Post by E on Sept 22, 2008 16:43:10 GMT -6
Character Information
Name: Wisthia
Gender: Female
Age: Mid 40’s
Rank: Head Cook at Nova Weyr
Family:
Husband – Cratin – Deceased
Daughter – Still Born
Unknown – Miscarriage due to illness
Unknown – Miscarriage due to stress
Daughter – Sarias – 13 Turns Old
Appearance:
Wisthia and Sarias
Personality:
History:
Name: Wisthia
Gender: Female
Age: Mid 40’s
Rank: Head Cook at Nova Weyr
Family:
Husband – Cratin – Deceased
Cratin was a good man who had patience in excess, which was needed for the young woman known as Wisthia. Her senior by at least ten years, he showed the hopeful young woman with a dark past that the world could be just as good as she had always dreamed it would be for her some day. Even through the miscarriages, he remained patient with her and her solid support when she thought she had lost all hope. It was heartfelt when he passed away during the Illness.
Daughter – Still Born
Unknown – Miscarriage due to illness
Unknown – Miscarriage due to stress
Daughter – Sarias – 13 Turns Old
Cratin's death had been especially stressful for Wisthia because she had just found herself pregnant once again. It must have been Cratin's last wish to not leave Wisthia in the loneliness she feared most because after four failures, it was her fourth pregnancy that finally produced a living baby girl. Sarias grew, an angel in her mother's eyes, in a happy childhood. Unfortunately, Sarias is not the healthiest of children and despite her smiles and dancing eyes she is prone to sickness as her immune system is not in perfect shape.
Appearance:
The short stature of Wisthia, who has stood at an even five feet since the age of fifteen, does not seem to be something that can slow this woman down. She has more of a reason now to strive than she ever has and her happiness shines through like a beacon to anyone. Wisthia's short frame is not what you would call stocky, but even in her aging years it is easy to tell she has enough muscle to keep up with the daily tasks she may be put to.
Wisthia sports a round face with a broad nose and large lips hinting at her ancestry even though her skin has lightened considerably in the cross-breeding of cultures. Thin eyebrows accent the smiling hazel eyes that have recently begun to develop crinkles at the corner. The slight dimples at the edge of her smile have also begun to show crinkles in recent years.
Wisthia's body holds a great number of scars of different shapes and sizes, but most are easily hidden beneath her long skirts and long sleeve shirts. The few that can be seen regularly include nicks up her forearms that have turned to a slightly lighter shade of brown than her arms. A number of light brown scars can also be found upon her hands and fingers. Her fingers themselves are slightly gnarled, but after years of practice still work just as quickly and accurately as any other set of fingers, excusing the occasional accident that only happens when she is pushed for time or distracted.
Her black hair has a natural wave to it that curls when wet. Wisthia's hair is fine and slightly on the brittle side. Because of this, it's never been seen longer than just past her shoulders. It usually appears shorter, however, as its kept back in a clip or sticks during the day, only let down for bed.
Wisthia and Sarias
Personality:
At first sight, Wisthia strikes an image of a gentle woman well into her years. Even her best friends will tell anyone that her first impression is most accurate. Wisthia is gentle and, though she has just as many reasons to frown as to smile, she shows her natural acceptance of everything that is good in her smile. Despite what she has gone though, Wisthia continues to be the optimistic person thanks to her deceased husband's influence.
With a tender spot in her heart for children, especially Sarias, Wisthia has found herself exceptionally good with children. They do not fear her gentle touch or smile and they seem to naturally not mind helping her in a variety of chores, though this is mostly to the knowledge that she always has a warm try of cookies hiding on one of the many kitchen counters.
Wisthia is just as good with young adults as she is with the children, always willing to listen to them and while she might not always be able to give advice, she can always lighten the load with a warm cookie or slice of pie and a cold glass of juice. She is a natural mother to everyone.
Due to a past she refuses to relive to anyone, however, Wisthia also has a darker side. She fears violence. Just as fights can scare children, any form of violence tends to make Wisthia step back. Threats push the woman with ease while a raised hand or the destruction of any small thing can have her whimpering. Wisthia can stand up for herself readily enough – until someone's voice is raised in her direction. The only thing that could keep Anna from running away from a thrown punch is if that strike is aimed at her daughter Sarias.
History:
Wisthia for many personal reasons, will always start her own history with her move to Crom Hold at the age of sixteen turns. Never has she spoken of her childhood before that point with anyone and never does she plan to. So for our purposes, we will begin her history at Crom Hold several months after her sixteenth birthing day.
First coming to Crom Hold, Wisthia found the strength to ignore the many onlookers as she kept herself busy with her work. In return for being taken into the Hold, she was put in under the charge of the Head Cook. Seeing the young woman’s eagerness to prove herself, it did not take long for Wisthia to become a favorite among the staff and she was soon given the task of tending the Head Cook’s pride and joy – the spice garden. She learned many knacks and secrets from the aging man and it was not long before he let her practice such secrets in the kitchens – under his strict supervision of course.
It was easy to tell that Wisthia had a talent with the food and the Head Cook slowly let her take on more and more tasks in the kitchen. It was in Crom Hold for several turns that she practiced the craft and found a passion for it. Her time at Crom Hold would not last long, however, as the gather in her Nineteenth turn found her being courted by a twenty-nine turn old Harper.
Meeting Cratin during the Gather was one thing, after being pestered and prodded into a dance with the man by many of her fellow cooks, but to find out he was to be stationed at Crom for the next Turn that left her very uneasy. Thankfully for her, Cratin turned out to be a caring and patient man and it was not long before he had earned her trust as well as her hand in marriage despite their age difference.
Shortly after the wedding, Wisthia found herself being dragged off to Telgar Hold as Cratin asked for a more permanent station for the two of them. While she had not realized it at first, Cratin’s family was at Telgar and she was even more surprised that they were a very caring family. The instant love she found for them was one thing, Cratin could have killed them all when they abruptly asked when they could be expecting their first grandchild. To Cratin’s complete surprise, the little wife he had married was excited about the idea.
While she would never admit it, even to Cratin, she felt that bringing a child into the world would separate her even more from her past and bring her closer to this new and wonderful life she had found. It was not long before Wisthia was found round with child.
Wisthia finally went into labor the following spring. With Cratin holding her hand through it all, it was not even halfway through the labor that Wisthia’s stomach told her something was wrong. After asking a thousand times she finally realized what the mid-wife's furrowed eyebrows where showing. There was no sound. No crying of the baby. Finally the Midwife gave in, once the baby was entirely out, and told Wisthia; the child had been stillborn.
It took months for Cratin to manage to pull Wisthia out of the depression she had fallen into after the loss of her first daughter. Wisthia had never imagined that her new life would hold horrors worse than what she had endured in her childhood, but this… this loss was worse. Time passed, as it always does, and it was not long before Wisthia was slowly convinced to try again. Cratin knew how much a child would mean to Wisthia and so after Turns of careful persuasion, he talked her into attempting another child.
Like last time, finding herself with child was not a problem and a cheerfulness could be found in Wisthia’s smile once again. Several months into the pregnancy, however, she found herself with a terrible cough. Taking time off from her duties was not enough, however, and soon she found herself losing weight. After consulting the Healers, Wisthia’s relived her nightmare again as they had to remove the miscarriage baby from her body. Cratin did not bring up the topic of having another child.
Wisthia found her escape from the cruel reality that she could not have her own child by spoiling others. Learning, perfecting and memorizing an abundance of sweet treats became a new hobby for the woman and it was not long before she became a favorite among the children of Telgar Hold. Being moved up to the Cook’s Assistant, she poured herself into her work. In fact, it was very surprising to everyone when the woman finally found the courage to bring up the topic of a child again with Cratin.
While the man was hesitant at first, there was no way he could truly tell Wisthia no if she was so eager and willing to try again. Once again there did not seem to be a problem with fertility as Wisthia was proclaimed by the healers to be pregnant once again. They rejoiced and prayed every night that this time it would prove to be a blessing. It turned out that fate had different plans for Wisthia, however, as one day she was asked to cover the night hearth when another lady became sick.
That night found Wisthia reliving her childhood as violence broke out among a few men who had been drinking far too much. Locking herself into the kitchen, the fear alone wrecked havoc on her body and a few days later she found herself bleeding with another miscarriage.
Wisthia did not mention having a child again, forcing herself to be happy with her lot in life. It was easy to tell that she was trying very hard to be happy. She even told Cratin that she was content just having him in her life when he asked her if she wanted to consider fostering a child. As time went on, her smile slowly showed signs of being genuine again. Fate, however, was cruel once more to Wisthia as several more Turns found Cratin with the illness.
The healers proclaimed there was nothing to do to save the man’s degenerating body and Cratin seemed content to die, because he had lived a good life. For the next week Wisthia never left his side. She was not ready to be alone, after everything that Cratin had done for her… After everything Cratin had attempted to do for her.
It was during that week that the healers noticed she was having morning sickness. While at first they had watched, believing it to only be stress for her dying loved one, they finally asked her to come in for an examination. She was pregnant once again. Wisthia became frantic. She did not believe she could make it through another pregnancy without Cratin.
After his death, Wisthia fell into a depression again and the healers forcibly brought her in and ordered her to remain in bed. Months of careful monitoring and care, Wisthia's baby girl was born – alive and crying. At first Wisthia didn't believe the noise she heard coming from the bundle of blankets that the healers were checking to make sure everything was healthy and functioning. When the blankets were finally handed to her, however, Wisthia cried. It was a baby. It was Cratin’s baby. It was her baby.
Naming the baby girl Sarias, Wisthia was often described as the overly attached mother, but she had every reason to be. With Sarias she didn't have to be alone anymore and Wisthia began to strive again – for the both of them. Moving up within her job, Wisthia became known as a great cook at work and a wonderful mom at home as she took a home-school attitude with Sarias. As soon as Sarias was old enough, she was taken everywhere with her mother and neither complained in the least.
The mother and daughter were best friends.
Now, Wisthia has found herself with a chance to better their lives even more as she learned of the open HeadCook position at a newly founded Weyr. At first reluctant to leave the home her and Cratin had shared behind, it was at the encouragement of her daughter that Wisthia finally gave in and accepted the offer of the position. Wisthia had not realized it had meant moving back in time a few hundred Turns… but with Sarias in hand, she did not need any of her past anyways. Even Cratin’s memory lived in her daughter. All was perfect.
Approved.