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Ivana
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Name: Ivana
Gender: female
Race: mixed (Eypharian-human)
Age: 19
Likes: shopping, makeup, learning, books, fashion, herbal teas
Merits: honest, practical, caring, confident, organised, clever, creative, inquisitive
Goals: raise half-brother, get rich, buy nice stuff, learn new things
Birthday: 1st, Summer, 496 AV
Birthplace: Ahntep
Profession: Assistant Philterer
Current location: Lhavit
Dislikes: violence, being alone, having to do without
Flaws: vain, materialistic, socially inept, nosey,
Fears: small spaces, confinement, Kalra's husband
Appearance
Ivana is a beautiful woman and fully aware of this fact. Some (the jealous, Ivana would say) would point out that at least part of that beauty came from her carefully made up face, but the fact that she never leaves the house without her makeup renders the point moot. To all that see her, Ivana has a flawless complexion, hair not a strand out of place and richly coloured, carefully selected clothes. While her wardrobe is by no means limitless, Ivana dislikes wearing the same exact outfit more than once, and likes to have enough jewellery to, at the very least, mix things up a little most of the time. For this reason she prefers a skirt and a top to a dress, as she can always switch one out if she wants to. She, like many other half-Eypharians, has the pheromones from her mother's people, although somewhat muted given her mixed ancestry.
She stands at a solid 5"7 in height, and has smooth dark brown skin, courtesy of both her Eypharian mother and human but well-tanned father. Her hair, naturally wavy and long, is often styled into either luscious curls or to fall straight as a sheet. She leaves it loose mostly, but is often inclined by simple practicality to have it in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Given her mixed blood status, Ivana only has two arms, and both are on the skinny side of slender - a fact that causes the young woman a little annoyance. Her eyes are nearly black in colour, and her hair, un-dyed, a very dark brown. Ivana's appearances changes with the wind, and while to some her choices might seem whimsical and random, she takes a lot of care with her appearance, even when doing something as simple as taking a walk or going to the shops - one of her favourite, and oft repeated, activities.
Ivana is a beautiful woman and fully aware of this fact. Some (the jealous, Ivana would say) would point out that at least part of that beauty came from her carefully made up face, but the fact that she never leaves the house without her makeup renders the point moot. To all that see her, Ivana has a flawless complexion, hair not a strand out of place and richly coloured, carefully selected clothes. While her wardrobe is by no means limitless, Ivana dislikes wearing the same exact outfit more than once, and likes to have enough jewellery to, at the very least, mix things up a little most of the time. For this reason she prefers a skirt and a top to a dress, as she can always switch one out if she wants to. She, like many other half-Eypharians, has the pheromones from her mother's people, although somewhat muted given her mixed ancestry.She stands at a solid 5"7 in height, and has smooth dark brown skin, courtesy of both her Eypharian mother and human but well-tanned father. Her hair, naturally wavy and long, is often styled into either luscious curls or to fall straight as a sheet. She leaves it loose mostly, but is often inclined by simple practicality to have it in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Given her mixed blood status, Ivana only has two arms, and both are on the skinny side of slender - a fact that causes the young woman a little annoyance. Her eyes are nearly black in colour, and her hair, un-dyed, a very dark brown. Ivana's appearances changes with the wind, and while to some her choices might seem whimsical and random, she takes a lot of care with her appearance, even when doing something as simple as taking a walk or going to the shops - one of her favourite, and oft repeated, activities.
Personality
Ivana is a confident, proud woman who doesn't give a damn what other people think of her. She has a very realistic view on her abilities and most insults are met with either a wry 'oh I know' or an equally polite, but firm, dismissal. Those that truly anger her might face a calm explanation of why they're wrong then a brief summary of their own failings but Ivana is not one to hold grudges and considers any sort of argument over the moment one person apologies, and is very willing to admit her own wrongs should she realize that the fault lay with her. While very prone to vanity, the care Ivana takes with her appearance is more due to her love of the art of makeup than any real desire to be prettier - after all, even without makeup she is, in her own mind at least, beautiful already. To her, her face is simply the canvas she paints on, and she loves trying new things and styles, and does so without the slightest concern whether or not they suit her. She can, given enough money and time, make some of the most unusual, eccentric styles work and, as in every other part of her life, is willing to try anything once.
Ivana's social skills are somewhat lacking. She's honest far beyond the point of rudeness, and does not know when to keep her mouth shut, or when another's business is not her own. Curious by nature, she has no qualms about simply asking someone a question when she wants to know something, regardless of how intimate or personal the question is. Ivana also has a limited concept on how to be reassuring, and while she would happily try to make someone feel better she has a tendency to do the exact opposite. Ivana likes to be organised, and tends to arrange everything into neat lists to help herself focus - and this was something she started to do at a young age, from making lists of all her friends (which were short) and all her outfits (which were not). Largely due to spending so much time alone when she was younger, Ivana is very independent. She prefers not to involve (worry) her beloved ones with problems she has if there is nothing they can do to help (although has no problem about seeking them out when, logically, their assistance is needed). Ivana's curiosity and materialistic nature has culminated in a woman who prefers to learn how to make, and therefore make herself, anything she has. This includes cosmetics, clothing, food and even furniture or jewellery. She is a woman of whims and passing fancies, but when she sets her mind to learning how to do something, she will not rest until she understands it. Given her general nosiness, this can give her several projects going at a time, which is not always a good thing.
Ivana is a confident, proud woman who doesn't give a damn what other people think of her. She has a very realistic view on her abilities and most insults are met with either a wry 'oh I know' or an equally polite, but firm, dismissal. Those that truly anger her might face a calm explanation of why they're wrong then a brief summary of their own failings but Ivana is not one to hold grudges and considers any sort of argument over the moment one person apologies, and is very willing to admit her own wrongs should she realize that the fault lay with her. While very prone to vanity, the care Ivana takes with her appearance is more due to her love of the art of makeup than any real desire to be prettier - after all, even without makeup she is, in her own mind at least, beautiful already. To her, her face is simply the canvas she paints on, and she loves trying new things and styles, and does so without the slightest concern whether or not they suit her. She can, given enough money and time, make some of the most unusual, eccentric styles work and, as in every other part of her life, is willing to try anything once.Ivana's social skills are somewhat lacking. She's honest far beyond the point of rudeness, and does not know when to keep her mouth shut, or when another's business is not her own. Curious by nature, she has no qualms about simply asking someone a question when she wants to know something, regardless of how intimate or personal the question is. Ivana also has a limited concept on how to be reassuring, and while she would happily try to make someone feel better she has a tendency to do the exact opposite. Ivana likes to be organised, and tends to arrange everything into neat lists to help herself focus - and this was something she started to do at a young age, from making lists of all her friends (which were short) and all her outfits (which were not). Largely due to spending so much time alone when she was younger, Ivana is very independent. She prefers not to involve (worry) her beloved ones with problems she has if there is nothing they can do to help (although has no problem about seeking them out when, logically, their assistance is needed). Ivana's curiosity and materialistic nature has culminated in a woman who prefers to learn how to make, and therefore make herself, anything she has. This includes cosmetics, clothing, food and even furniture or jewellery. She is a woman of whims and passing fancies, but when she sets her mind to learning how to do something, she will not rest until she understands it. Given her general nosiness, this can give her several projects going at a time, which is not always a good thing.
History
Ivana's mother was an Eypharian actress, a beautiful woman named Kalra and wife of a wealthy fellow member of the Gilded class. Ivana's father was probably a travelling merchant, but for all her virtues fidelity was not one of Kalra's. When the daughter her husband thought was his had two arms instead of four, he was less than pleased, and even more so when Kalra could not tell him who the father was - he thought it was due to not wanting her lover to face his wrath, when in fact she simply did not know. Kalra begged her husband to let Ivana stay, and eventually he agreed under the agreement that Ivana would not leave the house, would not claim to be part of the family and, if anyone asked, she was the daughter of one of their shajeb, a young woman with a gift for art who was, given the amount of money she had compiled and the affectionate relationship she had with her masters, a slave in name alone.
So Ivana grew up isolated save for her family and their closest associates and most trusted slaves. While she had no real playmates, neither Ivana's education nor her comforts were lacking. Had anyone seen her room and the sheer number of clothes and accessories she had, there would have been no question about her true status. On occasion she was allowed outside, frequently on shopping trips with her 'mother', or, more rarely, to the various festivals throughout the year, but spent most of her childhood and adolescence indoors. Despite her luxuries, Ivana did have some difficulties. Most notably her father. While her mother visited rarely but often brought treats in the shape of perfumes, new clothes or her favourite foods, her father was scarce at first but more frequent as Ivana grew older. He hated the girl, knowing she stood for his wife's lack of fidelity and yet too much in love with Kalra to kill Ivana or have her enslaved, and often took his anger out on Ivana. Mostly he yelled or threatened her (a favourite threat was that he would have her enslaved and sold or whored out), although sometimes his abuse stooped into physical violence. After these attacks Kalra would take Ivana to her room, sit her down and cover up her bruises with makeup, letting Ivana explain what her father had said and then tell her whether or not he was actually able to carry out his threats. Most of the time, they were simply bluster, and the calm discussions they had did more to relax Ivana than any sort of platitudes or empty promises would have.
Things came to a head for Kalra became pregnant again and, again, the child was two-armed and, this time, paler and with the startling blue eyes of a Benshira. To say her husband was furious was an understatement, and this time while Kalra swore the man had simply been a phet and meant nothing to her, he refused to listen and assumed, correctly, that she was protecting another lover (a Svefra man passing through for trading). This time his abuse was not aimed at Ivana, and was born from an instinctive, unstoppable fury. Kalra's sprisen, Myra, a woman Ivana had grown very close to over the last few years, walked in to find her mistress dead and Kalra's husband gone. Scared for both Ivana's and the newborn's sakes, Myra ran to the baby's room and took him and his half-sister away. Myra pledged herself to Ivana and swore fealty to her. The three, under the pretext of sisters and son, boarded a boat from Ahnatep and never looked back. It took them just over a year to reach Lhavit, where they intend to spend the rest of their lives.
Ivana's mother was an Eypharian actress, a beautiful woman named Kalra and wife of a wealthy fellow member of the Gilded class. Ivana's father was probably a travelling merchant, but for all her virtues fidelity was not one of Kalra's. When the daughter her husband thought was his had two arms instead of four, he was less than pleased, and even more so when Kalra could not tell him who the father was - he thought it was due to not wanting her lover to face his wrath, when in fact she simply did not know. Kalra begged her husband to let Ivana stay, and eventually he agreed under the agreement that Ivana would not leave the house, would not claim to be part of the family and, if anyone asked, she was the daughter of one of their shajeb, a young woman with a gift for art who was, given the amount of money she had compiled and the affectionate relationship she had with her masters, a slave in name alone.So Ivana grew up isolated save for her family and their closest associates and most trusted slaves. While she had no real playmates, neither Ivana's education nor her comforts were lacking. Had anyone seen her room and the sheer number of clothes and accessories she had, there would have been no question about her true status. On occasion she was allowed outside, frequently on shopping trips with her 'mother', or, more rarely, to the various festivals throughout the year, but spent most of her childhood and adolescence indoors. Despite her luxuries, Ivana did have some difficulties. Most notably her father. While her mother visited rarely but often brought treats in the shape of perfumes, new clothes or her favourite foods, her father was scarce at first but more frequent as Ivana grew older. He hated the girl, knowing she stood for his wife's lack of fidelity and yet too much in love with Kalra to kill Ivana or have her enslaved, and often took his anger out on Ivana. Mostly he yelled or threatened her (a favourite threat was that he would have her enslaved and sold or whored out), although sometimes his abuse stooped into physical violence. After these attacks Kalra would take Ivana to her room, sit her down and cover up her bruises with makeup, letting Ivana explain what her father had said and then tell her whether or not he was actually able to carry out his threats. Most of the time, they were simply bluster, and the calm discussions they had did more to relax Ivana than any sort of platitudes or empty promises would have.Things came to a head for Kalra became pregnant again and, again, the child was two-armed and, this time, paler and with the startling blue eyes of a Benshira. To say her husband was furious was an understatement, and this time while Kalra swore the man had simply been a phet and meant nothing to her, he refused to listen and assumed, correctly, that she was protecting another lover (a Svefra man passing through for trading). This time his abuse was not aimed at Ivana, and was born from an instinctive, unstoppable fury. Kalra's sprisen, Myra, a woman Ivana had grown very close to over the last few years, walked in to find her mistress dead and Kalra's husband gone. Scared for both Ivana's and the newborn's sakes, Myra ran to the baby's room and took him and his half-sister away. Myra pledged herself to Ivana and swore fealty to her. The three, under the pretext of sisters and son, boarded a boat from Ahnatep and never looked back. It took them just over a year to reach Lhavit, where they intend to spend the rest of their lives.
