readyaimfire (readyaimfire) wrote in avalon_ooc, |
Pella converted to Islam a few years ago while she was in... I think Egypt. She totally broke a couple laws to get into Mecca for her Hajj. Pella sees her Islamic beliefs as being in direct opposition to her inherent violence and her inability to fully separate herself from it; she definitely follows a particularly peaceful and forgiving school of thought, and attends a mosque with quite a few feminist members (fun fact: one of them is Kassi!). She actually speaks with her Imam pretty often and he probably knows the most about her outside New Avalon.
She's not necessarily great at being Muslim, which she'll tell you without much hesitation. Some of it is really subjective; she doesn't follow rules she can't find sense in (like the rules against premarital sex in context of being a big horrible sin rather than a personal choice, rules against tattoos), doesn't really care about the alcohol thing, and struggles with the peaceful teachings of her religion vs. the reality of her life and her own... urges, I guess. But she'd identify herself as devout. She cares very much, she actually does pray five times a day, and she observes the holidays in earnest. She'll never be hijabi because control over her hair has become a big part of her identity, and hiding it underneath a scarf bothers her unless she has a specific reason (she's in a mosque, praying, feeling the need to re-center and wearing it to remind herself of what she really wants, etc.).
Her religion is important and very personal. It's also unquestionably a positive influence on her.
Breathing.
...Okay, but really. When Pella likes someone, she turns into kind of a loser. She actually responds really well to being flirted with, gets flustered by small gestures and overwhelmed by large ones. The quickest way to get her affection is just by paying attention to her. It's actually obvious with Steven in person; Steven turns the charm on and reaches out for her and she responds easily to it. Sometimes it's a bit awkward because Pella's a bit awkward, but she's clearly pleased and just starts tripping all over herself if he really gets into it with her. She's not jaded in the least by flirting or romantic overtures, even if she can miss out on cultural context sometimes.
On an ideal date, you feed her something interesting. Doesn't matter if it's high end organic stuff or just hot wings. The way to her heart is through her stomach. Alternately: braiding or washing her hair. It's a thing for her.
Interestingly enough, Pella is capital-D Dominant in bed, if the time is right between her and Steven. They aren't terribly hardcore (and they aren't really having sex right now anyway, except maybe once?), but when they get into it some more, they'll eventually get comfortable with light bondage and blindfolds. Tying Steven up is kind of a no-go so far, but something that mimics it -- very loosely tied scarves, or giving him something to hold onto and ordered not to let go -- has a same enough effect that it works, kink-wise.
Pella being dominant makes it easier for Steven to get into it. If she's doing it right, the whole deal usually ends with Steven forgetting that he's self-conscious and being so wildly turned on that he jumps her. It's worth the effort.
Pella can sleep pretty much anywhere out of necessity. When she has the choice, she sleeps in boy shorts and a tank top. She also generally sleeps curled up, usually around a pillow or a bundle of blankets. Pella never had a comfort toy as a kid (like a bear or something), but she still sleeps like she needs or wants one.