Iris

image made with Portrait Workshop

STATS
Name: Iris
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Race: Bat-shifter
Class: Actress

Description: Iris is a dark-skinned young woman, with curly black hair, red irises and a very distinct, bulbous nose. The nose fits her face and ears though and she's never felt self-conscious about it while she was at home. When she ventured out into space and the nexus, she sometimes feel like people are watching her, but maybe that's because of her wings. Iris also likes to dress in bright colours that contrast with her dark complexion, she may be a bat shifter but she certainly isn't gloomy!
Personality: Iris lives to act. She is interested in all things human and social and leaves herself wide open for the emotions of people around her. It's not uncommon that she suddenly bursts into tears or starts laughing, caught in the stories of people around her. Her empathic ability has always been strong, but it does not cripple her, she can tell very well if the feelings are her own or are dropping in from outside. She always feels like she's using sonar, scanning the crowd for the large icebergs of deep sensations. Only, she deliberately sets a crash course to encounter these people and to experience their emotions so she can use them later. 
Skills: Acting, empathy, analytical mind
Enjoys: acting, stories
Dislikes: rain (it makes her hair even frizzier and she hates that).
Pet: Aster, a Beige Mackarel Tabby Grimlin from Planet Kynn
     *Behaviour: catlike in every way
     *Abilities: Flight, Elemental Immunity (fire), quantum superposition (kinda like teleportation but not)

*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*

STORY
Iris was following a juicy emotion. It was so rich that it was difficult to tell what had been the original sentiment. It smelled a bit smoky, like smouldering vengeance, along with the spices she usually associated with anger. But deeper below there was the wet grassy smell of regret and the bitter tea-scent of resignation. And fraying at the edges were the distorted scents of lost happiness, hints of sweetness and zest that had soured to something less palatable. 
Iris didn't know why she could smell emotions, she knew it was a different kind of sense that told her what someone was feeling, But the synesthesia was apparent. Like a bug drawn to a flame, she followed the interesting scent. But before she got close enough, the scent vanished. 
Puzzled, Iris looked around. Another sense activated and she strained her ears to understand what she was hearing. A faint purring followed by a friendly meow. She looked up and saw a winged cat with small curved horns and an amazingly fluffy tail fly just above her.
"Where did you come from?" Iris asked.
The flying cat blinked and yawned, hovering closer and looking very, very appealing. Without conscious thought, Iris stretched out her hand. Before she got close enough the cat quickly slipped a bit away and gave her an indignant look.
"Got it, no touchies."
The cat purred and flew close enough to rub his head against her cheek.
"I guess you are friendly. How about I call you Aster? They're very pretty flowers."
More purring seemed to indicate that the flying cat agreed with her. 

*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*

MEETING
Iris and Aster travelled on, the cat-like Grimlin sometimes dissolving emotions as he'd done the first time she'd encountered him. Iris didn't know whether or not the cat took the emotions for himself or if it was just that people seeing him lost all negativity. As long as Aster waited to do his magic until she'd had analysed the smells, she was okay with the Grimlin removing sadness from the world. 
The only problem was that Aster sometimes didn't know the difference between real and acted sadness... or maybe he didn't know sadness at all and just recognised the sadness in people as the uncertainty and listlessness that would prevent them from petting him. So whenever Iris visited a theatre to watch a show, she held Aster on a tight leash. Having him fly out into the acts was embarrassing to say the least, not to mention highly distracting for the actors. 
Before they even got to their places, and maybe because the show hadn't started and Iris hadn't gotten her guard up yet, the little Grimlin tugged himself free and was off, clearly moving with purpose. Iris panicked and went after her pet right away. She crashed into something soft and plushy and found it to be a pink dragon with copper plating and bright pink and copper feathers. 
Mortified, Iris started to apologise. But the strangest smell of roses and other flowers overran her senses. A lure so potent, she could only stare in wonder as the dragoness turned and watched her. And suddenly they were one, Iris' mind laid bare and all of her experiences wide open while she herself could feel like dozens of different personalities were talking all inside her head. 
"So it has happened at last." the dragoness, Cammelia said.
"What?" iris asked confused.
"I've found my bond, and not to frighten you, it is you."

Cammelia hatched at the Fur & Feathers Frenzy Redux

STATS
Name: Cammelia Filidelaka
Gender: Female
Colour: Pink-Copper
Personality: extravagant and showy, Cammelia loves to be in the limelight (or rather roselight). Cammelia adds flair to everything she does and though her real personality is in there somewhere, not many people know whether or not they've met her or one of her stage persona. 
Parents: Elaka Bonder x ???
Species: Avangaean Daemon
Size: Medium
Abilities: 
     *Teleportation
     *Telepathy
     *Magic leeching

*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*

FLIGHT
Cammleia stood across from Iris on the stage. Together they brought out the most amazing plays in which they let loose the feelings they'd collected. Both joyous and sad feelings, anger and regret. And all the while, Aster visited those in the audience that needed his attention. 
Though their days were filled and they usually fell into bed dead-tired, their life was a fulfilling one. Only, there was one thing Cammelia had to ask her bond:
"We've been together for quite some years now. Don't you think it's time we sought company?"
"We're in the company of a lot of people daily." Iris protested, "I want peace and quiet when I'm alone."
"No I meant the company of one who loves us and pampers us."
A purr left the dragoness at the thought. Aster immediately landed on her plush wings and made himself comfortable, joining in on the purring and doing his best to be louder. 
"And where do you suppose we find such mates?" Iris asked.
"I'll ask around to see if I can rise somewhere, maybe even do a few shows prior."
"Always working." Iris laughed, but the prospect was pretty thrilling. 

*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*-;-*
Lantessama Isle
Background image from deitydiva