STATUS:
You'd think after like 15 years I'd stop feeling like a fraud when writing posts but I still do which is both a statement on my self confidence and a compliment to how good my partners are as writers
22 days ago
Current
You'd think after like 15 years I'd stop feeling like a fraud when writing posts but I still do which is both a statement on my self confidence and a compliment to how good my partners are as writers
15
likes
5 mos ago
Why are you talking about Final Fantasy 10 like that
5 mos ago
Final Fantasy 13 is a top five entry in the franchise but ya'll still ain't ready to have that conversation
5 mos ago
This Bears/Packers game is gonna make me believe in the power of Chicago Pope
2
likes
6 mos ago
The older I get the more I start to think BBQ potato chips are the worst flavor, actually.
3
likes
Bio
Look, I got lost on the way to getting some jajangmyeon and it'd be foolish to leave now.
"It is not for my honor that one shall defend, but the honor of the individual."
Name: Rozalyn Ballard
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Country of Origin: Nerida
Weapons: The strongest weapon of all: her title and privilege along with the sharpest weapon of all: her tongue.
Equipment: The only personal effect Rozalyn carries with her at almost all times is a small flute carved from a tree. She plays it when she needs to think or in times of stress as its sound and music soothes and calms her. Her clothing, more often than not fanciful dresses, are appropriately handled by staff and ladies-in-waiting rather than something she carts around herself. She doesn't carry any weaponry of any sort, other than her way with words which can cut deeper and sharper than any blade.
Appearance: Rozalyn has especially beautiful blonde hair that she once, humorously, referred to as 'strands of grain silk that blow around more frequently than a violent gust' given the length of her hair and how uniquely uncooperative it could be until she found ways to mitigate it with various hair styles. She parts her hair to the left and uses an ornate looking sapphire brooch when she doesn't braid it (or have someone else braid it for her, as the case is). Her manner of dress is, appropriately, regal. Long dresses, casual frillery included, and an air of royalty that comes in her posture as well as her tone of voice. But yet behind the soft blue eyes is a look that seems almost wistful at times. Her youthful elegance is second only to her fair skin and hair, but the way she tells it she wouldn't mind a bit of marring if only for flavor and conversation.
Personality: Rozalyn, as befitting a princess of Nerida, expresses a knack for conversation and charisma; her manner of speaking is fairly proper but peppered with rather poignant and often sweeping remarks that, depending on whose ears they reach, come off as dryly sarcastic or mildly offensive. Having spent her life attending lessons on nobility and a woman's place in society - even one who is blood to the royal family, she often surprises by her insight when she does get to listen in on matters that effect the realm or diplomatic encounters. While she doesn't pretend to be some scholar or wise member of court, she does believe that she can and should be allowed to at least have a voice in the matters of Nerida and the realm at large as one of its nobility.
Despite having a cadre of maids and servants, Rozalyn has difficulty confiding in or trusting people, with the notable exception of Westra whose circumstances are special and who Rozalyn has a secret jealousy towards due to the perceived freedom of choice the latter has. Rumours abound regarding Rozalyn and her chosen protector but Rozalyn is as quick to dismiss them as she is verbally dress down any who brings it to her attention. Though she often wonders how the other side gets on, Rozalyn does have a built-in sense of pride for Nerida and its people as its princess.
Her tone of voice and manner of speaking, very haughty and proper with few wasted words or shortened ones, often makes her come off as overly arrogant. It's something she's working on.
Short Biography: Rozalyn is a princess of Nerida and as such has spent most of her life there, apart from the instances of travelling to other regions for various purposes. One of her earliest memories was taking a trip for her fifth birthday to the country of Sher. It was at this birthday where she was given a newborn Pokemon as a gift, a baby Litleo who Rozalyn would go on to consider her staunchest ally. It was also this trip to Sher, where she witnessed a demonstration from the Valkyries, that she thought of a girl around her age who often shirked lessons to swing a wooden sword in secret. For the young Rozalyn, seeing military women of Sher made her wonder why it was such a concern in Nerida. It was Rozlyn's birthday wish to her parents that the young girl, one Westra Calabra, be allowed to train in the sword.
As Rozalyn grew into a young woman so too did her sense of wanting and longing. Though she could have almost anything she wanted and was waited on hand and foot, truly Rozalyn wanted a bit more experience of the world rather than just the structured lifestyle her title came with. She envied, at times, the knights and maids who could share a drink with their comrades at the end of the day, sharing stories and laughs with each other. She envied the honest citizens who knew her name when all she knew of them was that they were Neridan. More than anything, though, she envied what she thought she missed. To someone on the inside, the outside looks appealing in the same way that to those stuck on the outside they want nothing more than to be inside.
To date, though, Rozalyn's fancies of seeing more of the world in non-diplomatic ventures have been nothing more than just that. Fancies. She is aware of her place in society even if she would consider trading and while she seeks more general acceptance and presence in matters of state, she is aware that it is an uphill battle but still one worth fighting. If she can aid her closest and only genuine friend in becoming a knight then who's stopping her from being more than just a dress and a beautiful figurehead for Nerida? She might be naive, but there truly has to be more in her future than a political marriage and children of her own, and should that be all that awaits her then let it be on her own decision. She would think that's not too much to ask.
Pokemon:
Name: Rori Species: Pyroar Gender: Female Ability: Rivalry Appearance: Rori's most notable feature is the slightly shorter mane compared to others of her species; rather than going to the flank towards the tail, Rori's mane goes down about half its body. Her fur is a shade darker, more of a general brown than a light. Her eyes are just as sharply blue though not as sharp as her teeth. Personality: Protective, Loyal, Motherly Move Set: Fire Fang Hyper Voice Flamethrower Sunny Day
Name: Lucia Species: Snorunt Gender: Female Ability: Inner Focus Appearance: Lucia's yellow cloak is darker than normal due in most part to living away from caves and in a more moderate, termperate area. Her eyes are as blue as an icy, frozen lake. Personality: Shy, Curious, Playful, Needy Move Set:Frost Breath Shadow Ball Spikes Protect
Summary: A princess whose sense of pride might conflict with her curiosity for a less rigid life.
SPECIES Adopted Spawn of Lovecraftian Horror But Is Actually a Human Woman
GENDER Female She/Her
SEXUAL ORIENTATION Honestly she's not even sure where to start. If her dad approves, she probably doesn't like them. For the sake of argument and the off chance that a monster might even find her desirable, she'll go with 'open minded'.
APPEARANCE Though she no longer needs them thanks to her coming to terms with her skillset and unique 'ability', Riley has little adhesive strips on some fingers. She used to be far worse with a knife and now she mostly sees it as a fun little accessory. She's fairly tall for a human woman (which is probably short compared to some monsters) at a rather tight 5'10". Her sense of style is...mismatched. She likes the color green and often wears clothes that don't match well with it, like orange.
She likes sneakers, not just because she's on her feet all day but because it is something that helps her keep her identity as a human amongst monsters. Riley has a little collection and wears a different pair every day. Her hair is presently short, but she used to specifically style it the opposite of what her dad said looked good on her. Even humans raised by monsters have that rebellious streak.
OCCUPATION Chef at the Morning Star Cafe, aided by her trusty tools Knife and Pan. She tends to handle the more sweet side of things but helps out with the savory just as well.
HOW She was born there. Well, not really. It's a long story. But she's lived there for most of her life and as far as she knows she was born there.
PERSONALITY Riley tends to be a bit easy to rile up (or Riley up as Knife called it once) but she knows when to dial it back and when to calm down; it's just that she's passionate about very specific things and her handling of criticism is, at worst, bad. She still sometimes feels out of place despite being normalized to things other, regular humans might fear and hate. While Riley has no delusions of being some kind of mediator between the two worlds, she knows that if it came down to it she isn't sure the monsters of Foxbridge would truly think of her as their own. This is part of why she can be a bit hesitant to get more than just friendly with others and why she doesn't tend to work front of house at the Cafe.
Though she had her rebellious phase, the one monster she does think highly of is her adoptive father, Uyl'leoth, The Speaker at the Gates of Worlds, because he quite literally saved her life at seemingly no real benefit to himself. It's because of him that Riley knows as much as she does about Foxbridge and the makeup of its denizens, almost too much if you were to ask her.
Despite the circumstances of her life, Riley is generally a fairly optimistic, if a bit wistful towards something she doesn't know and can't explain. And her awkward human sense of humor is...totally on brand.
SMALL BIO Riley wasn't born in Foxbridge but she's been there for as long as she can remember. Her birth parents belonged to a cult and truly believed in the worship of the elder gods they held rituals for. When Riley was born and barely aware, her parents put her forth as a sacrifice for the gods with only brief hesitation. They loved their deities more than their own flesh and blood, it seemed. Offered as a gift for the gods, said god, Uyl'leoth, The Speaker at the Gates of Worlds, accepted the gift and took the child as his own. Riley was 'sacrificed' and the cult got to meet one of the gods they worshiped. It was truly a win-win for everyone other than, perhaps, Riley's parents.
Growing up as the child of an elder god was...interesting, to say the least. She had no frame of reference for what was 'normal' for a human and just assumed she was a 'late bloomer' compared to the more interesting and outrageous monsters and aliens she encountered. It never occurred to her until she was a precocious teen that she was the alien. That caused her to have a strange teenage stretch and crisis before she accepted her life as it was. The Morning Star Cafe had been something of a sanctuary for Riley since they served her regardless and that feeling of sanctuary was why she sought employment there as a way to give back to the place that helped her come to terms with her identity.
Plus she didn't want to be like her dad and be a teacher.
Riley started as a waiter but one day had to fill in and help out with the cooking. Her first time in the kitchen as a chef was a strange one because the knife spoke to her. And so did the frying pan. Riley dropped both in shock and got reprimanded for making a mess; telling others that the tools talked to her was met with laughter but she swore it was true. Because it was. Riley quickly rose in skill as the chef thanks in no small part to the fact that her knife and frying pan speak to her. She's named them Knife and Pan because creativity kind of goes away when faced with talking cutlery. As far as she knows no one else can hear her or they don't choose to talk to others, but her dad ensures her she's not crazy.
She can't say she has any greater dreams. For now she's content with her position in life...bar the occasional moment of introspection and daydreaming.
TRIVIA Her knife and frying pan - Knife and Pan - do speak to her because they are considered tsukumogami or, tools that have a spirit in them. She likes to think the spirits are those of her birth parents but she keeps that one to herself mostly - she doesn't need people thinking she was crazy or something. It's because of their guidance that she's able to cook as well as she does.