Celina

ward of Queen Moire, daughter of the Shell of Narhval, Lady of the Royal Bedchamber

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Celina quiz
09-17-2003

This is long overdue on our end, but here it is. Take your time answering; we know last-minute ACN prep and the computer going boom will make an immediate response impossible.

Answers should be at least 200 words each, except for the last one.

1. What happened when Celina's Llaya awoke?

A dream took this form: Celina was walking the grounds of the Academy, when a cold shadow floated above. Looking up, it appeared that a black octopus was descending. Celina reversed directions, running back towards the Academy--but she did not retreat looking ahead, she had her eyes over her shoulder.

As the creature came closer, it seemed to swallow more light.

Celina saw that it was larger than any octopus she'd ever seen--but also that the silhouette was odd. The top half of the octopus was a woman from the hips up.

Curiosity slowed her and she turned to face the creature.

Tentacles coiled quickly about Celina's limbs. Cold, pliable and strong, the power of the black she-creature seemed to bind itself to her and then continued to squeeze until Celina could no longer breathe. At just the point where the black spots of fainting away were growing larger than what she could see--there was a little laugh from the she-creature--and an intimate invasion of Celina's mouth with a tentacle.

Celina snapped a bite--thinking only to take a trophy as she surrendered to the greater force of the attack.

She woke to the pain of having bitten her own finger to the bone.

Disturbed, feeling foolish, Celina hid this business and saw the wound tended to next day.

Yet from that event, Celina felt 'things' often brush at her lips, or phantom coils about her arms and legs. This even distracted from classes--particularly in dance where she would be more aware of her body. At the point where she felt she would have to 'drop' dance--Khela offered her exercises of 'concentration' which quickly became a full introduction to Llaya work.

2. Celina has recently learned that the Queen's grandsons, Jerod and Martin, are in Amber. Given Moire's recent comments about Amber, what does she think their roles might be if they returned to Rebma?

Moire is such a mysterious woman. Almost Celina believes the Queen answers to strange forces--or perhaps has dreams of possible futures. Are her mirrors tuned to the future? Who knows indeed?

Jerod and Martin are strong men who would have to really carve a place for themselves in Rebma. Moire still wants strong heirs--so there must be some understanding hammered out with Martin or Jerod--where Moire would get some heirs.

And why is it that Celina thinks that Rilsa and her line just aren't what Moire is hoping for? Is that the cause of the bitterness of Loreena?

Well, it's all a great tangle of net. Jerod and Martin could be another line of hold on Paris--Jerod is more directly related to Corwin; Martin is related to Corwin's friend, King Random. Yet the obviousness of this doesn't suit Moire's ways--and Martin has shown himself able to stay away from Rebma almost indefinitely. Moire might actually be encouraging some of that--if bridges to Amber and Paris can be metaphysical--why not through the men?

I mean, if those men are in Paris, and have strong thoughts of Rebma--doesn't that make Rebma stronger?

That might mean that Jerod and Martin can follow their own destiny, as long as Moire reminds them on occasion that they are her "anchor lifelines" to being considered always the reflection of the Real Kingdom. These notions delight and confound Celina on many points--she really hasn't had a mentor lay out the relationship of the two kingdoms--she's been picking things up through court gossip.

3. What has Celina been told about her mother and why Ta'Flir and Ta'Slen of the Shell of Narhval took her in?

Ordinary but of loyal service. Just like her daughter, Celina.

The Shell of Narhval owned the ships that her mother captained. When a loyal officer lost her life to this duty--Celina was of an age that her 'aunties' thought taking her in would be the best resolution.

(Celina doesn't remember her mother, naturally, but has dreamed much about the little calico images of the officer who is supposed to be her mother. The whole fabrication hangs together so well because Ta'Flir and Ta'Slen are such sharp little ladies. Good partners to each other, good with business, and quite proper--meaning good at keeping their mouths shut.

Much of Celina's loyalty and duty come straight from these two and their "nose to the grindstone" business ways.)

So Celina feels affection and loyalty for her aunties--even if they were sometimes more practical than a young girl might wish. Celina feels there is affection shared--but never looked for close emotional ties. Those feelings have often been thwarted with other youngsters of her age--and hence the Academy was her first BIG excitement. Khela her first big adventure in losing her heart.

Celina will be pretty shocked to find out the whole thing was arranged. Worse somehow if they were 'paid' to take care of her--even though there may be real affection involved at this point. Finding out Khela is connected to the whole charade would tear a bigger whole in her heart--naturally--even though Celina wouldn't automatically assume that Khela had been paid to seduce her.

4. Describe the most interesting and the most frightening thing Celina has ever seen in a mirror.

Interesting: spying on three classmates who made protest of being assigned in the same study group for junior finals--Celina discovered the girls' protests were covering for a ménage affair they were already deeply involved in. She never told anyone and found herself watching them quite often--caught up in the voyeur curiosity of it all.

Celina never talked to her classmates about it--never really shared it with Khela. In part, because she thought that having some 'practical expertise' that didn't come from Khela could make her more attractive to her lover.

Frightening: working on spells for hiding things in mirrors--Celina caught a reflection of herself done up in heavy cosmetics and red gem nets--basically a 'red sister'. The Red Sisters are female mystics that believe in sharing out their bodies to gain 'thanks' from the life-paths of others. The Red Sisters build a karma bank of unspent 'thanks' which in turn can be used to make incredibly 'good things' happen for others: healing, luck, and reversal of fortunes.

A lot of Seaward folks think of them as harmless but slightly addled whores.

Celina didn't have a harsh opinion of these mystics--but it was a scary image. She'd never thought of joining them--and still doesn't believe in their 'cause' (if you could call it a cause, she'd debate the point.) At the time, it was first the kind of shock where the reaction is, "my aunts would strangle me."

But when the image smiled at her---reading the shock in her eyes and amused by it---was when Celina became really frightened. She dropped the mirror and while it didn't break, the image vanished.

It did not return. Celina didn't talk about this incident either.

5. Why does Celina believe that Moire assigned her a Triton? What does she think Orseas' orders are?

First thought: Moire has political enemies who can embarrass or trip up junior members of the court. Orseas is a 'threshold' they have to get past.

Second thought: Moire 'invested' something in Celina with the Pattern initiation. What--Celina is not clear. Orseas is there to protect the investment from herself.

Third thought: Celina is so young to be made important in the court. Orseas establishes a 'offical witmess' to anything someone else might try on her to get secrets etcetera from inner court workings. He becomes a constant reminder to Celina to keep her ears open and her chin up. Orseas is so -there- he's better than a badge for keeping Celina in line with Moire's expectations.

What are his orders? Little starfish, that's a good question. Per the above, he's got to watch Celina as often as he watches out for her.

He's got to be strong and silent with intrusions from Rebma VIPs, but find ways to 'herd' Celina somewhere else if things turn nasty.

There's the chance that Orseas reports on Celina's routines--but that would disappoint her if it turned out to be true. It doesn't seem like the triton to be a witless recorder of her foibles and daily grind.

Celina thinks of the tritons like clerics. They have decided they have a calling to service. So unlike cloistered mystics, the tritons take their worth and pride from easing the tasks of everyday service to crown. Making a government 'go' takes lots of elbow-grease. The tritons are a visible source of this energy--and pride in their long association with the Rebman Realm.

She's probably wronger than hell.

6. List up to ten quirks Celina has.

1. Celina is a sensory gourmet. Food and oral stimulation a favorite.
   
2. Celina keeps a collection of swear words, but doesn't use them, her language being much like her aunts, old fashioned.
   
3. Celina really is nettled by people that don't like her--this goes for her friends as well. You don't like someone she likes--it annoys her. She can lose her temper on this one.
   
4. Celina is a sucker for praise. Ah well, she's young.
   
5. Celina loves to have her hair 'done for her'. In court style, she's capable of getting her hair to look right, but it takes so long. If she doesn't have to fuss with it--can just let it go wild--she's fine with that. But if she really wants to look 'right'--she immediately wants to have a friend or expert do her hair.
   

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