Commander Shepard wrote:Username:
Commander Shepard.
Name:
Helena Matthews.
Age:
22 if we're counting physically. Chronologically? She's lost count, though she does possess startlingly clear memories of the '90s...
Species and Alignment:
Vampire, marked as Deviant because of that and her questionable hobbies.
Personality and Talents:
Being dead doesn't mean you have to stop living; at least that's what Helena's always believed. Back when the world was still colorful, she thrived on the nightlife, always willing to join in a party, or even crash one when her usual hangouts had been-- no pun intended-- drained. A good party, after all, often meant a good meal, and usually without all that awkward 'random attacking in the street' mess.
Her mood mostly depends on how well she's fed-- on her best days, Helena is quite active, eager to stir up trouble when she can get away with it and perhaps even try hosting an underground bash or two (even if most of her records were destroyed in the conflicts that came just before the formation of the Government and few new ones have been produced, she's happy to play live) to keep people's spirits up. Lately, though, her masters have been keeping a closer eye on her and her feedings, leaving the vampire undernourished and far from her peak. She's a little more closed off in this state, and her selfish tendencies are far more prominent; but she'll still resist the overbearing monotony as best as possible. She remembers the way the world used to be, and she'll happily die fighting to restore it (that said, she'd really prefer to survive and live out the rest of eternity as a rock star).
She is quick to react, and this has gotten her in trouble more than a few times, her criminal record is littered with citations for unreasonable violence (though she insists that punching a Dullard idiot in the face isn't a crime, especially if that punch misses), and she's not above petty insults and generally trying to get a rise out of someone if she's already in a bad mood, or otherwise thinks it'd be funny. This applies to both the Dull and Deviant-- the only reason she really sides with the Deviants, really, is because they're the ones making things interesting and their victory means a return of the things she loves.
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As a vampire, Helena possesses a few handy powers, the most notable of which being her longevity. Serious injuries can still kill of course, dismemberment, fire, being in the sun too long or going too long without feeding (a week is the most she can manage before becoming too weak to move), but age and disease do nothing any more. Wounds are rather slow to heal. She is also capable of flight, to a degree-- a lot of it depends on how well fed she is (at her peak, Helena is easily able to support herself and another person), but even in her current state, she can hover a couple of feet off the ground at all times. She also has incredible stamina and remarkable physical strength (relative to her body type, anyway), and is virtually unafected by heat or cold; the only part of the weather she pays attention to is cloud cover-- clear, sunny days (especially if it's snowed) are an almost immediate death sentence, while she can withstand cloudier days so long as she's well covered.
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Now, Helena isn't a Deviant for nothing. She was raised on rock and roll and she refuses to let it die. She can play both guitar and bass, though she prefers the bass-- heavier beats almost remind her of when her own heart was still pumping, she finds something comforting about that fact (she has a similar response to drums, but never took enough interest to learn how to play them). She also enjoys defacing the bland buildings of the Dull, when she has a chance. She's no real artist, but hey, a blob of color is better than no color at all.
Appearance:
Once you join the undead, looks don't matter all that much. Or, perhaps that's just something unique to Helena. Her hair is shaggy, dull black and kept about halfway down her back; the most she'll do for styling is brushing it and occasionally putting it in a ponytail if the situation requires. Her clothing, when she's home on her side of the city, is mostly an assortment of worn out jeans and whatever shoes and shirts she can get her hands on. Her favorites are the two or three concert shirts that have survived to the present day. At work, though, she is expected to wear a modest, almost formal dress and keep her hair well-brushed and tied back-- even if the household servant is a vampire, she must look presentable.
Her skin is extremely pale-- bloodless, in fact, except for when she's recently fed; then it might have faintly pinkish tinge that fades within the hour. She has a few scars, mostly blotchy burns from getting caught in the sun, as well as the marks on the right side of her neck from where she was bitten. She stands at about 6'0, with a lanky, rail-thin build. Eyes are a light blue.
History:
[size=88]Helena was born in Seattle, and had been content to live out the rest of her days there. Her family was never really much to talk about, one way or the other-- she usually got along with her parents and sister, never really lacked the essentials in life, and had a pretty good group of friends. She still isn't quite fond of talking about it-- one downside to immortality is watching the ones you love move on without you, and those scars linger for quite a while. Still, she remembers them fondly. The same can't be said for the vampire who bit her, only a few days after her twenty second birthday. She never found out who it was that did it, despite spending a solid two months trying to track them down. After that, Helena decided it wasn't worth wasting her time on revenge. No, there were too many other things to worry about, like trying to get back in touch with her family and friends (something that... did not end well, to say the least), and figuring out how to keep from starving to death. Helena found that immersing herself in the nightlife was the best solution, and spent most of her time just drifting around, having as much fun as possible and trying to ignore those moments of despair that came when she got news of her loved ones-- injury here, sickness there, death and disease and misery.
When the Government took over, she was not happy. What right did they have, deciding what made someone Deviant and why that was even a bad thing? Even if creative works could spark argument and debate, why should they be done away with and the people who made them treated like beasts? She protested the segregation of cities, but had to comply when she was very nearly dragged outside on a bright summer's day (her left arm and some of the left side of her face still bear the blotchy scars of that incident). Since then, she has been 'employed' by a Dull family's servant, a job she hates with a passion she usually kept reserved for truly awful music.
Other:
-While Helena really doesn't care what kind of person she might end up with, she's not really looking for romance, the idea of being tied down with one person just doesn't appeal to her, especially if she'd outlive them.
-The family she works for live right around the edge of the Dull/Deviant divide, so their servants live in the slums. Helena's home there is a very small apartment, it doesn't even have a proper bedroom-- not that she minds, not needing sleep and all.
-Perhaps it's because she can never be in the sunlight, or maybe it's just a weird quirk without an explanation. Either way, Helena adores anything that glows, be it a glowstick, plastic stars, lava lamps... if it's small and makes light, she'll love it.
