Ada Callahan

== Information ==
=== Pre-Game History ===
It’s the Old West. Cowboys ride around on horseback cracking whips and slinging pistols, bandits commit highway robbery and poker is the coolest card game ever. There’s duels in the street, lone rangers riding off into the sunset and the ladies vary from polite and well dressed to scarcely clad and hanging around in a saloon. It’s a dangerous time to live; if the scenery doesn’t kill you, then a lack of medical knowledge and safety regulations or a stranger with a gun will.
To add to that, this particular Old West that Ada grew up in is home to a great many supernatural beings as well. In fact, the whole world is wrought with magic. It’s in the Earth, in the air, in the people all around. Not everyone has magical abilities, in fact the majority live normal human lives, but there are more than a few in the crowd that can not only sense the magic in the world, but use it to their own advantage. These people, often male, are called Wizards, and it’s with the magic they pull from their surroundings that they can say, shoot lightning out of their hands or blow up a village. Not all wizards are good, just as not all people are good. Along with Wizards come Vampires, Werewolves, Dwarves and in extremely rare cases, Telepaths.
Ada Callahan was born in a small settlement a half day’s ride from a large trade route town called King’s Creek. Her parents were good people and she had a relatively happy first few years. Her Dad was a worker at a ranch and a hard worker at that. The ranch was owned by an old, respectable werewolf named Hudson, and the two families got along well. While packs generally kept to themselves, Ada’s parents were close enough to the old Wolf and his sons that by the time Ada was born, they were accepted not just as friends, but as family.
Ada’s mother played the part of a normal woman, but she was far from that. She was a telepath, as was her mother before her, and with warning from her mother, always kept her gift a secret save for to a few. Telepathy hadn’t always been as rare a power as it is today. It was uncommon, yes, but the key reason for the lack of telepaths in society was simply that they were killed off. The power is one generally passed from mother to daughter, with sons rarely born with the trait. Given the ways of the world, having a telepath on your side is always a handy thing. It can give the one up on a rival gang, aid in a robbery or evading the local law enforcement, and allow an opening to cheat in business. It’s easier to strike a deal in your favor if you know exactly who, where and what your opponent is after.
All was well until not long after Ada turned six years old. A rival pack had come into the area and tensions mounted between Hudson's pack and the other. Territory was not something easily shared among werewolves, and what started as a few small incidents, mere bickering and words, quickly escalated to physical violence and sabotage. The farm was set alight one night, an attempt by the rival to destroy all that Hudson and his family, Ada and her parents included, had. It was to be a message to others not to cross them, and a method of taking away any reason of Hudson's to stay on his land. The two packs fought, Ada's father caught in the onslaught while her mother tried to get Ada out to safety. Her plan failed and they were cornered. Ada's mother was killed but Ada left alive, the rival pack member sent after her unable to kill a child. Were she wolf, it might of been a different story.
Both packs near wiped each other out before a ceasefire was called. By then, only four remained from Ada's side of the fight. One, the fiance of one of Hudson's sons survived the fight and left shortly after. There was little point to staying with a broken pack without her mate. Another was one of Hudson's sons, but he was unstable from the battle and not suited for raising a child, no matter how well he knew her. The other was a werewolf boy named Carter, a few years older than Ada and known amongst the pack for being incredibly quiet. It's not that he was stupid, rather that he liked to listen more than speak and had a tendancy to let others make decisions for him. He looked to Ada, even at her young age, as something of a leader.
Two children left alone was not a good situation. Lucky for them, Ada's grandfather was still alive and well and took the pair of them in. He was a kind man, but a serious businessman as well. In the trade town of King's Creek, Grandfather Callahan owned a general store and a saloon, as well as a country house on the outskirts. This house would be Ada and Carters home for the remainder of their childhood. Grandfather Callahan was rarely at home, often tending to his businesses and stopping in on weekends, but when he was around he was always there for the children. They were educated and looked after by the people he hired to watch his home in his absence, and the pair were raised with good morals. Of course nothing would erase what had happened in their pasts. Carter grew from a quiet boy to a quiet man, while Ada followed her grandfather into business but kept a wary eye on those around her and made sure her telepathy remained a secret.
Learning to use her powers was a struggle with no one to teach her, and for a time something as simple as visiting town was simply too overwhelming. Eventually she learned to block the voices out rather than having her telepathy pick up every signal in range and try to broadcast it at her at once. She taught herself to filter through the crowds, sort which was worth listening to and which weren't, how to silence some voices completely and how to make others louder. In her teens Ada went to help with the saloon and found she had a knack for running a business and barwork. It also allowed her an everlasting source of minds to practise with while she worked out her telepath abilities and a contant flow of information.
At age 22, Ada's grandfather died. To her he left the saloon, with Carter to always have a job and a home with her should he want it. For the first few months Ada took time to settle into things without him. She missed her grandfather a lot, and there were sides to the business that she was yet to adjust to. When she finally did get a handle on things, she started to work on improving the saloon and boost business. Funds were good enough for some small adjustments and repairs to be made and she opened up a set of rooms to rent within the building. Her down time from work was to play cards with those that visited the bar. Her knack for reading minds and skill at cards made her something of a winner. Luck, she put it down to even if that wasn't entirely the case, and to be called a 'lucky whore' was a common phrase used to describe her after a win at cards. Rather than take it to heart, she embraced the title as something of a joke. The Saloon was renamed 'The Lucky Whore', though an uneducated signwriter was put in charge of the sign to mark the building. As a result of the mans typo, the saloon became 'The Lucky Hor'. Ada found it gave the place character and so it stayed that way.
A few years later a wizard rolled into town and took up residence in one of the rooms she had on offer. His name was Reese Booker, and Ada took an immediate liking to him. Their first encounter was a bit of a rollercoaster ride, with the pair getting along one minute and fighting like crazy in the store room the next. His mind was different to the rest of the people she'd met. It was bright and welcoming, even if the owner of said mind would rather she stay out. Each step into his mind brought Ada the feel of his power, like electricity charging at the back of his brain. It was a thrilling encounter, and one Reese knew was happening. In many ways, he was different to everyone else. That he was aware of her presence was plain bizarre and unexpected.
They fought at lot, bickering over anything and everything, but the affection between the pair was mutual. Irritating as he was, Ada liked the man and wanted him around. A fast friendship grew and while they constantly jumped from laughter to yelling at each other, Ada and Reese became a couple. What started as as the odd card game and casual date turned to something more. For the first time in her life, Ada was truly in love.
While she understood his work, that wizards of his caliber travelled the area helping out with problems both supernatural and ordinary, Ada never liked it. Whenever Reese was away, Ada would throw herself into her work until the days leading up to his return, when she would start to reach out with her mind to find him. Just knowing he was okay was a huge comfort in itself. His return would bring out a better side to her. Not to say that Ada was unhappy without him around, but she smiled a lot more with him there. After one particularly long time away, Reese popped up on her mental radar and Ada and gave the sign that he was on his way home. For all her independance, Reese was something of a stable point in her life. Without him, she could function more than well, but with him, she excelled. Excited that Reese was on his way home, Ada continued her work with a slighty broader smile than usual, counting down the days until she'd see him again.
It was a wait that would take far more than she ever thought. A cave in would drop Reese and his companion Dutch into ancient dwarven ruins with no easy way out. Weeks added to the journey home and Ada out of mental range to let her know what happened, Reese had no choice but to take the only way out he could get. Ada on the other hand was in total panic. One moment he'd been there, mind bright and readable and strong, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Terror gripped her. Dangerous as his line of work was, Ada never even considered that one day he might not come home. She set out immediately, Carter at her side refusing to let her travel alone and for weeks, Ada searched for Reese, stopping only when exhaustion knocked her off her feet or Carter forced her to rest. It was well timed that when Reese finally did make it back to King's Creek and The Lucky Hor, Ada was in town. Pride stopped her from breaking down until they were alone and behind closed doors. Only once before had Ada been so scared in her life and reliving that fear had not been fun at all.
One night was all they would have together, a wizard from Reese's past turning up the following morning and asking that Reese join him for an important job. Her barriers broke. Ada couldn't stand for him to leave again so soon and the emotional wear and tear of him being gone and feared for dead severely clouded her judgement. Though it was clear he didn't want to leave her, Ada took the Reese's choice to leave as being put second in his life. Again. She wondered if this was how it would always be; her left behind to worry if she'd ever see him again. It was a time where being able to hear the thoughts of those around you really didn't help things along. Whispers and suspicions started to show up, talk that Reese probably had a lover in every town he went to and that Ada was one of many, that he was using her because for all her bravado, deep down she was a weak woman that needed him to hold her up. Ridiculous as she knew these things were, doubt got in the way. Anger fueled and by the time Reese returned from the job, Ada had decided this was the last time. Rather than welcoming him with open arms, she told him to leave, that they were over and there would never be a 'them' again.
It was the one time she really needed him to fight with her, to fight for her, to tell her she was being stupid and to reassure her that while they had problems, it was all gonna be okay. He didn't, and she wouldn't ask him to. Pride was a pro and a con to each of them, and with Reese as stubborn as Ada and not about to back down, Reese left. Instantly Ada regretted telling him to go, but by the time she tried to reach him, he was long gone. Heartbroken and guilty, she told herself that he'd come back, that if she really mattered to him, he'd return. Days later, there was no sign of Reese and Ada found herself in Holloway's Keep.
=== Game History ===
=== Personality ===
Ada is... a bit of a shit. She's proud and stubborn, a little moody at times and fast to stand up for what she thinks is right. Not afraid to speak up when she has something to say, Ada has a knack for bringing more trouble than necessary to her life. She hates the rules of society, specifically the ones that say men get to be heroes and women get to stay home and have babies. Thus the saloon she inherited is one owned, run and maintained by her, with Carter working with her but not managing the bar in any way other than service. His role in the saloon isn't one forced upon him, the werewolfs involvement with the place entirely up to him. Originally she offered him a full partnership, but Carter was the one who asked for simple work and a place to sleep. Where Ada throws herself into the fray, Carter lives simply. Not to say that Ada doesn't like the quiet, but her attention span demands more to do than the minimum.
Knowing what people are thinking has skewed her perception of humanity, and while most would see it as horribly invasive to read anothers thoughts without permission, Ada sees it as something of a right. With the world being as dangerous as it is and a telepath as valuable as they are, glancing at the minds of the people around her is essentially her first line of defense and one she puts to full use. While it's saved her a few times from trouble, or given her the upper hand in a situation that could of ended poorly for her Ada has also fallen head first into the less kind thoughts that people have. She's heard the gossip, the nastiness, the cruel thoughts and assumptions both in regards to her and others. People are something she sees herself as an outsider to. They're her targets in business, tools to her trade and success, and while she does like to see them happy, it's more the accomplishments and approval that drive her forward.
She's a brilliant businesswoman, able to manage and run a saloon, keep her workers and dancers in check and stay on top of costs. When it comes to bargaining, Ada is able to keep a level head and her pokerface is incredibly well practiced. Blame a lifetime of pretending to the world that you can't hear their every thought. While always open to suggestions and happy to compromise, Ada is a bit of a nutter when it comes to knowing details. She needs to know what's going on and hates when things are kept from her, more so when said things could have prevented bigger things from happening.
In general, Ada is hard to get close to. She's friendly, yes, and gives everyone the same chance, but even then her friends are never quite let in. Sometimes it's just hard to trust people when you've seen the side of them that no one ever should. Three people in the world know about her telepathy and only one of those she told willingly, so it's safe to say that trust is something incredibly hard to get from her. Should any actually breach the impenetrable wall that is Ada's self defense system, she's loyal to them forever. When Ada loves, she loves with all her heart, even if her mouth tends to run without her really thinking of what she's saying.
She likes to laugh and is pretty much always up for a joke. Ultimately, no matter the problems she has or the stresses her business and the people in it bring, Ada is a happy lady who cares a lot about those around her, even if she has odd ways of showing it. She's good with kids and has a lot of time for them, knowing full well what it's like to grow up without a real mother or father to lead the way and teach the ropes. Children is something she's decided against, at least for herself. Between Ada's telepathy and Reese being a wizard with tainted blood, she figures it safer that they don't have kids, if only to spare them the 'gifts' that their parents carry. As a result, Ada takes on an aunt-like role in the lives of the children in her area, wanting to help and guide them as best she can and give them a real shot at life. Stubborn as she is, Ada isn't selfish when it comes to things that really matter. She's happy to share and would give her life without hesitation for someone she cares about.
=== Appearance ===
=== Abilities, Skills and Talents ===
Ada is a telepath, but while her abilities run close to standard, there are a few differences in what she can and cannot do. To Ada a human mind is a mass of layers that she can pick through as she pleases. The top levels are open thoughts, that which is immediately in the person's head. If someone is actively thinking about the pretty flower across the street, Ada can read their mind at a glance and know exactly which flower in the field it is. It's as good as them speaking the thought to her.
Secondary layers are the things she has to work a little harder to get to. Ada can't just glance at these, instead having to actively dive into the person's thoughts. She needs to have a set point, something specific to search for or something from that top level of mind to follow in. Following with the flower example, Ada could push that thought further and dive into the person's mind to find that yellow flowers remind said person of the time they were given a flower by a man in a blue hat. Details and specifics of the man are then on offer for her to follow. It's basically a network, each node linking to another and delving deeper into the person's mind.
The third layer is where the secrets lie, the more guarded fragments of said persons thoughts. At this depth, even normal people with no magical prowess can generally tell that something isn't right, though pinpointing the fact that their thoughts are under invasion is about impossible to conclude. To one with an affinity to magic, Ada's presence would be impossible to miss. This is a layer that she cannot access without either following a mass of thoughts from the first two levels down, or being directly invited to this point (she would still need to make the journey in. no shortcuts) by the person in question.
Layer number four is where the very core of a person's mind is. It's a terrifying place, even for a telepath and somewhere most, if not all would avoid completely. No one wants to delve that deep into a mind. The fourth layer is where the very subconscious of the person lies and it can and will defend itself. Layer four is delicate, and it's easily for the mind reading to backfire on the telepath or kill one or both of the parties involved. Layer four is somewhere Ada has zero interest in ever going.
Unlike Charles Xavier, Ada cannot speak directly into someone's mind. Instead she can send an image, like a snapshot of whatever it is she wants to share, or in some cases a feeling. If it's something she is seeing or feeling directly at that time, the signal will be stronger and the image or feeling clearer. It should be noted that while she can't speak, Ada has taken to writing small notes or single words on napkins and sending the snapshot of the word in question to whoever in place of voice.
How well she connects with a person mentally depends a lot on how much she likes the individual in question, and how much they like her in return. She can read any mind, but the ease and, in her terms 'brightness' of the mind falls strongly on mutual affection between her and them, and magical ability of the one she's reading.
A stranger that walks into the bar with zero magical power and neutral feelings toward Ada would give her access to basic immediate thought (layer one). The mind would be to her like a dimly lit room and the words, while there, would be easy to miss if she wasn't paying much attention. They might as well be one voice in a crowded room of squabbling people, there, but not obvious.
Her lover, Reese, on the other hand, is both a powerful wizard and affectionate towards her, as was she to him from the day they met. His mind is bright, well lit and his words and thoughts come to her clear as day. The images she can send to him are clearer, lasting a second or two longer than the stranger from the example above, the feelings are stronger and if they focus enough, a brief glimpse of a strong memory can be shared.
A thought directly about her or directed to her will trigger her attention no matter who the person is. It's as good as calling out to her. Even if she can’t read it, she’ll be aware that the thought is in regards to her, and depending on her connection with that person, may get some vibe as to if it’s a good or bad thought.
In the Keep, Ada won't be able to push past the second layer. Layer One won't be an issue, but lingering in Two for more than an hour will leave her with a headache for the rest of the day, and any attempts to use her telepathy in the next four hours will bring her muddled, jumbled messages and images that make little sense and don't string together right. Sending more than ten images in an hour will also bring on the headache, which will then worsen with each image until she hits the point of migraine and cannot brain at all. Staff will be unreadable, no matter how she tries.
== Relationships ==
=== Castmates ===
=== Other Characters ===
Category:Active
Category:Characters
Category:Original Character