[OOC] Twenty Seconds to Sundown (Page 7)

Hello everyone! Before the site went down, I was that strange one that popped in briefly to provide a brief update on Bee's status -- I'm thrilled to see this is up and running again! After some discussion with Bee herself as well as the Captain, I've been given permission to take over her old characters, Eva and Valeria. I hope I'm not imposing or stepping on any toes; I believe I'm familiar enough with the original storyline that I should be able to keep up, but do let me know if I make any mistakes! In any case, I'll go ahead and get these two posted up!

Name: Eva Janssen
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Nationality: Belgium
Years as a Runner: 14

Description of appearance (and outfit): Eva is compact and sturdy, standing at about 5' 4" and weighing roughly 128 lbs. She has an athletic build, with wide shoulders, a slim waist, and narrow hips. Her muscles are strong and defined from her background as a runner as well as her near daily workouts in the gym and in the ring; she holds most of her strength in her core, and will usually be quietly pleased if she gets the chance to show off her flat, toned stomach. She has only the barest hint of a tan, her skin fair enough that she often returns from long missions with the bright red glow of a sunburn.

Her face is a soft oval shape with a rounded jawline and cheekbones, but a strong chin. She has slightly upturned eyes of a dark blue color set below a straight, balanced brow while her nose is small and snub. Her lips are wide and, when stretched into a genuine smile, display a full set of healthy teeth.

She has thin brown hair, which she keeps cropped in a pixie cut so she doesn’t have to worry about maintenance – she is often embarrassed by her high forehead, so she maintains a slightly longer fringe than would be considered practical.

She prefers to stray away from the baggy clothing that some other Runners prefer, as her small size makes it easier to fumble over the extra cloth. As a result, she has grown to adopt a rather scanty style. Her outfit consists of a black racerback sports bra under a close fitting white ribbed tank top, and a pair of loose gray athletic shorts. She wears a dark blue sleeveless hoodie with pockets that she has modified to have zippers so she can carry around small necessities– in colder weather, she’ll opt for a track jacket of the same color. A red ‘V’ is embroidered over the left breast of each. Her feet are clad in a pair of lightweight blue and white running shoes, her long legs covered by protective black wool tights. She keeps her hands wrapped with bandages most of the time, more for the possibility that she will have to throw some punches, but it doubles as hand protection.

Due to improper muscle development, her left limbs are weaker than her right, the joints particularly susceptible to strain and injury, and her grip weak; because of this, she is forced to wear a fingerless glove for additional traction as well as compression wraps around her ankle, knee, elbow, and wrist to reduce the strain she places on them. She will sometimes wear a battered old navy blue baseball cap; it gives her a false sense of security, as her greatest fear is suffering irreversible head trauma, and as such, increases her self-confidence.

A brief bio (complete with personality): Eva was born to Aurélie and Neils Janssen in Antwerp, Belgium. Neils displayed a natural resistance to Servitutum while Aurélie was not nearly so lucky. Rather than seeking out the Runners, he decided to stay with his wife and daughter, learning how to blend in among the wage slaves. When Eva began displaying signs of her own resistance, however, Neils decided he wanted a better fate for her, to find a place where she could be safe. Taking a risk, he sought out the sector stationed in Antwerp, asking them to take the girl into their care. The Runner who was the most sympathetic to his plight, a man named Brecht, was entrusted as her guardian. Though Brecht tried to convince Niels to join them as well, the man refused to leave his wife. Instead, he asked Brecht to make a promise: that his daughter would see Sundown. The only thing he gave her before parting was his favorite old baseball cap.

The Runners in Antwerp followed a different code by training their children from the moment they could walk, usually starting them on small safety courses built from soft materials and lined with training mats. From there, the children would slowly graduate, moving onto hard ground and then open air, practicing their leaps over low surfaces and short gaps, never moved on to the next step before they were ready. Although she was upset by the sudden absence of her parents, Eva was thrilled by the lifestyle of Runners and developed an immediate desire to fly across the rooftops. She was a quick study with a well of natural talent, starting her training at five years of age – by the time she was nine, she was technically ready to do some “real running”, and she was begging her teachers to let her out onto the rooftops. At such a young age, they were reluctant, but allowed her to accompany a small group of Runners on a simple scouting mission.

She did well for her first time out – she was able to keep up and her movements were fluid if not a bit clumsy at times. It was one particularly wide jump, however, one that required more upper body strength than she was accustomed to, where things began to go wrong. Two of the Runners stayed behind to supervise as she made the leap, cheering as her fingers latched onto the ledge. Before that moment, she had never realized how much weaker her left hand’s grip was, and as she began to pull herself up with a proud grin, her fingers betrayed her. She only had a moment to comprehend what happened – her fingers slipping, experiencing freefall for a second as her mentors screamed, and feeling a sharp pain in her shoulder as she was yanked back up by the arm. Her savior lost his balance in his desperate attempt to grab her, and she was forced to watch as he plummeted to his death, unable to close her eyes quickly enough before seeing his head split open.

Guilt, fear, and remorse quickly took over her. She developed a deep-seated fear of head trauma and began to shy away from running entirely. Knowing that she needed to overcome the fear and push forward, Brecht decided a change of scenery was in order – it was time to make good on his promise. He took her to New London under his care, and managed to drop her off with the Runners of Sundown. Even then, she was still unwilling to take to the roofs once more, but the longing never left her heart. She regularly snuck onto the rooftop, staring over the edge in an attempt to overcome her fear – it was here that she first met Maggie Blair.

The woman was insensitive and tactless, willing to listen to Eva’s woes, but certainly not willing to coddle the girl. Though she started out practically hating the woman, Eva realized that attitude was exactly what she needed. Hardening her resolve, she asked Maggie to take her on as an apprentice. At first, the woman couldn’t stop laughing at the mere notion – what was she gonna do with a kid that just wallowed in self-pity all the time? But Eva could not be swayed, and every time she saw the woman, she badgered her endlessly. Finally, Maggie gave in – but her agreement came with a warning: Eva would sooner break under her training than flourish.

Every morning she was awoken before the sun was even peeking over the horizon, more often than not by a cup of cold water to the face. Then it was a nearly nonstop exercise regimen, running the long route through Sundown’s halls, jumping rope, doing pushups and situps and pullups and squats, running up and down a flight of stairs, lifting weights, and running, so much running…it was nearly endless, and Eva found herself vomiting from overexertion far too many times, but she never gave up. She wanted to earn her place among the runners, grow strong so that she would never be responsible for someone else’s death again. She earned Maggie’s respect – enough of it, at least – and was accepted into Sector V as her apprentice, where she continued her rigorous training.

When Churchill suddenly arrived at Sundown, much less within her own sector under their leader’s wing, Eva didn’t quite know what to make of him. She knew who he was, she had heard the rumors, and she kept her distance. But his legs, particularly his proficiency with them, fascinated her, and there was only so much distance she could keep when they were being trained in the same sector. Once she heard the story of how he arrived at Sundown and interacted with him a bit, she decided he really couldn’t be all that bad.

Few others shared her sentiment. She always wanted to protect others – maybe it was a natural instinct, maybe it arose from her feeling responsible for another’s death. Either way, when Churchill started being victimized by bullies, she never hesitated to protect him to the best of her abilities – of course, being little more than a girl at the time, there usually wasn’t much she could do. So when Roark and Maggie decided to start training them in combat, Eva was ecstatic. She wanted to prove she could handle herself, and more importantly, she wanted to be strong enough to protect others. She trained hard in the boxing ring, regularly taking a beating but always coming back for more. She loved the sport, loved the feeling of sending her fists through the air with all the strength she had, loved how sparring felt like a brutal but exhilarating dance – but she was still unsatisfied. When it came to brute strength, her punches could not compare to a male’s, not in a true no-holds-barred fight. When she shared this frustration, Maggie introduced her to kickboxing, and Eva knew her heart belonged to the style as soon as she had tried it out.

After the night that Roark murdered two elders and supposedly died himself, Sector V began to fall apart, with Eva helpless to stop any of it. Maggie left to found Sector X, giving Eva a rough clap on the shoulder as she said there was nothing left to teach. Church was taking over as Sector leader, so she took her place by his side as second-in-command, determined to weather the approaching trials together – just like when they were children fending off bullies.

She takes a serious attitude in any setting where she feels uncomfortable, such as when she’s on a dangerous mission or when she’s surrounded by people she doesn’t know or trust, often appearing cold and aloof to strangers. Her natural personality shines when she’s feeling safe and at ease, though, showing herself to be very playful, lighthearted, and compassionate. She thrives as an independent person, but she has little trouble making friends. It takes quite a bit more for her to form deep bonds, though, only truly trusting those that she has known and been close to for years. She is very protective of others, though, regardless of her relation to them, displaying an almost reckless abandon for her own safety in their interest. She looks out for others out of her own care for their lives as well as a deeply rooted need to atone for the death that she caused in her youth. Generally, if anyone ever puts themselves in danger or comes close to death, she will descend into near hysterics, usually yelling at (and occasionally hitting) the victim. If someone is brave enough to put their life on the line for her sake, they are doomed to meet a fate even less fortunate. Though she’s demonstrated maturity, coming off as almost motherly within her sector at times, she can be hotheaded and is known to freely punch people whenever she feels wronged. Nonetheless, she has proven herself to be a very caring individual, who only wants to protect and have fun with the people that she loves.

Melee weapon: Dual tactical knives, which can either be strapped to her thighs or her hips.
She has trained extensively in kickboxing, due to her sense of physical inadequacy, not liking her odds against a man should she be disarmed. Kickboxing provides leverage for her, as she trains her lower body as well, which she can use against a man's superior upper body strength.

Name: Валерия Елешев (Valeria Yeleshev)
Earned name: Black Mamba’s Shadow
Age: 22
Born Omega/Turned from Runner: Turned
Nationality: Russia

Description of appearance: Valeria is tall and lean, standing at 5’7” and weighing in at 135 lbs. She is almost unhealthily thin and bony, all of her joints jutting out sharply from her body. Her muscles are toned but not very defined, as she tends to focus on precision and speed rather than brute strength. Though her hands look delicate, with a small palm and long fingers, they are strong and calloused. Her build is rectangular, sharp and flat with slim shoulders and hips and not a curve to her. Her chest is small and her legs long and slender, in such a way that she could look like a model if she weren’t covered in scars, bruises, and a murderous aura. Her skin is unusually pale, making all of her battle scars stand out that much more, but she carries them with pride.

All of her features as sharp and harsh. Her face is diamond shaped, ending in a pointed chin with a strong angular jawline and high, defined cheekbones. She has a set of cold, calculating grey eyes framed by thick lashes under a set of harshly arched eyebrows. Her nose is thin and aquiline, ending in a slight hook, and her lips are full, though always chapped and set into a grim line.

Her hair is dull black in color, pin straight, and full of split ends. It falls to her mid-back and is usually pulled back into a strict ponytail or bun, without any slack or stray hairs to be seen. This places her widow’s peak on full display, a fact that she seems content with.

When it comes to clothing, she hardly cares about her looks, opting to dress in a practical and somewhat boyish style. She keeps her chest tightly bound with gauze and wears layered shirts, her tops consisting of a loose olive green T-shirt over a fitted gray shirt with long sleeves rolled up over her elbows. A pair of loose black cargo pants are cinched around her hips by a brown cloth belt, with the loose cloth of the legs tucked into light tactical boots. Often, she will have the sleeves of a black pullover hoodie tied around her waist, which she will don when she deems it necessary for added concealment, or simply when the wind-chill becomes too cumbersome for her to bother dealing with. Aside from these basic garments, she wears sweatbands on both wrists, and weapons holsters on her legs – one for her knife strapped to her calf, and a hip holster for her pistol.

A brief biography: Valeria was born a Runner in Moscow, Russia. The Runners here followed a different code and set of rules, and can generally be described as harsher and stricter, with a distinct hierarchy. Valeria was born into the highest ranking family, one that had not been ‘contaminated with impurity’ for years, meaning at that point they were comprised of only pure blooded runners with the natural genetic resistance to Servitutum. They were considered the royalty and the elite, even going so far as to look down on Liberated Runners. The Yeleshev family was supposedly descended from a powerful member of an old Spetsnaz unit, although it is impossible to determine the legitimacy of the claim. Nonetheless, they considered old Spetsnaz practices and procedures sacred, thus every child was trained in these arts from a young age. Valeria was one such child, who held a natural affinity for hand-to-hand combat, specializing in Systema.

Her almost unnatural skills in the martial art began to catch the eyes of the elders, and she became something more than a talented child – she became a possible weapon. As she reached her teenage years, she began to grow aware of this fact, realizing that almost everyone treated her as an object rather than a person, and she began to grow discontented. It was as she was discovering these feelings that the Moscow Runners got a special visit – a young man, hailing from London’s Sundown. During his time there, he took a special interest in Valeria. Though she was initially cold to him, she found it difficult to ignore him – he treated her with respect and admiration, rather than greed and objectification, and she quickly fell in love with him. Her elite family could not accept this, however, refusing to bring an outsider into their ranks to contaminate their bloodline, and her request to wed him was refused. Filled with resentment, she asked him to take her back to New London with him.

Upon their arrival, he made a confession: he was a member of The Omegas, and had been sent to retrieve her, the girl rumored to have incredible combat skills, the possible weapon, the potential assassin. Though she was surprised to find he had lied, she accepted the truth easily, willing to follow him anywhere regardless of his affiliations. What was wrong with trying to get rid of the man that had landed them all in this mess? So at the age of eighteen, she became a full-fledged Omega. There, she flaunted her skills, which were praised rather than criticized, and for once she was accepted rather than isolated. Her skills were various, the training including hand to hand combat, grappling, knife fighting and fire arms, and she possessed impressive endurance and flexibility. Her most prominent skill was in hand to hand combat, however, comprised of effortless movements that were powerful, precise, and instantaneous – similar to the deadly strikes of a snake. This speed and intensity, along with her preference for wearing dark colors, gained her the title of ‘Black Mamba’.

For two years, she flourished with The Omegas, growing stronger and more confident – over confident. This eventually became her greatest flaw, a fact she realized when she was on a mission with her lover, and they came across a Specter. Despite her partner’s urgings, she refused to run away and took the man head on believing it would be impossible for her to lose; she was quickly overpowered, and about to be beaten to death when several other Omegas ambushed the man to free her. All of them died in the battle, including the one love of her life – the only survivor was his younger brother, who managed to carry her away to safety. The trauma of the incident drove her into depression, but the man’s brother stayed with her continuously, urging her towards recovery. And recover she did, but as a different person. She was no longer a warm and happy young woman, but stoic and cold. She projected all of her previous devotion to her partner onto his younger brother, who became her sector’s leader, and now lives only to execute his will in order to atone for her past mistake. Since the incident, she has never flaunted her skills and strength, adopting Systema’s philosophy, which preaches a calm psychological state free of anger, irritation, fear, self-pity, delusion, and pride. She became known for her ability to quickly incapacitate an enemy with minimal movements, often faster than the eye could follow -- thus, her title evolved, dubbing her ‘The Black Mamba’s Shadow’.

It should be noted, though, that she almost never kills – simply incapacitates, disables, or seriously injures. Her psyche and conscience cannot bear the burden of death.

Runner rival: Eva Janssen

Specialty: Close Combat
Melee weapon: A simple combat knife that is supposedly a Spetsnaz relic that originally belonged to her ancestor.
She is very well trained in Система (Systema), which is her primary weapon and form of combat.
Long range weapon: Glock 19

Brutality: Frighteningly So. It isn’t apparent at first, as she doesn’t believe in throwing fists wastefully and arrogantly, she does not know the meaning of ‘mercy’. If someone gets in her way, they will receive no less than her full wrath.

Goal as an Omega: To fulfill her sector leader’s wishes.

[OOC] Twenty Seconds to Sundown Page 7

Empath

Captain Jenno Waltzing for Zizi

Empath

Vivid Daydreamer

Empath

Captain Jenno Waltzing for Zizi

Vivid Daydreamer

Captain Jenno Waltzing for Zizi

Captain Jenno Waltzing for Zizi

Captain Jenno Waltzing for Zizi

Pumpkin Prince Actually A Princess

Vivid Daydreamer

Captain Jenno Waltzing for Zizi

Vivid Daydreamer

SuperTitch The Mightiest of Midgets

Empath

BerryBuns

Captain Jenno Waltzing for Zizi

Empath

BerryBuns