Here is the last member of Dexter's team. I've actually decided the scrap the mage I had in mind and substitute this character instead. So yea, the team will have no magical asset, but will probably contract some out depending on the op.
Character: Ludmila Søren Twenty Questions
Background
1.Where and in what kind of environment did your character grow up? Ludmila Søren, Ludi for the more intimate or those just in a hurry, is originally from Volgograd, Russia. Middle child of a family of 5 (2 boys and 2 girls), Ludi grew up in a blue-collar working class family. Her family was far from being fortunate, and bad luck seemed to lurk behind every corner. Early in her childhood, her father, the only source of income for the family, suffered a work related accident, which took his left leg, and a part of his right arm. Lacking the funds for cybernetic replacement, the Søren family quickly saw its list of options narrow down. The two eldest sons gradually went from petty crimes to full fledge felonies.
To support her family, Ludmila enrolled as a reservist in the Russian Armed Forces. When Ludi was finally 18, she was able to get into a small technical school just outside of Moscow, through an army-sponsored project. She studied electronics and mathematics for one year. The young woman also took keen interests in combat sports, especially boxing.
One year after she started school, one of her young sister, working as a streetwalker, simply vanished in the fog of Volgograd. Her oldest brother also fell victim to a Mafia related shooting. With two sources of income gone, Ludmila had no choice but to abandon her studies and move to full active duty in the army.
After washing out of Officer Candidate School, she went the enlisted men's route, and was assigned to an infantry platoon as a communication and electronic specialist. The hours and work were hell... but the paychecks helped her now deteriorating family get by. After a few combat assignments, she was brought back to Moscow as an Unarmed Combat instructor.
At 23, Ludi's father died of liver related problems... probably from his heavy drinking. The same year, her remaining brother was arrested and slapped with a life sentence for murder. Ludmila could see her family simple break apart, and she felt powerless. The only family she had was spiraling down to hell. There was simply nothing left to salvage. And so, Ludmila did what she thought was best: she buried herself in her work to avoid confronting reality. Cutting almost all ties with her family, she has only seen them sporadically since then. After a year spent "collecting dust" in a Moscow military academy, Ludmila was scouted and recruited by the FSB, where she worked for the Science and Technology Services at the National Cryptology Academy. But, true to herself, even though she was talented in code breaking and intelligence analysis, Ludmila was bored to death by it. She wanted to be back in the field. She wanted her boots to hit the pavement. She wanted to feel the rush of the fight. After spending some time at a desk job, she was transferred into a special task force that had been put on by the FSB Counterintelligence Services, who were trying to break the back of the Vory V Zakone. Spending some time in the field with the team, gathering intel, Ludmila proved to be quite a reliable operative. Not only was she smart, she also had a lot more combat experience than most FSB agents. It didn't take long before she was moved full time to the Counterintelligence Services of the FSB, where she literally became what the Service calls a "proactive counterintelligence agent". Truth be told; she is now one of those people the FSB sends in to "take out the trash".
Ludmila worked for the FSB for about 6 years, growing slowly but surely desensitized about life. The FSB being a domestic security service, she saw, every single day, the worst not only of Russia, but of human nature. Infiltrating organized crime, investigating corruption in the intelligence community, tracking down foreign spies, cracking down terrorists cells. And all that for a still meager pay. Every day, she saw how people really were: greedy and backstabbing. Even though they still did "honest work", Ludmila realized that many operations the FSB had running were heavily tied in with the current political party, running his own agenda, or simply working at the heels of whomever they could pay. Slowly, Ludmila was sucked into the world of corruption, pay offs and double deals: getting paid protection money from foreign services and groups operating in Russia. She simply couldn't help herself… she had lost all hopes in humanity. She simply did not care anymore. But everything changed when, after a night of heavy boozing in a Moscow bar, Ludmila became pregnant. Her work wouldn't allow her to keep the child, and she couldn't bare bringing one into such a world… but she never made the final step. She couldn't bring herself to take the life in herself. Maybe the child could succeed where Ludmila had failed. Maybe she could make a difference.
And so, Ludmila resigned from the FSB, well, it was more like she simply went rogue and never came back… simply working for whomever could afford her services. She is now staying with her aunt (from her mother's side).
2. What are your character's relations with their family? (Does your character keep in touch? Where are they now?) Her mother should still be alive, but Ludmila has completely lost touch with her. For all she knows, she might be dead from the BTL she was hooked on. It isn't that she does not care or love her mother… it is that seeing her and thinking of her simply reminds her of the strong woman she was once before. Now, she is but a broken and shattered shadow of who she was.
Her brother is still alive and doing his time behind bars. Even now, Ludmila tries to go and see him now and then, or at least contact him when she not in the country.
Her little sister followed Ludmila's example and left the family home to move to the Russian capital, to pursue her studies. Whenever she can, Ludi sends whatever extra nuyen she has. She does all she can to support her, so she'll be able to stay in school… instead of following her example further and falling in the shadows.
Ludmila also has a daughter, Lana. Ludi has done her best, with the help of her aunt Zina, to bring the girl up. She keeps the nature of her work as blurry as possible from the young girl. Lana's father isn't even known to Ludmila… when she fell pregnant, she was seeing two different men. Although it would take a simply and fast test to determined who's the father, Ludmila simply never had the guts to go thru with it. Lana is the only thing that matters in her mother's eyes.
Zina, Ludmila's aunt, is a grumpy woman with a hearth of gold. Never having children of her own, she considers Ludmila like her own daughter. Even though she doesn't support Ludmila's shadowrunning activities, she understands how strong a mother's love can be, and that the woman is simply doing the best she can to provide for them.
3. Does your character have an ethnic background? (Is it relevant to them?)
Full blooded Russian. The fact is that Ludmila did more or less runaway from the motherland. The emotional baggage that she associates with her origins are mixed. Because of her thick Russian accent, and the fact that her knowledge of English is sometimes lacking, it is rather difficult for her to hide her origins. She is indeed proud of who she is, and where she is from, and is deeply trying to convey that pride to her daughter (for example; she insists on her speaking Russian at home… something the girl doesn't enjoy much). But, "being Russian" also makes her remember everything she left behind.
Appearance 4. What does your character look like?
Ludmila is about 5'9", 130/140lbs and keeps herself well in shape. Her body is well defined and toned; a habit she took from the army and something that hasn't left her. A bit obsessed about being in shape, Ludmila keeps her whole body toned and well defined with a daily routine of physical exercise and running. When she has the time, she adds swimming and gymnastic to the whole thing. Because of that, and all the added cybernetic limbs, her whole silouhaite is rather well toned out. Out of habit and practicality, she keeps her black hair short trimmed. Her upper left arm is entirely covered with a black inked tribal designed tattoo. Although probably not considered a "classical" beauty, Ludmila isn't all that displeasing to look at. She would probably be an attractive woman if she took care of her look and was less tough and ballsy. She has the typical Russian features. She has a very tomboyish look and never wears any makeup. Ludmila also has numerous scars on her body… all reminders of the lifestyle she has chosen.
5. What does your character dress like?
Ludmila dresses like she looks: in a practical matter. She usually opts for slightly baggy pants, with as many pockets as possible. Long sleeves or t-shirts, thrown under a heavy jacket usually finishes everything. She, from times to times, will wear an old and battered urban camo jacket... the only trinket she keeps from her brief army days. Her tomboyish look is only accentuated by how she dresses.
6. What are your character's physical quirks?
None
Skills, attributes, resources 7. What did your character always want to be? (How did they go about getting this job/position/ability/image? Did they succeed?)
At a very young age, Ludmila loved to taking things apart to see what make them ticked. At school, she excelled mostly in sciences, math and physics being her favorite classes. Because she lacked the money to go to college on her own, when she was 18, she enlisted as a reservist in the army. Thru a scholarship, she started a bachelor in Physics and Electronic Engineering. Her plan, at that time, was to work toward a Doctorate in Microelectronic Engineering. Since she was also very good at fighting, she joined the school boxing team, and sometimes dreamt of a career in the sport.
But soon, her life changed pace and she was trusted back in the army. Not being very keen on being bossed around by her superiors, Ludi decided that being at the top in the chain of command would be the best way to avoid that… but it is for that precise reason she washed out and was busted back down to Private. Although her rash temper made her a difficult soldier to order around, he determination and tough attitude also made her a very efficient member of the armed forces.
Lana birth changed all that. From a disgruntled young woman, Ludmila changed into a mother with hundreds of responsibilities. Now, she has to do whatever she needs to provide for her daughter.
8. Where and how did your character learn their Active and Knowledge Skills?
Beside her years spent in the Russian armed forces and at the service of the FSB, she has picked up bits and pieces of skills here and there. Once again, her knowledge skills come from her brief years of technical school, army training, and years spent working for FSB.
9. Where and how did your character get their major equipment and 'ware?
10. Where and in what kind of place does your character currently live?
She shares a crummy apartment with her aunt and daughter, It is located right across the street from her aunt's small beauty parlor.
11. Who are your character's contacts? (How did they become contacts? Why do they still talk to your character?) Lana Søren Born in 2067, Lana doesn't know her father. Fortunately for Ludmila, up to now, she never had explain her child why she didn't have any father… but Lana has started school now, and will probably come up with the question one day. The truth is that Ludmila isn't even sure who is the father. Testing for paternity would be simple, fast and easy… but Ludmila has (and still is) always been afraid of what the answer might be. Lana is five years old, and looks just like her mom: black hair, which are kept long and deep green eyes.
Up to now, Ludmila has also been able to keep her shadowy life a secret from the child… but knows deep down that she won't be able to lie to her kid for her whole life. Lana is, quite honestly, Ludmila's entire life. Everything she does, she ultimately does it for her. She is her drive; her will to live and survive.
Zina Søren Zina Søren arrived in Seattle when she was in her early twenties. She had met a young and charming classical musician in Moscow, and had followed him back to his hometown of Seattle. They were shortly after married, and lived quite happy. But Zina's husband died, about 15 years ago, of health problems. They had lived quite comfortably for their whole life, which was why Zina was so surprised when she ended up neck deep in debts.
It seems that they had, for many years, lived quite above what they could actually afford. The woman, now in her fifties, had to start working… for the first time in her life. With what money she had left, she opened a small beauty shop / salon.
Zina, now in her late 60ies/early 70ies, is Ludmila's aunt, on her paternal side. An old grumpy woman with a hearth of gold, she has been like a mother to Ludi, since she first arrived in Seattle. She greeted her niece, who she had never met before, with arms wide open, and gave her her first job: cutting hair in her salon. Surprisingly, Ludmila enjoyed it. She still helps her around the shop whenever she can, using her hairstylist job as a cover. When not on a job, Ludmila can always be found cutting hair at her salon during the day. She is eternally grateful to Zina for everything she has done, and does, and does everything in her power to repay her. Zina is also like Lana's grandmother.
She is a very conservative woman, who wouldn't miss church on a Sunday morning for anything in the world. Holding all the traditional beliefs very close to her hearth, she has a very hard time accepting countless facets of Ludmila's lifestyle. At first, her "teenage" attitude; the nights she spent out on the town; the men she took back home. After, it was her "masculine" behavior; the boxing, running the shadows. Now; the fact that Ludmila has a child and isn't married… and that she is seeing a married man on the side. Even if she doesn't accept all those things, she lives with it, and loves Ludmila like her own daughter. She would never admit it, but the main reason why Zina is so overprotective of Ludi… is because she remind her so much of herself at that age.
Varya Sevastyan Varya Sevastyan is a Lithuanian immigrant. Ludmila first met her at Zina's salon. It was her who taught Ludmila how to cut hair, and all the tricks of the job. A very outgoing person, she is Ludmila opposite in many ways. Very in touch with her feminine side, socialite, a real party girl… who's a bit childish and shallow at times. But Ludi loves her like a sister.
Varya has also been taking care of Lana, from time to time, and is probably Ludmila's only real friend. Up to recently, Ludmila was Varya's faithful clubbing and concert partner. But since Lana's birth, Ludmila has settled down a bit, taking things less carelessly than her friend. Varya is simply a carefree beautiful woman, with the mindset of an 18-year-old young woman.
12. Who are your character's enemies? (How did they become your character's enemies?)
Well, Ludmila wouldn't go as far as saying she has enemies… at least, none she really knows of. But having killed many agents for the FSB, it is quite possible some people might not like her.
13. For Awakened characters, how did your character learn their magic? For non-Awakened characters, how does your character feel about magic?
Although she accepts it as part of her life and the world she lives in, Ludmila isn't all that thrilled about magic. During most of her life, everything concerning the Awakened was what the trideo was feeding her in the living room of her parent's. While on duty in the Russian land forces, her unit saw brief combat close to the Chinese border. The mage in her unit summoned a spirit… who turned loose. In the midst of the firefight, it turned against the Russian troops, killing almost half of them before they could put it out of action. Since then, Ludmila has been feeling very uncomfortable around any astral entities. Mages and spells she can deal with… spirits and elemental, she can't.
Personality 14. What are your character's personality quirks?
Ludi is very single minded, and sometimes a bit overly aggressive about getting things done. Her straightforward attitude sometime makes her come through as a bit of a bully. She has some problem keeping her temper in check, and can be quite impulsive and explosive at times. She's also has a lot of pride, which is one of her main flaws: she takes failure quite harshly, and hates being vulnerable. It is because of this sort of temper and attitude she washed out as an officer in the army. Her military training is still engraved in her mind, and she tends to still behave, a lot of the time, like a soldier. She actually still considers herself a soldier... the battlefields; enemies, allies and missions have simply changed.
15. What are your character's likes and dislikes?
She is a total sucker for rock music... any kind. Her favorite pass time is going to rock concerts, and seeing the recent groups play in packed clubs. Ludmila is also an avid amateur of hand-to-hand combat, mostly boxing.
16. What is your character's moral code?
Now that Lana is born, Ludi tries to live her life as honestly as she can.... a very strange thing for her. She tries to be as true to her words as possible, and as straightforward as she can in the current situation. Having been in her share of fights, Ludi obviously had to take lives.... something she has grown dangerously unmindful of. She knows it is something that is part of her job. It is a mean to an end. Her military training is still engraved in her mind, and she tends to still behave, a lot of the time, like a soldier. Because of that, she still feels a strong sense of duty toward those who work with her.
17. Does your character have personal beliefs?
Devout catholic. She is convinced that she is going to hell... which is why she is doing her best for her daughter. She wants to shelter her as much as possible. Every Sunday morning, Zina, Lana and herself always go to the local church. Ludmila carries with her a small silver chain with a crucifix. Not one night goes by without her praying for her loved ones. Even though she tries to be as much as a good person as she can't, her way of life and line of work get in the way of it quite often. Yet, she tries to find "loop holes" in her faith, and will always goes to confession whenever she can. No matter how much penitence she commits herself too, she has somehow accepted the fact that her soul cannot be saved. She is damned for her actions, and can simply try to be as good as she can so that God will at least accept her daughter. Whenever she can, she tries to lend a helping hand to the church she goes to; fixing the electric wiring, repairing broken windows, etc…
18. What are your character's personal motivations?
Her main goal, for now, is to provide the best living conditions as she can for her daughter.
Running the shadows 19. Why does your character run the shadows?
Out of necessity… she must provide for her young daughter. She usually sees herself as a gun for hire, with wetwork being one of her best field. She probably wouldn't admit it, but she misses her army days; the camaraderie, the feeling of being part of something larger and accomplishing something. The rush of simply running the shadows is also something big for her.
20. What would make your character ever leave the shadows?
Because she runs the shadows out of necessity, the main thing that would make her turn around would be if that necessity was gone: if she could get a "normal" well paying job. She'd also leave if her work ever got her daughter in real danger.
Ludmila's Timeline
2039 - Ludmila Søren is born in Volgograd, Russia
2040 - Ana Søren is born
2043 - Laelia Søren is born
2057 - Joins the Russian Armed Forces, starts a bachelor in applied physics and electronics
2058 - Laelia, her youngest sister, disappears; she was only 15.
2058 - Dmitrii Søren, her eldest brother, dies in a mafia related shooting.
2058- Ludmila abandons her studies to enlist full time in the army. Because her vision and earing aren't up to standards, she replaces her eyes and ears with cybered version. She washes out of Officer Candidate School. The cited reason is "lack of discipline". The woman is simply to brash, bold and balsy to be an officer.
2058 - Unit assignment: Norwegian Border
2059 - Unit assignment: Siberia. Promoted to Junior Sergeant.
2060- Unit assignment: Chinese Border.
2061 - Ludmila is brought back to Moscow, and assigned to an instructor position. She teaches Basic Hand-to-Hand combat, as well as Basic Electronic Warfare. She reaches the highest rank she will ever hold in the Russian Army; that of Sergeant.
January 2061 - Sergej Søren, Ludi's father, dies of a liver disease.
January 2061 - Miroslav Søren, her remaining brother, is arrested for murder and sentenced to life.
2062 –Ludmila goes to work at the FSB's National Cryptology Academy
2062 – Ludmila is assigned to Task Force Pandora
2062 – Ludmila goes to work for the FSB's Counterintelligence Services
2067- Lana is born
2067 – Ludmila goes rogue and leaves the FSB without consent from her superior
Short and Long Term Goals List
Short Term Goals
Buy a house, in a nice neighborhood.
Long Term Goals Make sure her daughter gets everything she ever needs to succeed; to give her all the opportunities she never had.
Get enough cred to leave the shadows, so she can take care of her daughter.
Background
Family Ties and Relations
Since Miroslav's arrest, it has been very hard for Ludmila see or speak to him. She couldn't bear going to court during his brief open and close trial. Since her father wasn't much of a role model, Ludmila's two brothers had been very important in her life. Miroslav had been the one to push her into going to college. She had known all along of his illicit business practices, but had turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to it. His arrest, even if not all that surprising came as quite a blow. He is currently serving his sentence in a prison situated far into the cold and lifeless steps of Russia, close to the Awakened Siberian Territory. Up until recently, simply thinking about him was something painful for Ludmila. But now… she can't condemn him for his behaviour anymore. Ludmila, who had always considered herself a good person, had now jumped the fence herself. Just like her brothers had before her: she became a criminal out of necessity… to assure the survival of those she loved. They still write to each other.
She hasn't received words from him in almost a full year now. Ana goes to visit him about once every month, but she and Ludi never talk about it. Ludmila still feeling terrible guilt for "abandoning" her family in such a manner, simply cannot talk about it.
Her relationship with her little sister, Ana, is less tense… but tense never the less. When she left Russia, she had decided to cut all ties with her family; to let them vanish just like she had. But her sense of duty had the best of her, and after only a year, she got back in touch with her sister… something that wasn't an easy task. Ana had already moved out of the family dacha and was staying on campus, studying Literature. It took quite many letters and phone calls for the two sisters to reconciliate their differences. Ana was just like Ludmila; bold and very straightforward… and her sister's disappearance had deeply troubled her. But she somehow understood Ludmila's action. It was her running away from the family that pushed Ana to also leave the family home and try to make it in the world. In a way, Ludmila's "cowardice" pushed her to grow. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she is very thankful to Ludmila for that. About once a month, Ana writes to Ludmila. They talk about everything and nothing… but never about Miroslav. Even thought she is far from being rich, Ludmila tries to send whatever extra nuyens are left at the end of each month, so she can help her little sister pay for tuition. It is never much, but it helps Ana (who's working part time as a waitress) pay the bills.
The year Ana left the family house; their mother was kicked out of the dacha by state tax collector. Since BTL habits had taken quite a toll on the family savings, there was simply nothing left to live of. Having been literally abandoned by her two remaining daughters, the woman simply sank deeper and deeper. She might, or might not, still be alive somewhere in Volgograd. Even when they were still at home, the woman had a very destructive temperament, and had a tendency to beat up the girls quite often when the brothers weren't around. For Ludmila, her mother died many years ago, and whoever is left alive in that shell of a body is a total stranger.
The Army Beside her family's tribulations, another thing that really shaped Ludmila into what she is now can be found in her army days. Although she spent only four years in the rank of the Russian infantry, she learned a lot.
Going in as an officer was her first choice. She did very well on the shooting range, and he level of fitness was usually well above the average recruit. But a large part of being an officer rests not only in being able to make decisions on the fly… but also to apply the orders of those above. That was the main issue with Ludmila. If she thought as situation could be best handled with a full front approach, she'd go for it. Never mind what the chief cadet said. She was very good a butting head with fellow officers, and especially the higher-ranking commissioned officers. For that, Ludmila was shown the way out of Officer Candidate School. Being kicked out in such a manner simply gave her more reason to prove herself.
Taking the enlisted men route, Ludmila fared very well. She had a tendency to question the decisions of the officers, just like when she was one, which gained her the respect of her fellow soldiers. If the grunts wanted something done, they went to her… and she'd take it straight to the CO without any fear of being reprimanded. Because of that, she developed quite a bond with the rest of her unit: the officers disliked her, the enlisted men loved her. In a strange way, even if she wasn't the highest-ranking one around, most of the unit's member looked to her for leadership. In the thick of the fight and tensed situation, she never lost her composure. The main reason for that calm was Ludmila's youth: she thought herself invincible. She thought, and still thinks, that there isn't one obstacle she can't overcome.
Her very first assignment was along the Norwegian border, where her job consisted mostly in interception and decrypting radio communication in the zone. She tried as much as she could to get field assignment, with the rest of the troops… but was usually busted back to base where she wouldn't be in anyone's way.
After taking her "complaints" to numerous officers, they finally decided to give her a field assignment: she was send with a combat detachment to the Siberian region… cold, far, and full of skirmishes with the Awakened Forces. There, she spent a full year living in crummy field camps, doing patrols knee high in the snow.
The first few months, nothing happened, and Ludmila spent most of her days yawning and looking at the horizon, her AK resting on a nearby tree. It was during a regular patrol that Ludmila got her first taste of real combat. The 8 men strong group was jumped by few guerrilla fighters, while crossing a river. Three of them died in the first few seconds. The patrol's CO, a young Lieutenant, was on his first assignment and simply froze. Surprising even herself, Ludmila grabbed the man and pushed him behind some cover. She stayed there, pined down with the young officer. All she could do was return fire and cover her fellow soldiers retreat. It took 3 days for her and the Lieutenant to make it back to the encampement. Three long days of running in the snow covered mountains; three long days of freezing outside; three long days of being hunted like animals by Siberian forces. When they finally made it back to base, Ludmila kept the whole story to herself. She knew that the man's cowardice had put the whole unit in danger… but the ambush had sparked a series of skirmishes, and it wasn't the time to make the men loose trust in their officers. The young Lieutenant was promoted to Captain, and shipped back to Moscow HQ. Ludmila was promoted to Junior Sergeant for her efforts.
Being one of the few troops to have actually engaged in combat with the enemy, the "brash and insubordinate" Junior Sergeant Søren then found herself on almost every strike in Siberian territory.
After spending another year in Siberia, Ludmila's unit was finally rotated to another assignment. She found herself back behind a communication's console, deep in the mountains near China. It took only one month before she managed to get herself transferred out of the communication detachment of her unit and back into infantry.s Beside a few hit and run made by the Chinese forces to test the Russian defences, nothing exciting happened… until her unit was called upon to stop a major smuggling operation.
Making their move to cut a large smuggling route between both countries, her unit engaged a 4-truck convoy in the mountains. Unfortunately, during the firefight, some of the Russian troops crossed the border to pursue the fleeing smugglers… and it only took so much for the Chinese to strike back with everything they had. The battle lasted almost 48 hours, non-stop. While retreating toward the Russian lines, the sole mage in the unit summoned a greater earth element. The idea was for it to rapidly dig trenches so the Russians could take cover… but the plan was never put to use. The elemental went loose, killed the mage and turned against the troop. No one was prepared, and the majority of the retreating soldiers were crushed by the elemental.
When the Russian soldiers finally made it back over the border, they had lost over 75% of their numbers. The unit was disbanded shortly after, and the remaining members were reassigned.
Even after showing great potential and courage during her combat assignment in both Siberia and China, Ludmila was still seen a troublesome element by most officers. For that, she was sent back to Moscow HQ, and given an instructor position at the academy. Even if they didn't like her attitude, she sure was loved by any enlisted personnel.
Promoted to Sergeant, she spent another full year teaching various courses at the academy, making her one of the youngest instructor on site. Beside Electronic Warfare, she also taught Hand-to-Hand Combat.
What do you know about Ludmila?
"Who? Ludmila? Believe me chummer, you don't want to have anything to do with that girl. She is one thick skinned chain smoking mean russian girl. She's brash, impulsive and has the worst temper you'll ever see in your life. A very overt person… the kind that, if she likes you, you'll know it right away. If she doesn't; it'll be crystal clear. She's not a bad person… she just has some issues with controlling her temper and aggression. A very proud girl; she'll take on about anyone… and will come out on top most of the time. Which isn't good for her ego; makes her a bit overconfident in confrontation. What does she look like? She's gotta be almost 6 tall, short cropped black hair, deep green eyes. She's usually wears rather loose clothing, but don't let it fool you. Under those baggy pants and sweater, is one toned and nicely shaped body. Heard most of it is actually cyberlimbs. Seen her in the ring one: she's got arms that will punch your head clean off and the kinds of legs you'd expect of a swimmer. She's not unpleasant to look at, but she's got that tomboyish look, know what I mean? She could probably be cute if she took care of her appearance. There's also something sorta strange about the way she carries herself: she walks "tall", never bullshits around, and sometimes uses strange words… things you'd hear mercs say. Definitely something military behind that whole deal. Believe me. Most people think she's just your classic bully, but the girl actually has quite a brain: math, physics and electronics don't seem to hold any secrets from her. If you can encrypt something, she can probably crack it in a matter of minutes; hours if you did a good job. Not too sure where she learned all that stuff, but she's not local; that's a sure bet. She got one of the thickest russian accents I've heard in years… I mean, her english is fine, better than some. But no matter how much she speaks it, there's no getting rid of that accent. A very good operative to have around, but don't expect to boss her around. She's got one heck of a short fuse, and a very very large powder keg at the end of it."
Here are two IC post showing Ludmila interacting with her family.
Post 1 It's late. Rather, it's early. Really early. Ludmila feels a soft vibration from her wrist, followed by a quiet beeping. Flipping up the small digital screen, she is greeted by Varya's youthful face.
"Hey Ludi, i hope you weren't sleeping."
She punctuates her sentence with a alcohol-aided giggle.
"You won't believe who I met at Matchsticks. His name's Rick, and he manages models. He said he might have me come by to put together a portfolio, isn't that great?"
Varya tries to stop for a reaction but instead launches into her next staement.
"He also told me he was looking for some local talent for a job, so I naturally thought of you. If you're interested, he said to be there at 8 tomorrow night."
Varya raises an eyebrow and looks sideways at Ludmila. "You weren't
sleeping at this hour were you?"
For a few seconds, Ludmila simply stared blankly at Varya's face, unsure where to start. Even through the small screen, she could smell the alcohol. Another quick glance toward the clock. Da... she was probably already smashed beyond salvage. Ludi's eyes felt like they were burning, and she knew it wasn't from being groggy.
"Dobri dien Varya... Have no worries, I was not asleep. Thank you for you concern."
Ludmila hated the way her voice sounded in english. She always seemed to accentuate her O's, and overly "roll" her R's. No matter how much she spoke english, her thick slavic accent would not get out of the way. Varya had been born in America, and probably had never been taught russian at all.
"I would not want to break your dreams, but you should be careful about this "Rick"... You do remember what happened last time someone tried that pick up attempt on you... or me for that matter, da?"
Ludmila permitted herself a sigh. She wasn't particularly sleepy, or even annoyed that her friend called her. It was mainly that Varya always reminded her of her earlier days: when she had no worries in the world, and spent her time club hopping around Seattle. But fate, it seemed, had the habit of bitting you in the ass at the prime of you time. She wanted nothing more than to dress up a bit, and go join her friend... but the lines would be endless... and it was raining outside... and she deeply needed to rest... and it probably wouldn't be that fun... Ludi was trying to convince herself not go. She ran a quick hand through her hair before continuing.
"Well, I am glad you are having fun Varya... Maybe I will join you this weekend. I believe Zina is closing shop for that time, which should give you some free time. Would you happen to catch Rick's last name? Thank you for the information concerning the job. I will be there."
When the conversation was over, she wished her friend a good and safe night, and flip the screen down, closing the phone unit. Ludmila looked at the clock, again. Barely a few minutes had passed. She had been sitting, for almost 2 hours, on her beaten up brown couch, the one that was sitting on the far wall of the small living room, agaisn't the window. She had brought her knees up to her chin, resting her head on them. The window was slightly ajar, letting a soothing cold wind inside. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, hearing nothing but the rain hitting the roof, the window, the pavement. She missed the snow in Volgograd. It always snowed. Here.... it always rained. She finally decided to get a move on and got up in the dark apartment. The cheap carpeted floor felt like sand paper under her barefoot, and she had to make a few steps before remembering the close the window.
"Last thing Lana needs is a cold..."
She quickly found the big woolen cover she was looking for. Slowly, she crept in Lana's room, covering her with an extra blanket. Kissing her softly on her forehead, she watched her sleep. She was so beautiful, so calm... Grabbing both her guns, she made sure each had a full clip in, and took one extra for each. She then threw a dark green hoody on, and her used Russian army jacket. Stuffer shack was always open: she could definitely find enough things to make pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast. She'd also take the opportunity to grab a pack of flavored cigarettes, and make a few telecom calls from a public booth.