Description
NOTE: This character is based on the plot "A Place to Call Home" game mastered by Karato. It is based on a race of shapeshifters of her invention; if you are not familiar with them, there is a detailed synopsis of the race as written by Karato in the bottom half of the history section for your convenience. Whistle's standard form is one of a preteen girl, even though she is actually 124 years old. She has neck-length, barely kept black hair and eyes blacker than any of the dark things she owns... which is a lot. She cares little for what she wears, but can usually be found in a short black dress that has a quite few notable tears around the hem. In fact, it is quite ruined, but she scarcely cares. It is almost impossible to get her into her Royal Guard uniform unless the Queen, or much more often Blade, asks her directly; but with that urging she will finally bring herself to actually look quite snappy and well dressed. Her expression is almost always a dull, emotionless one. Her motives are completely impossible to ascertain from her gestures, and she is most certainly not a social butterfly... but at the same time, her expression lacks violence or anger just as much as it lacks happiness or empathy. She seems locked into an everlasting depression.
Personality
To say that Whistle is quiet would be an understatement; the only word in that regard that would seem accurate is "silent". She speaks exclusively when spoken to unless it is to her Light or someone she has deliberately tracked down. Her voice is mostly monotone unless she is amused, which is a very dark, cat and mouse type amusement that could make grown men shite themselves in fear. If she ever grins at you, and you'll notice her eyes twinkle with violent desire if she does what I'm talking about, your life expectancy will be inevitably cut down to mere moments. She is completely, utterly and irreversably rattled by a painful childhood, and she seeks revenge on everything that breaths a word even remotely related to what was done to her. She holds a very, very dark hatred for the Ruling Council and many of their subserving agencies. If she had her way every single living, breathing shred of life in the Council Building would be bloodily eradicated.
Even in front of the precious few people she considers trusted friends, she is quiet and never reveals much. Even then, this is mostly because her past and story are known by those people; the only times she speaks to people other than her Light, Brass, is to deliver reports or recieve orders. In this way, she is the perfect agent, getting things done with no questions asked or even the slightest possibility of deviation... and while this would earn any other more outgoing Dark great respect, she denies all of it, just doing her job in complete darkness. While most of the other members of the guard are known by name through reputation, she is that one black agent that no one really knows. This makes her a prime candidate for undercover, whisper-less jobs that have to be done without a single strand of hair left behind to incriminate those involved. Famous, heavily guarded politicians have been known to dissapear without a trace, or even a spot of blood left where they were last seen... this is almost always her work, not that anyone would ever tell you this. Not even her.
As hinted to above, she does not seek honor for herself. She doesn't believe in reputation, fame or glory. The only values and principles she believes in is freedom, friendship and trust. She is more likely to kill someone that offers her a bribe than even take a moment to consider it, even if said briber is completely unrelated to her objective. She avoids making new friendships because she has seen the darkest pits of the Multiverse and knows that there is darkness in every heart; and that 999/1000 men out there have a price at which they would sell out their trusted confidants. She is not one of them. She would sooner kill her twin, and thus herself, than betray the trust of a comrade... this makes her an extremely valuable friend and ally in any situation.
Although, she's still not very likely to be the kind of friend that goes out with you to a bar or plays a shoulder to cry on. She doesn't understand those concepts, seeing them as useless customs next to revenge and fulfillment.
She is known to whistle often, as is her namesake, and can whistle well enough that her tuning is difficult to tell apart from an Ocarina. She often whistles in combat; and the more eerie the tune, the more angry she is.
Equipment
Whisper's equipment is rather... strange. She uses telepathically-manipulated razor wire.... exclusively. She used to just keep some with her at all times torn from places like prison fences; but when she was invited in the Royal Guard, after being offered training in several types of other more conventional weapons, they finally gave in and designed combat-meant razor wire just for her, to exactly her specifications. It is made of extremely thin hypoduranium, which is only flexible because of how thinly it is wrought. It cuts through anything and everything, with no exception, with enough force. She is so adept at micromanaging the movements of the wire in mid air, no matter how many strands she has sent flying at a time, that she can perfectly fold and twist lines of wire to make them thick enough to not pass through flesh; making them almost perfect utility weapons. Using her BlackOps implant to slow her perception of time, she can send the wires through bullets... or even grab them and send them back to the attacker. Her mental agility and control of the wires are -perfect- in every sense of the word... but despite the amazing capabilities, albiet brutality of her choice of weapon, she refuses to teach the method to any other person, no matter how skilled or qualified they are.
The perfect manipulation of the wire is possible not because of perfect telekenisis, but the fact that her implant is designed to work in concert with nanomachines very similar to the ones pulsing through her bloodstream that are flooding through the wires. Although she can still manipulate normal wire expertly, she cannot do things like advanced folding or bullet-stopping with it. The implant itself is more of a nanomachine colony that operates in concert with magitechnology, offering things like on the spot encyclopedia access, on-the-fly incoming and outgoing translation, target identification and analysis, lifesign scans, and telepathic communication. Said implant is exlusive to the Royal Guard, with the exceptions of the chosen Anona twins as granted by Blade Ulenna. However, Whisper's implant is also programmed to kill or subdue her should she come under control, but she had been assured that it was only a precaution based on her percieved psychological status. The only ones that can pull the trigger is Commander Blade and the Queen herself, both of which she trusts with her life. It is activated by a long winded, perfectly syllybated verbal command synched to their voices, and is completely impossible to circumvent.
Her implant also grants her access to more conventional combat magic. Although, she never uses it unless the side effects of an element are required; for example, shock magic to power a generator, or ice magic to freeze a body of water for walking across. She has access to Fire, Shock and Ice magic, although she considers them backup weapons... or simply for domestic aid. She never has to worry about her hot chocolate getting cold.
For more domestic purpose, like amusing herself or simply gripping things from a distance, she keeps a spool of much thicker, more conveniently docile wire made of simple plastic mixtures. She uses this for things like transportation, the illusion of floating, long range item manipulation or even pouring a drink. Her conventional wire is also outfitted with implant-compatible nanomachines, so she is equally efficient with it... and while it can't slice and dice a man into small, grape sized cubes, it can still choke a target or block vital veins and arteries. Both sets of her wire are extremely expensive and are her prized possessions, an attempt to steal them from her would be as suicidal as trying to shave a siberian tiger.
History
Whistle and her brother Brass were born by a pair of paid-off parents to be brought into a world of enslavement. They were the victims of the cruel military Research and Development corps, or at least, an illegal subservient sector of it that had been worked under the radar for so long. Many of the more advanced physical augmentation discoveries were made, essentially, by cheating; this illegal sect used live test experiments in the form of slaves that were born and raised for the sole purpose of being living guinea pigs. Whistle and Brass were two such unfortunate newborns. Along with the obligatory tattoo of their twin's naming symbol, they were also branded with each, a number; Whistle was six, and Brass was seven. They were the third twinset of the first litter of their parents, Treble and Bass Vatidor, who had been paid an amazing sum to grant custody of all of their newborn children to the R&D spooks.
Despite the forced nature of the tests run on them, they were treated decently well; they were well fed and kept, and allowed regular recess to play around with their littermates... although Whistle herself was... special. The experiments being done on her were related to the advancements in combat-implant technology; specifically in magical remote manipulation... or in other words, telekinesis. As many of these tests were mental in nature, she was left emotionally stripped and scarred, and found no solace in any of the comforts granted to her. She spent the first fifteen years of her life being mentally tortured, with no sign of hope or even teaching of a better world outside; minus of course the questions of where the guards and researchers went to every night... these so called "homes" and "families" they spoke of.
Only months after the technology was perfected, Whistle snapped. One day out in the yard, she was about to be dragged out of recess early so that she could be brought in for a demonstration of the technology to some unnamed government agent. She decided that no, she was finally going to find out the answers of the world outside. She used her new, technologically hyper-advanced implant to tear the razor wire from the yard fences, and manipulate it freely to horribly butcher the guards, scientist, and every other poor sap that stopped her from trying to get outside.
She was stopped by said unnamed government agent... a Shifter by the name of Blade Ulenna, who calmed the startled girl down and explained to her that she was there under the guise of a government inspector to investigate the possibility of illegal slavery. Convinced that he was someone on her side, Blade took her and the other slave children away... before destroying the facility and all illegally-maintained research, by Her Majesty's command.
Whistle and her Light were taken to the palace with the other children, where they stayed in luxury until they could be assigned to foster homes and treated for any research-inflicted physical and psychological trauma, and then would be sent off all expenses paid to an Academy. Whistle, however, ended up demanding that she be trained to be like Blade and learn to help people like her. Eventually, Blade took it upon himself to take on the young shifter as his apprentice, and she learned astonishly quickly to fight with the same weapon she had used at the research facility... razor wire. At the age of twenty five, she was officially accepted into the Royal Guard under Blade's tutalage and reccomendation.
From that date ninety nine years ago today, she has served faithfully and effectively, while her brother stayed in a home nearby that was paid for by her.
SHAPESHIFTER SOCIETY Education
It is generally held that the Dark, as the stronger, more protective, and also more sedate 'leader' of the two is to provide physically for the weaker more excitable Light twin, thought the Light twin often acts almost as a caregiver to the Dark, cooking, cleaning and generally seeing to the Darks more emotional needs. In this way the two balance each other, and really do not understand how to live without the other.
Thus, the Dark Academy of a sector is never more than a half mile away from the Light Academy, and though separate dorms are available, and encouraged, during these years, it is not uncommon to find Light twins making their way to the Dark's room at night, as Lights do not like being left alone.
However, in the event a Dark takes a Warrior job, or a Traveler job, there are dorms available for the Light half of the twinset. This is provided so the Dark twin may never need to worry of the safety of his/her light twin as the Light Compounds and Light Dorms are some of the heaviest guarded places in a Shapeshifter world/colony.
Each shapeshifter is required to take ten years of Basic Education at an Academy and past that will take an apprenticeship to learn a job field if not going in one of the Academy fields.
There are of course as many fields of education in their culture as there are in their culture. However there are several distinct fields that use the Academy system rather than the standard mentorship system used after Basic Education. These fields are as follows:
Medical
Healers are an integral part of any society, but especially the accident prone Shapeshifters one. This field is almost exclusively dominated by Lights, though there is the occasional Dark working with his/her Light twin out of devotion. It takes 10 years to master.
Warrior
Warriors are integral to any society, but especially one that is as large and rambunctious as Shapeshifters. Each colony and settlement has a large percentage of warriors to ensure the Laws are followed. This is an exclusively Dark field, with one exception in the form of Hope. She is obviously a fairly recent exception and is never actually used in this field. This class includes everything from the Queen's Elite Guard to the common guardsman on the street. It takes from 5-20 years to master, depending on job field.
Traveler
Travelers are the dimensional explorers of the shapeshifter society and the vanguard of the colonization efforts. It is there job to locate suitable worlds that already have a society set up so that Shapeshifters may infiltrate and slowly overwhelm the native inhabitants by sheer numbers. Though they have their own special Compound in Erutino, the Homeworld of Shapeshifter society, most Travelers rarely even settle in a place for more than two weeks. These are mostly Darks as well. Only after having completed the Warrior Academy can a Shifter go on to become a Traveler. It takes 20 years to master.
Colonists
These shifters are trained to blend in in a variety of worlds with a large variety of different tech levels and environments. Often the world they will travel to is picked at the start of their education, so that they may become highly familiar with their world. Both Lights and Darks enter into the field, often as pairs, and many times after being mated as well. It is the largest Academy and the easiest to enter. The government encourages as many shifters as possible to go there, to the point where it is the only Academy in which you get paid to go. However, because it wouldn't do for shapeshifter to stick out on their new world, they are often limited to the birthing cycle of whatever the dominant species is in that world. It takes ten years to master.
Other fields, are often populated heavily by Lights as many Darks go off the the Warrior class. The Lights however are happy to support their Darks, knowing that each has it's place in society.
Government
The Shapeshifter society is a monarchy, with and elected not inherited Noble class, though the Royal family does inherit to the eldest Light. The Queen of Shapeshifters is always the Light of the eldest surviving twinset at the previous Queen's death.
Religion
Shapeshifters have a full pantheon of twenty Goddesses, though religion plays a small role in their lifestyles. Still, they do observe a Holy Day on each equinox and solstice, along with a Feast Day for each Goddess.
List of Goddesses
♪ Hinthu - Goddess of light. With Sarllah, she is the mother of Yudh, the sun; Othugli, the moon; and Eiateila, the dawn.
♪ Asihkan - Goddess of intellect and the axis of heaven around which the constellations revolved. Patron Goddess of Light twins.
♪ Shamotulsyne - Goddess of memory and remembrance, and mother of the arts and creative thought.
♪ Sarsail - Goddess of the Earth-encircling river Sarsail, the font of all the Earth's fresh-water.
♪ Urlo - Wife of Sarsail, and the mother of the rivers, springs, streams, fountains and clouds.
♪ Sarllah - Goddess of sight and the shining light of the clear blue sky. She is the mate of Hinthu, and mother of Yudh, Othugli and Eiateila.
♪ Skrona - Goddess of divine law and order. Patron Goddess of Dark twins.
♪ Yshane - Goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars.
♪ Matepha - Goddess of stars and planets, and the art of astrology.
♪ Eiateila - Goddess of the dawn.
♪ Kelabha - Goddess of afterthought and the mother of excuses.
♪ Pharaoi - Goddess of the mastery of the seas.
♪ Yudh - Goddess of the sun and guardian of oaths.
♪ Aurnotho - Goddess of renown, fame and infamy, and wife of Nareho.
♪ Pholo - Goddess of air and wind and the hunter's skill of stalking prey.
♪ Phate - Goddess of violent anger, rash action.
♪ Kiathot - Goddess of good counsel, advise, planning, cunning, craftiness and wisdom.
♪ Bostaua - Goddess of destruction and warcraft.
♪ Lona - Goddess of forethought and crafty counsel, and creator of Shapeshifters.
♪ Othugli - Goddess of the moon.
Technology level
Shapeshifters have found a way to combine technology with their magic and have space-age technology with the ability to colonize and cross lightyears in short amounts of time. However, they have never seen the point of robots, so have a very small robot population.
They do have Implants used with Travelers exclusively that allow the Travelers to understand and speak in any language as long as the implant is functioning. electricity of any level can knock it out though ambient electricity and static electricity often only destroy the ability to speak and understand a handful of languages. These implants are self repairing and planted onto the brain itself, where it proceeds to integrate with the brain on it's own.
On Lights and Darks Birth
Shapeshifters are never born without a twin. These twins are separated into half, with one named the Dark and the other named the Light. This distinguishment is established solely by birth order. During the birthing process the Dark is birthed first, but the Light is grasping the Dark by the heel as s/he is born.
They are raised together for the first twenty years of their life, before being put in formal education in separate, but always close by, Academies.
It is rare that just one twinset will be born. Shapeshifter produce in litters of up to eight kits or four twinsets. Hope was more in a litter of two twinsets, herself and Snow, and her 'brothers' the Light twin Rain, and the Dark twin Thunder.
Hope's mother, a flighty woman named Feather, gave birth to 747 twinsets before her death in her 98th year of living having given birth from age 23 to age 98, though she died shortly after her last litter was born do to a shifting accident involving a goose form and a hunter. Hope has never met all of her many, many siblings, and doesn't actually know who they may be outside of her own litter.
RELATIONSHIPS Between Light and Dark
The Light very much is taught that the needs of the Dark go before the needs of the Light, while the Dark is taught the opposite is true. This means that each is highly concerned that the other's needs are well met and so always strives, not for themselves, but for their twin.
A Light will follow her Dark to the end of the Earths if need be, and often follows her Dark's commands without a seconds thought, knowing that her Dark would never order anything that could cause a Light harm. She will back away from any relationship her Dark even vaguely hints at disapproving of.
A Dark on the other hand, often will go out of her way to fulfill any wish of her Light, especially the little reasonable ones. She will defend the Light from all the harder parts of life and cushion her life's journey to the best of her ability, refusing to allow the Light's hand to go to anyone who can not defend the Light well form life's hardships.
Friendships
In this, the Light often has a great deal of control, as Dark's tend to be withdrawn creatures. The outgoing Light will cheerfully make friends with Light and Dark alike, dragging her Dark behind her with an unmitigated glee. The only stopping force in this would be a subtle glance, or a word from her Dark which may slow her down or stop her completely, though never for long.
Family
Shapeshifter families are not close at all, with the only bond normally being one of blood to the sheer size. While yearmates and littermates may know eachother well enough to jump to each others defense, mostly close family bonds are only formed between the littermates of a season, with a more cousinly bond to the other yearmates.
Romance
A Light may seek younger than her Dark would like, but she will not do more than glance at, smile happily, and perhaps make lighthearted conversation unless her Dark allows her too. Often, due to the over-protectiveness of Darks, a Light will have never even kissed until she settles in on her final and normally only relationship. This has led to a very persistent myth among Lights that no one thinks to dispel: A Light can only be with one person their entire lifetime.
Mating
Mating is the permanent marriage bond between to shapeshifters. It allows each to maintain a supernaturally level of awareness with each other, always aware of how the other is doing physical and emotionally as well as establishing a telepathic bond between the two. Light's consider this highly sacred, and while Darks appreciate it highly, they don't take the same religious view of the act of mating as Light do, though they tend to agree strongly on the ceremony of mating.
Shapeshifters mate only in pairs, twinset marrying twinset. Because of Hope and Snow's unique situation however, Hope long ago resolved to marry a non-shapeshifter without a twin, as she hadn't found her twin. Now that she has, that may or may not change, depending on her twin almost entirely.
Death
An all too common problem, this species has an average lifespan of 95, despite being capable of living well until their 3,000s. Unfortunately, due to the mating bond and the twinbond, the death of just one Shapeshifter takes down their twin, their mate, and often their twin's mate as well
