Somnolence - Human

[Felypsa]

HUMAN/ANTHRO WORLDS CHARACTER

Name: Somnolence/Somni (born Rhea Talaro)

Gender: Female

Race: Human

Sub-Race: N/A

Ethnicity: Filipina

Appearance: She's got the tanned skin and mysterious dark eyes typical of Filipinas. Her hair is waist-length and black, thin and smooth; she is as lovely as her brother is handsome. She usually wears black yoga pants, a pale blue shirt, a long black trenchcoat, a black newsboy hat, and black leather gloves. The only accessory she wears is a silver ring, which gets hot whenever her brother is in danger or needs her help.

Personality: She's pretty shy when she first meets people, but once she gets to know them she can relax and have fun. She has a mischievous sense of humor that comes out best when she interacts with her brother. She loves her brother dearly but doesn't always show it; however, if he's in trouble, she'll be there in an instant, thanks to the rings that they wear. Her inability to make contact with another human being without sending them into some kind of sleep state has caused her to be somewhat depressed and withdrawn. The trauma of almost being raped also took its toll; she is less likely to trust strangers, guys in particular.

Magic: Sleep

-Spells:

Touch of Sleep: Every time she touches someone, skin to skin, they fall into a deep sleep and can only be aroused by a very strong stimulus or after several hours of being asleep. She has managed to control the degree of sleep that the person falls under; the lightest she can manage is a drowsy trance (not all the way asleep but just about to), and the deepest is a coma.

Biography: Rhea and her older brother, Randy, lived a fairly normal life in the City of Thor with their two loving parents until Randy hit puberty. At age 12, he discovered his power to create walls and spheres of an impenetrable substance. Rejected by a girl he had a crush on, he sat in his room for hours, not even coming out for meals. Eventually his parents tried to come in, but even though they could open the door, they could not reach their son; he had subconsciously created a wall around his room that did not allow anyone in. Once he realized this, he was excited and worked hard to harness his new power.

Three years later, when Rhea turned 12, she too discovered a power. She stayed in the school's library researching a project until very late at night. Her parents were at a concert and couldn't give her a ride, so she called Randy and told him she'd be home as soon as she could. She walked, but on the way realized someone was following her. She began to run, but her pursuer chased her until she found herself trapped in a small alley, with no way out. As the pursuer reached for her, to rape or to rob, she screamed. When he touched her flesh, he instantly fell unconscious. The scream had caused a passerby to dial 911, and the ambulance came to pick them both up. When the paramedics picked up Rhea, they too fell unconscious.

The other paramedics took the criminal to the hospital and found he was in a deep sleep. They woke him up and arrested him immediately. Rhea, on the other hand, was interrogated thoroughly, but every time someone tried to touch her, he or she fell unconscious. Only Randy, who could create little force fields around his hands, could touch her and get away with it, and eventually they realized Rhea's danger and made her wear gloves at all times.

They awaited trial, and Rhea testified against the criminal, who pleaded not guilty. Nonetheless, the jury found him guilty and sentenced him to three years for attempted assault. Unbeknownst to the Talaros, however, the criminal was planning to avenge himself as soon as he was free. At last he was released on bail. Randy was at this time 18, and Rhea was 15.

One Friday night, the Talaro parents went out to eat at a nice restaurant while their children went to a movie. On their way home, the Talaro parents were attacked by the criminal, who shot them both in the heads and fled the scene. Randy and Rhea were informed, and they were horrified and mournful, but since Randy was 18 he was able to inherit their house. He graduated from high school but didn't go to college, instead trying to find a job so that he could support his sister, who did not want to leave him for a foster family. They also inherited a pair of rings that their parents had always worn and that they had received a long time ago as a wedding gift. These rings glowed and became hot as soon as its wearer was in danger or needed help, and when one heated, so did the other. The wearers could also locate one another if the rings were glowing.

Times were hard, but both of them got jobs, and were able to pay back bills, though they had to forego the car and some other luxuries. All the meanwhile, they were learning new things about their powers and trying to control them as best as they could. This was their life until a gang in the neighborhood tried to kidnap Rhea to use her power as a weapon - knock out their enemies, knock out guards so they could steal. Thanks to the rings, Randy was able to find her and save her. After that, however, the siblings decided they should move around and travel, perhaps find someone who knew more about their abilities.

They sold the house and mostly everything in it, then packed what they could carry and hitched rides out of Thor. They've been traveling ever since, and have taken the names "Shield" and "Somnolence" to protect their identies. Every now and then they have been forced to fight for survival, or sometimes for the defense of others, and in that they have perfected their powers. They have yet to think of themselves as "heroes," however. They're too busy trying to survive.