Appearance:



Thin and bony, Hava has little in the way of womanly curves, and this, in addition to her youthful face, makes her appear much younger than she is. She is often seen staring into space. Her long nose, petite body, and tendency to move twitchily combine to give her a bird-like appearance. Her fingers are often bandaged--small accidents as a result of her whittling. She seems very weak, and in terms of brute strength she is, but she can move very quickly when she wants to.

Name: Hava Reis

Age: 20

Origins: Born and raised in Brooklyn

Personality: Hava is quiet and studious in demeanor. She enjoys whittling, and collects whatever small pieces of wood she can find. Her body language is tense, almost nervous, unless she’s got something to do with her hands. Hava tries to keep her emotions hidden most of the time, unless she is extremely upset or frightened. Her face is nearly always blank, and it is often impossible to tell what she is thinking. She can get along with most people, as long as they don’t ask much of her emotionally. She is acquaintances with everyone, but friend to none.

Likes: reading, practicing her penmanship, whittling, collecting small trinkets, solitude, running

Dislikes: talking about herself, being the center of attention among a crowd, the sight of blood and gore, wide open spaces, overbearing personalities

Backstory:

Hava grew up the only child of a non-practicing Jewish couple. Her parents had been raised in the faith, but left it after they married and decided to move to New York. Hava was raised essentially agnostic; the only Jewish tradition her family observed was eating kosher.

When Hava was nine, her mother failed to come home from work. A year passed, just Hava and her father, struggling to live with the worry and grief. When her mother returned as a Reborn, things only got worse. Hava’s father endured unimaginable strain, trying to care for both his rotting, comatose wife and his slowly withdrawing daughter. Hava arrived home one day, months later, to find that her father was dead and her mother was missing.

She was placed in a temporary children’s home for kids in similar situations, but as the Reborn attacks increased, the children’s home became more and more disorganized. Staff dwindled from twenty to two. Food rations grew smaller and smaller. Clothes stopped being repaired and replaced. Toys were unheard of. Hava was squeezed into a large room filled with orphans fighting for sleeping bags, clothes, and even food. She learned quickly to eat whatever was put in front of her...or whatever she could steal.

The home lasted for three hard years before it was finally targeted by a mass of Reborn. Hava, being small, fast, and agile, managed to flee the grisly chaos, having armed herself with a single pocket knife that she carries to this day. For three more years, Hava managed to survive on the streets with a group of five survivors who took her under their wing. They moved every few nights, scavenging buildings for food, water, and shelter. They sometimes ran into other surviving groups, but knew that traveling in greater numbers meant drawing attention; they traded and shared items, but never lingered together for long.

The six eventually heard rumors about a colony in Manhattan. A real, structured, safe settlement. The survivors decided to make the trip to sanctuary, relying on word-of-mouth directions to guide them. The group arrived at the gate tired, but relieved. Except for Hava, the group has kept in touch, though time and duties have separated them. Hava had decided to live on her own immediately upon reaching the colony, wanting nothing and no one around her to remind her of the horrors and hardships she had endured. Occasionally, the other five attempt to reconnect with her, but Hava, though not ungrateful, remains distant. She has not left the colony since.

Profession: messenger--she carries letters and memos from person to person, criss-crossing the entire span of the colony.

Equipment/weaponry: several small pocket knives for whittling; a large messenger bag with pockets for her personal items, the main bulk of the bag being reserved for letters; a modified bicycle with a basket in the front and back, along with a small bell on its handlebars; and her father’s old yarmulke, which she keeps with her at all times.

Other:
Skills:
Fast runner
Agile, good at dodging
Can sew functionally well
Neat penmanship
Moves extremely quietly and stealthily