Patricia Jewels Cunningham

[Patricia Cunningham]

NAME: Patricia Jewels Cunningham
NICKNAME: Almost always P.J. Patty to her brothers.
AGE: 16
GENDER: Female
ORIENTATION: Bisexual
POSITION: B.A. Student
FACE CLAIM: Camelia Raji

POWER:
Smoke Manipulation
PJ can manipulate smoke. When smoke is present, she is able to thicken or thin it and make the smoke move wherever she’d like it to with her mind. Mostly she just uses it to make shapes in the air or to clear particularly smokey areas so that it is easier to see, but she could certainly cause someone to pass out from smoke inhalation if she had enough concentration and motivation.

Limitations
. intense concentration is required for manipulation
. no control over the source of the smoke (she won't be able to do anything about the fire causing it, for instance)
. can control most types of smoke as long as they are caused by something being on fire; she can't control fog or smog because even though it looks like smoke, it is water, for example, or ash, because while it is made by fire, it isn't the same as smoke 
. cannot create smoke itself; there must be an outside source of smoke for her to use her ability at all
. smoke must be at close range (30-40ft); the further away the smoke is, the harder it is to manipulate and the more strains it causes
. the longer she manipulates smoke, the more strain it causes her, and the more time she needs to recharge to feel rested and ready
. smoke effects her like it effects everyone else; she could easily die of smoke inhalation/exposure and she cannot see through it
. easily overpowered by gas and air manipulators

Side-Effects
. constant cough, irritated eyes, sore throat, runny nose
. needs extra sleep but because of the concentration the manipulation needs, she often suffers from insomnia
. headaches/migraines when she pushes her limits that can worsen to nausea and nosebleeds



In the upstairs closet of the Cunningham's two-story apartment is a box filled with photo albums. There are at least a dozen, ranging from old and yellowing to half-filled and stiff-spined.

--

1.

A picture from one of the older photo albums shows a young newly-married couple. They stand in front of a stone church covered in a fine dusting of snow. The bride, with long dark hair done up artfully and bright green eyes glinting, has her teeth bared in the middle of a laugh. If you stare at the picture long enough, you can make out a baby bump just beginning to show underneath the woman's wedding dress. The husband's smile is a little more subdued, but no less genuine. You can see his happiness in the lines around his blue eyes more than the way his lips turn up at the corners. Written on the back of the photograph in girlish print is is Patricia and Sebastian, Wedding Day. 1990.

2.

This photograph pictures the same couple from the previous photo looking quite a bit older. It's a staged photograph but it is obviously taken by an amateur. The lighting is poor and the family is standing in front of a dusty fireplace. The mother and father stand behind four children. The father looks a little bit flustered. Perhaps he was the one setting the camera up on a delay and had only just reached the rest of his family by the time the camera flashed. The mother is pregnant and wearing a maternity dress while she holds a baby in her arms. The baby has kicked off one of his shoes. The four children standing in front of the couple are in various states of disarray and distraction. The oldest has his arms crossed over his button up. His blond hair is cut short and he has the beginnings of a bruise forming on his chin. The child next to him looks a year or two younger and is laughing hard, his arms over his stomach, and is pointing at his older brother. Beside him are identical twins with dark hair and blue eyes, ignoring their older brothers entirely, one whispering in the other's ear. Written on the back of the photograph in girlish print is The Cunninghams, 1998. Patricia and Sebastian, Henry (1), Daniel (8), Gabriel (7), and Beckett and Matthew (4).

--

Beyond this point in the albums, the bride and mother is no longer pictured.

--

3.

A photograph of a baby in a hospital. It's a girl, judging by the pink blanket it is swaddled in. She is not crying and the picture is bright, due to the hospital lights. She is obviously a newborn, but she doesn't look squished or misshapen. The baby's birth wasn't natural. Written on the back of the photograph in blocky handwriting is Patricia Jewels Cunningham. Named for her brave mother.

The photo beside it in the album shows a gravestone with the older blond child laying yellow and white flowers on the grass in front of it. The lighting is poor and fuzzy. It might be misting or raining in the graveyard. The gravestone reads PATRICIA JEWELS CUNNINGHAM. DIED SO THAT HER CHILD MIGHT LIVE. 1970-1998. There is no writing on the back of the photograph. It is one of the only ones where this occurs. 

4.

This picture is from a few albums later. It's a classic back-to-school photograph of six children arranged by height. They stand at the end of a road lined with pine trees, perhaps waiting for a bus. The oldest is teenaged with shorn blond hair and a serious smile on his face. He has a backpack slung over his shoulder that is very worn. The straps have been sewn to his backpack with mis-colored thread where they have broken. Next to him is another teenager without a backpack. He carries a notebook under his arm and a pencil behind his ear. He's sticking his tongue out at the camera and his hair is long, tied behind him in a low ponytail. The next two children are identical twins, both with newer looking backpacks. They smile at the camera politely, but they look distracted, eager for the bus to arrive. Considerably shorter than his brothers is the next little boy in line. He's too skinny and so pale as to seem sickly. He doesn't smile for the camera. He is looking at the ground so that his face is barely visible. Finally, next to him, and overcoming him in height, is a girl who must be younger but who looks much stronger. Her dark brown hair is in a bowl cut to her chin. She's wearing shorts and a baggy hand-me-down t-shirt. Her backpack is sitting next to her on the ground, mostly forgotten. She's yelling at the twin boys, her hands cupped around her mouth and her green eyes squinted shut. Written on the back of the photograph in blocky handwriting is First day of school, 2006. Daniel (16), Gabriel (15), Beckett and Matthew (12), Henry (9), and Patty (8).

5.

Another photograph from the same album. This one shows the girl from the other photograph in a soccer uniform, knees grass-stained and elbows skinned. She's got a soccer ball under her arm and next to her at three boys about her age, all wearing soccer uniforms. She's currently shoving one of them with her elbow while the others laugh. Her mouth is curved in a wild smile. One of the boys is holding a plastic soccer trophy, but he looks more excited about what the other two kids are up to. Written on the back of the photograph in blocky handwriting is Patty (9) after soccer tournament.

6.

Instead of a picture, this page of a photo album is filled with report cards. One report card reads Patricia Jewels Cunningham. Grade 7. Her grades read as follows in a table:

Pre-Algebra	D
Geography	C-
French Studies	F
Biology	C
Gym	B+
English I	D

Underneath the table is a section for teacher comments.

Mrs. April Pelletier

Hello. I am PJ's homeroom teacher. I also happen to be her geography teacher. This school year has been a difficult one for PJ. Adjusting to middle school has proved to be a challenge. While she has found a large group of friends, a place on the soccer team, and a place on the softball team, she struggles with the academic portion of school which is, of course, the main reason she is here. It isn't that she isn't able to learn. She is just easily distracted by her friends in class and resistant towards help from teachers and other staff. I would suggest PJ make some friends of her own gender. Currently, her social circle seems to comprise of maladjusted boys. Some new friends might temper her rebellious spirit. In addition, I suggest scheduling time for homework at home, even if this cuts into sports practices. I wish PJ the best in her next year of middle school.

Mr. James Hand

Hello. I am the guidance counselor responsible for students whose last names span from Be- to Da-. I have seen Patricia often during this school year and while I am sure you are aware of the infractions, as the slips have been sent home, I would like to sum up the major issues so that they may be worked on over the summer. She has been in detention ten times. Four were due to smoking on school grounds. Three were related to a prank she played on her homeroom teacher involving eggs. Two were for inappropriate language after being spoken to. And one was for a fight between herself and a boy in her English I class. Please work with Patricia over the summer on these behaviors, especially the smoking. Thank you.

7.

A photograph in one of the newest looking albums shows the girl looking a little older than she had before. Her mouth is set in a hardline, arms crossed, and her eyes are rolled upwards in a way that suggests the photograph was not her idea. Her hair is cropped so short that it almost looks shaved. She has a lanky, coltish look about her that suggests a skinny too-tallness. She is wearing a pair of jeans that are ripped at the knees and stained with grass and a t-shirt that is ratty and has definitely seen fuller bodies and better days. She is standing in front of a tan door with a large window in the back. The reflection in the window shows the person taking the photo. It's an older man with graying blond hair and he holds an older camera up to his eye. Written on the back of the photograph in blocky handwriting is Patty (12) before leaving for Bellefonte Academy.

--

Underneath the bed in PJ Cunningham's dorm room at Bellefonte Academy is a box containing two photo albums. One is very worn and a little dusty. The other looks to be fairly new, but well-used, and almost filled with pictures. Sitting next to the box is a digital camera.

--

8.

One of the first photographs in the newer album pictures the same lanky young girl in a bedroom that is not her own. She's sitting at the far end of a circle of five boys. She has a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and a hand of cards splayed out on her knee. The other boys look to be about her age and also have cards in their hands. The photograph is a little blurry, but the girl seems to be laughing around the cigarette in her mouth. Written on the back of the photograph in messy pen is me and the boys at mark's, 7th grade.

9.

Inside two of the slots that should contain pictures is a scratched CD. On the front of the CD in sharpie is written proof that i'm a freak. The CD contains a minute long video. The video starts with an up-close picture of the girl's face. Her eyes are a dark muddy green with freckles spattering her nose and cheeks. Her hair is still that same short dark brown. She seems to check if the camera is recording before she sits back and lights a cigarette. "You aren't gonna fucking believe this," she tells the camera, as if it will respond to her. She brings the cigarette to her mouth and takes a drag. When the smoke is released into the air, she stares up at it and it begins to move. There is obviously no wind in the room, but the smoke moves in a swirly pattern in the air for a few moments before stopping. There's some sweat on the girl's brow, which she wipes off with the back of her hand. She grins at the camera. "Little more practice and my smoke rings will be legendary," she says and barks out a laugh before leaning forward again to shut off the recording. The video ends.

10.

A photograph of an empty dorm room. It is sparsely decorated. The bed is messy with the dark blue comforter falling off one end and the sheets balled up in the middle. There are at least four cigarette burns on the bottom sheet. The pillow is at the top of the bed with the pillow case half coming off. The floor of the room is covered in clothes. Mostly jeans with holes in the knees or thighs or calves, ratty t-shirts that are too big, and some bigger sweaters as well. A leather jacket is hung on the back of a desk chair that is pushed a little bit away from the edge of the desk. The desk has an open photo album in the middle with some glue and photo paper off to the side, along with a printer. There are two packs of cigarettes peeking out of the top of the drawer in the desk. Underneath the desk and a bit to the side is a pair of worn black leather boots, a grass-stained soccer ball, and a wooden baseball bat. Written on the back of the photograph in messy pen is my little slice of hell. bellefonte academy.

11.

A bit farther along in the album, the girl is pictured with a boy about her age. They're somewhere outside, with grass beneath their feet, and stars in the sky, and it's pretty dark. Luckily, the camera used has a decent flash. They look to be on their way somewhere rather than at their destination. The girl is taking the picture. Her face is only half in the frame and she is walking backwards so that the boy, with dark hair and tattoos on his arms, walking a little bit ahead of her, can be in the picture as well. She's baring her teeth at the camera, more of a snarl than a smile, and her green eyes are squinted nearly shut. The boy is looking over his shoulder at her with a sly grin. His eyes glint a bit from the flash. Written on the back of the photograph in messy pen is mj and me, first prank pulled together. success!

12.

Shoved in a slot where a photograph should be and folded many times over is a piece of lined notebook paper. When unfolded, the paper appears to be a letter that was never sent. It's written in the same scrawl that marks the back of the photographs in the photo album and begins:

matt and bucket,

sorry i haven't written like i promised you i would. that's kind of shitty of me but you're used to me being shitty and things are really fucking busy here. school and classes and learning about this mutant powers thing. but whatever. it's better than being stuck at home going to our little town high school with all the preppy pricks. sucks to be you.

it isn't so bad here. it's really easy to hide cigarettes and find places to smoke where no one will find you. and while most of the people here suck just as much as most of the people back home, i've made some friends. there's this guy named mj who is freaking awesome at pulling pranks. we get into trouble all the time (but don't worry, no trouble you wouldn't approve of, assholes). there are some kids who will kick a ball around with me too but none of them can play like you two. i'm getting rusty.

i've gotten into a few fights but nobody has squealed on me yet. if people would shut their goddamn mouths i wouldn't need to punch them. you know what it's like.

i don't know what else to say. is dad okay? how are dan and gabe and henry? no way am i writing to any of them because i'd have to lie about the cigarettes and the getting into trouble and fuck lying if i don't have to.

at least here dad can't yell at me for smoking and not being mom's little carbon copy.

i don't even know why i'm writing you this. i haven't written you in two years, why should i start now?

screw it.

PJ

13.

The last picture is in the middle of the photo album. There are still many slots to be filled. The photo shows an older version of the girl from the previous photographs and is taken by someone else. Her hair is a bit longer than it was when she was younger, fluffier in the front, but still very short for a girl's cut. Her skin is pale and freckles dot her cheeks and nose. Her green eyes look towards the photographer, but she doesn't smile. She sort of curls her lips back and scrunches her nose. She's wearing a dark blue button down shirt and some dark colored pants and she's leaning against the side of a tree with a cigarette in the hand closest to the photographer. One of her feet, clad in worn, black boots, is cocked up so the sole is resting against the tree with a thin dusting of snow on the ground. She's maintained the skinny, lanky figure that she had when she was younger, looking more boyish than womanly. Written on the back of the photograph in messy pen is me.


SAMPLE: See Steinbeck Dunn and Dorcas Freebody!

USERNAME: Femur

AGE GROUP: 17 but like days from 18 so. Basically an adult. :l

EXPERIENCE: A few years.

WHERE DID YOU FIND US? RPG-D

Template made by MEL, inspired by NU

[Mel *]

Oh, it's you again....
YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO,
SO I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU.
*Sticks tongue out*