russia, in the stark, cold of Moscow City. Growing up, she had a healthy dislike of learning, instead putting her time and focus into sports and fitness, stuff that she, young and naive, believed was more visibly important than studying. Her grades barely got her through school as it was, but her strong presence in her school's wrestling team more than helped her along the way. After she graduated, she was approached by a teacher from a kickboxing school, offering to teach her in the ways of fighting to eventually become an instructor at the same school, an offer she eagerly accepted. The school, of course, gave her many a bruise and lots of aches and pains, but it gave her a sense of fulfillment to go along with the suffering. Audrey eventually took part in her first ever kickboxing tourney and won third place; an achievement frowned upon by her teacher but who nevertheless praised her for her accomplishment.
As the years went by, she took part in more and more tournaments, until the Russian Kickboxing Federation recognised her as a rookie in the national standings and decided to place Audrey in her first ever major national championship. She quickly learned, however, that going to the nationals was way above her skill level, and it was with a heavy heart that she accepted her defeat and elimination during the qualifying rounds. The loss only fueled the eager fire within her and she trained ever harder, determined to win.
Around this time was when she met her to-be-husband, Brian Novovich. The man was an American-born Russian who'd flown to Moscow to participate in an annual friendly for expats and foreigners to fight against locals. During the friendly they fought against each other, and after the match was over they fell for each other quite readily. She'd lost, but the pain she felt was way less than the love she'd found for Brian. He suggested that they move to the States, where the competitions were more lively, and she agreed.
Fast forward ten years, during which they had a daughter, named Catherine, they almost filed for divorce due to fallings out between them, and Audrey lived in a small apartment above her cafe, the Haven, in Union Hills, just near the beach. Her former glories, kickboxing and athletics all behind her, she lived alone and tended to her cafe. Her husband and daughter lived elsewhere, out of State entirely, though they kept in semi-regular contact. She'd refused to leave Verthaven even after Brian had found out she was a metahuman, even after the horrendous events that had occured within the city involving people like her. He took her daughter and left out of concern for the family's safety, and she'd never seen them since. This was around the time her cafe attracted two metas who became her employees and subsequent friends; Marcus Rowland, a rowdy athlete and adrenaline junkie, and John Sykes, a quiet, soft-spoken computer nerd. Their friendship was just what she'd needed to keep the cafe aloft, and to keep her internal struggles intact. However, all that changed when Verthaven became a battleground between the government and the terrorist metas. She and her friends were caught in the middle, and when the dust settled, Marcus and John were dead. Her cafe was in ruins and her life was at an end. She prevailed where many others did not, however, and survived the initial disaster and the subsequent botched evacuation effort. When the Shield went down, she upped stakes and ran to Baybridge.
Once in Baybridge, she did the same thing she did in Verthaven: set up a cafe, albeit now in a more built up part of town instead of a beachside property. She now lives in an old apartment just a block away from her cafe, keeping watch yet again as the situation in her new home city changes from day to day. Her cafe, and by extension her tendency as a meta, attracted four new meta employees and people whom she considers good friends.
Relationships
Family:
Markus Novalik, father; deceased.
Arty Novalik, mother; deceased.
Brian Novovich, husband; alive, estranged.
Catherine Novalik, daughter; alive, separated.
Friends:
Marcus Rowland, former employee and good friend; deceased.
John Cole Sykes, former employee and good friend; deceased.
Dynamics:
WIP
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental
Power:
Smoke control; Aurora is able to control smoke in all its forms: dust storms, exhaust smoke, cigarettes, from fires, etc etc. She is able to disperse whatever particles are within the cloud into her surroundings or condense the cloud into a thick, murky mass that blinds and affects the respiratory system of anything caught inside it. She is also able to "grab" smoke to wield it as a weapon akin to a whip, using its semi-solid nature to harden her smoke whip or chain whenever it impacts something for maximum damage.
She is also able to turn her body into a semi solid smoke form, wherein physical attacks cannot hit her, instead they pass through the smoke that makes up her body. She is able to travel through air ducts or vents with this side of her power, along with being able to mask herself in a cloud of smoke if a source of it is present.
Limits:
The power is limited to only herself. Sustaining her smoke form takes stamina, and she cannot maintain it for more than a few minutes straight without having to stop before she passes out.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Because her abilities are very reliant on smoke, she requires a source of smoke somewhere about her person or in her immediate vicinity in order to function at 100%. As such, she usually is seen smoking a cigarette or cigar, but catch her out near the ocean without a stick or a place where smoking is forbidden, and she's very much powerless. The constant smoking has also affected her respiratory system (gee who would've thunk it) and stamina as a result. She has a persistent cough, and cannot sustain any strenuous activities for more than a few minutes at a time without having to catch her breath.
If she gets wet, she will be unable to transform into smoke, though that doesn't stop her from manipulating it.
Wind affects her smoke form more than she cares to admit it; though she is able to maintain consistency of her smoke form in a gust of wind, she will experience difficulties in fighting the wind flow. In ventilation systems, her movements are virtually limited to where the wind blows.
Robin (Nickname / Used while living in Faircrest Woods) redRobin (Internet handle)
Gender:
Agender
Age:
20
Height:
5'1"
Weight:
95 lb
Home District:
West Woodlake, Hedgemount (Was Max’s Home)
Appearance
Hair Color:
Naturally auburn-red
Eye Color:
Light brown-yellow
Ethnicity:
Irish, British
Physical Appearance:
The first thing that most notice about Rori is their somewhat small height. This is something that came from their mother's side of their family (though their father isn't exactly tall either). While it has never been something that particularly bothers Rori it does help to be something of an identifying factor. Along with this small height they are quite light which is a combination of a lack of muscles, a high metabolism and slightly lighter bones than you would expect (almost as if a preparation for her being able to fly, though they don't have wings when in a more humanoid form).
Figure wise Rori is hardly athletic. It's quite obvious that they don't particularly make an effort to keep in good shape and is mostly skinny due to the virtue of a high metabolism and not eating too much. They do look quite scrawny. Born female Rori, when not binding, has a quite visibly female body. They have a quite well sized chest (much to their annoyance) which has never been particularly helpful in regards to their dysphoria. Thankfully, however, the rest of their body is more flat and boyish with a lack of curves at the hips. This means there's just one main area to deal with. Most of the time when they are out Rori will be found wearing a binder, which flattens their chest and gives them a much more gender neutral appearance.
They’ve let their hair grown out a little bit, though it’s still as scruffy as it always has been just falling just above their shoulders. They’re considering cutting it short again anyway. Due to the rules at the school they went to it’s currently it’s natural auburn-red colour, though they are considering dying it again now that they’re back at Baybridge. Their skin is paler than the typical Caucasian light skin colour, typical of those with Irish blood. The freckles that cover their face and body come with the hair colour and complexion. As does the unfortunate burning when exposed to the sun for any length of time. High factor sun cream is needed to prevent this when they are out in the sun for even a few minutes. Their eyes are large, and not entirely human, set an average space apart in a quite round face. Their face shape is soft and childish. This, and their height, gives them the appearance of being younger than they actually are.
Rori does have scars. Most of these are in less visible places, covered by clothing or feathers. There are a few one their face with the most noticeable being a thing scar along their cheek, starting below their eye. She doesn't talk about how they got it. There are also quite a few along their arms - again thin, white scars that are barely noticeable on her already pale skin.
Along with the features shared by most humans Rori has some more... animalistic features. These come from their abilities, the bird thing not only being when they turn into them. The first, and most obvious, unnatural thing (for a human at least) about them is their eyes. The yellow tinge to the brown they are, and the fact that neither of her parents have brown eyes, is just part of it. Their eyes are more like that of a bird's than a human's. This means that they don't have the same kind of vision as human's and are often found looking around to try and see to the side due to not having the same capability to move around their eyes in their sockets. What is sometimes noticeable is the fact they do not blink... at least normally. Instead they have a third hidden eyelid, the nictitating membrane, that does the whole blinking action for them. The other not so visible feature is feathers than cover quite a bit of their body. These are found on their top half, beginning as soft down feathers around their neck and upper arms. These are more spaced out and still quite soft on the front of their body. However they turn into more proper feathers on their back. These full, dense feathers cover all of their back before becoming slightly softer around the waistline and then disappearing. Most of the feathers are brown, with a slight reddish hint. The ones on their chest are more red than the ones in other areas. They also have a set of bird wings; with a similar colouration to their feathers. These are darker at the bones, and more reddish the further out the feathers get. They have a span just under double the length Rori's arms when stretched out. Rori does also have other bird features but these are not visible.
Attire:
Rori goes for comfort over style in clothing. The clothes they wear are more gender neutral, and as a result go more towards being boyish. They would not be found dead in a skirt or dress and if forced into one would feel incredibly uncomfortable. They tend to wear more baggy shirts - preferably with sleeves long enough to cover the feathers on the top of their arms. These are sometimes plain, or sometimes have some kind of nerdy reference on them. They often wear jeans or more comfortable trousers and a hoody on top. Along with this they almost always wear some kind of scarf, even if it is warm - after all it's the easiest way to cover the feathers on their neck. The colouration of their clothing tends to be green and blue, along with black and white.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
The first, most obvious thing about Rori's personality is that they always appear to be incredibly cheerful. They almost always seem to be smiling even if there isn't much to be happy about. This isn't to say they would be happy in what is a sad situation. But they do have quite an astounding ability to make the best out of everything. This optimism can be good sometimes but also annoying to others, along with their intense cheerfulness.
Another main aspect of Rori's outward personality is how friendly they are. They enjoy spending time with others and often choose to do so. They just like talking. They talk a lot. More than they really should and to the point of annoying people (something they do quite often). While three years ago they weren’t particularly socially aware they’ve improved a lot since going to a school, meeting more people and making new friends.
Along with this Rori is quite energetic and hyperactive. They have a difficult time concentrating on things they don't enjoy, mostly anything that isn't art, writing or music, and always seem full of energy. This makes them bright and adds to their cheerfulness but also makes them very exhausting to be around. They don't mean to be but it's just a thing that happens. Rori never seems tired even if they got next to no sleep and can be very difficult to keep up with.
Rori isn't actually always happy. They are an optimist, yes. But they aren't as cheerful as they make out to be. In some ways they use it to hide other things. Rori isn't the best emotionally. They are not incredibly emotional but often the opposite - they do not feel strong emotions either way. It's been easier to pretend to be happy, though. People don't ask too many questions that way.
It would have been impossible for Rori to go through some of the things they did and come out the other end unscarred emotionally. Rori is in a surprisingly good emotional state for what happened. They don't like to talk about it. Even before their powers manifested their parents weren't exactly good to them, a combination of Rori's lack of gender conformity and not exactly being the child they wanted them to be. This was added to by the dysphoria they themselves felt due to their physical body and being referred to as a girl. While it has been a long time since they were viewed as a girl there are still some lasting effects of this lack of acceptance. However, Rori keeps this all to themselvers. They feel that it's better this way.
Rori isn’t much different than they were three years ago when a teenager – they’ve matured a bit and become more independent, but they’re still the same happy go lucky bird freak they were before.
Hobbies/Interests:
Writing: Rori loves writing. Their writing tends to tend towards fictional story and they often get inspired with various story ideas, which they keep written down in a book. They are often found writing in a notebook or typing something up on a computer.
Art: Rori also loves drawing and painting, most often drawing in a sketchpad. Quite often their drawings are related to stories they are writing or are of birds. They’ve widened what they draw recently, and have started selling some art online.
Music: Rori is musically talented and learned a lot of instruments at a young age. They picked back up a lot of them two years ago with very little loss in skill. They play piano, clarinet, violin and Irish tin whistle with plans to learn more. They especially like traditional Irish and Scottish music.
Skills/Talents:
Socialising: Rori is incredibly friendly and cheerful, if a bit shy, meaning they excel in social situations and find it easy to make friends. In general they are very easy to get along with. Their ability to make friends is a bit of a talent.
Creative: Adding on to her hobbies is a natural talent. Rori is very skilled at both writing and drawing/painting and this talent is added to by hard work. They have quite an imagination, which helps.
Musical: Rori also has a natural talent in music, adding to their creativity. They play quite a lot of instruments and find new ones easy to pick up. They also have a good sense of rhythm and a good ear, finding sight reading music easy. This has been added to by going to an art school, getting the opportunity to play in groups meaning that they have really improved their musical talent.
Goals/Motivation
Art & Music: Having achieved her goal of attending school, and going to an arts one for three years, Rori is concentrating on honing her art and music so that she can make some kind of career out of it.
Friends / Family: A large motivation for Rori is still friends. The shake up of her life 3 years ago has changed a lot for Rori, but she’s still tried to keep in contact with everyone she was friendly with in Baybridge. She would also like to reconnect with her family – especially now that she’s lost Max.
History/Bio:
Rori was born to a relatively large family. They were the fourth child born into the family, with an older brother and two older sisters. Their younger brother was born just a year after they were. Their parents were strict Christians and brought up all of their children to be religious as well. This wasn't something that Rori ever liked but they had to go along with it. Along with this their parents were incredibly anti-metahuman.
Even though Rori had little in common with their siblings they always tried to get along with them and most often succeeded. They got on best with their younger brother, Conor, though he was rather annoying. There was the smallest age gap between the two of them which helped. However the person Rori did got on very well with was their cousin, Max. The two families grew up near each other and Rori would spend a lot of time with their cousin. The two got on, though Max was a much less friendly and more troublesome individual than Rori.
However when Rori was eight there was a fall out between the two families. They were forbidden from seeing Max again and eventually Max and her family moved away to another city.
Rori lived a relatively normal life until they were twelve. It was at this point that they began to become aware enough to question they had been assigned at birth. Rori certainly didn't feel like a girl, felt uncomfortable within their own body and disliked being lumped in with either of the binary genders. They eventually came to the conclusion that they were neither. It took a lot of courage but they told their family. The result wasn't good. The only reaction they got was negative and then given the strict warning to never talk about it 'or else.' This was one of the more unhappy periods of Rori's life as they were forced to keep going under the name Roisin and as a girl.
It was years after this that their powers began to manifest. The change was subtle at first. Their eyesight changed - getting better. Then they stopped blinking and began to form light feathers across her body. They did their best to hide this even though they didn't know what was going on. Rori panicked a lot more when they first changed shape into a bird. Having no idea what was going on and panicking slightly they continued to try and hide it.
They were around twelve when their parents walked in on them mid-change. It was safe to say Rori became more of a disappointment than they had been before. The fear on their parents faces was clear. For the next few days their parents said nothing. But Rori noticed the difference, and heard the private phone calls they made. Their parent's hatred for metahumans seemed to extend even to their child. Things took a turn for the worse when Rori overheard a conversation her father had on the phone that suggested they would send Rori away to have their powers removed and, if that wasn't possible (which is clearly wasn't), to have them killed.
Feeling even more scared than before Rori didn't have much choice but to pack a bag and run away from home. They lived on the streets for a while, getting by however they could. After a short while they managed to get enough money to pay for a bus. They didn't care where it went as long as it was away. They ended up in Baybridge. It took them a bit to figure out how the weird combination of towns worked but soon found out how Baybridge was set up.
They somehow made their way to Faircrest Woods and, well, the forests there seemed like a good place to set up. It was better than the streets at least. It was here that Rori learned to control their power better. They had to learn how to survive in forest areas. The ability to turn into a bird help - after all they could hunt as certain birds. They found they could stay in the form of a bird for days on end without losing their humanity. This also helped with hiding from other humans that may wander into the forest. It wasn't a great life, but it could have been worse.
However they did have cravings for human contact. Often they would take trips to the more central areas of Baybridge and occasionally, upon talking to locals, would get some kind of small change. They always saved this up to buy notebooks and kept up writing and drawing even when living an odd life in the forest. It was one of these trips that led to them bumping into their cousin, Max.
Rori and Max hadn't seen each other for years, however they recognised each other. It was something of a coincidence that they met again but a good one, at least for Rori. Max had just come out of the Academy Program, and was about to begin training to join RAVEN. After talking to Rori and finding out their condition Max used some money left over from her parents to buy a house in a middle-class area in Baybridge, deciding to support Rori while they worked out what they wanted to do.
That was two years ago. In the time between Rori has began to be more who they are, finally having the money to buy clothing such as binders to alleviate physical dysphoria they have. They picked up a lot of musical instruments again - an expense that annoyed Max, but she was more okay with it after Rori starting playing in public places and picking up some money here and there. Along with this they have access to technology - a phone and a laptop. The laptop is more used for writing and they have started to talk to people through the internet.
Two years later. In the time between Rori begun to be more who they are, finally having the money to buy clothing such as binders to alleviate physical dysphoria they have. They picked up a lot of musical instruments again - an expense that annoyed Max, but she was more okay with it after Rori starting playing in public places and picking up some money here and there. Along with this they have access to technology - a phone and a laptop. The laptop is more used for writing and they have started to talk to people through the internet.
Rori enjoyed living in Baybridge; they had began to make friends. It started with one close friend, and then they met another at a celebration for a community opening. It seemed pretty great. They then made another - accidentally at first when being pulled in as a bird by the other's air powers. They met in person, though, and got on pretty well.
Then they got caught up in the second of the overload incidents. This caused their bird features to become more pronounced and they went through the agonising experience of growing wings they didn't have before. This left them in a pretty bad state. They then, unluckily, got stuck in the third overload incident. They tried to survive it better as a bird, but this only ended up with them getting stuck mid-change. They came out of it with a broken arm and wing. They also, unfortunately, were out with friends when everything literally started turning into trees. However they escaped unscathed due to the friends they were with.
After the overload incidents Rori managed to stay out of any more of the incidents happening in Baybridge, as much as any normal citizen could. However they weren’t entirely unaffected. During the fight with the Founding Family Max died, leaving Rori without any kind of guardian. Thankfully Max left Rori with just about enough money to get by.
With Max’s death Rori cut themselves off slightly as they tried to figure out what to do. They finally motivated themselves to apply for going back to school, selecting specific art schools which also offered boarding. They got into one on the other side of the country so packed up and moved there, doing three years of school (with a lot of catching up to do) before leaving just a few months ago. Now with more experience with both music and art they’ve moved back to Baybridge, into the house that Max left to them, in the hope that they can make a career out of it vaguely peacefully.
Relationships
Family:
Maxine Diaz - Cousin - Deceased - Power Replication
Rori's RAVEN cousin, who took them in after finding them in Faircrest Woods. Max was abrasive, and Rori knew that she wasn't exactly perfect but loved her nonetheless. Max was the closest Rori had to proper family and while the two didn't always see eye to eye they got on well. Rori got to spend a lot less time with her cousin than she would have liked due to her duties, and then lost her in the attack by the founding family. Max always supported Rori and had promised to help them go back to school, or to support them to any future. Even though Max's death was what motivated Rori to actually go out and change her own life she misses her cousin. Rori may not show it, and may be as happy go lucky as ever, but Max's death affected them. Since moving back to Baybridge Rori tries to avoid being home alone where possible, just because it reminds them of Max.
Breandan Aherne - Father
Rori hasn't seen their father since they were thirteen. Rori's father disapproved of them and was always distant, and Rori doubts that they'll ever get on. Still they hope to meet him again.
Elizabeth Aherne - Mother
Elizabeth was always a strict mother to all her children, but was particularly harsh on her younger two. While Rori was a generally good child this still meant that their relationship was rocky. While their father wasn't much better their mother was around more, and handed out most of the discipline. Rori doesn't have particularly fond memories of their mother, as it was her that found out Rori was a metahuman, but still hopes she's changed her views.
Aiden Aherne - Older Brother
Aiden is eight years older than Rori, and the age gap meant that they didn't particularly talk when growing up. He had already moved out (aged 21) when Rori ran away from home. Aiden is much like his parents, being devoutly religious and anti-metahuman. He works as a lawyer. Of all their siblings Rori wants to meet him again the least.
Sairose Aherne - Older Sister
Six years older than Rori, Sairose was also absent when Rori ran away (studying at college). She is probably the most devout of the siblings, and was always incredibly intelligent. Saiorse disapproved of Rori even before finding out about the whole gender and metahuman thing. Rori doubts that they would get along with Saiorse even now.
Eva Aherne - Older Sister
Eva was the second closest to Rori and age, and also the second closest to them in general. Eva is less confident and domineering than her two older siblings, probably the most softly spoken of the five Aherne siblings. She enjoyed drawing when she was younger and it was one thing she bonded with Rori over. Rori hopes they will meet Eva again, though they don't know how well they'll get on now.
Conor Aherne - Younger Brother
The only sibling younger than Rori, Conor was born just one year after them. Conor and Rori were close, especially after Max moved away, and the two spent a fair amount of time playing together when younger. Rori always found Conor annoying and thought it was silly how he always fought with their parents. However they were friendly with each other up to the point where Rori had to leave - and they're sure they'd still be friendly if they met now.
Felipe Diaz - Uncle (Deceased, Regeneration)
Naomi Diaz - Aunt (Deceased)
Salvador Diaz - Cousin (Regeneration)
Dynamics:
| Wendy Lucker |
| Good | Friend | "Wendy was probably the first friend I had after moving to Baybridge. I don't know what she's doing now, but I'd like to see her again." |
Even though the main thing that unites Wendy and Rori is art Rori views Wendy as a close friend. This is maybe, just slightly, because Rori doesn't really have any other friends. However Rori hasn’t seen Wendy for three years.
| Haruka Takashiro |
| Good | Friend | "I still have fond memories of meeting Haruka when I was a bird. I haven't seen him in a while, but I hope we meet again soon." |
Rori met Haruka when first when they were a bird (and didn't have the energy to change back). Even so Haruka was nice to them and it left an impression. The two met again as humans briefly in the Academy's library. In the past three months, since everything has died down a bit, Rori has been spending a lot of time with Haruka. They've really bonded over music and writing, often playing different pieces together. Rori really views him as a good friend. Like Wendy, Rori hasn’t seen Haruka for a few years.
Abilities
Power Class:
Super-system (Bestial)
Power: Permanent Features
Rori has a few birdlike features that remain even when they are in a humanoid form. Their eyes are more birdlike than other humans. This gives them a much better vision than normal humans meaning she can see longer distances and colours in the ultraviolet spectrum just as birds do. However with this they struggle to move their eyes and often has to move their head around to look in other directions. Along with this they have light down-like feather covering a lot of their body - including along visible parts of their body like their arms and neck. This acts as an extra layer of clothes in terms of keeping them warm. They're bones are also lighter and stronger than most, like a birds, as if to allow for them to fly. However they have no way to fly as a human, so these just make her lighter than she looks. It allows her to jump higher than the normal person but she wasn't quite blessed with wings as a human.
After the incident in Ranchester Mall there have been some changes to their bird physiology, making them even more of a bird-human hybrid. The feathers that covered most of their body have thickened greatly. Along with this they have spread, right down to their hands and up to underneath and around their chin. They have now also grown a pair of wings. These wings are mostly impractical with a span just under double the length of their arms held out. While they have grown longer than when they initially appeared, the fact she is a human with wings means flying is somewhat impractically. They can maybe get a bit above the ground for some period of time, but it’s easier just to change. Along with this Rori has some longer feathers at the base of their back; making a sort of tail. Even though the wings have gotten larger Rori has gotten used to the inconvenience.
Transformation
Rori can transform fully into a few forms of birds. As a bird they have all of the features of a bird and it is difficult to tell the difference from her and a bird. However she retains her intelligence and mind, so often if a bird is acting as a bird should not it is probably Rori. This comes with all the features of whatever bird she turns into. She tends to turn into the average bird for that type in terms of size, strength and speed.
Limits:
Difficulty rolling their eyes due to them being birdlike and as a result has to move their head more. their eyesight is better than normal humans but not quite as good as the best birds eyesight.
Rori is limited in the types of birds she can turn into. At the moment she can turn into a thrush (she tends to go for a robin), a kestrel, a hawk, a hummingbird, a duck and an owl. She can turn into any species from these sections. Along with this she can only make the change a few times per day unless she pushes herself.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
If they look into the far distance for too long they can strain their eyes meaning that their vision will go blurry and it is difficult for them to see anything.
Rori gets incredibly exhausted and ravenous after changing from their bird form back to their human form. This can easily be solved by eating a lot of food and a long nap. However if they don't get this they are prone to collapse without warning or faint from the fatigue.
Along with this the longer they stay in their bird form the more they takes on the characteristics of the bird. It is likely that if they remained as a bird for a prolonged period of time they will probably forget who they are and how to turn back into a human. This would mean Rori would be permanently stuck in the form of a bird.
Rori also sometimes get stuck mid-change which is incredibly painful and traumatic. It can take them hours to get out of this state. Along with this they are often left in pain after the change and feel like they have limbs that they no longer have (such as wings).
Other:
Rori absolutely hates the name Roisin, and the only time they really get annoyed is when someone calls them by that name (or refers to them as a girl or boy)
The nickname Robin was one given to them by their cousin, Max, when they were younger due to Rori having red hair like a Robin's chest and being quite flighty/timid as a child
Rori's father is Irish, and moved over to the US as a young adult
Lihn is a hardly a tall woman, however she is above the average for her home country. She is somewhat unassuming looking and the kind of person that doesn't stand out. She blends in easily to the crowd. Pure Vietnamese, it is obvious from first appearances that she is from an eastern country.
Lihn's dark hair is straight and long, falling past her mid back. While she tends to prefer to keep it loose she will tie it back if it is more practical. It frames a reasonably wide, slightly round face. Her eyes are large, a warm brown, and almond shaped. She has a flat, and broad nose, above thin lips. Her skin tone is a relatively dark yellowish brown colour, indicating that she is from the more Southern areas of Vietnam rather than the North.
Lihn has a relatively thin, but fit, body frame. She enjoys participating in sports but has never gotten to the point of properly building up muscles. She is fitter than people who do not exercise but it hasn't filled out her rather petite frame. She has subtle curves, noticeable if enhanced by clothing but hardly anything to brag about. It adds to her more average looks. She generally looks feminine but is hardly the most attractive person around. She's not bad looking but nor is she noticeably good looking.
Attire:
Lihn's attire greatly varies. When planning on doing some running or something more physical she will wear clothing made for when doing sports. She does tend to dress quite nicely, in most cases wearing jeans and a nice shirt. She does also enjoy wearing skirts and dresses and will do so regularly. More rarely, an only in formal settings, Lihn will wear the more traditional Vietnamese dress - a light blue Ao Dai.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Lihn is a calm, people oriented person. Her personality is far from a force of nature. She prefers to be subtle and how she acts is very similar to how she appears - not immediately noticeable. She is kind hearted and will take her time to listen to others. She is very good with children, having a very close relationship with her own daughter. She enjoys time in the company of others but rarely is one to dictate the conversation. She prefers to listen and go along with the flow.
However, just because Lihn tends to be relaxed and follow along with others doesn't mean that she is a pushover. She has something of a no nonsense attitude. If she knows that someone is making up excuses she will, in general, not tolerate it. She is not cruel in the way that she gets this across, however. Even though she doesn't accept excuses and believes everyone should take responsibility for their actions she is gentle in her application of these beliefs. Again, she is not pushy but nor is she easily forced into things herself.
Lihn has a deep understanding of human emotion, coming from both her powers and her training in psychology. She can easily read other's emotions without having to activate her empathy, from the way they speak and subtle differences in expressions. She knows how to speak in different situations, how to calm someone down who is distraught and how to help someone feel better.
Lihn is also quite a sturdy person emotionally. She has had to build up a certain resistance to being moved by others emotions and as a result is unlikely to panic when someone gets overly angry or to be intimidated when threatened. However with this emotional detachment comes an air of aloofness, no matter how kind and socially aware she is.
Hobbies/Interests:
Running: Lihn was quite sporty in her youth, and still goes out on runs when she has time.
Sewing: Though at a young age Lihn disliked more 'girly' activities she has in recent years picked up an interest in sewing. She does this relatively regularly, often when relaxing at home, and has made some nice clothing.
Reading: Lihn enjoys reading, both fictional and non-fictional. Her main reading interest is in fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian in terms of fiction. For non-fiction she reads a lot of psychology based books.
Human Brain: Lihn has an interest on how the brain works, especially the mental aspects of this. Her interest is even more pronounced in terms of metahumans - as to whether there are brain differences. She also has a good interest in how emotions work and affect the brain.
Skills/Talents:
Psychology: Lihn has a degree in psychology, and as a result knows a good amount about the human brain. She took interest in metahuman aspects as well but was not interested in joining organisations such as DOVE.
Children: Lihn is also quite good with children, something that made her consider going into teaching. She is patient enough with them and seems to know the right thing to do to quieten a baby or keep a child happy.
Sports: At a younger age Lihn was good at, and enjoyed, sports. She still does but she doesn't participate in them much anymore. Are main sports were badminton, and running.
People: Lihn just generally has good people skills, finding it easy to talk with people and help them with their problems. People find her easy to trust and she is more than willing to lend a listening ear.
Goals/Motivation
Family: Lihn is motivated to protect the small family she has. She loves her young daughter dearly, and is quite close to her half- brother. She would do a lot to make sure they are safe. However she is also motivated to avoid the family she has left in Vietnam.
Knowledge: Lihn has a long term goal to gain more knowledge on metahumans, especially in relation to mental states and whether their brains work. She doesn't have much access to information out with of herself and her metahuman family.
History/Bio:
Lihn was born in South Vietnam to a farmer and his wife. They were not particularly well off, but they were not poor - her father was a farmer by choice, having left his family in the city. They had a small farm and mostly prospered off the fact that their animals were better than all others. Unknown to Lihn at the time this was due to her father's metahuman abilities in relation to animals.
Lihn was five when her own powers developed. She began to sense the emotions of all the humans around her, unable to stand it out and constantly bedridden due to migraines caused by this. Unfortunately for the family the small community they lived in was not particularly friendly to meta humans and found out about what was afflicting Lihn. It turned out her mother also did know of her father's powers and shared very similar views to the other people in the community. Lihn and her father were forced to run. With money saved up the two of them managed to immigrate to America. It was difficult, but eventually they were allowed to settle down and make a new life with the decision to get full citizenship as soon as possible.
The city they chose to live in was Verthaven. Here her father met another woman, and within a year and a half of living in America the two were married. Another year a half and along came Lihn's younger half brother, Kei. The eight year age gap made it difficult for Lihn to see eye to eye with her younger brother. However there was no jealousy from Lihn's side - she was more than happy to have a new family.
Lihn left her family to study psychology at college in a difference city when she graduated highschool at 18. By now she was a full American citizen, speaking English as well as her birth language of Vietnamese. She kept in contact with her family while there, and occasionally they would visit. During this time period she got slightly closer to her brother - he was becoming slightly more mature.
After graduating, just turned twenty two, Lihn moved to Baybridge to try and find a job. Upon moving into a small flat her brother decided to visit to, essentially, test out her new home and spend some time away from parents who were getting on his nerves.
Kei never went back to live with his parents. It was lucky he was staying with Lihn, as his parent's tragically died in the Verthaven Disaster - two among many. It was a difficult time for both. Lihn was suddenly given the responsibility of looking after her then fourteen year old brother. A series of slightly bad decisions on her part, nights out more drunk than she should be, ended up with her pregnant with the child of an unknown father.
It was enough of a shock for Lihn to return to her responsible self. With a child on the way she only worked harder at her job, becoming a well respected therapist for her age. She earned enough money to move out of the more shoddy Springtown and into a better area. Her daughter, Thanh, was born on time and healthy.
In the six years afterwards years life has been more normal for Lihn. She has managed to juggle raising a child, working as a therapist and making sure her lazy half-brother does more than just lying about and is planning to continue doing so.
However the relatively peaceful life she lived with her family was soon interrupted by a series of disasters in Baybridge. While Lihn herself was not caught in any of the overloads, her brother was. In fact he was the one who overloaded first; causing a massive ice storm with his cryokinesis. This meant he had to move into DOVE/RAVEN custody for his own protection leaving Lihn to look after Thanh alone. He then got caught up in the second overload, and hospitalised. Lihn began to lose non-meta clients due to overall anti metahuman sentiments.
Lihn got caught in Eco-Naturá's attack, due to being in the area in an attempt to have a relaxing evening out. She luckily ran into others who helped her get out, unlike others.
After Eco-Naturá’s attack Lihn received an email from her uncle asking her to come to Vietnam. Though she did not know exactly why Lihn did what she was asked, heading over with her daughter and brother. She ended up staying with her aunt for a while before finally being seen by her grandfather, the head of the Phan family. Simply he wanted her to be part of the family again, and to stay in Vietnam. However he wasn’t too happy about the existence of both Thanh and Kei (illegitimate children in his eyes). Lihn agreed to stay in Vietnam for at least a few months.
Over these months Lihn was asked to help with business for her family, which she did somewhat reluctantly. As the months went on and she helped with more and more business, seeing Thanh and Kei less than she would’ve liked, she began to grow suspicious of what was going on. A confrontation with her grandfather confirmed that he did know of her empathy and was using her and her power to help him grow his business more.
As much as Lihn wanted to go back to the US she couldn’t yet, with threats coming from her grandfather to do with Thanh and Kei. So she continued to help him, though more unhappily.
A stroke of luck came when the business her father had set up, and the Phan family itself, was found to have a lot of dealings with criminal organisations within the country and others (such as China). With both her grandfather and uncle arrested it shook up the entire family, leaving Nhât (her cousin) to be the family head. With that all done Lihn returned to Baybridge, after just over a year spent in Vietnam – vowing to not have any part with that side of her family again.
After moving back to Baybridge Lihn managed to find work as a therapist again, though the people who would go to her due to her being a metahuman was still limited. She makes enough, however, and with the extra free time from a loss of clients began to do her own research on meta humans and psychology to aid her.
Relationships
Family:
Mai Cao (Phan) - Mother Dinh Phan - Father (Deceased, Animal Empathy) Xuân Phan - Half-brother Thanh Phan - Daughter
Viên Phan - Grandfather Qui Phan - Grandmother (deceased) Vihn Phan - Uncle Nhât Phan, Hao Phan, Tuân Phan - Cousins Phoung Lý (Phan) - Aunt Giang Lý, Qui Lý, Tuyên Lý, Mihn Lý- Cousins Tien Cao - Half-sister
Dynamics:
| Kei Phan |
| Good | Younger Half- Brother | "I’m glad Kei is finally doing something for himself." |
Lihn and Kei got off to a rocky start when younger, but after their father (and Kei's mother) the two have gotten closer when Kei started permanently living with his older sister. They don't always see eye to eye and have their fights, but it's a good enough relationship between the two. Now that Kei has moved out Lihn still see him regularly, and still gets him to babysit Thanh.
| Reinald Young |
| Neutral | Acquaintance, sort of | "If we meet again, I hope it's in person and not in that strange dream world of his." |
Lihn met Reinald (as Naoki) when doing various jobs for her grandfather in Vietnam, in a dream. It was definitely a strange encounter for Lihn and not one she is particularly in a rush to repeat. She wanted to help him but sadly didn't really get the chance, and the last thing she expected was that he would be living in Baybridge now.
Abilities
Power Class:
Cerebral (Domination)
Power: Empathy
Reading Emotions:
Lihn can read the emotions of others. How much information she gets depends on how hard she concentrates. If an emotion is very strong it is easier to figure out, if it is weak it is more difficult. She can often get a basic idea of the emotions of all those around her however has to concentrate more to get the full picture. Certain emotions are more difficult to sense, such as obscure and very specific emotions. Easy emotions to read are happiness and anger.
Changing Emotions:
Lihn can subtly change the emotions of people near her. She can effect up to five people, however the change will be less than if just concentrating on one person. The change is subtle and unnoticeable. She essentially takes an emotion than the target is already feeling and increases or decreases the intensity with which they feel it. For example if someone is angry she could reduce this anger slightly, or increase it. This can achieve a variety of effects. She can use it to help people feel, in a way, more confident. However it is quite limited in what it can do.
Limits:
Lihn can only change and read the emotions of those in her immediate area. She can, roughly, read the emotions of those in a twenty foot radius around her and change them of those in a ten foot radius around her. Lihn must concentrate to change emotions, so any distractions will stop it. The same can be said for reading specific emotions. Lihn's ability to read emotions is technically never turned off. However she has gotten to the level of control where the bombardment of stronger emotions is just like a background noise in her head. However in stressful situations she is likely to be overwhelmed by something like this.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Lihn suffers from severe, often blinding, migraines if she reads emotions for too long. This occurs from her brain essentially being overwhelmed by the different emotions of people. These often cause her to be bedridden for long periods of time. Due to her ability to read emotions always being 'on' incredibly strong emotions around her can be crippling to her mind. They often overwhelm her thoughts meaning she cannot coherently speak or even hear what other people say. This can lead to migraines caused when also actively increasing her ability.
Along migraines overwhelming emotions can also have an effect on her emotional state. This often leads to mental breakdowns on Lihn's part, or feeling a variety of emotions. There have been a few times when she has been overwhelmed by other's anger resulting in her resorting to an angry violence.
It is difficult to control her ability in incredibly busy places often resulting in too many emotions being registered in her brain at once. This can very negatively affect how she reacts socially and can even physically weaken her.
Other:
Lihn is fluent in English and Vietnamese, but hardly has a talent for other languages
Lihn's choice to become a therapist when she is an empath is interesting, due to her essentially putting herself in situations where she will be around people feeling strong emotions.
Basic Information
Name:
Xuân Công Phan (潘 公 春 , Phan Công Xuân)
Nickname/Alias/Etc:
Kei, 敬 (Nickname given by mother, often goes by this) Kay Kay (Nickname from his six year old niece)
Gender:
Male
Age:
24
Height:
5'9"
Weight:
173
Home District:
Greencrest Heights
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Hazel
Ethnicity:
Vietnamese, Japanese, French
Physical Appearance:
Kei is quite slight in appearance. Though he appears tall beside his older-sister his height is certainly nothing to boast about. He grew taller than his father was, at least. And he doesn't tend to care much about how other's judge him anyway so it has never particularly bothered him.
Kei's appearance makes it difficult to figure out what his exact ethnicity is. This is due to being something of a mix. While more Vietnamese features tend to be dominant, the other's are quite obvious. A point towards his more European heritage is his light hazel eyes, more green than they are brown. However they're shaping is definitely not European and they're large size makes them a prominent feature of his face. His nose is relatively narrow, but flat, and his lips thin. His hair, jet black like both of his parent's was, is kept in a messy cut. He has a medium-light skin colour with distinct golden tones. It is quite a bit lighter than his sister's.
One thing that is obvious about Kei is that he doesn't do very much exercise. He isn't overweight but he's also not skinny or fit. He has a decent amount of roundness to him due to sheer laziness. Though he does do a few sports, mostly water based, his love for food outweighs this so his body is far from toned. Still, he doesn't care.
Attire:
While Kei certainly isn’t as fashionable as his sister, he’s improved somewhat from three years ago. Most of the time he is at least presentable with jeans and a nice enough tshirt. It’s better than sweatpants, or just always being in his pyjamas.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
While Kei is still generally apathetic he has begun to improve on this a bit, which started with the motivation he gained when in Vietnam. While he doesn’t care for things as much as many others do he has found himself more and more motivated to do more than just sleep.
Out with of his apathy Kei is an odd character. He isn't particularly a people's person, unlike his sister, but that isn't to say he dislikes people. He just couldn't care less. He'll talk to people if they talk to them but will rarely make an effort. He's still quite withdrawn into himself. While his lack of care still concerns his sister she isn’t as bothered anymore now that he’s doing something with his life.
However, sometimes Kei does enjoy himself. There have been rare occasions where he has found someone he struck off on the right chord with. In these circumstances a new, often hidden, personality blooms. Kei enjoys teasing people he's close to and generally poking fun at them. He becomes slightly more vibrant and involved. The only person at the moment who can really brighten him up is his niece, and occasionally his sister.
Kei is quite a tolerant person and easy to be around even if he rarely makes the effort to get to know people. He’s something of the silent type and is quite trustworthy, though maybe not dependable as he won’t always bother to do something he is asked to do. However he certainly isn’t a bad person.
Hobbies/Interests:
Sleeping: Sleeping is still one of Kei's favourite pastimes is sleeping. He's actually pretty good at falling asleep in random places much to the annoyance of people such as his sister.
Food: When he's not sleeping Kei likes making and eating different types of food. He finds weird recipes interesting to try and tends to end up doing a lot of cooking around the house.
Gaming: Kei enjoys gaming, both on computers and consoles, as it is something he can do without leaving the comfort of his bed. He's pretty good at it too.
Water Sports: Kei finds most thing related to water fun, especially swimming and diving. When he's not being a lazy shit he'll often go to the nearest swimming pool and just spend as much of his time there as possible. He is also pretty good at diving. He’s picked up swimming more now that he has his power under control.
Skills/Talents:
Cooking: Kei is good at cooking of all kinds, whether it's main meals or cakes. He enjoys cooking and then eating the food and it's one of the few things he is motivated to do. A lot of his skill came from relatively hard work.
Languages: Languages come quite easily to Kei. This is probably due to his mixed European-Asian heritage. He speaks English, Vietnamese, Japanese, French, Mandarin (Chinese) and Spanish. He is currently learning Cantonese (Chinese), German and Russian. He has started to work harder at learning languages since changing college course and starting work as a translator.
Computers: Kei learned programming on a whim, and found that he was quite good at it, so he spends a decent amount of time doing it. He's gotten to a pretty good stage with it and knows how to program in Java, Python and HTML (also a bit of PHP and SQL). He also has a decent knowledge of computer hardware.
Swimming/Diving: Kei is good at swimming and diving. When he was younger, and living in Verthaven, he was on his school's swim and dive team. He's got a fair few trophies and gold medals from it. He doesn't really swim anymore - he feels like he can't due to his power.
Goals/Motivation
Improvement: Kei wants to improve himself, both in terms of his power, work and social skills. He knows he’s still lazy and apathetic and wants to do something about that.
History/Bio:
Xuân Phan was born in Verthaven into a small, but happy, family. Brought up with a Vietnamese father and a Japanese/French mother he was taught a mix of cultures. From a young age he was given the nickname Kei from his mother, with the meaning of blessing. To her he was a blessing - she had been told as a young woman she was infertile and managing to have a son was something spectacular. The name stuck and now Kei is rarely called Xuân.
Kei's childhood was mostly uneventful. As he grew up his main interests were always water related. He loved being in the water, especially swimming and diving. He was part of swim and diving teams from elementary school and up. He was good at it, too, winning many medals and trophies. It was always the pride of his parents even if both would have rather he had as much enthusiasm for his schoolwork.
It was on a visit to his older sister Lihn, who Kei mostly got on with, when he was fourteen that things went downhill. His parents were among the many who died in the Verthaven disaster. Sometimes he questioned whether he should too. Kei withdrew more into himself. He had never been shy but the lack of interest in the world he had already displayed only doubled. His sister's emotional state wasn't perfect either and the two got into a lot of arguments at this time.
What made things even worse was the sudden development of his power. Kei had assumed that he had taken after his mother and wasn't a metahuman. But suddenly things started to get cold around him and when he try to go for a swim the water froze around him. This meant he couldn't really do one of the things he loved. He had no idea how to control his power so he just gave up doing anything related to water.
Kei was fifteen when his older half-sister had a baby girl. The two of them reconciled with a young child to now look after in the house. Kei went back to attending school and just about scraped through. Thanh was the one thing that seemed to make life a bit brighter. She was such a happy child.
Kei ended up getting heavily involved in the overloads that occurred in Baybridge. This wasn't by choice - but more unlucky coincidence. He was the first of the three major cases to be overloaded, creating a large ice storm in the middle of a farmers market. This resulted in him being put under RAVEN/DOVE protection. He was with a RAVEN agent when she was overloaded in the mall. He was able to stop her only because of the collar he was wearing, though he froze the two of them in the process.
Just a short while after being released from hospital Kei was dragged by his sister to Vietnam to sort out family business. While it may be his family to, through his father, it was his sister than the head of the Phan family wanted and not Kei (or Thanh). This meant that while Lihn was sent out to do things Kei and Thanh were stuck in Vietnam with his aunt, or sometimes in China when Lihn took them (in a hotel).
Kei took the opportunity to get to know the country that his father was from, but that he had never actually been to. With Thanh in tow he explored the city his family lived in and tried all sorts of food within the budget his sister gave him. He spoke to a few people around, and started to teach Thanh Vietnamese so she could fit in a bit better. He began to enjoy himself and realised that maybe he could actually do something with his life.
When the Phan family got found out for their criminal activities Kei was somewhat sad to move back to Baybridge, but also looking forward to doing something. When he got back he switched college course to a joint languages and teaching degree, with the goal to teach languages to kids since he’d been good enough at it with Thanh. Along with this he applied and got part time work as a translator. He’s been doing well so far, and with the help of Lihn earned enough money to move out into a small apartment in Greencrest Heights.
He still sees Lihn, and babysits Thanh, but is much more independent now.
| Good | Older half-sister | "Lihn and I get on a lot better now that I’ve moved out, and I enjoy spending time with her." |
Kei likes his sister, though they weren't the closest when younger. They were brought together by the death of their father and his mother. In addition Kei absolutely adores Thanh and is quite helpful in terms of babysitting for his older sister. Lihn has stopped coddling him as much as she used to and has started treating him like an adult, though not quite like an equal.
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental (Energy)
Power: Cryokinesis
Freezing Water / Temperature Change: Kei can focus on and freeze water that is nearby to him. This is essentially reducing the temperature in a very localised area to cause the water to freeze and turn into ice. He also can reduce the temperature in an area around him. This is something he often does without realising it. However he can do it by choice and reduce the temperature to something below freezing.
Controlling Ice: Kei can control ice, with ice being frozen water. He can sometimes also control snow or similar. Kei isn't sure of the exact limits of his power as he hasn't tried out controlling too much. It is easier to control smaller pieces of ice. He can also control and move bigger chunks of ice.
Cold Resistance: Thankfully for Kei he is more resistant to the effects of the cold than others. He is unlikely to die of hypothermia and doesn't feel cold wearing t-shirts in low temperatures.
Ice Creating: Kei can also create ice without already having water to freeze. Currently he can produce a large lump or two, an improvement on the ice cube size that he used to be able to produce.
Limits:
At the moment Kei is incredibly limited in what he can do with his powers. He can only control ice nearby to him, same with changing the temperature. He can only create a small amount of ice, but can freeze a fair amount of water and control about the same amount as he can freeze. He doesn't know exactly what his limits are as he is yet to fully explore it. Kei still has to concentrate on not just emitting a cold aura all the time, however he has a lot more control than he used to.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Fire is a big no go for Kei. Fire will render his power useless. And not to mention fire has bad effects on him. It is not that he will burn more than an ordinary human. However being around fire makes him feel like he is melting. He starts to sweat profusely and feels about as much pain as something who is melting does. Of course he doesn't literally melt. But it's a horrible, debilitating feeling.
Heat in general isn't good for Kei. He heats up a lot more easily than everyone else, due to being more resistant to colder temperatures. He will more quickly suffer from heat exhaustion and heatstroke in what would be normal temperatures for other people. Though not really a weakness Kei also tends to suffer from heat rashes from slightly above average temperatures which is incredibly distracting.
Using his power currently takes a lot out of Kei since he has very little control. He gets very dehydrated from doing it, and needs to keep drinking water as he does or he will suffer the effects you'd expect from dehydration.
Shiori is possessed of two primary physical qualities in direct juxtaposition to one another - her face is jubilant and radiant, full of love and laughter and life, and every expression is emotive in the extreme. Big green eyes and full, slightly chubby cheeks highlight her natural bubbliness and friendliness, and it is rare to see her with anything other than a smile plastered across her face. Full lips and well-kept teeth lend her a disarmingly charming smile, and she often outshines any light source in the room with a warmth that seems to emanate from her in waves.
In direct contrast, the rest of Shiori's body is meek and slight, more often than not escaping notice. She is smaller than average, and has a wiry frame - she has a smaller than average bust, very rarely shows off any of her body, and keeps her hair in a long ponytail - a practical and comfortable situation that seems to edify the rest of her appearance. Given that Shiori often busies herself with books or other tasks that require her focus, she often has her head buried in something and this leads to her looking extremely unremarkable. She is not short enough to be the focus of attention, and her fashion sense plain enough that with a book she could likely meld into the background as some sort of person-shaped furniture. Shiori’s features are fairly heavily Japanese, not really having taken much from her British heritage.
While Shiori does not frequent the gym, her naturally wandering disposition and constant walking around often have left her in surprisingly good physical state for an archivist. Though her duties are not conventionally physically taxing, they have left Shiori with a layer of wiry muscle and a lean overall appearance.
Attire:
Shiori's fashion sense is, above all else, designed to bring her the most comfort possible while attempting to not hinder her in any way. As a result, she tends to wear loose and flowing clothing. She can very often be found in jeans and an ill-fitting t-shirt, especially when working, and at home prefers to wear a more traditional yukata (though a little more loosely than her mother would like). She wears a lot of deep blue or emerald green colours, and has a particular knack for somehow making these colours clash and generally making her outfits look a bit off. Shiori’s a bit of a swing and a miss in the fashion department.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Shiori is, fundamentally, an avid reader. This shapes almost every aspect of her personality, from her deeply inquisitive nature to her gentle sense of patience. Calm and collected, and yet eternally hungry for knowledge. Shiori is like an open book, easy to read, and is as welcome as a book on a long and boring trip - she gives off an inherent stability, a sense of tranquility and peace, and above all else is joyous in everything that she does. Shiori finds a way to be happy in practically every situation, whether it be diligently doing her duty or delving into the mysteries of the cosmos. She is not always exuberant, but practically everything she does leaves her with a demure but genuine smile.
Shiori is always happy to help someone in need, always happy to take time out of her schedule to assist others, and always happy to teach anyone who genuinely wants to learn. She has an exceptional eagerness for life and her work, and while she is always happy and calm this does not necessarily translate to her being still. Shiori frequently roams, even while reading or studying, and prefers not to stay still for too long unless she is well and truly engrossed by something that she is doing. She frequently switches between reading one book and another, only to abruptly stop and make tea. While well-meaning, Shiori is often clumsy in that she simply does whatever she likes best, and her capricious whims often take her on long jaunts of non-sequiturs. Despite her inherent wanderlust and borderline inability to stay still and focus on one subject only unless it really demands her attention, Shiori always remembers what it was that she was doing and returns to it after she has finished working on the tangent that took her away from her previous task at hand.
Sometimes Shiori struggles with her racing mind, but she is almost never melancholy. She tries her utmost to be respectful and polite, though can seem dismissive when she excuses herself from a duty to do something else that she feels is a better use of her time or simply strikes her fancy. Though a gifted individual, Shiori is often a little naive and does not read well into social cues or subtexts. She frequently takes social cues literally, though in her own light-hearted sort of way, and ends up missing the mark ever so slightly in what many consider to be a 'cute' fashion. She is far less prone to making these sorts of miscommunications with people she is intimately familiar with, and in turn they learn how Shiori works.
Many individuals that read too much are wont to have periods of being crestfallen and melancholic, though Shiori seems to be almost terminally happy. She could not explain the concept of sadness to someone if she tried, only really able to explain what she could learn through a book or through watching someone. The parts of her mind that understand existence and moderate happiness seem to be completely and utterly separate, and though she often speaks of traditionally "depressing" topics, it is always with a gentle musical timbre and with joy in her heart, often to the confusion of those she is talking to. Shiori simply does not know how to feel sad or angry (at least consciously), and if she is ever driven to these emotions they manifest without her really knowing what they are, which tends to leave her a little dazed. If ever in this state, Shiori instinctively seeks out those she is close to and tries to work through whatever problems she may have with them. Shiori’s inward and outward personality are literally identical. She couldn’t hide what she is or how she feels if she tried. Also, Shiori is gay as fuck.
Hobbies/Interests:
Reading – Shiori is a lover of all things bookish, and spends the majority of her days reading and internalising volumes of text. Shiori can devour the contents of a book in a staggeringly short period of time, and is able to store all of that knowledge in the chaotic depths of her mind. Shiori’s love of books is so extreme that she has a very physical and visceral reaction to their mistreatment, and often chastises those who put books in damaging situations.
Languages – In order to consume more books, Shiori has mastered the reading and writing of several languages. She is able to fluently read and write in Classical Greek, Aramaic (and Syriac), and Sanskrit, but having only ever had a written education in these languages is not capable of speaking or understanding them aurally. Shiori is, however, fluent in English, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish and can speak, listen, read, and write in these languages. She is particularly interested in the etymology of the various languages she knows, and is able to take educated guesses at languages that are etymologically similar to those she knows.
Organisation – In contrast to her extremely chaotic mind, Shiori abhors chaos in the physical world. She is a serial tidier, and keeps things catalogued and in orderly fashion as much as physically possible. She will literally reorganise your entire bookshelf before she sits down if she notices that so much as a single volume is askew (and she is very perceptive on this mark). Shiori is, in fact, so obsessed with the idea of order that she has been known to do housework for close friends because she actively enjoys it. No wonder she makes so many friends.
Skills/Talents:
(Almost) Perfect Recall – Shiori can recall practically anything from any book that she has ever committed to memory, down to the sentence number and the page. Unfortunately, Shiori does not often commit books to memory due to the sheer volume of them that she gets through – though anything that sufficiently piqued her interest and is purely factual is a likely candidate. She is also able to perfectly recall the location of any subset of any system she has either designed or organised, so she knows the location and title of every book in any collection she manages.
Insight – Shiori is able to connect dots that many cannot simply due to her vast reserve of information and scattered way of thinking. She can connect seemingly unlinked phenomena together with an explanation that is usually as nonsensical as it is correct, and can pick up on things that many people would typically miss. Conversely, most of the time she does not understand a lot of normal logical inferences.
Cookery - Shiori has a particular fondness of Japanese food, and has learned to cook it to a fairly adept degree. She always makes far too much food, however, and typically shares with her neighbours (to varying degrees of success).
Goals/Motivation
Shiori knows that the universe is eventually going to die an entropic heat death, and expresses this as an intense desire to make her life as happy as possible while she exists. Shiori’s mind is too scattered and too wide-reaching to really give herself a five-year plan. She does, however, have a hunger for knowledge and is particularly interested in Metahuman affairs.
History/Bio:
Shiori was born to a British father and Japanese mother in central England, where she was raised for the first sixteen years of her life. Shiori had a fairly normal childhood by all accounts - the only real oddity being that she was raised to speak both English and Japanese due to her multicultural heritage (which is not particularly odd). Shiori excelled in school, was loved by her parents, and made many friends. She lived for most of her early life knowing only contentedness, and had no plans to change that. When the time came for Shiori to choose a college or a sixth form to continue her education, she instead signed up to an exchange programme which led to her going to Japan for two years to further hone her study of the language and "find herself and connect with her heritage", as her parents had put it.
Shiori's two years in Japan were fairly uneventful as far as drama goes. She perfected her Japanese, continued to excel in studies, and returned home after her two years were over. The British political climate had been unstable and leaning conservative for a while, and when she returned Shiori's parents decided that that was rather against their more liberal sensibilities. They escaped the slew of murders of British politicians by a year or two and emigrated to the United States of America to pursue a more liberal existence.
Shiori did not move with her parents immediately as she was due to start University, and ended up enrolling near Baybridge. She began her studies on classic literature and quickly excelled, learning the classical languages at an almost staggering pace and producing her dissertation two years early. She then specialised as an archivist, seeking to read as many rare works of writing as she possibly could. She was fast-tracked in this regard also, earning her Masters in Information Management and Preservation in four months. The university offered her a job managing their archives, and Shiori accepted the job, settling in Baybridge fairly early with a decent salary and a job that she loved.
As time went on, Shiori became increasingly interested in the metahuman appearances, and spent much of her free time engrossed deeply in research. When the Overload Crisis struck, Shiori doubled down on her efforts to uncover and understand what was going on. It was during this time that she discovered her own power - and promptly got into contact with DOVE to see what needed to be done. She was placed under watch and carefully developed her understanding of her powers, testing their limits and occasionally using them to procure rare texts for preservation that she ordinarily would not have been able to. Shiori's life as a metahuman proved to be fairly similar to her life prior to the discovery - working in a closed environment with little exposure to the public eye and careful moderation of her power largely left her untouched.
Now, in the present day, Shiori is even more interested in the metahuman-related affairs than she was previously - having lived through the consequences of the actions of the Founding Family, she seeks to bring to light as much information as possible in her own little way.
Relationships
Family:
Kinjiro Miyamairi – Mother
Shiori’s mother is an art teacher who specialises in traditional Japanese art. She has a good, if overprotective, relationship with her daughter and the two regularly meet up to catch up.
Dan Miyamairi – Father
Shiori’s father is a lawyer, and while he cares for Shiori he is easily exhausted by her antics and doesn’t spend as much time with her as her mother does. The two have a strong relationship, regardless, but only really see each other for special occasions.
Dynamics:
| Rori Aherne |
| Good | Friend; Neighbour | "Maybe Rori could use some snacks? I get the feeling they aren’t eating well…" |
Shiori lives in the house across the road from Rori, and tries to be as friendly and neighbourly as possible to everyone – but has a soft spot for Rori, who she notes is a terrible cook and does not eat particularly well. The two have been fast friends for a year or so, and Shiori often appears at Rori’s doorstep with homemade Japanese food, as she likes to make a lot of food but dislikes eating alone.
Abilities
Power Class:
Other
Power:
Portal Creation
Shiori’s power is, simply put, the ability to bridge two locations on the physical plane. She can create a portal mid-air that leads to any destination she has in mind, provided that she has an image in her mind of where precisely she wishes to create the two portals, and any physical matter is capable of moving through these portals. Shiori's portals specifically bridge the space between the two locations that she creates them at, which causes objects that move through them to retain any momentum or other physical force that they may have. Despite this, extraneous energy is not carried through the portals - if an explosion were to occur in front of one portal, only physical matter (such as shrapnel) would move through the portal, the rest would simply be dispersed upon contact with the portal, though depending on the level of energy this could destroy it.
Shiori's speed and ability to maintain portals is reliant on her ability to imagine the location that she wishes to create the portal to. For an intimately familiar space, it is an instinctive and strong connection that appears instantly - for somewhere she has only read about or seen pictures of but never travelled to herself, the connection takes a few minutes and the portal is unstable. As vivid imagery is key to maintaining these portals, Shiori often creates unique images at locations she frequently travels to, such as her home, and draws them in chalk as a sort of "anchor". Anything particularly striking that she has memorised is enough to act as an anchor open a portal, though the success is contingent on her anchor being undisturbed.
Shiori's power can be used to create more permanent portals, provided that they are able to be sustained with an energy source separate from Shiori herself. Shiori herself can only maintain a portal for up to five minutes, and can only maintain two at a time at an absolute maximum. Additionally, each portal that Shiori creates and maintains herself is only able to translocate physical matter six times - this means that she could make three return trips on her own, or facilitate travel for six people one way. She is capable of opening as many portals as she likes, but only while she has the energy to do so. Typically, Shiori can open up to three pairs of portals per day, though this can be increased if Shiori needs to exert herself. Normal use of the portals does not tax Shiori, however, as the energy required is primarily mental, and Shiori’s constant reading provides her with more than enough energy to facilitate the average use of her power.
Theoretically, Shiori can potentially weaponise her portals – by creating portals in front of a gun, for instance, and an individual, Shiori can essentially ensure that the bullet would hit someone by simply moving it directly to where she wants it to hit. This is an unpractised ability, and in order to use it Shiori would have to be put in a situation where this were a viable option and then try doing it herself. Additionally, due to the nature of what she is attempting to do and the fact she needs a clear image in her mind, she can only use her ability like this if she has both the weapon and the target in clear, immediate view, and requires approximately ten seconds to set up the portals.
Limits:
Shiori’s portals can only facilitate a set number of instances of travel, and only a certain amount of portals can be created per day.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Once the portal is created, Shiori cannot choose whether or not she maintains it. She will maintain it until it has facilitated its set number of instances of transportation, or she has moved more than 500 feet away from it. As a result, her use of this ability is not particularly covert and she has no power to stop other people from using the portals short of not creating them. When Shiori creates portals, she puts her body at risk. Continued creation of and travelling through portals can sunder one’s own physicality, and if her power is used too much, leave parts of her behind when she travels through portals. Careful moderation ensures that the ability is largely only mentally taxing, but there are dire consequences indeed for abuse.
Other:
Shiori inexplicably brings the gay out in everyone she meets. It’s kind of a medical and/or scientific mystery.
To say that Aaron is pretty tall would be an understatement. He’s 6’5”, towering over most people. He has very long arms and legs and, despite his height, looks fairly scrawny without his shirt off. He has a low fat content but doesn’t have any musculature to show off. His skin is light and has a very strange quality of purity to it, as if it is completely free of blemishes. Nowhere on Aaron’s body will you find a speck of acne or any other natural imperfection, though he does have a small white scar on his abdomen and another on his left shoulder. He has long fingers, well-manicured nails, and calluses on his palms from working with tools.
Aaron has narrow shoulders and a long neck. He has somewhat large ears that lay back against his head. A diamond stud is in his left ear lobe. Aaron’s hair is cut in a fade-like haircut, short on the sides and long on the top. The top is usually combed over to the right. Aaron’s hair rarely moves, even in wind, and it’s very glossy. Aaron’s face is handsome, pentagonal in shape, with a squared forehead, somewhat pronounced cheekbones, and narrowing cheeks that come down to his chin. He never has any facial hair, and never even shows any kind of stubble. His cheeks are slightly rosy. His eyes are large, elliptical, and a little wide-set. His eyes are a dark blue color, bordering on navy. He has thin, dark eyebrows. His nose is somewhat large and not particularly fleshy. He has a small mouth with pink lips. His usual facial expression is one of thought and mild discomfort, as he is pretty introverted. His voice is about an octave higher than you’d think coming from someone of his size.
Attire:
Aaron dresses pretty well. He wears a lot of v-necks and shorts in the summer, and is also fond of oxford shirts. He usually rolls the sleeves up to his elbows when he wears them, and over them often wears a vest. He usually wears dark-colored skinny jeans or khakis when it’s too cold for shorts. All of his clothes fit him extremely well. He has a lot of shoes, but most of them are leather oxfords or docksiders. He hates sandals with a burning passion. He wears a very nice silver Rolex on his right hand.
Personality
Innate & Outward Personality:
Aaron wants to be left alone. Really, he’d rather you not ask how he’s doing and let him go about his usual business. To say he’s introverted is an understatement. He stays away from large groups of people and spends most of his time at home or in his shop. He’s a hard worker, a workaholic some would say. He does a job that he really loves and makes it work with his hard-working nature. When outside or in a crowded place, Aaron appears pretty nervous and acts somewhat irritably or shyly. One on one, he’s usually much more confident and personable. He likes his personal space a lot and dislikes people getting in too close to him.
Aaron is very anxiety-prone, and sucks under pressure. When put under a lot of pressure, he often has panic attacks. As such, he always acts in such a way to remove stress from his environment. If something is irritating him, he will fixate on removing it until it is gotten rid of, and he has an OCD level of organization. He despises other people moving his things around or leaving a mess, which is why he says he lives alone. He’s a perfectionist, constantly striving to make everything he works on perfect. He makes lots of very strict plans, from designs for art pieces to plans for dates, and if anything goes out of whack he can become inconsolably anxious and frustrated. He practices meditation regularly to control his anxiety and sees a therapist once a month or so.
Aaron is very inside his own head. He analyzes every action he makes, and if he does something socially awkward or says something wrong he often scolds himself on it for a very long time. He apologizes a lot in conversation and will stop mid-thought if he thinks he’s saying the wrong thing. He is usually very thoughtful and thinks what he says over carefully. While anxious and anal about doing things right, Aaron is generally a fairly conscientious and caring person. He has a good memory for faces, names, and mannerisms. This helps him to avoid doing things that he believes upset people. For the most part, so long as he’s not in a large group or feels cornered, Aaron stays on people’s good sides. He is well-regarded as a generally good and considerate person by most people who know him, and only those who know him well pick up on how much of a nervous wreck he can be. When nervous, Aaron becomes very fidgety and wipes his forehead a lot to avoid wax from dripping from it. One reason why Aaron doesn’t like being around people is his power. Coming from a metaphobic family and living in a pretty metaphobic world, Aaron is embarrassed by his powers, as they draw the attention to him that he so dislikes. For the most part he doesn’t use them in public, and doesn’t let others see him work, preferring to do all of his wax working behind closed doors. If asked where his work comes from, he usually answers that he’s just very well-trained in wax working and doesn’t bring up his powers.
Aaron is about average when it comes to his intellect, with an IQ of probably about 110. He graduated high school and went through two years of college until he dropped out and opened his shop. His life of planning to avoid stressful situations has made him very good at making plans, though he isn’t very good at adapting to them on the fly and will usually lose his composure if a plan fails.
Hobbies/Interests:
Aaron stays at home a lot, especially in the summer when going outside could mean exposing himself to others as a metahuman. He reads a lot and plays a lot of video games, something that he’s done since he was in high school. He is very interested in art, and on the weekdays when he’s not working will go to see art exhibitions (he never goes on weekends though: too many people). Aaron owns a black and white rabbit named Michaelangelo. The rabbit lives in an enclosure in Aaron’s apartment and wanders the house when Aaron is home. When Aaron is nervous about something, he will sit the rabbit on his lap and pet it. He is very knowledgeable in the care of small mammals. Aaron is religious and goes to church on a somewhat regular basis. He makes all of the candles that the church uses for mass free of charge. He often hangs out at his home or at a corner coffee shop called The Cool Beans, where he is friendly with the staff. He is fond of seafood and likes sushi.
Skills/Talents:
Aaron is an extremely talented wax worker. Like, if he didn’t hate being in the public eye so much he would be like the Duff Goldman of wax art. He makes a living selling homemade sculptures and candle sticks at his shop in Roseview. The things he sells are of the highest quality and are mind-blowingly detailed. As such, they’re also quite expensive. This is Aaron’s most important and primary talent, and it’s one that he takes a lot of pride into. Besides that, Aaron really isn’t remarkably “good” at any skill.
Goals/Motivation
To be left alone by all of this shit. It’s really quite bad for his health.
History/Bio:
Aaron was born in Illinois to a rather traditional, working-class family in a small town. His father was a foreman at local construction sites and ran a craft business with his wife on the side. Aaron was always enchanted by his parents’ craftsmanship, and from an early age wanted to make art just like them. Aaron was never the most social guy, and in elementary school he didn’t make friends very easily. This was very concerning for his teachers, who often overlooked Aaron’s talents in order to focus on trying to get him to open up. Even for an eight-year-old, he was very talented in art class, and got overall good grades. His talents mostly went unnoticed, though, and he was kind of okay with that. He noticed when he was young that he didn’t like getting a whole lot of attention and preferred not being in the spotlight. Being in the spotlight made him sweaty and made his lungs feel like they were really heavy.
He lived his life pretty contently until the age of twelve, when his power manifested. It was an abnormally hot day for May in Illinois. Aaron was outside at recess, and he was walking through the school flower garden with his best friend Riley. She was tall, cute, blonde, and very nice to him, unlike how the boys were. She called him her “gay friend”. Aaron didn’t know what that meant, but it made the girls at school be very nice to him so he was okay with whatever it was. That day at recess they were sitting on a bench, talking while they watched a bee pollinate some black-eyed susans, when Aaron was thrown onto the ground by a large boy. The boy was an eighth-grader named Frank, a big muscly delinquent who was famous for beating up Brandon R. in the middle of science class. Aaron was shoved onto the ground, where Frank began to beat him senseless. Apparently, one of the other girls in class spread a rumor that Frank’s girlfriend Lindsey had kissed Aaron at a party, and the rumor came back around to Frank himself. It was a lie, as Aaron didn’t kiss girls and didn’t go to parties, but from the look of Frank’s face facts didn’t matter all that much to him.
As Aaron was punched repeatedly, he started to cry, and felt his skin grow very hot. He assumed it was just the heat mixed with his blood rushing from the adrenaline. He was proven wrong when Frank began to scream that his hands were burning. Indeed, all of the skin on Frank’s fist was burned clean off, and he’d need a skin graft. Aaron himself looked up from the ground to find that he was turning into a puddle. He was rushed to the hospital, where it was confirmed that he was an elemental-class metahuman.
Aaron didn’t take this very well. He heard the word “metahuman” on the TV sometimes, and it was usually associated with crimes. His father talked about how the metahumans should be killed because they were bad people. It was a popular point of contention that Aaron’s dad would bring up when he and his buddies watched football games. Aaron’s father didn’t talk to Aaron after that day. When Aaron got home from school, his dad would go into the basement and stay there until Aaron went to bed. Aaron came to hate his power and himself. He stopped talking to his friends, though the friends he had mostly feared him now, and went up to his room most days after school to cry and read. He didn’t use his powers in any way because he was afraid of making his parents hate him more. Aaron’s life basically sucked for the next year, until he was approached at his middle school graduation by a large lizard man in a black suit. The man told him about a place up north where kids like him were accepted and taught how to control their special abilities. At first, Aaron was hesitant, but the lizard man convinced him that the school would help him to have confidence in himself and his powers. So, that August Aaron flew to Alaska. His father came to the airport against his will, and all he did the entire time was smile as Aaron walked to the gate and say “Don’t make too much trouble.”
Aaron spent the next four years of his life at Academy 218 in Alaska. The cool weather did magic for him, as he didn’t melt when he went outside. He was an okay student, and his mental state improved drastically when he was on campus. He visited his family only for holidays, and spent summers at a camp at 218. He never stood out much, to his great relief, and had a few very close friends on campus. He spent his life in his dorm or at the art building, where he had friends who understood his introversions and anxieties. It was this time in his life that Aaron realized he was gay. He came out to his friends in April of his third year at the school. They accepted him as he was, and that made him happy. He got a boyfriend, another art student named Neal, and they were closer than any young couple could ever hope to be. Aaron knew this would make his father hate him even more, but that only made the kisses sweeter and the time spent together more precious.
That September, Aaron’s father had an accident on the job. He received a severe spinal injury and was put in the Indianapolis ICU. Aaron flew back to see him and, figuring he could have his coming out then, brought Neal with him. This was a poor decision. Upon arriving at the hospital, he went into the room where his father was with Neal and professed, in front of his father, mother, and several other members of his immediate family that he was gay.
There was a long pause. Everyone left the room except for Aaron and his father, who was much more conscious than he had been the rest of the week. They had a long talk alone. Nobody else heard a word of it. There were no loud voices, no crashes, just quiet talk and a blanket of despair. Then Aaron opened the door and left the hospital. He stayed in town for three days, and then left back for 218 with Neal. His father lived, but he never talked to his son again.
After Aaron graduated Academy 218, he went to an art college in New York on full scholarship. He fell in love with the closeness of the city and the ability to walk outside on warm nights and be anonymous. He got a new boyfriend while there, and had a job selling electronics in the nice, air-conditioned Apple Store. Life was good, but the stress of art school very quickly began to overwhelm Aaron. The deadlines, the horrible classes that 80% of students failed, the unforgiving administration, and the constant pressure of competition overwhelmed him in a way that nothing ever had before. He wasn’t like other students in the classes in that he wanted to be a sculptor and maybe work in set design or at an art gallery. He didn’t want to be a great artist in the Louvre. People had no sympathy for his anxiety, and it very quickly started to break him. In his second year of school he had a mental breakdown that caused him to set his desk on fire with burning hot wax and accidentally scar his roommate. He dropped out of school shortly afterwards, broke up with his boyfriend, and moved west.
He landed in Baybridge with nothing but the remains of his checking account and the despair of failing. He bought an apartment above a small shop in Roseview and worked for the old woman who owned the candy shop on the first floor. In his off-time, he sold exquisitely-decorated candles and wax sculptures on Etsy and saw a therapist who specialized in anxiety. He slowly picked himself back up and started a new life for himself. The old woman came to like Aaron a lot. She accepted him as he was, even when she found out he was a metahuman. When it came time for her to retire, she decided to sell him the old store for a very low price, with the promise that as long as he owned the property, he would use it to do what he loved, and that when he sold it he must make the next owner keep that promise.
So that is how we got here. Aaron lives on the top floor of his store, a shop called The Chandlery. It sells candles, wax art, and sculptures, all of which is made in-house by Aaron and an assistant. It’s not the most popular store, but those who go there fall in love with the beautiful artwork and the friendly faces of those who work there. Aaron lives a quiet and simple life, spending most of his time working on art and candles for his store. He lives alone and quite likes it that way. Every once in a while, his mother visits to see how he’s doing, and she leaves with a new candle for her home. His father does not. He sees a therapist once every two weeks to help with his anxiety, meditates, and goes to a local church every Sunday. He is happy with his life for maybe the first time, and that’s about all he asked
Relationships
Family:
Warren Chandler: Father: Estranged.
Amelia Chandler: Mother: In contact.
Dynamics: (Relations with other characters - You don't have to put relation with family here.)
| Good | Friend | "Lily is fine for the most part, but sometimes she's just too loud and jittery for me. Being around her too long is bad for my stress levels. Hopefully tonight she isn't as nervous as she seemed when we talked earlier. I have a bad feeling that I'm being dragged into something that I don't understand, though. " |
Lily and Aaron are friendly with one another. Lily has a big crush on Aaron, but Aaron has failed to notice and is gay, so he doesn't reciprocate it in any way.
Abilities
Power Class:
Elemental (Mimicry)
Power:
Candle in the Sun: Aaron’s lipids in his body has a chemical formula and consistency of candle wax. All of his cells are coated in wax, as well as the epithelial walls of his organs and his skin. Because of this, Aaron’s skin is firstly made of wax and is very thick, allowing him to shrug off minor cuts and scrapes when the wax is pliable. This doesn’t protect against deep cuts or piercing damage, however.
Secondly, Aaron can manipulate the temperature of wax within four meters of him, increasing or decreasing its temperature. This works much better for increasing temperature above body heat and not as good for lowering it below body heat. With this power, Aaron can increase wax temperature to over 600 degrees, though the wax quickly cools after leaving Aaron’s body. While Aaron isn’t combat-oriented particularly, this wax can be very destructive against skin, as it burns to the touch and then cools, sticking to the skin while still being extremely hot. Because Aaron is partially made of wax, this also allows Aaron to *kind of* heal from wounds, in as much as he can cool the blood in the area of the wound and melt the outer skin, sealing the wound and clotting the blood. Since this isn’t actual regeneration, it doesn’t work on injuries to bones or organs, and it has some downsides that I’ll talk about later. One thing I want to point out is that Aaron cannot absorb wax that does not belong to his own body, so he can’t do the “I touched a candle! Now I’m stronger!” thing.
Thirdly, Aaron can manipulate wax within a five meter radius of himself. The farther the wax gets from his body, the less Aaron can control it. Wax directly attached to Aaron’s body can be manipulated better than wax that is not. Aaron normally uses this power to make extremely detailed wax sculptures and candles, but can also use it to make just about anything he can think of, given the proper starting material. It is important to note that Aaron does not generate wax at a fast rate (he generates wax in his skin about as fast as human skin grows) so he cannot generate wax to fight with and must use what he already has or what is in his environment.
Limits:
Aaron has a max range for wax manipulation of five meters and a max range of temperature manipulation of four meters. The farther away Aaron is, the weaker these powers get, so while Aaron can turn wax within a foot or two of him into complex shapes, he can pretty much only move it around a little at max range and can’t change its shape or temperature. Aaron also has a material limit, as he cannot produce wax at a fast rate, so he must use what wax he has in his environment to fight. As far as limits to his physiology goes, Aaron cannot repair damage to his vital internal organs like his brain, heart, or lungs, and Aaron cannot heal damage to his bones.
Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
Firstly, Aaron’s healing isn’t really healing. When Aaron is damaged, he simply heats up wax at the site of infection to melt the wound back together and then cools the area, hardening the wound and sealing it shut. This process, while effective at repairing skin damage and stopping blood loss, leaves what is effectively scar tissue. This scar tissue is visible like human scars are, and is as deep as the wound is. Since this tissue is mostly solid, it causes a lot of stiffness in Aaron’s body and can be painful, as it can literally stab muscles in the area of damage. By heating and cooling the area, Aaron can eventually cause the scar to shrink, but this is a slow process, as melting the tissue too quickly could cause internal bleeding.
Aaron’s other big problem is thermoregulation. Anyone who has lit a candle before knows that wax has a very low specific heat, so it cools very quickly and melts quickly as well. Well, most of Aaron’s biomass is wax, so he has some big problems when it comes to temperature. If Aaron gets too cold, the wax in his body begins to harden, making it hard for Aaron to move or breathe. If Aaron tries to move while he’s too cold, his skin can actually crack and break, causing bleeding and internal damage. This usually isn’t a problem because Aaron is very good at heating up wax and, thusly, controlling his own body heat. He cannot do this while unconscious, though, so if Aaron is knocked out somewhere cold, he will probably harden and suffocate.
The bigger problem for Aaron is heat. Long story short, if Aaron gets too hot, he quickly begins to melt. Normal heat, like being outside in the hot sun, just melts the outside of Aaron’s skin and causes a melted wax effect to appear instead of sweat. This is bad because it makes Aaron very obviously look like a metahuman, but doesn’t cause any structural damage. Any heat about 120 degrees F, however, starts to cause Aaron severe structural damage. If Aaron stays in very hot temperatures like this for too long, is skin will melt off and his internal structure will deteriorate, killing Aaron.
