[hider=Kersten Bach] [CENTER][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019c917d-cdf1-74df-a3e2-5a9d3f66f06a.webp[/img] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFbRCRI5NWY[/youtube][/CENTER] [color=greenyellow][i]"Whoah. Is that shit really happening, or am I higher than I thought?"[/i][/color] [table][row][/row][row][cell] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019c917b-49e0-75e5-91f2-a9d1342aeb8f.webp[/img] [sup]_______________________________________________[/sup] [sub]Kersten "Kushten" Johanna Bach the 5th Any/all (CS defaults to they/them for clarity) [b]|[/b] 17 [b]|[/b] American (of German descent) [b]|[/b] 6'1'' [b]|[/b] 160 lbs [sup]_______________________________________________[/sup] Languid [sup]_______________________________________________[/sup] Skills & Talents[/sub] [color=greenyellow][i]"Want a muffin? I promise it's a normal one this time."[/i][/color] [sup]___________________________________[/sup][/center][hider=][sub] [b]Horticulture ⫻[/b] Kersten grows their own weed and tobacco, but also some genuinely very lovely petunias and rose bushes, and a whole host of aromatic herbs. If you want to get your garden, or greenhouse, into order, just ask them. [b]Home chemistry ⫻[/b] Turns out learning how to make your own THC extract (and how to properly use it) teaches you a lot about chemistry. They've even started making some perfume extracts from their own flowers, just for fun. It's also pretty handy when making baked goods, whether they're edibles or just ordinary cookies. [b]Sky-high ⫻[/b] Kersten has developed an incredibly high tolerance to both nicotine and THC, to the point they don't seem to realize that their normal, light and pleasant high is most other people's Instant Bad Trip. They're the only known person to have survived their patented "Forever Weed Brownie" unscathed. Some people have even theorized that their body has found a way to metabolize weed straight into energy...[/sub][/hider] [/cell][cell][sub][b] Appearance[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [color=greenyellow][i]"Oh shit, is my shirt stained? I swear I just washed it yesterday, too..."[/i][/color] [indent]Kersten is a tall, spindly youth, with short, light brown hair and green eyes. Their skin is a bit tanned from sun exposure, and their hands and nails are rough from an abundance of yard work. Their face has lost most of its feminine softness in the last 2 years, and their voice has almost entirely stopped cracking whenever they speak. They've even begun to grow a bit of facial hair, and need to shave from time to time. They dress casually, usually in layers of loose-fitting, sturdy clothing, both to hide their breasts and because it's ideal for gardening. Speaking of gardening, their clothes are often dirt-stained, despite their best effort to keep them clean. They wear some kind of hat whenever possible, be it a baseball cap, a beanie, or even, in some rare occasions, a beret. Despite their masculine appearance, they'll sometimes bust out a skirt and tights or other pieces of more feminine clothing; they still look good in them, so it'd be a shame to let them rot at the back of their closet.[/indent] [/cell][/row][/table][sub][b] Psychology[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [color=greenyellow][i]"Like, dude, you gotta let people live their lives, you feel me?"[/i][/color] [INDENT][b]MAIN GOAL ⫻[/b] Kersten just wants to have a good time. Why rush through life? There's a lot to enjoy in the here-and-now, even in Cornwell. They've got their greenhouse and their plants to take care of, they've got weed to have some fun, and tobacco whenever they want a different kind of buzz, and plenty of friends to hang out with. So the whole town getting swallowed by the Pit is really a huge bummer, in their opinion. They'd really like it to kinda stop doing that. [b]PHILOSOPHY ⫻[/b] You got to be good to one another. Live and let live, make love, not war, sharing is caring, free love, and all that jazz. In the end, we're all humans sharing the same planet, so why fight? We should put all those resources and energy into helping those in need, instead. Kersten is a big proponent for free love and universal understanding between people, and has a deep hatred for any form of discrimination or oppression. And the cops, of course. People call them a hippie for it (and the drugs) and all they can answer is; well, the hippies were right about all that stuff, no? [b]SECRETS ⫻[/b] Well, it's not really a [i]secret[/i] that they grow their own weed (and even less so that they smoke it) but it's still very illegal, so they made sure to keep it hidden from the relevant authorities. They've even got a whole emergency plan set-up to destroy and hide any remains of their weed plants should the police ever get their hands on a search warrant. [b]SEXUALITY ⫻[/b] Gender's, like, a completely made up thing, you feel? Guys and gals are all just people in the end. If someone's your type, then it doesn't matter what they are. [b]FEARS ⫻[/b] They're not usually the kind to fret about much, but sometimes they worry that their friends only really hang out with them because of what they can give them (mostly weed) and not because of who they are as a person. And other times they worry about their future, and wonder if they'll be able to find a decent job in today's economy. [b]REPUTATION IN CORNELL ⫻[/b] Kersten is a nice kid, but they don't seem to have much of a future. People their age generally like them for their laid-back personality and endless supply of weed they hand out for free (though never the [i]really[/i] good stuff, they keep that for themselves). There's a reason people call them "Kushten" after all. Better stay clear of their edibles though, you never know how strong those are gonna be. Adults are a bit more mixed. Some think they're a fine enough kid, others also get their weed from them, and old ladies often end up chatting begonias with them. But most look at them with pity. To these people, Kersten seems to be headed right for a very mediocre life of living in their parent's basement. A select few view them with a lot more animosity: being openly queer tends to attract the attention of a few assholes. [b]FLAWS ⫻[/b] Kersten has a problem with taking things seriously, and lacks any kind of long-term goals or plans. They can come across as flippant, and they're often too stuck in the present to really plan anything very far ahead. They've been fine just kind of coasting by, up until now, but adult life and responsibilities are going to be a rude awakening. Their drug use is also becoming kind of problematic; they haven't been sober for over 48 hours in well over a year, and that [i]can't[/i] be healthy. [/INDENT] [sub][b] Backstory[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [color=greenyellow][i]"It's, like, better to let the past stay in the past, buddy. The now is allllll there is."[/i][/color] [indent]Kersten Johanna Bach, fifth of their name, was born on a beautiful autumn day at the Cornwell General Hospital. As their family's first, and only, child, they were named after their father, Kersten Johanna Bach the 4th, as has been the Bach family tradition for the past 5 generations. Their father was born and raised in California, where he spent most of his life. He went to college for accounting, where he began hanging out with the counterculture college kids, and experimenting with drugs. It was there he met Kersten's mother, a fellow business student, and though the beginning of their relationship was rocky, they soon fell in love, and got married a few years later. Kersten's mother wanted to move back to her hometown, Cornwell, and their father gladly followed, bringing a few of his "habits" with him. Kersten was raised in a very liberal household. Their father, not wanting to be a bad example but also not wanting his kid to go behind his back for drugs, was open about his own occasional drug use as well as the risks associated with it. He was very much a "I'd rather you get it from me than a rando on the street" kind of parent. Their mother, in turn, was firm in teaching her child the importance of kindness and equality. At 12, Kersten began to get really into gardening and horticulture. Their father was already pretty handy in the garden, and they had a small greenhouse, where he grew a few pot plants. But they quickly surpassed even him in skill and passion, and in a few years the backyard would be filled by dozens of potted flowers and bushes of ornamental plants. Kerten's greatest pride was, and still is, the meticulously maintained white tea rose bush on the front yard. At 14, they discovered an interest in both not being a girl anymore, and trying out that weed stuff they heard so much about. This... did not come as much of a surprise to their parents, who had long spotted the signs. True to his word, Kersten Sr. let his child try out weed in a safe and controlled environment, while his wife made sure no one would [i]dare[/i] hurt her vulnerable child during their transition. And luckily for Kersten, they managed to avoid all the kerfuffle that comes with legally changing one's name; having a unisex name is handy like that! At 16, they had practically taken over the greenhouse out back, and were growing their own cannabis and tobacco, just like their father used to do before them. And now that they're 17, they're well known amongst their peers as the source of some of the cleanest and freshest weed around town. And even if it's not the best bits of the plant, hell, they give it out for free! So no one really complains. This has made them very popular with a certain crowd, and relatively well-known, or at least tolerated, by most other highschoolers. They might be a dork, but they're also the dork with all the free weed, so better not shove them into the lockers too much, you know? The warehouse party is just one of the many similar party they've gotten used to attending. They've got baggies of the mid-tier stuff to hand out to friends, some of homegrown oregano to hand out to those that piss them off, and a big pan of not-too-strong brownies to share. It's going to be a gooood night...[/indent] [sub][b] Abstraction[/b][/sub] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [color=greenyellow][i]"Don't you worry my friend! I've got something that can help you."[/i][/color] [indent][b]TYPE ⫻[/b] Agent [b]ABSTRACTION ⫻[/b] The A-maize-ing Bong on the Cob (or simply the Corn Pipe if you hate fun) [b]ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻[/b] A tacky corn-shaped novelty glass bong. When reality in Cornwell fractured, it slipped through the cracks from another world, right into Kersten's lap. Its shape changes between wielders to better fit them, but it always remains a tool for consuming herbs. The Corn Pipe is an artifact rich in green and orange lux that gives its wielder the ability to channel the powers of various herbs and plants, whether through amplifying pre-existing medicinal properties, or by making substantial their symbolic meanings (i.e. a plant symbolizing strength could make someone physically stronger or tougher). The plant's properties will take effect when their smoke, which the Corn Pipe produces in much greater quantity than is normal, is inhaled; it doesn't have to be from first-hand smoke, either. It also gives its wielder the ability to identify any naturally occurring plant in their reality, and to instinctively sense the general meaning ascribed to a plant, though not necessarily the exact effect that will be produced when smoked. The wielder is naturally resistant to the Pipe's smoke, but not immune. Currently known herbal mixtures with interesting and useful effects are; dried poppies or chamomile for a soporific smoke; a mix of thistle and amaranth for greater physical resilience; fennel and oak leaves for increased physical strength; echinacea and/or sage for healing injuries; feverfew and yarrow to treat fevers and lessen pain; snapdragons for a confusion and illusion-inducing smoke; eyebright and St. John's worth to calm and clear one's mind; cypress and wormwood for a depressogen smoke; trillium to induce a brief bout of bisexuality; and cannabis for getting high. Poisonous plants [i]could[/i] be used for offensive purposes... but the risk of poisoning themselves along the way has deterred Kersten from trying it out. Kersten tried using the leftover magic bong water to water one of their houseplants once, out of curiosity. Turns out it greatly stimulates plant growth due to trace amounts of green lux. Neat, if not especially useful. [b]LIMITS ⫻[/b] Using most the Corn Pipe's powers requires physically smoking the herbs with it acting as a channeler. That means packing the bowl, lighting it, and pulling a good lungful. This both takes time, making switching herbs in a hurry difficult, and means needing to have both the herbs and the Pipe on hand. It's thus most effective when Kersten has had some prep time. Using it also means physically breathing in the smoke somehow. Should Kersten wish to use its powers against a monster, they'd either have to somehow trick it into taking a hit, or take a hit themselves to breathe out a large cloud of second hand smoke on them, which would also leave [i]them[/i] vulnerable to the smoke's effect. The smoke's effects are strong, but usually short-lived. For exemple, a normal human inhaling poppy smoke would fall dead asleep in less than a minute, but would wake up only a few minutes later. The same time frame applies to snapdragon-induced confusion. Enhancing one's might will last for an hour or two at most, and the enhancements themselves will not make someone supernaturally strong or protect them from deathly blows. Healing smoke will heal you very quickly, but continuous hits are needed for anything worse than just scratches. Only yarrow seems to have truly long-lasting effects. [b]WEAKNESSES ⫻[/b] Kersten’s Abstraction relies heavily on preparation and physical interaction, rendering it slow and cumbersome in sudden or chaotic situations. Using the Corn Pipe involves packing the bowl, lighting it, and inhaling a substantial amount of smoke, which takes time and leaves Kersten vulnerable during the process ritual.[/indent] [sup][b] Other[/b][/sup] [sub][sup]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sup][/sub] [color=greenyellow][i]"Just finished a batch of my classic 'Forever Weed Brownies'. Wanna try one?"[/i][/color] - Kersten is transmasculine, and has been taking testosterone for a good 2 years. They're very happy with the changes. - Kersten's "Forever Weed Brownies" are strong even for [i]them[/i]. Everyone else that tried them have been sent into the throes of a way too intense paranoid high and/or drug-induced catatonia for hours on end. - The nickname "Kushten" started off as derogatory, but Kersten liked it so much that now even their friends call them that. [indent][/INDENT][/hider] [hider=The A-maize-ing Bong on the Cob] [table][row][/row][row][cell][h3][b]THE[color=2e2c2c].[/color]CORN PIPE[/b][/h3][/cell][cell][/cell][/row][row][cell][center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019c91af-44a8-748a-8c58-f03cf005fbd1.webp[/img][hr][i][sub]| Herbal Power |[/sub] "Human belief and nature, channeled as one..... .....Yes, I know it looks stupid. I didn't choose its form. You'll just have to deal with it."[/i][hr][sup][b]ORIGINS & CREATIONS:[/b] | In every reality, and since time immemorial, flowers, plants and herbs have been ascribed various symbolic meanings, and properties both medicinal and magical in nature. Centuries upon centuries of belief and traditions of smoking and drinking plant extracts have manifested in an artifact capable of harnessing these very beliefs through those very practices. | [b]TYPE:[/b] | Magic Bong | [b]LOCATION:[/b] | Cornwell, PA., in the possession of Kersten Bach the 5th. | [b]NOTABLE OWNERS:[/b] | Kersten Bach, a high school stoner who used its powers to survive when their city began sinking into the Pit. | [b]ABSTRACTION-GRANTING:[/b] | Yes | [color=2e2c2c].............................................................................[/color][/sup][/center][/cell][cell]Humanity has a habit of looking for meaning in the natural world. Sometimes, this is done by inventing stories to explain how such or such thing came to be. Other times, it is done by saying this herb heals that ailment, or that plant has this special magical power. And it can even evolve in its own entire cryptological language, where this flower symbolizes that concept, or that color represents this feeling. Yes, flower language and traditional medicine is old. Very old. Centuries old, in fact, and present in many, [i]many[/i] different worlds. This much concentrated belief is a powerful thing, and when coupled with herbal consumption techniques, like smoking, burning or steeping, that are just as old and just as widespread, things happen. That is how the artifact that would be known as the Corn Pipe, or the A-maize-ing Bong on the Cob to one specific wielder, was born. Through it resonated the accumulated belief of humanity, as well as both green and orange lux, ready to reach out and realise the potential of these herbs. Should someone not yet bearing an abstraction link with the Corn Pipe, it will change shape to better fit them, and they will be granted access to that well of potential. Plants smoked with the Pipe will create large quantities of smoke with various effects depending on their medicinal properties or meaning in floriography. For example, smoking dried poppy petals will create a soporific smoke, medicinal plants like yarrow can heal ailments, and plants that symbolize sorrow can cause sadness and depression. The smoke, whether first or second-hand, is the vessel through which each plant's potential is carried, and must usually be inhaled for it to take effect. The wielder is granted a certain resistance to the smoke, but is not immune. The wielder also gains the ability to identify plants on sight, and an innate, though sometimes vague, knowledge of plant symbolism. Leftover ashes or water from using the pipe contains traces of green lux, and stimulate plant growth if used as a fertilizer. It can also be used as an ordinary bong.[/cell][/row][/table][/hider]