[NPC] Headwoman Jilis

[Hopefolly]

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[Hopefolly]

✖ Age: 23
✖ Gender: Female
✖ Orientation: Heterosexual
✖ Craft: N/A
✖ Rank: Headwoman

✖ Physical Description: In her mid-teens, Jilis shot up from a scrawny short girl into a five foot seven, one hundred twenty six pound woman. Her skin is somewhat dark shade peculiar to the North, a gift of genes rather than sunlight. Having hair in her face drives her batty, so her brown strands are kept short, with no bangs to speak of. Her eyes share in their color, a rich, light brown. While not necessarily a bad looking woman, she's not graced with an eye catching figure either. Her hips aren't as wide as most and her chest not much for men to ogle. She is often teased for her unusually large feet.

✖ History: Most of the Headwoman's known history is only known because of her brother, not her. She was a Weyrbrat raised by a foster mother. Her parents? Don't know, don't care. Her surrogate mom, mainly a kitchen worker, raised both she and her brother just fine. While there's technically no proof they're related, and it's possible they just so happen to look so much alike, the Weyr has always gone along with the idea Jilis and Julis are siblings.

However, she would later disown the man as her kin, outraged by his behavior and that of his dragon prior to his death. Jilis spent most of her time doing routine kitchen work until sixteen years of age when she was Searched. She continued to stand until her time ran out, and left the sands without a dragon.

Redemption was found by being given the Headwoman position, where she plans to live out the rest of her days. Or at least until these sharding kids drive her insane. After being appointed, she was given a gold Firelizard egg by the Weyrwoman as a token of gratitude, respect and sympathy for her failure to Impress. The gold is named Beauty.

✖ Personality: Jilis is a jack of all trades, master of none. Perhaps being the Weyrwoman's friend helped her along, but in no way did it grant her the rank of Headwoman. Had that been the case, Jilis would have refused her promotion. She believes in work ethic and has always stood by that power should be earned; handed out based on who you are, not who you know. Laziness is not tolerated from anyone, and many of the Weyr children she puts to work taunt her behind her back for being so critical and demanding. Jilis has high standards and there's no excuse to not live up to them. You'll be a better man for it, boy!

Outspoken and loud, she never feels fear in the face of a crowd, and will stand up for what she believes is right against all of them if need be. This dramatic trait remains unused, though, because she doesn't go looking for trouble. On the contrary, Jilis enforces the rules with vigor, even if she doesn't agree with them. If it sounds contradicting, it isn't. Having an opinion and knowing right from wrong are two totally different things to her. If the Weyrleader suddenly forbids all females from flying in wings, she'd be all over that. If he says no eating sweets a whole sevenday to save them for a feast at the beginning of the next, she abides by this. Order and structure are two things she needs. Two things she wants are competence and efficiency. Rules provide all these things, as do traditional means of getting the job done. Therefore, it is rare for her to try anything she hasn't already tried before, worried it may not work and waste her precious time.

It is not just work tradition she considers important. Jilis will never forget the birthing day of a friend or close colleague after it's been told to her, nor will she forget to celebrate it. The past is easy for her to revise within her memories, given she's interested in history as it is. Learning what has been delights her, especially when it ties into another topic of interest. She is familiar with all the Weyr's oldest and dearest Harper teachers, as well as any and all records kept in High Reaches. In spite of her fondness for looking back, she lives in the present, and is constantly searching for things that need to be done or fixed in the now.

Where as organizing might seem like a tedious chore to some, Jilis enjoys it as an art. People, documents, lists, she will gladly collect and sort through them to the best of her ability. Another thing she considers more a hobby than a job is supervising. She'll do so in fields that are not really her turf, so to speak, and sometimes causes conflict for it. But, only if she thinks they need it. Providing good service to the Weyrfolk is a passion, and she considers it no less enjoyable to have this behavior reflected upon her from other people. Just as long as they're not doing it wrong.

Making snap, good decisions is a talent of hers, but there's a catch. These choices may be wise, but only on impersonal grounds. Emotional situations, which call for empathy and a type of understanding she's not naturally in tune with, are a weak point for the Headwoman. Logic is applied to broken hearts or mourning children as if they were whining that they stubbed their toe. Man up or shut up, kid. And she understands her emotions no better than theirs. Jilis is prone to feeling undervalued, convinced her job always makes her the bad guy. If someone complains about her where she can hear she will, driven by impersonal logic, amuse that person doesn't like her and pay no consideration to the idea maybe they're just grumpy or lazy or some other feeling that has more to do with them than her. Asking her to put her feelings into words is like asking her to ride a dragon that's not hers during Threadfall. In theory, she could do it, but why in the world would you want her to?

In her free time, Jilis likes to hang around like-minded people. They are the company she considers most calming and the most likely candidates for friendships beyond some superficial work level. Perhaps her biggest social flaw is that she judges a person based on what is considered normal and how well they measure up to the word. Oddballs are criticized and sometimes even laughed at. Underdogs, usually, aren't a big fan of the Headwoman.