Umbra Midnight

Umbra Midnight
Player: @eildath
Origin:	Magic
Archetype:	Corruptor/Blaster/Stalker/Scrapper/Dominator/Tanker/Defender
Security Level:	50
Server:	Confidential
Personal Data
Real Name:	Ursula Renée Mallory
Known Aliases:	Urse, Ursie, Piume, Cinnabirb
Species:	Lust Spirit
Age:	21 (+300ish)
Height:	5'1"
Weight:	90lbs
Eye Color:	Green
Hair Color:	Purple
Biographical Data
Nationality:	Half-Japanese American Ex-Demon
Occupation:	Heroine, Content Creator
Place of Birth:	Paragon City
Base of Operations:	Spectrum HQ
Marital Status:	Single
Known Relatives:	Renée Mallory (paternal grandmother), several aunts and uncles
Known Powers
Darkness Control and Manipulation, Shadow-walking, Flight, Shapeshifting, Pain Control, Empathy (Focused on Love, Lust and Desire), Aura Sense
Known Abilities
Bartending, Filmmaking
Equipment
As needed, usually CinnaHots
Smells like cinnamon candy. More powerful than she believes herself to be.

Background

Isaac & Misako Mallory

Isaac Mallory was the black sheep of his family, falling into a life of crime at a young age and, at the turn of the century, being one of the founding members of the gang that would become known as the Hellions. It was there he met Misako, an outcast from her own family, and the two fell in love, committing crimes and stealing from anyone who they thought might give them a taste of magical power. In 2002, they found just such a book during a smash and grab of books meant to go to the magic department of the university in Salamanca. Through one, they learned how to summon a demon prince and beg a favor - but not fancying the idea of actually selling their souls, they decided instead to sell the soul of their unborn child. The demon gave them wealth and power - in return he implanted a demon - Umbra Midnight - inside of the unborn child, to take over when she was of the proper age.

Umbra Midnight

As far as Umbra Midnight can remember, she's about three hundred human years old. A demon of wrath, she had spent her entire existence in Hell, a cog in the Infernal machine. In a lot of ways, she had no experience to draw on, but also few connections - perfect fodder for a demon prince who needed a tool for his plot. She was told to wait until the time was right, then she could conquer the girl's mind, destroy her from within, and with a human body, further her master's goals on Earth. So she waited, trapped in the mind of a child, for years and years.

Ursula Mallory

Ursula Mallory was born a seemingly normal child - except for her purple hair. Her parents did the bare minimum to care for her, leaving her to mostly take care of herself while they reveled in their wealth and Hell-spawned success, moving from a slum in Perez Park to an expensive part of Founders' Falls. Ursula grew up with the impression that this was just how it was. She entertained herself with books and music, mostly staying out of the way of her busy father and kept at arm's length from her mother, who was more interested in her excessive collection of Japanese dolls. The only family member that cared for her was her grandmother, who was dimly aware that something was deeply wrong but could do nothing about it from her small home in New Jersey and, as a rule, only saw her on holidays or when her parents left her there to go one vacations together.

By her sixteenth birthday, Ursula was slowly becoming aware of her parents' indifference towards her. She was still essentially friendless, now going to Founders' Prep, more from the social expectations placed on her parents by her peers than any desire for her to have a quality education. Seventeen years to the day from her conception her demon became unbound - she was free. Ursula had no idea what was going to happen, sitting in the back of the class thinking dark thoughts about her classmates, when suddenly Umbra Midnight came forward, a violent seizure of her mind and body, and went on a rampage. Founders' Prep burned as people ran screaming from the school, collapsing in on itself in a roar of flames. Infernal showed up as a first responder, but only arrived in time to see Umbra Midnight laughing in the ruins before fleeing into the shadows.

Ursula woke up hours later, her clothes in tatters from the demon's possession. Confused and terrified, she made her way home to find her parents trying to stuff the last decade and a half into bags that they could throw in a car and drive the hell away from what had happened to their daughter. They had known it was coming, if not the day, and when the reports had shown up on TV, they knew. Ursula, still with barely an idea what had happened, confronted them. Misako shrank back, but Isaac talked. He explained, terrified but speaking calmly, the deal they had made, what they had gained. Misako barely spoke, mostly nodding, confirming what was said.

Umbra Midnight awoke in Ursula's mind. Still too drained to take over, she could feel the wrath of the girl bubbling over, the perfect fuel for her Infernal powers.

"What do you want?" she whispered in Ursula's mind.

"I want them to burn," the frightened girl thought back.

"Then burn them," Umbra said, and let Ursula taste the power.

Isaac didn't look away. He faced the fires and the righteous wrath of his daughter. Misako begged. Isaac was quick. She was not. Ursula left her home in flames and fled to the streets, for days control passing back and forth between demon and human soul.

Intervention

It had been days, on the run from everyone, fighting a losing battle with the demon in her head, when Ursula saw some Skulls pile into the back of a truck... and not reappear. Poking her head inside, she found her way into Pocket D, and it became her home for the next month or so. Ursula stayed in the D as much as possible, knowing that the neutrality there would protect people from Umbra's desire to cause chaos - at the least she'd be forced to make her way out of the D, giving time for Ursula to keep fighting for control. All the same, it was a battle she was losing, slowly but surely, until two people changed her life forever. While hiding out at the bar, she met Angie Bardoux, also known as Singular Violet, who took an interest in both her human and demon sides, and a member of the Justice Girls, Mary E. Scott, hero name Darkstar, who while initially hostile to Umbra Midnight cared deeply about Ursula's welfare.

It all still might have come to naught but for one disastrous mistake. Ursula, not wanting to get kicked out of Pocket D, decided to find a place to stay on Earth, taking one of the exits to find a homeless shelter in the Rogue Isles. She was initially safe, but the power of her Infernal passenger alerted a Fortunata Seer, who dispatched a squad of Arachnos soldiers to "collect" her for Arachnos. Urse resisted being taken, as violently as she was able, and in the chaos, one of the soldiers shot her through the heart. Urse felt her life fading, and Umbra Midnight now realized the danger she was in. The way she had been bound, if Ursula died, the trauma would destroy her as well. Umbra Midnight leapt forward, destroying the Arachnos squad with unchecked fury before fleeing back to Pocket D. She forced herself to remain in control, pouring her Infernal energies into healing the fatal wound, all the while hiding from the Angels of Death and any other psychopomps who might try and claim Ursula's soul.

Afterwards, Umbra Midnight was a changed demon, humbled and afraid. Following Angie and Mary's guidance, she sought out a spirit medium to let the two souls talk, face to face, for the first time. Their options had been revealed to be limited - there was no guarantee that they could survive separately of each other, and while Ursula's soul might pass on, Umbra almost certainly faced her final death. So they made a choice. Unwilling to fight for control of Ursula, Umbra agreed to something radical - they would both remain in control, their souls slowly, inexorably merging to a single being, both Ursula Mallory and Umbra Midnight and yet her own independent person.