Name: Nerissa Nix
Age: 16
Appearance:Gender: Female
Personality: Outwardly, Nerissa appears lively and cheery, yet somewhat detached. Even when she's trying to act confident, she has nervous tics such as chewing her lip, biting her nails, and awkward laughter. A chronic people-pleaser, she does her best to avoid conflict and act however others want her to, partly due to how she had to mold to her family's expectations as a princess in Grimm.
Which is difficult, since she still isn't entirely used to living in Charm, only knowing so much about pop culture and the latest technology. Further complicating the matter is her trauma-induced selective mutism. She finds herself unable to speak in certain situations - in front of large groups, when something reminds her of a distressing incident (eg. being unable to help someone in danger), and when being bullied. These episodes are short-lived, and during them she can still write, text and gesture, but they still cause problems. While she's no longer guaranteed to be queen, if she's to have any part in Perlene's politics, she knows she'll have to overcome her anxiety issues.
Despite her attempts to fit in and be sociable, she keeps some distance between herself and others. This is because she's to return to Grimm some day. Having experienced loss, she doesn't want to make close friends only to put them and herself through heartbreak.
Background: As a mermaid princess of the ocean kingdom Perlene, in Grimm, Nerissa frequently grew bored with her restrictive life. She was the kind of person who'd sneak past guards to explore caves and shipwrecks, only to be dragged back to worried, angry parents. Stories of the outside world intrigued her, particularly the parallel world of Earth. As the eldest and favourite child, as well as future queen, this put a great deal of pressure on her. So, while she gradually embraced her duties, she sought freedom in these stories.
Until an event made her understand the meaning of the phrase "be careful what you wish for". As the Evil Queen's influence spread through Grimm, monster attacks became more and more frequent. One such monster attacked the castle, killing many of the guards. Nerissa's father was injured, and her mother fought bravely to protect her family as well as the other inhabitants, but ended up perishing. The monster was eventually defeated, but the losses were considerable.
Although Nerissa's father made a full recovery, he became fearful of what was to happen to the kingdom, and his beloved firstborn daughter. So, he made the tough decision to send her to Charm until the conflict settled, even though this meant he'd be unlikely to ever see her again. Obviously she wouldn't be able to live there as a mermaid, so he paid a sea witch to turn her into a human. Nerissa ended up adopted by a kind but lonely couple who were unable to have biological children, and believed her to be an ordinary if heavily troubled teenager.
Her first few months in Charm were difficult, to say the least. Her movements were clumsy, and she could barely walk down the street without getting tired. She knew nothing of Earth technology, which got her bullied at school. And of course there was the trauma of losing her mother, being separated from the rest of her family, and having her body drastically altered. Still, she did the only thing she could - adapt. She's lived in Charm for a year and a half so far, trying to fit in, while awaiting the day she can return to Grimm.
Potential Quirks:- She's much more at ease around water. Any sufficiently large body of water - the sea, lakes, swimming pools, etc.
- Carries around a writing pad and pen at all times, for when her voice stops working.
- She's curious about Earth technology, but tends to have mishaps with it, like taking accidental photos of the ground, or hitting reply all.
Abilities (for civilian form): Nerissa has high resistance to the cold, and can hold her breath underwater for much longer than the average human.
Powers (for hero form): Water manipulation. She can pull water from the air or a nearby source, shaping it into high-pressure jets, or spheres that can trap enemies for a brief while. With time and practice, she'll be able to create multiple, stronger jets.
While in hero form, she can also turn back into a mermaid at will. Shifting her legs into a tail (and vice versa) takes about 10 seconds, during which time she's vulnerable, so it helps to have someone watching her back.
Lastly, her hero form grants her a weapon, namely a crystalline trident. If it breaks, she can re-summon it, although doing so takes some magical energy.
Fairy Tale Character: The Little Mermaid
Other:- Is vegetarian, and particularly abhors the thought of eating fish, as they're so physiologically close to merfolk. She doesn't mind what others eat though. Her favourite food is seaweed, and she loves veggie sushi.
- Takes anti-anxiety medication, and is getting counselling, although for obvious reasons she can't tell her counsellor the full story of her past or her mother's death. She's unsure how well the treatment will work for this reason.
- Likes to sing, and is good at it, but because of her issues she's unable to do so in front of an audience.