Post by lee on Jul 2, 2008 22:56:48 GMT -5
The One Behind the Mask
Alias: The E
Roleplay Experience:Many years ^^
Activity Level: Moderate-to-Severe, with side effects including but not limited to: night and weekends, day-time usage, and midnight-snack style chatting
RP Sample: Never! Muwahaha!
Face Claim: Alicia Witt
Just who do you think you are?
Full Name: Ainsley Fenella Geringer
“I don’t mind nicknames- really, I don’t. I think that everyone in my neighborhood has their own name for me; I actually really like the personality and feel of them all. Just –please – don’t call me “fennel.” Or “fen-fen”, or “Nellie.” Actually, it might be better if you just didn’t make nicknames out of my middle name altogether…”
Age:Strong and steady, Ainsley’s presence greatly outweighs her twenty-two years.
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Very straight, if not lacking in romantic confidence.
Occupation: Assistant Manager/Repairman to Peddler’s moto shop; part-time kitchen lackey to squisito dolce , a local bakery
Grade: Ainsley frequently will visit college courses, though she is not officially enrolled. With a small and a pastry, Ainsley worms her way into packed lecture halls and smaller, private courses for lectures or lessons she thinks will be interesting.
Species: Human
Look This Way
Eye Color: A warm, bronzey-brown swirls around her irises, darkening and lightening with her mood. Oddly enough, however, the changes take place converse of the emotion she feels. When she is happy, the tone of her eyes darkens, drunk with her mirth. This depth and mystery, however, drains when Ainsley is placed under negative emotions; the irises become a mellower, emotional brown.
Hair Color and Style:Ainsley bears the burden of her mother’s Scottish head- red-golden, eye-catching, and impossible. Frequently stopped by total strangers to receive their compliments, catching the eyes of men and women alike, Ainsley oft ponders being rid of the whole thing. While she can never bring herself to execute any plan against her hair – for she personally enjoys its color – she is vexed that it is such a rarity as to attract that much attention. Relatively straight, the flippy tips of her layers fan away from her head like many small wings. Occasionally she can coax the strands to curl, but it requires more effort than she possesses patience for it. However reluctant she is to maim her hairs color, Ainsley has little reservation being adventurous with styles. She frequently shifts from medium to short, but rarely allows it to grow long.
Build: Alicia is not tall, nor is she narrow-waisted. In fact, Alicia isn’t much of anything that her Italian peers seem to be. Petite built – the true sign of her Austrian genes – Ainsley only reaches the glorious height of five foot three; there is nothing ‘willowy’ or ‘long-limbed’ about a person of such stature. Her frame itself – though petite in proper proportions – is also a-typical; instead of being waif-like and light, Ainsley deftly manages to look more human than mythical. Her shapely curves are filled in by weight – not bone – that gives her a borderline voluptuous silhouette. The svelte lines of her body suggest that there is also underlying muscle, though it be neither bulky nor publicly advertized. These attractive curves and lines are far from perfect, however- it is very uncommon to only bear weight in select areas. Without being bulging or appearing significantly overweight, there is a soft curve to Ainsley’s midriff and thighs as well. Shapley and slightly rounded: one cannot be maintained without the other. If pressed, Ainsley will be quite frank- she doesn’t diet, or feel the pressure to mimic the bone-taught structures of the fashion-conscious generation. “If they don’t eat” she is frequently quoted as saying “that just means there’s more dessert for me.”
Skin Tone: With the odd-ball magnet red hair, their comes a set of other physical responsibilities. Ms. Geringer’s alabaster skin is almost painful white, only its golden undertones keeping her from looking sickly all the time. [Although if Ainsley does fall ill, this is dropped from her pallor and she can look quiet deathly.] Ainsley does not – cannot- tan; she freckles, and then she burns, with absolutely no in-between. These are a compromise, however, for dusted generously across her whole self are thousands of these ‘angels kisses’, boosting her a warmer appearance. Shoulders, elbows, knees, calves, arms, neck, back, face- anywhere the sun might kiss, there are guaranteed to be traces of cinnamon against her sourdough skin.
Height: Ainsley proudly stands at a mere five foot three- grateful for every inch over five.
Weight: Ainsley’s weight is well-proportioned to her height and curvy stature. It is obvious she does not go without, but gluttony is apparent by her weight. The balanced weight of her curves gives her a desirably healthy - not drastically skinny – appearance.
Piercings or Tattoos:Ainsley bears a single tattoo, though her friends would even be hard-pressed to find it’s open-air location. Along the nape of her neck, fighting along the hair line on the right side, is the artfully tattoo of a dandelion, three of its ‘petals’ carried gently away towards her ear in graceful arc. The picture itself makes very little statement, the only thing amazing about it is the sheer impossible size- most tattoo artists cannot work on such a miniature scale.[Then again, Isidor Geringer is not most tattoo artists.] Her ears are also pierced once, but that is nothing near as mysterious or exciting.
Clothing Style: Off-beat as she may occasionally appear, Ainsley does not seek to shock with her clothing style. When a fashion seems to fit her personality she’ll adopt it, keeping it much longer than the fickle fashion world will. What she does not do – however, is give in mindlessly to trends. Ainsley is very aware of her figure, and dresses it well. She does not wear tight-fit shirts or spandex-esque pants; Ainsley dresses in what flatters her, not in what flatters the fashion models. Through combinations of shaped tops and correct-size pants, flattering skirts and empire-waist sun dresses Ainsley emphasizes her positive curves, while consciously not dressing to draw attention to the less-flattering features. It is not fool proof, nor is it magic- it is just the novel idea of dressing for yourself, and not for the fashion magazines on your table. Her clothes include several bold colors, and a grab-bag mix of graphics, stripes, and patterns. Ainsley is not shy with jewelry, however. Though never ostentatious or gaudy – Ainsley cannot afford either – she consistently dons earrings, or other small but personality-packed pieces. Frequently relaxed-to-dressy-casual, Ainsley is clothed to dying standards of formality.
This is Who I Am
Likes:
Food
The youthful Ms. Geringer is not shy when it comes to eating- it is one of her favorite pass-times. She is capable of appreciation of very eclectic, fine foods, and equally adoring of one-pot, rustic home meals. Cake seems to be her favorite food group- she never tires of eating it, though she knows better than to consume the pastry as often as she’d like. Her own attempts at baking the art are adequate, but she much prefers the confectionary genius of a bakery down the street. She has even taken a part-time job as a kitchen lackey there, to improve her own techniques and aide in quality testing of the bakery’s key product. Which is also convenient, seeing as her second-favorite food group is bread; hard and soft, sour to sweet, Ainsley has never met a loaf, bun, bagel, or knot she does not like.
Austria & Scotland
Having spent time in the heritage of either parent, Ainsley nurtures soft spots in her heart for the ‘lands of her ancestors.’ In particular she appreciates their individual styles of music; from the full-symphony sounds of Austria to the sharp Scottish bagpipes, Ainsley takes pleasure in these – and many other – styles of music.
Travel
Having been a traveler the majority of her life, Ainsley enjoys the experience. She embraces the changes positively, instead of scorning them as the upheaval of all things familiar. Consequently through these nomadic years Ainsley has become fluent in a few, passable in many foreign languages, which she enjoys to speak and learn. Also totting around a very old camera, Ainsley enjoys photography of places and people she knows.
Gardening
Ainsley enjoys gardening; she’s just not particularly talented at it. She sweeps this minute detail under the rug by thoroughly researching all aspect of her garden, and adopting only strong, sturdy plants that will flourish despite her mediocrity. For those who don’t understand gardening well, Ainsley’s many assorted plants – that seem to pop up wherever she frequently spends long periods of time – she does appear to have quite the green thumb.
Men
Ainsley does find herself attracted to the opposite sex- from their stubborn tendencies, bookworms or muscle heads, what defines ‘likeable’ to Ainsley is not the common set of standards.
Ainsley is also quite found of excitements like festivals , frequent in her current country: Italy . Ainsley also enjoys swimming – she’s unbiased as to where, so long as she can. She also fosters an odd appreciation for old clocks- over her years she has managed to amass a humble collection of these antiques.
Dislikes:
Men
As attractive as she may find them, Ainsley is impossible around men. Not all men- she works with several and deals with many male tourists, day in and out, no issue. But the instant any sort of romantic notion is placed in the situation, Ainsley becomes terribly shy and unintentionally destructive. Once, while tuning up a local young man’s vespa, he surprised her by asking her on an evening out with him. So surprised, in fact, that in her panic Ainsley managed to punch the gas, sending the poor vespa rocketing, pilotless, into the stone wall at the opposite end of the shop. And so it has always been- as friends she is fine, but something about relationships makes her incredibly anxious, and she cannot seem to function properly in the presence of any romanticism. Though – deep down – she finds a want for that closeness, Ainsley can never bring herself past this inexplicable barrier.
Rainy Weather
Ainsley thrives when out-of-doors, and gets quite put-out when her plans must be altered due to rain. When it is raining Ainsley enjoys nothing better that curling up on her window seat to watch it, though she’d much rather it would just rain while she was sleeping and never interrupt her busy days.
Sailing
As much as Ainsley enjoys swimming, she painfully discovered she is not a fan of sailing. Small jaunts do not trouble her unbearably, but lengthy days at sea or choppy waters send her reeling for side-rails, ill and off-balance.
Obnoxiously Skinny People
Ainsley can understand the metabolic differences in the genes of varying people. So – even when that three donut a day skinny woman waltzes into the bakery- she does not lose her patience thinking that this woman is mentally diseased when it comes to eating. What she cannot tolerate are the dunces who waltz around, their bone sharp through flesh and cloth, not eating and flaunting how gaunt they’ve allowed themselves to become. Many a day-dream has been dedicated to shoving something like bacon down these poor peoples throats, because obviously their mind does not realize that the body is about to wither from mal-nourishment.
Typically Tourist-y Tourists
The most frequent instance that sends Ainsley rifling through her purse in desperate search of headache relief are tourists who obnoxiously choose the act like tourists. Loud, wrongly authoritative, these people feel that everything in this place that there visiting needs to be exactly as it was in their own home. Why then, Ainsley must retrain from asking, did you leave in the first place!? Luckily for these sorts of people, Ainsley’s co-workers are adept at spotting her patience’s breaking point, and they take over before she causes the dunces bodily harm.
Bugs Indoors
When out-of-doors Ainsley can appreciate the plethora of insects within their natural habitat. What she has no tolerance for, however, is when these little bugs decide to wander in doors. In the shop, in her own rooms- there is no mercy for bugs within her domain. Not to be misinterpreted as fear, this no-tolerance policy is firmly in place.
Cell phones that do ten-thousand things are partially the bane of Ainsley’s human existence; people give these electronic devices more respect than they’d be willing to spare herself, and she is constantly summoned to attempt to ‘fix’ her father’s complicated phone, which she herself has not idea how to work. Isidor Geringer’s donkey, too, is quite a sore spot; generally a patient soul, this donkey repeatedly tips her over the edge, its stubbornness a match against her own.
Strengths:
Mechanics
Ainsley is a very lateral thinker- so when she sees a challenge she can stare down inanimate objects until her brain can dissect the pattern in which things must be accomplished. This made working with mechanics and motors very easy- for with enough concentration and time, Ainsley seems to be able to pluck the obscurest issue from the wood work, fixing it completely.
Focus
When Ainsley is focusing, everyone knows it. About every three months she adopts a new ‘focus tool’ and whenever that instrument is broken out, trespassers beware. From a ribbon through her hair to a pen in her hand, the list of items is large and varied. But woe to he who must wake Ainsley from her total lock-down from the outside world- Ainsley is not kind to interruptions during her problem solving. She can shut out all the noises and distractions around her, allowing her keen thought process to become even more refined.
Confidence
Ainsley is the master of emitting an air of confidence, even when she has no idea what she’s doing. It’s a genetic trait inherited from her father- the great Geringer ability to bull shit through anything. From wars to math tests, this ability is put to good use.
Languages
Having frequently traveled with her father and, in later years, independently, Ainsley has picked up bits and pieces of several languages. She has a strength in learning the foreign tongues quickly, if not completely. Ainsley is passable in several languages, and fluent in a good number. She enjoys speaking in them, and her employers love her capability to converse with their most obscure and language-challenged customers. And, even though Italian is her third language, Ainsley can speak it with a vehement fluidity, and most natives wouldn’t take note of her as a foreigner herself.
Flexibility
From her youth, Ainsley adopted a flexible tendency. Moving, changes of plan, and changes of lifestyle- many things have she happily endured, and none seem to ruffle her feathers. That same level-headed, open-mindedness is still a large part of her character today; she is unfazed by changes of plan.
Grace
Though she is far from becoming a ballerina, Ainsley’s grace is an truly unexpected talent. It is uncommon for her to fall out-right; more often she can be seen covering it up with some sort of fluid lunge. Her balance is also very keen, allowing her to navigate risky stacks of objects to reach items kept above her head.
Weaknesses:
Pride
Ms. Geringer does not appreciate being proven wrong. Or being bested. Or anything that would put a negative mark on her reputation. Tread lightly, for Ainsley’s pride is like a mine field. While in most places it is simple and benign, a single misstep can trigger explosive consequences.
Stubbornness
Once Ainsley gets the notion her mind to do something, she will see it done. Regardless that an assistant knows the answer to the problem she can’t solve, Ainsley will fiddle around until she gets it done. Then -when she goes to eat lunch or some other such necessity – her kind friends will hurriedly fix the real problem, allowing her bask in her success. These instances of incompetence are rare, but Ainsley is relentless in her desire to complete her own tasks. If you’re not careful she might start completing yours, too.
Fear of Romantics
Ainsley’s discomfort around men with more than friendship on the brain can be debilitating, and frequently ends badly. This fail-safe weakness can always trigger some extreme reaction- like fleeing.
Sea-Sickness
See: Dislikes- Sailing
Mortality
Ainsley is delicate, as she is human. One ill-timed road crossing, undercooked food, easily-spread disease; as invincible as she likes to appear, there are many factors beyond her control just waiting to extinguish her flicker of a mortal life.
Flexibility
Though her ability to change plans mid-stride can be helpful, it is often abused at Ainsley’s cost. People know how flexible she is, and they depend upon it – whether canceling or rearranging their plans, calling her into work, they know Ainsley’s loyal flexibility will be on their side, despite Ainsley’s best interests.
Personality: Ainsley is an odd, grab-bag of interesting stuff, if you take enough time to get to know her. Generally she is very outgoing, and not too shy. The first to ask for directions, talk to a stranger, or jump of the edge- Ainsley balances her go-gettum’ style with enough tact not to put herself in danger. She is a very patient person- infamously the Rubik’s cube incident of ’35: she carried around a Rubik’s cube for three weeks short of the entire year before she finally cracked the puzzle. While Ainsley is a sharp student and quick-to-learn, pure academics have never been her style. Work with her hands, obscure trivia, professional bull shit- here lays the wealth of Ainsley’s knowledge.
When Ainsley does clam up, however, it is completely. Her aforementioned issues with romanticism are one of the sole triggers of such a drastic reaction- unfortunately these instances are becoming more and more common. Luckily Ainsley has yet to be sued for any trouble she has caused in coloration to such nerve-attacks, but seeing as her reactions are severe that possibility still looms. When under a flirtatious ‘assault’ [as Ainsley so kindly refers to them] is when she gets truly desperate, scatter-brained, and fallible.
Ainsley is also surprisingly detached. She is not disinterested, cold hearted, or anything like that- it is just a very ‘as the dice fall’ style of living. From having moved so frequently during her childhood, she may have made friends, but never serious attachments to them. That way – when it came time to move on – it was easier all around. Ainsley doesn’t do this as a conscious effort, or because she’s afraid of being ‘emotionally hurt or distressed.’ No, Ainsley is just a lateral thinker who is fiercely prone to predictably taking the most logical path through anything.
Family:
Isidor Geringer^^father^^alive and well
Cliona McClelen-Geringer^^mother^^alive and well...somewhere
History:Love, as Ainsley has known, can be a terribly fickle thing.
In a semi-arranged marriage between two merchant families, a great treaty was born. It provided protection, supplies, and a great potential for profits; it was infallible. The Scottish power-house family, McClelens, held merchant ships akin to tanks- well equipped and very sturdy; the Austrian dealers, the Gerigners, had few ships secure enough to transport their high-value goods. Mutually beneficial among amiable families to boot, the marriage became only a side note in their grand master plan. Despite that it was the twentieth century, forgetting that in other countries freedom ran wild like dogs that would bite at their masters, the marriage was agreed upon with little consolation from the soon-to-be-wed themselves. But, when something was so greatly beneficial to the family, how could the refuse? Neither could, and dutifully neither would.
Isidor Geringer was a happy man, what little he had. His older brother would inherit the family’s business and all its numbers and responsibilities, his older sister would always back up her elder brother, which left him free to make himself useful in ways he found to be entertaining. Artist by stealing time from his work, packer all other times, Isidor had a consistent job with decent standing. Within Austria, this was quite a feat. So, when the order was handed down for him to be married – for his older brother was already betrothed – Isidor willingly complied; marriage was one luxury he had not expected out of his third-child life.
Cliona McClelen was a docile child- fourth of five daughters and burdened by responsibility and the need for social standing. Though the family was never too hard pressed- they were only once removed from Scotland’s mafia family, the Anesle’s – life was still far from simple. Cliona had a very astute vision of her future- she would marry, bear children, and work, because she was not of high enough caliber to secure a husband that could fully support a family. When the order was passed down, then, that she was to be married, her affectionate local suitor was driven off, and Cliona was prepared for a new life; of all the things she had bargained for, being shipped to another country was not part of her original plan. Cradled like cargo in the belly of one of the McClelen’s trading ships, Cliona crossed the oceans to her new life, accompanied by her parents; they, however, had more interest in paperwork than attending their daughters wedding, that was just a bonus. Her parents were quite pleased- not only had they made a smart business move, they had secured their fourth daughter a much better life than she could have obtained back in Scotland.
Isidor was a muscled, stout Austrian- round without being obscenely so, with a happy face and smiling eyes. Cliona, a fair young woman ten years his junior, was initially unimpressed. In time, however, her wall and inhibitions about their union were gently buffed away by Isidor’s caring and affectionate nature. He had not a classically romantic hair in his head nor beard, but his simple gestures eventually fostered a mutual fondness for the pair. Cliona did not have to work – Isidor was quite proud of that – which left her time to adjust the house to her suiting; Isidor, on his part, was really starting to find all those Scottish dishes palatable.
In time Cliona became pregnant, a positive sign for the initially distant pair. Pleased and amiable, the marriage had come quite a ways in its first year. The pregnancy was traditionally hectic for both parents-to-be, but as nature intended it, having the baby in the end became relatively idiot-proof, as neither had much say. Don’t do anything to jeopardize the baby, things will progress on their own. Soon enough the house became the busy nest of the trio- little baby Ainsley an attention-needing type of individual. Cliona had selfishly over-ridden Isidor’s name suggestions, only allowing the baby his surname. She named her daughter Ainsley so that one day – when her daughter would return to Scotland – she would have the respect of her heritage, not only the scorn of a foreign last name.
Two years of marriage in a foreign country had made Cliona quite bold- outwards from her shy shell she began to emerge, noticing the equal-rights and happenings of the world for what was the first, true time. She did not have to waste her life in Austria! Since these fantasies began, she’d begun dreaming of loving someone more exotic, and Isidor just didn’t fit the part. When she enlightened her husband to her intentions, he was not angry, only wounded. A divorce would be scorn on both their families, which even the now-drastic Cliona did not want; so Isidor mulled it over for several days – as was his nature – and came up with a solution.
Cliona would leave him to go wherever she pleased, and he would not divorce his wife; this also gave Cliona some amount of protection during her wanderings. What Isidor wanted in return, however, was Ainsley; just one year of fatherhood had transformed the man’s vision for the future, and he refused to have a life that did not include his daughter. Cliona’s dilemma was a shallow one, as sad as it made Isidor to see this side of his wife. It took her only hours to agree to leave Ainsley behind, and by the next morning Isidor drove her to the train station.
Isidor was unflappable, however; a good man and a better father.
Ainsley never grew fostering want- for what she knew, she had all she ever needed. Her papa was strong and hard-working, and Ainsley spent their next twenty-one years mimicking those traits. Five years and two letters after Cliona’s departure, Isidor gave up waiting. A new job beckoned from Germany; with Ainsley in one hand and a suitcase in the other, the dynamic duo moved on. The Geringers lived for two years all over Germany, and then the next two after that in Greece. Their life style wasn’t stable, but their family was. Isidor had abandoned manual labor in favor of his art- and he began his long-standing career as a tattoo artist. Honing his skills and talents as they traveled.
Ainsley, too, was transformed by the nomadic tendencies. Quick to learn to slow to become attached, even as a young girl she was unruffled by the constant changes around her. She was gentle wit and patient ineptitude, refusing to be mastered- given adequate time, Ainsley could smite the challenges presented to her. Like her papa Ainsley also grew to appreciate good food- and she especially fostered a liking for cakes.
Isidor and Ainsley hold a long-standing tradition of travel. Aside from numerous moves, at least once a year they always take a large vacation to somewhere unfamiliar. From France to Thailand, and all the way across oceans and mountains, each year they would discover a new piece of the planet for a week at a time. It is always the anniversary week of the day her mother left; they, in turn, leave all thoughts of her behind for a week, proving that they, too, could experience the world.
When Ainsley turned seventeen Isidor gave her a very meaningful present: a promise of stability. Together they spent a month going through all the trips and lives they had ever led, and Ainsley was allowed to chose a place to live, where Isidor would finally settle in and build his tattoo business. Ainsley researched and deliberated, before choosing Italy. She, in return, let her father chose the town in which he wanted to install his business.
There they have lived ever since, and Ainsley settled into a routine of odd-jobs before accidentally discovering her talent for motor work. A customer of her father’s was having motor trouble, and by asking questions and trial-and-error, Ainsley managed to get it to a semi-runable state. Another of her father’s customers was impressed, and hired her on-spot as a mechanic for his shop.
The last four Italian years have been an interesting experience for Ainsley, but overall very positive. It is interesting for her to adapt to ‘putting down roots’ so to speak. She can have long-term hobbies, keep a job for more than six months, and have a neighborhood where she is familiar with the majority of the residents. It’s all a little odd to Ainsley; you see people doing these things on TV, but does anyone do this in real life? Ainsley has been adjusting to realize that her viewpoint in the anomaly, not the other way around.
Power: Aside from the frightening might of her focus and determination? None.
How you became a vampire: Ainsley is a vampire?!?! Oh, wait, no she isn’t ^^
Secret Phrase:Like we don’t know ^^
Alias: The E
Roleplay Experience:Many years ^^
Activity Level: Moderate-to-Severe, with side effects including but not limited to: night and weekends, day-time usage, and midnight-snack style chatting
RP Sample: Never! Muwahaha!
Face Claim: Alicia Witt
Just who do you think you are?
Full Name: Ainsley Fenella Geringer
“I don’t mind nicknames- really, I don’t. I think that everyone in my neighborhood has their own name for me; I actually really like the personality and feel of them all. Just –please – don’t call me “fennel.” Or “fen-fen”, or “Nellie.” Actually, it might be better if you just didn’t make nicknames out of my middle name altogether…”
Age:Strong and steady, Ainsley’s presence greatly outweighs her twenty-two years.
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Very straight, if not lacking in romantic confidence.
Occupation: Assistant Manager/Repairman to Peddler’s moto shop; part-time kitchen lackey to squisito dolce , a local bakery
Grade: Ainsley frequently will visit college courses, though she is not officially enrolled. With a small and a pastry, Ainsley worms her way into packed lecture halls and smaller, private courses for lectures or lessons she thinks will be interesting.
Species: Human
Look This Way
Eye Color: A warm, bronzey-brown swirls around her irises, darkening and lightening with her mood. Oddly enough, however, the changes take place converse of the emotion she feels. When she is happy, the tone of her eyes darkens, drunk with her mirth. This depth and mystery, however, drains when Ainsley is placed under negative emotions; the irises become a mellower, emotional brown.
Hair Color and Style:Ainsley bears the burden of her mother’s Scottish head- red-golden, eye-catching, and impossible. Frequently stopped by total strangers to receive their compliments, catching the eyes of men and women alike, Ainsley oft ponders being rid of the whole thing. While she can never bring herself to execute any plan against her hair – for she personally enjoys its color – she is vexed that it is such a rarity as to attract that much attention. Relatively straight, the flippy tips of her layers fan away from her head like many small wings. Occasionally she can coax the strands to curl, but it requires more effort than she possesses patience for it. However reluctant she is to maim her hairs color, Ainsley has little reservation being adventurous with styles. She frequently shifts from medium to short, but rarely allows it to grow long.
Build: Alicia is not tall, nor is she narrow-waisted. In fact, Alicia isn’t much of anything that her Italian peers seem to be. Petite built – the true sign of her Austrian genes – Ainsley only reaches the glorious height of five foot three; there is nothing ‘willowy’ or ‘long-limbed’ about a person of such stature. Her frame itself – though petite in proper proportions – is also a-typical; instead of being waif-like and light, Ainsley deftly manages to look more human than mythical. Her shapely curves are filled in by weight – not bone – that gives her a borderline voluptuous silhouette. The svelte lines of her body suggest that there is also underlying muscle, though it be neither bulky nor publicly advertized. These attractive curves and lines are far from perfect, however- it is very uncommon to only bear weight in select areas. Without being bulging or appearing significantly overweight, there is a soft curve to Ainsley’s midriff and thighs as well. Shapley and slightly rounded: one cannot be maintained without the other. If pressed, Ainsley will be quite frank- she doesn’t diet, or feel the pressure to mimic the bone-taught structures of the fashion-conscious generation. “If they don’t eat” she is frequently quoted as saying “that just means there’s more dessert for me.”
Skin Tone: With the odd-ball magnet red hair, their comes a set of other physical responsibilities. Ms. Geringer’s alabaster skin is almost painful white, only its golden undertones keeping her from looking sickly all the time. [Although if Ainsley does fall ill, this is dropped from her pallor and she can look quiet deathly.] Ainsley does not – cannot- tan; she freckles, and then she burns, with absolutely no in-between. These are a compromise, however, for dusted generously across her whole self are thousands of these ‘angels kisses’, boosting her a warmer appearance. Shoulders, elbows, knees, calves, arms, neck, back, face- anywhere the sun might kiss, there are guaranteed to be traces of cinnamon against her sourdough skin.
Height: Ainsley proudly stands at a mere five foot three- grateful for every inch over five.
Weight: Ainsley’s weight is well-proportioned to her height and curvy stature. It is obvious she does not go without, but gluttony is apparent by her weight. The balanced weight of her curves gives her a desirably healthy - not drastically skinny – appearance.
Piercings or Tattoos:Ainsley bears a single tattoo, though her friends would even be hard-pressed to find it’s open-air location. Along the nape of her neck, fighting along the hair line on the right side, is the artfully tattoo of a dandelion, three of its ‘petals’ carried gently away towards her ear in graceful arc. The picture itself makes very little statement, the only thing amazing about it is the sheer impossible size- most tattoo artists cannot work on such a miniature scale.[Then again, Isidor Geringer is not most tattoo artists.] Her ears are also pierced once, but that is nothing near as mysterious or exciting.
Clothing Style: Off-beat as she may occasionally appear, Ainsley does not seek to shock with her clothing style. When a fashion seems to fit her personality she’ll adopt it, keeping it much longer than the fickle fashion world will. What she does not do – however, is give in mindlessly to trends. Ainsley is very aware of her figure, and dresses it well. She does not wear tight-fit shirts or spandex-esque pants; Ainsley dresses in what flatters her, not in what flatters the fashion models. Through combinations of shaped tops and correct-size pants, flattering skirts and empire-waist sun dresses Ainsley emphasizes her positive curves, while consciously not dressing to draw attention to the less-flattering features. It is not fool proof, nor is it magic- it is just the novel idea of dressing for yourself, and not for the fashion magazines on your table. Her clothes include several bold colors, and a grab-bag mix of graphics, stripes, and patterns. Ainsley is not shy with jewelry, however. Though never ostentatious or gaudy – Ainsley cannot afford either – she consistently dons earrings, or other small but personality-packed pieces. Frequently relaxed-to-dressy-casual, Ainsley is clothed to dying standards of formality.
This is Who I Am
Likes:
Food
The youthful Ms. Geringer is not shy when it comes to eating- it is one of her favorite pass-times. She is capable of appreciation of very eclectic, fine foods, and equally adoring of one-pot, rustic home meals. Cake seems to be her favorite food group- she never tires of eating it, though she knows better than to consume the pastry as often as she’d like. Her own attempts at baking the art are adequate, but she much prefers the confectionary genius of a bakery down the street. She has even taken a part-time job as a kitchen lackey there, to improve her own techniques and aide in quality testing of the bakery’s key product. Which is also convenient, seeing as her second-favorite food group is bread; hard and soft, sour to sweet, Ainsley has never met a loaf, bun, bagel, or knot she does not like.
Austria & Scotland
Having spent time in the heritage of either parent, Ainsley nurtures soft spots in her heart for the ‘lands of her ancestors.’ In particular she appreciates their individual styles of music; from the full-symphony sounds of Austria to the sharp Scottish bagpipes, Ainsley takes pleasure in these – and many other – styles of music.
Travel
Having been a traveler the majority of her life, Ainsley enjoys the experience. She embraces the changes positively, instead of scorning them as the upheaval of all things familiar. Consequently through these nomadic years Ainsley has become fluent in a few, passable in many foreign languages, which she enjoys to speak and learn. Also totting around a very old camera, Ainsley enjoys photography of places and people she knows.
Gardening
Ainsley enjoys gardening; she’s just not particularly talented at it. She sweeps this minute detail under the rug by thoroughly researching all aspect of her garden, and adopting only strong, sturdy plants that will flourish despite her mediocrity. For those who don’t understand gardening well, Ainsley’s many assorted plants – that seem to pop up wherever she frequently spends long periods of time – she does appear to have quite the green thumb.
Men
Ainsley does find herself attracted to the opposite sex- from their stubborn tendencies, bookworms or muscle heads, what defines ‘likeable’ to Ainsley is not the common set of standards.
Ainsley is also quite found of excitements like festivals , frequent in her current country: Italy . Ainsley also enjoys swimming – she’s unbiased as to where, so long as she can. She also fosters an odd appreciation for old clocks- over her years she has managed to amass a humble collection of these antiques.
Dislikes:
Men
As attractive as she may find them, Ainsley is impossible around men. Not all men- she works with several and deals with many male tourists, day in and out, no issue. But the instant any sort of romantic notion is placed in the situation, Ainsley becomes terribly shy and unintentionally destructive. Once, while tuning up a local young man’s vespa, he surprised her by asking her on an evening out with him. So surprised, in fact, that in her panic Ainsley managed to punch the gas, sending the poor vespa rocketing, pilotless, into the stone wall at the opposite end of the shop. And so it has always been- as friends she is fine, but something about relationships makes her incredibly anxious, and she cannot seem to function properly in the presence of any romanticism. Though – deep down – she finds a want for that closeness, Ainsley can never bring herself past this inexplicable barrier.
Rainy Weather
Ainsley thrives when out-of-doors, and gets quite put-out when her plans must be altered due to rain. When it is raining Ainsley enjoys nothing better that curling up on her window seat to watch it, though she’d much rather it would just rain while she was sleeping and never interrupt her busy days.
Sailing
As much as Ainsley enjoys swimming, she painfully discovered she is not a fan of sailing. Small jaunts do not trouble her unbearably, but lengthy days at sea or choppy waters send her reeling for side-rails, ill and off-balance.
Obnoxiously Skinny People
Ainsley can understand the metabolic differences in the genes of varying people. So – even when that three donut a day skinny woman waltzes into the bakery- she does not lose her patience thinking that this woman is mentally diseased when it comes to eating. What she cannot tolerate are the dunces who waltz around, their bone sharp through flesh and cloth, not eating and flaunting how gaunt they’ve allowed themselves to become. Many a day-dream has been dedicated to shoving something like bacon down these poor peoples throats, because obviously their mind does not realize that the body is about to wither from mal-nourishment.
Typically Tourist-y Tourists
The most frequent instance that sends Ainsley rifling through her purse in desperate search of headache relief are tourists who obnoxiously choose the act like tourists. Loud, wrongly authoritative, these people feel that everything in this place that there visiting needs to be exactly as it was in their own home. Why then, Ainsley must retrain from asking, did you leave in the first place!? Luckily for these sorts of people, Ainsley’s co-workers are adept at spotting her patience’s breaking point, and they take over before she causes the dunces bodily harm.
Bugs Indoors
When out-of-doors Ainsley can appreciate the plethora of insects within their natural habitat. What she has no tolerance for, however, is when these little bugs decide to wander in doors. In the shop, in her own rooms- there is no mercy for bugs within her domain. Not to be misinterpreted as fear, this no-tolerance policy is firmly in place.
Cell phones that do ten-thousand things are partially the bane of Ainsley’s human existence; people give these electronic devices more respect than they’d be willing to spare herself, and she is constantly summoned to attempt to ‘fix’ her father’s complicated phone, which she herself has not idea how to work. Isidor Geringer’s donkey, too, is quite a sore spot; generally a patient soul, this donkey repeatedly tips her over the edge, its stubbornness a match against her own.
Strengths:
Mechanics
Ainsley is a very lateral thinker- so when she sees a challenge she can stare down inanimate objects until her brain can dissect the pattern in which things must be accomplished. This made working with mechanics and motors very easy- for with enough concentration and time, Ainsley seems to be able to pluck the obscurest issue from the wood work, fixing it completely.
Focus
When Ainsley is focusing, everyone knows it. About every three months she adopts a new ‘focus tool’ and whenever that instrument is broken out, trespassers beware. From a ribbon through her hair to a pen in her hand, the list of items is large and varied. But woe to he who must wake Ainsley from her total lock-down from the outside world- Ainsley is not kind to interruptions during her problem solving. She can shut out all the noises and distractions around her, allowing her keen thought process to become even more refined.
Confidence
Ainsley is the master of emitting an air of confidence, even when she has no idea what she’s doing. It’s a genetic trait inherited from her father- the great Geringer ability to bull shit through anything. From wars to math tests, this ability is put to good use.
Languages
Having frequently traveled with her father and, in later years, independently, Ainsley has picked up bits and pieces of several languages. She has a strength in learning the foreign tongues quickly, if not completely. Ainsley is passable in several languages, and fluent in a good number. She enjoys speaking in them, and her employers love her capability to converse with their most obscure and language-challenged customers. And, even though Italian is her third language, Ainsley can speak it with a vehement fluidity, and most natives wouldn’t take note of her as a foreigner herself.
Flexibility
From her youth, Ainsley adopted a flexible tendency. Moving, changes of plan, and changes of lifestyle- many things have she happily endured, and none seem to ruffle her feathers. That same level-headed, open-mindedness is still a large part of her character today; she is unfazed by changes of plan.
Grace
Though she is far from becoming a ballerina, Ainsley’s grace is an truly unexpected talent. It is uncommon for her to fall out-right; more often she can be seen covering it up with some sort of fluid lunge. Her balance is also very keen, allowing her to navigate risky stacks of objects to reach items kept above her head.
Weaknesses:
Pride
Ms. Geringer does not appreciate being proven wrong. Or being bested. Or anything that would put a negative mark on her reputation. Tread lightly, for Ainsley’s pride is like a mine field. While in most places it is simple and benign, a single misstep can trigger explosive consequences.
Stubbornness
Once Ainsley gets the notion her mind to do something, she will see it done. Regardless that an assistant knows the answer to the problem she can’t solve, Ainsley will fiddle around until she gets it done. Then -when she goes to eat lunch or some other such necessity – her kind friends will hurriedly fix the real problem, allowing her bask in her success. These instances of incompetence are rare, but Ainsley is relentless in her desire to complete her own tasks. If you’re not careful she might start completing yours, too.
Fear of Romantics
Ainsley’s discomfort around men with more than friendship on the brain can be debilitating, and frequently ends badly. This fail-safe weakness can always trigger some extreme reaction- like fleeing.
Sea-Sickness
See: Dislikes- Sailing
Mortality
Ainsley is delicate, as she is human. One ill-timed road crossing, undercooked food, easily-spread disease; as invincible as she likes to appear, there are many factors beyond her control just waiting to extinguish her flicker of a mortal life.
Flexibility
Though her ability to change plans mid-stride can be helpful, it is often abused at Ainsley’s cost. People know how flexible she is, and they depend upon it – whether canceling or rearranging their plans, calling her into work, they know Ainsley’s loyal flexibility will be on their side, despite Ainsley’s best interests.
Personality: Ainsley is an odd, grab-bag of interesting stuff, if you take enough time to get to know her. Generally she is very outgoing, and not too shy. The first to ask for directions, talk to a stranger, or jump of the edge- Ainsley balances her go-gettum’ style with enough tact not to put herself in danger. She is a very patient person- infamously the Rubik’s cube incident of ’35: she carried around a Rubik’s cube for three weeks short of the entire year before she finally cracked the puzzle. While Ainsley is a sharp student and quick-to-learn, pure academics have never been her style. Work with her hands, obscure trivia, professional bull shit- here lays the wealth of Ainsley’s knowledge.
When Ainsley does clam up, however, it is completely. Her aforementioned issues with romanticism are one of the sole triggers of such a drastic reaction- unfortunately these instances are becoming more and more common. Luckily Ainsley has yet to be sued for any trouble she has caused in coloration to such nerve-attacks, but seeing as her reactions are severe that possibility still looms. When under a flirtatious ‘assault’ [as Ainsley so kindly refers to them] is when she gets truly desperate, scatter-brained, and fallible.
Ainsley is also surprisingly detached. She is not disinterested, cold hearted, or anything like that- it is just a very ‘as the dice fall’ style of living. From having moved so frequently during her childhood, she may have made friends, but never serious attachments to them. That way – when it came time to move on – it was easier all around. Ainsley doesn’t do this as a conscious effort, or because she’s afraid of being ‘emotionally hurt or distressed.’ No, Ainsley is just a lateral thinker who is fiercely prone to predictably taking the most logical path through anything.
Family:
Isidor Geringer^^father^^alive and well
Cliona McClelen-Geringer^^mother^^alive and well...somewhere
History:Love, as Ainsley has known, can be a terribly fickle thing.
In a semi-arranged marriage between two merchant families, a great treaty was born. It provided protection, supplies, and a great potential for profits; it was infallible. The Scottish power-house family, McClelens, held merchant ships akin to tanks- well equipped and very sturdy; the Austrian dealers, the Gerigners, had few ships secure enough to transport their high-value goods. Mutually beneficial among amiable families to boot, the marriage became only a side note in their grand master plan. Despite that it was the twentieth century, forgetting that in other countries freedom ran wild like dogs that would bite at their masters, the marriage was agreed upon with little consolation from the soon-to-be-wed themselves. But, when something was so greatly beneficial to the family, how could the refuse? Neither could, and dutifully neither would.
Isidor Geringer was a happy man, what little he had. His older brother would inherit the family’s business and all its numbers and responsibilities, his older sister would always back up her elder brother, which left him free to make himself useful in ways he found to be entertaining. Artist by stealing time from his work, packer all other times, Isidor had a consistent job with decent standing. Within Austria, this was quite a feat. So, when the order was handed down for him to be married – for his older brother was already betrothed – Isidor willingly complied; marriage was one luxury he had not expected out of his third-child life.
Cliona McClelen was a docile child- fourth of five daughters and burdened by responsibility and the need for social standing. Though the family was never too hard pressed- they were only once removed from Scotland’s mafia family, the Anesle’s – life was still far from simple. Cliona had a very astute vision of her future- she would marry, bear children, and work, because she was not of high enough caliber to secure a husband that could fully support a family. When the order was passed down, then, that she was to be married, her affectionate local suitor was driven off, and Cliona was prepared for a new life; of all the things she had bargained for, being shipped to another country was not part of her original plan. Cradled like cargo in the belly of one of the McClelen’s trading ships, Cliona crossed the oceans to her new life, accompanied by her parents; they, however, had more interest in paperwork than attending their daughters wedding, that was just a bonus. Her parents were quite pleased- not only had they made a smart business move, they had secured their fourth daughter a much better life than she could have obtained back in Scotland.
Isidor was a muscled, stout Austrian- round without being obscenely so, with a happy face and smiling eyes. Cliona, a fair young woman ten years his junior, was initially unimpressed. In time, however, her wall and inhibitions about their union were gently buffed away by Isidor’s caring and affectionate nature. He had not a classically romantic hair in his head nor beard, but his simple gestures eventually fostered a mutual fondness for the pair. Cliona did not have to work – Isidor was quite proud of that – which left her time to adjust the house to her suiting; Isidor, on his part, was really starting to find all those Scottish dishes palatable.
In time Cliona became pregnant, a positive sign for the initially distant pair. Pleased and amiable, the marriage had come quite a ways in its first year. The pregnancy was traditionally hectic for both parents-to-be, but as nature intended it, having the baby in the end became relatively idiot-proof, as neither had much say. Don’t do anything to jeopardize the baby, things will progress on their own. Soon enough the house became the busy nest of the trio- little baby Ainsley an attention-needing type of individual. Cliona had selfishly over-ridden Isidor’s name suggestions, only allowing the baby his surname. She named her daughter Ainsley so that one day – when her daughter would return to Scotland – she would have the respect of her heritage, not only the scorn of a foreign last name.
Two years of marriage in a foreign country had made Cliona quite bold- outwards from her shy shell she began to emerge, noticing the equal-rights and happenings of the world for what was the first, true time. She did not have to waste her life in Austria! Since these fantasies began, she’d begun dreaming of loving someone more exotic, and Isidor just didn’t fit the part. When she enlightened her husband to her intentions, he was not angry, only wounded. A divorce would be scorn on both their families, which even the now-drastic Cliona did not want; so Isidor mulled it over for several days – as was his nature – and came up with a solution.
Cliona would leave him to go wherever she pleased, and he would not divorce his wife; this also gave Cliona some amount of protection during her wanderings. What Isidor wanted in return, however, was Ainsley; just one year of fatherhood had transformed the man’s vision for the future, and he refused to have a life that did not include his daughter. Cliona’s dilemma was a shallow one, as sad as it made Isidor to see this side of his wife. It took her only hours to agree to leave Ainsley behind, and by the next morning Isidor drove her to the train station.
Isidor was unflappable, however; a good man and a better father.
Ainsley never grew fostering want- for what she knew, she had all she ever needed. Her papa was strong and hard-working, and Ainsley spent their next twenty-one years mimicking those traits. Five years and two letters after Cliona’s departure, Isidor gave up waiting. A new job beckoned from Germany; with Ainsley in one hand and a suitcase in the other, the dynamic duo moved on. The Geringers lived for two years all over Germany, and then the next two after that in Greece. Their life style wasn’t stable, but their family was. Isidor had abandoned manual labor in favor of his art- and he began his long-standing career as a tattoo artist. Honing his skills and talents as they traveled.
Ainsley, too, was transformed by the nomadic tendencies. Quick to learn to slow to become attached, even as a young girl she was unruffled by the constant changes around her. She was gentle wit and patient ineptitude, refusing to be mastered- given adequate time, Ainsley could smite the challenges presented to her. Like her papa Ainsley also grew to appreciate good food- and she especially fostered a liking for cakes.
Isidor and Ainsley hold a long-standing tradition of travel. Aside from numerous moves, at least once a year they always take a large vacation to somewhere unfamiliar. From France to Thailand, and all the way across oceans and mountains, each year they would discover a new piece of the planet for a week at a time. It is always the anniversary week of the day her mother left; they, in turn, leave all thoughts of her behind for a week, proving that they, too, could experience the world.
When Ainsley turned seventeen Isidor gave her a very meaningful present: a promise of stability. Together they spent a month going through all the trips and lives they had ever led, and Ainsley was allowed to chose a place to live, where Isidor would finally settle in and build his tattoo business. Ainsley researched and deliberated, before choosing Italy. She, in return, let her father chose the town in which he wanted to install his business.
There they have lived ever since, and Ainsley settled into a routine of odd-jobs before accidentally discovering her talent for motor work. A customer of her father’s was having motor trouble, and by asking questions and trial-and-error, Ainsley managed to get it to a semi-runable state. Another of her father’s customers was impressed, and hired her on-spot as a mechanic for his shop.
The last four Italian years have been an interesting experience for Ainsley, but overall very positive. It is interesting for her to adapt to ‘putting down roots’ so to speak. She can have long-term hobbies, keep a job for more than six months, and have a neighborhood where she is familiar with the majority of the residents. It’s all a little odd to Ainsley; you see people doing these things on TV, but does anyone do this in real life? Ainsley has been adjusting to realize that her viewpoint in the anomaly, not the other way around.
Power: Aside from the frightening might of her focus and determination? None.
How you became a vampire: Ainsley is a vampire?!?! Oh, wait, no she isn’t ^^
Secret Phrase:Like we don’t know ^^