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OOC: Shadowcat
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Jan. 1st, 2005 | 12:25 am
 the basics. [name] katherine anne pryde.[nicknames] kitten, katja, katzchen, pun'kin, widget. [birthday] june second, ninety-three. [age] eighteen. the mutation. [codename] shadowcat, cat.[powers] intangibility: phasing, the ability to pass through solid matter. shadowcat achieves this by dispersing her atoms so that they can travel through the spaces between the atoms of the matter in question. this process is tight and seamless - to the human eye, she maintains her corporal appearance rather than becoming some sort of shapeless cloud or mist. neither shadowcat nor the matter experience any trauma during the phasing. largely intangible to physical attack when mid-phase, with but a few select exceptions, shadowcat maintains the same speed as she passes through the object as when she entered the object. generally speaking, she is unable to breathe whilst phasing through matter - so the length of a single phase is determined by how long shadowcat can hold her breath. fortunately, she's been working to expand her lung capacity. the average human can hold their breath for roughly three minutes before passing out. but with practice, shadowcat is approaching the four and a half minute mark - no where near the world record of almost ten minutes. at present, the power is a conscious choice, something she retains the ability to turn on and off with but a thought. in essence, shadowcat's natural state is corporal, rather than intangible. since discovering this power at thirteen, shadowcat's spent the past five-ish years experimenting with her ability. she has personally trained herself to go intangible whenever she's spooked - whether someone attacks her, draws a weapon on her, or at the sound of a gun firing or a similarly loud and startling noise. further experimentation has better defined the actual act of phasing. shadowcat's never encountered a material she can't phase through - though this may be because she's never attempted to phase through something as dense as adamantium, which would and will prove impossible should she attempt. most notably, shadowcat is capable of disrupting electronic equipment, since her phasing interrupts the flow of electrons within electronics. this is especially resourceful since she can literally short-circuit most unprotected equipment by just phasing a hand through the system - such as security cameras or electronic locks. physical attacks have proven ineffective against an intangible shadowcat, too - knives, punches, bullets, bludgeoning and slashing alike. but energy attacks are trickier. certain frequencies can disrupt shadowcat's ability to phase, effectively 'grounding' her to a solid form - but these energies are inhuman, something perhaps mystical or chaotic. more natural energies, such as concussive force or lasers or lightning, pass through shadowcat without harm. generally, if an energy or attack proves capable of injuring shadowcat, she doesn't appear to suffer physical harm, such as internal or external bleeding - though she would experience incruciating pain. also, though shadowcat is not fully aware of this, she is immune to telepathic intrusion when phased. very recently, shadowcat has discovered that, while phased, she isn't actually walking on the ground - she is walking on the air molecules just above the ground. right now, she is beginning to toy with the idea of levitation. shadowcat can only walk about three inches over the ground, but it is theorized that she could one day climb an invisible staircase - essentially, levitating as high as she wills herself before she runs out of breath. of course, even being able to levitate an inch or two above ground level enables shadowcat to cross non-solid surfaces, such as water - but again, only for as long as she can hold her breath. similarly, shadowcat is just now beginning to test the limits of how many persons she can bring into her intangible state. through contact, she can will her power to extend to two other persons, drawing them through solid matter, as well. but such added burdens are taxing on the young and rather untrained shadowcat. any more than two persons in a single jaunt or two through a wall would weary and weaken shadowcat. but the theory remains, with training, that she might be able to one day manage to cope with six or seven added persons. and yes, were shadowcat to abandon someone mid-phase, they would experience great harm - perhaps even fatal. but no, shadowcat has never tested this facet to her ability. and doing so would absolutely require both discussion and permission OOC. [additional abilities] genius iq: kitty is technically a genius, where the tests are concerned. even when she was tested at thirteen, her parents never permitted kitty to see the actual results - so as to better avoid bragging amongst her peers. but it is certain that kitty ranks in the 150 range, which is a good 15 to 20 points above normal. this doesn't make kitty a record-setting prodigy by any means, no where near the record of 275ish. but it does give kitty a mild edge in the academic world. besides the quick wit and intuition she displays, kitty seems best suited in the realm of applied technology and computer science. she has an uncanny knack with all that is technological. mathematics come pretty easy to kitty, too, thanks to her high iq. it should be noted that this is not a direct result of her mutant gene - if she were born human, kitty would most likely still be considered a genius. martial artist: at eight, kitty was enrolled in karate classes - something she was keenly interested in from such a young age. in the five years before she ran away from deerfield, kitty advanced rapidly through the curiculum, achieving the rank of purple belt. she also picked up kung fu at age ten, and judo at age eleven. surprisingly, she proved to be a natural pupil to both additional disciplines, though she certainly didn't have as much time with the instructors before becoming a runaway. even so, it is presumed that kitty does want to continue in martial arts. in fact, in her time running the streets of new york city, she did manage to sneak into one karate studio after another - phasing into the classroom, blending into the crowd, only splitting when the instructor finally took notice of her talent. presently, she is the rough equivalent of a red belt in karate, as well as having earned a few ranks in judo and kung fu. she wishes to continue formal training in all three arts as soon as possible, as well as pick up aikido and krav maga - the latter probably because of its hebrew origin. at present, she can handle two or three opponents with relative capability. street smarts: as indicated, kitty is a creature of adaptation - she might not be able to survive under any conditions, but she can sure slum it in the big apple. this is not to be mistaken with an ability to hug the shadows, duck out of trouble. she knows the city well enough, and she can sure dodge a cop when she needs to - but kitty's knowledge is more of the learned variety, rather than instinctive. through either teenage adventures or female charms, kitty has added quite the number of contacts to her cellular. in addition to fellow clubbers and ravers, sure contacts are: drug hook-up, club bouncer, shady photographer, obnoxious agent, and black market. the drug hook-up can secure marijuana, amphetamine, mdma, cocaine, heroine, and lsd. that's not to say kitty necessarily uses these drugs, but she can procure them. the club bouncer usually short-cuts kitty into a club, akin to vip-status. the shady photographer is responsible for kitty's online career - early on, she fell for the "you would make a great model!" trap, and now certain paying customers might recognize the brunette. the obnoxious agent is a similar story, promising fame and fortune in hollywood - but this one's actually pretty legitimate, for all the agent's annoyances, the man has connections within the entertainment industry. and the black market supplies kitty with more obscure offers - concert or rave tickets, electronics, even the possibility of small firearms. of course, these are all options, not necessarily something kitty takes advantage of regularly. [affiliations] soon-to-be the brotherhood. the family. [hometown] born in deerfield, illinois. currently in new york city, new york.[mother] theresa pryde. [father] carmen pryde. the personality. [first impression] a bouncy, pretty brunette with seemingly unlimited energy and optimism! typical teenager, carefree and thrill-loving.[personality] personality, coming soon! [goals] [quirks] lots and lots of grinning, fidgetting, freezing cold feet. oh, and - she abbreviates, often. sometimes she even uses aolspeak - such as quite literally saying aloud "i'll brb!". [likes] clubbing, raves, promiscuous and nameless dancing, random hook-ups, smoothies, spontaneity, adrenaline rushes, martial arts, computers, lazy sunday afternoons, breakfast in bed, sweaters, smoking pot, sunsets but not sunrises, photography, diet soda, independent cinema. [dislikes] manipulation, liars, creepers. the history. the kitty pryde was born katherine anne pryde, only daughter to carmen and theresa pryde. katherine to her parents, she was sometimes kate but never kitty. she was raised jewish in a jewish neighborhood, just within the city limits of deerfield, illinois. hers was a charmed if not mundane upbringing, always tempered by the pryde family's strong connection to the community and the temple. the prydes were very well-loved in their neighborhood, the model of a middle-class american family in suburbia. faith was everything to kate, growing up - something only bolstered by the knowledge that samuel prydeman, her paternal grandfather, was a prisoner in one of the nazi concentration camps of the second world war. but kate was determined, even from an early age, to be a jill of all trades. at just eight, she convinced her parents to finance karate lessons. kate took to the art with an uncanny aptitude, such that she managed to add beginner's kung fu and judo to her extracurriculars by age ten and eleven, respectively. and whilst she remained active after school in martial arts, kate also impressed teachers at the local junior high. the day after her thirteenth birthday, thanks to the urging of one particularly wowed teacher, the prydes took kate into chicago to have her iq tested. and there, the truth was learned - kate pryde was no ordinary student, she was a promising genius. with a score in the 150 range, kate was no steven hawkins - but she was more than intelligent enough to guarantee a future at a top-notch university, especially given her budding love for computer science. and that's when the migraines started, just days after returning to deerfield. over the next few weeks, carmen and theresa's perfect teenage daughter began to fall apart, wracked with headaches to which there seemed no solution. and one fateful morning, an even greater truth about kate pryde was discovered when she dropped right through her mattress and her bedroom floor, slamming onto the kitchen table. still in her pajamas, kate was just as stunned as her parents - she was a mutant, and apparently one that could phase through solid matter. of course, this threw the prydes into turmoil. poor carmen and theresa were desperate to hide their daughter's mutation from the community. they poured themselves into finding a solution - whether it be a cure, a program, or even an institution. but as her parents scrambled to sweep her mutation under the carpet, kate discovered a new freedom. she could go anywhere - and no door or lock could keep her out. thirteen year-olds are notorious for their rebellious attitudes, and rebel kate did. she abandoned her sweet and promising friends in hebrew school, taking to the lower-end neighborhoods. she fell into a different crowd, one of latenight joyrides and the wonders of marijuana. girls and boys, twelve to fifteen years old, all struggling to live up to the image of new york city youth culture, something they knew only from television and movies. fortunately, six months in, carmen and theresa's prayers were answered. a private school, tucked far away in the new york countryside. apparently, from what the prydes could figure, the academy was designed to shelter such gifted youngsters. but the night before professor charles xavier was due to arrive at the pryde residence in deerfield, kate ran. she jumped shotgun in a stolen car, one of her newfound friends, taylor, at the wheel. kate and taylor were two headstrong girls, swept up in the promise of the big apple - and absolutely intoxicated by freedom. and so began the journey to new york city, kate determined not to wind up a medical oddity, poked and prodded by scientists because of her ability. of course, taylor was in the know - kate drew no moral boundaries in the sand against using her ability selfishly. she snuck into convenience stores, grociery stores, clothing stores - whatever was needed, kate provided. cash, food, and gas. and though kate's power proved to be somewhat unreliable, somewhat tricky to control or predict, practice was sure to make perfect eventually. it wasn't that kitty dreamed of villainy, she was just a teenager with absolute freedom. new york city, though, proved to be quite the nightmare. with carmen and theresa pryde desperate to find their daughter, kate adopted a new moniker in order to better dodge suspicion - kitty. she and taylor blended perfectly into the chaos of nyc's slums, running from one bad situation to the next - always in search of an answer that didn't involve taking off their clothes. and for the most part, the two rookie streetrats succeeded, thanks in large part to kitty's mutation. of course, there were a few hiccups here and there - and a thorough google search on kitty might bring up some distasteful memories. but all in all, nothing could bring kitty down. her fresh rebelliousness was matched by her continued optimism and good humor - always with a joke, always with a smile. young, pretty, and armed with the secret truth of her ability, kitty never once looked back. almost five years the two roamed the city. and then came the day that taylor and kitty were seperated. while kitty was able to escape from just about any situation, taylor was not so lucky. drugs and debt caught up with kitty's comrade-in-arms, and taylor was pulled all the deeper into a seedy underground. abandoned and stranded, kitty discovered just what it was to be alone in a big city. losing taylor sobered kitty, enough that she realized she had to do something about her situation. in wandering new york, she began to realize just how ugly the city could be - not just for young gutterpunks looking to make it big, but for mutants. bigotry and fear was everywhere - in the papers, in the news, in the streets. and kitty began to sense the coming of something darker. if the government were forced to intervene on the so-called mutant menace, who knows what direction things could take. the existence of such groups as sufma stunned kitty. and all that jewish paranoia came crashing back. what if the government began to round up mutants, ship them off to relocation camps. like the japanese during wwII, or the native americans and their reservations. was that not how the germans began? now, whether or not such thoughts were fueled by teenage naivety, kitty was compelled into action. forget pot and modelling. kitty wanted to help. and that's when she happened to hear about the brotherhood. the appearance. [height] five-foot-four, petite.[weight] proportionate to her height and build. ballpark one hundred and ten-ish. [hair] chestnut brown, worn in loose curls down past the shoulders - commonly drawn back in a messy ponytail, maybe braids. [eyes] chocolate brown, bright and inquisitive. [build] petite, almost waifish - but athletic, regularly trained. subtle musculature, quite feminine. strong bone structure, particularly the hipbones and collarbones and shoulderblades. [gait] bouncy, light-footed. sometimes clumsy, particularly around boys. [dress] often indie-chique. as she calls it: loose-over-tight. something like a flattering tank or cropped tee, worn under something more billowy like a sweater or zip-up sweatshirt. usually jeans, often converse tennis shoes and hoop earrings, always a star of david necklace. the relationships. [friends] [sexuality] um, pretty heterosexual, though she's kissed a few girls before. [status] single. [crushes] none, presently. [turn ons] much older men, flirting and teasing, muscles, dominance, spontaneity, kissing in the rain, confidence. [turn offs] a corporate mindset, boredom, blurring the line between arrogance and self-confidence, condescending, meekness, sweaty hands. [past relationships] none. the options. [the tinman] this is the girl-on-boy crush. oi vey, will kitty be obvious about this attraction - probably because she will, indeed, attempt to act on it. and not in the same carefree and cavalier way that she approaches most boys, either. this is an earnest and genuine attraction, though probably founded more out of teenage hormones than adult maturity on her part.[the scarecrow] this is the boy-on-girl crush. consider kitty flattered, should she discover this person's feelings. and truth be told, she will likely indulge such an attraction - though always somewhat casually, as if stringing this person along for the ride. consider much angst-free making out, here. [the lion] this is the platonic thing. no sexual attraction, zero. but even so, they have a shared chemistry - and likely, similar interests. whether it's music or smoking pot, these two get along. she might even see this person as a brother, someone to protect and defend when endangered. theirs might also be a professional relationship. [the toto] this is the best friend. omg, you know? these two are two peas in a pod, drawn together either because of their similarities or their differences. they compliment each other. they may have their catty moments or absurd arguments, but these two share much together - clothes, drugs, trust, maybe even boys. best friends forever, you know. [the munchkin] this is the annoyance. now this one ruffles the normally upbeat and perky kitty - obviously, a rare circumstance. it's probably a childish rivalry, something akin to pubescent brother-sister dynamics. whatever it is, this is a source of great frustration. anticipate drama, here. [the witch] this is the lifelong rival. rarely does kitty loath someone - but this person, well, the loathing reaches godlike proportions. she will not tolerate this person, under any circumstances - even professional. she isn't mature enough to know how to overcome this hatred, or even where to begin. most likely, this is a mutual dislike. [the wizard] this is the one true love. probably not evident yet, this is the one who kitty ends up with, down the road. the otp! the ooc. [soundtrack]simon & garfunkel :: america [mun] annie. [pb] olivia thirlby. [credit] me! [disclaimer] i disclaim! |