Kay MacDonald

• a.k.a.
• Gender Female
• Age: 30 Standard Terran Years
• Marital Status: Single
• Citizenship: Terran Empire
• Occupation: Civil Servant (Records Clerk)
• Former Occupations:
• Residence: Terran HQ, Thendara
• Laran gift and laran training: It's never been formally identified (MacAran or Ridenow?). I'm hesitant to approach anyone who has a blue matrix stone. But I secretly took a season of Terran training (basic shielding and ethics). From what I've been able to find out, this looks to be similar to what a trainee learns in a a tower here.
• Politics: I look out for myself and my friends first, even if it means breaking Civil Service regulations (though I do my best not to get caught). I have little faith in ANY authority, until they prove to me that they are worthy of my loyalty.
• Personality: "Still waters run deep", my father used to say. People often describe me as being fairly quiet and soft-spoken (and friendly unless I get a "bad feeling" about someone). I tend to watch and observe before making a decision, and my curiousity is abundant. Overly-charming people make me suspicious about their intentions. My loyalty is very strong towards those I love, and to those who have earned my respect. My temper tends to have a long fuse, so most folks generally underestimate me as being a kitten. When something does set off my temper, I act like a hellcat and will fiercely defend myself, my beliefs and/or others. I'm also fairly bright (and wise enough to know when I'm better off pretending to be clueless).
  
  I get along well with most people, unless they "feel wrong" to me (but I often get along MUCH better with animals). But sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by certain people that I'm too shyly tongue-tied to say anything much to them (like when I go to the sweetshop).
• Strengths:
• Weaknesses: (1) I'm somewhat afraid of what I think is a small degree of laran. I've thought about being formally tested -- but I still find myself hesitating. I'm not really sure that I'd want a matrix even if someone offered me one. Mum told me horrible tales about wild talents who went out of control and hurt (or killed) people, and how they were hunted down.
  
  (2)Serious combat (and strong conflict) disturbs me. I'll engage in it if I feel the need to do so. But afterwards I tend to shiver violently, throw up and/or scrub myself vigourously with soap. Then I want to wrap myself in a thick blanket. I also start craving hot herbal tea, Terran dark chocolate and (ever since I discovered it not to long ago) some spicebread (or redberries cake) from Leisha n'ha Ursula's Sweet Shop.
• Unarmed Combat Training: I'm no more than fair or average during lessons or practice. While I'll admit it's a useful skill, I don't enjoy fighting. If I believe that I'm in real danger, and duck-and-run doesn't look like a wise move, then I'll show that I can be reasonably-good (then I don't hesitate to "fight dirty" by ANY means necessary).
• Armed Combat Training: No experience, unless you want to count being severely provoked and hitting someone hard (during a fight) with whatever is close at hand.
• Horseback riding: I'm very good and I love it. I've spent large amounts of my life riding (and bonding strongly with) horses. It's what I miss most about Terra. The sight of animals (horses most of all) draws me with a painful longing and I'll find any excuse to hang around and get close to them.
• Appearance: I'm a wide-hipped, small-busted,long-legged slender woman only 5'8" tall. My eyes are green-brown hazel and are somewhat near-sighted. I'm vain about my hair. It falls in loose waves to my waist (unless I braid it) and varies in color (depending on what type of lighting) from a rich chesnut brown to a deep auburn with copper highlights. If I'm not on duty, I usually dress like a decently-well-off Darkovan commoner or a Renunciate. Otherwise I'll just add at least one piece of my favourite warm-and-comfortable clothing over my not-warm-enough uniform (being warm is well worth any number of reprimands).
• Romantic relationships: none currently. As much as I like to flirt with men, I always back way off at any indication of things going any farther than a kiss.
• Friends: I have casual friendships with some of my co-workers. I haven't been here long enough for more than that. Sometimes I get so lonely that I'm tempted to try to smuggle in a pet (or two or three or more).
• Pets:
• Hobbies: I like to study herbalism (my tiny bachelor quarters are full of potted herbs) and to knit warm clothing and blankets. I also enjoy exploring Thendara (but I always eat far too many treats at Leisha n'ha Ursula's Sweet Shop, and bring too few back for later).
• History: I was born on Darkover, but grew up on Terra as the only daughter of a pair of civil servants. My mother Ysa NEVER spoke of her earlier life on Darkover, except to say that she wanted to put it all behind her, and that we went off-planet so she could be "finally safe from all those gene-warped freaks and crazies". I still don't understand what she means by that, and have often wondered. I asked my father once, and he told me that when he originally fell in love with her in Thendara, the only thing she was willing to tell him was "Call me Ysa. It's close enough that I'll remember to answer to it".
  
  She failed to appear at their usual meeting spot one day. He didn't see her again until a few years later, a day before transferring back to Terra. I was a wee lass in her arms and it was obvious to him that she was desperately running away from something. She wouldn't give him any information other than "You can call her Kay, for the same reason that you call me Ysa. She's your daughter and we have nowhere else to go". My parents swore freemate vows to each other that evening, before we all left for Terra.
  
  One of my other few clues to her past, is scraps of memories from when I was in my early teens and was terribly sick and feverish for an entire week. When I told a fever dream to my mother, she got very upset and begged me NEVER to mention anything that I wasn't certain other people had seen/heard. Later, I was startled awake by her having a nightmare. She kept screaming about people dying horribly, shining blue gems shooting blue flames, and about being trapped in chains in a desert. Father said it was nothing and I should forget all about it -- but I never could.
  
  After I got better, I found that I didn't quite fit in among my peers so well anymore. My mother was always saying "Safety is in NOT standing out from the herd --all else is likely to get you killed or make you crazy". For her sake, I would usually pretend to be just like everyone else, even though I felt like it was mostly a big lie.
  
  Certain people "felt wrong" or "felt right", so I'd act accordingly. I also started to spend almost as much time with animals as with people. Most strange animals would befriend me -- even ones whose owners described them as "anti-social". If I spend enough time with an animal, I'd bond with him/her. I couldn't explain how I did it, or why -- it just happenned.
• Family Tree: Mother: Ysa MacDonald -- parentage undisclosed. I suspect that she was born in the Dry Towns and escaped to Thendara twice ("Ysa" might be a short form of "Ysaba"). When she found out that I was taking a transfer to here, she cried and told me "don't go east of Thendara. All you'll find there is danger -- soon enough, you'd run into my thrice-bedamned relatives and likely end up like I did".
  
  Father: Colin MacDonald -- he admits to being half Darkovan and half Terran. He's estranged from both sides of his family tree, out of loyalty to his now-deceased parents (whose free-mate marriage was against the wishes of both their families). When I told him I would be leaving Terra to come here, I asked whether I had any living relatives on his side of the family. He grew angry and yelled "Terra's nae good enough for you now? Then seek them up north, in the forests and foothills of the west, and be damned to all of ye. Show your face there and they'll find YOU if they can use you. So don't say I didn't warn you".
• Other Information: I requested being posted here from Terra (and received considerable ridicule for it). I don't see why some people consider it a punishment to be posted here. Other than Terra, there's nowhere else I'd want to live.
  
  One of my secret dreams is to find someone to teach me so I'll be more confident about being able to control the little laran I think I possess. But I don't want to be rejected for being part Terran, and I worry that being around strong talents might make mine grow beyond what I can handle.
  
  My other secret dream is to travel outside Thendara. If I dared, I'd go to the Ardais Domain where I think I might find my father's relatives. I'm curious about them, but I wouldn't want to go pushing in where I'm not welcome. I've heard there's a tower there. I wonder if they'd welcome someone who was part-Terran. But it sure is a long way -- I don't know how I would ever get there.
• Opinion on the Compact? I'm very strongly in favour of it. It's not perfect, but I don't know of any better way of preventing mass planet-wide destruction.
• Opinion regarding whether Darkovans are Terranan? I believe they originally were Terranan, but now are not (though they're still close enough for viable interbreeding).
• Opinion on the Comhii Letzii? I'm not one of them, but I admire many of them. I love my father too much to ever consider renouncing my ties to him.
• Religion (Christoforo or Aldones)? I'm not very religious, but I've accepted a mixture of bits and pieces from both.
• E-mail: kit_no_spam@yahoo.ca
  (Note: yes, the "_no_spam" is a valid part of the address. My alternate address is kim@yucc.yorku.ca)
• ICQ #
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• Darkover website:
• Non-Darkover website: