Name: Annipe

Occupation: hired homemaker, maid, cook

Actual Age/Apparent Age: Annipe is 80 years old but appears to be in her mid 20s.

Gender: Female (she/her pronouns)

Sexuality: Demisexual, Pansexual

Race/Species: Annipe is a Lamia. As a species, Lamias are fairly independent. Young Lamias are cared for by their mother up until the age of 20. Afterwards, they are expected to hunt and survive on their own. As humans are their natural source of sustenance, they tend to stay relatively close to or hidden among human settlements. Although Lamias are not particularly rare, it is uncommon -- but possible -- to encounter more than one at the same place.

Lamias are a fully female species. In order to reproduce, Lamias will mate with human males. Generally, Lamias will devour the human male afterwards; however, it is not uncommon for human males that have piqued a Lamias's interest to remain by her side as a plaything. On the other hand, keeping a life partner -- as Annipe had -- is not common practice.

Appearance: Some may describe her as beautiful upon glancing her long dark hair and olive skin. Upon closer look, her appearance may be more accurately described as “striking” or “unique”. As one gazes into her dark eyes, they may be startled upon noticing pupils outlined in gold – eyes that do not appear to belong to a human. Even more startling, her tongue appears forked and serpent-like. Aside from these features, everything else about her appears human. That is, unless one is unfortunate enough to witness her other form. When she is in water, where two human legs should be is instead the body of a serpent. The underside of her tail shares the same color as her olive skin. Her tail is long and slender, with dark scales that match the color of her eyes.

Personality: Annipe prefers living a quiet life. Although she had chosen a human partner and continues to live peacefully among his kind even after his passing, this should not be mistaken for a love for humans. More accurately, Annipe finds humans fascinating. Though she demonstrates respect for humans and their ways, Annipe knows very well that she is a lamia that devours men. For this reason, she tends to keep her distance from others. That is not to say that she cannot get along with others. In fact, she is well-liked but due to her forgettable personality, she is neither popular or unpopular.

Having lived a long time with humans, to them, she may appear calm and collected due to her reserved nature. However, she has had few experiences outside of her day-to-day routines. In this regard, she may be described as naive and/or ignorant. Though Annipe prefers the comfort of what is familiar, she retains a child-like curiosity towards new experiences and meetings.

Abilities/Skills:

Cooking & Cleaning: As a homemaker, Annipe is skilled in both cooking and cleaning. Cleaning rituals bring comfort to Annipe and cooking allows Annipe to explore her creativity within the kitchen.

Shapeshift: She can shapeshift between two forms -- half-human and half-serpent, and fully human. However, there are limits to her shapeshifting ability. On dry land, she is often seen in her fully human form. Being part water snake, she can only shapeshift into her half-serpent form when she is in water.

Hypnotic Gaze: She can seduce and hypnotize men with her gaze, rendering them completely obedient to her. This ability can only be used on men attracted to women, and on no more than a single target at a time. She uses this skill in order to lure her prey into the nearest body of water where she can freely shapeshift and devour her prey.

Noxious Smell: Outside of her half-serpent form, she is no less than an ordinary human in terms of agility and strength. In order to protect herself, she has inherited the water snake’s ability to release a noxious smell. The smell is not poisonous or lethal, but behaves more so as a deterrent. She can use this ability in either form; however, she is more likely to use it while in her fully human form.

Water Snake Abilities: Aside from her ability to release a noxious scent, she inherited other water snake abilities as well. However, these abilities can only be used when she is in her half-serpent form (and in water). In her half-serpent form, she can move through water as quickly as 10 miles an hour. In this form, her jawbones are no longer connected as they previously were in her fully human form. She is then able to swiftly swim towards her prey and swallow them whole. Afterwards, her digestive system works to dissolve her prey. A process that occurs roughly over 3 to 5 days. Until she fully digests her meal, she remains in her half-serpent form and thus, in water.

History: Distantly related to the naiad, Al Naddaha, Annipe similarly feasts on the unfortunate men who fell for her hypnotic gaze. However, unlike her ancestor, she does so only on occasion. Annipe is accustomed to living among humans. As a young lamia, she fell in love with a human man and remained loyal to him until the remainder of his life. During their time together, Annipe picked up on homemaking skills such as cleaning and cooking. After her partner’s death, she provided her services where it was needed and continued living quietly among humans. She attempts to curb her appetite with human food and fish but finds herself needing to hunt for human blood at least once a month. Having lived among the humans for the majority of her life, Annipe understands their rules and customs. Each month, when it comes time to fully satiate her hunger, she lures bandits outside of the city to the nearest river. For several days after enjoying her meal, she remains in water to fully digest her human prey. Sometimes, she returns to the city with fish and shares it with the other residents – leading them to believe that Annipe’s monthly excursions involve fishing as a hobby.

work-in-progress art of Annipe:

(the lighting makes her look green but she's not green ; u ;)