Post by Dido Moncrieffe on Apr 22, 2012 21:01:57 GMT -5
Reviewed by: Zyre.
Accepted by: Zyre!
05 31, 2012
Dido Moncrieffe
Full Name- Dido Janine Moncrieffe
Gender- Female
Age- 23
Date of Birth- 27 June 1988
Sexual Orientation- Heterosexual
Location- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Celebrity Claim- Stam, Jessica
What should we call you?- Rayne7
Play anyone else?- Rayne Campbell, Dakari Johessman, Sparrow Akiyama, Marshall Quatrevaux, Marcus Rodgers, Fallon Daugherty, Gabriel Constant, Reggie Sawyer, Sayeva Reardon.
Have You Read the Rules?- SPLARKIN, no complimentary peanuts, &c, &c.
Personality-
Cold, aloof, and calculating, Dido is very distant toward anyone she does not consider a close acquaintance. She has little use for people and their emotions. Arbitrary rules and ideas also mean nothing to her. If a rule exists, it needs to have solid reasoning behind it for her to even consider obeying. Anything that does not make sense to her will simply be ignored.
In the past, Dido was more understanding of others. She was also much more introverted, and relating to others has always been difficult for her. She was not always as judgmental as she is now. Recent events have made her less accepting, more questioning and far more cynical than she was in the past.
However, the fun-loving Dido that her college friends knew does still exist. With acquaintances - she uses the word "friend" very sparingly - she opens up and becomes more lively, more talkative, and more willing to try being empathetic. It takes quite a bit to reach that level of acquaintanceship with Dido, and once someone does, there is much to gain - her respect, most of all, as well as potentially her unique version of "love." Conventional love is not her style, as she has trouble expressing it.
Dido views herself as a higher order of human - higher even than Specials, though she respects most Specials, especially those who learn to handle their powers and who oppose Registration. She does not enjoy being treated like an invalid or being talked down to. Those who attempt to give her preferential treatment due to her "condition" will find themselves on the wrong side of her temper.
Likes-
- Games- Card games, video games, MMOs, tabletops - you name it, Dido's played it. She enjoys the logical aspect of gaming, though she favors the visual and technological components of video games.
- Extreme sports- An "adrenaline junkie," Dido loves anything unusual. She has tried all the typical things - skydiving, BASE jumping, etc - and is always looking for new thrills.
- Sailing- Something about open water is exciting to her. She enjoys the challenge of manning a craft, and will often sail in dangerous conditions.
- Partying- Once a shy person, she grew to like parties in college. Her favorites are large parties with lots of dancing and loud music to get lost in.
- Music- Her favorite type is rock, but she is more picky about specific songs than broad genres.
- Sunlight- She likes clear, sunny days with a touch of warmth. Cloudy days usually add to her bad mood.
- Jewelry- It's stylish, and what she wears often corresponds with her mood.
Dislikes-
- Being sick- She hates everything from colds to hospitalization, as she hates needing to be taken care of.
- Feeling useless- Similarly, she dislikes being helpless for any reason, in any situation.
- Window shopping- It's too much of a temptation for her. If she shops, she does so with the intention of buying something.
- Bottled water- It isn't as healthy and pure as the manufacturers would have you believe.
- Lectures- They're long and boring. She would rather learn something hands-on.
- Cash- Why use cash when debit and credit cards are so much faster?
- Religion- She won't criticize anyone over religions, but she secretly does not understand why anyone would believe in a controlling being higher than themselves.
Strengths-
- Logical- She can work out options in her head quickly and choose the one that is more reasonable and profitable.
- Efficient- She prefers using the quickest route to arrive at any goal.
- Confident- Very little can shake her belief in herself.
- Fast learner- She picks up on things quickly.
- Organized- This is an important part of being efficient, so she practices it diligently, keeping every space she occupies clear and carefully managed.
Weaknesses-
- Temperamental- While it is difficult to trip her temper, if it happens, she can spiral out of control.
- Lacks empathy- Her mind has no room for emotional argument; she relies solely on logic and does not understand why other people don't do the same.
- Controlling- If allowed to, she may begin to micromanage things.
- Stubborn- While she can and will adapt to change, she may not necessarily go along with it willingly.
- Selfish- She can be reluctant to include others in her plans, especially if it means deferring to their needs over her own.
Skills-
- Self-defense- She has been taught bits of a variety of combat styles. Put together, they give Dido a fairly solid basis to work from.
- American Sign Language- Dido is fluent in ASL, which she learned growing up due to having a cousin with a hearing disability.
- Persuasion- She is a practiced debater and can give convincing arguments on just about any subject.
Flaws-
- Pupaphobia- Dido has an irrational fear of puppets, especially wooden ones with faces painted on.
- MSG allergy- Exposure to monosodium glutamate, a food additive that gives a meaty taste, gives Dido cluster headaches.
- Caffeine addiction- She is aware that she is dependent on caffeine, and has been trying to reduce her intake of it.
Abilities/Powers/Skills-
Technopathy
This ability allows Dido to communicate with and manipulate machines. The machine can be any form of man-made electronic device, from a computer chip to a commercial airliner. She can control the object by giving it commands, can slip into most computer systems, and can make minor repairs to software. She can turn machines on or off with a simple thought; technology is as natural to her as if connected to her physically.
Cybernetic Affinity
In simple terms, Dido's body shares traits with that of an android. Following an accident, she was outfitted with special robotic prosthetics by Ark, which, coupled with her newly manifesting metal ability, resulted in her body taking too much of a liking to the prosthetics. Her already enhanced mind paired itself with the prosthetics, allowing them to move and behave with the precision of natural body parts.
The mix of ability and technology also resulted in a personal singularity for her. She is able to compute at a much more advanced rate than most humans and computers, as she has the benefits (and weaknesses) of both.
If she happens to be hit with an electrical blast on the left side of her body, primarily her arm or leg, she will be able to channel the electricity into herself or out through her hand and sustain little damage (she would lose the synthetic skin covering that limb). The rest of her body, however, is as prone to electrocution as any other human being.
Limits-
Technopathy
To control a machine, Dido needs to be within a hundred yards of it. She also needs to be able to see it - there cannot be a wall or any other object blocking her sight. This is so she can concentrate on it. She can only control one object at a time.
When her mind is connected to a computer, she can be affected by viruses, but they must have been designed to affect her mind - her "operating system" - specifically. She is not affected by most viruses. She usually thinks in programming languages, making her thoughts difficult but not impossible to crack. This gives her the additional weakness of thinking like a computer - being rational and following logic, making herself slightly predictable, and unable to sympathize with emotions.
She has to be around technology for her ability to work. In an area with no machines, she is left on her own.
Cybernetic Affinity
The augments Dido has are limited to the left side of her body, including only her chest, forearm, and leg. The rest of her is fairly ordinary human. She is not able to use her prosthetics as weapons - she cannot deploy concussion beams or the like. She is able to channel electricity through the artificial limbs, though, because they were designed to take shocks.
There are several dangers Dido faces. As mentioned above, a virus could harm her. An electromagnetic pulse would disable her fully. She must also be wary of other technopaths, who may be able to control her robotic limbs.
She is not immortal by any means. She does not have any physical superhuman attributes. She does not see in enhanced vision or in HUD (heads up display) as the typical android does. Her memory is not perfect, and she cannot "download" information into her brain.
Appearance-
Dido is tall and slender, at five foot ten and one hundred thirty pounds. Her body is a pear shape, as her hips are wider than her small chest, and her face resembles a heart. Her skin is pale and soft, and her eyes are light grey, sometimes fading into blue. Her nose and lips are both narrow, and she has small ears, usually hidden by her hair.
She likes to wear pants and jackets, as they are better to hide her fake limbs. This resulted in her closet containing many pantsuits. Her hair is usually blonde, but can vary. She wears her hair straight or in a ponytail.
Her prosthetic limbs are able to take a considerable amount of damage. They are also build to channel electricity from external sources, should Dido be struck by an electric beam. They are designed to look natural, and so are usually mistaken for natural body parts by sight.
Faction- Villain/Rogue Society
Birthplace- New York City, New York, USA
Mother- Barbara Anne Moncrieffe (neé Nicholls) / 45 / socialite / civilian
Father- Colin Sean Moncrieffe / 47 / House Representative (D-NY) / civilian
Siblings- None.
Spouse / Partner- None.
Children- None.
History-
Born to a politician and a socialite, Dido never quite got the attention she deserved growing up. Her parents were always on the road, campaigning, or otherwise attending parties to boost their image. She was raised by a series of nannies instead, beginning at birth.
As a child, Dido had many imaginary friends, who kept her company when no one was around, or even when she was lonely in a room full of people. They helped her handle the way she felt as a child who found it difficult to make friends, and who saw other children developing bonds with their parents but could not do the same with her own.
Otherwise, Dido went through school like any other child, achieving marginally good grades. She made it into New York University on merit of her family name. Her parents paid for her education, but remained fairly inconsequential in her everyday life, something Dido ceased to notice after a while.
In college, she began to attend parties, and quickly became well-known as a pleasant girl who knew how to enjoy herself. She made some acquaintances and was often invited to get-togethers of varying degrees of propriety.
She also got into a habit of picking up a coffee and reading the paper every morning, usually at the same café. One morning, she happened to be following this same routine when hysteria broke out around her. One person started to glow, and another started spewing toxic gas, which to Dido was a sign to get out of there. As she rushed out, she bumped into someone, to whom she apologized profusely before heading outside and finding a place to hide. Dido spent the chaotic few minutes of April Fourth stuck beneath a car.
Shortly thereafter, as cleanup efforts were being made everywhere, she noticed that her left arm and leg were turning odd colors. By the time she made and attended an appointment with her doctor, the condition had worsened such that instead of being examined by the doctor, she was simply rushed to the emergency room. A strange infection had taken hold of her left arm and leg, and various other diseases were growing in her as well.
She was put on a number of medications at once, which stopped the spread of the diseases. However, the infection had advanced enough that she would need a new arm and leg, as well as a new lung. The infection made it unlikely that she would receive any sort of transplant. Here, her father, a House Representative at this time, stepped in and had the transplant done. Dido received a prosthetic arm and leg and an artificial lung.
Her new living conditions made her absolutely miserable. Things she had taken for granted, like walking and picking up items, had suddenly become much more difficult. Every day was a fight to survive and get better, and she hated that. She wanted to be carefree again, to enjoy her youth, not feel frail and old before her time.
She had her father search for the person who had run into her, who had presumably caused the medical conditions that hospitalized her, but the person was never found. She moved back in with her parents, who hired nannies and physical therapists to take care of her, and stayed at home doing little for a few months. Meanwhile, her father had set his sights on another villain - Ark Industries.
Although Ark eventually won their figurative case and was absolved of responsibility, the corporation did go to lengths to make things right, and one of the things it did was outfit Dido with her own set of robotic prostheses. It took several additional months of research and work on Ark's part to make the custom items, which were built to look, feel, and operate like normal skin and bones; and the work was contingent on Dido putting effort into her recovery. Her parents sent her to live in California, on Ark's campus, for the duration of the project.
With the turnover of several key Ark staff members, her project was handed over to Archie Cane in 2011. After coming to an agreement with her father, Cane added on to Dido's case, working in some experiments on intelligence augmentation through the use of her original ability (technopathy). She was also put through combat testing, to determine whether how much battle her new prosthetics could handle.
Dido herself had never been incredibly happy with the arrangement with Ark, and had gone along with it simply because her condition allowed her to do little else of use. Now that she was fully functional - more so than she had ever been - she decided she could manage on her own, and successfully planned and pulled off an escape from the facility.
Anything else?- Dido is currently moving around the country, expecting that Ark is looking for her. They aren't, but her father is.
Sample RP-The sunlight hit her pale, cold skin like a gunshot, searing through her skin and warming her body. It had been some time since she had been outside, aside from recesses given to her by her Ark doctors. Rubbing her arms, she delighted in the feeling. She had a severe case of "phantom limb," and always had; even if the replaced arm had not had sensors on it, she would have felt it as sure as it was real.
She had never quite been able to accept what had happened to her. Sure, it had happened on a day when millions of people had lost their lives. Still, why her? Of everyone in the café at the time, why had it been her? Or had more people suffered the same fate she had? If so, she did not know it, had never met them. They meant nothing to her.
She left the motel and strolled into the parking lot. As she had left Ark under the cover of darkness, this was her first encounter with this much sun. Spreading her arms, she spun around a little until her eyes fell upon a neat-looking silver car, not overly expensive, but still too nice to be in the parking lot of a seedy motel. Someone was up to some indiscretions.
"Hello, dearie," she sang as she danced over to the car. "What's your name?" Her mind found the circuits that comprised the car's anti-theft system, and disabled it, then located the connections to the doors, and unlocked those. This car was now hers.
"Let's get to know each other, shall we?" She closed the door and started the car without a key. Hurray for touch-start systems! They had clearly been invented before the advent of Specials. Turning the wheel, she backed out of the parking lot and went for a drive, lowering the top of the car once she realized it was a convertible. The wind in her hair, the sun on her face - such little things she had not realized she had missed.
She overtook a driver and cheerfully saluted him with one finger as she passed by.
"Hello world, I'm baaaaack…!"