Christine DonnellyPlayer's Name: Chelsea (I also accept Chels and Lady) E-Mail: cdinsmore@sympatico.ca Other means of Contact: MSN - astro_leo55@hotmail.com but I'm rarely on and it's best to let me know you want to speak with me over MSN or good luck catching me. Also I check this account's ezinbox and I sometimes check the Chosen_Destiny account one. I do pop into the livechat frequently so that's probably the best place to grab me aside from e-mail.
Name: Christina Rae Donnelly Nickname: Mostly she just goes by Christine. However she does get called Chrys (as she prefers to spell it) by friends, Rae Rae from her mom and Code Name: Animare (from the latin verb "to make alive") Affiliation: X-men but she's not on a team since her powers aren't exactly the most useful. Gender: Female Age: 17 Birthday: August 7th Hair: long, straight golden blonde hair that falls a few inches past her shoulder. Eyes: clear blue Mother: Anne Donnelly - made up - alive Father: Edward Donnelly - made up - alive
Physical Description:
Christine is relatively normal for a girl her age. She stands 5"6 and a half and is of thin-average build. Since she rarely does any sorts of physical activity and since she has a bad diet she has very little muscle on her body. She moves at what she considers to be a normal pace for most people although she's actually a little on the slow side. Christine never seems to know quite what to do with her hands and she clasps them in front of her or in some way holds onto either her clothing or another part of her body out of awkwardness. Her posture is poor enough that she visits a chiropractor and she has a natural slouch to her although Christine is capable of standing straight if neccessary. She is also extremely inflexible to the point where she can't even get close to touching her toes and where it pains her to stretch.
Christina doesn't have flawless skin. She has the unpredictable skin of a teenager and while she may sometimes be fine she does occationally break out from stress. She has full lips, which are often chapped in the winter due to Canadian wind and climate, and she thinks of her eyes as her best feature. They are a clear blue in colour and standout against her fairly pale skin. For years Christine had a strawberry birthmark on one cheek but it has since faded and is hardly viewable. She does wear makeup but prefers to keep it natural and wears only foundation, lip gloss and some neutral eye shadow. Naturally long lashes mean she doesn't wear any mascara. Her ears aren't pierced and she doesn't wear much jewelery at all. Bracelets have always bothered her for some reason and there are only a few of them she wears. Christine does have a gold and jade necklace given to her from her Great Aunt that she does wear more regularly.
Her hair is parted slightly off-centre and falls in irritatingly straight locks that she can't get to curl. Her natural hair colour is a dirty blonde and she will oneday be a brunette but for the moment she has highlighted her hair in order to make it appear more golden and to create interest.
She doesn't care much for style, although she does try and look nice for herself. In general Christine wears alot of wide shouldered tank tops and baby tees, covering them up with a sweater and coat during the cold Canadian winters. She has a few winter scarves that she loves to wear during the season but for some reason she refuses to wear a hat and would rather wear her large earphones or let her ears freeze. Her feet are a particular annoyance of hers and she can't stand them. Her feet are very wide and she has a problem with shoe-shopping as a result. Christine doesn't think she could talk in heels and wears mostly running shoes. When not wearing shoes her socks are clearly visible. She never liked wearing socks around and began buying interestingly patterned socks so that there would be some fun involved in wearing them. Now she has a collection of strangely coloured socks that include rainbow stripes, big bird, polka dots and her favourite pair, green stripes with pigs on the toes. Her collection of weird socks is a great love of hers and the key to Christine's heart is a pair of interesting socks.
She isn't usually one for skirts, although she does own two in case she has to dress up, and instead wears different pairs of jeans. Her jeans are usually dark and flare out a little. If she doesn't have to do anything on a given day then she will change into pajama bottoms, which she finds more comfortable, and wander around in them. Most of her wardrobe, including her bright socks that is, is either green or blue (her two favourite colours).
Christina has a Canadian accent, although she doesn't see it that way. Still when set against an American slight differences might be audible. Her voice is a soprano and she's been told she's a pretty good singer although she'll barely let anyone hear her out of fear of rejection and embaressment. Overall though she's not really the sort to stand out in a crowd...unless you're looking at her feet that is.
Powers:
Christine has the power of animating stuffed animals within a one metre radius of her position. It doesn't require any energy or concentration from her and is an ability that she can't turn off, to her annoyance at times. It has meant that since she discovered her mutant abilities she hasn't been able to walk into a stuffed toy store or gift shop containing animals for fear of being discovered. Her powers also mean that, since her creatures do have minds and personalities, she cannot just flip an off switch or will a creature to be quiet. It's much like being with a friend; She can tell them to be quiet but it's up to them whether they obey her or do not. For this reason if Christine wants absolute silence she has to physically remove herself from the prescence of any stuffed animals or she must move them away from her.
When looking at a picture, a toy or an animal it invokes an emotional response from a person. Christine was no different and the personalities and character quirks of her stuffed animals, and of any others she encounters, come directly from her first impressions. If she found a stuffed animal to be fearsome upon looking at it for a first time then when it became animated it would hold a part of this fear or dislike in its personality. Since Christine has had her core stuffed animals for years even before her powers appeared she had made detailed impressions of their characters before they were ever animated. As a result they are more complex and deep than say a stuffed cat she is near for five minutes in her life.
Animating a stuffed animal means that the animal is then able to move and to speak, in a voice that is similar to how she has imagined her creature. Top Gun, for example, was always viewed by Christine as a protector and he has a solumn deep clear voice as a result. MacSkyly the macaw was envisioned as Scottish and so he is. Anything said by them is in keeping with their character. The animals are, in a way, as smart as she makes them. Generally they know what she tells them and what they see when animate. So if Christine never mentionned a movie, nor thought about it, and they hadn't heard anyone else talk about it or seen an ad for it than the animal would be ignorant of said movie.
When it comes to movement an animal is limited. Some rules of nature are broken, for example a fish stuffed animal must not be in water always because it isn't a true fish only an animate stuffed animal. Alot of what one can or can't do depends on Christine's imagination but her powers feed unconsciously off her thoughts. She cannot, for example, be in danger and think her beaver animal has sharp teeth so that he can come to her rescue. The thought cannot be conscious and it can't go back on her first impressions towards a stuffed animal. As her protector, Top Gun was always imagined with claws, however Precious was never seen as having sharp hooves. An animal is only animate so long as it remains within a one metre radius of Christine. Therefore they stay within that range and cannot move beyond it (sort of like Indiana Jones and the great seal but without the dire consequences). They are by no means real animals although characteristics may be shared. Top Gun remains a small tiger and he remains an obvious stuffed toy with stitches and plush fur. Size and fur especially do not alter. As many stuffed animals as are within that radius of her are animate.
The Creatures
Each child has a few stuffed animals or dolls who are dearest to them. Christine was no exception. Before her powers she had a large number of stuffed animals but a few were special favourites of hers. Once her powers did make themselves known she became closer friends with a few animals in particular and considers them on the level of friends and equals, for the most part, with herself. These creatures are ones that she brings with her on trips and who she will always keep around. In fact she arrived at the institute with one bag of her own belongings and one full of her stuffed animals, so important are many of them to her.
Primrose
Primrose is, obviously, a pig and the first among equals (no Animal Farm reference intended). She's Christine's best non-human friend and has been there through everything. The two never quarrel and Primrose stands up for her friend even when she isn't sure she agrees. Primrose was recieved on Christine's Eleventh birthday and was created to be much like an idealized version of herself. The pig in the purple overalls is creative, unfailingly sweet and loyal as well as a little stubborn but willing to be persuaded if the arguement is good enough.
Top Gun
Top Gun is a majestic tiger stuffed animal. Whereas Primrose is made to appear cute Top Gun is a more realistic animal with sculpted feline features and an expression that could be fierce to the wrong person.
Top Gun was won at an amusement park in a ball toss game that the decidedly not sporty pre-teen didn't think she could win. From the first moment she always thought of him as her protector. Named after one of her favourite rides at the park she tends to just call him Tiger because he doesn't need more than a simple name. Stuffed or not a tiger snarling is off putting to a person. He doesn't say it but he loves her and would do anything to protect her. While she sleeps he stays up and watches over her through one orange glass eye until she wakes. Gruff and a beast of few words he is the father figure of the group of stuffed animals but purrs like a cat if scratched just right.
Spike
Also known as 'Steggy', Spike is a stegosaurus. Christine got him as a souvenir in California at Universal Studios in grade eight and has kept him close ever since. He has concerned black eyes and a texture to his soft brown fur. Spike has always been her loyal and dependable friend. He can be slow-moving, slow to make up his mind and he doesn't say much, but when he does speak it is worth listening to. He always gives his honest opinion and is very against violence. Sometimes Christine calls him her conscience.
Speeder
Speeder Spider is his full name and it refers to his eight legs which allow him to move very rapidly. Christine is quite afraid of normal spiders but Speeder has been with her for as long as she can remember and his fuzzy magenta body and the matching pink running shoes he wears on each of his feet hardly make him an intimidating figure. Always curious, he tends to be an adventurer who peeks around corners before anyone else has the courage or speed to do so.
MacSkyly
The wise Scottish parrot she bought for herself after seeing him in a store and falling in love shortly before her powers developed. Christine still can't remember why it was she thought of him as Scottish, she just always did however odd the combination of a tropical macaw and Scotland was. He takes an interest in the scholarly and particularly in history and literature and tends to read over her shoulder, learning all he can. He is also called 'storyteller' because he tells the most wonderful tales and all of them in a lilting Scottish accent. 'Skyly also tends to play peacemaker if ever an arguement should erupt.
Precious
The sweetheart of the bunch, Precious, is a Unicorn. She was spotted in the giftshop of an Inn when Christine was younger and the Unicorn became one of her Birthday gifts. Precious is somewhat indecisive and very naive but she always means well and one can't very well be angry with her. As innocent and trusting as she is beautiful with her ivory fur, docile expression and golden twisted horn, one can't help but like her.
Callie
One of the more recent recruits to the team Callie, which is short for Excaliber, is wide-eyed and constantly trying to learn more about the world around her. With a funloving personality and enough caution to keep her out of trouble she's become just as close to Christine as many of the stuffed animals she has had for longer. The nineteen inch dragon hardly fits one's perception of the mythical beast with her spindly legs and magenta belly but Christine was instantly taken with her.
Ray
The simply named Ray is a stingray only slightly larger than a handspan. He's rather timid and tends not to offer opinions or talk unless asked a question. Despite being one of Christine's older toys in terms of when she got them he is looked after by the others as though he were the youngest and likely invokes sympathy because of his size.
Moosletoe
This moose animal gets his name from the Christmas plant, appropriate since he was a Christmas gift to Christine from her younger brother. He's a bit of a clown with a good sense of humour and an ability to make Christine and the others laugh even when they're feeling down. With hair that flops into his eyes and a red bow tie he's hard to resist.
Franka
Franka was picked up during a family trip to Frankenmouth, where the blue platypus seemed woefully out of place among the aisles of Christmas decorations. She's a happy go lucky type who rarely lets things bother her and who is so laid back she's practically horizontal. Since being 'rescued' from an entirely unappropriate home in the Christmas store she has been even more greatful and content than ever.
Velvet
Christine's take on the Velveteen rabbit has long floppy ears and is constantly off in dreamland. She's a little melancholy with her droopy ears and hair covered eyes and certainly more reflective than most but she can be a great help when spurred to action.
History:
Born to parents Anne and Edward one summer in a small town near Toronto, Canada, Christina Donnelly and her family could not have known the mutant powers in her future. She seemed to live the most ordinary and uncharmed of lives, beginning in a townhouse she can barely remember and moving to a regular sized house in the suburbs after the birth of her brother.
Christina, who preferred to be called Christine and would later drop the a in every way except legally, was far from enchanted with the new baby. Her brother Evan was a threat to her and the happy few years as an only child she had endured. While her mom and dad went to the hospital she was left behind with her grandparents and sang quietly to herself "My Girl", the song her mother had always sung to her. It was an attempt to reassure herself that she would not be abandonned in favour of him.
At first Christine liked Evan. She found him strange but interesting after his birth in April but after a few short months the toddler was sick of him. She asked her parents to take him back to the hospital, not understanding that it wasn't that simple. As both grew up though they became fast friends and while they had sibling rivalry and arguements the arguements lasted for only a matter of hours and were usually resolved with a joke. Apologies and peacemaking weren't needed, just a spot of humour and they went on as though it had never happened. As a baby she liked to hold him and relished her role as big sister, once she got over the initial doubts that was.
Christine was generally a happy child who had birthdays, friends, a sibling and loving parents. She often smiled and from an early age she had a mountain of stuffed animals. Always by her side was Teddy Beddy Bear. They went on trips she would not remember by the age of seventeen, trips like Marineland and to the Zoo. She made friends with a girl down the street, Alison, and her next-door neighbour Caitlin.
She had grown into a child with light blonde hair and a very visible strawberry birthmark on her cheek. She wore dresses to preschool and each year her mom's mother would make her a fancy dress that she would wear for her birthday parties. All her guests would come dressed up as well, all in their best dresses. Christine enjoyed her parties more than anything. Each year there would be a theme and her mom would decorate the basement in streamers, drawings and other such things, in keeping with the theme. Each birthday was an adventure down the stairs and she was never able to look at the finished product until the morning of the party.
Like any other ordinary girl she had a special facination for all things equine and her wall was decorated in ponies. Yet her fifth birthday part had an under the sea theme to it. With that she began kindergarten. By her sixth birthday she was friends with Justine and Kaylee, who would remain her friends for the next several years. She took swimming lessons, gymnastics and dance and she played with barbies. She was everything normal.
Gymnastics ended quickly as did ballet, which she would practice with her eyes closed at the barr because she found the exercises so dull. Yet she did stick to her modern dance lessons for longer. She excelled at school from an early age and was bright and well liked by her teachers. When younger her mother had read to her until she was hoarse and could not go on and yet Christine had asked for more. She loved stories and had a reading level and vocabulary among many her age. In grade three she had a tougher teacher and one time forgot her homework. So unhappy was she about getting a detention, for she had done the work just left it at home, that she began to cry but mom brought over the work before reccess and she was saved.
By grade five she was being teased, albeit gently, by other kids for reading so much. They had to keep a reading log in her class and tell the class what they had read each month but while some kids read one book she read closer to five. Yet this did spark a class field trip when she went to the local bookstore to meet a favourite author at the time and half the class ended up coming along as well as the teacher.
That summer her family took their first big trip and it was the first time that Christine had been on an airplane. They flew to Florida and she experienced Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. Christine loved rides although the biggest roller coasters scared her. She had a great time in the hot sun of Orlando and the memory of a breakfast waitress who took to her and Evan and who made them balloon animals would always be with her.
Before Florida Christine would amuse herself and her brother through the summer by creating new games for them to play. Many did not last long but for half a week or so they kept the pair occupied, creative and happy.
At age eleven Christine recieved Primrose the pig as a birthday gift. She was instantly attached to the pig and while her friends played with dolls she would play with her pig. She made bracelets for Prim and made her presents for Christmas. When she laid eyes on another toy from the same product line, a white rabbit named Ashley, she was initially filled with a very real fear that she would like the beautiful rabbit more than Primrose if she got her as a gift. Christine went so far as to have a dream about the subject but her fears were allayed when she did recieve the rabbit for Christmas and loved Primrose more.
Aside from Primrose her other love was the family cockatiel, who she treated as a brother. Everything he did was new and amusing and while he wasn't her first pet (a Budgie had died in his sleep of old age a few years back) she did love him most.
The transfer into grade six, and a new school, was not too difficult for Christine but she was finding that her two closest friends, including her former "marshmellow peanut butter chocolate covered pal" Justine and Kaylee were becoming less of a threesome and more of a duo. She was being squeezed out. It didn't stop them from spending easter on a sleepover together but over the summer something happened and when she returned to school in grade seven neither girl was speaking to her and she didn't know why.
The next few years were difficult for the shy and decidedly "not cool" Christine. She grew out of the formerly creative birthday parties and stopped having them, instead she went to places to have parties and played laser tag and other such games. But mainly it was the loss of her two best friends that affected her. She was coming to see firsthand the bitchy age of girls as the two not only refused to speak to her but also began to spread rumours about her around the school. Christine would occasionally breakdown and cry in her room to her mom.
She made new friends but it was never quite the same. She met Connie, Candace and Jacqueline but not before having other friend difficulties as she tried to fit into her neighbour Caitlin's group only to be called annoying by a girl she had barely met. The sensitive Christine took it hard and stopped that fast. Candace and Jaqueline she was never quite sure liked her but Connie did and the two were to remain friends.
She also had friends at dance school separate from her own including Jessica, a girl who had been in that original ballet class practicing beside her with eyes also closed. The recitals at the end of the year were what she lived for but Christine wasn't a very good dancer and she didn't enjoy it. She continued on for the recital but would often pretend her stomach was upset in order to get out of going to class. She had already taken english and western type horseback riding lessons and quit them. In fact Christine was given many a possibility but in the end she didn't want to carry on with most of them, including skating lessons.
She had taken musical theatre for a year or two and often sung to herself without ever giving it much thought. Ironically as soon as a girl at school told her she was good she became away of herself and her singing and developed a sort of stage fright. No longer would she sing for people without being severely embarressed and fearsome of rejection. Nonetheless the comment did result in Christine finding something she did want to stick with, private singing lessons.
Shortly before she turned thirteen, Christine went on a second family vacation that she would always remember, this one to California. It was here, at Universal Studios, that she bought Steggy and brought him back with her, a souvenir from the Jurassic Park ride.
Christine graduated grade eight and headed to high school but she didn't attend her graduation. She had been plagued that year with strep throat and had had it a number of times in a matter of months. As a result she had to have her tonsil's out and the operation fell then. Missing out on the big day didn't bother her and she did get pictures from the school and a well wishing note from one of her favourite teachers while she was gone.
Before high school she had her hair cut. Not usually a big deal but it was for Christine, who had had long hair for years. Suddenly it was just below her shoulder and more than four inches were now missing. The cut had been incredibly strange for her but it would grow back. Her hair had also darkened over the years to a dirty blonde she didn't care for. Soon she got highlights of a golden colour that helped.
Grade nine was wonderful. Instead of dropping grades, as teachers had warned, Christine found hers on the rise. She had an English teacher she adored and she was taking vocal music in school. She also had a new group of friends. Connie remained but now there was a whole new group from another school and she was happy.
Her first exam came in January of that year and Christine was nervous but it was only an English exam. The night before her grandpa was rushed to the hospital but she was reassured that it was okay and wrote her exam. When she was picked up from the exam her mom told her that grandpa had died last night and that they hadn't wanted to upset her before her exam. She spent the week between first and second semester attending a viewing and his funeral, the first of someone close to her. She hadn't spent a great deal of time with him or that side of the family in general (mostly because she found them all to be petty, argumentative and generally nothing like her) but she had liked the man. What really scared her though was watching her father cry, the only time she had ever seen him do so. They were a closely knit family and her dad took the death very hard, it was something he wouldn't get over for a few years to come.
The rest of the school year passed in an ordinary way. She had crushes on boys but didn't act on them, she spent time with friends and she went to the school dances. Completely ordinary. However Christine had another thing on her mind. Her teeth had developed strangely and she had what appeared to be vampire fangs. Braces were needed to pull the teeth down. Oh how she protested and cried but eventually she had to give in and on went the braces. However she had particularly sensitive teeth and they hurt! For awhile she could even eat certain foods because it would be so painful. After every adjustment the pain would return, having subsided over the course of the month or two. Christine detested her braces.
During the winter of that year mom recieved a call from grandad, who had slipped and fallen, breaking his arm in St. Catherines. He was a strong man physically who, at eighty, could still walk around without any sort of device. He was sharp of mind as well. Jokingly he was known as a gnome for that was how he appeared with a full head of hair, something attributed to his diet of eating fish constantly, and his large ears and short stature. He could be extremely bitter and would make cracks to his two daughters and mom would later tell Christine that he drove people away but she liked him. After his arm, which had been sprained in the fall, was fixed his mind deteriorated just a little. He was still very sharp and could remember things from years ago but his short term memory was becoming a problem and he would forget things that had been said only a few minutes ago. He couldn't live alone at eighty in a city an hour's drive from either of his daughters and they began the process of looking for a place for him, difficult since he was convinced he was fine. This led to Christine finally hearing the story behind her grandparents.
Since she was little she was always told not to speak to her nana about grandad and she had followed without ever really knowing why except that they hadn't spoken in almost twenty years and had been divorced. She had always wondered as a child, when her Nana and great Aunt, known as Aunt Jean, came to visit each week (before they got too old to drive out with each week) what would happen if it was mentionned. Would Nana blow up at her? Christine loved her Nana best of her grandparents and hoped not. The gentle woman had always brought jelly beans or a treat each week and Christine had loved talking with her grandmother. The real story was that her grandparents had fought while mom was planning her wedding and had ruined the day for her. She would spend an hour on the phone listening to Nana complain about what her husband had done then another hour on the phone listening to Grandad helplessly wonder why she was taking it out on him. Mom had grown sick of being the go-between and had stopped talking about either one and had told Christine to do the same without ever giving her the reason.
The first time she saw her grandparents together it was an extremely strange experience and one full of awkwardness. Christine hadn't known whether she was supposed to talk with grandad or nana, feeling like she was being pulled in each direction and made to take a side. Everything was very civil but conversation was stilted. Still it felt more like a family this way she supposed.
Her grade ten year also marked the end of her dancing. She had stuck in it this long but Christine Donnelly couldn't bear it anymore and she called it quits, making this recital her last. Biding goodbye to her dance friends was tough but she couldn't keep it up any longer. Besides she always had her singing lessons to keep her going.
Grade ten also meant she was in a math class where the teacher was quite hopeless. Her lessons didn't help and Christine found herself struggling to achieve even a decent mark in the subject. She came to her father for help, a mechanical engineer, but this brought problems. Her father had always been a math person and had dropped English early. She lived in her mother's world and shared her interests so that they had a very close relationship but she had never been close to her father. As things at work got worse for him and as she started coming to him for help their relationship worsened. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't instantly pick something up and he would have to drill things in in order for her to understand. She couldn't help it. She really was trying but Christine couldn't pick it up and most nights would end with her father exasperated and her in tears. Matters weren't improved by the fact that, after his father's death, her dad had purchased their boat. She didn't mind sailing a few times but with her dad now owning the boat it became an obsession. His only hobby and she was sick of hearing about it.
Nautical pictures and decorations were beginning to consume the house and it drove her crazy. She was also, to be honest, a little resentful (selfishly) that paying for the boat meant she would no longer be going on family vacations to places. Instead family vacations were now boat rides where she had to sleep over on the boat and brush her teeth in the bashroom of a yacht club. Christine was not happy about this. She was overly sensitive and her father never seemed to show his emotions. He had never once told her that he loved her and he wasn't even able to write it. Their talk consisted of smalltalk and she had had more in depth conversations with strangers. Evan, on the otherhand, had things in common with his father and liked to sail. There was a little jealousy in Christine that her brother could have great relationships with both her parents while she only had the one.
It was during this stressful time in her life that she developed her powers, a sort of coping device for personal stress. If she couldn't talk to her father and she kept a few minor details from her mom than she had to talk to someone else and that ended up being Connie and her stuffed animals. Imagine her surprise when, one afternoon, Primrose talked back!
Christine was stunned and not quite sure what to do. She knew about mutants and she knew that her parents were liberal and had no problems with them. She had seen a few mutants herself but there weren't too many around that she knew of. For a short while she kept it a secret but with her stuffed animals talking aloud she couldn't keep it a secret for long. Ev was the one normally there with her and she told him first. Sometimes her brother and her would confide in eachother like that and she told him now. He was, probably, a little jealous but he also thought it was pretty cool and he supported her.
Next she told her mother about the strange happenings and that suddenly Primrose was talking. At first Christine kept all her animals in the basement away from her and she wouldn't go near them but with her mother and brother knowing she began to experiment, seeing how far away she had to be and what her animals would say. They were exactly as she imagined them. Despite having gotten over dragging a toy everywhere a few years ago Christine now suddenly wanted to bring Primrose everywhere. The pig in overalls was, after all, her best friend of the stuffed toys and if Christine asked her to keep quiet she often would.
Christine left it to mom to break the news to her father. Her powers seemed to fluctuate at first and she animated only a few animals, and not by will, rather than all. Sometimes she would try and nothing would happen; Primrose wouldn't speak to her. She was adjusting and at times the field that would later always be active wasn't. As it begin to strengthen she got to know her stuffed animals all over again.
Top Gun became her protector, watching over her with his great golden eye open while she slept. Primrose was her confidant and Steggy her conscience. Over the next few months she discovered certain stuffed animals' personalities better than others and stuck closer to them than to others. She was particularly drawn to her aforementionned main three and to a shy stingray she had called Ray. Precious, a Unicorn she had recieved on her birthday one year, also became a part of the group for her pure sweetness. Longtime stuffed animal Speeder became the curiosity and explorer of her expanding collective of stuffed animals. Finally Macskyly was the academic of the bunch and often liked to read over her shoulder.
Christine knew at first that her father was shaken and their conversation was more stilted than usual. It wasn't helped by a really bad year of math in which she had a teacher largely agreed upon as being the worst in the district. Yet the rest of her grades were great and it was actually to be her best year of high school. In an otherwise horridly populated english class she and friend Jess H. were the brightlights and adored by the teacher, who gave each of theme a complete Shakespeare volume and a sweet note at the end of the year.
Again Christine's group of friends was shifting. She had been playing cards with a group every day at lunch but when she spent two days home ill, not half so bad when her stuffed animals were around her but she was still extremely sick, and came back without one of the girls, Kim, even noticing she was gone Christine felt really letdown. Especially when Kim made some excuse and failed to even ask if she was okay, preferring to talk about her guy problems of kissing one guy friend while being in a relationship with another. She seemed to think Christine should stop being friends with the former simply because Kim had made a mistake. Christine didn't make a big fuss but she no longer sat with either group of friends and was secretly very upset with Kim and her boyfriend. Instead she joined Connie and her group of friends, who she would spend her senior year with.
While taking drama she fell hard and fast, having a crush on a boy in her year who was an excellent student and actor. He knew her but they weren't any more than aquaintances really. They would say hi but not really talk and he wasn't interested. Even still it would take Christine awhile to overcome her crush and become ready to move on.
In the meantime her singing lessons were better than ever. After her old teacher, also named Christine, had moved provinces to pursue her own career she had searched for a new one and found her in Judith. Judith spent the grade eleven and twelve years as her singing teacher. She was an excellent teacher and Christine's voice had improved dramatically she could see it. Plus Judith let her sing what she wanted to sing, which at that time meant boybands. Her tastes would switch later to classic Canadian bands but for the time being she liked boybands very much. She was too shy to ever sing in front of people, especially since Christine had persuaded her to sing in two competitions and one had been ruined by the elderly pianist who had come in on the wrong key and refused to realize this, but she could sing fairly well thanks to Judith.
The next year saw Christine gaining a number of vitally important stuffed animals, including Moostletoe, a gift from her brother which was especially great because of her talent, and Franka and Velvet. Callie was the last of the stuffed animals she would recieve who would come with her to Xavier's. Callie was a strange looking creature but Christine instantly fell in love with her.
Unfortunently while Christine's talent, that she kept well hidden from many of her friends and most others, had stabilized it also meant something tragic for the girl. She was no longer able to browse a gift store or other store that had stuffed animals. If she did so than they would speak and give her away. She loved looking through the local stores for stuffed animals and it was devestating to her.
Her powers didn't neccessarily make things difficult as other powers might have but they did mean she had to take some precautions and be careful about what was in a room before she entered it. It was Christine's mother who learned about the school from a friend of hers at work. However Christine had already started her senior year and it was decided that she should at least finish the semester before taking off completely and moving.
Christine, for her part, was both nervous and excited. Given her track record with friends she wasn't exactly happy about having to make new ones but perhaps it was an opportunity. She was also something of a home person and didn't like to be away for too long. Travel was exciting but living somewhere else? She wasn't sure she could do it. It would be more than a few hours drive to get home from the school yet she wasn't very far away. Perhaps she could do it afterall.
The first semester of her senior year was a wrap-up of sorts. It meant saying goodbye to Connie earlier than intended and it meant finishing her year in a brand new place and not going to the University she had already applied for. Since her math class this year was not needed in order for her to graduate and was being taken strictly as a 'just in case' course she didn't bother to ask her dad for help and their relationship, such as it was, was on the mend. Christine also knew she would miss her brother and her mom but the thought of having her own room was kind of interesting.
After writing her exams in January and celebrating Christmas at home she said goodbye to Judith with her last singing lesson and bid the friends she had farewell too. She would miss Michelle's movie nights, even if they did involve watching all six hours of Pride and Prejudice. She packed her bags. One full of clothes, another of her CDs and possessions and one full suitcase full of stuffed animals. It was, afterall, her mutant power. Getting her across the border wasn't too difficult since it looked like she was just going to school in another country.
The decision of which stuffed animals to take was a difficult one but in the end she made the decision and packed eleven leaving Balin, the accidently burned Polar Bear, behind despite his (somewhat successful) attempts to guilt trip her into bringing him along. Primrose on her lap the whole drive and Macskyly insisted on being out of the bag in order to see the sights and learn.
At the very end of January she arrived at Xavier's Institute, her arrival having been set up beforehand by her mother who had done all the talking with those in charge. After bidding goodbye to her mother and brother she moved in and began her last semester of high school and the strangest of experiences. Suddenly she was surrounded by mutants where before there had only been a select few that she had known about. Among some of the mutants with more advanced or useful abilities she felt very doubtful of her own capabilities and yet at the same time she was excited about this second chance for life.
She has currently been at the institute for just under two months and is beginning to settle into the routine of things. Thanks to her powers she will likely never be placed on a team, her abilities just aren't meant for that sort of thing, but Christine is beginning to talk to people and break out of her shell. Hopefully, as she finishes up her courses she'll make lasting friends beyond the stuffed animals she cherishes.
Personality:
Christina is a fairly shy and quiet person by nature. She has been coming out of her shell but she would still hardly be considered outgoing. In a new enviroment if others are out of place as well she'll introduce herself and talk openly but she often feels nervous at parties and in large group situations. Christine is always described by friends as a nice person and they never seem to dislike her but she has a very deep fear of being rejected in any way and it has held her back all her life. This interferes in her relationships and prevents her from keeping in touch with friends because she fears they will reject her, even though the fear is completely illogical most likely.
She is far more comfortable with a few people than she is with a larger number of people and she clams up in large groups with strangers. With friends though she is far more open and makes a few random comments. As a child she never really fit in with other people. She was the kid content to read a book or imagine something in a corner without the company of others and as a result she isolated herself from others unwillingly.
Unfailingly creative she always comes up with ideas others don't and it feels at times as though these ideas flood her so fast that she can't follow through on them before something better pops into her brain. She's not a follower and couldn't bring herself to be but has always forged her own path and as a result she's been rather lonely through life. She was always too embaressed to tell a guy when she liked him in case he rejected her or didn't feel the same so she just never did. In middle school she bounced friend groups, never really fitting in and high school seemed much the same way. She only felt secure around a few people and yet her relationship with her best friend is somewhat dysfunctional as well so when it comes to friends it is a bit of a pickle for Christine.
Christine is by no means a genius but she's certainly above average intelligence and has always been an honour roll student with particular. She's rubbish at maths but thrives in the more creative fields like english, history and writing. Teachers usually like her and she never has problems with authority.
Christine does have some odd interests though and this sets her apart from other students too. Musicals, Greek Myth and 80's action sci-fi movies aren't supposed to be things a girl her age likes. She doesn't like the conventional music acts or comedy movies but has her own eccentric tastes that she adheres to. Deeply lonely and painfully shy throughout her childhood she is beginning to grow beyond this and find herself.
She does have a number of less favourable traits which include extreme messiness when it comes to her room because there is always a new idea, a new game or something new and creative to be done and she can't waste time putting things away. She is also rather lazy and her excuse tends to be that she can't be bothered. Christine is a night owl but also a procrastinator and she leaves things until the last minute then fusses over them for she's quite the worrywort. She can be pessimistic but has tried to be more optimistic lately and she usually is happy but undergoes the occasional complete breakdown. Christine is very sensitive to criticism and she's got an extremely guilty conscience so that, at seventeen, she doesn't drink, cheat, lie (the big ones like sneaking out not the little ones like taking an extra cookie obviously) etc. at all.
Likes:
Animals - she's very into standing up for animal rights Chocolate - this girl has a sweettooth like few others Reading - she loves to read, particularly fantasy and children's books but she's not picky. Myth - Christina has a deep interest in myth, and in greek myth in particular. Les Miserables - she likes musicals in general but only certain ones and this is among them. Christine will never tire of the story and she knows the cast recording off by heart. Singing - singing often makes her feel better when she's low and she does it often when no one else is around. Music - music in general is a passion of hers and she carries her earphones with her almost everywhere. Computer - Christina isn't too shabby with a computer and she spends alot of her time playing around on hers. Her Powers - she regards many of her stuffed animals as her best friends. Her Family - sure they can irritate her but she still loves her family.
Dislikes:
Her extended family - Christina isn't very fond of her dad's side of the family for the most part. Being rejected - Her chief fear in life. Not being able to make stable friends - she so often doesn't manage to keep her friends and really wishes she had people to talk to beyond her animals and her slightly crazy best friend Connie. Spiders - she finds the things just disgusting and has a great fear of them although it isn't strong enough to be considered a phobia. The only spider she likes is Speeder. Sports - aside from maybe figure skating Christine doesn't like sports and she only watches them at the Olympics and laughs if asked about playing them.
I like! Of course, you probably knew that I would...^_^ When does it become complete? I wanna be one of the first to stamp my approval! *~Looks to the other bio mods, her stamp at the ready~*
Three Amazing Girls + One Super-Powered School = Countless Possibilities.
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