Gemma
From Changeling Venue
| Seeming | Wizened Artist |
|---|---|
| Court | No Court |
| Freehold | Kingdom of Silence |
| Player | Shelley Welch |
Contents |
Overview
Alias(es): Gemma, The Tinker, *Clapped Hands* if it is Wink "calling" her
Real Name: Gemein Stroud
Location: South East Texas
Age: 35
Concept: MacGyver type Tinker
Physical description: Gemma has been described as statuesque by many who see her. She has long brown hair and soft brown eyes. Her quick smile hides the emotional scars. She is normally dressed in a t-shirt covered in grease and ratty jeans. Her tennis shoes look like they have seen better days.
Character Information
Known History
Basic Timeline: Gemma was taken from her workshop in May of 1987. She stepped back into the real world not so very long ago.
Current Activities: Gemma travels with Wink her mute companion. They are known to be ruthless destroyers of 'Fetches'
Background: "Tinker, tinker, tinker, that's all you ever do! Why don't you do something USEFUL?" These were the words I heard over and over from my father. He thought that girls should be out finding a rich husband not standing over a workbench with grease up to their elbows.
I was never a "girly girl" I didn't like dolls or pretty dresses. My love has always been Mr. Strauss. If he had made a prom dress I would have actually considered going. I have always had a knack for fixing things. I was the kid who was sent to get the vacuum cleaner and instead wound up taking it apart and making something completely different. I could see a pile of wires, screws and an electrical box as a potential source of endless entertainment.
I was the envy of all the girls. Not because of my boyfriends but my "boy friends" The guys loved me, but only because I could fix their cars. Needless to say I didn't have many dates. Yeah, the nerdy guys would ask me out sometimes just because they knew I was nice and wouldn't say no.
One evening I was working on a new project. It was going to be a doozy of a wheelchair for my neighbor. He was on a limited income and needed one of those "mobility" chairs but his insurance wouldn't pay for it and neither would Medicare. He was so unlucky that even the company that PROMISED to give you a chair if you were denied by Medicare wouldn't honor their pledge. Well, I knew I could fix up a chair for him so I took a trip to the local Goodwill to get a used wheelchair, a lawn mower and some fabric. I was working on the chair when I knocked over a can of bolts. Normally I would leave them there until I was finished but I was almost out and really needed them.
As I reached under the work bench and began to collect the bolts my hand caught on something. I latched on to it and tried to pull it out. As I pulled I realized that I had the end of an electrical cord. I pulled and it pulled back. I pulled harder and the next thing I knew I was standing face to face with the most handsome individual I had ever seen. He looked from me to his companion and shouted something about "Gemma fishing"
The next years are a blur. When others in Faerieland found out I was a tinker I immediately became a favorite. I was regularly "rented out" to various individuals. These Faeries found or created every sort of odd job for me to do. I was also a constant source of amusement.
One of their favorite games was a "fishing" game. Those damned faeries would conveniently get something "stuck" in their chimney. They would call for me and I was told that there was something stuck and that only I could get it out. I was then lowered into the chimney to find said stuck item. The worst part? Sometimes they didn't bother to put out the fires below….
Another game they liked was taking something apart and then scattering the pieces. I was to hunt down the pieces and reassemble the "broken" item. Sometimes the items were easy to find. Other times they were in dangerous places. If I could outrun the dog I could get the needed bolts and nuts; If I didn't lose my hand in the grinder I could retrieve the needed wiring.
One day as I wandered through the forest on a particularly difficult piece finding expedition I noticed a break in one of the hedges. I could smell the exhaust from a car and my heart began to race! I followed my nose for what seemed hours through twists and turns and brambles and god knows what and when I emerged from the hedge I was standing right behind my house….only…it wasn't my house. The structure was the same but it had been painted a new color and there were children's toys in the yard. I had no idea how long I had been away. As I peaked around the side of the house I saw a man and a woman playing with their children. The man looked vaguely familiar. As I watched the children I was shocked to realize that the little boy looked very much like my brother. I looked more closely at the man and realized that HE was my baby brother. No longer a baby, he had babies of his own! I estimated that he must be about 35 years old. I was stunned to realize that I had been gone for the better part of 20 years!
Stepping around the corner my brother and his family greeted me as if I had never been away. When I looked confused and started asking things like the date and who the woman and children were they began to look concerned.
I left the house feeling terribly confused. As I walked to my favorite coffee shop I noticed an odd man across the street. The man looked closely at me then motioned me over. I tried to ignore him. I was in no mood to be nice to anyone. The man followed me to the coffee shop. When I sat down he sat down with me. I tried to tell him that I didn't have any money and that I wasn't interested. He took out a note pad and started to write. I was struck speechless as I read what the man wrote. Suddenly I realized that I wasn't alone. Others had escaped! And that, my friends, is how I met Wink. He helped me to understand about the Fetch that had essentially stolen my life. My confusion turned to anger! I knew I couldn't destroy the evil Fae but I could destroy these things that were put in place of those that were taken.
Allies
- Wink
- The Toymaker
- Eric Zann is a raging asshole, yet something about him is quite amusing.
Enemies
Fetches and anyone thought to be a Fetch.
Quotes
"... now if I just had some baling twine...."
Rumors
Gemma is known to be able to fix anything in the world.
Gemma is said to have made a nuclear bomb from a Mason jar, some bubble gum and perfume.
Gemma tries to look "ugly" so Wink will be her friend.
Gemma loves the TV show McGyver.
Gemma is rumored to be a "Royal Consort" to King Wink.
Gemma is said to hate Fetches so much that she will tear one to pieces with her bare hands.
Inspirations
Jim Henson's Labyrinth
Categories: Wizened | Artist | No Court
