Name: Lamia Race(s): Chimera/Grimm/Naga Zodiac Sign: The Staff Academy House or University: Leviathan (Graduated) Gender: Female Starting Stage: Senior Base:
Body - Chimera H Horns - 3 Arms - Grimm H-2 Tail - Grimm H-2 Ears - Naga Eyes - Naga Face - 19 or 24
Body: Chimera H Horns: 3 Arms: Grimm H-2 Tail: Grimm H-2 Ears: Naga Eyes: Naga Face: 19 or 24
Description:
Body: Lamia's head, torso, and legs should be flesh tones, f7e3d0 or a color very similar. She should have drop markings in a red, a40000 or a similar shade of red. Markings will be on her forehead, beneath each eye, on each shoulder, on her belly, on each side of her hips, on both knees, and on each side of both ankles. These are all shown on the paper doll reference picture. Eyes: Naga eyes, so slit pupil. For the iris I would like you to make them as dark a black as you can. If someone picks this form up in October, I would actually love for her eyes to be completely pitch black with no visible pupil. Hair: Simple style, chin length, maybe with some bangs framing her face a bit. White. Clothes: See the reference section for clothing descriptions. I don't give exact shades and the paper doll is just an approximation of the colors I want rather than the exact colors I want. As long as it's all blacks and darker reds, I'll leave it up to the colorist's judgement on which exact shades they want to use. Horns: For Lamia's horns I want the base to start as a pale gray, approx e6e6e6 or similar. I would like it to flow to a darker gray, approx b3b3b3 or similar, then flow into a dusty pink at the ends, approx b36666 or similar. At the very tips of her horns I would like a darker version of the pink, approx c12323 or a little redder. This last color should have a slightly more defined edge; it should be blurred into the dusty pink, but right on top of it rather than a flowing transition to the color, if that makes sense. Wings: The wing webbing should follow the same color formula as Lamia's horns. The main body of the wing should be a dark gray, approx 333333 or slightly darker. Tail: Should start out pale gray at the base, approx e6e6e6, and darken as it goes towards the tip, to approx 333333 Claws: Arm fluff should follow the same pattern as the tail, with pale gray starting at where the flesh tones end and dark grey at the end of her hands. The claw bits should be white.
References (if applicable):
[paper doll] I suck at outfits, so I made sure to include the other references I used! This is mostly to help with coloration and positioning and such. [top] I like the spaghetti strap from the tank top, so would rather have it like that than how I drew it. I also just made her top plain black. There's also the top strap and buckle for the fishnet overshirt, which I couldn't draw. I added my own design to the mesh, but if you'd like to play with some of the elements from the picture feel free! [skull design] This is what I worked from to approximate the skull design in the mesh top from my paper doll. You can play with the exact sizing and positioning, just as long as it's on the front. [pants] Pretty much exactly like the picture. Just more in the burgundy family, rather than black. In my paper doll I used 640000. [boots] Just plain, no frills, black combat boots. They don't have to be this exact pair, just a similar style. Ends of Lamia's pants should tuck into her boots. [choker necklace] Plain satin ribbon style for choker, with the color a darker red that should be similar to her pants. The main pearl should be [black] instead of white, and the little tiny pearl should be a brighter [red]. The metal bits should be a bit darker, more steel than silver.
Quest Approval: - Working on it! Cost: Free with quest approval! (But expect a tip anyway!)
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 5:52 pm
Spoilered so the various sections are easier to keep track of
Profile:
Lamia can give off some mixed signals, depending on how perceptive you are. Her face is always seen in a bland expression of some kind. Few people can say they've ever seen her show a flicker of interest in something, and those few can probably count all those instances on their fingers and still have plenty of fingers left over. Everything she does seems robotic and automatic with no sense of personality behind it. She's polite and attentive, but also cold and distant. She almost never speaks and is miserly with her words when she does, never saying more than needed.
Those with finer honed instincts will be able to sense the danger lurking beneath the mask of cold competence Lamia wears. She is a warrior, but not the kind that meets you face to face in the daylight. She is a shadow that moves through the darkness to take you unaware. The garrote, the hidden knife, the poisoned cup. Assassin, to be quite frank. Not that she would ever say or do anything to give away her "special skills", but it's still there in the way her body moves or how her eyes assess the world around her. Only those with similar skills might guess at what kind of game she plays, but those who pay attention to their instincts will still feel something "off" about Lamia. Lamia actually doesn't "ply her trade", as it were, though she practices frequently and is more than capable of being deadly. It is merely that this particular type of fighting style best suits her personality and preferred lifestyle, which is largely solitary. Her skills are used more often in moving around unseen or in theft, though she commits less of the later than you might think.
Lamia is very logical-minded and practical. She thinks things through and takes the path that holds the most benefit, regardless of past circumstances or personal relationships. Her motives, though rarely ever impulsive, are usually selfish. She doesn't particularly care about other people and tends to only do something if it pleases or interests her, and though she is never so "careless" as to allow emotions to form the basis for a decision, they do play a part in the process.
Largely because of her logical mind, suppression of emotions, and lack of interest in others, Lamia gives the impression of being cold and empty. This is actually not at all true. Lamia has a great many opinions, likes, and dislikes. She is simply skilled at keeping these hidden from others. While she rarely shows kindness she is never intentionally cruel. She rarely forms any sort of attachment since she fears they will become weaknesses to be used against her, yet once she has acknowledged an attachment exists she becomes intensely protective and possessive. She's never been the kind of person you could call loyal, but treachery isn't really her style either.
There are only two types of people who ever see the more open and honest sides of Lamia. Those who gain her absolute trust (which is a difficult position to achieve indeed!) and young children. It is curious for one so usually selfish and distant, but Lamia has always found the time to answer a child's questions or play a quick game if they're bored. Her love is tough and she'll never coddle a child, but if there is anything she seems to feel a responsibility to outside of herself it is to children.
Strengths and Faults:
Strengths
Protective While Lamia doesn't tend to care about much, the things that make the cut are carefully looked after. She will not hesitate to use her time or resources, and will employ every bit of her cunning to disdirect trouble. She's not a hand-holder and doesn't like to coddle, but if something seems like it might be serious she'll usually step in. She does her protecting from a distance as often as possible since she doesn't want people to think that, you know, she cares or anything. Nurturing You would never think it to look at her, but Lamia likes most kids. She has a tough love policy since she thinks the best way for chidren to learn is to observe and experience, but while some of these lessons can be frustrating as the child figures things out, or painful when there's repercussions for making a mistake, she's always made sure to give a nudge when needed or keep them from serious harm. She's amazingly patient with small children and puts up with a lot of things from them she would never take from an adult. She can snuggle, play games, tell stories, and patch up ouches. While there are probably several children who find Lamia scary or offputting, the few who get to know her will probably look up to her. Knowledgeable Lamia feels like no knowledge is wasted. Just because something doesn't seem like it would be useful now doesn't mean you might not need that same knowledge in the future. She has primary interests and does tend to focus on those, but she also spends her time trying to learn as many things as possible. She has a remarkable memory, and if a particular fact escapes her she tends to have a good idea of where to look or who to ask to find answers. Patient Lamia has a great deal of patience. She can think up plans that might take years to fully come to fruition and will carefully see them through. She can wait for however long it might take for the right moment to appear, because being too hasty may bring about ruin. She is patient in her dealing with others, because to be hasty might cause her to reveal something she'd rather not. And she is very patient indeed when it comes to dealing with small children, because sometimes all it takes is just one careless word or action to shatter them.
Faults
Selfish Lamia doesn't really care about much outside herself. She doesn't do favors or volunteer her time. She doesn't give or share. Everything she has that she values she worked to get, and she did it on her own. She doesn't owe anyone anything, so why should she part with what she earned just to be considered a good person? Lamia has always been the kind to rely solely on her own strength, and cannot really understand the kind of strength that comes with supporting others. Possessive There isn't much Lamia considers important, but with those few things she'll never let go. It's just another aspect of her selfishness, how very possessive she can be. She's never been the type to lend or share. Perhaps in special circumstances, such as for survival or a trade, but these are rare. She is also possessive of the knowledge she holds, be it personal or educational. Secretive would be another word for it. While there aren't many physical possessions she holds dear, the people she cares about are even fewer. Lamia is correspondingly more possessive. Mess with someone that's "hers", she'll screw you over in ways you can't even imagine. She's not really controlling or prone to fits of jealousy, but you can bet that once she's a part of your life that Lamia will always be there. Watching. Ruthless Once Lamia decides to do something, she gets it done. There's no consideration, no special circumstances, that can stand in her way or deter her. This herb is a vital component in a much-needed medicine? Well it's for her research now. In bad shape and need help? Well you got here on your own and you'll just have to get out on your own, she's not into charity. Did her a good turn and need a favor? That was your own choice, doesn't mean she's obligated to return what you gave freely. Got a secret you'd rather die for than have come out? She won't think twice about revealing it, if it serves her purpose. Lamia is not a particularly vengeful person, nor does she go out of her way to be cruel. It takes a lot to push her to vengeful, because she doesn't do rage or anger. They serve no purpose but to cloud the mind. Likewise it takes a lot to get her to hold a grudge, but once she's got it she'll never let it go. Dangerous Lamia can be dangerous to be close to. If you're one of the few she likes, she has no compunctions in "meddling". She isn't above kidnapping, or threatening other people whose behavior she doesn't like. And her threats are pretty to the point, and hint at lethality. People whom she might have wronged at some point, and there are a few, might decide to go for a softer target and strike at those around Lamia rather than at Lamia herself, to hurt her. For someone "close" to her whom she doesn't like, well... Probably the only reason you're not dead is because she doesn't like doing needless things and there's no benefit to killing you. Yet. That could change at any moment, and hopefully you're already a bit paranoid anyway because Lamia can deliver death in a number of different ways. She's a proficient killer at need. She is also good at keeping her eyes and ears open, and getting into places she shouldn't be. She knows things that could be considered dangerous if the information is put into the wrong hands.
Authority figures (the ones who try to tell her what to do, anyways) Whiners Waste (time, resources, potential) Losing control (be it from her own emotions or due to someone else's interference somehow) Bright colors
Hobbies:
Martial arts A good way to keep in shape, learn different fighting techniques, and practice finer control of her mind and body. Lamia enjoys physical activity in general, such as flying or rock climbing, but martial arts combines the physical exertion with a way to keep her own natural aggressions in check. Alchemy Lamia has always been very interested in alchemy. She spends a lot of time reading books on the subject and practices the skill often. A lot of her roaming is for the search of various ingredients, and she tends to experiment frequently when alone. Cartography Lamia is quite fond of maps. She has an excellent memory and rarely forgets a place she has been, but she still finds them useful. Sometimes it's easier to make plans when you can see the layout of where you're going right in front of you, and some of the best plans have been foiled by not knowing the ground you'll be on. Lamia makes her own maps, some of terrain and some of structure layouts.
A brief overview of their life so far:
Lamia started life as a partially imbued stone and was fully imbued by a Chimera parent, who brought her back to their home in the Sceptors. Lamia is uncertain whatever happened to this parent. Not long after her stone was brought to the Sceptors they left to attend to unspecified business, and never returned. Lamia was awakened by her extended family, though it might be a stretch to say she was also raised by them. Her hybrid nature clearly put off the older members who thought any race other than Chimeras to be inferior. She found scattered acceptance among the children and younger adults, at first. She was often a recipient of childish bullying for her weird eyes and fuzzy claws and tail. It got bad enough that one day she lost her temper and accidentally bit another child. That was how they learned Lamia was venomous. From that day onward no one would have anything to do with her. She was given food, clothing, and shelter, but found no love or caring among her "family". She's not even sure why they even kept her, rather than throwing her out. Lamia's best guess is that, strange though she was, she was clan, and to throw her out would have reflected badly upon them. Lamia tried to run away twice, once as a child and once as a young teen. Both times was found and brought back, and sternly told to make no more attempts. So Lamia stayed until she gained adult status, then left the Sceptors. This time, she made it.
Lamia did not neglect her education. Though she never attended Academy and was never actually put through schooling in a formal sense, she spent a lot of her time reading books. She would sneak around to spy and eavesdrop as much as possible. She would make challenges for herself, always pushing to be a bit better. She learned how to rock climb, which was an excellent escape for when she felt too worked up to sit still. She was quite good at physical things and pushed herself constantly, spying on warriors whenever they trained and then emulating them on her own later.
Once out of the Sceptors Lamia began to try to feel out the rest of the world. Being emotionally cold with trust issues didn't earn her any friends, not that she was looking. She was determined to do everything by herself. She lived off the land mostly, found odd jobs here and there for things she had to buy, and sometimes stole if the opportunity presented itself. She spent a lot of time in libraries and took a few random classes. She particularly enjoyed cooking and martial arts, though perhaps the later more than the former. Eventually she decided to try attending university classes to expand her knowledge and perhaps find a path to walk.
Lamia graduated from Leviathan with majors in medicine and alchemy. Honestly though, she feels no triumph. She still has no clear path in her life, nothing that calls to her besides whims. So she wanders still, following the whims to see where they'll take her.
Whether or not they're an orphan from the cache:
No, cause part Naga yo.
How their status as an orphan or non-orphan has affected them:
I would say it affected Lamia considerably, but also not at all. It's not so much the orphan part as the people who "raised" her ignored her entirely. She was treated more like some kind of changeling than an orphan. Being ignored, looked down upon, and even occasionally feared has caused Lamia to socially and emotionally isolate herself. There's not really any way to fix things at this point, though she may be able to learn to open to a few people.
One event that changed their life or affected them:
Getting caught the first time Lamia ran away. She was only about six then, but she still remembers everything. How dark it was. How frightened she was starting to become, alone on the mountain and having to walk it down because she couldn't fly. How hungry she was beginning to feel. Then out of nowhere an adult swoops down, picks her up, and carries her off. It was part relief and part despair, because she really didn't want to go back. The admonishment the adult gave her also stuck with it. It made Lamia realize that she had to become stronger, had to learn more and get better, and she would do it herself. One day, with her own strength and cleverness, she would get away and be free.
How they feel about their race and house:
Race Lamia dislikes most Chimeras on prinpicle, though she reserves final judgement depending on what they might be like. Regardless she'll probably never feel completely comfortable around them. She has done a bit of studying since leaving Sceptors, but unfortuately the Grimm have little written about their culture, and if the Naga have anything to offer it's all back across the Swirling Storms. She is venomous and her eyes and ears seem similar to other Naga she has seen, including a magical ability to see heat signatures, but that seems to be all she shares with them. She seems to share nothing with the Grimm but her claws and tail. Lamia is Chimera more than anything. Her skin is scaled like theirs. Though she cannot breath fire she still has a talent for fire-based magics. House Lamia was never given a formal education, let alone enrolled in Academy. She didn't really socialize when she went to university, so she doesn't think much of anything of the people there. She does think Leviathan has many interesting subjects.
Their goals in life:
IC: Lamia isn't really sure what she wants to do. She's physically very talented, but she has trouble with authority figures so any kind of career in that path might end up going badly. In general she isn't sure she wants to work under anyone. Currently she spends a lot of time wandering, studying at local libraries and experimenting with alchemy. She's also working on a map collection and improving her cartography skills. She's just trying to figure things out, but sometimes it feels likes she's working for an answer without knowing the question. OOC: Oh goodness, so many things. For her career, I would love it if some kind of backplotting could be done that puts her in the military in some capacity. Spy or special agent of some sort. Assuming this never gets off the ground though she'll still always be a beast at being able to mess people up, but her talents will probably be around the level of someone who's studied various martial arts. If plotting does not make a different option, I think Lamia will settle to become a cartographer professionally. Since she can fly she gets a good perspective on the ground. She is also good at land trekking, so can get several different kinds of perspectives. I can even see her making a book of sorts, regarding air currents over various places for flighted species.
On the topic of marital arts, I would very much love some kind of backplotting as to how she got as skilled as she is. ICly she's always been physically talented and tough. She picked up the strength, stamina, and agility through her own training and general romps around the mountains. She honed those skills through martial art classes after she left home. She's got what it takes to be a bit more special, but all I've got for that is a vague backstory. I'd love to actually have more character involvement.
I would also love love love to involve some backstory with another Chimera. Specifically, the one who fetched her back when she ran away. It was the same Chimera both times, in my head. I have a few different ideas for how their relationship could continue. This Chimera would have left the Sceptors, perhaps for classes or on an escort mission or something. Perhaps even specifically to find Lamia again. Now how things proceed really depend, because if I custom create this Chimera I can do my own story but if I find someone who has a Chimera who wants to be part of this then we have to decide details. Now one thing I can think of off the top of my head is this Chimera kind of felt sorry for Lamia, but never really directly got involved in her life. Kind of big brother from the shadows sort of thing. He could maybe even be the one who teaches Lamia specialty fighting, which would combine plot ideas! It would be a kind of grudging respectful relationship on Lamia's end, since she respects strength but doesn't really want anything to do with her old clan or Chimera clans in general. I just see this being kind of like a big brother looking out for a much younger sister, which will give Lamia someone she can trust and talk to. Or! Now I'm a big fan of drama in a relationship. Like hit all the emotional buttons, make me squee and cry. If I was doing this like I would own the other Chimera and could make the story how I want (and this could still be done with another person, if they like the idea and have a Chimera who could work), this is what I'd do. Now there would be an age gap since they could fly while Lamia was still little, so I'm thinking maybe a ten-year difference. Kinda big, but not that much. I don't have the reason for why worked out in my head yet, maybe an orphan from a dead or dying branch clan that was taken in by the main clan, but this Chimera is betrothed to Lamia. Lamia is told, but it's just a name to her and she doesn't really pay attention since it doesn't mean much to her, and she'll fly the coop before anything is official. The reason he (gender-wise I'd prefer male for this) keeps an eye on Lamia is because she's his betrothed. At first it's just kind of resentment for the choice, and especially so for being attached to this weirdo kid no one likes. He'll be a warrior, probably getting special skills training of some kind. He follows Lamia around sometimes, watching and kind of mulling, and gradually he feels a bit of admiration for the fight in her. He never really approaches her or talks to her about it though, since he's still of mixed feelings himself. It isn't until she is fully mature and just vanishes that he starts to realize that maybe he was a bit more attached to her than he thought, cause he can't get her out of his mind. He goes to find her, if only to resolve his feelings so he can move on cause it's driving him nuts. Things are a bit muzzy here, cause I can think of a couple different ways things would go down depending on exacts in personality, but it's gonna be an emotional game of catch-me-if-you-can and do-I-want-to-be-caught and such. Lots of pent up feels and stuff.
Critique additions:
Personality: At launch point Lamia is generally neutral. She's very cautious and doesn't like to make assumptions. Bad people can have attractive shells. "Slow" people can be quite intelligent or insightful. As a general rule Lamia tries to stay neutral since some people have personality quirks that take a while to discover. She'll form opinions, but keeps watch for additions, exceptions, or affirmations. It takes years before her opinion of someone truly solidifies into what she can "expect" from them. As for how bullying affected her, it laid the foundation for the wall she keeps around her. She has a fiery will even if she's not very emotive, and she's always been strong-minded. She was kind of a defiant case, determined to thrive despite being looked down on. After the biting incident she was sort excommunicated socially. Lamia still had that inner defiance, so her response was pretty much to run with it by proving she didn't need them. She never went to anyone for help. She figured things out on her own however she could. The affect it has on her now... She's spent so much time looking inward for answers that it's next to impossible for her to seek help outside herself. She doesn't rely on people, even the few she likes. She takes everything on herself. Getting to the point of trust where she does trust someone enough to rely on them is going to be a lengthy endeavor, and chances are there will never be more than one or two such people ever in her life.
I'll see if I can explain how Lamia views caring. To her when you care about something, you've invested a part of yourself into that something. When you have it you're fine. If it's taken away it hurts. If it's threatened, you take it like it was a threat made to yourself. Lamia tends to stand apart from things, keep to herself. To care means she has given a piece of herself away, however small or inconsequential, and it makes her vulnerable. Her standards for caring for things tends to depend on how reliable or rare the thing is. How much time and effort has she invested in it. That kind of stuff. People are a little more complicated. Now Lamia has a gentler side for children, and by children I mean 12 or under. It's largely because children are without guile and prejudice. The younger they are the more so this is, which is why she favors the youngest of children most of all. The older the get the more they're have likely to learned from those closest to them, and by the time they hit their teens she just doesn't trust them. But while she is caring towards children, she doesn't care about them. Like you can't control her by threatening a random child. She'll auto label you a scum bag and if someone actually did hurt a child she might get mad, but it doesn't hurt her. I don't think there's really a particular way to make Lamia care about a person, since it will very likely end up happening despite her best efforts not to. I know whenever she has kids she'll care about them, even as adults, and will care about her grandchildren and so on and so forth. Her family, or at least the family she creates, is part of her and so she cares. I honestly don't know how a non-relative would fare. All I can say is they'll be someone who can get some kind of response from her, positive or negative, and with enough repetition and response-invoking a part of her will be given to them. It might take her time to realize it, but it will happen.
The ability to take things and make something different always appealed to Lamia. For the same reason she also enjoys cooking, but she's interested in the various applications that alchemy can have. She can try to produce various kinds of metal or textile that would prove useful for different sorts of tasks. Maybe different sorts of plants/plant products that could have different sorts of applications. She could even make an alchemized soul stone so that she has a more personal sense of control in how she reproduces, rather than going to a stone bank and relying on someone else to give her a stone (I don't think she'd bother with a license since she probably wouldn't do it as a career).
It's largely because Lamia has the skills to be an assassin but at the same time she's not really one. She's a loner and would never "hire" herself out, so joining an organization or working freelance are both unlikely to ever happen. She's out for herself only. Could she be an assassin? Yes. Is she one? If you consider the title one who kills for a living/cause, then no. Now Lamia doesn't have any compunctions about killing someone, it's just that she's very particular about "waste". Is it worth the time/effort/resources? Is killing someone even required at all to accomplish a particular goal? What potential long-term repercussions could there be? Lamia views killing someone in cold blood to be a very last resort. Now for self-defense, no questions asked. Again she doesn't just kill willy nilly, but if you're trying to kill her she will return the favor.
Backstory: Lamia chose to study medicine because it's a useful skill. She's out on her own a lot and has had to patch herself up more than a few times. Similarly it could be she's somewhere pretty far past the middle of nowhere, and there aren't usually a whole lot of medically trained folk wandering about those areas. Generally speaking if she's in a hospital it's because she was unconscious when she was brought in. Lamia hates surrendering any kind of control over herself, so hospitals are a no-go zone for her. It's also useful to know when fighting, because the people who know how to put you together also know how to take you apart. There's also the medicinal aspect of it, equally handy for when she needs to treat herself or when working with certain ingredients in alchemy. You know, knowing what a particular thing is supposed to do and what is in it that makes it do that.
It's not so much as Lamia is specially trained as an assassin, she just has the skills of one. From a young age she was pretty scrappy since she was out on her own a lot and tried to survive on her own as much as possible. She could get food and shelter with her clan, but she liked to be away as much as possible and foraged as much as possible. She also spied on training warriors and tried to emulate what they did. So from a young age she was very fit, good at survival, and had amateur fighting skills. She likes fighting exercises, since it's a good way to work on mental and physical discipline while also releasing aggression. Once she got into the rest of the world she took classes on various martial art styles. Probably other styles as well. She practices a lot, and still takes classes whenever she's at a place long enough. She doesn't get into physical fights often, but things have come up often enough that she is practiced at actual fighting. Her particular style is just one that favors being clever and careful over strong. Pressure points, particular weak spots, using strength or momentum against someone, using the environment to your advantage. Her knowledge in medicine also helps her with fighting, since a medicine can easily be turned to a poison. I think some of point 4 in the personality section could also apply to this answer. Could Lamia be a legit assassin? Yes. Depending on why she chooses to take it up as a trade, or for whom, would she need more training? Possibly. She has a variety of skills, but there are some specialties she might need to work on or develop. If needed it's possibly to insinuate some of this into her backstory without really disturbing where she is now as a person, and it is equally likely to make this into a future (if unlikely) goal for her without stretching things too far.
There may be people Lamia feels less antagonism towards than others. Perhaps some of her relatives tried to look out for her a little more than others. Does she regret leaving? Not at all. Does she look back on her time there with any fondness? If she does, the memories will likely be only of her own particular achievements. Will she ever return? Not if she can avoid the place. If there was anyone at all Lamia cared about she doesn't realize it, and even if she did she wouldn't have thought twice about leaving anyway. Could I create backstory or a realization that there was someone there Lamia cared for? Yes. Would she have thought twice about leaving? No. Perhaps she might have held a little regret at leaving them, but in every kind of scenario she would not hesitate to leave the Sceptors.
jinxgirl5
Alien Loiterer
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jinxgirl5
Alien Loiterer
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 5:53 pm
RP Prompt:
Prompt Four
A smart-mouthed peer just told your Nightmare that they're a failure to their race. How do they react?
"The hell is wrong with you? You're a total failure as a Chimera, you know that?!"
Lamia stood there, listening to the shrill accusations of a Leviathan student. Her face was blank, without expression.
["Loser! You'll never be a Chimera with those weird claws and tail! And what's with those eyes? Geez you're a disgrace!"]
The pattern of her accuser wasn't quite the same, the color tone a bit off, but there was enough similarity between them and the tormentor of her distant past that the memory still flowed, unbidden, through her mind.
[Tears. Shouted accusations. Blinding rage so hot and powerful that it seemed like she should burn the other where they stood. More shouting, then the feeling of smooth tiny scales beneath her legs, furry paws battering at a set of shoulders. Scratches everywhere, wings buffeting wind and dust around. Those same smooth, tiny scales, giving way as her sharp little fangs pierced skin.]
"Hello? Are you even listening to me, you weird freak?!"
[The immediate screech of pain. Hands pulling Lamia away. The tormentor crying about how it hurt, how bad they felt. How they held themselves kind of funny, like they couldn't really move right. The adults, some whisking her tormentor away while the others glared and herded the children. The judgement in their eyes, and the fear in the eyes of the other children. She felt remorse. She'd wanted to make the other sorry, but not seriously hurt them.]
"Are you ignoring me? Seriously?!"
[Their scorn and derision, thicker now. The children would have nothing to do with her. As soon as she passed, but no so far as to be out of earshot, they began to whisper horrible things. If the adults didn't simply see right through her it was to look at her with eyes narrowed in judgement. Her cheek still stung from the slap, delivered by the parent of her tormentor after they had learned what she did...]
Smack!
Lamia blinked, brought back to the present, and the fuming Chimera standing in front of her, hand still raised from slapping her. Her cold, black eyes stared directly into theirs, and she noted that the color drained from their face. "Call me a disgrace all you want. I don't give care what you think about me. Consider that hit reparation for whatever you think I did wrong."
Lamia turned and started to walk away. She heard a stuttered exclamation and felt a hand grab her shoulder. Instantly she seized it and twisted while turning, forcing the Chimera's arm up behind their back. Their eyes were huge as she leaned in and said, softly, "Second hit will cost though. I'll let you decide. Walk away for free, or pick a wing."
Her past hadn't broken her, and she'd be damned if she let it haunt her.
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:24 pm
critique incoming!
Personality:
I just have so many questions - I'm really intrigued by Lamia, which caused me to want to know more and more about her, so if you're willing to bear with me I'd really appreciate it! Does Lamia feel superior or inferior to the people around her, or does she feel neutrally? Growing up and being bullied so constantly can really mess with someone's psyche. How did it affect hers? What are her standards for caring for something or someone? What would make her care, for example? Why is alchemy of interest to Lamia? You've listed it as one of her hobbies, but what about alchemy is appealing? Does she use it at all as an assassin? Even though Lamia has the skills of an assassin, why does she choose to not "ply her trade," as you mentioned? Does she have any moral standing against it?
Backstory:
Similarly to the point above, why did Lamia choose to study medicine? I know you have a description in her goals as to where you'd like to take Lamia's backstory, but I think that it's important to add in how she wound up studying deadly and specialized martial arts. Did Lamia really have zero connections within the Sceptors? Was there anyone that made her look back, that made her think twice about leaving before she did so?
Everything else looks great. Lamia is such a badass!
You do not have to change all of these things, but I'd like you to at least consider them before I give the final approval! Please quote me when you've made the appropriate edits. There is no need to do them in a different color. Thank you!
jinxgirl5
smolderingskies Crew
Adorable Autobiographer
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jinxgirl5
Alien Loiterer
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:26 pm
smolderingskies
Just check the bottom of the middle post, and I edited in a section regarding all the questions you had. Hopefully that works, I was too lazy to try to insinuate the info into the existing posts ;^^
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2017 7:44 pm
Looks great! I'm gonna go ahead and call this kiddo approved.
