Rory Hartt [complete]
Jul 25, 2014 5:24:45 GMT -5
Post by Rory Hartt on Jul 25, 2014 5:24:45 GMT -5
The BasicsName: Ramona Lee Hartt
Nicknames: Rory
Age: 15 (Birthday May 6 - sophomore)
Orientation: Assumed heterosexual, so far hasn't experienced anything to really challenge that
Desired Rank/Job: Student
Powers: Probability Manipulation
While it's still a new ability, Rory's been trying to work out exactly what it means for her. On the one hand, she's gotten to be pretty lucky recently when it comes to every day happenstance (recently she's noticed narrowly avoiding rain splashing up from passing cars, when she went to buy some things from the grocery store they were on a special sale, she found an egg under every chicken she checked, and she had the person behind her checked for the random driving checkpoint instead of herself), but purposefully trying to manipulate probability has been a bit less reliable. By pushing incredibly unlikely things to happen, other unlikely outcomes may occur. For instance, after finding out about her power, she attempted to push her luck when making a risky jump from a tree she was climbing. She landed the jump without injury - but then managed to step in dog poop as she left.
She hasn't yet realized it, but her everyday statistically improbable luck does take a very small toll, exacted in the form of a bad half hour or so every day, depending on how improbable her day has been thus far. It could be as simple as getting bitten by a mosquito in the middle of the night, if her day was uneventful, or having a lunch full of leaking tupperware, if she'd managed a string of lucky accidents. The second night after her manifestation she woke up at one AM when one of her speaker wires got wrapped around her sleeping arm and pulled the clunky thing down onto her head. It had been a good day up until that point. There's usually a 3:1 ratio of favorable improbability to unfortunate improbability exacted per day. For every three small lucky chances, there will be one small unlucky chance. When it comes to purposeful manipulation, the ratio is far less reliable, and is often exacted in pieces of a whole (one important improbable outcome results in several smaller unfortunate improbable outcomes). And focusing her efforts on one thing often causes unforeseen consequences in other areas. She's becoming very aware of the adage "be careful what you wish for." She's starting to get that whole "butterflies and hurricanes" business, too.
Other side effects of her power include odd adjustments to her sleep cycle (lethargy alternating with insomnia), and random unpredictable cravings. She's discovered the taste of straight pickle juice thanks to the side effects of improbability, and wasn't happy about that.
Play By: Amanda LeightonThe DetailsHair Color: "Brown. Auburn? It's brown but maybe a bit red, so... that's auburn, right?"
Eye Color: Blue
Any Piercings? Ears
Any Tattoos? Nope!
Any Scars? The usual wear and tear; perhaps a little heavier than most, given her history of sports and recreational activities
General Appearance: Rory is... petite. Rather more petite than she'd like, at 5'1.25" (she rounds to 5'3" if asked. Don't look at her like that, it's a totally legit claim, if she's wearing shoes with thick soles. And a hat). She grew up on the chubby/ill-proportioned side of things but has since evened out to a figure more commonly described as "curvy," though not the perfect hourglass. She's more hippy than busty, but doesn't exactly dress to accentuate her figure. She's a strictly jeans-and-tees girl. Sometimes shorts, though frequently they're gym shorts or running shorts. She's not big on skirts, but wears them maybe 2-6 times a year, for certain occasions or if she's been spending too much bonding time with her sister. She is rarely seen without a hoodie, jean jacket, or her army jacket. It's not even of sentimental value, it's not like she knows anyone in the army; she bought it years ago at a thrift store and now refuses to part with it.
Rory isn't one to keep up with a beauty regimen. Occasionally she'll do some messy smudgy eyeliner, but most of the time it's too much work and too risky (poking objects near her eyes at early hours of the morning doesn't seem like a good idea). She doesn't do anything to her hair, keeping it down in it's natural - ...waves is a generous term for that mess - or in a ponytail or bun most of the time, though she will sometimes braid it or (more commonly) ask her sister to braid it for her. It's a weird sort of bonding experience for them. ....And yes, she's slept with her hair in braids to avoid having to do it again in the morning. What? It's not like she's gonna go to her sister's place before school in the morning.
Her accessorizing is limited to bags (always cross-shoulder, usually canvas), bracelets (charity bands, friendship bracelets, and a couple of leather strappy things with stones that she got as gifts), and the occasional necklace (they're nearly all identical leather thongs with different small pendants - she usually will put one on and then forget to take it off until she's in the shower the next morning).
Personality: Rory is just one of the guys. Or.... at least, that's what she wants to be. She's never been the soft-spoken type, or the bold witty one. She's basically uncomplicated. Rory doesn't really do the whole "effort to look effortless" thing: if she's working at something, you'll know. She generally wears her emotions on her sleeve, though certain things she will make an effort to hide (unwanted crushes, extended overemotional feelings, anything she thinks might make others see her as a whiny girl). Her goal in life is mostly comfort. And she's more comfortable avoiding problems than facing them head-on, so she'll tuck away the stuff that's giving her problems until it either disappears or gets so bad she has to address it. But she's stubborn, so the "so bad she has to address it" part can be pushed quite a ways into the future. When it does come, Rory's on edge, snappish, and anxious over the issues she has no option but to deal with. She'll be tense, high strung, and guilty over her stress reactions.
Despite being nearly 16, Rory is still plagued with adolescent egocentrism, especially suffering from anxiety of imaginary audience around girls her age. All she really wants is for people to like her and think she's cool, but she doesn't want to admit that. When she was very young she was bullied a lot by girls at school for her name (Ramona the pest), her clothes (nearly all second hand), her lunch (about as hardcore granola as you could get), and her entire family background (the farming, the two moms, the living practically in the middle or nowhere). She learned that boys cared less about what her life looked like and more about what she could do. And given her family environment, Rory had a way better house for kids to play outside at. Her growing abilities with BB-guns, mountain bikes, and tree-climbing also helped cement her on the "boys" side of "boys vs. girls," where she's firmly remained ever since. When she needs a female voice, she turns to her older sister Kayla, but most of the time she's cool just hiding the stuff she doesn't want to talk about and leaving the rest open for conversation.
Her relationship with her sister is very important to her. All of her friends are well aware of Rory's gullible nature (and the defensiveness and incredulity that has since grown up around it), but she'll let her friends get away with it with just a jab in the arm, while she will willingly hold a two-day grudge against her sister if she feels hurt. She's always relied on her sister, but Kayla's protective attitude prompted a rebellious streak in Rory when she entered high school. Rory wants to be independent and self-sufficient, and doesn't want to feel coddled through things, so when Kayla comforts her over something Rory didn't specifically ask for comforting over, Rory may lash out. She insists she's mature and old enough to take care of herself, but still refuses to act like an adult. Prioritizing her wants and responsibilities is a big problem for her; friends win out over work 90% of the time.
Sometimes (okay, often,) Kayla will bug Rory about liking any guys. Rory has nothing to share on that front. Most of the time she just isn't interested, or if she is she pushes it down for the sake of the friendship. Rory's tight lips on the subject have lead to a lot of encouraging talk from her sister making it clear that if Rory is gay it's totally not a big deal at all. Rory isn't gay. She is, however, the kind of person who will chuck a guy on the shoulder awkwardly if she likes him, instead of making real physical contact. One day she may get over this fear of crushes, but it doesn't seem to be happening any time soon. In the meantime she mumbles unconvincing lies when the crush-ee comes up in conversation. Her skills at lying to strangers (on any subject) are a lot better than lying to her friends and family.
Rory is competitive, energetic, and incredibly enthusiastic when something strikes her interest. She'll dive into things headfirst without thinking about the consequences of her actions. When the consequences to catch up to her, though, she's a complainer. She can get really frustrated over simple annoyances. If someone gets on her bad side, they don't have that much to worry about unless they come face to face and really bait her. She hasn't had to yet, but Rory would definitely throw a punch if someone angered her enough. And it would hit, too.
This new power is weird for Rory. On the one hand, she gains confidence when things just happen to go her way. On the other hand, she has learned first hand how accurate the saying "be careful what you wish for" can be. She often finds herself feeling guilty or worried about outcomes of particular manipulations when they don't initially seem apparent. She's hoping to get used to it.Your VicesLikes: Monster (the drink), the outdoors (most of the time), swimming, biking, video games, comfy clothes, mac & cheese straight out of the box (only the occasional treat at home, since her moms are vehemently against processed foods), on that note: most processed foods, comics (sometimes), books (sometimes), movies, bass guitar (she wants to learn, but has no way to do so), guns, dogs, sometimes cats, Timberland boots, her army jacket, sunny days, warm blankets, hot cocoa, Arnold Palmers (the drink), zombies, driving (still working on that license), impressing people, winning, hunting (all of the three times she's done it-- her moms are not happy about that)
Dislikes: bikinis (she can never wear a whole bikini - it's always either the top with trunks or the bottom with a swim tee), hairspray, basically any perfume (though she grudgingly makes some exceptions), the vast majority of vegan food (forced into when younger, though her moms have loosened up over time), slaughterhouses, bullies, being talked about, duplicity and two-faced-ness, sweeping, not having air conditioning, classical music, high heels, fishing, lipstick, being doubted, mosquitoes
Strengths: She's a pretty good shot with a BB-gun (to the dismay of her moms) and is fairly reliable (about 70% accuracy) with throwing knives; she's a spidermonkey when it comes to climbing trees; if getting distracted is a skill, she's pretty great at that; pushing aside her own problems to help someone else (though that's more self-serving); she's able to tell the main protein in a lot of vegetarian and vegan foods (black bean patties can never pass for beef, or even tofu, it's just not gonna happen); she's tough and resilient when it comes to the bumps and bruises caused by poor physical choices
Weaknesses: She has real concentration and focus problems sometimes, but has never been diagnosed with anything (-yet: her moms weren't fans of medicating children, and assumed a preservative- and dye-free childhood would lower her risk for ADHD -- she probably has a mild case of ADHD Combined type, but has managed through school so far); feelings (You know... like... romantic feelings, or sad feelings, or that sort of thing. She isn't good at talking about or addressing her feelings); processed food (she craves Pringles and Easy Mac and Fruit by the Foot); lack of foresight (aka recklessness); her desire to be liked; her desire to not look like she's trying to be liked; gullibility; she's not very good in school
Fears: losing friends; people who like her changing their minds; anything bad happening to her family; waking up in twenty years and being miserable; becoming a drug addict; big cities late at night (muggers, gang members, anything like that)
Secret: The first time she shot a deer she very nearly threw up. It took her a lot to return to try it again, even though she acts like she was rearing to go.Family TiesFather: Biological father, Kenneth Graham
Mothers: Ria (Maria) Hartt; Natalia Lee-Hartt
Siblings: Kayla Hartt (20)
Any Other Important People:Ryan Frederichs (the guy who's trailer sits on the edge of their property, in charge of dealing with the unpleasant business of meat sales, also grows marijuana out behind the pig pen); Hollis White (she's been a farm helper during different seasons throughout Rory's life); Lucy, their cat; Pokey, their Mastiff; a small collection of chickens and turkeys and pigsHistory*note: lots of history is also sprinkled in with appearance and personality
Rory was born in a lovely house in northern Vermont. Or... okay, she was born in a hospital in northern Vermont, her older sister Kayla had been born at home, and her mom refused to do another home birth, though she never stopped advocating for the practice. Her family consisted of her two moms (Ria and Natalia - one a found metal artist and the other a life coach - though they were both "mom" in Rory's mind) and her biological father, Ken. Ken had been in a relationship with Ria years ago, before she settled down with Natalia, and when looking for a donor the couple had decided Ken was a fitting man to have an uncle-like relationship with their child. A few years after Kayla was born, and the whole first child debacle was through, Ria and Natalia decided to have another child, and went to Ken again, so that the two kids would both share this tertiary family figure.
Rory grew up in the middle of nowhere, basically. There were a couple houses around, but it wasn't exactly a neighborhood - they had to travel a ways away for school. She grew up by a large pond, a field of seasonal produce, and coops of chicken and turkey (and, eventually, a pig pen as well). Her mothers were strongly committed to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. She was vegan for the first several years of her life (at home, anyway), and vegetarian for years after. The only animal products permitted were locally or personally harvested (eggs from their own chickens, milk from the farmer's market). All of their clothes were either handmade or fair trade certified, or from second-hand stores. And just to make it clear: a kid who sometimes smells like chickens, wears used clothing, and eats seitan isn't exactly the coolest kid in school. Rory was mercilessly shamed by girls at school. Luckily, she was the only kid in her grade who could climb a tree with no fears of falling, and that earned her the respect of at least a few of her peers. A few of her male peers.
Through elementary school, Rory hung out with guys. She learned to shoot a BB-gun, she learned to mountain bike, she hosted camp-outs by the family pond: she made a lot of good friends. But never girls. She didn't like girls. The only girl she could stand was her older sister, Kayla. And that was a rocky friendship, given their timing. When Rory was young, Kayla was entering her moody teenage years (and also Hammel), and by the time Rory was in her teenage years she wasn't interested in Kayla's lectures. They were still close, though, somehow. They had to be, as the sole meat-eaters in the family (something they thought they were hiding from their moms, even though their moms knew perfectly well). And Rory would go to her sister (dragging her feet all the way) when she needed to ask something she couldn't ask their moms.
After her sister manifested when Rory was 8 or 9, Rory was completely convinced that she could also fly. This resulted in several ill-advised leaps from trees and the tops of buildings from ages 9 to 11. Finally she gave up on it. She resigned herself to having fun, and assumed she wouldn't manifest.
It wasn't until the summer after turning 15 (this summer, in fact) that Rory finally manifested. It was hard for Rory to realize what had happened at the time, as she was attending summer school to make up her failed math course. She just thought she had a lucky break, getting a test that covered exactly the things she'd studied. Her teacher, however, was convinced that Rory (who had barely managed a C on each of the previous tests) had cheated. How else could she have gotten a perfect score? Somehow that suspicious result was whispered into the ear of the meta specialist at the school, who called Rory's parents and started keeping an eye on her.
The next day there was a simultaneous error in every clock in the school just before Rory arrived - making her on time despite being five minutes late, when another tardy notice would knock her grade down. Unfortunately, the little stroke of luck came back to bite her in the butt when she missed her afternoon bus and had to bike home in the midsummer downpour. That was when the idea of balance - of karmic retribution, perhaps - worked its way into her head. It was also the night she was offered a scholarship from a college she'd never applied to, and wasn't even of age to attend, thanks to some mistake in the paperwork. And the night Lucy came back from her evening prowl with a dirty twenty dollar bill stuck in between neck and collar (it came with a tick, she discovered later). And the night Rory found a stash of Fruit by the Foot she hadn't realized she'd had. The next morning, after the paper ran a story on Ria's art that she hadn't even realized was in the works, Rory was taken aside in school to talk to the meta specialist, and enrolled in Hammel.
Despite living in Vermont, Rory has moved into the dorms, as she lives an hour and a half away from Hammel. She'll still be returning on the weekends, especially once she gets her license (any day now).Roleplay ExampleHoping I'm good on this, though I could dig through the old posts on here to share somethingWhat About You?Name: Turner
Age: 21, nearing 22
Experience: A very very long time
How Did You Find Us? A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away
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