Gail

Everyone knows her - or at least, anyone that grew up in Gray Harbor. Did she catch you and your friends smoking behind the 7-11 and chase you home? Did she cover for you when you ended up too drunk to drive? Did she donate to your bake sale, or buy your school raffle tickets?

She'll take anyone under her wing - even if they don't ask for it.

She's a busybody and will interject herself into anything. That said, she doesn't spread gossip. Just takes it in. If someone needs to unburden themselves and a plate of cookies, Granny Gail is the person to see.

She's old enough now to not want to deal with the hassle of her lawn. Anyone down for taking care of it?

Help with the housework too. She'll pay you in baked goods, a solid meal, and money if that's what you really want.

Gail is a long time Gray Harbor resident. Her first occurrence of Glimmering came so long ago she's hard pressed to remember exactly what happened. She was at a high school dance fluttering her eyelashes at a boy (the same who became her husband later on actually) when a fight broke out beside her. It was like she could SENSE the animosity between them and cut in with a question that deflected the fight before it got out of control. From there the ability to sense how other people felt only got stronger, as did her ability to sense when other people were different.

That ability is what made her choose a completely glimmer-less husband (also, he was cute.) They were sweethearts through high school and when he returned from Vietnam and they settled into a modest house and birthed two girls. He was moderately successful as an engineer and managed to patent a particular machine part for washing machines that was widely used until the end of the eighties. Nothing particularly extravagant, but when he died in his fifties enough to leave his widow with a paid off house, investments, and a solid income from his military benefits and life insurance. Rather than pine herself away Gail threw herself into raising her two glimmer-less daughters to be smart upstanding people, a trait they shared with their father. Only Gail was aware of the weirdness of the town but it was ALL she was use to, and made her a deft hand at explaining away injuries or other weird occurrences.

As for the dark men - the things that came with them became just a part of life. Dreams will/would happen. Sometimes they'd press right up against her ability to cope, but that ability to feel how others were coping is what kept her centered. If SHE lost it, then who would they rely on? Illusions provided her best defense, because it helped deflect attention away from her. She'll be the support for others.

With her emotional sensitivity took it upon herself to mother as much of the town as would let her. She always had cookies for the bake sale. If some kid got drunk and was afraid to call their parents for a ride, they knew Granny Gail would come no questions asked. She was a repository for gossip - and a dispenser of not always wanted advice - but never a purveyor of gossip. Her house also became a place people with the glimmer could come, no questions asked.

Alas, about five years ago (or so, whenever the game started) a bad fall changed that status quo. A broken hip and several broken leg bones incapacitated her completely. Also unfortunate, were that her glimmerless daughters were home to object and override her when she wanted to send for someone with healing her transferred to a hospital far away. Between the painkillers and her children's constant worry, they wore Gail down into agreeing to sell the house she'd moved into as a newlywed and live with her youngest daughter.

Grit and determination saw Gail through her healing and subsequent physical therapy. She was happy around her grandchildren - until the novelty wore off. As independent as she had raised her daughter Gail saw that the longer she stayed the more her daughter became dependent on her for childcare. Gail was in the business of BEING grandma, not doing the mother thing again at her age!

At Thanksgiving she made sure her family was all gathered and announced she was moving back to Gray Harbor. Her bags were packed and she intended to move that weekend. They tried to convince her to stay but when Granny Gail gets the bit between her teeth no one is going to stop her tyvm. There is also some distinct insinuation that if they complain too much they will find themselves cut out of the will

Using the profit from the sale of her house Gail settled into a single story house on oak street. Minimal lawn to maintain, but then again, Granny isn't the one who will maintain it. Isn't that what nice local boys are for?

Some people age poorly and others well - Gail's one of the secondary. Her shoulder length wavy gray hair looks like it's gone that way with grace. No awkward spots of color remain, it's a unified 'yes, I am old, thanks' look. Her face has telltale wrinkles at the edges of her brown eyes and lips giving a hint at a life spent with a great deal of worry but also joy. Large round glasses perch on her nose. She stands just shorter than average - height probably loss to the advancement of age. A slight dip to her right shows a weakness in that leg, but the determination with which she holds herself up says that she isn't about to let it stop her.