T'arys Vaccaro
Mostly The wrong things, sometimes for the right reasons
Character
Born into a family of criminals, raised in poverty, and tossed out into the world as an adolescent, T'arys Vaccaro knows a thing or two about choices. Those that weave a safety net, others that lead to an iron cage, and some that strip away the hope of possibility entirely.After a lifetime of being educated by limited options, she's honed in on one inarguable fact: a hefty sack of coin can skew the odds in your favor and push the ugliest outcomes onto someone else. Too bad for her then, the things she's best at haven't done much to expand her opportunities and instead, have left her on a path that grows increasingly precarious.Maybe the next gig will be the one that finally changes her direction and sets her on the course to a good life as a good person. And if not?Well, maybe the job after that one.
Summary
Name: T'arys Vaccaro
Race: Miqo'te (Seeker of the Sun)
Age: Mid-20s
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
Build: Petite
Eye color: Gold
Hair color: Purple with blue highlights (for the moment)
Place of birth: Somewhere in Eastern La Noscea
Current residence: Limsa Lominsa
Occupation(s): Bodyguard, security escort, recovery agent, delivery driver, and artifact appraiser...to name a few
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Likes: Gil, clothes, flattery, winning an argument, winning a race, sleeping past lunch, any kind of fruity cocktail, and the smell of vanilla
Dislikes: Being arrested, being poor, losing an argument, losing an argument to someone she hates, jerks, and self-awareness
Skills & Abilities
With no formal martial training and only basic schooling, T'arys learned to take care of herself by failing, getting roughed up, and failing some more. Her tenacity, however, hasn't been inspired by lofty ideals like grit or determination so much as pure, unadulterated spite. A few natural talents helped, of course, but she worked hard to transform herself into both a respectable fighter and savvy hustler.
Combat: Hand-to-hand fighting of the street brawler variety; small throwing weapons
Agility & speed: Acrobatics, exceptional balance, and faster-than-average reaction times
The Grift: Wide knowledge of various scams and cons, quick fingers and a light touch, and an instinct for spotting easy marks
Artifact appraisal: Proficient in evaluating a sizeable range of relics, weapons, and cultural objects for authenticity
Mechanics & technology: Basic troubleshooting and repair for small vehicles or low-to-mid-level technological devices
Devils in the Details
Vain, spiteful, impulsive, prickly. Clever, sensitive, wistful, resilient. All things that are true about her, whether T'arys wants them to be or not. They are also all things that she hides or emphasizes, depending on the audience. Still, there's only so much a girl can keep secret, especially when deep down, she really just wants someone to know her and accept her anyway.
What a Pretty Girl
Doing things to make herself look and—just as importantly—feel pretty seems to be one of T'arys' favorite hobbies. Her near-obsession with grooming and appealing aesthetics extends to her apparel, accessories, and wherever she's living. She doesn't like for things to be dirty, although she doesn't seem to mind messy too terribly much.
Her natural hair color is black, and she dyes it every few moons. She's extremely efficient at this process, having performed it on herself and others for years...and years...and years.
She bathes every day, even if it's dunking a washing rag in a bucket with cold water. (And if she can't even do that, she gets very, very cranky.) When she can, she'll take long, luxurious baths with lots and lots of bubbles, but a (hot, hot) shower will do just fine.
She almost always smells of vanilla and strawberries owing to her preferences in bath oils and lotions. She will also wear perfumes with light floral notes on occasion, with the "occasion" being related to going on some version of a date.
She has two piercings currently: one in her lower lip and one in her navel, both of which she usually wears but not always. Somewhere in her various piles of jewelry is an assortment of nose rings, but she hasn't worn them in so long, that piercing has closed up.
She keeps her nails short and painted, seeming to prefer bright, metallic colors or black. Her feet are also meticulously pedicured and the nails will be painted to match her hands.
Don't be Ugly Now
Eventually, someone might notice there are certain rituals T'arys performs—seemingly related to her vanity—that are instead a means to hide scars or imperfections she doesn't want anyone to see. Herself included. Fortunately, a fanatic devotion to oils and lotions, strategically applied make-up, and a habit of rarely staying put usually do the trick.Of course, the longer someone remains and the closer they are, the more likely they'll begin to notice the collection of old wounds and scars she works so hard to conceal.
There are three, small circular(ish) scars on the back of her neck, just beneath her hairline. The injuries didn't heal very well and were almost certainly caused by the end of a lit cigarette or cigar.
The bones in her right wrist don't sit quite the way they should, most likely having been broken at some point. If she's in cold or rainy weather for an extended period, she'll unconsciously rub the joint as though it's in pain.
There are two faint scars, about the size of a knife blade, on her torso—the first is on her abdomen, just below her left lung, and the second is on her back, roughly opposite to the one on the front.
There is another scar, thinner and fainter than the ones on her torso, located on her throat in the indentation in front of her windpipe.
The faintest scars of them all are the thin white lines that fan out from the base of her tail, like old spiderwebs that finally gave up and melted into silk drapes. It is not a coincidence that she is viscerally protective of this area.
It'll All Work out
Given her proclivities to indulge in laziness, sleep past lunch, and keep herself pretty as a flower, one might assume T'arys would eschew exercise. This is not the case at all; much like her grooming habits, she is relentless with her workout and training regimens. She also loves a good spar with opponents slightly better than her so that the victory of taking them down is even more fulfilling.
Nine out of ten suns, she begins her day with stretching, acrobatic and balance exercises, and a long, hard run.
She loves the stretching and hates the running, so if she's on vacation (a term she uses loosely), she'll skip the run but keep everything else.
She has exceptional balance and enjoys climbing places that were not meant to be reached by the sober or the sane.
When she's trying to think through a particularly irritating or difficult problem, she will do so in one version or another of a handstand.
How Sweet of You
T'arys tends to snack rather than eat, and her talk of enjoying large meals is often just that—talk. Take her to a restaurant, she'll order the most expensive thing on the menu and pick through the sides rather than the main dish. Naturally, not even two bells later, she'll be ready to eat (snack) again.
Her go-to "meal" of choice usually consists of fruits and cheeses. She also enjoys fresh-baked bread, especially if there's some sort of fancy herb spread to slather on it.
She loves berry-flavored candies or desserts, and she's never been one to turn down confections that involve chocolate.
She prefers fruity cocktails when she drinks, but if she can't get one of those, whiskey or rum will do.
If wine is her only option for alcohol, she considers that no option at all and will forgo drinking. She says the smell promises something the taste doesn't deliver.
Mind Your Own Business
Not one for long-term friendships or relationships, T'arys is more often than not alone. The long stretches of solitude mean she's reinforced some odd habits over the turns and found numerous ways to stay entertained. All of which she prefers to keep to herself, thank you very much.
She sings or hums when she does her hair or nails, and her voice, a solid soprano, is rather pretty. Too bad she only knows the sort of bawdy sea shanties that are popular on pirate ships.
She cannot cook—at all—and will pay someone else to prepare a meal that she passes off as her own if she's forced to feed other people.
She loves, loves, loves reading trashy romance novels, and the raunchier their sex scenes, the more she enjoys them. Most recently, she's been reading the plethora of works written by an author (supposedly) named Lady Vylancia Whitestone.
She doesn't seem to like small spaces and will leave doors open—even if it's just a crack—to closets, bathrooms, and other similar areas. This habit has extended to other types of doors as well, so good luck getting her to remember to close the kitchen cabinets.
Normally her accent sounds like a slightly less posh version of Limsa Lominsa's wealthier denizens, but if she gets angry or drunk enough, the strong and unmistakable sounds of Eastern La Noscea's poorer regions will come out.
Hooks
Hailing from Eastern La Noscea, T'arys makes her home in Limsa Lominsa. Most of her jobs keep her fairly close to Vylbrand, but she'll venture to other parts of Eorzea any chance she gets. Which hasn't been particularly often over the last few summers; in fact, some of the more lucrative gigs she pursued in the past have dried up, and she's not particularly forthcoming as to why.
A Job's a Job
Protection...for a price: Most of her (acknowledged) income streams seem to come from her work as a security escort for valuables being transported across land or sea. Perhaps you need someone with a questionably effective moral compass to guard your (ill-gotten) goods.
Let me look at that: She's recently developed a knack for identifying, dating, and authenticating a variety of artifacts, particularly any that have (or had) magic properties. In fact, she's so good at spotting fakes with certain types of relics, a syndicate of forgers in Ul'Dah have discussed taking a contract out on her.
Old habits die hard: A girl's gotta eat, and watching trinkets for rich folks sadly doesn't pay all that well. For the right job, and in the right circumstances, she'll happily skirt, bend, or break the law.
Sorry about that: She's scammed a lot of people in a lot of places, so you might know of a former con she pulled.
In the Big House: She's been arrested by various local authorities in La Noscea and Thanalan for petty crimes. She never served more than a sennight or two, but maybe you met her in a cell somewhere.
Look, It's personal
Let's go have a good time: Drinking and dancing are two of her favorite pastimes, especially when doing them together. You may have seen in her in bars, taverns, clubs, or gambling halls that include a VIP section. Not that she ever really makes it to the tables reserved for the well-connected, but there's always a chance.
It's not about who wins or loses as long as I win: Racing—whether in a wagon, on a Chocobo, on a motorbike, or on foot—is another favorite pastime of hers. She doesn't usually make bets on the outcome and instead prefers the sweet rush of being able to brag about her victory. Over, and over, and over again.
What a bunch of crooks: In certain parts of La Noscea, the men and women that make up T'arys' family are best known for being criminals. Some of them can't imagine any other life, others just aren't that bright, and a few are vicious bastards who would slit someone's throat rather than share a single drop of ale with them.
You sure do know a lot about this: Anyone who pays her to evaluate artifacts would likely assume she's simply done extensive research, and there is some truth to that belief. However, there's another factor at play, and those with the right senses could tell her aether changes dramatically when examining a relic.
Wait, was that you? Though not common knowledge, there is the hint of a whisper of a rumor that floats around in specific circles regarding a job she did several turns ago. More than a few people died, and she herself was in quite a bit of trouble until somehow, mysteriously, she wasn't.
Gallery
Player
Age: Old enough to remember waiting to see what partying in 1999 would be like, so 21+ only please!
Time zone & availability: US Pacific, generally after 6 PM most nights a week. I usually have to plan in advance for game time since my schedule can fluctuate.
About Roleplay
Home server: Mateus, Crystal
Writing style: Ranges from a few sentences to several paragraphs, but I tend to adapt to the scene and/or my partners as needed.
Themes: Adventure, Dark/Horror, Mature (e.g., morally grey choices, violence, and/or questionable adherence to the law), and Slice of Life; a variety of themes is ideal!
Lore respectful: I try not to break the world's rules as established by lore, but I find there's plenty of room to be creative within the setting we have.
What am I interested in? Long-term plots/storyarcs, the occasional one-off or short-term adventure, character growth and progression (mine and yours!), and all kinds of relationships.
In-game vs. Discord: I tend to prefer rp'ing in game, but I'm open to Discord rp as a supplement or substitute if/when it makes sense.