Anna Jenai

[Anna]

Anna Jenai Basic Information Race: Ghost Birthday : 21st of Winter 432 Deathday : 72nd of Summer 458 Age: 25 for 52 years Gender: Female Physical Description He watched Anna enter. She moved slowly, fluidly down the marble stairs. Her long legs rustled beneath the red silk of her skirt, whispering into the stone with each delicate step. She made the gown splendid, the soft fabric clinging sweetly to her curves, delicately highlighting the nuances of her slender form. Slender hands, unworked and callousless emerged from the long sleeves that hung down from her elbows, where the crimson folds cut away to cream which flowed nearly to the floor. The dress circled her shoulders elegantly, clutching at the gentle slopes of pale skin. Upward they turned, shifting to a graceful neck, embellished by a mesh of finely woven gold. Her face was calm; a sweet oval, with untouched skin carefully set across fine bones. Dark, narrow eyebrows arched over downcast eyes, filled with a warm, deep brown. Her lips were painted, a stain to match her dress. Sharp and red, they pressed together slightly, soft flesh retaining some hidden thought. Beneath a thin gold circlet, no wider than a wire, her hair was retained. Held back from her face the thick hair was braided, and twist after twist fell down to her waist in a nearly black chord. The man smiled. This was how Anna appeared to Emmet when they first met in the Spring of 457, a year before her death. Living the young woman was pale, now she has faded, her skin is translucent, an eerie grey-white. Where her hair was once a dark, rich brown it now seems to be a place for light to hide, swallowed by her presence. She was a tall woman, nearly 5'9", and her specter still towers when it appears, the skirts of her gown blowing loosely about her, fading into Soulmist. Character Concept In Life Anna was raised in a noble family, and behaved accordingly. She was well spoken and poised, a young woman who knew the proper manners and traditions. It was a duty to be a proper young woman, one she believed in and followed fully. Manners must be upheld, rules followed, this was not a prison for Anna, it was who she felt she was. Nonetheless, Anna had a strong will, and would see her way done if it suited her. She relished in the outdoors; the proper, well groomed outdoors of the garden. The closest the lady would come to real wilderness were the frequent rides she would take about Syliras on gentle summer afternoons. Otherwise Anna preferred to be indoors, engaged in more civilized activities, reading or embroidery among others. She was proud, and dignified, and on occasion could be disdainful of those she felt did not fulfill their proper place. Typically though Anna was kind, and to those she disapproved of harsh in words, but not usually cruel. Anna was a serious woman, and reserved, more likely to smile than laugh out loud. Her temper was never great, and more often she would restrain herself than express inappropriate feelings, but her tongue could be sharp when she deemed the time right. In Death Anna is typically a quiet ghost, spending much of her time alone in her chambers, practicing materializing. These she has retained since death, refusing to leave her small section of Stormhold castle within her family's compartments. She acts similar in many ways to her living self, though the years of agony have changed her. Her temper has been sharpened in years of waiting, and Anna will lash out more quickly and violently if provoked. However, she is for the most part lucid, and enjoys speaking with the living when the mood strikes her, and will even sing for those whose company truly pleases her. Little else pleases her now though, and even her conversation is tinted with melancholy on most occasions. Her greatest joy is in meeting new people, and the hope that it brings to her, though her bitterness tends to sour new relationships before they can ripen. Character History Anna was born to an important family in Syliras. She was raised to be a young lady, taught with tutors and trained in entertainment and arts. As she grew older she began to favor singing above her other lessons, and grew quite good at it. Often her father would ask her to sing for his guests at dinner parties. Supper was one of the few times of the day Anna spent with her family. She would sit and listen patiently to her father speak of the business of the day, while she carefully cut her food into petite bites and chewed slowly. Toward the end of the meal Anna was invariably asked how her lessons were coming, or to demonstrate a bit of what she had learned. The girl would acquiesce. These little demonstrations were greeted with warm praise from her mother and an approving nod from her father. Outside of meals Anna had little interaction with her parents, she spent her days passed from one tutor to the next, and in her free time was left to wander about the chambers, under strict orders to behave properly and keep from underfoot. Life changed little aside from the type of lessons Anna received as she grew. When the young woman was twenty her mother fell seriously ill and despite her father pouring money into healers and doctors, the woman passed away. Anna followed the appropriate period of grieving, but it affected her little. A larger change came into the woman's sheltered life when Anna was 24. As her father aged he wished for his daughter to be wed. She was introduced to Emmet, her fiancé, in the Spring. He was a pleasant enough man, intelligent and ambitious, and he was pleased with the arrangement, though he seemed to take little interest in Anna herself. They were wed barely a season later. Strangely, Anna's life changed little. Another face appeared each night at the dinner table, and was present in her bed each morning. Occasionally he would come with her on rides, or seek her out for a conversation, but this was a rare occurrence. Soon, however, her life would begin twisting away from its well trod path. That Winter Anna's father fell ill, by the Spring the man had passed on. Through the period of his illness Emmet's mood began to change. The normally poised man became restless and irritable. This passed the day of the funeral. But Emmet's returning cheer did not last long. Almost immediately he turned sour, as all of the Jenai estates passed into Anna's hands. Growing dark Emmet withdrew, rarely even appearing in the evenings to bed. One night though, he did come to bed. Anna lay staring up at the canopy. She was feeling lonely, perhaps the feeling had always been present. Perhaps, but she had never noticed before. She did now. Anna felt hollow, never had she had a truly deep relationship with another. She had read so much in books about love, between families and couples, but it didn't seem to exist, at least, not in her world. She didn't exactly think she was unhappy, her life had been pleasant, her marriage was fine. Emmet was a kind man, and she enjoyed his company, indeed, sometimes they were nearly friends. She felt fortunate that the arrangement had worked out so well, that they got along with such ease. But nonetheless, it would have been nice to feel something stronger than this... passive contentment. As Anna lay pondering these thoughts Emmet entered. Quietly he undressed and slid into bed, wishing her a goodnight. After he rolled over though Emmet's eyes remained open. For an hour he lay still, waiting to hear her breath slow to sleep before sitting. "It's a pity to do this my dear," he said softly, pressing a pillow over her face. The next morning Emmet sat down to breakfast, and Anna sat before him, watching. For a week she watched her murderer, the thoughts of her last night swirling about in her heart, mixing with the bitter sadness that her last and closest relationship might be such a farce. She would not leave. After a week of being watched Emmet fled Stormhold and Syliras, Anna does not know what became of him. Anna still hasn't left. Families have moved into her family's old home. She lets them be, as long as her chambers remain untouched, giving her a place to go away from mortals. Often though she ventures out into the bazaar, or wanders the halls of Stormhold. In her life she never felt love, she had no connections to another. Feelings stepped aside for duty and etiquette. In death Anna has discovered her desire, just as it slipped out of her reach. Training Materialization: 25 (10 RB) (15 SP) Possession: 7 (7 SP) Soulmist Projection: 12 (12 SP) Singing: 7 (7 SP) Riding: 5 (5 SP) Dancing: 4 (4 SP) Lores Ladylike Behavior Songs of Syliras Equipment and Possessions Her old chambers in Stormhold, though once or twice a family has attempted to share the space, and so much of her old belonging have been removed. She has no use for anything else, and no way of keeping it. Ledger She does not bother with money. Thread List