have_no_mercy | TLV App

User Name/Nick: Stephanie
User DW: N/A
E-mail: polar167 at hotmail
Other Characters: N/A

Character Name: Tess Mercer (Lutessa Lena Luthor)
Series: Smallville
Age: early 30s
From When?: Just after Lex stabs her.

Inmate/Warden: Tess is very big picture. The many over the one. She also shoots first and asks questions later. She will do whatever she must to accomplish what she deems as “necessary” and doesn't have problems with loss of innocents. In a very bleak way, Tess sees herself as a means to an end. She has little care for herself and many times has put herself in harm's way to complete her goals. She needs to be taught to have more faith in herself as a person and to realize that the little victories are just as important, as are other people.

Arrival: Tess is brought in immediately after her death, with no knowledge of what will happen.

Abilities/Powers: Tess is a basic human. She is, however, considered to be of genius level intellect. She was accepted to Harvard at 15 and graduated with a Masters in Marine Biology at 17. Combined with this she has learned on the job hacking from one of the best in her world, has mastered manipulation and has incredible influence among businesses and governments alike.

Tess is a trained government operative working in the intelligence sector and fieldwork. She is a solid marksman and has knowledge of various types of weaponry, including biological and psychological.

Personality:
First and foremost, Tess is an alcoholic. She drinks every day, multiple times, and almost always has a drink on the go. Her favourites are scotch and bourbon. The main problem is that she is a high functioning alcoholic, so she's rarely unable to continue to live her normal life and making executive decisions. It does, however, give her some sharp edges and she is not always the nicest person in the room. Sarcasm and outright meanness are not unusual for her. Tess has no time for stupidity, or foolishness and will blatantly show it.

Determined and relentless, she is in no way used to failure. Despite growing up in poverty, her intelligence allowed her to succeed in many areas, though science has always been her chosen field. She is passionate about her projects and beliefs, and will not tolerate anything less from those she may be working with. Simply saying no to Tess can result in her shooting you.

This does not mean she has no heart, or is a bitch 24/7. There's another side she rarely shows anyone, a side that loves to go surfing, scuba diving and swimming. She is very at home in water and warm weather, being able to drop her hard exterior and just have some fun. She is also capable of great love, though she may not always show it. Alexander brought out something she thought she didn't have, a maternal side. She took to it nervously but eagerly, doing everything she could to keep him happy.

At best, Tess is a bright, funny, warm person who fights for the environment and wants nothing more than for the world to be a better place. She enjoys spending time with the few friends she has and is prod of her work with the Justice League. At worst, Tess is a manipulative, sarcastic and deadly enemy to have. She tolerates nothing less than perfection and will do whatever it takes to get her own way. In these times her friends are little more than nuisances and she just wants to see the world burn. She is controlling, vindictive and always has to have the last laugh.

Trauma is nothing new to her and it's made her almost numb to whatever she has to face next. And there is always something next. This has only reinforced her choice to ignore anything bad that happens to her and go on as if nothing had happened at all. She lives much of her life numbed, hence the alcoholism. She has never give herself a chance to deal with any of the trauma she's faced and keeps it all bottled up inside. She refuses to let any of it out, lest she be made to look weak.

All in all, Tess is a woman who has lived her life mostly alone due to mistrust and betrayal when she has attempted to share with other people. She has gone through her days making sure she's seen as how she wants to be seen, rather than for what she is. She feels like she's never good enough for anyone, including herself, and spends her time trying to prove she isn't a failure.

Barge Reactions: Tess is no stranger to being taken against her will, and put into captivity. She is familiar with alternate universes and extraterrestrial beings, so this will explain away much of the strangeness she may encounter and will take such things in stride. How she reacts to floods or breaches will depend on the specifics of the events, but again, she's had experience with not acting like herself, being transformed and memory wipes. Not that she will be blasé about potential occurrences, but there's less of a chance she'll snap and start shooting (or equivalent).

Path to Redemption: Tess is so close to redemption in canon. She's done most of the hard work herself, but the influence of Clark Kent cannot be denied. She needs someone who will be patient and will understand that beneath her hard exterior, she is very sensitive and yearns to simply be accepted and told she's good enough. Getting her to believe that will be the challenge.

Giving up her wicked ways will not overly difficult in theory, but her skills and behaviour is what she falls back on to keep herself going. At the core, she is a survivor who acts like she doesn't care if she does. An understanding that she keeps herself alive for a reason is critical.

History: Smallville Wiki

Sample Journal Entry: TDM post.

Sample RP:
It's taken some time for Tess to get used to her new living quarters, but that hasn't stopped her from exploring the ship and meeting new people. Today's a bit of excitement, however, as they're going to port for the first time since she's arrived. She's not entirely sure where they're going, but at least it'll be something different.

As usual, she sets out on her own to tour around the port city. It's a nice place, familiar enough that she's not uncomfortable but distinct in its way so as not to be mundane. Tess takes her time wandering around streets, watching the people mingle without participating herself and checking out the local flora. That's when she finds it.

They have an aquarium.

She's mesmerized, equally thrilled to see some species she already knows and others more that she's never seen before. She spends the rest of her time here, gawking at breathtaking tanks, running her fingers along the glass, and making funny faces at the animals as they glide by. It takes what seems like forever before she decides it's time to leave, feeling exhilarated and overcome by having experienced something that's close to being home.

Special Notes: Tess has an extensive history with abuse and trauma. While she will not talk about most of these things readily, there is always a chance something will slip or the floodgates will open. She can be a walking content warning.