The Phantom Thief

Name: Philomel Phaedre Tatham, or her alias, 'The Phantom Thief'.

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Occupation: Former (?) Thief / Coordinator

Personality: Philomel is a shy, quiet girl when first met. Her childhood has caused her to be reluctant in socializing with people, and her lack of proper social skills has given her a sense of paranoia and self-consciousness. She's afraid of looking like a fool in front of people, and can easily be offended with even the smallest hint of venom. Because of this self-hatred and high fear of being hated and made a fool of, she finds it very difficult to trust people.

Timidness aside, Philomel is a decent person most of the time. She's polite, and tries to acknowledge the feelings of other people. Though this does not spare her from occasional slip-ups, she tries to apologize as best as she can. However, this is only when she isn't freaking out. She is very paranoid, not only about herself, but also about a lot of things. She's afraid of accidentally triggering her inner demon, along with many other threats such as accidents, storms, psychics and odd paranormal occurrences. It's pretty obvious how jittery she is.

But do not underestimate her. Philomel can become a force to be reckoned with when triggered. At her limit, she can turn into something she refers to as 'Phantom'. Phantom is Philomel's other persona, and is the complete opposite of who she is. Phantom was made for her to cope with the depression, remorse, and disgust she had to cope with during her days as a killer. When present, Phantom causes Philomel to change, from her eyes darkening to her mouth curling into that of a Cheshire's. It's a nightmare personified, turning her once timid and gentle atmosphere into that of bloodthirsty nightmare. Unlike Philomel, Phantom does not hesitate to kill and harm whoever dares to stand in its way. However, it is not a mindless brute. It is cunning, crafty, and quite manipulative. It does not have sympathy, and always has this cold look in its eyes even with the unholy grin it often has. Phantom cannot come on its own terms, but it can leave whenever it wishes. Turning Philomel back to normal may be a bit of a task, but having to deal with Phantom would be more difficult.

Appearance: Philomel is around 5'5 in height, and around 110 lbs. She has jet black hair that she keeps in a very short cut, making it look a bit messy. However, the front of her hairstyle and her bangs are much longer, framing her face and can obscure it if she tilts her head. Because of this, it's a quite difficult to have a good view of her face, which she considers good considering her previous occupation. She has bright reddish-amber eyes, which she despises as it reminds her of her mother. She often wears long women's coats, ranging from black to white depending on how hot the weather is. She also wears beanies depending on her coat, along with pants or shorts and boots. She has many buckles on her clothes, as she finds them charming in a way. Along with this, she often has small items or weapons hidden for emergencies. During missions, she wears a black cat suit and a mask to avoid being seen in the darkness or being recognized.

History: Philomel was born in Unova, under a low-class family. It was difficult having to live with very limited resources and funds, but her small family pulled through for a few years. Her mother was a strict woman who despised their living conditions, only staying in fear of her daughter and her husband's survival. She worked in a normal, dull office that always forced her to stay from earliest dawn to the middle of the night. With so much stress being put upon her, it was only a matter of time before she would snap.

And ironically, the one who made her snap was her own spouse. During the Christmas of Philomel's 6th year, her father announced that he had quit his job in order to pursue a career as a magician. Such decision only made life worse as their savings began to dwindle. In less than a few weeks, they could no longer afford most of their needs and were already close to being kicked out of their small, worn apartment. Philomel's mother could no longer handle their lifestyle or her foolish husband. She left in the middle of the night, not even saying goodbye as she disappeared in the storm.

With her mother gone, Philomel and her father were left to fend for themselves. They were forced out of their home, having to take shelter in allies, trees, and wherever else they could shield themselves from the rain. But even in their conditions, Philomel and her jolly father were still able to enjoy each other's company. They went from city to city, performing magic tricks for crowds to get by. It wasn't a childhood filled with toys, friends, and most things children were supposed to have, but Philomel still considered it some of the best years of her life. It took a while, but her father was able to get enough money to build their own house, one that was located far into a forest of a nearby city. It was a refreshing change from their years of living on the streets.

During a familiar stormy night, she woke to the sound of sirens. Outside, several police cars and officers were at ready, surrounding the small shack they called home. Her father was arrested, having been committing burglaries and crimes all over the city for profit. Before he was taken away, he managed to alert Philomel about his situation, forcing her to escape in the middle of the night with a small bag cradled in her arms. Her father would be punished severely, making her chances of ever seeing him again near-impossible.

The following years, she took it upon herself to practice thievery, having no other choice as she was left with only the few possessions her father had left her. It seems she was pretty talented with the art of stealing and stealth, but even with her skill, she was soon uncovered by a woman who worked in the police department. This woman, however, did not bring her to justice. Instead, Philomel was adopted by her.

Sonia Strauss was an odd lady, but was considered a vital part of the police department due to her intelligence and conniving wit. Not even with years of companionship was Philomel ever able to crack the cold, emotionless expression the woman always had. Their conversations were never that of a family's, and they never grew attached except for their begrudging respect for each other. Sonia always had this odd thirst for revenge, having once hinted that she had some 'unfinished business' with the Jennies of Unova.

Strauss supplied Philomel with education and a normal lifestyle, raising her like a duty rather than a daughter. The girl didn't mind though, as she could never find herself seeing the woman as a mother. During the day, she would learn about normal everyday lessons, but during the night, she would be taught how to become a proper thief. Sometimes, she would even be told lessons made for an assassin. The lessons were interesting and enjoyable, but this only sparked her 'other side' further.

When she was deemed ready, she was sent off to do missions for Sonia. Many of these missions were large burglaries and sabotage, but there were also some cases where she was forced to kill someone. Having no other choice, Philomel took the lives of many in fear of being put down herself. The blood on her hands and the blood that was going to be added slowly pressured her unstable mind until she found a way to cope. That method? To create another persona. To solidify her inner demon. With allowing her dark subconscious to take the wheel during these times of distress, Philomel was spared from most of her remorse. However, as the death count rose, her inner demon had begun to go against her, taking control when triggered. Upon realizing this, her paranoia nearly doubled. She endured for years, hoping to somehow get rid of her other side some day.

The day came when Philomel was finally released from Strauss' care, left to wander the world as she wished. With her trusty partner beside her, she moved out of Unova, looking for a new region to start her life all over again. Well, mostly. She still takes a few private assignments here and there, either for profit or in fear of Sonia's wrath.

Extra:
-The last gift her father gave her was a Zorua named Silas.
-She has a phobia of storms and lightning, as they trigger unwanted memories.
-She is also afraid of ghosts and paranormal things.

~Accepted~
*dies and is dragged out the door by Harvey*
Don't forget character records!