no princess

Name: Penny 'Pepper' Lees

Age: 16

Gender: female

Type: Wakings - Spires

Appearance:

Pepper is a tomboy at heart, though one softened by in individual kind of femininity. She doesn't believe in the frills and flounces type of girlishness and has created a look that's striking and very much her own.

Pepper's style varies depending upon what's required of her. During the day, she prefers trousers and manish shirts, taking male tailoring and fitting it to a more feminine form. By night, when she's working, or out, she wears a definitely female style - she has a line of full length, slinky dresses that are nothing short of elegant and sophisticated. The lines of her clothes are always clean, never cluttered or over done.

The most striking point about Pepper is her lack of hair, something which she started a while ago and which has become a signature with her. If she let's it grow, her hair is wild, untameable, and definitely not something which she can shape into the latest styles, and so rather than resign herself to second best, she's taken a different route - she keeps her hair at grade 1-2 all over, and then shaves swirling patterns into it. It's a very individual look, but one which seems to suit her. And it means she never gets mistaken for anyone else, even by strangers.

Personality:

Pepper comes across on first meeting as someone who is open and friendly. She seems as outgoing and, at times, almost cocky (though possibly without the 'almost' there, but a smile and charm that accompanies it generally takes the edge off). She presents herself as confident and knowledgeable, as someone who knows how to take care of herself. She has no problems with just walking up to a complete stranger, no matter who they are, and striking up a conversation as though they were old friends. Pepper knows full well that it's not what you know in life - it's who you know. So, she makes a point of knowing as many people as possible. You can never tell when knowing someone could be the key and having connections has opened more than one door for her in her life.

However, that aside, on a deeper level, she holds herself apart. Though she's doing okay for herself these days, she near enough raised herself. Her mother was a drunk, her father absent, and homelessness was something that came and went over the years. Enough that she knows many of the city's street population. And enough to be aware that relying on the wrong person can lead to very bad places. As a result, Pepper is very cautious about the people she trusts. She's also determined to make her own way in the world, and she'll work hard to make that happen. She's focused, ambitious and determined to be independent. She also comes across as older than her years - both in appearance and behaviour. But then again, she's been the adult of the family since she reached double figures.

City History:

The bastard daughter of an alcoholic, Pepper never really had a childhood. What she did have was spent being shuffled from 'home' to 'home' as her mother drank their rent whenever they scarped enough together to put a roof over their head. Never really receiving any mothering, Pepper raised herself, until she was old enough to work. She started young, needing to supplement the family's non-existent income by taking herself out to work, doing odd jobs wherever she could pick up some money. Fetching and carrying, taking messages, playing look out (not all of her jobs were strictly legal).

When she was fifteen, she found that her voice got her paid more than menial labour, and she started to sing. At first just busking on street corners, but then she started getting offers of private parties, and some club work. She jumped at these, but there was always a dark side. She soon learned that there was more expected at 'private parties' than singing. Any naivety she had left was lost quickly on the night of her first party, and when she finally got home, it was battered and bruised. She went to the police about it, but they didn't want to know - apparently, the party had been hosted by someone who was very good 'friends' with the commissioner and her complaint was 'lost' and she was encouraged to keep quiet, or suffer the consequences.

Since then, she's tried to be more cautious about where she goes, trying to stick to singing in much more public places. Work was scarce because of it for a while, but just recently she's landed her first really big regular gig, singing at the One More Round. She finds the opportunity a little daunting, because the singer she's replacing had one hell of a reputation, but she's determined to make the spot her own.

World History:

Penny was always a talented girl, her parents decided that from the moment she could walk. She showed an inclination towards gymnastics from the word go, and that inclination turned out to be real talent. Her coach said that she could be as good as they got, and so from that moment on, Penny's life was geared towards one goal: the Olympics. Oh, Penny wanted it as much as anyone else, but she really did have days where she longed for some freedom from the constraints of a rigid regime of school and training that left her little time for anything else. She'd just qualified for her national team when the coma hit.

Special Skills and Abilities:

Pepper's used to looking after herself and her mother. She's a pretty good cook, at least she's good at making things from almost nothing that taste like they're made of something. She's also got one hell of a voice.

Weaknesses:

She's badly educated - school was an optional extra that Pepper generally didn't choose to take. She's had some schooling, but her literacy levels mostly still in grade school and she has no real knowledge of the world outside of Eidolon City. She can tell you anything you want about the social structure of the city, but she's never even heard of the countries the war is being fought in, nevermind be able to find them on a map. Her world is severely limited.

Which is another thing of hers - she's determinedly self-sufficient. Bullishly so. She's grown up on her own wits, and she's learned. And one of the things she's learned is that you're very careful who you admit weakness to. She hates to ask for help, and she hates to admit that she has problems. Most of what she's been through, she's kept to herself - and the one time she tried to report a problem, it went very badly for her. She plays her cards very close to her chest, putting on a happy smiling face that's always coping to almost everyone she meets.

Unsurprisingly, she's not very trusting. Whilst she comes across as friendly, she assumes that everyone has an angle they're playing. That they want something. She actually feels better and is more likely to trust someone if she can figure out what that angle is. At least then it's under control. She can deal with that. But it means that she will never trust anyone completely.

Strengths:

Pepper has, over the years, built up a decent network of low-level contacts. It's not like she can tell you about anything really big going down, but she keeps her ear to the ground, which means there's a good chance of her knowing what's going on, or knowing someone who'll know.

Family or Connections:

Pepper has no family, but she has lots of connections in the underground and homeless community.

Residence:

A small apartment, not far from the Round

Career:

Singer at the One More Round

PB: Romy E

Other Information:

Pepper's handwriting font can be downloaded here!