spidersongs | ◈ APPLICATION

Expanded personality and history:

Mezzaline was born into a family of high status and monetary value. Growing up, many things she desired were handed to her, including though not limited to food, toys, and admiration. Mezzaline was vain from the start, but Valarice did nothing to discourage that; in fact, she did the opposite. She took much pride in her children, for all of them were beautiful or smart or talented, and some were all three. Of course, this didn't stop a social hierarchy from developing between the siblings, and Mezzaline quickly took a seat near the top. As she aged and revealed her penchant for song, she was given singing lessons by Valarice's instructor - the best in the business, according to Valarice. Mezzaline's siblings were all given such chances, but none were favored such as Mezzaline. One day, her brother Kellutz accused her of being Valarice's favorite, and though Mezzaline argued the point, she did not truly disagree.

But Mezzaline loved the lessons and she began to take any chance she could get to show off. She'd sing for her mothers, their friends, her siblings, and sometimes just to herself. Her skill grew quickly and that, combined with her looks and her mother's fame brought her much attention, and she loves attention. When she was a teenager, she began to perform at the opera house, though she started with larger parts than most. (Valarice pulled a few strings, and she was glad she did. Mezzaline shined like a star.)

Now it was entirely possible for Mezzaline to grow up completely selfish and rotten, and she would have, had Carrace's friendship not tempered her. She had other friends, of course, but his was the friendship that meant the most. They weren't complete opposites - Carrace, too, was prideful - but complemented each other well: where Mezzaline would have a bout of self-absorption, Carrace would snap her back into reality. Even when he wasn't trying to, the knowledge of his life and its vast differences from her own sometimes served as a reality check, but their friendship was more than just serving each others' needs. Carrace liked Mezzaline's enthusiasm for people, her dedication to her talents, and how sweet she could be; Mezzaline liked his wit, his work ethic, his charm, and his tendency to bring her presents when he met her after his work and her lessons.

Sometimes they flirted, but Mezzaline (unintentionally) used this as practice for her future endeavors. Carrace noticed, but he didn't mind; he harbored no romantic feelings for her and similarly, Mezzaline harbored no feelings for him. While their bond is not familial, it is entirely platonic, and sometimes they would seek each other for advice. Such advice was not necessarily romantic; it was less often regarding different sexes and more often regarding different species. The way Carrace would talk about his people, his life, and his experiences helped Mezzaline open her mind, if only a little. But often, personally, Carrace humored Mezzaline. He'd call her beautiful, treat her well, and do things she asked just to please her. This tolerance was developed over time, but it had always been present. She treated him well, so he tolerated her sour spells, and when she had sour spells she was kinder to him for the duration. It was a cycle.

Carrace's tolerance and attention fed into Mezzaline's dislike of work, and her family life did nothing to discourage it, either. Valarice's partner Miel was also the caretaker of the house, and Miel didn't mind housework at all; she cleaned up after the children without question. She did try to get the children to help her, and some did, but Mezzaline was not one of these. While she's not a slob and she'll keep her space neat, Mezzaline still hasn't gotten out of the mindset that basic chores are not hers to do. Sure, she'll hang around and watch - maybe if she's feeling generous she'll help dust - but all Mezzaline would be good for then is the conversation.

But she's good at conversation. Growing up in such a large household, there was always plenty of talk, and Mezzaline quickly learned the ins and outs of community gossip. When she was younger, she'd sometimes get in trouble for spilling secrets from one sibling to another, whether she meant to or not. These days she's a lot better about it, but she loves to talk about people, and she's just a little fond of judging them. This is something she picked up from Valarice. While she would accompany Valarice from place to place, grocery shop to vocal lessons to the barber, Valarice would always share a few choice words with everyone. Mezzaline didn't try to emulate her, and this wasn't something she intended to do, it's just something that sort of happened.

Sometimes, Valarice would speak of her late husband. She kept no secrets about where he'd gone, and instead talked about how much she'd loved him, about how good a man he was, and what a pleasure it was to have eaten him. She encouraged each of her daughters, not just Mezzaline, to find a man worth eating someday, and encouraged her sons to become great men worthy of being eaten. Miel, too, would sometimes speak of her previous partner, though she was much quieter about it. Where Valarice only spoke of men for her daughters and women for her sons, Miel encouraged them to settle with whomever they pleased, and to only eat or be eaten if they truly wanted it. Mezzaline listened mostly to Valarice, and so her thoughts mirrored her. If it wasn't obvious by this point, Mezzaline takes very much after Valarice!

But it was Miel who taught Mezzaline and all the other children the art of web crafting. Sometimes she'd use it as a quiet distraction to keep them occupied, but when they grew old enough to appreciate a well-made web, she began the real lessons. It was in these quiet moments that Miel and Mezzaline really bonded, and Miel would tell Mezzaline stories of her life. Miel used to be a huntress, before she wounded her legs in an accident and lost her agility. While Mezzaline could never see herself in such situations, as a child, she loved to hear about them.

Becoming the prima donna of the opera house has only increased Mezzaline's confidence, vanity, and her level of self-importance. She sees the way people look at her and she preens; she hears whispers of the way the speak and she smiles. There have been some nasty words flung around already, but Mezzaline pays them no mind. Nothing has been sad that has any merit, she thinks, though she's wrong. Mezzaline may be pretty, she can be sweet, and she sings like a bird, but she's spoiled, she's conceited, and she's very superior.

player.
NAME/HANDLE: Froggy
PERSONAL JOURNAL:

sugarsnap
ARE YOU 16 OR OVER?: Yes!
CONTACT: AIM @ cubivorian /

cubecakes
OTHER CHARACTERS: N/A

character.
CHARACTER NAME: Mezzaline
AGE: Equivalent of roughly 20 in human years
APPEARANCE: Mezzaline has a drider-like appearance: humanoid half on top, arachnid half on bottom, with the connection being roughly at her hips. She stands at 6'5", with an entirely flat chest and graceful body. Her skin is grey and slightly chitinous, giving her better protection against minor injuries like cuts and bruises. (The effect is limited. She can still be injured at a near-human rate.) Her spider half has eight legs, and her spider half and legs are covered in black setae: small bristles that act as touch sensors. These look like a fine down and feel a little rougher, since they are no larger than a small spider's setae, and they don't extend above her hips.

Her hair is long, black, and entirely straight. It's all one length, parts in the middle, and falls to about the small of her back. Unlike actual spiders, Mezzaline can hear, though she doesn't have outer ears; she has holes in the side of her head where ears would be. She does, of course, have eight eyes: two large, almond-shaped human-like eyes with black sclerae and light blue irises, and three smaller, dark blue secondary eyes around these. One secondary eye is located above each primary eye, and two more are located below.

Her face is long and oval-shaped with a small, delicate nose. She's got two fully-functioning fangs where her upper canines would be, and two smaller, non-functioning fangs where her lower canines would be. They're small, but thick and strong. She uses these to deliver venom and enzymes to incapacitate and dissolve prey. I will expand on her venom in the abilites section!

Mezzaline also has spinnerets on her stomach. To a passer-by, it might seem as though she has four closely-spaced navels, but the trained eye could determine their true use.

Lastly, she does not have fingernails or toenails. Rather, her chitin hardens at the tips of her digits, and it mimics the function of nails but does not grow.

BRIEF WORLD INFO: Mezzaline's world is a dark and creepy place, inhabited by monstrous peoples. The trees, though alive, appear barren and dead. There are day and night cycles, but the sunlight isn't warm; it washes everything in a pale tone, rather than the gold we know. There are seven moons orbiting this planet, though some are so far away they can barely be seen. They orbit much more slowly than the Earth moon, and many citizens hold them in high regard - some even go as far as to worship them.

Technology in Erremal, Mezzaline's home city, is comparable to that of the Rennaisance period. The level varies by region and specific technologies aren't useful or even available in some areas, but Erremal is cutting-edge.

The political structure of Erremal is simple in theory: one representative is chosen from each district, and so speaks for and rules the district and its people. How the representatives are chosen varies from district to district: Spiderfolk, for example, have a matriarchal monarchy, and rule is passed from queen to her chosen princess; the Bent have more democratic methods; others yet decide their ruler by tournament and combat. This difference in idealogy creates friction between some peoples, but currently, there are no wars.

Erremal is very large and many different beings inhabit it. Some are long and skeletal, with wide mouths full of teeth and too many joints; some speak in a tongue that sounds like rusted, shrieking metal; and others are more familiar, like Mezzaline. Erremal is separated into districts, and each one takes on the personality of the people that inhabit it. Mezzaline's district is filled to the brim with Spiderfolk, and so the architecture is very artistic and absolutely covered in cobwebs, though they don't build their houses out of such materials. In fact, they frequently don't build their own houses at all, preferring to contract others to build them. The Bent, another people in Erremal, are commonly hired by Spiderfolk to construct houses or conduct repairs.

Let me talk about the Bent here for just a moment. Unlike the Spiderfolk, they have no real-world counterpart. They're four-limbed, with long legs and arms that have multiple joints (think multiple knees and elbows), with dextrous hands and feet built for climbing, as well as sinewy bodies and flexible tails. Their claws are impressive, as are their teeth, and they love to eat live meat. The district they inhabit neighbors that of the Spiderfolk, so that in combination, with their physiques, makes them common employees for especially physical work. (They are usually compensated well.)

Alright, back to Spiderfolk. The women of Mezzaline's species are large and imposing, and the men are smaller, weaker, and more agile, and so women tend to do the harder jobs, while men usually take on less taxing pursuits. Spiderfolk culture has a high focus on beauty and physical adornment, so while you won't find Spiderfolk in clothing, you will find them draped in finely-weaved pieces of non-sticky spider silk. Sometimes this will be inlaid with pretty stones, structured with branches, or adorned with body parts. (Bones, teeth, and other things that don't rot are favored.) These webs are a big part of their culture, and the type of web a spider wears communicates everything from their family, to their romantic status, to their profession, to their wealth, and so on.

Webs are also involved in courtship ceremonies. A man must present the object of his affection with a beautiful web - though what any woman finds beautiful varies. Some prefer small, symmetrical webs with a single ornament in the center; other women would prefer grand pieces visible only from the heights of clifftops. If a woman likes the web enough to accept, they will then be considered married. Depending on the sort of web she was given, the woman will adorn herself or her house with it, and make repairs to it as it deteriorates.

This is where it gets a little gruesome - at some point in the relationship, it's tradition for a woman to eat her partner. It may happen just after they consummate their marriage, or it may not happen for many years, but it nearly always happens eventually. Though many other cultures find it barbaric, this is considered highly romantic by most Spiderfolk. It's the ultimate expression of love: offering oneself so that one's partner may live to breathe another day, and becoming a part of them at the same time. Fangs and small bones are often preserved and woven into the original courting gift as memorials.

This is not to say Spiderfolk culture is entirely heteronormative. In fact, same-sex couples are fairly common, and no one finds argument with them. When women take another partner after having eaten their first, it's oftentimes another woman, and she will help raise the children. Men taking male partners is less common, but still heard of.

BRIEF CHARACTER HISTORY: Mezzaline hatched alongside six sisters and three brothers to Valarice and her partner Miel. As is common in Spiderfolk households, Mezzaline never knew her father; shortly after he and Valarice consummated their marriage, he was eaten by his lover. This time, Valarice took another woman for a partner, and together they raised Valarice's children.

When the roof to Mezzaline's family home started to crumble, it was Carrace and his father who repaired it. Mezzaline was intrigued by him immediately - he looked so strange, so different. She'd never been out of the Spiderfolk's district, and the Bent were such gangly creatures, with too many teeth and too many joints and simply not enough legs. But Mezzaline was polite, and she and Carrace got to talking during his breaks. He was bright, agile, and had many stories to tell - but above all, he could make Mezzaline laugh. That was her favorite thing.

That was the start of the best friendship Mezzaline had. As she grew older, she would visit Carrace at his home and take in the different atmosphere of his district. While the Spiderfolk district was sprawling, and most houses were on the ground floor, the district of the Bent had houses upon houses stacked towards the sky. It made no difference to them, for their climbing skills were legendary. (Thankfully, Carrace's house was on the ground floor, and Mezzaline could take a tour.)

Mezzaline and her siblings grew quickly. As they grew, her brothers showed aptitude for the arts and sciences, while her sisters showed great strength and intelligence. Some of her siblings went on to be huntresses while others slipped into the world of politics, but Mezzaline had a voice rivaled only by her mother's. Valarice was the prima donna of the opera house, and when she grew old and her time in the limelight passed, Mezzaline took the stage. Her looks and her beautiful voice captivated many a patron, and Mezzaline found herself the rising star of Erremal. Her name was on the lips of every person, and Mezzaline adored the attention.

A few months into Mezzaline's stardom, she finds herself on the Charon.

PERSONALITY: The first thing one may notice about Mezzaline is the way she carries herself. Head held high, posture good, and movements graceful, Mezzaline's body speaks only of confidence, and this is accurate. Mezzaline holds herself, especially her physical self, in very high regard - she's beautiful and she knows it. Being treated as a monster would rattle this, but it wouldn't change her vanity. Mezzaline takes very good care of her appearance, preferring to keep her hair combed and skin clean. This may not be possible, considering the Charon's usual level of grime, but Mezzaline will still try.

This goes hand-in-hand with a certain level of self-importance. Mezzaline tends to put her own problems first and think of herself and her own needs before she thinks of others. She is not, however, entirely selfish: though she doesn't go out of her way to look for charity cases, she will lend aid if someone's in extremely dire straits. This is further offset if you're someone she cares about; in that case, you need only ask, and she will do what she can. This may not be more than a word of comfort, but she will try.

But she'll give anyone a conversation. Mezzaline likes talking to people and spending time with them - she's something of an extrovert. If she's alone too long, she gets sad and a little listless, but a good talk will usually snap her out of that (as long as something deeper isn't what's troubling her). She'll talk about mostly anything, though one of her favorite things to talk about is other people. She sees nothing wrong with gossip, and over the years she's learned to be discreet about what she says and who she says it to. She just might hold a secret over someone's head if she doesn't like them, but if she has your trust, your secret is safe enough with her.

Mezzaline is a performer at heart. She will gladly take any change she can to utilize her talents: dance, webcraft, and singing. While she'll have issues with dancing as gracefully as she used to, this will have no bearing on her other abilities, and she will be just as glad to sing for anyone as she always would be. This translates into being a show-off in general - Mezzaline likes to be noticed, likes to be appreciated, and likes to be in the spotlight. It's what she's used to, these days.

What she does not like and what she's not used to is manual labor. Coming from a rich family and being the prima donna of the operahouse, Mezzaline has grown accustomed to sitting back while other people cook, clean, and work. She doesn't like to get physical, save for the occasional subduing of live prey, and would much rather leave hard jobs to other people.

This social value will be easily recognized by anyone with a class system in their society, but Mezzaline holds some values that may seem a little stranger. Mezzaline is a romantic at heart and often thinks of courtship and love, but while some may dream of their wedding day, Mezzaline dreams of finding a man worthy of consumption. It goes very stereotypically, in her mind: a chance meeting, at which they are taken with each other, and a romance would blossom. Months later, in the summer, he'll offer her a beautiful web and ask for her hand in marriage. From there, they will spend a few fleeting months together, living and loving and having many children, but all good things must end. Mezzaline will eat him, and as she does she will remove his fangs, so that she may weave them into his courting web.

But this is just a fantasy. Real life is so much more complicated.

ABILITIES: Mezzaline's most dangerous ability is her venom, which is a very potent neurotoxin. Depending on how much she injects, the size of her victim, and whether said victim is allergic to her venom, it can cause any of the following symptoms:

There's a chance someone could not die from her venom, but said person will still get very sick and be out of commission for a few days. All the same, Mezzaline isn't likely to use her venom except on things she's fighting, or on the occasional live prey she may need to subdue. (Mezzaline won't be hunting much, though. She's lived a pampered life and doesn't know how.)

Mezzaline can also spin webs. Her webs are thicker than a regular spider's, at about the size of sewing thread, and stronger. A single strand can be torn by human hands, but many woven together makes effective rope, and even more still will make a proper web, a bandage, or a even a doily. Aside from those differences, it's very similar to a regular spider's web - light, sometimes sticky, and frequently found in corners.

Lastly, she can sing, and she can do it damn well. There's nothing supernatural about it, though - it's just a good voice.

POSSESSIONS: Nothing but her sweet self.

samples.
JOURNAL ENTRY SAMPLE: Well, hello, little creature...

[Mezzaline has spotted a cockroach. She squats down to look at it, and she regards it rather fondly.]

You remind me of the bugs back home, sweet things. Carrace likes to eat them, but I prefer meatier snacks. Do you know, he doesn't even kill them first? Truly, he is an excellent hunter. I've no idea why he spends his time patching roofs and mending walls when he could kill with the huntresses. Would they not accept one of his skill, little one?

[Mezzaline reaches down and offers her hand for the roach to crawl onto. It twitches its antennae and, rather than crawl, jumps into her fingers. She raises it so that she can look closer, and for a moment, she is at peace. Just then, the roach pierces her skin, and she gasps.]

Cursed thing! If you bite me, I'll bite you--

[The roach squishes as Mezzaline sinks her fangs into it, pumping it full of venom and enzymes. Any fondness she had for the roach is gone. She pulls her fangs free, then looks down at it as it twitches in its death throes.]

Terrible, really. You're nothing more than food now, barely worth eating, and I'm not even hungry.

[She sighs, and then Mezzaline gets to her feet. She'll go to the deck, she thinks, and toss this pest overboard.]

THIRD-PERSON SAMPLE: Mezzaline does not get nervous.

This is her first performance for the Erremal opera house, and her stomach's in knots, like she's eaten live mice and they're struggling to find a way out. Someone calls that she's on in five minutes, and the feeling intensifies. Deeply, she breathes. Stage fright is unthinkable to Mezzaline; she's loved to sing all her life, and she's loved to show people what she can do. This is no time for something as trivial as nervousness.

A woman appears at the door and beckons Mezzaline from within her dressing room - it's time. Mezzaline checks her hair once, twice, thrice, and then heads for the stage. She takes her place behind the curtain and the music starts. As it swells, the curtain draws upwards, and the Mezzaline begins to sing.

Each note comes to her as if she'd been gifted by the moons themselves, and she pulls each word from memory with ease. She approaches the audience and stops just short of the stage edge to glance at her crowd. There is a boy in front of her, younger than she, and all eight of his eyes are locked on her. She throws him a smile and a wink, and his white face blushes bluer than she's ever seen. She'd laugh, if she weren't busy, and she knows she's captured his heart.

After her solo, other performers join her, but this experience is nothing compared to having the stage to herself. At the end of it all, the audience claps - some even cheer. Mezzaline bows low, soaking up the appreciation, absolutely basking in it. This is how it should be, she thinks; this is what she has always wanted. Moments later, the curtain falls, and Mezzaline retreats backstage. Carrace is already waiting by her dressing room, leaning against the wall with a razor-sharp grin on his face.

"Quite the show," he says, and he follows her through the door. They come to a stop near Mezzaline's vanity, piled high with powders, brushes, and gifts from her family. "Think you might've cracked the windows on that last note."

"How rude! You needn't see me if you're only going to be cruel." Mezzaline huffs and turns away to check her reflection. She can't help a frown - her hair's a mess and her face is flushed blue. There's little she can do about the flush, but she takes her hairbrush and begins combing through her locks.

"I'm only joking!" Carrace steps closer to Mezzaline, leaning around to see her face. He's still grinning, but it's softer now. "That was beautiful. I'm sorry."

Wearing something of a pout, Mezzaline looks sideways at him. "I'm not sure I believe you," she says, and turns away.

Carrace shakes his head, then takes Mezzaline's hand in his own. He holds it a moment, then presses it to his mouth, just for a moment. "Oh Mezzaline," he begins, "queen of Spiderfolk, moonlight of my life, forgive me." Once more, he breaks into a grin, though his words remain dramatic. "I've done you a great wrong wrong. To speak ill of you is a high crime indeed. I throw myself upon your mercy!"

Mezzaline holds her pout for only a second more before it cracks, and she laughs. "Well." She withdraws her hand and returns to her preening, smiling at Carrace all the while. "I suppose, in that case, you are forgiven."