"A little learning is a dang'rous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
~ Alexander Pope
~ Alexander Pope
Name: Shiori Taylor
Nickname: None
Age: 26
Birthday: May 31st, 1988
Sign: Gemini
Gemstone: Agate
Blood Type: O+
Fav. Food: New York style pizza (the only real pizza).
Hated Food: Any kind of southern BBQ, and anything slathered in too much butter.
School: Graduated from high school in Salem, MA in 2007.
Attended Destiny City University from 2007 to 2011.
Profession: English Lit Teacher at Meadowview
Hobbies:
Writing – Shiori picked up writing when she took a class on creative writing as a freshman in high school. She wasn't terribly good at it at the time; she had trouble developing her own characters and brainstorming plots that weren't somehow inspired by one TV show or another. Then she discovered the wonderful world of fanfiction and her life was changed forever. Shiori writes for a variety of fandoms under the name Poetic Nonsense. She takes great pleasure in writing purposefully bad fics. Her longest fic to date is a Dragon Ball Z parody she titled “I'm Just Saiyan,” filled with awful puns and endless over 9000 jokes. She's been working on it since her senior year of high school. She refuses to stop until she's made it to the 100th terrible chapter. Her more serious writing endeavors come by way of RP, or as she likes to tell her parents, “collaborative writing.” It sounds better that way. Her RP community of choice is a Harry Potter roleplay that started up about four years ago. She takes it very seriously.
Harry Potter – As one might be able to tell by her writing habits, Shiori is serious about some Harry Potter. She read the books as a child as they were released and has a complete set of first editions, plus various collector sets that've popped up over the years. She has absolutely no shame in admitting that Harry Potter was what got her to love reading as a child, and thus what led her to teach literature. She even teaches an elective course on Harry Potter each semester. Her favorite character by far is Hermione Granger, and she will defend Minerva McGonagall as Hogwart's Best Professor until her dying breath. Shiori is dedicated to her Harry Potter roleplay community, where she plays a fourth year Ravenclaw and a First Year Hufflepuff. She even plans social activities around the community’s schedule. If there's an event of any kind coming up, chances are she's not going to have time for hanging out. Sorry, better luck next time. Hogwarts needs her. In college, Shiori got the sign of the Deathly Hallows tattooed on he inside of her left wrist.
Anime – Ever since she was a child Shiori's mother has made a variety of unsuccessful attempts to instill her daughter with an interest and appreciation for her Japanese heritage. Unfortunately, it was her mother's fate to be disappointed, as the only part of the culture Shiori latched onto was anime and manga. She began by watching Toonami in late elementary school and into middle school, before branching out as she discovered more series that suited her interests online. She still carries a flame for old favorites like Dragon Ball Z, but has recently taken to Attack on Titan like it's God's gift to mankind. Her house is littered with various figurines, posters, and other such merchandise, and her entertainment area has a pretty impressive display of DVDs, and the old VHS tapes she used to buy when she was younger. She has all of Fushigi Yugi on VHS (dubbed even), which she takes a strange amount of pride in.
Police Procedural Dramas: Shiori took a liking to Police Procedural Dramas when she started college and only had basic cable with which to distract herself when she lived in the dorms. Rather than doing homework or getting a head start on that project due the following week, Shiori would lie in bed in her pajamas watching the next thrilling case unfold before her eyes. Her favorite shows by far are Law and Order: SVU and Criminal Minds, which one may be able to guess by taking a good look at the names of her cats. She even named her son after one of her favorite characters. Shhh, don't tell her mother or her ex-fiancé that.
Virtues:
Adaptable – No matter the changes or trials that may come in life, Shiori will find a way to adapt. Part of this may stem from her father's previous career in the Navy and their regular moves as a result. Change in schools? No problem. New group of friends? Not a big deal. Moving to a strange city all by herself? She viewed it as an adventure. Life is more than the constant monotony that surrounds her; it's an experience. Her adaptability came in handy when she became a mom. Boy, wasn't that a surprise. Shiori finds a way to successfully juggle her job, her son, her social life, and her online presence without breaking a sweat. Problem solving may not be her area of expertise, but throw an issue or a crisis at her and Shiori will face it with a calm and ease that many find enviable.
Energetic – Shiori has a natural liveliness about her that shows through in all of her undertakings. She is enthusiastic about her classes, encouraging of her students, playful and affectionate with her son, completely invested in what friendships or relationships may come into her life, and dedicated to those pastimes she's developed a fondness for. Rarely does Shiori show signs of fatigue. She is up and she is energized, from the moment she rolls out of bed to the moment she returns to it each night. While not athletic, this stamina nonetheless makes it possible for her to perform physical tasks without tiring quickly. She is an endless source of energy, often sharing of it with others who appreciate her vibrancy and enthusiasm.
Disciplined – Some people may consider her hobbies silly, just as some might view her behavior as somewhat juvenile, but one could never say that Shiori is not without discipline. She expects this was instilled into her by her mother and nurtured by her experiences as a Navy brat. Certainly she learned respect from her parents. While discipline was not a trait Shiori often expressed in her youth, it has matured noticeably as she's grown. She is focused when it comes to work and notably passionate about what she does. She takes her job very seriously. Shiori acquired a deep sense of responsibility ever since her son was born; it shows in her day-to-day life, which is structured and well organized.
Flaws:
Repressed – It takes a lot to appear bright-eyed and happy all the time. Shiori does it well, but it often necessitates ignoring the sadness and anger in her life, with the result that her more negative emotions are bottled up until they become too overpowering to hold back. Her insistence upon meeting any given situation with poise and calm can make it seem as if she doesn't take things seriously enough, or perhaps that she doesn't understand the ramifications of what's going on around her. In reality, she's very aware of the issues she faces and strives to resolve them while keeping a pleasant smile on her face, even if it means holding herself back. She'll run out of resolve eventually and either cry her frustrations out or suddenly sink into a depressive mood that would seem uncharacteristic. Other people are usually unaware of her anger and frustrations until they've pushed her past the breaking point.
Meddlesome – Shiori hates to admit she may share some traits with her mother after all, though she's fairly sure a certain level of invasiveness comes with the territory when you're a mom. She often puts her nose into things she should have kept it out of, prying into her friends' lives and offering her opinions and advice when it isn't wanted. Shiori is nosy and invasive. This results in her coming off as a bit pushy and controlling at times. She's friendly about it when it happens, but more reserved individuals and those who value their privacy likely find this aspect of her character annoying at best and infuriating at worst. Shiori insists she only meddles and tries to exert her influence because she's used to having control in the classroom, where she makes the rules and her students are expected to obey.
Prideful – In Shiori's case, this can often be mistaken for arrogance. People assume that, because she pushes herself to meet challenges head on, she must be cocky and over-confident. Her enthusiasm is mistaken for impulsiveness while her pride is mistaken for pretension. Shiori can certainly seem boastful when it comes to those things she knows best, whether or not it may be her intention to brag. She feels a great amount of satisfaction in herself and in the events of her life that can make her come off as smug to those who don't know her. Some people have even mistaken her pride to mean she thinks herself better than them. She doesn't, but shes not always sure how to get that across.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Eyes: Dark brown. Sometimes she wears black framed glasses even though she doesn't need them.
Hair: Shoulder length and noticeably layered. Heavy on the side-swept bangs. See here. She keeps it its natural dark brown color.
Face: Oval shaped. Medium skin tone. Natural looking make-up, if any at all.
Physique: 5'7”. Average B-cup chest. Not-so-wide hips. She looks to be in shape even though she's very not. She has a tattoo of the sign of the Deathly Hallows on the inside of the left wrist.
Clothes: Skinny jeans, button downs, cardigans and sweaters, boots or comfortable sneakers, and blazers. She prefers jewel tones and autumnal colors. She usually has a messenger bag slung over her shoulder to carry around the tests and papers she needs to grade. [x]
