Carmilla Pyroses

Vampire squids, being a reclusive species that are more related to Octolings than Inklings, have always had an odd air to them over the ages. They might be quiet and self-fulfilling, not getting up in the business of others, or they may actively distance themselves for the sake of their own comfort. Carmilla's family wasn't quite either of these things -- the Pyroses lineage was one that inherited a lot of wealth from their powerful political ties in Octarian society. Even with the socio-economical breakdown from the Great Turf War and its fallout, they remained fairly stable, a few forsaking their pride so they could manage to thrive among Inklings by means of disguise and bribery.

The only child of financially-comfortable parents, Carmilla had a rather comfortable life for a lot of her upbringing; besides her socialization, her needs were always met. But this came with a degree of shelteredness, as her parents didn't want her to become too exposed to the financial and political turmoil that Octo Valley had undergone in the recent years.

Of course, sending your daughter to art school only leads to her opening up to the world. Pursuing her interests in sculpture and ink, Carmilla found herself drawn more and more to the land beyond the few kettles she knew before this. Identifying ultimately as a somewhat strange Octoling, a slight pride and desire to change things began to bloom in her heart. As she traveled to Inkling-centered cities as she sought to experience and understand, she found a lot more than she bargained for...

Today, Carmilla happily spends her life with her fiancee, Aileron, and their three roommates, so things are never boring. Her main calling is her art and customization shop, "Abyssal Arts", where she decorates and modifies anything from clothes to chargers. When she's not busy with that, she's occasionally seen out and about the city, or even on the turf war field alongside her odd little family.

But it's clear to the eye that she's unusual, even for someone in the big city, and so she watches rising political and racial tensions with great unease. Carmilla's grown very attached to her close squad of friends, and wants to do everything she can to protect them, especially the younger three. After all, she loves Octo Valley dearly, and wants to see everything brought back to greatness, even if it means quietly treading the lines of loyalty.. but she wouldn't dare bring anyone she loves into conflict.

At first glance, Carmilla looks fairly standard for an Octoling.. except until you pay more attention to her eyes and tentacles. She lacks the typical bright eyes and odd pupils, and instead has dark blue eyes that very easily reflect light. Her tentacles are inherently upturned and covered in suckers like that of an Octoling's -- yet they have a thin webbing between each tendril, with soft spines giving her a prickly look while every tentacle's tip has a glowing blue light. There are also bioluminescent markings on her forearms and shins, too.

This is all standard fare for a vampire squid, who harken back to the extreme depths of the ocean, but she's bound to turn some heads. Typically, she keeps her tentacles curled up like little cinnamon buns, but they're fully articulated and can act independently of each other if they need to. There's also two little fins on her scalp, which slowly wave about; in her "squid" form, they help her swim.

She stands at about five feet and three inches, with pointed ears, delicate-but-pointed teeth, and dull red streaks marking her lower body. Though fairly chubby overall, Carmilla is rather graceful to the eye. She typically moves with a slow, exhaustive ease, and in her squid form, she swims not with her tentacles but with her odd little fins.

When it comes to fashion, she's a fairly picky one. Carmilla's very concerned about what's fresh and fashionable, and never goes out without making sure her outfit is coordinated to a pleasant degree. She's quite a fan of bright hues against dark background, anything eye-catching and glittering and fantastic. Even better, her tentacles are quite easy to style, even if the webbing makes it a bit hard at times.

Unlike other Octolings and Inklings, Carmilla is physically incapable of changing her physical color, although she can manage to alter her ink for the sake of turf wars. She remains a dark maroon in hue no matter what, which occasionally leads to confusion on the field. But the cool part is that, like other parts of her body, her ink glows brightly for about five minutes after being initially used.