SEYAAREN, AEMARI IDAI (incomp)
Oct 27, 2010 15:14:08 GMT -5
Post by alakazam on Oct 27, 2010 15:14:08 GMT -5
N A M E alakazam! (exclamation point is optional); for especially lazy persons, I usually respond to "zam" too.
C O N T A C T S PM at "alakazam;" I log in frequently enough that I'll see it within forty-eight hours or so.
O T H E R . C H A R A C T E R S None at present.
R A N D O M . F A C T The reason this profile took so long: I couldn't stop watching!
N A M E Aemari Idai Seyaaren
N I C K N A M E S Mari, to her friends. She has gone by numerous aliases in the past, most of which are never used again, though she does use her middle name, Idai, for various purposes.
A G E 24
B I R T H D A T E October 24
G E N D E R Female
S E X U A L I T Y Pansexual; Aemari's abilities usually receive very mixed responses, as very few are willing to entertain the risk of dying over sex. Thus, Aemari has learned to take her pleasures wherever she may find them.
O C C U P A T I O N Rebel; due to her abilities, she often serves in the capacity of diplomat, spy, and assassin.
M A G I C ? Aemari's claim to fame among the rebels is her ability to secrete poison from her skin. The poison would, by those more scientifically inclined, be classified as a hemotoxin, for it targets and destroys the cells found in tissues throughout the body, be it blood or muscle. While animals possessed of this very same toxin frequently have to wait hours for the poison to take effect, Aemari's particular brand of hemotoxin typically takes effect almost immediately. The toxin first manifests itself as a rapidly spreading "bruise" at the point of contact, as the toxin destroys the blood vessels nearby; as the toxin spreads towards vital organs, the tissue damage spreads until the body cannot sustain itself any longer. Although usually over in a matter of minutes, given the evidence, Aemari suspects that said minutes are typically agonizing.
Aemari is not the only one affected by her poison. The same poison that killed her friend so long ago runs in her own blood; the difference is that she also bears an immunity to poisons. This extends to more than just her own brand of hemotoxins, however; Aemari has yet to encounter a poison that she cannot resist, or even ignore. She suspects she inherited this trait from her mother, who always seemed unaware of her abilities but was never once affected by Aemari's poison. This makes her an ideal candidate for meeting with persons whose alliances are unknown, as she is impervious to a very popular method of assassination.
H E I G H T Five feet, seven inches
W E I G H T 143 pounds
B U I L D Aemari is tall and slender, blessed with long limbs and the necessary grace to use them effectively. She has a "natural flair," though she was not born with it; rather, it became habit after years of conscious use. Aemari has very little by way of muscle tone, instead preferring to maintain a softer appearance--the better to seduce men of all circles.
E Y E S Aemari's eyes are almond-shaped and slightly hooded; the shape gives Aemari a natural haughtily bored look, which is beneficial whenever she seeks to pass herself off as one of the nobility (or at least a well-to-do member of society). The color of her eyes does make things difficult, however, as their particular shade of pale blue mark her as obviously of Niendran birth.
H A I R Aemari's hair is dark brown, bordering on black. Her hair is, when left to its own devices, a mass of loosely curled hair, just barely brushing past her shoulders. She styles her hair to reflect the day's goals, leaving it loose whenever she aims to seduce and tying it into a knot or bun whenever her activities lead her away from the social sphere.
I D E N T I F I E R S In a fit of temper, Aemari once got a tattoo of a coiled snake, coiled around the top of her arm. She's since got it removed, but there are still some faint scars from the procedure.
A P P E A R A N C E Aemari would be considered beautiful by many, but not in the classical sense. Her features are harsh, with high, wide cheekbones and a square jaw. The combination of cheekbones and jaw can give her cheeks a slightly hollowed look, which only serves to further her austere appearance. Her dark hair can serve to either emphasize these features or soften them: when left down, the curls can help to counteract the angles of her face; when pulled back, her face can seem harsher, more severe. She has learned to use this to her advantage.
Aemari has always been tall; beginning at a young age, she went through sporadic growth spurts, which often left her looking ungainly and lanky. As she entered her adolescent years, the growth spurts became fewer and gentler, and she began filling out. Her later years were actually quite kind to Aemari; although one would hardly call her voluptuous or buxom, she has learned to carry herself with a grace and innate flair.
Aemari has always had a love for the finer things. As her primary goal among the rebels is to smooth their way and monitor the political sphere, she frequently gets to indulge herself. Aemari makes it a point to keep a careful eye on the fashions of Carthonia, which has played directly to her advantage. Whenever the winds change direction, Aemari is certain to be among the first to be wearing the newest dress or hairstyle. As a secret vice, one she would never admit to, however, Aemari has a love of velvets; although entirely impractical among Carthonians, whose lands are too hot to merit the heavy warmth of velvet, Aemari nevertheless has numerous dresses made with the cloth.
L I K E S
» Velvet
» Cooler weather
» Songbirds
» Tin flutes (although by no means a master player, Aemari likes to consider herself an accomplished flutist)
» Sex (although, as one who's experienced sex from many angles and with many persons, she's developed a particularly jaded view towards some aspects)
» Philosophy (and know that the irony of a philosophical assassin is not lost on her)
» Classical literature
» Sculpture
» Irony (more accurately, ironies that she observes; she finds them highly entertaining, in a sadistic sort of way)
» Boldly colored fabrics (purples and reds are especially favored, though greens are a rarity)
D I S L I K E S
» Swimming
» Blades and other means of violent assassination (poison is cleaner and harder to trace)
» Water (anything larger than the pools in a public bathhouse is automatically and strictly avoided)
» Questions (or, more accurately, whenever a person fails to ask the correct question; asking what she perceives to be a "foolish" question is certain to irritate her)
» Most of Carthonia (it's too hot, too dry, and the fashions are, to her eyes, incredibly unattractive--and it's made all the worse by the fact that she's forced to wear them in order to blend in)
» Judgmental people (due to her occupation, most judgements passed on her tend to be rather poor; she finds this incredibly hypocritical, however, for the self-proclaimed judges are hardly innocent)
» Hypocrisy (which, if she thinks about it, is, in itself, a bit hypocritical)
F E A R S Her greatest fear would likely be that she is discovered. As she has masqueraded for years as Idai Undim, if she were discovered now, it would likely result in her execution. Especially if her powers were discovered, as that might lead many to realize that she was the culprit in a number of executions.
Among other things, Aemari can't actually swim (unless helpless flailing counts as swimming). She's learned enough that, in theory, she could keep herself afloat if tossed into a lake (and she certainly knows that it's a bad idea to inhale water), she would have a difficult time rescuing herself. Because of this, she typically avoids water for fear that someone might think it a fine joke to "accidentally" knock her into the water.
S T R E N G T H S Aemari takes a very rational approach to everything. As far as she's concerned, emotion has no place in decision making. This is especially helpful in her line of work, where she has learned to separate emotion from the act--intellectualizing it, if you will. Assassinations no longer concern her and haven't for years; the deaths of her victims are now more a scientific curiosity than a sinful act.
Aemari is a highly persuasive person. Instead of pandering to the emotions, however, Aemari simply presents a logical argument. Admittedly, emotion may come in to play--the dry, matter-of-fact tone she uses can certainly influence the prideful and insecure--but every argument she uses is founded in pure fact. She does occasionally omit deciding factors or offer information in such a way that she skews its meaning, but this is a rare thing. Aemari prefers to maintain a status as a trusted, reliable source--the better to get information in return.
For all that it was a curse as a child, Aemari's poison has proven to be a valuable asset. When she was relatively new to seduction and subterfuge, mistakes and blown covers were frequent occurences; the ability to poison would-be captors (and worse) rapidly came to be her saving grace in many of these situations.
W E A K N E S S E S By the very same token, Aemari's ability to intellectualize everything does have its downfalls. As she prefers to approach things from an analytical perspective, rather than an emotional one, this often leads her to seem emotionless and cold. In turn, that may lead others to believe that even the emotions she does display are false, spawning a number of rumors that Aemari is actually a closet sociopath.
Aemari has difficulty in forming any relationships at all. After spending years of her life avoiding all human contact, and then finding that she was still alienated because of her abilities, have led her to believe that it is better to forgo all human contact than to risk heartbreak.
Aemari tends to be a very impatient individual. While she rarely shows it obviously, one can usually tell when she is growing especially impatient by the tone she uses. When impatient, her voice tends to take on a drier edge and her comments become a bit more pointed. Backhanded compliments are also to be expected.
Q U I R K S Aemari
G O A L S Currently, her greatest goal would be to escape the rebels. She feels that she has more than repaid the rebels--in the blood of their enemies, no less; even more pressing, to her mind, she is growing frustrated with what she perceives to be a "thankless, futile task." She has given five years of her life to the rebellion, infiltrating, seducing, and murdering at their beck and call, and yet they seem no closer to victory. Impatient as ever, Aemari has grown frustrated with their lack of progress and has concluded that her skills might be better spent elsewhere.
Should she succeed in the aforementioned goal of abandoning the rebellion, she is currently considering fleeing to Niendra. As she is obviously Niendran-born, she feels she has a far greater chance of being offered asylum there than in Carthonia. She also feels absolutely no loyalties to Carthonia, as the country and its people were hardly what one would call "welcoming," and so renouncing any feelings towards Carthonia and its rulers would be easily done.
P E R S O N A L I T Y An in depth explanation of how your character behaves.
F A M I L Y
» Endyni Seyaaren, formerly Meihnim - mother
» Reivlye Seyaaren - father
P L A C E . O F . B I R T H Ingril, Carthonia
H I S T O R Y Aemari is, by all accounts, a creature of humble origin. The only child of two merchants, nativeborn Niendrans, she was something her mother would have classified as an "accidental blessing." Endyni's pregnancy was not intentional, as both she and Reivlye had agreed that a child would be impractical, given their migrant lifestyle. Whenever Endyni found herself such, however, she determined to make it possible. She traveled back and forth across the Niendran-Carthonian border with her husband, doggedly continuing to do her daily tasks until the very end. She loaded grains and fruits onto carts and hawked fabrics and jewelry for nearly six months, continuing until Reivlye finally would take no more and informed her that she would not work again until the child was born. To facilitate that, he purchased a home in Ingril, Carthonia's capital.
The family remained in the house for the remaining three months, until Endyni's labor. Despite Reivlye's certainty to the otherwise, the midwife assured him that the delivery happened quickly and smoothly. Within three months of Aemari's birth, the small family was once again packing its things in preparation for another foray into Niendra.
Aemari's earliest childhood memories usually involve the inside of a covered wagon or endless prairies. While the merchant's life was always harsh, her parents went to great lengths to soften the reality of life for her, purchasing her new toys and trinkets with nearly every stop they made. While their efforts helped to comfort the child, Aemari tended to respond poorly to each trip, her attitude growing more and more despondent with each journey. The situation was made all the worse by her parents' slowly dwindling profits, as competition from other merchants began to emerge.
During the spring of Aemari's fifth year, her family once again purchased a home in Carthonia, this time in Maesser. Life in the city was little better, with Reivlye continuing his trips back and forth on the border and Endyni picking up whatever jobs she could in the city. To Aemari's five-year-old mind, however, the city was vastly better: for once, there were other children and her bed was actually a bed, not a pile of blankets in a wagon.
Aemari's own life was not without its miseries, however. From a young age, Aemari found herself plagued by "sweats" whenever she was frightened or angry. Her peers found this an endless source of amusement, to the point where Aemari once locked herself in a closet with a promise to never return (this lasted for all of three hours, until her mother placed a sticky roll on the kitchen table and left it unattended--Aemari decided a bit of embarassment might be worthwhile in that case).
It was not until Aemari was nearing the age of nine that she truly understood the nature of these sweats. Like most children, Aemari had a love for animals, particularly those of the small and fuzzy species. As she and a friend were ambling through the streets of Maesser, they noticed a small bundle of fur perched on a branch. Neither child was inclined to think that the kitten wished to be in the tree--no, both automatically concluded that the kitten was the feline variation of the damsel in distress (it should be noted that the tree was rather gnarled and twisted--draconic, in its own way). The two concluded that they somehow needed to rescue the cat from its captor, and the easiest way seemed to be to have one climb the tree and the other call out instructions and helpful hints.
Within minutes, Aemari found herself scrambling up the tree, swinging herself onto the lowest branches. As she continued her climb upwards, she determinedly looked everywhere but down. As she reached towards the kitten, grasping the scruff of its neck as gently as she could, she grinned down at her friend--and realized that she was quite a bit farther up than she had thought.
Aemari found herself torn between two options: on the one hand, she could wait for an adult to pass by and maybe help, but then her dilemma would be immortalized into a cautionary tale; on the other, she could try climbing down on her own, all the while praying that none of the scenarios playing out in her mind became reality. In the end, childhood pride dictated that she try the latter--broken bones would, after all, heal better than broken reputation.
Slinging the kitten around her shoulders, Aemari began her descent. As she did so, she it harder and harder to get a proper grip on the branches. A cursory examination of her skin showed that she had oh-so-helpfully broken into one of her "sweats," and now, so far from any stable branches, she had no option but to continue downwards. As it happened, however, her grip on the branches soon proved to be the least of her worries. Within moments of noticing the problem, the kitten wrapped around Aemari's shoulders gave a screeching yowl; instinctively throwing herself away from the sound, Aemari lost her grip on the tree entirely, tumbling to the ground. Now close enough to the ground that her fall was not life-threatening, Aemari nevertheless broke her forearm in the fall.
Although dimly aware of strange feeling in her arm, Aemari's only concern for the moment was the cat that had fallen with her. Perhaps in a small kindness, the cat had not been so fortunate in its fall--having landed on its back, the cat's back was broken. Aemari and her friend both stooped over the child, neither one willing to touch it now, particularly because they could see the odd, blackened shape that had spread across its belly.
Aemari was born in Carthonia, but she has always felt a stronger affinity for her Niendran roots.
Her mother became pregnant and spent the first six months traveling back and forth. Soon it became too difficult for her to continue traveling back and forth in her condition; her father scraped together their funds and bought a house in the capital.
They remained in the city for two years, and then her family could no longer afford to maintain their housing. They returned to traveling back and forth for the next four years, and then eventually settled in Maesser when her father began a business of his own.
At a young age, Aemari found herself plagued by what seemed to be uncontrollable sweats. At their worst when she was stressed, they became a source of endless mockery for her. While Aemari soon became adept at avoiding situations that might trigger these sweats, the damage was already done.
When she was nine, nearing ten, she found herself walking down a road that was less than well-maintained. Her shoes caught on a crack in the path, and she tumbled to the ground. As could be expected, the reactions of those near to Aemari ranged from mildly concerned (which rapidly evolved into amusement when they were certain she wasn't hurt) into outright laughter. While most children would simply have blushed deeply, Aemari broke into one of her sweats once again--which only served to make the laughter worse.
A kinder bystander reached forward to help her up, but soon after grasping her arm, he recoiled sharply. He was cradling the palm of his hand and swearing softly under his breath; before Aemari's horrified eyes, a strange black color spread up his arm, as though his arm was spontaneously bruising. Soon the man was howling, and it was all Aemari could do to force herself to step back. The rest of the bystanders, the humor now drained from the situation, looked at her accusingly. As none of them were mages, it was concluded that somehow she had cursed the man.
Aemari did the only thing she could think to do: She fled. Terror drove her to return to her family's home, where her mother had already heard. She was hurried into the house, where Aemari's mother promptly began packing everything they could carry in preparation to leave the city. Neither one could be certain about how lasting the reaction against Aemari would be, and her mother was not willing to risk it.
Under the cover of dark that night, Aemari and her mother fled, a note on the table left for her father, who was in Niendra on business. Her mother had chosen Daethil as their destination; unwilling to enter into the capital itself, her mother reasoned that Daethil was close enough to the capital to be patroled regularly and populated enough that two refugees could go unnoticed.
They lived in Daethil for two years, Aemari's mother scraping together what few funds she could by doing whatever jobs she could. Officially, she was a washer, but she also found time to clean houses and once managed to obtain the position of governess (although she soon lost it due to sickness). Aemari also sometimes suspects that her mother earned her pay through less savory means, if how late she occasionally stayed out was any indication.
After just over two years, when Aemari was twelve, her mother took ill. After a week of coughs, fevers, and other symptoms, a small squad of doctors came to their home. Seeming very interested in her mother's case and not at all interested in her, they bundled her mother up with an off-handed promise to do all within their power to help her. Three weeks later, a letter was nailed to her door informing the general public that the owner of the house had died and that the house was once again for sale. She was promptly evicted.
If Aemari had concerns about her stay on the streets, they were short lived. Within days of her eviction, she was approached by another child, not much older than her, who quickly insinuated himself as her friend. He promised her a place to stay and safe harbor--if she was willing to help a few of his friends out. Aemari, none-too-enamored of life on the streets already, agreed without hesitation. Thus began her association with the Carthonian rebellion.
It began innocently enough for her; she was quickly matched to an older rebel. While he lacked the ability to secrete poision as she could, Aemari's mentor was well-known for her ability to resist poisons. While the tutoring was often slow in the going, as she had no
C O D E . W O R D wyeshing
S A M P L E . P O S T Long sample post is long. (Totally just took it and ran with it.)CHARLOTTE THE HARLOT, SHOW ME BLOOD
It was a glorious morning. The sun hovered just above the line of the horizon, the sky painted in hues of pastel blue, pink, and orange. The billions of grains of sand touched by the sun's glow shimmered and reflected the light, a veritable stream of diamonds between Ingril and the edge of the world. Perched on the eastern wall, Aemari greeted the new day in between wary glances, looking for the guards.
Moments such as this had become few and far between for Aemari. For the past three months, her days had been consumed by reconnaissance, infiltration, and, most maddening of all, errands. Of late she had begun to wonder if the heads of the rebellion had begun to suspect her changing sentiments. It was not unbelievable, to think that they might try to forestall her exiting the fold by occupying her with everything they could possibly imagine. It was far harder for her to believe that they would believe these tasks would somehow convince her to remain among hte rebels. Perhaps they thought that this was a passing phase? That she would wake up one morning, wondering what had possessed her to even consider such a foolish course of action?
If that was the case, they gave her too little credit.
If that was not the case, then Aemari was getting a touch paranoid.
Aemari was not particularly fond of either possibility. With a heavy, melodramatic sigh, she stepped back from the edge of the walls, absently crossing her arms under her breasts. Squinting unseeingly into the sun, her thoughts once again returned to her present dilemma: if she would continue to serve the rebels. This question directly translated into a million more, swirling throughout her mind: If she abandoned them, where would she go? How would she escape? How would she make a living? She would most likely want to leave the country, but was Niendra or Wyeshing the wiser option? And what about those who associated with her, who would become targets of the rebel leaders' wrath? Aemari had ever been concerned with details, always making sure she understood everything in perfect clarity, and she had welcomed it in her line of work; now, however, it was proving to be more of a burden than a blessing.
As the first strains of hawkers' cries and the creaking of carts reached her ears, Aemari decided she had tempted fate for long enough. Slowly moving towards the tower, she stared constantly at the ground, brow furrowed in thought. She paid precious little attention to her direction, noticing only enough to weave through the sparse crowd and leaving all else to habit.
"Idai!"
Aemari jumped, startled by the sudden call so close by. She turned, eyebrows arched, to the source of the voice. Her gaze fell upon a shorter woman, slightly rounded by age and childbirth, but still quite handsome, and currently grinning sunnily.
"Gods, Velai!" Aemari said, though her words lacked heat. "You should know by now that I don't like being surprised."
Velai shrugged unrepentantly. "I do. I also know that if I hadn't scared you, you would have walked right by me."
Aemari's eyes turned skyward, sighing heavily. She knew Velai would take it as a response to her words, but her thoughts still revolved largely around possible plans. There was a distinct difference, though: Velai, now that she was remembered, was being factored into the equation.
Aemari looked back down at Velai to find the smaller woman chattering away, blissfully oblivious to Aemari's thoughts. "--it's quite rude, you know, to not show up at someone's cart for weeks, Idai. And before you go disagreeing with me, it has been weeks. Maybe even a month. And there's no point in arguing, either, because I've been keeping track."
Aemari forced a smile onto her face, concealing her inner turmoil beneath her typical charming facade. "Yes, I know, Velai, though I'm not sure what sort of apology you're looking for. If I know you correctly, you'll just box me over the head and tell me not to apologize, anyways." As Aemari said this, she rocked back on her heels, twisting her smile into something teasing as Velai half-heartedly swatted at her head.
"Wretch. And see what I've saved for you today, too!"
"Velai, Velai; it's hardly my fault that you've become predictable in your old age."
"Forty is not old age, girl!" Velai huffed indignantly. It was Velai's turn to roll her eyes, tossing Aemari a sweet roll as she did so. She scowled at Aemari, though the severity was tempered by fondness. "You're still to skinny; for someone who dresses so nicely every day, you certainly never seem to have enough coppers for a decent meal." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "I know you don't seem to like most men 'round here, but I have it on good authority that women don't like to shag a skeleton either!" With a wink and a laugh at Aemari's temporarily dumbfounded expression, Velai waved her on.
Aemari moved on, brow furrowing as she clutched the sweet roll in her fingers. In the growing heat of the day, the glazed sugar rapidly melted, but Aemari was far too engrossed in her thoughts to notice.
Velai always saved a sweet roll for her.
The woman was convinced that Aemari's appearance was born of inattention to her health. It seemed only logical to her that the solution to Aemari's "condition" was a constant flow of thickly-glazed sweets. Aemari, out of some sentiment she didn't care to recognize, never once refused the sweets, although she very rarely ate them. She also never once considered disabusing Velai of the notion, never once considered explaining to Velai that the hollowness in her cheeks was simply the product of breeding and not of any actual failure on her part.
Her eyes drifted to the sweet roll, now crushed in her fist; Aemari sighed helplessly, now without recourse. She could no longer simply abandon the sweet roll to the "tender" care of an urchin; not only was it ruined, but the damage had been done: Aemari was now guaranteed to stick to anything she touched. She turned her gaze heavenward, offering a silent question to fate. Sticky fingers in the middle of a marketplace. Do these things even appear in the etiquette books?
Bloody brilliant.CHARLOTTE THE HARLOT, SHOW ME LOVE
