Ruby (REGICIDE)

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"I uh... I'm havin' second thoughts here, Zim..."
"Quiet. The Captain of the Guard will be passing next."
"I'm just sayin'-"
"Save it for after the procession...!"
"I'm just sayin', I reckon this ain't a good idea, me bein' here... I mean, ya done saw what happened to the last castle..."
"Ruby, did we or did we not come to an agreement outside? One rule, you recall? One very particular, very important rule? Ringing any bells?"
"Don't talk 'bout Beshrew?"
"Don't talk about Beshrew."
"... Well ya don't gotta hiss..."

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~ "RUBEDO": "PRINCESS" OF THE "KINGDOM" OF "CAYENNE" ~
REAL NAME: Ruby
REAL BIRTHPLACE: Backwater Louisiana, United States
AGE: 17
SEX & GENDER: Female
HEIGHT: 5'7"



~ "ROYAL" HISTORY ~
      Half a year ago, Ruby survived the Beshrew incident, alongside the exiled prince of Spectra, Zavates. Meeting one another there, they both combated powerful adversaries, such as dragons, demons... dragons again... a lot of dragons, actually... and a much younger Kleine Berceuse. In their victory together, both were cured of their respective curses... afflictions which neither of them would like to remember.

      Ruby and Zavates drifted somewhat aimlessly after their escape from the Cursed Lands, until the two were contacted by Kleine's father, and Zavates was alerted to the mysterious death of King Aldric. The royal outcast, wishing to learn the truth behind his father's death, sought to disguise both himself and Ruby. Upon their arrival in Grism, he would be a silent bodyguard to her, a foreign princess. After blindly snatching up various items of frill from the marketplace for her, he gave her the name "Rubedo", out of some magic book she'd seen him read.

      "Princess Rubedo, of... uh... Cayenne! Yeah!" she had said, affecting what she thought to be the tone of a 'southern belle'. "I mean, er, I do declare!" Cringing at her acting, Zavates would leave her in the care of his youngest sister, Lady Zirielle... or was it vice versa? Honestly, Ruby can't quite tell which girl he imagined being the babysitter.

      Not that the finer details of her true identity would matter much to the Grism Court, but there are still things she likely would keep secret, even if Zavates' safety weren't at stake. Naturally, her less-than-regal demeanor inspires rumors left and right, but no one could guess the truth, that at the age of thirteen, she actually took the life of her abusive stepfather. This, sadly, had led to four long years of wandering, occasional theft, and frequent danger. Even after Beshrew, she never sought out family, as she's long since accepted that she can never go home. If certain claims are to be believed, however, she's been overheard speaking to Zirielle... Something about a 'little red demon' that supposedly plagued her for those years... This isn't entirely accurate, but it does help to explain her aversion to fire.

      Neither Ruby nor Zavates wanted to believe it when they learned that Kleine Berceuse was also in Grism, but growing up (all at once, apparently) has made him a much less 'active' threat. To Ruby's surprise, Zavates quickly wrote the boy off as a minor concern - his attention being outside of the palace grounds, where The Hand of Vel Vitrum supposedly lurks. After all, their disguises were only meant to grant him safe passage in and out, not to help in rekindling old grudges. That means, although she's often reminded to keep out of trouble, she's taken it upon herself to figure out what Kleine has in store for the royal family, and for Spectra.

      And so, "Rubedo" has been acting even odder than usual, peering around corners, and ducking behind furniture whenever the "silver knight" looks her way. This has been the source of even more rumors, but little do her fellow diplomats know, Ruby would like nothing better than to grab Kleine by his collar and expose his plans... If only that didn't mean exposing herself - and her companion - in the process.



~ PERSONALITY ~
- Curious.
- Talkative.
- Endearingly simpleminded.
- Has an almost insatiable appetite.
- Kind-hearted, but doesn't trust easily.
- Tends to tell anecdotes about members of her extended backwater family.
- A tomboy at heart; almost incapable of acting 'regal'.
- Prefers the her street clothes and the outdoors (occassionally sneaks out sans dress).
- Putting up with the dress for now, but refuses to change her hair.
- Oblivious to most sarcasm, hyperbole, metaphor, and irony.
- Honest to a fault; most lies come with an immediate, obvious air of guilt.
- Her silk gloves are always dirty, as she never takes them off (her right hand is wrapped in deep burn scars, all the way past the wrist).



~ STRENGTHS ~
- Knowledgable when it comes to nature. Adept at navigation and basic survival.
- Skilled at running and climbing, in most conditions. Impressive leg and arm stamina.
- Can speak fluent CHICKEN. No, literally. Don't ask.



~ WEAKNESSES ~
- Rather dim in all other respects.
- Has a mild fear of open flames.
- Not a born fighter; tends to panic, run, and hide. She will attempt to fight (badly) if given no other choice.
- Utterly incapable of magic. Zavates attempted to teach her in their travels, but he gave up when her every spell ended with objects transforming into food.



~ ??? CATALYST ??? ~
      More than once, Zavates had used this word to describe Ruby, though she's still oblivious to its meaning. Since he also tends to include the word "chaos" in these accusations, she figures that it must have something to do with the world's nasty habit of spontaneously exploding into action around her. While she doesn't know it, this was a direct result - and now a lasting symptom - of her old curse. For years, her mere presence has been a magnet for flukes, accidents, and one-in-a-million chance occurrences, even without her involvement. At times, this has been both a blessing and a hazard - sometimes simultaneously. It's possible, to some small degree, that her arrival in Grism is the cause of the coming conflict... and that this may be the reason Zavates saw fit to bring her with him.



~ RELATIONSHIPS ~
- Caddoc: After sharing some secret midnight meals with him in the kitchens, Ruby sees Caddoc as one of the few trustworthy authority figures in the palace.
- Hishi: Ruby isn't sure what to make of Hishi; the "mediator" seems eager to help in hiding her identity, but when did she (or he?) even find out?
- Zavates: In her experience drifting from place to place, it wasn't often that Ruby got to know someone well enough to call them a "good buddy"... and the "old goat", as she calls him, is no exception. Having travelled together for months, there's no doubt of their friendship, but in Ruby's opinion, he just prefers to be grouchy.
- K: When they first met, Ruby honestly thought K was just some humorous hobo. Every once in a while they'll hold long, "intellectual" conversations, with neither one actually understanding the other.
- Kleine: Ruby refuses to trust him; his presence in the palace keeps her highly strung, almost to the point of paranoia. The sooner she figures out whatever he's up to, the better.
- Adelaide: Why. Can't. This. Lady. Just. Mind. Her. Own. Ding. Dang. Business?



Ruby ©