Thawing Yaira’s Mythos with the Soska Sisters
The Twisted Twins talk about their experience building the mythos of Yaira!
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Jen & Sylvia Soska
From the moment she blasted her icy way onto the scene, Yaira, the Rippaverse’s frosty and fearsome femme fatale, gripped audiences by the heart and has yet to let go.
Uncovering Yaira’s Foundations
When we were invited to the party by creator and founder, Eric D. July, we were tasked with fleshing out this mystery of a powerhouse and had to figure out her foundations. Yaira pushes people away, sometimes quite literally, and is fiercely independent, but why did her heart freeze?
The Ice Queen Archetype
It is in our experience that those with the coldest exteriors come from a place of having had to protect themselves, and often ice queens once held the warmest of feelings. We have given the incredible fans and readers but a mere hint into her past, and let’s just say it is as deep, rich, and complicated as Yaira herself.
What Lies Beneath Yaira’s Exterior
Fear not, there will be no spoilers beyond this point contained in this article, but you will get to learn a fair bit more about Yaira and what has gone into the foundation of this enigmatic anti-hero. No one simply is as they appear, and Yaira, as we all are, is a result of many experiences that formed opinions, coping mechanisms, and a series of beliefs from within her. While it is still largely unknown where she originated from, there are many hints at what she left behind, reflected in her values and what she holds important in her life. Let’s delve into exactly what we know and what we can suspect about everyone’s favorite wintery warrior, Yaira!
Yaira’s Strength and Her Broken Heart
Yaira has proven herself to be a fighter. She values her own strength and has a great respect for the strength she sees in others.
Yaira’s Disdain for Weakness
Yaira does not pity the weak; in fact, she has quite a bit of disdain for weakness for reasons you will fully understand later.
The Clash with Bryan Solari
We know that Yaira has a history with Bryan Solari and that they fought together before to a standstill, where Solari warned Yaira to leave and never return. We also know that Yaira did not take that advice and was operating in Florespark right under Alphacore’s noses until she was revealed during a run-in with the Florespark Police Department.
A Love and a Loss
She is not originally from Texas, and you may even suspect she’s a bit more foreign than even Iceland, where we saw she made her first home. Yaira met and fell in love with a Viking named Gorm, and they had a life and family together before she realized that human life is much more delicate and briefer than her own.
If you have read Yaira #1, and I earnestly hope you have, you’ll have learned that this event broke Yaira’s heart. Often, when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we open ourselves up to being hurt, and this was no different for Yaira. She is a guarded character and has good reason, but she, despite that, opened herself up to love and paid the ultimate price. All too often, pain is the price we pay for love, and sometimes that pain is the only thing connecting us to that love once it’s been lost.
Enemies, Secrets, and a Double Life
The Visitors and Their Vendetta
Aside from crossing paths in the past with Bryan Solari, Yaira has been sought after by three Visitors who are none too happy with her. This suggests a past that has led her to have many enemies, and the nature of how that came to pass is something we will continue to delve into in future issues.
Her Own Code of Morals
Yaira may not play by the rules of others, but she does have her own morals. She is driven by a purpose that she keeps close to her heart.
The Projexus Connection
Where she came from is closely linked to who she is and what she wants. It is also part of why she found herself working for Projexus as her alter ego, Dr. Sally Rodell. Yaira has reason to be private and keep her secrets and intentions to herself, all while seeking a means to achieve their goals.
A Past That Shapes the Present
As future books are released, you will learn more and more about Yaira’s past, which very much informs her present and where she is headed. You will continue to meet those from her past who have unresolved business with her, and through those interactions, you will learn more about who Yaira has been and how far she’s come to become who she is right now.
The Value of Freedom for Yaira
Yaira loves freedom, which has placed her as a citizen of Texas, and it means a lot to her. Freedom is one of her strongest values and a big hint as to what she has endured in the past.
A Hero’s Journey Forged in Ice and Fire
A Flawed but Relentless Fighter
It has been an honor to write for a character who is flawed, layered, and on her own hero’s journey to becoming who she was always meant to be. Her path traveled is by no means an easy one. Yaira has had many missteps and suffered losses, but no matter what she has been through, she keeps going.
Forging Destiny Through Pain
She believes in better days ahead, and she refuses to wait and hope for the best when she was born with gifts that allow her to forge her own destiny. It’s a lesson we can all hold dear. We all have gifts and the power to help make our dreams a reality. The road is rarely unencumbered, but it is always one worth taking. If we stand idly by, we allow others to make choices for our own futures. The strong forge their own paths and make their own destinies. And Yaira is plenty strong.
Born of Iceland and Battle
It was with great intention that we had her start her journey here in Iceland during Viking times, where you had to fight to just survive, and survival of the fittest was the law of the land. She has been forged in battle and brutality, but beneath that cold exterior, Yaira has a lot of warmth she keeps hidden.
Who Yaira Truly Is
You have been given hints as to who she is, but only time will tell who Yaira truly is. And we cannot wait for you to see.
