Nicole née Iaggi Ransom
Nicole Marie née Iaggi Ransom was a Veterinarian by trade and education; sometime a member of Ransom's Crew; later the wife of Marcus Ransom and the mother of his son Nathan.
Contents
Youth
Born on Altronis in the Fourth Age, Nicole was the elder daughter of Ralph and Anne-Marie Iaggi. In childhood and womanhood Nicole was an animal-lover (particularly of mammals); an 'Advocate of Women's Rights'; guide, playmate, and torment of her sister Natalie and their friend A.E. Clipson. Clipson and Natalie were schoolmates, and the families became friends, so they knew each other since childhood; but to Nicole, Clipson was (only) the bratty younger sibling's friend. At the age of 19 years (local time), Nicole collaborated with Clipson and the Dragon Traroth in a power-raising spell meant to establish dragons on Altronis; restore law and justice to the local human societies (then almost wholly under control by the Altronis corpocracy); tighten loose ends in myth and fiction; reëstablish the Planet's ecosystems; prevent nuclear holocaust; alter the deterministic paradigm then dominant in local science; negate anti-intellectualism; etc. Shortly thereafter, Nicole suffered the death of her sister (murdered by Ryoga) and the division of her parents, among other things; and when Clipson wrote her anent their earlier project, Nicole said nothing of her sorrows, but forbade him to write her again and destroyed his subsequent letters unread. She later completed her Veterinary education, with flying colors.
Adult Life
As a young woman, Nicole joined the staff of three veterinary hospitals, in quick succession (Ukiah, Brandner, and [name here]), and soon became a beloved local vet to all the neighborhood. Following the corpocracy's seizure of power, Nicole joined Ransom's Crew, and became an instrument of Ransom's victory.
After Ransom's return to and from Arindell, Nicole espoused him and became the mother of Nathan. She also befriended Jonas R. Work. In Nathan's 15th year, Nicole and Work were captured by the Dark Order. Recalling his father's stories of the Crew, Nathan approached Clipson and Traroth to rescue his mother; but the final rescue was by Marcus Ransom himself, at or by his destruction of the Dark Order's chief, Elias Grimshaw. Nicole later attended Clipson's funereal pyre, and outlived him by c. 16 years.
Profile
Age: 50 - at the time of the story.
Appearance: Stout, round-faced, copper-colored, large-eyed, long-haired, and brown-eyed behind steel-rimmed spectacles. Symmetrical features and a shapeless, maternal figure. Hair is brown, but rapidly going grey; in old age, it should resemble a white cloak.
History: lived through and fought the revolution. Likely very wise, proud and steadfast in her opinions. Sees herself as accommodating (even when she is not), but still a shrewd negotiator. Enthusiastic about animal care, and a trained veterinarian (she's going to use use a lot of animal analogies in her arguments). She has worked with seals, foxes, birds-of-prey, turtles, whales, dolphins, horses, lions, tigers, house-cats, dogs, and even tame fish. Skillful and probably influential in her field. “And she sings, too”: alto, varying to soprano. In her own science, she has many friends. She is better-versed in High Fantasy than is Clipson himself, and can therefore use this against him.
Nicole probably has a feeling of superiority towards Clipson: no matter his age or accomplishments, to her he's still a little boy. At the time of Natalie's death, Nicole largely blamed Natalie. Clipson blames society's belief that one has to "fall in love". After the long argument, they conclude that it is the society they lived in, the cultural atmosphere, that bred Natalie's death. The society they both fought and killed to change.
Education: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
Occupation: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; opthalmology, exotic-species medicine, wild-animal work.
Interests: Making jewellery; taking photographs; working with variety. (Boasted of having "Vaccinated six juvenile raccoons, set a spinal needle, and tamed a feral cat" in her youth; but this was the least of her accomplishments)
Strong points: Strong-minded, resourceful, versatile, intelligent, dignified, rational, optimistic, amiable, and very social.
Weak points: Impatient, hot-tempered, stubborn, vindictive, conventional, and self-assured.
Way of Speaking: Varies with mood; but generally segregates people according to their ages. To elders she's polite; to juniors sororal; to equals, friendly; etc. Her manner toward her son is both effusive and direct. Clipson, of course, she detests, and will say anything to disagree with him, unless it contradicts a professional principle.
Skeletons in Closet: Clipson, Natalie, and various other rejected alliances. She's also embarrassed to admit how deeply she adores Ransom, though he knows it full well.
Fears: losing a patient; seeing one of the skeletons in her closet come alive; losing her dear ones; dying of something other than Old Age; herself becoming helpless; etc.
Contents of Medicine Cabinet: All veterinary medicines, except those stored in bulk; all human medicines for bites, burns, lacerations, scars, blows, and sicknesses of every kind. At work, she keeps scanning-machines; rolls of bandage; coagulants; laboratory goggles; a Certificate; thermometers, hydration-meters, blood-pressure meters, a chronometer; medical lights; endoscopes, microscopes, periscope, stereoscope, and a stethoscope (this is slightly obsolete, but she keeps one for appearances' sake); also, two tricorders.
Contents of Bookshelf: Medical texts, scientific journals, children's stories (for Nathan); memoirs of great scientists, photograph collections, musical books, technical manuals, case files, and misc.
Hopes/Aspirations: mostly achieved. Her great ambition was 'to be a D.V.M.', and now she is one. Second came the hope of a set of intimate friends-and-relations, on whom she can rely as on her own limbs, and to whom she goes for all socialization; this is exactly what she has.
Publications
Causes of death in preweaned northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris, Gill, 1866), Año Nuevo State Reserve, California, 2012. Authors: Terry R. Spraker, Eugene T. Lyons, Tetiana A. Kuzmina, Michael S. Tift, Stephen Raverty, Nicole Jaggi, and Daniel E. Crocker;
Parasitological examination for presence of hookworms (Uncinaria spp.) in northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) at Año Nuevo State Reserve, California (2012). Authors: E.T. Lyons, Tetiana Kuzmina, T.R. Spraker, Nicole Jaggi, Daniel P. Costa, Daniel E. Crocker, S.C. Tolliver, and Michael Tift.
