{"People have a fantastic capacity for delusion."}
Name
"I've gone by many names- some stolen, some created."
Penelope Octavia Lucas
Age
"I can be whatever age is necessary."
Nineteen [19]
Gender
"Whatever suits your fancy, sweetheart."
Female
Sexuality
"Perhaps predictably, I'm fine with all sorts."
Pansexual
Role
"Every role but the starring one."
Found Female
Abilities
"The only thing anyone seems to care about, actually."
Physical and Vocal Self-Alteration
{"Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught."}
{Appearance and Voice Alteration} Penelope was born with the capability to change her appearance at will. Well, in childhood it was rarely at will, often happening unintentionally, but as she grew older the girl began to get a hold on the ability. The point of the matter is that she can perfectly mimic the appearance of someone she has seen, and can even shift bits of her own traits, such as making her eyes suddenly violet or her skin a vivid green. As she grew older, Penelope also learned to alter her voice as well, effectively becoming able to assume entirely different identities. To some extent, her abilities are still ruled by her emotions- perhaps her eyes flash different colors rapidly when she is frustrated, or she grows slightly taller when confident. Technically, no one quite knows what her real appearance is- even she has had days where she wonders if she has any 'real appearance' at all, or just a default one. She cannot change into animals, or adopt animal-like features, such as ears. Her abilities are strictly limited, it seems, to other humans.
Skills
Lying || Adapting || Escaping || Observation || Theft || The Cello || The Use of a Dagger [As a weapon] || Quick Feet || Balance
{"I've heard of many people like me being subjected to torture, experimentation, and cruelty. I've faced some of these things myself, and from them have learned how to avoid future incidents. I'm not saying my skills are all morally upright, but they were necessary."}
Weaknesses
Severely Allergic to Nuts || Low Self Esteem [Despite High Confidence] || Mathematics || Fear of Flying || Extremely Claustrophobic || Abilities Can Be Easily Influenced By Emotions || Bad With Children || Poor Vision
{"Everyone has weaknesses, that's just a certainty in life one has to adjust to. But the idea is to work around them- trust me, working through them takes too long."}
Fears
Tight, Enclosed Spaces || Flying in Planes || Being Unable to Escape a Place
{"In my life, I've always been able to find out, even it took me a while to get there. I don't like being trapped, I'm not a bird to be caged."}
{"You learn what people like. What they dislike. That's the first step."}
The Cello || Talent || Concerts || Jazz || Gray Cats
Normal Features || Brown Eyes || Forgettable Faces
Hot Tea || Hot Chocolate || Small Diners/Cafes
Cigarettes || Liquor || Bars/Pubs || Night Clubs
Anonymity || Forgotten Authors || Other People
Scarves || Winter || Warmth || Fires || Long Coats
Company || Strangers || Friends || The Saxophone
Herself || Difficult-To-Mimic Accents || Tight Sleeves
Interrogations || Being Trapped || The Police/Authorities
Large Social Class Gaps || Perfect Jewels || Being Caught
Unashamed Betrayal || Complete Isolation || Small Talk
Judgement || Stubborn Ignorance || The Excessively Fortunate
Distinct Facial Features || Sticking Out || Loud Footsteps
Nicknames || Sour Foods || Coffee || Beer || Peanuts
{"People shouldn't have to earn kindness. They should have to earn cruelty."}
Independent Usually
Guarded Often
Intelligent Above Average
Perspective Humanist-Realist
Confidence High
Self-Acceptance Low
Kindness Medium-High
Morals Very Flexible
Ability to Adapt High
Patience Medium
Socially Extravert
Cryptic Often
Blunt Never
Perceptive Usually
Charming Often
Subtle/Discreet When Needed
Flirtatious Occasionally
Partially as a matter of circumstances, Penelope has grown to be the sort of person who can take care of herself. She can come off as vulnerable, but typically only when she needs to in order to accomplish something. The young woman has made her way through life using less than legal means, and while she makes no claims that there is nothing wrong with it at all, the skills such a life has left her, and the imprint it has made on her personality, are doubtless. Penelope can be charming as you like, and is an incredibly polite person, the sort who rarely forgets her manners and can give off the impression of a wealthy daughter. All of this is a lie, however, though a very skillfully woven one.
She takes great pains to come across as someone who is accustomed to wealth, because she's always envied those who are. In fact, the envious aspect of her personality is one that is most persistent- she can't help but be jealous of what others have and she does not, even if she doesn't act on this jealousy. It hardly helps her self value, which is quite low despite her high confidence. There are differences between the two, after all. Confidence refers to knowing that she is competent. Self value, on the other hand, refers to the fact that Penelope is unable to get herself out of a mindset in which she sees herself as deceitful trash. This attitude can occasionally be seen in the bitter smile when people try to compliment her, though she does not dismiss the compliments, or the little self deprecating comments she makes.
Still, there is a sense of dignity and charm to the girl, the former perhaps strange to find in a professional thief, that can tug people along with what she says, even if they don't agree with it. No, that's not quite right. She doesn't convince people to do as she wants, or to join in, but to accept that it's going to happen, and not to get in her way. Watching her might be like watching a plane fly by- there is nothing to be done to stop it, really, without destruction. She is sleek, elegant, witty, and almost like a car crash between a million dollar sports car and a very old car that barely runs, but has character.
Penelope is the sort of person who always seems to have her wits about her, very put together and aware of her surroundings. And, yes, she is a particularly perceptive young woman, something that comes from an ability which leads to a heightened alertness to other people and how to mimic them. As the girl can remain fairly calm, or act as though she is, in most situations, she is the sort people might come to for comfort, knowing that she will not try and replicate their misery. However, her collected nature, as well as her observational talents, have a history of being applied to crime. Making a living in theft up until now, this makes sense. Little details can make or break something, and a good heist requires intelligence. Penelope is, in fact, very morally flexible, so to speak. An ability to adapt means that she easily tweaks her values to fit situations, making it dubious whether she actually has any convictions or principles at all, in fact. The girl can be very morally ambiguous indeed at times, and makes no attempt to fancy herself a Robin Hood- a bit more like an Aladdin, perhaps.
Some aspects of Penelope in day to day hint at this moral ambiguity and quiet jaded side. In her sarcasm, the occasional bitter throw-away comment, self-insults, and other such bits of dialogue, one might glimpse the bitterness of past scars.
{"There is no such thing as ready. We are only ever ready enough."}
Unlike many of the other residents of Safe Haven, Penelope was not bullied or teased greatly in her foster homes, though she did go through them, a common trend among members of the Safe Haven. This is because her ability was one which she could make somewhat more subtle, and she was the sort who learned how to survive very easily. So, perhaps she was bullied a little bit when she was very small, but only due to her size, and no more than any average child, orphaned or no. Penelope was a highly observant child, and she learned quickly when to speak and when to be silent, when to act and when to stand by, etc. In fact, she became rather good at going completely unnoticed, when the need arose. Because of this skill, no one noticed the fact that her eyes changed colors from day to day, or her hair, when cut, would immediately return to its previous length. Of course, the sensitivity towards people [not sympathy, but perception] which allowed her to go unnoticed would later make her an expert at talking her way out of things [or escaping, in general].
And when she did leave the foster home, it was not because she was fleeing bullies, but because she had decided to do so. The place where she had been raised for the first bit of her life, having never known her biological parents, was being closed down, and all the children relocated. In the stressful time, of confusion, little Penelope seemed to disappear. There was an amber alert out for a while, but as she was never found, nothing happened. In fact, she had altered her appearance, not intentionally but out of desperation. Realizing this, she spent several years experimenting with this ability, while surviving as a pick pocket. Being able to alter her appearance meant that no one would be suspicious of her, and she eventually found that even an adult's form was possible. When she was eight years old, Penelope snuck onto a plane to England, stealing an ID and simply going. She had been a very impulsive child, and impossibly sneaky. This was the first time she successfully imitated a person of a different age than she.
In England, more specifically London, Penelope found herself making her way through by imitating people who were away, and staying in their homes until they returned, eating their food and such. Of course, she actually eventually set her sights on bigger goals than the contents of refrigerators, and after a few more years, became a notorious, least known criminal. She stole gems and paintings, mostly, then sold them under the guise of an elder woman, making enough money to feel safe. Her own morals had been skewed by necessity for a long time now, of course. She could feign elegance and sophistication very well though, and traveled with her dirty money, not staying in one place for too long. She certainly took advantage of her abilities, displaying a cunning, or perhaps greed, or perhaps inherent leaning towards selfishness, than the other children. She was in Italy, planning a robbery, when approached by a woman around her age, perhaps a bit younger, who handed her a letter, inviting her to Safe Haven. To this day, Penelope isn't particularly certain of how she had been identified- she tries to be very discreet when changing appearances. But to Safe Haven she went, perhaps pushed by a subconscious desire to get out of crime, or to meet others like her.
