Groundswell
 The author of this article has marked this as a creative work, and would prefer that other users not edit it. Please respect this, and unless repairing a typo, spelling, or other minor technical error, think of this page as read-only. |
Named after a medieval European mermaid legend, Melusine is the child of a surface-dwelling (mutant) mother and an Atlantean father. Well meaning but impetuous and more than a bit naïve about the hard truths of crimefighting, she's pretty much your typical teenaged powerhouse of a budding superheroine. Though raised entirely on land, Mel fiercely identifies with Atlantis, holding up its ruler, Queen Mara, and her son, Crown Prince Marus, as icons of heroic Atlantean ideals she hopes to some day embody. [Note: information about Atlantis and Ravenswood Academy is mostly based on the Hidden Lands and Teen Champions books by Hero Games, while Mel's physical attributes incorporate some elements of what we see in CO with Marus, his bodyguards, and Stingray.]
Contents
Appearance
It probably goes without saying that the first thing most people notice about Melusine is how she looks. While that's far from fair, it's also sadly unsurprising when you stand out as much as she does, so Mel tries her best own that inevitable objectification. Further complicating this issue is the fact that she's blossomed into what some in the media have called, “an exotic beauty.” Problematic, insulting though such language is, it does (crudely) speak to how what was once viewed as mere novelty is now wrapped around a physique fit for champion Olympic swimmers and crowned by an imperious derivation of her mother's captivating features. Though Valerie Stillwater steadfastly vetoes each and every one of them, Melusine routinely receives offers to put her heritage to commercial use by modeling beach and swim wear.
Biography
Young as she is, Mel doesn't have quite so much a story as many other costumed types. In fact, her mom has fought hard to make sure it stays that way, relocating to Millennium City when Melusine was less than a year old in the hopes that such a cosmopolitan place would barely even notice the girl's unusual features. It hasn't quite played out like that but, all things considered, Mel's probably had as normal a childhood as could ever have been expected.
Tomorrow Plaza
Being home to multiple premier technology companies, downtown Millennium City has no shortage of modern highrise condominium complexes. Tomorrow Plaza is but one among many here, set not far from where City Center gives way to more bohemian neighborhoods stretching towards Millennium City University. Neither quite so central nor so ostentatious as some of its compatriots, the Plaza is home less to celebrities or jet setters proper and more to the money behind them. That lower profile is precisely why Valerie selected the place – it's a building that covets privacy and doesn't condone the press as a necessary evil in the lives of those who live there. The Plaza counts several successful CEOs and venture capitalists among its residents, and the children of such wealthy movers and shakers became Melusine's social circle as she grew up.
Tutored in her younger years so as to avoid creating media circuses no school would appreciate, Mel had nowhere else to look for friends; while she's established several good relationships with her peers in the Plaza, the situation has also served to thoroughly isolate her from everyday life. These are kids who get luxury cars for their sweet sixteens and whose parents maintain “lake house” mansions on the waterfront up at Grosse Pointe Shores. Mel therefore has only the faintest conception of what it is to live without utter privilege, let alone, say, somewhere like Westside.
Ravenswood
At age fourteen, Melusine began attending the prestigious Academy outside Millennium City. Ostensibly just another exclusive private school, Ravenswood is secretly home to a program for training metahuman teenagers in the responsible use of their powers. As Prince Marus himself numbers among the school's earliest graduates, neither Mel's mother nor Ravenswood headmistress Kristina Pelvanen could think of anywhere more appropriate for the young half-Atlantean to study.
Like other non-traditional students, Melusine was given a holographic projector that hides her appearance on campus and instead presents what is essentially a caucasian version of Mel. Glasses are thrown in for good measure, but the differences in skin, hair, and eye color alone have been more than enough to prevent anyone even beginning to make a connection with the aquamarine girl who's occasionally in the news (or, in the case of a couple students, who lives down the hall or on another floor of the Plaza).
Studying under the name Melissa Whatley, Melusine was suddenly faced with an anonymity she'd never known before. No one pointed, no one stared, no one... noticed at all, really. It completely upended a dynamic which had existed for Mel's entire life and left her floundering, socially. Thus, as far as any non-meta students at Ravenswood are likely to be concerned, Melissa Whatley is hopelessly shy and awkward. It's even a little sad, some say, and while in the movies there might be a makeover montage, well, the image inducer only has one setting: the academy uniform. Feeling unable to interact with Landers on their own terms, the situation has only reinforced Melusine's hangups about how essential she thinks flaunting one's physical attractiveness is to having a social life.
Still, Ravenswood has its upsides, even if they're all exclusive to the school's secret training facility for future crimefighters. For starters, there's the Oceanus and Orana Undersea Dome, a facility designed to replicate Atlantean gymnasia. Decorated as this is with friezes and columns depicting the history of Atlantis, it's the closest Melusine has ever come to the lost city itself, and she can lose hours just swimming around there, daydreaming. A decidedly average student, Mel probably won't be following in her mother's academic footsteps, but she's getting a solid education and the Ravenswood training regimen has been invaluable for preparing her to actually throw down with superpowered villains.
Groundswell
In the spring of 2013, renegade Lemurian forces assaulted Millennium City. Ultimately, they would lay waste to much of the downtown waterfront and summon an enormous monster known as the Harbinger before UNTIL and superheroic forces in the region put a stop to the attack. Living as they do in City Center, the Stillwaters were among the first to know something was terribly wrong as the Plaza shook and buildings closer to the river tumbled, their foundations undermined by Lemurian boring machines. It was, quite literally, just the sort of thing Melusine had been practicing for, and Valerie's pleas that her daughter not endanger herself fell on deaf, pointed ears as Mel dashed to the balcony and leaped off, flying towards the sound of thunder.
There are probably more dignified ways to make a superheroic debut than phone-camera videos of you bashing reptilian invaders in nothing but a tank top and your undies, but really, bashing is the important part where such situations are concerned. And bash Mel surely did, as well as lending her considerable strength to search and rescue efforts by plucking civilians from listing highrises or clearing rubble so emergency personnel could get to those trapped beneath it. All in all, not a bad way to burst onto the scene, and while she didn't have a costume, Melusine did have a proper monicker. Though perhaps more commonly used in political contexts nowadays, surfers, for example, know groundswell as a reference to powerful waves formed far offshore – and since Melusine considers herself to have been 'created' by a very distant Atlantis, she thinks this terribly clever.
With her impromptu entry into the official world of superpowered theatrics, Groundswell was soon moved into Ravenswood's Homeroom Alpha, where she will presumably receive more immediately practical instruction in crimefighting. Mel does kind of hate the required Alpha uniform (despite concessions made in allowance of her health requirements), and she was far from thrilled to find out she'd have to spend at least one term in the school dorms. It would take a true and total disaster to get her to even briefly entertain leaving, though. If Prince Marus could do it, well, so can she.
Half Atlantean, All Heroine
Melusine doesn't know what it's like not to be superhuman. Although she has quite recently discovered some entirely new (and more unusual) aspects of this, her whole life has been lived with the benefit of numerous physiological advantages.
Powers and Abilities
Fundamentally, Groundswell is a 'flying brick.' Fantastically strong and durable (though far from actually invulnerable), her typical recourse for villainy is to get in said evil's face and punch its ugly mug. Hard. It's the kind of straightforward, obviously superpowered stuff that's good for news footage yet also obscures the details of what actually makes such feats possible.
Float Like a... Butterfish?
While much tougher than any regular person (and more so still where pressure and cold environments are concerned), Melusine's skin won't reliably stop actual attacks heavier than, say, a moderately powerful firearm. When dealing with more dangerous threats, she has to rely on other measures.
For starters, Groundswell is what one of the 20th century's great warrior-poets might have called a, “nimble little minx.” Agile and acrobatic, a gifted natural athlete, she's near the upper limits of human coordination, if still very much within that mortal range. Mel can't actively dodge individual bullets or anything quite that extreme, but she stands a pretty good chance of avoiding obvious threats, and of likewise getting her own licks in under an opponent's guard.
Sting Like a Ray
Groundswell is a ferociously powerful brawler. Doubtless there are others who can deadlift even more, but Mel is plenty capable of playing catch with things like VIPER tanks and 18-wheelers. She's swift and savage in a melee, hurling herself right at opponents and using quick, brutal strikes like jabs and knee kicks to pave the way for crushing finishers. These moves echo the Muay Thai in which she's had some basic instruction, but also betray how Melusine relies heavily on raw strength to overwhelm her foes. She is far indeed from being anything like a genuinely technical fighter.
In It to Win It
Though Mel is definitely overconfident and way too accustomed to making opponents quickly tap out, she's well equipped to handle ones who don't. Be it swimming for hours on end or remaining near as fresh in round twelve of a slugfest as she was at the opening bell, Groundswell is virtually tireless for many practical purposes. She needs sleep just like anyone else, though, so this isn't about unusual reserves of energy; Mel's musculature, metabolism, and so forth are simply efficient well beyond human norms.
Not Even Seasick
More than just an absolute picture of physical health and fitness, Melusine possesses an extremely advanced immune system. She almost never gets truly sick – at worst, even diseases which would normally be aggressive and fatal in most people tend to see her suffering from only their lightest symptoms for maybe a couple hours before being defeated. And when it comes to physical harm, Groundswell is actually regenerative. This is a far cry from more rapid and famous examples of the phenomenon, but minor injuries typically vanish within minutes, while even extreme trauma should vanish completely after a few days to a week, so long as she remains hydrated (see Weaknesses, below). It's also possible for Mel to proactively flush her body, cleansing wounds, purging toxins, and ejecting things like bullets as saltwater gushes from pores and injuries.
Diving Belle
Though they're the same size and shape as lungs, what Groundswell has are actually much closer to gills. Like those of aquatic crustaceans such as hermit crabs, these organs are perfectly capable of processing oxygen from the air – as long as they remain suitably wet so as to avoid collapse. This may well be a factor in Melusine's inexorable dehydration, since even when not actively using her powers, her body must constantly generate some (small) amount of moisture internally to ensure she can keep breathing on land.
When submerged, Mel simply inhales and exhales water as though it were air. Any excess is typically absorbed as part of her hydration processes, but sometimes she will be seen to cough up water if she didn't get to breathe out before surfacing. Groundswell also possesses modified vocal cords similar to those of full Atlanteans. These are capable of vibrating water in her throat and she could easily produce the more unusual sounds which often punctuate to her father's language if only she knew how. Having received no instruction in Atlantean, however, Melusine must content herself with speaking English underwater.
Though she lacks the finger and toe webbing common among Atlanteans, Mel is nonetheless an exceedingly fast swimmer thanks to her sheer physical power and how her unusual skin reduces form drag much the same as a dolphin's does.
High Wind Advisory
If Melusine fails to outright dodge whatever's coming her way, she can protect herself (or those nearby) with more esoteric powers. One talent she discovered in the heat of battle with the Lemurians is an instinctive ability to conjure tremendously powerful vortices and gusts of wind from out of nowhere. These gales are quite cold and invariably laden with saltwater, but Groundswell does have some limited control over the extremity of their temperature. Thus, blasts can function as a water cannon or, when semi-frozen, like something akin to a giant shotgun firing sprays of hail or icy flechettes. Energetic though they are, such affects are also highly localized. They don't approach anything near actual weather control and these winds quickly dissipate without Melusine's immediate attention, but even such a comparatively limited scope has interesting defensive applications. Incoming attacks may often be redirected, pushed aside so as to miss their intended targets, and Mel uses slushy sheets of ice to intercept and absorb (or at least blunt) blows which can't be turned away.
Earthshaker
Though probably still Groundswell's most unusual-seeming power, her ability to create tremors in the earth is actually much less mysterious than it may initially sound. Like her wind powers, these effects are extremely localized, limited to areas perhaps no more than 40-50 feet across, and that's because there's nothing much resembling conventional seismic processes at work here. Rather, Melusine seems to create spontaneous pockets of wind and water immediately underground, in essence abruptly and quite energetically fracking the terrain. Yet there is also a far less explicable aspect to it all in that, while standing in such a disturbance, Mel herself remains quite untroubled by shaking which often knocks others from their feet. Stranger still, her regeneration is significantly boosted as well. This phenomenon is perhaps a reminder that the curious powers possessed by many Atlanteans are typically held to be gifts from their ancestral patron, Poseidon – a god not only of the sea, but one of earthquakes, too.
The Downsides
Mighty though Groundswell may sometimes appear, these abilities don't always come without a price. Like many metahumans, she has her share of limitations, some of them almost as spectacular as her powers themselves.
Atlan's Gift (strings attached)
Most Atlanteans can't breathe air at all, and even those who do must be careful not to stray too far from the waves they call home – after just a few hours out of water, such adventurers will find themselves weakening rather like a beached whale. Being half Lander, Melusine doesn't have it quite so bad as that, but she still has to make sure she keeps her body externally hydrated. At least once a day, Mel requires a steamy shower, a long soak in the tub, or a good swim. Saltwater or fresh, it doesn't seem to matter, but if she fails to properly immerse, her skin starts drying out. Initially just a painful inconvenience, the situation will deteriorate rapidly the longer it goes on, with Melusine's wind powers weakening to uselessness, her physical strength faltering and, eventually, coma and likely death resulting as her regeneration and breathing fail.
Ironically, Groundswell's ability to seemingly create water does her no good here. Even though she often ends up sopping wet from using her powers, this generation of moisture appears to be a zero sum game at best, always requiring as much or more of whatever reserves she has than it returns. Indeed, excessive use of her these abilities will actually have Mel needing to rehydrate sooner than usual. And while fire in itself isn't any more immediately dangerous than it would otherwise be to someone of Groundswell's overall enhanced durability, its attendant drying effects are likely to speed up her dehydration. Similarly, deserts and other areas of exceptionally low humidity probably aren't the greatest places for Mel to be spending a lot of time.
Oops, did I do that?
Having lived with it her whole life, Melusine is well accustomed to moderating her prodigious strength. Usually this comes second nature, a reflexive, unconscious process, but moments of serious distraction or extreme stress can potentially lead to mishaps. She also has to be a little careful about sleeping arrangements – bad dreams could well pose a risk to nearby property (or people).
Sea Oddity
Groundswell's golden irises are gently luminescent – it's a faint glow, maybe enough for a Lander sitting next to her to read by, or to make out the details of a darkened room. Mel herself has excellent night vision, though, and the limited amount of light given off by her eyes is enough for her to see clearly over greater distances in what might otherwise be pitch blackness. It also means she's got just about no chance of sneaking around anywhere unseen.
Another quirky aspect of her biology is that Melusine is quite literally salty, with her skin, sweat, and blood all possessing a noticeable salinity. It's generally within what would be considered flavorful in a culinary context and, while that might only matter to vampires or finicky cannibals, there are also practical concerns. Recipients of a transfusion from Mel could well risk acute hypernatremia, for example.
Line Dry Only
Owing to the inherent wetness of Groundswell's wind-related powers, those affected by them typically end up drenched in frigid saltwater. This goes for Melusine and whoever she blasts, of course, but also tends to affect people the heroine might be protecting with sheets of ice or gusts of wind. Perhaps a small price to pay for personal safety, it can still be pretty inconvenient or embarrassing, and it makes her no friend of electronics (nor are these effects likely to be very fun for most people subjected to them in, say, a Michigan winter).
The M Factor
While it's impossible to say just how much of Groundswell's power is purely Atlantean, the answer definitely isn't “all.” Just... don't tell Mel that. Thanks to physical abilities similar to Mara and Marus (flight, strength, toughness), Melusine assumes she's a rather stereotypical example of the undersea folk that famous pair rules. The truth, however, is that the royals are exceptional even by Atlantean standards, though their people do indeed have a tradition of so-called “mystic mutation” which predisposes them towards these and other powers.
Since Valerie Stillwater keeps her true nature and crimefighting past a secret, Mel has no idea she might owe any of her remarkable nature to her mom (see Friends, Enemies, and Allies, below). Valerie is a powerful hydrokinetic, though only where saltwater is concerned – something which may well suggest the root of Melusine's wind and ice powers. And while Groundswell's skin and regenerative abilities somewhat echo those of dolphins, her mother never seems to fall ill and is, despite her actual age, often mistaken for Mel's older sister. In the end, Groundswell is very much the sum of her parts, a fusion of two distinct trends towards powerful mutation.
Personality
Like most teenagers, Melusine's in the process of sorting out who she really is as a person. That's not always an easy task even in a perfect environment – never mind one where your very appearance draws looks, whispers, and questions just about every place you go. Dealing so often with those who aren't particularly interested in her as an actual person has led Groundswell to affect a dismissive, almost callous sort of 'tough girl' demeanor. She's determined not to seem terribly interested in (or affected by) others out of a suspicion they haven't any real desire to get to know her. Unfortunately, this can end up as something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Blunt and egocentric, her genuine bravery often comes across as haughty, cavalier bravado, while a reflexive petulance cloaks Melusine's honest desire to help save the world in a haze of privilege that routinely seems put upon by being asked to do exactly that.
Sweet home At-a-lantis
That Mel is obsessed with Atlantis should come as no surprise, but her view of the lost city and its culture is horribly skewed. By virtue of being completely absent from her actual life, the place has become, in Melusine's mind, a kind of fantasyland utopia. Every argument with her mother devolves to the notion that, “IN ATLANTIS, they'd let me,” while every moment of unease about her features in the surface world occasions dreams of finally being able to swim through streets full of “her people” (except she'd likely be every bit as much a curiosity, if not worse, in xenophobic, tradition-bound Atlantis).
Melusine's image of the undersea kingdom has largely been assembled from two places: interviews with Prince Marus, and deeply un-academic TV specials or internet videos purporting to reveal the secrets of a sunken civilization. From the former she's picked up the habit of referring to surface dwellers as “Landers” (precisely because Marus's obvious attempts to avoid using the term mean it must be a pejorative). As for the latter? These are typically the sorts of programs populated by alleged experts who won't come right out and say it was Atlanteans, but... it was Atlanteans. In other words, much of what Groundswell 'knows' about Atlantis is, at best, misinformed, if not downright wrong.
Mel also unequivocally idolizes Queen Mara – far more than Marus, in fact. She treasures a small collection of trading cards and other ephemera from the heroine's days as the Sea Hawk, and has created more than one secret fan comic (see Quirks and Ephemera, below) about saving Atlantis and becoming the monarch's closest confidant. All in all, that's probably not so different than any other teenager fantasizing about their pop or superheroic obsessions, but Mel's circumstances do perhaps make it a little more poignant than most.
For all her protestations of “Atlanteanism,” however, Melusine is utterly a child of the surface world and that modern metropolis she grudgingly calls home. If Mel ever does manage to visit the fabled city for which she professes such longing, it's likely a lack of internet, television, and other amenities would soon leave her utterly bored. Whether she'd admit that, however, is another matter entirely.
What are[n't] you wearing, young lady?
Given how frequently she's subjected to visual scrutiny and the gaze of others, Mel has internalized this oppressive curiosity with the conviction that she needs be 'worth' looking at for reasons beyond her eyes, ears, hair color, and skin tone. In essence, Groundswell believes that if people aren't noticing her for being attractive, then the only thing left for them to see is her strangeness. It's a mentality that can lead her to feel jealous or hostile towards those Mel thinks are considered 'hotter' than herself, since she fears that, beside them, she'll be relegated to the role of sideshow freak. A decidedly unhealthy amount of Groundswell's self esteem is therefore tied up in needing to feel that she's considered desirable by the American pop culture standards in which she and her friends are immersed. Not surprisingly, there are numerous complications.
For starters, aquamarine foundation... isn't really a thing. Beyond this, though, Melusine and makeup don't get along in general – even the most waterproof cosmetics are anything but when your pores flush out forcefully beneath them. Given that she's photographed much more often now in or shortly after combat, Mel simply doesn't bother with the stuff at all for fear of being a Heroines Without Their Makeup! pictorial just waiting to happen. Of course, inhumanly smooth, uniform skin and no small helping of Valerie Stillwater's movie star looks might suggest this isn't quite the issue Groundswell imagines it to be, but she's not taking any chances. Hence, her sartorial choices.
The (quite literal) short of it is that Melusine tends to show a lot of skin. Only the skimpiest of shorts and the most mini of skirts will do, for example, and this is all rooted in one of the few things she's managed to get right about Atlantis. Untroubled by deep ocean cold, Atlanteans have no need to encumber their swimming with waterlogged garments, so they are quite ambivalent towards anything much resembling Lander clothing. Their style of dress is often scandalously minimal by surface-dwelling standards (if not entirely absent, in private) and this, in turn, has led Mel to decide she's entitled to wear just about as little as she can possibly get away with at all times. It's a cultural obligation of her heritage, you see, and any suggestion to the contrary is likely to be met with rolling eyes and lamentations about the stuffy mores of, “Uptight Landers.”
Friends, Allies, and Enemies
Being young and new to superheroics generally, Groundswell hasn't yet had much opportunity to forge relationships with her costumed peers. That also means there aren't any crazed supervillains out to kill her, either, but presumably both of these circumstances will change in time.
Fray
When she was a bit younger, Mel proved to be the most popular babysitting choice for parents at Tomorrow Plaza. People with that sort of wealth are often quite security conscious, after all, and the unspoken, somewhat cynical assumption was that anybody who came after their children would find themselves dealing with more than just mundane (if well-trained) bodyguards. This may well be where some of Groundswell's gut instincts to defend the weak and helpless come from – it's something she's been implicitly expected to do for much of her life.
Which would probably leave Melusine feeling rather protective of the young Sentinels sidekick regardless but, having grown up powered herself, she also sympathizes with Fray's struggles to handle, for example, superhuman strength. And without the social baggage Mel invariably imagines between herself and anyone her own age or older, Groundswell is much kinder and more sympathetic towards the would-be heroine than with her social peers.
The Owl
Or, “Mister,” as Melusine tends to call him on account of how it appears to annoy the deadly serious crimefighter. With his investigative inclinations, gadgetry, and demeanor, the Owl represents a part of the superheroic spectrum that Groundswell can't even begin to relate to. He does seem to get things done, though, and she can appreciate that, especially when it involves more technical crises which require something beyond punching out the responsible villains. None of this convinces Mel that the man in the bird suit doesn't need to lighten way up, though.
The Amerizon III (NPC)
As is customary at Ravenswood, incoming non-traditional students are typically assigned a mentor from the junior class who will help guide them over their first two years at the school. In Groundswell's case this was Piper Jennings, who inherited her mother and grandmother's mild telekinetic gifts and the curious artifact (a golden, metallic star) which enhances these to combat-worthy levels. Though initially reluctant to try and fill their shoes, Piper accepted the family legacy upon graduation, returning to her native Chicago as the latest in a proud line of patriotic heroines. Melusine very much admires her former mentor, routinely cheering for and promoting the Amerizon in social media.
Aquadad (NPC)
To this day, Mel knows virtually nothing of her father – a situation that's gone a long way towards poisoning the girl's relationship with her mom. For reasons known only to her, Valerie simply will not disclose anything beyond the fact that yes, he is (or was) Atlantean. No surprise, then, that Melusine has cooked up all sorts of outrageous scenarios for what sort of man her dad might be, but Valerie's continuing refusal to correct any such fantasies somewhat ominously suggests the truth may be a good deal less fairy tale.
Atlantis (many NPCs)
Given that the queen of Atlantis and her son are both friends of Kristina Pelvanen, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume they've heard of Ravenswood's half-Atlantean student, but there's also been no indication that this is so. And even if it were, Atlantean society is deeply xenophobic, especially where the surface world is concerned – a half-Lander would likely be met with suspicion, if not outright scorn in many quarters.
Further complicating matters is that, while Atlanteans reach physical maturity at the same age as their land-dwelling cousins, a significantly longer overall lifespan (sometimes approaching two centuries) has led to a very different notion of adulthood. In Atlantean eyes, Mel will probably be a child for years (if not decades) to come, and that situation can only hurt chances of finding a warm welcome in her imagined homeland any time soon. Marus often returns to Ravenswood as a guest lecturer, however, so it seems inevitable that at some point Melusine will cross his path.
The Plazzies (NPC)
Children of extreme wealth (and the parents who provide that money) have been the core of Mel's social experience for most of her life. Although some surely consider her their token 'powered' acquaintance in a city where such things matter in suitably elevated circles, more are genuinely good friends. In particular, Melusine routinely refers to Polly van Velden and Gabrielle Talbot as her besties. Polly's father, Owen, runs Van Velden Aerospace (a longtime competitor of Harmon Enterprises where the skies and beyond are concerned) while Gabrielle is a scion of investment banking wealth going back to the Gilded Age. Though occasionally fractured by this or that misunderstanding, the trio always seem to make up, and remain largely inseparable.
The Stillwaters (NPC)
Groundswell may loudly proclaim her disdain for All Things Lander, but she often doth protest too much. Her maternal grandparents are about as “salt of the earth” as they come, with high school sweethearts Harold and Emma marrying as soon as Harry returned from his tours in Vietnam to take over the family's Iowa farm. The pair then went on to raise four kids in that same very Americana venue where they now periodically entertain numerous doted-on grandchildren, Melusine very much among them. Harry Stillwater, in particular, occupies a special place in Mel's heart for such things as simply asking, when faced with the local druggist's dumbfounded staring at a little, aquamarine girl, “What's the matter, Ed? Never seen a granddaughter before?”
The family remains close, often gathering for holidays, and Melusine maintains cordial online relations with her cousins, though none of them live near enough to Millennium City to be seen in person with any regularity.
Valerie Stillwater (NPC)
Although Dr. Silverback is by far the most famous recipient of a steady Cambridge Biotechnology paycheck, there are some who might also recognize Valerie Stillwater as one of the company's employees – if only because she routinely turns up any time someone compiles a list of 'hot' science types. A gifted marine biologist, the stunningly beautiful midwest farmer's daughter holds numerous valuable patents while also happening to look a good decade younger than the 40 she actually is, and if she hears another, “all this and brains, too,” joke, she's going to engineer a virus that wipes humanity from the face of the Earth. Okay, probably not, but Valerie absolutely does loathe the media, likely owing of the circus that surrounded her daughter's birth and which has haunted the lives of the Stillwaters on and off ever since.
Oh, and she used to be a superheroine.
South Florida once counted the saltwater-manipulating mutant known as Fathom Force among its defenders against threats ecological, supervillainous, or both. This being Miami, the photogenic heroine's ability to stand out on the beach was almost as much a superpower as her command of massive tidal forces – alas, that's probably the real reason the press noticed when she abruptly dropped off the radar. There were even maudlin editorials luridly speculating as to what horrible fate(s) might have befallen the gorgeous mutant with a mask almost as big as the rest of her costume (it was the 1990s, okay?) but none were anywhere near as sensational as the truth.
If South Beach hadn't quite yet forgotten about Fathom Force, Valerie Stillwater giving birth to a baby with aquamarine skin and golden, luminescent eyes surely did the trick. News of the “mer-girl” dominated Miami airwaves for a week straight, in no small part because Valerie steadfastly refused to discuss the child's father. Her colleagues at the ocean conservation non-profit weren't much use to reporters either – none could recall their 20-something coworker having much of a love life, let alone anything like this.
Valerie had entertained a fantasy of raising her daughter there in Florida, one foot on the sand, the other in her beloved waves, but it was not to be. For starters, people stared. Shamelessly. It was impossible to take Melusine anywhere without causing a scene, onlookers snapping photos, people badgering Val with questions, or worse. And then there were the reporters. As if offended by her very desire for privacy, they hounded Valerie for details. After footage of her screaming, “Oh my god, have you ever seen Madonna's 'Cherish?' FIGURE IT OUT!” at one particularly persistent news crew made the network rounds, she knew she couldn't live like this.
Stillwater began looking for work with the sorts of companies she had previously protested or even fought against; at least then she might make enough money to raise Melusine in something resembling sanity. It was around this time that a former costumed colleague who knew Valerie's secret identity informed her of Ravenswood and its connection to Atlantis. An alumnus himself, the solar-powered Sundowner well remembered Marus graduating a couple years ahead of him and wondered if his friend's daughter might not benefit from a place that actually knew a thing or two about the crown prince's homeland. Valerie contacted headmistress Pelvanen and began laying the groundwork for the seemingly far off day when her daughter could attend the Academy.
Relocation to Millennium City and a job at Cambridge Biotechnology were the first steps. Though Mel would remain a curiosity wherever she went, a metropolis with superheroes, aliens, and others making regular appearances could only lessen that discomfort, maybe even giving her a shot at something resembling normalcy. Valerie, meanwhile, set about proving herself to Cambridge, quickly producing intriguing (and lucrative) breakthroughs involving the medicinal properties of various marine organisms. Now the head of her own research team, it's a level of success that makes an address in Tomorrow Plaza possible and ensures that Melusine wants for nothing... except possibly the attention and understanding of a mother who all but lives in the lab in order to provide all that material luxury.
RP Hooks
The sheer curiosity of her existence has made Melusine an occasional news item throughout her life, and her foray into crimefighting only increases an exposure that could easily have achieved celebutante status already if not for Valerie's vigilance and opposition. As it is, Mel's generally happy to entertain the press (at least until her mom finds out), and she appears with some frequency in teen-oriented parts of the tabloid spectrum. She also has a pretty typical social media footprint for her age group, and has been known to interact with fans and inquirers through this.
Then, of course, there's the Ravenswood Academy. Traditional students (i.e. those without powers) might know Melissa Whatley as an awkward, painfully shy classmate who invariably sits in the back of every room. Members of the school's secret program for powered students, on the other hand, would have any number of opportunities to run into Melusine as herself, from shared classes in the crimefighting curriculum to training sessions, exercises, and so on.
Quirks and Ephemera
Claims her religion is “Atlantean” and that she worships Poseidon; knows next to nothing about actual Atlantean theology and generally interprets this as some sort of vague, eco-friendly ocean/environment custodianship.
Deeply dislikes being mistaken for Lemurian.
Unable to maintain piercings due to her regeneration, Mel's taste in jewelry runs towards bracelets, anklets, rings (finger or toe) and so on.
Being effectively 'dead,' Melusine's hair and nails are not subject to regeneration; they grow at a normal rate but, having been produced by her enhanced body, are significantly tougher than their regular, human counterparts. Mel frequents exclusive salons that cater to metahuman clients and their unusual needs when she wants styling or a mani-pedi.
One of Melusine's most jealously guarded secrets is that she's a gifted sketch artist possessed of an inventive eye for for things like comic panel composition; with formal training, she might well be capable of professional work some day. And if Mel could figure out a way to buy them without having her name or face attached to the process, she would probably have a pretty extensive comic collection. The geeky connotations of the subculture and a conviction that, “those who can, do [save the world], those who can't, draw [about saving the world],” keep Groundswell from breathing a word of this to anyone.
