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Random
Project: Comic
Known as: Random
Real name: Carolina Kowal (often goes by “Lina”)
Group affiliation: MizFits
Physical description: Random is exactly like her twin sister (Cassidy/Nudge), at least in every way she can’t change (e.g., a little shorter than average, quite thin, sharp, well-defined features). In every other way, she is a sharp contrast. Her hair is usually one or more colors not found in nature (pink, purple, green), and is usually cut asymmetrically (often with a closely-cropped side with a charming phrase shaved in like “Screw you”). Her fashion style, at first glance, looks like Goth. However, she usually incorporates something unexpected (like a brightly-colored cashmere scarf). Her shoes are often different colors from one another. In short, she is non-traditional/non-conformist (yet somehow it all comes together and works).
History: Random grew up in suburban Short Hills, New Jersey, and she’d be happy to tell you all about it. Of course, it will be a lecture on how modern suburban America is a blight on the human soul, sucking away all creativity and individualism until all that is left is empty automatons mindlessly going through the motions. She was a downright disruptive student, and most of her teachers dreaded her constant challenges (of course, most of them also realized she was smarter than them). With some effort, she was a solid C student (the effort on her part was the work she put in not to get better grades). She has always been a huge bookworm (point of pride usually true, paper books), and her self-education would put most college curriculum to shame.
For the most part, people have always disappointed Random. Less at a personal level (although she’s been let down more than a few times there, as well), but more as a species. It always seemed to her that no one lived up to the ideals she read about in her philosophy books, nor could any lives measure up to the heroics she read about in her fiction books. She has the spirit of an activist but sees too much hypocrisy and ulterior motives in most movements to ever join. And that is only considering the interesting, extraordinary people. The vast majority of humanity to her are banal, stupid, selfish animals not even worth her time to insult. She is one of the youngest curmudgeons around. Of course, her power also causes her to largely isolate herself when possible.
Yet she does have a tremendous soft spot for those she sees as disadvantaged and disenfranchised. As victims of the system she hates, at least their shortcomings seem understandable and forgivable. For someone who believes she doesn’t like people, she does help the less fortunate (in secret whenever possible; and she favors helping those she discovers on her own, vs. formally volunteering somewhere). She sees them as kindred spirits (which is interesting for a person who has a wealth of mental, physical, and familial advantages).
It probably goes without saying for anyone who has also read about Nudge that Random and her twin sister do not get along at all. Nudge is the ultimate disappointment to Random somewhat smart enough to see the flaws in the system but embraces it anyway. The feeling is mutual, as there is no one in the world Nudge wanted to prove she was better than then her sister. Random always did the one thing that was worse to Nudge than beating Nudge in competition: Random wouldn’t even compete. Of course, Random knew this drove her sister nuts, and reveled in it.
Random ultimately thought she had found her niche. She worked at a used bookstore (inventory and paperwork; she avoided customers). The pay was pretty low, but the older man who owned the store let her crash on a cot in the office and read whatever she wanted. The man, Ezra, though Random was a complete pain in the ass but secretly loved her like a daughter (both feelings were also mutual).
That changed when Random, never particularly adverse to breaking the law, impulsively did something she shouldn’t have with people she shouldn’t have been with. One of those people was her future team mate Boost, and their abilities interacted in such a way that fundamentally changed the city of New York, with some tragic consequences.
Random finds herself with the MizFits for fairly simple reasons. First, the events with Boost made it clear that the humanity she was so disappointed in unfortunately included her. She now finds that she may have to embrace her personal kryptonite: responsibility. Second, the MizFits’ leader, Abia (Puzzle) may just be the truly admirable person Random didn’t know she was searching for. Perhaps there is even hope that Random will connect with her equally-humbled sister, but she doubts it.
Role in the narrative: There is the mystery of what happened with Boost. Redemption, especially when it may not be clear to the character that they need it, is a traditionally handy driver of story/pathos. Also, Random and Nudge are a pretty obvious dynamic of opposed identicalness. Both have worked really hard to distinguish themselves from one another, but this has ironically shown exactly how much they are alike. They both see themselves as independent but are ruled by society (Nudge in a conformist way; Random equally so in a non-conformist way). The share similar strengths (intelligence, their powers) and weaknesses (viewing themselves as separate/superior to others). And both can’t stand, but secretly really need, the other. Finally, a character that encourages unusual things to happen can be awfully convenient to a story-teller.
Abilities: Reality is a bit more squishy when Random is around. Unusual, improbable things tend to happen when she is around. If you flip a coin 10 times around Random, it’s not unusual for it to come up heads every time or tails every time. She cannot, however, predict or influence whether it would be heads or tails. In fact, if she really tries to influence the outcome, things are likely to get still more random (e.g., the coin lands on its edge).
There is a sort of Murphy’s law corollary to Random’s powers. Not that the outcomes are more likely to be “bad,” it’s that her powers are more likely to manifest in situations with lots of things happening. So, she tends to avoid events with active crowds, and the fact she prefers books to electronic alternatives may not be surprising. Spills, falls, flat tires, and more are more common around Random, so even when people don’t notice the “bad luck” (people tend to attribute the good luck around her to themselves), people are often vaguely uneasy around Random. Random has developed little control over her power but can “amp up” the effects a little if she concentrates.
Since she has no control, on the balance her abilities have been more curse than gift (she buys winning lottery tickets, and loses them). If Random and Nudge could ever find a way to work together, the results would be impressive. Nudge can affect things with intent, while Random’s ability could enable Nudge to do more than small things. However, this means that Random will have to give up control to Nudge, and Nudge will have to rely on Random (so, don’t hold your breath).
Additionally, Random is probably smarter than her sister, but lacks the discipline to be in as good of shape. She is a walking encyclopedia of facts, and has some skills in minor larceny (lock picking, minor grifts, etc.).
Inspirations: As noted for Nudge: Twins have obviously been used for narrative purposes many times, but likely Caramon And Raistlin influence me here. Reality-altering or “luck” powers are also obviously not new (e.g., Domino). There is a bit of Tyrion in Random’s curmudgeon-ness with her sympathy for the outsiders. The narrative convenience of having characters who cause unlikely things to happen is influenced by the Wheel of Time.
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