It started small. The dark clouds let go of a few drops of rain, each one sending a small ripple in the vast desert that was seemingly had the consistency of water. The ripples clashed, and a little more rain came. This time, faster. The ripples grew bigger, and more rain fell. The ground now rose up into huge waves, falling over themselves repeatedly. A little girl stood in the middle of it all, naked. Her black hair and dark skin made her bright red wings pop. Her head tilted up as she stared at the clouds. The rain didn't fall on her, but the giant waves were all heading inward toward her. They merged and reached their peak so that she was completely enveloped by them. Then the little girl blinked. The clouds vanished, the waves—no the sand—all was back to where it was supposed to be, and there was a rainbow over the little girl's head. Except it couldn't be a rainbow. There were no lines or colors—it was pitch black.

Nitya awoke with a start. Her blankets were thrown across the floor, her pillow halfway across the room. It looked as if she had battled her bed in her sleep. Her body covered in sweat and aching, Nitya knew she must have lost that battle. She sat up with a groan. It was her fifth time having that dream, all within a month. Every time she had it, she woke up in the same way. It wasn't a nightmare, it wasn't even a bad dream. But for some reason, she detested it.

After getting out of bed, Nitya hobbled over to the wardrobe. She scratched her naked back and flinched. Her upper back had been unreasonably sensitive lately, and she had no clue why. Nitya pulled a silk purple dress out—her favorite one. She slid it on and looked at herself in the mirror. She might feel sore and unladylike, but she looked gorgeous. The dress's low neckline and back would have been considered quite promiscuous elsewhere, but it was modest in Essyrn. She fluffed her soft curly hair with her hands before returning to the wardrobe. Grabbing a golden accessory that resembled a tiara, Nitya finally smiled. Dressing so nice and looking so pretty made up for her dream. It would be a good day, she was sure of it.

Nitya put on some sandals, grabbed her purse, and left the inn. The summer sun was hot, as always, and she loved it. She smiled as she walked, ignoring all the looks of admiration she was getting. It wasn't like she was going to look back anyway. She had been planning on doing some shopping, to splurge a little, but she hadn't made it a block before a sharp headache started pounding into her head.

At a Glance:

Name: Nitya

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Ethnicity: Essyrni (mostly)

Height: 5 foot 10

Occupation: Travelling Trader

Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Nitya is a very beautiful, but traditional, Essyrni woman. She has dark skin and red-brown eyes. Her hair is full of volume and beautiful curls that she often leaves untamed. Her hair, unlike most Essyrni women, is not quite black. Although only noticeable under sunshine by perceptive eyes, there are undertones of brown and even red. She has almost curves and her face is sharp, allowing her to pass herself off as male (something she must do when trading in Essyrn). Nitya matches her fashion to where she currently is residing, but has a preference for beautiful, colorful, and delicate dresses. She also loves wearing golden jewelry and has a number of hair accessories that show her wealth. When she is dressing as a male, she pulls back her hair (sometimes in a hat) and wears, of course, traditional male clothing.

Personality:
Nitya is charismatic, passionate, and quite affable. There are three main reasons she is a successful trader: her personality, her beauty, and her magic. She knows this, and takes full advantage of each. In the end, she is a successful and manipulative business woman. However, she refuses to betray her morals for money. Despite all of this, Nitya has trouble forming connections with other people. She has very few long term friendships and has never been in a serious relationship. Her magic and her past are to blame for this.

Magic/Abilities:
Nitya has unique strain of mind magic. It had been slowly developing until she was thirteen, and then it stopped. The history of this magic will be written in her history below, for a lot of it has to do with her development. Nitya's magic is not done developing, though she does not know that herself. Currently, she is able to hear "wants" of people. If she makes eye contact with someone, she can hear—and very rarely see—what they want. In many cases, these are abstract things. Love, happiness, beauty... occasionally, it will be something specific. She uses this knowledge to pander what she sells and appeal to people's wants. If someone wants beauty, she'll compliment them and tell them how this one pin or that one dress will make them look gorgeous and irresistible. Nitya does not look in the eyes of strangers without reason. Too often she hears the ugliness of jealousy and hatred. She also avoids going near slaves and homeless people—their cries for help are too loud and painful for her to bear.

Nitya's magic will develop very soon, but I will write about that when it happens.

History:
Nitya was the eighth and last child in a very poor and very desperate household. When she was very young, she would hear whispers at the back of her head whenever she locked eyes with someone. She couldn't understand them, but it led her to avoid looking at others in the eyes—even her family. When she turned four, she started to question where her three oldest siblings were. Her parents just said they went on a trip. When she was six, the whispers started to make sense. She could hear the words money and comfort repeating in her head. Her fourth and fifth siblings had disappeared. A couple years later, her sixth sibling was gone. Nitya knew they weren't on a trip. But by now, the whisper had turned into a voice and she could hear her parents asking for money. By now, she knew where her sisters all went. She turned nine and her last sister disappeared. Her parents were living wealthier, no longer with eight daughters to take care of and with their bonus payment. Nitya turned ten and cried as she woke up. She missed her sisters but she couldn't do anything. She heard a knock on their door and knew what was happening. Nitya tried to run outside the second her parents unlocked the door, but the burly slave trader just picked her up. He handed a little bit of money to her parents and left with.

Nitya was too young to be sold as a concubine, but she was too pretty to be sold as a normal slave. She was therefore sold to a family with a similarly aged son as an assistant. She could hear them though, she knew she wasn't just to be a helper. As soon as she was old enough, she was to be a concubine. After she turned eleven and bled for the first time, she ran away. The other servants helped her escape, all of whom she had helped in one way or another in the past year.

Nitya stayed on the streets, begging, for a few years. Her powers now allowed her to hear full sentences and sometimes even see what people wanted. Eventually, she met a trader who was enamored by her beauty. Tricking him into believing he would satisfy his wants of her body, she learned the tricks of trading in a day. Since then, she has been a traveling trader—the base of her operations staying in Essyrn.

Okay, so I know I have an art thread, but I figured I'd start this one just for my stuff from camp. :) I'm just going to be uploading things as I get pics and straighten them some and stuff (these aren't in the order that I created them), and I'll give a brief explanation of each one. :3 Honestly, my time at art camp were three of the best weeks in my life. <3

The first one I'm putting up is a collage I did. It was an in class thing... no idea how long it took. It was inspired by a picture of Marilyn Monroe. :)

Tanya bumbled around The Keep, looking under the chairs and behind every cup and everywhere else possibly imaginable. She reached up on her tiptoes, only to fall over and decide to search around on her knees. Glancing up around at her strange audience of Cray and Investigation workers, she threw them a toothy smile.

"So!" she started, turning around so she was sitting on her bum. "It's time for a party! I promise, despite the scanty looking rooms and everything, I did plan to plan this... but one thing led to another and all of a sudden I was drinking and had a hot guy at my arm and it really wasn't the best moment to go and test my interior design skills out."

Returning back to her knees, Tanya continued her conversation as she looked into a large wooden storage box. "However, I did buy the booze. So really, we have everything needed for the party. There's only one problem—at some point, some point I really just do not remember, I happened to hide all of the alcohol. Oh!" She paused to pull out a large bottle of scotch from the box. "See, here one is!" Tanya stood up and started to head towards the kitchen, trusting others to follow her. "Anyway, it's now a scavenger hunt party!"

Tanya grabbed a glass from the kitchen and poured herself a drink before downing it. Holding up the empty glass as if she was toasting, she shouted with incomparable enthusiasm, "So let the party begin!" And with that, she poured a small glass of the high quality scotch for everybody else in the room, not even bothering to ask if they wanted any.

At a Glance:

Name: Micheovi (Mick-ee-OH-vee)

Nickname: Help me come up with something? xD

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Ethnicity: Hjarai—a nomadic desert tribe

Height: 6 foot 1

Occupation: Gladiator (Slave)

Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Micheovi is, despite (or perhaps aided by) having multiple scars, a handsome man. His black, curly hair is cut so that it's one inch long, though it often grows longer before he can be bothered to cut it. His hair, in addition to his dark chocolate skin, makes it nearly impossible not to stare at his amber eyes. His figure is quite sharp cut, with a strong jaw, thin lips, and not an ounce of fat. After all, years at the Colosseum and hours spent working out have made Micheovi very muscular. Even though he can't afford to dress in the fashions of Essyrn and just wears whatever the Colosseum provides, he has gotten about half of his fans due to his smoldering looks.

When he was younger and still lived with his tribe, Micheovi got a tattoo of two snakes (one black and one dark red). Starting at the bottom of his back, they spin up his spine and around each other until about the middle of his shoulder bones. They then split apart, each traveling and twisting down one arm before ending at the inner wrist. The red one, which goes down the left arm, has a wide open and fanged mouth, as if it's about to bite. The black one, which goes down the right arm, ends at the same spot but looks completely docile. In other words, if he puts his wrists side by side, the red snake looks like it's going to eat the black one.

Personality:
Micheovi isn't much of a people person, but he has learned to pretend he is when beneficial. When he was younger, he saw the world through rose colored glasses. The world was a beautiful place and meant to be loved. He philosophized about everything, something he still does—though when his life completely changed, the philosophies got darker. At times he wishes to fool himself with good thoughts, but he knows that it will all be lies. So instead he tells himself and others the harsh truth. This is his way of helping people. Because, despite being cynical and often depressing, he does wish to help. He has just realized that letting people live in ignorant bliss doesn't work at the Colosseum, and that it's better for them to realize the truth sooner than later. Some respect him, some are indifferent, and some hate him, but rarely anyone in the colosseum enjoys his presence.

Magic/Abilities:
Micheovi doesn't have any magic, but he sure does have some nice abilities! Years of fighting have given him quick reaction times, the ability to use many weapons, and just plain brute strength. However, he also has great intuition when it comes to measuring and predicting distances. This is a mix of experience and natural ability. To help explain what I mean by this, imagine someone is prancing across a field full of fairies and butterflies and flowers and he wants to shoot them with an arrow. Without much of a thought, his brain automatically processes how fast they're moving as well as an arrow's trajectory (and how any wind would affect that) and is able to shoot accordingly. However, he cannot actually see into the future. If that person turned around, well, the arrow wouldn't hit (unless he could tell that they'd be turning around). This is also helpful in fights—it works close distance, too, so it aids him in avoiding punches and kicks. The thing that he is most known for, however, is stealing weapons from his opponents and using the weapons to defeat thim.

Relationships:
Misae: Ex-wife, presumably dead
Ciruela: Current fiancé, works at the Colosseum in the kitchen

History:
Micheovi was born and raised in a nomadic desert tribe known as the Hjarai. He grew up with tons of energy, always chasing around desert animals before collapsing and staring at the clouds, figuring out their shapes. As he got a little older, people started getting used to not seeing him for hours at a time. He would wander out into the desert until there wasn't a thing in sight (other than sand, of course) and then just sit. He's think about life and religion and anything his mind wandered to. Sometimes he'd bring a book or something to do, but more often than not he just enjoyed feeling like he was one with the nature.

As he matured, Micheovi grew into a handsome and intelligent man. While there were plenty of women to choose from, none of them interested him. Many of them didn't understand his philosophies and would tune him out while he spoke, even if they pretended they were listening by nodding and giggling every once in a while. Any girls that got attached would be upset when he'd disappear into the desert, but none were willing to go with him. Eventually, when he was twenty-six, he laid his eyes upon the greatest beauty he had ever seen. Her name was Misae. She was modest, smart, and listened to him. Her unnaturally pale complexion didn't allow her to take day trips with Micheovi into the desert, so he adapted. Instead of laying in the sun, he'd bring her out into the desert to lie under the moon and stare at the stars that she admired so much. It was the happiest time of his life, and they got married a year later.

The day after their wedding, everything changed. Slavers raided their tribe and killed everyone that they didn't believe could be sold. They kept anyone that was pretty or strong, like him. He was sold into the Colosseum, bound to fight for his life and freedom. At first, he held onto the belief that his beloved would have been saved. Sold, perhaps, as a concubine—but alive. The Colosseum changed him, however. After half a year passed and he still hadn't heard from Misae, Micheovi was forced to face reality. While he might have found his wife as beautiful as a lone star, not many others did. The chances of the slavers keeping her were too slim for him to feel as though he could hold onto hope. By this point, he had already murdered several men and faced multiple betrayals... he had lost his dreaming nature and feeling of hope. Instead, he took things as they came and planned to live the safest route possible.

Three years passed and Micheovi managed to say alive, winning fight after fight. He gained his place in the Colosseum and learned how to work the audience to like him. After all, they would be the ones who could free him. In the arena, he is charismatic, cunning, and charming. But when he's not within view of an audience, his cynical and guarded nature comes out. The only one who can truly bring out any of his past self is Ciruela, a young servant who works in the Colosseum kitchen (but even she only sees a fraction of his young self). While he knows that he doesn't love her like he did Misae, he felt as though it was time for him to move on and he enjoyed her company. For that reason, he proposed to her and they're now planning on getting married as soon as they can.

Pit pat, pit pat. Illi's delicate toes brushed upon the grass and dirt as she ran as fast as she could manage. The manor was now within sight, and a foolish grin spread across her face. To be able to celebrate Davishire's birthday with him made her happier than she would ever admit to her siblings (though they had all figured it out already, due to recent babbling and constant smiling) and she could only wish he'd enjoy the present she got him. Oh, if only she could reach him quicker! But it was hard to run in a full length dark blue dress, especially with both hands occupied and unable to hold up the abundance of fabric. In one hand, she held her pair of emerald heels. In the other hand, she held his gift.

Glancing up at the sky, Illi wondered how late she was. Perhaps a half an hour? A full hour? It was hard to tell, but she felt terrible. To be late on a very special day... it was a disgrace. But surely there were plenty of people to keep him occupied—maybe he hadn't even noticed she was missing! Illi couldn't decide if that would be a good or a bad thing, but whatever the case was, she knew she didn't want to miss one more second of the celebration.

Finally up the steps and in front of the large, closed door, Illi realized she should recompose herself. Wasn't the entrance the most important part of a party, after all? Leaning down, she set down her two shoes. And then she heard the door open. Cheeks flushed, hair a mess, and shoes not even on—this was not the entrance she had been planning on making. Illi's cheeks became even pinker as she blushed with embarrassment, wondering what in the world she should do.

OOC: whether or not Davishire realizes she's here yet is up to you—I can always write more!

GUYS LOOK

I'M FREAKING OUT SO YOU ALL GET TO SEE THESE PHOTOS. START TO END. hope you like them <3


Before:


It's coming off!


It's getting short :O


IT'S SHORT


SO YEAH MY HAIR GREW SHORT... WITH THE HELP OF SCISSORS.

At a Glance:

Name: Bambina Levie (Bam-BEE-na Lev-EE)

Age: 28

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Height: 5 foot 1

Occupation: Author (just starting out) and Innkeeper (to earn money+family business)

Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Babina has light pink wavy hair that goes to about the bottom of her shoulder blades. Despite being straight, it always seems to get in her way if she doesn't do anything... so she usually puts it up in a ponytail or messy bun. Like many Serinians, she has fair skin and is short. She has dark green eyes that follow you when you talk or make noise, but not otherwise. This is because she is blind.

Even though the tradition is that most women wear long dresses, Bambina hardly wears a dress that goes past her knees. Longer dresses are too easy to trip in. Even though she can't see, Bambina does help choose her dresses. She feels the texture and checks to see if there is anything attached (like bows!). She also asks for what it looks like (colors, patterns, etc). This is something that confuses many people that haven't known her for long, but it makes perfect sense to her. I'll explain how it works in abilities.

Personality:
Although you might expect Babina to be less judgmental because she cannot see, that is incorrect. She might not be able to judge you in quite the same way, but that doesn't matter. She has found her own way. For example, if you are wearing red, you will be judged harshly. After all, red is the color of blood and death... so surely if you wear it you are not a good person. Bambina has been spoiled all of her life and, for this reason, sometimes acts snobbish and stuck up. In truth, you can compare her to that of a six year old. Her mood changes are quick and she is constantly asking questions. Her energy seems unrelenting but once it's drained, it's completely drained. She hates when things don't go her way and will be very clear about that. But when she discovers something new or things go perfectly, you can just see her light up.

Magic/Abilities:
Bambina is quite the talented lady. While she doesn't have any shown magic, her ability to sense and remember things certainly have people questioning whether there truly is some magic involved. Despite being blind, she sees the world as a beautiful place. Growing up, she asked more questions than any other child. She'd ask what color things were and what they looked like and why they were like that and all sorts of things. Bambina can't see colors. But she links them. For example, she loves the feel of water. She also loves the idea that there is an endless infinity above her. Both of these things (water and the sky) are blue. So she loves the color blue.

Because of the connections that Bambina makes within her head, she actually creates an excellent story teller. She knows details about everything (because everything has been explained to her in wonderful detail) and can create wonderful imagery. Unfortunately, she cannot write. She tells stories verbally at town squares, but hopes to be able to make them permanent one day.

To continue on, Bambina has impeccable memory. With concentration, she can remember where things are and how to get there. She could travel to a clothing shop alone, remembering how many steps she always takes and going around people based on sound. In other words, she can create a map as detailed as needed within her head. But going somewhere new terrifies her. She doesn't know where anything is and one wrong step could lead her somewhere completely different.

History:
Bambina has been blind from birth. However, because of this, she has grown up knowing how to cope and adapt with it. Furthermore, she was spoiled rotten. While her siblings were all spoiled as well, she got special treatment due to her special situation. She could buy whatever she wanted and had at least three slaves/servants with her at all times to fill her needs and answer any questions she had. Despite living a life in which competence was not needed, Bambina was actually the one who demanded to be taught how to get around on her own. While she didn't admit it, she hated being seen as if she was 'lesser' than others. This happened primarily between the ages of twelve and sixteen. She then learned how to complete simple tasks, like getting dressed and creating an easy meal. However, despite her fair amount of independence, she never moved out of her parents' house. This was both because her parents didn't want her to move out and because it was easiest for her (she didn't have to work nor learn her way around somewhere new). But when she turned twenty five, her parents were killed by thugs on their way to Essyrn. She inherited everything—the house, the servants and slaves, and their booming business. Bambina still lives in the house, but she freed all the slaves and got the servants to work for her siblings. Now that she was in complete control of her life, she was determined to live it the way she wanted to. She bought one slave, Toseki, that she was drawn to... but only that one. Despite being blind, she still runs the business and spends a large part of her day there. Not only does it earn the money needed for the land she lives on (and all the clothes she wants to buy), it also gives her a sense of independence. She normally just stays in a back room and writes out loud. In other words, she says what she wants to be written and Toseki will write it down for her. After all, while she might be the innkeeper, it is still her dream to be a writer.

At a Glance:

Name: Na'il Ah'nikh (NA-eel ON-nick)

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Height: 5 foot 8

Occupation: Noble... but she spends her time helping those less fortunate than her.

Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Na'il has a very natural beauty. She has thin but long lashes and grey eyes. Her skin is dark brown with a tint of muddy red. Her light brown hair is nearly impossible to tame with its wild and ferocious waves, but her servants have had lots of experience twisting it down into calmer braids. Na'il loves her makeup but does her best not to wear too much of it. This isn't because she thinks it looks bad but rather because she knows her makeup is expensive and would rather not waste the money. She has similar beliefs regarding perfume and accessories. Na'il has closets full of beautiful clothing, as this is the one thing she can't get her parents to stop buying her. Occasionally she'll sell an outfit or two and donate the money, but she can't help but love her clothes. It's one of the things that she wish she had the strength to part from.

Personality:
Na'il is one of the kindest Essyrni nobles. She was raised to be selfless, valiant, and independent. While a bit naïve (she typically believes that only the best will happen), that also makes her an optimist. She will put all of her energy into whatever she's doing... so once she makes up her mind about something, it's nearly impossible to change it. Many (mostly nobles) have criticized her for being too kind, but she believes herself to not be kind enough. Because no matter how much she tries to hide it, she is noble after all. She adores her fine jewelry and expensive clothing. She scoffs at foreigners (even though she tries to like them, they're often disagreeable) and can't help but shy away when beggars pull at her clothes. But she has a great soul and an unwavering spirit that draws many to her.

Magic/Abilities:
Na'il has an absolutely AWESOME Kaadir! Yav (the Kaadir) is dark red with brown spots and yellow eyes. She also has horns and a dark brown mane. Like normal, the two of them bonded from a young age. The part that surprised a lot of people is when Na'il started breathing fire like her animal. She thought it was normal until she was told otherwise. As she has grown older, her connection to her fire has grown stronger. She can still only produce it from her mouth, but she can control fire with any part of her body. This effectively makes it near impossible to burn Na'il or for her to overheat (though she does still wear typical Essyrni clothing). While she doesn't go around showing off her magic, she does sometimes use it to brighten a little kid's day. Na'il has also taught herself how to dance while using the fire, creating a beautiful piece of art.

History:
Na'il, like many nobles, wasn't truly raised by her birth parents. They paid for everything and bought her presents often, but it was the servant Lameer that taught her who to be and how to live her life. Through Lameer, Na'il learned selflessness, forgiveness, and appreciation. She learned the traits needed to be 'womanly' but also learned how to fight for what she believed in (both verbally and physically). Because her parents didn't pay much attention to her, she was able to get away with things like discovering how to correctly wield a sword and visiting the poor parts of the town. Na'il didn't just spend time doing rebellious things like this, however. She also spent much of her childhood playing with Persea. They were best friends and, both being only children, were like siblings to each other. But as Persea grew older and the responsibilities of one day becoming Shah slowly were tossed on her, the two friends grew apart (much to Na'il's dismay). This started when they were around twelve but the full force of it hit at fourteen. To make matters worse, that was also when Lameer passed away. The death was from old age and she died happy, but, of course, it also left a hole in Na'il's heart. However, she managed to avoid going down any bad and regretful paths and instead put her energy and sadness into doing her best to make a better country. She still tries to be friends with Persea, who is now the Shah, but such attempts seem futile. Even still, Na'il goes around with a wide smile and a generous soul, hoping for the best.

At a Glance:

Name: Mindy (Min-dee)—short for Mindelia (Mind-dee-lee-ah)—the Black

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Species: Vampire (Pure-Blood)

Height: 5 foot 8

Occupation: Vampire Princess

Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Mindy has black hair, black eyes, and white skin. In other words, she looks like a fairly typical vampire. She dresses in black and red, though she has slowly been sneaking dark blue into her appearance. She is thin and tall and doesn't have any distinguishing features. She looks dead? xD

Personality:
Mindy is quite shy and timid. She has grown up being spoiled by her father. However, that also meant she hasn't had much of a chance to say what she wants. She has always done what he's demanded, but as she's gotten older, she's started to question whether or not that is the best. The idea what he might be wrong, or that maybe she should lead her own life, has started to sneak into her head. So while at this point Mindy is still a quiet girl, her rebelliousness is starting to grow.

Magic/Abilities:
Vampire stuff? She likes blood drinking. :3

History:
Raised by her father, Kortorn the Black, Mindy has gotten almost whatever she wanted. Blood, clothes, servants... she's gotten everything. But she hasn't gotten the freedom she's wanted. Anyway, she's a princess!

At a Glance:

Name: Sevda Rowarti (Sehv-dah Roe-wahr-tee)

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Species: Human (Enchanted)

Height: 5 foot 3

Occupation: None (Noble)

Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Sevda dresses as you would imagine a typical Connlaoth noble woman to. The only things you will never see her wearing are pants and sleek dresses—in other words, she'll only wear things that allow her to conceal her peacock tail. That's right, she has a peacock tail. It is the bane of her existence, and she silently prays every night that it will be gone in the morning. But it's always there. The tail itself is a typical peacock tail*... green with blue circles.

Sevda herself has olive skin and straight, silky black hair. She normally leaves her hair down, where it cascades down her back. Sevda has dark red lips and matching red, almond shaped eyes. Her frame is thin though her curves are not... it is undeniable that she is a true beauty. But she doesn't believe it.

*only male peacocks actually have the colorful tail, but let's ignore that detail.

Personality:
Sevda is confined and silent. She doesn't talk much to anyone, especially about things relating to herself. In Sevda's mind, no one will ever find her beautiful because of her peacock feathers. She thinks that she can never get married, have kids, or live a normal life. In other words, Sevda has absolutely no self confidence. She looks at others with envy and, occasionally, hatred. However, more than others, she hates her mother and herself.

Magic/Abilities:
No magic.

History:

Birth Story
Nava and Sevda were identical twins born in Connlaoth. Their father, Pabul, had been sightseeing in Reajh when he met their mom, Nearra. They had one night of fun, thinking nothing of it. A little over a month later, she found him again to tell him that she was pregnant. There was no way for them to marry—not only was he Thanati, he also had magic he was unwilling to give up. He tried to convince her to go back with him to Thanatos, but she wouldn't. Pabul stayed and visited her daily, hoping that she would change her mind. But Nearra was prideful and loved her home country. As her stomach expanded larger and larger, they realized that she was going to have twins. Nearra was horrified, believing twins were a curse, while Pabul was elated, believing that they were a blessing. He once again tried to convince her to run away with him, and she once again rejected. The babies were born and something happened that astonished them both.

Not only were they identical twin girls, they both also had peacock tails. It was a trait that appeared every few centuries in her genetics, Nearra explained, said to be given to them by an old witch. She had always taken it as a petty tale, but now she was holding proof that it wasn't so. At this point, they both knew they had to do something. After much arguing, they finally came to an agreement that left neither of them happy.

They were each to keep one baby. Pabul kept Nava, knowing that keeping the other child—who had been born with red eyes—would not fare well in Thanatos. Nearra kept Sevda and was to say that the other baby died. If she didn't say so, they knew that Savda would be said to only have half a soul.

Growing Up
Sevda grew up in a harsh environment. She was taught by her mother to never show her peacock tail and to always distrust others. She wasn't to talk to anyone lower than their family, who, in her mom's eyes, seemed to be everyone. Even as a child, Sevda could tell that her mother didn't like her. One day, she had heard servants talk about how she only had half a soul. When she told Nearra about it, her mother simply said, "Don't listen to the servants, dear." She didn't deny it. As Sevda grew older, she learned it was better for her to simply not talk at all. She listened, observed, and looked at the world with a cold glare. Over time, she gained a reputation for being the Ice Princess. Suitors come hoping to win her fortune and to be able to brag that they were able to melt her heart. While her mother always lets them stay as long as they wish and treats them with hospitality, both Sevda and Nearra know that she could never get married. After all, how would she be able to have sex without the man realizing that she has peacock feathers attached to her? With her mother as prideful as she is about their bloodline, Sevda was always surprised she didn't try to have more kids. The truth, which she still hasn't learned, is that her mother lost her fertility after having twins. Sevda grew up never hearing about neither Nava nor Pabul.

At a Glance:

Name: Nava Cleanis (Nah-vah Clee-ah-niss)

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Species: Human (Enchanted)

Height: 5 foot 3

Occupation: Maoin

Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Nava's warm and bubbly personality is contrasted by an elegant and regal look. As a Maoin, she wears exquisite clothing and always has elaborate hairstyles. While she doesn't have the silver hair that could help boost her popularity and give her more jobs, her straight black hair settles nicely on her olive skin. She has beautiful amber, almond shaped eyes and dark red lips. Her poise often makes her look taller than she is, though she isn't short for someone in Thanatos. Her curves are quite distinguished and Nava makes no efforts to conceal them—though she doesn't expose them much, either. She has the typical Thanati high cheekbones and oval face structure.

Despite her undeniable beauty, however, there is one thing about Nava that stands out above everything else: she has a peacock tail*. It is something she uses to her advantage and has helped her become one of the more reputed Maoins. She specifically uses it in her dancing, opening and closing it when desired and using the bright colors to bring her talent to a new level. Otherwise, Nava normally leaves her tail down, where it lies over the back of her dress—she makes no efforts to conceal it under her dresses (which have been tailored to allow her tail through). Her tail feathers are green with blue insides (like a typical peacock feather) and are connected by silver strands.

*only male peacocks actually have the colorful tail, but let's ignore that detail.

Personality:
Nava is confident, witty, and kind. Despite joining her job partially out of necessity, she loves it. Her dancing is her most desired form of entertainment (and the one she enjoys the most) followed by singing. She has grown up learning to help others and to keep an open mind about everything.

Magic/Abilities:
No magic.

History:

Birth Story
Nava and Sevda were identical twins born in Connlaoth. Their father, Pabul, had been sightseeing in Reajh when he met their mom, Nearra. They had one night of fun, thinking nothing of it. A little over a month later, she found him again to tell him that she was pregnant. There was no way for them to marry—not only was he Thanati, he also had magic he was unwilling to give up. He tried to convince her to go back with him to Thanatos, but she wouldn't. Pabul stayed and visited her daily, hoping that she would change her mind. But Nearra was prideful and loved her home country. As her stomach expanded larger and larger, they realized that she was going to have twins. Nearra was horrified, believing twins were a curse, while Pabul was elated, believing that they were a blessing. He once again tried to convince her to run away with him, and she once again rejected. The babies were born and something happened that astonished them both.

Not only were they identical twin girls, they both also had peacock tails. It was a trait that appeared every few centuries in her genetics, Nearra explained, said to be given to them by an old witch. She had always taken it as a petty tale, but now she was holding proof that it wasn't so. At this point, they both knew they had to do something. After much arguing, they finally came to an agreement that left neither of them happy.

They were each to keep one baby. Pabul kept Nava, knowing that keeping the other child—who had been born with red eyes—would not fare well in Thanatos. Nearra kept Sevda and was to say that the other baby died. If she didn't say so, they knew that Savda would be said to only have half a soul.

Growing Up
Nava grew up happily being raised by Pabul in Thanatos. He never told her about her twin sister nor the circumstances of her birth. But he did teach her kindness, respect, and love. He taught her to speak up for herself, but to keep an open mind. Their relationship was perfect... until one day when he got sick. Never one to have lots of money, Pabul couldn't afford the treatment. Having just turned eight, Nava decided to do something that would forever change her life. She sold herself to a Maoin House. While she was on the older side, her determination and spirit got her accepted. That, and her unordinary peacock feathers. She used the money she earned from that to help buy medicine for her father. He healed and maintained a close relationship with Nava over the years, despite her being busy with her job.

Rora silently ran through the empty streets of the city. She, for once, had a legal job to do. Well... legal wasn't quite the right word. She was hired by a member of the government to do something that they were not able to do. So rather than legal job, she was doing a right job. A job that normal people wouldn't shame her for doing.

She was killing the head of a drug organization.

He had, apparently, been smuggling stolen potions around for quite a while. The police were being paid off by the thieves to leave them to their own business. Somebody from the government found out and went to action, finding someone who would take care of the organization instead of the police. Of course, if the person hiring her knew who she really was, Rora would have been killed on the spot. But little was known about her appearance... hence she was still able to take jobs like this.

Rora slipped into an 'abandoned' warehouse. Just as the person had said, there were crates of bottles and vials everywhere. It was no wonder they were able to pay the police off—they would have enough money to buy a whole town if they sold all of it. Maybe she'd take a little to sell herself as a souvenir once she finished up the job.

Well, I told you guys I'd post pictures of my costume! So I shall. 8) The dressing up was a lot of fun, as was the first half of the dance (we had a live band!). But the second half (after moving somewhere else and having a dj) was really crappy for me. :/ On the plus side, I was a mermaid (Ariel, to be exact). *_*

First is just a simple and normal picture of me smiling:



CRAZY PIC:



Another Normal:



I would post a picture of the dress, too, but the only pictures I have with me in it include my date to the dance... and I'm not gonna put a picture of him on here without his permission. But he was Prince Eric. :3

p.s. sorry about the image size

At a Glance:

Name: Xiana Clova (XEE-ahn-ah CLOVE-ah)

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Height: 5 foot 7

Occupation: Dark Mother (here for details)


Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Xiana is pretty, but in a very natural way. There isn't a specific thing about her that stands out or shines. She has slightly tanned skin and dirty blond, straight hair. Her amber eyes are often lit up with enthusiasm and joy and her smile is almost always unfaltering. While she normally wears simple pants and shirts (she grew accustomed to them after many years of traveling), the opportunity to wear a dress is one she'll never pass down.

Personality:
Xiana is probably one of the sweetest girls you could ever meet. Many years of traveling and meeting different people has made her very understanding and nonjudgemental. That being said, it has also given her a view of the darkness that life can contain. While she is still naive, she is not nearly as naive as people think when they first meet her. Xiana loves to talk... perhaps a little too much for some people. On the plus side, she is fairly good at reading people's emotions and reacting accordingly.

Magic/Abilities:
It's a secret. ;D She doesn't know it yet, though.

History:
Xiana grew up raised by her mother, Larime (la-reem). She never met her father, who her mother was deeply in love with. The one time Xiana asked her about it, the painful expression on her mother's face was enough for her to never ask again. She grew up being homeschooled, seeing as they never stayed in any town more than a few months. Despite constantly moving, Larime was quite a social girl. She loved to meet new people and, although the farewells were always painful, she knew she would forever remember and stay friends with the people she met. The only times she truly hated to move is when her mom would wake her up in the middle of the night and say they had to leave immediately. Those were the times she wasn't even able to say goodbye. Larime grew up on tales of friendship, love, and respect. Many of these were tales of the Clockwork City, a place her mom seemed to fantasize about. While her mom always said the stories were just folklore, something in Larime's heart always told her that her mom was wrong.

CONTINUATION FROM HERE: Hiding in Golden City.

Alexandra had made her way to the center of the city. She had found the large fountain referenced to her the day beforehand by her new friend, Sajira. Looking down into its calm waters, Alexandra saw her own reflection. It morphed into her young self. The version of her that had been mostly untainted by the impurities of the world. A breeze passed through, causing ripples in the water and her real, current image to return.

With a sigh, she turned around and started heading for the restaurant. It seemed like it was going to be a long day.

At a Glance:

Name: Koraq Nauticus, the Shadow King

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Height: 6 foot 3

Occupation: Shadow King (here for details)


Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Koraq is strong and tall. He spends more time working out and practicing fighting than anything else, believing that brute force will help fix most of his problems. His dark brown, scruffy hair compliments his tan skin. His thick eyebrows frame his black eyes. A man of great stature, his form alone often intimidates those around him. Koraq uses this intimidation when he can and is commonly found actually riding his grizzly bear.

He wears weights around his legs and his forearms to constantly be building up muscle. These weights are hidden by his loose brown pants and white shirts. Although he'll dress nicely when the situation calls for it, he does prefer clothing that is more comfortable to move it.

Personality:
Koraq's presence matches his personality perfectly. He is a brute and likes to intimidate people—but only the right people, of course. He respects power more than anything else and has come to the belief that life will only favor the strongest. While Koraq does guard his heart with the belief that trust and love can only lead to pain, he himself is not necessarily a bad person. He wants to help others, even if it's not always obvious. That being said, power is slowly corrupting him as his beliefs become more and more skewed.

Magic/Abilities:
Normal Viligant Shadow powers.
     -Teleportation (up to 75 feet)
     -Blends into shadows
     -Shadow Animal: a bear!
     -Extended lifespan
     -Heightened senses and reflexes
     -The Shadow Barracks (basically able to pull his weapons out of mid-air)
          *the weapons he has will be decided later

History:
Koraq's childhood was mostly normal—and so was he. He was born in the city and raised by his mother, Mieral. She had been a Shadow Ranger, and she chose to return to that life. He never learned who his father was, but he never cared. Koraq and Mieral were a very close family themselves. Of course, nothing so perfect could stay. His mom never came back from a mission one day when he was fifteen, and Koraq was never the same again. Rather than being the sweet and talkative boy he used to be, he grew colder and more critical about everything. Having the closest person in his life die took, as one might expect, a toll on him. This is when he started to believe that strength and power was the most important thing. His mom wasn't strong enough to stay alive. The city wasn't powerful enough to vanquish all evil.

He raised himself amongst the Shadow Rangers for some time, discovering his own talents and doing his best to become strong. While he made few friends, the well-known Alucard was amongst them. However, Koraq remained bittersweet towards his companion. He liked him as a person, but he was jealous of his strength and the loyalty people pledged to him. It came to no surprise when Alucard was to be king, but it astonished him when Alucard gave the position to him instead. Even still, Koraq looks at his friend with a weary eye, a part of him believing it's all part of a bigger plot.

At a Glance:

Name: Rora Espino (also known as the Midnight Queen)

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Species: Human... okay, that's not completely true.

Height: 5 foot 9

Occupation: Primarily an assassin, but she'll take whatever job she can get


Not-So-Basic Information:

Looks:
Rora is a babe... and she knows it. She works it when it's to her advantage, which seems to be almost always. Her wild, emerald red hair falls in messy waves down to her shoulders. Her sun-kissed skin is blessed with perfect complexion and her curves are not to be messed with. Rora's right eye is the same shade of red as her hair. The intensity of the color mixed with the dark and thick lashes that frame it cause many people to think that she can see into their souls and stare at her secrets. This is not true, though she does have a knack for reading people. Her left eye is normally kept hidden away under a black eyepatch with a fully bloomed rose design on it. The eye itself is a bright silver color (it has special abilities that will be talked about later).

Rora normally keeps her hair up in a bun. She wears all black, since that makes it easiest to blend in with the night. Her shirts are kept tight around her chest, making it (her chest) look a little smaller than it actually is. She tends to wear more pants in places she believes she can get away with it without standing out, but she will wear skirts and dresses when required. Actually, she'll wear whatever disguise is needed when needed. When Rora wants to lure people in (typically at bars when she wants information), she'll let down her hair and loosen up her shirt to allow a fair amount of cleavage to show through... though usually not enough to have people giving her labels.

Personality:
Rora, despite the sketchy jobs she takes, isn't a bad person. While she will take almost any job that comes to her, she does have morals—and if those morals are broken, she'll put herself in harm's way to try to fix things. However, she isn't a good person, either. She'll do assassinations and thieving and just about whatever is required of her. She sees most human life as corrupt, but she also believes herself to be one of the sinful people out there. Rora is, by no means, prideful of what she does.

She is cunning, quick witted, and creative. When her talent and magic isn't good enough to get herself out of trouble, she'll rely on her words. She trusts no one and will never put herself in a situation that could render her completely harmless. Then again, with her magic, that would be hard to do.

Magic/Abilities:
Rora has a few tricks up her sleeve to help her stay alive in addition to normal stealthiness.

The first, purely scientific ability she has is that she's able to see in the dark. Most of her jobs happen at night, so she'll remove her eyepatch and her eye (which is already accustomed to the darkness) can see perfectly fine. She isn't actually blind in her left eye. (For those of you that are curious, this is actually why pirates wore eyepatches—for their night raid operations).

Her left eye can do more than just see in the dark, however. It has the ability to manipulate one's thoughts. The extent of its power depends on various things. There is just a general fluctuation of power from person to person, but her will as well as the will of the victim also play roles in it. Normally the person she's using it on doesn't even know she's using it, so that makes it fairly simple for her. While she is almost never able to actually make someone do something, she is able to plant the thoughts into people's heads. She usually uses it to aid her lies.

As chance would have it, Rora's rose accessories are roses for a reason. Her third ability is one that gets her lots of jobs—especially for people hoping to kill people with lustful tastes. Rora is able to poison people with kisses, in a way. She is able to plant microscopic seeds into wounds with her tongue. To make matters even simpler for her, she grows fangs when she gets excited (not just sexually, the thrill of the fight can do this to her as well). Biting people gives them an ecstatic sensation in the wound and often causes people to want it more... sort of like a drug. If she plants a seed in them, it will slowly start growing. She typically only plants one seed per wound, otherwise they can soak up each other's nutrients (which is in the bloodstream) and simply whither away. For about a week, the seeds will start to grow bigger and bigger. They will appear as lumps in the skin, and the pain caused by them becomes unbearable. Hunger and fatigue are common symptoms. Once that week (again, it varies person to person) is up, the seeds will open up and tear open the skin, where bright red roses quickly bloom. At this point, the person's suffering will end and they will die within the hour. Removing the seeds through surgery would be possible, but removing the roses would not be... or at least not by normal methods. The roses can't be pulled out easily and even if they were somehow removed, the blood loss would only speed up. Considering the amount of blood already lost throughout the week, it would be nearly impossible to patch up the wound quickly enough. And, seeing as Rora typically plants various seeds throughout the body, one's chance of survival is next to none. With the exception of the roses, however, the body will look untampered with and, for that reason, many other assassins admire her for being able to create art in death.

Finally, Rora has a sort of 'natural defense' in her. As I have said before, she isn't really human... and if the fangs and strange magic don't give it away, this probably would. Rora's skin—though it does look completely like normal skin—is actually made up of small overlaying rose petals. These petals, however, are extremely hard. Not impenetrable, but hard. She can not dislocate them completely from her skin, so they're useless as long distance weapons. They are, when visible, similar to scales. Rora can pull them partially out of her skin (I have no idea how to explain this) to create a rough texture... if she pulls them out so that they're standing on their ends, she can even use them to climb up things. However, the skin underneath these scales is extremely fragile. Furthermore, if she moves the petals anywhere from being just flat laid down, they turn bright red... after all, they are rose petals.

History:
... xD

Rora strode through the streets of Cerenis, confidence and beauty sapping out into her aura. She might have only one eye to look at, but what a pretty eye it was. Plenty of poor young men and women had fallen into the depths of its red abyss... and quite the abyss it was, for Rora robbed them clean and left them with broken hearts.

Her other eye, the left one, was covered by an eyepatch. Its black surface was overlayed by a fully bloomed red rose. She let those that truly desired look under the eyepatch, where they would find a complementary beautiful eye—but this one with a silver iris. Most people assumed that it was a blind eye. The truth was something she rarely shared.

Rora's goal in Cerenis, however, wasn't to lure unexpecting prey in with her pretty eyes. Or rather, if it was, she didn't know it. She had simply heard rumors of there being someone who required her assistance and was willing to pay a hefty sum for it. So here she was, searching for whichever crook wanted her.

Finding underground agents rarely proved to be easy, but she tended to find that checking out bars and taverns was the best place to start. Loose lips led to shared secrets... secrets that she needed to know. And if she wanted people to get drunk and let out those forbidden words, well, she needed to spiffy herself up a little.

Grinning mischeviously, Rora reached up and pulled her hair out of its bun. Its emerald red, luscious waves fell wildly onto her shoulders. But just changing up her hair wouldn't be enough. Her tight leather pants were covered by knee-high boots. Her shirt was laced up starting at the bottom of her chest and ending with a nice bow at her collarbone. Reaching down, she untied the bow and unlaced a fair bit of it—it would show off enough cleavage to catch a man's attention but not so much that she would be considered a whore. The whole outfit was black, with the exception of the red rose earrings she always wore.

Rora grabbed herself a seat at the bar counter and ordered a low alcohol drink. Now all she had to do was wait... either for the man looking for her, someone working under him, or someone who knew something about him.

Hi lovelies!

As you all (or at least most of you) know, there was recently an event that Goblinfae and I set up. An event full of struggles, pain, and, as always, cake. ... okay, maybe not quite (though Moonie did bring in some cake). The event, otherwise known as The Fantastically Fabulous Flamingo Flyers, Secret Artist Ninja Exchange, or, as it is now commonly referred to, Ninja Flamingos, was a secret art exchange event. The finished product can be seen here: THE BEAUTIFUL ART MUST BE SEEN.

Many of you have heard mention at there being another one of these in July, and I know some of you *cough* Spicy *cough* have taken notice of Goblingy and my constant messages to each other. After much discussion, Goblin and I have decided to make this next art exchange a themed exchange. The drawings will still be of the person or mysterious entity behind the screen and will not be the characters. But we are hoping the theme will keep things new, interesting, and add even more creative juices to people's heads!

Now here's where you guys come in: we need theme ideas! We aren't narrowing down ideas right now, so feel free to throw out whatever comes to your mind. Yes, sharkie, that means you can have a theme of beards. However, I am going to list a few simple rules/guidelines for this:

     1. First and foremost, have fun!
     2. Don't knock other people's ideas down, please.*
     3. Feel free to second other people's ideas!
     4. Try to think of themes that would be easy to do... nothing too specific.
     5. Last but not least (and I doubt this will be a problem), remember that these drawings will be child appropriate! So keep the ideas appropriate!

*If you have a reason that you believe someone's ideas is absolutely horrible and would never work, message Goblin and/or me. Don't write it in here. We want this to be a friendly, non-judgemental sharing area. <3

List of Ideas Mentioned:

• Outer Space/Sci-fi
• Under the Sea
• Supernatural
• Elemental
• Cavemen/women/animals
• Sweets
• Super Heroes
• Disney
• Zombies
• 30's Noir/Detective Mysteries
• Medieval
• Favorite Show
• Steam Boat Willy Style
• Old School Pixel
• Wild West Wanted Posters
• Pirates
• Aliens
• "Caught in the Act" (of writing posties, of course!)
• Movie Poster
• Minimalist Art
• Circus
• Mythology (Gods and Goddesses)
• Chibis
• Iconic Movie Roles
• Video Games
• NINJAS