PlayeInformation
Your Nickname: Alicia.
OOC Journal: swords.
Under 18? Nope - 21.
Email/IM: aim: ghettospellwork - plurk: zombiejosette.
Characters Played at Singularity: N/A


Character Information
Name: Kimberly "Kimber" Benton.
Name of Canon: Jem.
Canon/AU/Other Game CR: Canon!
Reference:
Canon Point: Right after she runs away from her own wedding to sort-of accept another guy's proposal. And right after her sister got beat out at the Oscars. So, post-"Hollywood Jem Part 2."

Setting: To do this properly, we need to hop in a handy-dandy time machine. Set it for roughly 1986 and let's go. Jem and the Holograms are the biggest musical act of - ever. They're everywhere. Turn on your radio? Jem and the Holograms. Turn on your TV? Jem and the Holograms: music video edition! Change the channel? Nope, Jem and the Holograms interview. Go to the movies? Jem's gigantic face all up on your screen. The only act that comes even close to them is The Misfits - so really, there's something for everyone. There're the Holograms with their pop-oriented, vibrant, bubbly sound, and the Misfits and their more edgy image.

Seems pretty basic, right? Overdone makeup, giant hair, keytars and ninety cans of AquaNet are going to be there whichever way you look, so it's all just part of mid-1980s Los Angeles and the beginnings of MTV, right? Well - yes and no. As it turns out, these two bands and their labels (Jem and the Holograms on Starlight Records - headed by Jerrica Benton, and The Misfits on Misfits Music, owned by Eric Raymond) have a ridiculous sway on everything: the film industry, charities, world issues, politics. Basically, the best way to get support for anything, or to guarantee yourself a ridiculous amount of money is to get Jem and the Holograms to endorse you.

So, let's review what we have so far: 1980s. Two bands: The Misfits, and Jem and the Holograms. Two different labels: Starlight Music and Misfits Music. These labels more or less indirectly control at least parts of America. If Jem ran for president, she'd probably have a decent shot. That's how intense this is.

But back to the labels themselves. Specifically, Misfits Music. Its owner, Eric Raymond, is undeniably corrupt. He cheats, he swindles, he bribes - all with only basic repercussions. It can only be assumed that it's because he pays off the law enforcement: he is just that rich. And, in proper rival fashion, he hates Jem and the Holograms. He hates them so much that he once arranged for a technical expert to send them back in time.

Yes, you read that correctly. This is a universe in which a snotty man named Techrat can develop something to send people back in time. And have it actually work.

Yet, that might not even be the oddest instance of ridiculous technology, which brings up the subject of Jem's true identity. It's a part-time obsession of Eric Raymond's, and the public's. Everyone wants to know: Who is Jem?

Exactly five people know the answer to this: the rest of the Holograms (Kimber, Aja, Shana, and Raya)... and the President. That's right. Jem can't even tell her boyfriend, but she'll tell the President of the United States.

Jem is actually Jerrica Benton. Yes - the same Jerrica Benton who runs Starlight Music.

Quick rundown of how that happened: once upon a time, Eric Raymond inherited half of Starlight Music after Emmett Benton, Jerrica and Kimber's father, passed away. Jerrica inherited the other half. To make his mark, Eric decided to destroy everything the Benton family loved and take the company in an entirely different direction. This included signing a little band known as The Misfits. When Jerrica found out about this, she was absolutely livid, but how could she stop him?

Well, it just so happened that Emmett Benton had some ridiculous technology up his sleeve, too. Enter Synergy - a supercomputer capable of basic functions (recording, making backups, etc.) and, oh, she can also project holograms. Of anything. And change people's appearance. Via holograms. Emmett developed her after Kimber and Jerrica's mother, and passed the system down to Jerrica after he died.

Along with that, he just happened to have a stash of any instrument a musician could desire, about five wardrobes with the best couture of the 1980s, and a blinged-out car. Just sitting around in a deserted building. Good thing no one else found it, right?

This led Jerrica, Kimber, Shana, and Aja to the obvious conclusion: form a band even bigger than the Misfits and steal the corporation back from Eric! And with Synergy's hologram projection, no one need ever know who Jem actually is. And so blonde business woman Jerrica Benton was able to become the pink-haired, outrageous rockstar Jem with nothing more than a touch of her earrings.

And the story had a decent ending, too: Jem and the Holograms beat the Misfits at their own game, more or less forcing Eric to leave the company and establish Misfits Music.

As for Kimber, well, even though she isn't the front of the act, she's finally getting some recognition after being catapulted into fame. It isn't like she's the annoying little sister anymore (...even if she totally is), just hanging out in the background while Jerrica gets all the attention. It's finally her chance to shine, being the creative force behind Jem and the Holograms' music. But, there are things that she never expected to cope with: specifically, that whole-secret keeping thing. It's hard to keep the distinction between "Jerrica is my sister," and "Jem is my pop-star friend" separate when the public is all up in your business all the time. And some near-slips are expected. But she always manages to pull through.

Personality: Kimber has never been the quiet one. Ever. She always has something to say, and she isn't afraid of saying it, especially if it's something that she has strong convictions over. Kimber has a very good sense of right and wrong - and an idea of when she's being lied to or led on. It's instinctive, and she's very outspoken about those instincts. That's not to say that Kimber doesn't have a filter; she just isn't afraid to speak her mind. She's defiant, she's rebellious. She's stubborn. She's your typical redheaded spitfire.

It becomes worse when she's angry. If you thought she was loudmouthed before, think again, because there's no stopping her when she's upset. She is most definitely not afraid to tell off the ones who she thinks are responsible for her anger, sometimes resorting to drastic measures (for instance, she completely walked out on the Holograms. Twice). The biggest way to set her off? Make her jealous. Don't show her any appreciation whatsoever. That's one of the most apparent aspects of Kimber's personality, and it has roots all the way back to when Kimber was a small child, growing up in the shadow of Jerrica. Jerrica was clearly the favorite, and when their father died, it was Jerrica who wound up with everything. If there's even a bit of sway that Eric Raymond has over it, it's that he knows how to manipulate her using her envy. He understands how Her jealousy is incredibly deep-seeded, and it isn't anything that she's likely to get over any time soon.

However, though she's incredibly jealous and sometimes easily annoyed, Kimber will be the first to admit that she sometimes takes things too personally. And that, of course, leads to feelings of guilt. And even though it's sometimes hard for her to admit that she did wrong in the first place, she'll eventually come around and apologize if she truly believes that she is at fault.

And honestly, Kimber's anger track record is rather impressive, considering that she lives and works with four other girls. With her firecracker nature, it's a wonder that she hasn't blown up (no pun intended) or walked out several other times. However, there's a good explanation for this: venting space. Kimber loyally keeps a diary - it's one of the only things that keeps her sane in that house, and she is not shy to unload literally all her feelings into it. She also finds therapy in music in lyrics, and has ever since she was a young girl. Kimber is talented with the guitar, keyboard, and keytar, and also writes the majority of the music for Jem and the Holograms. Her father always thought that she had the strength to overcome anything - and this is her way of proving him right.

It's through this that she manages to keep her issues under the radar and the sweet, funny, outgoing girl emerges. Despite how quick she may be to set off, Kimber isn't angry all the time. In fact, she's usually in a good mood, and almost always willing to help others. She's very excitable, and always up for a good time. Work? What's that? Especially if she doesn't want to do it. However, this does have a downside: when it comes to making choices about things she wants, Kimber has a problem with saying no. Especially when it comes to boys. Especially when it comes to boys. It's not uncommon for her to be stringing along several at one time, and then there was the time that she accepted a marriage proposal in front of the man that she was supposed to be exclusively dating. So, needless to say, she's always looking for fun and new experiences - but that's often the same thing as looking for trouble.

Abilities, Weaknesses, and Power Limitation Suggestions:
Kimber's main abilities lie in her musical competency. As the creative force behind Jem and the Holograms, she's able to come up with a perfect tempo, melody, and beat in a record amount of time. Need a hit song? Call Kimber. Seriously. She'll even help you out by playing her guitar and/or keyboard, if need be. Or, both at the same time. Because keytar.

Her weaknesses, well. Boys. If there's anyone in the group that's boy crazy, it's definitely Kimber. She's a natural flirt, and honestly doesn't see the big deal with dating as many as she possibly can. And there's not a problem with that. The problem is that she takes them all on at once.

There's also the idea of fame. All Kimber really wants is a little recognition and appreciation. If you want to lure her in, hint (or outright tell her, it's all the same) that she'll make it to the top. Make her think that she will outshine her sister and everyone else.

Inventory: Her bright pink keytar. Because. Keytar.
Appearance: Kimber is a rather attractive girl of average height. She's thin, and easily recognizable by the ridiculous shock of giant, bright red hair. She has blue eyes, and is generally wearing bright pink eyeshadow (to the extent that it seems tattooed to her face).
Age: 19.

Samples
Log Sample:
Eric Raymond is scum. She knows this; it hasn't exactly been a well-concealed fact ever since her father died. But she was an idiot. Again. The time has come to commiserate.

She didn't fall for it - the whole, "I can make you everything you've ever wanted to be" discourse has been played one too many times for her to actually believe it. But she almost had. And for that, Kimber thinks she's an idiot. Because nothing's changed. It's the same old song and no matter what, she knows that there will always be that little part of her brain egging her on, convincing her to fall into the trap. Fame and and the idea of the spotlight completely on her may be empty words, but they're promises that will sway Kimber every time.

Kimber groans and sinks into the chair closest to her.

"Oh, now I've gone and done it this time," she says, and she wishes that the blue cushions would just envelop her. Then she'll never have to see her sister or the rest again, won't have to look at their faces when she awkwardly tries to scoot back into the group. Sure, they're family - the closest thing she's got, other than Jerrica, at least - but how long until family obligations only extend so far? They don't have to let her back in. This is the - what? The second? The third time she's walked out on her so-called family? Over something stupid, something that she can't even conjure up the memory of. Kimber's lost count. She stops thinking and just lets herself ride the wave of self-pity. It's not her diary or her guitar, but it helps, even if it does absolutely nothing outside of her mental state.

Finally, she looks at the point.

Network Sample:

[So. Holograms. Kimber's got some experience with those, but nothing quite like this.]

Oh, wow, this is is outrageous!

[The image coming across is probably pretty outrageous, as well, as she switches through all the projection options and back again, finally settling on video.]

Is this some part of Synergy that Dad forgot about, or...? I guess Rio came up with some way to change it. [She grins.] I bet Jerrica'll flip when she finds out I got to it before she did.

[A beat. Apparently she's decided not to wait to find out.]

Hey! Hey Jerrica, come look at - Jerrica?

[It's at this moment that Kimber realizes that She's Not In Starlight House Anymore™. Oh dear.]