Joan Archer; Pilot Cardinal

[GoblinFae]

TW: Mentioned suicide attempts, Abuse

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Joan Archer
Alias NEVER call her Jo
Age 25
DOB November 11th
Gender Female
Sexuality Androsexual
Species Human
Ethnicity Aedolian
Height 5'7"
Occupation Pilot Cardinal; Margad Scorpion
Residence Margad, Aedolis

Playlist: Warning May Contain Explicit or Mature Lyrics and Themes

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description

Joan has pale skin with sharp, thin features. Her blonde hair is thin and kept shoulder-length or pulled back into a tight ponytail with her bangs constantly slipping out of the tie. She also has warm, brown eyes. Her body is tall and slender and deceptively strong. Life as an acrobat has left her not only flexible but also with a great deal of core control that she works hard to maintain. Her hands wide-splayed and heavily calloused from lots of work using them.

Outside of uniform, her clothes are usually loose and always long. Long pants and long sleeves no matter what the temperature is. She won’t even roll her sleeves up if she is working out or overheated. The cut of her tops are usually boat-neck or v-neck though showcasing her intricate tribal neck and collar tattoo.

This tattoo runs across the tops of her shoulders down to her elbows as well as across her chest and back all the way up her neck and throat. She also has a small scorpion tattooed on the inside side of her right heel and a pair of glowing green eyes with a toothy grin on her left hip. Shine a blacklight on that one and you’ll see the outline of a cheshire cat suddenly appear around the face.

For piercings she has a stud and a hoop in her right nostril as well as a stud in her left nostril. Both ears sport several piercings and hoops. Joan also has a pair of snake bite studs through her bottom lip and a vertical labret through the center of it. Her tongue is also pierced. Along her lowback to mid spine, Joan also has a corset piercing that she has gotten quite good at threading with different ribbons depending on her mood.

Most of Joan’s physical scars cannot be readily seen. If you moved her hair aside you might notice a set of small circular burns behind her ears or along the base of her neck under her hairline. Her arms also each sport from wrist to inner elbow a pair of pale white and somewhat jagged scars. The fingers of both hands also are slightly crooked from having been broken several times over the years.

Joan Archer
Teya Salat Photographed By Daniil Kontorovich

Personality

Joan is a naturally protective and assertive individual. She is resourceful and quick-thinking but much prefers to use her abilities for good rather than harm. Hurting does not come naturally to her though she is well trained in doing so should she need to. Her heart however is in healing and helping. She is very empathetic to the hurts of others and would quietly go out of her way to help them or support them as best as she can.

She is a fierce and loyal friend through and through. She is steadfast in her resolve to you and will suffer no one to cross her. You just need to be honest with her. She does not take lies and secrecy well though if you ask her to keep something private she will take that secret beyond the grave with her.

Joan speaks her mind and does not back down easily in a fight. She is not afraid of you and she will be the first to tell you that too. She hates passive aggressive people and would much rather you say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t play games with her or try to manipulate her, you won’t like the bitch that comes out to bat the ball back.

Her greatest weakness is probably her dogged determination to know the truth of a matter. She makes her decisions based on facts and will strive to get to the bottom of an issue before trying to act on it. This has gotten her in trouble from time to time with both her dragon and in training for questioning the whys of what was expected of her.

Finally, Joan is a passionate woman in all aspects of her life. This includes her personal life and who she takes to bed with her. Romantically it is unclear if she will ever settle for anyone or even desires to. Sexually though she is all about sensual pleasures and the fire that comes with that aspect of a relationship. Careful though that flame can burn out real quick before she’s onto the next partner(s).

Things

• Has a very high metabolism and is constantly eating. She is also not exactly graceful about it so it's probably smart to keep clear or have a case of napkins handy for the aftermath.
• In conjunction with the above, Joan is a food-hoarder. In her words "you'll never know when there'll be a food shortage or if where you're going will have what you're craving. Best be prepared."
• Favorite food is sweet chili wings. Get into a wing eating contest with her though, she dares you.
• Suffers from sleep paralysis. At best it only happens once a week though that's usually not the case. She makes a habit to never fall asleep anywhere but at home if she can help it.
• Suffers from chronic migraines due to constant emotional bombardment. Can no longer take OTC painkillers and is really strict about not taking prescription ones unless he ABSOLUTELY needs them after an incident.
• Can definitely cram herself into a tiny box.

Magic/Abilities

Telepathy: Joan is a moderate to strong telepath. She can send her thoughts outward just fine but she does best at creating mazes in her mind to compartmentalize her own thoughts and emotions from others. This aspect allows her to better control her empathic abilities as well to keep from going insane.

Empathy: Where some with this gift excel in projecting emotions, Joan possesses the ability to absorb emotions. She is very strong and powerful in this respect to the point that her ability has also splintered to allow for several sub-abilities. She is exceptional at reading the emotions of others as well as feeling them as her own.

• Empathic Absorption: Very strong. This is Joan's main ability. It allows her to absorb the emotions of those around her into her own person. It does run the risk of overpowering and debilitating her though so she is very careful with what she takes as she must process it herself or release it back on others.
• Clairaudience: Strong. If an emotion is expressed strongly enough, Joan is able to not only feel it as her own but also "hear" the forefront thoughts associated with the currently expressed emotion. She cannot hear everything or use it as an avenue to dive into someone’s mind nor is it something that she hears all the time or can stop herself from knowing. But if someone were feeling enough rage she might also pick up on their thoughts claiming to want to kill someone because they’re so angry.
• Empathic Healing:Strong. A rare ability that not even Joan’s mentor possessed. While she is unable to heal physical wounds, she can help heal emotional ones. While for physical wounds she can internalize another’s pain the true art of empathic healing lies in helping to untangle the mess of emotional/mental trauma someone has undergone. The reverse of this would be to take away the things that could heal and leave only the traumas themselves which she was also trained to do though she hates that aspect.
• Empathic Projection: Very weak. Joan can only use this on willing or weak-minded individuals and only when she is in physical contact with them. Forcing it on someone against their will is both exhausting and physically painful to her.
• Empathic Paranormal Detection: Weak. From time to time Joan is able to pick up on the emotions of those long gone that have not passed over whatever existent or nonexistent veil there is. Some days she isn't even sure if she actually is feeling the dead or if she just thinks she is. Don't ask her to reach out to those you've lost. She's not going to try.

Contortionist: A former performing acrobat and contortionist, Joan still possesses the ability to bend herself into a pretzel or tiny spaces. She is very flexible and strong and will use that to her advantage.

Relationships

Parents: Deceased? Not quite so dead after all -.-

Nonna Anna: Joan's deceased grandmother. Nonna raised her in her early days and Joan feels her spirit with her always. There are times where Joan is almost positive she's getting one of her grandmother's warm hugs.

The Ringmaster: Upon her grandmother's death, Joan became a ward of the leader of the acrobatic circus troupe that she had been training and performing with. In public he was the ultimate charmer: a kind soul taking in talented orphans and giving them the chance to become something so much more than they ever could. But, out of the limelight he was a cruel and abusive individual. Joan has made her peace with her past and with him. But, heavens help the fools that ever decide The Ringmaster should be released from jail for good behavior. Joan will fight tooth and nail to ensure he stays there for the rest of his miserable life.

Little Bats: The other performers that Joan learned and grew up with. She loves them all as her siblings. She's kept in contact with them as best as she could through ATC and plans to go to every one of their shows as she is able.

Gosht: A serpentine and squat dragon with very short legs. He is completely white save for three pairs of metal wings that have since replaced his original ones.

History

Joan was predominantly raised by her paternal grandmother, Nonna Anna in Adstreia. She has no memories of her mother and very few of her father. Her Nonna told her he died when she was six though Joan suspects he's still alive and off making her a million and one half-siblings while melting his brain on drugs. When she was younger he called her Jo and his Lil Sting. He would treat her to ice cream and sports events those few times he was ever around. She had loved those special moments though they were few and far between and always ended the same with Nonna chasing him off and telling him to never come back. Eventually he never did.

In the meantime, Nonna Anna enrolled gymnastics classes after school. It was then that Joan's talent for acrobatics and contortions became clear to all. It was not long before a local acrobatic troupe for youth took notice of her and began to offer her additional lessons and attentions for free. Joan loved it. She loved her friends and felt the sense of family with the other "Little Bats" that she had been missing outside of her Nonna.

Quickly became their prized performer for her enthusiasm, passion, and determination made her an inspiration to them all. In truth though, their joy was what brought Joan her own joy. She did not know it then that she was an empath and it would be years before she realized she was.

At 10 the unfortunate happened; Nonna Anna passed away and Joan was left an orphan. Lucky for her though her little troupe and The Ringmaster himself were more than happy to take her in and call her family. The paperwork was quickly signed over and she was adopted in without a blink of an eye. Despite the grief of loss, Joan could not have hoped for a better family to support her.

Without the protection of going home to Nonna at the end of the day though Joan soon learned how quickly things changed once doors were closed and darkness set in. The "kind soul" that had taken the place of parental figure was anything but. He was a cruel men that would use whatever performance money the children earned to feed his own addictions. If the girls didn't work hard enough or push themselves to the limits that he found acceptable they would be punished. Meals were a privilege to be earned instead of an expected and necessary commodity in their lives. There were even times they were pitted against each other with the one to perform better being rewarded with a reprieve from The Ringmaster's wrath.

He was emotionally manipulative and physically abusive to them all. Though he was wise and careful enough to never leave lasting marks. The girls were all well-trained too to believe this was all for their betterment, to thank him for his time and considerations because who else would help them to be so happy and successful if not him?

Joan was smart though. Unlike many of the others, she had had the love of a true parent. Nonna had taught her well and so Joan did what she could to help the other children. When they were supposed to be sleeping she would tell them happy little stories, unconsciously in those moments pulling the pain and despair from them as she left behind only joy and peace. Everything she did was to encourage them and keep them safe as best as she could.

She was 16 when she was old enough to finally go head to head with him. Up until that point Joan had kept a record of every infraction. As the oldest of the children she was given the ultimatum to either "graduate" into a new business venture as the girls before her had and unknowingly be sucked into a life of sexual acrobatic performances or to remain behind and assist in keeping the other children in line. Joan pretend to be enamored with her current lifestyle and desiring not to leave it, begged to stay.

The price to pay was she did become The Ringmaster's partner in more ways than one. It was worth it though as she gained the freedom to run errands for him. It was nearly a year but the first chance she got, she reported him to the authorities and begged for help. It would be the last time she saw her Little Bats for a long time though.

She was heavily interrogated, made to tell her story over and over again. Each reiteration caused her more and more stress as the time passed too. Joan stayed firm though. It was the right thing to do. But, as the hours ticked by she broke over her worry for her friends. They brought in a psychoanalyst as she became hysterical and that was when it became evident that Joan was more than just a hysterical young woman, she was an empath and a telepath and she had most certainly had enough of the "humor her" games.

Joan was assured things would be taken care of even as she was put through a series of tests to assess her own strengths. From there it was a whirlwind of people and places and things until finally she was dropped off and enrolled at the ATC. Candidate Joan Archer had gone to report a crime and had her life changed completely different from how she had expected.

Those first nights were hell. She was scared and alone feeling with no idea if the girls she claimed as her sisters were alright or had even been punished by the man meant to protect them all because she had disappeared. Had she sentenced them all to a living hell with her actions meant to help them? no one knew or even seemed to care as she pleased with them to tell her or find out for her. She was informed she was a Candidate and had bigger things to focus on and that it would be best if she fell in line or risk worse.

Two months into Stage 1 and Joan ended up cutting herself from wrist to inside elbow on both arms in an attempt to take her own life. She felt such overwhelming despair between the stress of not knowing, the oppressing environment, and the emotions she was constantly being bombarded with from her fellow Candidates.

Her attempt failed and she lived. Joan ended up healing and after some serious reassessment was determined to still be a viable Candidate, if a heavily monitored one. Determined, to get out as soon as she could to get back to her girls who she had been informed were indeed alright, Joan threw herself into Candidate life. Stage 2 was a little bit of a struggle though it was Stage 4 she suffered the most with.

Joan was a natural healer and as her gifts expanded and developed this became more and more evident. However her mentor wanted to hone her gift of healing and helping into a weapon to attack and hurt. Instead of absorbing negative emotions she was pushed to take away positive ones and send her victims into a state of despair and fear. It was very upsetting for her and difficult to wrap her mind around until she started imagining doing it to people like The Ringmaster. That turned out to be the breakthrough that got her through Stage 4 and well into Stage 5. Eventually she was chosen by a dragon and the rest as they say is history. She wanted to be a healer but the dragons had different plans for her. Instead she was sent off to serve as a combat operative, a job that she has thrown herself into doing to the best of her ability. It may not be what she wanted but she will make the best of it.

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