Graceful Aline

From Changeling Venue

Seeming	Beast Swimmerskin
Court	Winter Court •••
Freehold	Edinburgh
Player	Mairi White

1 Overview
2 History
3 Current
4 Motley
5 Allies and associates

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Overview

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet,
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams

W.B. Yeats

Alias(es): Graceful Aline, Dreamweaver, Eileen Grace (mortal)
Real Name: Nadya Danilova (not commonly known)
Location: Edinburgh - United Kingdom
Age: Born 1970, appears in her early 20's
Keeper: Lord of the Ice Menagerie
Seeming: Beast
Kith: Swimmerskin, Windwing
Court: Winter Court
Concept: Dreamweaver, Singer
Physical description: Stands about 5'3 in height, slender with long white feathers instead of hair, black, birdlike eyes and white feathered wings usually folded behind her. She tends to wear a flowing white dress and white cloak with a silver and blue tiara on her head. Beautiful and graceful, she moves like she is gliding rather than walking. Generally quiet, preferring to watch than to speak, to any who have heard her sing however, her voice is eerie and haunting and often moves people to tears.
Character Livejournal: Stories, Thoughts and Dreams

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History

Basic Timeline:

1970 - Born in Leningrad.

Grows up with Aleksander, they become childhood sweethearts.

1984 - Aleksander is taken away by the Fae and replaced with a Fetch. The Fetch is distant and brooding and the relationship between that Aleksander and Nadya begins to deteriorate.

1987 (early) - Family wishes lead to Nadya and the fetch Aleksander becoming engaged. Nadya increasingly wants to get away.

1987 - Persuaded to go with her Keeper as her loneliness mounts. As she is being taken, Aleksander returns to witness this, but is unable to stop it. She sees enough to detect a change in him and recall her earlier feelings.

Three years pass physically for Nadya in Arcadia. During this time she loses almost all memory of her former life. She can no longer recall her name or the name or face of Aleksander, only that she loved someone before.

May 2006 - Stumbles out of the Hedge in Edinburgh with no memory of her life before Arcadia. Is found by Aleksander Sokol who helps her to settle into her new life. He does not recognise the changed Nadya and she has no memory of him.

August 2006 - First visits the market at Inverness and starts to trade in dreams.

November 2007 - Becomes the new Winter Queen of Edinburgh.

March 2008 - Aline recovers her memories of who she was after she is confronted with proof by Aleksander. The two of them renew their old relationship despite the long separation.

Current Activities:

Is a fairly good oneiromancer who regularly sells dreams at the Tomnahurich market.

Is the current Winter Queen of Edinburgh, having taken over the position from Ezekiel in November 2007.

Seems to be very interested in trying to redeem some Lost with bad pasts, but only if they will ask or accept the assistance.

Merit Details:

Fame 1: Singer (goth scene mostly)
Striking Looks 4
Siren Song
Enchanting Performance

Background:

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Current

Currently she lives in Edinburgh, making a living by singing in various clubs and bars around the city.

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Motley

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Allies and associates

Evie Greene - Spring Queen and one of Aline's closest friends.
Cormac the Poet - a fellow Winter Courtier and market trader. The two seem to have grown remarkably close.
Scarlet - The two have been known to do duets and certainly get along where music is concerned.
Aleksander Sokol - The Summer King of Edinburgh and her love.
Witte Wieven - The two Winter Queens are friends, though they see each other rarely. They usually try and make time for a chat whenever they are around each other though.
Aria - Good friends who seem to have similar opinions on love.
Carin - The two seems to have a lot of understanding when it comes to matters of the Wyrd.
Reeva - Aline seems very fond of the young Swimmerskin, though they are not particularly close.
Arthur MacAodh - It is rare when the sight of Arthur does not bring a smile to Aline's face, she seems to enjoy the company of the Summer squire.
Obadiah - The huge ogre and the small swan seem to have a strange and warm friendship. He is certainly one of the people Aline feels safest in the company of.

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Enemies and Enmities

Reverend Marsh - Aline is certainly afraid of whatever it is Marsh wants her for and seems very determined to keep away from him.
Orpheus Bane - The two have had a certain enmity over something neither will talk about, this does seem to be mostly sorted, but there is still a sense of some battle going on between the two of them.

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Character Inspirations

Swan Lake
Anastasia
Swan Mae mythology

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Soundtrack

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Quotes

"What can I say about Aline? She has the voice of an angel. They say a swan only sings with joy before she dies. I hope this is not the case for our Winter Queen." - Aleksander Sokol

"I tried to be her friend. I mean, i'm summer right? but that doesnt mean i dont want to cheer people up. Every attempt i've made to bridge the gap with her shes thrown back in my face. Miserable Bitch" - Steampunk

"She worries too much. Then again maybe that is a good thing is one that is to be a monarch." - Orpheus Bane

"Oh blesséd day, another child touched by his divine hand! Let her swansong be as the bell, ringing clear, heralding His rebirth!" - The Reverend Marsh

"I really hope we get another chance to chat - but on first impressions she's polite, intelligent and I suspect we could exchange some interesting notes..." - Aria

"Beautiful girl, lovely coronation, makes me glad I made the journey up north. Always had a soft spot for the Winter Courtiers... If she really is the Eileen Grace I've heard though - Wow! I really should finish writing that duet I promised her..." - Brawlin' Bram

"I worry about her... I worry some may take advantage of her sensibilities. I shall hope that the day never comes where I bring Winter to bear on some clot who forgot to think before he acted with regard to Aline. I'm a nag, it's my perogative to worry." - Witte Wieven

"I like Queen Aline, she's gentle and kind. Its strange, though. I thought the Queen of Winter would be sadder, somehow. Maybe she just hides it really well. I hope she has someone she can talk to, if that's true." - Arthur MacAodh

(translated) "The new queen of Winter... damn shame that. She's hot." - Zenica

"Bloody stupid woman...." - Charlie Tyrrell

"She sings so sweetly, I just wish most of her songs weren't so depressing. We need to do another gig together" - Scarlet

"She is certainly a kind and gentle person which is all well and good. I don't know if that will make her a good queen or not though" - Danny Axon

"A true daughter of Winter. She reminds me of why the gentry are such a terror - they make changes to us that can ne'er be undone." - Cormac the Poet

"New blood on a throne - I hope she swims as well as she would in water. Cute, but head in the clouds. I think she hears the music I do when I'm fighting. I envy that - to be lost in it all the time?" - Carin

"She's beautiful, and has an amazing singing voice. And her songs make me feel ... at peace." Deyanira

"Small sad singer. Sweet." Obadiah

"Sometimes you find a supporting hand in places you least expect it." - Cormac the Poet

"Apparently I scare her. Isn't that nice?" - Orpheus Bane

"Aline? She...erm...uh...hmmm." - Rea

"Our Lady of Winter looked amazing at the Spring Masked Ball. Even if the ball itself was a bit of an irregularity..." - Magellan

"Is always nice to have such a happy winter courtier around. At some point I'll even look at her face" - Cai Xiao

"Some people just seem to attract trouble. The whole concept of Winter as keeping your damn head down seems to have escaped her. Course, with a neck that long, it can't be easy." - Hoffman

"It is gratifying to see a change in her at last. Confidence suits her better than a cloak of fear." - Orpheus Bane

I would pity her, but to hear her speak, I lack the ability to do so. - Duchess Heartless

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Rumours

Aline's loneliness is due to her swan nature as swans mate for life and so she must take care over who she bestows her affections on.
Aline's loneliness is because she is in fact mated to her Keeper and can thus never love another.
Aline is hiding from her past and is not trying to remember who she was before Arcadia.
She had her heart broken by a member of the Duchy of the Icebound Heart and now hates them all with a passion.
She is secretly a member of the Duchy, breaking hearts by never allowing someone to get that close.
She has been rescued by Edinburgh's Summer King at least three times.
Has been spending rather a lot of time with Cormac lately.
She and Magellan are actually sweethearts.
Is the lost childhood sweetheart of Edinburgh's Summer King.

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