Individual



Character's full name: Zinnia Hourig

Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Zinn, Zinny

Gender: F

Age: 20

Date of Birth: (mm/dd/year) 03/05/1995

Birthplace/ Home/ Place of origin: NYC

Nationality: American

Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Mixed Race; African-American (Mum) / British (Dad)



Appearance



Hair color and style: Black, mostly straightened and restrained in a high pony-tail. Occasionally loose and to the shoulders

Skin Tone: Caramel

Eye Color: Dark brown and honey.

Height: 5’8”

Build: Athletic

Visible mutation: To the naked eye there is no visible indication of her mutation, however with a microscope handy and the knowledge of what you’re looking at, all the components of the respiratory system seem a little… odd.

Scars/ Tattoos/ Piercings: Ears and Belly button piercings and a small teardrop on her inner left wrist.

Other features:

Face claim: Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones from Dr Who)





Everyday clothing style: Jeans and a Tank top with a light jacket thrown over the top.

Uniform: (if applicable) Nurse scrubs when on placement as a Licenced Practical Nurse (LPN) at the hospital, logo-blazoned polo shirt and pants for her part-time job at the nursing home.

Sleepwear: Purple PJs and a CPAP Machine to stave off her sleep apnea.

Miscellaneous clothing: Rubber gloves and lollypops: a seemingly endless supply.



Character



Personality: Friendly but firm; “Stick out your tongue and say ‘ahh’, here’s your shots. Don’t cry, you’ll be fine… Have a lollypop” type deal. She’s the kind of person who “tut-tut”s your bad decisions while stitching you back together gently. With a soft spot for the young and elderly in particular Zinnia makes acquaintances wherever she goes.

Hobbies/ Interests: Studying and swimming.

Job or part time job and description: Part-time paid placement at the Public Hospital and Part-time work at the Sunset Lodge Nursing Home caring for the elderly residents.

Fears/ phobias/ concerns: The lack of Mutant-Friendly healthcare, and lack of training to care for Mutant-specific illnesses, no real (legally regulated) research into X-gene risks to general health, or X-only malaise.

Special talents: Clipping and unclipping blood sample phials with barely a pinch. Magically providing lollipops to teary toddlers. Strong swimmer.

Morality

Good/ bad/ neutral/ other: While Zinnia has not been sworn in under the Hippocratic Oath, being surrounded by people who come from that sort of background encourages a certain ‘do no harm’ approach to life. Zinnia is a true-neutral character, doing what she thinks is right, not necessarily what she thinks is good.

Mutations

Mutation description:

Gas manipulator: (no! not that kind of gas!) Can breathe gases other than oxygen. Her standard state is breathing in carbon dioxide with output of oxygen (like a photosynthesising tree, but she doesn’t need to be in the sun for this to happen). She knows by concentrating she can shift to the human normal of oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, or to carbon dioxide in and carbon monoxide out. She can also (but doesn’t know that she can) breathe out chlorine gas (total 11 litres, the ordinary oxygen consumption per day) within 2days of being in a chlorinated environment (such as the pool).

Strengths: Breathing easy in a polluted environment. Can hold her breath for longer than average due to mutation. Cannot suffocate in a closed container (unless it is filled with something other than air ie- she can still drown)

Weaknesses and Limitations: When switching from one type of intake/output to another Zinnia must stop breathing entirely to switch. This is difficult to do when in an accelerated breathing state, as she must not breathe for the entire transition period which ranges from 30 sec to 2mins. These apneas are relatively easy to deal with while awake, however when she is sleeping and the shifting is uncontrolled she suffers from sleep apnea, which disturbs her rest and requires her to wear a machine to sleep to control her airflow. Zinnia can shift to and from different gas absorptions 6 times in a day before she begins to get light-headed, 10 and she will pass out. On average she sleep shifts 3times/night, so most days her shifting is 3times to light-headed, 7 times to blackout. If Zinnia does not have access to the gas that she wishes to breathe out (eg chlorine gas in an unchlorinated environment), she is only able to expel 11litres of that gas before she must switch to another.



Physical Abilities



General Physical Capabilities: Walking – good. Swimming – good. Running – average. Lifting – do you even, bro? (no)

Fighting Style:

Fighting Style Pros/Cons:



History Of Your Character

Zinnia grew up in NYC with both her parents and two younger brothers, good school, reasonably easy life nothing worth noting until she was 14 and one of her younger brothers came close to drowning in the pool of their building. Zinnia was the only one home and she had to give the six year old mouth-to-mouth until the 8year old was able to call an ambulance. When the paramedics arrived and did tests to see what risk of brain damage there was to him, they were surprised to find he had higher than normal oxygen saturation in his blood, and that he would be completely fine. It was after this incident that Zinnia began to suffer from sleep apnea, and testing proved that her X-gene was to blame. Mostly it did not impact on her life. As it was not a visible mutation she made it through secondary school with no related bullying and once she had completed her study and spent 6months volunteering in an underprivileged pre-school she was certain that she wanted to help people. She completed her LPN training and began training to become a Registered nurse. She also found a part-time job in a nursing home. She lives in a tiny flat with some nursing college roommates, but spends most of her free time walking, swimming or curled up studying somewhere. She still visits her parents and younger brothers (now 14 and 12) often.



Roleplay

Where did you learn about this site?: Cafas

Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who: Verdy (inactive) Cara (inactive)

Sample RP:

Zinnia sat with Mr Thompson this Thursday afternoon the way she did every Thursday afternoon. Keeping him company as he gasped and gurgled. He had been working on tracing back his family tree since before he moved to Sunset Lodge, and he was onto his last box of documents. The bottom of the box almost. It was now a race between his lungs and his transcribing, and odds were on his lungs. Zinn sat with him whenever she could, bumping up the oxygen, hoping that her ability could give him the edge he needed. His typing was painfully slow, each letter painstakingly located on the typewriter and pressed individually with his finger. He wouldn’t let anyone help. As the last entry on the tree he was determined to finish the job himself. Her status as a part time employee of the nursing home gave her more time to spend with the individual patients and while there was always more paperwork to fill and file it was the human element that the home prided itself on, boasting ‘seven hours a week of staff contact’. It was what drew solitaires like Mr Tomson to live out their final days there, with the knowledge that there would be daily contact with another human being the inevitable end felt less lonely. He was on the final page now. She gathered up her papers and the empty medicine bottles to move on to the next room. He grunted and indicated the final line below the account of his own life. “Give it to the library” it said “so I’ll be remembered”. She gently took the page and stacked it neatly on top of the rest of the manuscript. “I’ll remember you Mr Tomson” she reassured him, and he settled back in his chair with a heavy wheeze. She moved the typewriter to his nearby end table and tucked his knee rug gently around him. It was the last time she would see him.



Tears are inevitable when you’re three and getting jabbed with a tetanus needle by a stranger. Zinnia was ready with the lollypop though, and as soon as the sharp was safely away the kid was offered the sweet treat. He had barely even finished taking the first deep breath to start squealing. Two little half formed tears squeezed out of his scrunched up eyes as he took the bribe. Her personal best. She reassured the mother and sent her on. Some parents took it harder than others. Zinn had even been known to bribe the occasional parent with a lollypop too. A quick wipe of all the surfaces and a nod from the Registered Nurse supervising her and she was out calling the next name.



The pool was crystal clear and almost empty, just herself and another man doing laps. She was 26/40. He was ??/???. They were almost keeping pace, but from opposite ends of the pool. As he swam up she swam down. Every sixth lap he caught up and overtook. She didn’t mind. Her breathing was steady, timed to align with her strokes, converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. It usually took her a little over an hour to complete her laps, and it was her time to relax and just breathe. No responsibilities, no one asking her any questions, her mind blissfully blank. Except, that was, when she was reviewing her study notes in her mind. Like now. The laps passed in a steady blur of trying to recall the end of chapter seven. Finally she gave up, finished her laps and subsequent drying and dressing and started home.



None of her flatmates were awake when she got home, or if they were they were quiet about it. She heated herself a microwave meal and settled in to review chapter 7 again to find out how it ended. The pages turned almost silently. Bland student food and a bland student textbook. Once the meal was ended and the container binned she slipped into jammies and started up the CPAP machine to whirr gently in the background as she drifted off to sleep. Another day filled with people to help tomorrow.

Welcome back, Verdy. <3 She seems delightful.

AV Zinnia

Character's full name: Zinnia Hourig

Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Zed Lepplin

Gender: F

Age: Early 20s.

Date of Birth: (mm/dd/year) 03/05/1995

Birthplace/ Home/ Place of origin: NYC

Nationality: American

Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Mixed Race; African-American (Mum) / British (Dad)

Appearance

Hair color and style: Black, buzzed to the scalp with a slight fauxhawk, just long enough to show the beginning texture of curls.

Skin Tone: Cold coffee toned

Eye Color: Dark brown with yellow flecks.

Height: 5’8”

Build: Athletic

Visible mutation: No visible indication of her mutation.

Scars/ Tattoos/ Piercings: Heavily tattooed, no piercings. Long stretch marks from ribs to hips.

Other features: semi-permanent cigarette.



Everyday clothing style: Grubby cargo pants and tight singlets.

Uniform: Nil

Sleepwear: Nil

Miscellaneous clothing: Combat boots.

Character


Personality: She has been called a villain, a rogue, a cad. She’s choked the air out of those calling her that and watched them fade away. Her phone is full of contacts rather than friends and she can’t recall the last time she went drinking anything but alone. The only glimmer of anything other than hate is towards Peony, her two year old.

Hobbies/ Interests: Making messes. Breathing deep the rankness of an overcrowded city. Spending time in the chlorine-rich sauna soaking up the gas.

Job or part time job and description: She doesn’t have ‘a job’ per se. She’s completed many jobs, contracts, errands and her unique set of skills is in demand often enough to keep them fed and sheltered.

Fears/ phobias/ concerns: Adapteds. Her mutation is vital to her continued survival and while watching someone squirm, clutching for air was an amusing enough pastime it was something else entirely to stumble into a nulling field herself.

Special talents: Deep, resounding denial of the consequences her actions have on others.

Morality

Good/ bad/ neutral/ other: B-b-b-bad to the bone. You know that tint of lime green around Disney villains? Chlorine gas.

Mutations

Mutation description:

Gas manipulator: Can breathe gases other than oxygen. Her standard state is breathing in carbon dioxide with output of oxygen. She knows by concentrating she can shift to the human normal of oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, or to carbon dioxide in and carbon monoxide out. She can (and does) breathe out chlorine gas (total 11 litres, the ordinary oxygen consumption per day) within 2days of being in a chlorinated environment (such as the pool).

Strengths: Poisoning people with a gas that melts them from the inside… Breathing easy in a polluted environment. Can hold her breath for longer than average due to mutation. Cannot suffocate in a closed container (unless it is filled with something other than air ie- she can still drown).

Weaknesses and Limitations: When switching from one type of intake/output to another Zinnia must stop breathing entirely to switch. This is difficult to do when in an accelerated breathing state, as she must not breathe for the entire transition period which ranges from 30 sec to 2mins. These apneas are relatively easy to deal with while awake, however when she is sleeping and the shifting is uncontrolled she suffers from sleep apnea, which disturbs her rest. If she had had insurance she might have had a breathing machine, as it is all she has is a headache and a bad temper.

Zinnia can shift to and from different gas absorptions 6 times in a day before she begins to get light-headed, 10 and she will pass out. On average she sleep shifts 3times/night, so most days her shifting is 3times to light-headed, 7 times to blackout. If Zinnia does not have access to the gas that she wishes to breathe out (eg chlorine gas in an unchlorinated environment), she is only able to expel 11litres of that gas before she must switch to another.

Physical Abilities

General Physical Capabilities: She’s not particularly large, but she is vicious and has little regard for injury to herself or her opponent, she definitely isn’t pulling any punches.

Fighting Style: People tend to stop fighting back once they realise they can’t breathe. The trick is keeping them in the zone of influence for long enough to take them out. Her modus opperandi is a swift kick to the back of the knees, pin them on the ground face down and breathe on them. And don’t get shot.

Fighting Style Pros/Cons: The bigger the target the longer it takes to starve them of oxygen enough for them to stop squirming, this means she is often pitted against people who could rightly take her out and it is the sheer surprise of choking on nothing that keeps her on top.

History Of Your Character

Zinnia grew up in NYC with both her parents and two younger brothers, good school, reasonably easy life nothing worth noting until she was 14 and one of her younger brothers drowned in the pool of their building. The family never recovered. She spent hours at the pools edge, cursing it for taking her brother, and it wasn’t long before she discovered she could kill just as effectively as the pool had. It was her other brother who fell first to her poisonous exhalations. She never sees her parents, but they still live in that cursed apartment block. After leaving the family home she bounced around with some less than squeaky clean people. She’d tried a bit of everything and everyone before settling for a year with a scumbag. He was worthless, but staying still for so long meant she was contactable, contractable. Mostly it was scare work at the start, ransoms and the like. Amazing how quickly people would pay up when it was their own life trickling away breath by breath. Occassionally she took on a higher paying job, the risks were higher and the cleanup was worse. After scumbag confronted her for being in and out of the flat at all hours of the day and night he ceased to be a problem. He left behind one permanent piece of himself though, which she had meant to take care of, but left too late, too expensive. Not that the hospital bill for getting it removed was cheap. She’d called it Peony, a beautiful name born from an intense reaction to the happy-gas. She was two now. Using the clean up crew for her own freelance basically sealed the deal that she would be a quasi employee of an organisation without a name. She’d get a brief, do the job, get a paycheck. It wasn’t glamorous, but it kept the landlord and the sitter happy.

Roleplay

Where did you learn about this site?: Cafas

Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who: Verdy (inactive) Cara (inactive)

Sample RP:

Zed had not slept well. Not that she ever slept well. The baby was crying, which was what prompted her to finally rise from the lumpy couch. A grubby blanket pooled to the ground as she slid into seated position, cradling her head in her hands.


“Maaaaaa*breath*aaaaaaah!”


A tone pitch from annoyance to actual rage got her naked butt moving and she yanked aside the tarpaulin acting as a gas barrier and kicked the door open with her foot. The room was scattered with half-emptied boxes of diapers, clothes from thrift shops and the pervading smell of sour milk. The child lifted its arms towards her, her face a screwed up ball of snot and anger, her breath coming in hiccup-sobs as she realised she was getting what she wanted.


“Yeah, yeah.” Zed scooped her up and wiped her face with a onesie before shuffling her into it. For herself she retrieved an equally crusty shirt with a faded emoticon of a poop on it. She felt it apt for the day she was having. After a quick hunt in the kitchen she wedged a wafer biscuit in either hand of the sooking toddler and set water to boil to make milk. Depositing her soon-to-be-sticky child on the couch she let herself out onto the fire escape for a smoke, pulling the window almost to behind her. She wasn’t that bad of a parent.


Her smoke was halfway done before a neighbour yelled at her indecency. She shot them the double bird for their trouble, but flicked the filter off the edge and moved back inside to find some pants. Peony drooled up at her with big, watery eyes (basically the only part of her not covered in pink cookie-drool) from the blanket nest as she found a pair of cargo pants that weren’t so dirty as to walk themselves away, and by some miracle clean knickers (they must have escaped from the clean-clothes pile into the dirty-clothes pile). She needed to do laundry at some stage, there was starting to be a stink.


A knock on the door signalled the sitter’s arrival, with a quick check through the chained door to ensure it wasn’t another type of visitor Zed let her in and indicated the baby with her head.


“Waters on. Money’s on the table. She needs changing. Stinks.”


Without a backward glance she left the room, scooping up her bag as she left. She’d be back, once the hours she paid for were up. In the meantime, she had an unfinished smoke, and a scrunched up piece of paper with a job on it.