Post by Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy on Oct 28, 2010 0:18:39 GMT -5
Real Name: Doctor Pamela Lillian Isley
Alias: Poison Ivy
Age: I've been 29 for a few years now - I don't age anymore
Gender: Female
Occupation: I used to be a freelance botanist, but I don't have time for that anymore - saving the planet has become my full time pursuit.
Current Status: Planting a few seeds, expanding my roots
Alignment: Chaotic Good, because I'm trying to save the planet here! It's not my fault nobody appreciates my methods.
Costumed Identity Known By Their Enemies? My enemies know that I'm coming for them
Costumed Identity Known By The General Public? I've made it into the international news a couple times
Real Identity Known By Their Enemies? Who I was before is no secret anymore
Real Identity Known By The General Public? That depends on the person - those in the upper classes are likely to have known me before my transformation, while the rabble probably have no idea who I was unless they care to know
Abilities/Skills:
Weaknesses:
Appearance:
I'm naturally beautiful: I have the curves, I have the legs, and the eyes, hair, and pretty much anything else you'd care to name. I'm five foot eight weigh a curvy but muscled 160 pounds or so. My hair is a brilliant red and my eyes are a vivid green. But what is perhaps my most distinctive feature is my skin, which ranges in color from a pale gray to a bold green depending on how well I've been taking care of myself - on any given day I'm usually a pale green. I do have the ability to change my skin to a more human tone, but it takes a certain drug I invented and is only temporary if I don't continue taking it.
My wardrobe proves that I know how to dress; when I'm blending in, my clothing is extremely fashionable, classy, and shows off my perfect figure. I'm especially fond of little dresses and stilettos. Often a plant is involved in my outfit, like a flower in my hair, but naturally I don't harm the plant involved. But when I'm not trying to hide myself, I wear either a specially made dark green outfit in the shape of a strapless swimsuit with matching long gloves and high heeled boots, or more and more lately I've been choosing living clothing made out of vines that I wrap around myself in a way that forms a small dress - they can be used as a weapon of last resort, but that's not usual. I may take a great deal of pride in her appearance, but I'm hardly a whore and I don't dress like one - I have my standards.
Whether out in costume or blending in, I always have seeds with me to use as weapons - hidden in my pocket or purse. When I know that I'm going into trouble, I also wear a wrist crossbow. The bolts for it are, of course, poisoned.
Personality:
I don't really care at all about most people - I've been told this means that I'm a sociopath, but that doesn't matter to me. I don't actually hate humans as a species - some of them are alright and I do have an actual friend or two who would tell you that I'm quite caring and generous. But the majority of people are simply horrible so I see no reason why I shouldn't use them to my advantage and dispose of the ones that are in the way.
My emotions are rather powerful - when I'm happy I'm on top of the world, when I'm depressed even Harley can't pull me out of it, and when I'm angry... just stay out of my way. I am, however, an extremely talented actress - at times the feelings I express are genuine, but I find myself feigning another much of the time. I have to, really - there are far too many people I see on a daily basis who would stab me in the back at the first sign of weakness.
Even the experts couldn't tell you when I'm lying or being manipulative or not. It's really best to just assume that I'm lying about everything always, though anyone who is a friend of mine can generally trust that I won't cause them any harm without cause. Of course... I'm also quite skilled at making people believe that they're my friend even when they're not, so just because you believe that I genuinely care about you doesn't mean that I do.
Background:
My childhood was quite miserable and isn't really worth thinking about. Oh, I had all the money I could want, but my parents were both scientists and hardly had any attention to spare on me. It would have been difficult for them anyway - I was quite shy. But my parents had some rather extensive gardens, and that was all the company I really needed. I had a certain connection with them that I continued to cultivate throughout my life, and that lead me to pursuing a doctorate in botany.
I attended Gotham University, being accepted into a very small and elite group of students studying under Dr. Jason Woodrue - an expert in plant hybrids and toxicology. I was the best in my class, mastering everything he taught me quite easily. Perhaps he saw that I would surpass him and became jealous, and that's why he chose me for his experiment. He attacked me under false pretenses late one night in the university's lab, injecting me with a potent mixture of toxins before fleeing from the authorities. I was hardly expected to live, yet I did and it was declared to be a miracle.
Two weeks later I woke up in the hospital, a changed woman: physically and even mentally I've been different ever since - better. The experience taught me what really matters in this world and allowed me to shed the self-doubt that had plagued me my entire life until then. But they wouldn't let me leave the hospital for six months - not because I was unwell, but because they thought that I ought to be unwell because of the toxins that had become a part of me and they wished to study and 'fix' me, even though I was perfectly fine. They even thought that I needed a psychiatrist - but I simply needed to learn to give him what he wanted and my parents threw enough money at them to convince them to let me go.
After all of that, I decided it was best to move back into my parent's mansion, but it's very difficult to live with parents who insist on treating you like a child long after you've grown up. Fortunately, my father and mother were involved in an unfortunate accident on the freeway not long after, so I inherited the house and all of their money. I quickly established myself among Gotham's elite as an extremely attractive and dateable socialite - I had nearly all of Gotham's bachelors wrapped around my little finger.
And yet I found that the power and influence I possessed was not enough to advance my cause - nor was the power and influence of those I could lure into believing as I do. So I found myself turning to more and more illegal means. I was careful and clever about it, of course, managing to gain a little bit of the attention of some of Gotham's vigilantes in the process but each time leaving them with no way to prove my wrong-doing. But eventually, through a complex series of misfortune, I ended up in the hands of the FBI right when they were in the midst of their campaign to rid Gotham of it's criminals. I was able to escape, but my cover had been blown.
And yet it's so much more freeing to not be shackled by the need to keep up the pretense of being an honest citizen. I miss the lifestyle, but I can do so much more with myself now. Not without the occasional small misstep - like the fight with Nightwing that didn't go in my favor and landed me in the asylum - but now that I've established that the long arm of the law cannot hold me any longer than I wish, I'm ready to show this city what I can really do.
Current Associates:
Current Enemies:
Other Relationships:
RP Sample:
When Nightwing comments on the law, Poison Ivy immediately gives a scoffing laugh. "The law? I'm getting a lecture from a vigilante about the law?" she asks, "Seeing as you're just as guilty of trespassing and assault tonight as I am, who are you to talk to me about the law?" Of course she doesn't believe in law at all herself. How can she waste time stopping to care about some rules some idiot invented that prevent her from doing what she has to do? At best she cares when people break the laws that concern the environment - but only because it's so grating that people can't seem to follow even the most minimal, insufficient laws that they set for themselves.
But though she says this easily, her mind is only slightly on her words. She doesn't need to think much in order to call them out on their hypocrisy - that she could do in her sleep. No, most of her mind is focused on the subject of Nightwing and how close he's getting. She notes but doesn't react when the handcuffs appear. She doesn't particularly care about them because she suspects that she won't be in them for long, assuming that she lets him put them on in the first place. Because he's indeed right that she's planning on fighting back, but not just yet... She's not sure herself when the proper moment for that will be, but she'll know it when she sees it.
Of course she suspects that he's still suspicious and on his guard, but beyond simply planning her attack and hoping to catch him by surprise with it she's also got many other tricks up her sleeve - her proverbial sleeve since her outfit doesn't actually have any. When he asks to see her hands, she complies. But she doesn't do anything convenient like raise them - instead she turns them over on her lap so that he can see that they're empty aside from the gloves that cover them, resting them on her still entangled knees. There, he can see them. Of course, having empty hands means little to Poison Ivy.
His final crack causes her to give him a weary look as she comments, "If a child was adopted by horribly abusive people who did not care for it properly, but then was rescued by someone who saw its plight and gave it all the care and love it deserved, would you then call that kidnapping and argue that it should go back to the people who 'legally' should have it? And is a child so different from an innocent plant?" Of course his words are irritating, but she'll not respond to them with violence - that would not help anything. Though she suspects that responding with words won't do a thing either - mostly it just makes her feel better because she knows that she's right.
Alias: Poison Ivy
Age: I've been 29 for a few years now - I don't age anymore
Gender: Female
Occupation: I used to be a freelance botanist, but I don't have time for that anymore - saving the planet has become my full time pursuit.
Current Status: Planting a few seeds, expanding my roots
Alignment: Chaotic Good, because I'm trying to save the planet here! It's not my fault nobody appreciates my methods.
Costumed Identity Known By Their Enemies? My enemies know that I'm coming for them
Costumed Identity Known By The General Public? I've made it into the international news a couple times
Real Identity Known By Their Enemies? Who I was before is no secret anymore
Real Identity Known By The General Public? That depends on the person - those in the upper classes are likely to have known me before my transformation, while the rabble probably have no idea who I was unless they care to know
Abilities/Skills:
- Botany - I'm a specialist in hybrids involving plants, and I can create pretty much any type of plant I can conceive of and even modify my own body. My skill at creating plants that can mimic animal species is somewhat limited, but I'm always getting better and I'm already the best in my field - even geneticists who specialize in animals struggle to keep up with me. (Widely Known)
- Immunity - Since that whole messy business with Dr. Woodrue, I'm immune to nearly all toxins, bacteria, viruses, and so forth and I continuously use my own expertise to expand on this whenever I can. Many substances that would kill anyone else actually make me feel better, while the rest simply don't do a thing. (Not Widely Known)
- Toxins - My skill with plant-related toxins is equal to my skill with plants in general, and I'm constantly refining a large number of them - each with their own specialized effect, and not all of them kill. My ability to create new poisons is practically unlimited. I have a habit of mixing them into my makeup, especially my lipstick. (Widely Known)
- Pheromones - One of the ways I've modified myself is to continuously produce powerful pheromones. They surround me at a range of about five feet, becoming more powerful the closer you get, though enclosed places tend to concentrate them and wind or rain tend to weaken them. They give me a certain sickly sweet floral odor. Only people with a lot of willpower can resist me at close range, especially men, but women aren't completely immune. It wears off when I'm no longer present unless I do something to extend it, but their effect is usually only noticed by those who manage to resist them. (Not Widely Known)
- Toxicity - My sweat and other body fluids are toxic on contact, especially my blood. I use it as a weapon of last resort, but I usually prefer not to harm anyone with it. My blood is lethal after five minutes without an antidote if contact is made with the skin, while the less poisonous parts of me tend to merely make a person slightly ill if it's merely casual contact. (Not Widely Known)
- Botanokinesis - I have the ability to control plants with my mind, though plants not created or modified by myself tend to have very limited abilities. Those that I have created myself are able to move just as easily and as powerfully as animals, if not more so, and I've recently gained the ability to grow them almost instantly from seeds - though there's a limit to how large they can grow (but it's usually more than enough). I'm always developing more advanced plants that can more easily respond to more complicated commands. (Not Widely Known)
- Physique - I've modified myself to naturally possess more physical strength, stamina, agility, and flexibility than I would otherwise have (who has the time to work out these days?), though I've not taken it to the extreme of allowing my musculature to detract from my femininity. My physique is comparable to an extremely dedicated but otherwise normal female athlete but not much more than that. (Not Widely Known)
- Durability - What does go well beyond a normal human's ability is my ability to survive several kinds of damage and extreme conditions. Wounds that only involve a relatively small part of my body aren't very consequential, because I don't 'bleed out' - I can be shot or stabbed and it hurts but it doesn't do much to stop me, though more severe injuries are another matter. Being cut in half may kill me for example. But I can survive being frozen solid, as long as it's not for very long or the cold isn't especially extreme, and I can't be electrocuted. (Not Widely Known)
- Healing - A combination of warmth, moisture, and sunlight accelerates my ability to heal, and the more of both I get the faster it works. It's not instantaneous by any means, but I can go from death's door to perfectly healthy within a few days under the right conditions. (Not Widely Known)
- Arrogance - Though it may be counted as a bad thing, I'm extremely quick to assume that I'm better than anyone I meet and that they're hardly worth any of my time and attention, especially if they're men (because it's usually true, darling). And even if they are worth some attention, it's usually only because they can be used as a tool or a pawn. This gives me the freedom to kill, harm, or ignore anyone who gets in my way without having to stop and think about the moral ramifications of what I'm doing. They should have stayed out of my way, after all - I'm trying to save the planet, here! (Widely Known)
Weaknesses:
- Is a Plant Hybrid - The more I modify my body, the more plant-like I become and the more weaknesses of plants I have to put up with. Being deprived of sunlight or carbon dioxide makes me weak and can kill me in time, though it would take days. The cold bothers me easily and makes me sluggish, even though I'm well able to survive it. Also, my natural immunities do not include herbicides and fungicides, which make me ill even if they're designed to be harmless to people and can even kill me if I get a high dose. (Not Widely Known)
- Insanity - According to my file at the asylum, I'm very mentally unstable, prone to quick changes in mood, paranoia, and even psychosis if pressed - and my tendency to become overemotional, erratic, and unable to cope when things go south is probably my biggest weakness of all. All of that's utterly ridiculous, of course - just because some idiot with a degree doesn't understand me doesn't mean that I'm crazy. (Widely Known)
- Concern for Plants - Certain extremely horrible people have been known to threaten my poor, innocent little babies in an attempt to manipulate me. And I can't say that it doesn't work sometimes - how can I bear to see them suffer? But those who use such barbaric tactics are likely to see themselves on the top of my 'To Kill, Horribly and Slowly' list. (Widely Known)
- Fighting Ability - I'm still a bit shaky with my fighting skills and I'm not quite used to the modifications I made to my physique. I can't hold my own for very long if someone with a lot more training can get past my plants and poisons.
Appearance:
I'm naturally beautiful: I have the curves, I have the legs, and the eyes, hair, and pretty much anything else you'd care to name. I'm five foot eight weigh a curvy but muscled 160 pounds or so. My hair is a brilliant red and my eyes are a vivid green. But what is perhaps my most distinctive feature is my skin, which ranges in color from a pale gray to a bold green depending on how well I've been taking care of myself - on any given day I'm usually a pale green. I do have the ability to change my skin to a more human tone, but it takes a certain drug I invented and is only temporary if I don't continue taking it.
My wardrobe proves that I know how to dress; when I'm blending in, my clothing is extremely fashionable, classy, and shows off my perfect figure. I'm especially fond of little dresses and stilettos. Often a plant is involved in my outfit, like a flower in my hair, but naturally I don't harm the plant involved. But when I'm not trying to hide myself, I wear either a specially made dark green outfit in the shape of a strapless swimsuit with matching long gloves and high heeled boots, or more and more lately I've been choosing living clothing made out of vines that I wrap around myself in a way that forms a small dress - they can be used as a weapon of last resort, but that's not usual. I may take a great deal of pride in her appearance, but I'm hardly a whore and I don't dress like one - I have my standards.
Whether out in costume or blending in, I always have seeds with me to use as weapons - hidden in my pocket or purse. When I know that I'm going into trouble, I also wear a wrist crossbow. The bolts for it are, of course, poisoned.
Personality:
I don't really care at all about most people - I've been told this means that I'm a sociopath, but that doesn't matter to me. I don't actually hate humans as a species - some of them are alright and I do have an actual friend or two who would tell you that I'm quite caring and generous. But the majority of people are simply horrible so I see no reason why I shouldn't use them to my advantage and dispose of the ones that are in the way.
My emotions are rather powerful - when I'm happy I'm on top of the world, when I'm depressed even Harley can't pull me out of it, and when I'm angry... just stay out of my way. I am, however, an extremely talented actress - at times the feelings I express are genuine, but I find myself feigning another much of the time. I have to, really - there are far too many people I see on a daily basis who would stab me in the back at the first sign of weakness.
Even the experts couldn't tell you when I'm lying or being manipulative or not. It's really best to just assume that I'm lying about everything always, though anyone who is a friend of mine can generally trust that I won't cause them any harm without cause. Of course... I'm also quite skilled at making people believe that they're my friend even when they're not, so just because you believe that I genuinely care about you doesn't mean that I do.
Background:
My childhood was quite miserable and isn't really worth thinking about. Oh, I had all the money I could want, but my parents were both scientists and hardly had any attention to spare on me. It would have been difficult for them anyway - I was quite shy. But my parents had some rather extensive gardens, and that was all the company I really needed. I had a certain connection with them that I continued to cultivate throughout my life, and that lead me to pursuing a doctorate in botany.
I attended Gotham University, being accepted into a very small and elite group of students studying under Dr. Jason Woodrue - an expert in plant hybrids and toxicology. I was the best in my class, mastering everything he taught me quite easily. Perhaps he saw that I would surpass him and became jealous, and that's why he chose me for his experiment. He attacked me under false pretenses late one night in the university's lab, injecting me with a potent mixture of toxins before fleeing from the authorities. I was hardly expected to live, yet I did and it was declared to be a miracle.
Two weeks later I woke up in the hospital, a changed woman: physically and even mentally I've been different ever since - better. The experience taught me what really matters in this world and allowed me to shed the self-doubt that had plagued me my entire life until then. But they wouldn't let me leave the hospital for six months - not because I was unwell, but because they thought that I ought to be unwell because of the toxins that had become a part of me and they wished to study and 'fix' me, even though I was perfectly fine. They even thought that I needed a psychiatrist - but I simply needed to learn to give him what he wanted and my parents threw enough money at them to convince them to let me go.
After all of that, I decided it was best to move back into my parent's mansion, but it's very difficult to live with parents who insist on treating you like a child long after you've grown up. Fortunately, my father and mother were involved in an unfortunate accident on the freeway not long after, so I inherited the house and all of their money. I quickly established myself among Gotham's elite as an extremely attractive and dateable socialite - I had nearly all of Gotham's bachelors wrapped around my little finger.
And yet I found that the power and influence I possessed was not enough to advance my cause - nor was the power and influence of those I could lure into believing as I do. So I found myself turning to more and more illegal means. I was careful and clever about it, of course, managing to gain a little bit of the attention of some of Gotham's vigilantes in the process but each time leaving them with no way to prove my wrong-doing. But eventually, through a complex series of misfortune, I ended up in the hands of the FBI right when they were in the midst of their campaign to rid Gotham of it's criminals. I was able to escape, but my cover had been blown.
And yet it's so much more freeing to not be shackled by the need to keep up the pretense of being an honest citizen. I miss the lifestyle, but I can do so much more with myself now. Not without the occasional small misstep - like the fight with Nightwing that didn't go in my favor and landed me in the asylum - but now that I've established that the long arm of the law cannot hold me any longer than I wish, I'm ready to show this city what I can really do.
Current Associates:
- Harley Quinn - My best and truest friend. Now if I can just convince her to break up with that boyfriend of hers...
- Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin - He finds everything I need, I give him things to sell. It's a beautiful relationship.
Current Enemies:
- Batman - If he won't stay out of my way, then I'll just have to crush him.
- The Joker - So irritating that the only reason I wouldn't kill him is because it would upset Harley.
Other Relationships:
- Nightwing - Irritating, but ultimately very useful. No hard feelings on my end.
- Scarecrow - I decided to 'forget' to keep in touch with him, but I'm about to remember.
- Selina Kyle - We've bonded over our shared interest in shopping. Now that I'm free, we surely need to do so again
- Harvey Dent - We used to date and I, being the victor in that relationship, am much more okay with him than he is with me.
- The Ventriloquist - Owes me two favors.
RP Sample:
When Nightwing comments on the law, Poison Ivy immediately gives a scoffing laugh. "The law? I'm getting a lecture from a vigilante about the law?" she asks, "Seeing as you're just as guilty of trespassing and assault tonight as I am, who are you to talk to me about the law?" Of course she doesn't believe in law at all herself. How can she waste time stopping to care about some rules some idiot invented that prevent her from doing what she has to do? At best she cares when people break the laws that concern the environment - but only because it's so grating that people can't seem to follow even the most minimal, insufficient laws that they set for themselves.
But though she says this easily, her mind is only slightly on her words. She doesn't need to think much in order to call them out on their hypocrisy - that she could do in her sleep. No, most of her mind is focused on the subject of Nightwing and how close he's getting. She notes but doesn't react when the handcuffs appear. She doesn't particularly care about them because she suspects that she won't be in them for long, assuming that she lets him put them on in the first place. Because he's indeed right that she's planning on fighting back, but not just yet... She's not sure herself when the proper moment for that will be, but she'll know it when she sees it.
Of course she suspects that he's still suspicious and on his guard, but beyond simply planning her attack and hoping to catch him by surprise with it she's also got many other tricks up her sleeve - her proverbial sleeve since her outfit doesn't actually have any. When he asks to see her hands, she complies. But she doesn't do anything convenient like raise them - instead she turns them over on her lap so that he can see that they're empty aside from the gloves that cover them, resting them on her still entangled knees. There, he can see them. Of course, having empty hands means little to Poison Ivy.
His final crack causes her to give him a weary look as she comments, "If a child was adopted by horribly abusive people who did not care for it properly, but then was rescued by someone who saw its plight and gave it all the care and love it deserved, would you then call that kidnapping and argue that it should go back to the people who 'legally' should have it? And is a child so different from an innocent plant?" Of course his words are irritating, but she'll not respond to them with violence - that would not help anything. Though she suspects that responding with words won't do a thing either - mostly it just makes her feel better because she knows that she's right.
