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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: I've never been formally tested for laran (which is fine with me -- I feel safer NOT having anyone notice that I'm "a bit fey" like my gran was -- she had the Second Sight). In order to pass as "normal", I've always repressed my talent to some degree. A Wiccan circle (back on Terra) taught me about the proper sort of morals/ethics that keep us who are "a bit fey" from becoming monsters, and how to "ground" myself to avoid being distrubed so much by what what my talent sometimes shows/tells me.*
• 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: I'm stubborn, creative, and intensely loyal to my proven friends. I'm also good with all sorts of animals and learn new languages easily.
• Weaknesses: I'm somewhat afraid of some of the aspects of my laran, and hesitant about admitting that I even have it (even though I would feel lost and incomplete without it -- it's both a blessing and a burden). I usually have a reasonable degree of control over what little I have now. However, I worry that my power might grow beyond what I can control (regardless of whether I ever get close to a matrix or not). I WILL fight if provoked badly enough, and I can nurse wounds -- but they both disturb me. And the more pain/violence there is (and the longer I'm exposed to it) the more awful I feel later.
• 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: I'm entirely an amateur with no formal training. My usual tactics are to hit someone as hard as I can with whatever is close at hand -- and then run.
• 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've sworn oath-kinship with Gwenn MacConal, who's in his first year with the Thendara Guard. After he and Dolo Leynier swore hill-kinship to each other, I met Dolo and her oath-sister Melissa. The two of them became MY oath-sisters.
  
  Out in the city, I've met Mestru Ceroill Merrick and Master Tomas Painter, a couple of local shopkeepers. It would be wonderful if I could get to know them better. They both have quiet, calming presences that make me feel comfortable in their company.
  
  Except for my new friend Louis (who takes care of the children and pregnant women who come to the clinic), I barely know any of my co-workers at the base. So few of them seem to have anything in common with me, that it's difficult to relate to them and their ideas of fun.
  
  Sometimes I get so lonely that I'm tempted to try to smuggle a pet (or two) into my quarters. Back on Skye (that's an island on Terra), I had dogs, cats, horses, goats and sheep for company (they've now all passed on and I still miss them).
• Pets: None
• 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).
• Family: Colin MacDonald (father): He's half-Terran and half-Darkovan, but has always been estranged from both sides of his family tree (out of loyalty to his parents whose free-mate marriage was against the wishes of both their families). When I told him I would be leaving Terra to come to this world, 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. If you show your face there, they'll find YOU -- and THEN you'll be sorry".
  
  Ysaba MacDonald (mother, maiden name unknown) I suspect that she was born in the Dry Towns. When she found out that I was taking a transfer to Cottman IV, 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".
  
  Malcolm MacDonald (paternal grandfather, deceased): A gruff no-nonsense type who used to be a civil servant at the Terran Base in Caer Donn, before choosing to move to Terra with his beloved wife and his son's new family.
  
  Callisu MacDonald (paternal grandmother, deceased, maiden name unknown): A Darkovan woman who ran away from her family to marry their Terran visitor Malcolm MacDonald who she had seen in one of the visions that her Second Sight had brought to her. She used to love to tell child-Kay all sorts of "faerie tales and scary tales". but when she told stories about her pre-Terra life, she'd always delete the personal names (or substitute silly nicknames).
  
  Cassilda the younger (maternal grandmother, deceased, no other information known)
  
  Cassilda the elder (maternal great-grandmother, deceased, no other information known)
  
  Callista (paternal great-grandmother, deceased, no other information known)
  
  Gwenn MacConal (oath-brother)
  
  Dolo Leynier (oath-sister)
  
  Melissa Ridenow (oath-sister)
• 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 at yahoo.ca; garden_crafter at yahoo.com
  (Note: yes, the "_no_spam" is a valid part of the address. )
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• AOL IM:
• Darkover website: http://www.oocities.org/kit_no_spam
• Non-Darkover website: http://www.oocities.org/garden_crafter