shylarah

Shadow Smiles

They'd come prepared, it seemed. How had their employer known about this? Or whoever sent them, because something was definitely very fishy. But they're my ticket out of here, and there's clearly something going on. If the power's out I can probably ditch them somewhere here. The noise of the lights had faded, though she still heard the chorus of other machinery and monitors. A hospital wouldn't have all their power on the same grid, and they'd have a generator backup for essential systems. That wouldn't include all the lights. Might be worth a shot.

It was reassuring that the clothing was not precisely her size. Only close enough. Lee disregarded modesty beyond turning away to quickly pull them on. She ignored the flashlight, but the gun made her hesitate. It sounded like she could really use some sort of weapon.

No, bad idea.

The first rule of any weapon was know how to use it, and she'd no training with firearms. She knew, in a vague sort of way, some of the basic rules, but even ignoring personal safety with it Lee wasn't sure how to go about aiming one. "From the sound of it I'm already in trouble. The last thing I need is to commit an actual crime. Oh, and I'm Lee."

She could hear noise in the hall, people speaking with concern, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. There was still fuzz along the edges of her senses, but she had her balance and her coordination. And really, did she even know what she was looking for to be after them? "Ready as I'm going to be, I guess." Shoving a hand into her purse, she grabbed her swiss army knife and flipped out the largest of the blades by feel. It wasn't exactly a good weapon, but it was what she had, and she knew how to use it. Lee didn't pull it out into sight, but just having it open and ready where she could easily grab it was an advantage.

She prayed she wouldn't need to use it.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Iolanel Efris

more images

ee-OH-lah-nell, or sometimes eye-OH-la-nell EFF-riss
click for pronunciation

Race: Gemmenite
Age: 18 (just barely)
Element: wind
Height: 5'3"

Bio:
Originally from a village among the windy cliffs and terrace farms of northwestern Gemmenia, Iolanel and her family moved farther south following the outbreak of a crop blight that took several very hard years to contain. With two little girls to worry about, the family's priority was on making sure they would grow up healthy and strong. A few other families with young children also relocated, though none to the same place.

Even though Iolanel had to leave all her friends behind, she consoled herself by writing letters and quickly made new friends. Her new home was a larger town, but still close enough to wild areas that she was allowed freedom to wander. In fact, there were fewer large predators to worry about compared to her old home.

Iola was a cheerful child that grew into a bright, smiling young lady. Her closest friend was her cousin Viorel, an earth gem learning animal husbandry with her parents. These two were thick as thieves, and Iola often ended up helping look after various injured animals, including the songbird that would refuse to return to the wild once healed. It was not uncommon to see her with some animal or another, even though she had no earth magic and could only communicate with them as a simple Gem.

The girl had no exceptional skills of her own, not in terms of a specific profession, though she picked up various bits and pieces of knowledge from different people. She often asked questions, but rarely had the dedication to pursue more than a single interesting aspect of a thing at any given time. However, Iola was good at working out disagreements between her friends, and always willing to listen when someone was upset.

Iola was Reaped very shortly after her 18th birthday, and it came as a huge shock. She's terrified and struggling to find something positive to hold onto about the whole mess. Indry she managed to hand off to her cousin. The very last thing she wants is the beloved bird dragged off along with her, or even worse, caught and killed by the Drakken.

Other:
Iolanel has a pet bird, Indira -- or rather, Indry refuses to leave and so has become a de facto pet, even though he's a wild bird.

She has gained skill with both plants and animals, just from exposure via her family. She never saw either as the sort of thing she wanted to do as a job, however.

Violet eyes run in her family. Pryllia and Viorel both have them, and her mother Yandra's are particularly vibrant.

She is, of course, beautiful by Gem standards, but there's indication that she's not properly grown into hers yet.

Family:
Nephanyel Efris is her father, a potter and sculptor.
Yandra, her mother, is an herbalist specializing in ornamental and aromatic plants.
Pryllia is her younger sister, currently sixteen.

Viorel Efris is Iolanel's cousin, an earth gem and the child of two earth gems who work with animals.

Adult Content Preference: I don't mind reading whatever. I have few limits on violence, most of them falling under deliberate torture and extreme sadism; I've a preference for keeping things classy, if that makes sense. I cannot write smut of any kind and I don't care to try, so for any sort of sex I'd prefer to fade to black. Any sort of nonconsensual intimacy short of overtly sexual acts I am willing to try to write, but may struggle, and there's a possibility I'll ask to fade. Did I miss anything?

Other Concerns:
Iolanel will propably do best (and by this I mean struggle/develop most) with someone who is apathetic towards her, rather than actively involved even if with cruelty. Opposition gives her something to work with, and a flow of interaction -- even if an unpleasant one -- to go with or learn to stand against. General unconcern is much more difficult to adapt to, and requires her be the one initiating any sort of progress.

In a similar vein, I lean towards her not having sister brides. They would be a source of comfort in all but a few instances. Those instances are as follows: someone so freaked out that she gets on Iolanel's nerves, or someone independent enough not to need her help in any way but not strong enough to handle supporting a second person in addition to herself. Anything else, Iola either gets to be the strong nurturing one, or has someone to shield her, and I don't really want either one of those things happening. Best case is probably her being a single bride, as that forces her to seek companionship outside of Gems (or at least of Gems outside her family).

I will admit to a personal bias towards a location where there are animals that would be untamable for most gems, forcing her to find some sort of spine somewhere just to have her own companionship, and just because it'd be a huge shock to her, used as she is to working with her cousin's family. Also because the danger to Indry would be fun. Iolanel is generally a go with the flow sort. It'd be fun to see her need to stand up to something.

Also I take it back, I might be able to make Heccarim work but MAN Iola would change in dramatically different ways. And it still might not end well. ...Still probably would not. Not sure how well I'd write it, though.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

You know, I hope One Seventeen and One Nineteen have been patrons of other warvands. Because if that's supposed to be one HUNDRED seventeen and we didn't use C, I may have a fit...

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@Draken@CollectorOfMyst I mean...it'd fit? *amused* says some interesting things about Indira too, and perhaps about her students....

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@CollectorOfMyst I'm try into figure out what pieces were left after all those various bits were eaten by the twins...

Intetestinthat back then it wasn't Varya doing the devouring. I guess the chur quietly wiped re order of someone hungrier than he...PR maybe it's asherahn and not Varya now in control....or....hm...or a mix. Not quite destruction, but definitely a consuming hunger...

Asherahn can't still be in the meteorite, if he's part of Varya and thus able to influence people. Hoevrr, while the idea that he holds great power and people did a lot of killing with it is an interesting one, Zt knows that usually it's just a matter of knowing how to handle the power. Then again, with remnants and all, calling on him might be more dangerous.

Besides, the last thing she'd be able to do would be figure out how to summon waves of ice.

Gotta figure out what all the questions she will ask are. *wriggles*

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@Lovejoy Uh...I'll have to reread.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@Lovejoy I LOVE IT. ALso oooh, I'm getting ideas. *flailing*

Can I make the educated guess that the two statues, one destroyed, on the bridge were Omestris and Asherahn? And that the one that remained was probably Omestris, even if able to be mistaken for a male?

@CollectorofMyst I think we're staying. I think now that Ziotea decided to listen she's going to do it properly -- and besides she has Questions still. But they should talk it over.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

@Obscene Symphony no, it's just some...important things I left out that I think will affect how you pair her. *sigh* I knew I wsasn't going to let myself be happy with what I did.

I'll get on that.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

@Obscene Symphony Woo! ...now that I realize there's half a dozen things I left out of notes....*sigh* Don't have the file right now, but I'll get it later when I am properly awake.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

@Vesuvius00 OH gods my eyes. >.<