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Apr. 8th, 2012 02:09 pmName: Turnera Blakely
Age:28
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Appearance: Turnera is a fairly standard human woman. She is 5'7" with waist-length curly black hair that she tends to tie back in rather ornate fashions to keep it from her face as is the fashion. While the women of her home world tend to style their hair in many outlandish fashions (Bird cages and fruit are not uncommon), Turnera prefers to keep hers tame but pretty in a way that compliments her without drawing too much attention. Her eyes are a vibrant blue shade she tends to think of as a flattering shade that accentuate her pale heart-shaped face. While she does tend to wear a corset, it's rarely laced as tight as it could be, and hides a rather soft hourglass figure. She's well-proportioned, and takes good care of herself, walking frequently for her job (those flowers won't sell themselves after all).
Turnera's clothing leans towards a more practical bent for the time being. She has no use for yards of lace and layers of silk and toile, or tightly laced cages meant to show off a handspan waistline. She relies on affordable fabrics and styles that won't hinder her overmuch in her day to day life. The few nicer dresses that she does possess show a slightly less drab taste, in dark but rich colors. But for the moment, wools for winter, and silk only for the nicest of occasions. Otherwise, cotton and linen in serviceable, relatively modest colors and cuts in a style meant to accentuate the flowers she sells, rather than the woman herself.
Personality: Turnera is a severely quiet and reserved individual, who tends to prefer spending her time alone or at most in the company of a select few. She is family oriented however, and devoted to her dearest friend, Rilowe. Around others however, she is known to be an introvert, someone who is reluctant to speak unless absolutely necessary, and even then it would take nothing short of a miracle to get more than a few words from her. She generally allows Rilowe to speak for her, however when he isn't available she will do her best to communicate via body language or (if appropriate) in the more genteel fashion of using a fan. She'd be even more likely to use flowers if they were available, presuming someone else knew their meanings as she does.
On the rare occasions for when Turnera does speak, her voice is soft, the sort where most have to strain to hear if they aren't standing close. These words are carefully chosen so as to mean what she needs to convey in the most practical, succinct manner. However, despite her flirtation with the idea of being able to speak like any other, it is not something she fancies herself longing for very often. She was raised to believe it wasn't her place to speak since noblewomen were charming, demure trophies, and a large mouth could quickly destroy that illusion. It was a lesson that she took to heart, one that only grew stronger when her parents passed away.
The shock of suddenly losing the support system she had been raised to rely on for everything was not an easy one to overcome. She was shy and subdued for a long time because the prospect of facing the world outside of her family's home was a frightening one. Leaving her home behind and putting aside what she was raised and trained to be in order to find work and survive was a quick, necessary decision, despite her discomfort.
Despite all of this, she is a warm-hearted individual with an even temperament who tries her best to keep calm and carry on. While not precisely the mothering type towards others, if she can learn to trust them she will treat them with the same care and indulgence as she does with Rilowe. This usually entails with her offering free assistance and getting into trouble on their behalf, in a manner she wouldn't end up in by herself. Turnera enjoys seeing people happy and stress-free, and when possible, she attempts to help however she can. Whether it is aiding in cooking or perhaps mending someone's clothing, it's the little things that draw her eye, and it's those same little things that she attempts to fix.
All in all, Turnera is a shy but well-mannered woman who tends to keep to herself and stay out of trouble.
History: Turnera is a classic example of genteel breeding gone practical. She was born into a point of her family's history where they had fallen from good aristocratic standing, but that didn't change how her family brought her up. Her father was always trying to regain the fortune attached to the family name, and this often had him away from home for months at a time. This left Turnera to be raised by her mother and grandmother, both stern matriarchs who remember well "the glory days."
Her education was well-rounded, if a touch focused on bringing her up as a proper young lady. She was instructed in reading and writing, with an occasional focus on arithmetic. None of her lessons would allow her to outshine or intimidate a potential, proper suitor, of course, and these impractical studies were tempered with skills she would actually need. After all, a proper lady would be expected to know how to keep an equally proper house.
Her mother and grandmother kept her constantly busy with perfecting her needlework and cooking skills as well as introducing her to tending flowers, which proved to be a relaxing hobby with a practical bent. Flowers had a language of their own after all. A woman of Turnera's breeding was expected to know the "language" of flowers, feeding that frivolous obsession the rich and utterly bored had with speaking through poetic symbols. The flowers and plants that her family tended had practical uses as well, and she was taught which were safe and which were poisonous, regarding what was safe to eat and how to treat illnesses.
It was these lessons that helped her to become someone that her family could be proud of: a charming and blissfully quiet child who grew into a respectful young woman. Her family had full faith in her ability to bring prestige back to their name by marrying well.
That is how it would have been if things had not taken a sharp turn for the worse. The plague hit the town where she lived hard and spread quickly. Many were afflicted, and in the same, cruel vein, many were left alone to bury their dead. Turnera was lucky enough to survive, but it left her with no male relative to protect support her. She found herself moving to a more metropolitan area in a desperate bid for work, but as she lacked in any sort of practical skills she was denied work just about any space except for a factory. This left her with few options, and rather than turn to thievery or prostitution, she plied her skill with sewing in a seamstress shop, and sold roses in the market most mornings.
It was during this time that she met the man who would become her best friend, one Rilowe Anavari. He was loud and brash and everything that Turnera wasn't, and she seemed to appeal to a soft spot in his bratty, selfish, little black heart. He seemed oddly charmed by the silent, hardworking young woman who sold flowers day after day, and she seemed equally drawn to his boisterous personality. They would meet infrequently over the next few months, until one evening, Rilowe would come to find his silent friend stuck out on the street, desperately attempting to hide under an awning from the rain. Through interpretive hand-gestures, and his uncanny ability to read her signals and expressions, he would find that her landlord, a rather vile robber baron, had hiked his prices without warning - leaving many tenants destitute.
Without giving it more than a few moments to actually consider, he would invite her to stay with him, leading into the most awkward roommates ever thrust together. Rilowe did his best to be gentlemanly for her sake, and Turnera did her best to be modest and prim, which made their cohabitation ungainly but in time they had forged a relationship that was mutually gainful. Turnera received protection from Rilowe - a safe haven and a trusted friend, and Rilowe received a constant alibi by having a live-in who easily fell into playing the part of the timid but loving housewife he obviously doted on, and therefore couldn't have been at that crime scene, officer. Turnera found that she rather liked living with Rilowe, and living through his colorful nature. They moved every few years, from town to town to escape whomever Rilowe had pissed off, and Turnera would always help him set up shop once more, selling flowers they gathered along the way for a small bit of extra coin to further them along. It was a far cry from her birth and how her parents had wished her to turn out, but there she was, living day to day and rather content for it.
With Rilowe's quick fingers and silver tongue, they rarely went without whatever was needed, with enough left over to increase Rilowe's collection of shiny baubles and trinkets. It was a hectic but comfortable lifestyle, once Turnera grew used to it, and even with their informality, she remained ever modest and as ladylike as she could manage given their situation.
Life was a simple routine. Sell flowers, assist Rilowe when needed and survive in a relatively normal sort of lifestyle. There's a young man who had started to visit with her in the mornings as she sold her flowers, and she's been enduring Rilowe's teasing in good faith. Blackwald is a fine suitor of decent rank; a hardworking man who puts up with Rilowe's antics for the sake of Turnera, but so far nothing concrete is set beyond their gentle (proper), mute flirting.
Age:28
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Appearance: Turnera is a fairly standard human woman. She is 5'7" with waist-length curly black hair that she tends to tie back in rather ornate fashions to keep it from her face as is the fashion. While the women of her home world tend to style their hair in many outlandish fashions (Bird cages and fruit are not uncommon), Turnera prefers to keep hers tame but pretty in a way that compliments her without drawing too much attention. Her eyes are a vibrant blue shade she tends to think of as a flattering shade that accentuate her pale heart-shaped face. While she does tend to wear a corset, it's rarely laced as tight as it could be, and hides a rather soft hourglass figure. She's well-proportioned, and takes good care of herself, walking frequently for her job (those flowers won't sell themselves after all).
Turnera's clothing leans towards a more practical bent for the time being. She has no use for yards of lace and layers of silk and toile, or tightly laced cages meant to show off a handspan waistline. She relies on affordable fabrics and styles that won't hinder her overmuch in her day to day life. The few nicer dresses that she does possess show a slightly less drab taste, in dark but rich colors. But for the moment, wools for winter, and silk only for the nicest of occasions. Otherwise, cotton and linen in serviceable, relatively modest colors and cuts in a style meant to accentuate the flowers she sells, rather than the woman herself.
Personality: Turnera is a severely quiet and reserved individual, who tends to prefer spending her time alone or at most in the company of a select few. She is family oriented however, and devoted to her dearest friend, Rilowe. Around others however, she is known to be an introvert, someone who is reluctant to speak unless absolutely necessary, and even then it would take nothing short of a miracle to get more than a few words from her. She generally allows Rilowe to speak for her, however when he isn't available she will do her best to communicate via body language or (if appropriate) in the more genteel fashion of using a fan. She'd be even more likely to use flowers if they were available, presuming someone else knew their meanings as she does.
On the rare occasions for when Turnera does speak, her voice is soft, the sort where most have to strain to hear if they aren't standing close. These words are carefully chosen so as to mean what she needs to convey in the most practical, succinct manner. However, despite her flirtation with the idea of being able to speak like any other, it is not something she fancies herself longing for very often. She was raised to believe it wasn't her place to speak since noblewomen were charming, demure trophies, and a large mouth could quickly destroy that illusion. It was a lesson that she took to heart, one that only grew stronger when her parents passed away.
The shock of suddenly losing the support system she had been raised to rely on for everything was not an easy one to overcome. She was shy and subdued for a long time because the prospect of facing the world outside of her family's home was a frightening one. Leaving her home behind and putting aside what she was raised and trained to be in order to find work and survive was a quick, necessary decision, despite her discomfort.
Despite all of this, she is a warm-hearted individual with an even temperament who tries her best to keep calm and carry on. While not precisely the mothering type towards others, if she can learn to trust them she will treat them with the same care and indulgence as she does with Rilowe. This usually entails with her offering free assistance and getting into trouble on their behalf, in a manner she wouldn't end up in by herself. Turnera enjoys seeing people happy and stress-free, and when possible, she attempts to help however she can. Whether it is aiding in cooking or perhaps mending someone's clothing, it's the little things that draw her eye, and it's those same little things that she attempts to fix.
All in all, Turnera is a shy but well-mannered woman who tends to keep to herself and stay out of trouble.
History: Turnera is a classic example of genteel breeding gone practical. She was born into a point of her family's history where they had fallen from good aristocratic standing, but that didn't change how her family brought her up. Her father was always trying to regain the fortune attached to the family name, and this often had him away from home for months at a time. This left Turnera to be raised by her mother and grandmother, both stern matriarchs who remember well "the glory days."
Her education was well-rounded, if a touch focused on bringing her up as a proper young lady. She was instructed in reading and writing, with an occasional focus on arithmetic. None of her lessons would allow her to outshine or intimidate a potential, proper suitor, of course, and these impractical studies were tempered with skills she would actually need. After all, a proper lady would be expected to know how to keep an equally proper house.
Her mother and grandmother kept her constantly busy with perfecting her needlework and cooking skills as well as introducing her to tending flowers, which proved to be a relaxing hobby with a practical bent. Flowers had a language of their own after all. A woman of Turnera's breeding was expected to know the "language" of flowers, feeding that frivolous obsession the rich and utterly bored had with speaking through poetic symbols. The flowers and plants that her family tended had practical uses as well, and she was taught which were safe and which were poisonous, regarding what was safe to eat and how to treat illnesses.
It was these lessons that helped her to become someone that her family could be proud of: a charming and blissfully quiet child who grew into a respectful young woman. Her family had full faith in her ability to bring prestige back to their name by marrying well.
That is how it would have been if things had not taken a sharp turn for the worse. The plague hit the town where she lived hard and spread quickly. Many were afflicted, and in the same, cruel vein, many were left alone to bury their dead. Turnera was lucky enough to survive, but it left her with no male relative to protect support her. She found herself moving to a more metropolitan area in a desperate bid for work, but as she lacked in any sort of practical skills she was denied work just about any space except for a factory. This left her with few options, and rather than turn to thievery or prostitution, she plied her skill with sewing in a seamstress shop, and sold roses in the market most mornings.
It was during this time that she met the man who would become her best friend, one Rilowe Anavari. He was loud and brash and everything that Turnera wasn't, and she seemed to appeal to a soft spot in his bratty, selfish, little black heart. He seemed oddly charmed by the silent, hardworking young woman who sold flowers day after day, and she seemed equally drawn to his boisterous personality. They would meet infrequently over the next few months, until one evening, Rilowe would come to find his silent friend stuck out on the street, desperately attempting to hide under an awning from the rain. Through interpretive hand-gestures, and his uncanny ability to read her signals and expressions, he would find that her landlord, a rather vile robber baron, had hiked his prices without warning - leaving many tenants destitute.
Without giving it more than a few moments to actually consider, he would invite her to stay with him, leading into the most awkward roommates ever thrust together. Rilowe did his best to be gentlemanly for her sake, and Turnera did her best to be modest and prim, which made their cohabitation ungainly but in time they had forged a relationship that was mutually gainful. Turnera received protection from Rilowe - a safe haven and a trusted friend, and Rilowe received a constant alibi by having a live-in who easily fell into playing the part of the timid but loving housewife he obviously doted on, and therefore couldn't have been at that crime scene, officer. Turnera found that she rather liked living with Rilowe, and living through his colorful nature. They moved every few years, from town to town to escape whomever Rilowe had pissed off, and Turnera would always help him set up shop once more, selling flowers they gathered along the way for a small bit of extra coin to further them along. It was a far cry from her birth and how her parents had wished her to turn out, but there she was, living day to day and rather content for it.
With Rilowe's quick fingers and silver tongue, they rarely went without whatever was needed, with enough left over to increase Rilowe's collection of shiny baubles and trinkets. It was a hectic but comfortable lifestyle, once Turnera grew used to it, and even with their informality, she remained ever modest and as ladylike as she could manage given their situation.
Life was a simple routine. Sell flowers, assist Rilowe when needed and survive in a relatively normal sort of lifestyle. There's a young man who had started to visit with her in the mornings as she sold her flowers, and she's been enduring Rilowe's teasing in good faith. Blackwald is a fine suitor of decent rank; a hardworking man who puts up with Rilowe's antics for the sake of Turnera, but so far nothing concrete is set beyond their gentle (proper), mute flirting.
