Manda Fischer

IN BRIEF:

Manda did not originally intend to join the FBI - she was "recruited" by a family friend, "Uncle Agent Stan." In all truth, Manda does not *look* like the typical FBI agent; at first glance, she looks as though she'd be more at ease in a kindergarten classroom, and radiates that sort of aura. She's always considered herself something of an outsider, and hence enjoys the company of other "oddities" - especially the self-proclaimed "Basement Rats."

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Race: Caucasian

Hair/Eyes: Brown/Brown

Height/Weight: 5'5", 189 lbs.

Apparant Age: Late 20's, early 30's

Actual Age: 27

Build: "Big boned?"

Strength: Average

Dexterity: Average

Stamina: High average

"I've been called fat, but I can move this 'fat' pretty fast if I want to... Quantico wouldn't have it any other way. And let me tell you, here's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the expression on some ex-high school quarterback's face when the 'fat girl' he was going to 'go easy on' throws him like a sack of raked-up leaves and pins him flat during open sparring." ~A.F.

SOCIAL GRACES

Charisma: Average/High average.

Manda is easy to talk to; she has "that sort of face." She radiates a persona that has, on occasion, found her likened to a Cocker Spaniel: inherently trusting as well as trustworthy. Given the appropriate time and setting, people WILL talk to her... though it's not necessarily helpful all the time, and Manda's not disposed to shutting them up!

Mannerisms:

Talks to her plants, animals, small children, and herself. Nibbles bottom lip when apprehensive. Daydreams. Doodles.

Nature:

Manda knows you can't trust everyone. She does, however, feel that everyone deserves the benefit of trust until they've proven otherwise. Before she joined the FBI, she wore her insides on her outside; in her current position, she tries very hard not to. Her outward "nice girl" disposition - should not be confused for being naiive; she's sharp, but she generally keeps things under wraps until she feels it necessary to speak.

True Nature:

What you see is what you get. While she's quite the professional on the job, she has a tendency to get rattled in personal life - this should be noted in partner relations and personal affairs. When she's rattled, she's always on the jump - tries to hide the fact that she's jittery, not always successfully. Her feelings can be hurt, but she also tries to disguise that sensitivity... she WANTS to be the model FBI agent - calm, cool, and detatched - but only partially succeeds. She's an emotional chameleon, her mood and behavior shifting to match that of the people closest to her: if she's associating with a calm, businesslike individual, that side of her shines through; if she's hanging about with the office clown, she's quite happy to play sidekick.

Demeanor:

Quiet, tactful, unassuming. Loyal (to a fault, at times, but not blindly.) Thoughtful, honest. Could be percieved as innocent - and she prefers to keep it that way, though she doesn't go out of her way to promote the image. If people *think* she's innocent and harmless, she knows she can do her job that much better. Has a tendency to blend into the upholstery when she's in "listening mode."

Note: Manda's wide-eyed, softspoken nature goes out the proverbial window when she senses that all hell is breaking loose, or a colleage is coming apart at the seams on the job. It's a behavior shift that can be visibly noted in facial expression and body language - the nurturant "Basement Mom" turns into a sharp-toned "I-don't-care-WHO-started-it" take-charge firgure, and will matter-of-factly "put things into perspective."

ABILITIES

Perception: Borders on empathy; highly attunded to emotional nuances, body language, tone of voice. As far as noting physical details go - see SPECIAL ABILITIES.

Intelligence: Average/High average. Quotes literature and song lyrics on occasion.

Wit: "Odd" sense of humor... gets goofy when she's in comfortable territory.

Common Sense: Above average. She's practical, and motherly at times - the sort of person who would remind her partner to wear a raincoat when it's cloudy, and then brings along a thermos of coffee for the stakeout. She's also an organizational wonder; she feels the need to keep thing in their proper places.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

As a child, Manda was diagnosed with what seemed to be Attention Deficite Disorder, or a peculiar hearing disability. She hears EVERYTHING - the clock ticking on the wall, paper rustling, chairs moving. She's learned to refine this to work in her best interest... she can listen to her portable CD player, fill out a form in triplicate, answer a telephone, and reply to her partner's questions all at once, but ONLY if she has to. In general, this ability simply makes her an excellent snoop.

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

DOB: 10/26/68

Place of Birth/Origin: West Tisbury, MA

Career: FBI

Educational Background: BS in Nursing and Psychology, Penn State; MSW, (Masters of Social Work) Penn State

Siblings: 2 foster sisters, Janice (21) and Beth (24); 1 foster brother, Michael (35); half brother (unknown to both parties) Fox Mulder Parents: Birth parents not a factor here; she believes they're dead. Foster parents - Kurt and Lori Fischer of Allentown PA. See PERSONAL HISTORY.

Spouse/Children: Unmarried

Habits/Bad Habits: Sings in the shower; nibbles on pencils; "adopts" strays (both human and animal).

Hobbies: Loves musical theater and Disney movies; paints folk art; collects children's picture books; reads insatiably. Plays pool and poker (her brother taught her). Goes camping with her fostersiblings on her vacations.

Mental Characteristics:

As noted, she has a tendancy to worry - about people close to her, about matters of importance. She will fret herself sick, if people let her... won't ask for reassurance, but needs that occasional nurturing pat-on-the-back. Wants to appear tough and professional, but is sometimes betrayed by her inherently compassionate nature.

Moral Characteristics:

Honest but tactful; she'll lie on the job, if she has to, but doesn't like it and doesn't feel she does it particularly well. Strict Judeo-christian ethics. Is harsh with herself if she percieves an internal moralistic flaw.

Typical Clothing:

Functional. Pantsuits amd skirts that won't impede movement, sensible shoes.

Beliefs:

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Staunch Roman Catholic, but liberal in her attitiude towards other religions. "God will sort it out in the end." Readily accepts the "unexplainable" as something God created that man simply hasn't encountered yet. Prefers to focus on "positive" mysteries (angels, etc.) than on the dark side of things.

Traditions:

Will not miss Sunday Mass or a major holiday at home, if she can help it. Will bring home as many co-workers and friends as she can convince to join her for the holidays.

Current Lifestyle ..... Home/Dwelling:

Lives simply in a small apartment in the DC suburbs - a third floor walk-up. Shares home with two cats - Tam Lin and Loki, a Siamese and a jet black tomcat. Simple furnishings, comfortable sofa and chairs, many books. Has VCR, but no cable. Her "open door" policy is extended to all friends and coworkers, though few take her up on it.

Physical Features:

As noted, she's heavyset. NOT obese, but not "thin" by any means; the mass she carries is mostly muscle. Attractive "page boy" haircut. Has been told she looks like Rosie O'Donnell, but doesn't believe it.

PERSONAL HISTORY:

Manda remembers very little of her childhood before age 5. Photo albums and family mementos she has, but that's in the distant past for her. She's been told that at five she was in an automobile accident that killed her parents, and after she was released from a long stay in the hospital, the Fischers adopted her. She has no other family that she knows of... birth records show that she was born in West Tisbury, MA - Martha's Vinyard - but she has never returned there. She feels that the Fischers are her family, and stays by them.

The FBI have always been a part of Manda's life, as "Uncle Agent Stan" and his partner were close to her adopted family... Kurt Fischer is a state policeman in Pennsylvania, and the two agents took an interest in his adopted daughter from Day One. "Uncle Agent Stan" knew who Manda's parents were, that her biological father was involved with the government, and that he had a hand in placing her with the Fischers, but Stan never offered any information and Manda has no desire to uncover her past... the few times she's tried, she was plagued with horrific nightmares, and has since abandoned any search. In truth, Manda never really knew her father - the man killed along with her mother was not her biological parent. If she were to research her past, she would know that her real father was kept hidden from her - he was a wealthy citizen of the Vinyard, Manda was not a planned pregnancy, and that her mother had decided to keep this a secret - in fact, they were moving off the Vinyard at the time of the accident to get away from him. The truth (that Manda may never discover, but SOMEONE among her superiors apparantly knows) is that her biological father was one William Mulder, Sr. - she's Fox Mulder's half sister.

It was when she graduated from college that Uncle Stan started "leaning" on Manda to enter the FBI - saying that she'd be a natural; nobody would ever suspect she was an agent. He didn't let up, and Manda finally agreed, though at the worst of times she's not sure why. Shortly before she left Quantico, Uncle Stan and his partner were both killed on assignment. Stan had thrown himself in front of his partner, but could not stop the second bullet. She keeps a portrait of him on her desk at work, with the phrase "There is no greater love than this: for a man to lay down his life for his friends." in calligraphy under it. He is her role model in all she does at the Bureau.

EPSILON and the FBI:

Manda was bounced around the Bureau before being taken in by Epsilon, a "shadow government" marriage of the FBI and CIA. Its existance is hidden from general knowlege, but those who know of it realize that Epsilon agents, strategically placed within both organizations, are very often government-endorsed assasins and covert terrorists. Why Manda was recruited is unclear; it was after her six-month personnel evaluation that she was "claimed" by Epsilon and partnered with Alex Krycek. At that point, Krycek's designation was "rogue hunter," a special agent whose sole purpose was to take care of loose cannons within the FBI and CIA, possibly recruiting them for Epsilon; Manda, her quiet and unassuming demeanor working to her advantage here, was the lure - she placed herself close to the target, gaining its trust, and working the "rogue" out into the open, where Krycek would "take him down."

Manda was placed with Alex Krycek in a move that paralells Scully being assigned to Mulder. She was frankly puzzled by Krycek's condescending and suspicious demeanor, and for a time was more than a bit uncomfortable around him - but eventually accepted her lot as his partner. She seemed to act as a stabilizing force, in fact, when Krycek let her. Even while separated, she does care for him - her penchant for taking in strays operating full-force here - but has no real power to sway him in his actions. It's questionable that Krycek ever really trusted her; now that he's gone into "deep cover," however, he does maintain a tentative contact with her, initiated when he feels she would be helpful. Beside that, "someone" apparantly felt that she would, eventually, attract the attention of Fox Mulder: she's being watched, and occasionally manipulated, by unseen individuals. See INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS.

When Alex vanished, Manda remained in place at the FBI, and was assigned to the Basement by AD Skinner, who knew of her past with Epsilon and Krycek: he offered Manda the chance to break away from Epsilon, and she took it gratefully, having become aware of that organization's true nature. Manda is unsure of whether Krycek is still a part of Epsion, and would try to protect him from his Epsilon superiors, if she knew how.

SKILLS AND TALENTS

Talents:

Alertness - 4 / Bargaining - 1

Skills:

Survival - 2

Knowledge:

Paranormal - 1 / Religion - 1

Vices and Virtues ...

Painfully self-conscious and hard on herself, but instinctively nurturing to others. Tends to "stew" and mope after an argument, but usually ends up laughing at herself.

Specials:

Mythology and folklore - Norse, Celtic, Some Native American, Egyptian, Classical; American folklore and superstition

STRENGTH: Average

DEXTERITY: Average

INTELLIGENCE: High average

HEALTH: High average

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS:

Family:

Manda considers her family an extension of herself. She wants to make them proud of her; family comes first in any personal decision she makes. If her family were to be threatened, people would see a vastly different side of Manda. She will kill without thinking or remorse to protect her family, though she might not do the same to save her own life. To an extent, her friends are an extension of her family, as are family friends like "Uncle Agent Stan."

Friends:

Manda is not a social butterfly, but has two close friends in the DC area who are her away-from-home support network: her college roommates Allison Cooper, a high school science teacher, and Special agent Reese LaVerne, EPA liason to the FBI. She's tentative in initiating friendships, but steadfastly devoted to those who initiate one themselves. She can be a nuisance to friends who enjoy wallowing in a good sulk - Manda picks up on their distress almost instinctively, and since what bothers her friends bothers her, she feels that she needs to cheer them up. She has an open door policy to those in need of a soft shoulder or a friendly ear - and a full cookie jar, most of the time, to lure in those with a sweet tooth. "I'm here if you need me" could be her motto.

Supervisors:

Manda gets on famously with her supervisors, mainly because she never gives them anything to worry about and is rarely called in to see them. She respects (and to an extent fears) authority figures, and will be a bit skittish around her superiors (including senior agents) until they've proven friendly.

KEY PLAYERS - TAKE NOTE:

Alex Krycek:

When Manda was initally placed with him, she wasn't aware that she was becoming a part of Epsilon - and Krycek wanted to be rid of her; he thought that someone wanted to keep an eye on him. Upon realizing that she was "Mulder bait," he settled back. He called her "Kid," or "Mandy," not "Manda" as she prefers - despite the fact that he's not much older than her. Manda couldn't figure him out sometimes:

I no longer have any idea what to make of Alex. As we get to know each other - as he gets used to me - he gets more puzzling than familiar. There are times when I catch him watching me, just watching, and every hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Something about him... a vague something you can't really put a name to... makes you want to keep an arm's length from him -but keep him in sight. Always in sight. It's not a comfortable feeling for a partner. He cheats on the Sunday Times crossword puzzle. I've seen him do it! The reason behind it, the "why," always eludes me - he doesn't need to cheat! And then, just when I think I may have gotten him figured and I don't like what I've decided, he goes and turns everything upside down again. Just the otherday, he brought coffee in - and had it exactly the way I like it, ultra-light with enough sugar to taste like melted coffee ice cream in a mug. I hadn't had a single cup of coffee since I started working with him. "Your mom says hi," he said, and grinned. "Being in the information business has its advantages."

~A.F., personal journal

Manda yearns for the type of close, friendly partnership that Mulder and Scully share... she's saddened realizing that Krycek really IS a Ratboy, but feels he is redeemable, and she will help him if she can safely do so without compromising herself. Person-to-person, she can, occasionally, bypass his personal defenses and see "Alex" rather than "Krycek" - not often, but often enough to give her hope. Her job, as she sees it, was to keep him on track, and on the level. She felt very much "cut loose and adrift" when Krycek vanished, and is subconsciously searching for someone to fill that gap.

KRYCEK, despite all his flaws, found himself growing fond of her - but would not, and will not, show it. Feeling, perhaps, that he didn't deserve a partner like Manda (or, more likely, that she was a liability to him), he protected her from both himself and his habits by going off on his own as frequently as possible - until he finally vanished from the FBI post altogether (when Mulder realized that he wasn't what he claimed to be). It is up in the air as to whether he is still active within Epsilon. When he needs Manda's help - and he knows he can get it, most of the time - he initiates the contact. Manda still considers him her partner, in a way - but what he considers her is anyone's guess...

Fox Mulder:

Manda knows of him, and was casually acquainted with him before his disappearance. There was something about him that made her uneasy, though -while she respected his work and envied his close friendship with his partner, she was nervous in his presence and wouldn't talk much if he was around, holding back at a friendly distance. Given the option, she would not approach him for advice or help, but would accept assistance if offered. MULDER, for his part, was almost oblivious to her presence; she's good at melting into the scenery.

Dana Scully:

Manda was introduced to Scully by Reese, and the two developed a tentative professional frienship. Manda was comfortable with Scully, and would occasoinally approach her for assistance and advice. She was mildly jealous of how close Mulder and Scully were; being lonely, she wanted that for herself. SCULLY was the one who keeps Mulder informed about Manda; she liked Manda, but suspected that while Krycek was gone, he was certainly not forgotten...

Mr. X:

He knows the truth about Manda and Mulder's family history... but it's iffy as to whether he'd trouble himself to reveal it. Chances are that he'd hold his peace until it would benefit him. He's the one who tipped Skinner off, annonymously, about Manda's past with Epsilon.

THE "BASEMENT RATS"

Among the Basement-dwelling agents, Manda tries to remain on good footing with everyone, sometimes playing "Basement Mom" and trying to keep interpersonal matters running smoothely from behind the scenes. She's almost dotingly fond of all her coworkers, but during office down time tends to "chum around" the most with Victor Maxiss, Jon "The Kid" Meyer, and Senior Agent Abigail Beck. After a somewhat rocky start on her first X case in New Orleans ("ANGEL ASSASIN"), she developed a close, if guarded, friendship with Abbe, finding in "The Icicle" a kindred spirit of sorts; accustomed to Krycek's less-than-amiable personality, Manda is virtually unphased by the legendary "icy glare," and in more impish moments has been known to be quite the instigator...