Skai

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

Vertigo

---

^{In the Middle of the Night}

Flashing red and blue lights illuminated a shattered windowpane that belonged to a small convenience store. Outside a flustered worker made large gestures between the broken window and the two dazed men currently being read their Miranda rights.

"-but just as I'm about to hand over the cash this chick bursts in! She's got on a lace mask that covered the top half of her face. I thought I was about to be double-robbed. The ugly one," he said as he gestured towards the blonde man ducking his head as he was shoved into a cruiser, "turned the gun towards her and just as he's about to pull the trigger the chick snaps her fingers." He snapped his finger as a demonstration, accidentally startling the officer.

"These guys flip out asking what happened to the lights and acting like they couldn't see. Ugly misses the girl and shoots the window. He starts whipping the gun around but the girl is right there whipping out a baton and whacks it out of his hand before he could shoot again. I dive for the phone while they're distracted and as I'm giving my address I hear this loud crashing sound." He gestured with both hands towards the scattered pieces of glass on the sidewalk.

"When I stand up, I see that the window is completely broken, those assholes are laying outside the store, and the chick is still standing. I think she pushed them out of the window!"

The officer skeptically looked at the broken glass. His brows furrowed before he turned to the clerk. "So, you're saying that a masked woman blinded the robbers, unarmed them, and threw them out of the window?"

The man nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh. She was a little below 6 feet and was wearing all black." He watched the police officer take note of this. "The lace was black too."

---

Eli slowed to a stop as the flashing lights no longer lit the sky behind her. She was drunk with exhaustion, and was about to consider an Uber home when she noticed two steps up ahead. She gratefully sat down, resting her back against the door behind her. Loud club music drifted through it, and muted voices could be heard between the loud thumps of the stereos.

Five minutes, Eli. After five minutes you'll walk yourself straight home to your bed. She thought to herself. Her eyes slowly shut, deciding to just listen to the music as she rested. She'd just been about to fall asleep when footsteps could be heard approaching the door alongside the voice of a man and a woman. Eli shoved herself to her feet, stumbling every other step as she moved to hide behind a dumpster.

Moments later, she heard the door open. The woman was laughing, obviously a little too intoxicated. The man's voice sounded clear and sober as he murmured something into her ear. Soon after, the two could be heard kissing. Eli rolled her eyes, pivoting on her foot as she prepared to quietly make her way out of the alley.

"You're gonna like hangin' with us," the man said as the woman stopped to catch her breath. "You're gonna help us find more pretty girls just like you."

Eli stopped moving just as she reached the other side of the dumpster, peeking around the dumpster to check if the two lovers were distracted. The man was leaning in to kiss her neck, his hands gripping her albeit rather tightly. Just as Eli was about to make her getaway, the man emitted a loud hiss. As Eli turned her head back to the two, the woman screamed, her pain echoing in the alley.

Adrenaline instantly flooded her system as the scream rattled Eli's bones. She'd never heard someone scream like that before, and it seemed as if all of the color was draining from the woman's face. She was dying, and Eli couldn't allow that to happen.

"Let her go!" She shouted to the man as she walked straight towards him. She reached for her baton, but froze as the man turned his head. The whites of his eyes were an intense crimson, and he released another hiss through bloody fangs. "Oh look, I've found your first meal," he purred to the pale woman in his hands before he let her slump to the ground. Before Eli could make the first move, the man lunged towards her.

It happened quickly. Eli first removed the man's perception of light completely, and he hissed as his hands grasped at nothing but air. He inhaled deeply and grinned, turning to face the exact position Eli had shifted to. "You're a tricky catch. I bet you'd do well workin' for us. I'll let my partner decide once we get you girls home." He lunged again, and this time as Eli ducked to the side he turned as well. In instant she felt his vice-like grip on her arms, and the air was forced from her lungs as he pinned her against the wall.

Her focus on him instantly vanished and the man regained his sight. Eli looked right into the eyes of the vampire, the realization dawning on her. Without a warning, the limit of her abilities reached it's peak. Her body slackened, and she muttered one word as her vision faded to black.

"Vampire"

---

^{One Recharge Later}

Eli's eyes slowly opened to a dimly lit room. She was laying on a couch facing the cushions, and it smelt of iron and death. Behind her she could hear someone writhing in agony. A man's voice sounded nearby. "I don't know, man. She's definitely got the looks, and if she can do what you say she can she'd double the amount of girls we'd get." The man seemed to be thinking hard. "I just knows she's gonna be a bitch to train."

As the vampires continued to argue, probably about what to do with her, Eli remained in her "sleeping" position while her eyes scanned what she could see through the lace in such a dark room. She turned her eyes to see a thick, black curtain covering what she assumed was a window. Well... I guess I'll have to hope that sunlight does burn a vampire's skin. She thought just in time to hear the men reach a conclusion. "Whatever, man. Do what you want. If she starts causin' problems, we'll just get rid of her." The other man spoke and she recognized his voice. It was the one from the alley. "Don't you worry about that, X. She won't be the first bitch I've broken." She could hear him stepping towards her. "Anyways, it looks like the one from the club isn't going to make it."

Eli clenched her jaw. She was not about to find out what these vampires were doing with women firsthand. When it sounded like the vampire was in front of the couch, she shot up and grabbed the curtain with both hands. She tugged with all of her might, ripping the curtain from it's place. Sunlight poured into the room, and Eli realized that she had missed work this morning. She was at least thankful that it was daylight, and she turned to see the vampire's skin begin to boil. He let out an enraged cry. "Uuugghh! You fuckin' bitch!"

Satisfied that her theory was right, she looked to see the other vampire calling for backup. She saw another window across the room and ran for it. She had to step to the side to avoid the inflamed arms reaching her way. With a small jump she was able to grab the curtain's rail and she used her weight to rip it off of it's mount. The room was filled with more sunlight, and the unscathed vampire stepped back to avoid the light. "Alright, cunt, you know there's only one way out of here now, and that's going to happen as soon as my buddies get up here. Step out of the light and I'll even let it happen quickly. We're under protection of the 6th Street Blood Cult, and if you make it out of here alive they will find you."

Eli frowned and ripped the curtain off of the rail, brandishing the latter like a weapon. "That girl is dying because of you two, and I'm feeling a lot stronger than I was when I met your blistering friend here. Let's see how you and your buddies do and we'll go from there." She quipped, her eyes glinting in the sunlight from beneath the lace. She seemed confident on the outside, but inside she wondered if she really could take on a group of vampires. She remained in the light, gathering any courage and energy she could as she waited for his first move.

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

Vertigo

---

^Midnight

The streets of Santa Celia always seemed different at night. During the day everyone had a place to be, a friend to chat with, or an important phone call to make as they passed through the streets. All of the healthy, everyday folks filled the city with a chaotic hum. At night, they all retired; they preferred to stay indoors, where it was safe and comfortable. Those who took to the streets under the moonlight were the odd ones: the outcasts, the night owls, the ones who roamed the streets endlessly in search of booze, drugs, or pleasure. Most of the crime in Santa Celia took place in the silence of the night. The day was for the citizens, but the night was owned by the criminals.

The word silent is a term used loosely in Santa Celia. While nights in Santa Celia are considered silent compared to the cacophony of the day, the quiet never lasts longer than five minutes at best. Intermittent sounds fill the night with eerie tones. A car speeds through the streets, its tires screeching as it makes a sharp turn. In the distance, the shouts of a drunk man echo against the walls of an alley. In another direction, an infants cry is heard through an open window. Another way, a gunshot fills the air and soon sirens wail through the streets.

Eli stepped soundlessly through the shadows, her feet barely making a sound against the concrete as she listened to these sounds. Her bright eyes peered through the lace mask, slowly taking in her surroundings. Which direction would she take tonight? Would she venture far away from her side of the city, or stay in the area she knew as well as the back of her hand? She couldn't decide, so she continued to stroll through the night, listening and waiting for a chance to take action. She found herself heading downtown, where she was familiar with the stretch of bars and clubs mixed into the lavish restaurants and shopping centers of Santa Celia. There was always trouble where there was booze.

It didn't take long before Eli could hear a distant cry of help, followed by a muffled scream. Eli's head snapped to look in its direction before her body turned and dashed towards it. As the distance between herself and the scene shortened, she could could hear two gruff voices speaking alongside the terrified whimpers of a distressed woman. She neared the corner of a wall and pressed her back against it before slowly peeking around the corner into the alley. Two men roughly in their late-twenties had a woman no older than 24 pressed against a dumpster. A scraggly, small man covered the woman's mouth with one hand, and in the other hand he held a gun at her stomach. A tall, ghostly man was rummaging through her purse and pocketing any cash, credit cards, or other items he deemed valuable. He finished quickly and tossed the purse aside, then turned to look at his partner. "Get 'er jewelry. This bitch came out of The Parlour. She must'a paid at least a hundred bucks to get in. Nobody's gonna walk inta that kind of club wearing fake diamonds."

The shorter one grinned, bearing his yellow teeth to the woman. "Alright, lil lady. Take off your jewelry, hand it over to my buddy here, and you'll get out of this okay. Any funny business and you'll regret it. Capiche?" The woman, overwhelmed by her fear, simply wailed into the man's hand. The man growled and moved to press the gun against her head. "Now!" Eli felt her entire body tense with rage as the woman became nothing more than a sobbing mess. Without another second to waste, she stepped into the alley and pulled the baton from her waist. It snapped open, and Eli hit it against a metal pipe close by. As the men were startled by the noise, Eli focused her mind on theirs and altered their perception of the sound to be loud enough to overwhelm their eardrums.

The taller man collapsed to his knees, covering his ears and groaning. “What the fuck!?” He wailed. His partner cried out, removing his hand from the woman's mouth to cover his ear. He turned to see Eli standing five feet before them, poised next to another pipe in case she needed to replicate the sound. “Who the fuck are you?” He shouted as he released the woman and covered his other ear with the gun. The woman sunk to her knees and stared at the men as if they had gone crazy. To her, the noise had barely been enough to cause an echo in the alley.

Eli glared at the men before her and gripped the baton tighter. “Give the woman back her belongings or you’re going to find out the hard way,” she hissed. As an incentive, Eli banged the baton against the pipe once more, raising the volume of the sound loud enough for them to think they felt pain. The men wailed together, each clutching at their ears tighter than before.

“Fuck. You.” The man with the gun growled through his teeth. The second man seemed to agree with his partner. “Shoot her, Russ! She ain’t human!” Just as Russ began to aim his gun towards the masked woman, Eli raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Within seconds, the men’s perception of depth drastically malfunctioned. The ground beneath them fluctuated like a wave in the ocean, and the walls in the alley seemed to sway like trees in the wind. Their heads were suddenly overcome with dizziness and nausea. Both men groaned, and the shorter one joined his partner on the ground. The gun fell from Russ's hand\ and clattered against the concrete. Eli swiftly stepped forwards to kick it aside. "Uugghh, I'm gonna be sick," Russ moaned aloud. "What the fuck is goin' on?" His partner didn't respond; instead, he turned and proceeded to empty his stomach onto the ground.

Eli grimaced at the sight. She quickly turned her attention elsewhere, to the woman who still sat in shocked silence. "Are you alright? Don't worry, they'll be like this long enough for the police to arrive." As the woman seemed to collect herself, Eli grabbed her purse from the ground and helped the woman to her feet. She pulled the woman's phone from her purse, dialed 911 for her, and gave it to her. "You know what to do. Take care of yourself, okay?" She said with a soft smile. She could only imagine what was going on inside of the woman's head right now.

The woman opened her mouth, as if to say something or ask Eli a question, but Eli was already walking away. An emergency operator answered the phone, and the woman raised the phone to her ear. "Y-yes, I've.. I've been mugged.... No, they're still here. Someone stopped them..."

Eli turned the corner of the alley and stopped. She had to stay close to the men in order to keep the illusion going. She saw a fire escape above her and climbed up onto the second story. From there, she listened to the woman give the operator her location and soon sirens blazed through the city. Eli stayed until the police arrived, ensuring that the men were still feeling the effects of their punishment. As soon as the first officer stepped out of his car, Eli disappeared into the night. She was beginning to feel the toll of her abilities weigh her body down, but she pressed on. Eli would not rest until she was overwhelmed with exhaustion. So she continued to stick to the shadows of the streets, ready for the next cry of help to pierce through the not-so-silent night.

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

Almost done with a post. Should be up tomorrow night.

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

Post up by the end of this week! Would have posted sooner but I was home for a bit.

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

VERTIGO

Additional Images _______________________________________________ Eli Collins _______________________________________________ 02/19/96 | 22 | _______________________________________________ Single | ♀ | Heterosexual _______________________________________________ Psych Student at the Santa Celia University | Interns as Psychologist's Assistant _______________________________________________ Physical Profile ___________________________________ [+] //Basics: • Height | 5'-8" • Weight | 126 lbs • Build | Slender • Hair Colour | Brunette • Eye Colour | Blue Green Miscellaneous Items ___________________________________ [+] //Notes: • Life as an Assistant | As an assistant, Eli works from 9 to 12 each day, taking calls, making appointments, and keeping Dr. Matt's office tidy. Sometimes she is allowed to sit in on special appointments to keep notes for the doctor. Dr. Matt's practice is one of the finest in Santa Celia and occasionally they interview criminals. //Paraphernalia: • 21" Collapsible Baton | Eli straps a holstered baton to her hip. She uses it as both a form of protection and pain inducer.

Appearance Details ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Standing at 5'8", Eli's slender frame is highlighted by her long legs. Her skin is a warm ivory tone and soft sunspots dot her shoulders, arms, and legs. Her medium-length, tousled hair is a chocolate brown with subtle highlights due to her time in the sun. She is normally seen with a blank face yet her bright, bluish-green eyes observe everything. When she genuinely smiles, two dimples appear in her cheeks and thin lines form around her eyes. She doesn't put a lot of effort into her makeup, simply wearing concealer to hide the bags under her eyes, mascara, and a thin, smokey eyeliner to enhance her eyes. Eli's sense of style is marked by quirky, chic ensembles ranging between comfy casual and trendy new looks. One day she'll wear a t-shirt or sweater with skinny jeans and converse; the next day she'll be in stylish pants and an intricate top. It all depends on what she has planned for the day and what side of the bed she wakes up on. She sticks to neutral colours, occasionally wearing one color that pops. The only jewelry she prefers are minimalist earrings and necklaces. Small tattoos dot her arms: a moon and line on her left arm, and an art piece on her right forearm. As Vertigo, Eli dons an all black ensemble that is tight to her frame so she can be fast and nimble. Her hair is straightened and loose around her shoulders. To hide her identity, she wears various lace masks that obscure her upper face and long sleeves to hide her tattoos. Personality ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Eli identifies as an ISFP (Introverted, sensing, feeling, perceiving). As Eli grew up she learned to appreciate being independent. While she enjoys the company of others, her happiest moments are spent by herself. During the day she enjoys walking about the city and taking in the sights. She especially loves discovering new coffee shops and restaurants with great food. In fact, she knows the best places to go for any type of craving. She even knows the best bars in her area. In fact, on the nights she doesn't don the lace mask she can be found at one of those bars or out having late night snacks. When someone first meets Eli, they notice that she is at first quiet, unassuming, and hard to get to know. However, once the initial wall is removed Eli is warm, friendly, and eager to experience as much as possible with their new friend by their side. She tends to avoid the spotlight, preferring to sit peacefully on the sidelines until she has something to say. She carefully observes the actions of those around her and compares their perceptions to her own, always trying to understand the world around her. She is normally the type to compromise, and avoids conflict as much as possible. This said, Eli still has the fierceness of a protector. She will stand up for anyone that needs it, and it is wise to stay out of her way when she gets this way. If her friends ever need her, she will always step in with quiet, unassuming assistance. She is certainly the type to put other's needs before her own. This sometimes causes trouble in her personal life, and she can easily feel overwhelmed when she puts her own needs aside for too long. Occasionally this can cause periods where Eli is unreachable as she takes some time to herself, but she understands that in order to help others she must help herself first. As soon as she is recharged, she's ready to start right back where she left off.

_{Character Synopsis
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

Eli was born in the Árido Valley to a single, twenty-something mother who had no clue who her father was. The two lived in a small house thirty minutes from Santa Celia and a short drive to the Tlaloc Falls. During the week Eli lived a lonely existence while her mother worked long hours. When school let out she'd spend time with her neighbourhood friends until they had to go home for dinner, and then let herself into the house to eat a bowl of cereal until her mom came home. She was happiest on the weekend, when her mother took her on hikes around the waterfall and road trips into the city. They had a strong bond and were inseparable until Eli reached the age of ten. Soon after school ended, her mother found a man that could potentially take all of their money-worries away. She began to spend more time with this man, and Eli could tell that this would become a permanent problem.

It was during this time that Eli's abilities began to appear. She began to have small outbursts at school, her pent up frustration erupting into small fights with bullies. The first time she ever used her power was on a boy named Dillon Bolt, a bulky bully and borderline sociopath. As he towered over a younger child at recess, Eli confronted him with a fierce blow to the cheek. Normally a hit from a small girl wouldn't phase anyone, but as Dillon Bolt fell to the ground screaming bloody murder Eli knew something had changed. As she sat in the principle's office, she couldn't help but remember that she had wished she could hit him hard enough to knock him off his feet.

These disruptions lasted until seventh grade. There would always be a bully, and Eli would stand up for their victims every chance she could. Unfortunately these acts of heroism did nothing to convince her mother that she hadn't done anything wrong. It only drove a larger wedge between them. In no time at all, her mother announced that she was going to marry the man that had ruined Eli's happiness. They'd be moving into his home in Santa Celia in the next week. No matter how much her mother tried to convince her that this would be a good change, Eli would always resent her step-father.

Over the next few years Eli would start a new school, be named Eli Collins after her step-father, and remain an outcast in the inner city school. She didn't mind being lonely now. It gave her time to figure out what was going on with her mind, discovering new tricks she could play on other's minds. It was in AP psychology that she learned the meaning of sensation and perception and finally figured out exactly what she could do with this power. In that moment, she decided to pursue a career in psychology.

After graduating from high school Eli announced that she would be going to the local community college. She also wished to live on her own. She was prepared to support herself, but her mother had been saving for her college since she was born. It was even enough to cover half a years worth of rent. Eli soon found her own place, right in the heart of the city, and began to attend school. She found a job at a small boutique to earn spending money. Throughout this time she began using her ability less and less, almost forgetting about it's existence. Contact with her mother was made through weekly lunch visits, and their relationship began to grow once more.

In 2017, Eli was walking home after closing the shop to find two men surrounding a woman in an alley. She had just been about to call the police when the ringleader reminded her of Dillon Bolt. She hung up her phone and walked straight into the fray. After a quick bout of threats from the men, Eli managed to take them both down by simply tapping them on the forehead. She'd successfully saved her first citizen. The thrill of saving this one life filled her heart with the same feeling she had experienced at school those many years ago. She quit her job and found an internship during the day as a psychologist's assistant. She began to take long nightly walks just to run into trouble. Her ability slowly grew each time she helped someone and soon she could easily produce auditory, visual, and physical illusions. Just recently Eli began to don a lace mask and black clothes, intentionally going out at night to fulfill her role as protector of the weak: Vertigo.

_{Abilities & Skills
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

_//Ability:

Sensation/Perception Manipulation | With every second, our brains are receiving stimuli for sensations such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Those sensations are then sent to the brain, where the mind processes these sensations and determines how they will be perceived. Every sensation must pass a threshold limit in order for the mind to notice it. Eli's ability allows her to access these sensations and manipulate the threshold limit for those stimuli by either raising or lowering it. She could lower the threshold of someone with a paper cut to feel immense pain, or increase the threshold of someone's photo-receptors to blind them.

While this method is effective, there are limits to the amount a threshold can be manipulated. This is where Eli's ability affects the perception of this stimuli as well. In theory, the mind tends to group the senses together so that it is easier to process. This allows the mind to interpret similarity, proximity, and continuity, of the size, shape, brightness, and distance of an object. This can affect balance, depth perception, and the awareness of the victim's surroundings. In terms of pain and the sensation of touch, the brain receives the stimuli from the nerves in varying amounts. The effect of these sensations can be altered by the mind's perception of them. For example, if heat was applied to a person's arm the mind could translate that heat as pain if it thinks the arm is burning, or the mind can perceive it as a warm welcome on a winter day. Likewise, touch can be perceived as pain or pleasure as well. It all depends on the mind's interpretation of these stimuli. By manipulating the perception of another's senses, Eli is able to create auditory and optical illusions as well as illusions of pain.

Limitation(s) | Manipulating so many processes of the mind requires a high level of focus and energy, therefore a complete auditory and visual illusion is reserved for dire situations. Even so, there are moments where subtle errors in the illusion can be noticed by keen eyes. Eli's ability only affects someone within a range of twenty feet, growing inch by inch as Eli learns to control her ability. While each illusion may be enough to fool the mind, they are still only illusions and cannot physically affect anything.

Weakness(es) | The level of focus and energy required to produce and maintain an illusion determines the level of exhaustion Eli will experience afterwards. Producing total auditory, visual, and physical illusions causes heavy strain mentally and physically that could last for an entire day. Eli is also only human and lacks in the physical department of vigilantism.

_//Skills:

Self-Defense | Eli began to take self-defense classes half a year ago, learning easy ways to dodge attacks and stun opponents. In these classes she was trained to use a baton. She applies these skills in the rare moments she needs to fight.

_{Supporting Cast
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

Haley Collins: Mother, appears once a week.

---

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

All finished!

Vertigo (Eli)

VERTIGO

_______________________________________________ Eli Collins _______________________________________________ 02/19/96 | 22 | _______________________________________________ Single | ♀ | Heterosexual _______________________________________________ Psych Student at the Santa Celia Community College | Interns as Psychologist's Assistant _______________________________________________ Physical Profile ___________________________________ [+] //Basics: • Height | 5'-8" • Weight | 126 lbs • Build | Slender • Hair Colour | Brunette • Eye Colour | Blue Green Miscellaneous Items ___________________________________ [+] //Notes: • Life as an Assistant | As an assistant, Eli works from 9 to 1 each day, taking calls, making appointments, and keeping Dr. Matt's office tidy. Sometimes she is allowed to sit in on special appointments to keep notes for the doctor. Dr. Matt's practice is one of the finest in Santa Celia and occasionally they interview criminals. //Paraphernalia: • 21" Collapsible Baton | Eli straps a holstered baton to her hip. She uses it as both a form of protection and pain inducer.

Appearance Details ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Standing at 5'8", Eli's slender frame is highlighted by her long legs. Her skin is a warm ivory tone and soft sunspots dot her shoulders, arms, and legs. Her medium-length, tousled hair is a chocolate brown with subtle highlights due to her time in the sun. She is normally seen with a blank face yet her bright, bluish-green eyes observe everything. When she genuinely smiles, two dimples appear in her cheeks and thin lines form around her eyes. She doesn't put a lot of effort into her makeup, simply wearing concealer to hide the bags under her eyes, mascara, and a thin, smokey eyeliner to enhance her eyes. Eli's sense of style is marked by quirky, chic ensembles ranging between comfy casual and trendy new looks. One day she'll wear a t-shirt or sweater with skinny jeans and converse; the next day she'll be in stylish pants and an intricate top. It all depends on what she has planned for the day and what side of the bed she wakes up on. She sticks to neutral colours, occasionally wearing one color that pops. The only jewelry she prefers are minimalist earrings and necklaces. Small tattoos dot her arms: a moon and line on her left arm, and an art piece on her right forearm. As Vertigo, Eli dons an all black ensemble that is tight to her frame so she can be fast and nimble. Her hair is straightened and loose around her shoulders. To hide her identity, she wears various lace masks that obscure her upper face and long sleeves to hide her tattoos. Personality ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Eli identifies as an ISFP (Introverted, sensing, feeling, perceiving). As Eli grew up she learned to appreciate being independent. While she enjoys the company of others, her happiest moments are spent by herself. During the day she enjoys walking about the city and taking in the sights. She especially loves discovering new coffee shops and restaurants with great food. In fact, she knows the best places to go for any type of craving. She even knows the best bars in her area. In fact, on the nights she doesn't don the lace mask she can be found at one of those bars or out having late night snacks. When someone first meets Eli, they notice that she is at first quiet, unassuming, and hard to get to know. However, once the initial wall is removed Eli is warm, friendly, and eager to experience as much as possible with their new friend by their side. She tends to avoid the spotlight, preferring to sit peacefully on the sidelines until she has something to say. She carefully observes the actions of those around her and compares their perceptions to her own, always trying to understand the world around her. She is normally the type to compromise, and avoids conflict as much as possible. This said, Eli still has the fierceness of a protector. She will stand up for anyone that needs it, and it is wise to stay out of her way when she gets this way. If her friends ever need her, she will always step in with quiet, unassuming assistance. She is certainly the type to put other's needs before her own. This sometimes causes trouble in her personal life, and she can easily feel overwhelmed when she puts her own needs aside for too long. Occasionally this can cause periods where Eli is unreachable as she takes some time to herself, but she understands that in order to help others she must help herself first. As soon as she is recharged, she's ready to start right back where she left off.

_{Character Synopsis
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

Eli was born in the Árido Valley to a single, twenty-something mother who had no clue who her father was. The two lived in a small house thirty minutes from Santa Celia and a short drive to the Tlaloc Falls. During the week Eli lived a lonely existence while her mother worked long hours. When school let out she'd spend time with her neighbourhood friends until they had to go home for dinner, and then let herself into the house to eat a bowl of cereal until her mom came home. She was happiest on the weekend, when her mother took her on hikes around the waterfall and road trips into the city. They had a strong bond and were inseparable until Eli reached the age of ten. Soon after school ended, her mother found a man that could potentially take all of their money-worries away. She began to spend more time with this man, and Eli could tell that this would become a permanent problem.

It was during this time that Eli's abilities began to appear. She began to have small outbursts at school, her pent up frustration erupting into small fights with bullies. The first time she ever used her power was on a boy named Dillon Bolt, a bulky bully and borderline sociopath. As he towered over a younger child at recess, Eli confronted him with a fierce blow to the cheek. Normally a hit from a small girl wouldn't phase anyone, but as Dillon Bolt fell to the ground screaming bloody murder Eli knew something had changed. As she sat in the principle's office, she couldn't help but remember that she had wished she could hit him hard enough to knock him off his feet.

These disruptions lasted until seventh grade. There would always be a bully, and Eli would stand up for their victims every chance she could. Unfortunately these acts of heroism did nothing to convince her mother that she hadn't done anything wrong. It only drove a larger wedge between them. In no time at all, her mother announced that she was going to marry the man that had ruined Eli's happiness. They'd be moving into his home in Santa Celia in the next week. No matter how much her mother tried to convince her that this would be a good change, Eli would always resent her step-father.

Over the next few years Eli would start a new school, be named Eli Collins after her step-father, and remain an outcast in the inner city school. She didn't mind being lonely now. It gave her time to figure out what was going on with her mind, discovering new tricks she could play on other's minds. It was in AP psychology that she learned the meaning of sensation and perception and finally figured out exactly what she could do with this power. In that moment, she decided to pursue a career in psychology.

After graduating from high school Eli announced that she would be going to the local community college. She also wished to live on her own. She was prepared to support herself, but her mother had been saving for her college since she was born. It was even enough to cover half a years worth of rent. Eli soon found her own place, right in the heart of the city, and began to attend school. She found a job at a small boutique to earn spending money. Throughout this time she began using her ability less and less, almost forgetting about it's existence. Contact with her mother was made through weekly lunch visits, and their relationship began to grow once more.

In 2017, Eli was walking home after closing the shop to find two men surrounding a woman in an alley. She had just been about to call the police when the ringleader reminded her of Dillon Bolt. She hung up her phone and walked straight into the fray. After a quick bout of threats from the men, Eli managed to take them both down by simply tapping them on the forehead. She'd successfully saved her first citizen. The thrill of saving this one life filled her heart with the same feeling she had experienced at school those many years ago. She quit her job and found an internship during the day as a psychologist's assistant. She began to take long nightly walks just to run into trouble. Her ability slowly grew each time she helped someone and soon she could easily produce auditory, visual, and physical illusions. Just recently Eli began to don a lace mask and black clothes, intentionally going out at night to fulfill her role as protector of the weak: Vertigo.

_{Abilities & Skills
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

_//Ability:

Sensation/Perception Manipulation | With every second, our brains are receiving stimuli for sensations such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Those sensations are then sent to the brain, where the mind processes these sensations and determines how they will be perceived. Every sensation must pass a threshold limit in order for the mind to notice it. Eli's ability allows her to access these sensations and manipulate the threshold limit for those stimuli by either raising or lowering it. She could lower the threshold of someone with a paper cut to feel immense pain, or increase the threshold of someone's photo-receptors to blind them.

While this method is effective, there are limits to the amount a threshold can be manipulated. This is where Eli's ability affects the perception of this stimuli as well. In theory, the mind tends to group the senses together so that it is easier to process. This allows the mind to interpret similarity, proximity, and continuity, of the size, shape, brightness, and distance of an object. This can affect balance, depth perception, and the awareness of the victim's surroundings. In terms of pain and the sensation of touch, the brain receives the stimuli from the nerves in varying amounts. The effect of these sensations can be altered by the mind's perception of them. For example, if heat was applied to a person's arm the mind could translate that heat as pain if it thinks the arm is burning, or the mind can perceive it as a warm welcome on a winter day. Likewise, touch can be perceived as pain or pleasure as well. It all depends on the mind's interpretation of these stimuli. By manipulating the perception of another's senses, Eli is able to create auditory and optical illusions as well as illusions of pain.

Limitation(s) | Manipulating so many processes of the mind requires a high level of focus and energy, therefore a complete auditory and visual illusion is reserved for dire situations. Even so, there are moments where subtle errors in the illusion can be noticed by keen eyes. Eli's ability only affects someone within a range of twenty feet, growing inch by inch as Eli learns to control her ability. While each illusion may be enough to fool the mind, they are still only illusions and cannot physically affect anything.

Weakness(es) | The level of focus and energy required to produce and maintain an illusion determines the level of exhaustion Eli will experience afterwards. Producing total auditory, visual, and physical illusions causes heavy strain mentally and physically that could last for an entire day. Eli is also only human and lacks in the physical department of vigilantism.

_//Skills:

Self-Defense | Eli began to take self-defense classes half a year ago, learning easy ways to dodge attacks and stun opponents. In these classes she was trained to use a baton. She applies these skills in the rare moments she needs to fight.

_{Supporting Cast
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

Haley Collins: Mother, appears once a week.

---

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

Vertigo (Eli)

VERTIGO

_______________________________________________ Eli Collins _______________________________________________ 02/19/96 | 22 | _______________________________________________ Single | ♀ | Heterosexual _______________________________________________ Psych Student at the Santa Celia Community College | Interns as Psychologist's Assistant _______________________________________________ Physical Profile ___________________________________ [+] //Basics: • Height | 5'-8" • Weight | 126 lbs • Build | Slender • Hair Colour | Brunette • Eye Colour | Blue Green Miscellaneous Items ___________________________________ [+] //Notes: • Other | TBD //Paraphernalia: • 21" Collapsible Baton | Eli straps a holstered baton to her hip. She uses it as both a form of protection and pain inducer.

Appearance Details ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Standing at 5'9", Eli's slender frame is highlighted by her long legs. Her skin is a warm ivory tone and soft sunspots dot her shoulders, arms, and legs. Her medium-length, tousled hair is a chocolate brown with subtle highlights due to her time in the sun. She is normally seen with a blank face yet her bright, bluish-green eyes observe everything. When she genuinely smiles, two dimples appear in her cheeks and thin lines form around her eyes. She doesn't put a lot of effort into her makeup, simply wearing concealer to hide the bags under her eyes, mascara, and a thin, smokey eyeliner to enhance her eyes. Eli's sense of style is marked by quirky, chic ensembles ranging between comfy casual and trendy new looks. One day she'll wear a t-shirt or sweater with skinny jeans and converse; the next day she'll be in stylish pants and an intricate top. It all depends on what she has planned for the day and what side of the bed she wakes up on. She sticks to neutral colours, occasionally wearing one color that pops. The only jewelry she prefers are minimalist earrings and necklaces. Small tattoos dot her arms: a moon and line on her left arm, and an art piece on her right forearm. As Vertigo, Eli dons an all black ensemble that is tight to her frame so she can be fast and nimble. Her hair is straightened and loose around her shoulders. To hide her identity, she wears various lace masks that obscure her upper face and long sleeves to hide her tattoos. Personality ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Eli identifies as an ISFP (Introverted, sensing, feeling, perceiving). As Eli grew up she learned to appreciate being independent. While she enjoys the company of others, her happiest moments are spent by herself. During the day she enjoys walking about the city and taking in the sights. She especially loves discovering new coffee shops and restaurants with great food. In fact, she knows the best places to go for any type of craving. She even knows the best bars in her area. In fact, on the nights she doesn't don the lace mask she can be found at one of those bars or out having late night snacks. When someone first meets Eli, they notice that she is at first quiet, unassuming, and hard to get to know. However, once the initial wall is removed Eli is warm, friendly, and eager to experience as much as possible with their new friend by their side. She tends to avoid the spotlight, preferring to sit peacefully on the sidelines until she has something to say. She carefully observes the actions of those around her and compares their perceptions to her own, always trying to understand the world around her. She is normally the type to compromise, and avoids conflict as much as possible. This said, Eli still has the fierceness of a protector. She will stand up for anyone that needs it, and it is wise to stay out of her way when she gets this way. If her friends ever need her, she will always step in with quiet, unassuming assistance. She is certainly the type to put other's needs before her own. This sometimes causes trouble in her personal life, and she can easily feel overwhelmed when she puts her own needs aside for too long. Occasionally this can cause periods where Eli is unreachable as she takes some time to herself, but she understands that in order to help others she must help herself first. As soon as she is recharged, she's ready to start right back where she left off.

_{Character Synopsis
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

Eli was born in the Árido Valley to a single, twenty-something mother who had no clue who her father was. The two lived in a small house thirty minutes from Santa Celia and a short drive to the Tlaloc Falls. During the week Eli lived a lonely existence while her mother worked long hours. When school let out she'd spend time with her neighbourhood friends until they had to go home for dinner, and then let herself into the house to eat a bowl of cereal until her mom came home. She was happiest on the weekend, when her mother took her on hikes around the waterfall and road trips into the city. They had a strong bond and were inseparable until Eli reached the age of ten. Soon after school ended, her mother found a man that could potentially take all of their money-worries away. She began to spend more time with this man, and Eli could tell that this would become a permanent problem.

It was during this time that Eli's abilities began to appear. She began to have small outbursts at school, her pent up frustration erupting into small fights with bullies. The first time she ever used her power was on a boy named Dillon Bolt, a bulky bully and borderline sociopath. As he towered over a younger child at recess, Eli confronted him with a fierce blow to the cheek. Normally a hit from a small girl wouldn't phase anyone, but as Dillon Bolt fell to the ground screaming bloody murder Eli knew something had changed. As she sat in the principle's office, she couldn't help but remember that she had wished she could hit him hard enough to knock him off his feet.

These disruptions lasted until seventh grade. There would always be a bully, and Eli would stand up for their victims every chance she could. Unfortunately these acts of heroism did nothing to convince her mother that she hadn't done anything wrong. It only drove a larger wedge between them. In no time at all, her mother announced that she was going to marry the man that had ruined Eli's happiness. They'd be moving into his home in Santa Celia in the next week. No matter how much her mother tried to convince her that this would be a good change, Eli would always resent her step-father.

Over the next few years Eli would start a new school, be named Eli Collins after her step-father, and remain an outcast in the inner city school. She didn't mind being lonely now. It gave her time to figure out what was going on with her mind, discovering new tricks she could play on other's minds. It was in AP psychology that she learned the meaning of sensation and perception and finally figured out exactly what she could do with this power. In that moment, she decided to pursue a career in psychology.

After graduating from high school Eli announced that she would be going to the local community college. She also wished to live on her own. She was prepared to support herself, but her mother had been saving for her college since she was born. It was even enough to cover half a years worth of rent. Eli soon found her own place, right in the heart of the city, and began to attend school. She found a job at a small boutique to earn spending money. Throughout this time she began using her ability less and less, almost forgetting about it's existence. Contact with her mother was made through weekly lunch visits, and their relationship began to grow once more.

In 2017, Eli was walking home after closing the shop to find two men surrounding a woman in an alley. She had just been about to call the police when the ringleader reminded her of Dillon Bolt. She hung up her phone and walked straight into the fray. After a quick bout of threats from the men, Eli managed to take them both down by simply tapping them on the forehead. She'd successfully saved her first citizen. The thrill of saving this one life filled her heart with the same feeling she had experienced at school those many years ago. She quit her job and found an internship during the day as a psychologist's assistant. She began to take long nightly walks just to run into trouble. Her ability slowly grew each time she helped someone and soon she could easily produce auditory, visual, and physical illusions. Just recently Eli began to don a lace mask and black clothes, intentionally going out at night to fulfill her role as protector of the weak: Vertigo.

_{Abilities & Skills
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

_//Ability:

Sensation/Perception Manipulation | With every second, our brains are receiving stimuli for sensations such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Those sensations are then sent to the brain, where the mind processes these sensations and determines how they will be perceived. Every sensation must pass a threshold limit in order for the mind to notice it. Eli's ability allows her to access these sensations and manipulate the threshold limit for those stimuli by either raising or lowering it. She could lower the threshold of someone with a paper cut to feel immense pain, or increase the threshold of someone's photo-receptors to blind them.

While this method is effective, there are limits to the amount a threshold can be manipulated. This is where Eli's ability affects the perception of this stimuli as well. In theory, the mind tends to group the senses together so that it is easier to process. This allows the mind to interpret similarity, proximity, and continuity, of the size, shape, brightness, and distance of an object. This can affect balance, depth perception, and the awareness of the victim's surroundings. In terms of pain and the sensation of touch, the brain receives the stimuli from the nerves in varying amounts. The effect of these sensations can be altered by the mind's perception of them. For example, if heat was applied to a person's arm the mind could translate that heat as pain if it thinks the arm is burning, or the mind can perceive it as a warm welcome on a winter day. Likewise, touch can be perceived as pain or pleasure as well. It all depends on the mind's interpretation of these stimuli. By manipulating the perception of another's senses, Eli is able to create auditory and optical illusions as well as illusions of pain.

Limitation(s) | Manipulating so many processes of the mind requires a high level of focus and energy, therefore a complete auditory and visual illusion is reserved for dire situations. Even so, there are moments where subtle errors in the illusion can be noticed by keen eyes. Eli's ability only affects someone within a range of twenty feet, growing inch by inch as Eli learns to control her ability. While each illusion may be enough to fool the mind, they are still only illusions and cannot physically affect anything.

Weakness(es) | The level of focus and energy required to produce and maintain an illusion determines the level of exhaustion Eli will experience afterwards. Producing total auditory, visual, and physical illusions causes heavy strain mentally and physically that could last for an entire day. Eli is also only human and lacks in the physical department of vigilantism.

_//Skills:

Self-Defense | Eli began to take self-defense classes half a year ago, learning easy ways to dodge attacks and stun opponents. In these classes she was trained to use a baton. She applies these skills in the rare moments she needs to fight.

_{Supporting Cast
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

Haley Collins: Mother, appears once a week.

---

She's a little rough around the edges, but I will add more details/fix any errors and add her personality tomorrow.

Santa Celia: Coast to Coast

CS up Monday night!

Santa Celia: A Superhuman Vigilante RP

Can't wait to see everyone's characters!