"I didn't know what to do, so I decided to Sk8te." 20
Appearance: A standing height of 5'7" (approximately 1.7m) holds itself up confidently in Baba's posture. Though presenting as thin and lanky, the dainty appearance of her visible physique masks a lithe figure optimized for its purpose. Were she to remove her outer layer jacket, it would unveil a surprisingly defined and capable, if still thin, set of muscles, a point which would hold true for her lower body as well. Traces of past malnourishment persist in the form of a below average amount of body fat, giving the faint impression of a skin-and-bone physique. Nonetheless, it's a body suited to the lifestyle that Baba has chosen, being quick, flexible, balanced, and maneuverable.
While showing the slightest hint of an olive tone, her complexion is primarily fair. Facial structure and other aesthetics owe to an undetermined mixing of prior ethnic backgrounds. If not for the weathering of a life lived on the streets, Baba might look younger than she really is. Sitting in a standout almond-shaped framing, Baba's irises are dark in color, black though edging towards a dark brown. However if you're looking for a gleam or glow therein, you're looking in the wrong place; Baba's gaze is somewhat duller and more hardened when set against the world around her.
Baba is adorned by a ragtag ensemble of worn and self-assembled articles. Often centered in her attire is a lightweight, forest green parka. The outerwear has seen its share of abuse and distress, with Baba herself having mended and patched it. Spots of gray and black fabrics are sewn over commonly torn spots around the elbows, shoulders, and under the arms. Beneath the jacket, she can be found sporting simple gray or white t-shirts. She generally opts for black pants with the look of jeans, though every pair she owns has extra padding at the knees; the bottoms she opts for are both durable and with a good elasticity, as to work with her freerunning and Spelunking ventures. If she wears any belt at all, it's a minimalist style. She prefers an athletic style of footwear, either sporting running shoes or cross trainers; Her current shoes are a pair of black running shoes with white outsoles.
Her style is ultimately utilitarian in nature. She wastes no space on her body on anything that doesn't serve a purpose. She's absent jewelry, as it can be easily caught up when negotiating over and around obstacles. Her jacket bears a healthy assortment of pockets, which she uses to carry some of her tools and weapons. Her go-to weapons are mounted to her wrists on a pair of wrist guards.
Faction: Sk8te
Sk8te Cell: Retros Orphans
Vying for the title of largest Sk8te Cell, Retros Orphans (or just the "Orphans" for short) can be found working in nearly every pocket of the Metro Street sector and its backstreets, with a few ventures established in other areas, save for the Spire (due to it's higher levels of security). The R.O. is chiefly made up of youth and young adults who have been left otherwise without family or refuge: children abandoned in their early life, youth whose parents died, and the occasional 'Wealthy' teens whose rebellious nature and bucking the system lead their parents to disown them. The R.O. caters to those with nowhere else to go. While they operate in most corners of the city as semi-nomads, they have a shared safe space: known to them as "Home," it rests atop of the roof and in the top floor of an abandoned industrial loft overlooking Metro Street from a placed locally known as "Grund Way," which overlaps with territory frequented by the Pack.
With the help of a few 'Disowned' wealthier members, the R.O. has a small financial nest egg to split among themselves should they needed to get by or pay someone off.
Fully embracing their disconnect from the contemporary technology in the Geonet, and shrugging the society that otherwise left them to the wolves, members of the Retros Orphans have abandoned their given names. In their place, they've dug through piles of surviving media from days long past, and adopted names inspired by 20th and early 21st century culture; notably, is the head of the Metro Street Home and head of the R.O. an individual known as "Freebird."
Relations With Other Factions
- Other Sk8te Cells. It's not uncommon for Orphans to work with and within other Cells; in some ways, the Orphans help act as a glue to keep the various Sk8te Cells from breaking out into all out gang wars, as they are particularly adept at moderating disputes. The positive relations they share with their counterparts facilitate their pseudo-nomadic lifestyle. Ironically, a member of the Orphans can almost always find a place to kick their feet up or lay their head down among other Sk8ters.
- The Pack. Other their fellow Kin from other Cells, the Orphans' most friendly and mutually beneficial working relationship with the Pack. The R.O. frequently delivers found parts to the scavengers. In exchange the Sk8ter Cell gets Implants to better aid their work and lifestyle. In a few cases the working relations have grown into earnest, but professional, friendships, with Pack scavengers and Orphans being on a first name basis.
- The Demonio. The R.O. maintains a working relation with the Demonio. However it's a tenuous one that keeps either side from going beyond the bounds of contracted work. Those among the Orphans whose original home lives were upended by the protection enforcement haven neither forgiven nor forgotten that it was the Demonio that dealt the physical blow that put them on the streets. This grim memory of hostility keeps the Orphans from getting too close to the Demonio, and they are generally less inclined to do them thankless favors. The positive of the relationship is the Demonio don't typically shakedown Orphans for cash or material, and accept their services in return for protection.
- Black Maria. The R.O. has had a few surprisingly fruitful stints in the Black Maria territory. Outside of the common errands of delivering messages and goods for the entertainment big wigs, the Orphans have been occasionally recruited by promoters to fill time in vaudeville-like routines, or to spice up the experience of walking the streets with busking acts displaying their gymnastic level maneuvering. Though they recognize their status is akin to a jester at best and a freak show at worst, the R.O. seldom turns down the easy payout associated with activities that help them hone their craft for other, more dignified ventures. In rarer instances, older Orphans will take on more adult jobs.
- E-Street Gang. The Orphans maintain a non-hostility doctrine towards E-Street. Lacking the firepower to take on the Gangs there in an open conflict prompts the R.O. to tread carefully and seldomly into that sector of the city. The main relationship between the E-Street Gang and the Orphans is with the latter being employed as messengers from the gang to their respective backers at the Spire. In rarer instances, they'll filter information to E-Street if it means removing a threat in their own territory, and will fetch things for the gang simply to keep themselves off of the shitlist.
- The Heirs. The Orphans have the most distant relations with The Heirs. The upper crust of society cares little for the 'roughians, urchins, and disgraces' that make up the R.O., preferring other Sk8te Cells to hire out directly. Likewise, the R.O. despises those of the Spire, believing firmly that they are the root of all of the struggles in the Megacity. As a result, the only time the R.O. Cell and Heirs interact is when the R.O. is used as an intermediary by another faction, gang, or cell. However the interactions are brief, and are considered 'incomplete' if an Heir hasn't taken at least one jab at an Orphan's lot in life.
Background: "Baba" was originally listed in city records under the name "Caiden Park." Even that name, however, was a pseudonym. As an infant she was abandoned, and left in the care of one of a few old, rundown, overfilled, and poorly funded orphanages in the Megacity. It was unclear whether the person that left her was a blood relative, and no name had ever been linked to them. With nothing to go off of, an orphanage staff member named the child, giving her their surname as well. In the formative years of her adolescence Baba grew to appreciate her fellow orphans as akin to family; with adoption being a rarity amid the hot mess that was the Megacity those without families either lashed out on their own, or fell back onto found family.
Among other glaring problems that plagued them, most orphan refuges had the distinct displeasure of operating in the Metro Street sector, usually not far from the rough backalleys. As a result, the Demonio sects were a constant presence in day-to-business, with more cutthroat circles going as far as to demand protection money from orphanages and other shelters.
This was exactly the case for Baba's refuge.
As a reality, The Clarence Home for Wayward Youth was being squeezed by a nasty group of Demonio enforcers. Funds that could, and should, have been invested into repairs and improving quality of life were being sacrificed to ensure the building stayed standing. This recipe for tragedy and disappointment finished cooking around the time Baba was ten years of age. The Home had had its meager funding cut. When Demonio came looking for the dues to be paid, they money wasn't there. What followed was a beatdown of The Home's staff, and the savage dismantling of anything that made it worth living in.
Fortunately, the children were left unharmed; truly homeless, and without resource or direction, but otherwise unspoiled. Some got taken in by the Demonio over time. Others drifted into the back alleys and became members of scavenger packs. Most of them became vegreants and degenerates. They started as beggars and panhandlers; when that didn't work they morphed into a cult of pickpockets and eventually full on thieves.
All of this was ultimately a honing of crafts of mobility, navigation, and stealth that lead to them finding their true calling: Sk8te.
At age 13, Baba, along with a tight knit circle of former orphanage children, found themselves under the wings of an emerging Sk8ter Cell. The Retros Orphans, composed of others who had been similarly abandoned by the Megacity's toxic society, happily integrated the 'newly released' youth into their circle. Handed a spare hoverboard, 'Baba O'Reilly' as she became known, took to the Sk8te culture with ease and finesse. Not long after, she immersed wholly into the Sk8te cell's culture: given tools for mobility, the hoverboard especially, and a few Mods implanted over time, she grew into an accomplished rider and freerunner, and began learning the ins and outs of the city streets.
While not the absolute authority of the Retros Orphans, Baba's time with the Cell Wittnessed a swift rise in reputation, putting her into a leftenant role. Instructions or orders disseminated by Baba are just as good as those given by Freebird, and are more than likely being passed down from them through Baba anyways.
- Neural Implants. Located in the corpus callosum of Baba's brain, is a Stimulus module that regulates the neural input of Baba's primary five senses. The device, operating in balance, enhances these senses allowing for a greater range of frequency hearing, improved eyesight for picking out details of areas from a distance and boosted peripheral vision, and a sense of touch that permits a degree of feeling elements of her surroundings by proxy. This same implant also bestows Baba a minor level of active sensory regulation, allowing her to accutely focus stimuli from a single sense, though this comes at the extent of others. Also in tow is a slight enhancement of reflexes, allowing quicker response times to stimuli, though this enhancement is limited; for example one can't simply evade projectiles in the vein of bullets and other high velocity rounds.
- NaviMod. A high volume data storage disc, also implanted in Baba's brain. Common among Sk8ters, the storage disc serves as a backup through which to memorize the streets, backalleys, and underground passage systems that comprise the city. The data stores similarly to a map and compass, and updates information as the Sk8ter discovers new avenues and locations.
- Physiological Mod. Sometimes implanted into Sk8ters after they've matured physically, the Physiological Mods reinforce the skeletal, muscular, and organ systems. Along with a modest enhancement in physical prowess, stamina, and vital function, these cybernetics also provide the Sk8ter with additional shock absorption, reducing the strain and wear on their joints and skeletal structure as they perform their maneuvers.
- Ifirit JetBoard MKII. An older but nonetheless functional hoverboard model, it's slightly more streamlined than its older MKI brother. Built around a 26 inch deck, the MKII features a trio of thrusters: two positioned on the underside for vertical lift, and one on the rear for forward momentum and steering. All three of these thrusters are retractable, tucking neatly into the board for carrying purposes. The top of the deck has two foot/ankle fittings. The rear fitting controls the steering mechanism on the forward thruster as well as the power sent to it. The front fitting is connected to controls for the vertical thrusters, adjusting the level of ground clearance to the rider's want or need. The fittings fold into the top of the deck. Stowaway shoulder straps are included to allow riders to easily transport the board on foot if necessary.
- Grappling Gun. a roughly pistol-sized mechanism that houses a spool of thin but dense cable with an impact-triggeres claws that latches over ledges and into weaker structures. Roughly 100' of cable is housed in this compact version. Requires regular maintenance to ensure the integrity of the of cable and that the spool doesn't get knotted or caught on itself.
- Wrist Mounted Stunners. Small and easily concealed on her person. Mounted to the bottom of her wrists, these release a short range, ray of electricity that can stun a grown man for a short time. Proper armor blocks the stunner's rays effectively, though any exposed circuitry or electrical elements, or ant such device not protected against EM assaults, run a risk of being targeted and shorted out. The stunners are somehow linked into or otherwise responsive to signals from either her neurological or muscular Implants, allowing seamless usage.
- Flash Bombs. Small capsules that, when charged and thrown to the ground or other solid surface, explode into a second-long flare of intense brightness. Exposure results in temporary blindness. Baba and others in her Cell use these to escape pursuers. Also on hand are similarly sized and operated Smoke Bombs to work around eye protection, though often the flash of light offers enough cover I the user can escape quickly and discreetly enough.
- Freerunning. It's important to do what you love and love what do. Baba O'Reilly lives up to that mantra on a daily basis. With the unique Sk8ter way of getting from point A to B and through to Z being a fact if life, she has grown to find passion and exhilaration in the act of maneuvering over rooftops and around the backstreets of Megacity-01.
- Exploration. When she's not running for a client or tending to matters if her Sk8te Cell, Baba is busy scoping out the landscape of the city in search of new places; underground causeways, hidden courtyards, roads and alleys left untraveled or seldom used are all in mind. She's meticulous about mapping out locales she finds and bringing them back to Home.
- Old Culture. Having been introduced to the culture of the now by-gone days of the 20th and 21st centuries, Baba has taken a shine to the expressions thereof. In particular she is deeply invested in the musical and literary heritage of those times.
- Ramen. It was one of the few food items cheap enough for her old orphanage to routinely supply to the children. Over time it grew on Baba, and she never grew out of it. It's not hard to find her in the Oriental corner of Megacity-01 indulging in the authentic dishes, or scarfing down a to-go cup between jobs.
- Bullies. Baba can't stand to see the merciless beatdowns and disparagement of Megacity society. Friendships and relationships are quickly ended or set aside to stand up to pointless aggression. While she prefers to talk things out as a starting point, she's either foolish or courageous enough to get physical when words fail.
- Seeing Children Suffer.Having been orphaned in her youth, Baba is deeply empathetic to the trials and tribulations of youth. This goes especially for those living in the more down-trodden areas of the Megacity. She will step in to defend a child she sees being abused. She's among the first among members of the R.O. to extend the welcoming to new or perspective members, and sees to their well being like an older sister.
- The Heirs. While she moderates her feelings well enough to avoid associating most individuals with the whole of their class or clique, Baba holds back nothing when it comes to the Heirs. Knowing that the wealth and resources being hoarded in the Spire is a thought that disgusts her. She carries a blanket contempt for the ruling class as they could, but refuse to, do anything undo the pain and violence that plagues other parts of the city. Her ventures into the Spire have been seldom, with a begrudging undertone, and it's the single part of the Megacity that she doesn't linger in after her work there is done.
- Being Injured. Major injury such as broken limbs, deep cuts and gashes, and the like are one of Baba's primary disdains. Despite her willingness to fight and put herself at risk, the thought of being injured looms in mind constantly. Having once been bedridden with a spinal injury, she's learned quickly that being immobilized is not to her liking.
- Sk8ter Girl. Has a stereotypical skater/surfer drawl; tends to use comparable jargon in conversation.
- "I am not afraid of Dying." Baba is a known risk taker. Whether in the jobs she takes on or in the mundane explorations and wanderings of her daily life, she keeps her eyes open for challenges and opportunities to step outside of the box.
- Mother and Father? In recent years Baba has grown increasingly curious as to her biological parents in what little spare time she has, she's been seeking out a doctor that might be able to run blood samples to determine who in the city might be related to her. She plays this close to the chest, and isn't sure what she would do if she were to meet either her birth parents or another blood relative, though she knows she'd have strong words in the short term.
- Metro Street. The main stomping ground of the Retros Orphans. Work and recreation both stand on even footing here. A back street called "Grund Way" houses the R.O., and therefore Baba's Home.
- Shimazu's Noodles. Located on the main drag of Metro Street, Shimazu's is a favorite spot for anyone with an Affinity for Ramen.
- Backstreets. Baba has worked frequently with the Pack, aiding their scavenging exploits as best she can. Unlike most in the city, she isn't put off by or scared of the Pack's visual presentation and expression. Over her time on the streets she's built a stable ground work with a few of the Pack, enough to be on a first name basis and considers them friends.
- Theatre Row. A walkable stretch of the Entertainment District. Baba often gets herself hired out for the amusement of people looking to see "the homeless monkeys dance."
X Fiendfyre X,
Sadu,
Some Cole Cuts,
ICanBeAnyone,
piss bottle,
Snowdrops,
ctrlsaltdel,
ChronicleMan,
Vixere,
Nov2023