── Leona Vermeille ──

TO FEEL NO PAIN TO FEEL NO SHAME

A thoughtful gaze peers from the dark, underlined by a sly, self-satisfied smile. Most will meet this face under the pseudonym of "Raszeur", said much the same as the selfsame keen edge kept on ones belt, boot, or even garter. She is cloaked & keen-eyed, roguish in some ways & puckish in others. No two words were ever better paired; like fine wine or the rightness of a storybook. She greets those she meets with a rasping tone, waxing rich & prosaic over the lip of her glass, frequently with liquor in hand. Perhaps it's easy enough to dismiss this one as a drunk, but there is aught richer that this "dashing fellow" carries - or so she'd like to say of herself. An undercurrent of finery accents the finer tones of her voice, the primness of her posture, the occaisonal spasm of proper etiquette, akin to a bad habit.But surely it's nothing. Someone like that wouldn't be around places like this; around common-folk & at crossroads. In taverns & along streets. No haughty noble would ever dare leave their ivory tower. Besides; this one is far too interested in what she oughtn't be.This "Raszeur" asks questions. The kind that one really shouldn't be going around asking. It's always quiet murmurings, & it's never quite definite, but she pries, & she pries, & she pries. Hers is the trade of secrets - from Ishgardian ballrooms to mercenary halls, be one noble, merchant or knave, she can be seen acquainting herself with many. For those of duplicitous means, a stranger makes the best friend.

CRYSTAL ★ ZALERA

Name-Leona Marianne de Vermeille
race-midlander hyur
age-twenty-seven
pronouns-she/they/he
nationality-ishgardian
orientation-bisexual
.........build-five-three; rail-thin

beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
i am still right here

                    
    AT A GLANCE     
                    

Spilling around a sharp, handsome visage, wine red hair is left tousled & windblown. It grants a certain rugged quality to someone otherwise blue-blooded, her features fine & delicate. It falls haphazardly over her face, constantly begging for adjustment, & barely ever brushes her shoulders, hewn short. Once, her narrow nose was broken, but expertly reset. A finely placed scar sits just underneath a sharp, icy blue eye, too exact to have been earned in combat. However, atop her lip & along her brow, it's quite clear she's earned herself a few punches along her Summers. Her eyes are darkly circled, her cheeks somewhat gaunt. She has a strong preference for little fineries, enjoying silken blouses, the occasional lacy frill, & well-tailored trousers. Despite this, her walking boots have seen wear aplenty, fine as they may be.Save for that smiling face, one might sometimes catch the black marks around her wrist or flanking her throat, when her sleeve slips or she turns her face just so. They snake down her collar & up the lifeline of her arm. They almost seem reminiscent of plague marks, but surely she wouldn't be standing if they were.

                    
    Intimations     
                    

Leona finds herself amidst many circles. Ishgardian Nobility know her true name. The youngest of three daughters Vermeille; a black sheep amongst her family. They also might know her as something of her mother's servant, enacting the Vicomtesse Amelia Vermeille's will upon their varying holdings. Notoriously a child taken easily by sickness, she was often bitter & isolated, avoiding dances, courting, balls. When she was present, she rarely engaged, sniping at the few boys who dared to approach. There were hushed rumors, though, of how she'd been sighted with a commoner, & of the same sex at that. After a long disappearance after her sixteenth Summer, she returned to the Courts with a dour & serious countenance, rebuffing all advances & remaining without nary a man or woman by her side through her years. Her behavior has been well adjusted.Now, Leona ventures away from home frequently, bringing back all manner of prizes & sealed trade deals for her minor House. Amelia Vermeille was once a tactician serving under House Durendaire, but since the waning of the Dragonsong War, she has sought a retirement from battle & shifted toward more economical interests. Yet, she still trains knights for her betters, a notoriously severe woman, & boasts a Dueling Acadamae for Ishgard's nobility & common-folk alike. Leona, apparently, continues to make distance from her affairs, only sometimes dragged home to those hallowed gates by some honorable knight or another.

                    
      RP Hooks      
                    

  • Leona is found anywhere & everywhere, often brokering agreements for her mother to serve as a buffer for some time away from home. She cherishes her time away, but spends much it exploiting others, whether they know it or not. Some might have something she wants - others may have been asked to see her home. Beware of retaliation.

  • She is terrifically ill, & has been for a very long time. The chiurgeons in Ishgard wagered she would not make it past her twentieth Summer, but here she stands. Those with medical prowess or otherwise might find a peculiar project in her. Those with any sensitivity to a Spoken's aether, however, see that it is much worse than any simple ailment. This vessel is cracked & leaking, a dark trace of presence hanging on it like a leech.

  • A small rebellion in her youth was to snatch up whatever she could find which looked important. A brooch, bracelet, necklace; a diary, letter, or missive. Perhaps, even, a coinpurse. Something important has ended up in her hands, & she likely hasn't even realized it. Well? Go fetch your property back.

  • She keeps herself busy with particularly unfavorable work. Yes, the little noble girl practices cloak & dagger. It is not for the gil, but for the simple pleasure of it. Aught which requires subterfuge, she might have an interest in. Need a thief? Look no further.

  • One might know her sister, especially if they frequent Revenant's Toll. Quietly parted from the family, Nadia Vermeille runs a small publishing business & what she coins as an "investigative & adventuring journal." The likeness is striking!

CRYSTAL ★ ZALERA

                
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CRYSTAL ★ ZALERA

                
     Gallery    
                

CRYSTAL ★ ZALERA

oh, we loved till it hurt it was crushing me, love

             
    BEYOND   
             

  • I am a 21+ roleplayer & strongly prefer for others to be the same. My focuses when it comes to roleplaying of any kind are smart characterization & critical worldbuilding. I'm occasionally very interested in storytelling as well, so every now & then there might be a little adventure tucked away in my back pocket.

  • I am a huge fan of the Female Gothic & all it's varying trappings. If you feel similarly, or just happen to enjoy anything from Elizabethan or Victorian times, we might just click! Themes of political intrigue & roguish troubles particularly attract me. Skulking about in the night, trading secrets in smoking rooms, or similar escapades.

  • If you are racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, etc., I will blacklist you. I do not care if we are in a venue. Leona is written in the lens of having grown up in a bigoted atmosphere; however, this does not give you license to act like a bigot.

  • Writing Leona sometimes deals with themes of domestic & substance abuse, & grief. However, this is by no means a "dead dove, don't eat" warning. I never write to disturb. If anything ever comes up, please give me a heads up if it's not for you, & I will happily shift gears.

  • I like to freehand. If I'm on a roll, I might gravitate toward multi-para, but by no means should you ever feel compelled to meet it. I'm a huge fan of rolling around with shorter posts & keeping the ball rolling, as "elaborate" as Leona might be.

  • I confess to being a little shy in large or packed settings. Don't be afraid to nudge me! I won't bite.

  • Want to reach out? Reach me on discord at "rydermarie".

  • I am in Mountain Standard Time (UTC-6).

CRYSTAL ★ ZALERA