[D2D] Thanh Otieno

STRENGTH | ★★
-She's not much of a heavy-hitter, but can still pack a wallop if she wanted to. Granted her fist would start tingling after punching someone's jaw.

DEFENSE | ★★★
-She's good at blocking, but better at assessing the situation and knowing what to defend herself with. Sometimes the decisions are hastily made and quick fixes of using a trashcan or a person can only keep you out of target for so long.

SPEED | ★★★★★
-With long legs comes great speed--usually.  She could've been a track star if she wanted to. If she timed her breathing and stamina right, she could speed run in short bursts, hence the nickname Silver Bullet.

DEXTERITY | ★★★★★★
-Her sure footing is what keeps her out of trouble most days, being flexible enough to bend and twist out of the line of fire is what gives her random nicks and burn marks on just her elbows and knees.

MAGIC | ★★
-Her magic is mostly stamina related--regulates her breathing, keeps her energy up for an added boost if she's tired and running on fumes. Granted the latter only gives her a half-hour's worth of energy boost, but it's helpful in tight pinches.

-A notebook to collect her thoughts
-The two poles that connect into Wind Breaker
-Two packs of cigarettes
-a lighter

Most of what Thanh remembers before being 13, has been muddled in a gray-toned memory. From a family of five, middle child of three, living in the Outlands with the other Homesteads did have more bleak than brighter days, most likely marred by the looming Tarnics literally scratching at their back door. Regardless, her parents had made themselves an honest living. Kim was a Tarnic observer, lived the dangerous life researching and keeping record of each beast, for a good sum to report back to the Ironstead scientists for further use. Her husband, Rudo, on the other hand, was a little more soft hearted and kept inside as a stay-at-home dad. Keeping Thanh and her siblings in line, teaching them what he knew from his days as Lower-end Ironstead teacher. Literal home-schooling in the Homestead as it were.

The few brighter days Thanh remembers, were the few and far in between neighbors that would visit, asking Rudo Otieno for books or some other sort of trade, while she and her sister would meddle in their older brother's things. Sometimes the neighbors would bring along their children had the weather been in their favor during the voyage, so it wasn't like she didn't get the chance of better socialization outside of her two siblings.

The bleaker days, however, grew in numbers. Most of which began when her mother Kim started coming home with scratches and bruises more frequently than usual.

'War is coming,' Thanh would hear her mother whisper to her father. Hushed quietly in their makeshift kitchen when they thought the children were asleep. 'Interference from both sides are making the Tarnic more restless, trying to defend and scavenge what precious dust they can find for themselves!'


Her brother, Filbert,  being well a decade older, was already engrossed into the parent's conversation,  more than likely because he was nearly an adult now rather than they thought he was old enough to understand. It could've been both, but for the time being, Thanh and her sister decided to feign innocence, wondering how long it would take to get him to crack and spill the beans.

It didn't take long, in fact. Once a year had passed and foreigners far from across the landscape were on the horizon. Filbert mentioned about another land, something like what their mother would tell them about Ironstead from her travels, but something else entirely. The Atoll State were vast and numerous, platoon upon platoon arrived relentlessly, digging and mining for what seemed to be the same thing Thanh had seen her family and others had used daily.

Dust. And so, the Dust War began. The Otienos were hastily thrown into a decision along with the other neighboring Homesteads: Side with Atlas, or remain loyal to Ironstead.

Rudo wanted no part in all of this. It wasn't his fight and more importantly, his children were forcibly in the crossfire of the warpath. Kim, however, made the decision for them both. Being she still had ties in with scientists back in Ironstead, the choice was obvious, along with the hope that her allegiance would provide adequate living conditions for her family should they need to be relocated. Rudo claimed she was foolish for hoping and Kim denied that he was foolish for disbelieving.  Her parents were at odds with each other for a good while as time wore down into makcing a decision. Ultimately, Rudo agreed, on the condition that Filbert agreed to being the guardian for his little sisters. Shortly after Thanh and Adisa's 13th birthday, the three Otienos were sent packing. Armed with a rations, clothings and supplies, they set off hoping to run from the brink of war. They were lucky, just barely missing the first of many fires from warring machinery.

Their parents weren't so lucky.

The journey proved to be unbearable and long, and Adisa lost her sight from the harsh Outland conditions.

Fortunately for the Otieno siblings, Kim's word had made good and they were instantly taken in by the Militia, as Wards of War. Since Filbert was of age to legally watch over Thanh and her sister, he was given small rations, provided that he too served the war. He didn't last long in the brief training, an accident had cost him an arm and he was immediately put on leave. He didn't like fighting anyway, as he jokingly put, he'd rather keep to himself tinkering with machines than trying to shoot with a machine. It seemed like the only income for the three siblings came from their mother's loyalty and father's begruding allegiance. With this, Thanh and Adisa were enlisted into an actual school, focusing on their respective interests. Adisa was more open and social whereas Thanh quietly kept to herself, sometimes in her twin's shadow, sometimes not. It quickly became apparent that aside from their varied differences in facial appearance, height was also another thing the two did not share and Thanh easily towered over her sister within the following year. Then, the Militia funds began to stop, Adisa grew quiet and Filbert smiled less often and more out of pity. His meager wages from reparing electronics and transportation vehicles made living hard, and it wouldn't be long before the Wards of War would turn them away, focusing more to keep their resources for the still-living Militia and their familes, as it seemed the Dust War against the Atoll State was proving to be a losing one.

Thanh often contemplated if her steadily growing stature would help mask her true age, and briefly toyed with the idea of joining the Militia, in order to bring in the money and dust again. With both siblings rightfully incapacitated in certain degrees, she found it most fitting that would be left up to her.

As the saying goes, the walls have ears and teachers love to gossip, word caught wind of Thanh's musings, and she found another chance to sign up with the Ironstead Militia Defense Academy instead. It wasn't exactly what she was going for, but with this new opportunity to help out at home at her disposal, Thanh gave a very meek yet verbal "....yay."

Four years can change a person, most notibly for someone who had to use a Militia-based academy as a means for their last resort to help out at home. Thanh honed her innate skills and some other skills she picked up along the way. She excelled in the Tarnic studies (living amongst them for 13 years would give a person an advantage), and where she lacked in strength she made up for speed. While Thanh became less shy, she still remained quiet but more bold and firm in her choice of words. She also picked up some bad habits from outside forces along the way. But after she gained her title as a bona-fide Militia Member, that's when things began to change. Being in their defense school was one thing, but being in the actual Militia itself was another.

Stress from work got to her, injustice to those less fortunate more-so, and after another few years, Thanh began to look for other means of work. Dust Mining-while more dangerous, seemed to be just as fruitiful of a bounty as was being in the regular Militia. As long as she kept her head clear, her body out of harm's way, nothing could go wrong.....

-Filbert Otieno, age 34: Older brother; Thanh and Adisa's legal guardian since she was 13. A mechanic by profession, a veteran of the Dust Wars, he still lives with his sisters despite their maturity and being able to live out in the world. Any extra funds Thanh gets from mining goes towards him since he is the Head of their small living family. His dust capabilities lie with metal, bending and "listening" to it.

-Adisa Otieno; age 24: Fraternal twin sister; She's younger than Thanh by 3 minutes. She's also short and slightly stockier, the two are living polar opposites; Whereas Thanh is quiet, Adisa is loud. Adisa listens while Thanh sees....literally. Her dust capabilities allow her to work with the dirt underneath them so she is essentially the Earth to Thanh's Air.

N/A - Hit me up if you wanna headcanon something though!

Voice Claim: Estelle. [Sorry, I panicked.]
You did read right; Her full height is 6'1". Barefoot. Tall lady.
In her regular footwear, she stands at about 6'3". Yep even taller.
She is ambidextrous; doesn't have a favorite side, chooses whichever she feels like that day.
She smokes as a regular habit to get her dust intake; She gets easily irritable without smoking for awhile.
She's tall, she's elegant, but she's also rather awkward. As imposing as she is, it's more likely she's stressing inside what kind of impression she's making on you rather than trying to intimidate you.
Genetics have left her prematurely grey. The only thing that has some remnants of her birth hair are her eyebrows. Her brother is much worse and he's barely 40. Whether this is of normal genes or of dust genes has been left up to date.---Obviously I didn't mean for all of these grey/silver themes to come about--it literally happened.
She likes going out for runs and exercises a lot to keep herself in shape.
She can be a stubborn jerk at times.
She joined Core solely because of their GenHuman Affinity. She never knew understood the reason of prejudice between Human and GenHuman, making a few friends of the latter since moving to Ironstead and had been mistaken once or twice as a GenHuman due to her grey hairs.

❤ Scarves, for her neck or as a top
❤ Charasmatic people--she ironically finds herself more drawn to them despite not having much to contribute to the conversation. There's a lot to be said if you can make her laugh.
❤ Outdoors; Old habits die hard.
❤ Machinery; She's curious by it and finds it interesting how others can make it so easily.
❤ Smoking. Keeps her level headed.
❤ Cute things. Nuff said.

✘ Being forced on the spot for an answer. Engage attack or rash mode.
✘ Being underestimated because of her Outlander background
✘ Some people in the Militia. Hey, no one has to like their co-workers.
✘ People assuming things based from looks. She was ostracized for awhile because of this hence her sympathy for underdogs.
✘ Being confined.
✘ Salt. She's more of a sweets person.