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+--- Thread: Evelyn Avalon (/thread-221.html)
- Evelyn - 08-23-2016
Character Name: Evelyn Avalon
Forum Account Name: Evelyn
Age: 26
Birthday: November 1st, 2019
Hometown: Aberdeen, South Dakota
Occupation: Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota’s 3rd District
Psychological Description: Evelyn is young and idealistic. She was elected the youngest member of the 119th Congress, and ran her campaign mostly through online and crowd-sourced fundraising. She had a vlog-channel that explained socialist politics, and once she turned 25 she figured that she might as well try it out herself. She never expected to become an overnight viral sensation, and was extremely baffled by her success. Therefore, she’s somewhat humble and has a very ‘aww shucks, me?’ attitude at first. However, she’s very much a true believer, and reached political success without having to go through the drudgery of fundraising and kissing-up that most candidates do. Therefore, she’s passionate about using government to make a difference in the lives of ordinary Americans, and willing to step on toes to get her way. During her past year and half in Congress, her idealism has been dampened somewhat. The constant struggle of trying to get enough votes to pass legislation was eye opening to her. She’s learning to play the political game more, although she keeps an upbeat and hopeful attitude.
While Evelyn is has genuinely altruistic motives in politics, she had a bit of a spoiled upbringing. She was raised in upper-middle class household, and has never really had to struggle for success. She’s a bit entitled and deep down, she feels like the success she’s experienced is her due. While she would never openly claim ambitions of holding higher elective office like the Speakership or Presidency, it’s only natural for the media to speculate about the bright future of such a young star. And of course, in her heart of hearts she fully expects to someday ascend to those high positions.
Supernatural Powers and Abilities: As a Christian, Evelyn got through the Sickness by sequestering herself in prayer, and opening her heart to Jesus. She considers her gifts a blessing from God, and herself to be one of Jesus’ chosen prophets. She channels God’s gift through prayer. While she’s praying and saying Hail Maries, or clutching her crucifix, she can weave spells using God’s power.
Channeler current strength: 29
Channeler potential strength: 31
Channeler experience level: Adept
Reborn God: Persephone
Biography:
“And that, my fellow Americans, is why you need to call up your Congresspeople and tell them to vote ‘no’ on H.R. 4067. Do it for America; do it for me,” she said, smiling happily into the camera. “And of course, do it for all the cute little puppies and kittens like Rolf here,” she scratched under the puppy’s chin, and it shifted from its spot on her lap to look adorably towards the recorder, “Who will go hungry when H.R. 4067 slashes funding from your local shelters. Alright folks, Evie out!” She threw up a peace sign in front of her face in her classic ‘signing off’ pose.
Evelyn “Evie” Avalon, or Congresswoman Avalon as she prefers, pressed the stop button on her wallet that would end her recording. With her weekly vlog done, she passed Rolf off to the shelter worker on hand and gestured her PA to come closer. She had a busy schedule today. There was a meeting of the Foreign Relations Committee that she had to attend, as well as some documents for her to go over. She was co-sponsoring a Bill introducing term limits for House members, which was almost certainly dead in the water, but would look good on her reelection campaign in the fall. However, she’d been vlogging weekly since she started her PhD in Political Science back in 2042. She’d taken a leave of absence from Northern State University to pursue her freshman Congress term in 2044, but her online following had been what got her in office. It felt disloyal to quit vlogging once in DC. Besides, education was an integral part of democracy. If the populace could learn about important political issues through her vlog, then all the better.
As she was gathering her things, the television screen caught her attention. They were advertising the appointment of Nickolas Trano to the newly created Secretary of Powers position. Her mouth twisted into a small frown. She knew that Nick was in DC, of course, had reached out to him since she moved in town. However, their relationship hadn’t been very good ever since Maddie… well, Evelyn clutched at the cross around her neck, and said a prayer in remembrance. Besides, Evie had always been more of a little sister figure than a friend in his mind, or at least so she imagined.
“Ma’am.”
Natalie’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Evie turned to her PA, smiling apologetically. “Sorry, let’s go then.” Evie accepted the papers, reading through them as she walked. They’d done this routine enough that she trusted Natalie to make sure she didn’t walk into anything or anyone. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs meeting was specifically a CCD Subcommittee meeting. As the lowest ranking member of the Committee, she was supposed to have been assigned to the African Subdivision. However, she’d managed to leverage her popularity and youth in her favor. Evie wasn’t naïve; she knew that her pretty face got her a lot more viewership than most politicians. She’d convinced the Party leadership that if they put her on the CCD subcommittee, then she’d use her internet platform to push their positions. Everyone in politics loved a win-win.
Evelyn had wanted to be on the CCD Subcommittee for various reasons. The first was that it was the most powerful and influential subcommittee. If she wanted to run for elective office someday, having diplomatic experience to the other global superpower would be invaluable. Additionally, she honestly believed that the US would have to cooperate with CCD in some manner to promote global peace and prosperity. Open warfare, or even covert warfare, with the Dominions would only cause calamity. Evie wasn’t blind to the problems with the CCD. There was a suspicious lack of democracy and accusations of humanitarian abuses regarding Ascendancy. However, she admired how Ascendancy had turned a situation of international strife into order and prosperity. Therefore she believed that she played something of a balancing role on the CCD Subcommittee: she was rightfully cautious towards the nation, but constantly looking for ways to push international cooperation and extend olive branches.
Evelyn stifled a laugh as she looked down at the documents in her hands and read the meeting agenda. It was an emergency meeting in response to Ascendancy’s announcement of his Godhood. The Congresswoman absentmindedly fingered the beads of her rosary, resisting the urge to open herself to Jesus and use her own gift. God’s power was not to be used frivolously. She hadn’t realized that there were other Prophets like herself, but it would make sense that a man like Ascendancy would be similarly blessed. If the reports were validated and the man truly did have the “Power,” as the media was beginning to call it… well, perhaps she and her old friend Secretary Trano would find their paths crossing again, in a professional setting this time.
Edited by Evelyn, Aug 25 2016, 03:19 PM.
- Evelyn - 08-25-2016
From Catching Up
Evelyn couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. She hadn't expected Nick to give in so easily, but then again given the fact that he seemed almost blase about it, the man probably didn't see any reason not to send her. Trano's opinions about CCD and Ascendancy were well documented. The man was a zealot at best, and an absolute warmonger at worst. Evie respected the fact that Nick did what he did out of genuine belief that it was best for the United States, but war with the Dominion would be a disaster for the entire world. Nevertheless, Trano saw war with Ascendancy as inevitable, and so any attempt at diplomacy, in his mind, was just a waste of time. Why should it matter to him whether or not she was a part of the delegation?
Evie knew better though. She wasn't so certain that world domination was Brandon's ultimate goal. She'd been... fascinated by the man for what felt like her whole life. Maddie had teased her relentlessly about her secret teenage crush on the God. Luckily for her political career it was a secret her friend took to the grave. Nevertheless, she'd always been inexplicably drawn to him, curious about him. It didn't escape her notice that Ascendancy never once conquered a Dominance by force. He spread order through economic prosperity and stability. It wasn't so different than what the United States had tried - and often failed - to do during the Cold War.
Evelyn wasn't blind to Brandon's faults. There were troubling accusations of humanitarian abuses in his regime, and a startling lack of democracy. However he was not unreasonable. From her studies of him, it seemed that Ascendancy's ultimate goal was order and peace. In that respect, the United States could be a valuable ally, and a stabilizing force on Brandon's policies. This would hardly be the first time in their Republic's history that they made nice with a dictator in order to advance their national interests. By working with the CCD, or at least having positive diplomatic relations with the nation, the U.S. could carefully nudge Brandon in a positive direction with regards to humanitarianism and democracy. All they needed was the right person for the job.
It was arrogant to assume that person was her. Evie wasn't ignorant of that. However... when she was fifteen years old, Evelyn had been sick, so sick she should have died from it. Other people did... Maddie did. Before that moment she'd never been religious, but she'd been a scared little girl, desperate not to die. She spent weeks fighting and fighting, because that's what you were supposed to do, right? It was in all the movies, that concept that if you fought your disease, if you had a positive attitude, then your chance of survival increased. And yet she just got sicker and sicker. Finally, when Evelyn had been certain that she was going to die, she clutched at the cross she'd inherited from her grandmother and just... gave up.
She repented all of her sins of anger and jealousy and pride. She surrendered herself entirely to the Lord. Evie had nothing; she swore that she would serve God in whatever capacity He demanded of her, so long as He spared her. In that moment, she felt Jesus come into her body. It was like the Rapture, like everything the bible had promised. It was sweetness and life beyond anything she'd ever experienced. Even still after all these years, it was far greater than drug she'd ever surreptitiously tried out in undergrad. Christ had spared her, and as promised she became His servant, His tool on earth.
Evelyn dedicated herself fully to helping others, to fulfilling the Spirit of goodness that Christ embodied. And in return He cleared a way for her. Even Nick himself was an unwitting servant. The ease with which she had ascended through her career was unnatural. It was no coincidence that she was easily elected the youngest Representative in decades, nor was it a coincidence that she got her way onto the CCD Subcommittee. No, Jesus had given her His blessing, just as He had given her His power. He was drawing her towards Nikolai Brandon, and when His purpose revealed itself, Evelyn would obey just as she always had.
"I did say that I would be the first openly powered Member of Congress, didn't I? Yes, I am prepared to go public with my abilities. The only question is what manner of doing so will best serve our purposes?"
Evelyn grinned at him.
Just because she didn't agree with Trano's politics regarding CCD didn't mean that she couldn't see the benefit of having a powerful ally in the Executive branch. And, as she'd said before, they had a mutual goal of protecting powered individuals from governmental and extra-judicial abuses. "So, Secretary Trano... how do we play this? I'm certainly open to suggestions of how to 'come out,' so to speak, in a manner that will most effectively advance the cause of equality for powered people."