Role!

The Councillor

In Ánes, there is a very specific set of actions designated to be performed should the reigning monarch die ahead of schedule. Their next of kin/heir cannot ascend to the throne until the proper crowning ceremony, so until that day comes they must work in league with a council of gentry. These councillors hold equal power to the heir until the crowning. The Councillor is one of the four people chosen to make up the council.

Full Name!

Zéphine Tenebris

Nickname/Preferred Name!

Zef

Age!

21

Gender/Pronouns!

Female, she/her

Sexuality!

Bisexual

Faceclaim!

Ivana Baquero

Appearance!

She has long, dark hair which can look light brown in sunlight. When she's casual/resting she doesn't pull it up, but if she is doing something serious she'll pull the front back or braid one side of it away. She has dark eyes and a round face. She wears white dresses most of the time since she has to appear professional. However, don't let the fancy skirts fool you; she's wearing beaten leather boots underneath.

Personality!

Zéphine is intelligent, strong-willed, and determined. She's strategic and sharp, and takes her role on the council extremely seriously. Being the youngest member means it's hard to make her voice heard, and she wants a part in weighty decisions. To make it even harder for her, she has a lot to live up to thanks to her mother's big reputation. She doesn't want to succeed by riding on the momentum her mother gave her. She wants to make her own name.

She's a voice for the people and often listens to what they have to say. She takes other people's opinions seriously and stays open-minded. However, this doesn't mean she doesn't have opinions of her own. She likes to stay neutral and it's hard to anger her, but if you do, you've opened Pandora's box. She can be extremely harsh and isn't afraid to call you out. She's bold and doesn't really care what people think. She's a force to be reckoned with.

When she's not in a professional setting, she laughs easily. She's friendly and approachable. She likes to take time off to relax. She appreciates quiet time, and you can often find her on her balcony reading or napping or just sipping a drink, watching the birds fly through the trees.

Likes!

Watermelon, stars, rain, blue and white, the smell of pineapple, fireflies and glowworms, colored glass, the outdoors, showing up other people who think they're better than her (in other words, flexing on the haters), flowers, sapphires, music and dancing

Dislikes!

Cold, darkness, sand, the taste of pineapple, high heels, liars and bigots, howler monkeys (they're annoying and loud), bugs

Strengths!

Intelligent — she's quick and clever, and manages to think of quick solutions on the go. She is rarely backed into a corner.

Approachable — despite her high status in the court, Zef acts like a regular person. She's the kind of girl you could have drinks with or go out with or stay at their house if you want to. It makes her well-liked and popular. Her open mind also means she's a great listener.

Diplomatic — she's good at compromise, which means her solutions usually work out for everyone. She usually finds a way to diffuse tension in a room by splitting profits or combining two ideas.

Calm — she's slow to anger and slower to lash out. It's hard to get under her skin.

Weaknesses!

Defenseless — she was never trained for combat so she doesn't know how to fight physically. If attacked, her best chance would be to talk herself out of it or to run away.

Impulsive — when she does get angry (or stressed) she tends to overlook details and rush decisions. She feels a lot of pressure so when put in a tight spot she can malfunction.

Self-destructive — She has big shoes to fill and she wants to live up to her mother's legacy, but at the same time she doesn't care what others think about her actions. She'll take advice but she won't take criticism, which can lead to others thinking ill of her.

Fears!

That she'll fail as a leader, that she'll never find her mother, that she may not be able to steer the kingdom towards peace

Messenger Bird!

Zéphine has a sky blue parakeet named Zephyr (she likes to introduce them as the Double Zefs, Zefception, Zef Squared, etc). He's a very pretty animal, and she loves him dearly, but he's a very bad messenger bird, if we're being honest. He can't remember most messages and will sometimes just say random things he hears around the city. Zephyr does his best, but Zef values him more for companionship than actual usefulness. When Zef actually needs to deliver a message, she steals The Prince's bird.

Family!

Declan Tenebris (Father, alive)

Binta Tenebris (Mother, status unknown)

Backstory!

Zef's father left her mother before Zef was born, and so she grew up without him, though she always knew where he was should she ever want to visit him. Her mother was a councillor. Since there was a reigning monarch and therefore no need for a council, Binta served as more of an advisor to the Queen. They were very good friends, and they were equals in everything but title. Zef grew up in the palace with the Queen's children and was like a cousin to them. She was schooled to be an advisor like her mother, and she picked up on it quickly. She was smart even as a child.

One day when Zef was twenty years old, her mother went missing. Zef came home and the treehouse was empty. Zef had heard of disappearances like that, but she never imagined it would happen to her own mother. She spent the next year on a search for Binta, but found nothing. No one knew where her mother had gone, not even the Queen. She intended to keep searching for Binta, but the Queen was killed and the council brought back into play. Until the prince's crowning ceremony Zef has to take her mother's place as a councillor.

Mixtape!

Summer Feelings - Lennon Stella

Daisies - Katy Perry

Courage to Change - Sia

kate's not here - girl in red

Quotes!

"War is a waste of resources, and, quite frankly, brain cells."

"After yet another exhausting day of council, it surprises no one that a bunch of old men weren't able to come to a decision."

"The plan was to sit outside, maybe drink a smoothie, but I guess that'll have to wait until after the stupid decisions are made and enacted."

Extra!

Zef does not wear jewelry because her skin is sensitive and reacts to most types of metals. She's good at forging handwriting. She smokes a pipe when she's feeling stressed.