Welcome to Gaia! ::

This is a simple contest: take the profile form, below, and fill it out to create a new Touched character, created by phoenix kiss. If you've already started on a character in the New Character Profiles forum, you can use that character for this contest!

Post your profile as a new reply to this thread.

The winners of this contest will be stamped for RP automatically, the second their artwork is complete.

Everyone who participates in this contest will get 5 RP points to apply toward any character they'd like!

Entries must be in by 11:59 pm EST on Tuesday, March 2nd.

ESSENTIALS

* Name: Kylie Sun.
* Nickname:
* Age and Birth Date: 24. April 10th.
* Occupation: Artisan and co-owner of the Jade Blossom shop.



APPEARANCE
Kylie is 5’2”, with a slight build. Her skin is olive with golden undertones, and she has dark brown eyes. Her black hair reaches her shoulders when loose, and she usually wears it up in a bun with two hair chopsticks. She has an extensive, elaborate tribal Vermilion Bird tattoo on her back, and matching wing tattoos on the outside of each wrist, in a muted gold ink that isn’t too bright against her skin. She likes to accent her eyes with exotic makeup in bright, crazy colors, since her eyes are her best feature. Otherwise, her bone structure is too heavy, her nose too strong and her chin too stubborn, for her to be quite pretty. Her worst feature is a nasty scar from a third-degree burn on the palm and back of her right hand, a reminder that she must be careful when she throws fire.

When she’s working, she keeps it casual, light long-sleeved shirts and jeans or cargo pants. Off duty, she likes to throw together a halter neck top, skinny jeans, and knee-high boots, or a corset, skirt, and leggings -- clothes that are fun without baring too much skin. Her clothing choices are coordinated with her eye makeup (rather than the other way around), mostly black with solid colors. She likes gold bracelets and bangles, tiny stud earrings, and thin chokers. Usually, her eyes are the center of attention; everything else just accents them.

PERSONALITY
Kylie is impulsive and enthusiastic, especially when it comes to starting projects. She does have a bit of a problem with finishing projects, especially if there’s no measurable progress along the way, and she really works best with a partner or team who can keep her focused. However, she works hard at being self-reliant, and tries not to depend too heavily on friends or partners, with Lucia being the one, notable exception. She’s cheerful, energetic, confident, and honest, and she tends to make friends -- or, at least, casual acquaintances -- easily.

She loves a challenge, and the best way to convince her to do something is to tell her that she can’t do it. This, coupled with her tendency to not think things through, often lands her in over her head, but she can usually work her way out of it. She thrives on mild stress, but there’s a fine line between the kind of stress she enjoys and the kind of stress that makes her temper worse, her nerves thin, and her words sharp.

Her impatience is often her undoing, as she isn’t hesitant about taking risks -- often without thinking her cunning plan all the way through. She’s a leader, not a follower, and will stubbornly disobey orders that she sees no reason for or disagrees with. If she thinks she could do a better job, she won’t hesitate to try to take charge. When she gets in an argument, her temper is startlingly quick, and she can hold a grudge. Slowness and moderation are irritations, obstacles to ready action, and being held back makes her chafe.

Kylie isn’t ambitious. She doesn’t have dreams of being famous or rich -- she just wants to enjoy life. She’s most at home on a dance floor, having fun and surrounded by people having fun.

ABILITIES
Physically, Kylie’s not an athlete. She knows to carry her keys in hand at night, and she’s got pepper-spray in her purse, but in a straight-up, toe-to-toe fight, she’d probably lose horribly. She keeps in shape, with tai chi in the mornings, but running more than a mile -- she’s really better suited to sprints -- and lifting heavy objects can wear her out very quickly. However, she does have an excellent sense of balance.

She’s not the best with academics, either. And though she’s read widely, her selection is eclectic; she knows Ramachandran but not Freud, Dickinson but not Silverstein, Stoker’s Dracula but not Shelley’s Frankenstein. She’s also not very careful with money; though she’s not an impulse buyer, she doesn’t keep track of her money as well as she should, and doing taxes is an annual struggle. As an artist, she excels.

She usually makes friends easily, being cheerful and straightforward, but some people find her annoying or overwhelming. At least she can recognize when that happens, well enough to back off, but she gets very easily offended when she’s brushed off or ignored, and when her temper is provoked, she isn't shy about having an argument in public, even when she ought to be.

HOBBIES
Art -- in this case, Chinese painting, calligraphy, papercutting, Chinese knots, and embroidery. Though she’s never had formal training, she learned from her father and grew up practicing daily. She sells some of her work on the side, as a means to make some extra money.

Music -- classical and instrumental. Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Haydn, so on and so forth. She always carries an MP3 player and a pair of good headphones, either over her ears or around her neck.

Movies -- action mostly, anything with enough explosions and gunfights and car chases. She’ll mock bad acting and weak storylines, but she’s really just concerned about epic fight scenes.

Makeup -- mostly eye makeup, which is her specialty.

HISTORY
Kylie’s life is fairly unremarkable. She is an only child, second-generation Chinese-American. She rarely speaks about her parents or childhood. Her parents were divorced when she was ten -- it might have been messy, or it might not have been, but she bounced back and forth between them throughout middle and high school, and grew up not relying too much on either of them. Her greatest confidante was her best friend, Lucia Santos, who Kylie considered closer than family.

She didn’t go to college due to a combination of average grades and lack of interest in higher education, which caused a rough falling out between her and her mother. Instead, she started an apprenticeship with her father in his tattoo parlor, selling her arts and crafts on the side to bring in a little more money.

When she was twenty, he retired, and she inherited his tattoo parlor, inviting Lucia to become her partner. Her father no longer lives in Irnsquare, but she doesn’t seem too concerned with seeing how he’s doing.

Currently, Kylie lives quite contentedly -- with Lucia’s help, the Jade Blossom tattoo parlor brings in a modest income, enough that she doesn’t have to worry too much about her checkbook. She used to frequent many different nightclubs on the weekends, but after an unusual customer with an unusual commission invited her to Doors, she started going to Doors exclusively. After it transformed her, she invested in a lot of long sleeved shirts and skirts, and is still stubbornly trying to hold onto her ‘ordinary’ life.

Karen Shang: Kylie’s mother, a math professor who wanted Kylie to go into math, science, business, or computer science, something practical.
Stephen Sun: Kylie’s father, a tattoo artist. Kylie inherited his shop, and learned traditional Chinese arts and crafts from him.
Lucia Santos: Lucia and Kylie have been best friends since childhood. They run the shop together, as Lucia has better business and financial sense, while Kylie is the better artists.

The Change

TOUCHED APPEARANCE
When the club’s magic caught up with her, Kylie’s eyes went from brown to amber, and parts of her tattoos became physical. Now, a line of small feathers follows her spine, down to where knee-length tail feathers grow from the small of her back, and short feathers grow from her wrists. The feathers fade from gold near her skin to red at the ends.

Her only option for hiding the feathers is to wear long sleeves and skirts, but that makes them itch something awful, and the tail feathers are nearly impossible to hide -- she prefers skirts, because trying to hide them in pants is just all kinds of awkward. She hates having to wear long clothes all the time, especially at work, and long meetings are agony. Being able to wear less constricting clothes at Doors is a weekly relief.

MAGIC
Kylie can throw fire. She can’t cause something to spontaneously burst into flames, or to explode, and she needs a lighter for the spark. However, she’s able to rearrange atoms in air to create flammable gas, and can make a trail of gas from the lighter to the target. She isn’t fireproof, though, and she has to be careful to avoid unintentionally catching anything else in the fire’s path.

SAMPLE
Kylie woke up tired, just a little hungover, and itchy. Again. Her spine, her wrists and the small of her back -- they’d all been itchy and sore lately, making focusing nearly impossible once they started up. Yawning, she rolled over, and the sudden stab of pain at the small of her back made her yelp and sit up too fast. A painful yank, and she eased halfway down, reaching a hand to the small of her back to try and figure out what was going on. Her fingertips encountered something soft -- and something soft brushed her back. She stumbled out of bed and to the mirror, twisting around to try and see her own back.

Her tattoo now went from ink to actual red and gold feathers -- a line of feathers down her spine, and tail feathers long enough to reach her knees, a little bent out of shape from how she’d rolled on top of them. Then she caught sight of her hands, where more feathers were growing from the wing tattoos on her wrists.

While she was still staring at herself in the mirror, Lucia came bustling in. "C'mon, lazy girl, we--" Full stop.

Kylie turned her head to meet Lucia's astonished expression. If she saw it, too... "I'm not hallucinating, am I?"

"Kylie, minha amiga, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself in now?"

ESSENTIALS

• Name: Zaria Flavia
  
• Nickname: Zar, Ria
  
• Age and Birth Date: 19, July 26
  
• Occupation: Waitress at The Copper Dragon, a cafe

APPEARANCE
Zar is tall, at 5 feet and 11 inches, with a very slim build, leaving most people to think she's anorexic. That's not the case, however, a fact you can see if you actually look at her. Sure, she's skinny, but the musculature stretching under her skin, proves she does eat. Exercise, genetics and a fast metabolism, being the culprits to her looks. As for the rest of her, she has a small backside, B cup breasts, and long legs and arms.

Zar is light skinned, being the generic peach of most Caucasians. She's got green eyes, that are more round then almond, and look sorta big on her face, and "Children of the Corn" blond hair. Her hair comes almost to her butt, and is quite often dyed pink, sometimes with green tips, or even stripes.

As for the rest of her, she has a three tattoos, three piercings in her left ear, her right ear has seven, and a lip piercing. Her tattoos, consist of a patch of green scales across her shoulders, down her spine where they fade out just before reaching her butt. In the front, the scales continue down her chest, partially covering each breast in her cleavage area, and down her belly where they fade out just after passing her belly button. Her other two tattoos are very much smaller, both looking much like leafless vines, curly-cues replacing each leaf, running from her left wrist to stop just above her elbow. The last starts at her right ankle, ending just below the knee, and matches the one on her arm.

In Zar's opinion, her best feature is her breasts. She is very much a breast woman, and prefers small to large. However, most others agree it's her eyes, which can pin you down in the perfect imitation of most mothers when she knows your hiding something.

Her worst feature, both in her opinion and many others as well, is her nose. Zar was a tomboy as a kid, even still is sometimes, and has broken her nose about five times over the years. Leaving it crooked, and always looking like it's slightly swollen.

Between tattoos, height and nose, it's hard to pick just one thing that sets her out. Most, though, notice the height first. Unless she's dressed for swimming, then it's the tattoos that get the attention.

Normally, Zar wears capris, a halter top or short t-shirt, and either sandals or tennis. This wardrobe does change for cold weather, being jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt with a sweater over it. Makeup is applied very sparingly, consisting of foundation, lip gloss, mascara and minimal eye shadow.

PERSONALITY
Zar is very upbeat and bubbly. Always running into a situation with out considering the consequences. Especially when fun times are to be had. She is, however, affected by the weather. Rainy and cloudy days always put more of a damper on her then they seem to on others. The opposite of that, is really warm days have her bubbling and bouncing more then ever. Even when everyone else is struggling just to stay comfortable.

Zar loves lakes and ponds, and even swimming pools in a pinch. She just really loves to swim. And looking up at the stars. She always wonders if there are other populated worlds out there. Sure that in such a huge universe there must be at least one. Other things she likes are lizards, mythical beasts and mythology. Forests, woods and any park large enough to pretend to be a forest. Large dogs, in fact she's got a golden retriever/chocolate lab mix.

The ocean terrifies her, it's too open, and populated with much worse things then any lake could ever hold. She will go to the beach, but won't get with in ten feet of the tide line. Other fears and dislikes include; spaghetti and other long pastas, or even stringy foods. Too much like eating worms. Doctors, she hates going. Always wanting to poke and prod her. Not to mention they never listen, always telling her she's not sick, even when the symptoms are so bad everyone else can tell she's sick. Cats, and goats, both scare her, though goats more, and she's got the scar on her butt to show why.

Zar has no idea what she wants to be, which is why she hasn't started more then the general ed classes in college. The thing she wants more then most anything, is to see the world. Not just the well known places like Egypt, Paris, Tokyo and so on. But as much of the world as is humanly possible to see.

Daily life has recently fallen into a routine. She gets up at 5am, goes through her morning ritual, which includes breakfast and getting dressed while watching the news. At 6am she heads off to work at a place called The Copper Dragon, a little cafe that serves coffee, tea and various foods. By 3pm Zar's on her way back home. Where she showers, has a snack, and watches a bit of T.V. Then, it's either heading off to school at 4pm, or on Tuesdays and Thursdays, studying. Saturday is all about fun, hanging out with friends, doing what she likes. Sunday is cleaning and laundry day.

Her three biggest stress reliefs are swimming, doing the "dog owner" thing and stargazing. Zar has a few favorite swimming holes scattered around, usually in government protected camping areas. She's got a mini library full of astronomy books. And, as part of her daily wind down, there's playing with Jack, her dog. Depending on the weather, she'll take him to a dog park. But, even when the weather means just a quick walk to relive himself, Zar still gets a bit of the calming effect.

She feels most at home when around a large group of people. Doing any of the things she likes, or even experiencing something new. Zar just likes to have fun and be around people. Even a group of complete strangers is preferred to just sitting around somewhere by herself.

ABILITIES
Physically Zar is stronger then most people think. Though, it's not a super human strength, it is still proportionate to her musculature. However, she does her best to avoid fights. Violence isn't her thing, and Zar feels that not rising to someone baiting her will irritate them more then winning the fight will make her feel good. For everything else, Zar is very active, always on the go. However, she is horrible at sports, everything, even competitive swimming. She's got no coordination. Which also means she can't dance to save her life, or even play video games well. So she's usually on the sidelines, cheering for both teams, when it's her friends playing. She's also rather klutzy, not in the always dropping things way, but in the always tripping or bumping into stuff way.

Zar's mental capacity is pretty average. She likes math, even though it is a huge struggle for her, which is why she likes it. She feels that challenging her mind will keep her sharp. She is good at observations, seeing and remembering things many people pass over. History, science and lots of other school related things are a huge struggle for her. She always gets dates mixed up, and even whole countries. Names are another struggle for her, one of the few day to day details she's always bumbling. It takes her forever to remember a person's name, and even then she's liable to call you someone else.

Socially, Zar is pretty much always ready to meet new people, even if she'll have to ask them their names over and over again. She's more comfortable with more people in a group, though, like you'd find at a packed bar or big house party. Small groups usually end with her getting sorta withdrawn, her mind wandering into it's self, or just listening to everyone else. Her klutzyness doesn't help much, especially when she's stepped on toes. However, Zar does try to laugh it off, even though it frustrates her.

Zar is at her best when focusing on the little details. No matter what project she's taken on, the little things will always be done spectacularly. The down side is, she gets so wrapped up in the small things, that Zar looses sight of the whole picture. Meaning if left alone on a project, the little things that make the whole may be gorgeous, but the whole looks like it was slapped together 3 hours before presentation. Which it quite often is.

HOBBIES
Zar likes to swim, make little craft things, usually oragami or cut and paste construction paper things.

HISTORY
Important Events:
-For most of her childhood, Zar and her family moved. A lot. Robert, Zar's father, was in the military, so just about every year they be packed up and moved to a new place.
-Just before Zar started 9th grade, she finally convinced her father to let her stay with his sister. She'd miss her sisters and parents terribly, but she wanted to experience high school at one school, not three like her older sister had. So, when the family moved on again, she stayed with her aunt. Letters and phone calls between her and her family were just about every day, back then.
-Getting her own place was a huge step for Zar. Even though she was excited to have a home where she set the rules, she was also a bit scared. Uncertain of herself, and uncomfortable for the first few weeks.

Important People:
-Monique Flavia & Yazminea Flavia, Zar's sisters. Monique is 2 years older, and Yazminea is 3 years younger. They were Zar's best friends growing up.
-Samantha Kallowey, Zar's best friend, they met in high school.
-Molly White, Zar's aunt. If not for her aunt Zar never would have been able to stay in one school from 9th to 12th grade.

The Change

TOUCHED APPEARANCE
Zar looks much the same as before the change. Except for a set of Eastern dragon style horns that sprouted just above her temples. And the patches of scales that popped out of her tattoo.

MAGIC
Air magic, not the ability to create air, but to influence it. Everything from causing minor drafts, to even being able to fly. Though, flying is hard work, meaning Zar only goes short distances, when she bothers to at all. Easiest, and most fun for Zar, is directing little winds around a room.

SAMPLE
Itchy. Itchy, itchy, itchy! Her back, shoulders, stomach, breasts and head. All itching with that deep under the skin, only a hot bath and good scrub will sooth it, itch. A bath and scrub that Zar has gone through twice in the past day. And still that damnable itch is there.

Wondering if she'd gotten fleas, again, Zar looks into the mirror to do her hair. Pulling it back into a pony tail, she notices a discolored knot near her temple. Where it itches. What the hell? When'd I bump my head? she thinks. Trying to puzzle it out, Zar turns her face, and about falls over when she sees a matching knot near her other temple. "Bloody hell, what'd I get into last night?!" this time spoken aloud to her mirror self.

Wrapping a towel around herself, she heads into her room, where she grabs a back scratcher and starts scrubbing it over her back. Zar's mind is still rooted to the lumps on her head, unable to remember what she'd run into. Then again, she was always smacking her head into cupboards.

Finally deciding to shrug it off as her klutzy nature, Zar pulls the back scratcher from behind her. Only after she sets it on her nightstand, do her eyes see what's on it. Skin. Her skin. Stuck to the 'fingers'. Biting her lip to keep from screaming, Zar picks it up, examining it. Sure enough, it's yours, the analytical bit of her mind supplies. The rest of her mind is scrambling, wondering who the hell she'd ripped an inch long, half inch chunk of skin off and not felt it. While at the same time trying to decide if she should go hysterical or just pass out.

Latching on to the sense of detachment her analytical self is offering, Zar just barely manages to stay calm. Getting up she walks to her mirror, turning around to see her back. Dotted all along her tattoo are bits of skin, like a sunburn peeling, and there, at her shoulder, is a patch of pearly green scales.

From analytical, to fascination, to glee, as Zar prods the bits of peeling flesh and finds she does indeed have scales now. This is too great! she thinks, having always envied this in reptiles. She spends the rest of the night peeling away dead skin to reveal the scales underneath. Finally, after 1am, Zar passes out, having gotten all the skin off.

Zar spends the next few days in bed, her head feeling like it's about to shatter. She alternates between Tylenol PM and Benadryl, thinking it's another sinus cold. This pretty much keeps her knocked out, and feeling really out of it when she is awake. So it's not until the third day after she'd started to shed that Zar wakes up with out any pain.

Going into the bathroom, and switching the light on full blast for the first time in days, Zar turns to the mirror, and screams. "Bloody hell! Where the ******** did these come from!" she yells at the mirror, staring at the set of horns now protruding from her head. And the green lumps the horns themselves sprouted from.

Leaning in, Zar takes a closer look at the horns, a string of giddy, bordering on hysterical, giggles erupting from her mouth. Turning her head this way and that, she studies them. "I've seen horns like these before.." and no sooner has she said it, then Zar remembers where. "How the hell did I turn into an Eastern dragon?" followed by. "Wonder if the transformation will be completed, eventually." Zar giggles again. "Now that would be cool. An anthro dragon, or a shape shifter. Hmm, or both"