Background
Ilaria Friskin was the youngest child of Ilaria Reeves, a highly successful independent businesswoman, and Jesse Friskin, a young minor league cricket star. The couple met in college, and after a whirlwind love affair they were married and settled down in Neopia Central. Ilaria owned a small but prosperous travel agency that supported the couple, while Jesse continued to pursue his sports career. But a few years later, Jesse fractured his knee in an exhibition game and was out of commission for months. Though he eventually recovered, he couldn't seem to get back into the game. Ilaria told him not to worry, that her income could support them, and encouraged him not to give up on his dream. A few months later, they were overjoyed to learn that she was pregnant. Ilaria wanted to keep working during her pregnancy, but Jesse convinced her to take a vacation. Soon their first son, Nikola, was born.
Ever ambitious, Ilaria returned to work just a week after Nikola's birth, leaving Jesse at home to care for the newborn. Jesse worked a few part time jobs but still harbored dreams of returning to cricket. A few years later, the two had another son, Shawn. Time passed, Ilaria's business flourished, Nikola entered school, and Jesse finally resigned himself to the fact that his pro sports career was over. Instead, he joined up with his wife to help at the travel agency. With both of them working, little Shawn spent a great deal of time in the office as well. But in spite of the stress, they were still a happy family.
Then, after a certain drunken New Years' Eve party, Ilaria unexpectedly ended up pregnant a third time. With the family feeling the financial strain of two children, Ilaria insisted on staying at work until the day the child was born. Against Jesse's pleading, she continued to put in overtime, even when her friends and family noticed that her health was suffering. Her doctor warned her that she wasn't getting enough rest, but she ignored the advice. Three weeks before she was due, Ilaria was supposed to meet with a representative from Sakhmet. Jesse went in her place, and made her promise to stay at home and rest. But Ilaria grew restless, and after a few days she went back to work anyway.
Jesse was in the middle of a meeting when he got an urgent call from the Neopian General Hospital. Ilaria had suffered a fall at work and had then unexpectedly gone into labor. Jesse dropped everything and rushed home. The doctors made a valiant effort, but there was nothing to be done for Ilaria. Jesse was called in to be with her during her last moments, and soon after she died. Jesse was crushed. But his grief was lifted a little when the doctors infomed him that they had been able to save the baby. Jesse named his new daughter Ilaria.
After his wife's death, Jesse took over her business. He did quite well, and soon they had expanded, with offices in Tyrannia and Mystery Island. Time passed, and Ilaria and her brothers grew up. Ilaria entered Powell Elementary, where she got decent grades but didn't seem to have many friends. Jesse was a little worried about her, but was too busy with his job to be very involved in her social life. It was about that time that Ilaria went out on a picnic and was quite literally run over by a young pink Uni. The two got into an argument, which ended with Ilaria walking away in a huff. She went to school as usual, but when she came home she found the Uni waiting at her house, demanding an apology. Another argument ensued. At that point Shawn, who was trying to study, came out and told them to be quiet. Ilaria suggested to the Uni that they settle the issue by a chess match. If Ilaria won, the Uni agreed to leave her alone. Ilaria asked the Uni to name her conditions, and to her surprise the Uni asked that Ilaria adopt her! Intrigued, the girl agreed. Ilaria figured it would be an easy win, so she was astounded when the Uni beat her. Thus Ilaria met her first pet, who she named Kathris Sakura.
The dust had barely settled before Kathris befriended a young Peophin, Pephaea Umiko, standing by the wishing well. It turned out Pephaea was struggling to make a living on her own after her owner had been frozen. Kathris invited her to come live with the Friskin family, not even thinking to consult Ilaria first. Ilaria was understandably irked, but one argument and one chess game later, Pephaea was home to stay.
One day when Ilaria was 11, Jesse gathered his family and announced that they would be moving to Mystery Island. He claimed that it was a business decision, but Ilaria and her brothers suspected that he was trying to escape the memory of his dead wife. All three children resisted the move, but Jesse was determined. Then Nikola found out that Jesse was dating a young dancer who lived on Mystery Island, Cordelia Ames. He and Ilaria immediately confronted him, accusing him of lying and betraying their mother. Jesse admitted that Cordelia was a factor in the move, but reassured them that it was for the best. From that moment on, Ilaria hated Cordelia. Through a carefully planned and well presented argument (complete with a PowerPoint presentation courtesy of Nikola), Ilaria and her brother eventually conviniced their father not to sell the Neopia Central property. But as Neopian ordinances would not allow Jesse to own more than one house at a time, Nikola (then 18) decided to live there, since he would be attending college nearby. The others packed their bags, said their goodbyes, and moved to Mystery Island.
After the move, Ilaria fell into a brief spell of depression. To ease her loneliness, she decided to create another pet. The new addition was shoyru who Ilaria named Kipardi Yukiro. The two were very close from the start, and Yukiro (as he prefers to be called) idolized his owner. He helped her to overcome her sadness at leaving home, and together they were ready to face their new life. It was around this time that Pephaea Umiko was involved in a magical plushie accident, which temporarily transformed her into a yellow poogle. This was a trying time for all involved, but luckily shortly after the Rainbow Fountain started bubbling, and Ilaria took advantage of the opportunity to not only change Pephaea back, but give both her and Kathris new colors. Kathris became a white Uni, while Pephaea was transformed into a Faerie Peophin.
Two years passed. Ilaria enrolled in Ryshuu Middle School. Jesse continued to see Cordelia, and eventually she and her son Casey moved in with the family. But Ilaria was restless. She disliked Mystery Island and wasn't doing well at school. She also resented Casey and Cordelia's "intrusion" and picked on the soft-spoken boy mercilessly. Jesse, intent on carrying on his wife's legacy, had become too obsessive about his work to notice his daughter's plight. In the end, it was Cordelia who intervened on Ilaria's behalf. In a rare moment of courage, she rebuked Jesse for ignoring his family and repeating his wife's mistakes. Her words had a profound effect on Jesse, and he took the next week off work to spend more time with his children. In the months that followed, he gradually began to focus more on his family. In the end, the travel agency's profits did slip a bit, but Jesse never regretted it. Cordelia, for her part, was happy to see the family patched up, even though Ilaria and the other children never knew it was her doing.
One day, Ilaria visited the Island Mystic, and her fortune told her to do a good deed. Coincidentally, Nikola was at that time crusading for the Neopian Pound, and soon Ilaria was lining up to adopt a fourth pet. She chose a Xweetok named XairwalkerX, or "Xair" for short. Xair had been in the pound for years, and was very nervous and mistrustful of humans. Raising Xair was a learning experience for Ilaria, and through their time together she matured a great deal. She began to realize what it really meant to raise a family, and through that she began to appreciate her father's efforts and her mother's dreams. And so she found her purpose in life: to become successful like her mother and build a good life for her pets.
With her newfound sense of confidence, Ilaria came to her father with a proposal: to allow her to move back to Neopia Central with Nikola so she could attend Neopia Central High School. Jesse was relucant to part with his young daughter, but he recognized that Ilaria wasn't happy on Mystery Island, and he thought she would have a better education in Neopia Central. It had always been his policy to let his children choose thier own path, so with some apprehension he sent her off. Ilaria moved in with Nikola, and transferred to Neopia Secondary School. It was good to be back in her old house, and soon her grades improved and she seemed generally happier. A few months after Ilaria transferred to Neopia Secondary, she decided to join up with the track team. She was naturally fast, so she thought she'd have no problem becoming the team star. But to her surprise, she faced some intense competition, and many of the more experienced runners looked down on her. Her victory against the infamous Brooke Cassonade of NJH won her some reknown. Since then she has been working hard, and her training has paid off: she's managed to trim a full 12 seconds from her time in the past two years.
But Ilaria's destiny has something even bigger in store for her...
Ilaria Friskin was the youngest child of Ilaria Reeves, a highly successful independent businesswoman, and Jesse Friskin, a young minor league cricket star. The couple met in college, and after a whirlwind love affair they were married and settled down in Neopia Central. Ilaria owned a small but prosperous travel agency that supported the couple, while Jesse continued to pursue his sports career. But a few years later, Jesse fractured his knee in an exhibition game and was out of commission for months. Though he eventually recovered, he couldn't seem to get back into the game. Ilaria told him not to worry, that her income could support them, and encouraged him not to give up on his dream. A few months later, they were overjoyed to learn that she was pregnant. Ilaria wanted to keep working during her pregnancy, but Jesse convinced her to take a vacation. Soon their first son, Nikola, was born.
Ever ambitious, Ilaria returned to work just a week after Nikola's birth, leaving Jesse at home to care for the newborn. Jesse worked a few part time jobs but still harbored dreams of returning to cricket. A few years later, the two had another son, Shawn. Time passed, Ilaria's business flourished, Nikola entered school, and Jesse finally resigned himself to the fact that his pro sports career was over. Instead, he joined up with his wife to help at the travel agency. With both of them working, little Shawn spent a great deal of time in the office as well. But in spite of the stress, they were still a happy family.
Then, after a certain drunken New Years' Eve party, Ilaria unexpectedly ended up pregnant a third time. With the family feeling the financial strain of two children, Ilaria insisted on staying at work until the day the child was born. Against Jesse's pleading, she continued to put in overtime, even when her friends and family noticed that her health was suffering. Her doctor warned her that she wasn't getting enough rest, but she ignored the advice. Three weeks before she was due, Ilaria was supposed to meet with a representative from Sakhmet. Jesse went in her place, and made her promise to stay at home and rest. But Ilaria grew restless, and after a few days she went back to work anyway.
Jesse was in the middle of a meeting when he got an urgent call from the Neopian General Hospital. Ilaria had suffered a fall at work and had then unexpectedly gone into labor. Jesse dropped everything and rushed home. The doctors made a valiant effort, but there was nothing to be done for Ilaria. Jesse was called in to be with her during her last moments, and soon after she died. Jesse was crushed. But his grief was lifted a little when the doctors infomed him that they had been able to save the baby. Jesse named his new daughter Ilaria.
After his wife's death, Jesse took over her business. He did quite well, and soon they had expanded, with offices in Tyrannia and Mystery Island. Time passed, and Ilaria and her brothers grew up. Ilaria entered Powell Elementary, where she got decent grades but didn't seem to have many friends. Jesse was a little worried about her, but was too busy with his job to be very involved in her social life. It was about that time that Ilaria went out on a picnic and was quite literally run over by a young pink Uni. The two got into an argument, which ended with Ilaria walking away in a huff. She went to school as usual, but when she came home she found the Uni waiting at her house, demanding an apology. Another argument ensued. At that point Shawn, who was trying to study, came out and told them to be quiet. Ilaria suggested to the Uni that they settle the issue by a chess match. If Ilaria won, the Uni agreed to leave her alone. Ilaria asked the Uni to name her conditions, and to her surprise the Uni asked that Ilaria adopt her! Intrigued, the girl agreed. Ilaria figured it would be an easy win, so she was astounded when the Uni beat her. Thus Ilaria met her first pet, who she named Kathris Sakura.
The dust had barely settled before Kathris befriended a young Peophin, Pephaea Umiko, standing by the wishing well. It turned out Pephaea was struggling to make a living on her own after her owner had been frozen. Kathris invited her to come live with the Friskin family, not even thinking to consult Ilaria first. Ilaria was understandably irked, but one argument and one chess game later, Pephaea was home to stay.
One day when Ilaria was 11, Jesse gathered his family and announced that they would be moving to Mystery Island. He claimed that it was a business decision, but Ilaria and her brothers suspected that he was trying to escape the memory of his dead wife. All three children resisted the move, but Jesse was determined. Then Nikola found out that Jesse was dating a young dancer who lived on Mystery Island, Cordelia Ames. He and Ilaria immediately confronted him, accusing him of lying and betraying their mother. Jesse admitted that Cordelia was a factor in the move, but reassured them that it was for the best. From that moment on, Ilaria hated Cordelia. Through a carefully planned and well presented argument (complete with a PowerPoint presentation courtesy of Nikola), Ilaria and her brother eventually conviniced their father not to sell the Neopia Central property. But as Neopian ordinances would not allow Jesse to own more than one house at a time, Nikola (then 18) decided to live there, since he would be attending college nearby. The others packed their bags, said their goodbyes, and moved to Mystery Island.
After the move, Ilaria fell into a brief spell of depression. To ease her loneliness, she decided to create another pet. The new addition was shoyru who Ilaria named Kipardi Yukiro. The two were very close from the start, and Yukiro (as he prefers to be called) idolized his owner. He helped her to overcome her sadness at leaving home, and together they were ready to face their new life. It was around this time that Pephaea Umiko was involved in a magical plushie accident, which temporarily transformed her into a yellow poogle. This was a trying time for all involved, but luckily shortly after the Rainbow Fountain started bubbling, and Ilaria took advantage of the opportunity to not only change Pephaea back, but give both her and Kathris new colors. Kathris became a white Uni, while Pephaea was transformed into a Faerie Peophin.
Two years passed. Ilaria enrolled in Ryshuu Middle School. Jesse continued to see Cordelia, and eventually she and her son Casey moved in with the family. But Ilaria was restless. She disliked Mystery Island and wasn't doing well at school. She also resented Casey and Cordelia's "intrusion" and picked on the soft-spoken boy mercilessly. Jesse, intent on carrying on his wife's legacy, had become too obsessive about his work to notice his daughter's plight. In the end, it was Cordelia who intervened on Ilaria's behalf. In a rare moment of courage, she rebuked Jesse for ignoring his family and repeating his wife's mistakes. Her words had a profound effect on Jesse, and he took the next week off work to spend more time with his children. In the months that followed, he gradually began to focus more on his family. In the end, the travel agency's profits did slip a bit, but Jesse never regretted it. Cordelia, for her part, was happy to see the family patched up, even though Ilaria and the other children never knew it was her doing.
One day, Ilaria visited the Island Mystic, and her fortune told her to do a good deed. Coincidentally, Nikola was at that time crusading for the Neopian Pound, and soon Ilaria was lining up to adopt a fourth pet. She chose a Xweetok named XairwalkerX, or "Xair" for short. Xair had been in the pound for years, and was very nervous and mistrustful of humans. Raising Xair was a learning experience for Ilaria, and through their time together she matured a great deal. She began to realize what it really meant to raise a family, and through that she began to appreciate her father's efforts and her mother's dreams. And so she found her purpose in life: to become successful like her mother and build a good life for her pets.
With her newfound sense of confidence, Ilaria came to her father with a proposal: to allow her to move back to Neopia Central with Nikola so she could attend Neopia Central High School. Jesse was relucant to part with his young daughter, but he recognized that Ilaria wasn't happy on Mystery Island, and he thought she would have a better education in Neopia Central. It had always been his policy to let his children choose thier own path, so with some apprehension he sent her off. Ilaria moved in with Nikola, and transferred to Neopia Secondary School. It was good to be back in her old house, and soon her grades improved and she seemed generally happier. A few months after Ilaria transferred to Neopia Secondary, she decided to join up with the track team. She was naturally fast, so she thought she'd have no problem becoming the team star. But to her surprise, she faced some intense competition, and many of the more experienced runners looked down on her. Her victory against the infamous Brooke Cassonade of NJH won her some reknown. Since then she has been working hard, and her training has paid off: she's managed to trim a full 12 seconds from her time in the past two years.
But Ilaria's destiny has something even bigger in store for her...
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