Larkin
(Pronounced: LAHR-kin)
Sugarplum Kuhna
_________________________________________
"What's the fun in that?"
Name: Larkin
Definition: lark (noun): 1. a merry, carefree adventure; frolic; escapade; 2. any of numerous, chiefly Old World oscine birds, of the family Alaudidae, characterized by an unusually long, straight hind claw, especially the skylark
Gender: Female Age: 19
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Diet: Omnivore
Height: 5'5" Length: N/A Weight: 53 kg
D E S C R I P T I O N
A girl with bright eyes and a playful smile, Larkin's slight build and mannerisms often make her appear slightly younger than her 19 years. Her dark hair is kept in a short, fluffy bob, with some of it tied up into a jaunty ponytail near the top of her head. Her sense of dress changes readily to fit the styles around her, but she is rather fond of boots and cloaks if she can get away with them. She also has plenty of shiny little trinkets hidden in pockets and under sleeves, but she's not dumb enough to wear them where someone else could see it on her person. If they could see it, they could very well snitch it. That was how she used to make her living, after all.
Despite her pretty face, Larkin has the body of someone used to a hard life. She's mostly wiry muscle with little trace of fat, and the ease with which she saunters through city streets translates into deft dodging and the ability to stick a knife between someone's ribs before they even realize she's there. Naturally, she has some scars on her person, and a story to tell about every one, though not necessarily a plausible one. Then again, considering her dimension-hopping lifestyle, maybe some of her outlandish tales are true. Along with Esmond, Larkin has been through dozens of different realms, and seen things the likes of which even her companion wouldn't know. It's tough sometimes, but she wouldn't give it up for the world. Nothing else would ever be as exciting.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Larkin is best described as a carefree, unrepentant hedonist. As she would put it, “Let nobody say I don't enjoy myself!” Seemingly unfettered by moral scruples, she does what she wants--- at least, as much as she realistically can. She talks fast, thinks quick and isn't above using underhanded tactics to get what she wants. She's actually been through a great deal of hardship, but you wouldn't know it from looking at her. Forced up onto the roofs by the city guard? Take it as an opportunity to get to know the birds! Couldn't find a place to shelter for the night? Sleep under the stars! Thrown into a new dimension without any idea of what's going on? Well hey, she always wanted to go on an adventure! Larkin always makes the best of things, even if the situation might be bleak for someone else.
Unfortunately, Larkin's only looking out for number one. But why shouldn't she? In her mind, everyone else is out for themselves; it's only natural that she do the same. It's not to say that she can't make friends, but when push comes to shove, it's hard to convince her to stay loyal if betraying someone is the better alternative. Her cheery exterior may seem at odds with her deeply cynical worldviews, but in truth the former does not hide the latter; rather, they coexist and compliment each other. The world may be a horrible place and people may be greedy, selfish jerks, but that doesn't mean she can't have a good time. She just needs to be a little creative... and a little cutthroat.
The one person she's genuinely attached to is Esmond, in the way that someone might get attached to a well-mannered but slightly helpless puppy. As such, she has been trying to gradually break the facts of life to him, while simultaneously attempting to shelter him from the worst of the atrocities that they have witnessed. Yet, much as she hates to admit it, he is also influencing her in return, though more slowly. Larkin is not quite as selfish as she was before she met him, though she doesn't know if this is a positive development or not.
H I S T O R Y
The short version is: her mother ran out on her when she was six, and her dad was a well-disguised deadbeat. She ran away, got caught up in a lot of excitement, and made a friend along the way; now they get into mishaps together.
The long version? Larkin was born to a con man and the daughter of a rich merchant. Her mother, barely out of her teens, eloped with her father after the two fell madly in love. However, that love soon soured in the face of their unglamorous lifestyle. Larkin's father had a love of gambling and a distaste for routine, which resulted in his inability to hold down a proper job. He could sometimes pacify his wife with his charm, but as time went on, she got tired of being lied to and one day she left without a word.
Larkin's father was often absent. When he was there, he was clever, charismatic, invincible and larger-than-life; it was easy to forget that they were dirt-poor then. He would pull extravagant gifts for her out of nowhere, show her the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen, and tell her how much he loved her. And yet, that love never seemed to be enough to keep him with her, and Larkin spent the majority of her childhood scraping by on her own, a victim of neglect.
When she was young, none of that mattered. She nearly worshipped her father, and made excuses for him when he was gone, playing his feats and stories in her mind when she was lonely. But food still had to come from somewhere, and she found out soon enough that if she was careful, she could steal a passer-by's wallet without too much trouble. Larkin began thieving in earnest when she was eight. As soon as she was making steady money for herself, however, her father began to ask for loans from her. He would always promise to pay her back soon, and told her what a darling she was, how she was the only ally he had in the world. In retrospect, this was perhaps where their relationship first began to sour.
She was willing enough to fork up the money at first, for she loved him and believed that she was helping him, and that if she helped him enough he would praise her and help her in return. As the years dragged on, however, she realized the same thing that her mother did: all his promises were empty, his answers evasive when she asked about her money. Still, she loved him enough to keep bailing him out even after her belief in him had failed, and it wasn't until she was fifteen that a deeply-conflicted Larkin finally said no.
Her father, drunk at the time, tried to cajole her and then to play to her sympathies; when that failed, he cursed her, ranting about how he had worked so hard to raise her and what an ungrateful urchin she was. Though she wasn't blind to her father's faults anymore, this deeply wounded Larkin, for she had still believed that her father loved her in his own way even if he hadn't taken care of her. Until then she'd preferred to believe that he couldn't, rather than that he didn't want to, or simply didn't care. Faced with the truth, she didn't have the heart to stay; she gave him money for beer and waited until he drank himself into a stupor, then stole away in the night.
She lived as a street thief for a while, until a group of guards finally managed to corner her in an alley, and for once she couldn't find a way out. Desperate, she pleaded for a miracle--- and got one, though it turned out to be something of a mixed blessing. Next thing she knew, she was in the middle of a forest with trees the likes of which she'd never seen. As it turned out, she didn't just wind up in a different part of the world, she wound up in a different world altogether. But eager as always to make the best of it, she set about finding out how best to have fun in this new realm, until dire circumstances forced her to take her leave of it too.
Since then, Larkin has been hopping from world to world, having... 'adventures'. Along the way, she ran into Esmond. Miraculously, it seemed as if he shared a power with her. At first she was intrigued, then exasperated as he quickly proved himself to be exceedingly naive. There was nothing for it. She was going to have to take this poor fool under her wing. It wasn't an entirely selfless decision. She had begun to feel lonely in her travels, and the idea of someone who could come along with her wherever she went was appealing. As time went on, however, she developed a genuine fondness for him, and promised herself to try and protect him until such a time that he was no longer so naive. That wasn't entirely selfless either--- as it turns out, watching someone you're fond of getting themselves hurt time and time again isn't much fun at all.
Role Play
STATS
Posts: 23 Level: 5
Offense: 11
Defense: 6
Precision: 12
Endurance: 15
Speed: 10
Fame: 10
Element: none
Traits:
-Acclimation Traits- City Dweller, Terrain Traveller
-Healing Traits- none
-Magic Traits- Aftersight, Artifact User, Planar Travel, Time Warp
-Personality Traits- Adaptable, formerly Avaricious, Change of Heart, Cynic, Explorer, Focused, Hard-Headed, Hyper, Mischievous, Opinionated, Wanderlust
-Physical Traits- Climber, Dash, Evasive, Human Form, Night Vision, Padded Paws
-Social Traits- former Criminal, Defender (Esmond), Independent, Poker Face, Scavenger, Silent Shadow, Track Cover
Battle Traits: Powerful Jaws (breed trait)
RP Color: #D09ADF
Notes
-no plot yet-
RelationsMate --
Family --
Friends -- Esmond
Allies -- Esmond
Enemies --
Neutral --Theme Songnone yet
