Irina (Novice)

Name: Irina
Age: 15
Place of Birth: Tear
Appearance/character traits: Irina is not overly beautiful, but more pretty in a naughty way. She has hazel, almondshaped eyes with grey flecks in them and a very light unblemished skin. Broad face with a score of freckles on her nose and cheeks. Broad, square chin which is an indication of her stubborn nature. Red-tinged, very VERY curly hair that she finds difficult to maintain- she chopped it very short on the streets and still keeps it relatively short.
Slender but nicely shaped where curves are concerned. Comes across as far from fragile while she actually isn't that tall or sturdy at all. Has a nice proficiency in daggers and stickfighting which she honed on the streets. Used to swear a lot, but that has been beaten out of her during her life with the merchant train. Vague Tearan accent is all that remains, and she is completely convinced of the importance of being able to express yourself well – it has brought her quite far under the circumstances. Soaks up education like a sponge, but is too practical and realistic to become a Brown.
= Character History =
Irina grew up on the street cause her mother tossed her and her siblings out of the house when she was five. She doesn't remember her mother's name, or what she looked like - doesn't even know why her mother's life was such that she felt she had to abandon her children like she did. Irina does not remember a father either, so most likely the man that fathered her was not married to her mother, or left right after she was born. In the hard life on the streets, Irina quickly lost track of her brothers and sisters and cannot even remember their faces or how many there were exactly.
Life on the street was hard, but she soon was picked up by a group of little girls and boys here age which roamed the streets as messengers, pickpockets and worse. These children were abused and used by whomever saw fit, and so Irina has seen rape, murder, betrayal and disinterest up close. She always managed to elude personal mishaps though because of quick wit and a strong manipulative side.
Until she was 12 she remained more or less genderless with a mop of unruly hair, a flat chest and gangly legs, but upon her flowering she grew quickly into a curvy young woman. At the same time, she suddenly found herself abandoned by her group of peers, who saw her comeliness and curviness as a liability - she was too great a risk on the street to be very close to. And so she found herself alone in a hostile environment.
After a few gropings and chance escapes of worse, she decided she might be better off in the countryside, working for her livelihood. Even there she found that humankind is harsh - while there were honest people who gave her honest pay for her work, there were scores who took their advantage. Irina has seen more of her share of the abusive nature of humankind.
In the end she was taken up by a traveling merchant train where she learned all the tricks of the trade – including selling and bargaining. Her quick wit became even more honed: Irina can basically talk her way out of anything. The life on the street and in the merchant train made her realistic, made her cynical, made her a firm believer in "what you can't eat, you can't use, and what you can't see, doesn't exist". She had envisioned a life as a merchant, owning her own train, but yet another thing crossed her path and turned her plans for herself upside down: she was discovered to being able to learn how to channel by a traveling Aes Sedai and was brought to the Tower when she was 15.
Irina can read and write, but obviously has no proper education. She is Very streetwise though and tough as nails underneath an alluringly charming exterior. Very friendly and open on the surface, but she always has her own agenda, and always has her own interests at heart. Thoroughly convinced that the Light won't help her, but that she is responsible for her own happiness and success. She does not believe in coincidence or something like karma. She is a hard worker, very intelligent, but cynical as well and not a very happy child inside. She will always choose what seems the most beneficial course to her – does not do things to please or help others where her own interests are concerned. Does not believe in the innate goodness of humankind either – will be distrustful (though not on the surface) always.
Is perceived as strong-willed and friendly, strong as a mule and as stubborn as one as well once she has set her mind to something.
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Category:Novice Bios