PERSEPHONE

[Deleted]

PERSEPHONE

NAME. Persephone.
NICKNAME(S). Seph, Kore.
AGE. 5.
SPECIES. Equine.
BREED. Irish Sport Horse.
GENDER. Mare.

HEIGHT. 16hh.
WEIGHT. 1100.
COAT. Gray (currently dappled; will gray out some as matures).
EYE COLOUR. Light brown.
NOTABLE MARKINGS. Black tipped ears.
PHYSICAL. Persephone has always been considered a beauty. Born to two large grays, there was no question that she would be gray as well. She was born a dark gray, almost black. As a youth, she attracted the attention of many stallions, but her overprotective dam mostly thwarted the suitors' efforts before they could begin. She has solid black legs, except for her hind right, which is leading the way by graying out before any other part of her. Above her coronet band on the black legs, there is a small sliver of white. Her mane and tail are both black, and the edges of her ears are black. Her body is dappled still; only her face is completely gray. Her eyes are light brown and expressive; they give away her inner thoughts when she is not willing to express them verbally. She is fairly lean and fit after years of good maintenance in a herd with abundant resources. She has several scars, some from her earliest years and others from rogue wolves, but most are concealed by her dapples. She stands at 16 hands, which means that she towers over some equines of smaller breeds. Her height and color tend to make her stand out, which tends to grant her unwanted attention.

FEARS.

• Devastating fires
  
• Eternal silence/ being completely alone for long stretches of time
  
• Death
  

VICES.

• Stubborn
  
• Argumentative- only for when she wants something she is denied. Will not stop until she is appeased.
  
• Sarcasm- usually begins playful, may escalate to inappropriately sarcastic
  
• Berserk mode- reserved for when someone pushes her buttons too much. Really, really ugly, but rare for her.
  
• Absent minded- when she thinks, she often lets the world go by unattended
  

STRENGTHS.

• Compassionate
  
• Helpful
  
• Good listener
  
• Laughs often
  
• Open minded
  

PET PEEVES.

• Arrogance
  
• Indecision
  
• Personal space invasion
  
• Gaudy displays of affection
  

LIKES.

• Daffodils
  
• The colors purple and indigo
  
• Laughter
  
• Objects in space
  
• Nighttime
  
• Mysteries/theories
  
• Equality
  
• Alfalfa
  

PERSONALITY. Persephone holds intelligence in high regard. The world is her personal science experiment, and she particularly enjoys watching the stars and plants in the night sky. She likes solving problems, usually responding to any life challenge or decision in a rational, rather than instinctually emotional, way. Because of this, she is not quick to judge others. Her philosophy is that each creature has its own past that influences its current actions, and it is not just to reprimand current actions without understanding the past. She listens well to others, and she tries to see the past from their perspectives.

Despite all this, there are certain personality types that she dislikes. She welcomes superciliousness with mockery and laughter, preferring satire over anger. She also dislikes indecision; she is decisive by nature and becomes stressed when decisions and plans are not made. She is not overly emotional, and it takes quite a while for her to trust. However, she is fiercely loyal to those that earn it. Her emotional response to almost everything is laughter, even sadness and fear. Tears only fall when she experiences intense emotional strain or physical pain.

However, Persephone can act like a princess. She is not especially demanding, but when she wants something, she will argue until she gets what she wants or a suitable alternative has been proposed. Although rare, she can go berserk if she is insulted one time too many. She can also be a space cadet. When deep in thought, the rest of the world flashes by until she emerges into reality. Being so young, she has several mundane fears, such as being isolated forever and death, particularly by fire.

MOTHER. Ceres.
FATHER. Jupiter.
SIBLINGS. Many half siblings.
HISTORY.
(Based on the Greek goddess Persephone if she had decided not to become the Queen of the Underworld.)
In the contest for most overbearing, protective mother, Seph's mother, Ceres, would have destroyed the competition... particularly if the competitors came too close to her precious Persephone. Seph was not allowed to go anywhere without first alerting her mother, and sometimes Ceres would take it upon herself to chaperone Seph to places she found too risky. Suitors enquiring after the fair Persephone's favor were turned away instantly, and it was commonly known that none were to attempt to seek her favor. For the most part, Seph was a dutifully obedient daughter, never questioning her great mother's wisdom in keeping the ugly parts of the world from sight. She was blissfully unaware of what was behind her mother's blockade.

Gradually Ceres hovered around her daughter less. She would allow Persephone to go to certain places alone, although she would typically keep a sharp eye on her youngster. One day, when Seph had just turned four, Ceres left Seph unattended and went to improve relations between their herd and another. She left Seph in a small field filled with daffodils, one of the least known places in the kingdom. However, there was one who knew that the place was not well traveled.

Hades, one of the more powerful and disliked lords, had his eye on Persephone for some time. The first time he spotted her, he knew he loved her. She was standing, frowning and apparently thinking. After some time, she perked back up, apparently discovering something, then left the field. Not a word was spoken, but he could estimate certain aspects of her personality from the encounter alone. He left that day determined to have her. He continued to watch her, until he finally received word that on a certain day, the day her mother left for diplomacy, she would be entirely alone. He prepared by gathering a pack of wolves to herd her straight into his home. He gave the signal, and they herded her towards him.

When she saw the wolves, their mouths dripping in anticipation of a meal, she felt her shoulders tighten in anxiety. Remaining even-tempered, she looked around for some way out. Finding none, she decided it was best to run. She ran for the woods, hoping to perhaps lose them in the thick forest. But no matter where she ran, no matter what crooked path through the branches she took, they continued on her trail. They nipped at her hind, but never did they tear flesh. By the time she realized that she was being herded, they had chased her into a clearing. Standing there was Hades. He professed his love to her, explaining how he had brought her here and how he would bring her home with him. Panicked and out of apparent options, she decided it best to go with him. There were many wolves in the woods, and she would not dare to disturb the peace between them and her herd. Ceres would find it outrageous if she didn't come home, but her options were limited. Going with him and waiting for a rescue seemed the best choice.

At first she could not have despised her living arrangements more. Hades lived in something like a cave, perhaps an inactive volcano, devoid of flowers or any of the plant life that Seph loved so well. On top of the location, her host was about as charming as a rotting stump. He spent most of the day surveying his lands, and the rest was devoted to misguided attempts at demonstrating his affection for her. He claimed to love her deeply, but there was little conviction to his words. To her, he was all talk and no action. He could not prove his devotion to her, and it would take quite some time for Stockholm Syndrome to render her 'in love' with her captor.
Unfortunately, he was not given the time. Ceres managed to find her daughter... and the kidnapper, who quickly learned that hell hath no fury like a pissed off, overprotective mother. Sensing a disturbance, Seph's father, another strong lord, stepped in to settle matters. Since he was trying to keep the peace with all herds of the lands, he decided that Seph would spend part of the year with Hades and part with her herd in the fields. All parties walked away feeling cheated, but all agreed that it would likely be the most sustainable choice for the future. Ceres walked away daughterless for several more months, and Hades walked away with an opportunity to win the fair Persephone. But he would have some trouble with such a stubborn inmate. She knew nothing of the world; her mind was not open to being with him. Ceres had given her the roadmap to life, but this was an unwelcome detour.

After some time, Seph found that the most despised of the leads in the area was perhaps the most faithful and careful of them. Seph had many half brothers and sisters, which she attributed to her father's 'enthusiastic' harem. Each time she saw Hera, the lead mare, she could sense the jealousy and rage that came from his infidelity to her with the others. But Hades did not cheat or have thoughts of the mares in his herd; they were each allowed to keep another stallion with them if they chose, but they were not to bother him with such requests. Seph had to respect him for that. His coldness was a product of his leading style and being banished to these barren lands, but at times, his better qualities shimmered through. When Seph sarcastically teased him or dared to challenge his authority in some way, he would laugh at her. Each time, the rest of the herd stood astonished. Laughter had rarely graced these hollow halls, particularly from their master.

Everything was going so well, right until Seph was supposed to return home to her mother for the spring. Food was particularly scarce, and Hades' herd began to disband. Only the most loyal remained. Then, Hades began to change. He heard voices from within the caverns of their home. He told Seph that they were dead and trying to connect with the living. Some were vengeful and bloodthirsty, others were scared. She wanted to bring him home with her, afraid that he was losing his mind. The silence of this cave would only drive him further into the depths of insanity, perhaps to his demise. On the day of her departure, she discussed the matter with Ceres and her father. Both refused to have him with them. Hades was alone in his home.

Her homecoming was short; she left in the middle of the night to return to him. Adrenaline was the only force pushing her towards him by the morning. Sleep threatened to take her from her duties should she calm down, and she worked quickly to find him. She searched all around for him, calling out to him, but nothing. She searched every cavern, perhaps more than once, but still nothing. A dim, buzzing ache in her skull erupted; soon her own biochemistry would shut her down. She decided to give up on the caverns and go outside, but no matter where she looked, he was nowhere to be found. Deciding he was nowhere to be found, she collapsed and slept for perhaps a day. When she rose, she found the cavern still eerily empty. She couldn't stay somewhere with so little interaction with others, so she ventured out to a nearby forest. Relief filled her as she walked through the busy forest. She heard someone muttering nearby, and when she turned to investigate, she realized that it was Hades. He told her of his illness, and how he managed to curtail the effects of the disease. He told her that it was in an advanced stage now. Originally he had heard only faint whisperings from the other realm, but he could now see them everywhere. They flocked to him, requesting that he help them with unfinished business in the realm of the living. He told her about the venom that allowed him to survive, how it had been the only flower to grow in the caves. After he had explained it all, he offered to make her the 'Queen of the Underworld.' He told her how he could help her control the disease if she would choose to contract it from him.

Although torn, she declined. Living in these woods, remote from everything of importance to her, with a ghost whisperer and becoming the queen of the loons was not the future she had promised herself.

NAME. Tira
AGE. 19.
EXPERIENCE. About 8 years, now coming back from a fairly long break.
OTHER CHARACTERS. None yet!
HOW’D YOU FIND US. It was definitely through advertising, but I can't remember from which site I was directed.
PREFERED CONTACT METHOD. [e-mail]

[OMEGALOMANIAC]

Ahhh I love how you based her on the Greek Persephone.
:}