Miss

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A Lost known as Miss for convenience.<ref name=ntn>“I, the Lost who many of you have known for years as Miss, who has no true name, will vote for Exile.” - Excerpt from False Moves 12.3</ref> Has resided in Kennet, but had to return to the Paths after Nicolette Belanger interfered with Avery Kelly's Forest Ribbon Trail ritual.

Personality

The faceless women is surprisingly genuine and noted for her distinctly noble nature.<ref>“Maricica had her fake self suggest to the girls that you and I were allied, and their reaction or lack of reaction told her enough.  She knows.”

“It was going to happen sooner or later,” Rook said.
[...]
“The real danger is that Montague will seize the perimeter, but it’s early in the evening, Toadswallow technically has final say.  The risk that Maricica has arranged a signal for him is there, but the risk that our practitioners need help somewhere and don’t have it is greater.  I’ll risk it.”

“I’ve told you before, but this nature of yours is noble, I admire it,” Rook said, “and I know too many Others who have been similar, and ended up bound or dead.”
[...]
“I know,” Miss answered.  “But I can’t conscience any other path.  Look after the girl’s families and the goblins.  Tashlit’s watching the challenge, I’ll see to more abstract things while Maricica is still catching up and setting things into motion, and then I’ll go talk to the Aurum.” - Excerpt from False Move 12a</ref>

Is noted to have little to no experience in romance.<ref>“Verona, yeah,” Lucy said.  She thought back to recent arguments and exchanges.  “Can I ask you about boy stuff?”

“Second to Miss, I may be the worst possible individual in Kennet you could ask about romantic things, Lucy,” John said.  “Or as you put it, boy stuff.” - Excerpt from Summer Break 13.4</ref>

Has enough self-awareness to notice her controlling tendencies.<ref>“I’m coming to the realization, not for the first time, that I may be a control freak,” Miss said. - Excerpt from Wild Abandon 18.a</ref>

She is bound by the Seal of Solomon.<ref>It is now a person, and that person is bound to the Seal of Solomon as her creator was, because her creator was.- Excerpt from Wild Abandon 18.a</ref>

Relationships

Like all the Kennet Others, she is bound to aid Kennet Trio. She was the one to select them for Awakening, and has taught them how to summon her whenever they need advice. She is deeply fond of the three, considering them her pupils.<ref>“I’m trying to get out of this Stuck-in Place,” she told the ballerina.  “Would you send me to-”

Miss.

She looked off to the distance.

Miss!

“Some pupils of mine are calling me.”

The ballerina nodded.

Miss are you there?

“Send me their way?”
[...]
“If I wanted failure, would I pick such exceptionally talented children as yourselves?” Miss asked.  She looked at the Ballerina.  “I’m quite fond of them.” - Excerpt from Back Away 5.d</ref>

Miss is in constant danger of the universe imposing patterns on her, knowing this the conspirators hired Montague to fuel Kennets boundary and prevent her entering.<ref>“A plicate spirit, or a spiritual horror, has taken up claim over the boundary.  He influences everything inside Kennet, only for brief times, but-”

“Miss is sensitive to having patterns imposed on her,” Verona finished the explanation.  She looked at her friends and gave them a sad half-smile.  “As long as Montague could seize control of the diagram at any time, on Matthew and Edith’s request… Miss can’t come into Kennet.” - Excerpt from One After Another 10.4</ref> She was able to establish a working relationship with him afterward though.

Other Lost

Has been friends with the Ballerina in Blue for a long time. Knows Sootsleeves

Kennet Foundlings

Acts as a Mayor to her creations more then a mother or god figure.

Appearance

What would be Miss' face and hands - any part of her not covered by clothing - is impossible to see, even with Second Sight.<ref name=":1">“You can’t see her face because of what she is,” Matthew said.  “We can’t either.  I wouldn’t worry about it.” - Excerpt from Lost for Words 1.1</ref> Events conspire to hide them. (see Abilities, below.)

She has black hair<ref>Miss remained where she was, hunched over, hands in the pockets of her long coat, her black hair blowing across her face. - excerpt from Stolen Away 2.6</ref> long enough to cover her face.<ref>Miss, hands in her pockets, hair blowing across her face, walked over. - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref>

On one occasion, she wore a scarf and coat which were noticeably expensive.<ref>“Clearly,” said the woman standing by the rink.  She was dressed well, with a nicer scarf and coat than most shops in Kennet sold, but she stood between the plexiglass and the trees, and a combination of scratches on the glass and the glaring reflection of the light above the rink obscured her from forehead to chin. - Excerpt from Blood Run Cold 0.0</ref> On another, she wore a blue sweater with extra material around the neck, an ankle-length pleated skirt, and boots.<ref>The woman was wearing a blue sweater with extra material around the neck, an ankle-length pleated skirt, and boots.  Where she stood, a branch hung low and the leaves obscured her face.  Verona couldn’t see her hands either.  One was hidden in the shadows of the foliage and the garage.  The other was blocked from view by the wind chime that hung just outside the kitchen window.

She leaned to one side to peer through the wind chimes, and the wind picked up, moving the long, dangling metal bars into the way.

She stopped leaning, and the wind died down. - Excerpt from Lost for Words 1.1</ref> On another,a long coat.<ref>The woman with the hidden face was there too, hands in the pockets of a long coat. - excerpt from Lost for Words 1.1</ref> She frequently wears a skirt.<ref name=":0">“Miss!”

“Miss!”

“Miss!”

The three of them stood on the bridge that connected the mostly residential western half of Kennet to the messier southeastern quarter.
[...]
“What can I help you with?”  Miss’s voice had a bit of that British crispness to it. [...] She could see Miss’s hair and skirt, below.  Miss had found a seat on an angled support strut beneath the bridge. - excerpt from Stolen Away 2.2</ref>

She has a bit of a British accent<ref name=":0" /> or something close to it.<ref>She spoke while walking away, her voice almost but not quite bearing an English accent - Excerpt from Blood Run Cold 0.0</ref>

Abilities and Art

Miss' face and hands - any part of her not covered by clothing - are impossible to see, even with Second Sight.<ref name=":1" /> Events conspire to hide them.^{[citation needed]} This may not apply to Lost observers.<ref>Miss bent down, until her face and head were at a level with the kid’s  She reached up to wipe at a smudge of dirt and fix the kid’s hair.

Everything hidden from those present, except for the kid. - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref> Regardless she is much closer to being the 'idea' of a person rather than a physical person, lacking the attributes themselves while still benefiting from them.<ref>Glass broke, and a sliver of it pierced her awareness.  It could not pierce her eye, for she had none, but it left her awareness hampered.

A human would lose an eye.

But she was Other.  She was, much like this place, knit together, like thread or yarn stretching between individual elements.  She had once been human or human-like, but much of that was Lost, so forgotten by history and the Universe that it could not be readily retrieved.  She had no mouth, and as that thread of yarn had been pulled away, so had other, related things, like the need to eat.  The air that connected between the outside world and the open space in her lungs had remained, so she could speak.  It was the same with the light that shone into her eyes, allowing her to see.  That was what had been injured.

Much of her was like this. - Excerpt from Back Away 5.d</ref> Thus while it still 'hurts' she wouldn't die from things like major organ damage.<ref>He shot down the center of the crowd.  The bullet went through at least ten more Others, and dropped Miss to the ground, hole in her chest.  Heart-shot.

“You don’t have a heart, do you?” Anthem asked.

“It is among the things I lack,” Miss said, as she struggled to her feet. - Excerpt from Gone and Done It 17.y</ref>

She is able to remain inhumanly still for long periods.<ref>The woman didn’t move a muscle.  She hadn’t for some time.
[...]
The first thing Verona looked at as she stepped into the kitchen was the window.

Yep.  Still there, still not moving.  Still with face and hands hidden.

“Creepy miss hidden-face is in my backyard,” she remarked.  “Has been for a bit.” - Excerpt from Lost for Words 1.1</ref>

She can seemingly teleport,<ref>“It is,” Miss said.  “I’ll send Matthew and Edith.  I’ll check in once every minute or so until they arrive to watch.  If our enemies move against us any faster than that, there won’t be much any of us three can do.”
[...]
Then Miss was gone, standing by a tree with leaves in the way of her face in the center of Verona’s vision, gone in the time Verona’s eye flicked right to look at where the eyeball animals lay dead in the woods. - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref><ref>“If there are no objections,” Miss said, “I will go talk to Nicolette, to broach the subject of a meeting.”
[...]
There were none.

Miss stepped behind a tree and disappeared. - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref> and over especially long distances too.

Like many Others, she can be summoned by calling her name three times. She has a habit of appearing out of sight.<ref name=":0" /> Also like many Others, able to sense when a person is no longer Innocent.<ref>“There we go,” Miss said.  “We can continue now.”

“This is on your heads,” Charles said, growling the words.

“There what goes?” Verona asked.  “Why can we continue?”

“Your eyes are open.  It’s a good first step,” Miss said.
[...]
“You can walk away if you don’t like the terms of this deal,” Miss told them.  “You’re aware.  You’ll see things and Others, and they’ll know you see them, but you’ll be largely innocent, still.  You’ll have protections.  Especially here.” - Excerpt from Lost for Words 1.1</ref>

She had considerable magical knowledge. She was able to maintain several magic items and resources as her required tribute of power & teaching for the Kennet trio.<ref>- [3.1] Interview Notes 2</ref> She had a deep, possibly instinctive knowledge of Finder magic; she had discovered a new aspect to the Forest Ribbon Trail, was able to understand Snowdrop's rules instantly, and was able to enter the Trail (albeit at some risk.)<ref>“Yes.  I could go after her.  I know how to walk the Path.  I may have to, if Avery’s staying there for any period of time.  I can’t negotiate with the Wolf, and I can’t be a sacrifice for her, but I could try to keep her focused and sane.  I could hope to see some means of escaping, as I did when I first discovered the detour.”

“You discovered it?” Verona asked.

“Known by me, Avery, and some of those present, as far as I’m aware. I thought about trading the knowledge to Finders for currency that could be used with the Belangers, but I am almost certain that would exacerbate every single problem we have.  Including Avery’s entrapment and the increased attentions of the outsider practitioners.” - excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref><ref>The kid reached into a pocket, pulling out a book, along with various other scraps of paper.  Spell notes, maybe, crumpled papers, torn pages.

“Is this what she’s after?” Miss asked.

“No.”

“Not you?”

“Nah, I don’t matter.”

“That’s something, then,” Miss said.  “How was Avery when you saw her?”

“Great.  But she’s a real wimp when it counts.”

“And Nicolette?  The woman with the snake ring.”

“Peachy.”

Verona watched the exchange.  “Hunh?”

“She’s not ‘glaikit’, as you would put it, Alpeana.  She’s contrary by nature.”

“You couldn’t have told us this before?” Lucy asked.

“I didn’t know the opossum’s rule until I saw her here, as this spirit of the Path.  But even if I knew there was no way to tell how the rule or tendency would manifest.  Another opossum could have had a different approach than expressing the opposite of what she means.” - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref> She was able to divine details of what had happened to the Trail from Avery's damaged ritual, with some difficulty and risk.<ref>Miss had a message.  Stop whatever you’re doing, and go very still.  Don’t speak, don’t move a muscle and definitely don’t touch any ribbons.  Or, if you’re okay leaving Avery here, step away from the cabin and the clearing.”

“Why?” she asked, speaking for the first time.

“She wants to investigate, but she describes it as being like a fly navigating a spider’s web.  Every disturbance, even a disturbance in the air, makes it harder.”
[...]
“There is no detour anymore, judging by this orientation and angle of attack.  [...] She’s at the Wolf’s part of the path, enduring its company.  She can’t use the detour and she can’t negotiate without the animal.  If you brought the animal to her, you couldn’t use the detour, so one or both of you would then be stuck.”
[...]
“There were ribbons torn out,” Miss said, and there was a strange tone to her voice.

Meaning what!? Verona thought, and she almost moved.

“…This is a complication.  I’ll go, so you can move, I’ll explain when I address everyone.  Thank you for cooperating.”
[...]
“They tore ribbons when they extracted our new friend here,” Miss said.  “Ribbons are the path.  A patching together of two ribbons can be a telling bump in the path.  A tearing is…”

“We can’t travel it?” Lucy asked.

“No,” Miss said. - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref> She speculated that she might be able to splice someone into an active instance of the Trail.<ref>“There are options.  One being that we could try to splice you two into the Trail to walk it.”

“Try?  No guarantee?”

“No guarantees.  Not without knowing what went wrong.  This is not the ritual, and would be leaning heavily on my understanding of these spaces and the rituals that mirror them.  [...] You wouldn’t be able to bring a prey animal inside.  You’d need to pass the same hurdles, figure out new rules corresponding to the empty spaces left behind if she took any items with her, and then face down the wolf.  Some of the protections afforded to Finders wouldn’t apply.  You’d need to face the Wolf at his or her strongest, get to Avery, and then get her to the detour.”- Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref>

Part of her Lost abilities are being able to see deep into someone's intrinsic nature.<ref>“Perhaps.  But to get us back on track, I had no less than ten individuals in varying degrees of consideration for my purposes.  Snowdrop may be able to see a bit around corners and inside things, but I have my own talents, and they include being able to see deeper.  The various individuals I considered, dismissing some over time, picking others, I felt like they could be useful, in the right scenarios.  Perhaps one needed to be older, and I’d suspend judgment for a time.  Or Verona’s friend Jeremy would need something to set him on the right path for my purposes.  You were a consideration.  I liked you.  Then the Carmine Beast perished…”

“And I looked.”

“You turned your head, I decided in that moment, and I had a sense of where to look to find people who would complement you.  I knew we’d need practitioners to forestall some of the inquiries that could become what Musser is doing right now, seizing control over what we’re doing.  It was Alexander Belanger and not Musser who came, his goals differed and were more subtle, with an eye to the long-term.  It was nonetheless good to have you where you were.  I just wish times had been less…” - Excerpt from Summer Break 13.6</ref>

As a Founder she has gained other powers as well.

Tactics

More then anything Miss uses deflection through words and trickery then actively confronting someone.<ref>Everything blue in the region turned red.

And the Others changed a bit as well too.

“I did my part, deflecting and-”

Anthem shot again.  Miss fell.

“-using words,” she said, lying on the ground.

He began shooting the Others who came sprinting at him, gunning them down.  A practice multiplied his bullets, cutting down fifteen more.

“But I did alright supporting and making the most out of some scary allies.  So this fits too, I think,” Miss said. - Excerpt from Gone and Done It 17.y</ref><ref> - Excerpt from False Moves 12.a</ref> Further she will bring in hostile Others to deal with a given threat.

Weaknesses

She claimed to be especially vulnerable to being made a part of magical patterns and rituals, such as the Hungry Choir, as the universe searches for a role to slot her into. Getting too close to the active Forest Ribbon Trail ritual to examine it caused her head to become more obscured, with hair no longer visible.<ref>‘Miss’ called out, “I am not a threat, Verona.  Avery called out to me.  I wasn’t willing to draw any closer while the ritual is active.”
[...]
The branches were denser, and Miss stood further back.

Almost everything about her head was hidden, now, not just her face.

“The cost of getting too close,” Miss said.  “You were about to say…?” - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref>

Miss describes herself as "weaker than an ordinary human."<ref name="rd1" /> She also can't use weapons without hurting herself more than the other person.<ref name="rd1">She couldn’t be an armed attacker, really, because she would hurt herself more than she hurt the person she attacked.  It was the sort of thing that unraveled her, or it raveled her in ways she didn’t want.  People tended to put a face to their attackers, masked, imagined, or otherwise.

Besides, she wasn’t strong.  Weaker than an ordinary human. - Excerpt from Back Away 5.d</ref>

History

Background

Stated that she was a Lost ("A memory without anyone to have it, or a person forgotten even by the Abyss, or an echo forgotten even by the Ruins.") who waited by a Path called the Stairwell Web, before replacing a human practitioner, trapping them in the Stairwell whilst freeing herself to walk the Paths and eventually come to earth.<ref>Stolen Away 2.8 “No,” Miss said.  “I was by the wayside.  A memory without anyone to have it, or a person forgotten even by the Abyss, or an echo forgotten even by the Ruins.  I waited by a place called the Stairwell Web.  Someone made a wrong turn, they panicked, they ran, and for a moment, neither of their feet touched a stair.  I put my foot down before they did.  I took their place, they took mine.  I walked the various Paths for a long time before I made my way to this world.  I was trapped for a long time in the Yellow Flower Spiral, and I walked the Forest Ribbon Trail by instinct alone.”</ref> She was bound by a Finder to protect him, even at harm to herself, for a time.<ref>“I told you earlier that I was a Lost of the Paths, I escaped.  In the course of that escape, I got stuck on one area of the Paths.  A passing practitioner bound me.  He was very close to being immortal, and he used Others as a kind of protection, always in his company, compelled to take any bullet or knife directed at him, to use their power to ward off harm, and to make his life easier.  I do not remember my time before the Paths, because those memories and events are lost, and he was my very first introduction to practitioners.”

“What happened to him?”

“He did not leave the Path.  I do not know if he is dead or lost, but the effect is the same.  I’ve been dwelling on him a great deal, in context with you three.  With Avery in particular.” - Excerpt from Out on a Limb 3.1</ref>

She was on the look out for children that she could make practitioners prior to the death of the Carmine Beast. This is why she was watching Verona, Lucy and Avery during Avery's hockey match in the Arena.<ref>Verona took a seat behind Miss, looking at the back of her head.

“So she was here before,” Avery noted.  “Watching us before things went bad for Kennet.”- Excerpt from Cutting Class 6.6</ref>

Prologue

Attended the corpse of the Carmine Beast and encountered Louise Bayer.

With the agreement of the locals, set out to awaken new Practitioners and have them investigate, to ward off other potential investigators.<ref>“It was always going to be some time before they realized the Carmine Beast was gone.  We hoped to have months, and we had five weeks,” Miss said.  “Now we need the ability to tell outsiders that practitioners are handling the matter.  Give us the ability to say that, help us where you’re able, and we will give you a share of all of our power.” - Excerpt from Lost for Words 1.1</ref> Identified Avery as a good candidate,^{[citation needed]} then introduced her to Lucy and Verona. She told them some basics, such as to practice not lying, then watched them for five weeks.<ref>“I made them an offer, five weeks ago.  The two girls were friends already.  I pointed them to the third because three makes a good number.  I told them we would teach them of magic and strange things if they would help us with a problem.  One you can no longer assist us with, Charles.”

“The Carmine Beast.”

“Yes.  I’ve described only the most fundamental things.  I had them spend a weekend practicing avoiding lies, and watched them carefully.  I explained the ritual to awaken, in rough strokes, and told them what they’d need.  I told them they would be able to speak to the wind, or to flames, to see far things, to change their shape…”

“Go to magical places,” Avery said.

“Yes.  And curse their enemies.” - excerpt from Lost for Words 1.1</ref>

Vacation Time

She managed to escape the Paths and make her way back to our world where she meet up with Verona coming home from vacation.<ref>“You tell me.  Look what I found, or well, look who found me while I was out there!”

At that cue, Miss stepped out from behind the power pole.  Wind picked up and dust from the roadside hid her face.- Excerpt from One After Another 10.4</ref>

When the girls were going to arrest Edith she went to the Sable to stand in judgement over her.<ref>Miss told me, if everything goes like we hope it will, about… twenty three and a half hours from now, eleven o’clock tomorrow, she’ll talk to the Sable Judge and then they’ll reach out and let us know.- Excerpt from Dash to Pieces 11.1</ref> The also had to reach out to the Aurum for the confrontation with Maricica.<ref>Can you get Miss to give us an audience with the Aurum?  We’ll make it look like it’s about Cig and Lis, but we can also talk about Maricica with him.”- Excerpt from Dash to Pieces 11.8</ref>

Met with Avery and Toadswallow to discuss events, she told Avery of her experiences while she was away and some information about The Station Promenade, though she cautioned avery that she wanted a cut of the profits if Avery sold the information.<ref>Summer Break 13.6</ref> Much later she was a silent attendee during the negotiations with Garrick family representatives and admitted she wanted her "cut" in principle more then anything, but with some prodding she did ask for Lost that the Garricks took to be freed.

When Lucy's mum was in danger due to the egotist, Steven Miss went to her to try and keep her safe.<ref>- Summer Break 13.10</ref>

Red days

Following the Carmine Contest Miss was grieving for the loss of her ideal of kennet. Her students tried to help her but she was sunk into depression.

Verona came up with a new plan to get back at the carmine conspirators and Miss agreed to it, seeing The Page of Suns cemented the monumental nature of what she was about to undertake.

While things were terribly dangerous with very tight timing the plan succeeded and she made a new realm to her specifications. She was immediately hunted by Anthem Tedd and was only saved when he was being called off.

References

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