Rena Corrigan

[Rena Corrigan]

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The Basics

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Name: Rena Tabitha Corrigan
Nicknames: Thirza Ashe Daoine.
Since Rena's parents didn't want her to attend Hammel, and were at odds with her even before her admission, she took the change of place as a chance to also change her name and distance herself from them. Rena's name was listed as Rena T. Corrigan, so upon arrival she claimed the T stood for Thirza and that she preferred to be called her middle name rather than her first. She also took the opportunity to revert to using the maiden name of her closest relative who also had a power, her paternal great grandmother Sìne Ashe Daoine (she-neh ah-she day-oon).
Age: 15
Orientation: Lesbian
Desired Rank/Job: Student
Powers: Emotion-based Telekinesis
Emotions leave behind an energy residue with the user can sense, absorb, and process into something usable for telekinesis. Some emotions are easier to use than others- fear not only is not usable, but also drains her powers, whereas anger and happiness are both strong and easily processed for use. The user can sense what emotions are in her vicinity, though if she is in a hurry or someone’s emotions change rapidly she may accidentally be absorbing an emotion that isn’t useful / is harmful to use. It will not be possible to identify which emotion comes from which person if more than one is present, unless it’s someone the user has known well for a particularly long time and thus recognizes the ‘feel’ of their emotions. The user can use her own emotions, but generally it takes more than that to create enough energy to be worthwhile. Absorbing and using too much emotional energy in a short period of time can lead the user to become emotionally volatile or unstable- though absorbed emotions aren’t felt by the user, the mind will still react by overdoing any emotion the user does feel due to the influx of other emotions in the system confusing it. Because emotional energy dissipates within about 5 minutes after creation, the power can’t be used to trace people or predict what sort of occurences happened in any area entered unless they were very, very recent. (discussed with Tony)
Play By: Yulia Volkova

The Details

Hair Color: Dark brown and short, intentionally jagged and uneven
Eye Color: Brown
Any Piercings? No, though she's had her eye on an eyebrow piercing for a while now
Any Tattoos? None
Any Scars?A large scar on her right leg from running on rocky uneven ground after dark one halloween, two tiny burn scars on her right hand due to her dislike of oven mits, a dented rib on the left side, a fading tear-shaped burn scar on her stomach from a cooking accident where she tried to drain a heavy pot of pasta as and spilled a bit on herself, a two inch scar on her right foot from trying to carry a half-constructed metal shelf she'd been told was too heavy for her and dropping the unsanded sharp edge on her foot.
General Appearance: Standing at around 5’2, Rena looks far younger than she is. She’s got a child’s face, but old eyes. Rena is slim and fairly athletic, she’s developed hips but otherwise isn’t very curvy.

Prior to coming to the school, Rena lived in hoodies and sweatshirts, bundling herself up in large garments and long sleeves whenever she felt uncomfortable with her surroundings. Coming to Hammel has liberated her in a sense. She’s now often seen in T shirts or even tank tops. Rena’s a tomboy- no makeup aside from eyeliner on occaison, and certainly no dresses or skirts. She does wear jewelry, but nothing too sedate or feminine. She prefers leather bracelets or lots of layered silver necklaces. Rena prefers dark colors or jewel tones, you'll never see her in pastels, and she despises the color orange. She’s got a black leather jacket (fake leather, but a fair imitation) that she loves and wears whenever she needs to be bold.

Personality: Rena’s an avid reader. She was quite a bookworm as a child, and still enjoys reading, though she doesn’t put all her time into that anymore. She’s quiet around new people, though once she becomes used to them, she can be quite talkative. Not friendly neccesarily, mind- Rena’s often oblivious to the feelings of those around her. She’s usually not intentionally cruel, but she’s not a fan of using tact or playing nice. Rena’s quite opinionated and not afraid to show it. She’s more comfortable confronting people than befriending them, though given her preference, she’d go for a third option- sharing interesting conversations or going to events together but otherwise having little other contact with people. Generally speaking, if someone she finds interesting or nice approaches her, she’ll be willing to become their friend- if they approach her first, and are patient with how long it can take her to warm up to people. She may come off as aloof because she will never call or seek out someone until they’ve sought her out many, many times. Rena tends to look down on people who aren’t knowledgable in several areas, or who value a social life over everything else. As she wasn’t exactly a fan of other people in her youth, she spent most of her time reading or learning things she personally found interesting. She’s full of both useful and useless trivia, and all sorts of knowledge, and also practical knowledge, such as how things work and how to make repairs.

Rena will always stand up for someone she sees as weaker or being harmed or threatened, but she’s not exactly a white knight. She tends to openly look down on the people she helps. Sure, she’ll fight for someone, but if they need a shoulder to cry on, they should look elsewhere. Some might say her distaste for others who remain weak instead of trying to overcome seems to suggest she may herself have had a similar issue. After all, they say what people despise most in others is what they dislike in themselves.

Your Vices

Likes: Music, art- though she’s awful at it, writing, martial arts, books, learning, spicy foods, sugar and chocolate and candy, science, people who are interesting or exciting (even if they are liars- if they tell interesting lies, she’ll tolerate it!).
Dislikes: : bitter foods, people who are dull or very traditional, people who don’t value learning and education, people who are afraid to be disliked or challenge the status quo, being told she doesn't have the skill or ability to do something.
Strengths: Learning, math, writing, martial arts, fighting, perseverance, climbing.
Weaknesses: Being extremely stubborn, sometimes spiteful, genuinely doesn’t know how to do things such as comfort people, art- she’s just plain awful at it, resolving arguments- if an argument springs up with a friend she’ll be too afraid or unsure of how to handle it and will instead just avoid them and never speak to them again. If they want to resolve it and move on, they’ll have to approach her first. As to arguments with non-friends, she’ll hold a grudge essentially forever over tiny things and go out of her way to cause trouble for the person whenever possible.
Fears: Drowning- she has a huge phobia of swimming in any body of water where she can't touch the bottom with her feet. Also, at least one member of her family.
Secret: Her actual reasons for using a fake name, that her powers are emotion based- she never tells anyone how they work, she’s got some family issues in her past (which might be apparent from her behavior, but she thinks it’s a big secret).

Family Ties

Father:

[/b] Daniel, 53. A scientist and a wonderful man, but not always the best father. Very good at being a friend and supporting figure for his kids, but not so good at being a father when they need it. Avoids conflict- refuses to take a side even when he really should. Rena keeps in touch with him through occaisonal phone calls, but he prefers to discuss things below her age level, essentially treating her like a younger child. It’s beginning to wear on the bond between them.
Mother:Amy, 49. Corporate businesswoman. When she’s in a good mood she’s wonderful, when she’s in a bad mood she’s an absolute terror. Very motivated, expects performance to come first despite whatever else may be going on in a person’s life. Hold everyone to a high standard- though she does live up to her own standard and then some. Rena never discusses her, and their talks, during family calls, are brief.
Siblings:: Two younger sisters, 4 and 5 years younger, May and Ericka. They’re very close to each other, but not at all to Rena. Both are very close to Amy. May is the quieter of the two, though she’s not shy, simply reserved. She can be quite judgemental, and is more involved in groups than with people.She’s part of several student organizations and is headed towards a career in business. Though she’s only 10, she’s never seen in the usual play clothes one might expect at her age, preferring to dress with a dignity beyond her years.
Ericka, the more outgoing and the elder, is a diligent student, and has an offbeat group of friends- though ones who are still socially acceptable even by the most stringent standards. She’s under pressure to perform better than May does, and has absolutely no positive relationship with her older sister, Rena. Ericka strives for her mother’s approval and often gains it, particularly as, at 11, she’s one of the first in her age group to begin developing and drawing attention from boys. There’s almost a sense of Amy living vicariously through her more outgoing daughter, though she clearly holds a bit more admiration for the younger May.

Any Other Important People:Jamie, 15, once Rena’s best friend. Jamie’s a known trouble maker- though her adoptive parents are absolutely wonderful, Jamie’s awlays in trouble. Never for anything violent, but she’s stolen more than the average career criminal, and she’s only barely in her mid teens. Jamie is outgoing and hyperactive, friendly to everyone but without personal attachment to any of her many admirers and friends. She’s intensely social, but not the bonding or emotional sort, she simply needs people for entertainment and to bounce her own personality off. Though she’s outwardly charming and tends to draw the eye of all the people in the room when she enters, Jamie has essentially no concern for most others. Though Rena’s the exception, recent events have Rena avoiding her old friend, and thankful for the distance that attending Hammel puts between them.
Marie, 15, Rena’s other best friend. Rena does still like and miss Marie, but between Rena’s hatred of using the phone and Marie being naturally quiet, it’s been hard for them to keep in touch. Rena and Marie usually go to shows and such together, or just hang out and play videogames, but Marie’s not so talkative. She does regularly send Rena new drawings to decorate her walls with, however.
Seth, 14. At 14, Seth’s an activist- outspoken about his sexuality and his fight for equality. He’s often saracastic and a pessimist, but has a sweet side. He’s friends with Marie. Rena used to spend time with them whenever she viisted Marie and Seth happened to be around. The two aren’t close, but they get along well, and Rena enjoys the occaisons when she gets to chat with him. Though he’s younger, he’s dealt with a lot of issues in his life in a positive way, and has a unique perspective. Rena looks up to him.
Jack, 15. Quiet, intelligent Jack seemed like the ideal friend when Rena first met him at summer camp. A scientifically-minded introvert, he was easy to get to know and talk to. Granted, Rena missed the balance between spending time outdoors playing sports and time spent inside with a book, but she willingly gave up most of her outdoors time to spend time sitting and reading or debating with Jack. The two kept in touch online between summers, and eventually got to spend time together during the school year when his family was visitng the area. Unfortunately, he asked her out and when Rena turned him down, he became nasty and resentful towards her. Since one of his older brothers, as well as a handful of cousins, have powers, Rena harbors private concerns that he might turn out to be a late-bloomer as well and develop something that allows him to come to Hammel. As far as she’s concerned, he’s just another poor choice of friends from her past, who she’d prefer never to see again.
Mrs. Neiren, the teacher who gave Rena a book as a gift near the end of fourth grade. Although they don't keep in contact, she was a major influence in Rena's life at the time, getting her to cooperate in school and helping her begin making friends among kids her age. [/size]
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History

Born in a suburban home to a scientist and a businesswoman, Rena was raised with strict expectations. During her early childhood, this didn’t bother her in the slightest. Rena found stories more interesting than playing, and had no complaints about being expected to learn to read as early as possible. She preferred to be able to read to herself than to play with other children. However, as she got older and the intellectual expectations on her increased, tension began to grow within the family. Although she was a good student and intelligent, Rena found herself drawn only to certain subjects- the sciences, english, and creative forms such as art and creative writing. She neglected classes she found less interesting. Her mother also placed a strict value on school before anything else- no emotional upset or other such issue was allowed to take precidence over a focus on work, nor considered an excuse for any poor performances or grades. Rena quickly found herself sick of the unyielding expectations placed on her, particularly when they began to extend to other aspects of her life. She had no use for dinner parties or fancy manners, and as a tomboy, she fought rigorously against expectations that she wear dresses and be reasonably sedate.

The birth of her two younger sisters slightly lessened the expectations placed on her, but not the conflict. Rena wasn’t a bad child in the smoking in the bathroom sort of way, but she refused to follow instructions that had no purpose, or were simple social niceties. She read ahead in boring classes or outright told the teachers that she was bored and not learning anything new, and she put no effort into subjects she found boring. She insisted on trying to help her father with projects around the house, leading to injuries when she attempted to do things she’d been told were beyond her skill level at that age. She was a handful when not constantly engaged, either in a book or in learning something she found appropriately interesting and difficult. With two other children, it was difficult for her parents to find the time to keep her constantly busy, and as her siblings were better behaved, her behavior chafed more by comparison. While her father encouraged her curiosity, and head-strong behavior, saying it would help her later in life, her mother attempted to curb it, with relatively little progress. Perhaps due to her overly harsh ways of treating the girl, Rena gradually became sullen and withdrawn. As her siblings grew older and began to have friends over, Rena found herself feeling crowded by the presence of so many people, and resentful of the noise that interrupted her reading time. She had no interest in being a rolemodel for or playing with either her sisters or their friends, and didn’t adjust well to the change. By the time they began school, Rena had essentially cut herself off from her family, except her father, as much as possible.

As her younger sisters began pre-school, and it became apparent that one was a sucessful social butterfly and the other unusually intelligent, Rena found her family also beginning to reject her in return- she was relegated to the role of the black sheep, and often the scapegoat. Her mother had settled on breaking her spirit as the only way to convince her to use her potential in the way her parents intended, rather than ‘squander’ it on the things she herself preferred, and the two were constantly fighting. Unwilling to deal with conflict, Daniel began to spend more time at work or otherwise avoiding them, and Ericka became resentful of Rena for hogging Amy’s attention, even if it was negative attention. Needless to say, neither of the younger siblings particularly appreciated how much time was spent with Rena and Amy shouting back and forth or fighting for longer and longer periods of time.
The battles finally came under control after Daniel came home early one day to find Amy literally dragging Rena up the stairs by one arm, as the girl tried to anchor herself with a grip on the railing with her other hand, and finally stepped in. Of course, this didn’t end chaos in the household, it only continued more quietly behind closed doors.

Though she had only a vague awareness of powers, Rena slowly began to believe she had to have one, despite any lack of evidence. Generally, complete rejection by a parental figure can ruin a child’s self esteem, but Rena found herself not only being encouraged by her father, but also by performances in school. When she saw fit to apply herself, she was an excellent student, and quite bright. After a teacher gave her a copy of Matilda, Rena began to essentially imagine herself as similar, and spent quite a long time trying to see if she could develop telekinesis as her heroine in the book had. Even when her efforts were unsucessful, she was always convinced that something would eventually occur. She had always been told she was different- thought differently, acted differently, had different interests than others her age- and she was convinced there had to be a reason. When she eventually faced down a much-older bully and won (thanks to a slippery floor leading his lunge at her to knock him head-first into a locker, an amazing stroke of luck), she took it as a sign that whatever about her was different had to be positive, and likely powerful. Although her escapism didn’t lead to any sign of actual powers, it was still enough to give her a newfound confidence. Before, Rena had refused to give in, but always with a sort of grim determination. Now, convinced that she would eventually develop something that would change everything she hated in her life, she became optimistic. For the first time, she began to make friends. She dropped gymnastics, which she’d grown sick of, and took up multiple martial arts. She finally found a place among her peers, instead of completely isolating herself.

Unfortunately, as she was insistent despite lack of any evidence that she was going to develop some sort of power, the sort of people who stuck around as friends weren’t the sort one might desire. Among Rena’s new friends was Jamie, a rather irresponsible young girl with a tendency to steal from others. Rena didn’t participate in her exploits, but she took no issue with them, either. Jamie convinced Rena to meet new people, to come out of her shell a bit, and to take part in all sorts of reckless games she’d always shunned before. She brought Rena along on a trip to learn to ski, took her to all sorts of new places- it was like watching a whole new person develop. And, with her coaxing, Rena finally was able to take electives in writing and art, despite her mother’s disapproval. However, despite being close with both Jamie and a young would-be artist named Marie who also had some fairly imaginative beliefs, their support wasn’t enough to overcome other disappointments in her life. Rena left their company after school one Friday, brimming with plans for their upcoming winter break, and returned the next Monday entirely silent and sullen. The girl never fully rebounded from whatever had upset her, and become, once again, a rather grim figure. Though her spirits gradually began to improve, it wasn’t quite the same. She was wary and guarded, and prone to random fits of moodiness- more so than the average teenager.

The next break in Rena’s life wouldn’t come until the age of 15. Always on the thin side, Rena was a late-bloomer, only really hitting puberty about a month before her fifteenth birthday. Her powers manifested shortly after- and while they were indeed telekinetic in nature, they were nothing like she’d read about in Matilda. They weren’t instantly easy to train and use, and though she now had what she’d always wanted, Rena finally had to admit that her fantasy of what life would be like ‘IF’ had no basis in reality. Struggling to accept that it wasn’t power or lack of it that had ended her up where she was, but rather her attitude, she found herself reluctant to reveal her powers. Adding to that, of course, was how her powers manifested. She’d wanted to end the constant fighting with her mother without having to take any blame for it, and had always imagined powers ‘out of her control’ coming to her defense- essentially leaving her blameless. But as she’d long since ceased making an effort to defend herself, instead interanlizing her anger, her powers followed her lead. Though she hasn’t told anyone exactly what happened, her powers didn’t lash out at someone playing a negative role in her life, but rather at herself. Thankfully, with the distance from her family now that she’s at Hammel, and the enjoyable new environment, she’s convinced that she’s finally found the change she had long-since expected- and the motivation. After all, if her powers are emotion-based, she’ll have to stop bottling up or denying pent-up emtions and learn to recognize and deal with them instead, particularly since she needs to be able to identify the feel of emotions to see which ones she can use for her power and which she can’t. On the whole, even if her powers didn’t manifest as she expected, she’s decided to turn them to positive uses, and take coming to Hammel as an opportunity for a fresh start.

Roleplay Example

Cassia wasn’t terribly fond of crowds, but a boisterous group would be preferable to the weird quiet that had fallen in the bar. There weren’t near enough people for the usual background noise, but something about the near-silence in the room felt uncomfortable, out of place. Though she’d been desperately thirsty after the morning’s walk through the heat- thirsty enough to risk asking for a non alcoholic drink despite the less than hygenic look of the place- she wasn’t entirely oblivious to her surroundings. As she chugged down the drink as quickly as she could manage without choking, eager to leave, she noted movement from the corner of her eye. Setting down the glass, she glanced up just in time to notice an unusually tall man with messy hair entering the bar.

Usually, Cass wasn’t one to take notice of strangers- she wasn’t the outgoing sort, after all. Unless there was something interesting about them, she’d wait for them to approach her. And, since her disinterest wasn’t exactly inviting, they usually kept their distance. But this man had immediately begun walking towards where she was sitting, and she found herself smiling at him. It wasn’t a broad, toothy grin, but there was definitely a smile tugging at her lips. She couldn’t help it- he just radiated some sort of familiar warmth.

Putting her drink down so she wouldn’t drop it, she kept her eyes locked on the man. The details of his appearance- he was only a few inches taller than her, young looking, and with a very noticeable gun strapped on his back- were noted but quickly discarded. Of far more interest was the growing feeling of heat, no longer comfortable, but more familiar than she’d first realized. For an instant, Cass’ vision swam, and she saw- as usual too quickly to know if it was in her mind’s eye or a more literal ‘seeing’- an image float before her. A ring, not a physical ring of gold or other precious metals but the shape of a ring in a blur of blinding light. And surrounding the ring, yellow light shone steadily in all directions.

Then, as quickly as it had started, the vision faded. What on earth was that? I’ve never seen a symbol in a bright color- usually it’s a normal color, if there’s color at all. Whatever it is must cause light or have had light coming from it at the time when it was important…. It’s like a star, a piece of a burning star, when it goes bright for an instant before burning out. The side of her glass was beginning to bead with condensation, making her already-chilly hand uncomfortably cold. Now that the sudden heat had passed, the cold sensation was irritating. Cass let go of the glass, instinctively trying to tuck her hair behind her ears, but the strands were still a bit too short to stay. As soon as she turned her head, they sprung out in all directions again.

It didn’t feel any different from normal- it’s just an object, just like any other I might see, like a jar or a hand… Except for that light. The rest of it, the yellow background, was nothing special, but…. I can’t ask him right out, that’d be crazy. But the thought had planted itself in her mind- She needed to know who this man was. She wanted very badly to know what that light was. In unfamiliar territory, she didn’t have the guts to outright ask him “Hey, why do I see a brilliant circle of light about the size of a ring, hovering near you?”. But introducing herself? Well, maybe now was the time to get used to being the one to start introductions.

Finishing the rest of her drink in a single gulp, she slid the glass back to the barkeep with a nod, and headed over towards the newcomer. He was ordering water- unusual considering the establishment they were in, and risky considering the rusty old tap it came out of. It’d be easier to speak to him if he were getting drunk. Besides, there was only idea she’d had to introduce herself, now gone. Cass had never been much of a flirt, but she’d hoped that buying him a drink would at least prompt a little conversation. That was now out. Honesty, she decided, seems like the best policy, at least once all the other options are exhausted.

“You have the look of someone with a lot of stories to tell,” she said, perching precariously on the edge of the stool beside him. “How’d you end up way out here?”

What About You?

Name: Tikva, Tik, whatever. I'll also answer to Firefly.
Age: Just barely drinking age.
Experience: Since I was 12ish, so quite a long time.
How Did You Find Us? RPG-connections or something.
Ready To Play? Yer.

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[Admin!]

ACCEPTED!
Congratulations, you have been accepted to the Hammel Institute. There are some CLAIMS you should look at, and then you have fun. If you need anything, let Mads or myself know. Nice to have you aboard.