akirashadow
Full Name
Leila Lucine Rudolph
Nickname/Alias
N/A
Communicator Of?
Fenrir
Age
18
Gender
Female
Appearance
Leila stands at 5'5" and weighs roughly 120 pounds, putting her slightly on the smaller end of things. Her hair is jet black in color, and reaches down to her mid-back. She has striking green eyes, which stand out in contrast to her very pale skin. Leila is so deathly pale, in fact, that sunburns are a constant threat (not that she goes outside much as it is). She's also rather thin with little muscle to speak of, something she feels a tad insecure about. She gives off a self-conscious, almost frightened aura, likely due to her posture; her chin is always down, her shoulders are usually tensed, and she tends to avoid eye contact.
In terms of clothing, Leila favors darker shades of red and blue, though she likes black the most. She prefers comfortable, practical items that do not inhibit her movement or show much skin. Small black t-shirts and jeans usually do the trick, though in colder months she'll put on a denim jacket and cargo pants. Leila likes wearing modest pieces of jewelry, typically donning simple earrings and necklaces. She doesn't often wear much makeup, with mascara and eyeliner usually sufficing.
Personality
Leila is a deeply insecure and anxious young woman. She tends to assume that people dislike her, even when she's given them no reason to. She has a tough time allowing herself to get close to people due to this, and tends to shy away from social events. Leila often prefers her own company to that of others, feeling relaxed and contented by herself; her introversion isn't something she's ashamed of, but it does get in the way of her ability to form meaningful relationships with others. Despite all this, she will try to make friends with other people (at least, those who are persistent enough to keep talking to her); she certainly isn't antagonistic or hostile by any means. In fact, Leila is a bit of a pushover. She submits to authority figures very easily, and can even be gullible at times. She rarely complains or protests, even when forced to do something she dislikes.
Leila is an incredibly thoughtful person, often to a fault. Her overthinking causes a great deal of anxiety for her, as she often feels self-conscious and insecure. At the same time, however, she's very intelligent, capable of making keen observations and learning new things rather quickly. She often puts the needs of others above her own, both because of an inherent selflessness as well as a deep-seated sense of self-loathing. When engaged in casual conversation, Leila can actually come across as being sweet and kind; she tends to listen more than she speaks, and as such she makes for a great confidant. However, she herself is intensely secretive, rarely sharing details about her personal life and history.
Most of all, though, Leila is incredibly sensitive and emotional. She takes even off-handed remarks very personally, and has a difficult time identifying sarcasm when it's directed at her. She can become angry or depressed very quickly; however, you won't see it on her face. Leila directs all her emotions inward, taking her anger out on herself, even if it was caused by another person's actions. Her most extreme and unpleasant feelings are never outwardly shown, manifesting in even further seclusion on Leila's part. She has an incredibly difficult time communicating her feelings, even when they become intense.
Residence
Willow Creek, California, U.S.A.
Brief Bio
Leila grew up in the far north of California, near the Oregon border. Her father, Norman, was a violent alcoholic who was, among other things, abusive to Leila and her mother. Leila's mother Phoebe was the sole source of income for the family, struggling to support the three of them while enduring physical and emotional abuse from Norman. Phoebe did her best to protect Leila, but because she worked two jobs, Leila was often left alone with her father. Her early childhood was marred by violence and trauma at his hands, only worsening as she got older. She struggled academically due to her nonexistent participation in class, as well as an outright refusal to do any sort of group work or presentation. Leila isolated herself from her peers, pouring herself into books and poetry. Because she grew up in such a small town, she quickly became something of a pariah.
By the time she reached high school, Leila's life at home had worsened to the point that she would avoid going home as much as possible. At the age of 16, she began to volunteer at her town's animal shelter after school, finding it to be a deeply therapeutic experience. The animals she cared for were non-judgmental and didn't expect anything from her; Leila could simply care for them and play with them, and that seemed to be more than enough. On her summers off of school, she would often spend whole days there, staying until closing. But when she would inevitably return home, Norman would accuse her of "abandoning" him, turning it into an excuse to beat her. Despite the shouting and crying, their neighbors either didn't notice or didn't care; no police ever came, and nobody ever asked. Leila and Phoebe might have, if Norman didn't threaten to kill them if they did. One night, Norman became especially inebriated, and attacked Leila the moment she got home. He began waving a gun in her face, threatening to kill her and then himself; however, his intoxicated state made him clumsy, causing him to drop the gun. In the ensuing struggle, Leila shot him in the stomach, killing him.
In the aftermath of all this, Leila became the center of media attention in California. At first, it was thought that she'd murdered Norman, but the bruises and injuries on her body-as well as the testimony of her mother-quickly proved that it was self defense. Intrusive reporters and paparazzi swarmed her for about a month before the world seemingly moved on. Left deeply traumatized by the incident, Leila didn't go to school for several months; despite Phoebe's best attempts, her daughter had completely shut down. When Leila did return to school, she was given accommodations in light of what had happened to her. Oral presentations and group projects instead became reports, participation became written reflections, and she had regularly scheduled visits with her school's counselor. All this allowed her to graduate from high school, though Leila certainly didn't have plans to go to college.
That summer, Leila was hired to work at the shelter full-time. Phoebe had never seen her so happy; Leila took on as many hours as she possibly could, devoting all her time to the shelter animals. During that time, she had a major epiphany: most of those animals were just like her. They were abused, neglected, betrayed, or all of the above. Leila decided that she wanted to care for animals for the rest of her life, and that seemed to be the direction she was heading. One night, however, Leila had a dream; she was on an island somewhere, though she knew viscerally that it was not somewhere on Earth. Before her, a monstrous wolf was bound with some kind of ribbon, and a sword was stuck between his jaws. At first, the sight terrified her, but the wolf's horrific state drove her to try to help him. She very carefully took the sword out of his mouth, allowing him to speak to her. His name was Fenrir, and he wanted Leila to be his Communicator. Feeling a strange and unfamiliar kinship with him, Leila agreed.
Reason For Choice
Leila's story resonated very deeply with Fenrir. Like him, Leila was bound, albeit in a much less literal way. The way he saw it, she was trapped by her father, and forced into a constant state of suffering. Norman took advantage of the power he had over her, and used it to abuse her. The Gods did much the same to him, tricking him into trapping himself and shoving a sword into his mouth. But Fenrir knew all too well of his fate: that one day he would break free of his bonds and kill Odin, the All-Father, by swallowing him whole. Leila killing her father was the same kind of inevitability; he viewed her shooting Norman as a showing of her own strength. The things he would ask of her would not be easy, but if she’d already taken one person’s life, surely she could do it again. Her fondness for animals was also a boon; she was more likely to aid him in his pitiful state because of it. Yes, she was a bit of a pushover, but all that anger trapped inside of her was going to come out eventually.
Leila Rudolph freed herself of her abuser, and one day, Fenrir will too.
Weapon
Leila's weapon of choice is an Ulfberht sword, a long, double-edged blade with a straight crossbar over the grip. The word "Ulfberht" is inscribed on the blade. This sword once belonged to the Æsir who bound Fenrir with Gleipnir, and who placed the sword in his mouth to keep him from biting them. When Leila removed it, Fenrir allowed her to keep it, naming it Tyrantsbane.
Powers
I. Enhanced Physical Strength
Fenrir was feared by the Gods for his immense strength; they tried to restrain him twice and failed, and his current entrapment is merely temporary. As such, Leila gained a great deal of strength from Fenrir, capable of lifting and throwing things several times her own weight. Too much of this can tire her, however, as increased stamina wasn't exactly part of the deal. Moreover, she is just as vulnerable as any normal human, despite her strength.
II. Terrestrial Animal Affinity
Leila is capable of communicating with and controlling many species of animals. These species are terrestrial animals such as cats, bears, and mice. However, Leila displays the most exemplary control over canids, especially wolves. Arboreal animals such as birds and monkeys, meanwhile, can be communicated with but are much more difficult to control. Aquatic animals like dolphins and sharks are the most difficult, being hard to understand and unable to be controlled.
As part of bestowing this power upon her, Fenrir gifted his son Hati to Leila as both a companion and a personal guard.
III. Shapeshifting
Leila's most remarkable-and most dangerous-power comes in the form of her ability to shapeshift into a giant wolf. Her wolf form is roughly six feet tall and fifteen feet long, and is black in color. This form grants her even greater strength, as well as increased speed and heightened senses. However, she cannot speak to humans in this form (though she can understand them). Moreover, this form brings out a feral side of her, thus making it very difficult to control. She is more likely to attack indiscriminately, without regard for who might be a friend or a foe. The longer she maintains this form, the harder it is for her to restrain herself; it also exhausts her physically and mentally.
Other
In being brought to Earth, Hati's physical form became limited. He is now only slightly bigger than the average gray wolf, being about 3 feet tall and 5'9" long. Per his father Fenrir's orders, he is Leila's faithful guardian and companion; he is incredibly wary of strangers and follows Leila wherever she goes. He will not attack anyone unless provoked. He is easily provoked.
