[Phantom]

Casey Winter Jung

Full Name: Casey Winter Jung
Pronouns: Xie\Xer
Nicknames: N/A
Age: 26
Gender: Nonbinary
Room #: -
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Birthday: November 30th
Orientation: Queer (Attracted to women and femmes)
Status: Single
Power: Feral Mind
Play-By: Chungha
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 113lbs


Personality:
Don't let the cute face fool you, Casey is strong. Xie is confident and secure in xirself, and goes through life in a leisurely way- because ain't nobody going to whoop xer ass. Xie may take xer time, but xie is thorough and efficient. Casey likes to keep an open mind about most things- and isn't tied down to notions of "tradition". With xer friends xie is generous (in fact, Casey has a very bad habit with friends with "bad" boyfriends- xie really can't help but outdo them, especially if they're giving gifts to apologize. One upping dudes who deserve less than nothing is fun!)

To say that Casey is a proud person wouldn't be saying enough, really. Xie is protective of xer own, and while they prefer not to- they're not afraid to get physical. "Try Jesus, don't try me," is a wonderful motto. That said, while they are jocular- Casey is usually being retrained. Xie is very careful not to get too carried away in any situation- lest they descend into a feral state. Casey actually enjoys fighting, but xie doesn't let xirself. Not the way they want to, anyway. Recently- unless they're acting completely ridiculous or threatening someone- Casey will drop things before they get too heated.

The problem is that Casey is reactive. They want to drop things- xie wants to stay out of things- but xie can't always. Especially in the personal realm. They're "reformed", but the gangsta still comes out sometimes. Casey is assertive, and more than a little irritable. But if they're acting like that in the open that's a good thing- when Casey gets too quiet that usually means that they're trying very hard to keep from knocking someone's teeth out with their bare fists.

Unless xie has gone completely feral, Casey is usually very articulate. Xie doesn't see themselves, or act as, a leader- but throughout their life Casey has usually found themselves with a crew of their own. Xie is venturesome, and when the mood strikes xir- can even be a bit predatory and calculating. Casey is wild in the truest sense of the definition- xie always trusts xer instincts, and does what xie wants.

History:
Casey never had a dream.

When they were asked in kindergarten, xie would copy what the kids next to xer wrote. If they wrote "president", xie wrote "president". It wasn't that Casey had no ambitions- xie had plenty of those. But there's never been that ache in xer chest. That pull that other people talk about. The only pull that xie had ever had in xer life was to bloody xer own knuckles. To go wild- maybe that counts.

Casey was raised by two extremely image-focused parents. Who were deeply in denial about how much they cared about how they seemed to other people. Xie was sent a lot of confusing mixed messages as a child. They worked incredibly hard- but didn't seem to want anyone to see that they worked hard. They were hiding behind the facade of the perfect family, so scared of other people's judgements, that they rejected the idea of status in the first place.

They wanted a beautiful, perfect daughter who would overachieve and never sweat while doing it- like they did. And for a long time, Casey played that role. Xie wasn't very good at it- and would often come home with xer stockings ripped and mud all over xer skirt. Xie would instigate games at school with the other girls that even boys wouldn't play. It turned out that Casey did get the message loud and clear, even at that age. While xer parents "weren't concerned" with status at all- xie was. Casey wanted to be cool.

Xie spent a lot of time and effort curating xer cool-girl persona. Meanwhile, Casey did what xer parents asked xer to do. Xie did well in school, wore the clothes xer mother picked out (even the gaudy dresses, Casey didn't hate dresses, but xie didn't share xer mothers love of sunshine yellow,) and went to whatever lessons they wanted xir to take.

Except for one. Casey prepared for weeks xir argument for why xie should get Jiu-jitsu lessons. It wasn't properly "feminine", so xie thought that it was going to be an uphill battle. Xir dad just looked up from the paper and nodded when xie asked.

That pattern from xer childhood continued. At home, Casey was xer parents' perfect little girl. At school, xie was the eponymous cool-girl who did what xie wanted. Xie continued achieving. When it was time for xer to go to high school, xie was admitted to one of the highest performing schools in the country.

The atmosphere there was totally different than what Casey was used to. It was pretty easy for xer to achieve in regular schools. Here, everyone could be valedictorian.

In xer sophomore year, Casey decided xie didn't care anymore. Xie made friends with all the other high-performing misfits. Or, maybe, they made friends with xer- either way, things got interesting after that.

"Proper" young ladies didn't get into fist fights. Well, Casey wasn't proper. Xie burped and xie sat spread-eagle- xie shoved xer way into whatever xie wanted to- and xie slapped the crap out of a girl from a rival school for disrespecting xer and xer girls.

Casey and xer little gang had found some rivals.

It was never really that serious. They were just some girls from another high performing school in the area. Like minded souls, who recognized a few punches were a nice stress reliever. Sometimes they'd meet and tussle. The closest they all ever got to getting in trouble was when they started a fight under the bleachers at a football game. But it was all so exhilarating to xer!

In high school, Casey went on xer first and last date with a boy. Xie wasn't that interested, but what xie gleaned from the straight couples around xer was that most of them barely liked each other in the first place.

So xie put up with it for an evening. He wasn't very interesting. But, Casey never really found men that interesting. It wasn't that xie hated them- xie just didn't like how differently everyone treated them. Especially at school. The girls dress code was completely different than the boys one, and that seemed profoundly unfair.

So, xie didn't like xer date with a boy- but xie did get an interesting hobby from xer friends' dates with boys.

One of xer friends boyfriend's had majorly screwed up. He sent her a bouquet to apologize. Casey, being who xie was, sent her a nicer one. His reaction was priceless! Xie didn't really have any motivation for one-upping him- just wanted xer friend to feel a little better. Xie'd always been like that with xer friends, actually. Maybe xie was a little rough, but xie looked after xer own.

That summer, things got serious.

One of xer friends texted xer.
'help.'
'C i need you here.'

There were several other messages, but by then Casey was on xer way. Xie didn't know what xie was expecting. By the time Casey got there, xie was already in fight-or-flight mode. But Casey was never much of a screamer, and xie hadn't run from anything in xer life.

Up until then, Casey had only ever been in little tussles. Now, xie'd wanted to really smack the crap out of some people before- but xie hadn't. There was always something holding xer back.

But as xie turned that corner, xie could literally feel that boy's scalp in xer hands. The warmth. The rage flowing through xer.

Xie could hear xir friend screaming xir name- and it was like Casey dropped straight back into xer body like a brick. Xie had a bat in xir hand and xie was mid-swing. He was passed out in a puddle of his own blood, and xie didn't want to let go of the bat. Xer friend had to physically pull xer fist apart and take it from xer.

Xer parents' perfect little daughter had beaten a boy into a coma.

Casey had always hated being treated differently because of xer gender, but for once it worked in xer favor. Because, really- how much damage could a 4'7" girl do to a boy like that? He was pretty tall. And xie was a first-time offender.

He did end up waking up a week later, so xie had to do some mandatory anger management. Xer lawyer had, somehow, convinced his parents to settle out of court, so xie wouldn't have a record.

From that moment on, Casey was changed. Xie was stronger than xie'd ever been. But xie was also jittery. Xie had always had compulsions- but they were easy to shove aside. Now they were all xie could think about. Tap xer heels three times to chase away the bad thoughts. Tap. tap. tap.

Tap. tap. tap.

Tap. tap. tap.

Tap. tap. tap.

Xie cracked xer knuckles a lot. The preference in the order that xie ate xer candy- that had always been a preference (albeit, a strong one,) was now an order xie had to follow. Otherwise xie wouldn't be able to focus for the rest of the day. Xie went to the anger management classes, and they helped a little.

But Casey wasn't angry, xie was ravenous.

After that, the gang broke up. They all still floated around xer, of course. Nobody fucked with them now that they knew what xie was capable of- but they stopped getting into fistfights and hiking their skirts up two inches above regulation. It was time to prepare for the real world.

Casey didn't really know what xie wanted to do. So xie did what xie always did, and looked left- and looked right- and copied what everyone else was doing. Actually, a lot of them wanted to become engineers or doctors. But there were some kids who wanted to become lawyers- and that intrigued xer, a bit.

When Casey was accepted into college, xie decided to leave violence behind xir.

Shortly after, xie decided to leave her behind xir. Woman didn't feel wrong per se, but it didn't feel right either. Xie hadn't really thought about it until xie was talking to a friend one day. And they said xie could just... Stop. Being a woman. Like it was so simple!

It really was. Casey still caucused with the women, xie never enjoyed caucusing with the men- but xie didn't have to be one. Or maybe xie could still kind of be one- a non-binary woman. Honestly, xie didn't care too much about the label. Sometimes xie changed it. Maybe, in ten years, xie will change xer mind and change it again!

Whatever the case, xie didn't look like the Pintrest version of non-binary- and that was fine. Xie could shave all the hair off xer head and wear flannel, and xie would still be read as a woman on the street. There was no shaving the femme off those cheekbones. Why was it xir problem if long hair and makeup were gendered? If someone saw a pair of titties, and slapped a mental female on that person? Xie would correct them- politely- the first time, and if they didn't get it- they could not refer to xir until they did.

Just like in high school, and before, Casey formed xir own little crew. Except instead of getting into fist fights and hollering insults at each other at games, they were riding their bikes and crashing bars for fun. They were also a bonafide study group- which confused people. They could wear their leather jackets with their cute-ass iron-on patches and break up and read a hundred pages per night, host a book club, have movie nights... etc.

Although xie gave up violence, make no mistake- Casey was still a punk. Xie just didn't start fights. Xie was perfectly capable of finishing them though.

In private, by xirself- Casey began experimenting with that state. And xie could tap into it- for a time- without losing xer mind. It was xer break-in-case-of-emergency mode. A secret xie kept close to xer chest. While xie wanted to- xie could never get too wild or let too loose. Xie was careful about how much xie drank, and while all xer friends experimented with other substances- xie abstained. They all needed a trip sitter anyway.

The same way xie had sailed through grade school, Casey cruised through college. It wasn't that xie didn't try- but it was like xir parents were standing over xir shoulder all the time. You mustn't break a sweat. When xie was having a hard time, xer old cool-girl persona would pop back up, and take over. Xie studied- a lot- but xie had friends to study with.

Casey was still on the path that xie chose. Why not be a lawyer? Xie didn't have a record to stop xer. And xie could argue all day long (xie would learn that the arguing actually wasn't the point later, but hey).

Xie could not just cruise through the bar. People who dreamed of being lawyers failed the bar! Casey studied for a year. Xie did literally nothing else but study, and work for a few hours per day.

Xie passed- by a hair. Law school was a very different environment than any other xie'd been in.

Different was good, sometimes.

Casey had never had a dream. But, in law school, as xie learned all the particulars- and started looking at what xie actually wanted to do with that fancy degree- xie found purpose.

Casey wanted to be a public defender. Where xie could advocate and hold the police, prosecutors, and the criminal justice system accountable. To get xir clients the help that they needed- or, even to make sure that a kid didn't wind up with a record for a one-time offense.

It's one thing to defend someone who's innocent. It's something else entirely to defend someone who's guilty. And, beyond that, it took a hell of a lot of muscle to lift up someone who was angry- who was also a victim. Xir time in law school began to change xir politics.

Xir time as an intern at a public defenders office changed them even more.

The racial and gender disparities. The amount of non-violent offenders that were facing hard jail time. The cases where justice was never going to be done in a courtroom. It was difficult for xir to stomach. But somebody had to do it, step up and cut as many of the years off as possible. Or, sometimes- make sure they were obeying the rules of the registry, and that they were getting the treatment that they needed.

Public defenders represented everyone that had nowhere else to turn. Xie didn't have to like their clients. Xie just had to represent them, their, and the public's interest to the best of their ability.

Xie tempered xerself. Because Casey could argue xir case into the ground. Go round for round- blow for blow- drag things out for days, and bring everything forward. That wasn't always in their client's best interest. It wasn't even in their best interest. Instead of firing away with everything xie had, it was better to take xer time, and bring forward the best argument possible.

Casey had had a particularly hard day. They were on their way home, and xir bike was in the shop, so xie had to take the bus.

Casey had left violence behind xer, but sometimes the gangsta still came out. Generally xie tried to stay out of things, before xie flew into an unstoppable rage. No dice this time. It was hard for xer to just stand by and watch a grown man harass a high schooler. And more than that, he was getting louder and louder. It was really pissing xer off. Xie moved toward the middle of the bus where they were. Squared xer chest up and told him to knock it off.

Xie had never been a particularly intimidating person. Not unless that person knew how capable xie was of slapping the crap out of someone.

Xie could feel his scalp in xer hands. Xie was getting stronger. Xie got in real close, close enough that only the three of them could hear xir.

"If you touch her again, I'm going to jail."

Xie could see the confusion in his eyes.

"You?"

Then- just when xie was about to lean in and really threaten to gut him- the bus stopped. The girl grabbed Casey by the arm and laughed- "Come on Jennifer, we need to get home!" Once they were on the sidewalk xie finally felt like xie could take a deep breath. The girl actually did live pretty close by, she thanked xir, and declined when xie offered to walk her home.

Casey was left there on the sidewalk, triggered and unable to come down. Xie took another deep breath, and tapped xir ankles together a few times- tap. tap. tap.

tap. tap. tap.
tap. tap. tap.

The clothes that girl had been wearing looked a lot like their old school uniform. And it sent xir right back to that place. With the bat in xir hands- hitting and hitting and hitting and-

Someone else had gotten off the bus with them.

Casey hadn't completely come down from what had just happened. Xie was on xer guard. Xie almost collapsed when the woman looked at xer and praised xer for how much self controlled xie had. "Take a walk with me," she said, and Casey did.

She was a recruiter. There were people just like xer, all over the country. She just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Casey was suspicious. It sounded like a cult, and the pamphlet that she left xer with read like it was a cult. But she looked xer right in the eye and told xer that, if xie went, xie could learn to control xer "gift".

They met one more time. Xie had some questions. And not long after, xie was on a boat. To an island in the middle of nowhere.

Xie couldn't help but recall a case that xie'd gone over while sorting files as an intern. It was strange to xer at the time- but now it made some sense.

They were in for drugs, and the government offered a plea deal. Community service.

Then, they disappeared off the face of the Earth.

On paper, that is. Casey had no idea what happened to them. Xie wanted to find out.

Other:
The Powers:
Feral Mind- The user can tap into a primal instinctive state of mind, which can release an unstoppable rage that allows them to perform in vastly increased capacity, taking and inflicting damage that they couldn't or wouldn't in their normal state. In some cases, the user's mind descends so far into the feral state that, mentally, they are little more than wild animals.

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