Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2020 1:01:01 GMT
Ross Anne Syntyche
Age 25 Birthday April 12th, 1995 Gender Non-Binary Pronouns They/them, she/her Orientation Questioning Faction Freelancer Class Explorer Rank Backyard Adventurer Occupation Private Investigator Hometown Postwick, Galar Current Residence Office in Birch Town | Scene I. The modest apartment has been stripped of all sense of identity, walls blank much like the grey winter vacancy outside. There is silence aside from the clinks of silverware and the muffled rah-rah-rahs of a televised Galarian crowd. The beginning of the annual league cycle is being marked with an exhibition match. And in this room, new beginnings are approaching for the Syntyche family: A well-aged, matriarchal woman with a natural pout, SHARON SYNTYCHE. Her bald, already-wincing husband, ABRAHAM "ABE" SYNTYCHE. Their youngest daughter, LILY ANNE SYNTYCHE, with a pale countenance. And finally, ROSS SYNTYCHE, our unwitting "protagonist," the evening's chef and entertainer, and patently expecting the worst out of it all with a posture as if ready to present an obituary. ( SHARON hastily swallows, a strip of celery dangling free. She raises her napkin to her lips. ) SHARON (clearing her throat): So. Tell us about yourself. ROSS: What do you mean? SHARON: I mean. (She takes another forkful of food, this time pushing it in.) How would you describe yourself, now? ABE: Dear– SHARON: (She stops him with a raised finger.) I don't mean the whole– I can respect that. Just, describe what you think you're doing. I don't want to give any unwanted suggestions. ( LILY ANNE nods wordlessly. ) ROSS: Well, I've been overworked for the last five years; I'm a student out-of-love with the focus of my training; I've been working dead-end, underpaying jobs anyway in the meantime; and I'm now aware of another option that fits my purpose and seems like my calling, so I'm looking to pursue it. Does that...? SHARON: Okay. ROSS: Should I mention I'm a team-player, I'm a creative-thinker...? (Ross' joke ends up trailing off and is cinched, forgotten, in a gulp.) SHARON: Sure. Well. (She shakes her head.) What I still don't understand is the traveling. Why are you even interesting in this 'class' you've chosen? You're never seemed like the "braving-the-wilderness" type– but then again. (She throws her hands up: 'Ya got me.' Then closes them and raises her eyebrows.) What would I know? At this point. (MR. SYNTYCHE turns to his wife.) ABE: Darling, I think being open-minded is for the best in these kinds of situations– i-if I can interject. ROSS: That's alright. No, I understand– ABE: She might have changed a lot in these last few months, but she's still our child, and it's in all of our interests to use this dinner, come out of it with a better understanding of everyone's perspective. SHARON: I know that. I know more than anyone! (ABE seems about to say something, but silences himself as ROSS goes to speak again. LILY ANNE is still listening with such rapt attention paid to her sibling, she has stopped eating altogether.) ROSS: The Explorer's League, the one handing out licenses, is a little enigmatic, but they don't hold members to expectations, like how ordinary Trainers are supposed to earn badges. They're all individually-driven, which means I can focus on my work and still be considered a traveling Pokemon Trainer. ROSS: It's kind of philosophical, but what does being an "explorer" mean, anyway? For me, it means traveling without expectations. Something I could use. (They look down at their stew but it remains untouched.) SHARON: And why Arciel? Why not another region? ROSS: Because Arciel has that as a option. (A pause, as if wanting to posit another reason: it being far away from The Matriarch, and here.) And it has the best career openings for private investigation. ABE: Um, i-if I can interject again... SHARON: Go ahead, dear. ABE: I-if you do desperately want the job security a-and the safety that comes with pursuing work in the Arciel region, wouldn't it be in your best interest to double-down on your ranger training? I mean, talk about security, it's one of the best-paid jobs out here! (SHARON's eyes go wide and she is nodding rapturously as she dives down again towards her meal.) SHARON (while eating): Exactly. That's exactly what I've been saying. There's barely a difference between being a ranger and being a detective. ROSS: If we're talking about safety, investigators don't get sent out to wrangle eldritch horror-monsters from the multiverse, and I can only give citizen's arrests so I'm not chasing criminals– SHARON: I don't think she even needs to be a ranger, Abe. I mean, consider what her best attributes are: physical, mental, social, everything. ABE: Yeah, she could be– well, what do you think, Rose? I'm sorry, Ross. ROSS: ...you want my strengths? Okay: I'm a creative thinker. I'm thorough. I can mediate conflict. I know how to communicate with people. I have a grounded, pragmatic point-of-view. SHARON: I can agree with a number of those things, actually. ROSS: Yes, and all of those would make me a successful investigator. In my humble opinion. (SHARON has cleared her plate. On instinct, she drops her fork onto the dish as if to signify the completion, then rests her chin on her folded, calculating hands.) SHARON: What about your worst attributes? Be honest. How could they contribute? ROSS (slightly exasperated): The worst I can think of in this context is the physical part, but I'm not going to try scaling buildings for evidence or something. Like Sherlock Holmes. (SHARON scoffs.) My migraines aren't going to get in the way since I'm on medication. Anything else... maybe I'll get bored of the paperwork, or snark at a client or two. So I'm snarky sometimes– it'd be worst than in a job I hated. ABE (timidly): D-do you think... you might get a client who asks... too much of you? O-or that you might _have_ to get a little physically-active? ROSS (deadpan): I don't understand what you mean. (ABE retracts into the rest of his meal.) SHARON (lightly): But you liked school. 'How was school?' 'Fine.' You said you did, anyway. (She says this while crumbling her napkin, putting it on her plate.) (ABE has also finished, gently placed his fork next to his empty platter. He casts a nervous look to his wife, still looking – glaring – down.) SHARON (mumbling): Certainly didn't have a bad childhood. ROSS: I didn't hate the academy, but that's because I did well on the exams. I remember telling you a distinct three, separate times how much I found the regiment exhausting. There was a reason I leapt at the secretary job. Even you called it "soul-crushing." (ROSS has worked up the confidence to stare their mother in the eye.) ROSS: Understand I'm just a little tired of being coaxed into something I don't enjoy doing from the time I was born. I loved Grandma Annie; I love what she did for our family. But I don't see myself as a great ranger like she was. SHARON: I never forced you into anything. All I'm doing now is discouraging you from straining your relationship with your family. You've lived here all your life, Ross. ROSS: I'm doing something else. SHARON (quietly): Fine. (In a burst of motion, she pushes herself away from the table, wipes her hands on her pencil skirt as a gesture, and stands up.) ABE: So you're going through with this? ROSS (stoic): I got my license two weeks ago. (MR. SYNTYCHE's acknowledgement is just a gesture, and he quickly joins his wife away from the table. SHARON announces they will be watching the rest of the match before they leave before tipping over to the television. LILY ANNE is still seated. She looks down, picking at her cold meal.) [END SCENE.] Scene II. (The host drowns out their parents' excitement over the battle with loud, running water from the sink. A migraine is clearly coming on, their hands shaking in an attempt to keep scrubbing the dishes, to not turn and throw them against the wall in a cathartic tantrum. LILY ANNE enters the room, startling ROSS into recollecting their composure. They turn to face her.) ROSS (stilted): Hey. Lily. LILY: Hi. How are you doing? (ROSS shrugs.) ROSS: It was inevitable. (Grimaces.) LILY (sadly): I guess the medicine really isn't working, huh? (LILY seems about to add something, but her semi-concerned look turns embarrassed, and she smiles, chuckles sheepishly. ROSS' pained expression shifts into a smile.) Sorry...! You don't want more follow-up questions. ROSS: You're fine. I'm glad you came, really. LILY (humbled): I just want to know how you're doing these days. What do you like to do for fun? ROSS: Just reading. A lot of history and philosophy stuff. It's kind of pretentious. I still have that old radio from Johto. I still collect pens. I still cook; I've gotten a little better. Jeez, it's so depressing in this part of Circhester, isn't it? LILY: No, that's good! Um, the whole romance thing... What are you feelings on that? ROSS: The app? No, I got rid of that! Sorry, I can only focus on so much right now. LILY: No– I think that's a good thing! You should really just orient yourself with the move and the new career. (LILY casts a look behind her, curious of the noisy going-ons of their parents, then continues in a more hushed voice.) LILY: I do want to know, though, if you have any goals for the future. Short-term and long-term. ROSS: Well, I guess I want to start gardening again with the new place. I want to get to the bottom of these shitty migraines. I think long-term would just be supporting myself on my own term, figuring things out, and getting out of the family shadow. What are you up to? LILY (insistent): Do you have something to write on...? (ROSS offers her phone which their sister snatches up.) LILY: Oh, perfect! I can just give you her number. ROSS: Woah, who's number!? How fast is she? LILY (laughing): This has nothing to do with the romance thing! I'm putting you in contact with Arciel's professor. ROSS (taken aback): I'm... not nearly that important– (LILY's eyes glint and she leans in close as if sharing a well-kept secret.) LILY: Here's the thing with Arciel. They are positively starving to get their tourism back. They're not even looking for people to join the whole tournament thing – they're giving out Pokemon to licensed kids like hotcakes! If you're going to get work there, you'll need something to watch your back. The expectation is you're traveling; that's the lifestyle. Even if you just want to sort out corporate interests in your office all day, you're going to hit the road eventually, and we you do, you have to worry about everything from criminals to wild Pokemon. You know how Sharon is, but she's right about the crime rates, the what-nots. LILY: It's a lot; I don't want to lecture you! But it's true: a lot of your clients are going to have Pokemon-related problems, anyway. ROSS (indignant): I'm not going to be dealing with Pokemon. You have to have Pokemon to get involved with Pokemon. LILY: Oh, come on! You know that's not true! Besides, you love Pokemon! Remember where you were a kid? When you were asked 'If you could be a Pokemon,' you always had a super specific answer. ROSS: I'd be a Starmie because they're always reaching for the stars... LILY: Yes! Exactly! What do Pokemon mean to you now? The same, right? ROSS: Lily, Pokemon are just background noise. They're an everyday part of life, but that doesn't mean I have to revolve myself around them. That doesn't mean I _hate_ them, but there's not a lot of internal logic to them that I understand– LILY (casts another look behind her): God, I hate bogging you down with more questions. Is there anything else you want to tell me before I go? Anything you need, just call me; I'll be there. Forget the whole research intern business; I'll be there. (ROSS is taken again. In this time of metamorphoses, it seems LILY ANNE has adopted a different flavor of kindness they are unaccustomed to.) ROSS: I... really appreciate it. And your support. It really means a lot for me. I'll think about the 'Pokemon' thing, but I– LILY (grinning): Ohh, best of luck, love! Whatever you do, you'll kill it! [END SCENE.] |
Appearance
Height 5'08" / 154.9cm Build Ordinary Hair Color Lavender Eye Color Blue | Pale, lean, androgynous, with tired, down-turned eyes and in desperate need a haircut, one they cut themselves as a statement and now deathly regret. Ross is hiding the shoddy length and uneven bangs with hats, not a deerstalker– and they don't "smoke pipes" either, but they do have a heavy trench coat right out of a noir detective novel which they justify as them getting cold easily. Ross' fashion sense is definitely the "housewife" type, though currently they're a bit anxious about wearing feminine clothes in public. They have ear piercings, often unfilled, and a bracelet with religious iconography left to them by their late grandmother. Often seen pinching the bridge of their nose: a gesture of annoyance that has since become second-nature. Aura The farther away, the more their aura appears to loom over them, a tawny-colored dust cloud sprinkled with sparkling bits of glass and crystalline matter, the aftermath of an explosion frozen in time. |
Skills, Abilities, & Notoriety
STANDARD SKILLS Agility 00 Charisma 14 Cooking 06 Crime 00 Dexterity 00 Farming 06 Fishing 00 Gaming 00 Luck 15 Mining 00 Performance (Type) 0 Profession (Investigation) 13 Stamina 00 Stealth 00 Strength 00 Other 0 POWER SKILLS Aura 0 Psychic 11 Abilities Precognition (Level 1) (Cost: 10) NOTORIETY Reputation 0 Fame 0 Alignment 0 - Neutral Other Notes The migraines started after the UB attack five years ago, corresponding with Ross falling out-of-love with being a Ranger. They fell off a year ago but have come back with incredible force to leave their subject winded. What Ross hasn't mentioned to others is the vague images they come paired with, something like entoptic dances of light, abstract and incomprehensible– until Ross goes to the grocery, and in a weird déjà vu, knows exactly which berries don't have the awful rotten ones at the bottom. Or which lane won't have them be talked to death by the cashier. It's happened more often than they'd like to admit, but it's so small, it's worth ignoring, right? Ross grew up affluent in part due to their grandmother's accomplishments as a Chief Ranger. Most of their education was spent pursuing that same excellence and avoiding familial judgement. Coming into their own as an individual has been a revolutionary and all-around terrifying experience. Really, Ross just wants to live a normal life in a world filled with toxic-spewing battle monsters. Anything that contradicts that normalcy is getting rationalized right out. (Their Farming stat is from their gardening hobby.) In the meantime, Ross' sister convinced them into downloading a dating app out of kindness, if misguided, through which Ross has connected with a soft-spoken man going by 'BigBibarel' who actually seems to have his life together. Pokemon
OOC Info
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