Vanessa Bishop
"She's our own personal cat-trap."
Female | Human
Twenty-Four years of age
Vanessa weighs in at around 112lbs and stands at 5'4", the perfect height for somebody of her particular skill set. Like her mother, and her grandmother, Vanessa has dark brunette hair that tends to stop growing when it reaches just below her chest; she gets the loose waviness from her father's side of the family, but that's where her genetic inheritance seems to end. Unlike the rest of her family, Vanessa has a physically slender physique that contains a healthy balance of body fat and muscle. Though not granting her with the strength she would one day like to acquire, her muscles have improved tremendously over the last several months and have given her an otherwise rarely seen appearance since the events of the Storm. Arching eyebrows sit atop naturally brown eyes that deceivingly give Vanessa an otherwise 'innocent' look, and her high-cheek bones and dainty limbs only contribute to that. Vanessa's lips are naturally plump and defined by a perfectly curved cupid's bow, but somewhat dampened by her use of language and sarcastic retorts.
Vanessa wears clothes that she usually finds on the bodies of the dead. Currently she dons a piece of tattered body armour that has clearly been fired at; it consists of a padded vest to deter bullets from piercing her and zip in the centre to allow for breathing room (it's very tight, think scuba gear without the legs or anything below the waist). Beneath that is a tank top, which actually did belong to her and combat trousers of a beige colouring that are tucked into a pair of motorcycle boots she was lucky enough to loot.
INVENTORY
x. Flashlight, two batteries and a third within the f'light
x. Thermal Wire, found shortly after the Storm began
x. Dual Pistols, numerous bullets
x. Canteen(s), four, three stolen from her now dead friends
x. Nuts, stolen from the bodies of her dead friends
SKILLS
Vanessa's skills lie solely within the fact that she is small, flexible and very agile. Her main defense against those that would harm her is her speed, in which she has plenty. She is able dodge a number of blows before tiring which she uses to her advantage, every muscle-head trigger happy looter as to get tired sometime, right? Vanessa is also good at climbing, a somewhat capable shot (dead god do not give her a machine gun or ask her to fire a rifle, she'll probably shoot you) and is able to operate manual vehicles. Vanessa also has some fighting capability which is where she has the advantage, having been trained by a marine (see her back story), she is capable of Krav Maga and various complicated maneuvers (think Black Widow fight from Iron Man 2) that makes her a fierce hand-to-hand combatant.
TRAITS
+ | Realist, Survivalist Instincts, Loyal
- | Morally Grey, Un-trusting, Impulsive, Stubborn
Vanessa was found months after the Storm began by Martin Halston, a marine nearing his late forties. He was the leader of a gang that looted and bullied the weak, though their lifestyle was seemingly envious in the months of the second year. He was ruthless and though he wasn't cold to those he cared for, even they knew that he was merciless. Martin saw something within Vanessa that allowed her to become a part of their group, subsequently saving her from a fate worse than death at the hands of Martin's lackeys.
Martin taught Vanessa how to protect herself and it seemed as though she was a natural, even going as far as to teach herself several maneuvers. Despite being forced to contribute to some of the killing, Vanessa was thankful for Martin and the others having her back; she ate well and nobody was trying to kill her. It was soon after that, that Martin convinced Vanessa to act as bait for unsuspecting passersby; she would lure them in and Martin and the others would murder them. He'd labelled her his own little cat-trap; something Vanessa despised.
Eventually a rival group ended up gaining the upper hand in a battle against Martin and he was killed almost instantly, leaving Vanessa and her allies to fend for themselves. The rival group eventually killed those she called her friends but she was long gone, having anticipated that retaliation would be suicide. Now she wanders alone, stealing food when she can in hopes of making it to the safe haven she's heard of.
