[OOC] The Spirits Within: Stigma

[Archangel89]

I actually like that first one [@JJDoe] could I get that link

[Renny]

@Halcyon Speaking of activity, has anyone made any clear relationships they want to have with Al?

If not its cool, just wondering since I'm nearing the Memories section of my SU

[Halcyon]

@Halcyon Speaking of activity, has anyone made any clear relationships they want to have with Al?

If not its cool, just wondering since I'm nearing the Memories section of my SU

@Renny

I'm working on my other sections right now, but when I finish up the weapons, I'll give your CS a look! I'll give you my thoughts on El and Al's relationship then. Yes?

[JJ Doe]

@Renny Thanks! I’m pretty sure that is best compliment Rui will ever get :)

Hmm… sounds kind of like Al is a little brother figure? In which case Rui can be infinitely nicer to Al (seeing zhe has no family to speak of and it was the one thing zhe used to, and still kind of, wants).

Interestingly Rui thinks Al found a better way to cope with being alone, since zhe is still “alone,” figuratively.

@Archangel89It's kind of long, but here you go:

gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/9fe361255a20aea55..

Edit: Ah... I see it cut off... Uh...let's try this again. I put spaces incertain spaces so that the site won't automatically cut the address in the middle.

http:// www. gannett-cdn.com /-mm-/9fe361255a20aea553a55aeca2e3a19b4c1f7d11/c=104-585-3443-5028&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/07/30/1406737491000-DAVE-BAUTISTA

[clericbeast]

Boy, you guys sure are lively today! I'm depositing my WIP sheet here, so please feel free to make suggestions, offer critiques, or poke fun at any poorly-worded sections.

HEAVY WIP, subject to revision at any time

Scout

Toward the end of summer | 5'2"

Personality

Prancing through life with an infuriatingly cocky grin and enough cheerful arrogance to power a small regiment, it’s little wonder this kid makes enemies nearly everywhere she goes. She is quick to judge and even quicker to dismiss; it’s this flippant sort of insouciance, especially regarding serious situations, that makes those enemies turn to nemeses. (She’s been keeping a running tally of how many people have publicly declared her their eternal archenemy. It’s about as big as her ego.) She’s brash, she’s brazen, and she’s six kinds of reckless. She’d grind every bone in her body to dust if it meant inflicting even a single bruise on her adversary, and she doesn’t care if achieving her goals means tearing down the structure of society brick by dusty brick. Insurmountable odds are viewed as a fun challenge; even the biggest threat can be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks if you pummel it hard enough.

Wreathed in an ephemeral aura of vitality, and armed with an abundance of smarmy grins and a veritable battalion of bawdy jokes, Scout is generally always worth a good laugh. She’s confidence incarnate – she doesn’t walk, she swaggers. A lonely childhood bestowed upon her an impressive imagination, and she’s always conjuring up some sort of wild scheme. This, coupled with poor impulse control and a predilection toward improvisation, means she can orchestrate some truly nefarious plans.

Governed almost completely by her bellicose nature, Scout absolutely loves to fight - loves the dizzying, intoxicating rush she gets whenever the adrenaline starts coursing through her veins, loves the flutter she gets in her heart when she think she’s about to die, loves the thrill of the danger - of the possibility she might lose. Nothing gets that unsettling battle grin of hers going more than a proper brawl. Scout’s an adrenaline junkie born and bred, and she’s yet to realize that just because no one’s died doesn’t mean it can be considered a victory.

Her brash attitude, abrasive humor, blatant refusal to follow the rules can often infuriate any by-the-books squadmates to whom she’s been assigned. She treats orders – and occasionally boundaries – like broad suggestions. Continuing along a similar vein, she’s a notably physical person; she’ll sling an arm around a comrade’s shoulders for support, playfully tousle their hair after emerging victorious from combat, or plop down beside them and drape herself across their lap. She’s like an affectionate stray dog that’ll turn up on your doorstep routinely if you offer it food or a scratch behind the ears even once.

As her background might lead one to surmise, Scout is vehemently opposed to materialism, and harbors a certain degree of resentment toward the affluent and influential. She’d destroy the financially elite in a heartbeat, provided someone could equip her with a sufficient alibi. When holiday gift exchanges or birthday celebrations roll around, she doesn’t like asking for physical possessions for presents. A lifetime of poverty has conditioned her not to want or request such things from other people. Besides, she figures if they’re giving something to her, it means they’re going without, and the subsequent guilt is enough to send her teetering over the edge.

Scout is also hopelessly naive, interpreting everything at face value, be it her surroundings or what she perceives as a factual statement, leaving her fairly oblivious to the nuances of human nature. She's a tinkerer, not a thinkerer - weapons and machines provide far better company than people, and they’re easier to beat in a fight, regardless. (Where she grew up, disputes were settled with quick-and-dirty scuffles.) Because she's new to this particular line of work, she's yet to learn the importance of verifying testimonies; she equates emotional intensity with honesty. This has made many love confessions awkward and kind of unbearable; poor kid’s denser than a slab of granite. She’s shockingly good at detecting potential romantic or concupiscent partners, yet consistently comes up short insofar as long-term commitment is concerned.

Extremely self-reliant and obstinate to a fault, Scout is as stubborn as a scorned mule, especially when it comes to injury management. She’ll bristle and bare her fangs and skulk in corners, preferring to suffer in dignified silence than allow someone else to nurse her wounds – that is, if she’ll even admit they’re present. She doesn’t like admitting she’s not capable of handling herself – it makes her feel weak, vulnerable, and useless.

And when kids like her lose their purpose, when they stop holding any value, they die.

Because of her rambunctious, rowdy nature, she’s antsy and prone to restless fidgeting when forced to sit still, making her not at all suited to reconnaissance, infiltration, or gathering intel through ass-kissing or elbow-brushing. Cart her to some sort of formal, extravagant gala, and she’ll have you both ejected from the premises in half an hour’s time. (In her defense, there’s something absolutely hysterical about how god-awful those ludicrous, faux-posh rich-person accents sound. Especially when they know she knows they’re faking.) She’s got issues with impulse control, particularly when asked to follow orders. Her plans derail as quickly as her attention span. Her ability to read the flow of battle (and the wherewithal to almost unconsciously discern weak points, such as a faulty prosthetic, atrophied muscles, or old injuries that never properly healed) is the closest she’ll ever come to devising combat tactics.

Her manner of speech is gruff, brazen, and hopelessly impetuous, and her sentences consist primarily of short, choppy words - her brain moves faster than her mouth, so she prefers terse fragments to get her point across. Though her favorite method of communication is fists on flesh, she's also quite fond of employing a vast array of gesticulations to further illustrate her point.The only part of her vocabulary one could consider even remotely extensive is her repertoire of creative vulgarities. It’s rare to see her compose any sort of oration, formal or otherwise, that isn’t peppered liberally with profanities.

Appearance

Scout’s face is thin, all prominent cheekbones and angular cheeks and narrow, mischievous eyes. A faint, barely-distinguishable smattering of freckles spans a sharp, slightly upturned nose. Small lips born to twist into a crooked, devil-may-care grin host pristine white teeth. Cursed with a truly tiny stature, Scout clocks in at approximately five feet, two inches - and the term is used extremely loosely – tall, meaning one could conceivably hoist her over one’s shoulder and carry her off mid-argument.

Layered, side-swept dark hair falls in choppy waves past her shoulders. A portion of the hair on the left side of her head has been buzzed down to a quarter of an inch, as she's always had a certain fondness for undercuts. It’s got this windblown, perpetually tousled quality, voluminous and full of life.

She’s lean and narrow, olive skin stretching taut over a reasonably toned physique. Power is written into every movement, every challenging stare or cocky smirk, brimming deceptively beneath her skin. Years of acting on the ‘fight’ portion of her instincts has imbued within her a certain sense of confidence – her posture is aggressive on the battlefield and assertive everywhere else, and she typically stands with her feet spread, hands planted firmly – defiantly – on her hips.

Despite her preference for comfortable clothing - hoodies, tank tops, shorts, loose, baggy pants - she can be wrangled into somewhat professional garb, on rare occasion. Said attire typically consists of a bright zip-up hoodie and a dress shirt left untucked over slim-fitting dark pants.

Thanks to her tendency to instigate fist fights, she’s learned how to accessorize the common bandage, and is usually found boasting no fewer than three at any given time.

Ringtone

Atom Bomb

Background

WIP

Tropes

• Bruiser With a Soft Center
• Badass
• Blood Knight
• The Lad-ette
• Street Smart
• Casual Danger Dialogue
• Boisterous Bruiser
• The Determinator
• Unskilled, But Strong
• Grin of Audacity

Memories

Shoot me a PM if you'd like to figure out some memories!

Weapon

A pair of bulky, robotic claw-gauntlets that serve as both an amplifier for Scout's natural strength and a medium through which she can channel certain spirits. They're the product of the better part of a decade of iteration, of perfection, of destruction and rebuilding, malfunction and repair. They’re cobbled together from the best parts of the worst technology, made from anything she’s been able to steal from the lowlifes and the scumbags of the city - and they're amazing. They're oversized, entirely impractical, and work perfectly despite all available evidence suggesting otherwise. Scouts’s conceptual designs often turn out that way.

The compartment in the palms contain concentrated amounts of nitroglycerin, meaning when she invokes her spirits' power, her punches become significantly more explosive. She can also use the resulting force to propel herself for short distances, meaning her combat style is as erratic and energetic as its wielder.

Spirits

"Cherry Bomb"
Effects: Fire, Might
Description: Conjuring up four small, spherically-shaped balls of fire, Scout cradles them carefully between her fingers as she winds up for a powerful swing. Right as the punch connects, she crushes them into her palm, where they explode on contact, flames streaming out behind her hand like a comet's tail. This spirit is energetic, zealous, and a tad rash.

"Ice Dynamite"
Effects: Blind, Slow, Imperil
Description: Encased in a protective icy shell, this spirit manifests as a fist-sized ball of clean, sparkling water. Balancing Cherry Bomb in one hand and this spirit in the other, Scout crushes her palms together. The heat and the water combine violently, spewing copious quantities of steam, generating a makeshift smokescreen to temporarily blind her adversary. This spirit is volatile, moody, and sullen.

"Firewall"
Effects: Fire, Shell, Protect
Description: With the aid of this spirit, Scout conjures up a writhing, flickering mass of bright orange flames that will destroy most ranged projectiles. Its size varies depending on its intended purpose, but it typically serves as a makeshift shield.

"Burning Wing"
Effects: Fire, Faith, Pain, Zombie
Description: Fueled by the flames of war, Scout channels this bellicose, vengeful, ruthless spirit through her hands. Each punch to the ground splits open the earth's crust, generating a small shock wave and conjuring up towering pillars of fire to cremate her enemies. Gauntlets ablaze, entire body wreathed in tufts of white fire, Scout incinerates her foes in a fury dance of death, ensuring the last thing they see is a glimpse of hell.

Trivia

• Patently homosexual; she's a lady who likes ladies. Pretty ladies. Her gaydar is notoriously accurate - it's the stuff of legends. Every girlfriend she’s ever had pinged it immediately, and plenty of people besides who turned out to be from her 'side of the street'. It’s a great guide for when to flirt, when to crush her developing crushes, and when to pay very, very close attention to the undercurrent of a conversation. She puts a lot of confidence in her ability to pick out the people who swing that way.
• She has absolutely zero self control when it comes to consumption of food. She’s like a feral dog rescued from some skeevy back-alley - one that doesn’t understand there’s no need to cram all the food in front of her into her stomach, in case there isn’t more where it came from when the sun rises again.
• The name "Scout" is an old moniker from her street days; the unfortunate result of horrid taste in friends and a number of equally reprehensible decisions. Because it was her old position in her little pseudo-gang's hierarchy, that was what they called her, and after a short while, it eventually stuck. She's always figured it was better than having nothing at all.
• Scout is an excellent dancer, albeit only contemporary styles, so expect lots of grinding and twisting. She has an acute sense of rhythm, and her energy tends to be infectious.
• Has a hyperactive imagination and an affinity for all things histrionic; as such, she has a rather irrational fear of the dark and the things that might lurk within its midst. Has been known to stay up the entire night, stumble blearily into mission briefings the next morning, dark circles ringing her eyes like war paint, and offer, "The window - it creaked" as her sole explanation.​ She spent the first eight years of her life sleeping on the streets - for her, differentiating between genuine danger and hallucinatory figments of her imagination was nigh-impossible, especially when being preyed on by the monsters that went bump in the night was a scarily real threat.

[Renny]

@Halcyon Sounds good.

@JJ Doe That's great. I was planning on making him a year or two younger than the rest of them anyway. Though I'd prefer not to be seen as the little brother figure forever, I'd hate to close off any romantic developments in the future. Really, I hate closing off any kind of development but romantic is usually important in Rps, especially with us all having great possibilities for it.

[Archangel89]

Any luck on my image.

[Mirandae]

@Archangel89

i.imgur.com/JwoylEM.jpg

@JJ Doe

[Halcyon]

Yes! Only background and memories are left! I'm going to take a step away from this and go outside haha!

If anyone wants to talk memories between our characters, please let me know!

@Renny I'll give your character a look over in a bit, and I'll give you my thoughts concerning their relationship!

@clericbeast we'll need to talk ASAP! I think our characters will click. From what I've read so far anyways!

@Prisk can you give my CS a look through? See if you want anything changed up till now? I believe it's on page 2!

[clericbeast]

@clericbeast we'll need to talk ASAP! I think our characters will click. From what I've read so far anyways!

@Halcyon

I couldn't agree more! Shoot me a PM if you'd like to discuss character interactions/dynamics!

[Redrum]

Wow this took off! I've just about finished my first character, combat medic / red mage, and I've got a second character in the works, a male to add to this feminine frenzy in fact. So I should my first character sheet up by tonight!

[JJ Doe]

@RennyGotcha.

@PriskOooo…! Perfect! Thank you Prisk :D

---

So the discussion about relationships had me thinking and I believe the best way to go about Rui’s relation is to first decide where your character might be in Rui’s relationship tier.

Tiers

• Enemy- Those who have crossed Rui in some shape or form. Dark Rui is at the height of zher game and will only become more ruthless the longer the enemy withstands zher attacks.
• Pawns- The mass. Rui will put on a good show, but zhe doesn’t actually care about these people, because zhe knows that they don’t truly care about zhim either.
• People of some degree of importance- Rui will be full on “angelic” mode to keep them on zher side (even save them if they are in need), but zhe does not feel anything special with them. Zhe may even hate them, but they are useful or potentially useful enough that they don’t drop down to “Pawn” or “Enemy”... doesn't mean dark Rui will make their lives any easier though.
• Frenemy- A rare relationship Rui may or may not have. Frenemies know about Rui’s dark side and Rui will display it without hesitation when they are alone, but it is never as bad as it is when zhe and another character are enemies. They hate each other, sure, but they probably love to hate each other. Rui does not actually want frenemies to die and if they are gone (for whatever reason) Rui will miss them.
• Friend- The line where “angelic Rui” and “dark Rui” begins to blur: it is when Rui starts to seem like a decent human being. Zhe can still be an ass and brutally frank, but Rui will not try to intentionally scar zher friends. Rui is more likely to protect and help friends in need. Anyone or anything that does harm to Rui’s friend will become zher “Enemy”.
• Family- Family is the one thing Rui wanted, and still kind of, wants. Thus, when Rui considers a character family, they will know that zhe does based on how warmly zhe interacts with them. Rui is infinitely nicer to “family” members so some might think that “angelic” mode activated, but that is not the case. In a way, zhe becomes the mask, although those who knew how Rui acted before, would simply think that the “old Rui” came back.
• Lover- Never had one so it’s a mystery how Rui will act.

Now to starting brainstorming relationships with people who have CS’s up!

@HalcyonInterestingly I think Elvira and Rui are similar in how they have tiers for relationships.

Rui is definitely tough skinned enough to take Elvira’s bluntness or sarcasm. Rui may even trust Elvira more than others, because Rui knows that Elvira is intelligent and she would be honest with zhim.

Hmm… I can imagine them being study buddies.

@Archangel89 I think Rui would love to play pranks on him… but then again, it might just be because Ghost keeps possessing Rui when Aaron is around >:D I do think that they see each other often in social events.

@clericbeastNow Rui would love to collaborate with Scout on various shenanigans. Might even be the friend who would give Scout an alibi when she needs one. But I can also imagine the two being frenemies; I'm guessing Scout would probably either really hate or really like (dark) Rui.

@PriskRui admired Sam and by extension Olivia, but Rui can’t help but feel like Olivia is going to snap one day. Rui might even be a little scared of (or for) Olivia.

Do you think Olivia would be attempting to get the “old (childhood) Rui” back?

@All:If you'd rather discuss character dynamics on PM, we can do that instead :)

[clericbeast]

@clericbeastNow Rui would love to collaborate with Scout on various shenanigans. Might even be the friend who would give Scout an alibi when she needs one. But I can also imagine the two being frenemies; I'm guessing Scout would probably either really hate or really like (dark) Rui.

@JJ Doe

I could certainly see something like that! Frenemies and occasional co-conspirators, depending on whatever crazy schemes they'd concoct. Besides, Scout's eternal optimism would provide an interesting contrast to Rui's . . . Rui-ness.

[Archangel89]

Oh by the way everyone feel free to message me. Darn you Ghost lol.

[Halcyon]

Hmmm ... I think I'm going to copy JJ and also list out Elvira's relationships with the characters thus far. From there, I welcome further discussions if tweaks would like to be made, yes?

@JJ Doe

While sometimes far too much of a socialite for her tastes, Elvira can't help but respect Rui's intelligence - particularly since she doesn't give off that 'nerd' vibe. Rui's one of those folks that Elvira feels comfortable bouncing ideas off since she can expect that the woman would be able to follow her more complex and abstract musings.

(Would everyone in the group be aware of Rui's dark side? I'm sorry if I missed that part.)

@clericbeast

We're talking in PM, so I'll leave that there until we iron things out!

@Archangel89

We're also talking in PM!

@Renny

Though Elvira may sometimes give him hell for being quiet and sometimes views his silence as unfavorable, she's come to respect Al's opinions that he gives when she asks him a question. While not too keen on joining the introversion train, Elvira tries to provoke conversation through somewhat sarcastic comments. As with all those she considers family, her manner of sarcasm is highly different than the sarcasm she uses with familiar and fools.

@Prisk

In a way, Elvira sees Olivia as her mother who passed away during the 'accident'. Thriving on the woman's kindness and empathy, Elvira sometimes thinks Olivia's kindness is wasted when she sees the woman interact with those she views as inferiors. At points, Olivia's empathy and positive nature can prove a nuisance, but Elvira always comes back for more. Between her and Samuel, they brought her back from a dark place and helped foster her passion in knowledge and application.

---

These are just initial thoughts I had when I read through the character sheets! Please, if any of this sounds too 'off', let me know and we can brainstorm together!

EDIT: If I missed anyone, please let me know!

[Whoami]

I'm still in talks with Prisk in the development of my character. Stand by! Hopefully my newest iteration will work out.

[Halcyon]

I'm still in talks with Prisk in the development of my character. Stand by! Hopefully my newest iteration will work out.

@Whoami

Super excited to see what you have in store for us!

[Whoami]

I'll give you a teaser. ;)

Whoami's Teaser

Kade Sicario

[JJ Doe]

@clericbeastIf they are pure frenemies, then you can expect Rui to rat Scout out if it is beneficial for Rui to do so. I image they would occasionally have brawls, because they pissed each other off enough too.

If they’re more friends than frenemies, then Rui will most definitely give Scout an alibi if zhe is able to and wouldn’t rat Scout out no matter what. But they probably wouldn't brawl… well, if Scout requests a whipping session, then Rui would bring out the whip, but that’s about it.

Which do you prefer?

@HalcyonWhether a character knows about Rui’s dual nature depends on you guys. Do you want Elvira to know about it?

[Whoami]

Kade Sicario has arrived! :D

After working tirelessly with Prisk we have figured out a fitting iteration for our young celebrity.