Drisana

Short Bio:
Drisana "Sun" so named because she was born with a sun symbol on her forehead. The story is that she was kissed by a nymph; but when that would've happened before conception and birth she doesn't fathom--perhaps in a dream? But because of it no one was surprised when some kind of magic manifested, they just didn't imagine the tragedy involved. But it could've been worse than burns; at least no one died. Drisana emigrated to America to get married to a second-generation Indian-American man named Suhail. Everything is going so swimmingly that she keeps expecting the other shoe to drop.

Physical Appearance:
An Indian woman with an orange-shade of brown eyes, long black hair, with her face disfigured by burns. She isn't self-conscious about them, although people always stare at first. She has a big smile that the fibrous burn scarring across the entire right side of her face can't stop. Like all the women in her community she wears a small gold nose ring. Also a piece of "Navratan" jewelry which represents the nine planets and encircle a gem representing the sun.

Wardrobe/Attire:
She owns all kinds of traditional Indian clothes now but her new family only dresses like that on occasion. Instead they dress as the rest of the Americans do. So most of the time she does not wear a headscarf either, but she will always wear one as a scarf around her shoulders if she can. She owns so many high-quality ones made by herself and the women back home.

Background and History:
Drisana is from the Thar Desert in India. Living there has made her rugged and strong. Her community made her traditional and skilled. The women who raised her were close-knit and wise and unwaveringly supported her, teaching her to respect herself and her abilities. Still, some people didn't like her. Perhaps its human nature; no amount of censure or punishment could take away the fear and revulsion they felt when they saw her. It went beyond logic--it was primal. She only experienced light bullying though--meant mostly to chase her off than hurt her. She did learn to stay away from those people and to recognize if her presence made someone uneasy.

She always got along with her family. But her younger sister is jealous of her. Drisana thinks she must be glad she moved away so she can step out of the shadow of 'the sun' but it's actually not true. However, both her younger siblings are closer to each other than they are to her, and that's just because of their closer ages. They have two loving parents and a few aunts/uncles and grandparents.

The burns happened when she was a baby and she doesn't remember. She was scared of her powers once but her father stepped in and taught her not to be. She was born with them--she was always meant to have them--they are as much part of her as her blood. Really what he did is teach her to trust herself.

'The only reason she was burned was because she was a baby and could no more understand magic than speech but she learned that didn't she? Why, the way she talked their ears off you'd think she was all tongue and no ears or eyes!'

But he was only teasing. She was an excellent listener too.

After that she made real progress with her fire abilities and never burned herself or anyone else ever again.

The family had a "Caravan Hound" growing up that she still misses.

She has a fleeting memory of being kissed by a glowing person who exuded fondness for her, but she doesn't know if it's just a memory cobbled together from stories or an actual memory. It might just be a dream.

Personality:
Drisana has the boundless energy of the sun. It is infectious--when you come into her orbit you feel drawn to her and energized by her. People like her partly so much because of how good she makes them feel.

She appears open, friendly, and polite. But it's a mask for the untrusting, reserved personality inside. She skillfully maneuvers people into liking her without ever really getting to know her--that makes her a wonderful arm-candy for her fiancé, but it also makes it harder for him to control her. Nonetheless, she is a very charming woman.

She has a motherly side. She loves animals and children and has had a hand in raising some of them.

But her true calling is as an oral storyteller--for people of all ages. As a child she was driven to learn about all her people's myths and religious beliefs and had a very good memory. That is how she became the storyteller she is today. When you are absorbed in one of her tales you see past the burn scars right to the character she's playing. Now that she's in America she spends lots of time reading. It has improved her English, but not perfected it yet.

She is dearly missed at home, and dearly misses them.

Goals and Motivation:

Master the English language
Conquer this new society, become fully ensconced in her new life
Make a successful marriage with Suhail, with children and raise them well
Make new friends
Remember her roots

Interests and Hobbies:

Learning, Reading
Asking people for their stories
Animals
Children

Skills and Abilities:

Telling stories
Networking with people
Traditional jewelry making and embroidery