Ilya Bowe
Return to The Harbinger Syndrome
Creator: Corvid
Roleplay: The Harbinger Syndrome
Nickname: Ilya, Ilyushka
Name: Ilya Bowe
Age: 22
Pronouns: they/them
Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Bisexual & Aromantic
Personality: Ilya isn’t an overly negative person. Even now, they try not to be too pessimistic. They’re not usually the type of person to take things personally, but they don’t forget an insult or a slight – especially if it's directed at someone they care about. Ilya is used to being the one to have to de-escalate things, even if they don’t like it. They’re pretty good at pretending that everything is fine, and they tend to only stress about things after they happen. Ilya has a dry sense of humor. They aren’t especially talkative, but they love listening to their loved ones talk.
Appearance: Ilya is short (5 feet/152.4 centimeters). They’re scrawny and have perpetual bags under their eyes, which are made all the more evident by the dark glittery eyeshadow they like to wear. Ilya is also fairly pale. They burn easily and are basically a walking sunscreen advert – though the long sleeves and pants they wear does help keep Ilya’ need for it to a minimum. They wear a lot of thrifted clothing, which they’ll tailor and alter themselves. Ilya has hair they’ve dyed pink. It’s wavy, and a mess. They sorely need to invest in a color-treatment shampoo.
Ability: Smoke
Ability Strengths: Ilya is fairly skilled at gathering, stretching, and condensing smoke and smog. They can also create some pretty cool smoke rings – they were able to do this (to some extent) before realizing their powers were a thing, and they’ve found it to be a useful & fun way of practicing their skills.
Ability Weaknesses: Although Ilya is good at condensing smoke/smog, they find that denser materials take much more self-control, and they’re not great at controlling them. They’re not good at regaining control when things get out of hand.
History: Growing up, Ilya was the oldest child of five. They spent most of their life in West Virginia, and only moved to Georgia a year or so before Quarantine. It wasn’t a welcome move. Ilya’s grandmother needed someone to take care of her, and their parents volunteered them. Ilya had a life in West Virginia, a boyfriend. They didn’t want to go. But they couldn’t afford to live on their own just yet, and Ilya didn’t want their grandmother to die alone in a nursing home. They transferred their community college credits and left, and they haven’t let themself look back. Ilya’s grandmother died a few short months after they arrived in Georgia. Ilya found a job at a diner and started taking classes again. They’d inherited their grandmother’s home, and they’d just started to fix the place up when FEDRA snatched them up.
Where were you during Quarantine?: Ilya was working a shift at the diner. They went outside to take a smoke break and literally walked into a FEDRA agent.
What is your stance towards FEDRA?: Ilya actively dislikes FEDRA. They just want to be left alone.
Other:
- Ilya has tried to quit smoking more than once. It’s never stuck, but they have managed to cut back on their habit significantly.
- Ilya is asthmatic.
- Their friends and family call them Ilyushka.
- They’ve worked customer service long enough to know how to force a smile.
- Loves puns.
- Broke up with their boyfriend before moving. They're still friends, and were pen-pals before FEDRA grabbed Ilya.