Meet Tina
General infos 🌊
Oc/self insert
Age: 26 yo, adult
Height: 1.70 m (5'7") officially
Weight: 63 kg (but may vary)
Green eyes
Bearer of benevolent darkness
Robust body
Heterosexual (or straight, as you prefer)
Physical handicaps: occasional labyrinthitis
Ovolophobic (terrified of parasitic insects)
_
Job Category: Elite Army Member
Basic Occupation: U.P (Universal Pilot)
Currently: Steelmoth
No side/faction, she is Neutral and acts where and how she pleases.
Skills and Abilities: Survival, camouflage, clear mind in combat, strategic use of battlefield resources, piloting by design for obv, hydrokinetic powers.
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Hydrokinesis 💧
In detail, it is an elemental psychic ability that allows the manipulation of water in all its forms.
Tina has so far been able to control two of the three states of matter: liquid, and recently she has learned to use gas.
She will reach the pinnacle of the ability when she can convert water into ice.
Here are her strongest techniques:
🥉Flaming Bloom
Tina extracts the life-giving watery fluids from creatures or even plants through their skin or bark, in a process that can be described as a true flowering. The water "blooms" from the life forms and got extracted, leaving behind only dry, incapable of recovering bodies, just as if they had been burned by fire. It is up to her, however, to determine the amount of fluid she wants to drain, and this also determines the life form's chance to survive or die of brutal death.
🥈Devil's Sonata
This move is particular. Tina literally makes water dance to kill enemies to the beat of music (whether played on her phone or mentally). The aesthetic of how it's performed is equally peculiar: a tangle of giant thorny brambles creeping everywhere, like roots with serpentine movements aimed at piercing enemies. Once the opponent is killed, the thorn that impaled them transforms into a rose, and the victim's blood spreads, coloring the petals.
Literally, the demon's garden.
🥇Queen Scylla
As a child, Tina believed that Scylla, the sea monster, was a gigantic Kraken that roamed the world's seas; something that obviously proved untrue when she studied it in school. However, she remains faithful to her childhood version of the creature, despite having little to do with Norse mythology.
Her childish fantasy remained in her heart, and with hydrokinesis, she brought it to life in the form of a krakenish susanoo: a monster with a beautiful female body, long octopus tentacles in place of hair, and large, curved horns sprouting from its forehead.
This is the most powerful move in Tina's repertoire, but also the most dangerous. It requires a certain amount of concentration, and the water must have a specific density. Therefore, she must perform the technique from inside the spaceship, where the resonance chamber is located to aid her. Without it, the effort would cause her heart to collapse in a matter of seconds.
Not counting horns, Scylla is about thirty meters tall.
~†~
Home planet: Gaea (or Earth)
Human woman
Place of birth: Italy
Ethnicity: mediterranean
Favorite hobbies: drawing, writing, traveling, listening classical music at 432Hz
Her favorite instruments are piano and pipe organ.
– And the most popular pieces she listen are "Toccata & Fugue in D minor" by J.S. Bach and "Clair de lune" by Claude Debussy.
Favorite foods: pizza, smoked salmon, grilled steak, eggplant with tomato, peppers with bread and olives, pasta, dark chocolate, and artisanal pastries
Dislikes: cucumbers, marshmallows, and pudding
Favorite drinks: coffee, cappuccino, and hot chocolate mixed with warm plant-based milk
– Tina drinks wine only in exceptional circumstances; otherwise, at the table, during meals, drinks only water. She also avoids processed drinks—of any kind—as if they were plague.
_
Her lifestyle is predominantly urban, but can also live in rural settings, as long as she doesn't stay there for too long, otherwise can might become intolerant.
On Gaea, lives in the Horizon citadel.
On Oddworld, lives at FeeCo Depot.
Her friends include: Abe, Toby, other native Mudokons, Munch, Fangus (?), Lulu, the surviving handful of junior executives from Soulstorm Brewery, the FeeCo Depot staff, and many others.
Allies: Director Phleg (yes, him too), Baron Morguer, Dr. Mortimer, Molluck (?)
Partner: Vice President Friedrich von Aslik (twin brother of CEO Ludwig von Aslik)
~†~
Bio 💙
Tina's story doesn't start off well.
She's the eldest child in a seemingly lower-middle-class family, with obvious financial difficulties ever since she can remember.
At the tender age of end of the fourth month of life, she utters her first word, arousing amazement and also a little fear.
Ironically, almost in parallel with that episode, the little girl a few years later became – without her knowledge – a subject of study by a team of psychologists who soon identified her as a "child prodigy".
Given this background, the doctors strongly recommend that the family have to enhance and expand Tina's skills through an educational program that differs from the conventional one. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, the parents had no choice but to educate her like all other children, rather than directing down a specialized path, which provided her with very few happy moments.
Further complicating the situation is the girl's antisocial nature, which led her to be clearly marginalized from an early age time by her peers, who, like everyone else, are considered "different" from the norms imposed by society.
A victim of bullying, Tina grew up into an oppressive environment, with little stimulation and forced to frequent ordinary spaces shared daily with her "tormentors."
The psychological burden on her fragile shoulders became unbearable, so much so that she contracted the first bout of depression at just eleven years old.
Meanwhile, her academic performance isn't even close to passing, and continues to decline inexorably.
She doesn't speak to her classmates and is completely silent during class: she doesn't participate, doesn't go to the blackboard, doesn't ask questions; she even refuses to join the others at snack time, exasperating both teachers and her parents.
The only subjects that attract her, which are of little interest to her peers, are the mother tongue, art, science, and music.
Graduation was the crowning achievement of her freedom from the many harassments, but also an important threshold to cross, separating her life from the rest of the world.
She wasted no time carving out a corner to fit into that busy and ever-changing reality.
Horizon was the perfect opportunity for special people like her.
Tina, in fact, is not only endowed with intelligence, but also carries a gift: almost by pure chance, one day when she was a teenager, she discovered that could manipulate water at will.
She, who believed in magic as a child, that event was truly a bolt from the blue, marking her forever.
Carrying such an ability, however, had quite obviously earned her various derogatory labels from the other kids, labeling her a witch or even the devil himself. Someone to be kept at bay lest to not fall into her clutches.
Thankfully, with the warm welcome from the big corporation, Tina was finally able to leave it all behind.
As soon as she's accepted, the young eighteen-year-old packs her bags despite her mother's severe protests.
_
On Oddworld 🪐
She continues to have her classic attitude, even in a complicated and new context.
Her life on the alien planet begins with her rescue.
First escaped aboard the capsule with the damaged spaceship in free fall behind her, then nursed back to health by Aslik and Dr. Mortimer when she crashed straight into FeeCo Depot.
Her journey can be described in a few nouns: adaptation, growth, resilience, and perseverance.
She has a goal to achieve: to declare Oddworld suitable for the future human colony called Proxima. This epochal project involves saving as many people as possible by sending them aboard enormous spaceships to new worlds.
The fate of the people depends on her and her companions—both those from Oddworld and those from her own planet.
_
Political/ideological views
Tina rejects any political movement or activist; she's neither right-wing nor left-wing, and whenever could, she abstained from voting, deeming it superfluous and pointless.
She lives by her own philosophy and wants to keep everything related to state affairs out of her life, looking out only for her "own backyard," a typical Neutral attitude.
Behavior
The character oscillates between a crazy duality of contrasting feelings: from happiness to sadness, from courage to insecurity, etc...
She cares deeply for the people she loves and would do anything for them; she's loyal and tends to be maternal with kids.
Don't hurt or betray her; if loses the trust that placed in you, it will be difficult to regain it. And while she may forgive you, granting you a second chance in line with her belief in self-redemption, don't expect a full, "bite-and-drinks" reconciliation.
She's basically peaceful and doesn't like resorting to violence. She can't stand disrespect or anyone who tries to start a fight without reason.
Avoid making her angry; it's rare to see her in that state, but when it happens, alas, you only have two options: run away and take refuge under a boulder if you still have time, or pray she doesn't knock you down alive.
Belief
Tina is a believer of "cosmic order": that is everything in the universe, whether it appears chaotic or not, has a precise underlying pattern and that nothing is created or destroyed by chance.
Nothing is wrong.
Furthermore, she argues that willpower can influence the reality around you, the world being merely an extension of your mind.
"Karma" is also part of her life, a key concept that connects to her position of total neutrality.
Other
She's in favor of euthanasia.
Agrees to give people (or animals) a dignified death when the case is too desperate.
She blames the doctors who persist in needlessly prolonging the lives of those poor patients, calling them "sadistic, money-sucking bastards."
~†~
The Horizon 🗡️
Thanks to guaranteed access to specific information, the Horizon quickly accepts Tina's request, which is met with great enthusiasm.
She apparently possesses psychic abilities exhibited by only 1% of the world's population, and having the opportunity to keep such a figure in their entourage is an honor.
The training is long, tortuous, with many ups and downs that have almost made her throw in the towel on several occasions.
Yet, her willpower has allowed to overcome obstacles that most people simply can't even face.
The young woman's hidden tenacity, therefore, captures the attention of Horizon's higher-ups, whose Council of Representatives has decided to strictly include her in the Steelmoth Program.
But let's take it one step at a time first.
The organization is divided into precise hierarchies in ascending order, like a ladder. However, in detail, a person of lower "rank" is considered equal to someone higher, creating balance and equality among individuals.
• The last step is that of the donors
They are wealthy people who pay a fee simply to receive protection and keep the organization, which has branches spread across the globe, operational.
• Volunteers
Individuals who choose to work, some out of necessity, others for other reasons, within the organization to secure a future for their families and themselves.
Craftsmen, architects, guides, teachers, mechanics, etc. Volunteers are workers who perform a wide variety of jobs; many call them "jack-of-all-trades."
• Scientists
The third tier is occupied by scientists, who are further subdivided into: medical researchers, astronomers, botanists, geologists, biologists, chemists, engineers, etc.
It was this team of experts who found and studied Oddworld best and confirmed the planet's exploration.
• The Military
The Horizon got its own armed forces; a private army, lethal and efficient, perhaps more so than one might imagine.
Here, soldiers are trained and motivated to create the perfect protector of the people should war break out with the alien invaders, a bloodthirsty federation bent on eliminating humanity to obtain Gaea's resources.
• The Council of Representatives
This is a group of approximately twenty-eight individuals whose function is purely administrative, although in isolated cases they may make executive-level decisions in General's absence.
• The Army General
The General is the one who mobilizes the entire Horizon force (even without permission, but always for the greater good), being an executive figure, precisely.
He is on the same level as the members of the Council.
His authority does not limit itself to the armed wing of the organization; it can also extend to the other levels that constitute the corporation.
The person currently holding the position is Enrico Bertorelli: an Italian patriot and former Steelmoth.
• The Steelmoths
And here we are. The Steelmoths (S-moth for short) are the élite—or as one of Tina's colleagues puts it: la crème de la crème—of the entire system.
These soldiers do not even have a rank that fits into the hierarchical structure of the agency, but can literally act without restrictions or rules, disconnecting themselves from Horizon itself, effectively becoming individual and independent entities with total freedom to do as they wish.
To become one of these technological warriors, your soldier's condition must first be verified. If you're not physically, but especially psychologically, suitable, you're rejected and placed back among the regular cadets.
If you're accepted, you'll face a rigorous program, including numerous survival tests, where you're literally abandoned in jungles, deserts, tundras, and other extreme environments with little to offer; aerial tests, but above all, plenty of gymnastics and combat, including melee weapons and firearms handling.
Once the soldier is ready to become an S-moth, a formal ceremony is held, where you are awarded the iconic armor and granted unrestricted access to publicly unavailable information.
• The Horizon founders
No one—except the Steelmoths—knows that behind the Council of Representatives lies an invisible hand pulling the reins from behind the scenes. The official narrative describes this Council as the actual body that keeps the corporation afloat, but the truth is, there's much more to it.
Hidden from the world are the founders of Horizon: an elderly couple of german origin who spend their lives traveling the world, immersed in the clouds, without ever touching the ground.
Their aircraft/flying home has the unmistakable shape of a zeppelin.
They are the first Steelmoths in human history.
• The Creators ⭐
I'd make a special mention.
Tina's lore features the alien civilization responsible for the creation of human race.
All the members died, driving the hyper-sapient beings to extinction. Eventually, only one remained, who predictably disappeared from existence.
The most reliable sources state that he too died, but the Horizon, studying all the historical evidence on it's own, found that "the Lord" lay asleep in a cryogenic state in the basement of his temple, in his ancient city of Eridu.
~†~
Technology 🔧
Horizon isn't alone. It can count on several partners who provide for the organization's needs. In exchange, they are compensated with various assets, making it function as if it were a single, large entity.
• Blue Atlas Foundries
Blue Atlas supplies primary materials such as steel, copper, uranium, and other essential metals. The company processes and shapes the metal to create components for important machines such as power generators or spaceship engines. Each piece is then delivered with scrupulous care to the other affiliate.
• Polaris Industries
While Blue Atlas is responsible for metalworking, Polaris Industries assembles the parts to build generators, military transport vehicles, and spaceships. They are responsible for creating the Arks: the great ships that will transport humans across the stars.
Horizon also boasts its own independent, state-of-the-art factory.
And many of the artifacts are owned by Tina, which will be very useful in her mission on Oddworld.
• The bracelet
This object allows DNA exchange between creatures. Tina was wearing two at the start of her adventure, but only the one on her left wrist was active; the other was the transferable one.
The purpose of this bracelet is to establish a symbiotic relationship with the local aliens to facilitate the extraterrestrial experience.
There are side effects, however: both the person and the alien experience psychological and physical changes.
Respectively, Tina, who chose to share her genetic material with Vice President Aslik, gained the physical strength, keen hearing, and night vision of the Glukkons, while Aslik has more pronounced emotions, and is noticeably more tolerant of others like a human.
The downsides are Tina's angry outbursts and Aslik's emotional crises.
Once you put the bracelet on, you can't take it off. You have to wear it for the rest of your life.
• The exploration suit
Bulky and aesthetically unpleasant, this suit makes up for its use in quality.
It is unsuitable for combat, but perfect as it immediately adapts to any type of environment. Equipped with a pair of telescopic arms and extensions that act as a secure anchor, this thing makes exploring enjoyable and minimizes the chance of injury.
Tina almost never needs it, given the circumstances, so Aslik decided to get his hands on it... and that suit fits him perfectly, thanks to the water technology that adapts to his body shape.
• Spencer
The creepy face you just saw is Spencer.
He is Horizon's artificial intelligence and monitors every activity, silently but ever present.
Don't worry, he doesn't interfere in people's private lives; he's a modest person. And you'll ask: but it's a machine, and machines don't have emotions. Well~... Spencer is not just any AI: before becoming that robotic face, he was a flesh-and-blood human being.
The memories and information acquired during his life, at the moment of his death, were transferred on a cloud and then uploaded into a supercomputer, which, thanks to IT technicians, allowed him to be reborn as an AI.
Now, Spencer continues to be a role model for the new generations, especially for Steelmoth... because he was one in the past too!
He's with Tina on Oddworld.
• The escape pod
Small, practical, and above all, a guaranteed lifesaver.
This aircraft has a useful modification that transforms it into a perfectly pilotable and functional vehicle.
The technology is sentient and repairs itself when near water sources, which ultimately also fuel it.
• The sphere
Perhaps one of the most powerful artifacts.
It is essentially the power plant for the spaceship (and the capsule) even if it seems impossible, given that this object fits in the palm of a hand.
When it's not in the generator room pumping out power, usually lies on a soft cushion on the table in Aslik's luxurious living room at FeeCo Depot.
It's a real panacea, and no joke: it heals all kinds of damage, from wounds to illnesses.
Prolonged exposure to the sphere's beneficial influences even rejuvenates you by several years.
• Weapons
Tina wields a sabre that is approximately 1 meter long, from the tip of the weapon to the hilt.
It was made by the FeeCo blacksmith on commission from the human woman.
The blade is made of a special tungsten steel alloy and is heavy. Therefore, it is only used when necessary and in conjunction with the Steelmoth armor.
• The Steelmoth armor
Canonical warning: never trust silhouettes ;-)
Last but not least, the armor that makes Tina the warrior she is.
The material this high-tech suit is made of, despite its distinctive name, isn't steel at all.
These are metallic nano-robots controlled by the central computer: the small device on the woman's chest that houses the armor.
Each S-moth has its own customed build armor, with different aesthetics and abilities from each other.
Tina's armor is highly hydrodynamic due to its constant contact with water. Technology has adapted to an aquatic environment, demonstrating sentient traits.
Tina only uses the Steelmoth suit when absolutely necessary, as it is the last weapon to be unleashed on the battlefield, as it is a very powerful tool.
It has a myriad of functions, including the ability to camouflage, and copying the voices of other creatures to deceive.
A single punch thrown while clad in armor can weigh up to one hundred kilograms upon impact.
I can't imagine what a punch like that would do to your pretty face.
Unless you know and exploit any S-moth's weak point.
In fact, the only handicap for them is time.
The armor has a maximum use limit of ten minutes, after which it automatically retracts into the chest device and requires twelve hours to be re-sheathed.
The timer representing the energy of the suit is represented by a battery icon.
It can also be recharged by exposing yourself to cold places, but it usually recharges through heartbeat.
But the soldier (Tina in this case) is not stupid, and knows how to handle this limitation.
The armor also features a self-destruct maneuver called "Downfall."
In a hypothetical scenario, where everything goes to pieces and the Steelmoth is defeated, simply launch the program vocally and say the numbers of the code that will destroy the armor... and the soldier with it, in an almost poetic act of immolation.
As with the bracelet, once you wear the armor device on your chest, you can't remove it and must wear it forever.
• The spaceship
Another special mention.
It's a large ship, as long as a Nolybab skyscraper in height.
It has an identifying name: Theia.
_
I want to point out that in almost all of the artifacts I've shown you (except for the saber and Spencer), the technology in Tina's repertoire is only 40% human; the remaining 60% is of alien origin.
~†~
Here we are, I guess I don't have anything more to say. It's a very long post, although I tried to be as concise as possible; but guys, I really wanted to create something complete, and thank goodness I had the patience to do so. Maybe I'll sprinkle more details like breadcrumbs throughout the lore, because there's more, but I'll stop here.
Thanks to @timber-wolf-bestie for giving me the name Blue Atlas. When I decided to change my username, she suggested this, but since I had already imagined "armored-mothlady," I stuck "Blue Atlas" into the lore. It wasn't wasted, see? :-)
I hope you enjoyed the post and that you like Tina and her story 💙
