Lauriel de la Ribas

Lauriel de la Ribas is one of several original characters introduced in Brother Grimace's unfinished novella "It's All About Respect."

Biography
Lauriel de la Ribas is the star chef at Chez Pierre, one of the best eateries in the Lawndale area. In her mid-thirties, Lauriel is an incredibly attractive Latina who has spent almost the last twenty years of her life mastering the culinary arts.

Lauriel and Jake met when she became a client of his, and he helped in the promotion strategy that took her television program up in the ratings and to the notice of the Food Network, who gave her a deal for her show. Lauriel and Jake are very close friends, as Jake has been able to talk to things with Lauriel that he seemingly hasn’t with Helen, and her ability to listen without reservation or judgment has helped Jake keep from going off into rants when talking about his father. Lauriel has realized that she’s falling in love with Jake, and several others have realized she is as well -– including Helen, who hates her with a passion (and secretly is quite jealous of her as well). Quinn, however, has bonded with her also, and sees her as a prized older sister. The changing nature of her relationship with Jake is causing Lauriel to experience inner turmoil.

Other Biographical Information
Full Name: Lauriel Elena de la Ribas

Occupation: Master chef, television personality

Identity: Publicly known.

Legal Status: U.S. Citizen.

Other Aliases: None

Former Aliases: None

Place of Birth: Wickenberg, New Mexico

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: None

Group Affiliation(s): None

Trivia
Lauriel is 6’3, weighs 145 pounds, and has light-streaked black hair and eyes. It is quite possible that she is the single most attractive woman ever featured in Daria fan fiction.

Lauriel is a four-star chef who is well-known for her skills in preparing French and Southwestern (‘Tex-Mex’) cuisine. She specializes in seafood dishes.

Lauriel is a very well-dressed woman, and can usually be seen in quite fashionable attire when not in the kitchen. She prefers to wear skirts, and has a sweater dress made by a famous designer that can literally stop traffic if Lauriel wears it outside in full view of the public.

Lauriel is a practicing Catholic, which caused severe emotional pain when she realized that she was falling in love with Jake, but could never marry him.

Considering the animosity Helen has for Lauriel, it is ironic that Lauriel's middle name means "Helen" is Spanish.

She is the host of a very popular cable-access program called ‘North of the Border’. The show has attracted its own fan club, the members of which call themselves "Border Crossers," and Charles "Upchuck" Ruttheimer III has a special section on his web site devoted to Lauriel. He refers to himself as her "Number One Fan."

During her first months working at Chez Pierre, Lauriel as constantly propositioned by many, many men - including Angier Sloane, who wanted her to be his son Tom's first bedroom companion and offered her an astounding amount of cash in return. She flatly turned him down.

In an ironic turn, the events of the AU-novella "The Winters of Those Gone Before" showed Lauriel and Helen developing an immediate and mutual attraction upon meeting at the Morgendorffers' home, which Lauriel had purchased from her.

First Appearance
Lauriel was first seen in "It's All About Respect."

Other appearances
Lauriel was seen in the final scenes of The Winters of Those Gone Before, when she invites Helen to stay for dinner after buying the Morgendorffer home. Ironically, it is strongly insinuated that she and Helen are quite attracted to each other in this fic.