| Cyane Jackson |
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| Name: | Cyane Jackson |
| Gender: | Female |
| Place of Birth: | Branson, Missouri |
| Age: | Mid Twenties |
| Aliases: | N/A |
| Origin: | Mutant |
| Origin Earth: | 616 |
| Present Location: | New York City |
| Occupation: | Stockbroker |
| Team: | None |
| Alignment: | Neutral - Good |
| Significant Other(s): | None |
| Powers and Abilities: | Animal Empathy/Control and Animal Mimicry |
| Portrayed by: | Felicity Jones |
It's never easy being born to a large family, especially when you're either the first child born, or the middle one. For Cyane, being the middle child of a fairly large (for this day and age) family, it wasn't easy to gain attention. Two older sisters, two younger (and twin) brothers, life was filled with hand-me down clothing and a deeply rooted desire to act out in order to gain attention.
Living in Branson, Missouri - a tourist town situated within the mighty Ozark Mountains, life was also filled with a great number of adventures into the Ozarks - perhaps the only saving grace that Cyane had. During the summer, and even well into the fall or spring, the Ozarks was a place that Cyane treasured going to. Where her family hunted and fished, boated and hiked, Cyane simply enjoyed the mountains and woods.
It was in those beautiful mountains that Cyane found comfort and a release from the day to day life that existed around her. There everything else could be forgotten.
The tumultuous teenage years started out fairly okay. In the month of June Cyane turned thirteen, and received her very first laptop computer. It was all hers and it was glorious. The summer months were coming and Cyane could spend it playing computer games while enjoying the beautiful Ozark Mountains.
And then - she started hearing things. Her emotions went from erratic and wild, to paranoid and jittery. She started hearing things that didn't make a lick of sense, and on occasion even wanted to irrationally sniff her family, or Heaven forbid any visitors. She was quite certain she was going absolutely insane. She was nuts, there was simply no other explanation for all of the strangeness that surrounded her.
The normal tranquility that she found in the Mountains only seemed to increase her mood swings. And then, one day while sulking in her room at her parent's cabin, the family dog asked her to take him outside so he could chase a squirrel. Oh sure, it wasn't a normal conversation that you'd have with another human, a lot of it was emotional, the feeling of anxiety as he thought about the squirrel chittering in the tree - the happiness he would feel where he let out to get it. It was felt more on an empathic level, than actual conversations, yet sure as day, Cyane knew exactly what the dog wanted and the dog seemed to respond to Cyane's commands as well.
The thing was, it wasn't just the dog that Cyane could sense, the entire outside world seemed to open up and she was left completely defenseless to the pounding in her skull. The forest was alive with sound, and it all seemed to be pounding directly into her head.
Withdrawing into herself, Cyane's mood swings just got worse. Her family chalked it up to teenage syndrome, after all, Cyane had never exactly been a very social member of her family. It wasn't that she didn't care for them, but she would be the first to admit, they drove her insane.
Researching oddities was Cyane's first course of business, and as soon as she got home and could connect to the internet, she did just that. It didn't take long for her to come up with a logical conclusion - Cyane believed she was schizophrenic. It was the only feasible conclusion, her family had finally driven her completely over the edge insane. There was no logical reason that she could smell someone's gym socks from blocks away, or had the irrational desire to sniff a stranger as they walked past. She didn't know why she could hear a mouse seeking food in the attic, fearful of the cat that stalked for the creature below.
It was - overwhelming, illogical, and upsetting.
The idea that Cyane was a mutant or at least could be a mutant did occur somewhere in the back of her head. Yet, that would mean she was different. Abnormal. And being different was a very bad thing. She'd rather be insane than - odd.
Finally her family took note of the fact Cyane was a lot more withdrawn than normal, and in fact, was acting really odd at times. She seemed to innately know when the dog wanted out, or what the cat wanted. (When really who can really say what a cat wants!?) More than that, it was the odd mood swings she'd get into. Erratic one moment, hyper and excitable the next, followed by paranoid and nervous, or just overwhelmingly happy. Cyane was unable to adjust to all of the input she was receiving, and as a result she just went with the flow not realizing the extent of her 'problem'.
Now as much as Cyane thought her family an annoyance, they were actually pretty cool. In concern her parents sat down and started asking Cyane what the bleep was going on with her. With choked sobs and worried babbling, Cyane admitted to everything that was going on, explaining that she thought she was committable and needed drugs.
Her parents were not quite so quick to condemn Cyane to a life of drugs at an insane asylum. In fact they were pretty savvy those parents of Cyane, and after privately freaking out while stepping away to 'talk', they introduced Cyane to her worst nightmare - she could be a mutant.
So to say Cyane's life was abnormal was an understatement. Yet, during those months where her head hurt, and her emotions were wild and untamed, she found out she actually had a pretty cool family. Eventually, Cyane started to take control of her newly found powers. It wasn't easy, but she started to seize back her own emotions and found out - she could do a bit more than just listen to the animals. And her family? Even her annoying twin brothers? They were behind her, helping her, a fact that surprised the snot out of Cyane.
The last thing anyone wanted was for Cyane to be taken away by some horrific mutant hunting mob, or stolen by the government for some terrifying experiment, or killed just because she was who she was.
The next few years were rough for Cyane, but she coped, her family coped, and life started to get better. All Cyane wanted was to be normal, that was it, nothing more. She hated what she saw on the television, the constant war mongering and hatred that the world had for mutants who refused to do anything more than just flaunt their powers. It was disgusting, and frankly Cyane felt they got what was coming to them. They blatantly used their abilities without care for anyone around them, and were shocked when the world went what the bleep!?
Enter the college years. As Cyane felt she had complete control over her mutant powers, she was comfortable in attending college. Her family was a little worried over this prospect, but they were behind her decision, with a lot of 'be careful' and frequent calls from home done every single day for her first year in college.
Cyane found she had a talent for seeing trends in the economy, in the markets, she could see patterns that would arise and started making enough money to actually pay off her loans each year. It wasn't a great deal, but rather than the financial debt most college students possess, Cyane was able to keep everything up to date and debt free.
Focusing on becoming a stockbroker, after college, Cyane took up internship with the family's own broker. While it wasn't funded, she could still use it for the important steps required to become a broker.
Passing the required tests, Cyane's stock portfolio was impressive, as was the number of wealthy clients in the town of Branson that she had. Yet, there is only so much money you can make in such a community, and Cyane's desires to move beyond the penny stocks and into something more financially awarding sent her to New York City.
Now you don't become wealthy overnight, a stockbroker uses someone else's money and hopes the trends they see will be for the good of the investment, and not the bad. Cyane fought long and hard for a position at a brokerage, and when a low level, entry position became open, she lept at the opportunity.
Almost every ounce of savings Cyane had was used to get to New York, find a suitable apartment, buy suitable clothing, and be able to sustain herself for a year. One year, that's all she has enough funds to live as she is living. If she can't make it in a year, then it's game over, and back to Missouri.
New York is a lot bigger than Branson, Missouri. It also has a huge rat population, a fact that had not occurred to Cyane in the least. Yet, she's here now, and ready to face the world! (Cue the chorus line)
For Cyane, motivation centers around a few different things - for one, she's quite motivated in her passion on environmentalism and animal rights. How dare people continue to test on animals? And how dare people continue to EAT animals! Let's not even get into the rampant destruction of the environment. Cyane is quite motivated in speaking out, educating people, and getting her viewpoint out there.
She is also motivated by staying hidden from the world. She has remained hidden for this long, she has no desire to suddenly destroy her life, as well as the lives of her family. She has more than just herself to think about.
Finally, there is also a motivation to become wealthy, why else would she move to New York City and thusly be close to Wall Street? Greed is a strong motivator and Cyane is not immune to its charms.
Goal number one, make enough money to raise up the ranks and become a filthy rich stockbroker, able to keep herself in New York for longer than a year.
Goal number two, hide from all superhuman, meta, alien, mutant, and otherwise activity from now until forever.
Goal number three involves saving all animals and the environment from annihilation. (This last goal will take a lot more time.)
Really, Cyane's goals involve a lot to do with her personality, she's motivated by greed, thus her goal is to eventually be rich. She's motivated by saving animals and the planet, thus her goal is to try and do that. Finally, she's motivated by a deep sense of cowardly self-preservation, and that isn't something she takes lightly.
Cyane is not one to easily get distracted - about anything. She can keep to one task and remain upon that task until it's done, and then move on to a different task. Beyond the single mindedness of her personality, she can also become quite focused on ideals and opinions. For example, her focused and single minded desire to save all animals from humans and human cruelty.
While Branson, Missouri wasn't exactly a small place to grow up and live, Cyane and her parents lived on the outskirts of the tourist destination. They focused their lives in the Ozark Mountains, and as a result, Cyane retains those country girl ideals that she grew up with. The 'big' city is still a strange place, she's still learning how to adapt, how to move, how to react, and how not to say 'howdy y'all' to people she meets. (Important lesson in blending in to New Yorkers.) Smiling is, also, a definite no.
Perhaps it's due to her abilities and powers, maybe it's because she doesn't want to see the beauty of her Ozark Mountains destroyed, or the world torn apart by humanity's stupidity. Regardless, Cyane is very much an environmentalist. She uses soap that is eco-friendly (in fact, the same soap she uses for shampoo). The subway (and mass transit) is utilized for cost as well as a safer means for transportation. Everything is recycled, and anything that can't be recycled, she tries her best not to purchase in the first place. She attends rallies and writes on forums, she's an active environmentalist, not just someone who lives the life, she tries to teach it as well. As a result, it is quite a part of her personality, and how she reacts to society and those around her.
Cyane is, at her core, a nice person. She hates the idea of suffering, especially the suffering of those that are unable to protect themselves. (While that tends to be focused upon animals, she also has strong emotions for anyone that is suffering.) She enjoys laughter and life, living and breathing, family and friends. It just takes a lot for Cyane to trust anyone. Once that trust is achieved, Cyane's true personality shines through.
Cyane is a semi-loner. She enjoys being alone with her thoughts, and in this manner, with the animals that are around her. Being alone means there are no eyes around to gasp in horror at her abilities. Being alone means there is no one to see what she can do, and be terrified of it. Being alone means she is not flaunting her powers like a brazen bully. Cyane internalizes a lot of her emotions and feelings, and keeps to herself, some out of fear, some out of self-preservation, and a lot because people tend to not understand and fear that which they don't. So why scare someone in the first place? Being alone saves Cyane a lot of trouble, so she tends to do just that - stay alone and out of trouble.
Cyane has a great deal of will power. She has managed to not go completely insane as the animal world around her burrows into her mind and constantly talks to her. She has learned to push back their thoughts and focus on her own. She has strengthened her resolve and as a result her will power has only increased with it. She does not bend easily, no matter what is thrown at her.
Cyane, at this point in her life and measure of competence with her ability, has the power to understand, communicate, influence, and manipulate animals. This ability has just been shown with mammals (excluding humans, aliens, and other more sentient of species). So rats, mice, cats, dogs, squirrels, bats, deer, monkeys and so on - these are but a few examples of the mammals that Cyane is able to communicate directly with, influence, and manipulate to do what she wants them to do. She is not able to do so with any other type of animal in the animal kingdom. So no birds. No reptiles. No fish. (At this point in her control, at least.)
Specifics include the ability to manipulate and communicate with upwards to twenty mammals within a five mile radius around her. The more basic of mind, the higher the count may go, while the more complex of minds (intelligent mammals such as great apes) far less. Rats, for example, would be quite easy to manipulate, communicate, and instruct. A zoo worth of animals would be far less easy.
Cyane has found she is able to mimic one animal at a time. These abilities surface as heightened senses, reflexes, stamina and strength. She is not able to grow claws, wings, hardened skin, fur or so on. She is able to have a heightened sense of smell, taste, hearing or touch. She can move quicker, dodge easier, and lift a lot more than she normally would be able to. Her senses are only as heightened as that animal would possess. For example; a dog would have a heightened sense of hearing and smell. The extent of her abilities are listed below:
Strength: She is able to lift and throw at just above peak human potential. So approximately two tons worth of weight.
Senses: Cyane's senses are extended to be able to smell, hear, taste, and touch at well above human norm. Thus she's able to hear whistles in a range only animals might hear, or smell a very specific scent a block away. She has an acute range of hearing and smells that can, at times, be overwhelming if she's not careful.
Reflexes: She is able to nimbly jump, tumble, dodge and react quicker than normal. Again, just above human peak is Cyane's top most ability. So while she wouldn't be able to dodge a bullet, she might be able to avoid a punch.
Cyane has managed to snag a two bedroom, one bath apartment in Chelsea. The rent is outrageous, and everything around is even more so expensive, but for one year Cyane has the lease signed. Careful planning has been made to afford living in Manhattan. Although the idea of a house mate would extend her time there.
Cyane has about two hundred thousand dollars in savings. It's enough to pay for the outrageously expensive rent for her apartment, pay for the subway to and from work, keep herself in nice, professional clothing - eat more than just ramen noodles, and that doesn't take into consideration anything she might get from her job. It's also enough to invest in a few choices that may come up, for herself.
Back home in Branson, Missouri - Cyane has a large, middle class family that she can fall back on, if things don't work here in the 'Big City' of New York. She has two older sisters, one brother in-law, and two younger, twin brothers, as well as her parents.
Beyond being educated and passing the tests required to become a broker, Cyane has a job in an actual brokerage. Okay it's a very entry level position, and if she didn't have a savings to fall back on, she wouldn't be able to even live outside Manhattan - yet, it's a start, and Cyane is eager to prove she's worthy of rising up in the ranks. She also has a fairly impressive portfolio and client list from her time in Branson. It was enough to impress her bosses, at the very least, and get her the job she has now.
Cyane is a college graduate who focused all of her schooling around the field of becoming a stockbroker. She's a whiz at watching for trends in the market, knows all there is to know about Wall Street, and has a bachelor's degree to back it all up with.
Being a true vegetarian is a skill in and of itself. What has some manner of animal byproduct in it? What doesn't? What spices can be used that'll make a meal pop, while not ruining the natural flavor of the item? How much tofu can one person eat and in how many ways? Where is the best place to find the most fresh vegetables and fruits? All of these things Cyane has managed to learn and as a result, has a great deal of skill within.
Cyane knows how to hunt (not that she ever would), fish (uhm, ew), boat, swim, hike, and survive in the great outdoors. Living on the outskirts (or sometimes directly within) the Ozark Mountains has given Cyane a hands on education in the fun the mountains can provide. She knows how to track animals (and what animal left the track), she can use canoes and electric boats. She knows how to make a campfire with just twigs, moss, and kindling. She knows how to protect herself from the elements, what is edible (as well as what shouldn't be eaten) and would do quite well in one of those survival reality television shows.
When your powers are focused around animals, you tend to want to know more about them. As a result, Cyane is quite educated about the world of animals. She knows wildlife of the Americas and Canada. She can look at the scat on the ground and identify what made it. She can hear a cry of a bird and have a good idea what it is that is making that sound. She knows an animal's abilities, what makes them unique, as well as what they share in common with others. Cyane would be the first to admit it is more of an obsession than a hobby.
Everything that has been printed in newspapers, online forums, web pages, fan pages, novels (fact and fictional), and on the television, Cyane has absorbed. In her paranoia to make certain that no one ever finds out she's a mutant, Cyane is of the belief - know thy enemy as well as your 'potential' enemy. In this day and age, after all, you never know what hero is going to turn bat-shit crazy. So Cyane has a pretty good knowledge of all things heroes and villains, at least as far as what the media knows. So, yes, a lot of it is going to be skewed to the opinion of the writer.
Cyane's education from the moment she started learning English included the language of Spanish along with it. She's been learning the Spanish language since she was six years old. As a result, Cyane is fluent in both English and Spanish. She can read, write, and converse with equal skill.
Cyane's entire education was focused (mostly) upon the skills and education required to become a stockbroker. Cyane is good at what she does, while she isn't going to become a Wizard of Wall Street, she's still good enough to perhaps earn enough to remain living in New York City. This includes the ability to play the market with fairly good results. She has a knack for knowing the right trends and taking advantage of those trends for financial benefits.
Cyane does not have perfect control over her abilities. As a result, she can - at times - receive a sensory overload of emotions or senses. Too much sound can cause discomfort, pain, to the inability to move or think. If she isn't actively distancing herself from the animals around her, she can become overwhelmed with emotions that are not her own. Curiosity. Paranoia. Extreme happiness or sadness. And so on.
At times Cyane can become too connected to a particular animal that she is mimicking. She can take on that animal's inner instincts or personality. She might have an overwhelming desire to sniff a stranger. Or a strange instinct to run away. She might want nothing more to do than stretch out and take a nap, in the middle of a boardroom meeting. While Cyane is usually quite careful about such things, yet there are times when exhaustion or distraction wins out, and Cyane's left sniffing strangers and scurrying into dark shadows.
Cyane is a coward. She's afraid of her abilities, afraid of what might happen if people (beyond her family) found out. She lashes out in fear, believing that anyone who flaunts their abilities are doing so out of vanity or bullying. She believes they're doing so in order to cause fear, instead of relieve it. She is terrified of the future, and as a result has never bothered to look at herself, or revel in being unique.
Money is the root of all evil, and Cyane is not immune to its charms. She enjoys being able to live the 'high' life. The opportunity to buy new clothing, perhaps get a better apartment, and all the joys that money has to offer. She knows the potential that is there for her position, and she's eager to make the most out of it.
Cyane does not have a lot of experience when it comes to the use of her powers. As she fears them, more than enjoys them, she's often using up her energy to stop them from overwhelming her, versus simply letting them go. She has no real idea the upper limits of her abilities, but as far as she knows, what she can do right now is all she can do, and has no desire to find out if they will progress any further. This opinion is not going to change over night, either.
While Cyane is from the 616 Universe, she's tried throughout her entire life to keep her mutation a secret, so she doesn't have a 'reputation', yet.
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