Liv
Sullivan.jpg
Vesper
Real Name: Sullivan "Liv" Prieto
Age: 16
Identity: Public
Birthplace: Madison, WI
Date of Birth: July 4, 1994
Known Relatives: Evelyn Prieto ("mother")
Height: 5'11"
Weight: ??
Eyes: Grey
Hair: Red
Grade: Junior
Dorm: Taylor

Background

Sullivan Prieto was made, not born. On July 4, 1994, at a Fourth of July picnic, Grace Sullivan – then a Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judge (IL, IN, WI) – was ambushed and subjected to an obscure mystic ritual that separated her shadow from her and embodied it as a living entity. Grace retained no memory of the incident.

A small group of these Soul Shadows have existed for almost a century, arguably longer - the older ones rarely speak of their origins. Gifted with shapeshifting abilities and a subtle psychic link to their original, a Soul Shadow’s goal is to study and eventually replace them. The link allows a deeper instinctive feel for the original’s behavior, smoothing the transition. As a group, the Soul Shadows are more concerned with having and playing with power than specific large-scale application, and are as prone to aping movie stars and other celebrities as politicians or CEOs. Given the limitations of the ritual – a shadow is “born” as an infant – most targets are long-term successes.

Sullivan’s name is a combination of her source and the surname of her “mother,” the woman who created her, then (and still) posing as New-York-based starlet Evelyn Prieto. In addition to placing her in a school environment as close to her source as possible – which meant, of all things, Catholic school – Evelyn also guided Sullivan through a rigorous course of pre-law, her source’s personal history, deception and manipulation, and general skulduggery.

Liv was discouraged from making friends in school and had little after-hours social time in any event – that time was spent with the handful of other Soul Shadows. (At the time of her break with them, her nearest peers were twenty-seven and nine.) Despite considerable personal wealth, Evelyn never indulged her and in fact, trained her as she had been: if you want something, get it … just don’t get caught.

With this upbringing, it was a tribute to Liv’s cussed stubbornness that she developed a sneaking moral fiber despite it all. Contributing to this were intermittent but vivid dreams from Grace Sullivan’s life, snatches of old cases. Liv trusted the Soul Shadows because they were her world and quashed the little voice asking questions, but it remained in the back of her head.

In the spring before Liv turned thirteen, Grace Sullivan was nominated to the United States Supreme Court. The Soul Shadows celebrated their fortune … and pulled Liv out of school, both for more intense training and to eliminate outside influences on the teen.

Then a case came before the Supreme Court that affected neohumans – and one Soul Shadow in particular. The shadow mimicking famous chick lit author Jennifer Weaver – also Liv’s closest “friend” among them, being only in her twenties – had been caught in a neohuman misdemeanor, and legislation was on the table proposing that any first-time neohuman be fitted with a monitoring anklet. If that wasn’t instant trouble for a Shadow, it was very dangerous.

They moved up the time-table on Liv’s possession. How much? Oh, say, to … now.

They ignored her protests that she wasn’t ready. She would have to be. As long as she heeded them and didn’t try to improvise, she would be fine.

It fell to her to remove Grace: Soul Shadow tradition. Liv was terrified by the idea, but wouldn’t have shown it even if her mother hadn’t pounded her repeatedly with diatribes on how evil the judge was, on how she threatened their very way of life.

When Grace returned to her old home for a day-trip – family business – Liv took a shot at her and missed. The judge hit her panic button for security as the girl gathered her nerve for a second blast of shadow … and found she couldn’t do it.

She confessed why she had been sent to Grace. She warned her that other Soul Shadows might still come after her, and they could be anyone. The judge tried to convince her turn herself in. A frightened Liv fled, spotted as security arrived but as difficult to pin down as a dream.

She didn’t – couldn’t – go home, so she bolted. She wasn’t on the lam for long: a midwestern vigilante known as the Bloodhound quite literally picked up her scent and tracked her down. As the girl who had attacked a Supreme Court Justice, Liv made a brief splash of headlines and found an unexpected advocate in her victim. Told that the Soul Shadows were using her and not sure if she should believe it, the only thing Liv could be certain of was the fact that the questions they had never allowed her to ask were surfacing with a vengeance.

Determining that the girl had been indoctrinated and showed remorse, her sentence was full-time attendance to the Steranko Institute (we’ll assume someone, somewhere, whispered in the right ear). She currently wears a tracking band in case she decides to bolt – or someone makes the decision for her. She’s restricted to a small radius around the Institute unless she receives authorization from a teacher. Not really believing Liv about their mystical link, Grace Sullivan currently has no further investment in her future.

What’s publically known about the trial: Liv made an attempt on Grace’s life and then had a change of heart; she claims to be a shapeshifter created from shadow; her sentence involves (unspecified) rehabilitation. Evelyn Prieto was, of course, a prime suspect, but lawyered up and no formal charges were ever brought against her. Jennifer Weaver was never implicated and was recently released on her misdemeanor. (She’s now writing a “chicklit in prison” novel.)

What’s privately known about the trial: Liv is in some way a duplicate of Grace Sullivan; there are others like her. No names were named.

So Liv arrives at the Steranko Institute, mid-term, shaken, suspicious and uncertain … and poised on the brink of learning that there are better ways to live her life.

Personality

Liv is possessed of a dry, sharp wit and prone to sarcasm … but if she doesn’t trust you, it’s nothing personal – she doesn’t particularly trust anyone. She’s a pessimist, quick to find the darkest interpretation of the situation and promptly make it darker. Sometimes, she plays this for comic effect; other times, she’s disturbingly serious about it. She has an active, aggressively curious mind that picks at everything and leaves no stone unturned. The fact that the new Liv no longer takes “just because” as an answer leads to frequent clashes with authority, and she’s not particularly intimidated by said – it’s hard to be when you were raised amongst people who could replace just about anyone.

Logs

Poison In the Air: 4/14/10-Sandra, Reg and Liv meet up and converse.
Two Girls and A Bookstore: 4/21/2010 - Sandra and Liv visit a bookstore … FOR FUN!
Aftermath In The Student Center: 4/29/2010-Sandra, Reg, Liv, end up discussing recent robberies, beatings, and Freedom of Choice.
Infirmary Bound: 4/29/10-Jack Bowen (Jackhammer), Sullivan Prieto (Vesper) and Miranda Weisse (Whisper) visit Stephanie & Steven Moore (Chimera) in the infirmary.
The Cost of a Costume: 5/??/10 - Liv invites Sandra over to get something off her chest, and secrets are exchanged.
Invites Pt 1: 5/30 - 6/1/2010 Liv invites a few people (Stephanie, Alia, Sandra) to vacation with her over summer break. This will turn out to be a Very Bad Idea (tm). Pt 1/2
Invites Pt 2: 6/3 - 6/5/2010 More invitations to an ill-advised vacation at Liv's home. Amber and Reg, with cameos from Sandra and Linus in the second log. Pt 2/2
Crossing The Threshold: 6/8/2010 Reg and Sandra arrive at the Prieto residence in NYC and are greeted by their hostess, her mother and an unexpected guest.
Dinner With The Prietos: 6/9/2010 The Prieto houseguests sit down for dinner, and things go … awry.
Did You Set Us Up?: 6/10/2010 The morning after the Prieto houseguests learn they are being held for ransom, Amber and Liv discuss the situation.
The Day After: 6/11/2010 The day after her/their harrowing encounter with Evelyn Prieto, Stephanie converses with some of the house's other guests.
Get Out of Jail Free Card: 6/11/2010 Liv approaches Reg and Sandra with a solution to their current hostage situation. One catch …
The End is the Beginning - Parts I & II: 7/17/10 - The Evil Doctor Gatling pulls off two nearly simultaneous heists. But to what end? Featuring: I: Euiko Tani, Reginald Hart, Sullivan 'Liv' Prieto and Sasha Romanova; II: Adrian Young, Cordelia Savage, Linus Young and Sunday Knight. Emit by Rhombus.
Duck, Duck, Goose: 7/27/2010 Brief scene wherein Sandra checks in on Liv, words are mangled, explanations are had and resolutions made.
Companionly Aggregate of Inquisitive and Vigilant Affiliates 8/30/2010 -Alessandra, Reg, Liv are talking in Reg's room about this, that, and non-competitive group cooperatives.
Of Boyfriends And Carpentry 9/1/2010 - Alessandra, Liv, Rioghan run into each other and have a chat about 'The Lord of the Rings,' 'Legolas,' and 'screwing' literary analysis.
Long-Lost Relatives and Their Shadows 9/24/2010 - Liv and Alia stop by to visit Rioghan, compare ear lengths and discuss war.

Stats


Attr: Str 8 (-2), Dex 14 (+4), Con 12 (+2), Int 16 (+6), Wis 16 (+6), Cha 20 (+10)

Saves: Toughness +1 (+6 with Defensive Roll), Fortitude +4, Reflex +6, Will +8

Combat: Attack +0 (+9 Ranged), Defense +0 (+11 Dodge Focus), Grapple +X, Init +2

Skills:

Bluff: 13 (18)
Computers: 1 (4)
Concentration: 4 (7)
C/Artistic: 2 (5)
Diplomacy: 5 (10)
Gather Info: 5 (10)
K/Arcane Lore: 4 (7)
K/Behavioral: 2 (5)
K/Civics: 6 (9)
K/Physical Sci: 1 (4)
Notice: 3 (6)
Sense Motive: 4 (7)
Sleight of Hand: 6 (8)
Stealth: 4 (6)

(14.5pp)

Feats:

Attack Focus / Ranged + 9, Challenge: Fast Feint, Defensive Roll +5, Dodge Focus +11, Eidetic Memory, Luck, Power Attack, Taunt

Powers:

Blast 8 (Extras: Affects Corporeal, Autofire x1; AP: Paralysis (Extras: Autofire x1, Range, Affects Corporeal; Flaws: Slow), AP: Dazzle (Vision, Sound; Extras: Autofire), AP: Obscure 5 (100' Radius, All Visual; Power Feats: Reversible, Slow Fade — 1 Minute; Extras: Independent, Selective Attack; Linked Attack: Confuse 8); Cost: 4PP/Rank+3; Total: 35pp)

Insubstantial 4 (Affected by Light Attacks; Extras: Continuous; AP: Morph 8 (Humanoids; Extra: Continuous); Enhanced Feat: Quick Change; 6pp / rank +2; Total: 26pp)

Super Senses 2 (Davkvision; 1pp / rank; Total: 2pp)

Drawbacks:

Vulnerable: Magic (Very Common, Minor, +1DC) -3pp
Weakness (High Winds, Uncommon, Moderate, -1 Con/Minute) -5

Complications

Intrinsically Suspicious: Raised in a don’t-ask-questions environ which was recently torn to shreds, Liv has reasons not to trust or take anything at face value. Even in the heat of the moment, she’s prone to demanding explanations before she follows a directive, potentially eating up valuable time … and she rarely trusts that anyone is who or what they claim to be.

Restricted Movements: Liv has a government-issued tracking band which cannot be removed. It must be bypassed by a teacher before she can go more than five miles outside of the school’s on-earth environs or it sends an alert to the authorities. In addition, there’s the potential that other entities can hack into the band’s signal and track it.

Touch My Friends and Die: While Liv has yet to make any real attachments, history has shown her to be fanatically loyal to the people she believes in … and the combination of upbringing and temper means that she won’t have many hesitations about using lethal force if someone she cares for is genuinely threatened, never mind the consequences.

Shady Past: Liv’s recent history is a matter of public record, which may lead to heroes distrusting her and the occasional villain trying to convert her. She’s unlikely to get the benefit of the doubt from authorities in the case of mixups. (There’s also the potential for the Soul Shadows themselves approaching her, but that’s something I’d like to approve before it gets tagged.)

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