[hider=Junia Menarini][centre][h1][b][color=#E391A0]Junia Menarini[/color][/b][/h1][/centre]

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[img]https://i.imgur.com/AgaZvwR.jpg[/img]
[sub]art by: [b][u][url=https://www.deviantart.com/charlie-bowater/art/Neon-440053322]Charlie-Bowater[/url][/u][/b][/sub][/centre]

[centre][h2][b][color=#E391A0]Juno • Zombie || 20 || Female[/color][/b][/h2][/centre]
[centre][h2][b][color=#E391A0]Knight[/color][/b][/h2][/centre]
[centre][h3][b][color=#E391A0]Armoured Cavalry || Berserker || Shock Trooper[/color][/b][/h3][/centre]

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[centre][h3][b][color=#E391A0]Appearance:[/color][/b][/h3][/centre]

The young Menarini makes for a rather striking sight. She’s a tall woman, standing about 178cm (~5’10ft), sporting bright neon pink hair, piercing blue eyes, and a quilt of rather prominent scars all across her body. Her skin runs a whole spectrum of shades of her natural olive tone, with harsh delineations separating each block and huge swathes and chunks in various states of scar tissue, burns, and freshly regenerating skin tissue. One could be forgiven for thinking her to be some amalgamation of different bodies stitched together. That would at least be kinder than the truth.

She possesses a rather athletic build. Beneath her patchwork skin is a layer of tough, tight muscle. Her limbs are long and her posture straight, giving her an aura of confidence.

Juno takes a rather practical approach to clothing. Freedom of movement is key. She prefers a tight fit as long as it doesn’t restrict her. Her usual attire would likely just be a tank top and trousers. For combat, in lieu of traditional armour, Juno sports a specialized bodysuit with a number of connection points that line up with her power armour. 

[centre][h3][b][color=#E391A0]Personality:[/color][/b][/h3][/centre]

Juno could best be described as one might describe a tundra - cold and dry with little sign of life. Yet beneath her aloof exterior there’s…even more ice. Pretty much just solid permafrost all the way down. She very much prefers her own company, completely content with absolute melancholic solitude. 

Now that’s not to say that the woman is necessarily antagonistic. She takes a very hands-off approach to other people, opting to disengage entirely rather than lash out should conflict arise. When she absolutely must interact with others, she conducts herself in a very collected manner. There’s a very serious - almost intense - air about her, as the woman speaks bluntly and directly. If there’s any positive trait that Juno possesses, it’s her complete, brutal honesty. 

She seems to be rather intelligent, if not a bit overly pragmatic. This translates to her behavior on the battlefield. She’s the calculating type, preferring to exploit perceived weaknesses whenever possible. Well…until the drugs kick in, anyway.

Juno partakes in a particular cocktail of combat stims and painkillers commonly referred to as “Go.” While the combination results in heightened senses and a much higher tolerance for pain, it has also been known to put some imbibers into a rather unstable emotional state. Hyper aggression and violent mood swings are pretty much par for the course. It’s also mildly addictive and just god awful for one’s general health. So, given the girl’s predisposition toward addictive tendencies and general disregard for her own personal safety, it’s a perfect match. Juno flying into a blind rage in the middle of combat is less a side effect and more of a staple of the Menarini playbook.

While the stimulant abuse may be an eventual cause for concern, Juno hasn’t had any notable incidents. Yet. And her overall introverted nature has helped hide her nasty little habit so far. Place your bets for how long that will last.

[centre][h3][b][color=#E391A0]Background:[/color][/b][/h3]
[b]TL;DR[/b]
Little Orphan Annie turns to drugs after Daddy Warbucks feeds her to the nanomachines, son. 

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[centre][hider=The Cranberries “Zombie” Lore Dump]

There’s not much available on Juno Menarini’s early life. Born Junia “Juno” Ohara to Ami and Aiden Ohara, a pair of researchers working on a classified program in the 970’s. In 983, an accident claimed Ami Ohara’s life and left the girl horribly injured and disfigured. By all rights, she should have died the night she was brought to the hospital…but she didn’t. And three days later, the girl was walking around as if nothing had happened, barely a scratch on her.

It was equal parts baffling and frustrating. With her injuries, she should never have been able to walk again, but the girl displayed remarkable recovery on par with highly skilled ki practitioners. With no record of any notable ki users within the family and no obvious signs of training, the girl seemed every bit the prodigy. Word about the “immortal girl” quickly got out and began attracting attention - attention that proved to be too much for Aiden Ohara. 

Facing intense scrutiny over the details surrounding the death of his wife, the man opted to take his own life. Any knowledge surrounding the event died with him, with the girl having not spoken of it since. 

Aiden’s passing left the young Juno in the care of her sole remaining family member - her maternal grandmother. The elderly woman was in poor health, though, and it was clear that Juno would soon be on her own.

And then the Knight came. Demetrio Menarini. On the urging of his father, Pietro Menarini of Menarini Dynamic Industries fame, the Knight had come to meet with Juno and her grandmother. At the end of the meeting, Juno left with him, now a ward of the family Menarini and squire to Sir Demetrio. It’s unclear what sort of deal was made at the meeting, but that would be the last time Juno saw her grandmother alive.

The next chapter of the girl’s life would consist of the finest education Pietro’s money could buy and grueling training under Demetrio’s watch. And while she displayed tremendous innate mastery of her Ki, Juno had no passion for it, which stunted her growth. The troubled girl also began acting out. Getting into fights. Stealing. Developing a bit of a substance abuse problem. The flagrant squandering of her potential infuriated Demetrio to the point that he was ready to drop her, but his father insisted that he continue. He had plans for the girl.

And so Juno would develop into a painfully average knight, excelling in no particular area of combat. Were times different, it’s quite possible that she would have been turned away, rejected from the order, but desperation changed everything. Thus Juno was knighted, Demetrio slighted, and Pietro delighted.

Shortly after the passing of her trials, Juno was introduced to Pietro’s plan. Menarini Dynamic Industries was working on a highly experimental weapons platform and Juno was the ideal candidate to serve as its “pilot.” 

See, it was a highly complex power armour that served as a host to a swarm of self-replicating nanomachines that, among other things, could rapidly repair the armour in the middle of battle. The issue, however, was that the nanomachines required a source of organic matter to act as fuel, which posed a number of logistical challenges. It was a frustrating limitation that the team could not seem to bypass in any satisfying capacity. 

Now, the idea of potentially tapping into the regenerative capabilities of Ki-proficient pilots wasn’t anything new. In theory, so long as the pilot could maintain a regenerative rate above that of the nanomachine’s consumption, they could essentially fuel the armour in perpetuity. Testing, however, brought about some rather disappointing results. While on average pilots were capable of sustaining standard operational usage, many displayed moderate to severe trauma from extended operation. Furthermore, pilots were shown to be unable to match the rate of consumption required for repairing estimated standard combat damage while maintaining satisfactory operational capabilities. In short, it seemed like a dead end. The team would either need to develop a new type of nanomachine or find a more suitable fuel source. Many avenues were explored, but the project appeared to be unviable in its current state.

That is, until Junia entered the picture. The immortal girl, they were calling her. Miraculously survived certain death and then completely healed days later. If the reports were true, then she not only met the required minimum rates for all operational usage, she greatly exceeded them. She would be instrumental in salvaging the project.

It was why the Menarini family took her in in the first place. Why she didn't end up living on the streets all those years back. Why she had been made a knight. Her entire adolescent and early adult life all leading to this - her destiny.

Becoming a buffet for tiny machines. A human battery.  A source of revenue for abhorrent research and development.

Perhaps there was a time when she would have rejected that fate, fled to find a new life, a new purpose. But that girl had died in the accident all those years back, and the world appeared to be on its way out as well. Juno would resign herself to her purpose. She’d pilot Pietro’s monster. What else was she going to do?

In a few short months, Juno would earn a bit of a reputation for herself and her ferocious metal monstrosity on the battlefield. She had met and exceeded the team’s expectations and it seemed likely that the team would secure the funding required to continue their project. Her fellow knights were less impressed, however. Many felt that she represented a perversion of their order. And to an extent, they were right. If the standard knight was a graceful rapier, then Juno was a sledgehammer. There was no honor to the way she fought. She was a purely destructive force, the proverbial bull in a china shop. It was effective, but at what cost? It didn’t matter to Juno. Nothing really mattered to Juno. She was merely going through the motions.

And it was this general cold demeanor coupled with her dead eyes, recklessness on the field, and the frequency with which she would return from battle absolutely covered in wounds and injuries that earned her the nickname “Zombie,” albeit mostly behind her back.

But the Zombie didn’t mind. She would continue to perform her little knightly duties. All in the hopes that maybe one day, if she were lucky, perhaps she could finally find her death.

That’d be nice.
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[centre][h3][b][color=#E391A0]Equipment:[/color][/b][/h3][/centre]
[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/KyIvbpi.jpg[/img]
[sub]art by: [b][u][url=https://www.deviantart.com/benedickbana/art/DARKFALL-VENOM-894701025]benedickbana[/url][/u][/b][/sub][/centre]
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[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Menarini Dynamic Industries Prototype Power Armour “Hepius” [/color][/u][/b] - A sophisticated nanomachine-based weapons platform in the shape of power armour. Stands at roughly 210cm (~6’9ft). Reactionary armouring rapidly responds to trauma, shifting density to the impact site, hardening, then engaging in self-repairs. The self-replicating nanomachines that serve as the core of the platform are powered by biomass, which they acquire by “consuming” the pilot. Through a series of connection points on the pilot’s bodysuit, a liquid-like substance fills the suit and a constant stream of nanomachines are circulated throughout the loop. The resulting trauma appears as numerous small abrasions, burns, and lacerations over the entirety of the pilot’s submerged skin.

The armour serves as an exo-skeleton, amplifying potential energy expended by the limbs, allowing for impressive feats of strength and enhanced jumping. The “feet” contain a series of powerful electromagnets in a system that, upon activation, allows the armour to essentially levitate just above the surface. When used in conjunction with the small thrusters located around the hips, neck, and calves, the suit is capable of gliding in a straight line at truly impressive speeds. This can also be used to scale vertical environments. While fast, this method of transit doesn’t allow for much agility, serving as more of a means of rapid relocation than any sort of practical combat role.

The final, and arguably most important aspect of the armour are three laser-based emitters that serve as the armour’s primary onboard defense system. Connected to the suit just before the “neck”, the three emitters are each at the end of a dense cable system. Each emitter and cable can be moved fully independently from one another, serving as additional appendages. The emitters are capable of firing small energy-based bolts on their own, or when used in conjunction with one another, can amplify a larger, single bolt. Alternatively, the emitters can be used to form a shield between the three points.

Overall, the Hepius is designed to endure a lot of punishment and deliver a sizable payload. It likely struggles with quick-moving nimble targets and pilots are advised against engaging such threats. 
 
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Menarini Dynamic Industries Main Battle Cannon[/color][/u][/b] - The primary weapon utilized by the Hepius Platform, this long, cylindrical chamber serves almost as a fourth, disconnected emitter. Possessing its own independent power source, it can be used to fire similar bolts to the Hepius’ onboard system. Three connection ports at the base allow for the Hepius to connect directly to the MBC, allowing for the emitters to be used in conjunction with one another to amplify their output. At full amplification, the cannon could be considered siege weaponry. It has limited anti-personnel applications in this state, as the cannon requires a significant cooldown and charge-up time in-between shots.
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Menarini Dynamic Industries Anti-Armour and Personnel Tool[/color][/u][/b] - An overly descriptive name for what amounts to a long, reinforced spiked mace. The Hepius’ secondary weapon and primary means of engaging more nimble targets in close range. With the Hepius’ enhanced strength, it can be used to easily punch holes in enemy armour. Or turn some poor soft enemy combatant into a fine red mist with a satisfying THWACK!
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Otto 9mm[/color][/u][/b] - A 15 round lightweight pistol for use against soft targets in medium to close range. In the event that Juno finds herself in enemy territory with a non-functional suit and has somehow (unlikely as it may be) survived, the Otto serves as her primary defense weapon. 
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Sol Classic[/color][/u][/b] - It’s still a knife. 17cm (~6.75in) in length. If she’s relying on this, things have gone really, really bad.
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Go[/color][/u][/b] - A cocktail of stimulants and painkillers that enhance the senses and raise one’s pain tolerance. May induce violent emotional outbursts, increased aggression, organ failure, upset stomach, diarrhea. Typically administered via autoinjector pen.[/list]

[centre][h3][b][color=#E391A0]Abilities:[/color][/b][/h3][/centre]

[list]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Enhanced Regeneration[/color][/u][/b] - Juno’s primary tool. While many Ki-practitioners are capable of some form of accelerated healing, Juno is an abnormality. Her hyper-active cells are capable of recovering small wounds in a matter of moments, larger injuries in hours, repair organ damage in days, regrow lost limbs in weeks. She’s capable of regenerating through damage that should kill her. It’s hypothesized that perhaps destroying her brain or at least severing its connection to the spine would take her out, but considering she’s still walking about, that seems to be still untested. 
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Proficient Mace Fighter[/color][/u][/b] - Juno has been trained in a number of classic weapons utilized by Knights, and while she’s at least capable with most, her particular speciality lies with maces. Big blunt objects being swung very hard. Simple, yet effective.
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Proficient Unarmed Fighter[/color][/u][/b] - Perhaps more so than her weapons training, Juno is confident in her unarmed capabilities. She’s a striker, blessed with long limbs that typically give her a reach advantage on opponents her height or shorter. And while she’s at least competent in grappling, it’s definitely her weak spot. Matched against any proficient grappler, she’s sorely SOL if things go to ground.
[sub][sub][color=#2d2d2e].[/color][/sub][/sub]
[*][b][u][color=#E391A0] Competent Pistol Marksman[/color][/u][/b] - While her gunplay isn’t anything groundbreaking, Juno is at least consistent enough at range to be considered a threat with a sidearm. It isn’t bad…but let’s just say there’s a reason she was given a cannon and not a sniper.[/list]
[centre][h3][b][color=#E391A0]Extra:[/color][/b][/h3][/centre]

[centre][hider=Juno’s Theme][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW4CpeqiQ2E[/youtube][/hider][/centre]

[centre][hider=The Hepius’ Theme][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Nc2iy3q_w[/youtube][/hider][/centre]
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