Cynthia Laskaris
More actions
| Cynthia Laskaris | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Cynthia Laskaris |
| Affiliation | House Subconium; Camera Noctis |
| Status | Active |
| Occupation | Faculty, unnamed university; House Subconium events committee |
| First appearance | Making the Grades: Kelly's Unveiling |
| Canon status | Confirmed |
About
Professor Cynthia Laskaris, known at Camera Noctis as Lady Ebonheart, is a faculty member at an unnamed university more than two hours from Verdant and a longtime friend of Professor William Taylor from graduate school. She is a switch who nearly always takes the submissive role with Taylor. She holds a rare outside-member invitation to the House Subconium events committee, a position that reflects the organization's unusual degree of trust in her despite her not being a Verdant resident.
She and Taylor briefly attempted something more during "a complicated two weeks" before settling into their current dynamic. She visits Camera Noctis frequently despite the distance.
Description
Cynthia has short blond hair with a dark blue streak. Her Camera Noctis appearance at the Clandestine night included a black coat with deep blue stitching, a black blouse and skirt with an octopus tentacle pattern in soft blue, metallic gray tights, and thigh-high boots in deep blue.
Personality and traits
Cynthia is warm, direct, and experienced. She sees Taylor clearly and without illusion, which is part of why their friendship has lasted. She is perceptive enough to have noticed what Taylor's arrangement with Kelly Spaihts was doing to Kelly emotionally, and direct enough to say something about it on the drive home. Her safeword with Taylor is banana.
Role in Making the Grades: Kelly's Unveiling
Cynthia appears in Book Three for an evening at Taylor's condo. Kelly arrived naked to cook dinner. Cynthia was flogged on the St. Andrew's Cross. Kelly received a brief paddling, used the safeword "tomato" — Cynthia's gift to her for the night — and broke down crying. Both Taylor and Cynthia provided aftercare.
On the drive home Cynthia placed a finger between Kelly's breasts and said "take care of your heart first," warning her about the emotional entanglement developing with Taylor. Kelly bristled. The warning was not wrong.
Key relationships
Professor William Taylor
Professor William Taylor is Cynthia's longtime friend from graduate school and play partner. Their dynamic is longstanding, well-defined, and mutual. She nearly always takes the submissive role with him. Taylor loves watching her work on other submissives. She is one of the few people in his life who sees him completely.
Kelly Spaihts
Kelly Spaihts met Cynthia as a demonstration and mentor figure in Book Three. Cynthia's warning to Kelly on the drive home is the most direct acknowledgment in the published novels that what Taylor is doing carries genuine emotional risk.
Affiliations
Faculty, unnamed university. Outside-member, House Subconium events committee. Regular, Camera Noctis. Scene name: Lady Ebonheart.
Canon notes
- The university where she works has not been named
- Physical description beyond the Clandestine night appearance not established
- Whether she appears in future SSU works has not been confirmed