Post by Safira on Sept 11, 2016 14:41:37 GMT
TAYLOR MARIE GARNETT
23. Villain.
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23. Villain.
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ALIAS(ES):
• Tay (Nickname)
• Safira (League Name)
BIRTHDAY: 17th January 1994
BIRTHPLACE: Gotham City
CURRENT: Unknown
FAMILY:
• Mother: Claudia Garnett, deceased.
• Father: Richard Garnett, 48.
ALLIANCE: The League of Shadows, Shadow Squad
RANK: Lieutenant (LoS)
WEAPONS:
• Karambit: The Karambit is a small hand-held blade of Southeast Asian origin. The knife takes on a crescent shape, like a claw. The Karambit is only 6.8 inches in length, with the high carbon stainless steel blade only 2.6 inches in length. Small and only 3.6oz in weight; the Karambit is a fast and efficient combat knife, able to be held well with both forward and reverse grip. This is best used at close combat, and doesn’t make for the best projectile. Taylor often carries two of these.
• Custom Collapsible Bow/Quiver - her most preferred weapon of choice is a custom built collapsible Oneida Kestrel Bow. It’s dark in color, and features lever style limbs. This in turn means that it uses compound cams to provide power, but it transfers te power into its recurved limbs. It’s only about 42 inches in length, from one tip to the other, and has a draw weight of 35-55lbs. All of this means that the bow is extremely functional, lightweight and perfect for firing when on the move a lot as Tay tends to be. As for the quiver that Tay uses is made out of tanned leather, and is very dark in color. While not the biggest in size, it can still comfortably hold somewhere between seventeen and twenty arrows at best.
• the smoke pellets that Tay uses are typically rather small in size (not much bigger than marbles), which is why she is able to carry upon her a rather large quantity of them. The pellets are not at all very durable, breaking on contact with most surfaces without much strength requires. Once one of these small pellets splits apart, they release a large amount of smoke to cover the immediate area, thus allowing for Tay to make a quick escape, or an ambushing strike on an opponent.
• Pocket Explosives – similar to the smoke pellets, the pocket explosives that Tay uses are small in size, and while a little larger than the smoke pellets, it’s not by much. Once thrown these explosives will detonate a mere few seconds later, or once they have come into contact with a solid surface to create a small scale explosion. Such explosives are best utilized as a means of distraction, or for aggravating an opponent as they lack the firepower to do any real damage, unless something is already structurally weakened.
POWER:
• Teleportation: Taylor is able to move from one place to another without traversing the physical space between them through the act of teleportation. She can teleport any distance she wishes to, but is only capable of teleporting herself and what items/clothing she has upon her person.
Taylor can also create teleportation portals. These portals operate in pairs; as they each lead to the other. Not only can Taylor use them, but so can others if they step through a portal. The problem here would be that a person going through a portal would risk the same problems that Taylor has. In that their momentum when going through a portal, remains when coming out from the portal on the other side. This works for attacks as well, as a bullet being shot through one portal will carry through the other portal as well in the same direction, and with the same speed to it. A smart combatant would be capable of using these portals against Taylor – keyword being; smart combatant. Taylor can also manifest these portals into spike-like constructs, and throw them at targets. Upon contact the spike doesn’t hurt, or pierce the target; but teleports them to the wherever the corresponding portal is located.
BLOOD TYPE: A
ORIENTATION: Bisexual
MENTOR: Ra’s Al Ghul
SCARS AND MARKINGS: Scars obtained through combat
COLOR(S): Pink/Black
UNIFORM:
The uniform that Taylor wears is fairly standard for an assassin. To begin with, the tunic is made out of a Nomex fire-resistant, triple weave Kevlar-lined material. This means that it provides a good amount of protection against physical attacks, whilst also providing some resistance to fire. It features a low number of body-armour inlays as well, for added protection to vital organs. Having this lower number of body-armour inlays means that the tunic remains lightweight, as to not weigh Taylor down when moving quickly. With the tunic comes a hood as well, along with a balaclava. Both are dark in color, and for the most part the only part of Taylor’s face that can be seen are her eyes. The leggings that Taylor wears are lightweight like the tunic, made from similar material. They feature no body-armour inlays, and are rather tight fitting as well. The gauntlets that Taylor wears are made out of thick leather, black in color and cover most of her forearms – these gauntlets are particularly helpful for gripping surfaces if climbing. The boots that Taylor wears are made of a similar material, knee high and flat footed; offering very good grip to the floor. As with the other pieces of the outfit, the boots and gauntlets weigh very little as well, but don’t necessarily provide the same protection as the tunic. (PICTURE)
DESCRIPTION:
• 5’3’’
• 108 lbs
• Brown (Eyes)
• Black (Hair)
• Athletic/Slim Build
PLAY-BY: Emeraude Toubia
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FEAR: Abandonment is what Taylor fears more than anything else in the world. It took some time, but in the League of Shadows Taylor found herself a family, a place to call home. But whilst a fear, it is also a source of motivation, as it keeps Taylor in check to follow orders to appease Ra’s Al Ghul so that her place within the League of Shadows is definitive – her loyalty is unquestionable.
DESIRE: Taylor has no further desires, really. What she has always wanted has been found within the League of Shadows. Any other fortune that was to befall her would simply be considered a bonus more than anything.
HABITS: Tay’s habit can be one that can cause much annoyance to others. The habit itself is that Taylor seems to disappear without saying a thing, usually whilst being talked to. If there is nothing else that she feels she needs to hear, then she’ll go, and you won’t know anything about it beforehand.
PET PEEVES: One thing that really grinds Safira’s gears is when others take it upon themselves to think they have any right to talk down to her. The only person that Safira would ever let speak down to her is Ra’s Al Ghul, and maybe Nyssa. But that’s it. If anyone else tries it, then they will mostly likely find themselves in a position where they know never to do it again. Another annoyance of Safira’s, are cowards. Safira has been taught to believe that one should always, and at all costs; stand their ground. Running is a sign of weakness, and weak people deserve to die.
STRENGTHS:
• Conditioning: Taylor has received training from within the League which has improved her psychical conditions to be near the peak of a human’s capability; making her stronger, faster, and more agile than the majority of the human race. In the League, Tay’s pain threshold was consistently tested, and now when struck with a physical attack she is most likely willing to fight on through the pain. At present, she has a strict exercise regime that she follows, as well as a strict diet.
• Athletic: Taylor’s great prowess when it comes to agility training makes her on par when it comes to acrobatic skill with that of an Olympian. This can be utilized in movement through the use of parkour, as Taylor is able to quickly traverse terrain without trouble. This also makes Taylor a rather fleet footed individual, with near unshakable balance that can come very much in handy.
• Unarmed Combat: Whilst within the League, Taylor has been taught the ways of a great number of different martial art disciplines. Her personal preference is Ninjitsu, though uses it in tandem with techniques taught by other disciplines to make herself a dangerous and often unpredictable opponent.
• Tracking: Tay has received tutelage of various techniques that are used for both hunting and tracking. She is capable of tracking down individuals whether they are on foot, or are in a vehicle. It’s through such techniques that Tay has learnt to be very observant of her surroundings, capable of noticing subtle disturbances and other minor details that others may otherwise overlook.
• Marksmanship: Through prolonged training, Taylor has near perfect aim and hits her target nine times out of ten. This pertains more to a bow, though she remains very proficient with other projectile weapons such as throwing knives, crossbows, shurikens and firearms.
• Weapon’s Training: Tay has received further training with a variety of different weapons from the League. This includes anything from swords and daggers, to mace’s and staves, and to even more exotic weapons like a ring-blade. Most of Taylor’s knowledge pertains to her melee weapon of choice; the karambit, of which she is highly skilled at utilizing.
• Stealth Tactics: Even before entering the League, Tay had shown a great ability to remain undetected, and to breach places she should not necessarily be. The League helped with attuning this skill further, and with the knowledge of Ninjitsu; Tay is now able to breach high security facilities whilst remaining undetected. It is helper further, as Tay can hide her presence in a split second, to only reveal herself to her foes when she wants to.
• Disguise: Taylor is very proficient when it comes to needing to take on another persona to infiltrate various places, or to blend in with the general populous around her to either escape an opponent, or strike from out of nowhere. This takes a step further when you add to that knowledge of clothing and make-up that can aid Tay in being able to adopt another persona to effortlessly blend in with her surroundings.
• Escapology: Tay is highly trained, and extremely proficient in various arts and techniques in regards to escapology, picking locks, cracking safe boxes, and finding weak points within structures that can otherwise be used to her own benefit.
• Interrogation: Tay is very adept at various interrogation techniques that have been taught to her by the League of Shadows – most of which are rather torturous in theme. Tay has no problem in taking another person’s life, and thus has no qualms about making another person suffer in order to gain information from them – there is nothing worse than an interrogator who feels no remorse.
WEAKNESSES:
• Human: Despite the training, and being a meta-human. Taylor retains the physical limitations and weaknesses of the human form. Thus it means that she is capable of being hurt by the same sort of things that would hurt any other human.
• Secretive: Taylor is not a very open person at all. She doesn’t speak much about herself to anyone, not even the League of Shadows. This and other parts of her behaviour (as well as the fact she’s an assassin) can make her someone who others themselves find difficult to trust. It’s difficult to gage what it is that she’s thinking, even more so when she is geared up on a mission as all you really have to go on is the look in her eyes.
• Overconfidence: Tay is extremely confident in her own abilities, and at times this can cause her to underestimate the opposition. This can lead to her leaving openings for an opponent to use to attack her, which of course; is not good at all.
TRAITS:
Taylor tends to operate in a way that can only be described as cruel. Even since her first time, claiming another person’s life as just a teenage; Safira has never felt any guilt or remorse for her actions. In fact, Taylor tends to take great pleasure in what she does, comfortable with knowing that she has caused an insurmountable amount of pain, misery and anguish to others as a result of all the people that she has killed. But it goes a step further than being fond of causing suffering to others. Gradually over time, and with growing confidence in her abilities; Tay has started to have a little more fun with what she does, be a little more creative. It’s important to further expand your horizons, and this is the way Safira does it, dreaming up more sick and twisted ways to see anguish upon another person’s face. With this, comes a sense of confidence and arrogance, as she carries herself with a bit of swagger as she goes about what she does. It’s important to have fun.
But Taylor’s personality does adapt to the company she keeps. Whilst in the presence of the League (and Ra’s Al Ghul in particular), Taylor typically sports a rather reserved, yet calm demeanour. She remains quiet, only speaking when spoken to and always carries a high level of respect for all of her fellow assassins. Taylor is loyal and respectful, and follows Ra’s orders to the finest of details. She would never ever dream of speaking out against the League, and even if Tay does feel particularly strongly about something, she’ll bite her tongue and accept the League’s stance. For it is within the League, that Taylor has found a group that she regards as being family, and therefore does everything in her power to appease them as best she can.
It’s in the company of friends where Taylor doesn’t have to take up the role of a killer, and therefore she can appear to be much more human. Taylor can be very playful once she gets to know someone, and has a witty side to her as well; very good at dishing out ‘burns’ and sly remarks, as well as take them. An open minded, and curious individual – which may largely be a factor as to what drew her towards the League of Shadows. However, Taylor is also someone who absolutely loves confrontation. There is something about being clear, direct and brutally honest to someone, without a care of how they feel about it that is just so… fun. She actually likes people who have a more direct approach about things, people like that are usually the most honest and trustworthy. Whilst manipulation can be a big part of being an assassin, Taylor straight up dislikes anyone trying to play mind games with her. If she notices you doing this, you’ll surely know about it – her karambit blade is never far away.
It is worth noting as well, that Safira has a bit of a difficult time accepting defeat. Defeat typically leads to her throwing some sort of a tantrum, retreating into herself and brooding for a while. It stems from her competitive nature, which was her drive within the League to be the best. In her eyes, being labelled a loser is unacceptable, and she will go to any lengths to prove otherwise.
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HISTORY:
Taylor hails from the wretched city known as Gotham, to which she once called home. Born of English parents, that’s all Taylor ever really knew of them as neither were around in her life for all that long. She’s the result of an unplanned pregnancy, and an unwanted one at that. Deemed a mistake, and deemed even worse as a result of the tragedy surrounding her birth. While Taylor arrived in this World just fine, her mother passed away as a result of this. It was a tragic life moment, one that you would want to forget in a hurry like Taylor’s father tried to do. He wanted nothing to do with Taylor, blaming her for the loss of his wife. As soon as he was able to release Taylor from hospital care, he did. Only to leave Taylor at an Orphanage with no details other than her name. Taylor’s father disappeared after that, leaving Gotham City and most likely on the other side of the planet.
Taylor didn’t exactly grow up in the best of the places. The Orphanage was very much run down, running on the scraps thrown their way by the wealthy residents of Gotham. Money didn’t go far, as the orphanage took on a lot of Gotham’s youth. Through Taylor’s tenure there, things didn’t get much better, but it did get worse. Taylor wasn’t much of a team player as a child, having something of an aggressive side to her. It resulted in her being something of a loner, and when she could choose; always opted to be alone. It was down to the fact that you never knew how long a kid would stay. In her years there, Taylor saw lots and lots of children head into care. She was unwilling to put on a cutesy monkey dance in hopes of being taken away, no, that wasn’t her style at all. Eventually the Orphanage reached a point whereby it had to let some of the older children go, and transfer others elsewhere in order to keep running. Taylor wasn’t let go, but she was transferred to another Orphanage that would most likely face the same hurdles with trying to survive.
Taylor didn’t settle in her new surroundings at all. It was worse in many ways, which didn’t at all seem possible. It was an Orphanage that housed much older children than where she was before; mostly teenagers. She was very much on the young side of things, from a big fish in a small pond, to a small fish in a big pond. The fact that Taylor wasn’t the most sociable, and often had anger issues resulted in her becoming something of a target for the other kids. She was a prime candidate for the others to pick on, as they knew they would get a reaction out of her for their own entertainment. Taylor often acted out as a result, and was usually the one found to be in trouble. It was common for Taylor to get into fights with other girls, and boys – that which attracted a lot of attention. Then an incident occurred, one that granted Taylor her wish of leaving the Orphanage. There was this one girl whom Taylor had been having troubles with for a while, it went back from her very first day. Taylor was in the kitchen, unsupervised and had possession of a knife. There wasn’t much in the way of toys or things to do, and thus Taylor was playing that game whereby you stab the table in-between your fingers as quickly as you can in succession. A dangerous game, and that girl just had to enter and open her mouth. What she said is a distant memory, but it riled Taylor up instantaneously to the point whereby she lashed out to slash the girl with the knife. It didn’t go unnoticed, and the girl was taken immediately to hospital for treatment. While the Orphanage staff called the Police to the premises to discuss what to do about Taylor. Taylor was not involved, and as a measure to protect the other children it was decided that Taylor would be transferred to Gotham’s Young Offenders Institute for an unspecified amount of time. But when they came to collect Taylor who had been kept in a room, isolated with no room to get out. They found the room to be empty, it was as though she had disappeared into thin air.
A search party looking for her was sent out immediately. It lasted only a day or so before being called off. No-one wanted to waste police resources on a girl that effectively no-one in the World cared about. In truth, Taylor hadn’t escaped at all by conventional means. It was the dormant metagene awakening inside her as a result of emotional stress. Taylor had teleported away, feeling in danger back at the Orphanage. It granted her the wish of leaving, but now she found herself on the streets of Gotham – no place for a thirteen year old girl.
It didn’t take long for Taylor to start to appreciate what she had at the Orphanage – at both of them. The streets of Gotham appeared to be an unforgiving place, filled with thugs and low lives, all willing to step on each other for very little. Taylor soon found herself mixing with the wrong crowd (though there wasn’t a right crowd on the streets). Taylor found herself getting involved with low level street gangs, doing basic work for them. She couldn’t refuse, as payment of food was enough for her to forget any morals she had. Taylor mostly did petty theft, and for a period was a frequent visitor to the GCPD building. She didn’t have a grasp of teleportation yet, and through her own negligence and immaturity was caught on many different occasions. But of course, the police couldn’t keep her in custody, no-one could. Taylor wasn’t a prisoner; no-one could make her stay anywhere she didn’t want to be. The Gotham City Police Department never worked out how she escaped over and over again, but nothing changed, getting caught wasn’t a problem. Over time, Taylor got better at her craft, and started to enjoy it really. Moreso as she embraced her power, which in turn granted her confidence. She earned a reputation, being the one you go to if you need something stolen. No-one ever saw Taylor teleport, all they knew was that she was good at what she did.
There was once incident in particular that occurred not long after Tay’s fifteenth birthday that would impact her life, even to this day. She had begun stealing for one gang in particular that was led by one guy who was only ever referred to as; ‘The Hound’. He was something of a mysterious character, having arrived in Gotham only months ago and already a big player in the criminal scene. Whatever mysteries were in his past reared their heads eventually. Taylor returned to the compound that Hound was situated in one day to find the Hound’s men (some whom she had worked with) slaughtered outside like animals. The cause of the problem could be seen as well, as Tay caught a glimpse of several hooded figures heading into a small building where she presumed the Hound was. Tay was intrigued, but also cautious. Steadily and stealthily making her way across the compound, following after the hoods she had seen. They were all within one room, and from afar did Tay catch a look at what was going on. The Hound was on his knees, begging it seemed, speaking a foreign language that sounded Arabic. The hooded individuals were spread out in the room, and before the Hound stood a young woman – hoodless. She had a bow in hand, and aimed it towards the Hound at point blank range. Taylor felt she had to do something, and went to go interrupt. But as she entered the door way, the bow wielding woman instinctively turned towards her and fired an arrow straight at Tay. It struck Tay in the chest, and she fell to the floor. She doesn’t remember much after that, simply blacking out, unconscious
Taylor awoke sometime later, and found herself in surroundings that were completely unfamiliar to her. It was a room dimly lit by candles, there was a bed that she laid upon and a chair at one end. Taylor woke up in an immense amount of pain, but forgot about it when she lay eyes upon the stranger sat on the chair at the end of her bed. It was the girl who had fired the arrow, and initially Taylor appeared rather frightened. She apologized, and informed Taylor that she had taken care of her, making sure she was alright – better than anyone had ever done before, really. The only real detail that Taylor learnt was the strangers name; Nyssa, who left soon after. For some reason, Taylor was rather curious, feeling drawn towards the stranger. Whilst still in pain, Taylor decided to leave the room soon after the stranger and found herself close to one of Gotham’s slums. She knew the area which was good. Of course, Tay spotted the stranger in the distance and began to tail her; teleporting initially, just to make up ground. Wherever Nyssa went, Taylor followed behind, keeping some distance between them. Eventually the tracking stopped, as the stranger stopped in an opening where there were several hooded figures like the ones before, as well as a man who looked in command. He had a regal air to him, undoubtedly their commander. Unbeknownst to Taylor, this was of course; Ra’s Al Ghul. Nyssa had known Taylor was following, and felt she was brave, stupid or some combination of the two. Ra’s Al Ghul was aware as well, and called her out of hiding. It seemed silly at the time, dangerous, but Taylor stepped out from behind the crates she was hiding behind. Several of the hooded individuals proceeded to approach Tay, and would attack. They were unarmed, and Tay managed to dodge a few attacks but couldn’t mount a fight herself. When she was knocked to the floor, beaten, the hooded figures stepped away. But as they went to leave, Taylor got up once more and called out with a challenge. The hooded figures attacked with the approval of Ra’s, and this time Tay was dealt with even quicker. She was beaten up, until she laid on the floor a beaten and bruised mess. But once again, Taylor picked herself up again and laid down the gauntlet. This time she felt more confident, and when the hoods attacked did she show what she was capable of. She made them look like amateurs, utilizing her power; teleportation to disappear and reappear. Tay didn’t deal any attack, but she impressed. Ra’s Al Ghul could see there was potential here, potential with a gift that could be of benefit to him – and a will to not die. He called time on his warriors, and they backed off. The League of Shadows departed the scene, with Taylor trailing behind; determined to keep up.
Taylor spent the next seven years with the League of Shadows. Most of that time was spent training, training every day and every night. And she didn’t mind it at all, because deep down she felt with every passing day as though she had finally found somewhere where she belonged, and felt now as though she actually had a purpose, as well as a family. It only served to drive Taylor on even more, to complete her training. She was initially put through a strict regime that focused on improving her physical and mental capabilities. This was to improve her conditioning, to increase her threshold for pain and to teach her how to focus her mind (among other things). This regime she soon learned would never stop, this was all to be continued throughout her life (even to now) as a means to remain in peak condition. After a year and a half, Taylor started to be taught how to fight, with weapons and without, how to improve her accuracy. She was particularly deadly with a bow, deemed to be her primary weapon from that day forth. Everything Tay was taught all tied back to the mind, the strength of will. Of course, Taylor could do something the others couldn’t; she could teleport. There was training devoted to this, to help her control her ability better, to make progress on the potential it had - everything tied back to the basics. Many had a hand in training Taylor; Ra’s, Nyssa, Cheshire, among others. At the age of nineteen, Taylor was fully initiated into the League of Shadows. And upon doing so, bestowed upon her was her League name; Safira (Arabic; Traveller (المسافر)).
From there, Taylor continued further training and operated in the field as a member of the League of Shadows. She did whatever asked of her with extreme efficiency, not wasting time of ruffling any feathers with any questions or hesitation. Over time, Taylor earned herself something of a reputation in the League. A positive one, and she became close friends with certain individuals, such as Nyssa and Cheshire. As Taylor excelled, she started taking lead on missions. Effectively leading a group and strategizing. There reached a point whereby Ra’s Al Ghul chose Taylor to be his and the Shadows’ representative on the Light’s new team; the Shadow Squad. Taylor gained entry into the group, and now serves alongside the likes of Ravagar and Nightshade, to further the Light’s cause.
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NAME: Beat
EXPERIENCE: 6-7 years
CONTACT: PM/Skype
HOW'D YOU FIND US? My bookmarks.
CHARACTERS: Safira.
ANYTHING ELSE? All hail Bat Cow.