Holly
Jun 13, 2017 0:13:05 GMT -6
Post by Holly on Jun 13, 2017 0:13:05 GMT -6
Name: Holly
Class: Thief
Age: 18
Personality: Friendly and personable, Holly floats between social situations without much trouble regardless of how zany they may be, seemingly unphased and unflapped by any manner of trouble, usually with a (questionably) witty pun or underwhelming joke to make light of the situation - her sense of humor teeters between 'lowest common denominator' and 'actually sorta funny' at times. The sort of girl who just doesn't seem to give a crap about anything and makes light of everything, even when she should be serious. In fact, she can come across as a bit glib at times, lying with such casual ease and keeping track of such complex stories with a level of practice that goes just a bit beyond what seems quite normal.
That's kind of the problem with Holly, come to think of it. It's oddly hard to get a read on her. Sometimes she seems about to say one thing and says something totally different instead. Once in a while she near-imperceptibly reacts to something but pretends not to notice. Small things. The kinda thing you only notice when you're watching closely, when you have an idea of what to look for, what it might mean. For the most part though, she really does just come across as an occasionally-glib teenage girl, and she IS kind of a thief with enough practice in lying that the idea of her, well, lying occasionally isn't really indicative of anything.
Thankfully, she is consistent if nothing else; Holly makes little secret of her self-motivated, laissez-faire approach to life; genuinely good-natured and friendly, she gets along well with others and is not adverse to helping others when the opportunity arises... though she'll usually joke(?) about a reward somewhere in the process. A reward that, coincidentally, almost never comes up after the fact, to the point that one could even go so far as to suspect that it is simply her way of rationalizing helping others without any real prospect of personal benefit. That all said, while she gets along with everyone, Holly doesn't really seem to have any actual friends, just acquaintances - she keeps people at arm's length, happily feeding them lines of bullshit until they eventually give up. on her. Always leaving behind those she aids, those who seem interested in using her, and those who would be friends alike.
Maybe, anyways. Other times she gets involved without any real rhyme or reason. And she isn't half as bad with a sword as her generally fighting-averse statements would suggest. And she isn't a very good thief, given that she doesn't steal anything more than she needs, and even then almost always prefers to pay for things. Outside of petty theft, anyways. It's pretty clear that Holly doesn't have some overriding moral complex about thievery; she'll happily swipe the occasional bit of fruit from the market or relieve a jerkass of his wallet when she feels like it.
She doesn't HATE them by any means but Holly generally professes some level of distaste for nobility and especially royalty alike, referring to them as 'stuffy' and 'boring.' Interestingly enough, there's just enough emotion added to that, that sort of quintessential truth that is so hard to fake, that it might even be true. ...Probably. Whatever the case, she certainly doesn't speak especially highly of them and evinces no particular etiquette in reacting to them. She sure does seem to know a lot about them, though, occasionally absentmindedly correcting others about Lycian leadership and relations. Maybe she's just tsundere for the richer types. After all, they would probably have more to steal.
History: Holly isn't really one for talking much about her past, but if pushed on the matter she'll generally admit that she's an Ostian street rat, a petty thief turned refugee in the fall of Ostia when the holy Etrurian army razed it to the ground. She even has some pretty vivid memories of it that she will also share, talking about how terrible it was while characteristically downplaying the whole situation, trying to shove a little humor in there. It's a pretty cliche story, but hey, real life just works out that way sometimes. Not everyone gets to be the big fancy hero of the day, save fifty wagons of Ostian babies from the bad guys. Sometimes people just cut and run. She doesn't brag about it by any means, but has just the right pause when admitting it. Almost even adds a little real emotion to it.
Whether it's all a load of horse crap or not is up to the listener, but regardless the story afterward can easily be corroborated - as much because it's boring as because it is factually true. After the fall of Ostia she spent a few years wandering Lycia, seeing the once proud country fall apart in the wake of Bern and Etruria's invasions, and then the relentless savagery as Lycia tore itself apart, each of its leaders too focused on personal gain and that of their associated march rather than the good of Lycia as a whole. Perhaps that was what caused her to be a bit jaded with the leadership of Lycia - lose faith in its ability to right itself. Holly herself will generally shrug and give lip service to the idea, never really arguing or confirming it.
She survived as she ever did, a mix of petty thievery and fast talking, with the odd bit of mercenary work here and there. She's no legendary swordsman for sure, but is good enough with a sword to handle herself in simple tasks - a bit odd for a street rat, but hey, Lycia is a dangerous place, what kind of idiot WOULDN'T have a way to defend themselves? If one were to track down those she has worked with they would have generally unimpressive but positive reviews, noting that she was competent enough but rarely particularly impressive, even in situations where she could have stood out. One might even claim to notice a pattern that she only ever stands out in very specific, irrelevant ways, leaving behind some imprint but little more, and even less that is truly identifying.
In the last few months Holly has showed up at troubled locations a bit more often than before, almost seeking out danger rather than avoiding it as she historically did. Taking it all just a bit more seriously. Maybe even the prankster has finally been forced to realize just how dire Lycia's state truly is - that it is a time where all good men (and apparently, teenage thieves) must act to protect their home... or not. She certainly hasn't joined any armies or counteroffensives, staying well clear of guilds as well. Maybe looking for the right way to get involved. A good in. It wouldn't be that out of character, after all, for a thief to want to see some profit in risking their neck to save the world, right?
Or maybe she's just looking for the right horse to back.
Combat: Holly uses a kodachi, effectively a shorter katana with some minor modifications. Somewhat atypically she generally wields the blade one handed, not exactly an ideal setup for flawless control and balance in a true sword fight, but accentuates her combat style with a surprisingly broad variety of kicks and focus on mobility that make her highly unpredictable in combat and very difficult to keep track of - a quick knee or shove may not do much damage themselves, but can easily open up opponents to a far more lethal strike. And she is, if nothing else, quite reliable at targeting vital points of the human body with just a bit more familiarity than a thief should probably be doing.