[KNIGHT] Euphrates Page of Neptune / Nora Merlin

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Nora Merlin
So much about me, wouldn't you rather talk about you?

Name: Nora Merlin

Nicknames: N/A

Age: 19

Birthday: February 15. One of her greatest regrets in life is not being born just one day earlier.

Sign: Aquarius

Blood type: O

Favourite Food: Red velvet cake, loaded potatoes

Hated Food: Liver

School: DCU

Hobbies:
Band - Nora has notable skill in playing the bass, both classic and electric. Her capacity to read sheet music is a bit below par, but she more than makes up for it with her ear and instinct for improv, which is often showcased in rehearsals and performances with Meadowview's jazz band.

Reading You the Phone Book - Nora is gifted with a lovely, incredibly soothing speaking voice that ranks right up there with Carl Sagan and Morgan Freeman in terms of its captivating quality, and it's made her a bit of a celebrity for a few of the denizens of Destiny City who aren't completely glued to their iPods. Her voice has been immortalized on a few books-on-tape that can be rented at the public library and a smattering of ads for local businesses on the radio, as well as a single, mostly obscure relaxation CD that can be found in stores that carry that sort of thing. When she has the spare time for it she's often involved in some recording project or another, and to this day she's still holding out on her childhood dream of someday becoming a radio personality.

Stage Magic - Still a fan of magic tricks long after many people her age have grown out of it, Nora has recently bought a few magic kits and started trying to learn some herself. She's only at Find Your Card and other restaurant-table displays, but loves demonstrating her sleight of hand whenever she feels an opportunity.

Bird Raising - There have been small flocks of doves and pigeons hopping and fluttering around the Merlin household for as long as Nora can remember, and once she reached a proper age she started learning to handle and breed them herself. She usually has a few perched on her person or freely roaming about the house when she's at home, and treats them with all the care she would give to humans. She's always wanted to set up a carrier pigeon network with her friends for no reason other than the novelty of it.

Hats - Nora likes hats. Nora really likes hats. She has a very extensive hat collection and is always on the hunt for more, and by the way she picked up a derby the other day she thinks would look fantastic on you, would you like to see? Nothing brings an outfit together quite like a nice hat, you know.

Virtues:
Warm - Nora is a near-unconditionally friendly face to the people around her. She's always full of kind words and gestures, carrying herself in a way that makes her an inviting and approachable presence. She tries to fashion herself as a "safe" individual one can talk to without fear of being judged or berated - she's very "love the sinner, hate the sin," and does what she can to have some love available for everybody. It's in short supply these days, after all. She's one of those types who is very hospitable whether at her own home or someone else's, making tea and bringing treats and random presents.

Resourceful - Nora's a good friend to have around on a rainy day - she's optimistic and imaginative enough to usually be able to work with what she has, be it a melodramatic situation or a dire one. With some experience, her ability to save people from boredom has the potential to translate into an ability to save people from an untimely demise. This trait also gives her a decent capacity to cheer herself up when she's feeling blue.

Diplomatic - Or, at least, she's a good bet if there's a situation at hand in need of a mediator. Nora doesn't like to demean people's opinions by taking sides in a conflict, and as such can always be counted on to lend her full attention to everyone's version of the story before forming an opinion herself. She is always willing to be a neutral party no matter how ridiculous the situation is.

Lovely Assistant - She's probably not your best bet if you want a good leader, but it's a completely different story when it comes to following. She's comfortable and efficient at fulfilling a subordinate or advisory role - her strength lies in how she's not a submissive yes-girl who will obey everything unquestioningly, but will actively work with whoever she's associated with and has a good sense of where, when and how she will be useful. Provide her with a set of expectations and she'll fulfill them beautifully.

Flaws:
Sickeningly Sweet - Nora's warmth gets to be a bit smothering sometimes. She's the type who will unabashedly refer to complete strangers as terms of endearment like "hon" and "sweetie" and "darling," and has no qualms invading personal space to provide what she thinks would be a comforting touch to other parties who might not be so receptive. Her attempts at being approachable and comforting can end up looping right around and making her a bit unsettling to be around because of this - or worse yet, her touchy-feely sugarcoating of absolutely everything will end up making someone think she's their girlfriend.

Blinded by the Light* - In this girl's world, there is good to be found in everyone, no exceptions. It isn't unlike her to take on troubled individuals as personal projects in some attempt to "improve" them, and when faced with a conflict, she'll try to appeal to the Good Person She Knows Exists Deep Within Your Heart - she thinks salvation is possible for even the most hopeless of cases if she just gives them enough compassion. There's an infinite supply of second chances you can get from her if you ask, and that's even if you're guilty of hurting her repeatedly; unfortunately, she gets so personally invested in her humanism that it upsets or discourages her when she can't make people see their (sometimes nonexistent) inner light. When she witnesses a serious fight that doesn't end up getting peacefully resolved in some way, it can put her in the emotional slums for a little while, and if any of the participants know her personally they can expect a heartfelt talking-to later.

Morning Person - Nora tends to be in a generally uplifted mood all the time, which is all fine and good, except for the fact that a lot of other people aren't in a generally uplifted mood all the time. She is always full of bubbly cheery optimism, even during times when everyone else is weary and grumpy, and it gets a bit grating to deal with her when it's the crack of dawn and she's talking about what a fantastic day it's going to be and you just want to groan, roll over and go back to sleep. She's a genuinely happy person in a sea of disgruntled teenagers, and it can create problems. Really, just take a hopeless romantic and extend the "romantic" part to all other aspects of life, and you have Nora Merlin.

Plays it Too Safe* - Nora is probably a supporter of the recent trend of self-esteem-obsessed education where everybody wins and nobody gets left out: she gets so overly concerned with creating stress-free, conflict-free environments that it can make her a bit controlling and almost aggressive in her desire to ensure that nobody gets hurt or offended. She's sort of riding on a niceness high horse she uses to try and herd people into a pen of fairness, and can end up ruining people's fun with her agenda to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves.



Physical Description:
Eyes: Some people wear rose-tinted shades, but Nora takes things just one step further: she was born with rose-tinted eyes. They're a cheery carnation pink, very round and expressive.

Hair: Wine red. Wavy/curly, but the curls are gentle and very large; frames her face well and grows down to the small of her back. Wears a blush-colored lace headband.

Face: Heart-shaped, slightly upturned nose, smooth cheekbones and high forehead. Her expressions are usually sprightly and gratuitously cheerful; healthy Caucasian complexion with just a touch of rosiness.

Body: Around 5'5", filling into her curves nicely, somewhat pear-shaped -- she has very shapely hips and legs.

Fashion: Slightly eccentric, she tends to dress like she just stepped out of a Valentine's Day marketing campaign, favoring sunset colors and ruffles and lace on nearly everything. Her outfits are sometimes topped off with one of the many hats from her collection, and she accentuates both her school uniform and civilian outfits with lace headbands, wristbands and chokers.  

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Euphrates Knight
The epaulettes on this outfit are so HEAVY!

Knight: Euphrates Page of Neptune


Weapon -- Page: The legacy of this Neptune Knight has manifested itself as a simple conductor's baton. Euphrates can give an opponent a good thwack or a really hard poke with it, but that's as far as its usefulness goes.


Weapon -- Squire: Euphrates needs more experience before she's worthy of being called a Squire...

A prettier, more ornate conductor's baton! Possibly with a design evocative of a river or ocean?

Effect -- Euphrates Squire can use her baton to 'conduct' a single target in her line of sight, imposing a gentle rhythm to their movements that allows them the grace of a dancer and increases their chances of outmaneuvering their opponents. The target of this spell will hear a pleasant but unobtrusive waltzlike melody that sets the tempo for their motions. It's like a magical earworm that makes you lighter on your feet!

Euphrates can maintain this spell for up to a minute, but must keep moving her baton in the correct tempo in order to do so.

Weapon -- Knight: ...and being recognized as a full-fledged Knight is quite a ways off!

Effect -- At this level, Euphrates obtains a second spell that allows her to conduct multiple targets. Her 'performers' gain a minor mental link that increases their awareness of each other's movements: simply put, they know what actions their allies are taking a couple of seconds before they actually happen. This allows them to coordinate with each other without having to talk or think much about it, as if they were engaging in a well-rehearsed performance. Everyone under the spell will hear an uplifting (but not distracting) waltz melody that sets the tempo for their motions.

The effect is the same regardless of whether the targets of Euphrates' magic are long-lasting friends or have never met each other before, allowing her to cobble together a formidable team of fighters from any allies that are nearby. This spell can be maintained for up to a minute with two targets, 45 seconds with three or 30 seconds with a quartet. Euphrates must be moving her baton in perfect rhythm in order to channel it.

NOTE: This is NOT full-fledged mind-reading. Targets are able to read each other's actions, not their thoughts! In addition, this does not enable you to know what an ally's senshi attack is if you have not seen it before.  

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Friends and Acquaintances
How lucky we are, to know and learn from one another.

 

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Photo Collage
Oh goodness, I think I blinked. Did I blink?

 

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Music Box
Music IS the food of love!

The B-52's - Dancing Now  

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~ Love is gone, but just for a while ~

 

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~ It's full speed ahead, now I can smile ~

 

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~ You twisted my heart with your wicked plan ~

 

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~ but I saw the signs before I, I melted in your hands ~

 

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~ thought I would crash, but I broke through ~

 

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~ dancing on the edge of the flame ~

 

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~ showing no burn ~

 

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~ ignoring the pain ~

 

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Venus went away
to a lonely outer star
now, she's back
and here we are

Now she's back and here we are...