Cindy Dunn

Cindy Dunn is a gold-band Alpha with the power of oxykinesis, the ability to manipulate oxygen. She is considered a problem poster, having run away from the Maillardet's Academy twice since she started at the school. Her documented issues with authority led the Foundation to purposefully mislabel her abilities, in an effort to limit her growth and push her in a "useful" direction.
Thus, Cindy grew up believing she was a Beta with "breeze" powers, when in fact her abilities extended to an Alpha-level control over oxygen itself. She discovered the full scope of her powers under traumatic circumstances after running away from school. The experience shook her deeply, prompting her to return to the Academy and retreat into herself. Fortunately she's got her roommate, Zipporah Chance, on her side, and the two have grown closer as Zip has done her best to aid Cindy through her depression.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Cindy was born to a teenage mother who had been unable to provide for a posthuman child. As a result, Cindy was raised by the system, never knowing her birth family.quipquipquip: Things To Know About Cindy 'Tinker Bell' Dunn
When she was assessed, testers found that she had Alpha-level control over oxygen, technically a red-band ability. Given her documented issues with authority, however, they deemed her to be unsuitable as leadership material, and judged it better to limit her growth instead. Cindy was thus labelled a gold-band Beta and was led to believe that her powers were limited to manipulating breezes.quipquipquip: Things To Know About Cindy 'Tinker Bell' Dunn
===At the Academy===
Cindy didn't want to be a superhero. She didn't want to be at the Academy, where she was teased for her size, doll-like looks and "weak" breeze powers. She didn't try to do well in classes or to make a name for herself; all she wanted to do was get through school without being bothered.
She ran away twice. The first time was during her first block; a cape retrieval team picked her up in So-Cal a little over a week later. The second time was rougher. Halfway through the first year of her third block, she ran away with another girl,Origins, Issue #4, pp. 145-146 only to learn the true extent of her powers when she accidentially ripped the oxygen from a man's lungs, almost killing him. The experience shook her deeply and she returned to the Academy of her own accord. Once the suffocation incident was connected back to Cindy, her fate was sealed. It didn't matter that the man had attacked her; she had been labelled a problem poster, and she had no choice but to remain at Maillardet's.
Reclassified as an Alpha and partnered with Ofelia D, Cindy is repeating her first year of the third block. Initially, she struggles. Deeply depressed, she spends most of her time sleeping, missing most of her classes and eating little. Her roommate, Zipporah Chance, becomes increasingly worried as she sees Cindy growing skinnier, rarely leaving bed or touching the food Zip brings for her. Zip takes her concerns to Nurse Bliss,Origins, Issue #4, p. 144 who calls Cindy in for a wellness exam on the pretext of her absence from class.Origins, Issue #4, p. 147
After this, Cindy begins to gradually improve. The pills Nurse Bliss prescribes help her mood, and although she still has bad days, most of the time she is able to get herself out of bed and attend her classes. Zip tries to support her, bringing her breakfast from the mess every day.Origins, Issue #5, p. 202 By the end of the year, she is a happier person,Origins, Issue #7, p. 338 and her friendship with Zip seems close to becoming something more.Origins, Issue #7, p. 373
==Personality==
Cindy is a "prickly porcupine of a person" who struggles with her anger issues and smart mouth.
She suffers from depression, at least in part due to the traumatic circumstances in which she discovered the full extent of her abilities. Having earned a strike on her record, she wonders if the authorities were right, and if she really is too unstable to exist outside of Foundation.
==Physical appearance==
Cindy has thick, honey-colored hair, worn short in a pixie cut.Origins, Issue #2, p. 87Origins, Issue #5, pp. 204-206 She is 5'1".quipquipquip: "How tall are the kids?"
==Powers and abilities==
Cindy has the power of oxykinesis, oxygen manipulation. Although she would more accurately be considered a Red-band Alpha, her issues with authority led to her being labelled a gold-band Beta in an effort to limit her growth and push her in a more "useful" direction. Since her return to Maillardet's, she has been reclassified as a gold-band Alpha.
Cindy's power has a wide range of potential applications, some of them very destructive. By manipulating oxygen in the environment, she could cause metals to corrode, render pyrokinetics powerless (or cause them to explode by concentrating oxygen around them), or induce brain damage, suffocation or death.quipquipquip: "Cindy is so precious!!"
==Trivia==
*Cindy's favorite color is gold.quiqpquipquip: "What are the kids' favorite colors?"
*Cindy loves citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruit, and sour candy.quipquipquip: "Besides oranges, what's Cindy’s favorite citrus?"
*If Cindy were at Hogwarts, she'd be a Slytherin.quipquipquip: "Hogwarts houses"
==Appearances==
*Origins
==References==
Category:Characters
Category:Gold-bands
Category:Alphas
Category:Origins characters