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bcitisthelight · 3 years

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So.Where to begin.

What you should know is, this isn’t my fault. It’s @misskirby who is to blame for this. She has this AMAZING fic, it’s called Benediction. I like to read it weekly, for sustenance. Go read that first if you want...literally any of this to make sense. So there’s this passage which stole every marble I had, wherein Anakin is explaining the etymology of the Huttese he uses to refer to his children (with a really thorough explanation on Luke’s name.

Anakin scrubbed the back of his neck. “Huttese doesn’t have—words of love. It doesn’t have… benedictions. It’s kind of a cruel language. There’s a whole case for groveling and then—there’s really only the word for love.”

“And that’s abiya?” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin’s grin was crooked. “No. That’s luke. In the Tatooine dialect, at least, it’s luke. We used—things, mostly, to—you know.”

“Luke,” Obi-Wan said, tasting the word, looking down at the sleeping child he’d just been holding, one who carried his parents’ love for him in his name. For the first time in all his life, he wondered what his own name meant, and who it was who had given it to him.

“Abiya is the milk from a flowering cactus,” Anakin said. “It’s very sweet. And rare. I only ever had it once, with my—my mother.”

Obi-Wan turned to look at Anakin again. The expression on Anakin’s face was raw, intense, but Obi-Wan forced himself to look at it, out of respect for the memories of a woman he owed all of Anakin to; the one who had protected him, loved him, when Obi-Wan hadn’t known he had existed at all.

“It also means the morning rain,” Anakin said, waving a hand. “A lot of words in Huttese have many definitions. Abiya, though—it’s a relief. A respite. Pure joy.”

Obi-Wan swallowed around the burning in his throat. “I see,” he said, strangled.

Anakin looked away, his throat bobbing. “Luke only has the one definition, though. There’s only one word derived from it, too, lukkali. Noun and a verb. A krayt dragon whelp, or—krayt dragons, the mothers, their carry their whelps in their mouths, because there’s no place on Tatooine that’s safer, so it’s also the act of doing that.”

I LOVE this passage. I love all of the work it does emotionally, narratively, etc. It’s the best. And yesterday morning, I zeroed in on a specific line. “In the Tatooine dialect” Except hold on, I thought to myself. Anakin was born a slave. What if, when he says the Tatooine dialect, what he means is...the dialect of the slave class?

So here’s the thing. The Hutt society is based on the idea that the Hutts are the prime race, there was the whole Hutt empire thing, I mean the holiday the Boonta Eve Classic is supposed to commemorate is literal holiday that commemorates a Hutt ascending to godhood, during the process of which all of his slaves renew their vows of fealty. It’s not just a class system, where you can you know, in theory move between classes. This is a strict caste system, which you are born into or are captured into. Which got me thinking - what if the language of Huttese has a dialect system...based on caste? We see examples of this sort of socio-linguistic pattern in actual real life!! Tamil and Arabic are some pretty famous examples where certain historical societies who use that language break down that language based on caste, with their different varieties having all sorts of different meanings and cultural connotations, but there’s a ton of them. And in fact, there’s tons of societies which base their dialects on social or other cultural factors.

There’s even a name for it: diglossia, where a society as a whole uses one language but different parts use radically different dialects and forms of that language in different circumstances. Now, strictly historically, how diglossia typically works is that one dialect is seen as a low (L) dialect and one is seen as a high (H) dialect. And get this - in diglossic societies which also contain really severe social inequality - in some cases the dialects can seem almost unintelligible to those who speak the opposite dialect And then based on that passage I posted above, I thought...what if the unintelligibility in this certain case, specifically the unintelligibility between “high” huttese and the dialect spoken by slaves wasn’t surrounding the actual words or structure...what if it was /context/.

So basically in the last thirty six hours I’ve....I’ve made an entire headcanon on Huttese as a trifold diglossic dialect system. I’m putting it under the cut because God its, its a lot guys. Its a lot. Also? It’s written as though its an entry in sociolinguistic glossary of sort, because of course it is. Who wrote that glossary? Space nerds. Nerds in space. Nerds in space from Coruscant University who need research credits for their space masters degrees.

For the purposes of this glossary, the modern caste system of the Hutt Clan has been recorded below. 1. Masters 2. Servants* 3. Slaves The reader should be aware that there is technically a high caste called “Grand Masters”, which historically was comprised of members of the Grand Hutt Council and their families. This caste used a dialect usually referred to as “Archaic Huttese”, and is the source dialect of Huttese, originally developed on the Hutt home planet of Nal Hutta. However, this language has long fallen out of common use. The reader should also note that belonging to the Servant caste does not imply any quality of servitude per se. Rather, this is the caste of all ordinary free people who live under Hutt Rule. This designation is believed to have originated in the understanding within the ancient Hutt empire that any being who lived under Hutt dominion was by rights a servant to any Hutt who should need them. The dialects of the castes are as follows. 1. The dialect of the master class is also known as “High Huttese”. The common dialect of all high-born Hutts, and widely adopted by non-Hutts who own slaves or hold positions of authority within Hutt society. This dialect is used in all interactions involving a master, whether between a group of masters or a master and a lower-caste member. With Hutt families whose bloodlines have been regarded as a part of the master class for several centuries, there is a curious strain of monolinguism in an otherwise highly polylinguistic society, with many high born Hutt families refusing to learn even the fundamentals of standard Basic. The reasoning for this seems to be a cultural belief held by the masters that any person of a lower caste bends to the needs of the masters, rather than the other way around. The historical risk of a master’s displeasure upon improper address has led to this dialect becoming the default in conversation unless you are absolutely sure of another person’s caste, since historically the risk of offense should you choose wrong was often very high. There are at least three different cases of blood feuds between members of Hutt Master families which involved the use of a lower caste dialect as a cause of offense.

This default status of this dialect means that when a person in the Republic references “Huttese”, they are almost always referencing the master dialect. The master dialect is what is taught in the schools of the Republic. This has led to a sort of self-perpetuating cycle. As interactions with the rest of the galaxy have shifted to singular dialect, the use of the master dialect has become more solidified within common Hutt Society, even when the speaker is aware that Low Huttese would be acceptable.

It should be noted that this exception applies only to free people. Slaves are required by Hutt law to use this dialect when speaking Huttese to any non-slave they interact with, even if that person does not belong to the Hutt caste system. The Hutt law imposing this requirement famously reads, “Because all beings are above a slave, a slave should speak to every being in the tongue of their masters.” The penalty for a slave addressing a master in anything but the high dialect is often some sort of physical punishment. A rather gruesome tradition which is kept in force to this day. 2. The servant dialect is also called “Low Huttese”. While originally it was relatively distinct from both the dialect spoken by the masters and the dialect spoken by the slaves of Hutt Society, it has since suffered a bit of stagnation. There are many factors which could cause this to occur. As the Republic opened up more and more channels of commerce to Hutt Space, and the Master dialect has become the norm outside of Hutt Society, true enforcement of the linguistic standard for non-enslaved beings has fallen much to the wayside in the last two standard centuries or so. Modern Low Huttese dialect is thus mostly similar to the Master dialect in grammar and generally accepted vocabulary. However, a remaining diversion exists which is based on pronunciation, and a significant reliance on rather course slang on the part of those who speak Low Huttese. It has been said by Huttese linguistic scholars that while High Huttese is a an excellent dialect for threats, Low Huttese is an excellent dialect for swearing. 3. The slave dialect has no name in any official Hutt or Republic record. It is not recognized by any authority in either written or spoken form. In fact, generally the only beings who know or speak the slave dialect are those who are or who once were enslaved, and their loved ones. The dialect differs rather severely from high huttese - though primarily through meaning and cultural context, rather than actual structure.

It seems that this “hidden” diversion was born of necessity, rather than choice. The masters didn’t like the idea of their slaves having a way of communication the masters were not privy to, and so would punish any slave caught speaking a dialect which was immediately recognizable as being outside of the master dialect. The slave class in the ancient Hutt empire adapted to this by taking the dialect forced upon them, and manipulating a large portion of it for their use. Rather ingeniously, they seem to have developed an entire dialect specifically ordered so that they could express themselves freely without being automatically targeted by a passing master or authority figure. This is the vital distinction: words in the master dialect often have vastly different or even opposite meanings when used in the slave dialect. Added to this complexity are the wide range of connotations and contexts for each word. An interesting note to the slave dialect is that generally, the more abstract a word is, the fewer meanings or connotations it has, whereas often the most culturally impactful words and concepts are taken from simple or every day words. There is only one word for love in the slave dialect - “Luke” - because it is seen as pure, and when given, unconditional. When this word is used, there is no linguistic distinction between platonic or romantic love - the slave class instead relies on idioms or proverbs to express the difference in feeling. In direct contrast, there are nine different ways a person can use the verb which means “to attach”, ranging from the mundane (“Attach these two machine parts together”) to the taboo (“to cause another person to be enslaved”) There are some words which are unique to this dialect, however. One example is the word for “freedom”, which in the slave dialect is “telena”.

The master dialect’s word for freedom is the same as their word for authoritarian power. Freedom within the master caste, then, was specifically associated with the ability to exercise dominion over the world around them. Members of the slave class, as individuals who constantly suffered under that same authoritarian power, showed a collective repugnance for the association between freedom and the very dehumanization they themselves suffered. Drawing from the use of the anakin plant as one of the most culturally and spiritually significant symbols in the caste (See entry on Anakin, a flowering plant which originated in the deserts of Tatooine but which has since been domesticated throughout the Outer Rim) they instead chose to develop a word based off the Hutt verb “to bloom” One common expression amongst the slave class is “Telena telen ali anakin” - “Freedom blooms with the anakin” Those interested in the study of this dialect, then, are well warned that they should take great care in attempting to communicate in this dialect (if they can find a teacher, that is - many slaves or even those who were formally enslaved are understandably reluctant to give up what is likely one of the only means of expression of not only agency, but of caste solidarity. I have seen two former slaves go from total strangers to kindred spirits in the space of five minutes, upon discovering by means of dialect each others mutual experience.)

#I made an entire headcanon on Huttese as a trifold diglossic dialect system #she said #like a LOSER #do you ever write a sentence so insane it immediately deals you psychic damage #and what makes it worse is that #this is something i did in my free time today #this is what i do for FUN #anyways #I will be writing more to come lmao #Huttese #star wars #conlang #sociolinguistics #but you know #in space #please don't take the actual structure too seriously i am strictly here for the social connotations #i dont know linguistics #and frankly #i dont care

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mazurah · 6 years

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Altmeris Vocabulary from Summerset

Regarding Altmeris: The Altmer would probably say that their language is named Aldmeris, considering their obsession with all things Aldmeri, but we need some way of differentiating it from the language spoken by actual ancient Aldmer, so I’m using Altmeris for now.

Profanity and Pejoratives:

(I.E. swears and insults. I know why you’re here.)

Slek - Profanity. Both an interjection and a pejorative, likely high intensity. Probably equivalent to "shit" or possibly "fuck." Examples: "Slek, my head hasn't hurt this bad since..." "May that slek thank her ancestors that she won't have to face me in battle."

Glan'nt - Profanity. Pejorative, likely moderate to high intensity. Probably equivalent to “bastard” or “asshole” or “motherfucker.” Examples: "I promise to duel that filthy glan'nt at the determined place and time." "These glan'nts think they can double cross me?"

De'nt - Profanity. Pejorative, likely mild to moderate intensity. Probably equivalent to “jerk” or “asshole.” Examples: "I know some of us here in Summerset have been true de'nts about this open border situation." "Are you going to look or are you going to buy? I have no time for de'nts in my shop." "Those Maormer de'nts have certainly done their part."

Ephem - Someone who isn’t Altmer. Probably pejorative, likely mild intensity. Possibly short for “ephemeral”, as a reference to someone with a short lifespan. Examples: “Get away, ephem. Away from me. Away from our island!” "These ephems have taken all the rooms." "If our crafts are left to the work of ephems, our reputation will grow tarnished." "If the ephems didn't want entrance processing to take so long, they could fill out the forms in advance."

Nebarra - Pejorative, likely moderate intensity. Literal translation: “unwelcome.” Impolite word for outlander. (The Altmer equivalent of the Dunmer "n'wah".) Examples: “You know what that word means? The one the High Elves call us? 'Nebarra.' It means 'unwelcome.'” “And now a damn nebarra is standing close enough for me to smell it! Well, nebarra? Speak up!” “Nebarra? Well, I suppose that's our word for the newcomers. I guess you could say it's impolite, but old habits can be hard to break.” “With all the nebarra in Alinor, it's no wonder the hunting has gotten worse.”

Forms of Address:

Barra - A greeting. Literal translation: "welcome."

Cerum - Gender neutral honorific probably equivalent to “sir” or “ma'am.”

Ceruval - Gender neutral honorific probably equivalent to “sir” or “ma'am.” I suspect it is more respectful than cerum, but that’s just inference based on usage.

Altmeri Cultural and Philosophical Concepts:

Alaxon - State of perfection. Example: "An Altmer concept practiced widely here in Summerset. Alaxon is the state of perfection that every High Elf strives for. The Path to Alaxon represents the approach we take to achieve that state."

Oegnithir - "The bad change." Example: "Membership in the Psijic Order will bring you both prestige and power. But such honors often lead to oegnithir—the bad change. What you do in the Order's name, you do for others. Never yourself."

Aprax (Singular, "an aprax elf"; plural, "apraxics") - Someone who has been outcast from society and banished for crimes. Members of society are forbidden from talking to apraxics. Similar, but not the same as ousters. Examples: “I'm what the clods in the kinhouses call an apraxic—an Elf criminal. There are other High Elf misfits called ousters, but the fortunes of an apraxic are a little more severe.” “He's not an aprax or an ouster, but he tries to act the part.” “If those surfacers know you're talking to an aprax, they might toss you out too.” “Apraxic Mer are people who, for whatever reason, were expelled from the greater Elven community. Most aprax labor for years to reenter society. Others choose to remain in exile.” “Rumor has it that a famous aprax called the Mother of Rats lives in the city, but I've never met her. Even if I did, we're forbidden from speaking with her.”

Apraxis - The state of being outcast from society and banished for crimes; exile. See The Price of Praxis for more info. Example: “Finally, she whispered the damning phrase, ‘Apraxis’ and let the sphere slip through her fingers.”

Calian, or praxic talisman - A symbol of a person's membership in Altmeri society. Possibly used as proof of ancestry. Physical descriptions of a praxic talisman from The Price of Praxis:

“At that time, the sphere was pristine—fashioned from milky aethequartz and sun-blown glass.”

“All the pride of my noble race found voice in its creamy luster.”

It is shattered if its owner becomes an aprax, and must be restored to allow return to Altmeri society.

“For thirty years, I labored over the shattered remains of my blessed calian. I spent the last of my gold gathering stone-cutting tools, pearl-powder fixatives, and sacred oils. I ate little and slept not at all. My beard grew long and my muscles withered. With each success came three new failures. And all the while, my fellow Altmer spurned and cursed me. Finally, one bright morning in Second Seed, I set the last delicate shard of glass in its place—returning the calian to its pristine origins.” — The Price of Praxis.

Calan - Possibly means the living members of a person’s clan, but that’s just conjecture based on context. Example: “My entire calan—mother, father, grandseers, and rumes—shuffled in their pews.” (Don’t ask me what “rumes” means, that’s the only time we ever see it used.)

Aednavorith - Genealogy. Example: "The monks of the Serene Harmony Monastery stand as the most renowned "Aednavorith" scholars in all of Summerset. The study of genealogy and ancestry remains a subject of endless interest to all High Elves."

Hulkynd - Literal translation: "Broken child." Altmer who were cast out of society as children because of some perceived imperfection or deformity. Examples:

Tableau: “High Elves strive for perfection in all things, and their bloodline most of all. Hulkynds are children abandoned by their families for some perceived imperfection, generally a physical deformity. They’re more than just orphans. They’re outcasts.” Player: “Outcasts? In what way?” Tableau: “In Summerset, family stands above all. They guide your life, almost immeasurably. To be without family is to be unseen, unrecognized as a member of our society. There’s not much of a life a hulkynd can make for themselves because of that.”

Manacar: “I have no family to shame, no name which to soil. I may as well be a shadow, for all the worth I am given. Society would rather ignore me than admit I exist. Of course, this anonymity allows me unprecedented freedom. A blessing within my curse.” Player: “Your curse? The fact that you’re a hulkynd?” Manacar: “Yes. I was rejected when I was but a babe. One look upon my face should tell you why.”

Valtarion: “Hulkynds have no sense of honor. It comes with being raised without a family, you know. That’s why no one trusts them.” Player: “What does having a family have to do with who you can trust?” Valtarion: “A family sets expectations. Here in Summerset, all we do is for our family’s honor. There’s no hope for someone who doesn’t have even that to guide them.”

Lilawen: “A mer without family cannot truly be considered a mer, after all. Why, he’s more than an outsider within Summerset. He’s truly nothing. A broken child can never hope to become anything more.”

Other Vocabulary:

Kynd - Child. Example: "Anyone is capable of anything. A snot-nosed kynd would murder his most beloved dog with a shovel if you gave him a good enough reason."

Canvaroth - Scout. Example: "I often serve as the Ritemaster's canvaroth... a scout, as it were."

Halsoriel - sewer. Example: “It seems he escaped into the vaulted halsoriel.”

Graxifalas - Extremely disgraceful. Example: “It is graxifalas—disgraceful on a scale you outsiders can't even imagine.”

Kamlehal - "Shrieking terror." Example:

Erudil: “I borrowed it from the Librarium Kamlehal to impress Glardir.” Player: “Librarium Kamlehal? What’s that?” Erudil: “The… uhm… Library of Shrieking Terror.”

Eluvein - Another name for the hilas owl, used to describe people who are cold-hearted or aloof. Example: “Eluveins lay their eggs, then abandon them.”

Adma'na - Poor listener. Example: "I'm what they call an adma'na—poor listener."

Criminological Technical Jargon:

Admanen - Literal translation: "the listening eye." One of three members of an examiner's quorum whose role it is to inspect and advise, collect evidence, interview suspects, balance competing theories, and in general provide a fresh perspective to an investigation. Example: “You would take on the duties of the admanen, the listening eye.”

Revelator-naganwe - Literal translation: "death seer." One of three members of an examiner's quorum whose role it is to use magic to solve crimes. Example: “I am a revelator-naganwe—a death seer. I use magic to solve murders.”

Thalmilan - One of three members of an examiner's quorum whose role it is to parse clues and render a verdict. Example: “Jurisreeves always travel in groups of three. A quorum comprises three distinct roles—a revelator-naganwe for magical inquiry, an admanen to inspect and advise, and a thalmilan to parse the clues and render a verdict.”

Riasen - A critical witness to a crime. Example: "The Sapiarchs classified him as a riasen—a critical witness.

Etymological Roots of Place Names:

Russafeld - "Russafeld means 'scarlet shrine' in some dialects of Aldmeris, which may explain where the Red Temple gets its curious name. But the most commonly held opinion states that it's a shortening or corruption of 'Dread Temple.'" — Loading screen for Russafeld

Tor-Hame-Khard - "In Aldmeric, the name means Warlord's Mountain Lair, as these vast halls were originally built in the early First Era for the legendary Prime Battlereeve Fiirfarya. One morning the estate's entire populace was found slaughtered, and thereafter the site was abandoned." — Loading screen for Tor-Hame-Khard

Ald Mora - Literal translation: “Old Forest.”

I came across more Altmeris words that were not defined, but these are all the words that I could find for which translation was provided, or there was enough context to infer a translation. All examples given above are taken directly from the game.

#TES #ESO #Summerset #Elder Scrolls Lore #Altmer #Altmeris #Elder Scrolls Online #ESO: Summerset #Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset #Fan Resource #Community Resource #Language #Dunno if I should tag this as #Conlang #Conlang Resource #Whatever #Long Post

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oc-tipstricksandreviews · 6 years

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Any chance of a review for my Batman OC? I’d really appreciate it. Also, uhm, it’s a really long bio, so… sorry? ^_^; I may or may not have gone overboard…

Full Name: Lily Amelia Dangerfield

Nicknames: Wildcat Lily knew that she needed to have a codename of sorts, when she started playing the ‘costumed identity game’, to help separate those actions from her normal life. While undergoing training, she was given the nickname ‘Little Cat’, which –coupled with her lifelong fondness for all kinds of animal and the nature of her burgeoning powers, as well as various terms used for thieves– helped her settle on this. It was also, in part, a way to reflect a degree of independence from those who trained her in the first place.

Feral After a particularly-devastating encounter with Black Mask, Lily abandons the entire ‘Wildcat’ persona. However, feeling that what drove her to heroism in the first place was not done, she created an entirely new persona. Lily’s choice of her new codename was partially a way to acknowledge the new and much broader scope of her powers –regardless of how much it actually scares her– but also to serve as a reminder to herself to not live up to what it could imply… not completely, anyway. She also was getting a bit sick of people comparing her to Catwoman, simply because they both used the word ‘cat’ in their codenames.

Little Lily A longstanding nickname used by her family, thanks in no small measure to her rather diminutive stature. Especially since starting high school, however, several friends and classmates have taken to using it as well. The fact that there is a girl in her class whose name is Lillian, and who is significantly taller than she is, helps a lot.

Emery Roosevelt When Lily started to dabble on the wrong side of the law, she created an alias which she used for every ‘costume-connected’ action and interaction that she could. There is even a somewhat illegal bank account at the Gotham City Bank that is under this name, which her criminal employers paid her by. After turning away from most of that lifestyle, she still uses it for much of her costumed activities. Her grandmother has an interest in name etymology, which is an interest that Lily has at least partially adopted; her alias connects to Lily’s real name in multiple ways… ‘Emery’ and ‘Amelia’ come from the same root, while ‘Roosevelt’ –meaning ‘rose field’– links with ‘Dangerfield’ in terms of a thematic feel, coupled with a trend in the Dangerfield family of names that refer to plants.

Age: 15 at the start of her hero’s journey.

Birthday: March 17 – Feast-day for the unofficial patron saint of cats, Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, as well as being Saint Patrick’s Day.

Gender: Female

Eyes: Bright amber in colour, with shades ranging through the whole gamut of golden-yellow, orange, golden-brown, and even some flecks of burnt-red. They are rather large and set at a catlike tilt –having shifted slightly since her powers started to come into the picture– and are framed in long lashes that are darker than her natural hair colour. She rather likes using eye-makeup, with a preference for dark brown or black mascara, black eyeliner in ‘cat’s-eye’ patterns, and colourful and sometimes rather thick eye-shadow.

Hair: Naturally a light ‘golden-platinum’ shade of blonde, Lily’s hair is almost dead-straight, fairly thick, and generally kept at a length that reaches about halfway down her back, coupled with fairly long bangs as well. Typically, she simply lets it hang loose, but she will tie it back into a ponytail or plait when she needs it out of the way. Lily takes a degree of pride in her hair and cares for it extremely well when she has the opportunity, making it very silky to the touch and keeping it fastidiously de-knotted. On occasions where she has coloured it –typically using temporary dyes and mostly done before going on an ‘outing’ as an added piece of identity-security– Lily favours vivid colours, due to the sheer contrast to her natural colour.

Skin: Light tan with a creamy cast and a plethora of freckles on her face, shoulders, forearms, knees, and thighs… and plenty in between. She doesn’t really tan in the conventional manner so much as she grows new freckles, which she often jokes is why she has so many in the first place. She does have several scars from various incidents, but what she doesn’t want to potentially explain away, she covers with makeup or clothing. Any that she does leave open to be seen, she’s probably coined two or three different stories about how it happened, on top of the actual truth.

Race & Ethnicity: Half-Human and half-Farfarmniflatch, by birth –not that she knows. Due to various circumstances, she would also classify as a Metahuman, as well. Her mother’s ethnic background is European, predominantly Scandinavian, to be exact. [Also, I swear I did not make that race up… It exists in the DC universe, and an example of one is Rita Lopez a.k.a. ‘Monstergirl’.]

Build: For her small size of 5’0” at age 15, Lily is actually somewhat lanky, being more limb –especially leg– than she is torso. She is lithe and lean, covered head to toe in wiry muscle, and more than capable of performing acts of flexibility that wouldn’t be out of place in a circus. Everything about her body, including her facial features, is slender and delicate in appearance, which gives her a rather elfish look when coupled with her height. Her body is developing in a way that suggests that she’ll have the potential for ‘decent’ curves, if she carried more fat on her tiny frame.

Civilian Attire: Overall, Lily’s sense of style is probably best described as being ‘contemporary’ or ‘alternative’. She likes clothing that has clean lines in the hem and cut of the fabric, loves wearing denim or leather, and adores hoods, gloves, and boots. Buckles, zips, laces or drawstrings, and metal rings are also common throughout her wardrobe. As far as colours go, she especially likes rich and warm colours such as purple and red, but doesn’t like wearing green –somewhat ironic, considering her birthday.

Super-Attire #1: As with many costumed figures, Lily’s suit covers all of her body and even includes a mask that covers her entire head. Her costume is mostly black –or rather a shade of dull purple that is so dark it’s practically black– with deep red stripes. The mask is the same colouration and has a catlike design, complete with ‘ears’ (which is where she tends to ‘store’ her bun’d hair), with orange lenses over the eyes. Shoes and gloves are blended into the suit itself; the shoes are split-toed (parkour shoes), and the gloves are full-fingered with the inner two being coloured red. Lily also incorporated some ‘armour’ into the mix, padding the elbows, shoulders (including across the top of her back), and knees with leather, but overall it’s fairly basic in terms of its construction. Also included in her ensemble is a belt around her hips –with several pouches secured to it– connected to a pair that loop around her legs for greater security during acrobatics and climbing. She will abandon this suit for another one after a particularly devastating encounter with Black Mask, along with creating a second codename for herself.

Super-Attire #2: Lily didn’t change her costume very much when coining a new masked identity. The only particular changes she made was to the aesthetic side of the equation, rather than to the practical side. In truth, the only real difference is in the addition of a ‘sleeve’ for her newly-acquired tail, which she eventually gets rid of entirely, and simply allows the limb to be bared while costumed. The aesthetic changes are as follows… The primary colour of the costume is now a rich warm purple –far less dark than the previous version. The stripes are now black, lined in crimson, and pierced through with another, smaller, crimson stripe. Black is also present from toe to just above the knee, from the first knuckle of each finger and thumb to just above the elbow, and down the entire length of the tail-sleeve, fading into the purple in each case. All of her fingers –and both thumbs– are now purple, with a crimson line running down the digit from an equally-red knuckle pad. Her belt ensemble is now completely black, as well. She upgraded her mask design –not only by making it a different colour– in the sense that she’s included makeshift sensory-insulation, in an effort to help her concentrate while in costume.

Morality: Lily begins her costumed career as a low-grade ‘villain’, being a thief –albeit one that prefers to target those who she believes can afford to lose a bit of their wealth. Later on, following a rather disastrous incident with a member of the Gotham Rogues Gallery, she starts to try her hand at a more hero-like lifestyle. In truth, she’s probably best described as either ‘neutral’ or ‘anti-hero’…

Motivation: Redemption, guilt, and self-blame… and addiction.

Personality: Lily can be described as being catlike in many ways, and it’s something that she believes may be connected to her initial abilities. She is extremely curious –sometimes to the point of reckless endangerment– and is also very playful, mischievous, and hedonistic. If she can be lazy and comfortable, she generally prefers to be… unless her occasional habit of being contradictory raises its head and she refuses to stay still for more than five seconds; she has, in the past, wanted to be both warm and cool at the same time, without the potential excuse of being ill. If given half a chance, she is an extremely tactile person, regularly invading the personal space of others –seemingly without a care– while tending to be hyper-aware of her own.

Highly intelligent and determined, Lily is an avid learner of any and all information that she can get her hands on, with the topics ranging wildly –from knots to soufflé, for example. Lily learns things quickly, too, especially if she is able to do so in a tactile or kinetic manner. Learning by listening, however, is probably the worst way to teach her anything, thanks in no small part to her regular bullheadedness. Despite all this, she is prone to being rather foolish or simply too reckless for her own good –or that of someone else– especially when her emotions get the better of her.

When Lily puts her mind to something, she is very dedicated to finishing what she’s started. This dedication also extends to the interpersonal scale, when someone manages to meet her often-rather-variable standards. Her loyalty is typically hard-won, but equally tends to be unshakable; any grudges that she holds are just as difficult to break, while being much easier to garner. This ‘all or nothing’ approach stems mostly from her sense of pride, as she believes that she’s a good judge of character… unfortunately, she’s not actually as good at it as she thinks she is.

In the event of feeling indebted to someone, no matter her other opinions on them, she will go above and beyond the call of duty to pay them back. Lily hates the feeling of owing anyone anything, but by going slightly overboard with repayments, she can validate asking for a favour from them at some later time, should she deem it necessary. Naturally, this is also something that can be manipulated rather easily by others, once they realise it… not that she’s especially quiet about it, when such topics come up.

Lily possesses a strong sense of morals, albeit a slightly twisted one, which she will adhere to –come hell or high water. She refuses to actively target anyone whom she knows to be worse-off than herself, empathising with them to some degree thanks to her own history. She also does everything she can to keep from targeting anyone who is suffering from a chronic illness or other such condition, whether directly or indirectly. Children are also largely safe from her less scrupulous activities, but only if they’re younger than her… or look like her brother in any notable way. Regardless of her moral code, however, she is more or less an adrenaline junkie with blossoming kleptomania. She loves to acquire things that are furry, shiny, sparkly, or glittery, and harbours a great deal of jealousy towards those who have the fame and fortune that she doesn’t… especially without bending or breaking the law.

As far as Lily’s temper is concerned, it’s usually released in loud and reasonably quick bursts of sometimes-violent anger that flares up out of seemingly nowhere, and may last for just a minute or two before simmering back down. She likes to joke, following these outbursts, that they are her ‘literal hissy fits’. In the instances where Lily tries to instead bottle her emotions up –particularly after her abilities first manifested– her temper is much more than simply explosive… it can be outright dangerous, as her negative emotions build like a physical force that needs some form of release… After her abilities grow beyond a certain point, the ‘bottling approach’ becomes a slippery slope to triggering a practically-uncontrollable rampage. Unsurprisingly, Lily much prefers the smaller but more frequent bursts over the larger but less frequent ones.

Having initially grown up almost in the country, Lily loves anything to do with the outdoors, although she’s not as fond of city-based outdoor stuff. She also adores animals of almost all kinds –even more so after realising that she could converse with them to some degree– with a particular fondness for cats, if only because of the purring.

Last, but definitely not least, Lily has a more or less ‘built-in’ fascination for the metahumans and aliens that inhabit the world. Everything about them excites her in ways that she can’t really explain, but she certainly does know that –if given half a chance– she’d love to meet each and every one of them. Fantasies of proving herself ‘worthy’ of being counted among the number of empowered beings of that world permeate her thoughts more often than she’d readily admit. Lily gets this from her father, along with her dislike of being told what to do and her propensity for finding the violent option to be more fun.

Habits & Quirks:

Checks and double-checks windows and doors of wherever she’s staying for the night, even before moving to Gotham.

After Reed comes into the picture, teaching him new things and just taking him for some exercise around the city is one of her primary relaxation methods.

Scans every room she enters for exits.

Loves to have potato crisps and tea in the same ‘meal’.

Hates people walking close behind her.

When she’s nervous, she can barely stay still. At the very least, her hands will be doing something –fiddling with whatever she can as a way to work out the built-up energy.

If allowed to, she’s prone to sleeping though the day and staying awake during the night. She especially loves seeing both dawn and dusk, although they tend to disappoint her somewhat in Gotham’s city limits.

If she dislikes someone, she’ll practice her knowledge of other languages with them. Ironically, this actually got her some impromptu lessons in Italian, courtesy of various members of the mob.

Hates the smell of soy sauce.

Always watches a movie with popcorn, and can barely focus on it if she doesn’t have any.

Fears: Aside from the concept of experiencing another death through an empathic bond, Lily isn’t overtly afraid of anything; that’s not to say that she’s fearless, however, as there are other things that can get under her skin. Overexposure to confinement makes her rather antsy, potentially to the point that she may suffer a panic attack in extreme circumstances, and this is mostly due to the fact that it leaves her vulnerable to many forms of attack. Lily also has a pronounced and pathological dislike of drowning, although –strangely– suffocation inspires a much less potent reaction.

Good Traits Rundown: Curious, intelligent, determined, playful and likes to joke, avid and quick learner, dedicated, loyal, pays her debts, strong sense of morals, won’t attack or otherwise target certain people if she can help it, temper is usually fairly fleeting, loves animals and is liked by them in return…

Bad Traits Rundown: Hedonistic, lazy, reckless, mischievous, contradictory, ignores the personal space of others, bullheaded, foolish, holds grudges, proud, not actually that great a judge of character, easily guilted into doing things for other people, moral code is a bit twisted, adrenaline junkie and kleptomaniac, jealous of those better-off than herself, can be violent, potential for becoming obsessed and in a bad way…

Physical Powers: Initially

Retractable talons on all digits [ref: Sabretooth in ‘Wolverine Origins’ movie], shorter on toes than on fingers. She took to wearing gloves and closed-toe shoes whenever she was going to be seen by people who didn’t already know about her powers.

Lily’s eyes changed after her abilities manifested, getting slightly larger and a bit more tilted. Her pupils altered to become vertical slits, although it’s not especially obvious unless looking closely or when she’s in extreme-light situations, and they now function more like those of a feline than a human.

She has the capacity to rapidly grow or shed fur or scales on all or part of her body, although it takes her some time to figure this out.

Enhanced

After a particular encounter with Black Mask, Lily’s body will permanently change once again, this time leaving her with a long and fully-prehensile tail, covered in sleek blonde fur.

Her ability to grow and shed fur or scales will expand to various other body-coverings found in the scientific classification of ‘Animalia’, including bone-like formations –although this particular variant will only ever be able to be used on parts of her body.

Special Abilities: Initially

Proportionate physical abilities of a cat her own size. This means strength, speed, stamina, agility, nimbleness, reflexes, dexterity, flexibility, etcetera… She also has the senses of a feline, including a sort of ‘proximity sense’ centred around her head that is her equivalent of having whiskers, and is not dissimilar to ‘spidey-sense’.

Lily possesses an empathic connection with vertebrate animals that she has any particular familiarity with, and she can ‘connect’ with one fairly quickly, as well. Once a connection is forged, she can then conduct a slightly crude form of conversation with the animal. Lily can have a bond with no more than three animals at once, and one of those ‘slots’ is dedicated to her pet dog. She also has an empathic ‘twin-bond’ with her brother… or rather, she used to.

Enhanced

Her physical capabilities expand to encompass everything found in Earth’s vertebrates. This includes her senses, and will cause her more than a few issues while she gets used to them yet again.

After a particular encounter with Black Mask, Lily gains the ability to transform into a sort of variable and mismatched werebeast-like form, wherein she has very little control or even notable humanlike thought processes. Changing forms requires some sort of ‘stress stimuli’ for a very long time –although she may never be able to fully-control when, what, or how this happens. The first transformation of this sort is what she believes left her with a tail in the first place.

Weaknesses: While there are several very-obvious perks to Lily’s powers, there are also cons to each part of her power-set. Her claws, like those of a cat, are subject to being extended outside of her conscious control –while stretching or when startled are particular examples. She’s also just as able to be hurt by them as any other creature. Lily’s tail is also primarily controlled by her subconscious, moving ‘on its own’ unless she concentrates on telling it what to do. It is highly-sensitive, and it’s quite easy to cause her to black out from pain when her tail is mishandled. Both claws and tail are hard to hide, at the best of times. Her ability to grow and shed fur or scales, etcetera, is a rather draining thing to do, as well.

Enhanced senses always have the same basic drawbacks; she is easily overwhelmed by them, even to the point of passing out… not to mention that, if her ‘proximity sense’ is triggered, she may be left jumpy or even somewhat paranoid. Lily’s enhanced physical capabilities, while incredibly useful and potent, take a very long time for her to get accustomed to –she still, after years, makes mistakes with them. There is also the matter of her stamina… she can entirely misjudge how much energy she’s got left, and it’s more than possible for her to literally run herself to death.

Even Lily’s empathic abilities and conversing with animals have their drawbacks. Out of a desperate need, she will often go out of her way to put the wellbeing of said animals over her own or that of other people, as she can feel the pain or even death of beings she’s connected with. She can also have difficulty telling the difference between people and animal conversations, especially if she’s tired or otherwise distracted –her dog, Reed, is the only exception to this, as she can almost immediately recognise his ‘voice’.

Lastly, she has little to no control over her transformation abilities; she can barely instigate it at will, she has almost no say in the physicality of the form, and has extreme difficulty controlling herself… let alone thinking clearly or even like a human while transformed. She also can’t turn into anything ‘more normal’ than a great big werebeast-thing.

Origin of Powers: Lily’s powers come from two types of sources. One is the fact that her father –unbeknownst to her– is actually a member of the Farfarmniflatch alien race. This is where the capacity for transforming herself actually comes from, although –given that she’s only half-alien– her capabilities with such are not as wide-spread or well-controlled as a full-blooded Farfarmniflatch. The other source is an amalgamation of at least three –possibly more– different mutagenic compounds that her body has been subjected to.

The first one to come into play had –decades prior– been introduced to the water supply of the city she initially lived in. It was part of a plan to steadily transform the population into metahumans, to be thusly recruited into various projects, including as super-soldiers. The secret organisation [yes, I will be doing some more work on this bit, such as determining who the fuck these peeps even are] responsible for it was working in conjunction with a portion of the local government and a prominent corporation with a stake in the area as well, along with other similar groups in various locations around the world.

The second mutagen was –quite literally– fed to her, during their training. The purpose of this one was to introduce certain traits or capabilities into her system, and had been in use by that group for many, many years. It was keyed specifically for animalistic mutations, and this is where she believes her abilities actually come from, having learned about the concoction on her final day training with them.

Lily came into contact with the third compound while performing her first clandestine job. It took her to the laboratory where the mutagen was being created. She was supposed to steal research data and destroy evidence, but things didn’t quite go as planned. Lily was spotted and had to deal with security, which in turn resulted in her getting essentially bathed in the concoction; contact lasted for hours until she managed to get it all off, with the mutagen sinking through her skin and a few open wounds in the meantime.

When Lily’s body finally gave in to the mutagenic mixture, including a dash of Lazarus via Gotham’s groundwater, she somehow managed to survive a fever that would generally have been considered to be pretty much lethal in its intensity. She didn’t, however, initially obtain the fullest extent of what her abilities could become. As time goes on and she not only becomes more familiar with them but is also regularly pushed to her limits, they will mature… growing and expanding in ways that she doesn’t anticipate. The more stress she is under –physical, mental, or emotional– the faster this evolution happens…

Skills:

Clothes-making and mending – Lily was taught how to sew by her grandmother, including some seamstress skills, while her grandfather started to teach her how to work harder materials like plastic, metal, and wood. She continued learning these skills even after his death.

Gymnastics – She was notably-talented at this from an early age, and even managed to reach a regional competition before pulling out of it due to her grandfather’s failing health.

Contortionist – Even without her powers, Lily was always naturally-flexible in the extreme.

Parkour and ‘urban exploration’ – Lily’s fascination for exploring the places she goes developed from an occasional hobby to an outright pastime, particularly after beginning her costumed career. Parkour was just part of the parcel, and is something she engages in, even on her ‘days off’.

Light and quick on her feet – Capable of turning almost on a dime, Lily’s nimbleness is one of her favourite traits. The fact that she learned how to walk almost silently is also a plus.

Trained as a ninja of sorts, primarily thievery and assassination – Trained by a martial-arts branch of a multinational criminal organisation –not that she knew it at the time– Lily has the know-how to be devastatingly dangerous, although she definitely prefers not to kill if she can get away with it. She learned the battle and stealth skills they taught her at an astonishing rate, thanks to a knack for both topics. From there, she developed her own quick and highly-acrobatic fighting style, with a growing bestial edge as her powers develop further.

First-Aid and some ‘higher-grade’ medical skills like suturing – Another set of skills taught to her by her grandmother.

Family:

Paternal Grandfather (adopted) – Basil Anthony Dangerfield… A retired army pilot, and a craftsman by trade. He proposed to his to-be-wife while he was bleeding profusely onto her, after an accident with a saw. Basil was always a ‘good man’, by almost every way of measuring it, including being an active member of the community. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer when Lily was still just a kid, and died shortly afterwards.

Paternal Grandmother (adopted) – Rosemary Dianne Dangerfield… Trained as a nurse and then –later in life– expanding her knowledge and skills with the intention of becoming an accredited doctor, she and Basil were teenage sweethearts who actually managed to stay in love. She’s not taking his death well, however, and her health is ailing because of it.

Maternal Grandparents – Aaron & Heather Jensen… A builder and a teacher, respectively, the Jensens were unhappy about their daughter’s choice in fiancé, and refused to help in any way with their wedding. Because of this, Lily has only met them once, when she was around about two years old, and doesn’t know anything about them other than that. Heather was suspicious about whether or not Lily and her brother were even Jarred’s children –believing that Jarred was actually impotent, which was part of the reason behind the animosity from both of the Jensens towards him– and tried to get Dahlia to have them properly tested. She never brought it up to Jarred, the twins, or even to her parents-in-law.

Father (adopted) – Jarred Laurence Dangerfield… A businessman on the rise with his own company, Jarred had big plans for his family. He was madly in love with his wife, and had wanted to marry her since they met in university, despite the barely-masked hostility of her parents. When the car crash that killed him happened, he was dead before those attending the scene could get him out of the vehicle.

Father – Unknown member of the Farfarmniflatch race… He came to Earth while tracking radiation trails from shards of Krypton. While he didn’t find much of what he initially came for, he did partake in the locals with some fervour. Included in this is a one-night fling with Dahlia. She was tipsy and discussing human biology with so much enthusiasm that he found it amusing. However, he regretted having sex with her the moment they’d finished, and he left before she woke. It’s likely that he has no idea that he became a father from that event…

Mother – Dahlia Marie Dangerfield… Before her death from the same car crash that killed her husband, she had earned a PhD in biology and was part of a research team that studied infectious diseases. Her one-night-stand with an unknown man just one day before Jarred proposed was a secret that she kept very close to her chest, mostly out of shame. About a week before the accident, however, she discovered something odd in the blood samples the team was working on, and intended on bringing her discovery to the attention of the rest of them.

Twin Brother – Florian Aster Dangerfield… He had dreams of becoming a stunt-man for films and television. Aster went through the same training regime that Lily did, matching her progress step for step; he even developed abilities of his own –reptilian-like ones– and coined the codename ‘Basilisk’ for himself, coupled with the alias of ‘Julius Roosevelt’. They were a package deal, and almost never apart for longer than a few hours, if that. He died while on a mission for Black Mask, leaving what remained of the family completely devastated.

Nationality: Australian

History: Lily was born in a bayside city in south-eastern Australia, called ‘Batmania’ [equivalent to a real city, and that’s actually what it could have been called… I found it too funny to pass up]. Her early life was fairly simple, focusing on school, friends, and her family –especially her partner-in-crime, Aster. After the car crash that killed their parents when they were seven, however, the twins went to live with their grandparents on a vineyard at the outskirts of the city.

For a couple of years, life was good. Basil and Rosemary instilled into the twins not only a love of life and everything to do with the outdoors, but also a strong sense of responsibility to always repay one’s debts. Unfortunately, this drive would be called into practice in a way that none of the family could have anticipated…

Basil was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, and –Rosemary being too proud to do so– Lily and Aster sought out any help they could find; Lily wound up garnering it from one of the worse sources possible. Her gymnastics ‘career’ had attracted the attention of a number of less-scrupulous individuals in the area, and when a ‘friend of a friend’ said that they could help move the small family to America, where there were more specialists in that particular variety of cancer, Lily didn’t think it through. All that was needed to pay the help back… was to undergo a bit of battle and stealth training, and steal a little something for them. Aster found out about the arrangement and insisted that he go through it with her, refusing to let his sister do anything dangerous without some kind of help from someone who actually cared.

The ‘friend of a friend’ was part of a multinational crime syndicate that dealt with all manner of illicit items and actions [no, this isn’t the League]. The chapter in that area was focused primarily on producing drugs, but also had a sort of ‘ninja dojo’, which is where the twins went through the training they agreed on, speeding through their lessons at a rate that shocked everyone. This prompted those working there to send word to the chapter in the city they were sending the Dangerfields to, so as to –they hoped– continue to use their talents. Unknown to the twins, part of the ‘training’ they put them through included the introduction of a mutagenic compound into their bodies through the food and drink that they were served at the ‘dojo’.

The job went down without much of a hitch, and started the twins off in their adrenaline-hunting lifestyle. Rosemary allowed this to happen; she was distraught and preoccupied by her husband’s failing health, and the twins told her that they had joined a sport team that was trying to gain a foothold in the area. Having no reason to challenge the explanation, she did nothing to stop them.

The family moved to Metropolis in Delaware [I think…], but despite everyone’s best efforts and all of the money that Lily and Aster had earned, Basil lost his battle to survive. In her grief, Rosemary –once a pillar of strength in their lives– became little more than a wreck. The syndicate chapter in the city attempted to get the twins to continue working for them, but Lily was hesitant to continue to steal and Aster refused to do anything for them without his sister. As a result, they watched uneasily as the rest of the family’s finances slowly but surely disappeared.

At the start of the school holidays before the twins were to enter grade 7, they moved again, this time to Gotham City in New Jersey [I think…] –getting a place in the Bowery area of the city’s East End. This proved to be both a good thing and a bad thing… The change of scenery –prone to gloomy weather as it is– helped to break Rosemary out of the emotional slump she was in, but the urge to do something dangerous and more than a little bit illegal started to tickle at the edges of the twins’ minds; why should their peers have all these fancy things and not them, all because of some medical tragedy? They managed to refrain, however… then things changed.

After only a few days in their new home, both twins fell terribly ill. Dangerously-high fevers and potent nausea left them bedridden for well over a week, before vanishing as suddenly as they came. Being low on funds for both medical care and any form of medication, Rosemary cared for the siblings as best she could. In the wake of their miraculous and even somewhat synchronised recoveries, their grandmother started to retreat back into herself once again, her fears of losing her only remaining family reigniting her grief and depression from the death of Basil… leaving the twins to once again try to pick up the slack.

Seeing no other real options, they returned to what the syndicate taught them, focusing on theft and doing their best to only target those who could afford to ‘spare a few bucks’. On their first outing of this kind, the twins learned what the mystery illness had done to their bodies –awakening powers inside of them that they’d never even dreamed of– and even that they’d gained a greater ‘knack’ for animals as well… although, arguing with an irate alley-cat was an adventure unto itself, as was trying to smooth said argument over. The pair decided to make good use of these discoveries, and became a duo of ‘super-burglars’, donning costumes that Lily had designed and made herself, and coining new identities for themselves as ‘Wildcat’ and ‘Basilisk’… even creating the ‘Emery Roosevelt’ and ‘Julius Roosevelt’ aliases to function alongside them.

For a time, they were quite successful, managing to avoid both the GCPD –and any security personnel– but it was inevitable that they’d eventually be caught by someone… While conducting an attack on Roman Sionis a.k.a. ‘Black Mask’, a prominent member of the criminal underbelly of the city, the twins were caught by his underlings. Instead of being killed outright for their attempt –as was expected– they were instead given an ultimatum; work for him, or he’d kill them for trying to steal from him. Having very little choice, the Dangerfield twins agreed. The druglord kept them working for him for about a year, before loosening their leashes, letting them think they’d been forgiven. The reason he showed what could be called ‘mercy’ for the two is this: he figured that they had far too much guts for their own good, but were young enough to potentially be taught otherwise… Roman had every intention to keep the twins on his payroll.

The last mission before they were let ‘loose’ actually went quite awry. They had been tasked with targeting the Falcone family, following the falling-out of an already-tentative truce between Roman and Carmine Falcone –among other prominent mob leaders. Unfortunately for them, the Falcones were expecting a hit of some sort, and the pair very nearly died. While they did manage to injure several of Carmine’s men, the job was more or less an utter bust. On their way home from this failure, they came across a sodden pile of fur, which followed them back to the Dangerfield residence –despite their attempts to make following them difficult. The pup –named ‘Reed’ for his wood-like colouring and seemingly-never-ending energy– became a fixture in their home rather quickly, however, not counting a couple of days spent trying to keep him hidden from their grandmother.

For two more years, they continued to earn money and infamy. Other members of Gotham’s criminal population started to seek out their services, even to the point that they were hired to conduct a hit for someone almost immediately after they’d been hit through someone else’s direction. Lily started to bring up the potential for them to ‘get back to the old game and move into the big leagues’ and do work just for themselves, but Aster felt that they had little to no choice but to continue as they were; he wasn’t sure that they should truly launch into the ‘unaffiliated vigilante or villain game’, like so many other costumed figures in the city. The money they were earning largely went to taking care of their now-ailing grandmother, a goal which allowed them to almost completely disregard their growing addictions to the adrenaline rush, and to validate their actions whenever concerns of the legality of what they were doing arose. All the while, the twins somehow managed to avoid being caught by someone ‘on the right side of the law’.

Things took a turn for the worse when they were hired by Roman once again. The job quickly flew out of their control, ultimately resulting in Aster’s death. Lily was traumatised by it, not just because it was by her suggestion that he was in the situation that killed him, but also because they’d been using their shared empathic bond as a form of silent communication –like every prior job they’d undertaken.

Lily, after doing what she could to numb herself to what had occurred, returned to inform Roman of their failure. He didn’t take it well and –in an effort to ‘persuade her to take his time and money more seriously’– revealed research that he’d done on the twins’ true identities; he’d managed to learn that not only did they have more family in Gotham, but he’d also narrowed down where they lived and attended school to the span of a few blocks each. In a panic, Lily lashed out, even killing a couple of his underlings in the chaos. She didn’t, however, escape without any trouble…

Things spilled out onto the streets. While Lily was under fire, several innocent bystanders –who had the misfortune of being nearby and not quite fast enough to run away or hide effectively– were caught in the crossfire. With more deaths on her conscience and multiple injuries to nurse, Lily eventually managed to lose all of her pursuers. She blamed Roman for the deaths of the bystanders almost as much as she blamed herself, and being weighed-down by all that guilt, Lily couldn’t bring herself to return home… even though she knew that it would likely destroy her grandmother even more.

Reed tracked her down the next day, dragging a boy Lily’s age with him. This boy was Taron Dawson, who –feeling sorry for the injured girl he’d found– took her back to his place in the Cauldron area of Gotham, where he lived with his concerned yet incredibly laid-back uncle, a night-shift doctor. To her shock, Taron and his uncle worked to treat her wounds, and even offered for her and Reed to stay with them for the foreseeable future… all without asking any questions other than to know something to call them both. She gave them her middle name, only, unsure if she could trust their generosity.

During her recovery, she spent a lot of time thinking about what she was going to do. Fear kept her from even contemplating returning home, but she knew that she would never be able to stay out of further trouble. Reaching the conclusion that her conscience needed some form of easing, Lily decided that she would, at long last, drop working for other criminals and would instead try to atone for what she considered herself to be guilty of –even the inevitable death of her grandmother, as she couldn’t see herself returning home before that happened. If she could make a more positive impact on the city, then perhaps she would be able to sleep again…

~*~|LATER EVENT|~*~ At some point, Lily will once again find herself in Roman’s grasp. He’ll put her through multiple forms of torture as a way of not only punishing her for her transgressions against him, but also to –he hopes– break her spirit enough to get her to be controllable again. Unfortunately for him, the ultimate result of the torture is that her abilities will evolve, and she’ll gain the ability to fully-transform. She breaks out of his grasp while going on a werebeast-y rampage, only ending when she runs out of steam, although she may be found and restrained before then… by Batman, for example…

Potential Arkham Diagnoses:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] – Primarily courtesy of Aster’s death. Much of Lily’s attitudes towards other people is at least partially governed by the trauma of feeling her brother die. It makes forging new connections with people difficult for her, thanks to a persistent fear that she’d be forced to face that situation again. Animals, on the other hand, have more pronounced survival instincts, and so she finds it easier to connect to them. Possible triggers include talk of being close, being physically close, etcetera.

Sociopathy – As an adrenaline junkie with a fondness for thievery, she naturally has some disregard for the rules and regulations of society. Lily doesn’t think like a law-abiding citizen, and never has.

Kleptomania – Summed up in a few words… she’s addicted to stealing.

Violent Outbursts – Lily’s temper, commonly being released in vibrant explosions of emotion, naturally leads to some bouts of violent temper as well. Couple this with her lack of fine mental and emotional control when transformed… It should also be mentioned that, under the right circumstances, she’s more than willing to kill.

Obsessive-Compulsive Need to Prove Oneself – While not always a bad thing, in Lily’s case it translates as a need to measure herself against the yardsticks that various other costumed individuals embody. She’s compelled to compare herself to people like ‘Poison Ivy’ or ‘Superman’, and –if possible– best them in some way.

Goals:

Learn to drive, and get a car or motorbike of her own.

Become fluent in at least two other languages than English, and ‘Animal’ doesn’t count. She’s taken lessons in Italian and Japanese. Spanish is on the short list for another one to try, and is actually the one that her grandmother tried to get her to learn at first.

Have both the money and the freedom to travel the world.

Survive and perhaps even excel at the whole ‘hero thing’.

Learn just what the full extent of her abilities even are… This is one that she will have particular difficulty with, thanks to certain traumatic events…

Uncover the truth regarding the syndicate that trained her, and about the situation regarding her original hometown.

Get revenge on Black Mask, in particular.

Schooling & Desired Occupation: Lily has finished primary school, and is in grade 10, also known as sophomore, in high school. She has a few potentials for what she wants to do when she’s an adult; veterinarian –or some other job that deals closely with animals– is at the top of her list, but vying for that space are things like acting and working on special-effects for film or television. She’s doing her utmost to stay in school, including keeping it as secret as she possibly can that she’s wound up without a place to call home.

Likes & Dislikes – Food: Her favourites are Italian cuisine in general, omelette, pie, and musk-flavoured candy… her least favourites are lettuce and anything in the same family as it, coffee, bangers-‘n’-mash, and boiled candy.

Sexual Orientation & Details: While she’s not above playing with anyone –especially if it gets her something and so long as it doesn’t actually go anywhere out of her control– Lily hasn’t really given much thought to the topic as a whole. There is at least one person she has some interest in, but things are complicated between the pair of them, so she hasn’t really done much about bringing that fact to the guy’s attention. Lily has a particular aversion to people who don’t seem to permit her to have thoughts and feelings of her own. When someone matches her beat for beat, though, it leaves her with a case of the butterflies. A sense of humour, a love of a challenge or adventure, certainly an appreciation for animals, and being able accept someone with powers… these are all things that she finds important.

Pet: Reed, a mixed-breed dog that is part German Shepherd and part Siberian Husky, he’s big and more than a little bit intelligent. His thick fur is mostly chocolate-brown with black ticking and swathes of creamy-white on his throat, belly, and legs –akin to the typical white markings found on huskies– all of which contrasts strikingly with his icy-blue eyes. Reed was abandoned on the streets of Gotham as a pup, but he found Lily and her brother in the aftermath of a job that nearly killed the pair of them… and then he followed them home. Their grandmother was hesitant, at first, to let the dog stay, but his goofy and eager nature won her over. At the time that Lily starts her ‘hero career’, he’s around two years old, and has since become one of her most trusted allies.

Relationships – Friends & Allies: Reed [OC] Ever since they met, Reed has been an almost-constant companion for his Person, and is dedicated to keeping her alive and well. As Lily is able to converse with him to a degree, his responsiveness and helpfulness is almost unmatched throughout the country. Also, she absolutely adores him.

Ariana Bourke a.k.a. ‘Aranea’ [OC] More of an occasional-ally than a true friend, the two of them sometimes help each other out on the field. As Ariana is older, she feels it’s her responsibility to help Lily when she can and gladly accepts favours in return… but she also has a decidedly-different set of morals and aims, which can easily lead to conflict between the cat and the spider.

Lillian MacDougal [OC] A classmate affectionately known as ‘Big Lily’, she is one of Lily’s primary anchors to reality. At school, they are nearly inseparable, which constantly eats away at Lily’s conscience –she desperately wants to tell her friends about her ‘other life’, but is also scared of how they’d react, among other things. While Lillian has noticed something ‘off’ about Lily, she has yet to press for any details outside of the occasional question. Her father is a member of the GCPD, and is someone Lillian deeply admires.

Nathan “Nate” Ackerman [OC] Another classmate and close friend, Nate actually knows more about Lily’s escapades than he lets on. He’s been following all costumed incidents that he can find any information about for a year or two, thanks in no small part to his mother having been killed by the Joker. He’s also the school’s biggest geek, according to many of their peers, and tries to help Lily out where he can with these skills… secretly at first, naturally.

Relationships – Enemies: Roman Sionis a.k.a. ‘Black Mask’ He is the one who not only introduced her to working with Gotham’s criminal underbelly, but is also the person she was working for when her relations with organised crime really crumbled. Due to what happened, she greatly dislikes all who are connected to that section of Gotham’s population, but focuses her dislike primarily on the bigger names like Falcone, Maroni, and Cobblepot, and leaves going after their hench-people for when she actually feels a need to. He, on the other hand, seems torn between punishing her severely for what happened and getting her back in his employ… or both, if possible. In truth, with such a large part of her costumed career being spent in the employ of the mob, several members of the mob believe that she belongs to them.

Jack Napier a.k.a. ‘The Joker’ Technically, these two have yet to meet. This is more on behalf of her friend, Nate, but Lily dislikes what he does for fun.

Tabitha & Martin Lear a.k.a. ‘?’ & ‘?’ [OCs] [Connected to the whole ‘master plan to mutate the world’? These two are just names, at the moment…]

Relationships – Neutral & ‘It’s Complicated’: Selina Kyle a.k.a. ‘Catwoman’ Lily has no particular issue with Selina, but she is deemed by many others to have tried to copy the more well-known cat-burglar. This rubs both of them the wrong way, for various reasons. Selina decided to look into the younger thief, keeping an eye on her and ‘trying to decide if she’s “mini-me material”’. On the other hand, Lily holds a decent amount of respect for Selina and what she’s managed to do.

Taron Dawson a.k.a. ‘Thunderbird’ [OC] Taron confuses Lily to no end, as he will seemingly switch ‘sides’ at the drop of a hat. He quite likes her –and has since they first met– and she’d like to reciprocate, but their differences of opinion and regular butting of heads stand in the way… along with the fact that she’s frequently bewildered and frustrated regarding his intentions. Despite this, he regularly takes the time to meet with her and chat about anything and everything… the fact that Reed likes him is another piece in his favour. The irony of a bird chasing a cat is not lost on either of them.

Bruce Wayne a.k.a. ‘Batman’ Lily has yet to meet the Batman, but she respects him a great deal for Batman’s hero status and everything that he’s done. Bruce Wayne, however, is someone that she harbours a lot of jealousy for, thanks in part to not knowing about the Wayne family tragedy. On the flip side, Bruce considers her to be a reckless child who knows very little about the world she’s been pulled into, and would definitely like it if she gave up the costume entirely –one less person for him to be aware of. There is some possibility that they’ll wind up working together in some way, whether temporarily or permanently is still uncertain…

Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon & the GCPD Naturally, Lily generally wants nothing to do with any cop. She’s terrified of being put in jail, but is also completely addicted to the costumed life. Having been a thief –and other things– for hire by the mob for some time, and then becoming an unrecognised vigilante… they aren’t especially fond of her activities, to put it mildly. That being said, describing them as ‘enemies’ is not quite right.

Other: Lily is very rarely seen without some kind of bag, usually a backpack, and her favourite one is an over-the-shoulder single-strap backpack that she’s modified with a second strap that loops under that same arm; she always keeps a notebook and about four different pens in it, along with her wallet, a bag of treats for Reed, usually some form of snack for herself, and a few other odds and ends –not least of which being her house-keys for her grandmother’s home.

I don’t see any potentially bad quirks about your character. It seems fine to me.

If you want me to look into greater detail on any aspect, go ahead and shoot me a message or an ask

#batman oc #submitted review #submission

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