Emeth — Roleplayer Guild

Raffaella Struna

This shy little first year from the House of Ivar must be careful to keep her status as a Kissed Mystic hidden; which may not be too difficult with her gift to see the colorful, pluckable threads that bond people together - oh, and she can disappear.

◈ A p p e a r a n c e ◈
A petite young lady of gentle and decidedly pink features: hair, eyes, and often cheeks to match. Rarely wears anything besides a school uniform that's a bit too big and covers her like a blanket. She has some odd taste in accessories that would make her stand out from the crowd—if not for her magical gift that usually renders her imperceptible to the untrained eye. She's the type of girl who likes to have a cute and fluffy animal in one hand, and a source of sugar in the other. She is rarely seen without either, but keeps her hands to herself whenever they're empty, folding them in her lap in a girlish way—or more commonly, inside her sleeves, as she gets cold easily. Despite her insatiable sweet tooth, she has a tiny frame, and her pale complexion makes her seem somewhat frail, like a gentle breeze might carry her away along with her pet Gupoo.

 ◈ "A-a quote? For the yearbook? Um! C-Can I just not be in it, please?!" ◈

◈ N a m e
Raffaella "Ra'fel" Struna

◈ S p e l l c a s t e r   N a m e
λήθω | "Letho" | Meaning: "Hidden, Forgotten"

◈ A g e,   H e i g h t,  a n d   W e i g h t
Age: 14 Height: 146 cm / 4' 10'' Weight: 45 kg / 99 lbs

◈ R a c e
Mystic (Seraph's Kiss). She has a single conjoined aeonheart that occasionally stops, cutting off access to her magical gifts and vitesse for a short time. It's speculated by her doctors that another magical gift is attempting to manifest itself, draining nearly all of her vitesse to do so, competing for use of the same organ—little do they know that she already has manifested a second gift, which parasitizes her vitesse constantly. She will most likely have to live with the condition for the rest of her life as a Mystic, as the Forsaken Ritual may be the only option for treatment.

◈ G e n d e r
Female

◈ S e x u a l  O r i e n t a t i o n
Raffaella has been left in the dark about sexuality due to a troubled childhood. She's shy around both sexes. She simply doesn't know.

◈ Y e a r
1st Year

◈ P e t
A Gupoo named "Pooka."

◈ H o u s e
House of Ivar

◈ I l l u m i n a i r e
No. The stress would probably kill her.

◈ C l a s s e s

	◈ Gifts

	◈ Sustained Flight

	◈ Astronomy

	◈ Herbology

	◈ Cartography

	◈ Apprenticeship and Support (Infirmary)

	◈ Pet Bonding (Attending in Secret!)

	◈ Music (Attending in Secret!)

◈ A r e   Y o u   O n   Y o u r   H o u s e ' s   W a a g a   T e a m?
No.

 ◈ "Hey, y-your secret's safe with me, okay? I'm n-no gossip! I'm actually really bad at talking, so! Um! Bye!" ◈

◈P e r s o n a l i t y
Demure ◈ Sweet ◈ Curious ◈ Bookish ◈ Optimistic

	Owing to her known status as a Psychiccer (and many additional secrets besides), Raffaella is more than a little bit timid around strangers. Combining this with her small stature, her demeanor often reminds others of a small animal, even when forcing herself to act bold and confident. She's carefully chosen classes that require the least amount of human contact possible, while still satisfying her mother's conditions for what counts as a "real class," but is attending her own personal interests on the sly using Erasure. She's passionate about the things she's interested in and is often buried in books, though sometimes this burial is more literal and also an accident.

	She has some kind of heart issue that she won't talk about, and is prone to sleepwalking at all times of day and night while imperceptible, giving the staff a bit of a headache at times. Once somebody finally notices she's gone missing, she's often caught wandering the school grounds at night, wandering outside the school grounds, attending classes she's not supposed to be in while nobody notices her, and generally being truant or absent. Anyway, aside from these silly little hiccups (that totally aren't her fault), Raffaella is generally a well-behaved girl with flawless attendance and a completely clean disciplinary record (self-proclaimed).

	Those who get to know her well will learn that she is a sweet thing who wouldn't hurt a fly. The most dangerous thing about her is her occasional sassy sarcasm when she gets super annoyed. Her tastes are generally very girly, loving all things sweet, soft, warm, fluffy, and cute. Oddly, she also seems to like scary campfire stories and monster tales; maybe she actually enjoys being scared? Though, she's a bit secretive about it since it doesn't match her image. Not the type to let a little bullying get her down, she's an indefatigable optimist who just wants to be accepted, and would travel to the ends of the earth with anyone who would welcome her presence in their life. Though, it's hard to offer warm welcome to someone whose very existence can't always be perceived. That's... a work in progress.

◈F l a w s
Spacey ◈ Wistful ◈ Bottler of Emotions ◈ Cowardly ◈ Clingy

	Her absentminded daydreaming and wandering around the school causes all who are prone to worry no small amount of panic when her absence is noticed. Raffaella, for her part, doesn't seem to think this is a big problem and is a bit too comfortable with being isolated from the group, given how vulnerable she is. She doesn't yet fully understand the danger of the Seraph's Kiss—she knows that if her secrets were discovered, she would be a target of bullying, but she doesn't worry about that. However, she knows precious little about the Ni-Seraphi.

	Though Raffaella is generally all smiles and comes across as childish, she is unexpectedly comfortable talking about the world exactly how it is—warts, scars, shattered limbs and all. She is under no such illusion that the world is a perfect fairy tale, or her its princess whom it revolves around. She thinks like a cynical person, but consciously chooses optimism, and this hidden shrewdness catches some people off guard. It can create distrust in her public persona, or create the illusion that nothing bothers her, which can be a problem if others decide that she can handle some mean remarks or being used as an emotional trash can for everyone to vent to. Truthfully, there are plenty of things that will bother Raffaella, but she bottles it all up inside for the sake of everyone involved. Sometimes, spills happen, which generally ends with her settling up on her "crying debt."

	Raffaella seeks acceptance and emotional validation with a quiet and unspoken desperation. Her running away from home using Erasure started as a cry for help, and not much has changed. Though it's generally assumed that she has no control over her sleepwalking, it tends to occur when she is running away from an interpersonal conflict or some bottled-up grief that she has yet to get out of her system. She hates conflict, and open arguments will usually have her freezing up and backing down, then running away to some isolated place to brood. Her troubled childhood left a void of warmth in her heart that she'll seek to fill with anyone who offers even the illusion of familial affection. Any "free hugs" on offer are usually more for herself than for others.

◈H i s t o r y

	Raffaella has had her magical gifts for at least six years, but nobody noticed until her crisis at home overwhelmed her. The first gift to manifest was Ephemera, and naturally, the first thing she decided to do with it was touch the threads connecting herself to her parents. It was a simple, curious act that any 8-year-old child would naturally do. She could directly feel the love flowing from them towards her, and it made her feel cozy and warm inside. Of course, this newfound power ended up being used whenever she felt down, and eventually she grew comfortable enough to try touching other threads. The connection between her parents didn't feel soft and warm like hers. The thread felt frayed and chafed her fingers. She tried strumming it, and the things she heard... Alien words met her ears, but she could feel the heat of anger.

	She tried everything she could think to do to repair the thread, which wasn't much, and nothing seemed to work. Dejected, she returned to her own threads, feeling warm and fluffy but defeated at the same time. Having abandoned the problem, it got worse. Quiet resentment escalated into observable arguments. Again, she tried what she could, but the arguments only seemed to get louder, so she again stopped. Feeling helpless, Raffaella started to act out. She tugged harder on the threads connecting her to her parents, since they seemed stronger. Often, this resulted in one or both of the two going to her room to check on her. While it ended the arguments in the short term, it only seemed to make the problem worse in the long run. Eventually, she stopped touching the threads altogether, believing them to be the cause of all this trouble in the first place. In the end, she lost what she now realized had become her only source of warmth. Her deep sadness seemed to awaken something sleeping inside of her, and the next chapter of her life had begun.

	When Raffaella saw her parents arguing, it was as if they couldn't see her anymore. She had gained her second magical gift, Erasure, but she could not know it at the time. What she did understand was that she'd have to scream now to get her parents to stop. This only made things even worse, so instead she started acting out by slipping out the window and running away. To her horror, her parents didn't even seem to notice or care about her coming and going. It was like she didn't even exist anymore. She was quickly spiraling into a deep depression, and hit rock bottom when the inevitable divorce that she'd ultimately blame herself for finally happened—but thankfully, she wouldn't have to wait long for things to change.

By sheer, dumb luck that was surely owed to her by this point, someone from Harold's Academy happened to be running errands in town; it was Tessa Vellhart, the young woman who would become Raffaella's Home-Class Mentor. She caught Raffaella suddenly bursting into tears and bawling her eyes out, shattering the illusion that had kept her hidden from right in front of her unsuspecting eyes. A gentle hand and soft voice greeted Raffaella, and she looked up in wonder to see that the world around her had all but completely stopped, aside from the radiant young lady that had just sat on the edge of the fountain, right next to her. After some talk, Tessa learned that Raffaella had had a magical gift for some time that had gone unnoticed, partly due to its very nature, and partly due to neglect at home—and Raffaella's inability to control this power seemed to be making her situation even more unbearable. After a very difficult talk, Raffaella learned that she would be required to attend the Academy to learn to better control her magical gifts, like this woman could—and she would do whatever she could to help her. Raffaella expressed the natural concerns about leaving her home and her friends at her previous school, to which Tessa offered a lifeline in the form of an address she could mail letters to, as well as some very impressively detailed directions to her office at the school.

	With her soft persuasion, Raffaella was able to work up the nerve to return home and inform her mother about her circumstances. She was confused, thinking that Raffaella simply spent all of her time in her room these days and didn't want to be disturbed, not even realizing she'd been leaving home all this time. Raffaella felt crushed by this reaction in spite of everything she'd just learned about her gift, but Tessa helped smooth things over, already having experience with these types of situations, and working closely with students who had less-than-admirable parents. Already, Raffaella was coming to trust and rely on Tessa, feeling the genuine warmth and concern for Raffaella's well-being through the Ephemera—though, she lacked the courage to tell her as much, a decision that she would later be grateful for the more she learned about Mystics, and the prejudice having two magical gifts could bring. She still hasn't worked up the courage to risk it all and tell her the truth.

	Raffaella is looking forward to her new school, all things considered. Though it's a big change, she's choosing to welcome it, believing in Tessa's reassurance that a new environment will help her to heal. Besides, going to a magic school sounds like fun! Aside from the keeping her Ephemera ability a secret, and her being formally known as a Psychiccer while secretly being a potential Astra, having the Seraph's Kiss, and her mother high-key pressuring her to take the maximum amount of classes possible and excel in all of them, but aside from those things? Yes, aside from those things, she is very much looking forward to her new life as a Mystic!

◈R e p u t a t i o n
Raffaella is a newcomer to the academy, and actively tries to avoid standing out too much. It's hard to ignore the reputation that Psychiccers have, which only encourages her reclusive behavior even more—though she finds herself in good company in the House of Ivar. There's also just something about Raffaella that makes her easier to trust than other Psychiccers. Perhaps it's her meek and slightly clumsy personality, or maybe it's her gentle complexion and honest facial expressions, or it might be her warm and high-pitched voice, and the way she speaks her mind openly about others' positive points. In any case, her innocuous image is the very antithesis of the sneaky chess master one might imagine a Psychiccer to be. She also loves pink, soft and fluffy things, cute animals, and is easily bribed with sweets—which she regularly sneaks in to any class whose teacher will tolerate it, and shares with anyone who asks nicely. For those who find her cutesy persona grating, Raffaella's easy to look down on, but hard to outright hate. Most do not insult her to her face, though she occasionally overhears a thing or two. Her family is broken, with her father having divorced twice. The man's ex-wives are both emotional abusers who have worked hard to destroy his reputation. His chances of being re-elected are not favorable, and Raffaella's mother came from poverty, leading to some students adopting the pejorative nickname of "RiffRaff."

	The school staff's opinions of her vary, as she's a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, being regularly truant or absent is bound to earn Raffaella some ire from the teachers. On the other, it's not entirely her fault that Erasure triggers while she's sleepwalking, and it's hard to be angry with her when her aeonheart sometimes sends her to the infirmary. She's sincerely trying to learn to control her gift better, and aside from those incidents, Raffaella is very compliant with regards to school regulations, and very amenable to most requests for assistance. Also, if she could get her attendance on point, she could be a straight-A student. Whenever Raffaella is perceptible, she's entirely present, insatiably curious, paying attention in class and participating as required, though reluctantly on account of her shyness. She's also chosen some more unpopular classes, and some of those teachers are just happy to have more students, even if some of them come with odd personalities or are difficult to work with. She also has an uncanny knack for finding lost students and pets, which is occasionally useful for the few members of the school staff who can reliably find her.

◈G o a l s
Truthfully, Raffaella feels a bit aimless. The one thing she believes she knows for sure is that getting married is out of the question, and becoming delinquent and living a life of crime doesn't suit her, so she'll need a job someday. She loves music, particularly the violin, but feels pressured by her mother to pursue something more. Raffaella understands better than anyone that her abilities are better suited for political gain than reconnaissance or espionage, but she's so terrified of how her power might be abused that she'd rather continue to slip underneath everyone's radar. Only... How do you get paid if your boss keeps forgetting you exist?

◈R e l a t i o n s
Raffaella retains a cordial relationship with her father. He often sends her gifts, though they both know she'd be happier if he visited more. Her relationship with her mother is strained with high expectations for a well-paying career ever since the divorce, but they still love each other. Raffaella used to have a small group of friends at her old school, but since she changed schools they seem to have completely forgotten about her.

	Her Mentor, Tessa, stays in touch with her, helping her to work through her issues, with the "time out" being a regular feature of their talks, as it seems to calm Raffaella and bring her walls down significantly. Raffaella is also well acquainted with nearly every member of the school's medical staff. Kaspaan Mustaven was a short-term childhood friend of hers, having lived in the same neighborhood and gone to the same school for nearly two years. Due to her familial issues, she missed his fateful 14th birthday. He was whisked away to the Academy shortly afterwards, leaving the two of them wondering what happened to the other. They have yet to reconnect.

 ◈ "Watch out, everyone! Letho's gonna turn invisible and snuggle all your pets without permission! Ooh, yeah! Be very afraid!" ◈

◈ M y s t i c   C l a s s i f i c a t i o n
Psychiccer

◈ G i f t
Erasure

◈ M y s t i c   C o d e
	Raffaella possesses the gift to erase her presence from the conscious perception of others. This ability shares a few advantages with traditional invisibility, but also possesses a few unique strengths and weaknesses. On one hand, even her breath and footsteps cannot be heard, which is a bonus. On the other, doing anything too "high-profile" will give her away—and once her presence has been detected, she becomes fully perceptible again, and will remain so until all of her pursuers either lose interest or lose line of sight. Erasure's biggest strength is that, as long as she doesn't try to vanish from right in front of someone's eyes, even her very existence can be erased from the collective consciousness of everyone around her, meaning that nobody will even realize she's disappeared.

◈ L i m i t a t i o n s   a n d   W e a k n e s s e s
	Currently, Erasure usually triggers while she's sleepwalking or in fight-or-flight, leaving her unable to observe the world around her in a grounded, objective sense while cloaked. Most of her current training involves learning to become more 'lucid' while the cloak is active, so that the ability can be practically applied to reconnaissance and espionage. As she is now, it would simply be foolish to actually send her on such a mission. She's too inexperienced to obtain useful, accurate intelligence, and remain safe while doing so. It is also still possible to detect her, even if she doesn't do anything to give herself away. The fewer people there are, the easier it is to detect her presence, with the feeling of "being watched" giving her away. It also seems to be possible for someone with a strong bond with Raffaella to train themselves to detect her presence—though, there might be another power at work, or a simpler explanation...

◈ G i f t
Ephemera

◈ M y s t i c   C o d e
	Raffaella can perceive the connections between people, mapped like constellations, visually represented as a complex web of threads perceivable only by her. The threads vary in color, texture, thickness and strength, according to the nature and quality of the connection. By touching them, Raffaella can directly feel the emotions others feel towards each other—including any feelings they might have towards herself. By plucking the strings like an instrument, she may be able to hear the thoughts that people connected by it have toward each other, and by pulling the strings, she can draw the attention of one person towards another. Raffaella speculates that she should be able to manipulate these threads somehow, to strengthen or weaken interpersonal bonds, or even outright create new ones or destroy existing ones—however, she is completely terrified of the implications of such a power—how she might use it to her advantage if tempted—or worse, how others may force her to use it, if they ever found out that she had this terrible gift. In fact, she believes that she's already seen what can go wrong if this is done improperly, and the resulting trauma has left her extremely averse to the idea of ever touching those horrible threads ever again. For now, she's content to use them to understand people better, and to find missing people and lost pets.

◈ L i m i t a t i o n s   a n d   W e a k n e s s e s
	Raffaella can't seem to find a way to turn this gift of hers "off." It's a constant strain on her frail aeonheart, which might be responsible for her petite physique and ravenous appetite for sweets—or maybe that's just her. If Ephemera ever runs out of its own vitesse and attempts to drain vitesse meant for use with Erasure, a medical anomaly occurs which causes her aeonheart to temporarily stop. When this happens, Raffaella will find herself out of vitesse in an un-heartbeat. Raffaella stays on the ground most of the time as a result, as a single medical incident during flight could spell her death—which is a shame, because her very small size lets her fly faster than most of the other students. Additionally, while strumming the Ephemera is supposed to let her hear the inner thoughts that two connected people have toward each other, she can't seem to get this ability to work properly every time due to the variety of the threads and her own lack of experience. She's hoping that acquiring some musical talent might help her achieve better results, but she must admit that this is a questionable pursuit, and a flimsy excuse to attend a class she's interested in anyway.
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