Hearted
Niamh McDonough is a wild card; taking the lead of the The House of Cards and choosing to run it as she sees fit on any given day; heisting things that shouldn’t be stolen seems to be her raison d'être, and she’s willing to put herself and her team in any kind of situation to see it done.
Niamh and her brother entered the system early after both of their parents were killed in a car crash that left their newborn baby (Niamh) totally mute and her brother, a then four-year old, without any place to go and left adrift. Harrison refused to be separated from his sister; even at such a young age; she was clutched to his chest even as they sat in the hospital in the aftermath of the wreck, seeming bound and determined to make sure nothing else bad would happen to his baby sister. She cooed, she mewled, but no one was aware that she would never utter a single word otherwise.
Though Harrison truly wanted to provide for his sister, they ran from the system they'd have been thrown into and separated inside of and instead lived on the streets, pulling cons and grifts as soon as they were both old enough to manage it. Never seen without the other in those days, the McDonough siblings were notorious among their peers and were masters of their craft. Finely honing the skills they learned in their teens, they've turned their childhood games into actual stability through various thefts; often times Niamh presents ideas that are farfetched and hard to manage but her brother, understanding her better than almost anyone else, always tries to see them through to the end, no matter how crazy they are.
NAME: Niamh Aisling McDonough
KNOWN ALIASES: Ash, Hearted
AGE: 28
AFFILIATIONS: The House of Cards
STATUS: Dating Halfhearted
OCCUPATION: Thief, Mastermind
POWERS & ABILITIES: Latent psionic ability and manifestation; ability to manipulate her own biorganics to protect herself
What is considered power by most is just an odd sense of charm that emanates from Hearted at any given time. Even within the wrap of her costume (glowing eyes and darkened fabrics covering her face, et all) she is able to command a room with a few simple gestures and a look. Not what one would consider all-powerful, by any measure, as she's not able to destroy buildings or lift the Atlas statue above her head, she is still somehow a giant in her modest stature and capable of seeming powerful, even if her overall level of strength is lacking.
With a surprisingly strong psionic presence and the ability to manipulate her own biology, she is still, however, powered at its very definition.
Born Lucky — It's unclear where it came from, but it seems as if she's born to win even when she's dumb enough to lose sometimes.
Silent Snarker — She's extremely capable of being the world's most snarky person while not speaking a word; born mute and having never spoken, she still stands tall as one of the sassiest members of the House of Cards.
Ax Crazy — It’s not that she’s going to kill someone but generally people around her are afraid she might do something that’ll either get them killed or piss her off enough that she does.
Chaotic Neutral — Though she’s done a lot of villainous things it’s not necessarily for the act of being evil, she just falls in the realm of chaos for the sake of chaos and if evil things happen so be it (or good, if it so happens to go that way.)
Book Dumb — She’s not an idiot, but she’s not exactly that well-learned because of her upbringing. She and her brother weren’t really afforded chances to excel in education, but it doesn’t mean you can get one past her.
Niamh forms relationships that border on psychotic attachment, refusing to let anyone who has come into her life with any sort of nuance to leave without a fight; perhaps an off-shoot of her past trauma or just the machinations of a mind that no one understands, she has a handful of people that fall into the category of family and of those she is attached to whole-heartedly.
Halfhearted — Jean-Luc represents a turning point for Niamh; before him, everything was just chaos and whatever plan she could come up with that would keep her and her brother occupied, but after Luc it was sort of quieter. Where once was a need to keep moving she now found reason to stand still, often times in costume staring up at him as if he was the most fascinating being to ever walk the planet and yet unable to vocalize it, she stays by his side through thick and thin and, other than her brother, he is the most important man in her life and the absolute key to her heart.
Face Card — Harrison has been the biggest part of Niamh's life; her brother and confidante (and oft-times enabler), he's the most important person in her life by far, and her long time protector. Though she's hard-pressed to cite the reasons why she and her brother get along so well, or even manifest any kind of reasoning as to why he was willing to go so far for her in the end — giving up a much more comfortable life and a future he could have had to stay with her — she wouldn't have had it any other way. Their time on the streets solidified their relationship and she would almost literally kill anyone if they were to cross him.
The House of Cards — Her found-family, and the only people in the world weird enough to actually follow her and her ridiculous plans, Niamh would 100% go full-tilt for any of them and all of their heists get split every way.