#eli ival

Elizabeth “Lizzy / Eli” Ival was the daughter of a traveling ringmaster in Maine. From a young age, she learned how to paint faces, and more importantly, how to see behind the masks people wore. After finishing high school, she moved to Buffalo, New York to study cosmetology. In her early years as a licensed beautician, she became known for accepting clients that others considered “damaged beyond repair.” Her reputation eventually reached Arora Kress through a series of intermediaries. When Eli was summoned to the Kress manor, she was met with a lot of paperwork… Confidentiality agreements. Personal risk acknowledgments. Liability waivers… Warnings. She had been told the Kress twins were peculiar… that staring might cost her more than her license. And though she is merely a “half-life”… Elizabeth has found a “permanent” place in both Otto and Aurora’s world, fulfilling a missing piece of themselves. 💜💜💜

(I'm really lazy and just copy/pasted the description from my insta)

Anyway! I have been studying the Kress Twins a lot lately-- Like, over a month or so. I find their backstory extremely tragic AND fascinating. Red Barrels know how to make their characters "charming" and very complex. It's a shame that artists leave the twins out of many "I drew ALL the Prime Assets :D " art... :(

Eli is a self-insert who is in a relationship with the twins PRIOR to the Trials. Her attention to detail and careful hands lands a soft spot in Arora's heart. Otto has a harder time trusting Eli at first, but Eli's political passion (even if she is a "damned bleeding-heart progressive" to Otto's Authoritarian beliefs,) lack of disgust towards the twins and her... curvaceous body... draws him in.

Fun fact! Eli's childhood crush was on a pair of conjoined twins- Arnie and Abbot (joined at their sides.) Her father, a ringmaster, tried to force them into clown roles, which eventually drove the twins away from the circus.

They always treated her the kindest out all of the other performers, standing up for Eli when her father's behavior became cruel. They made her feel valued as a person during a time when she felt invisible.

Arnie and Abbot were adults while Eli was still a child, so her feelings were never reciprocated-- However, the compassion they showed her left a lasting impression.