Maranka Matea
Spoiler Warning
The following details are about a player-created storyline, or is information currently unrevealed about a character.
Please do not use this information ICly unless given permission to do so.
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Contents
Appearance
Maranka is short. Very short, only about five feet tall- though you will find, after talking to her, that all darklings are that. She has violet cat eyes that glow noticably, and strawberry-blond hair, which she wears long and loose. There's a black scar over her right eye, and she carries herself somewhat arrogantly, seeming amused by those around her. For some reason, she refuses to wear shoes, and if you look closely, her feet are clawed. She has what looks like tribal tattoos going down her arms, and if asked, she'll explain them. She can usually be seen wearing long gloves and a green dress, with a long cloak.
Personality
Maranka does what she does for her amusement. She can seem cruel and cold, or delicate and sweet, on the surface. Beneath that surface layer that she shows strangers, however, her friends and family know someone else. Maranka is, above all else, loyal. If Mara says you're her friend, then that's it- you're friends for life, and Mara will quite happily risk her life to help you out. Mara can seem to be a little naive about things, but don't let that fool you- She knows exactly what you mean. She just likes to pretend not to. Among her family, Mara's very protective of them. When someone hurts a member of Maranka's family, it pisses her off, severely. While she's past the stage where she would hunt you down to kill you, if you upset one of Mara's family members, you can bet that there's no way she'll let you anywhere near them.
Despite her best efforts to hide it, Maranka genuinely likes people. She might claim that she hates everyone, and she's happy to set anyone who annoys her on fire, but she really does like people. She hates seeing people upset, and though she'd never admit it, Maranka is fond of children. She longs for a baby of her own, but since she can't have one, she'll just care for her niece's children instead.
Her Story
Maranka's tale is a long, and sometimes sad one, but she wouldn't trade the path that led her here, not for anything.
Gone, But Never Forgotten
Maranka, like most darkling children, bonded with a member of the Cathedal Edan, a young one, named Keldrin. They were close friends, and Maranka gave her a cloak, green, like her own. The two were inseperable, and could often be found together, be it making a ruckus in the library, swinging among the hanging branches of the city, or just sitting quietly in the gardens, talking together, making up whole universes with their imagination.
Keldrin disappeared when Maranka was twelve, and for years, Mara didn't know what had happened. At first, she went to the mountains of the Edan, begging them to tell her what had happened. When they refused, she began searching high and low for her friend, looking everywhere. It was only after six months, when Maranka still couldn't find her, that she finally gave up. She started writing letters to her friend, every week, keping them in an ornate wooden box on her desk. Maranka finally learned what happened when she was seventeen- equivalently, for a human, thirteen.
"Mara?" Maranka looked up from the letter she was writing for Keldrin, seeing her mother at the doorway. "Just a second, mama? I'm almost done with Keldie's letter." Mara returned her attention to her work, closing out the last paragraph with a flourish, then folding int, putting in into an envelope, and into her little box. Lady Matea stepped fully into the room, resting a hand on her daughters shoulder. "That's what I came to talk to you about, love. They found her." Maranka looked up, not believing her ears. "They found Keldie? Oh mama, that's wonderful news! Can I go see her? Pleease? Pretty please?" Lady Matea hid a frown, not having the heart to break the bad news to Mara. "I... Alright. Stay as long as you'd like, Mara..." Maranka leaped to her feet, hugging her mother. "Thank you mama!"
Maranka raced through the city, teleporting as far as she could manage, until she reached the Edan village near her home. She ran to her friends home, slowing in confusion when she saw Keilesa, Keldrin's mother, standing outside, looking somber. "Miss Keil? What's wrong? Aren't you glad Keldie's home?" "I... You should see for yourself, sweetheart." Keilesa led her into the hut, through the rooms, to where Keldrin lay on a pallet, her grand mother tending her. Maranka's breath caught in her throat, and she hurried forward to her friends side, looking her over in horror. The young Edan was covered in deep cuts and bruises, the skin on her wrists and ankles completely rubbed away, bleeding sluggishly. "K-Keldie?" Keldrin opened her eyes with effort, turning her head to look at Mara. "Missed.. You.." Her voice was hoarse, as if she'd been screaming for a long, long time. "I m-missed you too, Keldie. Just, just rest, okay? Rest, so you can get better, and we can play again, okay?" Keldrin nodded, shutting her eyes, and Mara hugged her, for what she later learned would be the last time...
The girl known as Keldrin died two days after that. Maranka found out from Keldrin's grandmother, that five years ago, Kasin had come to their village, demanding a tribute. He had intended to take Keelin, Keldrin's baby brother, and Keldrin had offered herself in his place. The blood mage hadn't given her a chance to say goodbye, just taking her and leaving.
Maranka stood silently, tears rolling down her cheeks as Keilesa gave young Keldrin her rites of passing. Lady Matea rubbed her shoulder comfortingly throughout the ceremony, and when the time came to give their final farewells, Maranka held back, clutching an ornate wooden box to her chest. She watched as the blood mage, Kasin Riados, stepped forward first, looking into the casket coldly, not saying a word before leaving. Keelin, the tiny five year old, toddled up to the casket, speaking in his baby voice. "I miss you, sissy... Thank you..." Lord Matea was next, placing a hand over his heart. "You didn't deserve to go this way, little one." One by one, everyone came forward to give their farewells, until at last, Mara alone was left.
Maranka blinked back tears, walking up to the casket. "These were for you, Keldie. I was going to give them to- to y-you, when you g-got better, but I, I guess... I guess, s-since you can't r-read them now, I'll... I'll r-read them, to- to you." Her voice shook with tears she couldn't hold back, but she shut her eyes tightly, opening the box and pulling out the next letter, beginning to read. "Keldie, I miss you very- ve- very much. I d-don't w-want you t-to feel, left- left out, when you come h-home, so I'm, I'm, I'm wr-writing these l-letters for you, so you know ev, every, everything that's h-h-ha-happened while you've been g-gone." The onlookers listened, as the young girl read out five years worth of letters that would never reach their recipient. The dead girl's family cried silently, and Lord and Lady Matea held each other, hearts breaking as their daughter's broke more and more with each letter she read.
"That's... That's the last one, Keldie. I just... I... Gods, Keldi, I miss you, so, so much. You can keep the letters, since I.. I wrote them for you." Maranka returned the letter to it's envelope, placing it in the box with the others. She kissed the ornate top of the box gently, running her fingers over where 'Keldrin' was carved in swirling, ornate letters, then gently set it in the casket, beside the corpse of her friend.
Fight Or Flight
The next few years went slowly for Maranka. She studied magic constantly, almost obsessed, it seemed. She tried not to pay attention to the fact that she was nearing a marriageable age, refusing to believe her father would force her into an arranged marriage- after all, hadn't she told him time and time again that the tradition was stupid? Surely he'd listened to her wants!
Evidently not, as she learned when she was twenty-five (equivalently sixteen). She was called to speak to her mother, and found that not only was she to be married off, but that she was to marry Kasin Riados. No amount of begging, pleading, or fighting would change her mothers mind, not even when her little brother joined in. Finally, seeing that her mother would be stubborn, she went to the only resource she had left- her grandmother.
Leaves and branches hit her face as Maranka ran through the forest, not caring who she ran over. There simply was no time. How could they do this to her? Everyone knew the tales of Kasin, and she'd seen what he did to Keldrin, they all had. He'd killed the poor child, and yet her family still insisted Maranka marry him.
Tears obscured Mara's vision for a moment, but her feet knew the way. She slowed as she reached the path to her grandmother's door, knocking rapidly. "Gramma!" she called, "Gramma, it's me, Maranka! Please let me in!" The young darkling was shaking like a leaf in the wind, not only because of the chill in the air, but from fear. Grandmother Friadon opened the door, took one look at her grandaughter's disheveled blond hair, teary purple eyes, and active markings, then drew her into a hug. Standing only at 5'4, she was less then a foot taller then Maranka.
Fria rubbed Mara's back gently, leading her inside and waiting for her to calm down enough to speak. "M-mother and F-father are marrying me o-off to Kasin R-riados," Maranka stuttered out, terrified tears streaming down her cheeks. Friadon's blue eyes blazed in fury, and she growled softly, pacing back and forth, muttering to herself.
After a few minutes of pacing, she turned to face Mara. "I'll not let them," she assured her, eyes blazing. "When is the wedding to happen?" Maranka was shaking as she answered, her voice choked by terror. "I-in ten days, on the m-midmoon of R-risdale." Fria twitched. "Of course, of course... Traditionist pigs..." she muttered to herself, pacing again. Maranka felt herself slowly relaxing. Fria would find a way, she told herself. Fria always finds a way.
"Maranka, child, you're not going to like what I am about to ask you to do." Fria said softly. Maranka lifted lifted head in alarm, noting her grave eyes. "I need you to pretend to go along with the marriage, Maranka. Can you do that?" Mara nodded slightly, hands starting to shake. Friadon must have noticed this, for she then said, "I will not let him have you, Maranka. I have a plan, I promise. I need you to do one more thing for my plan to work, however- I need you to arrange for the pre-ceremony bath to be at least twice as long as it normally is. Then I shall handle the rest." Maranka nodded again, allowing Fria to gently take her arm and return her to her home. She hugged Maranka gently, then sent her inside.
The days to Maranka's 'wedding' passed slowly. Mara started to understand Fria's plan as she aided Lady Matea and Mara in planning the ceremony, selecting trusted friends of her and the families of Kasin's previous six wives to be the attending maids, and herself to oversee the bath. Mara did not yet know what the plan was, but she felt safe in the knowledge that any of the women selected to prepare her would aid in the plan.
The day came at last. Maranka was shaking like a leaf when her attendants unbound her hair and eased her out of my gown, someone taking her belongings elsewhere. Fria lead her into the bath chamber, muttering a spell to seal the door, then turning to Maranka. "Bathe quick, child," she ordered, no hint of warmth to her voice. Shivering, Mara slipped into the pool of water and washed her hair swiftly, rinsing it out. The pool emptied and refilled itself with a whispered word, allowing her to bathe her body with fresh water.
When she stepped out of the water, she handed me a green dress to put on, once again ordering her to be swift. As Maranka finished dressing, she went over to the west wall. "Dos, nif vur xkhat vi ifni ihk ve vur sini ekess klae," she muttered, a soft yellow glow flowing from her fingertips to the wall. Maranka watched in amazement as it swung open, revealing a flight of stairs going down, down. Friaddon turned to her. "Come, Maranka. We must be swift."
The door shut behind the two with an ominous clang, and Maranka could not help but to shiver. Fria seemed not to notice as she led them down the stairs. It felt like hours that they spent going down, down, down, but in reality, it was only a few minutes. They eventually came upon a dead end, and Friadon stopped, tapping the wall, and muttering, "Dif, nif." This wall too swung open, revealing darkness and grass. As they stepped out, Maranka looked up. Her eyes widened in shock, as she saw- above above them- the first layer of the city trees. Friadon turned to her, looking sad. "You must leave this place, Maranka. Nowhere on the homeworld will you be safe from Kasin, now that we have raised his ire. I will slow down his pursuit as much as I can, but you must leave immediately." Maranka felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she nodded. Fria unclasped her cape and handed it to Maranka, wrapping her in a tight hug. "I am so sorry," she whispered into Mara's shoulder. "So, so sorry." She pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I'll open the portal for you, but from this point forward, you'll have to do it on your own."
Maranka looked back at Fria one last time as the shimmering yellow circle formed, nodding slightly. She turned away, shutting her eyes, and took a deep breath. She didn't look back as she forced herself to take that final step, falling through to the unknown.
Friadon Matea watched the portal close sadly, her heart breaking as she lost her second child. "Lady damn this world..." she muttered, straightening up. "I'll fix our world for you, Mara. I owe you that much." It was with a determined heart that she turned towards the rising sun, and made her way back into the tree.
From that day on, Mara's life was spent in a state of constant unease. She never stayed in one place long, terrified to risk drawing Kasin's attention. Over time, as all things do, she grew older. Her body finished maturing, and she began to carry herself more confidently, with an air of strength she'd been lacking before. She grew less afraid of Kasin as the years passed and her power grew, starting to stay longer before she left. No longer did she look like a teenager on the cusp of adulthood- those years were long gone, leaving in their wake a strong young woman- the kind to make any mother proud.
Surviving is one thing. Living is another thing entirely.
Maranka turned, flashing a grin to her friend. It had been a while since her last trip, she knew, it was time to move on. "Relax. You know me, I'll be okay. I always am, aren't I?" The other girl didn't seem convinced, though, biting her lip. "Well, yes, but you're not exactly the most careful, M." Maranka walked back to the girl, wrapping an arm around her. "You know me, Chikea-pea. Always gotta be on the move- come on, who's ever heard of ~me~ settling down? Stay safe, okay?" 'Chikea-pea', as Mara had evidently dubbed her, sighed. "Fine... But if you get your silly self killed, I am so necromancing your ass, got it?" Maranka laughed. "Fair deal. Try to stop getting shot at, kiddo!" She waved over her shoulder, turning and stepping through the portal.
"Gyeaaaah!" Maranka flailed as the portal spat her out mid air, tumbling until she managed to teleport, reappearing on solid ground. "Phew... That woulda been embarrassing... Now where am I this time, hmm?" The darkling looked around, seeing tall, futuristic buildings, floating billboards, and a giant gear. "...Somewhere strange, that's where. Huh."
As you can probably guess, after speaking to some people, looking for information, Maranka discovered that she was in Millenium city. After exploring, and finding an apartment, she ended up meeting a man named Nebulis. He intrigued her, and so she decided to get to know him. As she learned of him, and he of her, they drew closer to each other, becoming dear friends. They never meant to fall in love somewhere along the line- but somehow, they did. Somehow, somewhere in between battles with foes, drama, death threats, and insane fiances, a bond of love was forged tightly between the two, one that may have been helped along by Nisean.
Of course, that's obviously not all that Mara did as she settled into the city. She was arrested a couple of times for Arson, but somehow, the charges never managed to stick. Eventually, she started frequenting Caprice, working as a bartender for a time, and simply annoying people at other times. When she got a letter informing her that Kasin was on earth, it was Zilla who found her hiding in the rafters and got her to someone who would help. And months later, when Kasin tried to kidnap Zilla in the bar, it was Micky who shot and killed the blood mage.
Months passed, drama came and went, and slowly but surely, Maranka settled into a new life- one that she had never expected, but one she found that, surprisingly, she enjoyed. Sure, it had it's pitfalls- being shot at, turned into a kid, being lit on fire- but Mara had come to expect such things from her life. She somehow managed to form inexplicable friendships, and somehow, eventually, it turned out to be worth it.
Her Family
Nebulis- Maranka met her boyfriend in the Powerhouse, shortly after arriving on earth. He intrigued her, and the darkling woman decided that she wanted to get to know him better. As she learned of him, and he of her, they drew closer to each other, becoming dear friends. They never meant to fall in love somewhere along the line- but somehow, they did. Somehow, somewhere in between battles with foes, drama, death threats, and insane fiances, a bond of love was forged tightly.
Serdurni- When Maranka's grandmother sent her a letter seven years ago, telling her that she'd adopted a child, Mara didn't really pay much attention to it. After all, she figured, she'd never meet the girl, so what did it matter to her? As it turned out, a lot. Maranka finally met Serdurni a while back, and she found herself incredibly protective of the seemingly naive valori woman. Protectiveness soon turned to friendship, and when Mara found out that Serdurni had a boyfriend, she decided to 'help', dressing the woman she treated as a niece in increasingly provocative outfits, which, as could be guessed, led to the girl getting pregnant- and married, as well.
Reenka- Maranka adored Serdurni's adoptive daughter, even when she first met her. She finds the fact that the little one wants to grow up to be just like Fencer to be, quite honest, incredibly sweet. She does not, however, like the fact that people keep hurting Reenka. At all. She's made several things, after the last incident, to help keep Reenka safe- and to alert her if she's harmed.
Fencer- Mara likes to pretend that Serdurni's husband doesn't make her nervous. Really, she does. That's not to say, however, that he doesn't. If asked why, Mara would explain, quite simply, "I have a healthy fear of anyone who knows as many ways to kill me as Fencer does." Still, she does like him. She actually finds him rather amusing!
Sahnia- Maranka is fascinated by her new niece. She's never been around babies much, and she finds little Sahnia to be absolutely adorable. Especially when the little one smiles at her. It just amazes her.She's not really used to babies, at all.
Gietochri- Mara's older then her brother, by about five years. And, there is quite the story behind these two...
Little Maranka sat in her father's lap, head buried in his shoulder as they sat outside the birthing room. The seconds ticked by agonizingly slowly for little Mara, as she listened to her mother's pained cries from inside. "Please be okay, moma..." she mumbled to herself, hugging her father tighter. Her stroked her hair and back gently, humming softly to her, until finally, worn out, she fell asleep.
Hours later, when she woke, the midwife was just opening the door. She looked up, hopefully, only to be met with the woman's somber face. "I... Come in, Lord Matea. He needs a name before he is to be buried..." Mara tilted her head in confusion, looking up to see her father's suddenly stricken face. "Papa? What does she mean?" "It means, little flower, that your brother... Didn't make it." Lord Matea carried his daughter into the birthing room, where she saw her mother, pale and exhausted, lying on the hospital bed, clutching something to her chest. Maranka pushed at her father's arms until he set her down, walking over to the bed to take a look.
The infant was pale, not the dark grey that darkling infants normally were. He didn't seem to be moving, and unlike what she'd been told, he wasn't crying. In fact, his eyes weren't even open. Maranka hadn't learned much magic yet from her grandmother, but she'd learned enough to at least sense auras- and for him, she sensed one. It felt... Odd. Flat, and dull, barely there, like it was fading away. "That's not right..." she muttered, lightly holding onto the sheet of the bed. She frowned a little, reaching out to touch the boys face- and with a start, she was gone.
Maranka stumbled, looking around at her new surroundings. Though most would call it peaceful, she just called it 'weird'. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet, either. It wasn't hot or cold, and it wasn't wet, or dry. It felt empty. "Huh..." The little girl bit her lip, looking around, then shrugged, picking a direction and starting to walk, not sure where she was going, but figuring that eventually, she'd get home.
As she walked, she began to hear things, faintly, and far off- a child's laughter, a baby's cry, a Cuas mewling- sounds of children, so faint at first, she wasn't certain they were real. And yet, they seemed to be. Little Maranka found herself drawn towards the sounds, until finally, she entered a room, full of children and babies, juveniles of every species on her planet. There was only one adult in sight- a tall woman, watching over the children with a matronly smile, unlike anything Mara had thus seen. She had large wings, that at first looked like a birds, until you realized that the 'feathers' were more like gossamer membranes than actual feathers. Her skin was blue, so pale it could be mistaken for white, and her eyes caught the light, glittering like her irises were made up of a million tiny rainbows, each little fleck sparkling. Her clothing was unlike anything the little girl had ever seen, gossamer and flowing, nearly the same color as her skin. Her long, pale pink hair was neatly laid over one shoulder, not even a tiny bit of it out of place.
The little girl bit her lip, forcing herself to look away from the odd woman. A darkling child, around her age, caught her eye- and the girl's breath hitched. She knew that girl! She was a commoner from the Matea quarter, Maranka remembered her- she'd died in an accident a few weeks ago, along with several others. Confusion entered Mara's features, and she approached the woman. "Who are you, miss?" The lady knelt to see Maranka, smiling kindly. "I'm the Matron of lost children, little one. I protect their souls until they've grown, and are ready to enter the afterlife itself." Mara tilted her head. "Then... Am I dead?" Surprisingly, the idea didn't seem to bother her. Perhaps it was part of this place, that made it so that nothing could bother those inside. The woman tilted her head back, and laughed. "No, no dear heart. You're perfectly fine." Mara blinked a little, then shrugged. "Oh. Okay. Is my little brother here? He won't wake up." The woman nodded, leading the small girl over to a row of cribs she hadn't noticed before, over near the wall. "In there, dear heart." Maranka looked into the cribs, recognizing one of the infants, a small, happy looking little boy, who waved his tiny hands at her, staring up at her with vibrant purple eyes. "Hello, little brother... Are you having fun?" Mara reached into the crib as she asked this, lifting the infant into her arms. "It's time for us to go home, little brother... Mama an' papa are probably worried sick by now." She turned to the Matron. "Can you show me the way out?"
The matron merely smiled, touching Maranka's forehead. With a flash, Maranka reappeared beside the bed in the birthing room, remaining conscious just long enough to hear the baby start crying, before she fainted.
Friadon Matea- Maranka's always been closer to her grandmother than her actual parents. In times of trouble, or stress, Fria's the one that Mara turns to, no matter what. They've had their disputes, but over all, they care for each other greatly.
Miri Riados- Maranka honestly and truly despises her sister-in-law, with all of her heart. Unsurprisingly, the feeling is entirely mutual- or, was, before Molly got ahold of Miri. Before that, however, the two would try to kill each other every single time they met.
Kasin Riados - Mara has plenty of reasons to hate her fiance- but, in all honesty, she fears him much more than she hates him. Some small part of her still remembers seeing her friend lying there, dying. Maranka has been known to flee across multiple universes to avoid him, and when that fails, she generally resorts to lighting him on fire, or asking for help.
Ankavo- Ankavo is a summoned voidling, who generally follows Maranka around. Because of his playful nature, Mara tends to treat him like a pet, and is highly amused by his antics. When Maranka was in a coma a while back, Ankavo stayed near Reenka, protecting the little girl, since Mara wasn't there.
Her Friends
Zilla- Maranka adores Zilla, she truly does. When she got a letter informing her, after arriving on earth, that Kasin was on the planet, it was Zilla who found her hiding in the pillars, and brought her to his friends. Zilla's helped Mara several times, and the darkling is feircly loyal to him, She often can be seen supplying him with chocolate.
Nisean- Maranka and Nisean have an incredibly odd friendship, revolving around teasing each other, it seems. Still, the two dimension hoppers seem to get along rather nicely, and Maranka's been known to drive herself to exhaustion when Nisean is hurt. No one is quite certain how the two met, and if asked, Mara just grins mischievously, and makes up a wild tale, a new one each time. ...We'll probably never know the whole story...
Apolean- Apo, or Napolean, as Nisean calls him, was one of the friends that Zilla brought Maranka to when he found her. Apolian offered Maranka a place in his group, the Obscuriom Incendia, as well as protection, and Maranka accepted, gladly. Though she has since left the group, and his protection is no longer necessary, Maranka still considers him to be a friend.
Maka- Maka is an ex-girlfriend of Apolean's. When she first met Mara, she didn't trust her. At all. In fact, she thought Mara was a spy, and tried to kill her a total of five times, catching Maranka off guard each time, somehow. Eventually, Maranka managed to get the girl to stop trying to kill her long enough for her to explain her history, and somehow, after all of that the two managed to become best friends.
Starsign- The first time Mara was 'kidified', she was found by a mostly-cybernetic girl named Wire. Wire, realizing that she couldn't take care of the seven year old herself, in turn, brought her to Nanobreak, teling her to stay with him, and to not let him 'sell her off to the lowest bidder'. Nano didn't want to take care of the girl, however, and eventually, Starsign ended up accidentally kidnapping Mara, and somehow ended up being the one roped into taking care of her. Unfortunately for him, Mara apparently didn't like staying put...
Felix Wrath- While Maranka was kidified, she somehow ended up in the home of Syracuse The Shadow, while he and a few others were discussing a plan of sorts. Maranka was asked to help, and she agreed, happily. She ended up being unable to help, however, as before she could, she was returned to her adult self and fell out of contact. She feels more then a little guilty about this, and has decided to do her best to keep Felix and Tex safe.
Texas Two-Step- Maranka has more than one reason to want to protect Tex. Her official reason is the same as her reason for protecting Felix, but she also desires to protect the woman because Serdurni is fond of her. And, admittedly, because Kaiser annoys her. A lot.
Diatra- Mara met Diatra by accident, but she ended up becoming friends with the woman, looking to her like a big sister. When Maranka was sent into a void rage, it was Diatra who found her and prevented her from killing innocent civilians, accidentally leading to her becoming a child again in the process. Diatra took care of Mara during this time, leading to Mara becoming even more fond of her.
Jarvan De'Linquintor- As Diatra's son, and Serdurni's mentor, it should come as no surprise that Mara calls Jarvan a friend. She seems to like annoying him, sometimes, but mostly, she seems amused by him.
Manea- A succubus Mara met along her travels, the two are best friends. Or, rather, they were. Manea has returned to Hell now, however, and they haven't spoken since.
Molly- Molly drives Maranka absolutely crazy. Maranka first met the succubus in a home she had inherited, and to her dismay, she couldn't get Molly to leave. While she mostly is friendly with Molly, or at least tolerating of her, occasionally she irritates Mara into threatening to find someone to banish her- not that it would do her any good.
