Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2014 14:02:46 GMT -5
Full name: Annika "Annuskha, Ana" Alkaeva
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Power: Annuskha is a wish-granter, the power of Creation Asked. Her powers, which manifested near the same time as her brother's, allow her to make wishes come true for sustained segments of time, namely, as long and she and the wisher focus together. The power is draining for both Annushka and the wisher; the longterm effects of the wish vary depending on who is involved. A wish involving only the wisher (i.e., "I wish my hair was red," "I wish I could focus," "I wish I had a third hand") is far more easily sustained, and can be passed off as reality for up to eight hours at a time. Though the Creations disappear at the end of the sustained period, the second-hand effects of these wishes are permanent, and retained in the minds of not only Anka and the wisher, but also those of third parties. Anka cannot grant her own wishes.
Wishes involving multiple wishers or third parties are more tricky, evolving into almost dream-like simulations rather than temporary changes to reality. During the time of focus, Annushka can make grand refinements, even landscapes: "I wish I was a pop star," "I wish so-and-so was in love with me," "I wish I lived in Alaska." These wishes, while they have their purposes, are mainly just cool party tricks. Reality knits itself back together when either Anka or the wishers are unable to continue, returning the two to the moment before the wish. Group wishes require the wishers to go into a nearly trance-like state from which it is disorienting to recover; the longer the simulation the worse the symptoms and the more difficult to break concentration and return to reality. While most situations in such cases cause no physical change in the affected wishers, they and Anka are able to suffer physical damage in extreme situations. Death is a real possibility. However, usually they are able to phase out before anything irreparable to happen. At this point in her power, Annushka is only able to enter these for a couple days, the longest she's tried being a twenty-four hour period.
In the cases of helping people be with those they love, "true love", Annushka can grant special wishes with longer lasting effects. However, the concentration required is earth shattering, a test of the love itself. Ana has read lore about this kind of thing, but never had opportunity to try it.
Appearance: Annushka has curly blonde hair and round, rosy cheeks that finish in her sharp little chin. It seems that light emanates from her bulbous blue eyes. Taking after her mother, she has an exceptionally beautiful and innocent appearance, as though pain and heartbreak have never touched her. She stands at 5'5", she's curvy and smooth all over; long neck sloping into gentle shoulders. Her wardrobe varies expressively, favouring a wide variety of short skirts and lacy tops, with quite an affinity for tartan and button-ups. According to her, it's just easier that way--how is she meant to dress herself for school, with no uniforms at this place? On weekends and holidays, she's more likely to wear flowery dresses.
At the top of her left arm, there's a little black spot that looks almost like a badly-drawn tattoo. The birthmark has been interpreted many ways, most often as a star and a serpent. In her mind, the serpent is more like her brother's birthmark. A star and a bit of lace, or maybe some sort of strange spaceship, or a number of other things. Girls like Annushka don't have tattoos of serpents, and that was the end of it.
Personality: Annushka is a sweet girl, and deeply religious. Having attended an Catholic school her whole life and being raised mostly in the care of a very straightforward older sister, she believes that it is God who has granted powers to both her brother and herself. She is usually quiet about her religion, as the Russian majority is Orthodox and not Catholic, but being devout in a place where she is frequently the authority on her religion makes her something of a know-it-all. While she never backs down in confrontations, she is usually fairly agreeable.
It seems Annushka has some deep-seated need to please people. She is very forgiving, then, of disagreements and even outright rudeness. Her complacent attitude is taken by some as a lack of personality. To the contrary, she has very strong opinions, yet chooses not to voice them except in proven company, in the proper Russian style. In the same vein, she is very polite and reserved, especially with adults.
Her values are very traditional, but they are her own. She does not feel trapped by the rules of society as others sometimes do, rather, they enable her to be the person she is. To this effect, her best friend is her twin brother. Despite the fact that they agree on almost nothing and have vastly different personalities, she feels that she can trust him, and loves him unconditionally.
Weaknesses: Annushka's assuredness sometimes leads her astray. She is stubborn as hell, and rarely ever sees past her own argument. Even if she does, she's highly unlikely to give in or apologise. While it is difficult to get her past the point of forgiveness, it is near impossible to get back on her good side. While sometimes does forgive, the wrongful party must prove themselves many times before she will trust them, sometimes leaving her exposed in hairy situations. Another downfall of her stubborn attitude is how her predispositions sometimes lead her astray. With a heroic heart, she will almost always recognize a "damsel in distress" and an "evil tormentor" before she recognises a witch and an innocent victim.
Perhaps her greatest weakness, and her greatest fear, is her father. She loves him more than she loves anything in the world, and is in near constant fear of his temper or disapproval. She relies on her father for almost everything in her life: affection, guidance, morals... While everyone else will say otherwise, she secretly believes that her brother is her father's favourite. She's never lived away from him before.
Strengths: The positive side of her manner is more manifest in everyday life. Her assuredness leads her to be quick to take action. She is usually the first to react to dangerous situations, no matter how mild, without even thinking about it. She is a natural leader. Her politeness usually pays off as well, in terms of diplomacy.
Her greatest strength is that she's always able to see a happy ending. To her, everything else is just getting there.
History: Annushka and her brother were always yin and yang, even before their mother died. For example, Ana was excited at the prospect of a baby brother, while Mikhail was wary, thinking their family was complete: Mamochka, Papochka, big-sister Ekaterina, and the twins. The pregnancy was hard on the family, especially with the flu epidemic going around at the time. Ekaterina was working herself into the ground, and while that bothered Mikhail, Ana figured her sister was going to work like that no matter what was going on--she was insane. Ana was more concerned with the dark circles under her mummy's eyes, and the way daddy's smile lines were sitting unused.
It was a miracle when their mother didn't catch the flu. But oddly enough, it seemed something worse had her in its grip. Neither of the children knew what was happening when suddenly, six months pregnant, their mother began losing weight. Ana prayed night and day while Ekaterina doted at the bedside. Their father took time off from the hospital as the lavish home became a one, flooded with his colleagues day and night. Annushka saw a temper in her father that she'd never seen before, to the point where one day he raised a hand to her and
Her brother had fought him off before the strike, with wicked words too cruel for a man already suffering so much. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to quiet him, how could he say such things? A frightening look took over her father's face, like that of a confused child, and her birthmark burned, she could have sworn it got darker... That was a place of pain to which none of them ever returned. Her father never hit her. Would never hit her, she believed with all her heart, but that day stuck in their heads forever.
Seven months in, her mother suffered a fatal miscarriage, shattering the family forever. Ekaterina turned to religion, thrusting herself in with the same unhealthy zeal with which she did everything else. Their father spent more time at work, and his smiles became withdrawn. But the greatest change came in the twins, and it came with their powers.
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Power: Annuskha is a wish-granter, the power of Creation Asked. Her powers, which manifested near the same time as her brother's, allow her to make wishes come true for sustained segments of time, namely, as long and she and the wisher focus together. The power is draining for both Annushka and the wisher; the longterm effects of the wish vary depending on who is involved. A wish involving only the wisher (i.e., "I wish my hair was red," "I wish I could focus," "I wish I had a third hand") is far more easily sustained, and can be passed off as reality for up to eight hours at a time. Though the Creations disappear at the end of the sustained period, the second-hand effects of these wishes are permanent, and retained in the minds of not only Anka and the wisher, but also those of third parties. Anka cannot grant her own wishes.
Wishes involving multiple wishers or third parties are more tricky, evolving into almost dream-like simulations rather than temporary changes to reality. During the time of focus, Annushka can make grand refinements, even landscapes: "I wish I was a pop star," "I wish so-and-so was in love with me," "I wish I lived in Alaska." These wishes, while they have their purposes, are mainly just cool party tricks. Reality knits itself back together when either Anka or the wishers are unable to continue, returning the two to the moment before the wish. Group wishes require the wishers to go into a nearly trance-like state from which it is disorienting to recover; the longer the simulation the worse the symptoms and the more difficult to break concentration and return to reality. While most situations in such cases cause no physical change in the affected wishers, they and Anka are able to suffer physical damage in extreme situations. Death is a real possibility. However, usually they are able to phase out before anything irreparable to happen. At this point in her power, Annushka is only able to enter these for a couple days, the longest she's tried being a twenty-four hour period.
In the cases of helping people be with those they love, "true love", Annushka can grant special wishes with longer lasting effects. However, the concentration required is earth shattering, a test of the love itself. Ana has read lore about this kind of thing, but never had opportunity to try it.
Appearance: Annushka has curly blonde hair and round, rosy cheeks that finish in her sharp little chin. It seems that light emanates from her bulbous blue eyes. Taking after her mother, she has an exceptionally beautiful and innocent appearance, as though pain and heartbreak have never touched her. She stands at 5'5", she's curvy and smooth all over; long neck sloping into gentle shoulders. Her wardrobe varies expressively, favouring a wide variety of short skirts and lacy tops, with quite an affinity for tartan and button-ups. According to her, it's just easier that way--how is she meant to dress herself for school, with no uniforms at this place? On weekends and holidays, she's more likely to wear flowery dresses.
At the top of her left arm, there's a little black spot that looks almost like a badly-drawn tattoo. The birthmark has been interpreted many ways, most often as a star and a serpent. In her mind, the serpent is more like her brother's birthmark. A star and a bit of lace, or maybe some sort of strange spaceship, or a number of other things. Girls like Annushka don't have tattoos of serpents, and that was the end of it.
Personality: Annushka is a sweet girl, and deeply religious. Having attended an Catholic school her whole life and being raised mostly in the care of a very straightforward older sister, she believes that it is God who has granted powers to both her brother and herself. She is usually quiet about her religion, as the Russian majority is Orthodox and not Catholic, but being devout in a place where she is frequently the authority on her religion makes her something of a know-it-all. While she never backs down in confrontations, she is usually fairly agreeable.
It seems Annushka has some deep-seated need to please people. She is very forgiving, then, of disagreements and even outright rudeness. Her complacent attitude is taken by some as a lack of personality. To the contrary, she has very strong opinions, yet chooses not to voice them except in proven company, in the proper Russian style. In the same vein, she is very polite and reserved, especially with adults.
Her values are very traditional, but they are her own. She does not feel trapped by the rules of society as others sometimes do, rather, they enable her to be the person she is. To this effect, her best friend is her twin brother. Despite the fact that they agree on almost nothing and have vastly different personalities, she feels that she can trust him, and loves him unconditionally.
Weaknesses: Annushka's assuredness sometimes leads her astray. She is stubborn as hell, and rarely ever sees past her own argument. Even if she does, she's highly unlikely to give in or apologise. While it is difficult to get her past the point of forgiveness, it is near impossible to get back on her good side. While sometimes does forgive, the wrongful party must prove themselves many times before she will trust them, sometimes leaving her exposed in hairy situations. Another downfall of her stubborn attitude is how her predispositions sometimes lead her astray. With a heroic heart, she will almost always recognize a "damsel in distress" and an "evil tormentor" before she recognises a witch and an innocent victim.
Perhaps her greatest weakness, and her greatest fear, is her father. She loves him more than she loves anything in the world, and is in near constant fear of his temper or disapproval. She relies on her father for almost everything in her life: affection, guidance, morals... While everyone else will say otherwise, she secretly believes that her brother is her father's favourite. She's never lived away from him before.
Strengths: The positive side of her manner is more manifest in everyday life. Her assuredness leads her to be quick to take action. She is usually the first to react to dangerous situations, no matter how mild, without even thinking about it. She is a natural leader. Her politeness usually pays off as well, in terms of diplomacy.
Her greatest strength is that she's always able to see a happy ending. To her, everything else is just getting there.
History: Annushka and her brother were always yin and yang, even before their mother died. For example, Ana was excited at the prospect of a baby brother, while Mikhail was wary, thinking their family was complete: Mamochka, Papochka, big-sister Ekaterina, and the twins. The pregnancy was hard on the family, especially with the flu epidemic going around at the time. Ekaterina was working herself into the ground, and while that bothered Mikhail, Ana figured her sister was going to work like that no matter what was going on--she was insane. Ana was more concerned with the dark circles under her mummy's eyes, and the way daddy's smile lines were sitting unused.
It was a miracle when their mother didn't catch the flu. But oddly enough, it seemed something worse had her in its grip. Neither of the children knew what was happening when suddenly, six months pregnant, their mother began losing weight. Ana prayed night and day while Ekaterina doted at the bedside. Their father took time off from the hospital as the lavish home became a one, flooded with his colleagues day and night. Annushka saw a temper in her father that she'd never seen before, to the point where one day he raised a hand to her and
Her brother had fought him off before the strike, with wicked words too cruel for a man already suffering so much. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to quiet him, how could he say such things? A frightening look took over her father's face, like that of a confused child, and her birthmark burned, she could have sworn it got darker... That was a place of pain to which none of them ever returned. Her father never hit her. Would never hit her, she believed with all her heart, but that day stuck in their heads forever.
Seven months in, her mother suffered a fatal miscarriage, shattering the family forever. Ekaterina turned to religion, thrusting herself in with the same unhealthy zeal with which she did everything else. Their father spent more time at work, and his smiles became withdrawn. But the greatest change came in the twins, and it came with their powers.
