Lainey

Lainey is a character in Pitched Combat.

Inventory
Zippered folder containing one mechanical pencil, several lead and eraser refills, a composition book, and loose notebook paper.

Abilities
Lainey does not shift into any shape she likes. Each of her forms comes with a new name and a new personality. Some of these forms have sharp bits. Her Voices, muses, minds, personas have a quasi-physical existence in the Souzou, where they live as a community, trading Lainey's body between them as needed/desired. Each persona grew from a part of Lainey herself, yet each one is separate--they are a part of her and she is a part of them, but each individual is a discrete individual. When she changes, it is instantaneous and not always dictated by her.

Description
Her "base" form is a young human female with no strength to speak of. She's short, skinny, dark-haired, and rather spotty, with no real distinguishing features. She is not particularly outgoing and there is nothing about her to be noticed, so she often blends into the background. She certainly does not appear threatening in this form, and in fact she is not. She's agreeable, friendly, gentle, and that's all you'll really see of her except through the various forms she takes.

Biography
Lainey acquired her first additional personality, Yume, at age twelve. Her parents were overjoyed, since this (while not an unusual age) is a little long for a static child to remain static. Almost at the same time, Yume's twin sister Niko appeared. Over time, a small community--like a family, but closer--grew up in Lainey's head, each person representing some aspect of Lainey herself, and then growing beyond.

Yume
Female Catgirl

Abilities
Yume has two forms, each of which is still her; one is a quasi-human form, and the other is an ocelot. The ocelot form is a fighting form, which she does not inhabit often.

Physical Description
Yume spends most of her in-body time in her human form; she finds that most humanoids find conversing with an ocelot unnerving, and anyway it's easier to speak with a mouth designed for the task. Over time the claws of her human form dulled and went away, leaving her only with fingernails; she is not a fighter and doesn't have much use for claws. Her human form is tall, with faint tabby patterns on her skin which, if you look close, is a thin layer of fur. The hair on her head is long and straight, left loose. She wears long, flowing robes in dark neutral colors.

Biography/Personality
Yume began as a personification of love. By the time she was fully formed, she also encompassed sadness, despair, death, and hope. She has a knack for understanding the emotions of others and can act as a peacemaker or mediator--often with Lissa's help. Despite having been betrayed and hurt, she still trusts easily and has not become bitter or jaded; pain is part of who she is and she accepts it uncomplainingly.

Niko
Female Catgirl

Abilities
Niko also has two forms, each of which is still her; one is a quasi-human form, and the other is another ocelot, also a fighting form but one that Niko actually inhabits every now and then.

Physical Description
There are not many differences between her and Yume--physically, anyway. Niko's hair is short, her clothes are functional and loose-fitting so she can fight if necessary, and she holds herself more stiffly. In shape, height, coloring, markings, they are identical.

Biography/Personality
Despite having been born/created/appeared after Yume, Niko is the elder sister. She is something of the opposite of Yume: she has never trusted outside the Souzou, so she has never been betrayed; she has never loved, so she has never been hurt. Yet she is bitter and jaded where Yume is not. Yume is the only one Niko loves, and she is very protective of her, sometimes ruining Yume's attempts at peacemaking with an angry outburst or even violence. Niko is anger, hate, violence, protection--a warrior and mercenary.

Lissa
Female Humanoid

Abilities
Thinking. Logic. Scientific observation. Philosophy. Religious studies.

Physical Description
Lissa is blonde and willowy, with pale skin and simple white clothing. Her features are perfectly symmetrical and exactly of the scientifically ideal proportions, which makes her look plain and uninteresting rather than beautiful.

Biography/Personality
Lissa doesn't spend much time inhabiting the corporeal body, and when she does it's usually alone time spent reading or studying. She was fully formed long before she was noticed by the others. She rules those things cerebral: science, logic, and learning, but also finds herself enamored with the arts and (her secret pleasure) fiction. Her impartial observations have several times helped Yume reach a successful conclusion to her mediation. Lissa's cool head and calm demeanor would make her a good diplomat if she could see the emotional side of things--which she can't.

Development
She shapeshifted. Also she visited her local library. What a good and smart girl. And then she got eaten.

Death
Lainey died after basically tearing her face apart on glass grass and being eaten by the Shatterer along with Annabell in Round 2: Cathedral of Glass.